Danny's Girl: Ah! What's with the killer rodents!? If I die I can't update!
Hm. . .perhaps you *want* to be left dangling. . .lol, no, don't worry, I
wouldn't do that to ya! Here, give these carrots and pellets to your rabid
animals before you read this next chapter. . . By the way, are you EVER
going to update *your* story?
Istalksiriusonweekends: Really? Well, thanks! Now that my confidence is back I can finish the story! Yay! Hehehe, I bet you can't wait for this chapter. . . ::evil laugh:: You have *no* idea what's gonna happen. . .
Maggie: Well, I'm glad to tell you that you're wait is over! Here's the next installment! Hope you like it!
Lexi-It Changed: Hmm. . .yeah well. . .I tried to lighten it up a bit with Harry's last prank on Malfoy and co. . .guess it didn't work, huh? Let's see. . .is Hermione going to kill herself. . .I never thought about it, but I guess it's a plausible idea, isn't it? Luckily, the answer is no. Something bigger happens. . . By the way, thanks for the idea for my mailing list. I'll be sure to do that!
Silver Angel: Yeah, what was it, like two three days? Something like that. . . So you didn't like the song part? -_-' . . .Oh well, I said I wasn't too sure about it. . . Glad it conveyed her feelings though! Thanks for the review!
Rachel A. Prongs: You have *on* idea. Still a spanking good number of things to tell before this is all over with! And thanks! I love my mind too! . . .I told my parents I'm not weird! Lol. . . You don't think I'll kill him off for good, huh? Well, go forth and see how your theory fairs!
Englishgirl: Yes, well, last time I put a warning on one of my story's for tissues, I got yelled at. . . Sorry, though. So you liked it than? Yay!
Maxwell Coffee House: It's okay, just take a deep breath and repeat after me, "No more drama, no more drama". . .I love that song, don't you? . . .Too bad there might still be some drama left. . .not sure yet. . .Oh well, at least you get more like you asked for!
Elemental Darkness-Earth: Okay! I shaln't rewrite it. . . I guess by the way some of you have carried on, it wasn't that bad. . .especially for having written it at one in the morning. . . And oh yeah, you have NO idea how I have my own ideas on that. . . Why don't you just go on and read this chapter. . .hehehe
Vaness: Ah! Not more killer rodents! Sheesh, two is bad enough! ::Pouts:: Just go on and read the chapter while I go find some rodent repellent. . .
Reanne080: I tore your heart out? . . .Sorry. . . And you're right, he doesn't get a break. . .but there wasn't any way in hell I'd let him go with letting have one more on Malfoy! Read on. . .I think you'll like this chapter. . .
Ryan: Thanks! I won't change it, don't worry. . . And OH YEAH, a REAL big doozy. . .::smiles innocently:: I didn't do nothing. . .
Amy: First you make it sound all good, and then you have to go throw in the word "yet." I hate that word. . .::grumbles:: Oh well. . .I just hope I might get a hug this time instead of getting books thrown at me. . . Go figure. But hey. . .as the message says, death isn't the end. Oh yeah. . .it's a good thing you like the footsteps, b/c they still have more to give. . .
Sugar Quill: Believe you me, I know how that is. Happens to me all the time. . .hopefully you won't give up and make it this far. . .thanks for the review!
Charlie: Thanks! Sorry to say, can't answer that! But I think you might get your answer this chapter. . .
Ani: Yes. . .well. . .I suppose so. . . Just wait until the sequel. . .sorry to say I can't tell you more.
EriEka127: Well. . .not exactly. . .it's kinda hard to explain without giving away the secret. . .but you'll find out this chapter. . .Yeah, go ahead and read it. It should all be explained, but if you still have questions afterwards, just tell me so in your next e-mail!
Wanted: Love
Ch33: The Chosen One
Gone. They were gone. A week had passed since Hermione had last encountered the footsteps that had lured her to the red and gold room, and not once since then had she run into them again. Others apparently still ran into them, Ron just had an encounter the night before, but they seemed to be avoiding her. She didn't mind so much, though. She now spent all her free time in the room, watching Harry's last gift to her.
Emotions ran haywire every time, yet at the same time, she felt a strange sense of comfort in watching her and Harry's past interactions. She hadn't told anyone else about it. Just this once she wanted to be greedy and keep it to herself. She *needed* something to remind her of Harry that was hers and hers alone.
Everyone had noticed her disappearances, but so far no one had said anything about it. Sometimes she would come back in tears, sometimes she'd return in smiles. She supposed they figured that it was best to let her keep her secret, as long as it cheered her up every now and than. And as it would turn out, she would need cheering up a lot more than normal on that particular day.
It was gorgeous outside, sun shining brightly and birds sang gaily in the warm spring air. Nothing gave the impression that something terribly depressing was happening, and yet it was. Not a single person, not even the Slytherins, was in a very good mood. Black was the color of the day. Everyone wore it; even Dumbledore ditched his vibrant clothing for a more solemn color.
Hermione stood in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. The flames played off of the tears gathered in her eyes as she continued to stare blankly ahead of her. She knew it was going to be a hard day, how could it not be? Harry Potter's funeral day had finally arrived.
A single tear rolled down her cheek as Hermione tightened her grip on the handkerchief she had given Harry. She hadn't washed it. She hadn't had the heart to. It had his smell on it, something she feared she would loose forever if it went through the laundry.
"'Mione?"
She turned her head to the side as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"It's time," Ron said quietly.
Hermione winced. She had already been to one funeral that year; she wasn't ready for another one, especially when the guest of honor should still be alive. Slowly, ever so slowly, she nodded her head and turned around. Ron and Lavender were looking at her with what she guessed was a similar feeling of loss and anguish that she, herself, held.
"They're waiting for us before they start," Lavender said.
Hermione nodded numbly and bowed her head as she started on her way to the Great Hall where the ceremony was being held. This was actually the second funeral for Harry. The first had happened five days after word of his death spread around. It was held at Godric's Hallow, but as many of the students hadn't been able to go, Dumbledore had decided to hold a private funeral for those who had been there.
The three made their way through the corridors slowly and silently, every now and then being joined by students from other houses. When they reached the Great Hall, a majority of the school had already arrived. Hermione, along with the rest of those she arrived with, were handed candles as they entered.
Ron, Hermione, and Lavender were ushered to the front where they stood silently next to Sirius, Remus, Tali, and Hagrid. There were no chairs to sit in, but no one complained, they didn't have a right to. Not when the reason they were there was Harry. . .and he didn't complain when it was his time to go. So they stood, and they stood, and they stood, as the last few stragglers wandered in.
Hermione had her face bent over her candle, and it was a good thing that her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, otherwise she might have caught fire. The heat from which bothered her eyes, creating more tears. Quite a few times the fire went out and she had to restart it.
A hush fell over the people, meaning they stifled their tears as best they could, as Dumbledore stood up to start the eulogy. Hermione only half paid attention to what was being said. She didn't need to listen, anyway. She had enough good memories of her boyfriend to last a life time. She didn't need other's memories, unlike some people who begged Dumbledore to read a few entries out of the condolence book.
If she had the heart to relive everything again, she could have filled volume upon volume, detailing everything from the way his eyes sparkled when he had a just thought of some prank to the way his unruly hair ruffled in the wind as he raced for the snitch during a Quidditch game. From his uncanny ability to always know the right thing to say to the way he always, selflessly, put others ahead of him without second thought.
Hermione doubted that, even if she thought for a million years, she would ever be able to come up with even one bad thing about him. Just when she thought she couldn't stand getting any more lost in her thoughts than she was, Dumbledore stepped down from the platform he had been standing on. Smaller groups broke out all over the room to quietly console one another.
"He wouldn't want us to be like this," Remus said, though he hardly sounded like he was about to heed his own words.
"He didn't want to die, either, Moony," Tali said quietly.
"I-" started Ron, but he was cut off as a voice chuckled loudly throughout the whole of the Hall.
"What kind of party is this?"
The voice echoed off the walls and quiet murmurs that had started throughout the room died away. A bright white light burst out of no where, blinding all. The only sound present was that of material rustling in the breeze that accompanied the light. It subsided after a few minutes and wands were pointing in all directions, looking for any sign of danger.
"What the hell was that?" Sirius whispered harshly to no one in particular.
His question became forgotten, however, as the new decoration of the room sank in. The black drapes had been replaced by those of all the houses. Dozens of round tables that would fit well up to twelve people were now covering the room, and stretching all along the walls were tables piled high with food. No obvious visible source of light could be seen, but the room was definitely brighter. And if that wasn't the end of it, everyone's robes had turned into bright, happy colors.
"I think everyone wins this time, wouldn't you agree?"
No one said a thing as the doors to the Great Hall burst open, though no one could be seen on the other side. A few braved forward a little but stopped in their tracks as the footsteps that had haunted the school for the past two weeks started up again. This time they were accompanied by red and gold sparks that rose a few feet into the air from the floor and disappear.
By the time the footsteps and sparks came to a stop in the middle of the room a pair of shoes and the cuffs of pants were visible. Then, as if in a hurry, the sparks shot up and out in all directions. People turned their backs on the feet in order to shield themselves, but when they turned back quite a few felt faint.
"What's with the doom and gloom?" Harry asked with a smirk and arms crossed over his chest, "I thought this was supposed to be a party."
Dressed in a deep burgundy robe with golden trim, his body showed absolutely no sign that it had ever been crushed. In fact, he looked better than most remembered him. Jet black hair still uncontrollably messy and eyes positively sparkling with the same passion for life they had always held, there were few doubts that this was, indeed, Harry Potter.
His eyes scanned the room and finally rested on his friends who were grouped together at the front, "What? No one's even going to greet me back into the world of the living?"
He let his arms drop to the side and strode forward rather he was right in front of them, "Why does everyone look so shocked? Didn't I tell you it was going to take more than an ancient prophecy to kill me?"
"Harry? Is it really you?" asked Ron incredibly.
Harry turned to him, "Hey, I can't leave you guys yet. Who ever heard of only three Marauders? Now that Voldemort's gone for good you're going to need all the help you can get to pull off the pranks I've come up with."
"By the power of Merlin! Harry, you're really back!" Tali exclaimed, rushing forward and pulling him into a hug.
This seemed to trigger a chain reaction as everyone in the room suddenly found their movement and started shuffling around. Harry found himself almost being crushed in a pile of hugs and tears. It went on for what felt like an eternity. Eventually he managed to free himself and stumbled forward out of the crowd.
"How is it possible? You were dead. Everyone saw you," Dumbledore said in fascination.
Harry smiled mischievously, "It's kind of a long story, but I assure you it is definitely not 'by the power of Merlin.'"
He got more blank looks and laughed, "I'll explain tomorrow. . .Tonight we party to the peace that has been restored."
As he said this he waved his hand and music started up. As it was Hogwarts, most people didn't have the faintest idea what the song was. All the Muggle borns, however, smiled. 'Celebration' by Kool and the Gang echoed off the walls in a magnified state. Everyone got into it soon enough, though, and laughter made its way back into Hogwarts.
