And When The Dawn Begins

Chapter 8 - Aftermath

Some of the Gryffindors watched as Snape led the body out of their common room - the rest turned away, staring at the floor or ceiling in disbelief. Hermione was sobbing into Ron's shoulder, whilst Ron himself cried quietly. Fred and George turned around and watched the two, unsure of what to say, and eventually deciding not to say anything. Looking around, the first years were huddled into one corner of the room, shaking like leaves, staring in disbelief at the spot where Harry had re-appeared. The rest of the people in the common room were stood in small groups, or, sat on the floor in disbelief. The room was fairly empty, as most were still at dinner in the great hall. The twins finally decided upon sitting in the large armchairs in front of the fire, watching the flames flicker angrily, listening to the crackling - which was easily heard through the eerie quite of the room.

**

"Severus, please, go and find Sirius and Remus for me, but don't tell them anything, for now."

"Where are they? Albus?"

Severus Snape looked across at the headmaster, and for the first time a while saw the true age of the strong, powerful wizard, which was usually disguised. He gave up trying to get Dumbledore's attention, and left to find the two himself, deciding the man had enough to think about.

"I should have kept him closer, Fawkes." Dumbledore said to his bird, stroking it gently, " I shouldn't have let him out of my sight. I should have told him the truth - he died thinking he had no family, that he was alone, I should have told him.."

**

"So, what does Albus want?"

"I don't know," Snape lied, not really listening, he was so caught up in his thoughts.

"Aren't we being pleasant today, slime-ball - what have we done to deserve this special treatment today?"

"Yes, right."

Sirius shrugged at his friend, and continued following Snape to the headmaster's office.

**

"He's -he's - what?"

"He died having saved the lives of some of the first years, Sirius, there was nothing anybody could have done."

"How - what happened?"

"Voldemort placed the Imperious curse on Ronald Weasley, who proceeded to allow him into the castle."

"No - how did Harry die - was it the killing curse - no pain?"

Dumbledore frowned, and, if possible, grew more grave than previously.

"What?" Remus asked, his face becoming even more etched with concern.

"They, we - there was a dark mark burned onto his forehead - on his scar, and a knife, in his chest."

Black's face, already the colour of a sickly ghost, became even paler. Remus stood up angrily, as his friend put his head in his hands, tears falling freely.

"It's - inhumane - why not Avada Kedavra?"

"Remus, the dark arts are not known to be humane, but, according to the very small amount I could get out of Miss Granger, Harry survived the killing curse twice before he was captured-" Dumbledore trailed off.

"He what?!"

"I understand it no more than you, Remus, but now is hardly the time to be thinking about it." He glanced at Sirius, who was still yet to say anything.

"We'll hold a service tomorrow, so that only friends have time to find out."

"Where," Sirius spoke, his voice cracking slightly, "Is the body?"

"In the infirmary. I'm sorry, Sirius, but nobody could do anything to help, we had no time."

"It's not your fault, Albus" Remus said, as Sirius was once more silent.

"I only wish I'd told him about me, about his ancestors - he could have had time to learn to protect himself better, with training."

"None of us had any idea, Albus, it's all very sudden and - and-"

Remus collapsed in a chair, the full weight of the situation settling in for perhaps the first time.

"He's really dead, Albus?" he asked desperately, "He was so young - he survived again and again - first James and Lily, Harry was supposed to live.."

**

"I wonder what the assembly's about?" Ginny asked Seamus, who was sat opposite arguing again with Dean about football.

"Don't know" he managed to say.

"Where are my brothers?"

"Actually, I don't know - I haven't seen any of that lot for a while - they'll be here soon."

"Look - over there.."

Ginny turned around and saw Fred and Ron leading Hermione into the hall, George following behind, hands in his pockets, the quartet being followed by a larger group of Gryffindors.

