The Aftermath 2:
What He Said
By S. Christian
Howdy ya'll! Since I hadn't updated in months, I figured now was a great time to catch up. I've already had a great response to chapter 2 of this fic and I'm hoping I can keep it up. Thanks to anybody that has reviewed and who will review. Now, on to the fic!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were gathered in the Gryffindor common room. Nobody knew what was going on. They were just simply waiting for Harry.
They saw him. Hermione was helping him down the stairs from one of the dorm areas. He looked like hell.
Ron looked up. If he wasn't in the wheelchair, he would have ran up to help Harry. Unfortunately, he didn't do a whole lot of running.
Harry looked at the faces of everyone there. "None of us are safe anymore. Lucius is still alive, and I've escaped him again."
Ron squinted his eyes. "I thought he escaped you."
Harry coldly chuckled. "He did once. That was before I was left bleeding in a forest in America,"
Neville couldn't help but duck his head after that comment. Harry saw this. He walked over and put a reassuring hand on the auror's shoulder.
"I don't blame you."
Ginny had to ask. "What happened to you out there?"
"That's what I need to tell you all. It would explain an awful lot."
He went over to the fireplace and sat down in one of the chairs. He stared into the fire, not shifting his eyes.
"I was there in that forest..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**FLASHBACK**
Silence. That was it. Silence. The Death Eaters may not even be here, Harry started thinking.
That was before he was hit from behind. Death Eaters came out from everywhere.
He clutched his now bleeding stomach. The curse went right through him. He felt himself begin to slip away. He then saw dazzling brown eyes upon the prettiest face in the world.
He had made a promise to her. He felt something return to him. He picked up his wand with his bloody hand and got up, although it was painful.
"Holy shit! That should have killed you, you scar-faced prick."
Harry turned to see his attacker. Death Eater indeed.
"Better luck next time."
He was now surprised with his braveness to death.
Death. I'm not going to die. I'm going home. For her.
"Rheylus Mhysteriosso!"
He hit his enemy through the head. He began to use the same curse on other Death Eaters. He must have killed twenty of them before he was hit with another curse. It hit his hand. Didn't destroy it. But it felt as if it were burning. His wand was burning.
"Shit!" was all Harry could say before he was hit with two more curses. One in his leg. One at his shoulder.
One of the Death Eaters charged at him, wand drawn.
He could only think. Brown eyes. She has the most beautiful eyes in the world.
His attacker stopped. She looked as is she was about to blow up. In no more than a second, she seemed to be ripped by an invisible force into pieces.
Whatever Harry did, it took too much energy from him. He had no time to think on what he had done before on more curse flew through and hit him in the chest. He fell down, good as dead.
**END FLASHBACK**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville nodded. "I remember seeing it all. That last curse hit you."
Hermione looked at Neville. "Tell us."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**FLASHBACK**
"Retreat!" a ministry wizard shouted.
Neville was in panic. He saw Harry fall. Harry Potter. He was dead. It couldn't be possible, he was thinking.
An American wizard was pushing him back. "We have to go!"
"We need to go back for him!"
"He's dead. There are a whole lot of dead one's out there."
Neville was shouting at the top of his lungs. "He can't be dead! We need to go back! Go back!"
"We're going whether you like it or not."
The American wizard, much bigger than Neville, picked him up and carried him over his shoulder.
"Harry! Wake up! Harry!"
**END FLASHBACK**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry was still staring into the fire. "I thought I was dead. In fact, I wasn't thinking. I felt nothing. Except for one thing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**FLASHBACK**
He wasn't thinking. Everything was just black. But he could still feel. Feel something.
This feeling did bring one thought back to him. This triggered several. He saw a woman. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Completely beautiful. He could hear her voice. It was muffled, but he knew it was hers. She was saying the same thing over and over.
Her voice began to become clearer.
He said something in his head. "What is it, Hermione?"
He finally heard it.
"You promised."
His eyes bolted open right then. "I did."
He looked around. He was in an opening in the forest. Right where he had fallen. His blood was everywhere.
I shouldn't be alive, he thought.
Nobody was there. He mustered up enough strength to get up.
"Hello!"
Nothing.
He began to do all he could do. Walk.
He walked into the forest. He lost perception of time. He just had to walk. Find a way to get back to her.
He heard something. Someone.
Harry decided to find out who it was. He walked toward the sound. He soon found it.
There was a Death Eater, just sitting on the ground, throwing rocks at a tree.
Harry tried to get away, but he was heard. The Death Eater turned around.
"Holy shit!"
Before Harry could react. the Death Eater used his wand to shot green sparks into the air. Harry dove at him and kicked him in the stomach and then snapped the man's neck.
