Harry Potter and the Guardians of Power
Usual Disclaimers apply, folks – They belong to J.K. Rowling but I like to twist the plots and play with their minds, but all in fun, so if you recognize it, it isn't mine!
AN: Please read and review and thanks especially to those of you who have reviewed every chapter and added this story to your favorites list. So do you forgive me for that very evil cliff hanger? Thanks again for the reviews! Author's profile was updated on 12/04/05.
Chapter 29: Guess Who's Coming for Breakfast?
From Ch: 28
Marietta Edgecombe watched her watch nervously as she waited by the fireplace in the anteroom next to the Great Hall. 'Soon, soon… it will soon be time…just a few more minutes…' She bit her nails in anticipation. Back in their common room, her fellow Ravenclaw 5th year, Mandy Brocklehurst, waited beside the fireplace, wand ready in her hand as she watched the minutes count down.
Sixth year Cormac McLaggen stood ready at the Gryffindor common room fire, as his fellow Gryffindor, little third year Romilda Vane mimicked his stance in the infirmary.
The fireplace in the Hufflepuff common room was manned by 5th year Ernie McMillan; while his fellow 5th year Hufflepuff, Wayne Hopkins, stood wand out, eyes gleaming and ready by the huge fireplace in the back of the library.
The Slytherin's had the most students ready and willing to serve the Dark Lord, even with the loss of four of their members because of the interference of the old coot and that big headed show off Potter. The common room was manned by Montague, and Theodore Nott had been taught how to break the wards on Snape's office. He appreciated the irony that the traitor's own fireplace would be used in his downfall. Nott couldn't help smiling evilly at the thought. The final two Slytherins, Millicent Bullstrode and Adrian Pucey were stationed by the fireplaces in two unused classrooms, one three floors above, and one two stories over the Great Hall.
The watches all reached 8:13 and all ten students said "Incendio!" and all ten fireplaces burst into flame. The normal red and yellow flames started glowing green as the ten watches ticked off 8:15 exactly. Hooded and masked figures flowed silently out of each fireplace. The silent figures grouping together in each location, before beginning their surreptitious advance on the Great Hall of Hogwarts, ready to time their arrival at exactly 8:45, so as to catch all of the students in the Great Hall for morning announcements. The fireplace in the antechamber was the last to glow green as a tall, skeletal, barely human figure smiled malevolently. Marietta bowed down to the floor and whispered, "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Lord Voldemort!"
Severus watched with shock as Harry sat bolt upright, dropping his forkful of food unnoticed back onto the table. Severus called to Harry, 'Harry, what's wrong son?' When he got no answer and in fact could no longer even sense Harry in his mind, he stood, beginning to run after just two steps towards his son. Albus started to grab at his arm as he rushed past, but merely stood and followed at the look on his son's face. He called to him, "Severus, what's wrong?" Severus called back without stopping, "It's Harry, I can't even sense his mind any more. Something's very wrong!" The other staff members looked over at the Gryffindor table where Harry's friends were now noticing Harry's lack of awareness in his surroundings.
Severus had just reached Harry's side when Harry leapt to his feet, startled to find his father and grandfather already at his side. "Hogwarts told me there are invaders in black robes with white masks entering in through ten different fireplaces using the floo network. I have to go seal the door to the antechamber at once." Harry was explaining as he was running flat out towards the door to the side of the room behind the staff table. He was calling the powers of the earth to him and the magic that was Hogwarts was filling him with as much raw energy as he could hold. He was glowing so bright he could only be looked at through squinting. He slid to a halt only ten feet from the massive oak door, Albus and Severus had cast every sealing spell they could think of at the doors as Harry was running toward them to give him as much time as they could. Minerva, Flitwick and the other professors were casting multiple calming spells at the panicking students until they just sat back down and watched what was happening in a mild wondering manner, many still idly picking at the remains of breakfast still on the tables.
Harry held his hands above his head, gathering the power into his outstretched hands. "Merlin, Godric, Rowena, Salazar, and Helga; I call upon you to seal this door against the evil that threatens the safety of your school and your students." He lowered his hands towards the floor, until they glowed with a fierce bright gold; then he slowly raised his arms once again. The stones of the castle obeyed his command and rose up, grinding and groaning as the slabs moved, stone on stone, until the door was completely sealed behind a thick barrier of seemingly solid granite. The power enveloping Harry sunk back into his skin and he slumped, Severus just managing to catch him before he hit the ground.
