The aftermath...who lives, who dies...who wakes up...more drama with Malfoy and all...the usual disclaimers that none of the Harry Potter characters and places are mine at all...I so wish darling Harry was...

FlooJacked!

By: CNJ

PG-13

7: The Bad and Good News

Ginny:

Many parents had come rushing to Hogwarts to comfort and make sure their kids were all right, including Mum and Dad, Hermione's parents and Luna's dad. Harry's great-aunt Miranda was on the way.

The day after the rescue was a hazy confusion of crying, hugs, and dazed milling around. Harry, Madame Hooch, Hagrid, and Professor Trelawney still remained unconscious and in the hospital wing.

"The death eaters responsible have been all caught, including Mr. Pettigrew and Mr. Larane and Ms. Lestrange," Dumbledore announced at breakfast the next morning. "However, there are still a few of the true masterminds of the plot loose and they will be investigated. Unfortunately, Voldemort is also still loose.

"And the sad news...Mr. Remus Lupin died as a result of a death eater's curse last night. May his bravery and courage be always remembered and he will be missed greatly. In addition, another member of the Main Order perished in battle in a muggle area yesterday…May Arabella Figg's bravery as she protected a muggle neighborhood from death eaters always be remembered as well."

Several students dissolved into tears and I felt my own eyes well up and Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, and I held hands.

Classes, of course were cancelled for the next few days. The following Monday, we received news that Professor Trelawney had regained consciousness and was released late Monday afternoon, which was good news. Harry, Madame Hooch, and Hagrid's conditions, unfortunately remained unchanged.

"I wonder how we should break the news to Harry about Lupin?" Ron asked as we headed down to the hospital wing to see Harry the next afternoon.

"I'm sure he'll hear about it when he wakes up," Neville put in.

Once we got there, we greeted Harry's great-aunt, who was there in a small chair beside his bed. Miranda has the same nice smile that Harry does and has black hair and blue eyes. She was Harry's dad's maternal aunt.

We looked over at his aunt briefly, wondering. She shook her head briefly. Harry was still unconscious. We sat by his bed, taking turns holding his hand and talking to him softly.

Something stirred from the far end and it was Hagrid in a huge bed at the end of the wing, coming awake.

"Hagrid's awake!" Hermione crowed. Sure enough, he was slowly coming too and peering around.

"How're you feeling?" Harry asked.

"Lik I jus' cuma a truck..." Hagrid murmured. Madame Pomfrey went over to check on him. Further on, we saw that Madame Hooch was still out. Once Pomfrey passed us again, I asked how Madame Hooch was.

"Still unconscious, but stable," Pomfrey nodded. "Concussion and curse shock." We nodded soberly. Just two more people needed to pull through.

Malfoy:

"Heyy, take a look at this…a new Minister!" Goyle crowed as he waved the Daily Prophet in my face in the Slytherin Common Room the following afternoon.

"Who is it?" I demanded, grabbed at the paper.

"Aranus Beckley…" Pansy announced, coming behind Goyle and Crabbe.

"Ehhh…" I looked over the article. "Don't remember ever seeing that name before. Let's hope he's better than that sot Fudge."

"But look over…he's doesn't have any plans to release any of all those people arrested who tried to stop the Order," Pansy sighed, leaning on me. She and I have been dating on and off since year three.

"Once he gets wind of what I told the Ministry last week, he'll want to meet me and reconsider things, especially my father," I told my friends. "He'll hopefully also see the havoc that these sorry excuses of teachers allowed here at Hogwarts and fire most of them."

"Let's hope…" Crabbe flopped onto a couch in front of the fireplace.

"If Potter dies, things will really get into shape then," I leaned back, savoring the thought of Potter close to death in the hospital wing. It would serve him right for butting his frog nose where it doesn't belong.

Neville:

Dinner that night was bittersweet...relief that everyone else was all right, but somber in the wake of Lupin's death. Owls came galore then and in the parcel pile was a special edition of the Daily Prophet.

