Harry Potter and the Fallen Angel
Harry Potter theme and related characters are property of J.K. Rowling. Plot and characters Hercule Stonewall and Renate Engl (and all first years) are property of Meisako Pyoko-Chan (Melissa Pomeroy), copyright 2002. Any and all reviews appriaciated.~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
chapter Thirty One: In the End
*****
Okay, okay... I just re-read my story and realized it kinda sounded dorky. Sorry about that. :P gosh- You know? I'm winging this chapter too. I'm sorry guys, but a story must always come to an end at one point or another...
****
Harry layed awake in the fluffy bed for sometime, not opening his eyes due to his weariness, and listening to the heavy breathing of a person laying next to him. He couldn't tell who it was by the breathing sounds, as the sounds of his own breath were much too loud. He felt a thick tube down his throat and it was very uncomfortable, but he knew whatever it was, was helping him breath. The last thing he could recall was not being able to.
Voldemort had cursed him. Where ever he was, Harry was sure the Dark Lord was not happy. Many of his followers had turned against him, Lucius Malfoy had not been one of those. Harry wondered if Mr. Malfoy had been arrested or if he had some how gotten away.
Then there was the thought that had been plaguing Harry since his last encounter with Renate, but had been pushed to the back of his head during the encounter. Why had he survived Avada Kedavra? Harry pondered this for a while, but came to no plausable answer. The Unforgivable curse was said to be unescapable...
A door creeked open and a few voices spoke.
"Do you think they're alright? I mean... They'll live, wont they?"
"Molly, of course they will. Hermione woke up just after You-Know-Who Apparated away and Ron came to the next day-" Molly Weasley sniffed. "-Just give these two time. They'll both recover, just you wait." Arthur Weasley seemed to be consoling his wife.
Harry wanted to know who was beside him, more than ever now. Snape had been ingured by Voldemort, but had recovered quickly... If Hermione and Ron had recovered, then surely anyone who had passed out would have, too. Fridwulfa was the only other one Harry could think of who had been injured, but she wasn't hurt too bad, just enough to scare her. Who was it?
Harry struggled to open his eyes, desperate to discover the other occupant of the room.
"Molly... I think he's waking!" Harry's eyes opened slowly and he stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. Mrs. Weasley's face appeared just above his.
"Harry, dear! How are you?" She ran a motherly hand over his forehead.
Harry tried to answer, but the tube in his throat obstructed his voice. Harry crossed his eyes to look at it. The tube was a turquise blue and was connected to a bag of flouecent green fluid, suspended from a pole besides his bed.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Harry. The doctor said it's only temperary. The potion is reducing the swelling in your throat." Mr. Weasley said, catching Harry's gaze. "The potion is nearly run out- I'll get Dr. Secthreen and we'll have it out in a jiffy-" Mr. Weasley pushed past some other people in the room and went out the door.
Harry pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked around the room. The walls were a faint yellow and the paint was cracking slightly in many places. Before him stood the entire Weasley family, minus Mr. Weasley, who had just left, and Percy. Hermione Granger was also there, looking forlorn and weak. Harry pitied her, as she had suffered the Crutatious Curse. The event had been so tramatic that there was even a patch of her hair where the color had been lost.
Ginny Weasley was half hidden behind Bill, peering from behind his robes nervously. She looked and acted as though this was their first meeting, but she looked more scared now, than excited. Fred, George, and Charlie stood in the back of the small crowd, looking anxiously at him. Ron stood next to Hermione, an orange wrapping on his arm, much like a slimey cast.
Ron approached Harry cautiously.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Ron's eyes were puffy. Had he been crying?
Harry nodded, unable to speek. Ron's tense shoulders relaxed a bit.
"We were worried about you. You've been out cold for nine days... Some started to say you wouldn't wake. But Dr. Secthreen said you had a lack of oxygen to the brain... you'd suffocated..."
"Oh Harry!" Hermione burst into tears and threw her arms around him. "You nearly died!"
Harry had nearly died before, but this must have been too close to home for Hermione and Ron- they'd been there when it all happened.
"Now, now, children! Give him some room..." Mrs. Weasley pulled Hermione off of him and touched Ron's shoulder slightly. "Harry will need rest. Let's go, now that we know he'll be alright." She gave a sideward glance to the bed next to Harry's and began to back out of the room, the rest of the Weasleys reluctantly behind her. Harry, too, looked at the bed and what he saw nearly made him choke on the breathing tube.
