Chapter 10 Welcome Home, Harry
Harry woke up gently for the first time in three years. He swayed from side to side, up and down, going with the flapping of Osiris' wings. He had a feeling they were near wherever Hedwig was headed because they were slowing down considerably. The moon was high in the sky, lighting up the ground for Harry to see that strange, yet wonderful beast running right below them, still as fresh and strong as it looked right when the journey started.
Harry summed up in his brain the time they had been traveling and came up with a rough estimate of six hours. He was still weak, the bout of pain had its drawbacks but it was the same as Harry had felt for three years. He could feel the magic flowing through his veins. It wasn't his magic, that's for sure, it had to be that thing's magic 'cause Harry still couldn't feel the reassuring feeling of magic inside of him. It was so a part of him, the constant throbbing no, pulsing of power that it felt alien to be like he was now.
Harry looked up and saw a sight that sent emotions running through him like he couldn't remember ever having. It was love, no not love, happiness maybe? No, it was emotions Harry hadn't felt ever in his life. If he had to sum it up then he would say, it is what it would feel like for someone to get a dead relative back. For right before Harry and his guard stood Hogwarts castle, outpost for the light.
Harry felt the wards on the place from afar, he sensed them as he crossed them, and he figured out every one that was in place. One that boggled him though was the ward with his magical signature in it, he just couldn't place what that thing was supposed to do.
They touched down smoothly, Hedwig and Osiris both panting for air while the creature breathed normally with only its tongue lolling out of its mouth. Harry sat up, resting his back against Osiris' foot with Hedwig on his shoulder. Harry reveled in the feeling of being safe, soon he would meet up with Dumbledore and then his friends, he would start anew, he will built his empire from scratch and this time he will turn the tide on Voldemort. But first, he will live again. He will enjoy the small things in life.
Voldemort be damned! The war may be raging but Harry will regain a part of his life that was taken away from him.
It was then that Harry saw a figure hurrying towards Harry and his companions. He walked fast but it seemed to cost him every effort he possessed. He was clad in night robes of deep blue with stars twinkling on them, he had slippers on that looked vaguely like bunnies. When he approached Harry saw the face of Albus Dumbledore with tears streaming down his face.
'Who are you?' he said in a wheezy voice 'What kind of sick joke is this?'
'Professor…' it was a small spoken word but for Harry it felt incredible. A man he thought he would never again see in this world was standing in front of him with a tear stained face longing to see his student that was long gone. Harry felt his mouth go dry, his eyes started to sting, the only thing he wanted now was to give the crazy old man a great big hug. And he did so.
Harry stood up and walked forward slowly, the pain in his leg coming back but he ignored it. A tear dropped from his eye and fell to the ground. Since when did Harry hurt so much that his tears fell to the ground? He took another step and looked up to Dumbledore's face, into the mans clear blue eyes that held no twinkle, only hurt. Harry couldn't hold himself back, he couldn't wait another second. He reached out with his arms and held Dumbledore on his shoulders, looking into his tear strained eyes once more before he collapsed like a dead weight onto his old Professor. Dumbledore held him firmly, pulling him into an embrace with Harry's face on the mans knobbly shoulder.
'Is it you?' he asked Harry thickly, straining to get every word out 'Is it really you after all these years?'
'Y… Yes professor, it's me' Harry said lifting his face only enough to speak.
That was the undoing of Dumbledore. He broke down completely, tears flowing out of his eyes like small rivers, a burst of laughter followed again by crying. He couldn't seem to make up his mind whether he should laugh or cry. So he tried both at once that came out like a snort. Harry, for the first time in years, was happy.
Dumbledore held him at arms length and looked him up and down. 'How, how did you survive. Look at you, if I couldn't have felt you in my own arms I would've thought you were dead. You need hospital right now.' And again he pulled Harry into an embrace that one as Albus Dumbledore would only give to a lost grandchild.
'Professor, I'm fine.' Harry said smiling slightly, to happy to express in words or actions.
'You were lost Harry, where were you for three years? You look like you were in hell. Come…' he looked at Harry again with undiluted shock 'Good lord Harry, how is it possible to be alive in your state?'
Harry laughed a deep throaty laugh and said with a expression possibly glowing 'It's magic professor, magic.'
'Come Harry, you rest now.' With that said Harry's old professor lifted him clear of his feet and carried him with strength Harry didn't know the old man possessed. They walked like that to the schools grand front doors, Dumbledore carrying him like a child. Hedwig and Osiris stayed behind but the creature followed them inside. Rounding every corner first, still alert.
'Who's that?' Dumbledore asked with a smile and a nod towards the animal.
'Don't know…' Harry said softly as he drifted off to a sleep so wanted and needed that nobody could deny Harry the opportunity.
Right before he nodded of completely he could have sworn Dumbledore said something to the creature that sounded like 'You kept Harry safe, I presume?' and a sound that sounded like a bark and a soft roar was the reply the old man got.
'Albus, I came as soon as I heard.' Said the urgent voice of Professor McGonagall 'Is it really…'
She looked transfixed at the man lying in front of her, the person she knew didn't look like this man. She knew a boy, a young man perhaps, who looked healthy and strong and… Well at least not like a corpse. She couldn't say the same for the man in front of her. The first thing she noticed was his contours of his skin. It was so pale, so sickly white he looked like he had never seen a ray of sunshine in his entire life. This man in front of her was thin as sticks, his joints looking to big for his body. He was so thin she wondered if he had eaten in a year, he looked worse than the worst case of anorexia she had ever witnessed. Yet his scar was unmistakable.
What made her stop in her tracks though was the condition this man was in. There were cuts all over his body, blisters everywhere one looked, gashes that had to be lethal to a normal human being. He was bruised so badly it looked like someone tried to paint an artwork on his body, using him as a canvas. And as she looked closer she could see all over his body, in the form of burns and cuts, a pattern that looked remarkably like,
'The Dark Mark.' She breathed. There was no doubt in her mind anymore that this man in front of her was indeed Harry Potter. 'How is it possible?'
'That Minerva is yet to be found out.' Dumbledore said again looking at his once was student. 'How he survived all of these years with that all over him is more a mystery to me.' He said indicating to his body, meaning the cuts and bruises.
'Surely not for years.' She said with a small tear in her eye.
'Poppy says that that injury there,' he indicated to Harry's throat which was covered in salve but one could still see the huge slice on him 'was sustained just over three and a half years ago.'
McGonagall gave a start and breathed in air through her teeth. 'How, without his main…'
'It appears that Harry had in the literal sense of the word grew a new one within a matter of hours after it was taken out.' McGonagall squealed when she heard this but covered her mouth quickly and nodded for the headmaster to continue. 'but for that first hours nobody knew how he survived. It is, as he told me last night, magic.'
'Whos that?' the slurry voice of Ms. Weasley said right next to McGonagall. She bent over to get a better look but winched at the pain her back produced.
'You should be in bed, Ginny.' Dumbledore announced.
'Heard you,' she said still slurry with her hair looking like a Giant trampled on, which it almost did 'talking. He looks bad.'