Harry felt Hogwarts replenishing the physical energy and the raw magic that he had used and only took a few moments to recover before standing out of his father's tight clutch. "Headmaster, there are death eaters in every common room, the library, the infirmary, Severus' classroom, and two empty classrooms, one on the fourth floor and one on the third. Plus Voldemort and another fifteen death eaters are behind this barricade. They will be able to escape through the doors on the other side, but it will take them time to get here. I suggest we get the students out of here while we can. Hogwarts is confusing the invaders as much as she can, she's moving corridors and staircases, locking and even blocking doors, and blowing out every torch to slow them down. She estimates twenty five to thirty minutes before they can reach here."
Albus had been strategizing ever since the first word Harry had spoken, but he was stumped on where he could put all of the students and still keep them safe. Every room in the castle that was large enough for them was full of death eaters, and he really didn't want them just standing outside, who knows what might be coming through the forest. He turned to Severus, "Write a note to Madame Bones telling her to shut down the floo network and then reopen just two fireplaces, this one here in the Great Hall to the ministry, and the one in my office for the Order members to use, we need every auror we can get here now! Make a second note to Alistair, he can call the Order and have them come here the same way. I just don't know where to send the students to keep them safe." He turned his head and called, "Fawkes! Carus!" he then turned back to his son, "Send them with these two."
Harry yelled, "Dobby!" and when the little elf appeared, he hurriedly told him, "The death eaters are here, I need you to gather all the house elves and then take them to the Chamber of Secrets, we will send the students down to you from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, there's a slide down to the chamber. An elf needs to catch each student and then make sure they are situated. We'll send one down every ten or fifteen seconds so they will have to be moved out of the way quickly." Harry nodded at his father and grandfather who were already calling for the prefects to line their students up and beginning to lead them out of the Great Hall and down the corridor, luckily the bathroom in question was only five or six doors down the corridor. Harry grabbed Dobby by one arm and Madame Pomfrey with the other, and apperated them into the bathroom, landing right next to the sinks. "OPEN!" he commanded in parseltongue and watched as the slide appeared. "Dobby, it's really dirty down there so hold your nose as you go, once you get to the bottom, you will be able to act as a focus for the other elves to find you right? Madame Pomfrey, can you give everyone a calming potion or put them to sleep or something so they won't panic?" She nodded and hurriedly started summoning boxes of potions from the infirmary stock room.
"Oh yes, sir, and we's is cleaning as we's go down so the students don't get stuck. Stay safe Mr. Harry Potter, sir! When the children is all safe, the elves is returning to help. Hogwarts is our home too!" Without waiting for an answer, the little creature disappeared into the entrance, waving his arms to clean as he went. The first of the prefects entered just as Dobby's head disappeared from view, the long line of students disappearing down the corridor behind him.
'Hogwarts, are the elves in place to receive the kids?'
# Yes, Master, all is prepare; the elves have blankets and pillows for all and will have hot chocolate with a mild sleeping draught ready for al soon. Each one will be put to sleep as soon as they arrive. #
'Thank you, how much time do we have?'
# The evil one is still blasting the doors and has not been able to break through. The other groups are still lost and cannot find their way, none is closer than two floors up and they think they climb down when they are really climbing up. The two groups from the dungeons are hopelessly lost in the catacombs beneath the dungeons and will not find their way out without help. I can hold all groups off for at least another half hour. The fireplaces have all been shut down, the evil one tried to leave that way when he found the barricade after blasting through the doors. The fireplace in the Great Hall will be connected within several minutes and many that are known to the castle are arriving through the headmaster's office and are on the way down. I am speeding their descent as much as I am able. #
Harry shot the message through his link to Severus and could hear him repeating it word for word to Albus and he presumed the other staff members. He told the prefects to send a student down every ten seconds, there would a house elf at the other end to catch each one. He stood for only a minute to make sure the lines were moving without panic and then apperated back to the Great Hall.
The last of the students were moving quietly out the doors as he appeared; each with a glazed look that made him realize they were all spelled calm. He raised an eyebrow at his father, who quietly remarked, "Minerva and the rest of the staff hit them all with massive calming spells when you first took off to seal Voldemort into the antechamber. Good work remembering the Chamber, it's perfect and having them all asleep will make our job a lot easier."
