Note: Hello there, people!
So, I want to talk a little about the title of this chapter and what it means. There's a mythological concept about one's journey to hell and this descent is called Katabasis. With that in mind, I guess the title says it all.
I'll leave another note at the end of the chapter talking a little about next chapter.
This one is very angsty and well...
Buckle up.
Malfoy Manor
"What?" Harry whispers. "No, it's impossible."
He feels the ground opening beneath him. Everything he's ever known could be a lie, all his life, his decisions, were made believing in the prophecy he heard. He tore his family with Hermione apart because of it, he lost his ties with his friends because of it, he left his home because of it. He deprived his daughters of having their parents together because of this, because of this damn prophecy. He closes his eyes. He's shaky, his legs losing strength, around him everything is black, it's hard to breathe and it's hard to think.
"Harry!" He feels Draco's hand grabbing his arm and supporting him. "Breathe, man." Draco helps him sit on a chair and he tries to stop his mind from spinning.
"Are you sure, mother?" Draco asks.
"I am, Draco. And besides, it makes sense, a prophecy like this is not a prophecy, it's just a damnation! It's absurd, there's no purpose."
"I didn't know prophecies had purposes."
"Of course they do. Prophecies are manifestations of magic, Draco. And our magic always has a purpose."
Harry doesn't understand what she's saying, for him, her words don't make sense. He wants to ask what she means, he wants to comprehend, but he's unable to talk. It's too much. The day he left Hermione and Laura at Grimmauld keeps coming back to him. Hermione's face, her raw sadness, her desperate eyes, her anger. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. All the years apart, all the time lost, the kisses they can never get back, the way their daughters grew up without half of them. What have I done? He always thought his decision was the right one, after all he was protecting them, all of them. But now. Now he doubts it. He doubts everything.
"What? What is it, Harry?" Draco asks and he realizes he was saying something.
"I need to find it." He says louder. "I need to find the other half." He tries getting up but the dizziness is overwhelming and Draco holds him again.
"Okay, okay." Draco says. "Mother, can you get him some water?"
"I have a house elf for a reason, Draco."
A sharp apparating sound echoes inside the study and Narcissa commands the house elf to bring them some water.
"They can't catch me, Draco."
"I know. I've been saying this all day." Draco sighs. "You have to hide. I'm sure they'll come for you-"
As soon as the house elf is back, he says, "Ma'am, I had to let them in-"
The door of the study bursts open and three ministry men walk inside. Harry recognizes one of them. The Head of the Law Enforcement, Desmond Darkwater. Draco stands tall by his side, his jaw set and his posture is one of authority.
"What's this?" He asks and Narcissa does the same in unison with him.
"Harry Potter, you're now property of the Wizarding Community. You've been accused of disturbing the peace, endangering lives, committing perjury and uttering the Unforgivable Curse, on top of it-"
"Stop." Draco interrupts. "You don't have the authority. I'm Head Auror and I don't have proof of any of this you're accusing Auror Potter. You can leave-"
"I do have the authority Head Auror Malfoy." Desmond says, his voice loud and firm. "Since Minister Granger is in a coma, I'm the one in charge. You are close to Auror Potter and we can't ignore your personal relationship, so I'm pulling you away from this case." Draco tries to protest, but Desmond doesn't let him. "This shouldn't be a debate Head Auror, the proof of what I'm saying is the fact that Auror Potter is at your mother's house this very instant." That leaves no place for argumentation.
Harry feels cold and desperate. He's dizzy, weak and exhausted. Five minutes ago he was ready to turn himself in, but after this… I can't. I need to find the prophecy. He tries getting up and this time he succeeds. Desmond is watching him. The man is big, his prominent stomach proof of it, he's way older and his eyes are hard, relentless. The two others have their wands pointed at Harry.
"On top of it you are the main suspect on the attempted murder of the Minister."
Harry almost laughs at the absurdity of it. He's ready to flee, to try something, but Desmond is faster and in two strides he's holding Harry down, cuffing him with those same bracelets Jack used.
"You'll be under our custody. In Azkaban."
"You can't do that!" Draco exclaims. "He's not convicted yet, he needs a trial and a conviction to be sent to Azkaban!"
"Not this time, Head Auror, he uttered the Unforgivable! He'll be held there until the trial and if he's convicted… he'll go back. It's that simple."
"NO! You're not obeying the law, Head Darkwater! This is unacceptable!"
"Don't try my patience! I'm in command right now, and at this moment," He takes a step towards the door, holding Harry, "I'm the law."
