Disclaimer: Harry Potter is from the creative genius that is J.K. Rowling.
I am not her. This is merely a fan fiction to tide us over until Book 6.
A/N: More about the potion will be revealed in the next chapter and why not too many people knew about it. Enjoy.
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Harry felt his consciousness returning. At least he thought it was his consciousness, after all, he reasoned he was dead. He struggled to see what was going around him. Finally he opened his eyes and saw nothing but a pale dull white. It wasn't until he took a deep breath that an odd thought struck him. Heaven smelt an awful lot like Hogwart's hospital wing. Listening, he could hear people talking in whispers and the hustle and bustle of things being moved around.
"Am I dead?" he asked looking up to Madam Pomfrey break apart the white partition surrounding his bed and come inside.
"Despite your best efforts you are alive Mr. Potter," she said lightly smiling.
"How?" he asked before the hospital matron shoved a glass of water in his hand and made him drink.
"Lord only knows," she sighed as she touched his forehead. "I swear we'll name a wing after you for all the times you've been in here."
"Er, sorry?" he said looking around. He couldn't see much from the partition, but he knew there were other people in the room. There were two familiar voices, however that weren't with them.
"Where's Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked lying back down. "I thought they were hurt. It must not have been that bad if they're not here."
The room got very quiet, and Madam Pomfrey's eyes were downcast.
"Where's Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked louder, the panic noticeable in his voice.
"They're gone," came Bill Weasley's voice from the doorway. Behind him, Charlie Weasley stood with a grim expression on his face.
"Gone where Bill?" Harry asked struggling to sit up as sweat broke out on his brow.
"Excuse me, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said as she excused herself.
Bill and Charlie briskly crossed the infirmary and cast a silencing charm around the area of Harry's bed.
"They're dead Harry."
The words felt as if Hogwarts itself had come tumbling down upon Harry's chest. Grief filled up in him, and then anger.
"No, you're lying!" he snapped at Bill. "I was suppose to die, not them. This really wasn't their fight!"
"Why would we lie about something like that!" snapped Charlie in a dangerous tone.
"Charlie," Bill warned his younger brother, before taking a seat next to Harry's bed. "Harry, I need you to listen to me. This was everyone's fight. There was nothing anyone could have done. We're lucky the outcome was with you winning or we would be burying more than just three family members tomorrow, alongside everyone else tomorrow."
"Who else?" Harry's voice cracked. "The twins?"
"No," Bill said shaking his head. "Ginny managed to save them as well as you in a round about way."
"She could save us but not Ron and Hermione. Didn't they matter to her?" he snapped.
"Now just you wait!" snapped Charlie as he lunged toward Harry's bed, his fist ready to strike. Bill was quicker though and held him back before he could do any damage to Harry. "Ginny tried her damnedest for us all to make it out alive. She tried and did things harder than anyone else even knew about. She loved all of us and don't you for one minute think that she's not in about 100 different pieces over Ron and Hermione."
"Charlie, I think you ought to leave," Bill said as calmly as he could to him as he turned his brother around.
Charlie shot a glance at Harry before storming out of the infirmary.
Bill heaved a sigh, and ran his fingers through his hair, which had fallen out of its usual tieback style. He sat down beside Harry again. "I'm sorry about him Harry," he said softly. "He's taking this pretty hard. We all are. Mum's dead too, so's Percy. It might not be that bad, but Percy had a Death Eaters mask and cloak on — mark on his arm and everything. Mum usually was the one who pulled us all together when something went wrong, you know. We haven't been able to get dad away from her side. He's sitting with the bodies downstairs. Ginny's somewhere. We haven't seen her for awhile. She tends to isolate herself when things happen like this."
"I'm sorry Bill," Harry said looking down.
"Not your fault. You didn't control the Death Eaters that did it," he said sighing. "It's really been a long night. Madam Pomfrey said you'll be up and around in a couple of hours. Taking your sleeping draught," he said motioning to the vial on the bedside table. "I'll see you in awhile."