That's when he felt it. Sudden fear. He began to coldly sweat. What was going on? He heard people approaching.
The fear was consuming him.
He looked around. He did the first thing he could in a forest. He climbed the nearest tree.
Despite his injuries, it didn't take long until he was at the top. He thought he would be safe a little bit longer than he was. Wrong. A yellow light barely missed him. They were already there.
Harry closed his eyes, not knowing what to do. He thought. I wish I could fly. Wish I was home.
He felt himself rising.
"Oh my God!"
He was flying. Just as he got off, a curse hit him in his already injured stomach. He went down a bit, but kept in the air. He didn't know how he was doing it. It was effortless. He wasn't even guiding himself. He just knew, somehow, he was going home.
Several more curses hit him, though. He was not in a good position. He finally managed to get too high for their curses. Finally feeling safe, he went unconscious, still flying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every now and then, he thought he had to land. He stole some food here and there. Got water every chance he saw.
But he knew they were following him. Always close. So he kept moving.
He had figured out the whole flying thing. He didn't know how he was doing it, but he knew how to control it.
His wounds were not getting any better. He didn't know why he was still alive, but he was.
Eventually, Harry thought about something. How do I always know they're near?
Because everytime you feel one, you get scared, he would answer himself.
He really felt afraid when he was almost home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He had stopped for water. He found a spring. He knew he was in England. He had just saw a newspaper in the trash that read that McGonagall was the new headmaster at Hogwarts.
The fear was there. He was cold. And very, very afraid.
He thought. I need to go home. Now.
"That's a nice trick you have, Potter."
No. Not him. Please not him. Not now.
"Lucius."
"Yes. I've been looking for you for a while now. You're making me very mad. You know that."
"Don't hurt me, please."
"Is this what the great Harry Potter has been reduced to? Begging for his life?"
"Yes. This is Harry Potter. Don't hurt me."
"That wouldn't be right, Potter," Lucius replied with a smirk.
He rose his wand and muttered something under his breath. Harry started shaking violently with pain.
"AHHHHHH!"
"Yes, Potter, it hurts, doesn't it? Tell Draco I said hi."
Lucius laughed. Harry's fear was gone and replaced by anger.
Lucius stopped laughing. He squinted his eyes.
"What are you doing, Potter?"
Harry stopped shaking. All of the sudden, Lucius Malfoy's hand exploded. His wand hand. Harry took the opportunity to fly away as Lucius held the stump where his hand used to be and cursed loudly.
All of Harry's wounds were now bleeding again. He was losing all perception of life. He finally landed somewhere. He looked up. Hermione's place. He was where he wanted to be.
**END FLASHBACK**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And that's when Hermione answered the door and found me."
Hermione shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "You didn't mention flying. You just said you couldn't apparate."
He shrugged. "It only took me five months to fly here because I was in America and only flying as fast as an old broomstick. I was very slow."
"How did we get here so fast, then?"
"Easier to do when you're not bleeding out of several wounds. I thought it didn't consume energy to fly. But what energy you do have reflects on the flight."
"How do you do that anyway?" Ron asked.
"Good question. I just think of where I want to go and I'm off."
Mrs. Weasley was in tears. "You poor, poor boy." She wouldn't stop crying.
Harry finally looked away from the fire. "I'm more or less ok now, right? Don't worry. Dumbldore's coming. Lucius won't stand up to him. We're safe for now."
McGonagall was the confused one now. "How did you know he was coming?"
"I could feel it. Just like I feel the Death Eaters, only it's not fear. It's hope."
Hermione stepped over to the chair beside him. She just gripped his hand and looked into his eyes.
"What about me, Harry?" she asked.
"When you're near, I feel love, energy, the feeling that nothing is wrong. I can feel that just thinking."
A tear slipped down from her eye.
He let go of her hand. "I need to go to bed now. I'll see you all in the morning."
He got up and went upstairs.
Hermione quickly got up and followed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He entered the dorm he was staying in. Before he could turn around to close the door, he heard it click close and he felt Hermione's lips crush into his. It was an intense kiss, but at the same time, soft and full of love.
When the kiss finally broke, Harry stared her in the eye.
"Anything I can do for you, love?"
She just hugged him right there. "Just hold me, Harry. Just hold me."
Harry gripped her tightly. "I won't let go."
They lay down on the bed and fell asleep in each other's arms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I thought this chapter was going to be shorter. Ah well. Lissie, there are no cliffies here, so stop your bitchin. As for all you other folks, it is updated!!! REVIEW NOW OR KENNY WILL DIE!!! And if you do review, we all get a special treat and Kenny dies. Until we meet again, I must say adios!!!