Harry found himself being pulled around from group to group, everyone wanting to talk to him. Nearly every person he talked to asked how he was back, but all he would do was tap the side of his nose, smile, and say they would find out soon enough. And while he didn't seem too pleased with all the attention he was receiving, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying all the exasperated looks people gave him when he wouldn't answer their questions.
With the rate at which the currents of people realized that he was back and swept him away, Harry didn't have the opportunity to talk with his friends. So, he was more than pleased when they finally found him and literally dragged him away from a particularly boring conversation he was having with Trelawney and Parvati.
The first thing they all did, once they had him to themselves in the corner of the room, was attempt to squeeze the life back out of him. Sirius very nearly succeeded, and Remus, Tali, and Ron had to work together to separate the two. Only two people didn't seem too keen to welcome Harry back. Malfoy, being one of them, sat scowling like there was no tomorrow in a dark corner. Hermione, also, didn't seem to care much to greet him, as she had disappeared.
"Have any of you seen Hermione?" he asked eagerly.
Ron and Sirius got naughty looks in their eyes but both were elbowed and said nothing.
"No. Now that you come to mention it, where did she get off to? I would think that she'd be just as anxious to see you," Tali said, pursing her lips to the side as she thought.
Harry looked rather disappointed but had little time to think on it as a bright flash drew his attention to his right where Colin Creevy stood giddily with his camera.
"Hiya Harry! It's good to see you again!"
Harry gave him a small smile, "Hello, Colin. . .Have you, by any chance, seen Hermione?"
Colin beamed and nodded, "She left a couple of minutes ago. . . Hey! Where you going?"
Harry a nod to his friends who smiled at him as he wandered off in hopes of finding his girlfriend. It would prove more difficult than he thought, however, as people didn't yet seem ready to let him go. For the next several hours he found himself grinning forcefully through the hundreds of conversations he had.
By the time he finally managed to get himself out of the constant cycle of being literally pulled from group to group, it was nearing midnight. Dumbledore had pulled him aside at one point and told him how to get to a private bedroom so he'd actually be able to get some sleep.
It took Harry another fifteen minutes to get there and when he did, he noticed that it looked remarkably similar to the red and gold room he had talked to his parents in. The only differences being the choice of furniture and the size, which was nearly double. Harry sighed and stretched. He had forgotten what it was like to be tired.
Deciding that he would take a shower and than go to bed so as to give him extra time in the morning, Harry wandered over to the bathroom. It was nearly as big as the bedroom itself, which shocked him to no end. It, too, was also decorated in bright reds and golds. That, along with the cold water from the shower, helped to wake him up.
When he got out of the bathroom, he was still drying his hair with a towel. A soft caw drew his attention to his window sill where Hedwig sat patiently. Harry smiled at her as she flew over and landed on his shoulder, nipped affectionately at his fingers as he stroked her feathers.
"What have you been up to while I was gone?" Harry asked her, walking over to his bed.
She fluttered down and positioned herself on a conveniently placed perch. Harry continued to stand in front of her, as he finished drying his hair.
"When they told me I could go back, I didn't think they meant I'd have to go back with all those people there. They're like vultures or something," he smiled as she straightened herself and continued, "But, Merlin, you should have seen their faces. Half of them looked ready to pee in their pants then and there."
He laughed as he recalled his friends' faces, "If they're like that when I come back, can you bloody imagine what they're gonna be like tomorrow when I have to tell them what happened?"
The bird looked at him strangely as he continued to laugh at himself. He tossed his towel on his bed and shook his head, "And than there's Hermione."
Hedwig cocked her head at the sudden change in conversation and Harry continued, "It's like she's ignoring me. I think she might be mad at me for leaving. . ."
Harry turned around and smiled mystically at the girl in his doorway, "Or maybe she doesn't believe it's really me. Hello, Hermione."
Hermione bit her lip at having been discovered and turned her gaze to the floor. Harry swiftly and silently walked over to her.
When he was standing right in front of her, he put his hands on her shoulders, "It's really me, Herms. Please don't cry anymore."
She looked up at him with tears falling out of her eyes as she took a deep, shaky breath. She said nothing. Instead, she slowly brought her hand up to the side of his face. Holding it there for a few minutes, she appeared to be fighting against her doubt.
Then, without warning, she collapsed heavily against his body, sobs shaking her figure. Harry gently lowered the both of them to the ground, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words in her ear the whole time. For a while she weakly pounded her fist against his chest before giving up and throwing her arms around his neck.
"Shh, it's okay, 'Mione. Everything's going to be okay now. I'm right here."
They remained on the floor for a good half hour or so before Hermione finally seemed to compose herself enough to. Harry continued to provide the same comfort, though, only stopping when she pulled herself back from his gentle grip and stared into his eyes. Carefully, almost fearfully, she reached out and held her hand on the side of his face, though she still didn't say a thing.
"Want me to walk you back to your room?" Harry asked charily.
Hermione shook her head and drew back into his arms, "I'm scared."
"Of what?"
". . .This is a dream and when I wake up you won't be here anymore," she said almost inaudibly.
Harry pulled back a bit and stared straight into her eyes, "Hermione, listen to me. This isn't a dream, and I'm not going anywhere."
"You promise?" she asked quietly.
Harry smiled, "Cross my heart."
She seemed to relax a little and leaned into him again.
"Harry. . .this is it," Hermione whispered quietly.
"This is what?"
"This is what I wished for that night. . .that you'd come back to me."
Harry smiled, "'Mione, I'll *always* come back to you."
**************
"Shouldn't we just wait for him to wake up? I'm sure he'll be getting up soon," Remus said as he, Sirius, and Tali stood outside the door to Harry's new bedroom.
"What? You really want to wait, Moony? I hardly saw him last night! Besides, it's going on noon already!" Sirius said as he opened the door.
The sight that greeted the three shocked them. Harry was sleeping in his bed, arms wrapped protectively around Hermione's waist who had snuggled contentedly into her lover.
"Aw! How cute is that!" Tali exclaimed as loud as she dared from fear of waking them.
"Cute!? Tals, they're *sleeping* in the *same* bed!" Sirius shouted.
Remus and Tali both clamped their hands over Sirius' mouth and quickly checked to make sure the two were still sleeping, which they were. Slowly, they removed their hands and crossed there arms.
"Really, Padfoot. You're talking as if they did something." Remus said, rolling his eyes.
"Besides, this is *Harry* and *Hermione* we're talking about. You know as well as anybody else that they aren't like that." Tali said, nodding her head in the sleeping duo's direction, "And incase you haven't noticed, they're fully clothed."
Sirius looked down a minute and then walked over to the bed and stared at the two, ". . .I guess you're right. They aren't stupid."
"Of course not! Just think about last night. Harry came back from the *dead*! That's not an everyday occurrence. There was bound to be some built up emotion." Tali said, coming up and leaning into Sirius' arms.
"I guess they are cute, aren't they?" Sirius asked, smiling.
"Perhaps we should let them sleep some more and come back later," Remus suggested.
The two nodded but continued to stare at the couple in the bed when there came a loud caw. Fawkes came soaring through the open window and collided right into Harry before proceeding to peck at him furiously. Before any of those awake in the room could even move, Harry and Hermione shot up in bed. They blinked around for a few minutes, sinking in what had awakened them.
When Harry put his glasses on and saw Fawkes still going crazy, he, surprisingly, smiled, "Excellent! Alright, Fawkes, I'll be right up!"
With that he kissed Hermione on the cheek and started clambering to the side of bed where he proceeded to pull on some socks as Fawkes flew out of the window. Hermione yawned and smiled at the three still standing at the edge of the bed. She put a finger to her lips and crawled over to Harry. Slipping her arms around her neck, she kissed Harry right below the ear.
Harry stopped fumbling with his socks and looked up at her, "Morning."
"Harry, I think we have some company," she whispered in his ear as she nodded to the others.
He glanced over at them laughed, "Couldn't have waited for me to get up, could you?"
"We didn't wake you two up, did we?" asked Tali, crossing her arms.
"No, I guess not. . .only because Fawkes beat you to it. Am I right?" Harry asked with a smile as he continued to pull on his socks.
"What was all that about anyway?" asked Hermione.
Harry cast a glance out the window Fawkes had exited out of, "I'm not sure I should tell anyone yet."
"Harry!"
There wasn't even time to see who had spoken before Harry found himself knocked back into Hermione and to the bed.
"Ron! Lavender! Get off! You're squishing me!" Harry struggled to release himself from their grasp.
The two were continued to hug him a moment longer and were just letting go when someone else shouted, "Dog pile!"
The four let out muffled grunts as another two bodies collided with them. Soon, another four people had piled on top of the six. Laughter filled the room, despite the fact that everyone was having difficulty getting the breath they needed. Down on the bottom, Harry and Hermione finally managed to push their way out and looked at who had joined them.
Fred, George, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, Tali, Ron, Lavender were still laughing hysterically on the bed. Molly, Arthur, Dumbledore, Hagrid, McGonagall, and Snape were all standing at the doorway, looking on with mixed emotions. Harry and Hermione smiled at each other.
"Why does everyone seem to think they can just barge on into my room?" Harry asked, crossing his arms.
"Aw, come on, Harry! You really think we'd wait that long for you after last night?" Ron asked from somewhere within the pile.
Harry rolled his eyes and flicked his hand. The pillows on the bed flew up and started attacking those who had participated in the dog pile. They all screamed and tried to avoid the pummeling, not that it did any good. It wasn't until Remus used his head and conjured his own pillow and sent it to attack Harry that the others in the room realized what they should have done in the first place.
Soon, Harry and Hermione found themselves victims to eight crazy pillows. They promptly jumped off the bed and ducked to the floor, sending their own pillows back every time they peeked up. For a good fifteen minutes or so, feathers flew everywhere, making visibility near zero. Somewhere in that time, stray pillows had hit those at the door who, consequentially, entered the fight as well.
When the feathers finally settled, everyone was sprawled out across the room, laughing, except for Snape who looked to be fighting down a smile. After everyone caught their breath, Fred and George clapped their hands on Harry's shoulders.
"Harry, my boy, I do believe you promised to fill us in today," Fred said eagerly.
An anxious silence fell over the room as everyone leaned in closer. Harry sat up, still fighting down his laughter from the pillow fight.
He glanced around at those in the room and nodded, "I suppose I did. Mind you, it's not really as interesting as you're probably expecting."
"Harry. . ." Sirius said, raising an eyebrow.
Harry sighed and hunched his shoulders, "Alright then. Don't say I didn't warn you. You all might want to sit down. I'm not sure how long this is going to take."
They all did so and Harry continued, "As you all know, I was taken to the afterlife to defeat Voldemort there. Now, it only took me an hour or two to find him. I'll spare you the details, especially since what you want to know doesn't start until the end of the battle, but right before he died. . ."