Harry is being dragged out of the room. He knows Draco is protesting, arguing with the men, even Narcissa seems appalled. And he tries to focus, he tries to gather his strength… but it's all in vain. He feels broken and lost. Hermione is in a coma and there's nothing he can do. She might never wake up and he stole ten years from them. Lily and Laura are his last thread of sanity, but even them seem far away now.
He lets himself be taken.
Azkaban . Day 1
Everything is cold, the floor, the walls, himself. He still feels exhausted and drained after what happened at Hermione's. Right now he's being dragged inside the prison and he can't hear anything but the ocean and its furious waves. He hurts all over, his arms the most because of the cuffs that keep them behind his back. The moment they arrived in front of the imposing black block of Azkaban, Desmond punched him and a few Aurors gagged him. And now, as someone pushes him forward, the only thing he can think of is how much he needs to sleep. He barely registers the path they're taking and even if he tried to memorize it, it would be impossible. Azkaban is a maze.
"There you go, Potter, your new home."
Someone stops him and a wall starts moving to the side, revealing a cubicle made of more walls and darkness. There's nothing close to a window or a bed in it. He's pushed inside and he stumbles on his feet, his mind working slowly. He hears the Aurors laughing. The wall moves again, closing him in. His mouth is dry and his eyes are tired, so, he numbly sits on the floor. It stinks from old blood and madness. He doesn't care. He leans against the wall and closes his eyes. In seconds he's sleeping.
Day 2
He wakes with severe pain coursing through him. He screams at the back of his throat, no sound coming out of his mouth since he's still gagged. He opens his eyes and is surprised to see a man watching him, a wand in his hand and a smile on his face.
"Wakey, wakey, Potter." Another shock goes through him and the gag is gone. He can barely swallow so dry his throat is. "You've been sleeping for so long we thought you were dead. Could you imagine it? The great Harry Potter dead at his first day in Azkaban?" The man laughs. "Well, well… you're now Prisoner 1425." He throws at Harry a few dirty rags. "Your new clothes." He flicks his wand and suddenly Harry is dressed with his new 'clothes'. "There's a bucket of water here," another flick of the wand, "for you to drink some water if you want to, just remember that the more you drink the more you'll need to pee and you'll have to live with it." He waves his hand, scrunching his nose. "It will take a few days for you to have some food." The wall slides open and the man exits the cubicle.
Having slept off his tiredness and magical exhaustion, Harry finally fully and completely understands his situation. I'm fucked. He gets up and walks around the place. Going forward he takes three steps and then four to the side. It's ridiculous how dark it is and how cold he feels. The pain on his shoulders' muscles from the cuffs keeping his arms tied back is intense but he's getting used to it, getting a little numb. He's so thirsty. He leans closer to the bucket and take big gulps of water, drinking it madly, like a wild animal. He only stops when he feels his stomach hurting and he involuntarily vomits some water and bile. He grunts, taking deep breaths.
He sits on the floor again, trying to regain some strength. Memories of the last few days invading him. Hermione. He can't feel her through their connection and the fact that he's not sure this is happening because of the cuffs or… no, she can't be dead. Then, Narcissa talking about the prophecy and the existence of a bottom half makes him beat his head against the wall a few times. I was so stupid. Everything feels staged to him now, even his first mission as an Auror, almost like an invisible hand was guiding him, taking decisions for him, leading him to madness and rupture with Hermione later. No, not this again. When fighting against Voldemort he was guided the same way, tricked by someone he trusted. He believed he was in charge of his life and decisions, but he was nothing but a pawn, a pawn destined to die, to give his life to the wizarding world. And now this. He looks around the cubicle. Hermione will come. Even if there's no Dementors in Azkaban anymore, he can see himself going mad. I hope the girls are alright. His biggest regret is the possibility of them feeling all alone now, abandoned by their parents, because of my decisions. He cries a little. I can't do anything right.
Everything he tried to avoid is happening.
Harry grits his teeth, not wanting to think anymore, closing his eyes he tries to get in touch with his inner power, his inner magic. It's something Marga taught him and he uses when he needs to calm down a bit. He forgets about the place he is, the condition he is, the situation he's facing. There's only him and his power, his magic and soul. 'That's what matters, Potter. What we have inside. The outside is just for show.' Even with the cuffs, he can tell his magic is off, it feels strange because… I can't feel Hermione. His heart starts beating faster and his breathe is shorter, a panic attack taking over him. What if she died? She can't. No, no. He's falling quickly into a state of sheer desperation. It's so intense his mind is shutting down and darkness takes him.