Groups of death eaters had rampaged through several magical communities, including Hogsmeade, the Daper area, and some neighborhoods in Godric's Hollow, Rowena's Cove, and Hufflepuff Square.

"God..." Luna whispered and we looked at the pictures of damaged stores and littered streets. It did go on to say that Hogsmeade was repairing right now and many of the stores were spared as well as the people.

The other ravaged areas were getting to work also. Many died in some other villages battling death eaters. Many of those death eaters had also been caught and were in Azkaban.

"Good thing we have the new Ministry in place," I told the others. "It says further down here that Minister Beckley and Deputy Minister Margaret Bumence have allotted emergency funds and backup aurors and crews to help repair the damaged areas.

Just as we started to eat, we saw Professor Sprout rush in and whisper something to Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Dumbledore then ninged his glass for attention and announced that Madame Hooch had regain consciousness and was now on the mend. All of us except Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, and Pansy clapped and our table whooped.

"Just Harry to go," Hermione told us.

"Let's hope he pulls through," Ron added. The table was somehow empty without Harry. Quiet Harry, who sat with us and mostly listened, with his large serious pine-green eyes observing us closely. We all missed that and hoped he would come to soon.

"Y-you…" I had an awful thought cross my mind just then. "D-don't think Harry will wind up like my…parents…do you?" I fought back a lump in my throat.

"Oh, Neville…" Ginny put down her fork. "I…don't think so. Madame Pomfrey said that his brain isn't affected, just the nerve endings on part of his body." She continued to eat slowly as did the rest of us. I'd lost my appetite then and didn't eat much at all.

Malfoy:

I was combing my hair the next morning when an official-looking owl came for me. It didn't say any name, but had a stamp I recognized as the Ministry's stamp. It said for me to report to Professor Dumbledore's office at eleven today.

"Good!" I crowed.

Now my hard work would be recognized. Maybe the new Minister was there, telling Dumbledore and McGonagall to clean out their offices already! By the time I got there, they'd be heaping praise on me, asking a few more questions, then would install somebody better as the Headmaster, who then would be so impressed that he'd appoint me Head Boy.

What a way to enter my final and seventh year at Hogwarts! I'd graduate next year in a blaze of glory.

"Ministry officials, here I come!" I gleefully strode out of the dorm and toward the offices to claim my title of Head Boy for next year.

When I got there, I was surprised to not only see McGonagall and Dumbledore still there, but Professor Snape as well. One of the Ministry officials I'd talked to the other day was there.

"Sit down…" McGonagall told me firmly.

I sat. What had flown up her this time? I wondered idly.

I looked to Snape to see if he could clue me in, but he just stared at me stonily. Now what was with him? I have noticed that he hasn't been as friendly to me since my father was tossed into prison, but still I'd expected some understanding from him.

"We were informed last week that you had spoken to a group of Ministry officials about the Order and presented your badge to them, is that correct?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes…" I wondered when they would cut to the point.

So, it wasn't as if I'd given away top-secret information from Hogwarts or anything. So why were they looking at me with these stern expressions?

"Hand your badge to me a minute, Mr. Malfoy," Snape put in.

I took the badge out of my pocket and handed it over, remembering too late that it was still charmed. I could tell them that it wasn't mine, that I'd found it on the floor, that I'd left my prefect badge in my room.

But Snape put the badge into a small flask of a blue fluid that I hadn't seen. He eyed the badge, which to my indignation, turned back into the Slytherin prefect badge. He then fished it out.

"Attempted to pass yourself off as Head Boy once you charmed your badge, ehh, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape then sneered at me.

"No, you don't understand…" I fumbled for an explanation.

"So, he's not the Head Boy after all…" the Ministry bloke nodded. "I suspect something about that badge that was off."

"No, he isn't," McGonagall told him. "This constitutes false misrepresentation, which is punishable by removal from the current post of prefect." Before I knew what was going on, all three of these teachers then talked among themselves and told me that I was no longer prefect.