**************
Voldemort's body began to slowly disintegrate, starting at the feet. He fell to the ground and glared at Harry who stared at him with the same emptiness in the eyes as before. Voldemort shrieked in pain as he lost his hips, yet Harry didn't even flinch at the horrid sound. The Dark Lord dug his bony fingers in the muddy field, staining his nails green from the grass. Both males were covered in mud, grass stains, and blood, but only one seemed to be in pain.
"See you in hell, Potter!" Voldemort screeched before using the last of his strength to pick up a nasty looking knife at his side and throwing it at him.
Voldemort finally disappeared, but only after a deafening scream. The knife penetrated Harry in the stomach and went clean through until the first half inch of its bloody tip poked through his back. A woman and a man screamed and ran forward as Harry's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the muddy ground.
He landed just as the man and the woman reached him. The fiery haired woman settled his head in her lap as the raven haired man tried to wake him up. The rain droplets did their best to wash away the blood, but the blood kept appearing too quickly.
"Harry! Harry, wake up! Come on!" James shouted at his son.
"He can't die again, can he, James?" Lily asked worriedly as she brushed the hair out of his face.
James scrunched his face in disgust, "No, but he's part Muggle. He could go to their black nothingness of an afterlife. Lils, we need to wake him up now!"
Lily's tears doubled and she threw herself onto her son, begging him to wake up. Suddenly, Harry let out a terrible cry of pain. The two adults fell back in shock as something pick and somewhat transparent began to leave his body. The farther out it came, the more pain-filled Harry's screams became.
When the pink being was finally completely separated from Harry's body, its robe-covered face looked from both adults to Harry's screaming, still unconscious, body and back again, "The Chosen One has finally completed the duties given."
"Who are you?" James asked suspiciously.
"I," said the being, "am the Chosen One."
**************
"Wait! Just hold everything a cod picking minute!" Ron interrupted, gaining perturbed looks from just about everyone in the room except Harry and Dumbledore.
"What?" asked Harry.
"I thought *you* were the Chosen One," Ron said warily.
Harry smiled, "I was getting to that."
"Oh. . ." Ron said, gaining a whack over the head from all those near him.
"So yer parents were there?" Hagrid asked, taking advantage of the interruption.
Harry nodded brightly, "Yeah, they were the ones who showed me the way to Voldemort."
"Alright, alright! Can we continue?" Sirius asked anxiously.
"Fine with me," Harry said and he leaned back into his chair, "As I was saying. . ."
**************
"You're what!?" the two Potters both yelled at the same time.
"I am the Chosen One," the being said calmly.
"But. . .I thought Harry was the Chosen One?" asked Lily.
The being shook its head, "No, he was the Carrier."
"Carrier?"
"It is impossible for me to exist very long without a host body. At birth, your son was chosen to carry me. He sustained me and, in return, I protected him. Our souls were intertwined, as long as I was with him, he could never truly die. He received my power and I gave him the tasks he needed to fulfill. We are one, I cannot survive without him and he cannot survive without me," the being said melancholy.
"So what are you doing!? Get back in him!" James shouted.
"It is not that simple," the being said, shaking its head, "After the first defeat of the Dark Lord, the Carrier's body gained the rest of my powers, but as it didn't know yet fully how to use them, I was allowed to stay to fight. Now his body knows how to handle the powers, and there is no room left for me."
"So that's it!? You're just going to let him die!?" James was enraged.
The being said nothing so Lily tried talking to it, "He's hurting; can't you see that? If you really are one with him, you would do something."
"My time is short. I can already feel myself beginning to lose my strength."
"So do something already!" James shouted.
The being turned its head towards Harry and bowed at the screaming form, "Young Carrier, I, indeed, cannot stand to see you in such pain."
It looked back to the adults and bowed at them as well, "I will do my best. It is not yet time for him to be here. The Prophecy has not been fulfilled."
"What?" they both asked.
The being didn't say anything as a book fell into James' hands. Before either had time to notice what it was, the being had pulled back its hood to reveal a most unexpected form. A young girl, around Harry's age, with flowing hair and mesmerizing features stared back at them. Despite her young face, she looked incredibly tired.
"Why do you look so surprised? I was born with the Carrier. I should be his age, shouldn't I?" she asked.
". . .I thought it was supposed to be a guy," James said simply.
The Chosen One shook her head, "You don't think that man could get everything correct, do you?"
With that she floated over to Harry's body. As soon as she was floating over him, however, he stopped his screaming, though his face still showed great pain. The Chosen One leaned forward, her body remaining straight as she became parallel with the ground.
Reaching a hand out, she pulled the knife out of his stomach, resulting in a scream. Blood came out quicker now, but the Chosen One put the same hand on the injury, creating a pale pink glow. Slowly, Harry's features relaxed until he was completely limp in his mother's arms, chest not even rising.
"You killed him!" James yelled.
The girl didn't seem to take notice of this, though, and Lily put a hand on his shoulder before he said more. The Chosen One brought her mouth to Harry's paling ones. Once there, she breathed gently into his mouth. Pulling back, nothing happened. So she leaned down and did it again, this time pushing more air into his mouth. Again, nothing happened. She did it a third time and he finally made a gagging sound before taking in deep rasping breaths. Lily and James breathed laughs and dove in to hug him, neither noticing that the Chosen One had disappeared.
**************
"So you're saying that not only that you *aren't* the Chosen One, but that it's some chick who brought you back to life by *kissing* you?" asked Fred.
"If you mean back to life in the afterlife, then yeah," Harry said with a shrug.
"Ah, Hermione, look out! Looks like your man's two timing you!" George laughed, elbowing her.
Hermione rolled her eyes and hit him with a pillow, knocking him off the bed, "Please. It wasn't even a real girl."
"What happened next, Harry?" Molly asked.
"Well," Harry said, after taking a sip of water from a glass he had conjured up, "when I woke up, I wasn't in the field anymore. . ."
**************
"Where am I?" Harry asked wearily as he forced his eyes open.
He was warm and comfortable, and quite content not to move in the slightest, but with his last memory being his battle with Voldemort, he felt it necessary to discover his whereabouts. He squinted around the room only to realize that he didn't have his glasses.
Pushing himself into a sitting position, he found a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. He winced and brought his hand up and felt a scar on his stomach. Curious he lifted his shirt and looked at it.
"When did I get that?" he asked himself quietly.
He stared at the scar a little longer. It wasn't anything real noticeable, unlike the one on his forehead. In fact, if he hadn't been looking for something he probably wouldn't have noticed it. Looking around the room again, he saw his glasses resting on the bedside table. He quickly put them on and stood up.
Harry felt himself gain a faint blush when he realized that he was in nothing but some boxers. A pair of plaid pajama pants was folded neatly over a chair at a desk on the other side of the room. Not really caring whose they were, he quickly grabbed them and put them on. He looked for a shirt as well but found none. Sighing in defeat, he decided to find out where he was.
Carefully, he opened the door and peered down the hallway. He didn't see anyone so he quietly walked down the hall. Stopping by a window, he stared out at the acres of brilliantly green grass and bright blue sky that seemed to stretch forever.
A sudden crash downstairs drew his attention away from the landscape and Harry stared down the stairs. Thinking for only a moment, he continued on his way. His bare feet made no sound as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Muffled voices were coming from what seemed to be the kitchen. Harry took a deep breath and marched over. He hesitated at the door, but put his doubts behind him and walked in.
Those in the room froze just as suddenly as Harry did. None moved for what seemed an eternity, but when they did it was simultaneous. Harry fell back a step as Lily and James ran to him. Within the second, Harry was enveloped in a huge hug by both his parents.
"Harry! Oh, Harry! You're finally awake!" Lily cried into his hair.
"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here? Where am I?" Harry asked, feeling very confused.
"Don't you know?" asked James and Harry shook his head, "Harry. . .you're at our house. . . You're dead, Harry."
"Oh. . ." Harry said, sitting in a nearby chair, "I suppose I should have known that."
"I'm so sorry, Harry!" Lily exclaimed, hugging him again as she broke out into tears.
Harry shook his head, "No, it's alright. I knew it was going to happen. At least everyone's safe now."
Lily and James looked at each other before smiling sadly at their son, "You hungry champ?"
Harry smiled, "Now that you mention it, I guess I am."
"Great! I was in the middle of making lunch, but if you want breakfast that's fine too," Lily said, adding the last part quickly.
Harry smiled wider. He didn't care what they would be eating, as long as he was eating with his parents. He told them so and they smiled almost as wide as he had. Lily went about fixing the rest of the meal while James answered all of Harry's questions. In about twenty minutes, Harry had been told all about the Chosen One and the Carrier. Harry wasn't really all that surprised though.
"I knew something was wrong," he said when asked why he wasn't surprised, "I mean, I know I was fighting against Voldemort. . .but. . .I don't know. It was like I had no control over what I was doing."
By now Lily had finished cooking and the three proceeded to eat their way through perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwiches, garden fresh salad, and rather large pieces of chocolate cake. While they ate, they discussed anything and everything. Somewhere during the conversation, Harry noticed a familiar book on the counter.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to it.
"Oh, that? It's something the Chosen One gave us before she left," James said, picking it up and handing it to Harry, "She said something about the Prophecy not being fulfilled. . . Your mother and I have yet to come up with what she meant."
Harry flipped through the book and stopped suddenly as he came to a familiar passage. His mouth fell open as he read through the few pages that had changed his life only. . .something was different this time.
"Where did these extra pages come from?" he asked his parents.
"What pages?" Lily and James chorused.
"These pages. There are two pages here that weren't here before. . ." Harry trailed off as he began to read through it.
The Dark Lord will come near to dominating the world, but all is not lost. A Potter and Muggle-born will join together and produce a son. This child will be born with special powers, ones even strong enough to rival my own. He and his mother will harbor a similar dark secret, both coming to light towards the end of their education. This secret will be the key to unlocking the child's powers and must not be tampered with.
This child will be but a vessel in the game for the future of our world. He will carry, inside of him, the Chosen One, a being of supreme power and ultimate knowledge. The child will carry out all the Chosen One's biddings, and with each task fulfilled, the two will become more and more interlinked. What happens to one will happen to the other.
The Chosen One will go after the Dark Lord to regain his most prized possession. He will succeed in doing so and bring it back to safety. However, when the Dark Lord comes back to get even, the two will engage in the battle to end all battles. But be warned not to fall for false presences. The Chosen One will defeat the Dark Lord but before he dies, he will take one last shot at the Chosen One, killing him not but five months before his seventeenth birthday.
The child vessel, the Carrier will die alongside the Chosen One, leaving behind a world he will have grown to love. Together in death, the two will once again eradicate the Dark Lord's forces. Once this is complete, the Chosen One will be allowed to rest in peace forever. The child, however, will be given another chance at life, should he prove himself in good heart and mind.
Harry felt his heart stop as he finished reading it. His parents took the book and also read through it. They, too, had shocked looks on their faces when they finished.
"Harry?" Lily breathed, "Do you know what this means? You can go back! You can still go back!"
**************
"-And that's about it," Harry concluded.