The massive fireplace glowed green and aurors and other ministry workers who had volunteered started to appear and quickly stepped away. They had been organized to come through the floo two by two and came out prepared, walking forward quickly, wands out and at the ready. Minister Bones and Arthur Weasley had been the first two out of the floo and immediately went to where Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick were standing. Albus waved Harry and Severus over and asked, "Can Hogwarts tell you exactly where each group is now, Harry. We can send a team to each location and make sure they don't get through to the Great Hall all at once. If we can keep them separate it will be much easier to overcome them in small groups."
'Hogwarts, can you tell me exactly where each group is now? And can you lead them to a place where they can be ambushed or contained easily? I have groups of fighters prepared to meet them." Harry sent while he linked his father up, and then reaching out his mind, linked with his grandfather too.
# I will lead the library group to the dueling chamber on the fourth floor, they will be there in about five minutes. The group from Gryffindor tower is in the Room of Requirement, but they don't know that. Two groups are in the catacombs, one on the south end and one on the north end they will never leave without my permission. I have sunk areas of the floor, and they have no means of crossing the gaps. Have the defending groups follow the path of the lit torches; I will light them as to lead them, and replace the floor for them to cross safely. The group from the infirmary is still on the fourth floor, they are traveling in a large circle as I have moved the corridor walls without them noticing. When the fighters have gathered by the infirmary, I will allow them entrance. The two classroom groups have never made it out of their classrooms. They are the weakest groups and have no leadership and do not want to fight, they argue amongst themselves and do nothing. I have sealed the doors; I will light the torches to lead a party to each. The two groups remaining and the evil one I cannot contain in their present locations, I can only delay them slightly. #
Albus and Severus had been relaying the information to a staff member and a group of ministry fighters who were getting prepared to leave the Great Hall, just as a large party of Order members arrived quickly but still conserving their energy, not knowing what would meet them when they arrived. Everyone had been relieved to find every student but Harry safely down in the Chamber of Secrets. The entrance in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom had of necessity been left open, but since only a single individual could slide down at once, it was a very defensible place to protect and defend all the students. Hogwarts had assured Harry that the house elves would be able to get the students out of the chamber, even if the entrance in the bathroom was a one way slide down, just as she was refilling his magical reserves once again.
# Master, the two groups have met up and are only a minute or two from you, the evil one and his thirteen remaining followers have just managed to blast through the last barricade on the far side of the chamber, though he drained two of his followers to the point of death to gain the power. There are twenty-four invaders just one corridor over from you now. They will be to you in just one minute. Take care my Master, remember what you have learned and use it well. # The voice of Hogwarts faded out of his head and the group scattered around the exterior of the Great Hall, the tables turned up to provide a barrier to fight behind.
The doors of the great Hall burst open and twenty-seven rather breathless death eaters burst through, wands already spelling at what they thought would be a room full of screaming, helpless children. They found instead a room filled with trained fighters behind thick wooden tables, armed and ready for them. They were also meeting fully trained aurors who had trained to work together, where the death eaters fought as every wizard for himself, as most bullies, never having learned to work together to accomplish a group goal. And to add to the power of the ten aurors, they met Albus, Severus, and Harry. Even superiority in numbers didn't mean an equal fight, with the three, they were hopelessly outclassed.
Albus waved his arm in a wide sweep, shooting a torrent of water to helplessly blast the first wave of death eaters off of their feet, just as muggle policemen used a fire hose on rioters. The waiting aurors then were stunned, bound and removed the drenched death eaters before they even registered what was happening to them. Harry sent stunner after stunner, both hands blazing with power as Severus tightly bound them right after him, none of the three even bothering with the pretense of using a wand. In less than a minute, half of the death eaters were bound and awaiting transport stacked like so much firewood along the walls, while only minor injuries had befallen the defenders; mostly from splintered wood from the tables as spells struck ineffectively against them.
Harry called to the wind and lifted five death eaters off of their feet and stuck them, wandless and helpless to the Great Hall walls. He turned around to look for another target only to find there were no more, the aurors, his father and grandfather had already cleared the room. It had taken them much longer to gather and restrain the gerbils! 'Gerbils were more fun, Dad!' Harry sent, but Severus answered back, 'These were raw, untrained troops, basically just bullies, not fighters. Don't get too cocky, those with Tom will be much better trained…besides, these will be gerbils by later this afternoon!'