She bent over, this time with her hand supported on the side of Harry's bed and peered over. She looked over his body with a frown and then she looked at his face. The beard, the messy long black hair but when her eyes strayed over his scar she stiffened. she fell to the ground like a dead weight, clearly unconscious.
'Now this is unexpected.' Said the smooth voice of Severus Snape as he stepped over the fallen form of Ginny to look at Harry more closely.
Harry heard voices speaking softly, obviously trying not to disturb him but why wouldn't they want to disturb him? He didn't care after all. His mind was groggy, he felt like shite and worst of all he felt like he couldn't move. And indeed, when he tried to move his arms he couldn't. Harry started to panic, why couldn't he move. His eyes snapped open, searching his immediate vicinity to seek out anybody who wanted to attack, to harm him.
What he saw was Dumbledore and McGonagall standing at the foot of his bed, talking quietly. What he didn't like though was the wand of a greasy haired man pointing at Harry's throat. In a flash Harry focused on the kind of spell on him, he tried to break it, he must be able to, they wouldn't send him back, they couldn't. He had to get out, he didn't want to go back, and clearly they didn't want him here if they put him under a spell.
Snape saw his eyes darting around and jabbed his wand into his chest while motioning the other two that he was awake with a wave of his unused hand.
'Ah, Harry, wonderful to see you are awake.' Dumbledore said smiling.
Harry wasn't fooled for a second. Dumbledore didn't trust Harry anymore; they wanted to lock him up again. One part of his brain told him that it wasn't that bad, that he actually enjoyed the cave a bit but he, Harry, didn't like the idea. He would rather die than be locked up again.
'GET ME OUT!' he screamed, trying but to no avail to thrash about and break the spell on him. 'I WONT GO BACK!'
'Harry, calm down, we wont take you back…' Dumbledore said but Harry wouldn't have it. He tried with every ounce he had to break the enchantment but still it wouldn't budge. DRASTIC MEASURES! His mind screamed out. He had this part of him for a long time now, telling him what to do in a battle when his emotions got in the way, when it seemed hopeless to carry on fighting. It was like an instructor, a fellow combatant but of higher rank. It always knew what to do.
In the next instant Harry felt the change ripple through him, he could feel his limbs changing form, he could feel the dark yellow fur growing out of his skin, he could feel his muscles growing in size. He felt his senses heighten and the spell break. That was when he pounced, like a caged animal he jumped away from the three people. He landed in an attacking position, his whole body ready to pounce at any moment. He changed back from it when he saw their shock, they couldn't react fast enough and before they even tried to comprehend what has happened Harry raised his hands. He spoke quickly, to fast for them to hear what he was saying, and forced a bluish transparent barrier around them, locking them in instead of him.
'I WON'T GO BACK!' Harry roared 'I WILL NOT GO BACK THERE!'
'Harry, we had to make sure it was you.' Dumbledore said right after Harry finished 'You were dead for three years, how could it be you?'
'BULLSHIT!' Harry screamed. He was ready to jump out of the window and make an escape.
'Harry?' Someone right behind him said in a whimpering voice, she seemed weak judging by the frailty of her voice. She wouldn't require a lot to keep under control. Harry swung his left arm towards her again chanting so fast it came out a blur but it was there, and it was enough. She squealed in shock and fright but it didn't help her, she should have protected herself instead of wasting her time with fright. She clearly wasn't an experienced fighter. She too was now encased in a barrier meant to protect the caster but Harry forced it outward, around them so that he could move as he pleased.
'We don't want you dead. We want to hear your story' Dumbledore pressed again but Harry wouldn't have it. He slowly backed away, towards the window, freedom.
'Listen Harry! Please, don't do this, don't go away.' Dumbledore said again with hurt in his eyes and voice. Harry looked at him again, he wasn't trying to fool Harry, he was really saddened that Harry would try to run again. Snape then did the most stupid thing a person in his position could have done. Using Harry's distraction he lifted his wand and tried to break the barrier around them. Harry caught this and swerved his arm in around, sending the potions master flying, out of the barrier but Harry forced a new one around him. This time he wouldn't try anything. The barrier forced itself to mend to the shape of his body on the ground, stopping him dead with his arms around his back.
The person behind Harry squealed again but he paid her no attention.
'Harry, calm down, we just want to talk.' Dumbledore said again desperately. 'We want to hear your story.'
Harry eased off a bit but didn't lose his vigil. 'What do you want to talk about?' Harry took no small amount of solstice that he at least had the situation under control.
'We want to hear what happened to you? You are supposed to be dead. Tell us where you were the last three years.' Dumbledore tried again, desperate like a man who wants to be told that his firstborn is safe.
'Would you tell me why I'm supposed to be dead?' Harry said confused. They carry on like he should be a ghost or something.
'If you release me, I can show you.' He said softly. Harry looked at him but complied all the same. He shifted the wards from Professor Dumbledore, moving it to McGonagall.
'Harry, I meant all of us.' Dumbledore said patiently. 'We wouldn't harm you, we wouldn't send you back to wherever and please Harry, try to remember who you are talking to.'
Harry dropped his hand sending the barriers shimmering away like a fountain of sparks. He nodded at Dumbledore but then looked around him for the first time. He was in the hospital wing, how good he could remember this place. He looked at the woman right behind him and then it struck him.
'Ginny…' Harry breathed out, hardly believing it. There, right in front of him was Ginny Weasley, his best friend's sister and one of his own best friends. He looked her over, taking in her appearance. Her rumpled hair, her hospital nightclothes, her bruised arms, everything.
'Yes Harry, its me.' she said softly smiling at him. Her eyes glistered in the sunlight that penetrated the room, her hair waved softly in the wind that came through the open window, blinking in the sun. She didn't look pretty in that instance but Harry didn't care, he didn't envision this reunion but it was great. He crossed over to her in two long strides and took her into his arms. He clung to her for dear life. She was here, in his arms but most of all, she was alive. It was the only thing Harry had hoped for, for three years, that all of his friend would be alive and well when he returned. And so far it seemed so.
'Hows it goin?' he mumbled in her hair, not wanting to release her. The feeling it brought forth, hugging a best friend for the first time in three years… it was a gift, a gift greater than Harry had ever experienced. And Harry realized not for the first time in his life that maybe, just maybe, somebody or something is looking out for him.
'I'm fine Harry. A bit battered and bruised but fine. Do you have any idea how much we all missed you?' she said through her tears that coursed slowly down her eyes.
'Not as much as me.' Harry answered her. 'And Ron, Hermione how about them? And your family? Remus? Hagrid…'
'Don't worry Harry, we're all fine.' She said pulling away but Harry clung to her, not wanting to let go. She didn't seem to mind. 'Ron and Hermione came back three days ago, we're all together again.'
'Came back?' he mumbled softly. He seemed to have lost the power of easy second natured speech.
'They were in hiding under fidelius.' She replied finally releasing herself from Harry's enthusiastic hug. 'They have a son Harry. They had to protect him.'
Now this was news, 'they had a son! That's great!' Harry couldn't take anymore information in. so much had changed, so many things he weren't here to experience, he should have been there, congratulating them, giving his friends' son presents and gifts his parents wouldn't normally give him. He felt his eyes water but he wouldn't weep for the times he had lost. He can rather enjoy the things he had now. That is the only way he can truly carry on with his life. He can't dwell in dark pasts and sorrowful memories; he should live and be strong. Then he can enjoy his life.
