Cry of a Restless Soul

Summary:

The final Chapter for Cry of a Restless Soul, everything, I hope, is revealed to the protaginist as he continues to wander throughout his mind, dwelling on the lost friend.

Chapter 13:

Death and Continuance

From Harry's view, it looked as though Hermione Jane Granger would have to wait awhile before she would get any company in the afterlife. The grip of the hand that reached for the Boy-who-lived's own arm was quite familiar.

Ronald Weasley, who Harry had not seen or spoken to for the longest time, smiled slightly at Harry as he coughed out all of the water in him in every direction possible, while trying not the flood the rowboat they currently sat in.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry spit out a droplet of water, thinking he could be a least a bit more considerate, and wait for Harry to become capable of speech. Punching his chest, he looked up at Ron with a blank expression.

"S-she…." Harry stuttered, looking downward and away from Ron's questioning expression.

"She's just captured right?" He said frantically. "W-well we can go rescue her right?" Harry didn't say anything, but continued to stare at the ocean water below them, remembering that Ron and Hermione were together, bond by love.

"Ro…" Harry said softly, looking back at him with trembling hands. "I-I…"

The red haired Weasley – like there's any other type of Weasley – waited for the inevitable answer with teary eyes. Harry laughed then, a cold echoing sound floating around the boat as they drifted in some direction, with the prison of Azkaban looming behind them. "She's dead isn't she?" He said finally in a monotone voice, Harry nodded, not being able to speak the truth.

It was awhile before Harry found himself in the water again, with an enraged Ronald Weasley cursing at him, his stupidity, his lust for fame, his whatever. Harry was tired of it as soon as he opened his mouth. He moved his gaze away from his best friend and dived back into the very familiar water.

He soon found what he was looking for, the last time he did this; she was alive. He ran a hand across her forehead, her brown eyes wide open and staring right past him, a fearful tone seeping out of them. Harry felt his eyes start to blur, he didn't know one could cry under water, he didn't particularly care about it anyway.

The Boy-who-lived wrapped his arms around the lifeless body, clinging to it, shielding it just as he had done so many times in life. He felt the tears bleed from his eyes effortlessly, he let them stream across his face. Soon, he realized he needed to breathe, he wanted to die here with her, but the waiting Ron up in the boat above him would probably die along with him and Ron deserved life.

If any of the three of them; Ron was the one who would likely become successful. He was the most precise, he went about things with his own knowledge rather than relying on a book or someone else's reasoning. Harry was too occupied with the destruction of Lord Voldemort to think about his future and Hermione…

When Hermione Granger was alive, she didn't know what she wanted to do. Of course she thought about it, but nothing ever excited her.

"Maybe she wanted to be a librarian…" The raven black haired boy thought as he swam upward, lugging the still clothed corpse of Hermione Granger along with him.

As his head burst from the depths of the water, he felt air fly into his insides, allowing him to breathe, but Harry felt no salvation from there. His gaze moved to the corpse he carried, the forever fearful expression plastered on her face. He felt himself choke; and he knew the feeling was now flowing into him.

He was never going to see her smile again.

It was just like in his fifth year.

Harry and Ron alternated rowing the boat, when one started to lose control of himself; bursting into enraged fits and threatening to kill Regulus Black, then the other would come in and take the oar from him and start without another word. Harry hardly noticed that Ron had enchanted the second oar to mimic its twin while in motion.

Whenever Harry wasn't rowing he was cradling Hermione in his arms, pressing his face to her chest, feeling no heart beat, no warmth. Just a cold, dank feeling to her body, Harry found himself automatically thinking how it would feel to hold Hermione like this when she was alive.

"DAMNIT!" Ron burst out in his third fit of the time they had spent together. He rose from his spot, the magical oar stopping instantly. He rotated his entire body; positively fuming with rage, yet behind the shield the rage hid was utter sadness and loneliness. "Why Harry! WHY!" He grabbed Harry by his shoulders, while tears of his own bled from his own eyes.

