AN: I'm sorry this took so long! The computer has been down since I posted the last chapter and I had to delete my beloved Napster and Imesh just to be able to open Microsoft Word! Hopefully (if this damn computer doesn't screw me over again) I'll be updating a lot quicker. Only a few more chapters to go before the story is over! Enjoy!

Chapter 21: The Greatest Weapons

When Dumbledore walked into the hospital wing, Harry sighed in relief. He was ready to know what was going on. The headmaster's eyes looked oddly devoid of lightheartedness as he sat down in a chair next to Harry.

            "Harry, please tell me what happened tonight." He stated calmly.

            Harry nodded and told him everything he could remember since he awoke from an unconscious state. He talked about the small room, Lucius Malfoy, the Death Eaters, and Barty Crouch Jr. Dumbledore did not seem as puzzled as Harry was by Crouch's appearance. He recalled Voldemort's words of how they had failed. He told Dumbledore how Crouch had freed him from his restraints, and then given him a portkey to Hogwarts, ultimately saving his life. When he came to the part of Crouch's death, Dumbledore's seemed to be alarmed, but the headmaster did not speak until Harry was finished.

            "Harry, Ron, Hermione," He said curtly, looking at each of them in turn. Harry was surprised to see tears welling up in Dumbledore's eyes, but they did not spill over. "Barty Crouch Jr. was not who he seemed to be. Immediately after Voldemort's rebirth last year, I knew that I had to find someone to be my information source, an undercover spy, if you will. I needed someone who could perform the job well and someone who would not be too obvious. During Voldemort's last reign, Severus Snape had been the main spy after he turned to The Light Side. Well if it's not broke, don't fix it, I always say. I wanted Severus in there, but Voldemort already knew he was a traitor."

            Hermione let out a gasp of surprise. Harry looked at her confused, as he wasn't really sure where Dumbledore's story was leading. Ron gave Harry a puzzled expression. He, too, seemed to be clueless. Hermione obviously had figured out what was going on.

            Dumbledore nodded in response to Hermione's shocked expression. "Severus took Polyjuice Potion and adopted the appearance of Barty Crouch Jr."

            Harry looked at Dumbledore in awe. He was at a loss for words. Snape saved his life? Snape died for him? How could that be?

            Dumbledore continued speaking softly. "Do you recall last year, Mr. Potter. When I told Severus that he knew what he must do?"

            Harry nodded silently, still too shocked to speak. "Well we had both reached the same conclusion, rather quickly, that he had to become Crouch. After all, Voldemort was not aware of what the Dementors had done to him. Well, Severus went off to brew the Polyjuice Potion, that very night. To this day, I am still amazed that he knew exactly what I was thinking. He was prepared for the duty. Severus Snape was a very brave man."

            Though Dumbledore always seemed to be radiating strength, Harry could feel his sadness at that moment. The headmaster had been very close with Snape and now Snape was gone. Harry's mind had still failed to grasp the idea that Snape had died for him to live.

            Dumbledore clapped Harry on the shoulder, before getting up and preparing to exit the room.

            Harry suddenly remembered something and shouted, "Wait! Professor, you never told me! Did the Death Eaters win? Are the Dementors under their control? I know they released the prisoners, because the Lestranges were there tonight, but the Dementors are still at Azkaban, right?"

            Dumbledore looked at Harry for a long moment. He didn't appear full of energy. His face looked ragged and weary. His eyes appeared tired and empty. "Harry I'm afraid that Voldemort has overcome that particular obstacle. We lost. The Dementors are loose and will fight for him from this point on. The three of you fought well and bravely, and I thank you for that. Now get some rest." He disappeared into the winding corridors of Hogwarts leaving Harry stunned.

            "Can you imagine what's going to happen now that he has those things on his side?" Harry whispered to his friends. "He's been near impossible to stop, but with the Dementors we don't stand a chance." He tugged at his hair, worried for the safety of his friends and the entire Wizarding population. No one said anything for a long moment, but Harry calmed down considerably when Ginny took his hand into hers.

            "You're wrong Harry." Harry looked up to see Ron staring down at him, with an unusually serious expression adorning his normally cheerful features. "We do stand a chance. Voldemort and everyone who follows him is evil. They don't have the same advantages that we have."

