Scabbed Wings

'The hospital wing is full; we have to put them elsewhere!'

'We can't just let them stay in the Entrance Hall.'

'I'll go prepare the Great Hall for them.'

'How many students are injured?'

'Only about a dozen, most of them are just scared. St. Mungo's is sending everyone they can spare to help though; it looks like a few took the brunt of the attack.'

'Only a dozen injured? Looked much worse.'

'Most aren't here yet. But we were lucky the Order got down there quickly.'

Harry heard the school long before he saw it. Walking up the drive was possibly the worst thing he'd experienced in months, well, no, but it was excruciating. It wasn't that he remembered the school badly; it was that it reminded him how much he still had to do. How little he'd accomplished. How much he'd changed…

But there was little else he could do. After the attack abruptly ended, Death Eaters apparating away, Dementors vanished into the fog and, all three giants disappeared rather quickly for creatures so large.

Any sense of accomplishment or triumph at ending the damage Harry should have felt was non-existent. He had done nothing of importance, in his mind, only one Death Eater was caught and he was no closer to destroying Voldemort.

But he continued to the castle with the compounding disappointment and enclosing guilt anyway. He did it for three reasons. First, he was helping lead students back up to Hogwarts; many were still shaking with disorientation. Secondly, he needed to help the injured already there. And third, the reason that hung limp in his arms, resting against his chest.

Ginny had promptly passed out moments earlier. Harry was not sure if it was his return or a wayward stunner that had done it; he only knew he wanted to wait till they were safe before waking her. Harry clutched her tighter as he tried to decipher the look in her eyes when she had seen him.

It could have easily been just surprise, but Harry's already-battered heart knew it saw anger and pain as well in her eyes. In her glance. In the first moment they'd seen each other for nearly five months. He hated himself for still loving her. She deserved better. She deserved safety and stability, things Harry could never promise.

Aurors Harry recognized in passing stood at the gates, keeping them open for the stream of students but looking cautious with wands ready. Harry said nothing as he carried Ginny past them. The Aurors looked like they wanted to stop Harry but he didn't want to be approached and they had a job to do.

McGonagall ran down the steps to meet Harry when she saw him with Ginny. Older looking and wary, she stared at Harry for a moment, and then looked to Ginny.

Harry had absolutely no idea what to say. So he said nothing.

'She'll need the hospital wing,' McGonagall whispered in a shaking voice.

'I think she's just passed out,' Harry said without looking at McGonagall.

'It would still be more appropriate for her to be there,' she said openly staring at Harry, 'I'm going to need to talk to you, Harry.'

Harry didn't reply.

The halls of Hogwarts were chaos. Teachers were yelling at students to go to their houses, Aurors in various states of injury checking others for jinxes, curses, and hidden imposters and, because Harry wouldn't be Harry without it, a wide berth, stares, and people outright pointing at him.

He had not socialized much during the last few months for this reason exactly.

When they reached the hospital wing, he laid Ginny down on the first available bed. A mediwitch Harry didn't recognize didn't recognize him either and moved between him and Ginny. She checked her pulse and got out her wand.

Harry looked around at the other students. Some were so young…too young. He knew the way Death Eaters acted: singling out people and torturing, humiliating and degrading them before huge crowds, immobilizing them with fear.

Harry walked to the far end of the hospital wing. There was a 4th year Hufflepuff shaking and bleeding before a distressed mediwitch. His eyes kept sliding in and out of focus. The mediwitch began calling for help as his eyes slid completely out of focus and his chest stopped rising.

Harry placed his hand under the boy's neck. The mediwitch moved to stop him. Harry braced himself for the pain he knew was coming.

Vigoratus, he thought. The pain was intense and brief, as it always was. It felt as though the centre of Harry's being was being pierced repeatedly as a faint blue magic coated his hand and was absorbed into the boy's neck. It took only a few moments of this magic for the boy's pain to stop, his eyes to open serenely and then fall back into a deep sleep.

The mediwitch was stunned, as were those watching.

Harry moved to the next bed and repeated the process. The pain was more intense this time, but it was nothing new to him. By the sixth bed, his legs were weak and he had to whisper the spell out loud, his energy began to fail.