Day 3
Hunger is keeping him awake. He can't remember the last time he ate something, even if he still has plenty of water, it's not the same. He walks inside the cubicle, his bare feet finally getting used to the icing coldness. He doesn't feel his arm muscles and in a way he's not smelling the stench anymore. How long have I been here? He can't tell, his sudden panic attacks are putting him under a hellish sleep. He keeps seeing Hermione dead in his arms and when he's not thinking about her, he's worrying about Lily and Laura, wondering what they must be feeling, asking himself if he ruined their lives and each time being more sure of it.
His stomach growls. He feels miserable and useless. I should have run, it was stupid to let myself get caught. His heart still believes Hermione is waking up and getting him out of this nightmare, however, his mind is screaming at him that he should find a way out by himself. He walks to the wall he knows holds the 'door'. He examines it closely, his eyes searching for a handle or something. Don't be stupid, it works with magic. He purses his lips, angry he doesn't know how to get rid of this cuffs. Okay, that's the first thing I need to do. Hermione knew how to open them… maybe the information was inside his mind somewhere, it was a long shot but he had to try. Their connection was so strong that day, in a way that they were almost the same person, in a way that he could pierce all her thoughts…
He sits again, trying to ignore the hunger he's feeling. I need to connect with her. His magic is tense inside him, straining, electric and wild, but he tries to focus on anything that is Hermione related, it's true, he's being avoiding doing that, the recent discoveries about her still angering him. His feelings surface and he realizes how sad he is. She lied to me, a lot. He bangs his head against the stone wall one time. She's Athena… fuck, Hermione. How can I trust you ever again? She had countless chances to come clean, to let him know… why didn't she? What difference did it make? He can't tell, he doesn't know her motives. She knew Marga, she knew where I was, she lied over and over again. It hurts him physically how deceiving she was. He omitted the prophecy from her, but that was it. He never lied to her again, never hid anything… well, maybe not the way she did.
He sighs. I can't think about that right now. He searches inside himself the information he's seeking, but all his thoughts about Hermione are tainted. His love is undeniable, but how much more can he take from her? She was fast enough to demand satisfactions from him, to throw at him how he ruined their lives, how he ran away ten years ago, how he hid things from her. He hits his head against the wall again and gets up, walking frantically inside the cell, his heart racing again, his breathe running short. He already knows what's happening next and he just succumbs to it.
Day 5
She's not coming, she's not coming for me.
Day 7
"Prisoner 1425!" He jolts awake, his senses struggling. After days in total darkness without hearing anything more than the crashing waves and feeling cold, it's a shock to hear someone else's voice and to adjust his eyes to the light coming from the opened wall. It's not the same man from the other time. "There's food for you in here." He throws a small package at Harry and watches him. Harry doesn't understand how he's supposed to eat with his hands behind his back and the man flicks his wand, smiling a little, as if guessing what Harry was thinking. His arms and hands change places, going to his front, the cuffs still holding them together. Harry grunts from pure relief, but the pain is so strong against his arms and shoulders he crumbles down and faints.
When he wakes next he moves his arms in front of him, breathing deeply. He almost forgot about the food. He opens the little package the best he can with his hands so close to each other and there's nothing more than a few pieces of hard bread and crackers inside. He tries his best not to swallow everything at once… he doesn't want to vomit. He chews on the bread, the motion hurting his jaw, but he keeps doing it, small bits at each time. He glances at the bucket of water, it's almost over.
He lets his mind wander as he eats. No one came to visit me. It hurts. I'm all alone, I've always been alone. Only his daughters still make sense to him. They're the only reason he hadn't given up yet. I need to go back to them. His eyes fall on the cuffs, he can see them faintly in the darkness, but he tries examining it. They're golden and smooth, and there's no mechanism to open and close. Differently from muggle cuffs, there's no chain attaching one hand to the other, they're fussed together. This piece of metal is stopping him from getting out. Every time he tries reaching inside to focus on his magic and on the connection he shares with Hermione and their daughters, he stops short. It's too painful and it drives him crazy to dwell on his relationship whit her. Once Hermione was his everything, his light, his safe place to land, but now… she's the source of his suffering.
The wall slides open and Harry blinks. He's standing in the middle of the cubicle, the man that walks inside is the same that brought him food. "Come, 1425, it's time for your first walk." Walk?
