CHAPTER 12

~Lily & James Potter~

                  Harry started to look for Voldemort just in case he was getting ready to attack him next. But he was nowhere to be seen. Then the truth hit Harry.

Peter had saved Harry's life.

But then, where was Voldemort?

Harry didn't have time to ponder on this because suddenly, bright light shone in front of him. Blinded, he raised an arm to shield the light from his face. When he lowered them again, he found two people looking at him, smiling.

One of them was a lady. She was incredibly pretty, wearing robes of pale green which flapped noiselessly behind her; she had long, dark red hair and brilliant emerald green eyes, just like Harry's. The other one was a man. He was quite tall and he was smiling kindly down at Harry. This man had brown eyes and he wore round glasses, just like Harry's; he also had untidy black hair, just like Harry's.

"Mum? Dad?"

The pretty lady with green robes smiled, as did the man with the glasses.

It was Lily and James Potter.

Something inside Harry erupted. This was not real. How could they be his parents? Yet, unbelievable as it was, he continued to look at them, they looked so real…

"B-but, I-it can't be…your—your dead…" Harry trailed away. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes but he blinked them away furiously, somehow scared that they would blur his vision of his mother and father…

"Harry, dear son," James Potter spoke.  "yes, you're right, we are gone. We have only a few minutes before we leave again…"

"No! You can't leave!" Harry yelled. He had gotten up onto his feet. Shaking slightly he leaned towards a tree to support himself. The tears in his eyes were fighting—threatening—to flow out. "You're both here and I'm not letting you go!"

He reached for his mother and carefully hugged her. He hugged her so tightly—he was scared that she would go …leave him again…

For several seconds, they stayed there, Harry crying silently on his mother's shoulder.

"Harry, there is no spell to reawaken the dead, you know that," his mother said gently. "But killing the person who did kill your parents does bring them back…though only for a few moments."

"But, can't you stay longer? Please mum…don't ever…leave me…again…" Harry cried.

His mother let go of him.

"NO!"

"The time has come Harry," said James.

"Goodbye Harry…"

"No! Mum! Dad! No!"

The blinding, white light appeared once more. When it had faded, Harry's parents were gone.

~~~

"Wonder what happened?"

"Dunno…he'll tell us when he wakes up I s'pose."

"Was anyone else there, Albus?"

"Only Peter Pettigrew and Leanne Kasender, Minerva. And they were both dead."

"My God!"

Harry's eyes snapped open. He found himself in the hospital wing, blurred shapes swimming in and out of his focus. He abruptly sat up and heard gasps.

"Potter! I ask you to lie down." came Madam Pomfrey's voice, the matron.

"Where're my glasses?" he asked.   

Someone passed them to him and he put them on.

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey were around his bed, accompanied by Hermione and Ron.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" asked Dumbledore kindly, peering through his half moon spectacles.

"Fine, sir."

"Harry! You're all right!" Hermione hugged him so suddenly that  his head hurt. She let go of him.

"What happened? Is it really true that Peter and Professor Kasender are dead, Harry?"

Harry looked at Dumbledore who nodded.

"Yeah…Peter--he saved my life."

"He what?" Ron spluttered.

"He saved my life. Voldemort was there…I remember…he killed Professor Kasender first…she was an Animagus…then Voldemort was about to kill me but Pettigrew knocked me over and he got hit with the spell instead."                

"Wow!"

"Professor," Hermione asked quietly. "If I may ask, what happened to You-Know-Who?"

"I think Harry may be able to answer that for us." Dumbledore said, inquiringly.

"He died sir."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"No, Harry. He didn't die. You have only weakened him once again. Weakened him the way you did when you were only a year old," corrected Dumbledore.

"But how did he vanish, Albus?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Last year, Peter had helped Voldemort rise by giving his own flesh to him, which meant that they shared something. Killing Peter was like killing Lord Voldemort."          

"But why did Peter sacrifice himself?"

Dumbledore answered, "Harry once saved Peter's life, Minerva, and you do know that when a wizard saves another wizard's life, they create a bond."         

"Of course…"

Something in Harry's brain made him almost jump. Instead, he said urgently, "Professor! I saw my parents tonight! There, at the forest! They—"

"Calm down, Harry," said Dumbledore, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

So Harry began telling his story, from when he started hearing the phoenix's song, seeing Professor Kasender running away from the Forbidden Forest to when he saw his parents.   

"Fascinating…" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "I always thought there was something pleasantly strange about Professor Kasender. She was indeed, a very big fan of birds…" Then he leaned over to whisper something in Harry's ear. "I have informed Sirius of what has happened, Harry." He looked up and smiled. Then he added, "Someone has also retrieved your father's cloak and also your wand…I daresay you'll still be needing those…"

Professor McGonagall sniffed.

"I kind of liked Leanne Kasender," she said tearfully. "A very good friend, she was…"

"Professor Dumbledore, sir?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Was it Professor Kasender who's been giving me those—those messages then? To—to kill Voldemort so I would be able to see my parents again?"

"She did, indeed, Harry."

"But why did she bring me to Voldemort?" Harry asked once more.

"She didn't," Professor Dumbledore answered. "She was under the Imperious curse by Lord Voldemort, Harry."

"Oh, your dream, Harry! Remember?" Hermione shrieked excitedly.         

"Yeah. So my dream did tell the truth didn't it?" Harry said.

There was a pause.

"Well, Potter, I suggest you go back to sleep," Professor McGonagall told him.

"That is, of course, after a hot mug of chocolate," Dumbledore added, his pale blue eyes twinkling.