A/N – Please read my long Author's Note at the bottom…
Dumbledore's office had finally emptied. He put his hands to his head, which was spinning.
"This is too much pressure for an old man like me Fawkes."
He said sighing tiredly as the phoenix fluttered to his shoulder, his comforting note of song bringing a soft smile to the headmaster's face.
This was comparative calm for the weary mage whose reserves of strength seemed lower than he was willing to admit. He sank deeply into his comfortable chair draining his thoughts into his pensieve to allow himself to relax. His rest was however was disrupted in the most abrupt and painful manner when a very shaken pale-faced Slytherin burst through the headmaster's door.
Dumbledore realised with a jolt what was happening and the calm that he had allowed to descend was shattered. He inwardly cursed himself for having allowed his worries to fall from him even for that smallest moment as if what he was being told by the babbling boy was due to his own fallen guards.
"She just said 'he's really gone this time'… She… she wouldn't stop crying."
Muttered Draco looking surprisingly affected.
Dumbledore didn't show the flicker of emotion at seeing this reaction in Draco, he was too consumed with worry… He couldn't accept that Harry was lost… He couldn't accept that… Anything else… But not loosing Harry… He couldn't go through that again. If he lost everything else, he couldn't loose his newfound hope.
~~~*~~~*~~~
Mundungus Fletcher could hardly believe his eyes as he watched Severus Snape plunge the glinting dagger into the gleaming white back of the dragon.
"Noooo!"
Screeched the dark lord beside him.
They both drew their wands and started to hurl all manner of curses at Snape, but Fletcher watched in disbelief as every single curse rebounded as if there were some sort of shield around the dragon and the Death Eater.
Harry, Snape, the Weasleys and Fudge were all surrounded by a white glow. Mundungus saw with some satisfaction that Snape was unconscious but he didn't seem to be in pain. Beside him Voldemort seemed to have come to his senses somewhat and pointed his wand at Snape with a steely determination.
"Avada Kedavra!"
He screeched with anger and rage that was almost tangible.
The killing curse was un-blockable… Snape would finally be killed… Mundungus didn't care, there had been no love lost between him and Snape ever since they'd first met. He'd always seen through that slimy Slytherin.
The green light sped through the air, the curse of death, heading straight for Snape and Harry… until it hit the shield… and rebounded.
The rebounded curse sped through the air slightly less potent as it had been but deadly just the same. It hit the wall behind them leaving a large dark crater in it as the hate and anger that had created it dissipated to nothing.
The white glow grew until it's radiance was painful to the eyes of those so accustomed to darkness.
Fletcher shielded his eyes and turned away from the light, his heart still pounding from what he'd just witnessed and an unexplainable fear contaminating his wits.
He felt the anger from the dark lord beside him radiating and powerful as ever, but tainted with fear. And he thought for the fist time since he'd joined the Death Eaters in a fit of rage and bitterness that perhaps, he'd made the wrong choice…
~~~*~~~*~~~
Sirius had to fight the desperate urge to cry out, as he stared into the desperation tinted eyes of Ginny Weasley willing her not to say what he feared was true, that she couldn't reach Harry, couldn't feel his presence any more, that his godson truly was lost, that this time there was no doubt.
"H-Hermione. I… I…"
All eyes turned to Ginny as she stumbled away from them bringing her trembling hands to her temples and starting to shake.
"What is it Gin?" Asked Ron leaping forward to support his sister.
"H-Harry!" She whimpered.
"What's happened Ginny?"
Asked Hermione trying to pull Ginny's hands from her head and soothe her friend.
"No!" Whispered Ginny desperately.
"Not Harry… Please!" She cried bursting into tears.
Everybody seemed to be closing in on her. She shied away from their concern and confusion.
Then she saw the grief stricken face of Sirius Black swim before her tear filled eyes and she was sure she was going insane and promptly fainted falling into the shaking arms of her brother.
"Sirius!" Shrieked Hermione grabbing Sirius' arm as the invisibility cloak slipped to the ground.
Fred and George were staring unblinking at the 'escaped convict' looking too stunned to move.
"Padfoot! What are you doing here?" Asked Ron stumbling with Ginny's weight and laying her on the ground gently.