Harry doesn't argue, he just steps outside the cubicle and the Auror is right behind him, holding him by the arm. Harry feels weak and dizzy, but he keeps going, trying to remember which way he's heading, trying to make a mental map of Azkaban's halls, which are now alive with dim lights... and in the distance he sees another Auror steering another prisoner. His breathe hitches. Where are they taking me? He punishes himself for not studying Azkaban's rules any further when he had the chance. They take endless turns and he's already forgetting from where he came from.
Then, to his utter surprise, he's standing in an open arena. Other prisoners walk around, a few talking to each other in hushed tones, but they all turn their heads the moment he's there. He recognizes some of them, some he captured himself. His set his jaw and raises his chin, puffing out his chest. He can't let them think he's weak or scared, even if I am. "You have twenty minutes." The Auror behind him says and goes away.
Harry watches everything, taking every information he can. This is probably a place in the middle of the prison, it's open and rectangular shaped. He can see the sky above and he immediately wants to cry. It's the beginning of the night.
"My, my… Harry Potter."
The voice is behind him but he freezes, widening his eyes. Dread invades him and he feels like a teenager again, but he doesn't turn around. The person comes to stand in front of him. Dolores Umbridge. And Lucius Malfoy by her side. Harry's heart starts racing. No, not now. He tries breathing slowly. She gives her unmistakable small laugh. "How the tables have turned, Mr Potter." He can't talk, he doesn't know why but he's scared, he's powerless before her, it's like she could flick her wand and make him write another thousand times that he 'must not tell lies'. She looks fine and it's absurd. She thrives in darkness. Lucius on the other hand is quiet and broken, a shadow of the man Harry once knew, of the man that threatened him so many times. The prophecy. He completely ignores Umbridge and turns to Lucius.
"You need to tell me what the prophecy said." His voice is so strange, so rough even to his own ears. The fact that Lucius was rotting all this time in Azkaban strange to him… if he'd found out sooner that Narcissa was the Seer of his prophecy, if he'd gone to her sooner… Lucius was a few conversations away, trapped inside Azkaban. How could we've missed this? The realization jolting him, giving him life, maybe I can make him talk, maybe I can found out what it said. He grabs him by the collar the best way he manages with the cuffs restraining his movements. "TELL ME!" He feels crazed, but there's no reaction from Lucius, nothing, just a faint recognition passing through his eyes.
Then, he feels it. It's unmistakable and chilling to the bone. Harry turns around slowly, his eyes catching a little smile from Umbridge. A Dementor is approaching them, tall, imposing, scrawny and utterly menacing. He releases Lucius and takes a step back, his mind trying to catch up, but he's already being pulled, life being sucked out of him, it's pure desperation. He keeps seeing Hermione's dead body, over and over and over again. He's screaming inside his head a resounding 'NO', but it's no use. He's losing it.
It stops abruptly and he gasps for air, his head hurts and he's crying. "Oh, Potter… tsc, tsc." Umbridge gets closer to him. "You don't want to upset me, do you? That's Tom, my Dementor." She points at the Dementor as if she needs it to make her point clear. "He obeys me, marvelous, isn't it?"
"They- Dementors are not allowed anymore." He manages to say and she laughs. At his face.
"See you around, Potter."
She and Lucius move away from him, the Dementor following them. And sooner than later, the Auror is taking him back to his cubicle.
Day 9
It started a time ago. The first time he heard it, he didn't give it much attention, but then, it came back, and now he hears is constantly. A voice inside his head. Almost a whisper, however, suggestive and truthful. He can't explain, but he knows the voice can't lie.
And it talks about Hermione.
It exposes her.
Harry's been thinking about her constantly, he doesn't seem able to stop questioning her every step and action. The voice said to him, warned him, advised him to pay more attention. The first thing it said made Harry go back years and try to figure out the question: 'Why didn't she left with you all those years ago, Harry? If she loved you the way she said, what was the problem?'
And he started thinking about it, incessantly. Of course he'd already questioned this over the years, but now, after finding out all her lies and secrets… it's like he's seeing her under a new light. She had nothing holding her down in London ten years ago, not even her parents since they weren't talking. And yet… she didn't come with me. She didn't even considered. She's the reason why our family was torn apart, I was just trying to protect us. He came to the conclusion and nodded to himself repeating the word 'yes', 'yes', hitting his head against the wall.
The next question was more a statement than anything else: 'She was going to marry Jack, wasn't she? She doesn't care about you, Harry. Do you think she ever loved you?'