He continued. He healed each student. The pain crippling him. His nose began to bleed crimson down his face. Harry didn't stop, he couldn't.

Only three more, he told himself, don't make it so hard; don't be so weak, it will be your fault if one parent has to learn of a dead child, these injuries are beyond mediwitch healing. Harry healed them, the hospital wing had become stony silent as they watched him, and he wished they wouldn't. Ginny…he could barely stand by the time he reached her. He had been wrong about her simply being stunned; in his receptive state he recognized that now.

He could barely stand, but he put his hand beneath her warm neck.

'Vigoratus,' he whispered weakly.

Pain stabbed him. Exponentially worse then the last injured student. He didn't stop. Her skin became coated with the same blue magic. Harry's vision began to fade as he clutched the bed with his other hand. He saw her eyes open, it was the last thing he saw before darkness closed in on him and he fell slumped over her bed.

Days after leaving the Burrow, Harry found himself at Godric's Hollow but it was not the place Harry was expecting it to be. However foolishly, whenever Harry thought of the place his parents died he always imagined it twisted with death and dark magic. He imagined a ghostly manor surrounded by haunted ground and for the sun never to reach the ground.

What he found was possibly more twisted, in that it seemed so placid and peaceful. A large property at the end of a lane, surrounded by an ancient looking stone wall, Godric's Hollow was nestled in a large forest.

The road ended at a large iron gate with the words 'Godric's Hollow' covered in ivy that looked to have been growing much longer then 16 years, possibly hundreds. The gate, however, had been chained shut, rusted tightly, and bound by more ivy. Harry climbed over it easily. The path to the house looked abandoned unkempt and wildflowers were poking through the cracks. Sunlight shone in patches brightly through the trees. Harry found the entire thing disconcerting, as though it was purposely contrasting what was supposed to be there.

The path twisted and a lake became visible in the distance, sparkling and dancing in the bright sunlight. It curved once more and the ruins of a house came into view.

It looked to have once been quite large, though Harry could barely tell from the debris. Stone, brick and beams lay silently on the ground, covered in moss, weeds, wild flowers and partially buried; Harry paused at where he was sure the front door once was.

He stared for a moment. He could feel the magic tingling in the air, as he once had in a cave with Dumbledore. He wondered where he once lay, where his parents' bodies were and why he felt so inexplicably drawn there.

Harry sat in the grass, still staring at the quiet rubble that watched the lake. He didn't know how long he watched it before he was interrupted, it may have been hours.

'Master Harry Potter is returned?'

'Master is, Master is!'

Harry whirled around onto his feet with his wand raised at the sound of new squeaky voices. Two house elves were positively jumping in happiness at the sight of him.

'Master Harry Potter is grown up!' exclaimed one elf, skinny and pretty in elf terms.

'Master Harry Potter,' the other, with an overhanging stomach and larger then normal ears said, appearing to try and calm himself, 'I am Smithy and this,' he gestured to the other elf, 'is Cheshire.'

'…Er…you're my house elves?'

'Yes, sir,' said Cheshire.

'We have been alone for a very long time, waiting for you,' squeaked Smithy.

'Waiting?' Harry said, 'since my parents were here? You've been here since then?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Where have you been staying?' Harry asked, looking at the wrecked house.

'On the property, Master Harry.'

'Would you like us to raise the house, Master Harry?' asked Smithy.

'Raise the house?'

'Godric's Hollow is most ancient and has not been completely destroyed; we could restore it, Master Harry.'

'…Er…ok,' Harry said, though it sounded like it would take a very long time.

He was quite wrong; Harry was thrown a short distance from where he was standing as the wreckage seemed to jump from the ground. Both house elves had their arms raised high above their heads and were making strange hand movements while saying an incantation in unison.

Harry watched from the ground in awe as it took form. Soon an impressive manor stood stronger then it seemed possible in front of the house elves and Harry. He stumbled to his feet. It now looked like water was falling from the roof to the ground but did not puddle. It was washing the dirt and mould from the grey stone and made it shimmer in the sun like the lake.

The whole thing couldn't have taken more then a few minutes before the water fell for the last time then evaporated. The house looked new, though in a very old, small castle-like style. Harry shakily approached the slightly oversized doors.

