Chapter #39
Ginny raced towards Dumbledores office, her heart pounding in her chest.
Poor Harry.. She thought wildly as she rounded the corner and passed the infirmary.
She carefully approached the stone gargoyle statue, wringing her hands nervously. She had never like going to the headmasters' office. It gave her the chills.
"Peanut Brittle." The gargoyle jumped out of the way, and Ginny was just preparing herself to race up the stairs when she skidded to a halt, almost stepping on the curled up, crying Harry Potter.
"Harry." She said simply. The boy looked up at her, his green eyes ten times brighter with tears in them.
"Not now Ginny." He whispered softly. Ginny sighed and sat down beside him.
"Harry, it's okay. Dumbledores' gonna sort it all out, right? He always does." She reassured. Harry shook his head.
"No. it's not going to be okay." He whispered. Ginny wrapped a comforting arm around the older teens' shoulders.
"Harry, look at me." She instructed. Harry wiped the tears out of his eyes, his face burning with embarrassment at being seen crying, and looked down at Ginny.
"What?"
"Even if Dumbledore isn't here for you, I am. Harry, I love you, you know that, so please, just please, let me help you. You have to tell me what's wrong." Ginny insisted softly.
"Gin, I can't stand it! He lies, they always lie! Dumbledore won't even tell me the goddamn truth, because he thinks I'm a little kid, but I'm not!" Harry whimpered and sobbed. Ginny squeezed his shoulders tightly.
"Listen to me, Harry James Potter, Dumbledore is most certainly not the most perfect person in the world. I know everyone makes him out to be like, the greatest wizard in the world, but he's not! Harry, do you understand now why teens hate their parents? I can see the same conflict between you and Dumbledore. He's only trying to help, to raise you so you're a happy, successful person, but he's not perfect, and he doesn't necessarily know how to do that, he's just trying his best. Do you understand?" Ginny asked breathlessly.
"Ginny, you don't."
"I understand PERFECTLY well, Harry!"
"HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" He screamed at her. The two of them were on their feet now in their newfound screaming match.
"BECAUSE, MY MOTHER DOES THE EXACT SAME THING THAT DUMBLEDORE IS DOING!"
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James Potter laid back down on the soot-covered, ashy ground, letting the girl in his hands fall beside him. He glanced sideways at Severus, who was far more injured then he or Hermione, who was still out of it.
"We have to get out of here, James." Severus said from his spot on the ground.
"I know that." James replied, chewing meditatively on his lip. "But Severus, we're too weak to apparate. Too weak to walk. There's nothing we can do. We're gonna have to wait."
"Wait for who, James? Nobody is going to come out here anytime soon, and." Severus was interrupted by a loud, shrill whinny. "What the hell was that?" he asked, turning his head slightly.
"It's. Flame." The winged horse was cantering towards them, hooves stirring up dust and ash as he moved forward. James outstretched his arm towards the large creature, who snorted and licked it gently.
"When did you learn to call him like that?" Severus whispered.
"Learned when I was five." James replied wryly. Snape shook his head
James hoisted the unconscious girl onto Flames' broad back, then boosted Severus up. Finally, he clambered on in front of Severus and Hermione. Severus held Hermione carefully and gripped James around the waist, and James gently kicked the horse in the side, making him start off carefully, fully aware of the injured people on his back. Severus spoke quietly in his ear.
"James, you think we'll get there in time? She's bleeding badly."
"We'll make it." James answered, his teeth gritted determinedly. Severus shifted the girl in his lap, a sigh escaping his lips. It was half exhaustion and half pain.
"She's cold to touch." He answered.
"Don't let her die, Severus." The horse leaped into the air, catching James a bit off-balance at first, but he quickly regained his composure. Red wings unfolded and pounded through the air as they soared upwards. James relaxed finally. He had done this many times before. It was an identical feeling to riding a broomstick.
3 hours later...
James leaned back nervously as Flame landed neatly beside a cottage, reddish brown wings fluttering to his sides. Pain jolted up through James' body and lights danced in front of his eyes.