'Come Harry, and we'll share our stories.' Dumbledore said friendly. Harry nodded at him and started to the door, still having hold of Ginny on her wrist.
'Harry…' she whined, pulling at his hand 'I'm in hospital clothes.'
Harry looked at her and nodded 'You're right. But I'm wearing the same.' He pulled her with him, towards the retreating back of a smiling Dumbledore. They earned no small amount of stares from the students, all the males however, staring mostly at Ginny or snickering at Harry's poor physique. They didn't recognize him but then again, who would. Ginny kept her head down, her cheeks a small tinge of pink, all the way muttering about Harry being barmy and round the bend.
When they arrived in Dumbledore's office Harry saw that nothing had changed, not even the Phoenix sitting on his perch. The only addition was the creature, who had come with Harry, lying on the ground at the phoenix's perch. When he saw Harry he jumped up and trotted over. Harry didn't know what the thing was with the animal but he patted him on the head all the same, hopefully Dumbledore will have some answers for him. They sat down and Harry waited for Dumbledore to start speaking but he didn't. He simply sat there in silence staring at Harry with the happiest expression Harry had ever seen the old man wear. He was just starting to think about telling Dumbledore that they should probably carry on but Ginny beat him to it.
'Uh, Professor…' she started
'Albus' he corrected 'Or Dumbledore if you prefer that.'
'Er, right. Shouldn't we start?' she finished
'We're waiting for the other two.' He finished and just when he was done talking the fireplace sprang to life, and out came Ron and then Hermione. This day was never going to end. Harry thought but it didn't matter. It was the best time in his life.
Before Harry knew what happened Hermione was on him like a tiger, holding him so tight it felt as if his lungs were going to burst. Harry didn't even have a chance to catch his breath when she let go of him before Ron latched himself onto Harry like a brain sucking zombie. He didn't let go for a long time. It was as if Ron had to make sure it was the real Harry, not an apparition of him.
'Oh goodness Harry.' He said to his once lost friend 'what the hell did you do? Do you have any idea?'
'I, uh, was buried in a cave right under Voldemort's feet for three years?' Harry told him only half joking.
'No you prick.' He said with tears brimming his eyes 'You put us through hell, that's what.'
Ron let go of Harry to sit down next to Hermione who was staring at him with an expression Harry didn't even want to begin interpret. Harry, the only one without a seat made swung his arm and made a chair of sorts summoned from water.
'What the hell…' Ron said as Harry sat down in the middle of his friends 'how'd you do that?'
'Magic Ron, magic.' Harry replied knowledgably. He didn't know what the big deal was. He had to survive in a cage with no wand and only the knowledge he gained from the books that Dumbledore gave him in the summer of his sixth year. Obviously he had to be able to do things like that if they even half expected it to be him in front of them so they really had no right to be shocked with some of the tings he can do. It's just like a businessman who can be trapped in the jungle for three years. He would learn those things in order to survive. He would still be a businessman with some extra attributed, right?
'I see Harry, that you have a much better grasp of magic since we last met.' Dumbledore told them all. Harry could only marvel at the man. Was every word he spoke prepared before hand? He basically, in that one sentence, told Ron, Hermione and Ginny what he, Harry, had thought about just moments before.
With that they began to exchange stories. Harry telling them of his underground escapades, his torture, without any detail, his battles fought with the damned creatures of Voldemort, his mole in Voldemort's lair, how he learned of magic and perfect fighting form in the sword, staff, dagger and axe from learning out of the enemies he fought against. His ability at Legilimency, not occlumency, no occlumency for Harry was the best method. A mental onslaught from another can only be truly defended by an attack from your side. As soon as the link is opened between minds it can go both ways. The key is to force it to the other side, just like Prior Incantatem. Dumbledore stopped Harry at this point.
'Did you try it with Voldemort?' he asked Harry intrigued.
'No, I figured that he thought I was dead so I only kept the link full of mindless thoughts. I think he thought it was lingering thoughts of his mind' Harry replied seriously. Voldemort couldn't know that he, Harry, was alive until he had a fair hand in the "game of cards".
'Harry,' Dumbledore said as he shifted his position a little 'how did you do it? Keep all of the magic you did going? I know that the magic you do require constant concentration. You are talking of sending magic through your blood stream to sustain your wounds until they healed naturally, keeping the link with Voldemort full of mindless thoughts, fighting and learning while you fight, while still be alone and not go insane in one day, let alone three years.'
'Do you know that your heart is beating?' Harry asked and without waiting for an answer carrying on 'do you constantly think of your heart beating, your eyes blinking, or filling your lungs with air? The same goes for this kind of magic. It takes time to make it second nature and damn me is it hard to think of all those things at one time but when you get used to it instinct adapts itself and it takes over the role of concentrating.' Harry thought for a while 'I can probably stop my heart from beating if I try hard enough you know.'
'Self discipline.' Ginny breathed out silently.
'What's that?' Ron asked who had remained silent for most of the time.
'That, Ron, is something Xilion tried to do since he was six years old.' Ginny explained it to him. 'Harry, do you have any idea what you can do with that?'
'Multitask.' Harry answered wisely and without thought 'That's what I did anyway. And how do you know Xilion.'
Harmione snorted, something Harry had positively never hear her do, and said 'who wouldn't know the Cordeurs? They did second most of all the fighting in Britain and they were the ones who started some sort of order full of martial art muggles. Like a strike team if you will. Quick but not so clean. Strong fighters except the only way they ever win a magical battle is to kill every body except if they surrender. Horribly brutal if you ask me but, there are worse.'
That was news to Harry but he continued his tale, telling them about everything, the elemental apparitions from his mole and his perfection of the art. To say they gawked was somewhat an understatement.
'Do you have any idea how hard it is for a normal wizard to summon one of those?' Dumbledore said breaking Harry's story far to soon again. Harry had never thought he would like retelling his own tale but here he is, enjoying every bit of it, a strictly outsider point of view of course. It was like he was retelling a brilliant story he had read.
'I don't care.' Harry told him. He didn't like them staring at his accomplishments when it was only normal for a human being to try and survive.
'In my dreams Harry, I always saw you coming back, broken and seeking help without any shred of life in you. Yet here you are telling us your story happily, stronger than you were before. You amaze me around every turn.' Dumbledore told him with a far away look on his face.
'Okay…' Harry said 'So basically after that I decided to leave and did so. I summoned an air elemental dug a hole into the ground and swam out of his fortress where I went to the nearest shore I could find, got shot in the leg trying to save slaves and then I think my magic stopped working or was gone or something because everything hurt like hell and I passed out but then there was this strange song…'
There, he heard it again. It's playing. Adrenaline started to pump through him like right before a fight. Motivation was one way to describe it but Harry preferred strength. It was almost like the phoenix song but this didn't comfort you, didn't give you a warm feeling in your heart. This gave you courage, it gave you the will to carry on, to never give up.
'There, you hear it?' Harry asked them.
'Yes Harry, we hear it and listen from where it is coming.' Dumbledore said with a small smile.
