The Big Sleep
Hagrid stood outside at Dumbledore's tomb cleaning off the leaves form the headmaster's gravesite, when Harry came barrelling towards the tomb. "Hey there 'Arry." Hagrid said to his friend.
"The elixir of life would never have kept him alive from that curse! How is it that I can see him here?" Harry said to Hermione as she ran to keep up with him.
"Harry why did you think Voldemort was after the stone in the first place? Surely not for the gold, he didn't seem to care for it much." Hermione said then turned to her large friend and smiled, "Hi Hagrid."
Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it to the tomb, "Wingardium..."
"That won't work," Hermione said from behind him.
"'Arry what do you think you're doing?" Hagrid asked pulling him away from the tomb.
"He's alive Hagrid, we have to get him out of there." Harry said fighting him off.
"He is not alive 'Arry, you saw him die." Hagrid said.
"I saw him get hit with the same spell that I survived... Twice." Harry said standing his ground. By this time the Headmistress had seen the commotion and came near. She had been on a night's walk to clear her head and talk to her friend Albus, as she had become accustomed to. The older woman was surprised to find so many there at this time and rushed to see what was going on.
"Harry, my I add that, you have been the only person to survive it." The headmistress said from behind him.
"Here, Look at this map." Harry said handing the active marauder's map to the headmistress. She looked at where they all stood now, and noticed that the name Albus Dumbledore appeared among theirs and it was fading in and out. "If he were dead he would not appear there."
"By Merlin!" The headmistress stated running over to the tomb. She cast a spell to move the stone cover of the tomb. There he lay held together as if by magic. Harry touched the prone figures cold hand. Miss McGonagall leaned forward and touched his face. "Albus can you hear me?"
"Professor Dumbledore," Harry states shaking his shoulders.
Hermione stood back staring hopefully at the Marauders map. The demon inside her hissed angrily inside her, I can't wait to get our hands on Dumbledore, I will be truly rid of him for eternity. Hermione could no longer fight him, The demon inside her took over her body, and she was lost within.
"Maybe, it is just residual energy from the elixir." Harry said after a while.
"Mr. Potter this is a magically induced coma. It requires magic to undo," the headmistress said looking down upon her old friend leaning at the edge of the tomb.
"Yes, yes that's it." Voldemort said nearly dancing where she stood.
McGonagall reached out with her hand closing her eyes as if she were trying to feel for something. "Come on Albus speak to me," she whispered
Harry watched the woman intently, he remembered professor Dumbledore do that to find the opening in the cave wall. "What can you tell?" He asked after a few minutes.
"Only the wizard that cast this spell can remove it." The Headmistress stated, "It is a sustain spell."
"Do you mean Snape protected Dumbledore before casting the unforgivable curse?" Harry said.
"No," The demon inside of Hermione said finally, "He couldn't have, because if Snape had done it, the spell would have been null."
"Perhaps Dumbledore himself cast it," said the head mistress, "Albus was a fantastic alchemist, and he had been wondering about the elixir of life since your first year Harry."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"He had been wondering why Voldemort would have even wanted the thing in the first place, other than the obvious, the elixir did not prevent death from injury." The headmistress said looking down to the sleeping headmaster. "He's been working with it since, maybe he found the answer he had been seeking."
Harry looked leaned on the edge of the tomb and looked at the man. Hagrid sat on the lid that lay flat on the ground nearby, crying into his handkerchief. Hermione looked bored with the whole thing and stepped forward and whispered something into Dubledore's ear.
As she stepped back, the prone figure's eyes opened. He took a deep breath "No." he said weakly.
Harry looked at Hermione wide eyed, "How did you do that?" He asked as Professor McGonagall helped Dumbledore out of his stone bed.
Hermione began to laugh hysterically. "That is not Miss Granger," Dumbledore said as he walked stiffly towards Harry, "I am afraid she is lost within the shell of her body, as an evil spirit has taken over her shell."
"What?" Harry said just as Hermione picked up her wand, "expelliamus." Hermione was thrown back and her wand flew in the opposite direction.
"Your reaction time has much improved Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore.
"Stupefy." Professor McGonagall said taking charge, "Hagrid if you would please take Miss Granger to the Hospital wing."
"Yes Ma'am" Hagrid said blowing his nose, "So glad you're back Professor." He bent down and picked up the stiffened form of Harry's fiancée and headed to the Castle.
"Professor, what..." Harry started, his attention divided between the two of the most important people in his world.
"There will be plenty of time for explanations later," Dumbledore stated understanding his concern for Hermione.
"Right," Harry said and he ran to the hospital wing regretfully leaving Dumbledore behind.
"They're getting Married," Professor McGonagall filled him in wrapping an arm around his waist for support.
"Finally," Dumbledore said and squeezed his friends shoulder, "good to see you again Minerva."
"The feeling is mutual," McGonagall said as she lead him back into the castle.