"I'll just check and see if they have their fireplace connected to the floo network." He spoke softly to Severus before knocking on the door. An old man in funny-looking, dirty old robes answered him.
"Oh hello there, stranger! How can I help ye'?" he asked cheerfully.
"I was wondering sir, if you might have that fireplace of yours connected to the main floo network." James answered hopefully.
"As a matter o' fact I do, young man. Step right in, ye' can use it if ye' like." The strange man replied in a friendly way.
"Thank you." James turned and called to his horse. "Flame, come here, boy. Come on!" The horse came up to him, and James carefully lead the horse into the house and right up to the fireplace. He turned to the old man suddenly.
"Don't you recognize me?" he asked worriedly.
"Nope. I was born blind, mate." The man answered with a hearty grin. James felt a small smile spread across his face, and he popped the middle finger up at the other wizard. Severus grinned weakly down at him.
"James, I gotta get off."
"Yeah, hand her to me will you?" James whispered in an attempt to lighten the mood, taking Hermione from the other mans' hand as though she was made of glass. Severus carefully inched his body off of the horse, wincing in pain at each movement. Once he was off of the horse, Flame shook his head and turned, moving out of the building easily. The fading drum of hoofbeats signaled that he had left.
"Well, that was certainly a miracle." Severus whispered with a groan.
"Not really. But you can hardly stand, Severus, I think we best floo straight to Dumbledore." James replied seriously, taking a pinch of floo powder and throwing it into the fire.
"No way, I opt for the hospital wing." Severus replied with a small smile on his split, bleeding lip.
"Yeah, but I think it might be a bit safer to go to Dumbledores' office. I mean, there's probably students in the hospital wing." James answered. Severus nodded, then gasped and collapsed, Hermione still in his arms.
"Severus, are you alright?" James asked worriedly.
"Can't. think, ..sleep." Severus moaned in reply, and James recognized it immediately. Severus' body had shut down. It was too tired to move much anymore. James dragged the two into the emerald green fire and screamed, loud and clear,
"DUMBLEDORES' OFFICE!"
**************************************************************************** *
End of chapter
Ginny raced towards Dumbledores office, her heart pounding in her chest.
Poor Harry.. She thought wildly as she rounded the corner and passed the infirmary.
She carefully approached the stone gargoyle statue, wringing her hands nervously. She had never like going to the headmasters' office. It gave her the chills.
"Peanut Brittle." The gargoyle jumped out of the way, and Ginny was just preparing herself to race up the stairs when she skidded to a halt, almost stepping on the curled up, crying Harry Potter.
"Harry." She said simply. The boy looked up at her, his green eyes ten times brighter with tears in them.
"Not now Ginny." He whispered softly. Ginny sighed and sat down beside him.
"Harry, it's okay. Dumbledores' gonna sort it all out, right? He always does." She reassured. Harry shook his head.
"No. it's not going to be okay." He whispered. Ginny wrapped a comforting arm around the older teens' shoulders.
"Harry, look at me." She instructed. Harry wiped the tears out of his eyes, his face burning with embarrassment at being seen crying, and looked down at Ginny.
"What?"
"Even if Dumbledore isn't here for you, I am. Harry, I love you, you know that, so please, just please, let me help you. You have to tell me what's wrong." Ginny insisted softly.
"Gin, I can't stand it! He lies, they always lie! Dumbledore won't even tell me the goddamn truth, because he thinks I'm a little kid, but I'm not!" Harry whimpered and sobbed. Ginny squeezed his shoulders tightly.
"Listen to me, Harry James Potter, Dumbledore is most certainly not the most perfect person in the world. I know everyone makes him out to be like, the greatest wizard in the world, but he's not! Harry, do you understand now why teens hate their parents? I can see the same conflict between you and Dumbledore. He's only trying to help, to raise you so you're a happy, successful person, but he's not perfect, and he doesn't necessarily know how to do that, he's just trying his best. Do you understand?" Ginny asked breathlessly.
"Ginny, you don't."
"I understand PERFECTLY well, Harry!"
"HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" He screamed at her. The two of them were on their feet now in their newfound screaming match.