It guts him open. Even with the distance and years separating them, he never considered marrying someone else, he never came close to the thought of it. To him, she was the only one. Yet… it wasn't the same for her. She accept Jack's proposal and even said to Harry that she imagined herself having a family with Jack. A fucking family. And if he wasn't the evil guy she would've done it. 'She would, of course she would.' The voice whispered. 'She doesn't love you, Harry. She never did… her first love was Ron, and then she settled with you, don't you see?'
"No."
'And if you think about it… how in fact did Jack pierced her house's wards? Don't you find it strange? Maybe she let him in, maybe she never prohibited him from entering.'
"No, it isn't true. I could feel her love. I could see it in her eyes." He gets ups, pressing his hands against his head, trying to make the voice go away. "She saved me. She was willing to die for me."
When he comes to this conclusion, the voice stops and he finally gets some sleep, his mind confused and exhausted.
Day 12
'Everything she told you was a lie, Harry.'
"No, she loves me. She'll come for me."
'You know she isn't. She doesn't love you, she loves to manipulate you and now she's probably relieved she doesn't have to deal with you anymore. Now she can have Laura and Lily all to herself like she always wanted, like she proposed to you when she went to New York, don't you remember?'
Harry hits his head against the wall, shutting his eyes. He's been trying to resist the voice, but everything it says makes sense to him, it's getting harder and harder to don't give into it.
'And they're all her friends, Harry. No one likes you, not really. Ron's always been jealous. Ginny and Draco think they're superior… I mean, Hermione named him Head Auror, not you. That says something.'
"GO AWAY!"
He's breathing hard, anger filling him. The voice is gone, for now. And his mind seems to breathe a little, every few times this happens he tries to center himself, to remember who he is. But his thoughts are corrupted, he knows. He can't see things clearly anymore, he can't grasp reality into his hands. The only emotion and memory untouched are those regarding Lily and Laura. It's like he was able to put them into a sealed bubble, indestructible and filled with good things. His scarce smile is for them, his remaining will to leave this hell exists because of them. He find it difficult to care about the others, even Hermione, especially Hermione.
At first he was scared she might be dead, but now he's sure she just doesn't want to get him out. Her life is sure easier with me trapped here. After all, she always blamed him. Maybe now she can be happy with Jack and live her life without threats and constant danger.
'Well, of course, that's what she said to you that day when she ended everything between you two, right? All the facts in front of you, Harry. You were blind.'
"I was blind." He nods to himself. "I was blind."
No one is coming, no one cares. Like always.
Day 14
'She didn't even have the decency to tell you she's Athena.'
"She fooled me. All this time."
'She did. I'm sorry for you, Harry. She doesn't deserve you.'
"I hate her."
It's the second time they lead him to a walk, but he barely registers anything. He drags his feet around. It's raining and the coldness doesn't bother him anymore, he got used to it. He has his head down, staring at the black stone he's stepping on. He can't comprehend things anymore, all his thoughts feel like jelly, like something that shouldn't be there. There's a cloud inside his mind and he learned to embrace it, to live with it. So he just walks and mumbles whatever he's thinking. Today, the number 1425 is coming out of his lips without his consent.
He stops walking because someone is on his way. He looks up. It's an old woman and at the back of his mind he knows he recognizes her.
"Already mad, Potter?" She lets out a little annoying giggle. "If I'd known it would be so easy…" She trails. He sees a dark creature looming behind her and all of the sudden his little will to live is being sucked out of him. He gasps, not understanding the image that keeps repeating inside his mind. It's a woman, a beautiful woman, but she's dead. The image disturbs him, bringing sorrow and darkness into his heart. The old woman laughs and the emotion is gone. He's left with nothing. He's nothing.
"1425, you have a visit." The man says and grabs him by the arm, leading him somewhere.
The next time he's aware of something there's a blond man in front of him, a desk between them. The man is saying something, a name. "Harry, are you listening to me? Talk to me, please." Harry. I'm Harry. He tries focusing on the man. Maybe I know him. 'He's one of the traitors.' The voice says to him.
The man keeps talking. "Hermione is still in a coma, Harry. I'm sorry." 'LIE, ALL LIES'. Harry doesn't move. He doesn't care, he doesn't know how to anymore. "Lily and Laura, they- they miss you very much." Harry mumbles the number 1425. "I've been trying to see you since they took you, but they wouldn't let me." 'LIAR'. "Merlin. Harry, look at me." Harry moves his face to the other side. "What? What are you saying?"
"1425, 1425."
"I don't understand-"
"1425! 1425!" He screams, getting up. The blond seems scared. A few Aurors enter the room and drag him backwards, away from the blond who is now protesting, calling to him.