Hermione gasped and turned to Fred and George who now looked even more confused and a little faint as well.
"Padfoot?!" Gasped Fred
"Sirius Black?!" Gasped George.
"He's both… And he's innocent."
Said Hermione still gripping Sirius' arm as he stood still, unmoving gaping at Ginny's unconscious form and looking broken.
"Sirius… What's wrong?… What's happened to Ginny? What's happened to Harry? What's Going On?"
Hermione demanded looking nervously into Sirius' empty staring eyes.
Sirius looked down at Hermione his gaze still empty before his eyes returned to Ginny.
Automatically he knelt down and checked Ginny's pulse,
"She's just shocked… And not surprising either… Were you trying to scare her to death Sirius?"
Demanded Ron angrily.
Sirius just shook his head and started to shake violently as if he were crying but couldn't release the tears.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then back at Sirius.
"Fred, George, Neville! Go and get Madame Pomfrey, Professor Dumbledore, anyone!"
The three shocked boys slowly started to move as if they were in slow motion,
"Hurry!"
Urged Hermione kneeling down next to Ginny and Ron.
~~~*~~~*~~~
Molly Weasley had been hit by a torrent of emotions when she'd seen Harry's magnificent dragon body fall to the floor. She felt so guilty for the unbelievable relief that was making her feel faint… so guilty... she was so relieved to have escaped death… but Harry… She buried her face in her husband's robes and kept a tight hold of Percy's sleeve, letting her emotions overcome her.
"Molly!"
Arthur's voice sounded raspy and very unlike her husband.
"Molly, look!"
Slowly Mrs Weasley lifted her head and blinked as the bright white hit her eyes.
"What is it?" Asked Molly in confusion, "Are we… are we… dead?"
"No, not dead, it's a shield… I think that… I think Harry's the one dong this." Said Arthur uncertainly.
"But… Isn't he…?"
"I don't think so, he must be alive... it must be him… Who else would shield us?" Said Arthur.
Molly considered this and agreed, she pulled Arthur and Percy into the tightest hug she'd ever given.
"Oh my… Thank Merlin!" She whispered.
"What should we do now father?"
Asked Percy in a rather strangled voice as Molly tightened her grip.
Arthur shook his head,
"I don't know… I just don't know."
"I'll wake up Minister Fudge, shall I?"
Suggested Percy
"No! Leave him be, he'll just start panicking and make the situation worse!" Said Arthur glaring down at Fudge and shaking his head.
At that moment the Avada Kedavra that Voldemort had sent hit the shield.
The Weasleys looked at each other in disbelief…
"But… nothing can block the Avada Kedavra!"
Squealed Molly.
"It seems that Harry can."
Said Arthur watching the dragon carefully with a hint of awe in his face.
"Harry! Oh God, we have to help him! He's been stabbed! Look at the blood!"
Exclaimed Molly.
"What can we do? Really?"
"Well, I don't know… Perhaps we should stop the bleeding."
"Hey look, Professor Snape's unconscious!"
Shouted Percy, he broke free from his mother and helped his ex-professor up muttering "Enervate" using Snape's own wand seeing as theirs had all been taken.
Snape's eyes flickered open and he jumped backwards in surprise whilst the guilt and shock he was feeling were evident on his face.
Thousands of questions ran through Snape's mind
Am I dead?
No, not dead
Dreaming?
No, you idiot!
What's going on?
Oh God! I killed Potter!
But, whose shield is this?
Wait a minute! A shield! The Death Eaters!
What in Merlin's name is going on?
What knocked me out?
Harry?
In the end he managed to clear his mind and the situation became a little less confusing.
I stabbed Harry… But I didn't kill him… It must have broken the imperius curse… The Weasleys are alive… I'm alive… I think Harry's alive… And we've got a shield…
"What happened?"
He asked Percy, hoping to get at least a semi-intelligent response.
"You stabbed Harry, and he fell to the ground, the curse he'd been conjuring disappeared and this shield just sort of sprung up around us all… I think Harry must have done it."
Said Percy frowning with uncertainty.
"I believe you are correct Weasley. Potter's powers must finally have come to fruition. And he must have regained some part of his conscious mind. But I fear sustaining a shield like this will be an exhausting effort, it won't last forever."
