Scabbed Wings
Harry smiled fugitively in the cold, moonlit night as he pried open one of St. Mungo's frost-covered windows.
Wizards never think to protect against muggles, Harry thought.
He was right to be proud of himself. After spending the better part of an hour avoiding detection in the cold while still trying to get into the hospital undetected, experimenting with every spell, charm, incantation, hex, curse and even a few spontaneously-made potions, it was a crowbar that got him in.
As far as he knew, there was still no official warrant out for his arrest, but Harry knew better than to think that the Ministry (or the Order of the Phoenix) would ever allow him to freely move about the country. St. Mungo's kept track of people entering for any reason and were very careful with them. He doubted there would be any carelessness at all in the security given to someone on their way to Azkaban.
But, there he was, using the elementary principles of leverage even Dudley could understand to outsmart the wizards- and they believed muggle technology was worthless, maybe Mr. Weasley was onto something…
Harry tucked the crowbar behind some bushes and brushed some snow over it with his numb fingers then hoisted himself shakily into the window frame. He desperately hoped to find something to relieve this weakness, the longer it continued, the more of a liability it became.
He landed awkwardly in the warm St. Mungo's hallway. Harry shut the window as quietly as possible and steadied himself for a moment with the window frame. It was dark and deserted, the sounds of people talking were somewhere in the distance. Harry jogged down the hall, not a clue in his mind where he was going.
There must be a book or chart of where everyone is in the office, Harry thought, changing his direction to go towards where the secretary usually was. Harry heard a noise and fell into a shadow, he watched as a healer passed by, comforting a crying young woman. Harry pulled himself up.
Around the corner he saw a few desks grouped together surrounded by bookshelves full of charts and some lazy paper-airplanes landing in piles in the inbox. As it was hospital, and never really slept, there was a young, dark-haired witch chewing on her quill and occasionally writing out forms. Harry watched for a few minutes as she yawned and put her head in her hand, her eyes fluttering open and closed.
Harry aimed his wand at her.
'Somnus,' he whispered as a wispy blue light struck her between the shoulder blades. The witch slumped over, snoring faintly. Harry looked carefully around before moving to her side, he pushed the witch gently off the documents her head lay on.
Sure enough, when Harry pushed aside her dark curls, he saw a Marauder's Map-like layout of the entire hospital. A dot labeled 'Draco Malfoy' was stationary on the fourth floor- Spell Damage, in the small Ward 47. There was another dot labeled 'Casper Williamson,' pacing around Malfoy, Harry assumed this must be the same Williamson that he had seen once trying to arrest Dumbledore guarding Malfoy and, after he moved the witch back into place, he began thinking of ways to get past the auror.
The hard part wasn't doing so, if he wished, he could likely out duel him, but doing so undetected and unnoticed was more difficult. Harry walked through the maze of hallways to the Fourth Floor and found Ward 47 with the light of his wand as no torches were lit there. Harry pressed his ear against the door, hearing nothing.
'Nox,' he whispered.
He tried to relax his mind but it was impossible as he had to expend considerable thought just convincing his legs to keep him standing straight. He tried again. Harry could feel the auror on the other side of the door, strong, confident, powerful, utterly bored and looking for a fight. Despite his weakening, Harry still felt he could beat Williamson in a duel.
Harry pushed the door open a crack when he was sure Williamson was looking the other way. He pointed his wand at Malfoy's pale body, handcuffed to the bed and unmoving.
'Permoveo.'
Malfoy's body began shaking, violent fits of seizures. His back arched unnaturally as Williamson rushed to his side, terrified his charge was going to die before experiencing Azkaban. Harry dived into a shadow as the auror ran from the room to find a healer. Harry removed the stopper preventing the door from locking once the auror had rounded a corner. He listened hard. Williamson was gone, but he would return soon.
'Finis,' Harry muttered, going to Malfoy's side. His body fell limp again, his pale hair now in disarray and pink bruises forming on his wrists where they strained against the handcuffs.
Yes, Harry thought, there was probably an easier way to achieve this…but it doesn't matter… no one will know anyway.
And Harry felt some sick approval in seeing Malfoy like this. The teenager shared some of the burden of blame Harry laid on the ones responsible for Dumbledore's death. Now… however… he didn't look the least bit of any kind of rival.
