One Week in Heaven

Chapter Eight- Too Soon, Part II

Notes- This is the last solid chapter- the calm before the storm is over. Like the last one, this is merle a stage setter- the final chapters will all be based on what happens here and I still am not sure about the endings- funny, this thing was planned chapter by chapter, literally scene b scene, and I don't know the end. ^-^

And why does everyone think the end of the last chapter was Harry about to kill himself? He's HAPPY people. Not psyco-suicidal. ^-^

Dedicated to Disco Biscuit, who randomly found my livejournal and gave me the beautiful review for 'Drowning'.

***

"I'm leaving straight from there to go to Riddle Manor. He wants us there by three, and I need to get there early and speak with him to clear all of this up. I'll be gone until Monday, perhaps, or Tuesday of next week. Just be careful here- we still don't know what the problems are with the potion- I'll make sure it's alright until I leave, then you're in charge Albus. Modify their memories when Harry's not looking- the potion may go volatile and cease earlier than expected."

No more good-byes were needed.

They never were.

~

Bellatrix Lestrange waited, nineteen of her lord's best surrounding the area awaiting her command.

~

Harry sighed from the top of the Astronomy Tower, and spoke to the wind.

"I love you, Ginny."

***

"Promise me you'll take care of him, Severus."

"And you'll give up all of the bullshit with my memory?"

A soft slap echoed through the air. Then a laugh.

"Leave him alone, I know what he means."

"So you two are over your little arguments?" A pause.

"Yeah."

"Completely."

The footsteps slowed to a stop.

"He's not here."

Severus looked all around, and took a seat on the small rock bench carved into a rock next to Sirius' grave. "I guess he's not."

Lily and James moved completely into the clearing. Moving to their old friend's grave, Lily looked up to the sky. "It's quiet..."

Bellatrix moved her hand.

Twenty Death Eaters stepped from the woods into the clearing.

Snape flew up from the rock and threw his wand forward, but everyone knew it was hopeless. Bellatrix smiled.

"Come on, Traitor. Our Master is quite interested in your explanation of why you left us." Snape looked quickly over to the two people on his left. They were frozen. "And I wouldn't worry too much about your little friends there, Sevvy."

"Do we even need to guess what became of you, Bellatrix?" Lily snapped back, stepping forward to her. One of the Death Eaters moved towards her, but Bellatrix gestured him back, smiling.

"I became a Death Eater. One of the best, and his most loyal, if I may add." She snapped back, brushing her limp hair from her face.

"Became the Dark Lord's whore," Lily spit.

Everyone froze, including Bellatrix. Her eyes turned to stone, and she moved over to Lily and slapped her across the face. Lily looked down only for that second, before raising her eyes to the darker woman's insolently.

Bellatrix finally smiled an evil smile, and backed up. "Take them back to the manor, boys. Our lord will be quite interested to see them again."

***

Harry shot up from the couch he'd been sleeping on in the room of requirement. Quicker then ever, he raced down the corridors and slammed on the doors before him.

The knock made Ginny jump. The headmaster looked up curiously from talking with McGonagall and Lupin, and walked over to the ancient door.

He opened it, and from behind him, Ginny gasped.

"Harry," she exclaimed, her voice barely over a whisper.

***

Lily's eyes fluttered open, and she placed her arm down to move herself upward form the cold floor. Foreboding washed over her, and she felt the uncanny feeling that someone was watching her.

As she glanced upward, she was greeted with a sight that she had feared her whole life. Voldemort. He rested backwards in his throne, looking down upon her with an unreadable glance. A smile crept across his face slowly, and Lily held back the urge to scream.

"Lily Evans," he spoke in his high voice. "A pleasure, I assure you."

She used the energy she had left to stand. "A pleasure I could do without, I assure you." He laughed, and stood himself.

"Relax, Evans. I have no reason to kill you. As long as the two of you remain here, your son will never be conceived. And even if he does come to be, I will kill him. You see, if he is gone, then I have this world."

Lily listened with half an ear, with one though racing through her mind. If he simply keeps us here, then tomorrow we will fade back to our time and he will have failed.

As if he could read her mind, the Dark Lord began to laugh louder than ever before.

"Oh, I believe I forgot to mention something," he said in a low voice. Death Eaters brought Severus and James forth, and the Dark Lord looked to each of them quickly before finishing. "...the potion. I'm sure you all were ever so sure that as long as tomorrow night came, then you would return and be safe. Bad news, I'm afraid."

Severus was the first to realize the truth, and he let out a scream of absolute terror at his mistake- the mistake that would cost them their lives in the end.

"I was the one who replenished your supplies, wasn't I, Severus? And the one who showed you the phoenix potion the day before? I'm surprised at you, Severus. Typically you'd notice a trap immediately."

James looked over to his girlfriend, confusion and fear written across his features. It took a glance from her to have Severus close his eyes and whisper his mistake.

"The potion is permanent."

***

"I'm afraid that is impossible, Mr. Potter," the Headmaster said softly, sitting down and rubbing his long fingers against one another. "...the potion wore off a day early. Severus had an idea that it may, and we didn't want to tell you. I'm sorry, Harry."