He looked back at the house elves, both of whom were smiling widely, obviously very proud of themselves.

'Shall we tell you about Godric's Hollow?' asked Smithy.

'Sure,' Harry said, 'why not.'

But he didn't look back at them; he pushed open the doors with surprising ease considering the huge wooden beams they were made of.

'Godric's Hollow was built in the year one-thousand-fifteen by an important wizard of the day. Twenty generations of my family have served here as the manor was passed down through the years.'

Harry found the entrance hall to be cool and bright from large windows. Objects like paintings and statues decorated the rooms though Harry didn't remember seeing any in the wreckage.

'Powerful magic has ensured Godric's Hollow remembers how to stand so it will not be destroyed as long as it has an owner to raise it-'

'But you raised it,' Harry interrupted as he explored a dining room. There was a cabinet at one end with three objects in it. A necklace with a lion on it, an empty crystal bottle and an old wand that looked to have been carved by hand, not smooth like the wands Harry was used to.

'A house elf cannot raise the house without a master's presence, Master Harry-,' Smithy explained.

'What are these?' Harry asked.

'They belonged to the original owner and have been passed down with the manor. The first is the pendant he wore, believed to have the ability to keep him safe from injury. The second is the Agape bottle, which it is said can hold love- though this is quite impossible, but the legend is it can keep it safe. The third is his wand, carved from a Methuselah Tree containing holly and unicorn hair. All a very powerful objects.'

Harry explored the rest of the rooms, disappointed not to find any personal artifacts of his parents. Smithy explained that only the objects of the original owner are remembered by the house so only they were found.

There was one last room for Harry to see. He felt the magic before he entered. He knew it had to be the place where Voldemort killed his mother. He placed his hand on the door, feeling the cold wood, he moved to open it. The house elves gasped, but hid their shock quickly.

He pushed the door in and let it swing open. It was exactly what he was suspecting. This was what he knew he was to see.

The room was black. Like walking into a dark shadow. The walls and window were gnarled and twisted. Dark liquid seeped down the walls to the floor where it pooled. Black thorned vines twisted themselves painfully in the corners and across the ceiling.

Harry didn't step in. He let himself stagger backwards and the door swing shut.

'I-In there?' he asked the house elves.

'When there is magic so dark and an occasion so evil it cannot be changed, the house is confused. The house is trying to destroy what happened in there by destroying the room but the magic lingers and leaves the limbo, Master Potter' Smithy explained quietly.

Harry did not want to ever return to that room. He was suddenly very cold.

'Is there anything else we can do for you, Master Potter?'

'Yes…my parents…their graves…' Harry said, still not looking away from the now-closed door.

'We will take you,' said Cheshire.

Harry got the distinct opinion the house elves were as glad as Harry to get as far away from that room as possible. They led him outside, where the sun was now setting, and down another path.

Through the wood, near a stream, to a small cemetery with ivory white monuments covered in more ivy, Harry noticed many more then just two though. There were dozens, of varying shapes in the small patch of dusk-lit ground.

'The family plot, Master Harry, nine generations of owners here. Lily and James Potter lie at the East end,' he pointed towards two nearby graves.

Harry walked over to them, grateful the elves didn't follow.

Lily Alice Potter

1956 – 1981

Twenty five, Harry thought, only twenty five, a few years older then he was.

James Harold Potter

1955 – 1981

James Potter…his father, the man he had thought about more then any other.

The elves had left as Harry felt himself collapse on the ground.

He was silent for a time, then began to speak, '…I-I'm sorry I haven't visited before,' Harry said, wind rustled the trees as it got darker. He felt closer to his parents at that moment then any before.

'I'm just so…' Harry closed his eyes, 'sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for Voldemort coming here, for killing you. I'm sorry for blaming you when I was young for leaving me at the Dursleys. I'm sorry for doubting you last year, Dad; you were right about Snape, about everything. I'm sorry for getting Sirius killed and not being able to help Dumbledore. I'm…I'm…' Harry continued. He said everything he'd ever wanted to say to them. He'd spoke about the worries and questions he had. He told them everything. He let all the guilt he had off his chest.