# Master, the evil one and thirteen of his followers will be in the Great Hall in less than five minutes, prepare well and remember what you and your father have trained for. I will allow apparitions out for exactly two minutes to remove the prisoners now. These are the strongest magically that he has coming with him. #
The link must still be going, for Albus had already informed the aurors guarding the prisoners. The bound and stunned death eaters were being sent, in small groups with port keys directly to the ministry holding cells; guarded and controlled by the Order members and ministry workers that were less trained or able to fight. Harry was pleased to see Molly Weasley disapperated with a group; as well as Professors Vector, Hooch, and Sinistra, as well as several members of the ministry and the order that he was worried about. Madame Pomfrey had gone with the students to the Chamber, as well as Professor Sprout, Mister Filch, Madame Pinch, and the muggle studies teacher, Harry didn't even know her name. Harry supposed that Professor Trelawney didn't even know anything was wrong yet, he hadn't seen her at all this morning, unless she had been able to see something using her 'inner eye'.
The room was cleared of everyone except those staying to fight in less than the two minutes that Hogwarts had given them. Everyone took their places behind the tables again and Harry and Severus were on either side of the entrance, knowing how cowardly Tom really was, he would wait until his death eaters had all entered before entering himself. Of course he had no way of knowing what awaited him behind 'door number one'.
Since the doors were already open, and the room appeared empty, the death eaters looked apprehensively before entering the Great Hall. What had gone wrong with their perfect plan? Where were all the helpless, screaming and dying children, the overwhelmed staff, where was their victory?
The thirteen death eaters were fully into the room before Lord Voldemort entered behind them. They turned to look at him for orders when the Great Hall doors shut and were sealed. This would be the final battle for Tom, one way or the other. The aurors and the remaining Order of the Phoenix members, led by Albus Dumbledore stood as one and each stunned a death eater. Since there were more defenders than invaders, most were hit with multiple stunners. Harry called up all of his power and began to glow as he called to Tom, "This is it, Tom, this is the final meeting and I will be the one to walk away. Your death eaters are all gone, to spend their days as gerbils."
Voldemort's red eyes glared as he called his own powers to him. His aura pulsed around him in an evil blackish green that almost beat with his heartbeat, if he still had one that is. "You, how dare you, an insignificant child, threaten me, Lord Voldemort?" Tom swirled his wand over his head and sealed the two of them off, or at least he thought he had. He didn't notice the small fruit bat that he sealed within his shield along with Potter and himself. Tom gathered all the hate within him and cast "Crucio!" Harry flew into the air, the spell missing him as he leaped up, up and clear over the crazed maniac and landed behind Tom, shooting a bolt of lightning that hit the evil wizard directly between the shoulder blades, sending a pulse of electricity through the distorted no longer human body; his movements too quick and deadly for Tom to have even begun to turn around. The massive jolt of electricity stunned and momentarily short circuited the magic of the being barely managing to still stand upright in front of Harry.
Severus blinked into sight as a human, before changing almost so fast that it would be missed in a single blink into a magnificent, very angry Peruvian Viper Tooth dragon, which immediately sank his eight inch long fangs directly into the side of Tom's neck, releasing a flood of poisonous venom into his bloodstream. Tom's shield cracked and disappeared as the venom took effect on his already frazzled and sizzling nervous system.
Harry felt a flood of magical energy replenish him and nourish him for the task ahead. He gave a silent thanks to Hogwarts before he called upon the boundless love of the castle for its students, and his unconditional love for his father, his grandfather, and all those he called family and friends. He wrapped Tom in layer upon layer of love, feeling the evil wizard shrinking away from the touch, until he had collapsed in upon himself, no longer able to think or respond. Harry then turned him cell by cell, molecule by molecule, atom by atom into granite, and sealed him into his own tomb for all time and eternity.
With a huge flash and a shudder that rocked the foundations of the castle, all of the magic and the life force of every death eater alive, both marked and unmarked, including the gerbils, and the ones still unknown and uncaught rebounded, seeking to support the Lord Voldemort as he had engineered their dark marks to do if he was mortally wounded, rebounding from the stone encasing Voldemort and shot straight up into the air, splitting the ceiling of the Great Hall and bringing down huge chunks of granite and mortar directly onto Harry and Severus who had already transformed back to human.
(I am so evil, I thought about ending the chapter here, but I thought you might do me grievous bodily injury if I did, so no evil cliff hanger, yet, ...maybe!)
Albus and all of the professors, the aurors, and the order members threw up any shield they could think of and quickly cast; trying to keep the thousands of pounds of rock from crushing the two beneath the avalanche of stone, and the rest of the ceiling collapsing. Luckily the Great Hall had no other floors above it or the entire castle might have collapsed. Albus felt a piercing cry inside his skull, so full of anguish that it caused him physical pain.