Albus Dumbledore.
The headmaster lay still beside him, his chest the only moving body part as it heaved slowly with breath. What happened to him!?
Ginny was the last to leave. She watched his shocked face and looked as though she were about to speak, and thought better of it. Harry wished they hadn't left him alone to his thoughts. He wanted company, but he couldn't very well tell them to stay...
Harry struggeled to keep fropm crying. What happened to Dumbledore? Why was he in such a horrific state? Did Voldemort attack him? Harry didn't know. The old wizard showed no signs of being hit by a spell- he just looked extremely tired and very sleepy.
At long last, Mr. Weasley returned with a balding man in white robes. The man checked Harry's tubes, nodded gruffily, and wrote something on a clipboard with parchment attatched. He then disconnected the tube from a pipe and took the things out of his throat. The doctor, as Harry assumed he was, checked down Harry's throat and smiled.
"All in order here. Now, Harry, can you speak? Go on, give us a holler."
"What happened to Professor Dumbledore?" Harry blurted out.
Dr. Secthreen and Mr. Weasley both looked abashed at the sudden question.
"He over exherted himself. Casted a very complicated spell that drained most of his energy. A great deal more energy than usually used for a Sheild Spell, in fact. He was guarding against something strong." Dr. Secthreen looked mildly confused at this as he pondered to himself, but Mr. Weasley was looking at Harry's horrified expression.
"You alright, Harry?"
"He did it for me..."
"What, Harry? What are you talking about?" Mr. Weasley stood next to Harry and looked into the boy's eyes.
"Will he be alright?" Harry asked the doctor without answering Mr. Weasley.
"Huh? Oh- yes. He should be just fine. We haven't ennervated him yet because he needs to gain his strength naturally. He should be fit tonight at the ceremony."
"What ceremony?"
Mr. Weasley beamed. "Ron's been awarded Order of Merlin, Third Class. They wanted to give him First Class, but the couldn't as underaged wizards aren't even supposed to get this award and they were already bending the rules."
A burst of pride flowed through Harry, he could think of none other than Ron who deserved an award more . Ron had punched Voldemort square in the face- If that wasn't bravery, there's no such thing.
"Where am I, anyway?" Harry returned his gaze to the room. There were no windows and the floor was a bit dirty.
"Ministry of Magic, Harry. Infirmiry." The doctor replied, going over to Dumbledore. "This is where you'll spend the next week."
"But couldn't I just stay at the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts? I mean-" Harry fumbled over words.
"Afraid not, Harry... Hogwarts is under rennevation. The students will be taking their exams here, have a last feast, and then go home." Mr. Weasley explained.
"But we've still got one more month of school to go!" Harry protested.
"The parents don't want their kids back at Hogwarts this year. They wanted to make sure their children are safe..."
Harry could think of nothing more to say. He just sat there.
When Harry left the infirmiry later that day, he found the whole Ministry to be nothing but mazes. Every once and a while he would pass a Hogwarts student, but none lfted their eyes to meet his. They all seemed to hush when he crossed there path. Harry wasn't sure if it was out of respect or fear. Even Colin Creevy and his brother Dennis had nothing to say to him.
In the cafeteria, Harry found the Weasleys. He quietly walked up to them and took a seat next to Ron and Hermione. At least here his existance would be acknowledged.
"Ron, you didn't tell me that you were going to get an award-"
"Oh, that... I just didn't think it was the time." Ron stared gloomily at the corned beef sandwiches the Ministry had provided them with. Ron hated corned beef.
"You were great, the other night, though. You deserve it." Harry smiled and playfully punched Ron in the arm. "I would have never slugged Voldemort! You should have seen yourself!" Harry was muched suprised when neither Ron nor Hermione flinched. He was even much more suprised when Ron spoke again.
"If I had enough power- I would have killed Voldemort right then and there." Ron had said Voldemort. Hermione smiled weakly at Ron.
"I never did say thanks..."
Ron flushed pink. Harry changed the subject.
"Where's Sirius?"