"What!?" everyone shouted.
"What what? I told you what you wanted to know. Besides, I'm getting kind of hungry. . ." Harry said, beginning to stand up.
"Oh no you don't! Harry Potter, get your butt back in that chair and finish telling us what happened!" Lavender said, pushing him back into his seat.
"What more do you want to know? It's all in the Prophecy. Here's the book if you want to read it for yourself," Harry said, conjuring a newer-looking version of the Merlin's Prophecy book out of thin air with his hand.
"There's more to that story and you know it! Keep going!" Ron said firmly.
Harry sighed and shook his head, "Talk about your peer pressure. . .Alright, fine, I'll keep going. Well, after word got around that not only was I awake, but that I was going back to the real world, I was visited by nearly everyone in that world. The day that I was well enough to start on my way back, I had one last visitor. . ."
**************
"Harry?" James asked, poking his head in his son's room.
"Yeah, dad?" Harry asked, walking out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.
"You have another visitor," James said, walking in.
Harry laughed and rolled his eyes, "It's not Mrs. Ferguson again, is it?"
James laughed, too, but shook his head, "No, I think I finally managed to convince her husband to keep her at home. . .I think you'll like this one."
Harry eyed his father and nodded, "I'll be down in a minute."
James nodded and left the room. Harry finished brushing his teeth and hurried downstairs, anxious to see who it was. Lively voices echoed out of the parlor and Harry hurried in that direction. He came to a stop in the doorway and felt his eyes widen.
"Cedric?" he asked incredibly.
The young brunette boy turned and smiled at Harry, "Good to see you again, Harry."
Cedric walked over and pulled him into a quick "man" hug. They released and Harry was still staring at Cedric, dumbstruck.
Cedric laughed and clapped Harry's shoulder, "Don't look so shocked, Harry. I'm dead, too, you know."
Harry gave a forced laugh but said sincerely, "It's good to see you, too, Cedric."
"There are a whole lot of people on the other side of the world that couldn't come and wanted me to thank you for them, so, thank you." Cedric said, still smiling.
"For what?" Harry asked, truly curious. All those in the room other than him laughed and Harry crossed his arms.
"For stopping You-Know. . .er-Voldemort that is," Cedric said as the two sat down.
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to keep getting that for the next decade or so?" Harry asked as he rolled his eyes.
"Probably because you are," James provided from the love seat near the fireplace with Lily.
"That would be called a rhetorical question," Harry said to him with a raised eyebrow before turning back to Cedric, "So, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Actually, now that you mention it. . .yes. You see. . .I meant to give something to Cho after-er. . .before. . .that is. . ." Cedric stuttered on how to put it un-awkwardly.
Harry shook his head and looked down, "It's okay. . .I am sorry about that. . ."
"No, no! It's fine. I like it here. . .it's nice. . .it's just, I wanted to give it to her and I never had the chance. . ." Cedric led off.
Harry decided it best to let it go, "What is it then?"
Cedric smiled and pulled out a beautiful yellow and blue felt jewelry box. As it was handed to him, Harry opened it to find a stunning silver necklace with a Hufflepuff badger and Ravenclaw raven intertwined around a blue and green earth.
"It's nice," Harry said, looking it over, handing it to his parents.
"I had it specially made," Cedric said proudly, "Will you give it to her for me?"
"Of course," Harry said, taking the box back and putting it in a pocket.
"And this note?" Cedric asked hopefully, extending a blue and yellow envelop to him.
"Of course," Harry repeated.
Cedric smiled and pulled Harry into another "man" hug, "Thanks Harry!"
"It's no problem," Harry said truthfully.
"Still, thanks a whole lot. Listen, I have to get going if I'm to make it back before night. . ." Cedric said, glancing at the door.
"Yeah, of course. It was good to see you again, Cedric," Harry said with a nod.
"Same here, and I hear you've gotten together with that Hermione Granger. Good luck with her," Cedric said with a sly smile.
Harry's cheeks gained a light pink tinge, but nothing too noticeable, "Thanks."
With that, Cedric left the house, leaving only three. Harry tucked the envelope in the same pocket with the necklace. Lily and James walked over and hugged their son.
"I guess this is it. . ." Lily led off.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll be back before you know it. . .it's only another. . .okay. . .so I'll be back," Harry said, failing in his attempt to ease the separation.
The two laughed despite this and hugged him tighter.
"You be a good boy for Sirius, Tali, and Remus, okay?" Lily asked.
Harry and James both rolled their eyes and James spoke, "Come on, Lils, he's not a little kid. Besides, he's a Potter! It's his birth right to get into trouble!"
Lily shook her head, "Leaving him in their care, I'm certain they'll do everything in their power to help him."
"I should hope so!" James said smiling deviously, "Hey, Harry. I know you're already delivering stuff for Cedric, but do you think you'd mind a few more things for us?"
"Sure."
"Excellent! That's what I wanted to hear!" James exclaimed before reaching into his pockets, "Okay, they're labeled. One's for Sirius, one's for Tals, one's for Remus. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Dumbledore, Hagrid, oh! How the hell did a letter for Snape get in here?"
"You wrote that, James," Lily said, hands on her hips.
"Oh. . .right. . ." he smiled evilly again and handed the letters to Harry who put them away.
"Is that it?" Harry asked.
"No, not quite. . ." Lily said, pulling out a good sized box, "James and I heard that Sirius and Tali are getting married. This is for them."
"You really think he can carry that, Lily?" James asked, losing his grin.
"It's no problem," Harry said, shrinking it with his hand and stuffing it into his pocket.
"I don't think anyone will ever get used to you doing that, kiddo," James said, shaking his head.
"Not my problem," Harry said with a smirk and a shrug.
"Come here, you." Lily said, pulling him into one last hug, "Try to at least not to get into too much trouble."
She let go and James hugged him. Leaning in, he whispered in his ear, "Unless if it's on that git Malfoy or Snape."
Harry laughed as they broke apart and Lily gave them a disapproving look but let it go, "Be safe, Harry."
"I will," he said, breathing deeply, "I'll see you in about seventy or so years."
**************
"-I disapparated from their house and wound up back here, at Hogwarts. It was strange at first, I could see everyone, hear everyone, but no one knew I was there. For three weeks I walked the halls, encountering all of you at some point. . .I tried my best to make you notice me and it worked sometimes. . .I believe you knew me as 'the footsteps?'" Harry asked.
They nodded, too enthralled in the story to interrupt, and he continued, "At night I found myself transported to this strange, dark, oval room. . .I'm not really sure how to explain it. . ."
**************
Harry opened his eyes and squinted around at his surroundings. He didn't know where he was, one minute he had been leading Colin to a rather depressed Ginny, the next he was in this strange room. There was no light other than a pale blue light making it impossible to see the ceiling. . .if there was one.
He sat down, not seeing much point in trying to find a way out; somehow he knew there wasn't one. There was complete silence for at least an hour, and during that time Harry took it upon himself to lie down and try to find a comfortable position. It did little good, though, for there wasn't a comfortable position to be found. No matter where he turned, the cold, uneven, hard floor jabbed into his body. Sighing, he sat up and was surprised, to say the least, to see someone, or something staring back at him.
"Welcome, Carrier," the pale purple figure said airily.
"Who are you?" Harry asked.
"I am the Wise One, sister of the Chosen One, and you are here to be judged," it said, floating over to him.
"Judged?"
The Wise One nodded, "To see whether you are worthy enough to return to the real world."
"Oh," was all Harry could come up with, ". . .Well. . .what do I have to do?"
"Nothing. You be taken here every night for my kind to examine your heart and mind. If, at the end, you have passed, you will be taken back to the world of the living. If you fail, you will be sent back to your parents in the afterlife," the Wise One said, floating up.
"Wait!" Harry shouted, standing up, "You mean I'm supposed to just sit here?"
"Precisely."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Sounds like fun. . ."
The Wise One said nothing, but continued to float up until it disappeared into the blue light.
**************
"I was taken there every night for three weeks. But just when I was beginning to think that I'd almost rather just be dead forever, I was visited again by the Wise One. . ."
**************
Harry erased the game of tic-tac-toe out of the dirt floor. That was the twenty third time that night alone he had wound up in a cats game. He sighed irritably and allowed himself to fall back to the floor. When he hit it, he groaned and rubbed the back of his head.
"Definitely not the brightest thing to do," he muttered to himself.
"Perhaps we have another Wise One amongst us."
Harry sat up to see the Wise One and a number of other beings that varied in color floating in front of him. He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, "Er - hi. . .you been there long?"
"It is nice to see you again, Carrier," the Wise One said floating in front of the others.
"It's nice to see anyone here," Harry said before realizing what he had said and clamping his hand over his mouth.
The group of beings uncharacteristically let out a murmur of laughter. Harry scrambled to his feet as the Wise One held up a robed hand to stop the laughter.
"We, the Council and I, have reached our decision," the Wise One said coolly.
Harry's interest was peaked, but he tried to hide it, "Well?"
"We have found no fault in your mind's activities, and your heart seems to be one of the purest we have ever encountered. We can see why our sister chose you to become one with."
A short silence followed these words as the beings remembered their sister, the Chosen One. It quickly ended, however, and the Wise One continued, "Therefore, it gives us pleasure to inform you that you are to be returned to the realm of the living. There, you must forever use our sister's powers for good, otherwise we will revoke our decision and you will be thrown back into death."
Harry nodded excitedly, "When can I go back!?"
"As soon as you like."
**************
"You all know the story from there," Harry concluded, quite out of breath.
There was not a single person in the room, other than Harry, who didn't have shock written all over their face. Harry waited patiently for a good ten minutes or so for someone to say something, but no one seemed to be preparing for it, so he stood up and stretched.
"Told you it wasn't all that interesting," he said with a smile as he reached into his pockets, conjuring the letters his parents had given him, "I better give these out before I forget again."
He handed them out, each person taking it dumbly. When he finished, he noticed that everyone was still staring at him and groaned.
"You know, I think this is actually worse than when I first came back. . ."
"Harry. . .wow. . ." Hermione finally squeaked out.
He smiled at her right before a loud screech attracted everyone's attention to see Fawkes fly into the room and peck furiously at Harry.
"Oh! Right! Sorry, Fawkes! I completely forgot! I'll come right now!"
With that, Harry hurried out of the room as fast as his legs would carry him, Fawkes following the entire time. Five minutes later, no one had moved still when there was a small voice from the bottom of the bed, "Where'd Harry go?"
Everyone suddenly broke out of their mini trances and turned to hit Ron over the head with their pillows only to receive a muffled, "Ow."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 20 points to Rachel A. Prongs who knew he wasn't gone for good! Yay! Let's go dance in the streets! Harry's back! Whoo hoo! Sorry it's so long, and I know it's a lot to digest, but hey, next chapter should be fun. . .Only another chapter or two and an epilogue! Let's see. . .what left could I possibly have left to give this story? You ask, you get! Just you wait until next chapter!
