A/N: Here's the answer on how to get Harry back. Enjoy

Chapter Nine

Soul Transfer

Nobody could speak for a long time. The horrors of that night were just so mind-numbing that Ron couldn't come up with anything to describe it. Hermione was sobbing beside him and when he turned a little, she hugged him.

"You were wonderful," she cried. Ron felt comforted and he and Harry hugged her back.

"We would have done the same for you," Harry said.

When Hermione finally released them, Dumbledore conjured up a handkerchief and handed it to her. She blew her nose and sat back down on her chair.

Dumbledore clapped his hands at them. "I'm very impressed and proud of the way you went through the battle. I confess I was quite useless in it. I went after Voldemort as soon as I could—a very foolish thing—as I ended up being knocked out even before I had much of a fighting chance. But you did not need an old man like me." He gave them an acknowledged bow before he resumed in his cheerful voice. "If you were still in school I would have given you five hundred points each for your loyalty and bravery. But I suppose that knowledge that you have each other is reward enough. But let's try to analyze what we have seen."

"The protection spell Ron used Professor," Hermione began. Ron was surprised yet again how easily she could switch to investigative mode. "I know the unforgivable curse went through it, but is it possible it may have something to do with why Harry is within Ron?"

"I do not think so," replied Dumbledore. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Though it demonstrated how unselfish you were at the time, Ronald. I noticed when you set up the charm, it didn't even cover you. It just covered Harry. And Harry didn't have a wand at all so he did the only thing he could do: shield you with his own body. It confirms of course what we already know on how Voldemort was defeated. Your love for each other destroyed him for he could not endure such love being what he is. But it still does not answer why Harry ended up in your body. What else do you remember about your thoughts at the time you were about to be hit by the Avada Kedavra curse, Ronald? We couldn't possibly see those."

Ron thought back to what he just saw. Everything happened too quickly but his thoughts were all the same: everything was focused on Harry.

"When I saw the Avada Kedavra curse passing through the protection spell, I was wishing with all my might that Harry would survive, no matter what." He closed his eyes and thought hard. "I wanted him so much to remain here with me."

"And Harry, what are your thoughts?"

"That I didn't want to lose Ron. I had to save him somehow."

"You didn't want to part from him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, yes, I suppose so Professor," Harry answered.

The old wizard's eyes twinkled. "As one brilliant muggle would say: Eureka!" He gave Ron a brilliant smile. "You may not realize it, Ronald, but the strength of your unselfish desire had caused Harry to end up in you. As you have told me from your research on the library, you are aware that the soul ejects immediately from the body upon death. You see, when a soul ejects from the body, it has only two choices: to remain as a ghost or go on toward the afterlife. But in your case, Ronald, you gave a third choice for Harry. You offered that Harry be with you while he was wishing to remain with you. The power of your love called Harry's soul to your body."

"I... I did that?" Ron stammered.

'Whoa, mate. That was... pretty cool. Thanks,' Harry said and Ron could feel his heart swell with gratitude.

"People have often underestimated the power of love and all its capabilities. But as what we have here now, it has conquered even over death by disrupting the natural order of things."

"But do you think, Professor, that this is permanent?" Hermione asked. It had been the question that had been nagging them endlessly. "Will Harry remain with Ron?"

"Yes and no. It all depends on Ronald. He has willed Harry by his love to reside in his body. So Harry will continue to remain there unless Ron wishes it otherwise. Love holds you together in this state, but hate can break you apart. If you hate Harry, his soul will be forced out."

"I could never hate you Harry," Ron said with certainty. "Not for my whole life."

"I could never hate you either." Harry replied.

Dumbledore beamed at them but continued. "But then it brings us to the question: Is it possible to resurrect him? In his own body, I am sorry to say, no. A magical fire was used to burn Harry's body. It can never be repaired again."

'Hey, don't worry mate,' Ron said. 'You can share my life, it doesn't matter to me.'

