Summary: After being hit by the killing curse for the second time in his young life, Harry finds himself trapped in another body. He finally gets the chance to see how his life would have been like without his popularity, and where is friends loyalties lie.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J K Rowling and Warner brothers.
The Boy Who Lived Again: Switch
Chapter 25: The End of a Dream
Hermione sat in a chair next to Harry's bed with her head cushioned in her arms. She stared at his last friend as a single tear fell from her eye onto his bed.
The battle had occurred two weeks ago, and there still had not been a response from Harry. His body had lain in the hospital wing for the past 3 months. Even now, he was still only sustained by a magical life support. At first, Dumbledore had allowed Harry to be kept on this life support, but now since his soul had been lost, there was no hope for a full recovery. To Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey, they believed that they were just giving false hope to his loved ones and his friends by keeping him like this.
When they broke this news to Hermione a week ago, she had kicked and screamed begging them to reconsider. Even now in her heart, she believed that he would still come back to her. He even started to look more like the old Harry. His bruises had healed and bones had been mended, even his color started to return. Unfortunate, Dumbledore did not believe these were signs of recovery because, "What is a body with out its soul?"
Even now, she looked at his pale face, and thought, "They are going to kill him."
She had spent all her free time with Harry since the battle. She had stopped eating in the great hall all together. Rather, she spent her meals in the hospital wing with him. Especially now, she believed that she should spend as much time with him as she could because it might be his last.
As she lay their gazing at him, she took his hand and held it in hers. She had never gotten the opportunity to feel the real Harry around her. She never had the chance to feel his warm kiss. Now, she never will.
She wanted to remember everything about him to permanently ingrain him in her mind. If she could not have him with her physically, then she would keep him spiritually in her heart.
Madame Pomfrey looked in on the lonesome girl at Harry's bed. She had not wanted her to spend all her time with Harry because that would just make it that much harder to say goodbye. Hermione needed to move on with her life, and sitting there was not helping. Dumbledore had told her to let her come as much as she would like because this was her last time. Madame Pomfrey slowly closed the door, and walked away thinking, "She really did love him..."
When she was heading back to her office, Madame Pomfrey passed by Ron coming to see Hermione and Harry. She was glad that other friends would be there with Hermione. "She is in there with Harry. Could you see if you could get her out today? I don't think it's good for her to be cooped up like that."
Ron just nodded his head, and replied in a half smile, "I will try." He slowly opened the door, and went into Harry's separate room. Ron walked in the room, and put his hands on her shoulder.
Hermione turned to look into Ron's gloomy face. "You know Harry would not want you to mourn him like this. Remember he even said he did not want you to stop studying."
Hermione acknowledged his attempts to make her laugh. "Ron, I can still see him smiling. Every time I look at him, I just get this feeling he is going to sit up, ands start talking to me. Now I feel like if I let him go, I will lose him forever... They are going to kill him, Ron don't you see. He promised he would come back..." Hermione could not finish her statement.
Ron knelt down and gave her a hug. Hermione continued, "He promised". All Ron cold do was pat her on her back and say. "I know. I know."
Ron pulled away and looked in her eyes. "Hermione, I am going to dinner. You need to come and eat." Hermione just shook her head and let her head fall. "I am not hungry."
Ron just looked down at her. "Well if you don't eat with me, I am just going to have to come back with something, and make you eat it later."
Hermione just nodded her head, yet she would not let her eyes stray from Harry again.
Ron got up and left the hospital wing leaving Hermione alone again. It was just something about Harry that made her not want to look away. She did not want to... no she would not except the fact that he might not be here tomorrow. Dumbledore had said that he was going to give him a full two weeks, but that meant that he might not live to see another day. She had to say goodbye. She did not want to, but she would regret it if she didn't. She loved him, and now that was more apparent then ever. She just did not want to accept the fact that he was going to die. This was exactly what she feared most, but now that it happened, she would have not turned back to change anything that happened between them. The same thoughts kept circling her mind. 'How could they do this? They were his friends, and only friends. He promised he would always come back. He promised....' She knew in the back of her head that no matter how much she wished, it would not bring back Harry, her Harry.