"Oh! He gave me a message for you." Hermione said, not bothering to lower her voice. Each of the Weasleys, reccently including Ginny, knew who Sirius Black was and his relation to Harry. It didn't really bother them that much anymore. "He said that the Ministry was preforming and investigation on the Petigrew case, and until he was cleared, he was still considered an escaped criminal. He said he would have to go into hiding for a short while- Lots of people saw Wormtail that night, so it shouldn't be that hard for them to clear him up. The Order of the Phoenix has even gone to help with the case!"
"Oh..." Harry was disappointed. He had hoped that Sirius would be here when he woke, had hoped that he had been cleared already, had hoped that this would be the summer he would leave the Dursleys forever...
The next day, an announcement was made as the students gathered for breakfast. Not only did they have exams for the next three days, but Professor Dumbledore had woken up late the night before and would shortly be addressing them. Cheerful applause broke out among them. Even the Slytherins clapped.
Harry looked around to see if Malfoy had joined in, but he couldn't find him.
"Where's Malfoy?"
"Who? Oh, yeah- Haven't seen him since everyone left school." Ron said as house-elves brought in trays of porridge and toast. "I reckon he got out of here as fast as he could, what with his dad and all."
"Was Mr. Malfoy arrested?" Hermione bit her lip to keep from saying anything about the elves who goggled happily at her.
"I think Dad said he Apparated away. Like six or so others did too." Ron reached down the crowded table and took up a pot of warm treacle. Harry just nodded slowly. Then Draco must be on the run with his dad...
People around Harry suddenly began to clap and cheer enthusiastically. The three looked up and saw Albus Dumdledore enter.
Harry was beyond suprised to see how elderly and feeble the headmaster looked. He really did use all of his energy.
"Wow... doesn't Professor Dumbledore look different, somehow?" Hermione bit into her toast.
"It's because of me."
"What?"
"Do you remember when I tried to- tried to curse myself?" Harry asked slowly and they nodded. "There is one reason I didn't die and Dumbledore is that reason." Harry was watching Dumbledore sink slowly into a chair. "He used all of his energy on a Sheild Spell for me... All of his energy...."
"Anyway!" Hermione said happily after a breif and akward silence. "We're starting end of the year exams today!" Ron and Harry both gave exasperated groans. "I'm so glad that I studied extra hard while I was at school! I only hope that I've studied enough to at least cover the things I missed while I had my out-of-body experience..."
"Oh no!"
"What is it Harry?"
"I only studied Hermione's subjects! I didn't study anyDivination or basic Herbology!" Harry his head on the table. "What am I going to do..."
Ron shrugged. "Fake it."
And that's exactly what he did.
Harry received suprisingly good grades for not having taking the classes for the past month, while Ron did fair enough. Hermione, on the other hand, didn't do as well as she had hoped, only receiving 102% in Arithmancy rather than the 213% she thought she deserved.
O.W.L.s had even been post-poned until a week into the next school year, and N.E.W.T.s had been rescheduled for a few weeks, meaning that each seventh year (Fred and George included) had to return to the Ministry during their summer holiday to take the Nastingly Exhausting Wizarding Tests.
It was the end of their days at the Ministry, their last day even, and the traditional end of the year feast came along, only not so traditional. There were no colorful banners, no golden plates, no floating candles- it was just a dinner. Gryffindor won House Cup again, due to Ron's heroic actions, which earned them 250 points.
Everything seemed so unreal to Harry as the hours slipped by until the Hogwarts Express would pick them up. The train trip was so extremely short that it lasted only three-quarters of an hours. Gloomily each students exited the train, still confused about what had happened that day. Ron's ceremony, on his request, had been made private. Harry smiled to himself as he collected his things and got off the train. Ron had finally been the first in his family to do something. Sure he wasn't a Perfect, Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, extremely funny or charming, but he had been the first, and undoubtedly the only one to give Voldemort a bloody nose.
Harry said good bye to Hermione and the Weasleys, Ginny still looking shy (she had apparently been told about Harry and Hermione switching bodies), and then kissed Cho fairwell. He hadn't intended on kissing her but when she threw her arms around him, he couldn't help it. Hermione complained about having to 'unlock their jaws' so Harry could get to his uncle who was waiting impatiently at the car. Uncle Vernon looked disgusted, as he had seen the whole thing unfold before his eyes.