Harry noticed something on Malfoy's arm. He gently pulled up Malfoy's sleeve, there, seared into his pale flesh, was the Dark Mark. Harry didn't know what he expected. It shouldn't have been a surprise, he'd known for over a year Malfoy had one… but actually seeing it… someone he'd known since they were children… Harry could feel whispers of Voldemort's immense power on it.
He hastily covered it back up and began routing through the file, marked 'CONFIDENTIAL' in bold letters, lying next to Malfoy's bed. He scanned over it quickly, knowing Williamson would be returning soon.
…born 06/05/80 (21:07), weighting 3.5kg, to Narcissa Malfoy…
Harry flipped to another page in the file.
…admitted 03/28/89 (12:45), broken arm and bruising, Quidditch accident, no further investigation, treated with…
Harry leafed to the end, he didn't have much time.
…admitted 12/26/97 (00:54), sever spell damage. Brought to St.MHMMI by Aberforth Dumbledore past midnight. The obvious effects of a duel and possible, later confirmed, ingestion of a Doxycide, likely the result of poisoning. When first admitted, unconsciousness was accompanied by fever (104°), unresponsive to light.
Aberforth Dumbledore? The man with the goats? Some one was coming. Harry heard them struggling to get in the locked door.
…Evidence of use of Cruciatus, physical dueling resulting in a broken arm, two broken ribs, a punctured lung, bruising and other superficial damage…
As the door was knocked messily off its hinges, Harry dropped the folder and slipped behind a cabinet in the shadowy corner. Williamson and the healer rushed to Malfoy's side, checking him frantically for signs of life. Harry waited a beat and slipped out the door. He ran down the darkened hall, slowing to an unsuspicious walk after a while. He had to get out. The healer might be able to tell a charm was used on Malfoy.
He still had to get something to strengthen his muscles though. Harry felt as though he could keel over, and being weak wasn't something he could afford after being out of commission for a month. He stopped outside one of the medical potion storage rooms. There would be something for him there.
'Alohomora,' he whispered.
Nothing. Too easy.
'Patefacio,' he tried.
Still nothing. Harry only knew one more unlocking charm and he wasn't sure he could do it in his current condition. Though, in his current, worsening condition, he was no longer sure he could win a duel. He had to get in.
'Aperio,' he whispered and, with his left hand, brushed the door with his fingertips.
He heard it click and leant on the door heavily, slipping into the room and to the other side of the door. The room was small, perfumed, and suffocatingly dark.
'Lumos,' the silver light from the tip of Harry's wand filled the room, illuminating shelves of glass bottles and casting their eerie shadows on the walls.
It was on the shelf labeled 'experimental' that Harry found something he might be able to use. A blue gourd-shaped bottle labeled 'Muscle Refresher, use sparingly, (powdered dragon heart, powdered Graphorn, mandrake, Runespoor fangs) EXPERIMENTAL, use only with supervision, Augustus Pye.'
As Harry downed the chalky potion, and felt it sink into his tongue and throat, he recalled a time he might have hesitated. Of course, that was long before the long days he spent in Godric's Hollow experimenting on his own. The two vials of strengthening potion he had been so careful to bring, hadn't worked, only making it worse, so, he would trust another's experimentation… hopefully a well trained healer who knew what he was doing.
Harry fell to his knees painfully on the stone floor. His tongue burned. Harry started to cough. It was soon a violent hacking the left him on his hands and knees. Pain radiated through his veins… then… it began to subside. The pain was replaced by an icy sensation and a sudden burst of energy. Harry jumped to his feet cat-like as he felt his muscles swell. All the feelings slowed to a stop stopped.
He looked around, hoping no one had heard him. Then, curiously… slowly… Harry pulled his robes back and his shirt up over his stomach.
'I wonder if that will last…' Harry whispered to himself, observing his slightly swollen abdominal muscles, which now looked quite defined and most impressive. If there wasn't such a good chance someone may walk in, Harry would have considered checking more of his muscles. He decided against it and pocketed the bottle before leaving the room.