# I can not help them more. They live but I must use all of my power to keep the rest of the ceiling from falling. Help them Grandfather, the boy is holding off the rocks, but he cannot hold out much longer. Save them, Grandfather, because I cannot! #
The dust hadn't even settled before Albus Dumbledore, powerful wizard and anguished parent and grandparent was issuing orders right and left. Minerva and the group from the ministry were casting powerful spells to shore up the remaining ceiling, Minister Bones was sent to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to call for Dobby to bring up Madame Pomfrey and the other house elves, and to bring them to the Great Hall as soon as they were able, and to have Madame Pomfrey bring with her all of her emergency medical supplies.
Albus and the other professors were removing debris from the pile threatening to crush his son and grandson. Hagrid was throwing off rocks bigger than Professor Flitwick with his bare hands. Remus and Sirius had tears as well as Albus, but they were using spell after spell removing chunks of the ceiling as fast as they were able. No one had ever seen the old headmaster expend such raw magical power as he was now; he worked as a man possessed. Chunk after chunk was removed; it seemed as if the pile covering them would never end. The group was exhausted and covered in sweat and dust as the ceiling was finally stabilized.
The aurors and Order members that had gone to do battle with the other groups came rushing back in, reporting that all of the death eaters had died at the same moment, turned into dry husks, as if they had been mummified or died a long time ago. They split up and began assisting the two groups laboring frantically in the Great Hall.
Hagrid yelled as he threw another massive boulder to the side, "I can see them, Professor!"
Albus ran to him to kneel in front of the hole he had excavated, "Filius, Minerva, I need your help. As I hold the rocks up, pull them out gently. Minerva, you bring out Harry first, he is on top of Severus, and then Filius, bring out Severus. Gently, gently." Madame Pomfrey had set up an area to treat the two just back from the pile of debris.
Dumbledore felt Hogwarts 'help' him as he gathered up all of his air element and used it to 'lift' the rocks off of his boys. He felt rather than saw when Minerva levitated Harry out and over to Madame Pomfrey. He was starting to shake with the exertion when Filius yelled, "We're clear, Albus!" Dumbledore dropped the rock pile, and sank gratefully to the floor. Poppy yelled over to him, "They're still alive, both gravely injured, but still alive!"
A ragged cheer went up all over the room, as Sirius and Remus helped Albus up and practically carried him over to the makeshift medical area. Albus was feeling every one of his 150 plus years as he gratefully slumped down where he could watch over his children while Poppy assessed and then treated them. She looked gravely at the three wizards, "I have them stabilized somehow, and we can transport them carefully to the infirmary. I'd rather have them out of this room in case something happens to the reinforcements on the ceiling and walls."
Poppy waved Albus away when he started to pull out his wand, "Not until you are rested yourself, old man. I saw the tremendous exertion you did getting these two out alive. No magic for at least a week…a week and I'll make it two if you argue!" Sirius floated Harry, Remus floated Severus and Madame Pomfrey helped Albus walk to the infirmary where she put him into the bed next to the other two. "This way you can keep an eye on them both, and I know you will stay in bed too!"
She sent Remus and Sirius after various potions as she put healing spells on everything she could. She petrified the two injured men and used a complicated wand motion to place the healing potions directly into their stomachs since she didn't want them moved in any way and neither of them was capable of swallowing a potion at this time.
Harry had taken the worst of the damage by shielding Severus, his ribs were mostly broken and his spine was terribly bruised, but luckily not broken. He had a bad skull fracture and concussion, and all of his arms and legs were broken. His magical energy was so low his body could not help itself heal and she would have to take it very slowly while healing him not to overload it and put him into shock and organ shutdown.
Severus had multiple broken bones and a bad concussion, but his magic hadn't been depleted to the extent that Harry's had, so his body was accepting the healing spells and potions much better than Harry's. Poppy completed as much as she could at one time and sighed deeply as she handed a pepper up potion to Albus, motioning Remus and Sirius to take one also. "Severus was telling me of a wonderful healing potion that he and Salazar Slytherin were developing that could replenish Harry's magic enough for me to heal him, but I don't know how to brew it and my potion's master isn't going to be brewing anything for a while!" She asked the three men to keep an eye on her patients and to call her if anything changed before leaving them to go consult with the experts at St. Mungo's.