Harry merely took off his arms calmly, while he fell onto his knees, choking in front of the empty body of their dear friend. As Harry sat down in the previously occupied spot, he couldn't help but realize how much they relied on Hermione. Not just for homework, but she was their source of salvation, of comfort.

He started to row, the enchanted row mimicking him. Harry laughed hollowly; shutting his eyes for a moment, because of him Hermione was dead. Because he couldn't practice that stupid technique called Occul… Occulmenie?

The Boy-who-lived laughed again; everything seemed so irrelevant right now, his entire world had come crashing down because of the uttering of those two stupid words. Harry felt his own blood quicken, he cried out an ineligible jumble of words. Stopping his rowing while bowing his head low, his grip on the row tightened, making his hands turn white, but how did that matter? Hermione was dead.

The truth was falling into his mind; that he would never hear her laugh, never hear her sarcastic comments, never hear her truthful arguments. He groaned, collapsing while hearing a hollow laugh that mirrored his own.

"We'll never make it back like this…" Ron mumbled, lifting Harry up. "You want me to take over?" Harry noticed, as his eyes made contact with Ron's, that his eyes were bloodshot, never had Harry seen someone cry that much. Did Ron really care about Hermione that muc-

Harry shook his head, lifting a hand while trying to place a smile on his face. "I… I've got it covered." He stifled while loosening his grip on the oar. He resumed the rhythm again as Ron returned to his seat, cradling the girl he loved.

The Boy-who-lived felt envy grip at him, he didn't care if that stupid Voldemort was still lurking in his mind, he was satisfied. Harry could tell by the consistent prickling pain eating away at his scar. Regulus told him he had killed Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, two of Hogwart's most promising students. Harry spit into the water next to him, moving his gaze back to its original position, looking onward in front of him.

Then the rain started. Small droplets hit Harry in the eye, dodging past the rim of his glasses, he blinked, surprised by the sudden rainfall. He looked upward, only to see grey clouds looming high above him. Cursing at his incompetence, he looked over to Ron who shrugged.

"Should we stop?" Harry asked him, shutting his eyes in surprise at the flash of lightning erupting elsewhere. He shrugged again, looking back at Hermione. Harry moaned, heaving himself up and went over to Ron and picked him up from the ground. "Stop moping! Crying over Hermione isn't going to accomplish anything!" The Boy-who-lived yelled, surprised at his own speech, when he had done just as Ron was doing now. He said nothing, looking back at Hermione's body, his lips trembling.

"She… she wanted to be a librarian. You know?" He mumbled, a smile twitching. Harry smiled at his amazing affinity with Divination. Ron turned away from her body, frowning profoundly. "I loved her you know!" He yelled angrily, just as the crackle of thunder sounded throughout the ocean.

"Wh-what?" Harry stuttered, backing away and tripping on the seat behind him, he fell to the floor, rocking the boat ever so slightly. Ron towered over him, another flash of lightning blinding Harry in the distance.

"I-LOVED-HERMIONE-GRANGER! WHAT DO I HAVE TO SAY T-TO CONVINCE YOU!" He launched himself Harry, grabbing his neck with both his hands while Harry fumbled around, trying to back away from the lunatic. He felt his breath become limited, and felt a smile creep onto his face, he was going to Hermione. Ron was going to kill him, and he would see Hermione's smile again.

He then saw her; a blinding white light surrounded him, sending all thoughts away from his mind. He blinked at the sudden change in environment, mist shrouded every corner and there Hermione stood with the usual bright smile on her face, her white teeth showing ever so slightly. Harry felt himself move forward, lusting for… for anything related to her. He finally got to her, she was so much shorter than him, the same grin was still on her face and she wrapped her arms around him, cradling him. Harry felt himself shut his eyes blissfully, not wanting this… this miracle to end; she ended the hug, her arms still gripping his arms.

Harry felt himself lose himself in the familiar chocolate eyes that he had come to love recently. Then, her pure skin disappeared, the heavenly mist around him turning black, he felt himself fall to the ground, his knees buckling with pain and his mind felt like it was being ripped apart piece by piece.