It was perhaps unfortunate for Draco that he chose that point to walk into the room, and comment, "Weasel, Mudblood - where's Potty?" He was slightly shocked, to say the least, when Hermione burst into tears, and Ron and Fred continued to walk past slowly. George stopped and glared at Malfoy, his face more serious than anybody had seen it in a very long while.

"You, Malfoy, are a bastard," and with that, he punched him squarely in the nose, and walked off to sit at the Gryffindor table.

The large group sat at the opposite end of the table to those already present, and remained silent, leaving Ginny, Seamus, Dean and Neville to walk over and enquire as to what was wrong. They had no time to ask, however, as Dumbledore walked into the room, a sombre look on his face.

"Students, you are probably wondering why I have asked you to gather here tonight - I'm afraid it's is for no good reason. Some of you may have heard the orders to stay in common rooms earlier, and I can tell you that it was because Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore chose to ignore the flinches around the room at this point, "entered the building."

There were gasps all around the room, as well as sobs from the previously mentioned end of the Gryffindor table.

"It is with great sorrow that I inform you that he has finally achieved an aim he has pursued for 15 years."

The hall waited nervously, dreading the news.

"Harry Potter was killed this evening, whilst valiantly trying to protect those around him."

The headmaster paused as the news sunk into the shocked audience.

"Let us remember Harry, not as the boy who lived, but as a friend, or a school mate, or a rival. We will be holding a memorial service tomorrow, and all are welcome to attend."

**

The evening was gone quicker than anybody seemed to realise, people still shocked beyond belief, were growing more scared by the second, after all - if Harry Potter could be killed, then who was really safe? Everyone, except the rest of the Weasleys, steered clear of Hermione and Ron, unsure of what to say. The two themselves remained silent all evening, Hermione still crying, Ron just staring into oblivion.

As Hermione went to bed early, she was perhaps hoping that when she woke, it would all have been a dream. However, once in the dormitory, she found that sleep wouldn't come to her. Instead, she sat on her bed, holding in shaking hands a picture, taken in Hogsmeade, of Ron, Harry and herself. She smiled sadly as the Harry in the picture stuck his tongue out at her, and held bunny ears over Ron's head. She then gasped again, bursting into a new round of tears - thinking of all the fun times the trio had spent together, thinking that they would never end. How wrong they had been. She closed her eyes and wept sadly, shutting the drapes around the bed, listening to the thoughts that ran through her head

He's dead. The words rung in her head. He's dead, over and over again. I'd thought I'd lost him once before. I mean, he was constantly in danger. But he didn't die, he always came back. He always lands on his feet. God, it hurts. I'll never see him smile at me again. I'll never see him laugh...

**

Ron watched as Hermione pulled herself up the stairs to the girls dormitories, and then turned back to the fire, hands still wringing in his lap, tears he had never shed before falling down his cheeks, the guilt washing over him, like a cold breeze spreads through a room.

He was my friend. My good, steadfast, ever-ready friend. And I let him down. Oh, why can't I ever do anything right? Why!

It's my fault that he's dead, my fault. I'm supposed to be the one who helps, the one who offer support. Why couldn't I help him? Why couldn't I free myself from the curse? Why couldn't I save him!

Harry. He trusted me. We talked. We worked together. I tried to do him good, but in the end, it was all my fault. I want to die. This is one more major failure, what will the next one be?

Damnit, this is unfair, unjust! He suffered so much, lived through so much, and it all got cut off at 15? Unbelievable. It's enough to make a person doubt their faith, doubt their faith in kindly and caring spirits. Do you realize just how short that is? Most people live to their 70s, at least! It was short and it was hard.

I can't believe he's gone. I keep expecting to turn around and see him, grinning and proclaiming it was all a hoax. But he won't. It's true. A whole future, stretching before us, without him.

God, I want to die. Why is it that I can never help people when they need me? It's disgraceful, shameful. I've got to do better; I can't let them die if I can stop it. He was strong, he faced his destiny. I can be strong now, if only for his memory...