Harry walked sheepishly over to Vernon, waved a last good bye, and got in the car, not nopticing the strange look an Vernon's face, not realizing this summer would be different than any others before...
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Yeah! Last chapter! I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I've got a job now and don't really have the time to type. When I do type, I type into long hours of the night and they usually end up making no sense...
Hey, now that my story is over... I can answer any questions you have about what happened, what was said, who did what, you know... Email them to me and I will post another chapter to explain everything I can. Or you can leave them in the reviews.
I suppose you are wanting interviews? Okay, I'll make them up as I go along here...
Meisako: Welcome to my last chapter of Harry Potter and the Fallen Angel! I'm happy I got this far, but don't be too sad, there's more to come! (read further down for details)
Potter: I'm happy I could be here, too! Happy that I get to share the last chapter with the author!
Meisako: It has to be this way, you're the hero!
Potter: No, Ron is. He PUNCHED Voldemort in the face!!
Meisako: I know! Isn't that cool!? He should be given some kind of award or medal or something!
Potter: Uh, he was given a medal and award. You should know, you wrote it.
Meisako: Did I? I don't recall... But then again, I don't recall what homework I have left to finish...
Potter: You have ALL of it left to finish... Algebra 2 worksheet on square roots, those 4 chapters in a "Seperate Peace", your Harry Potter essay (I'm so special!), and your Biology checkpoints, which you can't do because you left your book in your locker over the weekend.
Meisako: Oh! Is that all?
Potter: *sigh* Meisako, you have an ESSAY DUE!
Meisako: Hold on, it's 11:30, let it sink in for a moment... *cricket cricket* What!? I have an essay due! Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me I had an essay due! Drud! I've only got the first paragraph! *runs around in panicky circles* Help help help!
Potter: .... Can we get a new author for the next story, PLEASE?
A sneak preview to the sequel, Harry Potter and the Children's Crusades:
Harry heard some one fiddle with keys on the opposite side of the door. A slot in the door opened and he heard something being dropped on the floor. The slot closed and they locked it again. Harry knew it was his breakfast- or was it his dinner? He had lost all track of the time and the dates.
Harry went to get the food but found he couldn't move.
He sighed, thinking profane thoughts of the stupid men who forgot to take the bed restraints off of him. He lay still, staring again at the crack.
His eyes feeling heavy, Harry bit his tongue violently to keep himself awake. He didn't want to sleep, to dream. The dreams were filled with faces. Voices. Images. Memories. Each too harsh to recall.
No one knew where he was, except the Dursleys, and no one would ever find him. How long had he been there? A year? Two years? By now, everyone must have forgotten the boy-who-lived. He was now the boy-who-vanished. Did anyone bother to look for him? Surely Sirius must have...
Sirius...
A sneak preview to the prequel, Until Death Do Us Part:
"Holy cricket, Sirius! You scared the breath out of me!" Lily laughed when the shock had settled. The tall, dark haired boy bowed low and smiled cheesily.
"I'm sorry, m'lady- allow me to make it up to you." He walked in and got on his knees, taking Lily's hand. "Take this as a token of my repentence." Sirius bent his head to kiss Lily's hand when there was a grunt behind them.
"I don't think you'll be wanting to do that, Sirius."
Sirius turned around, smiling broadly. "Why James! How simply sporting to see you! Been a long time, hasn't it old chap?"
"Budge up, Sirius... You saw me five minutes ago." James Potter said, shaking his head in humorous disbelief.
"Really? I must be getting old, losing my memory..." Sirius looked at Lily and bit his lip, confused. "Now... what was I doing?"
"You were moving so I could sit next to my girlfriend, Padfoot." said James, shoving his friend. Lily scooted over and James sat down. "Hello, Honey."
"Hi James, nice holiday?" Lily asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Fairly... Listen Lil, I did alot of thinking over the summer... alot."
"About what?" Lily looked up into James's deep mocha coloured yes. The eyes she had fallen in love with from day one. The eyes that complemented his charmingly thin face and handsome raven black hair. Lily could could read those eyes better than she could any text book. Something stirred deep within them. James was troubled.
Yeah, yeah. Corny, right? Anyway, I'll try to post these other two stories within the week. Keep checking back under Author: Meisako!! :)
I have a new E-Mail: Slytherin_Angel@MostlySunny.com Please email me! :) I'd like that.
