-HAVE CONGREGATED AND DEMAND YOU SUBMIT YOUR CONTROL OVER TO THE WIZENGAMOT! AND HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT ANY COUNTRY WOULD PUT THEIR OWN AFFAIRS AHEAD OF THE WORLD'S!
The deafening voice finally silenced. The assistant straitened her hair and banished the remains of the howler into the garbage bin. She shuffled her paper work, ignoring the headache from the disturbing rant. She pushed back her chair and stood. The woman breathed in quickly behind black rimmed glass. The doors to the office opened for her and the assistant of several years walked calmly through the entrance and closed the double doors behind her.
Dawn sighed at the tired look of her employer. The slightly older woman sat in her chair with a lost look on her face. "We are already getting backlash from the other ministers." The assistant started. Her hand trembled when she reached for the two letters in her folder. Both were addressed to the Minister in the handwriting of two friends. "I received several howlers from eight ministers within the past hour and these two just arrived for you." Dawn handed Minister Granger the two owl'ed letters she had been waiting for.
"Thank you," Hermione opened the two letters and read them side by side. The words refuse, my hands are tied and can't help grab her attention and Hermione nodded her acceptance. She paused and read the two letters one more time. Dawn looked eagerly for a positive answer. Hermione solemnly shook her head and Dawns smile fell. "It appears no one will provide us support or testify Britain's ability to handle its own affairs. The fact that the whole matter is dealing with Harry has everyone panicking." Hermione quietly and deliberately laid down the two letters on her desk. One was addressed from the Minister of France and the other the Minister of Germany. Both had silently supported Minister Grangers' campaign up till now.
Hermione felt complete sadness and loss of faith in the people whom she believed she could rely on. She had hoped that at the very least those two writers would mildly protest the incident that occurred in front of the Wizengamot. Their passive stances left Minister Granger alone to the politicians who ravaged her career like wolves over a kill. Those wolves were now building a cause for her to be removed from office regardless of her own country's will and the peoples' own ignorance of the events that happened not even three hours ago.
Hermione remembered Harry sitting on a stone looking out over the lake at Hogwarts. 'Have faith Hermione? There is no faith... only fear. Fear is the most powerful force in the world.' Hermione closed her eyes. She never did understand what Harry truly meant when he gave a heartless laugh, 'it is easy to combine fear with good intentions... and there is nothing that can stop the destruction that will cross their path.'
She struggled to remember how tired Harry looked during those times he sat alone on that rock. Harry had known this would likely happen for years. Several thoughts passed through Hermione's mind. Harry really did want to leave this behind. He never wanted to see this side of the world again. The Minister of Magic placed her head in her hands and felt the pressure of the world close in on her. Hermione was left with little choice but not to collapse under the worlds gaze. Hermione now understood how fragile faith was when faced with uncertainty.
...And she knew that everything living was dependent on faith.
Chapter 7 Fragile
Harry hissed in pain. He managed to take crawl a few steps away from the center of the crater that was now a hole in the sand. He stopped and looked at the net that began to burrow into his skin. The net completely wrapped around his weak body and slowly constricted his movement. The net sizzled as it burned his skin. The emptiness of magic from his body was complete and the net still wanted more. He looked over to the wand he made. It sat inches from his feet. The wizard struggled against the net that held his arms and legs together. Harry fought against the net and it began to try and absorb more magic from him. Harry's body cried in pain against the net that wanted to continue to suck him dry of magic he no longer had. His knees finally were to week to hold his crawling position and he fell to the ground snarling. The roots from his arms and legs broke apart as if they had rotted. A detached part of his mind noted that the net had begun to absorb the magic that held him in one spot as well. He closed his eyes to focus beyond the burning that the net was causing him.
The group circled closer towards him. Several summons bounded into the thirteen meter crater and tried to touch him to keep him still before they quickly stopped. The net affected them as well. Several animals flicker their claws and paws in pain. Susan looked at the few summons. "It will absorb most magics. Don't ask me where it all goes. I am not a Crafter. Let's hurry. Don't touch his wand. We don't know what it will do." The summons left the crater and their masters slowly began to negotiate the steep incline of sand.
