Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm infringing on a lot of
copyrights here…don't sue me! I have $3, a stuffed leopard and a few CDs to my
name!
***
The Orb of Umbra
Chapter Seven: The Last
Chapter
"Oomph!" came Harry's muffled cry as his head connected with the stone floor of the divination classroom. He found himself hanging awkwardly off the chair he had been sitting in; his legs were draped over the seat with the rest of his body twisted on the floor. Harry propped himself up on his arms and looked around. Twenty pairs of eyes were focused on him – some curious, some shocked, and some rather bemused. There was a long pause, and Harry lay on the floor, stuck between the joy of having returned to reality and the confusion as to why he was being stared at as if he had suddenly sprouted three extra arms.
He glanced up at Professor Trelawney, who was looking as though
Christmas had come several months early. She clapped her hands together in
delight. "So! Who wants to go next?" The bell to signal the end of class rang,
and there was a mad scramble to get through the trap door. Harry slowly
untangled his stiff limbs and clambered to his feet. He hastily grabbed his bag
and went through the trap door before Professor Trelawney could stop him.
Ron was waiting for Harry at the bottom of the stairs, looking tense.
Harry gave him an encouraging smile. They walked down a few corridors in
silence before Ron stopped abruptly. "Er, Harry?" Harry stopped and turned,
nodding to Ron to continue. "What happened to you in that…thing?" Harry began
to reply, but stopped. I can't tell Ron what I saw, he thought. I
can't tell him that because of me his sister died. I can't tell him I became a
dark wizard and then killed him. I can't tell him what I saw. It wouldn't be
fair – would it? Harry looked at Ron standing in front of him. He rarely
kept secrets from Ron. They were best friends. But some things are better
kept secret, Harry rationalized. "Um, nothing really." He said finally. Ron
looked like he didn't believe Harry, but he said nothing.
It wasn't until the two were at the portrait of the Fat Lady that Ron
spoke again. "Y'know, you mumbled some really weird stuff while you were in
there." Harry stopped, the colour draining from his face. "I did?" "Raspberry
tart," Ron said to the Fat Lady. "Well, yeah. Every once in a while you would
say something like 'it's not real', and once you screamed something about
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and everyone started going nuts. What did you ask,
anyway?" Harry stepped through the portrait hole after Ron. "Oh, erm…well, it
just showed me the night my parent's died." Harry lied quickly. Ron immediately
turned away. "Oh…"
"You know, something like that orb has got to be full of dark magic. I
don't know why Trelawney let us use it." Harry said casually, trying to break
the awkward silence. "What's full of dark magic?" It was Hermione. She was
curled up by the fireplace, 1001 Magical Herbs & Fungi resting in
her lap. Harry and Ron told Hermione all about the Orb and Professor Trelawney
trying to convince her students to try it out.
Harry watched bemusedly as Hermione rambled on about the teacher's code
of conduct and the various restrictions on letting students use dark magic
objects. He looked at Ron, yawning and sinking lower in his chair. Finally he
looked around the common room at students laughing, chatting and doing
homework. He noticed Ginny, deeply engaged in a chess game with a third year
girl. They were all alive. Harry was a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin. And nothing
would ever change it. Harry closed his eyes and smiled. "I'm a Gryffindor…" "Of
course you are, Harry." Harry opened his eyes. Ron and Hermione were staring at
him curiously. Harry laughed. "Of course I am…I'm going to bed. Good night,
guys." Harry rose and walked across the common room towards the stairs leading
to his dormitory. "Good night, Ginny!" he called. Ginny looked up at him,
startled, but she gave him a smile and a wave anyway. Harry smiled and bounded
up the stairs to his dormitory two at a time.
As Harry lay in bed that night, staring at his scarlet bed hangings and
listening to Neville snore, he was never happier as he had been right then to
be Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.
Fin.
***
I really didn't want to write an author's note at the beginning 'cause
I was too excited about writing the last chapter! So…what did you think? Did
the ending do it justice? I hope so. And I hope you all enjoyed it. I love my
reviewers! You guys are the coolest! You're the ones who encouraged me to
finish this so fast.
Al right. I'm going to take a break from writing, mostly to make sure I
don't fail math. But after that, I'm going to start working on my new story! I
promise the chapters will be longer in this one. I'm not going to give any plot
details away just yet. The working title right now is 'The Vanishing Glass'.
It's going to be a mystery/action/adventure. I'll have the first chapter ready
in a week or so.
Once again, thanks to everyone who helped, reviewed, and supported me
this week! I couldn't have finished this so fast without you!