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Okay people! A lot of you already know this, but for those of you who don't, I have a mailing list now! Yay! I knew you all would be happy for me! Anywho, if at any point, you want in or out, just say so in your review and I'll be more than happy to oblige!
Istalksiriusonweekends: Really? Well, thanks! Now that my confidence is back I can finish the story! Yay! Hehehe, I bet you can't wait for this chapter. . . ::evil laugh:: You have *no* idea what's gonna happen. . .
Maggie: Well, I'm glad to tell you that you're wait is over! Here's the next installment! Hope you like it!
Lexi-It Changed: Hmm. . .yeah well. . .I tried to lighten it up a bit with Harry's last prank on Malfoy and co. . .guess it didn't work, huh? Let's see. . .is Hermione going to kill herself. . .I never thought about it, but I guess it's a plausible idea, isn't it? Luckily, the answer is no. Something bigger happens. . . By the way, thanks for the idea for my mailing list. I'll be sure to do that!
Silver Angel: Yeah, what was it, like two three days? Something like that. . . So you didn't like the song part? -_-' . . .Oh well, I said I wasn't too sure about it. . . Glad it conveyed her feelings though! Thanks for the review!
Rachel A. Prongs: You have *on* idea. Still a spanking good number of things to tell before this is all over with! And thanks! I love my mind too! . . .I told my parents I'm not weird! Lol. . . You don't think I'll kill him off for good, huh? Well, go forth and see how your theory fairs!
Englishgirl: Yes, well, last time I put a warning on one of my story's for tissues, I got yelled at. . . Sorry, though. So you liked it than? Yay!
Maxwell Coffee House: It's okay, just take a deep breath and repeat after me, "No more drama, no more drama". . .I love that song, don't you? . . .Too bad there might still be some drama left. . .not sure yet. . .Oh well, at least you get more like you asked for!
Elemental Darkness-Earth: Okay! I shaln't rewrite it. . . I guess by the way some of you have carried on, it wasn't that bad. . .especially for having written it at one in the morning. . . And oh yeah, you have NO idea how I have my own ideas on that. . . Why don't you just go on and read this chapter. . .hehehe
Vaness: Ah! Not more killer rodents! Sheesh, two is bad enough! ::Pouts:: Just go on and read the chapter while I go find some rodent repellent. . .
Reanne080: I tore your heart out? . . .Sorry. . . And you're right, he doesn't get a break. . .but there wasn't any way in hell I'd let him go with letting have one more on Malfoy! Read on. . .I think you'll like this chapter. . .
Ryan: Thanks! I won't change it, don't worry. . . And OH YEAH, a REAL big doozy. . .::smiles innocently:: I didn't do nothing. . .
Amy: First you make it sound all good, and then you have to go throw in the word "yet." I hate that word. . .::grumbles:: Oh well. . .I just hope I might get a hug this time instead of getting books thrown at me. . . Go figure. But hey. . .as the message says, death isn't the end. Oh yeah. . .it's a good thing you like the footsteps, b/c they still have more to give. . .
Sugar Quill: Believe you me, I know how that is. Happens to me all the time. . .hopefully you won't give up and make it this far. . .thanks for the review!
Charlie: Thanks! Sorry to say, can't answer that! But I think you might get your answer this chapter. . .
Ani: Yes. . .well. . .I suppose so. . . Just wait until the sequel. . .sorry to say I can't tell you more.
EriEka127: Well. . .not exactly. . .it's kinda hard to explain without giving away the secret. . .but you'll find out this chapter. . .Yeah, go ahead and read it. It should all be explained, but if you still have questions afterwards, just tell me so in your next e-mail!
Wanted: Love
Ch33: The Chosen One
Gone. They were gone. A week had passed since Hermione had last encountered the footsteps that had lured her to the red and gold room, and not once since then had she run into them again. Others apparently still ran into them, Ron just had an encounter the night before, but they seemed to be avoiding her. She didn't mind so much, though. She now spent all her free time in the room, watching Harry's last gift to her.
Emotions ran haywire every time, yet at the same time, she felt a strange sense of comfort in watching her and Harry's past interactions. She hadn't told anyone else about it. Just this once she wanted to be greedy and keep it to herself. She *needed* something to remind her of Harry that was hers and hers alone.
Everyone had noticed her disappearances, but so far no one had said anything about it. Sometimes she would come back in tears, sometimes she'd return in smiles. She supposed they figured that it was best to let her keep her secret, as long as it cheered her up every now and than. And as it would turn out, she would need cheering up a lot more than normal on that particular day.
It was gorgeous outside, sun shining brightly and birds sang gaily in the warm spring air. Nothing gave the impression that something terribly depressing was happening, and yet it was. Not a single person, not even the Slytherins, was in a very good mood. Black was the color of the day. Everyone wore it; even Dumbledore ditched his vibrant clothing for a more solemn color.
Hermione stood in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. The flames played off of the tears gathered in her eyes as she continued to stare blankly ahead of her. She knew it was going to be a hard day, how could it not be? Harry Potter's funeral day had finally arrived.
A single tear rolled down her cheek as Hermione tightened her grip on the handkerchief she had given Harry. She hadn't washed it. She hadn't had the heart to. It had his smell on it, something she feared she would loose forever if it went through the laundry.
"'Mione?"
She turned her head to the side as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"It's time," Ron said quietly.
Hermione winced. She had already been to one funeral that year; she wasn't ready for another one, especially when the guest of honor should still be alive. Slowly, ever so slowly, she nodded her head and turned around. Ron and Lavender were looking at her with what she guessed was a similar feeling of loss and anguish that she, herself, held.
"They're waiting for us before they start," Lavender said.
Hermione nodded numbly and bowed her head as she started on her way to the Great Hall where the ceremony was being held. This was actually the second funeral for Harry. The first had happened five days after word of his death spread around. It was held at Godric's Hallow, but as many of the students hadn't been able to go, Dumbledore had decided to hold a private funeral for those who had been there.
The three made their way through the corridors slowly and silently, every now and then being joined by students from other houses. When they reached the Great Hall, a majority of the school had already arrived. Hermione, along with the rest of those she arrived with, were handed candles as they entered.
Ron, Hermione, and Lavender were ushered to the front where they stood silently next to Sirius, Remus, Tali, and Hagrid. There were no chairs to sit in, but no one complained, they didn't have a right to. Not when the reason they were there was Harry. . .and he didn't complain when it was his time to go. So they stood, and they stood, and they stood, as the last few stragglers wandered in.
Hermione had her face bent over her candle, and it was a good thing that her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, otherwise she might have caught fire. The heat from which bothered her eyes, creating more tears. Quite a few times the fire went out and she had to restart it.
A hush fell over the people, meaning they stifled their tears as best they could, as Dumbledore stood up to start the eulogy. Hermione only half paid attention to what was being said. She didn't need to listen, anyway. She had enough good memories of her boyfriend to last a life time. She didn't need other's memories, unlike some people who begged Dumbledore to read a few entries out of the condolence book.
If she had the heart to relive everything again, she could have filled volume upon volume, detailing everything from the way his eyes sparkled when he had a just thought of some prank to the way his unruly hair ruffled in the wind as he raced for the snitch during a Quidditch game. From his uncanny ability to always know the right thing to say to the way he always, selflessly, put others ahead of him without second thought.
Hermione doubted that, even if she thought for a million years, she would ever be able to come up with even one bad thing about him. Just when she thought she couldn't stand getting any more lost in her thoughts than she was, Dumbledore stepped down from the platform he had been standing on. Smaller groups broke out all over the room to quietly console one another.
"He wouldn't want us to be like this," Remus said, though he hardly sounded like he was about to heed his own words.
"He didn't want to die, either, Moony," Tali said quietly.
"I-" started Ron, but he was cut off as a voice chuckled loudly throughout the whole of the Hall.
"What kind of party is this?"
The voice echoed off the walls and quiet murmurs that had started throughout the room died away. A bright white light burst out of no where, blinding all. The only sound present was that of material rustling in the breeze that accompanied the light. It subsided after a few minutes and wands were pointing in all directions, looking for any sign of danger.
"What the hell was that?" Sirius whispered harshly to no one in particular.
His question became forgotten, however, as the new decoration of the room sank in. The black drapes had been replaced by those of all the houses. Dozens of round tables that would fit well up to twelve people were now covering the room, and stretching all along the walls were tables piled high with food. No obvious visible source of light could be seen, but the room was definitely brighter. And if that wasn't the end of it, everyone's robes had turned into bright, happy colors.
"I think everyone wins this time, wouldn't you agree?"
No one said a thing as the doors to the Great Hall burst open, though no one could be seen on the other side. A few braved forward a little but stopped in their tracks as the footsteps that had haunted the school for the past two weeks started up again. This time they were accompanied by red and gold sparks that rose a few feet into the air from the floor and disappear.
By the time the footsteps and sparks came to a stop in the middle of the room a pair of shoes and the cuffs of pants were visible. Then, as if in a hurry, the sparks shot up and out in all directions. People turned their backs on the feet in order to shield themselves, but when they turned back quite a few felt faint.
"What's with the doom and gloom?" Harry asked with a smirk and arms crossed over his chest, "I thought this was supposed to be a party."
Dressed in a deep burgundy robe with golden trim, his body showed absolutely no sign that it had ever been crushed. In fact, he looked better than most remembered him. Jet black hair still uncontrollably messy and eyes positively sparkling with the same passion for life they had always held, there were few doubts that this was, indeed, Harry Potter.
His eyes scanned the room and finally rested on his friends who were grouped together at the front, "What? No one's even going to greet me back into the world of the living?"
He let his arms drop to the side and strode forward rather he was right in front of them, "Why does everyone look so shocked? Didn't I tell you it was going to take more than an ancient prophecy to kill me?"
"Harry? Is it really you?" asked Ron incredibly.
Harry turned to him, "Hey, I can't leave you guys yet. Who ever heard of only three Marauders? Now that Voldemort's gone for good you're going to need all the help you can get to pull off the pranks I've come up with."
"By the power of Merlin! Harry, you're really back!" Tali exclaimed, rushing forward and pulling him into a hug.
This seemed to trigger a chain reaction as everyone in the room suddenly found their movement and started shuffling around. Harry found himself almost being crushed in a pile of hugs and tears. It went on for what felt like an eternity. Eventually he managed to free himself and stumbled forward out of the crowd.
"How is it possible? You were dead. Everyone saw you," Dumbledore said in fascination.
Harry smiled mischievously, "It's kind of a long story, but I assure you it is definitely not 'by the power of Merlin.'"
He got more blank looks and laughed, "I'll explain tomorrow. . .Tonight we party to the peace that has been restored."
As he said this he waved his hand and music started up. As it was Hogwarts, most people didn't have the faintest idea what the song was. All the Muggle borns, however, smiled. 'Celebration' by Kool and the Gang echoed off the walls in a magnified state. Everyone got into it soon enough, though, and laughter made its way back into Hogwarts.
