Chapter 10: And What Remained...
Hogwarts suffered innumerable casualties due to the attack from Voldemort. Many died, and countless were injured; but Harry figured it would all have been different if the was not such a surprise, if they had known.
In a way, Harry still felt guilty for the loss. Many parents would never see their kids again, because a lunatic attacked a crowded area in search for him, just like Cedric...
At present, he lay in the infirmary, his neighbouring beds surrounded by his friends and schoolmates, as Madam Pomfrey tended to them. The students in a critical state were directly taken to St. Mungo's, while those with minor injuries were kept at Hogwarts. It was surprising that most of the infirmary was empty...
"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey's voice ended Harry's train of thoughts.
"Poppy," Professor Dumbledore said, heading towards Harry. "I would like to talk to these six here."
"But professor...they need their rest..." Poppy Pomfrey said putting up a fight.
"It won't take long Poppy," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes holding the familiar twinkle. "I just need to clear things up."
Poppy Pomfrey indeed gave in saying that the elder man had half an hour to clear whatever he wanted to clear.
"Professor," Harry said immediately as Dumbledore took a chair near his bed. "What happened?"
Dumbledore silenced him, telling him to calm down. Looking at him over his half-moon spectacles, he addressed Harry, along with Ron, Hermione and Ginny who were in Harry neighbouring beds, and Luna and Neville who had taken a seat by him.
"We caught some of the Death Eaters, some were killed in combat, but most of them escaped..." Dumbledore said calmly.
"But you could have prevented that attack...You knew about it." Harry said angrily.
"Yes we did...but we didn't know when or where." Dumbledore said.
"But you have..." Harry started, but then lowered his voice so that only Dumbledore can hear and said, "You have spies within Voldemort's circle, why didn't they tell you?"
"All we knew was they were going to attack. Voldemort gave further orders this morning." Dumbledore replied so calmly that Harry was infuriated.
When Harry stayed silent for sometime seething in anger, Dumbledore continued,
"I have some more grave news. The Death Eaters have grown enormously in the past year, so many of them attacked Hogsmeade today. The Aurors called were outnumbered, so reinforcements were called. The Aurors didn't realise that Voldemort was expecting this, and that a fleet of Death Eaters was waiting near Azkaban. The reinforcements called were aurors guarding the prison, and when they left, the Death Eaters made their move..."
"Are you telling me, that the Death Eaters in Azkaban have escaped?" Harry asked nearly shouting at the Headmaster.
"Precisely," Dumbledore replied, his face expressionless.
Harry swore loudly earning a glare from Hermione.
"Why are the Aurors..." Harry was saying but Hermione interrupted.
"Professor," she started. "Why did people join the Dark Side after all the security measures from the ministry, after they know what Voldemort does to his followers?"
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore replied." Voldemort's offer is still very alluring. With what Voldemort offers, it will be surprising if no one join the Dark Side."
"But Proffers or, don't they know that it will all be useless after Voldemort dies, after what happened to him fifteen years ago?" Ron said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"It is human nature Mr Weasley, that we are attracted towards glitter, even if it is not gold. Most people are under the impression that since the dark lord is back, he is invincible. It is just the promise of ultimate power that lures them into his trap. They don't know what happens to them after they join, but when they find out, it is too late." Dumbledore said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with a kerchief.
"When you join Voldemort's circle," he continued. "You have only two choices; to die fighting for him, or to die by him. Yet, the prospect of immortality, power, fame and wealth is enough for people to enjoy persecuting and killing others, to allow darkness to consume them, taking over their hearts, minds and senses. Once in a blue moon are some people able to fight off the darkness, to realise their mistakes, and it is very rare that someone actually lives after realising this..."
Silence met the crowd as Dumbledore finished, all mind having the same thoughts, thoughts that were interrupted by a meek voice.
"Professor," Hermione said almost crying. "We are also trying to add to our circle, aren't we?"
"Yes we are," Dumbledore said sighing. "But we are not so lucky yet."
"But sir, now after people accepted Voldemort's return..." Ron said furiously.
"Again it's the matter of power and fame Mr Weasley." Dumbledore answered. "The only thing offered to those fighting for the Light is possible death..."
"But it is to protect the ones you love." Neville piped in.
"People don't understand that." Dumbledore smiled at him.
"WHAT? THAT THEY WILL BE MAKING THE WORLD A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE, THAT THEY WILL BE FIGHTING THE DARKEST WIZARD TO LIVE, THAT THEY WILL BE PROTECTING THE ONES THEY LOVE." Harry yelled.
"MR POTTER!!" Madam Pomfrey irritated voice sounded from her office. "DO KEEP YOU VOICE LOW. THIS IS AN INFIRMARY!"
Harry felt a hand on his arm, and turned to see Ginny, wrapped in bandages standing near his bed. He immediately moved, offering her space to sit, making her comfortable, his anger momentarily forgotten.