He slithered nimbly from shadow-to-shadow before lithely getting out the window, easily clinging to the wall for a moment before leaping into the snow. He sprinted away from St. Mungo's, though there really was no need; he simply had so much energy and his muscles tickled to be used.
Harry knew where he was going, back to Hogsmeade, to the Hog's Head to talk to the bartender. He crouched behind a dumpster where Harry knew no muggle or wizard would see him before apparating into Hogsmeade with a loud cracking sound.
When Harry's body was no longer compressed, and he was able to take a breath again, he opened his eyes to the dingy pub's door, lit orange in the cool dawn. And, when Harry entered the pub, he saw that the dinginess he remembered continued inside. There were a few broken tables leaning in splintered pieces against the wall and the old bartender Harry remembered was pushing a mop over ominous red stains on the wooden floor. He didn't stop when Harry walked in, but did give him a fugitive look over his mop.
''Lo,' Harry said to the bartender, standing on the edge of the bar.
The bartender grunted and stopped mopping. He looked right at Harry from behind long stringy hair with familiar blue, bespectacled eyes.
'Potter,' he said, it wasn't a question, he seemed to have almost been expecting him.
Harry struggled to place the man's face.
'You took someone to Saint Mungo's last night? He got in a fight?'
He grunted again.
'Who was fighting with him?' Harry asked, no idea where he was going with the line of questioning. He simply knew that there was something strange going on if a Death Eater could be beaten into the hospital wing and no other Death Eaters retaliated. It couldn't be an auror, they would never resort to something as primitive as poisoning with Doxycide, and no Order member would do it. Harry was beginning to wonder if it could be a clash within the Death Eater ranks. If so, was it Malfoy or his opponent defying Voldemort, because, surely, the only thing that would warrant this was defying Voldemort?
Harry knew why someone had attacked Ginny. Magic was falling out of balance and it was corrupting the dementors, Voldemort must have guessed Harry was powerful enough to set it to his favor with an unusually large exertion towards someone he loved… but it didn't make any sense… why at Hogwarts? How could Voldemort know that? How did it work, anyway? All Harry knew about the balance of power was what he was told in Albania, Voldemort must have learned much, much more.
All he hoped to do was find out who had attacked Ginny and how they got into Hogwarts. He strongly suspected the one who fought Malfoy had something to do with it.
'He wasn't a regular,' said the bartender, 'tall guy, your friend, Lovegood, seemed to think he was famous.'
'…Stubby Boardman… really?' Harry said with a raised eyebrow. Wasn't he mostly a figment of Luna's imagination?
'Think that's one she said,' he picked up the mop again.
'Could he have been a Death Eater?' Harry asked carefully.
'It wasn't written on his forehead.'
Harry tried to relax, the bartender was uncooperative. He caught the bartender's eye and tried to force his way into his guarded mind. He saw a familiar suggestion of his former head master before the old man looked away. He had the same beard as Dumbledore too… and face shape… the tall frame…
'Aberforth Dumbledore?'
'No,' he said in a drawn-out, sarcastic way, 'Celestina Warbeck. Wouldn't have thought you were so slow from the way he talked about you.'
'Dumbledore?'
'The one and only. Stop gawking.'
'…I just always thought you were off doing inappropriate things with-'
'I taught them to speak, nothing else,' he said angrily, Harry had touched a nerve.
'I didn't think goats are smart enough.'
'Apparently, each and everyone are smart enough to fight Voldemort and attend Hogwarts,' he started mopping again.
He looked like Dumbledore, but Aberforth was nothing like his former mentor, '…Look, could you just help me find Stubby Boardman or whoever it was fighting with Malfoy?'
'And why would I do that?'
'Because your brother would have wanted you to.'
He stopped mopping and looked up.
'…Think he slept in the Shrieking Shack last night…'
Harry left the Hog's Head for the Shrieking Shack without a second thought. He felt awful at using the memory of Dumbledore to guilt his brother into doing the right thing when there were definitely things that Harry had done, which the dead professor wouldn't have agreed with.
He blasted through the boarded up windows with his wand, requiring more power than unaltered wood should have. He lit his wand as the house was dark in the early morning and he crept up the stairs after checking every room in the downstairs. Behind the door to the bedroom, he paused and listened, where Snape once did. Someone was in there… two people… speaking quietly.