Harry found himself being pulled around from group to group, everyone wanting to talk to him. Nearly every person he talked to asked how he was back, but all he would do was tap the side of his nose, smile, and say they would find out soon enough. And while he didn't seem too pleased with all the attention he was receiving, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying all the exasperated looks people gave him when he wouldn't answer their questions.
With the rate at which the currents of people realized that he was back and swept him away, Harry didn't have the opportunity to talk with his friends. So, he was more than pleased when they finally found him and literally dragged him away from a particularly boring conversation he was having with Trelawney and Parvati.
The first thing they all did, once they had him to themselves in the corner of the room, was attempt to squeeze the life back out of him. Sirius very nearly succeeded, and Remus, Tali, and Ron had to work together to separate the two. Only two people didn't seem too keen to welcome Harry back. Malfoy, being one of them, sat scowling like there was no tomorrow in a dark corner. Hermione, also, didn't seem to care much to greet him, as she had disappeared.
"Have any of you seen Hermione?" he asked eagerly.
Ron and Sirius got naughty looks in their eyes but both were elbowed and said nothing.
"No. Now that you come to mention it, where did she get off to? I would think that she'd be just as anxious to see you," Tali said, pursing her lips to the side as she thought.
Harry looked rather disappointed but had little time to think on it as a bright flash drew his attention to his right where Colin Creevy stood giddily with his camera.
"Hiya Harry! It's good to see you again!"
Harry gave him a small smile, "Hello, Colin. . .Have you, by any chance, seen Hermione?"
Colin beamed and nodded, "She left a couple of minutes ago. . . Hey! Where you going?"
Harry a nod to his friends who smiled at him as he wandered off in hopes of finding his girlfriend. It would prove more difficult than he thought, however, as people didn't yet seem ready to let him go. For the next several hours he found himself grinning forcefully through the hundreds of conversations he had.
By the time he finally managed to get himself out of the constant cycle of being literally pulled from group to group, it was nearing midnight. Dumbledore had pulled him aside at one point and told him how to get to a private bedroom so he'd actually be able to get some sleep.
It took Harry another fifteen minutes to get there and when he did, he noticed that it looked remarkably similar to the red and gold room he had talked to his parents in. The only differences being the choice of furniture and the size, which was nearly double. Harry sighed and stretched. He had forgotten what it was like to be tired.
Deciding that he would take a shower and than go to bed so as to give him extra time in the morning, Harry wandered over to the bathroom. It was nearly as big as the bedroom itself, which shocked him to no end. It, too, was also decorated in bright reds and golds. That, along with the cold water from the shower, helped to wake him up.
When he got out of the bathroom, he was still drying his hair with a towel. A soft caw drew his attention to his window sill where Hedwig sat patiently. Harry smiled at her as she flew over and landed on his shoulder, nipped affectionately at his fingers as he stroked her feathers.
"What have you been up to while I was gone?" Harry asked her, walking over to his bed.
She fluttered down and positioned herself on a conveniently placed perch. Harry continued to stand in front of her, as he finished drying his hair.
"When they told me I could go back, I didn't think they meant I'd have to go back with all those people there. They're like vultures or something," he smiled as she straightened herself and continued, "But, Merlin, you should have seen their faces. Half of them looked ready to pee in their pants then and there."
He laughed as he recalled his friends' faces, "If they're like that when I come back, can you bloody imagine what they're gonna be like tomorrow when I have to tell them what happened?"
The bird looked at him strangely as he continued to laugh at himself. He tossed his towel on his bed and shook his head, "And than there's Hermione."
Hedwig cocked her head at the sudden change in conversation and Harry continued, "It's like she's ignoring me. I think she might be mad at me for leaving. . ."
Harry turned around and smiled mystically at the girl in his doorway, "Or maybe she doesn't believe it's really me. Hello, Hermione."
Hermione bit her lip at having been discovered and turned her gaze to the floor. Harry swiftly and silently walked over to her.
When he was standing right in front of her, he put his hands on her shoulders, "It's really me, Herms. Please don't cry anymore."
She looked up at him with tears falling out of her eyes as she took a deep, shaky breath. She said nothing. Instead, she slowly brought her hand up to the side of his face. Holding it there for a few minutes, she appeared to be fighting against her doubt.
Then, without warning, she collapsed heavily against his body, sobs shaking her figure. Harry gently lowered the both of them to the ground, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words in her ear the whole time. For a while she weakly pounded her fist against his chest before giving up and throwing her arms around his neck.
"Shh, it's okay, 'Mione. Everything's going to be okay now. I'm right here."
They remained on the floor for a good half hour or so before Hermione finally seemed to compose herself enough to. Harry continued to provide the same comfort, though, only stopping when she pulled herself back from his gentle grip and stared into his eyes. Carefully, almost fearfully, she reached out and held her hand on the side of his face, though she still didn't say a thing.
"Want me to walk you back to your room?" Harry asked charily.
Hermione shook her head and drew back into his arms, "I'm scared."
"Of what?"
". . .This is a dream and when I wake up you won't be here anymore," she said almost inaudibly.
Harry pulled back a bit and stared straight into her eyes, "Hermione, listen to me. This isn't a dream, and I'm not going anywhere."
"You promise?" she asked quietly.
Harry smiled, "Cross my heart."
She seemed to relax a little and leaned into him again.
"Harry. . .this is it," Hermione whispered quietly.
"This is what?"
"This is what I wished for that night. . .that you'd come back to me."
Harry smiled, "'Mione, I'll *always* come back to you."
**************
"Shouldn't we just wait for him to wake up? I'm sure he'll be getting up soon," Remus said as he, Sirius, and Tali stood outside the door to Harry's new bedroom.
"What? You really want to wait, Moony? I hardly saw him last night! Besides, it's going on noon already!" Sirius said as he opened the door.
The sight that greeted the three shocked them. Harry was sleeping in his bed, arms wrapped protectively around Hermione's waist who had snuggled contentedly into her lover.
"Aw! How cute is that!" Tali exclaimed as loud as she dared from fear of waking them.
"Cute!? Tals, they're *sleeping* in the *same* bed!" Sirius shouted.
Remus and Tali both clamped their hands over Sirius' mouth and quickly checked to make sure the two were still sleeping, which they were. Slowly, they removed their hands and crossed there arms.
"Really, Padfoot. You're talking as if they did something." Remus said, rolling his eyes.
"Besides, this is *Harry* and *Hermione* we're talking about. You know as well as anybody else that they aren't like that." Tali said, nodding her head in the sleeping duo's direction, "And incase you haven't noticed, they're fully clothed."
Sirius looked down a minute and then walked over to the bed and stared at the two, ". . .I guess you're right. They aren't stupid."
"Of course not! Just think about last night. Harry came back from the *dead*! That's not an everyday occurrence. There was bound to be some built up emotion." Tali said, coming up and leaning into Sirius' arms.
"I guess they are cute, aren't they?" Sirius asked, smiling.
"Perhaps we should let them sleep some more and come back later," Remus suggested.
The two nodded but continued to stare at the couple in the bed when there came a loud caw. Fawkes came soaring through the open window and collided right into Harry before proceeding to peck at him furiously. Before any of those awake in the room could even move, Harry and Hermione shot up in bed. They blinked around for a few minutes, sinking in what had awakened them.
When Harry put his glasses on and saw Fawkes still going crazy, he, surprisingly, smiled, "Excellent! Alright, Fawkes, I'll be right up!"
With that he kissed Hermione on the cheek and started clambering to the side of bed where he proceeded to pull on some socks as Fawkes flew out of the window. Hermione yawned and smiled at the three still standing at the edge of the bed. She put a finger to her lips and crawled over to Harry. Slipping her arms around her neck, she kissed Harry right below the ear.
Harry stopped fumbling with his socks and looked up at her, "Morning."
"Harry, I think we have some company," she whispered in his ear as she nodded to the others.
He glanced over at them laughed, "Couldn't have waited for me to get up, could you?"
"We didn't wake you two up, did we?" asked Tali, crossing her arms.
"No, I guess not. . .only because Fawkes beat you to it. Am I right?" Harry asked with a smile as he continued to pull on his socks.
"What was all that about anyway?" asked Hermione.
Harry cast a glance out the window Fawkes had exited out of, "I'm not sure I should tell anyone yet."
"Harry!"
There wasn't even time to see who had spoken before Harry found himself knocked back into Hermione and to the bed.
"Ron! Lavender! Get off! You're squishing me!" Harry struggled to release himself from their grasp.
The two were continued to hug him a moment longer and were just letting go when someone else shouted, "Dog pile!"
The four let out muffled grunts as another two bodies collided with them. Soon, another four people had piled on top of the six. Laughter filled the room, despite the fact that everyone was having difficulty getting the breath they needed. Down on the bottom, Harry and Hermione finally managed to push their way out and looked at who had joined them.
Fred, George, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, Tali, Ron, Lavender were still laughing hysterically on the bed. Molly, Arthur, Dumbledore, Hagrid, McGonagall, and Snape were all standing at the doorway, looking on with mixed emotions. Harry and Hermione smiled at each other.
"Why does everyone seem to think they can just barge on into my room?" Harry asked, crossing his arms.
"Aw, come on, Harry! You really think we'd wait that long for you after last night?" Ron asked from somewhere within the pile.
Harry rolled his eyes and flicked his hand. The pillows on the bed flew up and started attacking those who had participated in the dog pile. They all screamed and tried to avoid the pummeling, not that it did any good. It wasn't until Remus used his head and conjured his own pillow and sent it to attack Harry that the others in the room realized what they should have done in the first place.
Soon, Harry and Hermione found themselves victims to eight crazy pillows. They promptly jumped off the bed and ducked to the floor, sending their own pillows back every time they peeked up. For a good fifteen minutes or so, feathers flew everywhere, making visibility near zero. Somewhere in that time, stray pillows had hit those at the door who, consequentially, entered the fight as well.
When the feathers finally settled, everyone was sprawled out across the room, laughing, except for Snape who looked to be fighting down a smile. After everyone caught their breath, Fred and George clapped their hands on Harry's shoulders.
"Harry, my boy, I do believe you promised to fill us in today," Fred said eagerly.
An anxious silence fell over the room as everyone leaned in closer. Harry sat up, still fighting down his laughter from the pillow fight.
He glanced around at those in the room and nodded, "I suppose I did. Mind you, it's not really as interesting as you're probably expecting."
"Harry. . ." Sirius said, raising an eyebrow.
Harry sighed and hunched his shoulders, "Alright then. Don't say I didn't warn you. You all might want to sit down. I'm not sure how long this is going to take."
They all did so and Harry continued, "As you all know, I was taken to the afterlife to defeat Voldemort there. Now, it only took me an hour or two to find him. I'll spare you the details, especially since what you want to know doesn't start until the end of the battle, but right before he died. . ."
**************
Voldemort's body began to slowly disintegrate, starting at the feet. He fell to the ground and glared at Harry who stared at him with the same emptiness in the eyes as before. Voldemort shrieked in pain as he lost his hips, yet Harry didn't even flinch at the horrid sound. The Dark Lord dug his bony fingers in the muddy field, staining his nails green from the grass. Both males were covered in mud, grass stains, and blood, but only one seemed to be in pain.