"What!" I gasped. "But I was helping the school…" I started.

"Silence!" Snape snapped. "You might as well know that it was I who first recommended your removal earlier this month when you abused your prefect post…so now it is official…this badge and the Slytherin prefect post are no longer yours."

I stared at Snape, flabbergasted. Then at the other three, who bid me good day as if this incredible outrage had not just happened. There was nothing more for me to say to those imbeciles, so I stormed out, slamming the door behind me. I punched at the stupid phoenix statue when it took its dear sweet time opening.

Potter and his cronies break rules and get rewarded because allegedly they helped this excuse of a school…I do the same and get my arse kicked and my prefect badge taken away. I can't go to Father about this because his arse is still sitting in Azkaban. Grand.

Harry:

Lestrange loomed over me ominously, imposing...I looked around and saw nothing but bodies and stifled a scream. Thought you had escaped, didn't you, Boy Who Lived, he sneered. Buuut, pity, you're about to be the Boy Who Died.

He's here...Draco Malfoy's voice came from behind and he sneered at me too. Looming behind him was Percy, his cold eyes fixed on me, his lip lifted in contempt. Behind them loomed Voldemort, bigger and stronger-looking than ever. Crucio...he hissed.

The room was dark. With a scared cry, I struggled to sit up, but couldn't. Did they have me bound? Where had the death eaters taken me now? For some reason, the floor was soft…

"Shhhh..." A soothing, familiar voice came and I slowly realized that I was in a bed.

A soft light came on beside the bed and I struggled to focus. It was a woman.

"You're safe; you're here at Hogwarts…" she whispered and I realized it was Madame Pomfrey. She stroked me and whispered more soothing things.

"Where is everyone...is everyone...?" I was almost too frightened to ask.

Since I didn't have my glasses on, everything was a hopeless blur. I was a bit dizzy and felt weak.

"Your classmates are all right," Madame Pomfrey told me. "He's awake..." she told an assistant, whom I gathered was close by since I could hear faint movements. I couldn't see who it was.

"Rest, dear...rest." I turned a little and struggled to ask more questions, but my mouth felt too heavy to speak and I felt myself drifting off again...

Ron:

Just as we were about to sit down to dinner, Professor McGonagall motioned my friends and I over. "Good news…" she told us. "Mr. Potter has regained consciousness and is now on the mend."

"Yesss!" all of us bellowed and bolted from the Great Hall right there and ran down to the hospital wing before anyone could tell us to walk or slow down.

Yes, Harry was awake and he managed a weak smile when he saw us. "How are you feeling?" I whispered as we approached his bed.

"Better that I know all you…everyone's here," Harry whispered weakly.

His great-aunt had come back and stroked his arm. He could only keep his eyes open for short periods of time. His speech was woozy from medicine and just waking up.

"How is everyone else…did anyone…?" We looked at each other.

"Can we tell you when you get stronger?" Hermione asked. "Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall are all right; so are the rest of our classmates."

Harry looked like he wanted to say more, but sleep seemed to weigh him down and he drifted off.

Harry:

I got the feeling that some had died. I was relieved to see that it was none of my five closest friends or any of their parents and that it was none of the other students, but the way they'd looked at each other when I asked about others worried me.

I tried to shove that worry out of my mind and deal with a new concern right now…I couldn't move my left side. I soon discovered it when I awoke.

Auntie had to help me bathe even with magic and to go to the bathroom. Scared at being possibly so crippled, I flopped back into bed that weekend and let Madame Pomfrey check me over.

"What happened…?" I asked her.

I couldn't really remember anything but Percy approaching me with his wand, then he and I dueling, then Ginny being there.

"You were hit by the Avera Kedevra curse, but your friend Ginny blocked the spell and weakened it into a stunning spell." Pomfrey told me. "You were very fortunate she was there at the right time."