Harry Potter theme and related characters are property of J.K. Rowling. Plot and characters Hercule Stonewall and Renate Engl (and all first years) are property of Meisako Pyoko-Chan (Melissa Pomeroy), copyright 2002. Any and all reviews appriaciated.
chapter Thirty One: In the End
Okay, okay... I just re-read my story and realized it kinda sounded dorky. Sorry about that. :P gosh- You know? I'm winging this chapter too. I'm sorry guys, but a story must always come to an end at one point or another...
****
Harry layed awake in the fluffy bed for sometime, not opening his eyes due to his weariness, and listening to the heavy breathing of a person laying next to him. He couldn't tell who it was by the breathing sounds, as the sounds of his own breath were much too loud. He felt a thick tube down his throat and it was very uncomfortable, but he knew whatever it was, was helping him breath. The last thing he could recall was not being able to.
Voldemort had cursed him. Where ever he was, Harry was sure the Dark Lord was not happy. Many of his followers had turned against him, Lucius Malfoy had not been one of those. Harry wondered if Mr. Malfoy had been arrested or if he had some how gotten away.
Then there was the thought that had been plaguing Harry since his last encounter with Renate, but had been pushed to the back of his head during the encounter. Why had he survived Avada Kedavra? Harry pondered this for a while, but came to no plausable answer. The Unforgivable curse was said to be unescapable...
A door creeked open and a few voices spoke.
"Do you think they're alright? I mean... They'll live, wont they?"
"Molly, of course they will. Hermione woke up just after You-Know-Who Apparated away and Ron came to the next day-" Molly Weasley sniffed. "-Just give these two time. They'll both recover, just you wait." Arthur Weasley seemed to be consoling his wife.
Harry wanted to know who was beside him, more than ever now. Snape had been ingured by Voldemort, but had recovered quickly... If Hermione and Ron had recovered, then surely anyone who had passed out would have, too. Fridwulfa was the only other one Harry could think of who had been injured, but she wasn't hurt too bad, just enough to scare her. Who was it?
Harry struggled to open his eyes, desperate to discover the other occupant of the room.
"Molly... I think he's waking!" Harry's eyes opened slowly and he stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. Mrs. Weasley's face appeared just above his.
"Harry, dear! How are you?" She ran a motherly hand over his forehead.
Harry tried to answer, but the tube in his throat obstructed his voice. Harry crossed his eyes to look at it. The tube was a turquise blue and was connected to a bag of flouecent green fluid, suspended from a pole besides his bed.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Harry. The doctor said it's only temperary. The potion is reducing the swelling in your throat." Mr. Weasley said, catching Harry's gaze. "The potion is nearly run out- I'll get Dr. Secthreen and we'll have it out in a jiffy-" Mr. Weasley pushed past some other people in the room and went out the door.
Harry pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked around the room. The walls were a faint yellow and the paint was cracking slightly in many places. Before him stood the entire Weasley family, minus Mr. Weasley, who had just left, and Percy. Hermione Granger was also there, looking forlorn and weak. Harry pitied her, as she had suffered the Crutatious Curse. The event had been so tramatic that there was even a patch of her hair where the color had been lost.
Ginny Weasley was half hidden behind Bill, peering from behind his robes nervously. She looked and acted as though this was their first meeting, but she looked more scared now, than excited. Fred, George, and Charlie stood in the back of the small crowd, looking anxiously at him. Ron stood next to Hermione, an orange wrapping on his arm, much like a slimey cast.
Ron approached Harry cautiously.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Ron's eyes were puffy. Had he been crying?
Harry nodded, unable to speek. Ron's tense shoulders relaxed a bit.
"We were worried about you. You've been out cold for nine days... Some started to say you wouldn't wake. But Dr. Secthreen said you had a lack of oxygen to the brain... you'd suffocated..."
"Oh Harry!" Hermione burst into tears and threw her arms around him. "You nearly died!"
Harry had nearly died before, but this must have been too close to home for Hermione and Ron- they'd been there when it all happened.
"Now, now, children! Give him some room..." Mrs. Weasley pulled Hermione off of him and touched Ron's shoulder slightly. "Harry will need rest. Let's go, now that we know he'll be alright." She gave a sideward glance to the bed next to Harry's and began to back out of the room, the rest of the Weasleys reluctantly behind her. Harry, too, looked at the bed and what he saw nearly made him choke on the breathing tube.