"See you in hell, Potter!" Voldemort screeched before using the last of his strength to pick up a nasty looking knife at his side and throwing it at him.
Voldemort finally disappeared, but only after a deafening scream. The knife penetrated Harry in the stomach and went clean through until the first half inch of its bloody tip poked through his back. A woman and a man screamed and ran forward as Harry's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the muddy ground.
He landed just as the man and the woman reached him. The fiery haired woman settled his head in her lap as the raven haired man tried to wake him up. The rain droplets did their best to wash away the blood, but the blood kept appearing too quickly.
"Harry! Harry, wake up! Come on!" James shouted at his son.
"He can't die again, can he, James?" Lily asked worriedly as she brushed the hair out of his face.
James scrunched his face in disgust, "No, but he's part Muggle. He could go to their black nothingness of an afterlife. Lils, we need to wake him up now!"
Lily's tears doubled and she threw herself onto her son, begging him to wake up. Suddenly, Harry let out a terrible cry of pain. The two adults fell back in shock as something pick and somewhat transparent began to leave his body. The farther out it came, the more pain-filled Harry's screams became.
When the pink being was finally completely separated from Harry's body, its robe-covered face looked from both adults to Harry's screaming, still unconscious, body and back again, "The Chosen One has finally completed the duties given."
"Who are you?" James asked suspiciously.
"I," said the being, "am the Chosen One."
**************
"Wait! Just hold everything a cod picking minute!" Ron interrupted, gaining perturbed looks from just about everyone in the room except Harry and Dumbledore.
"What?" asked Harry.
"I thought *you* were the Chosen One," Ron said warily.
Harry smiled, "I was getting to that."
"Oh. . ." Ron said, gaining a whack over the head from all those near him.
"So yer parents were there?" Hagrid asked, taking advantage of the interruption.
Harry nodded brightly, "Yeah, they were the ones who showed me the way to Voldemort."
"Alright, alright! Can we continue?" Sirius asked anxiously.
"Fine with me," Harry said and he leaned back into his chair, "As I was saying. . ."
**************
"You're what!?" the two Potters both yelled at the same time.
"I am the Chosen One," the being said calmly.
"But. . .I thought Harry was the Chosen One?" asked Lily.
The being shook its head, "No, he was the Carrier."
"Carrier?"
"It is impossible for me to exist very long without a host body. At birth, your son was chosen to carry me. He sustained me and, in return, I protected him. Our souls were intertwined, as long as I was with him, he could never truly die. He received my power and I gave him the tasks he needed to fulfill. We are one, I cannot survive without him and he cannot survive without me," the being said melancholy.
"So what are you doing!? Get back in him!" James shouted.
"It is not that simple," the being said, shaking its head, "After the first defeat of the Dark Lord, the Carrier's body gained the rest of my powers, but as it didn't know yet fully how to use them, I was allowed to stay to fight. Now his body knows how to handle the powers, and there is no room left for me."
"So that's it!? You're just going to let him die!?" James was enraged.
The being said nothing so Lily tried talking to it, "He's hurting; can't you see that? If you really are one with him, you would do something."
"My time is short. I can already feel myself beginning to lose my strength."
"So do something already!" James shouted.
The being turned its head towards Harry and bowed at the screaming form, "Young Carrier, I, indeed, cannot stand to see you in such pain."
It looked back to the adults and bowed at them as well, "I will do my best. It is not yet time for him to be here. The Prophecy has not been fulfilled."
"What?" they both asked.
The being didn't say anything as a book fell into James' hands. Before either had time to notice what it was, the being had pulled back its hood to reveal a most unexpected form. A young girl, around Harry's age, with flowing hair and mesmerizing features stared back at them. Despite her young face, she looked incredibly tired.
"Why do you look so surprised? I was born with the Carrier. I should be his age, shouldn't I?" she asked.
". . .I thought it was supposed to be a guy," James said simply.
The Chosen One shook her head, "You don't think that man could get everything correct, do you?"
With that she floated over to Harry's body. As soon as she was floating over him, however, he stopped his screaming, though his face still showed great pain. The Chosen One leaned forward, her body remaining straight as she became parallel with the ground.
Reaching a hand out, she pulled the knife out of his stomach, resulting in a scream. Blood came out quicker now, but the Chosen One put the same hand on the injury, creating a pale pink glow. Slowly, Harry's features relaxed until he was completely limp in his mother's arms, chest not even rising.
"You killed him!" James yelled.
The girl didn't seem to take notice of this, though, and Lily put a hand on his shoulder before he said more. The Chosen One brought her mouth to Harry's paling ones. Once there, she breathed gently into his mouth. Pulling back, nothing happened. So she leaned down and did it again, this time pushing more air into his mouth. Again, nothing happened. She did it a third time and he finally made a gagging sound before taking in deep rasping breaths. Lily and James breathed laughs and dove in to hug him, neither noticing that the Chosen One had disappeared.
**************
"So you're saying that not only that you *aren't* the Chosen One, but that it's some chick who brought you back to life by *kissing* you?" asked Fred.
"If you mean back to life in the afterlife, then yeah," Harry said with a shrug.
"Ah, Hermione, look out! Looks like your man's two timing you!" George laughed, elbowing her.
Hermione rolled her eyes and hit him with a pillow, knocking him off the bed, "Please. It wasn't even a real girl."
"What happened next, Harry?" Molly asked.
"Well," Harry said, after taking a sip of water from a glass he had conjured up, "when I woke up, I wasn't in the field anymore. . ."
**************
"Where am I?" Harry asked wearily as he forced his eyes open.
He was warm and comfortable, and quite content not to move in the slightest, but with his last memory being his battle with Voldemort, he felt it necessary to discover his whereabouts. He squinted around the room only to realize that he didn't have his glasses.
Pushing himself into a sitting position, he found a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. He winced and brought his hand up and felt a scar on his stomach. Curious he lifted his shirt and looked at it.
"When did I get that?" he asked himself quietly.
He stared at the scar a little longer. It wasn't anything real noticeable, unlike the one on his forehead. In fact, if he hadn't been looking for something he probably wouldn't have noticed it. Looking around the room again, he saw his glasses resting on the bedside table. He quickly put them on and stood up.
Harry felt himself gain a faint blush when he realized that he was in nothing but some boxers. A pair of plaid pajama pants was folded neatly over a chair at a desk on the other side of the room. Not really caring whose they were, he quickly grabbed them and put them on. He looked for a shirt as well but found none. Sighing in defeat, he decided to find out where he was.
Carefully, he opened the door and peered down the hallway. He didn't see anyone so he quietly walked down the hall. Stopping by a window, he stared out at the acres of brilliantly green grass and bright blue sky that seemed to stretch forever.
A sudden crash downstairs drew his attention away from the landscape and Harry stared down the stairs. Thinking for only a moment, he continued on his way. His bare feet made no sound as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Muffled voices were coming from what seemed to be the kitchen. Harry took a deep breath and marched over. He hesitated at the door, but put his doubts behind him and walked in.
Those in the room froze just as suddenly as Harry did. None moved for what seemed an eternity, but when they did it was simultaneous. Harry fell back a step as Lily and James ran to him. Within the second, Harry was enveloped in a huge hug by both his parents.
"Harry! Oh, Harry! You're finally awake!" Lily cried into his hair.
"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here? Where am I?" Harry asked, feeling very confused.
"Don't you know?" asked James and Harry shook his head, "Harry. . .you're at our house. . . You're dead, Harry."
"Oh. . ." Harry said, sitting in a nearby chair, "I suppose I should have known that."
"I'm so sorry, Harry!" Lily exclaimed, hugging him again as she broke out into tears.
Harry shook his head, "No, it's alright. I knew it was going to happen. At least everyone's safe now."
Lily and James looked at each other before smiling sadly at their son, "You hungry champ?"
Harry smiled, "Now that you mention it, I guess I am."
"Great! I was in the middle of making lunch, but if you want breakfast that's fine too," Lily said, adding the last part quickly.
Harry smiled wider. He didn't care what they would be eating, as long as he was eating with his parents. He told them so and they smiled almost as wide as he had. Lily went about fixing the rest of the meal while James answered all of Harry's questions. In about twenty minutes, Harry had been told all about the Chosen One and the Carrier. Harry wasn't really all that surprised though.
"I knew something was wrong," he said when asked why he wasn't surprised, "I mean, I know I was fighting against Voldemort. . .but. . .I don't know. It was like I had no control over what I was doing."
By now Lily had finished cooking and the three proceeded to eat their way through perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwiches, garden fresh salad, and rather large pieces of chocolate cake. While they ate, they discussed anything and everything. Somewhere during the conversation, Harry noticed a familiar book on the counter.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to it.
"Oh, that? It's something the Chosen One gave us before she left," James said, picking it up and handing it to Harry, "She said something about the Prophecy not being fulfilled. . . Your mother and I have yet to come up with what she meant."
Harry flipped through the book and stopped suddenly as he came to a familiar passage. His mouth fell open as he read through the few pages that had changed his life only. . .something was different this time.
"Where did these extra pages come from?" he asked his parents.
"What pages?" Lily and James chorused.
"These pages. There are two pages here that weren't here before. . ." Harry trailed off as he began to read through it.
The Dark Lord will come near to dominating the world, but all is not lost. A Potter and Muggle-born will join together and produce a son. This child will be born with special powers, ones even strong enough to rival my own. He and his mother will harbor a similar dark secret, both coming to light towards the end of their education. This secret will be the key to unlocking the child's powers and must not be tampered with.
This child will be but a vessel in the game for the future of our world. He will carry, inside of him, the Chosen One, a being of supreme power and ultimate knowledge. The child will carry out all the Chosen One's biddings, and with each task fulfilled, the two will become more and more interlinked. What happens to one will happen to the other.
The Chosen One will go after the Dark Lord to regain his most prized possession. He will succeed in doing so and bring it back to safety. However, when the Dark Lord comes back to get even, the two will engage in the battle to end all battles. But be warned not to fall for false presences. The Chosen One will defeat the Dark Lord but before he dies, he will take one last shot at the Chosen One, killing him not but five months before his seventeenth birthday.
The child vessel, the Carrier will die alongside the Chosen One, leaving behind a world he will have grown to love. Together in death, the two will once again eradicate the Dark Lord's forces. Once this is complete, the Chosen One will be allowed to rest in peace forever. The child, however, will be given another chance at life, should he prove himself in good heart and mind.
Harry felt his heart stop as he finished reading it. His parents took the book and also read through it. They, too, had shocked looks on their faces when they finished.
"Harry?" Lily breathed, "Do you know what this means? You can go back! You can still go back!"
**************
"-And that's about it," Harry concluded.
"What!?" everyone shouted.
"What what? I told you what you wanted to know. Besides, I'm getting kind of hungry. . ." Harry said, beginning to stand up.