Harry listened, it sounded like it was inside of him but yet it came from his feet. Harry looked down and saw the Lion wolf like thing lying at his feet. It's pure white fur shining in the sunlight, the red streaks of fur coming from his eyes looking like tears of blood. The same red streaks that came from his head, all around his body until it came together at the tail. It was simply amazing. The rise and fall of the things chest going along with the song, purring sounds that came from his throat that change into some unearthly song that Harry is hearing.
'It's him.' Harry said softly, 'That thing is making the sound. What is it?'
'That Harry, is your familiar.' Dumbledore explained, 'they keep an eye out for you, protect you when you are in danger. You Harry summoned him when you were dying. Your mind created the attributes for this magnificent beast, you Harry will get some of his attributes or maybe you already have. I, like Fawkes can lift incredibly heavy things for example.'
Dumbledore took his giant oak desk and lifted it up, with only his left hand. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny simply stared, dumfounded. How can Dumbledore lift that thing, he is old and, well, old. He shouldn't be able to do that, not without magic.
'Blimey, how did you do that?' Ron exclaimed excitedly with wide eyes.
'As I said, each wizard can do certain things very few others can do. My tears can heal, I can lift heavy weights and so forth. Harry can sustain wounds for months on end until it heals naturally and guess what we found inside Harry's wounds yesterday? Saliva of Harry's familiar.' Dumbledore said indicating with a nod to the creature at Harry's feet that purred in recognition. 'So Harry, what will you call him?'
'Wait wait wait.' Harry stopped Dumbledore, confused 'What do you mean to say, that I have a familiar I summoned, I can do things other people can't because of that and he will be my pet or something until I die which means I should give it a name?'
'That about sums it up.' Hermione told him. Apparently she had read about them sometime or another. 'They have attributes of all the type of animal they are. Fawkes has a bit of every bird there is so in essence they are the elite of all animals, like the animal kings so to speak.'
'I'll think of one later.' Harry said after a while. He looked at the animal for confirmation who simply nodded his head in recognition. 'Doesn't seem to lively for me.'
'He has nothing to be lively about for now.' Dumbledore explained. 'Carry on with your story.'
'I'm finished. Well the gist of it anyway.' Harry said, 'say, why were you so shocked when you saw me the other day, except for the fact that it was the first time in a few years.'
'I Harry, have your main artery in my office along with your wand.' Dumbledore said simply. 'Voldemort sent it a month after you were gone.'
'Impossible, I mean I have one don't I?' Harry said touching his Adam's apple, feeling around. What he felt was the thin line of a scar running from his chin to below his chest. If indeed they took out his main artery they surely cut out a lot more than was needed. How needy of them, wanting to give Harry pain for their own pleasure. That's probably why Voldemort threw him in the cave to start with. He thought Harry would die there, in the cave where no one will ever find his body.
'It seems so, yes' Dumbledore said 'I will not however try to unravel the mystery since you don't even know it was gone for a while. You made a new one apparently.'
'Oookay.' Harry said still a bit uncomfortable. There were so much things he needed to know, so many things that seemed a mystery. 'Tell me what happened since I was gone.'
There was a long uncomfortable silence where everybody just looked at on another, nobody were willing to start. In the end Ginny took initiative and started talking.
'When you were gone it was terrible. Nobody knew what really happened at that time. You were gone, Voldemort disappeared, everyday we received something of you, a nail, a toe, Harry everyday until Voldemort sent us you artery along with your wand.'
'Everything seemed hopeless. School was like hell, the whole order panicked because Dumbledore told them the prophesy about you. We were ready to give up, in fact some of us did. I gave up. What was the use to carry on if the end was inevitable? The only ones who still carried on were the few people who had something to carry on for. Do you have any idea how that felt, the hopeless useless feeling? Do you?' she cried softly
Harry indeed had possibly the best idea of how that felt. Do you know how it feel to be alone in a cave without food, without people around you only the fucked up things Voldemort summoned from hell or something? Do you? Harry asked her silently in his head. He didn't say it out loud, it seemed rude and he didn't want to be rude.
Ron took over 'Ginny was a hopeless case, we all were. Hermione and I lost ourselves in each other. That's the only thing I can say is what kept us going. Muggle death tolls climbed to about the same amount it would be in a world war. "Terrorist" groups reigned, bombing cities, destroying world structures. In fact there is a war going on in their world just as much as in ours only it's covert. The ordinary muggle wouldn't know about it, they think its crime. Voldemort started a muggle group who wreaked havoc. Other thugs saw their work and started their own groups until crime took over. South Africa got it the worst, with their racism problems and all. Their main city is the most dangerous place in the world to be in the muggle world.'
'Back to us. Ginny lost it sometime around the New Year and started to learn how to fight. Dumbledore taught her himself, she went to Xilion and asked for help. Damn, she fought about five huge battles in a week when she was seventh year.'
'Five!' Harry exclaimed astonished 'Really, there couldn't have been five battles a week, could there?'
'Harry, its not unusual if there is three a day.' Hermione said softly.
Harry didn't know what to say, three a day. Harry had a vague idea what the wanted to do when he came back but this interfered with most of it. Shit. His mind summed it up for him. He had such great plans. And you will keep to them. His mind said You need all the cards you can get. They faired all right for three years, what more is a few months?'
'Is it that bad, then?' Harry asked sadly. How the morals of a twisted man can interfere with the world until it escalated into a full-blown war against two sides is still something Harry had to grasp. He had a idea of what the first war was like from the stories people told him but this, this is so much more. The whole world will be changed either way after this war.
'Yeah.' Ron said sadly 'It was like trying to live in hell. Still is.'
'What is being done?' Harry asked of Dumbledore.
'We have a few plans in motion, most of them research but Voldemort wouldn't allow us the time to formulate a big one.' Dumbledore said, his voice becoming wheezy and tired. Ron couldn't seem to understand what was wrong because he had a bewildered expression on his face. In fact Hermione and Ginny seemed just as clueless.
He carried on as if nothing was wrong though. Harry started to put one and one together but he didn't say anything. 'Severus is working on a potion to make the Unlivables lose their tracking property.' At Harry's bewildered look he explained 'The spells Voldemort found, you know, the original form of unforgivables.'
'Oh yeah, I forgot about those.' Harry admitted sheepishly 'couldn't you just apparate a few feet away? How does it work?'
'We tried all of those things already.' Dumbledore continued 'nothing. At least there are only minor deaths of the death spell. It takes to long too cast in the heat of battle.'
'And?' Harry asked
'There isn't much more to say. A few researchers tried to make a broom with a wand core but the magic clashed and the whole thing blew up in the end. With more time they would probably try it again. Then there were people who tried to store magic, like a battery, but it was like trying to catch and store lightning. Lots of other things, most of them abandoned. Fred and George made a few handy things though. You can see them all later, if you want to that is.' Dumbledore finished, his shoulders sagging as though tired, small bags were appearing under his eyes.
'Do you still have my wand?' Harry asked him eagerly, wiling to let the matter drop for now but this just wouldn't do. War requires research and new things, things to gain the upper hand on the enemy but they had none of those.