( Sorry.. that was really sad...I'm just having a break to cheer up a bit...There, all better. I really cant take this depressing stuff - so I'm not making it too long. Life is depressing enough. Honestly I have 3 tests next week - maths, biology and further maths. Failure is a word I may have to come to terms with.)

**

Albus Dumbledore stood at the podium set up in the Hogwarts grounds, which was surrounded by chairs, as well as a coffin. He looked around at the people sat. The Weasleys and Miss Granger were sat at the front, the rest of the seats taken up by students from the school. A large black dog was slumped on the floor, it's paws, oddly enough, on its eyes. He thought sadly to himself that he was the only relative present, yet nobody knew about it. Nobody knew that he was related to Harry - even though it was very distant, a great uncle. It would still have been more family than Harry thought he had. He cleared his thoughts and began to speak, well aware that very few people were actually listening to his words, and that most were staring in disbelief at the wooden box.

**

Hermione tried to tear her eyes away from the coffin, but found that she couldn't. All that was left of her friend was in box – packed away. She clutched tightly at Ron's arm, as if determined not to let him get taken away.

Ron, however, was clearly avoiding looking towards the front, staring at the forest, watching the trees sway in the wind. It was therefore no surprise that he was the first one to see a strange figure emerge. He watched as the figure walked out of the shade to reveal a fairly short person, arms behind their back, a bag over their head. If that was odd, it didn't seem to register to Ron. More people seemed to notice the figure when it started to talk however.

"Are you sure I'm going the right way?"

There was a pause.

"Which way now then?"

Silence

"Which left?"

Another pause.

"Why?! Because last time you said turn left, I walked into a tree!"

Pause.

"Right then."

The figure turned towards the group and continued walking slowly forward.

Dumbledore finally seemed to spot the person, and stopped talking.

"What do you mean there are people?"

Quiet.

"Which way?"

Pause.

"Maybe they can help then."

The figure continued on its path towards the service, stumbling slightly as it's current blindness hindered it's progress. They finally crossed into the area where the chairs were spread, and spoke in a croaky voice, muffled through the bag.

"Er - hello?"

The guests turned to each other with blank looks, nobody moving. Finally, Professor Snape stood up and walked to the stranger, watched carefully by everybody present.

He gently pulled the hood off the figure and gasped in shock.

"Oh - God -"

"Professor Snape? Is that you?" The figure asked, "Where am I?"

Snape took the blindfold off the boy with shaking hands, and turned him around to face Dumbledore.

"HARRY?"

"Thank God! I made it! I'm free!"

Harry shouted with glee, before turning round.

"What on earth is everybody doing out here - Hermione! Ron!"

He ran towards his two friends, slowing as he neared them, seeing their shocked faces.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You- you-" Hermione stuttered, before fainting onto the floor.

"Herm?" Harry bent down to the floor, nudging her with his foot. "Ron - give us a hand!"

Ron didn't move, however, and stayed sat in his seat, head shaking slowly.

"Will somebody get these off then?" he said, raising his hands, which could now be seen to be clapped in steel manacles.

Snape pointed his wand at the cuffs, muttered a few well chosen watched, and watched as a gold mist surrounded Harry's wrists. But the metal didn't move. Severus tried again, this time with a slight frown on his face. The mist turned green and surrounded Harry, who face was looking more and more perplexed.

"NO! Not again!" He shouted to the sky, "I'm at Hogwarts - you can't apparate me back again!"

Harry span to face Dumbledore, his face pleading, "The apparition wards, where do they start?"

"By the lake, Harry - what's wrong?"

"Gotta run." And he did so, sprinting down the centre aisle. He got to the back however, and fell to his knees, face scrunched up in pain.

"DAMN IT! I was so close!" He stood shakily, and sighed. "Well. See you all next escape mission."

With that, the mist which still surrounded him turned black, covering Harry from view. It then vanished, taking Harry with it.

There was silence, until Hermione rustled on the floor.

"I had the strangest dream.."

Disclaimer – I own nothing – JK Rowling owns all.