"Oh no you don't! Harry Potter, get your butt back in that chair and finish telling us what happened!" Lavender said, pushing him back into his seat.
"What more do you want to know? It's all in the Prophecy. Here's the book if you want to read it for yourself," Harry said, conjuring a newer-looking version of the Merlin's Prophecy book out of thin air with his hand.
"There's more to that story and you know it! Keep going!" Ron said firmly.
Harry sighed and shook his head, "Talk about your peer pressure. . .Alright, fine, I'll keep going. Well, after word got around that not only was I awake, but that I was going back to the real world, I was visited by nearly everyone in that world. The day that I was well enough to start on my way back, I had one last visitor. . ."
**************
"Harry?" James asked, poking his head in his son's room.
"Yeah, dad?" Harry asked, walking out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.
"You have another visitor," James said, walking in.
Harry laughed and rolled his eyes, "It's not Mrs. Ferguson again, is it?"
James laughed, too, but shook his head, "No, I think I finally managed to convince her husband to keep her at home. . .I think you'll like this one."
Harry eyed his father and nodded, "I'll be down in a minute."
James nodded and left the room. Harry finished brushing his teeth and hurried downstairs, anxious to see who it was. Lively voices echoed out of the parlor and Harry hurried in that direction. He came to a stop in the doorway and felt his eyes widen.
"Cedric?" he asked incredibly.
The young brunette boy turned and smiled at Harry, "Good to see you again, Harry."
Cedric walked over and pulled him into a quick "man" hug. They released and Harry was still staring at Cedric, dumbstruck.
Cedric laughed and clapped Harry's shoulder, "Don't look so shocked, Harry. I'm dead, too, you know."
Harry gave a forced laugh but said sincerely, "It's good to see you, too, Cedric."
"There are a whole lot of people on the other side of the world that couldn't come and wanted me to thank you for them, so, thank you." Cedric said, still smiling.
"For what?" Harry asked, truly curious. All those in the room other than him laughed and Harry crossed his arms.
"For stopping You-Know. . .er-Voldemort that is," Cedric said as the two sat down.
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to keep getting that for the next decade or so?" Harry asked as he rolled his eyes.
"Probably because you are," James provided from the love seat near the fireplace with Lily.
"That would be called a rhetorical question," Harry said to him with a raised eyebrow before turning back to Cedric, "So, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Actually, now that you mention it. . .yes. You see. . .I meant to give something to Cho after-er. . .before. . .that is. . ." Cedric stuttered on how to put it un-awkwardly.
Harry shook his head and looked down, "It's okay. . .I am sorry about that. . ."
"No, no! It's fine. I like it here. . .it's nice. . .it's just, I wanted to give it to her and I never had the chance. . ." Cedric led off.
Harry decided it best to let it go, "What is it then?"
Cedric smiled and pulled out a beautiful yellow and blue felt jewelry box. As it was handed to him, Harry opened it to find a stunning silver necklace with a Hufflepuff badger and Ravenclaw raven intertwined around a blue and green earth.
"It's nice," Harry said, looking it over, handing it to his parents.
"I had it specially made," Cedric said proudly, "Will you give it to her for me?"
"Of course," Harry said, taking the box back and putting it in a pocket.
"And this note?" Cedric asked hopefully, extending a blue and yellow envelop to him.
"Of course," Harry repeated.
Cedric smiled and pulled Harry into another "man" hug, "Thanks Harry!"
"It's no problem," Harry said truthfully.
"Still, thanks a whole lot. Listen, I have to get going if I'm to make it back before night. . ." Cedric said, glancing at the door.
"Yeah, of course. It was good to see you again, Cedric," Harry said with a nod.
"Same here, and I hear you've gotten together with that Hermione Granger. Good luck with her," Cedric said with a sly smile.
Harry's cheeks gained a light pink tinge, but nothing too noticeable, "Thanks."
With that, Cedric left the house, leaving only three. Harry tucked the envelope in the same pocket with the necklace. Lily and James walked over and hugged their son.
"I guess this is it. . ." Lily led off.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll be back before you know it. . .it's only another. . .okay. . .so I'll be back," Harry said, failing in his attempt to ease the separation.
The two laughed despite this and hugged him tighter.
"You be a good boy for Sirius, Tali, and Remus, okay?" Lily asked.
Harry and James both rolled their eyes and James spoke, "Come on, Lils, he's not a little kid. Besides, he's a Potter! It's his birth right to get into trouble!"
Lily shook her head, "Leaving him in their care, I'm certain they'll do everything in their power to help him."
"I should hope so!" James said smiling deviously, "Hey, Harry. I know you're already delivering stuff for Cedric, but do you think you'd mind a few more things for us?"
"Sure."
"Excellent! That's what I wanted to hear!" James exclaimed before reaching into his pockets, "Okay, they're labeled. One's for Sirius, one's for Tals, one's for Remus. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Dumbledore, Hagrid, oh! How the hell did a letter for Snape get in here?"
"You wrote that, James," Lily said, hands on her hips.
"Oh. . .right. . ." he smiled evilly again and handed the letters to Harry who put them away.
"Is that it?" Harry asked.
"No, not quite. . ." Lily said, pulling out a good sized box, "James and I heard that Sirius and Tali are getting married. This is for them."
"You really think he can carry that, Lily?" James asked, losing his grin.
"It's no problem," Harry said, shrinking it with his hand and stuffing it into his pocket.
"I don't think anyone will ever get used to you doing that, kiddo," James said, shaking his head.
"Not my problem," Harry said with a smirk and a shrug.
"Come here, you." Lily said, pulling him into one last hug, "Try to at least not to get into too much trouble."
She let go and James hugged him. Leaning in, he whispered in his ear, "Unless if it's on that git Malfoy or Snape."
Harry laughed as they broke apart and Lily gave them a disapproving look but let it go, "Be safe, Harry."
"I will," he said, breathing deeply, "I'll see you in about seventy or so years."
**************
"-I disapparated from their house and wound up back here, at Hogwarts. It was strange at first, I could see everyone, hear everyone, but no one knew I was there. For three weeks I walked the halls, encountering all of you at some point. . .I tried my best to make you notice me and it worked sometimes. . .I believe you knew me as 'the footsteps?'" Harry asked.
They nodded, too enthralled in the story to interrupt, and he continued, "At night I found myself transported to this strange, dark, oval room. . .I'm not really sure how to explain it. . ."
**************
Harry opened his eyes and squinted around at his surroundings. He didn't know where he was, one minute he had been leading Colin to a rather depressed Ginny, the next he was in this strange room. There was no light other than a pale blue light making it impossible to see the ceiling. . .if there was one.
He sat down, not seeing much point in trying to find a way out; somehow he knew there wasn't one. There was complete silence for at least an hour, and during that time Harry took it upon himself to lie down and try to find a comfortable position. It did little good, though, for there wasn't a comfortable position to be found. No matter where he turned, the cold, uneven, hard floor jabbed into his body. Sighing, he sat up and was surprised, to say the least, to see someone, or something staring back at him.
"Welcome, Carrier," the pale purple figure said airily.
"Who are you?" Harry asked.
"I am the Wise One, sister of the Chosen One, and you are here to be judged," it said, floating over to him.
"Judged?"
The Wise One nodded, "To see whether you are worthy enough to return to the real world."
"Oh," was all Harry could come up with, ". . .Well. . .what do I have to do?"
"Nothing. You be taken here every night for my kind to examine your heart and mind. If, at the end, you have passed, you will be taken back to the world of the living. If you fail, you will be sent back to your parents in the afterlife," the Wise One said, floating up.
"Wait!" Harry shouted, standing up, "You mean I'm supposed to just sit here?"
"Precisely."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Sounds like fun. . ."
The Wise One said nothing, but continued to float up until it disappeared into the blue light.
**************
"I was taken there every night for three weeks. But just when I was beginning to think that I'd almost rather just be dead forever, I was visited again by the Wise One. . ."
**************
Harry erased the game of tic-tac-toe out of the dirt floor. That was the twenty third time that night alone he had wound up in a cats game. He sighed irritably and allowed himself to fall back to the floor. When he hit it, he groaned and rubbed the back of his head.
"Definitely not the brightest thing to do," he muttered to himself.
"Perhaps we have another Wise One amongst us."
Harry sat up to see the Wise One and a number of other beings that varied in color floating in front of him. He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, "Er - hi. . .you been there long?"
"It is nice to see you again, Carrier," the Wise One said floating in front of the others.
"It's nice to see anyone here," Harry said before realizing what he had said and clamping his hand over his mouth.
The group of beings uncharacteristically let out a murmur of laughter. Harry scrambled to his feet as the Wise One held up a robed hand to stop the laughter.
"We, the Council and I, have reached our decision," the Wise One said coolly.
Harry's interest was peaked, but he tried to hide it, "Well?"
"We have found no fault in your mind's activities, and your heart seems to be one of the purest we have ever encountered. We can see why our sister chose you to become one with."
A short silence followed these words as the beings remembered their sister, the Chosen One. It quickly ended, however, and the Wise One continued, "Therefore, it gives us pleasure to inform you that you are to be returned to the realm of the living. There, you must forever use our sister's powers for good, otherwise we will revoke our decision and you will be thrown back into death."
Harry nodded excitedly, "When can I go back!?"
"As soon as you like."
**************
"You all know the story from there," Harry concluded, quite out of breath.
There was not a single person in the room, other than Harry, who didn't have shock written all over their face. Harry waited patiently for a good ten minutes or so for someone to say something, but no one seemed to be preparing for it, so he stood up and stretched.
"Told you it wasn't all that interesting," he said with a smile as he reached into his pockets, conjuring the letters his parents had given him, "I better give these out before I forget again."
He handed them out, each person taking it dumbly. When he finished, he noticed that everyone was still staring at him and groaned.
"You know, I think this is actually worse than when I first came back. . ."
"Harry. . .wow. . ." Hermione finally squeaked out.
He smiled at her right before a loud screech attracted everyone's attention to see Fawkes fly into the room and peck furiously at Harry.
"Oh! Right! Sorry, Fawkes! I completely forgot! I'll come right now!"
With that, Harry hurried out of the room as fast as his legs would carry him, Fawkes following the entire time. Five minutes later, no one had moved still when there was a small voice from the bottom of the bed, "Where'd Harry go?"
Everyone suddenly broke out of their mini trances and turned to hit Ron over the head with their pillows only to receive a muffled, "Ow."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 20 points to Rachel A. Prongs who knew he wasn't gone for good! Yay! Let's go dance in the streets! Harry's back! Whoo hoo! Sorry it's so long, and I know it's a lot to digest, but hey, next chapter should be fun. . .Only another chapter or two and an epilogue! Let's see. . .what left could I possibly have left to give this story? You ask, you get! Just you wait until next chapter!
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Okay people! A lot of you already know this, but for those of you who don't, I have a mailing list now! Yay! I knew you all would be happy for me! Anywho, if at any point, you want in or out, just say so in your review and I'll be more than happy to oblige!