Somewhere, far beyond the realm of what Harry could see, people listened. Two people, who had been waiting a long time, a third who had joined them not long ago and a fourth who had united with the group most recently.

Harry left Godric's Hollow that night with the house elves, who promised up and down to keep it safe. He left for the next destination on his list, Little Hangleton. He remembered Dumbledore speaking of it and had few other clues to go on, it was worth a try.

The only destination in Little Hangleton he could picture was one he had spent long hours trying not to. A graveyard on a hill overlooking a village.

Harry wasn't even sure he could aparate that night. He felt so drained after talking to his parents and exhausted after traveling. But the fake, locket Horcrux in his pocket pressed against his thigh and reminded him of what he had to do. It had taken Dumbledore months to find each one and Harry was nowhere near the wizard Dumbledore was.

He was filled with a new determination at that thought. His parents died for this, for Harry to defeat Voldemort, as had Dumbledore and Sirius. He had to do it. He walked back to the road under the full moon, listening very carefully for any werewolf-like noises, though Harry really didn't know what that would include.

Once he was far enough away from Godric's Hollow to not be trapped in any wards, he concentrated on the graveyard Voldemort had once kept him prisoner. He let the memories ooze into his head while keeping his thoughts on the graveyard. He paused for a moment. Stupid, really, he knew he was being ridiculous. But…just in case, Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out of his bag and put it on…just in case.

With a loud pop Harry felt the squeezing sensation and apparated to the graveyard.

He went right into a defensive stance, pulling his wand out, but the graveyard was completely deserted…really stupid…really. Harry looked around. It was the same as he remembered it, broken tombstones, and a derelict look.

Harry put his wand away but kept his invisibility cloak on. Even if it was empty, Little Hangleton was still an area Voldemort could be staying and he would know it much better then Harry.

He left the graveyard and headed for the village, his hand jumping to his wand at every small noise. The streets were quiet and Harry didn't know where to go. It was a small town but he still didn't fancy knocking on every door until he either found the Riddle Mansion. He thought he'd start there because Dumbledore had already been to the shack Marvolo lived in and surely he would have noticed two Horcruxes, if they'd been there.

There was a small bar at the end of a street with its lights on. Harry peered in the window, there were two old men sitting at the bar drinking whiskies and watching the news on a small, black and white television.

When he was sure no one was watching, Harry slipped from beneath his invisibility cloak and stashed it in his bag, he adjusted his wand so the muggles wouldn't be able to see it and entered the bar. No one seemed to notice him at first.

The bartender was drying mugs with a dirty towel.

'What can I get you?' he asked Harry as he approached the bar.

'I need to know where the Riddle house is,' Harry said carefully, fully aware the old men were now watching him.

'What would you be wanting there? No one around anymore,' said the bartender.

One of the old men had started laughing loudly, he shook his friend.

'Frank was right after all,' he laughed.

'What?' said the other old man.

'Remember, he said it was a dark haired kid who did in the Riddles,' he told his friend, 'kid,' he said to Harry, 'you're 50 years late.'

'Walter, leave him alone,' said the bar tender, 'the Riddle house is three streets that way,' he pointed, 'you'll know it when you see it, huge and falling apart.'

'Thanks,' Harry said beginning to leave.

'What's your name?' called the bar tender after him.

'Harry P- Black, Harry Black.'

It was the only name he could think of that couldn't cause anyone to be in trouble. All the Blacks were dead.

'Right…Harry Black, you cause any trouble and we know who you are.'

Harry walked through the quiet cobblestone streets. The fog he'd become so accustomed to the summer previously coated the streets and made the stone slippery. Harry walked cautiously, his hand on his wand, remaining in the street lights when he could.

The bartender was right. It was absurdly obvious when he reached the Riddle house. It was obviously empty, with the lawn in disarray and many broken windows. Harry pushed open the gate and walked towards it, though a part of him screamed not to.

He reached the door-

CRACK

Harry spun around. He swore he'd heard something or someone. He saw a cat on a garbage can silhouetted in the distance. It looked larger then McGonagall's Animagus.