Dumbledore pulled out his wand and summoned a wooden box with a few pictures on the front. Some of natural scenes others simply strange carvings but when Dumbledore opened the box and Harry saw his wand he couldn't care less about any stupid box. His wand practically glowed in anticipation.
It sent a small stream of golden sparks out of the front, all the while vibrating like a dog who is waiting for his owner that should have been home a long while ago. Harry reached out and even before he could reach into the box his wand jumped out into his hand, a perfect grip.
It felt so good to have it in his hand again Harry momentarily forgot about the other people in the room. He performed a few harmless spells, transfigured some of Dumbledore's belongings and played some more. That is until Ginny cleared her throat laughing at him.
'You look like a boy who had very first toy in a long time.' She said to him lightly. Harry chuckled briefly until Dumbledore raised himself painfully slowly of off his chair.
'I believe you have a lot of catching up to do and I need my afternoon nap.' He said looking at Harry briefly 'Come to my office tomorrow at noon and we'll discuss things in further detail. And please, don't worry about the war and the world for once, enjoy yourselves as young people like you should be doing.'
Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood up after Harry and bid their goodbyes.
'Thank you professor.' Harry said after a while.
'For what Harry?' He asked with a genuine smile on his face.
'For believing in me.' Harry said 'That ward around the castle was to tell you if I came back, wasn't it?'
'Indeed it was.' He said to Harry 'But we should be thanking you for coming back.'
'Go take your nap professor. Don't forget to wash up when you wake up.' Harry told him while he rubbed his eyes under his glasses significantly.
Dumbledore nodded slightly and turned to leave, motioning Fawkes to come with him. The bird spread it's wings and floated onto the old man's shoulder, both of them disappearing further into the office of Albus Dumbledore. Not for the first time, Harry wondered what lies deeper into the barmy old codger's living area.
Harry quickly transfigured his and Ginny's clothes into something more presentable and pulled his cloak over his head, casting his facial features into darkness. No one would probably recognize him because of his beard and so but one could never be to sure.
'Why the hood Harry?' Ron asked as they left the office and stepped onto the revolving stairs.
'No one knows I'm alive and I intend to keep it that way for a while.' He replied 'Who did Dumbledore tell anyway?'
'Only Snape and McGonagall.' Ginny said 'By the way, where is James?'
'Who's James?' Harry asked bewildered looking at Ron.
'We have a lot to tell you Harry, but James is our son.' He said proudly swinging an arm around Hermione's middle 'and he's at mum and dads.'
Harry almost passed out from the shock that statement brought him. They had a son; his two best friends had a son, together. He wasn't even there to take part in the joy of a newborn child. So many things have happened and he, Harry, wasn't there to witness it. He was in some lonely cave somewhere nobody knew about fighting monsters and struggling to stay alive for any moment of time. Again he cursed himself for not trying to break free as soon as he regained conscience back when he was still ignorant of the horrors of the world, the simple cruelty of the beasts Voldemort resurrected from the dead. But that was something he didn't do, something he wouldn't do if he got the chance again. As morbid as it sounds, he would stay there again if he were forced to.
Sometimes one has to do things what you don't always want to do. He didn't want to stay there, he wanted to be free, to be with his friends but he stayed. He learnt a lot of things from his time spent in the cave, not to mention the magic he learnt.
'Come on Harry, we're going to celebrate.' Ginny announced proudly and added with a glance to Hermione 'We are all going to celebrate. To the Three Broomsticks.'
The beast trotted alongside them, every now and again rubbing against Harry's thigh all the while purring his deep purr. When they exited the castle Harry saw Hagrid playing with Osiris and Hedwig, laughing and jumping around like a small kid.
'Where the bloody hell did Hagrid get a dragon?' Ron asked unbelievingly looking with wide eyes towards the playing figures that had attracted the attention of some students and other people living in Hogwarts.
'That will be me.' Harry said laughing at Ron's horror stricken face. 'That is none other than Osiris. I think he broke free of his enchantment or whatever to come and save me.'
'I told you he could break free of whatever thing was on him.' Hermione said with a smile towards him.
Harry thought for a while and then said, remembering that great day, 'I guess you're right Hermione, I guess you're right.'
'Dance with me Harry.' A very drunk and very jovial Ginny said to Harry later that evening. It was rounding eleven o' clock and the place they found themselves in was still as crowded as it was before, like Diagon alley on a busy day. Hermione and Ron seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as to be expected from Hermione. They had their few drinks and dances, they had their bouts of affection but all in all they were tame as a puppy compared to Ginny. She was the one to recommend this bar, club thing for them after a few stronger alcohol drinks at the three broomsticks. Harry had a few for himself and at that time he enjoyed himself immensely so he was all for it but now, after a few shooters as the muggles call it he didn't feel so well at all.
He felt alien, as if he wasn't inside of his own body. He felt like a spectator to his own actions and it pissed him off completely to be so out of control. Not to mention the nausea that went with the drunkenness, the slow and wobbly actions of his body, everything off his body seemed to go slowly and stiffly. To slowly considering that everyone else was still on normal speed.
What people found in alcohol Harry didn't know but he didn't like how he was feeling now. In the three Broomsticks he felt fine, lightheaded sure, but fine. There's one thing to call it, tipsy. The stage just between drunkenness and sober. Harry decided there and then that he wouldn't drink much more in the future than to get him at that stage.
'C'mon Harry.' Ginny pulled on his arm. He swayed a little but eventually followed her to the dance floor. Normally he wouldn't like to dance, then again he wouldn't even be so flirtatious to Ginny, not even to mention that she was on to him like a feline predator.
If Harry didn't know any better he would probably think she was stalking him in the literal sense of the word. Around every other turn she would pounce out from somewhere he didn't suspect, other times she would sneak up to him behind crowds of people just for the sake of scaring him. If only she knew what happened to Harry every time she did it.
He would be walking towards the bar, thinking pleasant thoughts and savoring the great time he was having when she would pop up from behind, scaring him to death. Each and every time she did that he would react instantly, his right hand on his Initiative, his left hand in front of him for protection. Almost immediately after he realized that it was only Ginny a flash of thought would penetrate his mind. A hollow face sometimes, with eyes that seemed to be burned up but you knew it could still see. Those eyes, always different, are enough to send any normal human being into a crazed frenzy of fright mingled with sadness. Sadness for the person that used to be, sadness for the person's decision to let evil consume him so completely that he isn't human anymore. But the fright is the worst.
Like a Dementor, only thousand fold worse. Despair and hollowness will fill your whole body, penetrating your heart and soul like an icy cold arrow from a trained archer. Something about them is just wrong. Their evil pouring off of them like black smoke of a fire, filling you with the most terrible fright anyone can ever experience. How could any normal human compare to those things? He sure as hell couldn't.
Every time it was the same, over and over again. Every time he was reduced to a scared little boy who knew nothing but the source of his fear.
First he would cower in a corner far away from them, not even daring to look at them. It was too terrible. Then at last when they were on him he would open his eyes so scared of what he would see that he wished he were rather dead. If only he had the power to die at those times Harry would have been dead a thousand times over. Then he would scream out, his fear pouring out of his mouth in a last attempt to drown them all out, to stop them from existing. Even if it was only in his mind.