Albus Dumbledore.
The headmaster lay still beside him, his chest the only moving body part as it heaved slowly with breath. What happened to him!?
Ginny was the last to leave. She watched his shocked face and looked as though she were about to speak, and thought better of it. Harry wished they hadn't left him alone to his thoughts. He wanted company, but he couldn't very well tell them to stay...
Harry struggeled to keep fropm crying. What happened to Dumbledore? Why was he in such a horrific state? Did Voldemort attack him? Harry didn't know. The old wizard showed no signs of being hit by a spell- he just looked extremely tired and very sleepy.
At long last, Mr. Weasley returned with a balding man in white robes. The man checked Harry's tubes, nodded gruffily, and wrote something on a clipboard with parchment attatched. He then disconnected the tube from a pipe and took the things out of his throat. The doctor, as Harry assumed he was, checked down Harry's throat and smiled.
"All in order here. Now, Harry, can you speak? Go on, give us a holler."
"What happened to Professor Dumbledore?" Harry blurted out.
Dr. Secthreen and Mr. Weasley both looked abashed at the sudden question.
"He over exherted himself. Casted a very complicated spell that drained most of his energy. A great deal more energy than usually used for a Sheild Spell, in fact. He was guarding against something strong." Dr. Secthreen looked mildly confused at this as he pondered to himself, but Mr. Weasley was looking at Harry's horrified expression.
"You alright, Harry?"
"He did it for me..."
"What, Harry? What are you talking about?" Mr. Weasley stood next to Harry and looked into the boy's eyes.
"Will he be alright?" Harry asked the doctor without answering Mr. Weasley.
"Huh? Oh- yes. He should be just fine. We haven't ennervated him yet because he needs to gain his strength naturally. He should be fit tonight at the ceremony."
"What ceremony?"
Mr. Weasley beamed. "Ron's been awarded Order of Merlin, Third Class. They wanted to give him First Class, but the couldn't as underaged wizards aren't even supposed to get this award and they were already bending the rules."
A burst of pride flowed through Harry, he could think of none other than Ron who deserved an award more . Ron had punched Voldemort square in the face- If that wasn't bravery, there's no such thing.
"Where am I, anyway?" Harry returned his gaze to the room. There were no windows and the floor was a bit dirty.
"Ministry of Magic, Harry. Infirmiry." The doctor replied, going over to Dumbledore. "This is where you'll spend the next week."
"But couldn't I just stay at the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts? I mean-" Harry fumbled over words.
"Afraid not, Harry... Hogwarts is under rennevation. The students will be taking their exams here, have a last feast, and then go home." Mr. Weasley explained.
"But we've still got one more month of school to go!" Harry protested.
"The parents don't want their kids back at Hogwarts this year. They wanted to make sure their children are safe..."
Harry could think of nothing more to say. He just sat there.
When Harry left the infirmiry later that day, he found the whole Ministry to be nothing but mazes. Every once and a while he would pass a Hogwarts student, but none lfted their eyes to meet his. They all seemed to hush when he crossed there path. Harry wasn't sure if it was out of respect or fear. Even Colin Creevy and his brother Dennis had nothing to say to him.
In the cafeteria, Harry found the Weasleys. He quietly walked up to them and took a seat next to Ron and Hermione. At least here his existance would be acknowledged.
"Ron, you didn't tell me that you were going to get an award-"
"Oh, that... I just didn't think it was the time." Ron stared gloomily at the corned beef sandwiches the Ministry had provided them with. Ron hated corned beef.
"You were great, the other night, though. You deserve it." Harry smiled and playfully punched Ron in the arm. "I would have never slugged Voldemort! You should have seen yourself!" Harry was muched suprised when neither Ron nor Hermione flinched. He was even much more suprised when Ron spoke again.
"If I had enough power- I would have killed Voldemort right then and there." Ron had said Voldemort. Hermione smiled weakly at Ron.
"I never did say thanks..."
Ron flushed pink. Harry changed the subject.
"Where's Sirius?"