Harry nodded as Bill got up from the chair. Tears started to run down his cheeks as he thought about the whole in his life without Ron and Hermione. Gulping down the potion, he eventually drifted off into sleep.
He woke up sometime later by the sounds of someone giggling. How in the world could someone giggle at a time like this, he thought to himself. Didn't they know what had just happened? Didn't they know he lost everyone he'd ever loved once again? Didn't they care people were dead?
"Shut up!" Harry snapped without opening his eyes.
"Sorry there Harry," came Fred's voice from across the room.
Confused, Harry sat up and flung his arm over to the bedside table to fetch his glasses. Pulling them on, he could make out Fred in the bed across from him.
"Fred, were you giggling?" Harry asked worried that Fred had gone mad.
"No. That was Angelina," Fred said motioning to his girlfriend who sat beside him. "I told her we should make it official and all."
"Make what official?"
"Well, seeing how Angel here gave up part of her life force to save myself and George, with that little potion. I think we should make our sharing our whole life legit with a wedding sometime."
"How can you even think about that?" Harry said disbelievingly.
"They wouldn't want us to wallow in grief," Fred said sternly. "And I don't mean right away. I just want Angelina to know my intentions."
Harry just huffed and laid back on the bed with his back toward Fred. Despite losing three family members, Harry doubted Fred felt like he did. Harry had lost his whole family — Ron, Hermione, Lupin and Dumbledore. Everyone was gone. How was he suppose to go on now? Harry brooded for awhile, until something Fred said came across his mind.
"Fred, hey, Fred," Harry yelled.
"He's asleep," Angelina said, poking her head around the partition. "Do you need something Harry?"
"Fred said something about a potion," Harry said motioning for Angelina to come and sit by the bedside.
"It's this," Angelina said as sat down and dug a necklace out from around her neck. A small, empty vial hung from it. "It was Ginny's idea. She came up with the potion to divide an individuals life force with anothers. It helped me save Fred. It's temperamental though. It will only work with a key ingredient from the giver."
"What's the ingredient?" Harry asked sternly.
"Love Harry," she said as she put the necklace back. "I'd thought you'd know that. The giver has to love the receiver for it to work."
The wheels in Harry's head started turning. Ginny had saved him with a potion that needed love to work. Why wouldn't she have saved Ron or Hermione then with the same potion? Harry knew he didn't need to be saved. He would be fine. Was Ginny that selfish that she would give up her brother just to make sure her schoolgirl crush was alive? Did she not love her brother? Why didn't she do everything she could to make sure everyone else was safe? Who was she to determine who was saved and who wasn't? As the questions began to swarm in his head, Harry became angrier and angrier.
"Where is she?" he asked in a dangerously low voice, causing Angelina to jump.
"I-I'm not exactly sure," the older girl stuttered as Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up. "She's been by herself since the battle. She always liked the charms corridor though. She might be down there."
"Thanks," he muttered as he grabbed a cloak and passed Angelina on his way to the door.
Harry made it down to the Charms corridor without many problems. He had to stop and rest once, but it didn't matter. He needed answers. He needed to rage at her. How dare she choose his life over that of her brother's? Her stupid schoolgirl crush on him had cost him his best friend, he reasoned to himself.
The Charms corridor was quiet, and several doors were open. Harry looked in everyone hoping to find Ginny; finally he saw a flash of red and entered the room. Inside, stood Charlie and Ginny.
Harry could see the older Weasley nudging Ginny with a dinner roll as Charlie continued to speak softly to her. Harry walked closer to hear them.
"You need to eat Gin," Charlie said nudging her with the roll again. "You haven't eaten in days. We're worried about you."
"I'm not hungry Charlie," she said quietly.
"Starving yourself won't bring them back."