Harry raised his wand and opened the door, ready to fight. He almost dropped it a second later.
There was a naked, teenage girl with porcelain skin sitting on the bed.
'Sorry,' Harry turned in embarrassment.
The girl screamed and struggled to hide beneath the blankets.
'GET OUT!' she yelled, she threw a pillow, and it hit Harry with a cloud of dust.
'Sorry, I-'
She screamed again.
'Harry! Mandy! Stop!' said another voice.
The girl stopped screaming. Harry turned around again. He hadn't notice before, but Regulus was also in the room, now, he stood with one hand over the girl's mouth and another stretched towards Harry.
'Regulus!' Harry yelled, 'it was you? You're Stubby Boardman!' he shouted angrily.
'No, no, no,' Regulus said, his face turning in a smile but his hand remaining over the girl's mouth. Her big, brown eyes shot from Regulus to Harry and back to Regulus as she clutched tattered blankets, 'I came here looking for him a few hours ago. I think he's a Death Eater and I was afraid he might attack you in the hospital wing because no one knows about the secret passage. All I found was Mandy, here,' Regulus said. Harry recognized her as a Hufflepuff girl in his year at Hogwarts, 'she said he was here with her last night.'
'He looked like you, the Quibbler said-'
'I know, a dead ringer. Back when he was in the Hobgoblins, people were always confusing us. But Harry, he's a Death Eater… I'm not… remember, I destroyed a Horcrux so Voldemort would be mortal… it nearly cost me my life.'
Harry looked away from Regulus, to Mandy Blocklehurst, '… Yes, I'd forgotten…'
'I think I know where he's gone. It looks like Severus Snape has taken him in, he lives in some mill outside London. I know the way.'
'…You came looking for him here after asking the bartender, at three in the morning? She,' Harry said, talking about Mandy 'was already here… you talked and decided he was likely staying with Snape?'
'Well, yes, Harry, but it wasn't like that. Harry… I promise… I'm no Death Eater… if you think I hurt Ginny… well, I'd never do that… you're like a son to me, Harry, and, if I wanted to hurt her, I could have done it that night I was in the castle… And the Malfoy boy, in the hospital, he was in a duel, someone used Cruciatus on him… you know I can't do magic,' said Regulus, he looked more sincere than Harry had ever seen him. He took his hand off of Mandy's mouth. She looked terrified, than, she slowly nodded in agreement.
'Harry,' Regulus continued, 'you've been getting more paranoid lately, I completely understand why, but there aren't many people you can trust these days, you can't push away the people who love you. You pushed away Sirius, remember?'
Harry cast his eyes downward. He was right, of course.
And, as Harry and Regulus left the Shrieking Shack and Hogsmeade in search of Stubby and Snape, Harry thought back and realized he had pushed away everything and everyone who had ever loved him, even Hedwig was now living with the Weasleys. And Ginny… the only girl who had ever caused him pain and bliss at the same time… why did he now not care that he could feel her crying over him miles away?
'Come on Harry… open your eyes…'
'Our world will fall to Voldemort if he's dead and another young life will be lost to this war… was the chance worth it?'
'Come on Harry… wake up…'
'The Coven has known for millennia our civilization would be corrupted because of the desire for more power.'
'Harry… get up…'
Someone dumped a bucket of cold water on Harry's face and he coughed awake. He rolled to his side, water running off his nose, his eyes stung. His wrists quivered, sharp pains echoing in them, as he tried to use them to stand up. Harry collapsed on his front into the muddy puddle beneath him.
'See! Good as new! Better than new! Hey, where'd you go?'
Harry craned his sore neck to see who were talking. Regulus was kneeling next to him in the mud, a wide smile on his face. The other voice was not present.
'W-who's- w-here,' Harry stuttered.
'It's a success,' Regulus said, enthusiastically grabbing Harry's arm, 'we've turned you into an Agoncrux.'
'…I-I…'
'Harry, remember, we came here yesterday, started the ceremony last night. It's the morning now and everything has gone fine.'
'C-ceremony?'
Harry's eyes glazed over for a moment as he tried to remember how he came to be lying in a clearing all night and in an intense pain.