"But of course there is another alternative."

"Like what Professor?" Hermione asked excitedly.

Dumbledore got up and walked to his bookshelf. He ran his hands along the spines of books looking for something. "Western literature on the soul is severely limited but our Asian counterparts have vast studies on them. In India, advanced wizards know of ways to transfer souls from one body to another—something that is quite taboo in our side of the globe. Ah! Here it is!"

He pulled a rather colorful book from the shelf. "This was a gift from a wonderful Indian witch I met at a Headmaster convention once in Bombay. I admit not understanding everything the book discusses. I am not trained in the mysticism of the soul. It takes years of meditation for that, but it does offer a solution to the problem at hand." He laid the book on the table and flicked his wand so that the pages turned on their own. He peered at the page for a minute then looked back at them.

"According to the book, there is a way for a soul in a living body—meaning a soul which hasn't chosen yet to be a ghost or to go to the afterlife—to be transferred to another body."

"So Harry can be transferred to another body?" Hermione asked.

"There hasn't been any record of two souls in one body, but yes Harry falls under the category of living soul since he is neither a ghost nor has he crossed over to the afterlife. As long as there is a living body he can reside in, he and Ronald can perform a spell that would enable them to eject Harry's soul and move to a new body."

"But where would we get another body?" Harry asked. "I doubt if anybody would take me in as willingly as Ron did."

"It cannot be a body that has a soul in it," Dumbledore explained. "Think of it. Where do you find such a body?"

Ron racked his brain along with Harry but together they couldn't come up with anything.

"A Dementor's victim!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What?" Ron and Harry asked in unison.

"Remember what we know of Dementors?" Hermione explained. She was jumping up and down in her chair in excitement. "Those who were given the kiss had their souls sucked up. The body would of course remain alive, but it no longer has a soul. It's just an empty shell."

"Excellent as usual, Hermione," Dumbledore praised.

"So all we need to do is find someone whose soul has been sucked by a Dementor," Harry said. "Do you know where we could find one, Professor? I can live even with Barty Crouch Jr. or that Death Eater we found crawling in the Riddle House."

Dumbledore turned serious. "I wish I could say it would be easy. Unfortunately, under Ministry regulation all Dementor victims are immediately administered a poison and given funeral rites. All past victims have already been technically executed. You won't find one living anymore unless it is a new victim."

"But how about the Death Eaters they've caught?" Ron suggested. "There is no more Azkaban and the guilty ones would be fed to those creatures."

"No Ron," Hermione corrected. Didn't you read the Daily Prophet? The new Minister of Magic, Madame Bones is against the death penalty and the remaining members of the Wizengamot agree with her. The Ministry of course is setting up a newer but very secure prison though with a more humane treatment. There will be no more victims of the Dementor's kiss if the Ministry can help it."

Ron gaped in disbelief at this news. "You mean after all those Death Eaters have done, all those killings and tortures all they get is a prison sentence without Dementors? That's hardly fair! Why shouldn't they die for their crimes?" Ron protested and Harry agreed with him. He of all people had known how much suffering had been wreaked havoc by those followers of the Dark Lord who wished power for themselves.

Dumbledore looked at them sadly but his eyes were kind. "It is without a doubt that the Death Eaters have committed horrible crimes. And I know it is difficult for you both to understand with what you have gone through. However, I agree with the new Ministry's order that death is not the only way that justice can be served. The punishment for those who are found guilty of being Death Eaters—for they will be given fair trial—will be severe. They will be condemned to live without their powers. Yes, there is a way to take away one's magical abilities permanently. A large part of their memories, those that contain their skills and abilities to do magic will be erased. They will be forced to learn to live again as muggles in a heavily guarded prison and the term shall be for life."