After minutes he doesn't even remember he ever saw Draco there.
Day 16
Strangely, today he's feeling… normal. Almost like a human being again. He looks around. The cubicle is filthy, his conditions are humiliating and suddenly he wants to cry. There's barely any water for him and he has no idea when was the last time he ate. He knows he's thinner, weaker, his hair and beard longer. The first rational thought that comes to him is about Lily and Laura. How they are, how long he's been here. Then his mind wanders to Hermione and he feels a foreigner hate towards her. He doesn't understands it exactly, but it gnaws at him from inside out.
The wall opens. An Auror gets in and Harry looks at him suspiciously. The Auror closes the wall and lifts his wand, whispering a lumos. Harry waits, cold in place. Then, just before his eyes, the Auror turns into someone else. He lets out a breath, relief filling his lungs.
"Cho." He says, a sensation of pure hope filling him.
"Harry." She comes closer to him, her arms closing around his neck, he doesn't move, however. "I'm here to get you out."
"Is this real?"
"Yes." She nods, releasing him and taking a step back. She looks around, appalled. And when her eyes go back to him, he sees something he doesn't like: pity. "You'll have to keep your cuffs until we're out of here."
"How are we getting out? How did you even got in?"
"Just follow me." She flicks her wand and goes back to being the man Auror. The wall slides open and she grabs Harry by the arm, guiding him through the halls. They walk for a long time, turning right and left, and then walking a long straight hall.
Harry's mind is racing. He struggles to comprehend what's happening, but right now he doesn't care, he just wants to be out out of this place as soon as possible. He wants to hold his daughters and be able to use his magic. It's everything he can think about. She didn't came after all. She left me here, to rot. It hurts deep inside, not just emotionally, but almost physically.
Cho stops him. Harry can see the sea from where they are. It's raining. She whispers at his ear, "Don't say a thing."
Another Auror approaches them and Harry glances at the man. There's a Dementor being held by a Patronus just behind the Auror. "Where are you taking, 1425?"
"The commander asked for him."
Harry keeps his head down, waiting. "I don't know a thing about this. Let me check." The Auror goes back a few steps, the Dementor following him.
"He didn't buy it." Cho whispers. "Do you think you can use your magic?" Harry nods slightly. Yes, please. Let me out of these things. "Okay, he's our last obstacle out of here. If we go through him and the Dementor we're out. There's a portkey waiting for us." She says something Harry doesn't understand but he feels the cuffs giving out. He sighs in relief. The magic overflowing out of him, sharpening his senses and giving him power. The connection with Hermione hits him with full force, but he squashes it down. He doesn't want to think about her. "Be ready, there might be more Dementors." Cho pushes him forward and the Auror screams at them. "Now."
Harry turns around and before Cho can even utter a curse, he wandlessly directs a powerful Sectumsempra to the Auror. The man falls down, the curse cutting him deep, he screams in pain, blood gushing out of him. Harry stops to look, ignoring the herd of Dementors coming their way, he's transfixed by the man's suffering.
Harry feels powerful. He never felt this way. Never. He's delighted.
"Move!" Cho shouts and he sets into motion, she's having a hard time with the Dementors, but Harry just closes his eyes and thinks of Laura and Lily, a Patronus so powerful hits them it's almost blinding. Cho doesn't stop to look and Harry runs after her, his blood pumping into his veins, his muscles coming to life, his lungs taking in the most of air it's capable. He feels alive.
She stops after a while. "Shit. They closed off the wall."
"Can't you open it?"
"No. Nothing can, really. We're trapped. Fuck!"
She kicks the floor in frustration, but Harry doesn't mind. He raises his hand and shouts "Reducto!"
The wall and everything around them explodes into ashes. Instantly. Cho is watching him, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide.
Harry can feel the magic burning inside and outside him. "Let's go, then." He says and they move.
"Over there." Cho points, there's a boat waiting for them. "The boat is the portkey itself."
Harry runs, climbing down the many stone stairs in huge leaps. He never felt this good. He takes one last look at Azkaban, breathing hard.
And then he steps inside the boat with Cho.
Unknown place
"I'm glad things worked out." She's looking at him closely, her old eyes scanning him, deciphering him. "This way I'll grow tired of saving you."
"Marga." His voice is low and he bows his head a little.
"We have a lot to talk about, Potter."
Note: Well, I guess it goes without saying but with this chapter we enter a new phase of the story!
Next chapter we get to see Hermione's journey during this time!