It all came back to him. The Dark Forest. The Scroll Regulus read from. Silver trees. There was a storm, water was bubbling up from the ground and lightning from the sky. He remembered the last thing he saw before closing his eyes. The necklace he'd taken from Godric's Hollow, suspended in mid air above him, floating still in the violent wind and the thunder rumbled.
His eyes had closed. His mind had left the mortal world, the possible world, that night. Harry tried to remember what happened next. He remembered someone, something, skinning him, scalding him. He remembered the darkness as he saw in the distance a ghost of Voldemort watching him, smiling. There was someone else there too. Someone close to him, comforting him, an angel with scarlet hair and sad, green eyes.
Then, there was darkness. Then, there was nothing. Then, as Harry re-entered the mortal world, he felt the sun rise serene on his face, comforting his aching body. He remembered the earth beneath him, and then he heard voices talking above him. They had wondered if he was dead. They had spoken of the Coven. Regulus… and… Ollivander? Could they have been the ones pondering his death?
'Harry, remember yet?' said Regulus, his voice bringing Harry back to reality.
'Y-Yeah… I- I went somewhere… I-I…' he stopped.
'I don't think you did, Harry, I was here the whole time. You stayed here.'
'N-no, Voldemort, he was there, he was a ghost. My Mum, s-she… she was there too,' Harry said as he was suddenly gripped by a wrenching guilt and misery.
'You saw the ghost of the Dark Lord and Lily Potter?' Regulus said very slowly, 'Harry, think about it… that's impossible… all that happened was we turned you into an Agoncrux and it went more or less perfectly… I think… I don't think this has been done for a long time… but, you are not dead, so, it must have gone right.'
'Y-yeah… I must have been dreaming… or something.'
'Here,' Regulus stood and extended his hand to Harry; he grasped his wrist and was pulled to his feet. For a moment, he swayed, grabbing Regulus's shoulder, 'and the old crazy thought you were dead.'
'It worked?' Harry asked as Regulus handed him his wand.
'Yes,' Regulus pulled some objects out of his pocket, 'here, just trinkets now, not worth the material they were made from,' he let drop into Harry's palm the necklace, bottle and a rough wooden stick, which was once a wand. They no longer held any of the draw or power they had the previous night.
Harry didn't know why, but he gingerly put them in his pack. He would return them to Godric's Holllow.
'So, I'm…' Harry started.
'Yes, they're now infused within you, well, they're power is.'
Harry lent against a tree and put his head in his hands. He remained like that for a moment as the aches in his body evaporated and Regulus remained a few feet away.
'Harry…' Regulus said after a moment.
Harry looked up.
'There's something you can help me with now. You see, since you've now got all this extra power, and the ability to affect the balance, you could return my power back to me… make me a wizard again…'
Harry didn't say anything.
'Sirius would have wanted you to. He knew how being powerless felt, in his last days, that's what you told me; he would have done anything to be able to help the war effort. Now, you can let me do it for him.'
He remembered Sirius's desperation; he saw Regulus's face, the same look, the same face. He nodded slowly.
'How?'
Regulus smiled, 'It's called an energy transfer, the Vigoratus Enchantment.'
Harry felt power begin surging through his body, brushing away the last of the pain.
'All you have to do is say "Vigoratus" and be touching my wrist. You might get tired, but that's the worst thing that can happen.'
Harry stepped away from the tree. Sirius wanted this. Regulus pulled back his left sleeve, revealing an oozing sore that Harry had never noticed before.
'…The Dark Mark?' Harry asked, noting the location of the sore.
'It won't heal. Hasn't since Voldemort had it grated off nearly twenty years ago.'
Harry's eyes remained on the wound and he clutched Regulus's wrist, careful not to touch it.
'Vigoratus,' Harry said.
A blue magic seeped from Harry's hand into Regulus's arm, coating it. The magic began to climb up Regulus's arm, reaching the sore, the skin and sinew began to knit together.
'Harry,' Ollivander appeared out of nowhere. In surprise, Harry nearly let go of Regulus but the older wizard grabbed his hand, holding it tight to his wrist, 'I have not stopped you from creating an Agoncrux, from bringing him here, but I cannot allow you to do this,' said the Wand-Maker, his eyes serious behind his glasses, 'he is using the suggestive power of this place to use you, to use your power.'