Ron thought about it. Condemned to be a muggle for life? It didn't seem such a harsh punishment at all. He still didn't feel it was enough, compared to what was taken from him. He recalled Charlie who fought bravely to save so many innocent lives in the attack at Diagon Alley, and Percy who was tortured to reveal what he knew that could endanger his family but didn't relent until they killed him.

"I am not asking you to accept this," Dumbledore added. "I know a lot of people have questioned this new order for capital punishment but I only ask that you consider this: We do not know what is there beyond life. Perhaps death is not a punishment after all. There are worse things. To Death Eaters who have given their entire lives for the quest for power through their magical abilities, they will suffer more than you can imagine with this judgment the Ministry will bring upon them. The knowledge of what they had once and is now lost to them forever is perhaps more severe than a thousand deaths. But I digress. That subject is in due time for you both to understand fully."

"What shall we do then, Professor?" Hermione asked. "Where can we find a Dementor's victim? We cannot just lure an innocent person to lose his soul just to give Harry a new body."

"Hermione's right," said Harry. "I can never do that. Nobody deserves to die so that I could live."

"I cannot answer where and when we can find a body," Dumbledore sighed. "We can only wait and hope, though I do not wish it on anyone, that someone will eventually fall victim to a Dementor's kiss. The most we could do is to notify the Ministry of Magic that they inform us immediately if there is any reported casualty so it would prevent them from killing the body. I shall also be lending you the book so you could learn the spell and perform it when the opportunity arises."

Dumbledore handed the book to Hermione who was looking at it as if it was the best Christmas present she had ever received. Ron agreed with Harry that they'd let her read and just ask her to summarize for them what they need to do.

"In the meantime," Dumbledore continued. "I suggest you get on with your normal lives. I know the war has prevented you from finishing your last few weeks of the term, but as you have taken your N.E.W.T.s, that is sufficient enough. You will be declared fully-fledged witch and wizards on the day you receive the results. I dare say you learned more from outside experiences than you could have if you just stayed for additional lectures." He looked at Hermione who looked slightly disappointed that there would be no remedial classes to make up for what they had missed.

'Well it was better than we expected,' Ron said. 'Don't worry, Harry. You could stay here for the rest of my life if we couldn't find you a body.'

'Thanks mate.' Ron was crying Harry's happy tears. Dumbledore conjured another handkerchief and gave it to Ron.

"Here, have a kiss." Dumbledore said. "It always cheers me up."

Ron looked up in wonder at Dumbledore and saw the old wizard was offering a plate of cone-shaped silver things. Harry took one and unwrapped it. Ron's mouth watered, it was chocolate. He realized it must be a muggle sweet. It tasted wonderful though he thought Chocolate Frogs still tasted better.

Dumbledore stood up and they followed him and bid him farewell. Before they left, Dumbledore told them to get a handful each of the chocolates. Ron took two handfuls—one for himself and one for Harry—to the headmaster's amusement.

They strolled together past the familiar corridors, enjoying the fading afternoon light as it lit the stone walls. They took their time to soak everything in while popping chocolates in their mouths.

"Why do they call that a kiss?" Ron asked.

Hermione was unwrapping her third piece and paused to answer him before taking a delicate bite. "I'm not sure, but I heard before that each Hershey's chocolate kiss contains the same number of calories you lose when you kiss someone passionately."

"So in order not to get fat over these chocolates you have to kiss someone right after you eat one," Ron joked. Harry laughed.

"Yes, I supposed so, though I don't think the creators meant it that way.

Ron abruptly cut Harry's laugh. His gaze fell on her lips, where a chocolate stain had left its mark on the line below her lower lip. Hermione blushed when she realized Ron was staring but Ron couldn't take his eyes off her.

"You have chocolate on your face, Hermione," Harry said, and Ron was grateful for him for breaking the tension.

"Oh!" Hermione quickly wiped at her mouth.

They resumed walking and as they headed towards the gates Ron couldn't help but think that as much as he wanted Harry with him, there was a setback in sharing his body with his best friend.