Hermione looked at Harry, and said, "Oh Harry, why did you have to leave. You told me that you would not go, but no I had to be right as always..." Hermione got out of her chair and started to pace around. "You know this is all your fault... You were the one that had to go fight Voldemort... you were the one that had to like me... you were the one that had to kiss me..." She stopped passing, and stared straight at Harry. She could see his eyelids were moving, but this was not abnormal. "I asked you once what would happen if I fell for you and you told me that we would live it. Now I see you were right... Harry, you are always right...I miss you so much that I feel... No I know a part of me has died with you."
Hermione started to shake her head, and spoke out loud to herself, "Hermione look at yourself, you a pitiful. You are talking to yourself, and know you don't even have your books to fall back on. I need to get out of here, and move on like everyone else." Hermione started to pick up all her things in the room. She knew that she had to do it sometime before tonight, and now she had the courage. She finally got all her books together in her backpack, and stared again down at Harry.
"Oh Harry I wish you could help me. I wish you were here with me, but you are not, and I have to accept that." Tears were starting to appear in her eyes, but she wanted to bite them back. This was not the time for tears. "Harry, I love you.... Yet unfortunately, I have to say goodbye so soon. I promise you no one will forget the name of Harry Potter." She signed back another tear, and finally stated what she had feared the most, "Goodbye... my love."
She walked over to the door to leave, and she turned back to look one last time at the friend she had lost. She sighed, and stated, "Why did you have to be so wonderful?" As she shut off the lights in Harry's room. She started to close the door, but right as the door was to hit the lock, she heard a faint whisper.
"So you think I am wonderful," stated a raspy voice.
Hermione quickly opened the door and turned on the lights. Everything was as it was. She looked around thinking, 'Was that a ghost?'
She spoke the first thing that came to her mind as she looked all around the room. "Harry?" Could Harry have become a ghost? How long did it take?
A soft chuckle came from the bed as he moved his hand to rub his forehead. "Hermione, I am not a ghost. Even though I feel as if I should be one. Wow my head feels like a hundred hippogriffs have run over it."
The figure in the bed tried to sit up, giving Hermione the first look of Harry. Hermione instantly dropped all her books and came running toward him. She came up to him and gave him a tight embrace. She kept chanting over and over. "Please, please don't make this a dream. Please don't make this a dream."
Harry pulled her back giving her the first good look into his real emerald eyes. "No, this is my dream."
A hand suddenly came up and started to brush Hermione's tears away. "Oh Harry, I have missed you so much." She looked up to see Harry smiling down at her.
"I will always come back for you Hermione. You are my everything."
Hermione started to laugh with joy, and then Harry took her chin in his hand. They leaned into each other until their lips meet in a gentle loving kiss.
They separated slowly and Harry took her in a great embrace. "Did you not believe I would come back?"
Hermione blushed, "I always new you would, but Dumbledore and the others were planning to take you off life support today. We believe that once you left Neville, you would have returned straight to your body or to the here after. I could not do anything to stop them. I tried I truly did. We thought you had left us forever."
Harry put his figure on her lips. "I don't blame you. It's ok. I understand I would have done the same."
Hermione looked up to him curiously as one thought occurred to her "How did you get back, Harry?"
Harry started to grin, "You see I have figured out another one of my many talents... I can change bodies at will...You see when I reached Voldemort I released my energy, and I found I had the power to control it."
Hermione looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?"
Harry smiled, "I am able to control where I go. I can feel people's aura around me, and I am able to sense that energy. If I release my own energy at the same time as I seize another, I can take on a different identity. Don't you see Hermione, I can switch bodies."