"Very..." I got out that word with an effort. If Ginny hadn't been there, I'd be dead. I'd have to thank her next time she visited.

It turned out that I was paralyzed on my left side and needed physical therapy to regain mobility on that side. I also had trouble finding some words when I spoke, which Madame Pomfrey told me would improve in a few days.

A therapist, Fiona Syrick came the following day and had me sit up slowly with her help, then hold onto a bar. It took several hours, but I managed to stand using the bar to hang on to.

I felt tingling on my left side, although it was still mostly numb. It felt so strange not being able to feel or move one whole side of me.

The first time I saw my left arm and hand hanging limp like a loose appendage, I had to keep from vomiting right there. I fought down the queasiness in my stomach and dragged myself onto the bar once more. I felt a twitch in my left foot and jumped a bit, which made Syrick smile.

"It's promising, dear…" she told me as I got back into bed.

I slid down under my sheet, eager to get some sleep after the long, exhausting day.

The next few days were very similar…but by the second day, I began to regain feeling in my left leg and arm. The third day, Medic Syrick had me walk on the bar, which had a rolling feature. Shakily and unsteadily, I did, panting by the time I got across.

"You're doing well, Harry!" she told me, handing me a towel to wipe the sweat off my face.

"Do you think I'll ever walk unaided?" I asked,

"Yes…very likely. Try walking back."

I did, my left side shaking and threatening to buckle. I was frightened I'd fall completely down on the floor, but I used my right side to clutch the bar when my left leg and arm gave. I had to stop once and pant more, then slowly made my way back to the bed.

I'd just collapsed onto my bed when I heard clapping by the door. I turned over and looked up to see my friends all there, clapping.

"Good job, Harry!" Hermione crowed as the five of them came in.

Medic Syrick greeted them and I introduced them to her, wiping more sweat off my face, which felt hot and red.

"Think you'll be out by the end of year feast?" Ginny asked.

"Looks promising," Syrick told them. "I think if you keep working at the therapy, you'll be out by then. You might still need a crutch and I'll prescribe some exercises and anti-spasm spells before you go home for the summer, Harry."

I nodded, wiping my glasses off.

I had several other visitors over the next few days between therapy sessions, including Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape. Another one was Madame Hooch. It was Madame Hooch who'd told me that yes, she, my mother and Alice Longbottom had been good friends back in their youth and had had many adventures and experiences.

"In many ways, you and your friends remind me of us," Madame Hooch held my hand.

"You sure did a lot of amazing things…" I told her. "You saved this school from closing several times also." We were silent a minute.

"You remind me very much of her," Madame Hooch added.

Luna:

Harry continued his therapy all weekend and was released Monday afternoon. He had regained his speech and his walking, but still needed a crutch and was still slightly unsteady on his left side. His left hand still needed work; it still occasionally was spastic and had trouble grasping objects.

We were in the Gryffindor common room early that afternoon when Harry came in and just one look at his face told us that he'd gotten the news of Lupin and Figg's deaths. We all came over and gave him a hug, including Ron. Harry shakily sat.

"I guess the rest of you were told when you came back..." Harry said softly. We nodded. "My aunt told me this morning about Lupin and Figg..." Harry's eyes glinted with tears and he took a shuddery breath. "Are you all coming to the memorial they're having for them?"

"Yes..." I told him. "McGonagall announced that Lupin's would be by the lake next to the mountains right before we leave Hogwarts for the summer. Figg's will be at Grimmauld Place once we get there next week. " Harry nodded.

"It's...so brave what they did for all of us..." Harry whispered. "It's just unreal that they're gone..."

It was unreal. The spring sky outside even seemed a surreal blue. A small fire was going in the fireplace, but the weather report predicted that by our last day, the weather would be warmer.

It could have been minutes; it could have been a few hours that we sat here deep in thought, softly saying little insignificant things back and forth, but our minds churning with deeper things that we'd never dig completely to the surface to say out loud.