What He Said
By S. Christian
Howdy ya'll! Since I hadn't updated in months, I figured now was a great time to catch up. I've already had a great response to chapter 2 of this fic and I'm hoping I can keep it up. Thanks to anybody that has reviewed and who will review. Now, on to the fic!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were gathered in the Gryffindor common room. Nobody knew what was going on. They were just simply waiting for Harry.
They saw him. Hermione was helping him down the stairs from one of the dorm areas. He looked like hell.
Ron looked up. If he wasn't in the wheelchair, he would have ran up to help Harry. Unfortunately, he didn't do a whole lot of running.
Harry looked at the faces of everyone there. "None of us are safe anymore. Lucius is still alive, and I've escaped him again."
Ron squinted his eyes. "I thought he escaped you."
Harry coldly chuckled. "He did once. That was before I was left bleeding in a forest in America,"
Neville couldn't help but duck his head after that comment. Harry saw this. He walked over and put a reassuring hand on the auror's shoulder.
"I don't blame you."
Ginny had to ask. "What happened to you out there?"
"That's what I need to tell you all. It would explain an awful lot."
He went over to the fireplace and sat down in one of the chairs. He stared into the fire, not shifting his eyes.
"I was there in that forest..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**FLASHBACK**
Silence. That was it. Silence. The Death Eaters may not even be here, Harry started thinking.
That was before he was hit from behind. Death Eaters came out from everywhere.
He clutched his now bleeding stomach. The curse went right through him. He felt himself begin to slip away. He then saw dazzling brown eyes upon the prettiest face in the world.
He had made a promise to her. He felt something return to him. He picked up his wand with his bloody hand and got up, although it was painful.
"Holy shit! That should have killed you, you scar-faced prick."
Harry turned to see his attacker. Death Eater indeed.
"Better luck next time."
He was now surprised with his braveness to death.
Death. I'm not going to die. I'm going home. For her.
"Rheylus Mhysteriosso!"
He hit his enemy through the head. He began to use the same curse on other Death Eaters. He must have killed twenty of them before he was hit with another curse. It hit his hand. Didn't destroy it. But it felt as if it were burning. His wand was burning.
"Shit!" was all Harry could say before he was hit with two more curses. One in his leg. One at his shoulder.
One of the Death Eaters charged at him, wand drawn.
He could only think. Brown eyes. She has the most beautiful eyes in the world.
His attacker stopped. She looked as is she was about to blow up. In no more than a second, she seemed to be ripped by an invisible force into pieces.
Whatever Harry did, it took too much energy from him. He had no time to think on what he had done before on more curse flew through and hit him in the chest. He fell down, good as dead.
**END FLASHBACK**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville nodded. "I remember seeing it all. That last curse hit you."
Hermione looked at Neville. "Tell us."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**FLASHBACK**
"Retreat!" a ministry wizard shouted.
Neville was in panic. He saw Harry fall. Harry Potter. He was dead. It couldn't be possible, he was thinking.
An American wizard was pushing him back. "We have to go!"
"We need to go back for him!"
"He's dead. There are a whole lot of dead one's out there."
Neville was shouting at the top of his lungs. "He can't be dead! We need to go back! Go back!"
"We're going whether you like it or not."
The American wizard, much bigger than Neville, picked him up and carried him over his shoulder.
"Harry! Wake up! Harry!"
**END FLASHBACK**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry was still staring into the fire. "I thought I was dead. In fact, I wasn't thinking. I felt nothing. Except for one thing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**FLASHBACK**
He wasn't thinking. Everything was just black. But he could still feel. Feel something.
This feeling did bring one thought back to him. This triggered several. He saw a woman. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Completely beautiful. He could hear her voice. It was muffled, but he knew it was hers. She was saying the same thing over and over.
Her voice began to become clearer.
He said something in his head. "What is it, Hermione?"
He finally heard it.
"You promised."
His eyes bolted open right then. "I did."
He looked around. He was in an opening in the forest. Right where he had fallen. His blood was everywhere.
I shouldn't be alive, he thought.
Nobody was there. He mustered up enough strength to get up.
"Hello!"
Nothing.
He began to do all he could do. Walk.
He walked into the forest. He lost perception of time. He just had to walk. Find a way to get back to her.
He heard something. Someone.
Harry decided to find out who it was. He walked toward the sound. He soon found it.
There was a Death Eater, just sitting on the ground, throwing rocks at a tree.
Harry tried to get away, but he was heard. The Death Eater turned around.
"Holy shit!"
Before Harry could react. the Death Eater used his wand to shot green sparks into the air. Harry dove at him and kicked him in the stomach and then snapped the man's neck.