Hermione's eyes went wide, and the only thing that she could think of saying was "Wow". She finally came back to her senses, and continued, "But Harry how do you feel. Did it not hurt?"
Harry laughed but replied. "I feel as if a hundred curses hit me at once, but other then that I feel ok. How about you? The last thing I remember Voldemort was putting you under the Cruciatus curse."
Hermione waved that last thought away. "Harry you have been gone for the past two weeks now. I was in the hospital wing for a couple of days, but I am alright now..."
Harry did not let her continue. "What about Neville, the other teachers? Were any students hurt in the attack?"
Hermione smiled warmly, and stated. "Harry thanks to you no one was seriously injured. Also like everyone else, Neville woke up right after the blast. Don't worry. He has no memories of the time you were with him."
Harry laughed, "I see you are glad Neville does not remember our little kiss."
Hermione started to blush, "Well, I just did not want any spectators."
Harry became serious again, "You know that Voldemort will escape from Azkaban, and come after us both."
Hermione nodded and looked into his eyes, "As long as we are together we can with stand anything, and defeat him once and for all."
Harry motioned for her to lie beside him. She gladly accepted the offer, and climbed in the bed seeking the warmth of his body. Harry was very weak from all the action that went on today and his eyes were drooping already. Hermione, who had hardly gotten any rest since the battle because of nerves, was finally relaxed.
While rapping his arms around her, Harry smiled down at her and kissed her on her forehead. "You are wonderful, did you know that?"
Hermione smiled contently in his arms. They lay there for several minutes of blissful comfort. As they were both were on the verge of sleep, she snuggled closer to the man she loved, and whispered, "I guess the boy who lived will live again."
*
THE END
Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story. As you can tell, my beta reader and good friend Bob Martin have edited the last couple of chapters. Please go check out his great poems on this great sight. I have loved reading all your reviews, and thank you for all the great advise and encouragement.
I have started another story that will be posted soon called Crushing Monday. This story features my own characters though. I know it does not have this great trio, but I hope I can write them to be just as good. (Nope I don't think I can, but I will try)
You all are just too good to me. THANKS AGAIN...
Monday
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J K Rowling and Warner brothers.
The Boy Who Lived Again: Switch
Chapter 25: The End of a Dream
Hermione sat in a chair next to Harry's bed with her head cushioned in her arms. She stared at his last friend as a single tear fell from her eye onto his bed.
The battle had occurred two weeks ago, and there still had not been a response from Harry. His body had lain in the hospital wing for the past 3 months. Even now, he was still only sustained by a magical life support. At first, Dumbledore had allowed Harry to be kept on this life support, but now since his soul had been lost, there was no hope for a full recovery. To Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey, they believed that they were just giving false hope to his loved ones and his friends by keeping him like this.
When they broke this news to Hermione a week ago, she had kicked and screamed begging them to reconsider. Even now in her heart, she believed that he would still come back to her. He even started to look more like the old Harry. His bruises had healed and bones had been mended, even his color started to return. Unfortunate, Dumbledore did not believe these were signs of recovery because, "What is a body with out its soul?"
Even now, she looked at his pale face, and thought, "They are going to kill him."
She had spent all her free time with Harry since the battle. She had stopped eating in the great hall all together. Rather, she spent her meals in the hospital wing with him. Especially now, she believed that she should spend as much time with him as she could because it might be his last.
As she lay their gazing at him, she took his hand and held it in hers. She had never gotten the opportunity to feel the real Harry around her. She never had the chance to feel his warm kiss. Now, she never will.
She wanted to remember everything about him to permanently ingrain him in her mind. If she could not have him with her physically, then she would keep him spiritually in her heart.
Madame Pomfrey looked in on the lonesome girl at Harry's bed. She had not wanted her to spend all her time with Harry because that would just make it that much harder to say goodbye. Hermione needed to move on with her life, and sitting there was not helping. Dumbledore had told her to let her come as much as she would like because this was her last time. Madame Pomfrey slowly closed the door, and walked away thinking, "She really did love him..."