He opened the door and walked into the dark house with no idea where he was going or what he was doing. There was a shuffling sound somewhere ahead. Harry pulled out his wand and moved in closer, not daring to breath.

One room had a silver light glowing out the door. Harry's scar didn't hurt and he was not planning to run, that left him with two options, go in, or don't. He took a deep breath and slid in the room.

The light was coming from someone's wand, someone digging through the books on the shelves, opening them then tossing them over his shoulder as though looking for something. He was tall, with long dark hair and shabby robes.

'I was wondering if you were going to be here, Dumbledore,' said the man in a voice familiar to Harry. He didn't seem to mind at all being disturbed, 'we've been following the same clues, I think. I already got the locket, if you didn't know.'

The man turned around to face Harry, 'You're not Dumbledore…' he said in shock.

'Sirius…?' Harry breathed, but the moment he said it he knew he was wrong. While this man strongly resembled Sirius in every way, it wasn't him.

'My brother. You're Harry Potter, aren't you?'

'Your brother? That's impossible,' Harry raised his wand, 'you can't be-'

'Regulus Black, at your service.'

Ginny woke up in the hospital wing either very late at night, or very early in the morning. She was completely disoriented but felt oddly refreshed. The first thoughts that came to her were of the ridiculous notion that Harry had returned. Impossible. Though not entirely uncommon recently.

Then…something new happened…she couldn't figure out how to convince herself it was all a dream. It wasn't. She remembered Harry, then waking in the hospital wing with him holding her and falling asleep again.

Ginny looked to her right, a row of sleeping students lay peacefully in the dark room. She looked to her left; one man with black, chin length hair in a long cloak was standing and silently packing a bag. He looked like he had just woken up and was about to leave.

'Harry?' she said quietly, her voice not entirely reliable.

Harry jumped slightly and turned to her.

'You can't be leaving…Harry…you're not…' she said weakly.

'Are you ok?' he asked, turning his back to her and continuing packing.

'Harry,' she said, 'you- you can't just leave!' she said getting some energy back and some power in her voice, 'you can't abandon me again!'

'Ginny…I never want to abandon you, I want you to be safe, I-'

She struggled to sit up, Harry approached her bed and she grabbed his wrist tightly.

'Harry, I have forgiven you for whatever stupid, idiotically righteous reason you left us last time, but if you leave here tonight, right now, I-I, I can't handle that. I-' she trailed off, feeling the tears burning.

He couldn't leave. He couldn't leave already after she had spent every night of every day thinking of him during the past four months. He couldn't hurt her like this again. She saw Harry's face in the faint bluish light of the moon outside the window. He looked pained, so much more damaged then she'd ever seen him. She'd never seen someone so strong look so fragile before.

'I have things to take care of, to go to-'

'You don't have to go anywhere right now. Stay here.'

'Ginny, I-'

'Harry, I love you. I've never loved anyone like you and no one's ever hurt me so badly…you can't do it again,' Ginny whispered, tears spilling over her eyes.

Harry looked at her for a moment.

'I love you too.'

He touched her face and gently wiped her tears away with his calloused thumb. Ginny trembled in his touch and her heart began to pound so hard it was almost painful. She took his hand in both of hers and kissed it.

'Stay…'

Harry kissed her. She nestled into his arms as he lay back on her pillow. She clutched him tightly as they slept, laying her head on his slowly rising and falling chest, safely enclosed in his arms. They thought of only each other. Not the uncertain future, or Death Eaters, or Voldemort or even the trouble to await Harry in the morning. Ginny slept soundly in the warmth of his arms and Harry was close to content for the first time in a long time as he felt her heart beat between them and her soft breath on his neck, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

AN: That's all for today, folks. I'd love some reviews, that would make me insanely happy. Hopefully the next chapter will begin to tie some things together and it'll all begin making sense. I'm glad everyone is happy with the HPGW ship because it'd be more work then I'd like to do to change it now that it's in the cannon.

R/R, and I'll love you forever, Sirius is making puppy eyes at you this time on my behalf.

-EtherealDarkness, my first review! And so soon after I posted. I was pretty depressed by HBP too even though I absolutely loved that book, probably my fav or 2nd fav in the series. Thanks for reviewing.