Exams had been cancelled just like four years ago, so there was little studying to fill the gaping time. That time was open for a lot of brooding and reflecting.

Harry:

Since Auntie lives in Godric's Hollow, it's easy for her to apparate near Hogwarts grounds, then walk on over, so we saw a lot of each other over that last week of school.

Ron's parents had stayed for several days as well. All of our parents would be at the memorial ceremony for Lupin, so we made plans to meet at the Grand Entrance.

The floo networks were partially up; only officials and teachers could floo. On the way down to the End-Of-The-Year Feast, my friends and I met with several of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who'd helped us with the rescue and thanked them for their help. They in turn thanked us for our part.

"The memorial for Mr. Lupin will be held at ten-thirty tomorrow," Dumbledore announced. "All students and parents are invited to attend..." The parents who'd come to Hogwarts were on a table at the end of the hall.

"...as for the points..." Dumbledore continued. "Three houses showed outstanding courage and selfless love for their fellow students...Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor...five hundred points for each house."

The Great Hall erupted in applause, then quieted back down again. "And special recognition goes to the faculty involved in this effort for their help and undying support of these courageous students. Let's give them a big round..."

The clapping and bellowing got louder as we all stood and gave the teachers a standing ovation. Hagrid and Hooch were back on their feet again much to my relief.

It must have been a good five minutes before the clapping subsided. I noticed that some of the Slytherins were standing while others, including Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were seated.

I noticed also that Malfoy had a splint going up the bridge of his nose and vaguely recalled hearing that he and Justin Finch-Fletcher had gotten into a physical fight earlier this week over a sneakascope and that Justin had not only broken Malfoy's nose, but knocked out three of Malfoy's side teeth as well.

Once we slowly sat and started to eat, I heard a huge clatter from the Slytherin side.

"Looks like Malfoy's pissed," Ron peered over where he had the best view. "He just threw a plate clear across the table." He snickered and dug into the chicken. I did see the plate, or pieces of the plate scattered across the floor.

"...and I tried to set things straight in this stupid place!" Malfoy's voice rose.

"Shhh..." Pansy and Crabbe tried to quiet him.

"No, you shhh!" Malfoy snapped. "I'm so sick of a lot of these other houses making our house look bad!" Malfoy dumped some lettuce on his plate, but was so mad he ended up dropping most of it on the floor. Part of his shepherd's pie followed the lettuce onto the floor.

"Ahhh-hayyy, Malfoy!" Goyle jeered, his mouth full of food. Some of it flew out of his mouth and landed on Malfoy and Crabbe.

"Oh, shut UP, Goyle!" Malfoy bellowed. "And go finish your eating outside by a pig trough or something! Might as well since you've been kicked out of this place for next year because of your rotten grades!" Several teachers looked over and Snape frowned in their direction.

Malfoy, I think noticed, because he jumped up so fast he knocked his chair over backwards and waved his cronies to go with him. But Crabbe and Goyle were so into the food that they just waved him on and kept eating. Only Pansy got up to join him. Malfoy looked stunned a minute, then furious as they stormed out.

I could only just shake my head and keep eating. Ron declared, "Show's over for the summer..." as he turned back to his food.

The day of the memorial service dawned clear and warm. I think most of Hogwarts and chunks of others turned out for this. There were a number of the Hogsmeade store managers and owners as well as some from Diagon Alley.

Lupin was really well known, I thought, glancing around from where I stood with my friends. A lot of us were still sleepy and most of us looked sad. I know I was feeling very sad as I saw the sun sparkling over the lake and could hear various birds and other creatures, both magic and muggle singing through wooded areas.

"Let us begin our service by honoring the life that Lupin led..." McGonagall placed the box containing Lupin's ashes onto a podium. She gave a short speech, then several of us went around and said a memory of Lupin.

Mine was, "I'll never forget how Lupin..." I swallowed before going on. "...back in my th-third...year...he cared enough to help me overcome my fear of the dementors." My eyes stung when I finished.