Zombies he could handle without batting an eye, vampires doesn't stand a chance heck even ghosts that can actually harm you is a laughing matter for Harry. Only them, as Harry called it, was impossible to handle.
They would throw him around like a doll for their own pleasure. Then they would hurt him, even torture him until he was an inch before his sweet and too long awaited death. But they would sense it, they would sense that he wanted to die, and stop. Then they would conjure up chairs made of ice and sit around a table, with him at the head, not talking once, only staring. For hours on end they would toy with him, repeating the whole thing over again. The morbid cycle.
Until that song, that battle cry would burst through to him, filling him with a will to carry on. Filling him with renewed vigor to carry on. That was his paradise, the beauty of a small shred of hope between all the darkness that consumed him all over. Then he would dispel them, how he didn't know, it just came to him and then disappear as soon as they were gone. His memory wiped completely as if someone didn't want him to know the way to make them disappear until it was absolutely necessary.
'Come on Harry, stay with me here!' Ginny laughed at him. Harry was unaware that they were already on the dance floor and he stood there like some idiot thinking about the past. Somewhere inside of his mind he thought about what he would have looked like, standing on the dance floor with a faraway look on his face.
Harry shook his head to clear the cobwebs that had formed in the past five minutes but regretted it almost as soon as he had done it. Instantly nausea took over but he suppressed it. He will enjoy his time as long as he could. He grabbed Ginny around the waist and swung her around…
'Come on, let's get some air.' She said after a while. They passed Ron and Hermione who was rather preoccupied at that moment with each other and left the place. The sound was remarkably softer on the outside. The sweet sound of silence enveloping him, covering him like a warm blanket.
'I just thought of something.' Harry told her, she looked at him through her half closed eyes.
'What's that?' she asked, swaying slightly. Harry took hold of her; she seemed as drunk as one could get out of such a small body like hers.
'I don't have a home.' He said smiling at the irony of it. Once an orphan, always an orphan. 'Come to think of it I don't have a penny on my name at this moment. Not one belonging. Strange isn't it. I'm free but I have nothing.'
'Rather morbid if you ask me.' Some or other man next to them said gruffly.
'You still have us Harry, we have everything that came from you.' Ginny said as if she didn't hear the man.
'Don't worry about me.' Harry told her, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't ask questions.
'Why?' Damn. What now?
'I have plans.' He told her again hoping not to have a question in return. He didn't want to spill his beans, his years of planning, in one drunken night. He didn't know if he could hold the truth in. He was so eager to share it but he couldn't, he mustn't.
'What plans?' she asked but Harry was saved to answer again by the man next to them holding out his hand, pointed right at Ginny's face. Then he noticed the man had a gun right against her head and he felt the cold tip of a knife at his throat.
'What do you want?' Harry asked without a hint of sarcasm or fright in his voice. Best to avoid a bad situation if one could.
'We want money, and jewels and… her.' The man with the knife told him roughly, 'now cough up buddy and leave before you die.'
Harry idly wondered why they had a gun to Ginny's head but only a knife to his throat but then he realized that he probably look like he was going to fall over his own feet anyway. He looked weak, even to a muggle mugger and Harry laughed. He laughed a like a mad man, not caring about the men, not caring about the world in that moment. They saw him weak. And he was weak but they clearly underestimated him. Still he laughed at the irony of things. He, Harry just wouldn't ever be free of some sort of harassment or something usual people goes to psychologists about. It all seemed so trivial in comparison. He was marked by one scar to suffer a world of hell around every turn. It all just seems so strange, and he didn't know what to do with that feeling so he laughed.
'Come on, really?' Harry laughed them off 'I have nothing; didn't you here me talking? And she doesn't wear jewelry, do you Gin?'
'Not really no.' She said wearily. Harry was acting to strange for her liking. At least she seemed sober now.
'And,' Harry continued 'you can't have her cause that's her decision. Don't you honor a lady's decision?'
Before they could respond Harry had their weapons in his hands, the gun pointed at the bigger of the two while he played with the knife in left hand, idly twirling between his fingers.
'We don't want anybody to get hurt on such a lovely evening, now do we?' Harry asked throwing back their weapons. Ginny gasped at his stupid move, her hand moving towards her wand.
The men struck at the same moment, the man with the gun firing off a shot and the man with the knife lunging forward. What happened next none of them could explain. The gun backfired, sending debris and metal shards into the man's face, into his eyes. The other man didn't notice anything astray until he was almost in the peak of his strike. The knife's blade and handle changed positions, as well as the momentum. His grip was so strong and the force of the movement that he couldn't leave the knife in time. His thumb and forefinger was cut right to the bone, hanging on the remaining skin. He yelled in time with the other man, both of them falling to the ground. Not one of them dead. One of them blind and the other without a thumb and fore finger but at least not dead. That which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, right?
Harry turned around and walked away, pulling Ginny with him.
'Why did you do that?' she asked of him with a placid face. She was open for explanation.
'I gave them a second chance at their choice even though they didn't give us a choice in the first place.' He told her softly
'What?'
'Think about it Ginny, think about it.' He told her when they entered the bar to find Ron and Hermione.
'Thanks goodness.' Hermione said from behind them 'Look, if you don't mind…'
'Hermione and I want to go home.' Ron finished for her. 'It's two thirty in the morning anyway. You sleeping at our house Harry?'
'No thank you.' He replied 'I'll go to Hogwarts if you don't mind, have to be up early. Some things I have to ask Dumbledore, other things I have to sort out and such.'
'Come on Harry, we can go there early tomorrow.' Ron said desperately. Harry just shook his head sadly, he had plans. And he had to stick to them.
'Just tell us when okay.' Hermione said with a tear in her eye 'we want to be with you, we missed you so much.' She flung her arms around his shoulders, crying onto his shirt.
'Don't leave us Harry, please don't leave us.' Ginny pleaded of him. Don't they understand? He needed his solitary, he needed silence. He craved it but it broke his heart to see his friends like this. They clearly thought that he didn't want to spend the night with them. What must they think of him now? He wanted to be with them now more than ever but he simply couldn't. It was too much for him. His ears were falling apart, his heart and soul drowning in the noise of people around him. He needed silence.
'I'll wake you up personally tomorrow morning all right.' Harry told them, 'I'm not going anywhere.'
Finally they accepted his offer and bode him teary goodbyes, Ron and Hermione Apparating away from an alleyway and Ginny following them shortly after. Harry couldn't Apparate so he walked down the deserted road that led in the general direction of Hogwarts. It was a good few hours of walking to do but he didn't complain.
Harry heard a swishing sound and saw his familiar walking next to him.
'Were you here all the time?' Harry asked his new pet 'waiting for me?'
It only purred in reply, walking at Harry's pace, swishing his tail right to left in rhythm to his steps. Harry placed a hand on his familiar's head and walked on like that, until he reached his destination, not Hogwarts but somewhere not too far from it…
'Ginny.' Harry gently prodded her shoulder. She stirred but didn't wake up so he tried again, with the same results. How can one sleep like this? It's five thirty already and still she's asleep. The sun is about to rise and she was going to miss it, a wonder of the world. She was going to miss one of the most beautiful happenings in the world, yet it happens every day.