"BECAUSE, MY MOTHER DOES THE EXACT SAME THING THAT DUMBLEDORE IS DOING!"
**************************************************************************** ********
James Potter laid back down on the soot-covered, ashy ground, letting the girl in his hands fall beside him. He glanced sideways at Severus, who was far more injured then he or Hermione, who was still out of it.
"We have to get out of here, James." Severus said from his spot on the ground.
"I know that." James replied, chewing meditatively on his lip. "But Severus, we're too weak to apparate. Too weak to walk. There's nothing we can do. We're gonna have to wait."
"Wait for who, James? Nobody is going to come out here anytime soon, and." Severus was interrupted by a loud, shrill whinny. "What the hell was that?" he asked, turning his head slightly.
"It's. Flame." The winged horse was cantering towards them, hooves stirring up dust and ash as he moved forward. James outstretched his arm towards the large creature, who snorted and licked it gently.
"When did you learn to call him like that?" Severus whispered.
"Learned when I was five." James replied wryly. Snape shook his head
James hoisted the unconscious girl onto Flames' broad back, then boosted Severus up. Finally, he clambered on in front of Severus and Hermione. Severus held Hermione carefully and gripped James around the waist, and James gently kicked the horse in the side, making him start off carefully, fully aware of the injured people on his back. Severus spoke quietly in his ear.
"James, you think we'll get there in time? She's bleeding badly."
"We'll make it." James answered, his teeth gritted determinedly. Severus shifted the girl in his lap, a sigh escaping his lips. It was half exhaustion and half pain.
"She's cold to touch." He answered.
"Don't let her die, Severus." The horse leaped into the air, catching James a bit off-balance at first, but he quickly regained his composure. Red wings unfolded and pounded through the air as they soared upwards. James relaxed finally. He had done this many times before. It was an identical feeling to riding a broomstick.
3 hours later...
James leaned back nervously as Flame landed neatly beside a cottage, reddish brown wings fluttering to his sides. Pain jolted up through James' body and lights danced in front of his eyes.
"I'll just check and see if they have their fireplace connected to the floo network." He spoke softly to Severus before knocking on the door. An old man in funny-looking, dirty old robes answered him.
"Oh hello there, stranger! How can I help ye'?" he asked cheerfully.
"I was wondering sir, if you might have that fireplace of yours connected to the main floo network." James answered hopefully.
"As a matter o' fact I do, young man. Step right in, ye' can use it if ye' like." The strange man replied in a friendly way.
"Thank you." James turned and called to his horse. "Flame, come here, boy. Come on!" The horse came up to him, and James carefully lead the horse into the house and right up to the fireplace. He turned to the old man suddenly.
"Don't you recognize me?" he asked worriedly.
"Nope. I was born blind, mate." The man answered with a hearty grin. James felt a small smile spread across his face, and he popped the middle finger up at the other wizard. Severus grinned weakly down at him.
"James, I gotta get off."
"Yeah, hand her to me will you?" James whispered in an attempt to lighten the mood, taking Hermione from the other mans' hand as though she was made of glass. Severus carefully inched his body off of the horse, wincing in pain at each movement. Once he was off of the horse, Flame shook his head and turned, moving out of the building easily. The fading drum of hoofbeats signaled that he had left.
"Well, that was certainly a miracle." Severus whispered with a groan.
"Not really. But you can hardly stand, Severus, I think we best floo straight to Dumbledore." James replied seriously, taking a pinch of floo powder and throwing it into the fire.
"No way, I opt for the hospital wing." Severus replied with a small smile on his split, bleeding lip.
"Yeah, but I think it might be a bit safer to go to Dumbledores' office. I mean, there's probably students in the hospital wing." James answered. Severus nodded, then gasped and collapsed, Hermione still in his arms.
"Severus, are you alright?" James asked worriedly.
"Can't. think, ..sleep." Severus moaned in reply, and James recognized it immediately. Severus' body had shut down. It was too tired to move much anymore. James dragged the two into the emerald green fire and screamed, loud and clear,
"DUMBLEDORES' OFFICE!"
**************************************************************************** *
End of chapter