Dumbledore, along with others, witnessed this exchange and smiled.
Harry had witnessed Ginny being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse; it was the last thing he saw before the enemy surrounded him. He wanted to help but by the time he was free, it was too late. Now when he saw the damage they had done to her, he was filled with rage, and hatred for the one who did it; if that person had appeared in front of Harry right now, Harry would have murdered him with his bare hands...
"Not all people think that love is the most important thing. They choose fame, power, and materialistic things over it. They care more for themselves, than for those they love. They admire those who they assume love them, rather than those whom they love." Dumbledore said. "If it were to be any other way, Mr Weasley, the world would have been perfect..." Dumbledore finished, just as Ron was about to interrupt him.
Silence engulfed them yet again, but this time it was broken by Ginny's feeble voice,
"Professor, Peter died saving Harry..."
"He paid off his debt." Dumbledore said smiling as Ginny trailed off. "When his animagus form was revealed, Harry saved him, binding him in his debt. He paid it off." Dumbledore explained seeing the confused look on a few faces.
"It would have been good if he had brought himself in that night." Harry said with immense hatred. "That would have been a good way to repay it."
"I would differ." Ginny said looking at him. "I am glad he chose today to pay the debt. At least you are alive."
"For what? So more people can die at my expense." Harry said looking at Ginny with such anger and hatred for himself and Voldemort, that Ginny felt her heart shatter and anger gush into her.
She stared at Harry for such a long time that if she had meant it, there would have been a hole in his head. But as Harry looked up at her, she simply looked away, got off his bed returning to hers and pulling up her covers she turned away from the others closing her eyes as if running away from reality.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, confused by her action, but they also turned away from him with identical expressions of pain and betrayal. Trying to figure out what went wrong, he looked back at Dumbledore, but the intensity with which the older man stared at him made him feel so guilty that he could have drowned himself in a bathtub.
"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey's voice came as a blessing for Harry. "I believe the half an hour is over." She said sternly.
"Ah Yes Poppy. I should leave." Said Dumbledore getting up to leave.
"I believe the only way we could get through this," Dumbledore said before leaving. "Is if we stand united. The only was to defeat evil like this is through love and sacrifice. Rest fine. I will see you soon."
As Dumbledore was by the door, Harry called out,
"Professor...how many did we lose?"
"Many Mr Potter," Dumbledore said turning towards him. "Many. Good Night." He said as he exited.
But the night couldn't have been worse for Harry. With sleep miles away, he could not get help but feel guilty for their loss. Everyone died because of him, his parents, Cedric, Sirius, his schoolmates...only because a lunatic was after him, only because of a damned prophecy...
'YOU don't get it Potter, he is not after you. He is after power, after innocents.'
Ginny had once said to him...maybe it was true, but he attacked Hogsmeade today because HE, Harry, was there.
'He would have attacked even if you weren't there...' A voice said in his head.
But he attacked because he WAS there.
Harry was torn between feeling guilty and not feeling guilty. Somewhere inside him, he knew that it was not him but Voldemort who was responsible for all this; that Voldemort was the cause of all this, but he also felt guilt for the way it had turned out, how it was always him for whom Voldemort would attack, how it was always him because of whom people died. His head hurt from thinking to much, from all the things on his mind; and now he had an idea that the pained expressions on everyone's face were because of him...
It was not meant to be like this...he was not supposed to burden such responsibility...at least not when his was a mere teenager...but they were just wishes. It was his destiny, to shoulder such a burden, to be the murderer or be murdered.
However, within all this darkness, Harry could still see a ray of light...a ray of hope. He had once heard that those who want it bad enough, those who fight and not give up, they make their own destiny. And that was just what he was going to do...he was going to make his own destiny. He was going to finish this once and for all; he was going to rid the world of the darkest evil or die trying...then again, he did not have much of a choice, did he?
With his thoughts fresh in his head, he closed his eyes, leaving the reality and world behind as sleep consumed him...
A week later, most of the students in the infirmary sat in the Great Hall for the final feast, in a very glum atmosphere. It was surprising how empty the Great Hall looked, with a few countable students at the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Many of them were still at St Mungo's while many of them were in their coffins, never to see daylight again. The only table having almost all students was Slytherin, all of whom sat with smug expressions on their faces; then again, they were probably already warned by, as Ron put it, "their scum Death Eater parents" to stay out of the danger zone.
Although quite healed, signs of weakness remained in the students. Ron had somehow managed to split open his head, by being knocked off and hitting the counter of the Three Broomsticks, and was quite weak due to the excessive loss of blood. Hermione had got her arm fractured due a spell from a Death Eater, and even though quite healed, due to Madam Pomfrey's magical potions, it would take sometime to return to normal. Neville received some serious wounds and was still recovering, Luna on the other hand was subjected to the Cruciatus and had splits and cuts on various parts.