Harry tried to let go of Regulus, the wizard wasn't looking at him.
'Harry,' said Ollivander as the blue magic reached Regulus's elbow, 'this will not bring back your Godfather.'
'GET OUT OF HERE!' yelled Regulus.
Harry wrenched his hand out of Regulus's grip and the blue magic faded. The older wizard looked murderous, Ollivander had disappeared again. It obviously hadn't worked.
But as Harry's eyes wandered to Regulus's wrist, he saw only smooth skin where there was once an open, incurable injury. Harry was alone.
He had been following Harry, despite his weakened state, for the whole of the evening under the waning moon. Luna had been wrong when she said the moon was full, it was only 5/6 lit. He followed Harry when he took Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to Hogsmeade, only Ron noticing him there. Then he had apparated to Godric's Hollow with them, once again, only a distraught Ginny hearing him and ignoring it. For all Harry's intelligence, talent, and power, he was still just a reckless teenager sometimes.
He had followed Harry to St. Mungo's and the Hog's Head, than, to the Shrieking Shack. Following, of course, at a distance, and making no effort to stop him. Harry was making more progress in investigating Ginny's attack than the Order had, and he was only there to protect Harry and not let him disappear again. He needed people. He needed someone he could trust…
Sadly, he had wondered what such a kind and intelligent girl like Mandy was doing with any grown man. She had too much talent to waste being taken advantage of. It was then, he had to convince himself not to give Mandy his cloak and take her back to the castle with a lecture about waiting, as he had to follow Harry further.
Regulus Black… a face he never thought he would see again. There were rumors that Harry was seen with Sirius Black, possibly being manipulated by someone with the ability to take on Padfoot's appearance, but that wasn't necessary with Regulus around. The manipulation was still evident.
He had followed them to Spinner's End and had seen the warning signs of trouble before Harry. He watched as Regulus told them where Spinner's End was, subtly revealing it to them from beneath the Fidelius Charm. He had wondered before where Snape lived, Spinner's End was ridiculously perfect for him.
The three entered the home and found Peter Pettigrew inside; neither Snape nor any former member of the Hobgoblins was visible. Harry had acted on impulse and shoved Pettigrew against a wall, spilling expensive, elf-made wine. Regulus, slipped out the front door, leaving Harry, seemingly, alone with Pettigrew.
Part of him wanted to grab Harry. To pull him off of Pettigrew and let the short man speak. Another part of him wanted it to be a full moon.
'H-Harry! Stop! P-Please don't hurt me! I can help you! Don't hurt me! Don't-' Pettigrew screamed as Harry got out his wand.
'Tell me who attacked her!' Harry snarled.
'I-I don't know! Please! They won't tell me anything! They won't let me-'
'Things have changed since I saved your life! If you think I won't kill you-' Harry started.
'Please! I'll help you, but I don't know!' he wailed.
'TELL ME!' the house shook and the torches blazed.
Pettigrew attempted to transform but Harry was ready for it, he was grabbing his arm in a death grip, using it own power to weaken Pettigrew. The short wizard began to wail, to cry. He thrashed free and swiped Harry's face with his silver hand, gashing his jaw.
'PLEASE! I'M SORRY! I-' he cried as Harry knocked him to the ground, his black hair sticking to the blood.
Harry's knee crushed Pettigrew's wrist and, from his vantage point, he couldn't tell whether it was intentional or not. Harry locked eyes with him, forcing his way into Pettigrew's mind. He watched as Harry's expression shifted from anger to horror.
He jumped back from Pettigrew.
'I'M SORRY!' Pettigrew cried,'t-they said I j-just had to k-keep you here for a few minutes. I'm so sorry! I didn't want to! T-they here! They're here now! Watching us!' suddenly Pettigrew feel limp, as though stunned, but Harry hadn't done it. The older wizard had simply fainted under the pressure.
Harry looked as though he couldn't decide what to do. He needlessly stunned him then took off, leaving Spinner's End.
He watched and began to follow, but felt a wand against the back of his neck and someone grabbing his arm. Death Eaters appeared out of the air. Remus Lupin fell to the ground stunned; his senses had been weakened by the Monkswood and Moon.