'Ginny!' Harry screamed in her ear. That showed some results. She jerked awake, sitting up straight so fast that Harry thought she would topple straight over and fall of the foot side of her bed.
'Whaat!' She yelped, looking around franticly. Clearly she wasn't used to being woken up by someone else at the crack of dawn.
'Ginny, wake up. The sun's about to rise.' Harry told her happily, positively bouncing on the spot. He'd been looking forward to this day for a very long time. She finally focused on him and her eyes widened for a moment, showing disbelief but then it changed to recognition and finally a huge smile spread over her face.
'Harry.' she mumbled, smiling happily.
'Come on, your going to miss the sunrise.' He told her, still looking every bit like a fourth year student going to the Quidditch world cup.
'And?' she asked. 'It happens every day.'
'When was the last time you saw it?' he retorted. 'Come on, up up, were going to see the sunrise.'
'Aren't you hung over?' she asked, putting her head in her hands, clearly not feeling well. If he actually thought about it he did feel like shite. His head hurt, he felt weak, and everything he heard was to loud.
'Didn't even notice.' He grinned sheepishly, pulling her by her arm. Finally she stood up and followed him climbing out of bed. He didn't even look back, heading straight for the door.
'Harry,' she called from the doorway to her bedroom 'where are you going? You can see it from here.'
He turned around as if it was his plan all along and walked passed her, noticing for the first time what she was wearing…
'Where?' he asked looking around her room. Her open dresser, her messy room with clothes scattered all over, her walk in bathroom looking in the same condition as her room.
She pulled her wand from the strap on her top she was wearing and opened the curtains, unveiling a beautiful site that Harry had yearned for every day for the better part of three years.
Ten minutes later he turned around feeling content as one could get, seeing Ginny looking at him as she sat on her bed with a smile on her face. It is the small things in life that counts. He had promised himself he would enjoy it and it was the best promise he had ever made in his life.
'Happy now?' she asked standing up shaking her hair out like a lion taming it's mane. 'Come on, I'll make us breakfast.'
'Uh, Ginny, not to be rude but shouldn't you get dressed or something?' he asked indicating with his hand to her figure clad in only a tank top and knickers. She looked down at herself realizing that she probably was a bit undressed to be in the vicinity of a man who was stuck in a cave for three years.
'You do realize that the clothes you're wearing doesn't cover too much of yourself, don't you?' she laughed at him. 'Wear my robe. We'll have to get you some clothes.'
She grabbed one of her robes from the hanger at the door and pulled it on, tossing another one to him. What's the big deal; there is absolutely nothing wrong with hospital clothes. Sure, they're a bit scratchy in places he'd rather not be scratchy but other than that their fine for him. And besides, it's not as if he's going to be out in public any time soon. He at least had some decency.
But now that he think about it, clothes does matter. No matter if he was alone, a healthy man wears healthy clothes. Great, a new motto. A part of his mind summed up sarcastically, the uncooperative side of his mind, the rebellious side that he always ignored. He would get himself some clothes.
'I'm not going to make it all by myself.' Ginny's voice brought a stop to his useless pondering.
Harry walked with her to the kitchen and started on the toast, the only thing he knew how to make with magic. Ginny started on the eggs and bacon, chucking it all into one frying pan, clearly not bothered if it got all mixed up. Next she put it onto a flame she conjured and stood back a step.
'Uh, Ginny, I don't think that's going to work…' Harry trailed off.
'Sure it is. I do it all the time.' She answered knowingly that strongly reminded Harry of Hermione right before she is about to do something foolish but just too proud to admit it. By now Harry could smell the egg burning at the bottom and he decided he would do it for her. He took the whole concoction inedible food and pulled out his wand.
'What are you doing.' She accused him.
'The food is about to burn.' He turned over the pan onto a plate, showing her the black egg at the bottom. 'I have never done this before…' she mumbled to herself.
'Split the eggs and bacon.' He mused, doing just that with his wand
'Place in pan, separately, on moderate to low heat and wait three minutes at longest then turn. Not to hard.' He smirked at her as she stood back with a mad look in her eyes.
'Were did you learn that?' she asked 'I mean, it sounded like you were reading a manual.'
'Technically, I am.' He said, thinking back at the learning spell, 'Dumbledore gave me this trunk full of books in sixth year. Some of them were quite strange. About cooking, plumbing, even how to make clothes. I thought my eyes would pop out when there was a book full of ways to make comfortable magical toilets.'
'And you learnt all of them by heart?' she questioned, accusing him of lying.
'Indeed I have, want to test me?' he asked playfully. How he missed this. The sheer act of talking, making conversation with friends. If only Ron and Hermione could be here but those damn wards would have taken three hours at least to break through. Overprotected.
If you think about it you would have done the same. Your parents did it. His logical part of his mind summed up, constantly fighting with the rest.
'What do you do if you want to make a dress?' she questioned.
'Put all the material into the form you want them, and say the spell. Shall I show you?' he asked but Ginny's cottage suddenly flared with bright light.
'SHIT!' Ginny shouted, 'An attack within three miles from here.'
Harry stared at her.
'What would they be attacking a tree trunk for?' Harry asked confused.
'Not my house you idiot, somewhere near here. Must be the muggle weapons factory.' She grabbed a gun from the shelf, which looked very much like his own one, and her wand, 'Now mister hero, you can show me how to fight.'
Suddenly Harry felt like he was plunged into the river underneath the cave. The cold chills that ran down his spine didn't stop, they went to his toes, fingers and every other part of his body. Concentrate! His mind ordered.
He transfigured the clothes he had on into simple clothes, with a hood that cast permanent shadow into Harry's face, and bolted after Ginny. Right out the small forest that was Ginny's house in a manner of speaking and straight into battle. Harry stopped short when a thought struck him.
How could he kill a man now? They are human, it's wrong to kill a human; it's not for him to decide who must live. Even if they are out here to kill all in their path, they don't know. He to was once like that. Killing like it was something one did every day. But that was before. Now he, Harry, couldn't take a life. The things in the cave didn't deserve to live, to be on earth but humans, all humans have a right. Those monsters taught him some things.
They didn't have family, not feelings, not a life. What should he do now? They were going to start the killing any time now. Ginny was almost there, from what Harry heard she didn't hesitate twice to kill.
As he watched she raised her gun, his gun, but before she could fire Harry intervened. She couldn't dirty her hand by taking another life, not any more. Killing. It made Harry nauseated, it sickened him to the deep pits of his stomach just thinking about it. How could anyone want to take a life?
That's what this whole war's about idiot! His mind berated him. He wouldn't budge, not now, it was his plan to carry out and he wouldn't stop at nothing to do it. Only a year after he was captive he decided and he planned…
As he watched Ginny fired the shot, not caring for his call to stop. Harry did the fastest spell work he could think of, pulling his Initiative and throwing it with the most force Harry could muster, magic and physical, sending the dagger zooming past Ginny to fast for her to see, to fast for most people to think.
It struck next to the man's head, lodged so deep into a tree the hilt was halfway through but at least the bullet didn't hit. The tree exploded a second later.