            Harry looked at him disbelievingly. "The only advantage I see here belongs to them. They have Dementors that feed off of despair, and we don't know how to destroy them. How can you be so optimistic?" In a way Harry admired Ron's sense to look for the positive, but when it came to Voldemort, it wouldn't do to think like that. They had to think realistically.

            "We have weapons that Voldemort and his Death Eaters can only dream of." He responded cryptically.

            "Yeah, and what are they?" Harry could not tell where Ron was coming from, or where this conversation was leading.

            "Friendship. Loyalty." Ron began. He paused for a moment and looked at Hermione with a half smile on his face. "Love." He whispered finally. "Don't you understand? It's not going to be some death-obsessed monsters that end this war. It's going to take weapons of the soul and I'm sure that that's the only way it will happen."

            Harry nodded, feeling somewhat speechless at Ron's words. He was right of course. "You're right." He grinned at Ron; surprised he could still do such a thing after the year they had had.

            Madam Pomfrey suddenly came in, interrupting their conversation. "The three of you better stay here for now. It won't do to have you running about the castle, when you have obviously been through a horrible ordeal."

            Harry nodded and changed into some pajamas that Madam Pomfrey had handed to him. He lay down in a cot, suddenly feeling tired beyond belief. Ginny sat beside him. "Madam Pomfrey said I could stay here for awhile," she whispered gently.

            Harry shook his head, not wanting her to waste her time sitting at the hospital wing. "I'll be fine. Just need some sleep." He said groggily. "You go down to Gryffindor and relax."

            Ginny smiled. "Harry Potter, you couldn't get rid of me right now if you paid me a hundred galleons."

            Harry smiled back at her, realizing he didn't want her going anywhere. He nodded in understanding and soon found himself drifting off to sleep.

~*~*~

            Harry struggled to move, but realized there was no way he could. His arms, legs, and head were frozen, facing forward; He tried not to concentrate on the scene in front of him, but was unable to look away.

            Voldemort was standing in the middle of a circle of Death Eaters, who were cheering him on exuberantly. One by one, Voldemort killed the people he cared about. He watched as His parents, Hagrid and Mr. Weasley were murdered by Avada Kedavra.

            Then he came to Severus Snape. Snape looked into Harry's eyes and Harry saw neither hatred nor evil, but pain and suffering. He did not want Snape to die, especially not for him. But it was too late for him to tell Snape how he really felt. Too late to thank Snape for saving his life during  first year and yet again this year. Too late. "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled, and Severus Snape's body joined the others on the ground.

            Voldemort began to laugh, a high cruel cackle. He looked Harry dead in the eye. Harry felt immeasurable pain in his scar as he looked into the serpent-like eyes of the murderer of so many people he cared about. "Who is the sacrifice of the day? Who else has to die for Harry Potter to live?" He hissed, and Harry knew that everything he said was true. Unable to keep it inside any longer, Harry screamed in rage, sadness, and guilt.

~*~*~

            "Harry! Wake up! C'mon!" Harry's eyes flew open. It was all a dream, just a dream, or rather a nightmare. A true nightmare. All true. Ginny was standing above him, looking rather frightened.  "Are you okay?" She asked, breathing heavily. "You've been screaming for a couple minutes. I couldn't get you to wake up. Nightmare?"

            Harry nodded and reached for the glass of water that Ginny had provided. "Thanks" He mumbled after taking a sip.

            "Been there." She whispered, showing a bit of vulnerability that she rarely allowed others to witness. "Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps me." She gave him an encouraging smile, but Harry noticed it did not reach her eyes. She seemed depressed and Harry knew she was thinking of her own experiences with Voldemort.

            "I'm not sure I want to put you through it." He whispered truthfully. "It's really horrible."

            "Well, why don't we both share our nightmares? I'm sure you can help me too." Ginny said, and Harry realized that she was probably right. "Ron and Hermione already went back to Gryffindor. There's no one here except for you and me. We can talk now, if you'd like."

            Harry nodded and began to tell her of his dream.

AN: More Ginny/Harry interaction to come in the next chapter. I plan to show the discussion they have about their Voldemort problems. Please review!