When she was heading back to her office, Madame Pomfrey passed by Ron coming to see Hermione and Harry. She was glad that other friends would be there with Hermione. "She is in there with Harry. Could you see if you could get her out today? I don't think it's good for her to be cooped up like that."
Ron just nodded his head, and replied in a half smile, "I will try." He slowly opened the door, and went into Harry's separate room. Ron walked in the room, and put his hands on her shoulder.
Hermione turned to look into Ron's gloomy face. "You know Harry would not want you to mourn him like this. Remember he even said he did not want you to stop studying."
Hermione acknowledged his attempts to make her laugh. "Ron, I can still see him smiling. Every time I look at him, I just get this feeling he is going to sit up, ands start talking to me. Now I feel like if I let him go, I will lose him forever... They are going to kill him, Ron don't you see. He promised he would come back..." Hermione could not finish her statement.
Ron knelt down and gave her a hug. Hermione continued, "He promised". All Ron cold do was pat her on her back and say. "I know. I know."
Ron pulled away and looked in her eyes. "Hermione, I am going to dinner. You need to come and eat." Hermione just shook her head and let her head fall. "I am not hungry."
Ron just looked down at her. "Well if you don't eat with me, I am just going to have to come back with something, and make you eat it later."
Hermione just nodded her head, yet she would not let her eyes stray from Harry again.
Ron got up and left the hospital wing leaving Hermione alone again. It was just something about Harry that made her not want to look away. She did not want to... no she would not except the fact that he might not be here tomorrow. Dumbledore had said that he was going to give him a full two weeks, but that meant that he might not live to see another day. She had to say goodbye. She did not want to, but she would regret it if she didn't. She loved him, and now that was more apparent then ever. She just did not want to accept the fact that he was going to die. This was exactly what she feared most, but now that it happened, she would have not turned back to change anything that happened between them. The same thoughts kept circling her mind. 'How could they do this? They were his friends, and only friends. He promised he would always come back. He promised....' She knew in the back of her head that no matter how much she wished, it would not bring back Harry, her Harry.
Hermione looked at Harry, and said, "Oh Harry, why did you have to leave. You told me that you would not go, but no I had to be right as always..." Hermione got out of her chair and started to pace around. "You know this is all your fault... You were the one that had to go fight Voldemort... you were the one that had to like me... you were the one that had to kiss me..." She stopped passing, and stared straight at Harry. She could see his eyelids were moving, but this was not abnormal. "I asked you once what would happen if I fell for you and you told me that we would live it. Now I see you were right... Harry, you are always right...I miss you so much that I feel... No I know a part of me has died with you."
Hermione started to shake her head, and spoke out loud to herself, "Hermione look at yourself, you a pitiful. You are talking to yourself, and know you don't even have your books to fall back on. I need to get out of here, and move on like everyone else." Hermione started to pick up all her things in the room. She knew that she had to do it sometime before tonight, and now she had the courage. She finally got all her books together in her backpack, and stared again down at Harry.
"Oh Harry I wish you could help me. I wish you were here with me, but you are not, and I have to accept that." Tears were starting to appear in her eyes, but she wanted to bite them back. This was not the time for tears. "Harry, I love you.... Yet unfortunately, I have to say goodbye so soon. I promise you no one will forget the name of Harry Potter." She signed back another tear, and finally stated what she had feared the most, "Goodbye... my love."
She walked over to the door to leave, and she turned back to look one last time at the friend she had lost. She sighed, and stated, "Why did you have to be so wonderful?" As she shut off the lights in Harry's room. She started to close the door, but right as the door was to hit the lock, she heard a faint whisper.
"So you think I am wonderful," stated a raspy voice.
Hermione quickly opened the door and turned on the lights. Everything was as it was. She looked around thinking, 'Was that a ghost?'
She spoke the first thing that came to her mind as she looked all around the room. "Harry?" Could Harry have become a ghost? How long did it take?