"It blocked the Avada Kedavra!"
Said Arthur looking around at the shimmering white shield that surrounded them.
Snape said nothing but gazed towards Harry's fallen body
"Have you tried waking him?"
He asked trying hard to suppress the raging guilt that was crushing him inside.
"No, we weren't sure what to do."
Said Molly glancing sorrowfully at Harry.
"I think we should try it. Like I said, this shield will be draining him, and he won't be able to keep it up, especially not in this condition."
Said Snape frowning.
"Maybe you're right… Enervate!"
Said Percy pointing Snape's wand at the dragon…
But nothing happened.
~~~*~~~*~~~
Dumbledore entered Arabella's room and stole himself for what awaited him there.
"Bella? What's happened?" He asked softly holding the shaking woman still and trying to placate her in her evident grief.
"H-Harry… I just can't… Oh God… Why?"
Dumbledore felt himself shudder involuntarily,
"What about Harry? Please tell me what's happened."
He asked again with a firmness in his voice, which seemed to catch her attention.
"I… I can't sense him anymore… Nothing… He's just… gone!"
Sniffed Arabella her hands over her face, shuddering and rocking gently back and forth.
"It will be okay Bella… Trust me… I don't know how, I just know." Said Dumbledore feeling as though he were being forced under water… drowning… But he wouldn't give up... he couldn't do it. There had to be an answer to all of this… a way out… It couldn't simply be, the end.
"He's not gone, not completely. You'll see."
Said Dumbledore, without even knowing quite what he was saying.
"Perhaps you're right."
Said Arabella sitting up straight and wiping her face dry.
"Perhaps, he's just… I don't know… But, we have to hope."
Draco had watched the whole thing with a feeling of detachment.
Why am I here? He asked himself… If potter wants to go and get himself killed what does it matter to me?
But at the same time he felt a mounting dread start to weaken his resolve… If Harry Potter was dead, what would happen, what would the world become? Everything would be different! He could just imagine it… He'd not been allowed in the assembly when the teachers had announced 'Harry Potter's Death'. But the irony that he now possibly was really dead was not lost on Draco… Nothing would be the same if The-Boy-Who-Lived had died… And he wasn't sure if he would like the new reality that much.
Just then Fred George and Neville came blundering in looking dishevelled confused and upset,
"Professor Dumbledore! Professor Figg! Something's wrong with Ginny!" Gasped Neville
Dumbledore stood up and strode after them immediately, Arabella however had fixed her gaze on Draco.
"Draco… Do you need anything?" She asked.
The simple question nearly bowled him over, in all of the hubbub over Harry, Figg had actually bothered to ask if he… a worthless Death Eater's son… needed anything.
He simply shook his head and held out his arm to help the elderly witch down the stairs as they followed the others outside into the chill of a late October evening.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N
Firstly, I fairly rushed this so I'm sorry, I may have to go back and tidy/preen/generally re-do this chapter…
Okay… Wow! I was expecting a response, but what a response!
I can't believe some of you are daring to even think of comparing me to JKR… That is just going too far! I'm no way in her league…
But I really appreciate the support and enthusiasm you have for my story… It's really uplifting and I'm sorry that I treat you all so badly!
Harry's life now hangs in the balance… He's badly injured, barely alive, and his conscious mind is in stasis… But will it ever be recovered… and if it is… what mind will he have???
You'll all just have to wait and see…
Hmmm, I really am evil.
Well, can' help it I'm afraid!
*Shrugs shoulders*
Here we go with the thanks section… *takes humungus breath*…
Thanks go to…
Tschubi-chan (twice!)
Crystallina Potter
Fern
Elsebeth Fishnips
Kelzery
abbey
QtPie079
Tinabedina
Lin-z
vmr
Katy713
George and Fred
Ady
Allison
Daydreamer – franny
Jinskid3
Jeanne
Breezie
sweets
Lena
herm
Sandrine Black
PEZ
Zhao Hui
am
Dumbledore's True Love
Wowee! I hope you don't mind me just naming you! needless to say I am really thankful for all the wonderful reviews! THANKYOU!
Love
Jona
xxx