The one yielding the wand was none other than Severus Snape. The Death Eaters grabbed the unconscious Lupin and Pettigrew and disapparated to Voldemort's side. Regulus Black was already there.
AN: Argh, ha, I'm a pirate. Sorry for the wait. This is continuing the World Tour of Chapters. Seven came from Tokyo, this one is coming out of Beijing, the next will probably be coming from Canada, then all the rest will be from Italia. Which reminds me, THE END IS IN SIGHT! YAY!
Three things 1) Does anyone know definitively if it's definitely now not allowed to do review replies? A few people have mentioned that to me. I'll do them this week, but I'd love to know. 2) REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW 3) In case you haven't noticed, apparently, CH7 was not the last chapter:).
-lou, Thanks
-Arica Princess of Rivendell, OKAY!
-renoir, Thanks, I know, it feels better to see 'completed' even if an ending is just kind of tacked on there. But in my reading experience, the only fics I've actually actively hated, are the ones that started off good and got bad. Abandoned fics I just found kind of annoying. Thanks for reviewing.
-Junky, Yup, I did.
-Trunks 01, Harry and Reg's relationship is… well… he's just not a good person. In OOPT, Sirius uses James's memory to guilt Harry. Harry uses Albus's memory to guilt Aberforth. Regulus uses his own brother (in his likeness) to guilt Harry. None of them are good things, but one is much more personal and dangerous. Thanks for reviewing.
-thephatom114, Hey, yeah, I know I'm lucky to get the reviews I have. But, I'm an idiot, so I'm allowed to be dumb/greedy, lol. Thanks for reviewing!
-Vorax, You knew there would be a next chapter before I did… seer blood? Thanks for reviewing.
-darknessallover, Hi, I do write some things just for myself, but I don't post them, I only post the ones I write for reviews. Maybe I'm just lazy too, lol. Thanks for reviewing!
-VaterVonMelker, Friggin' heaven, ok.
-desithug, Thank you, I hope you liked this chapter.
-Padfoot90, Thanks!
-Glary8402, Thanks… I think :)
-basketballbabe, I think the chapter updates will get more regular again soon. I'm on vacation right now so it's tricky, but the next one will probably be up faster. I promise, Harry will get better again. There's no way I'm leaving my protagonist as this much of a jerk towards Ginny, lol. Thanks for reviewing.
-ShadowHunter Marshell, It's ok. I rant at authors all that time… those bastards… abandoning their fics… just makes me so darn angry! In the next few chapters, Harry will finally come to terms with everything and everyone else will also. Thanks for the review… and for jolting me into addressing the lack-of-update problem (see, some times authors just need to be slapped.)
-XXRoseDawsonXX, Well… ok… fine… I'll put up Ch8, lol. As long as at least you're still reading. Thanks for reviewing!
-sadgoat, I understand. When ever I don't have, fics up I always forget how much reviews mean to some authors. There are good people out there, who really don't care and post anyway, then there are idiots like me… oh well… thanks for reviewing!
-Jeefus, Lol, quartet, I should get in a scene where they're singing in striped jackets- but, er, yes, to the point. Thank you very much for the review and Harry's friends will be a much more prominent part of the coming chapters so there will be lots about what they think about Ominous!Harry, lol.
-wsantlem, It will only get darker smiles evilly… thanks for the review!
-emziwilson, Thank you, thanks for reviewing.
-Revan, Thanks!
-sara, LOL! Thank you. Hopefully this chapter was good enough to warrant one. I dug up the typos mentioned and corrected them, thanks, I hate proof reading so a lot of the time the quality of spelling/canon spelling in the chapter depends on people mentioning something. Thanks for reviewing.
- guyute3965, Harry… well… he means well. Underneath it all, he's a good guy, but even he is vulnerable and he has a lot of baggage that could be used to influence him. He really needs to be surrounded by people without ulterior motives… like his friends. Thanks for reviewing!
-Amy, Thanks, let me know if you liked this chapter too :)
-andy may, Thanks. I definitely hope this fic will be finished eventually. I hope you liked this chapter!
-JBQ, Yeah, I try to remember that some people just don't want to review, even if they like the fic, but it's when it happens continuely, by more and more people that I get anxious. Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter too.
