A/N: Warning! There is Death in this chapter. Nothing gruesome or anything, just a bit sad. Thought I should mention it.
Chapter 4: What Harry Does
It was now October and the weather had turned rainy. People had gotten used to having an Angel Harry in the castle, and were happy to have him here. There were some troubles in the beginning of course, for some people feared him, or taunted him with his wings, but when he did nothing more than show kindness to others, they soon stopped. Even Malfoy and his cronies didn't do much.
When Harry was in the castle, he helped students with their homework, or problems at home. In the beginning only Gryffindors came to him, but soon people from Huffelpuff came to ask for something, and to help solve fights between friends, or to just chat with him. The people from Ravenclaw liked to have discussions with him, and learned a great deal that there was more than just 'bookwisdom', as Harry called it. Harry seemed to be much older than his sixteen years, and so even students from 7th year came to him. He always had good advice or help ready.
The Slytherin students took longer to convince, until several first years had been in a fight with some Gryffindor first years, and Harry had scolded the Gryffindors for their 'incredibly stupid, foolharded, unGryffindorish behaviour,' as he had called it, and then he had healed all the Slytherin first years. Of course, he did heal the Gryffindors too, but that was after the speech, that made some cry.
The first years then came more often to Harry, to ask about him being a Parselmouth. He also told them the Sorting Hat wanted to put him in Slytherin, and he had refused, based on what he now called, 'childish ideas of right and wrong in this world.' The first years told this in their common room, and slowly the older students from Slytherin House would come to Harry as well. They enjoyed his witt, his tentative friendship with Professor Snape, and his ideas on the world. They also learned what it would be like to be under Voldemort's influence, and many didn't like the idea.
Voldemort had been rather angry to learn that Harry Potter had returned, even more powerful than when he left. He also was angry when he found out that many students in Slytherin refused to join the Dark side. He then went on several big killing sprees. Harry would always dissapear from Hogwarts during them, only to come back with several people he had saved, and with letters from those Spirits that had passed on. Even though students didn't like it when their families were killed at least they had something to read from them, and they were comforted by Harry's strength and his grieving for them.
Nobody really knew why Harry disapeared on other times. Sometimes he was working on something, and he would cock his head as if he heard something, only to say he was needed and then vanish. Sometimes he would be gone for several hours, sometimes several days, but never more than a week. He never said where he went to, only that it was his duty and that he had been called. Nobody ever heard anyone calling, but they trusted him.
Harry didn't only help the students, he often went into the Hospital Wing to assist Madame Pomfrey in healing patients, and cleaning the Wing. He also learned her some forgotten healing techinques. When he had enough time, or was a bit stressed, he went to the dungeons to help Professor Snape with the brewing and developing of stronger healing potions, and antidotes for poisons. They had a great working relationship, seeing as how Harry had access to knowledge lost for several centuries already, and knew a great deal about medical plants. Snape was also one of the first to notice Harry's wings became more golden as the weeks past by. The grey tips on his wings had all but dissapeared. But Harry still didn't want to say what it meant.
He also had many talks with Remus and Minerva, and Albus would often join them. The man was practically his grandfather by now, and he always referred to those talks as: I have to see my family.
He helped Ron and Hermione in their blooming relationship, but when they asked him who he would like to be with, he just gave them a sad smile, and a shake of the head.
He also taught students a bit of his magic, and learned them pieces of history that had long been forgotten. The ministery had wanted to run tests on him, but he had stopped them, and explained that if they did that, he was likely to never return. This caused the students and the teachers to become angry, and the people from the ministery didn't know how fast they had to leave Hogwarts.
Everything was actually going quite fine, but today Hogwarts would learn just exactly what Harry does when he is 'called away'.
When they were having breakfast, Harry cocked his head again. Knowing this sign, Remus bade him a "come back quickly." With a nod of his head, Harry had disapeared in the bright light. Remus wondered when he would be coming back.