Harry had also received quite a few cuts and bruises, especially from the shattered glass pieces and a few strong spells from the Death Eaters, but compared to what he had went through, his body was almost resistant by now. Ginny...Ginny along with Simon was sitting closest to the window and although Simon was nearest to it, receiving the full impact of the blast, Ginny was affected badly. Stray pieces of glass hit her causing severe injuries. Trying to help Simon, Ginny was narrowly missed by the disarming curse, which instead hit Simon causing them to topple and roll on the broken glass, from which Ginny took quite a large piece of glass into her chest, near her lungs. When Simon fell to Death Eaters, Ginny was hit by the Cruciatus curse, causing her to roll further taking in more glass...her appearance by the end of it was...horrific...she had collapsed due to excessive pain. She was still weak and had trouble with sudden movements...
The call for attention from Professor McGonagall brought Harry back to the present. He looked over to the Head Table just as Dumbledore addressed the students,
"Here we are at the end of another year. With the events of the past few days still fresh in our minds, you will now be leaving for your homes. It is at times like these that we are tested; our characters, our knowledge, our choices, and our values...they are all tested. It is at times like these when we have to make the major choices in our lives, to choose one of the two paths."
"It is merely our choices that define our characters...that become our destiny. Many of you are now capable enough of making choices for yourselves now, and are ready to decide what paths you choose, good or evil. And it is the choice you make today that will determine mankind's tomorrow."
"The path of good is certainly not easy, but the fruit of the patience, hard work and the sacrifice that it will bear, will repay all the hardships we bore while travelling on it. The path of evil is glittery, but providing only poison at the end, making us into heartless, soulless human beings..."
"Choose wisely, for you future depends on it. True, evil is intimidating but not invincible. And now more than ever we need to stand together, united as one, to fight off its threat, for only the greatest powers can defeat it...selflessness, sacrifice...love..."
"I wish you luck in making the right decision, and bid you farewell. I hope we meet again..."
As Dumbledore concluded his speech, a loud applause erupted and many in the Great Hall were in tears. Students tucked into their foods, Dumbledore's speech repeating in their minds.
The time has indeed come to choose sides...
As the tradition went, Malfoy did show up in the compartment of the six friends, looking smug. But the anger of the compartment's occupants got the better of them and they cursed him and his cronies...rather badly.
They disembarked at King's Cross station moving through the barrier into the muggle world, where the Order members were waiting for them.
"Hello all." Mrs Weasley said, engulfing them into a giant hug, her eyes moist.
Similar greetings were exchanged between the rest, when Lupin addressed Harry.
"We warned them about taking good care of you. You must not be experiencing many difficulties this year either."
"But I will be turning seventeen this year; I can get my own flat or something..." Harry said not wanting to spend another summer with the Dursleys.
"You will do no such thing Harry." Mrs Weasley said sternly.
"But..."
"No Harry no such thing." Mrs Weasley repeated.
"Besides we will be there..." Tonks said cheerfully.
"Yeah I forgot, you WILL be STALKING me." Harry said gloomily.
"Harry we will come and take you as soon as we can." Lupin said comfortingly. "And f you need anything, you know what to do." He added with a wink.
Harry mood lifted; they will be coming for him, and true he will have contact. With a final hug to Mrs Weasley and Lupin and goodbyes to others, he left with the Dursleys.
It was his last year with his relatives; he might as well enjoy it...the thought of which brought a familiar Marauder smirk on his face...
The End.
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A/N: ha Ha Ha....fooled you...no it's not the end
IT IS NOT THE END. DON'T STOP READING. THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE COMING UP SOON.
Thanks to all those who reviewed. I appreciate them.
Rayah Papaya: Thanks for your review. They were some good suggestions and you weren't harsh or anything. I didn't describe it in so much detail because I felt if I added another word it would get really boring. So I kept it simple. As for Harry's feelings during the battle, well when fighting something like that, you don't really have any feelings; your mind becomes blank and you can't think anything except the fact that you have to survive and defend yourself. It's instinct. The attack took them all by surprise. True Harry was suspicious but Hogwarts or around was the last place he expected. After all who would attack a place full of defenceless students...so it did come as a surprise for him. All the feelings, the regrets come crashing down after its all over...The battle basically concentrated what happened to Harry, and since its was a cafe & full of Death Eaters, he didn't have much time to think of others. he was trying to defend himself...I wish that explains...and I do hope I am not harsh. I hope you like this chapter and thanks for liking the story.
This will be the last update for sometime. I am leaving for my vacations tomorrow, so I won't have the story with me. I will try to update as soon as I get back, but that won't be for a month and a half. As a leaving treat, I give you this...
Chapter 11:
"WHAT HAPPENED IN THERE BOY?" Uncle Vernon bellowed, his pace purple.
"I don't know I didn't even see it." Harry replied casually.
"You were responsible." Aunt Petunia yelled.
"What makes you say that?" Harry asked unconcerned.
REVIEW.
Take care, Bye.