# Grandfather, have the two here go to your boys' chamber and bring the portrait of Salazar and Helga. He can help with the potions ingredients and brewing, and Helga may know more spells to help the two. #
Albus quickly sent Sirius and Remus to Harry and Severus' chambers to retrieve the portrait and then sent word with Dobby to have the aurors check each common room for the students who had betrayed their school, their classmates and their friends. He wanted them all turned over to the Ministry as quickly as possible, he was much too angry to be able to deal with them. He frankly wanted to kill them, preferably with his bare hands, for not only betraying their school; but for putting his children into such grave danger.
Minerva had just entered the infirmary to give Dumbledore an update on the condition of the Great Hall, when Sirius and Remus came rushing in, each carrying a large portrait in a gilded frame. Sirius called out to Poppy as they ran past her office and she came out, clearly worried about why she was being called. She saw the portraits that the two men carried. Only a small expression of confusion, followed by understanding flashed across her face, before she was once again fully professional.
She quickly went to Lady Hufflepuff's side and hurriedly whispered what she had found and how she had treated the two's injuries so far. Salazar was deep in discussion with Albus about the potion that he and Severus had developed for severe magical exhaustion while Severus was in the past.
Lady Helga had suggested two new spells that Poppy Pomfrey didn't know, but after being instructed in them, she was able to stabilize Harry's breathing even with all of his broken ribs, and she was able to completely repair the bulge in the blood vessel in Severus arm that had threatened to need amputation to save his life. Salazar stated that he would be able to guide Eric with the assistance of several students in the brewing of the healing potion that they would need for Harry.
Fawkes and Carus flashed into the infirmary directly over the two beds and started to sing in comfort and healing. Carus was crying tears over the worst of Harry's injuries, while Fawkes was doing the same for Severus. The portrait of Salazar asked Carus if she would be able to recover the phoenix egg shell that Severus had brought back from the past. Without hesitation, she flashed out of existence and returned with the precious shell. Salazar then asked Albus if they had harvested the basilisk venom from the giant reptile that Harry had killed in his second year. He was shocked to find out that the entire carcass had been left untouched. "Well, it's a good thing that the chamber has preservation charms cast upon it, and that the basilisk ingredients actually had to age two to three years before being harvested. I suggest you send Professor Brewmeister down immediately to harvest the venom for the potion. We will also need phoenix tears from both a fire phoenix and a glacier phoenix, but that won't be a problem. We will also need a tail hair from a silver unicorn, willingly given; everything else Severus should have in his potions stocks or the trunks we sent back with him. Albus, he still has lake water, you know the lake I am talking about I believe?
Minerva quickly transformed into a unicorn in the middle aisle of the infirmary and turned around so that Sirius could pluck a couple of tail hairs, before transforming back. Salazar smiled, "Yes, definitely willingly given."
The common rooms had been quickly cleared, eight of the ten had apparently already been marked so only third year Gryffindor Romilda Vane, and fifth year Hufflepuff Wayne Hopkins had not perished when the protean charm that made up the dark mark drew all the magic and physical life force out of his followers to shield Voldemort from death. Luckily, being changed into and then encased in granite had kept any of the energies from reaching their intended beneficiary.
The students had all been woken up and returned to their common rooms before being sent home for a week starting the next morning. The Ministry assured everyone that all repairs to the castle would be finished before the students returned the following Friday. There would be quite a few students who would not be leaving because they were now orphans after the death of their death eater parents, but most of them would have other relatives to be placed with.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger were being brought to the castle to stay with Hermione and all of the Weasleys in the Gryffindor tower. The teens had all volunteered to help with the potion brewing and anything else that was necessary. Professor Dumbledore had even talked Neville's grandmother into coming to stay to help with the newly orphaned younger students. She was very knowledgeable about who was related to whom among the older families and would be working to find suitable homes for those who needed them.
Eric had drafted the Weasley twins to help him in the Chamber of Secrets to harvest the basilisk venom. They were actually very good potions brewers if you could interest them in what you were brewing. Hermione would also be helping, as well as Neville, who had turned out to be surprisingly good, once he got over his fear of Professor Snape.
After five days, Madame Pomfrey actually released Albus from the infirmary, but he seldom left Severus' and Harry's sides. Poppy had managed to heal most of Severus' injuries; he should be waking up at any time. But Harry was still responding sluggishly to both potions and spells, so he was having to heal mostly as a muggle, and was not making much progress.
Severus groaned, he didn't remember getting drunk, how could he have such a bad hangover, wait, attack in the Great Hall, Voldemort dead! He felt a surge of emotion at that thought, freedom from that monster at last, but why was he hurting so? Oh, backlash of power, ceiling falling, Harry leaping on top of him…HARRY LEAPING ON TOP OF HIM! He forced himself to consciousness and managed to squeeze open his eyes.