Then it was all gone, and he opened his eyes to see the amazingly memorable eyes of Albus Dumbledore, sitting across from him in his office. This is where the relation to his fifth year came in. Harry stood up, looking around frantically while Dumbledore chuckled.

"If you are wondering as to where your friend Mr. Weasley is currently." He said closing his eyes and bowing his head. "He is currently visiting your departed friend."

Harry stood there, feeling rather ridiculous. He opened his mouth… then closed it the next second thinking of another question. As he opened his mouth another time, Dumbledore lifted a hand and opened his eyes, stopping him. He pointed a long finger to the chair Harry just left. Harry sat, not wanting to repeat another meeting like the previous one he had attended at the end of his fifth year.

"Now then, where to start?" Dumbledore chuckled, shutting his eyes again while. "I realized as soon as I saw you off at your Uncle's residence that Voldemort loitered within your mind even more powerfully now. And that my attempts throughout last year were futile. Though I resolved to teach you Occulmency myself, other… events interrupted our meetings and consistency is a very important part of Occulmency. Then, after you have saved the young Ms. Cullen, from a viciously premature murder and Voldemort took the blow for you, I realized that this… this intrusion might have some advantages to it.

"I see now that this mistake in theory has caused the death of a dear friend of yours. And I am proud of you, since you have not stormed around, throwing random objects unanimously." Said Dumbledore, clearing his throat again, Harry noticed how much the scars and wrinkles prominent throughout his visage had deepened over the years. Harry didn't want to accept it, but it seemed that Dumbledore, the most magnificent magician in the world, could age. He was indeed human like all of the other, supposedly inferior, wizards, witches, and muggles alike. "As you did in your previous year," he added. "Now then," he clapped his hands together causing Harry to sit up straight and forget about his uncomfortable behaviour a minute ago.

"Going back to your summer holiday for a moment, for it is necessary to start there, owing to the fact that you learnt of…" Dumbledore pondered for the correct word to use. "…a strange occurrence. Correct?" He said slowly while Harry cocked his head in confusion.

"That I managed to get an 'A' and an 'E' in Potions?" Harry said equally as slowly and the old wizard chuckled, smiling fully. Harry thought him selfish for smiling now of all times, just when the legendary Hermione Granger had… had…

"No, Harry, no not that, but that is a strange occurrence is it not?" The boy replied with a nod and a slight smile of his own, forgetting about Hermione for a split second. Dumbledore chuckled again, clasping his hands together whenever the two of them went to far off topic. "Though that is not what I am talking about. I am, of course, talking about the disappearance of young Percy Weasley." Harry felt memories flow back into him; truthfully, Percy didn't occupy any speck of his mind right now.

"Percy…? Wha… what-" Dumbledore lifted a hand, silencing the Boy-who-lived.

"Percy, we assume, joined the Death Eaters rankings under Fudge's permission." Dumbledore stated, causing Harry to rise from his chair in astonishment.

"Wh-what!" Harry blurted. The headmaster of Hogwarts lifted the same hand in the same manner as many times before, and Harry felt himself shrink into his chair again as if being pulled down by strings.

"The ambitious Weasley wanted to prove himself to Fudge. The Wizard with the most political influence on this side of the world; when Fudge learned of the late Professor Snape's defiant stance against the Death Eaters, yet was still in their ranks, Fudge realized that Snape was acting as a spy. Of course this made me withdraw Professor Snape from there.

"These events took place last year, yet I never thought of it as… let's say, important. But Percy decided to try to mirror these feats that Professor Snape performed effortlessly. Yet…"

"Yet…?" Inquired Harry after a moment's pause.

"Auror's found, and rescued, him."

"Rescued?" Harry inquired again.

"Yes, that is correct; he was on an assignment, the first… field assignment he had to perform." Dumbledore lowered his clasped hands and watched the many familiar shinning silver objects perform different actions on his desk before finishing his explanation. Harry waited patiently while wondering why Percy, being as pushy and edgy as he was, could manage to execute the same actions as his complete opposite, Snape. "He was asked to, by a commanding officer I assume, to murder an entire Auror trainee camp on the east side of Luxembourg, close to the Alzeete River."