-Digi Bonds, :) Thanks for reviewing!
-Name, I THINK SO TOO!1 I was just worried I was the only one… thanks for reviewing.
-MeghanthePagan, No, I definitely don't want that on my conscience, so here you go. Lol, I was actually a little afraid when I wrote it like that that I'd just get reviews saying 'well… now that you mention it… no… you shouldn't continue… it's just not good anymore, you shouldn't be wasting your time with it.' But everyone was so nice- I'm just getting paranoid, lol.
-jackhea, Sister Dear, you forget that the days of 'cuddedn't' were not that long ago. You do, however, I'm sure realize your reviews are always the hardest on me, in case you've forgotten, when you reviewed Chapter 1, you gave me my only real flame… I think, because of that, I'll call you an ass. Now, while I must criticize you calling me on my placement of the Dark Forest when you had not noticed if not for my fretting at the mistake before correcting it, I will also ask you to review this chapter… in fact… I won't ask you. I'll make sure you do.
-Elle's Bells, Thanks, I hope you liked this chapter.
-Anonymouse, Thank you so much. You're review gave me a real boost because I have trouble deciding whether something is awkward/corny or alright, like the example you gave. I'm glad you think its "brilliant" even if I'm not always sure, lol. I completely understand what you mean about people just assuming there's lots of reviews already so it doesn't matter too much (I think that myself with other people's stories often) but they matter, oh, they matter. I wouldn't be so ridiculously insecure about this story if reviews didn't matter, lol. And on that note, thank you again.
-Mr. Set, I know, I shouldn't rely so much on reviews, but I can't help it! I can't! I just need my fix! 40k is on the horizon (yay) and it will be moving out of novella and into a real novel-length fic soon so I'm happy. I hope you liked this chapter, and thanks you so much.
-Eilisan, Thank you. I would be upset too, lol. I hope you liked this chapter.
-Jayde Green, LOL. I love you reviews, they make me laugh… unless of course you're serious about turning me into treacle… in which case, they make me scared, lol. Powerful!Harry is fun, I love him too, but, just for kicks, it's only going to make things harder for him and the most complete, perfect explanation of what an Agoncrux is will come in Ch. 10 (possibility 9, but likely 10) if the secret isn't out already. The Wandmakers' Coven is here partially because it's important and partially because I really wanted to add Ollivander in here somewhere. I really like his 'great things' personality. He recognizes 'great' things without being intimidated by how/why they're done. Ginny's alive, but not out of the woods yet (har, har, har- wait, that wasn't even a pun). And Harry is crazy/a jerk now, but it will get sorted out. I've been trying to think of a good way to get someone to see that codfish in person and I think I've found a way for ch9. I love writing Heir of Jesus, that's another version of Powerful!Harry, maybe SW's Harry should have the ability to pleasure men also… that would be… interesting:). Thanks for all the reviewing!
-Shang Warrior Phoenix, Thanks for reviewing! I checked out your story, I don't usually read older stuff (pre HBP) but I definitely liked it. I hope you liked this chapter.
-anonymous, Thakn you so much. I hope you liked this chapter.
-This is Gardnergirl, Thank you. I like a lot of fics with few reviews (and I have a lot of respect for the authors that finish them) but I'm a hypocrite, oh well. I hope you liked this chapter.
-prongs65, I like all reviews, long ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, good ones, bad ones, lol. I hope you liked this chapter and thanks so much.
-Jarno, Thank you!
-Stephanie, Regulus is completely crazy, and kind of evil. I was actually re-reading the note he left in the locket and felt kind of bad for turning what JKR had likely made a noble/good chara into this guy. I hope you liked this chapter and thanks!
-Harry rukes, Thanks! I hope you liked this one too.
-SpiffySquee, I know! I've noticed your name (it's a great penname) reviewing most chapters and I swear, I'm eternally greatful. I hope this chappie is up to parr. And thanks for reviewing, it really does mean a lot to me.
-Rosealinde, Thanks! I hope this one was good too and that I'll see your penname again. I hope this wasn't too slow an update (better than the last one though.)
REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW,
09/02/05- bulldozed Godric's Hallow and rebuilt Godric's Hollow (how on earth did I miss that one?)