A soft chuckle came from the bed as he moved his hand to rub his forehead. "Hermione, I am not a ghost. Even though I feel as if I should be one. Wow my head feels like a hundred hippogriffs have run over it."
The figure in the bed tried to sit up, giving Hermione the first look of Harry. Hermione instantly dropped all her books and came running toward him. She came up to him and gave him a tight embrace. She kept chanting over and over. "Please, please don't make this a dream. Please don't make this a dream."
Harry pulled her back giving her the first good look into his real emerald eyes. "No, this is my dream."
A hand suddenly came up and started to brush Hermione's tears away. "Oh Harry, I have missed you so much." She looked up to see Harry smiling down at her.
"I will always come back for you Hermione. You are my everything."
Hermione started to laugh with joy, and then Harry took her chin in his hand. They leaned into each other until their lips meet in a gentle loving kiss.
They separated slowly and Harry took her in a great embrace. "Did you not believe I would come back?"
Hermione blushed, "I always new you would, but Dumbledore and the others were planning to take you off life support today. We believe that once you left Neville, you would have returned straight to your body or to the here after. I could not do anything to stop them. I tried I truly did. We thought you had left us forever."
Harry put his figure on her lips. "I don't blame you. It's ok. I understand I would have done the same."
Hermione looked up to him curiously as one thought occurred to her "How did you get back, Harry?"
Harry started to grin, "You see I have figured out another one of my many talents... I can change bodies at will...You see when I reached Voldemort I released my energy, and I found I had the power to control it."
Hermione looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?"
Harry smiled, "I am able to control where I go. I can feel people's aura around me, and I am able to sense that energy. If I release my own energy at the same time as I seize another, I can take on a different identity. Don't you see Hermione, I can switch bodies."
Hermione's eyes went wide, and the only thing that she could think of saying was "Wow". She finally came back to her senses, and continued, "But Harry how do you feel. Did it not hurt?"
Harry laughed but replied. "I feel as if a hundred curses hit me at once, but other then that I feel ok. How about you? The last thing I remember Voldemort was putting you under the Cruciatus curse."
Hermione waved that last thought away. "Harry you have been gone for the past two weeks now. I was in the hospital wing for a couple of days, but I am alright now..."
Harry did not let her continue. "What about Neville, the other teachers? Were any students hurt in the attack?"
Hermione smiled warmly, and stated. "Harry thanks to you no one was seriously injured. Also like everyone else, Neville woke up right after the blast. Don't worry. He has no memories of the time you were with him."
Harry laughed, "I see you are glad Neville does not remember our little kiss."
Hermione started to blush, "Well, I just did not want any spectators."
Harry became serious again, "You know that Voldemort will escape from Azkaban, and come after us both."
Hermione nodded and looked into his eyes, "As long as we are together we can with stand anything, and defeat him once and for all."
Harry motioned for her to lie beside him. She gladly accepted the offer, and climbed in the bed seeking the warmth of his body. Harry was very weak from all the action that went on today and his eyes were drooping already. Hermione, who had hardly gotten any rest since the battle because of nerves, was finally relaxed.
While rapping his arms around her, Harry smiled down at her and kissed her on her forehead. "You are wonderful, did you know that?"
Hermione smiled contently in his arms. They lay there for several minutes of blissful comfort. As they were both were on the verge of sleep, she snuggled closer to the man she loved, and whispered, "I guess the boy who lived will live again."
*
THE END
Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story. As you can tell, my beta reader and good friend Bob Martin have edited the last couple of chapters. Please go check out his great poems on this great sight. I have loved reading all your reviews, and thank you for all the great advise and encouragement.
I have started another story that will be posted soon called Crushing Monday. This story features my own characters though. I know it does not have this great trio, but I hope I can write them to be just as good. (Nope I don't think I can, but I will try)
You all are just too good to me. THANKS AGAIN...
Monday