That afternoon, just when lunch was finished and most students wanted to get up to go to classes, the light returned. Everyone knew this meant Harry would come back, so they stayed seated for a little while longer. This time they were actually greeted with the sight of a slightly bloodied Harry holding a small girl in his arms. He looked at her sadly.
"Shh, it's alright Mary. Can you hold on for a little bit more? I will help you with it. Look around you Mary. Can you see? Here is the place you wanted to go. Here is magic," he said all this in a very soft and gentle tone. All the students could hear the sadness running under it. They wondered why.
But when he walked to the doors, they could see. The little girl was all bloodied, her legs were twisted in a wrong way, and by the looks of it she wouldn't make it much longer. But her eyes, a nice blue, were wide open, taking everything in with much amazement.
"I see, Harry. This is nice. I will, I can hold on for a little longer," she whispered. Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape rushed forward, thinking they could heal the girl.
Seeing them coming, Harry shook his head. "No, she cannot be helped. Her parents are already dead, and even I cannot heal her. But I am giving her the chance to see what she had always wanted to see. A place with magic in it." And with that said he walked out of the hall and showed little Mary the moving paintings, he then ordered Remus and Snape to start teaching, so Mary could see them doing magic. But after an hour or so, she became weaker, and couldn't say very much anymore.
Seeing this, Harry who was in the Great Hall again, walked to the Head Table, and a white cloth appeared on it. He put her on it, very gently. The students and teachers all watched.
"It's time for you to go, little Mary. Your parents are waiting for you. Will you take my hand and come?" Harry asked.
Mary closed her eyes. What happened next, surprised everyone else. Harry lifted his arm, and holding his hand, was a healthy, happy looking Mary. She stood next to him. "Can we go now, Harry? I want to go to my parents!"
Everyone was rubbing their eyes, for the broken and now dead body of Mary was lying on the table, but next to Harry, was standing Mary's spirit.
He smiled down at her, and lifted her up. "Yes Mary, we will go. We will fly there, you will like it, I'm sure."
The light shone again, and all the students could hear from Mary was her laughter at being able to fly.
Shocked, all students and teachers just stared at the spot Harry had just vanished from. Some started to understand what it was that he was doing when he went away, but others didn't come much farther than: "I just saw this little girl die, and then rise again."
After about ten minutes, the light came back again. Harry returned, still under the blood of Mary, but looking a lot happier. He took Mary's body, and disapeared again.
Nobody knew why he did that, but since he returned already, they were sure that he was going to explain.
What they didn't excpect was Harry forming a raincloud above him, so he could wash the blood of of himself.
When he was clean, and dry again, he hovered above the ground, took a breath and said:
"Well, I'm sure you all want to know what just happened. So I'll just tell you then."
"As you all know, I get called away sometimes. This means that somewhere on this Earth, there is someone who needs my help. And seeing as it is my duty as an Angel to help and protect, I go. Sometimes I can help people, save them from having accidents, or whatever. Sometimes, I cannot. Today was such a day. Little Mary you have just seen, was in fact a muggle. She and her parents were driving in their car, not too far from Hogsmeade. Because of the rain, they slid and crashed. The parents died right away, I could stop Mary from dieing for an hour. If I cannot heal someone, the next best thing I can do is try to furfill their greatest wish. And Mary always knew for sure there was such a thing as magic. Seeing as how close we were to Hogwarts I decided to let her see the castle. When I couldn't prolong her death anymore, I helped her get to the World of the Spirits. Do not worry, she is with her parents, and rather happy. As for her body, it would be a bit strange if the authoroties weren't able to find her, so I placed the body back in the car, with the bodies of her parents."
Heaving a great sigh, everyone saw him visibly control himself, and then his eyes sparkled again.
"On a happier note, I am pleased to say that several magical families managed to get away from the Death Eaters that were attacking them. They will arrive around, now, actually."
And with that said, the doors flew open to allow several families in. Students who suddenly saw their fathers and mothers, perhaps brothers and sisters as well, flew up and hugged their families, glad they were safe.
With a slight smile Harry flew up and outside to go and visit Heaven for a while.