"Don't you think I know that Charlie," she asked harshly, trying not to breakdown. "I'll eat later. I'm just not hungry."
Turning away from Ginny and sighing, Charlie saw Harry in the room. The look of concern for his sister was quickly replaced by one of anger, letting Harry know what he said this morning had not been forgiven.
"What do you want?" Charlie said sternly, causing Ginny to look to see who else was in the room.
"Harry" his name floated off her lips like a whisper.
"We need to talk Gin," Harry said looking straight at her.
Quietly, she nodded her head and asked for Charlie to leave them alone. The older Weasley went to protest, but the look in Ginny's eyes pleaded with him to go. Charlie shot Harry a glance before he left the room, closing the door behind him.
They were alone. The cold stone walls of the chamber seemed to close in on them a bit as Harry tried to rein in his anger a bit. He wanted to scream and rage at her, and wasn't certain he could stop himself from doing so.
Harry looked at her. He could tell she had been crying, and as she turned to look at him, he saw her upper arm was wrapped up. A little bit of crimson seeped through the gauze. Normally he would take pity on her, but not today. He needed answers. He needed to know why, and he didn't' care if she was hurting.
"How?" asked in a grim and harsh tone as he fought not to scream at her.
"How what, Harry?" Ginny asked as a tear ran down her cheek.
"How could you do this to me Ginny!" he raged. "Are you really that selfish!"
"Selfish? You think I'm being selfish!" she nearly sobbed disbelievingly.
"Yes! I am not suppose to be here. I'm suppose to be with Ron and Hermione," he said as he felt a surge of strength. He grabbed a hold of her shoulders and shaking her. "I was dead and then you brought me back just to fulfill some twisted fairy tale that neither of us fits in. Let me tell you this right now and listen good. I sure as hell am no knight in shining armor, and you are not, or have ever been, a princess!"
Harry shoved her hard away from him. Ginny lost her footing as she fell and landed on the cold floor. Harry stomped past her slamming the door in his wake. As the sound of the door slamming echoes off the chamber's walls, it was joined with the sobs of a redheaded woman.
A/N: More about the potion will be revealed in the next chapter and why not too many people knew about it. Enjoy.
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Harry felt his consciousness returning. At least he thought it was his consciousness, after all, he reasoned he was dead. He struggled to see what was going around him. Finally he opened his eyes and saw nothing but a pale dull white. It wasn't until he took a deep breath that an odd thought struck him. Heaven smelt an awful lot like Hogwart's hospital wing. Listening, he could hear people talking in whispers and the hustle and bustle of things being moved around.
"Am I dead?" he asked looking up to Madam Pomfrey break apart the white partition surrounding his bed and come inside.
"Despite your best efforts you are alive Mr. Potter," she said lightly smiling.
"How?" he asked before the hospital matron shoved a glass of water in his hand and made him drink.
"Lord only knows," she sighed as she touched his forehead. "I swear we'll name a wing after you for all the times you've been in here."
"Er, sorry?" he said looking around. He couldn't see much from the partition, but he knew there were other people in the room. There were two familiar voices, however that weren't with them.
"Where's Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked lying back down. "I thought they were hurt. It must not have been that bad if they're not here."
The room got very quiet, and Madam Pomfrey's eyes were downcast.
"Where's Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked louder, the panic noticeable in his voice.
"They're gone," came Bill Weasley's voice from the doorway. Behind him, Charlie Weasley stood with a grim expression on his face.
"Gone where Bill?" Harry asked struggling to sit up as sweat broke out on his brow.
"Excuse me, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said as she excused herself.
Bill and Charlie briskly crossed the infirmary and cast a silencing charm around the area of Harry's bed.
"They're dead Harry."
The words felt as if Hogwarts itself had come tumbling down upon Harry's chest. Grief filled up in him, and then anger.
"No, you're lying!" he snapped at Bill. "I was suppose to die, not them. This really wasn't their fight!"