"This exercise was meant to prove Percy's allegiance to Lord Voldemort, yet Percy was hesitant, and because of that he was easy to find for the young Aurors." Dumbledore paused, as if allowing Harry to wrap his mind around this explanation.

"Wait-" Harry said, "how is this…"

"Significant?" Dumbledore supplied with raised eyebrows and Harry nodded. "Yes it does seem rather irrelevant doesn't it? But because of Mr. Weasley's pretend traitorous behaviour, we learnt of a couple of rather important things. One was that you were in Azkaban prison which was now cluttered with Voldemort's creations."

"Yeah… those things..." Harry meant to say something along the lines of 'were disgusting' or 'repelling', but the words never expelled from his diaphragm.

"Are rather unpleasant," the old wizard said quietly and slowly, like he too was disgusted by them. "The other was of a certain Ludo Bagman's lineage."

Harry cocked his head in confusion. "L-Ludo Bagman?"

Dumbledore nodded his head, his many wrinkles showing quite visibly. "Yes, his greed for gold… overtook him. Tempting him to align himself with the Death Eaters. Of course, Mr. Bagman scurried away long before I knew of his true roots, I find myself foolish for not suspecting this sooner." Dumbledore bowed his head, shaking it. "The man was responsible for keeping an eye on you Harry, of course he didn't go out in the open as the disguised Moody did two years ago, but he watched from the shadows, casting various spells to keep your mind open to intrusion."

Harry rose from his seat, the comfortable chair he was just seated at falling to the ground with an echoing sound around the small office. "D-does this mean…?"

"Yes, Harry, you are, in fact, not that weak." He said cheerfully, a smile spreading on his face. "My loyal caretaker, Mr. Filch, has been reporting, on several occasions, of Mr. Bagman's odd behaviour, not coming to staff meetings, walking around for hours on the seventh floor. When I began to suspect him, he disappeared, vanished into thin air.

"I approached the Aurors immediately. I believe that an article will be published soon enough about him, and the answers to how he came about so much gold." Harry relaxed at this, picking up the seat he had just tipped over. "And that comes to our last order of business…" the Wizard continued pressing his fingertips of both hands together. "The two funerals will be held simultaneously on November the Eleventh. The entire school will be taking the day off to go there and… celebrate… their passing."

Harry didn't speak for a moment, choosing only to nod. Dumbledore said nothing either, it seemed the usually-at-the-end-of-the-year meeting was now over. Harry rose, his usually vibrant emerald eyes blank with uncertainty.

He didn't hear his own footsteps as he left the office, he didn't hear if Dumbledore had said anything to him, he didn't particularly care either. He was foolish… utterly foolish. Throughout the entire meeting, Harry had not thought about Hermione once.

"Amazingly selfish…" he said in his mind. It was like Voldemort still possessed him, he didn't care that Hermione was dead. He didn't care that Snape was dead. He wanted to scream, to let all the tears fall from his eyes, yet who would he cry on?

Ron? Ron would never act in any meaningful way with other males, not even in a discussion let alone in a comfort session. Harry continued to wander aimlessly around the castle; he assumed he wasn't supposed to be in classes right now. He smiled, knowing he would probably fail every course now without his dear Hermione.

"My Hermione…"Harry mumbled climbing the stairs towards the seventh floor, cursing Voldemort for his deceives actions…

A/N And so ends Cry of a Restless Soul. Abrupt I know, but fear not! The sequel will be coming out in no time, the protagonist changing to… well, I won't spoil the surprise. For now, wait until the next instalment in the Legacy Chronicles appears!

Thank you for reading and reviewing! I promise the next one will be even BETTER than this one; I'm planning to focus more on description, for I've noticed that A LOT of this fic was in dialogue, I'll try not to be as fast-paced with everything and more in character.

Any suggestions and comments are welcome! Please Review!

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