Ron's voice broke some when he went over his memory and so did Hermione's…and many others.

I caught a glimpse of Snape and as he spoke, I thought about how he wasn't as bitter toward Lupin as he had been toward the rest of the former Marauders who'd bullied him back in his youth.

I wondered if under different circumstances, they might have even been friends. It's odd to think about how much impact the friends you hang about with have an impact on you.

I recalled a story I'd heard earlier this year that Neville had heard from his grandmother…my mum wasn't really close friends with any of the Marauders until she started dating my dad in their seventh year.

By then the Marauders had mostly gone separate ways, so it was just my dad and Sirius hanging about together then…but back in their third year, Lupin had been fooling around with some device, I think a sneakascope in a lesson and the teacher had confiscated it.

Lupin had really loved this device and was crying over the loss of it. Later on, my mum had secretly placed a memory charm on the teacher and sneaked it off the teacher's desk and given it back to him, although she and Lupin really didn't know each other well.

I'm not sure why that thought came to my head just then…I guess it was remembering how in my third year when Lupin taught here, he'd commented on my mum's kindness to him.

There were a lot of tears and McGonagall's eyes were moist as she opened the box and added how Lupin loved the mountains, especially ones with a lake in the middle, then released the ashes, which were magicked into an invisible gas and dissolved into the air.

As the service drew to a close, Ginny whispered, "Remember this Marauders' Map?" she held it out. We sure did. It showed us here by the lake now, we could see...Lupin's form floating in the air, and we were sure he turned and waved at us...goodbye.

The sight dissolved all of us into a huge puddle of tears. We could hear others getting ready to leave. I had to take off my glasses and one of my tears dropped onto the map. Oh, dear, I thought. I tried to wipe my eyes, but saw some kind of writing...

"It says that he's joining Sirius..." Hermione sobbed.

That made us really keep crying and we clung to each other in a daze, our tears flowing freely. Lupin, the last of the former Marauders was now gone. I don't really count Pettigrew, who is now in Azkaban, among them often since he wasn't a true friend to them.

"So, I'll meet you back at the King's Cross Station?" Miranda asked me softly as she and I walked back to Hogwarts.

I nodded, my throat still lumpy and achy from the recent flood of tears I'd shed. "I'm so proud of you, dear," Miranda gave me a hug, her own eyes moist.

"Thank...you...for...all..." I whispered, my voice still a bit raspy and cracked.

At the door, we hugged and I went upstairs to the Gryffindor dorms with my friends, so we could finish packing for our summer holiday.

The mood was a bit sober, but some of us talked back and forth about our summer plans. Hermione, Ron, Neville, and I would have summer jobs and so would most of our agemates.

"...could have sworn I saw Snape tearing up a little," Dean Thomas was saying.

"Snape in tears!" Lavender mock-fainted. "That'd happen."

"No, I think I did see him getting a bit wet-eyed as McGonagall opened the box," Dean insisted.

"It was a beautiful ceremony," Ginny put in.

"I'm glad most of the death eaters were caught," Lavender added. "There haven't been any more incidents since then."

"It's a shame we didn't catch Voldemort," Ron told us.

"Yeah...but he's been weakened," Hermione put in.

"Weakened...?" Dean looked puzzled.

"Spells and Magical Powers, chapter nine, page three hundred and sixteen," Hermione quoted. "It says a warlock or evil witch attains the greatest power by having as many others as possible under their control. With the death eaters under Voldemort's control, he had great power. But now that the death eaters are under Azkaban's power, he's lost most of that power base. So, once he is caught, he'll be easier to defeat."

It was great hearing Hermione quote books again!

"Good point..." I nodded.

I did remember hearing that somewhere. I only hoped Voldemort's power base had been at least weakened so he couldn't do as much damage as he had before.

We were done packing, so taking one last look about, we headed out to catch the Hogwarts Express to start our summer holiday.