"Why would we lie about something like that!" snapped Charlie in a dangerous tone.
"Charlie," Bill warned his younger brother, before taking a seat next to Harry's bed. "Harry, I need you to listen to me. This was everyone's fight. There was nothing anyone could have done. We're lucky the outcome was with you winning or we would be burying more than just three family members tomorrow, alongside everyone else tomorrow."
"Who else?" Harry's voice cracked. "The twins?"
"No," Bill said shaking his head. "Ginny managed to save them as well as you in a round about way."
"She could save us but not Ron and Hermione. Didn't they matter to her?" he snapped.
"Now just you wait!" snapped Charlie as he lunged toward Harry's bed, his fist ready to strike. Bill was quicker though and held him back before he could do any damage to Harry. "Ginny tried her damnedest for us all to make it out alive. She tried and did things harder than anyone else even knew about. She loved all of us and don't you for one minute think that she's not in about 100 different pieces over Ron and Hermione."
"Charlie, I think you ought to leave," Bill said as calmly as he could to him as he turned his brother around.
Charlie shot a glance at Harry before storming out of the infirmary.
Bill heaved a sigh, and ran his fingers through his hair, which had fallen out of its usual tieback style. He sat down beside Harry again. "I'm sorry about him Harry," he said softly. "He's taking this pretty hard. We all are. Mum's dead too, so's Percy. It might not be that bad, but Percy had a Death Eaters mask and cloak on — mark on his arm and everything. Mum usually was the one who pulled us all together when something went wrong, you know. We haven't been able to get dad away from her side. He's sitting with the bodies downstairs. Ginny's somewhere. We haven't seen her for awhile. She tends to isolate herself when things happen like this."
"I'm sorry Bill," Harry said looking down.
"Not your fault. You didn't control the Death Eaters that did it," he said sighing. "It's really been a long night. Madam Pomfrey said you'll be up and around in a couple of hours. Taking your sleeping draught," he said motioning to the vial on the bedside table. "I'll see you in awhile."
Harry nodded as Bill got up from the chair. Tears started to run down his cheeks as he thought about the whole in his life without Ron and Hermione. Gulping down the potion, he eventually drifted off into sleep.
He woke up sometime later by the sounds of someone giggling. How in the world could someone giggle at a time like this, he thought to himself. Didn't they know what had just happened? Didn't they know he lost everyone he'd ever loved once again? Didn't they care people were dead?
"Shut up!" Harry snapped without opening his eyes.
"Sorry there Harry," came Fred's voice from across the room.
Confused, Harry sat up and flung his arm over to the bedside table to fetch his glasses. Pulling them on, he could make out Fred in the bed across from him.
"Fred, were you giggling?" Harry asked worried that Fred had gone mad.
"No. That was Angelina," Fred said motioning to his girlfriend who sat beside him. "I told her we should make it official and all."
"Make what official?"
"Well, seeing how Angel here gave up part of her life force to save myself and George, with that little potion. I think we should make our sharing our whole life legit with a wedding sometime."
"How can you even think about that?" Harry said disbelievingly.
"They wouldn't want us to wallow in grief," Fred said sternly. "And I don't mean right away. I just want Angelina to know my intentions."
Harry just huffed and laid back on the bed with his back toward Fred. Despite losing three family members, Harry doubted Fred felt like he did. Harry had lost his whole family — Ron, Hermione, Lupin and Dumbledore. Everyone was gone. How was he suppose to go on now? Harry brooded for awhile, until something Fred said came across his mind.
"Fred, hey, Fred," Harry yelled.
"He's asleep," Angelina said, poking her head around the partition. "Do you need something Harry?"
"Fred said something about a potion," Harry said motioning for Angelina to come and sit by the bedside.
"It's this," Angelina said as sat down and dug a necklace out from around her neck. A small, empty vial hung from it. "It was Ginny's idea. She came up with the potion to divide an individuals life force with anothers. It helped me save Fred. It's temperamental though. It will only work with a key ingredient from the giver."