"Oh! He gave me a message for you." Hermione said, not bothering to lower her voice. Each of the Weasleys, reccently including Ginny, knew who Sirius Black was and his relation to Harry. It didn't really bother them that much anymore. "He said that the Ministry was preforming and investigation on the Petigrew case, and until he was cleared, he was still considered an escaped criminal. He said he would have to go into hiding for a short while- Lots of people saw Wormtail that night, so it shouldn't be that hard for them to clear him up. The Order of the Phoenix has even gone to help with the case!"
"Oh..." Harry was disappointed. He had hoped that Sirius would be here when he woke, had hoped that he had been cleared already, had hoped that this would be the summer he would leave the Dursleys forever...
The next day, an announcement was made as the students gathered for breakfast. Not only did they have exams for the next three days, but Professor Dumbledore had woken up late the night before and would shortly be addressing them. Cheerful applause broke out among them. Even the Slytherins clapped.
Harry looked around to see if Malfoy had joined in, but he couldn't find him.
"Where's Malfoy?"
"Who? Oh, yeah- Haven't seen him since everyone left school." Ron said as house-elves brought in trays of porridge and toast. "I reckon he got out of here as fast as he could, what with his dad and all."
"Was Mr. Malfoy arrested?" Hermione bit her lip to keep from saying anything about the elves who goggled happily at her.
"I think Dad said he Apparated away. Like six or so others did too." Ron reached down the crowded table and took up a pot of warm treacle. Harry just nodded slowly. Then Draco must be on the run with his dad...
People around Harry suddenly began to clap and cheer enthusiastically. The three looked up and saw Albus Dumdledore enter.
Harry was beyond suprised to see how elderly and feeble the headmaster looked. He really did use all of his energy.
"Wow... doesn't Professor Dumbledore look different, somehow?" Hermione bit into her toast.
"It's because of me."
"What?"
"Do you remember when I tried to- tried to curse myself?" Harry asked slowly and they nodded. "There is one reason I didn't die and Dumbledore is that reason." Harry was watching Dumbledore sink slowly into a chair. "He used all of his energy on a Sheild Spell for me... All of his energy...."
"Anyway!" Hermione said happily after a breif and akward silence. "We're starting end of the year exams today!" Ron and Harry both gave exasperated groans. "I'm so glad that I studied extra hard while I was at school! I only hope that I've studied enough to at least cover the things I missed while I had my out-of-body experience..."
"Oh no!"
"What is it Harry?"
"I only studied Hermione's subjects! I didn't study anyDivination or basic Herbology!" Harry his head on the table. "What am I going to do..."
Ron shrugged. "Fake it."
And that's exactly what he did.
Harry received suprisingly good grades for not having taking the classes for the past month, while Ron did fair enough. Hermione, on the other hand, didn't do as well as she had hoped, only receiving 102% in Arithmancy rather than the 213% she thought she deserved.
O.W.L.s had even been post-poned until a week into the next school year, and N.E.W.T.s had been rescheduled for a few weeks, meaning that each seventh year (Fred and George included) had to return to the Ministry during their summer holiday to take the Nastingly Exhausting Wizarding Tests.
It was the end of their days at the Ministry, their last day even, and the traditional end of the year feast came along, only not so traditional. There were no colorful banners, no golden plates, no floating candles- it was just a dinner. Gryffindor won House Cup again, due to Ron's heroic actions, which earned them 250 points.
Everything seemed so unreal to Harry as the hours slipped by until the Hogwarts Express would pick them up. The train trip was so extremely short that it lasted only three-quarters of an hours. Gloomily each students exited the train, still confused about what had happened that day. Ron's ceremony, on his request, had been made private. Harry smiled to himself as he collected his things and got off the train. Ron had finally been the first in his family to do something. Sure he wasn't a Perfect, Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, extremely funny or charming, but he had been the first, and undoubtedly the only one to give Voldemort a bloody nose.
Harry said good bye to Hermione and the Weasleys, Ginny still looking shy (she had apparently been told about Harry and Hermione switching bodies), and then kissed Cho fairwell. He hadn't intended on kissing her but when she threw her arms around him, he couldn't help it. Hermione complained about having to 'unlock their jaws' so Harry could get to his uncle who was waiting impatiently at the car. Uncle Vernon looked disgusted, as he had seen the whole thing unfold before his eyes.