"Harry?" he croaked, managing to weakly raise one hand.
"I'm here, son. You're going to be all right. Here drink this and then you can have some water and we can talk." Severus heard Albus' worried voice as if he was speaking from deep inside a bucket. A goblet was touched to his lips while a gentle hand behind his shoulders and head, lifted him up to drink. He would know the taste of a healing potion mixed with a strengthening potion anywhere, Blechh! He heard a gentle chuckle at his apparent grimace, and then gratefully felt a cool splash of cold water against his lips. He opened his mouth and drank thankfully.
He asked again, "Harry?"
Albus sighed heavily, "I'm afraid Harry isn't doing quite as well as you are, son. He took the worst of the falling rock, protecting you with his own body. Sh-h-h, he's alive, but his magic is drained and Hogwarts is unable to feed him energy, because he is too physically damaged at this time. I also suspect that a great deal of Hogwarts available energy was used to keep feeding Harry power during the attack, and then even more when she held the ceiling and walls from collapsing further after the blast of power that backlashed from Voldemort's spell that killed all of his followers. Poppy says his magic is too drained for the spells and potions to heal him very quickly."
Albus settled Severus back down on his pillow, took a seat beside him and continued, "Eric, the Weasley twins and Miss Grainger are working on a special healing potion under the supervision of Salazar's portrait. The other students have mostly been sent home, Mrs. Longbottom, Minerva, Mrs. Granger, and Molly Weasley are helping the students who lost their parents cope with the loss and finding new homes for them. The ministry and several goblins assure me that the ceiling of the Great Hall will be fully repaired in two more days. Though I confess I don't know how the Founders' cast the enchanted ceiling. I will have to consult their portraits for guidance in that. Have I answered the questions that you have, Severus?"
"I need to see Harry, Albus; I cannot feel him anywhere in my mind. I want to see him." Severus managed to whisper.
"Certainly, son. He's right here beside you." Albus helped Severus to sit up some, propped him up with more pillows, and then drew his wand and moved the beds so that they were touching so that Severus could hold Harry's hand while he watched him. Harry looked almost peaceful, his bandages were mostly removed, his pale face was unlined and pain free; the slow rise and fall of his chest made it seem as if he was merely asleep. But his cold, limp, and lifeless hand made the true story plain, Harry was in a deep coma, and would not be waking up anytime soon.
Poppy had come out and forced a Dreamless Sleep potion into Severus, but she hadn't the heart to separate the beds, and had allowed Severus to remain propped up on pillows to watch his son's face as he fell back to sleep. Albus sat down once again and waited, as he had been waiting for the last five days, for his son and grandson to heal.
It had taken a team of twelve aurors working in shifts of four at a time; more than half a day to lift and move the huge stone monolith that was the final tomb of Tom Morvolo Riddle out of the Great Hall and to an area near the Forbidden Forest. They were unable to move it any further and would have to wait for Harry and Dumbledore to remove it completely from the Hogwarts grounds.
Professor Brewmeister was nervous, so much was riding on the completion of this potion, plus he was under the watchful eye and tutelage of Salazar Slytherin. He had been a good potions maker, but he would never be a Master Brewer like Severus Snape, let alone the legendary Salazar Slytherin. Though the Founder had surprised him by being very easy to work with, and even joking good-naturedly with the Weasley twins. They had fun sharing stories of pranks they had pulled off successfully. Eric had been very startled at the mental picture of Godric Gryffindor in a pair of thong underwear; or wearing pink robes and braids in his hair. Master Snape must have a wicked sense of humor!
The basic healing potion base had been brewed over the last two days, and now they were ready to add the special ingredients. Eric never thought he would be pulverizing phoenix shell, he had no idea just how much the whole shell was worth, but it was probably more than he would make in his entire lifetime. He ground the small amount almost reverently as he had the twins collect ten tears from each of the two phoenixes in the room. Hermoine was carefully stirring counter clockwise fifty times; Neville was keeping an eye on the low flame while he counted with the girl.
Eric divided up the pulverized shell into ten equal portions, had Fred add one tear, George add one tear, and then he added one small pinch of eggshell. Hermione stirred ten times right, and then ten times left. They repeated the process nine more times and covered the potion for one hour.