'What the fuck?' he breathed. Was that the bullet, was that the thing Ginny wanted inside of a human being. Did she want him to blow up from the inside, sending everything of him flying. Splitting all the parts that gave him life into all directions? Tearing his body to nothing but debris?
She gave him a dark look, one that clearly told him that wasn't right and raised her gun to fire another shot. He couldn't take it.
His Initiative was back in his hand and the magic spread through him like a tidal wave from the ocean. He wouldn't allow anybody to take a life here, today, while he could prevent it. He started to move, first to Ginny, melting the gun as he passed her, using the magic inside of the bullets rather for protection and using the molten metal of the gun to create a sphere of protection for her. A perfect ward within five seconds. The metal holding the magic together and the magic sustaining the molten metal sheet around her.
He pulled his wand and summoned his Familiar (who rather liked to be called Scryed). It started, the sound, the song and the rhythmic pulse of power. Harry used the distraction of the enemy and grew roots from the earth, entwining three of them so much so that the only thing they could do was breath and blink.
Then spells reigned.
From every direction it fell, from every possible angle one could imagine. For the first time in a few years Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't kill, his spell work is shabby at best and he wouldn't run. These people didn't belong here, they were here to wreak havoc and take out some sort of supply place to give Voldemort another ace up his sleeve.
Harry realized at that moment the complete irony of things. In the middle of spell fire he realized the complete futility of it all. He had planned to start his home, his little paradise without any killing or death, without despair but all his planning, every last bit of it was useless. This is simply the way the world is and he, Harry, couldn't do swat to change it like he wanted to. He can contribute to the light but he can't change the way things are.
Screw it all!
And then he fought back with all of his might. He fought exactly like he was back in the cave, he fought to survive and to eradicate everything that was in his way.
It took only a second for him to rid the spells around him, those still coming towards him were minor. Stupid people. What did they think could a spitting charm do to him? Scryed chose that moment to pounce out of nothing, into the heat of battle. He gave a huge roar that sent four Death-Eaters running away and Harry had to admit they were the brave ones. A roar like that, tenfold as mighty as a dragon's roar, would send everyone running except the utterly stupid. The few that remained though, fought like demons.
Harry must give it to them, they were good fighters. Never once had they backed down, they fended off Scryed like true warriors, they defended themselves against Harry's endless stream of magic and to top it all off they anticipated where Ginny was aiming and apparated away right before the bullet could make impact. The battle was already won.
It was a simple matter of wearing them down, they had to slip up some time or another. They weren't like Harry, who had learnt to fight for long periods of time at once. Harry's eyes were sharp, marking every repetitive move they made so that he could slip through their defenses and take them down.
'Bellatrix!' One of them screamed, 'We're not making any ground like this!'
'Do NOT loose faith Draco.' A man said who was right next to the initial speaker, 'They cannot go on as long as we can…'
A burst of laughter escaped Harry's thought.
'Is it really you Draco?' Harry yelled over the battlefield. At once the fighting stopped. The five of them that were still standing stepped closer together while Scryed went to stand next to Ginny, who had disabled her protection wards a while ago to enable her to fight.
'I am Draco Malfoy, yes.' He said, stepping slightly foreword.
'Wonderful, simply splendid!' Harry said with glee, his face lighting up. The battle completely forgotten, the internal struggles of his crazy mind drifting away in a brain like a mixed up cauldron that would make Severus Snape commit suicide.
He didn't care if they thought him a bit crazy. His mind worked in mysterious ways.
'Still into the dark arts?' Harry questioned, placing his wand back into his pocket. The people present, good and bad, simply stared at the complete absurdity of this man.
'What do you want?' Draco queried wearily. The other Death-Eaters around him started to mutter in hushed tones, one of them indicating wildly with his hand.
'Just making conversation.'
'Who are you?' Draco talked with what he hoped was authority, 'Speak now and leave, we will not kill you or pursue you.'
'Stop being such a bastard.' Harry laughed happily like a drunken man, 'oh shit…'
Nobody's supposed to know that he was alive and here he is, trading, or at least trying to, stories with and old nemesis of his school.
'You can still leave.' Draco said firmly, indicating to the people around him to stand in position.
'I'll leave if you do.' Harry said smiling, albeit not so happy anymore.
If Harry wasn't crazy then Ginny will happily submerge herself into a lake full of orange-coated minxes. What is he playing at, talking like that? He's completely gone round the bend. He's a raving lunatic. One moment he's almost crying, the next talking happily to one of Voldemort's top men and now he's challenging Draco to leave.
'We have business here that doesn't concern you.' Draco said, his voice not wavering a bit. She had to admit, Draco would make a fine public speaker.
'As do I.' Harry declared, 'Seems to me we're at a stale mate.'
'If it is your wish, then indeed we are.' Draco raised his wand, the four others doing the same. Ginny raised her gun and her wand while Scryed crouched down like a stalking predator. Harry didn't move one bit.
'Carry on.' Harry declared, his shoulders high and his chest puffed out just a bit, his face still hidden underneath the hood. Nobody would have noticed his small frame in that stance of assured power that rolled off of him. That was the stance of a man who knows the finer working of life with vast amounts of wisdom and courage. Size in that instance didn't matter one bit.
They fired, Draco striking last with something Ginny hadn't heard in a long time. The dreaded Heart Shattering Curse. Already Ginny felt her knees go sloppy. Her heart rate increased to that of the drumming sounds coming from Scryed. Harry will die. Nothing compares to that curse, nobody ever survived that curse, ever. If it was directed at you, you will die. Tears started to fall from Ginny's eyes. How could he come back and go again, forever this time.
Harry too recognized the spell as well but one look into his eyes, eyes so alight with power and strength that one would feel burned just being looked at, convinced Ginny that maybe, just maybe, he could survive. After all, it is Harry and Harry can do anything, right? Harry was a hero, and heroes could do anything but as the black coils of death reached Harry and she saw tears of blood already falling from his eyes she lost all hope. She didn't notice his arm as it was raised looking like a plea of mercy and if she did she would have seen the open hand changing into a fist. The only thing she heard was the cry of anguish breaking through the early morning air, the sun hiding behind a dark cloud, hiding from the cry that wouldn't die down. Her eyes were closed, she was going to wake up in the hospital wing and Harry hadn't come back, it was all a dream.
She couldn't stand to live through Harry dying a second time, she would take her own life rather than live with that. The music of Harry's Familiar became so intense that Ginny thought her ears would burst. She cursed that animal to hell. With him making his music like one glorious victory over the dark, what right does he have? A roar from the beast like the start of the battle came again and it shattered Ginny's heart this time, rather than strengthen her. Harry had absolutely no right to go at a time like this. Coming back only to be taken away again…
(A/N : We just want to thank everyone that reviewed, it really means a lot and really inspires us to write. This is a longer than usual chapter and we hope everyone enjoys it. We just want say thank you to Matt and Mark(in no particular order) for all the beta-reading they have been doing for us, We want to welcome our Schnoogle Beta-reader, Michelle, to the team aswell. Please leave us a review when you are finished reading this chapter and tell us what you think! Cheers Nex-Nift)