That's when he felt it. Sudden fear. He began to coldly sweat. What was going on? He heard people approaching.
The fear was consuming him.
He looked around. He did the first thing he could in a forest. He climbed the nearest tree.
Despite his injuries, it didn't take long until he was at the top. He thought he would be safe a little bit longer than he was. Wrong. A yellow light barely missed him. They were already there.
Harry closed his eyes, not knowing what to do. He thought. I wish I could fly. Wish I was home.
He felt himself rising.
"Oh my God!"
He was flying. Just as he got off, a curse hit him in his already injured stomach. He went down a bit, but kept in the air. He didn't know how he was doing it. It was effortless. He wasn't even guiding himself. He just knew, somehow, he was going home.
Several more curses hit him, though. He was not in a good position. He finally managed to get too high for their curses. Finally feeling safe, he went unconscious, still flying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every now and then, he thought he had to land. He stole some food here and there. Got water every chance he saw.
But he knew they were following him. Always close. So he kept moving.
He had figured out the whole flying thing. He didn't know how he was doing it, but he knew how to control it.
His wounds were not getting any better. He didn't know why he was still alive, but he was.
Eventually, Harry thought about something. How do I always know they're near?
Because everytime you feel one, you get scared, he would answer himself.
He really felt afraid when he was almost home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He had stopped for water. He found a spring. He knew he was in England. He had just saw a newspaper in the trash that read that McGonagall was the new headmaster at Hogwarts.
The fear was there. He was cold. And very, very afraid.
He thought. I need to go home. Now.
"That's a nice trick you have, Potter."
No. Not him. Please not him. Not now.
"Lucius."
"Yes. I've been looking for you for a while now. You're making me very mad. You know that."
"Don't hurt me, please."
"Is this what the great Harry Potter has been reduced to? Begging for his life?"
"Yes. This is Harry Potter. Don't hurt me."
"That wouldn't be right, Potter," Lucius replied with a smirk.
He rose his wand and muttered something under his breath. Harry started shaking violently with pain.
"AHHHHHH!"
"Yes, Potter, it hurts, doesn't it? Tell Draco I said hi."
Lucius laughed. Harry's fear was gone and replaced by anger.
Lucius stopped laughing. He squinted his eyes.
"What are you doing, Potter?"
Harry stopped shaking. All of the sudden, Lucius Malfoy's hand exploded. His wand hand. Harry took the opportunity to fly away as Lucius held the stump where his hand used to be and cursed loudly.
All of Harry's wounds were now bleeding again. He was losing all perception of life. He finally landed somewhere. He looked up. Hermione's place. He was where he wanted to be.
**END FLASHBACK**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And that's when Hermione answered the door and found me."
Hermione shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "You didn't mention flying. You just said you couldn't apparate."
He shrugged. "It only took me five months to fly here because I was in America and only flying as fast as an old broomstick. I was very slow."
"How did we get here so fast, then?"
"Easier to do when you're not bleeding out of several wounds. I thought it didn't consume energy to fly. But what energy you do have reflects on the flight."
"How do you do that anyway?" Ron asked.
"Good question. I just think of where I want to go and I'm off."
Mrs. Weasley was in tears. "You poor, poor boy." She wouldn't stop crying.
Harry finally looked away from the fire. "I'm more or less ok now, right? Don't worry. Dumbldore's coming. Lucius won't stand up to him. We're safe for now."
McGonagall was the confused one now. "How did you know he was coming?"
"I could feel it. Just like I feel the Death Eaters, only it's not fear. It's hope."
Hermione stepped over to the chair beside him. She just gripped his hand and looked into his eyes.
"What about me, Harry?" she asked.
"When you're near, I feel love, energy, the feeling that nothing is wrong. I can feel that just thinking."
A tear slipped down from her eye.
He let go of her hand. "I need to go to bed now. I'll see you all in the morning."
He got up and went upstairs.
Hermione quickly got up and followed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He entered the dorm he was staying in. Before he could turn around to close the door, he heard it click close and he felt Hermione's lips crush into his. It was an intense kiss, but at the same time, soft and full of love.
When the kiss finally broke, Harry stared her in the eye.
"Anything I can do for you, love?"
She just hugged him right there. "Just hold me, Harry. Just hold me."
Harry gripped her tightly. "I won't let go."
They lay down on the bed and fell asleep in each other's arms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I thought this chapter was going to be shorter. Ah well. Lissie, there are no cliffies here, so stop your bitchin. As for all you other folks, it is updated!!! REVIEW NOW OR KENNY WILL DIE!!! And if you do review, we all get a special treat and Kenny dies. Until we meet again, I must say adios!!!