Harry walked sheepishly over to Vernon, waved a last good bye, and got in the car, not nopticing the strange look an Vernon's face, not realizing this summer would be different than any others before...
Yeah! Last chapter! I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I've got a job now and don't really have the time to type. When I do type, I type into long hours of the night and they usually end up making no sense...
Hey, now that my story is over... I can answer any questions you have about what happened, what was said, who did what, you know... Email them to me and I will post another chapter to explain everything I can. Or you can leave them in the reviews.
I suppose you are wanting interviews? Okay, I'll make them up as I go along here...
Meisako: Welcome to my last chapter of Harry Potter and the Fallen Angel! I'm happy I got this far, but don't be too sad, there's more to come! (read further down for details)
Potter: I'm happy I could be here, too! Happy that I get to share the last chapter with the author!
Meisako: It has to be this way, you're the hero!
Potter: No, Ron is. He PUNCHED Voldemort in the face!!
Meisako: I know! Isn't that cool!? He should be given some kind of award or medal or something!
Potter: Uh, he was given a medal and award. You should know, you wrote it.
Meisako: Did I? I don't recall... But then again, I don't recall what homework I have left to finish...
Potter: You have ALL of it left to finish... Algebra 2 worksheet on square roots, those 4 chapters in a "Seperate Peace", your Harry Potter essay (I'm so special!), and your Biology checkpoints, which you can't do because you left your book in your locker over the weekend.
Meisako: Oh! Is that all?
Potter: *sigh* Meisako, you have an ESSAY DUE!
Meisako: Hold on, it's 11:30, let it sink in for a moment... *cricket cricket* What!? I have an essay due! Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me I had an essay due! Drud! I've only got the first paragraph! *runs around in panicky circles* Help help help!
Potter: .... Can we get a new author for the next story, PLEASE?
A sneak preview to the sequel, Harry Potter and the Children's Crusades:
Harry heard some one fiddle with keys on the opposite side of the door. A slot in the door opened and he heard something being dropped on the floor. The slot closed and they locked it again. Harry knew it was his breakfast- or was it his dinner? He had lost all track of the time and the dates.
Harry went to get the food but found he couldn't move.
He sighed, thinking profane thoughts of the stupid men who forgot to take the bed restraints off of him. He lay still, staring again at the crack.
His eyes feeling heavy, Harry bit his tongue violently to keep himself awake. He didn't want to sleep, to dream. The dreams were filled with faces. Voices. Images. Memories. Each too harsh to recall.
No one knew where he was, except the Dursleys, and no one would ever find him. How long had he been there? A year? Two years? By now, everyone must have forgotten the boy-who-lived. He was now the boy-who-vanished. Did anyone bother to look for him? Surely Sirius must have...
Sirius...
A sneak preview to the prequel, Until Death Do Us Part:
"Holy cricket, Sirius! You scared the breath out of me!" Lily laughed when the shock had settled. The tall, dark haired boy bowed low and smiled cheesily.
"I'm sorry, m'lady- allow me to make it up to you." He walked in and got on his knees, taking Lily's hand. "Take this as a token of my repentence." Sirius bent his head to kiss Lily's hand when there was a grunt behind them.
"I don't think you'll be wanting to do that, Sirius."
Sirius turned around, smiling broadly. "Why James! How simply sporting to see you! Been a long time, hasn't it old chap?"
"Budge up, Sirius... You saw me five minutes ago." James Potter said, shaking his head in humorous disbelief.
"Really? I must be getting old, losing my memory..." Sirius looked at Lily and bit his lip, confused. "Now... what was I doing?"
"You were moving so I could sit next to my girlfriend, Padfoot." said James, shoving his friend. Lily scooted over and James sat down. "Hello, Honey."
"Hi James, nice holiday?" Lily asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Fairly... Listen Lil, I did alot of thinking over the summer... alot."
"About what?" Lily looked up into James's deep mocha coloured yes. The eyes she had fallen in love with from day one. The eyes that complemented his charmingly thin face and handsome raven black hair. Lily could could read those eyes better than she could any text book. Something stirred deep within them. James was troubled.
Yeah, yeah. Corny, right? Anyway, I'll try to post these other two stories within the week. Keep checking back under Author: Meisako!! :)
I have a new E-Mail: Slytherin_Angel@MostlySunny.com Please email me! :) I'd like that.