Winky and Dobby brought the brewers sandwiches and pumpkin juice to drink while they waited to add the final two very costly and virtually unobtainable ingredients, basilisk venom and willing given silver unicorn hair. After the addition of those two radically opposite and very unusual ingredients they would add fifty drops of lake water. Eric was surprised by that ingredient until Salazar had explained it was from a very particular, very magical and completely pure lake, not just lake water.
"Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty." The potion turned from a muddy greenish grey into the most beautiful clear blue liquid at the addition of the last drops and the last stirring. Everyone in the room heaved a big sigh of relief and slumped in tiredness. It had been a very stressful and draining two days. Now they needed to cool and bottle the potion and take it to Madame Pomfrey and hope that it worked!
On the evening of the seventh day after the battle in the Great Hall, five very tired brewers pushed open the doors of the infirmary and joined the waiting people already in the wing. Severus looked pale and ashen; but he was awake and holding Harry's hand as if he was anchoring him or maybe convincing himself that Harry hadn't left. Albus looked up from the chair he was sitting in next to Severus, with an expression of hope in his tired face; just the barest beginnings of a twinkle in his eye. The portraits of Salazar and Helga were propped up on tables at the far side of Harry's bed; Ron, Ginny, Minerva McGonagall, Sirius, Remus, and Arthur and Molly Weasley were all standing slightly to the side to allow Madame Pomfrey to check on her patients. She looked up as the tired group entered.
"Good, good, how many doses did the brewing make?" She asked eagerly.
"Ten individual doses, Poppy, but we have the ingredients available for another two brewings if they are needed." Eric said as he slumped down on the end of a bed across from the two patients.
Poppy came over and took the potions case from his weary hands, held it up for Salazar to see and at his nod, she handed one to Severus. "Drink it up; I daresay you can use it too. And then we'll see just how well it works!"
Severus opened the vial, sniffed it, looked through the glass to check color and clarity, and finally tasted a small sip before tipping the vial up and swallowing the whole thing down. He fell back on his pillows, eyes closed as he gasped in surprise. Poppy quickly waved her wand in diagnosis over the potion's master. She looked back at the watchful group and smiled for the first time in over a week. The potions master's face regained the sallow tone it normally had as it lost the waxy ashen look it had worn since the battle. His breathing deepened and evened out, he actually looked healthy for the first time in a week. It took less than five minutes for Severus to wake up and declare the potion a complete success. Poppy let him up to help give Harry his potion, though a quick consultation between Severus and Salazar decided that Harry would need two doses and perhaps a third in the morning.
Severus slid behind his son's head and shoulders as he had so many times before in the meadow and leaned Harry's head back over his left arm. He took the potion vial from Poppy's hand and gently dripped the blue liquid down the inside of the boy's cheek. Harry swallowed convulsively and shivered involuntarily. They waited five minutes from the first dose before Poppy handed Severus the second dose. Harry swallowed that one much easier and after only three or four minutes, Severus looked up at the watchers and smiled. "He's beginning to stir; it shouldn't be too long now. Harry, son, it's time to wake up, come on son, open your eyes." Severus' voice was smooth, calming and silky.
Harry had been in a white fog for it seemed like forever, he wasn't sure he wanted to leave; somehow he knew he would be in pain if he did. But he heard a very familiar voice calling to him. And he knew that voice; that belonged to someone who would take care of him and make the pain go away. He struggled out of the fog that trapped him, using the voice as a guide.
"Come on son, open your eyes. You have lots of people here who want you to wake up now, come on, you can do it." Severus looked up at Harry's friends and his 'family' and said, "I think he needs to hear all of you calling him. I can just barely feel the mental connection coming back, but it is very faint, like he's lost somehow."
Everyone crowded around the bed where Severus still held Harry cradled against his chest and called softly and encouragingly to Harry. Harry heard his friends and family calling to him, making his way clearer with each step out of the fog. He could hear them and knew he wanted to leave. He struggled to open his eyes, looking up directly into his father's smiling face. Severus' eyes glistened as he kissed the top of his son's head and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Welcome back, son. How are you feeling? And I know you aren't 'fine'; remember?"
Harry tried to speak but all he managed was a hoarse croak. Ginny handed a half full glass of cool water to Severus and he dribbled some into Harry's mouth, being careful not to pour too quickly or to give him too much. Harry looked directly up into his father's eyes and croaked, "Did we do it? Is that bastard gone?" At Severus' nod and gentle reassurance, "Yes, son and he can never return, his followers are all gone too." Harry closed his eyes and went to sleep, safe in the comfort of his father's arms.