"What's the ingredient?" Harry asked sternly.
"Love Harry," she said as she put the necklace back. "I'd thought you'd know that. The giver has to love the receiver for it to work."
The wheels in Harry's head started turning. Ginny had saved him with a potion that needed love to work. Why wouldn't she have saved Ron or Hermione then with the same potion? Harry knew he didn't need to be saved. He would be fine. Was Ginny that selfish that she would give up her brother just to make sure her schoolgirl crush was alive? Did she not love her brother? Why didn't she do everything she could to make sure everyone else was safe? Who was she to determine who was saved and who wasn't? As the questions began to swarm in his head, Harry became angrier and angrier.
"Where is she?" he asked in a dangerously low voice, causing Angelina to jump.
"I-I'm not exactly sure," the older girl stuttered as Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up. "She's been by herself since the battle. She always liked the charms corridor though. She might be down there."
"Thanks," he muttered as he grabbed a cloak and passed Angelina on his way to the door.
Harry made it down to the Charms corridor without many problems. He had to stop and rest once, but it didn't matter. He needed answers. He needed to rage at her. How dare she choose his life over that of her brother's? Her stupid schoolgirl crush on him had cost him his best friend, he reasoned to himself.
The Charms corridor was quiet, and several doors were open. Harry looked in everyone hoping to find Ginny; finally he saw a flash of red and entered the room. Inside, stood Charlie and Ginny.
Harry could see the older Weasley nudging Ginny with a dinner roll as Charlie continued to speak softly to her. Harry walked closer to hear them.
"You need to eat Gin," Charlie said nudging her with the roll again. "You haven't eaten in days. We're worried about you."
"I'm not hungry Charlie," she said quietly.
"Starving yourself won't bring them back."
"Don't you think I know that Charlie," she asked harshly, trying not to breakdown. "I'll eat later. I'm just not hungry."
Turning away from Ginny and sighing, Charlie saw Harry in the room. The look of concern for his sister was quickly replaced by one of anger, letting Harry know what he said this morning had not been forgiven.
"What do you want?" Charlie said sternly, causing Ginny to look to see who else was in the room.
"Harry" his name floated off her lips like a whisper.
"We need to talk Gin," Harry said looking straight at her.
Quietly, she nodded her head and asked for Charlie to leave them alone. The older Weasley went to protest, but the look in Ginny's eyes pleaded with him to go. Charlie shot Harry a glance before he left the room, closing the door behind him.
They were alone. The cold stone walls of the chamber seemed to close in on them a bit as Harry tried to rein in his anger a bit. He wanted to scream and rage at her, and wasn't certain he could stop himself from doing so.
Harry looked at her. He could tell she had been crying, and as she turned to look at him, he saw her upper arm was wrapped up. A little bit of crimson seeped through the gauze. Normally he would take pity on her, but not today. He needed answers. He needed to know why, and he didn't' care if she was hurting.
"How?" asked in a grim and harsh tone as he fought not to scream at her.
"How what, Harry?" Ginny asked as a tear ran down her cheek.
"How could you do this to me Ginny!" he raged. "Are you really that selfish!"
"Selfish? You think I'm being selfish!" she nearly sobbed disbelievingly.
"Yes! I am not suppose to be here. I'm suppose to be with Ron and Hermione," he said as he felt a surge of strength. He grabbed a hold of her shoulders and shaking her. "I was dead and then you brought me back just to fulfill some twisted fairy tale that neither of us fits in. Let me tell you this right now and listen good. I sure as hell am no knight in shining armor, and you are not, or have ever been, a princess!"
Harry shoved her hard away from him. Ginny lost her footing as she fell and landed on the cold floor. Harry stomped past her slamming the door in his wake. As the sound of the door slamming echoes off the chamber's walls, it was joined with the sobs of a redheaded woman.
