The Good Race Pt. 3

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One Shot: The Good Race Pt. 3 - The Second Life

November 11th, 1996 - Ministry Of Magic

Harry's vision was black, his head covered, his mouth gagged. All he could do was hear, to listen to fools, wizards, and witches, as they decided his fate, the taste of blood still in his mouth. His body ached, the cold tearing at his weakened muscles. Weeks of liquid-only diet having damaged his body even more than years of malnourishment at the hands of the Dursleys.

"I call to order the 132nd Wizengamot!" Minister Fudge crowed, as he slammed the gavel down on to the table before him.

It did not take long for the noise to calm down, for silence to once more fall upon the crowded room. There was an odd murmur or two in the background, but the din had quieted down.

"For the past three days we have heard testimony from multiple experts from the Department of Mysteries, and Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Being and Spirit divisions." Fudge says, his voice magically carrying across the room. "We have consulted with experts across the entire Wizarding World, hearing their own testimonies."

There is a hush now, a quiet so deep you could almost feel it as it pressed down upon you. The lone sound is a quill scribbling away in the background.

"The time has come to vote…" Fudge continues. "In the case of the British Ministry for Magic vs. Harry James Potter, I call this trial to a close. Clerk, if you will."

"I shall read each charge one at a time. After each, light your wand for a vote of Guilty!" The Clerk of Courts says, standing somewhere near the front. "Charge one! Criminal Mischief in relation to the absolute flow of time! The charged has entered a plea of not guilty."

There is a murmur now, as Harry strains his ears to hear anything that could tell him his fate.

"Noted." The Clerk says after a moment. "Charge two! Consorting with Creatures in an effort to pervert the flow of time! The charged has entered a plea of not guilty."

On and on it flows, charge after charge, each related to time in some way. Except for the murders, of course. Those wouldn't be mentioned as Harry had entered guilty pleas to those. Harry shakes, the coldness of the Dementors so close by. He knows, inside, that he won't be escaping this one. The only ally he had left was dead, Dumbledores life ended by a student under the Imperio Curse. The world had turned on him so quickly, despite his best efforts.

"Charge 19! Perversion of Magic in relation to the absolute flow of time!" The Clerk called out, as the counts began.

'I was such a fucking idiot…' Harry thought, as his guilt was pronounced. 'How could I ever think this would be easy. "Oh, I'm Harry Potter! I'll go back in time and save the world so easily! I know everything blah." Fucking fool of a wizard…'

Harry can hear the footfalls of many sets of feet, announcing the room is slowly emptying, the trial officially at its end.

"Aurors, if you would?" Fudge asks as Harry hears movement all around him.

There is a blinding flash of light as the hood over his head is ripped off, seeing anything but darkness for the first time in weeks. It took a moment for his eyes to stop watering, the fires burning brightly, despite being so low. Around him were twelve Aurors, each with their wand pointed directly at his head. Each tensed as he looked at them, the ones in his point of view, at least. The two on the left and right move their wands imperceptively, and what feels like hands invisibly grab him by the arms, lifting him to his feet. As one, the Aurors move around Harry, forcing him to stumble along as they exit the Court.

Harry shivers as two Dementors join them, circling slowly around the group as they move. The cold chills Harry to the core, the fingers of ice seeping deeper and deeper into his soul. Having spent weeks shackled, unable to even stand, his legs are barely able to keep him standing. He stumbles several times, the ethereal hands on his arms the only thing saving him from a tumble to the hard, dark stone beneath them.

'Fucking Dumbledore...Fucking Voldemort…' Harry thought, as they at last came to a large dark wood door.

"We'll take him from here." A muffled voice says, as the door opens, showing three Unspeakables waiting.

The Aurors split apart, opening an area between them, and the Unspeakables. With a wave of their wands, Harry is lifted and carried through the doorway, the door closing behind him. There is a warmth in this new room, and it takes Harry a moment to realize that the Dementors had not come with them. The question must have been clear on his face, as one of the Unspeakables waiting with him addressed it immediately.

"The Dementors are not a part of your sentence, Potter." A whispered voice. "Crimes against time…"

There was a moment of relief, but it didn't last long as they moved into the next room. There was a just a barely-there whisper in the air, unheard words that tested the edge of consciousness. Harry's heart was pounding in his chest for the first time in weeks. He'd have struggled now, here, faced with his own mortality, had it not been for the shackles on his wrists and feet. His connection to magic was gone, torn away weeks ago, sucked away into the hard gleaming metal adorning his limbs.

Down the dark stone stairs, growing closer to the dias at the center. Two Unspeakables stood there, watching silently as Harry was carried to them,.

"Mr. Potter…" One of them, maybe even both, said. "For Crimes Against Time...you will face the Veil."

Harry was lifted to the dias, set gently on his feet. His eyes were wide, watching the veil drift lightly in the nonexistent wind. The gag around his mouth is removed, his jaw clenched hard from weeks of unuse.

"Your final words, Mr. Potter?" They spoke, this time clearly together.

With an audible grown, Harry stretches his jaw, wavering on his feet. His ears filled with the whispers of voices, almost recognizable, but at such a distance as to be inaudible.

"I-...I don't regret it." Harry says, eyes locked on the veil. "I never will."

Harry takes a step forward, the shackles only allowing a shuffle. His sudden movement causes the Unspeakables to raise their wands, but they falter as they watch him. It would seem that this one still had the will power to walk...

"I'm Harry Fucking Potter…" He says as he steps towards the next life. "And I have not yet begun to fight!"

With his final words, he lurches forward, and through the veil. He hears them, then, at last understanding the look of peace on Sirius's face.

"Harry…" Hermione whispers, reminiscent of so many lives ago.

"Don't give up..." An unknown voice.

"You have my utmost faith, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore says, so close, yet so far away.

A million voices, all those that believed in him, loved him, needed him, from his first life to his last. Harry Potter died, but he was never alone.

July 31st, 1991

Harry jerked awake, the pounding on the door not unlike the crash of lightning outside. He wiped the tears from his eyes, forcing himself to concentrate on what Hagrid was saying.

"I-I'm Harry…" says, at last, drawing the half-giants attention from Dudley.

He meant what he said, as he walked to his death. He was never alone, the millions of lives crying out for justice at his back. He may have died, and will likely die again, but he wouldn't stop until he had won.

He was Harry Fucking Potter, and he had not yet begun to fight.

A/N: Been a while! This is a continuation of chapters 1, and 5. Chapter 1 showed the end of one of his later lives, chapter 5 showed how he began the loop. This chapter shows how that first looped life ended.

Until next time, this is Klldarkness! discord DOT gg/UZWUKsh