-Shang Warrior Phoenix, I hope this was soon enough. It will be staying HPGW because I like it, you guys all like it, JKR likes it and I trust JKR even if we disagree on events that rhyme with Bumbledore's Nurder.

-Morbane, Thanks for the review. You're definitely right and when I get out of my lazy streak I'll edit down the wedding and dive into the grammar, maybe by the time chapter three is up. Hope you liked this chapter too.

-tarnished, thanks!

-Munku JGSPTV, Thanks for reviewing and not giving up on me :-)

-Goyana, Thank you. I'm hoping for this to end up as a proper fic when it's complete, but I haven't totally finished the plan so I don't know how long it will end up being. I hope this was soon enough.

-Lady of Masbolle, Thank you, hopefully the 'will you continue' question has already been answered by this chappie smiles

-Goddessa39, I love those stories too! But my puppy eyes are nothing to be taken lightly, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

-Gopha gurl, It's definitely going somewhere. Parts of HBP definitely broke my heart but I love that book so much. I hope in bk7 they get back together, they're definitely safe in mine though. Thanks for the review!

-MioneMalfoy17, Harry isLuke Skywalker, definitely. I hope JKR will let Ginny force herself back on Harry because he deserves a little happiness, even if he is just trying to keep her safe. Thank you!

-Zillie, I hope they get back together too. Actually before HBP I was never a huge shipper (didn't really care about any ships) but now I'm completely in support of HPGW, they just seemed so natural together. Thanks for reviewing!

-Paige2310, Don't worry, I won't change the ship. I've been pleasantly surprised by how attached everyone seems to be to HPGW now. Thank you for reviewing!

-Nine Tailed Vixen, I agree, JKR will have some job putting in any romance if the next book is going to be like it seems. I think Harry needs a little love in his life though, lol.

-VioletFlower, Yep, it was intentional. I'm very thankful for your nit picking because I hate doing it myself. I'll fix that sentence (it was one I had rewritten so many times the words lost all meaning, lol.) Thanks for the review!

-Clumsyfaery, I loved HBP, only another 2 years. Till then we can all just live on fan fics. Thanks for the review!

-Ken, Incredibly odd, hopefully my explanation (coming soon) will make sense. Thanks for reviewing!

-Praesul Femella, Thanks, don't worry, the ship is safe.

-Eilisan, Thank you, I hope you check out this chapter!

-RonHermione13, It will definitely stay HPGW. Apparently the mass outrage only occurred when I suggested another ship, no one liked that idea it seems. Thanks you!

-Spike Blade, I clocked in at around 11 hours myself. I wish I could have made it last two years but that's less then a page a day and the thought is too painful! Thank you.

-Wavefunction, Thank you!

-Randomidiot, Thank you! Don't send the voices, they sound scary. Wait, I hear them coming runs and hides

-Danuschka, Thanks you!

-Chyp, Thanks!

-GCNFGCHICK02, It will stay HPGW, I was oddly emotional after HBP too so you're not alone. Thanks for reviewing!

-Mookiemoooo, Thank you so much!

-Ta1nted, Thank you for reviewing! Harry became a "warrior" not without costs, but you'll see that soon smiles mysteriously

-Hrtbreaker, Thank you! I've been scouring for them too, then I got frustrated and decided just to write my own, lol, but you probably already knew that.

-Waffleshouse, lol! I'm pretty happy too. Seems everyone is in the same boat, only raging that I might dare change the ship.

-Mr. Set, Thank you. Her reaction will really set in during the next chapter but there was a little bit of it in this one. I hope this one was up soon enough.

-Ginny05, Thank you!

-Sir Chris, Thank you so much! I hope you liked this chapter.

-SpiffySquee, I hope you liked this chapter too. I personally think I might be treading too close to the fluffy side of the line, but I'll leave that to the reviewers to tell me. Thanks for reviewing!

-Lady Arewen of Rivendell, Thank you! I hope this was soon enough.

-Sagitbam, Thanks for reviewing. I hope this was soon enough.

-Neopyro, Thank you.

07/18/05- edited that crazy imposter Regelus out of the story and put Regulus in

07/26/05- edited a line break in