"But I saw them in his manor!" Harry yelled, trying to get their attention to the severity of the situation. "Bellatrix had just brought them all into his chamber, and he looked at them and laughed! Please, you have to believe me!"

McGonagall stood. "Like we believed you last time you had a dream? Mr. Potter, do you remember what happened then?"

Harry looked down, tears racing suddenly down his face. Dumbledore looked reproachingly at McGonagall, but didn't say a word. "Harry... we know the potion wore off. Severus was taking James and Lily out so you wouldn't have to witness it."

He didn't say a word, just looked down with anger and sadness weeping from him.

"Ms. Weasley? Please take Mr. Potter back to Griffindor Tower." Dumbledore stated softly.

Wordlessly she stood, and took Harry's hand. They walked out of the room, and slowed to a stop.

"I believe you, Harry." Ginny whispered. "And I'll go with you..."

Harry interrupted her immediately. "I'm not going anywhere. Dumbledore was right. There will be no rescue party this time." He began to walk again, and they walked in silence until they reached the portrait.

"You know you're right, Harry."

He turned slowly to face her.

"No. I'm wrong. As I've been too many times before."

Ginny took his hand in hers. "You've never been wrong before, Harry."

He pulled away. "So I was right last year? I brought you all into danger and I got Sirius killed. How was I not wrong?"

"You made the world realize that he's back! How many lives did that save? And before you go into it, you've done so much! You've protected everyone form him so many times!"

"And I've never been able to save anyone before." He whispered.

Ginny grabbed his hand more forcefully this time.

"You saved me, Harry."

"Voldemort was trying to kill you, and if I'd realized it sooner, you'd never have gone down there!"

Ginny shook her head.

"No, I wasn't talking about that."

Harry looked into her eyes. "When else did I save you?"

A smile crept over her face.

"Ever since I've met you, Harry."

He looked at her more closely.

"You saved me from just being another Weasley. From being happy with what I was. You taught me the important things in life. You taught me about happiness, Harry. You taught me about love."

Harry looked away.

"Don't say it."

"Why not Harry? It's the truth."

"Because everyone who tells me they love me dies. Everyone who cares about me suffers."

Ginny pulled his face, so his eyes looked at her.

"And I would willingly suffer a thousand lifetimes of death and suffering to be with you here in this on moment."

He didn't move, just stared with fear in his eyes.

"I love you, Harry. And nothing will change that."

Harry pulled away from her gently this time, and began to walk inside the common room.

"I wish that I was someone else, Ginny. Then this may work."

She screamed in her mind. "Is this about the prophecy?"

He nodded.

Ginny closed her eyes, and with pain weighing on her heart, she nodded. "Even though I don't know or understand it... I know. When it's all over, I'll be there waiting. Fight your battles, Harry. Take your time."

He faced her.

"Thank-you, Ginny."

He grasped his broomstick that he'd abandoned in the corner after the game.

"If anything happens, Ginny- tell Dumbledore that I don't regret it. And thank him for me, Ginny. Tell him that, will you?"

With that he raced out of the room, leaving Ginny standing there, a heavy decision on her heart.

But then again, she had no choice.

"Tell him yourself, Harry."

***

Over London, a dark cloud formed. It spread quickly, over from country to country in minutes, causing darkness to fall over everything- hiding the entrance of many other creatures that began to roam free.

People watched in horror from their homes as dementors and giants wandered the streets, Death Eaters and dragons flew the skies- many creatures known only in storybooks began to take their world.

Fires formed quickly, forcing them outside and into the path of destruction.

Hell began to rise from the depths of earth, and seep over the world.

***

The cloud had barely reached Little Hangleton before Harry landed, using the darkness as cover.

Screams of muggles and cries of dragons muffled his footsteps, allowing him passage towards the manor without distraction.

A sudden crunch of a leaf behind him and Harry jumped around, wand pointed directly at his assailant's heart.

It was Neville.

And Luna.

And Hermione.

And Ron.

And... Ginny.

Harry didn't lower his wand.

"What the hell are you all doing here?" He snapped in a quiet voice, still fearful of the screaming from the village.

"You thought we'd let you go alone, Harry?" Whispered Ron fearfully. "We're your friends, we're not going to let you go alone."

"I thought you would've learned your lesson after trying to ditch us last year Harry." Hermione spoke softly.

"And I though you all would have learned that following me can only lead to suffering?"

Ginny smiled. "And I thought I'd made it clear that I'd follow you to the death."

A sudden snap from the woods behind them, and the six were bound in ropes. With horror, Harry looked up to see Bellatrix grinning from a tree in the corner.

"And so you will, Ms. Weasley. You'll just be getting that death you keep bringing up."

***

Notes- :Groans: One more. And with the way I set this up, there's only going to be one ending. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it just... happened. The other ending was the happy one where Lily and James went back, and Harry lived happily with Ginny. But damn my muse, now the potion was faked.

So I'm hoping to have the last chapter up soon. If it isn't, flame me.