"I never saw that before." Alice looked to her mother in surprise. Susan looked determinedly. "I guess old habits are hard to. Do you know what it is?" Susan looked at the silver wand. The new artifact was in danger of sliding into the center that was becoming a sink hole.
Alice looked at the wand as well and shook her head. The face of her mask was a simple slit for mouth and closed lines for eyes. Alice reached and took off her mask. She blinked her eyes from the sun before she saw the wand with her own eyes. "Harry only told be about it because I asked him about my mask. Harry was shifty about it and never even told me what his turned into. Never mind what it did." Alice didn't know what to tell and not to tell. The conversation with her father that day had been weird. "He called the ability Contract Break."
Susan saw three people crawl out quickly as the sand began to drag them in. Harry snarled at them but the group slowly made their way down towards their professor.
"Why that?" Susan had her wand still in hand and had it still pointed at her husband.
"The thoughts that make up a summon is a contract of sorts. Well that is what Harry thinks. Some thoughts that hold a summon in place have bounds to them of what a summon can and can't do. Rin is unable to allow me to hurt myself. Even if I hated myself for example. Angela can't have her summon Gelus make an area vacuum from teleporting like apparation can. Weird things like that. Harry got real shifty at some points." Alice moved her had to her chin and began to wonder.
"But you have hurt yourself before..." Susan heard herself say aloud.
"While I was wearing my mask yeah I remember." Alice shuddered from the memory of the previous year. She had been modifying a spell while wearing the mask. The spell would allow the caster to levitate an object regardless of the enchantments placed on it to keep it in one place. The first time Alice cast it, she was rooted into one position and levitated herself into the wall at terminal velocity. She broke her arms and leg in the accident and was lucky she wasn't killed. "If I had used integration while in that accident Rin would have protected me even though I was..." Alice looked back to Harry and to several people who were not very willing to get close to him. "Harry said contract break... Is it because the summons are able to do something that they shouldn't be able to do?"
Susan gasped. "Everyone! Don't use your summons! Have them sleep." Several people looked at Susan as if she was insane. Susan ran to the mouth of the impact crater and did not blink away from her battered husband.
Alice's mind was racing. "Rain died..." She put on her mask and shouted. "DO IT!" Alice ran after her mother.
Harry's eyes opened at the sound of shuffling sand and his body thrashed wildly against the net. Three people were within feet of his body. The sand was slowly moving towards the center and Harry felt his own body back to where he had landed. Harry saw the bottom of his heel was sliding into the sand. He rolled slightly towards his wand but the wand slid down the sand dune several more inches. Harry ignored the talking above him and he rolled towards the wand as others tried to find a way to push it away from him without touching it themselves. Harry rocked his body before someone could grab him and his body began to slide down the sand dune. His hand grazed the silver wand at his side. The wand responded to his fingertips. Harry slumped into the net and felt his body cool. The wand slid away but Harry smiled. The touch was enough. Two knives appeared over Harry and slashed the net in two wide arcs. The wand flew towards Harry's hand. Several people swore and Alice stopped Susan from reaching Harry.
Harry stood shakily. He snarled in pain from burns to his chest and back. His body was still burnt and his clothes were shredded and worn. Harry looked at the people surrounding him. The few who were close ran back to the mouth of the crater and the whole group had their wands pointed at him. Harry slashed his wand through the air and the magic he had placed into the wand what seemed ages ago flared. Blue light exploded around Harry and sand beat across the former students. Several men and women crumpled to the ground blind from the sand.
Susan covered her eyes and cast a shielding charm over her face and looked around. The sand had settled and twelve of Alice's group still had their wands pointed at Harry. Alice helped one of her friends stand and Angela cast a spell to disarm Harry. Harry moved his hand at the spell and smiled. He breathed loudly at the impact and the spell disappeared. Harry pooled what magic was from the spell and held it to his wand. His arms shook from the effort that he applied to his already taxed body.
Susan looked at her husband. Her focused her eyes and whispered quietly. "Alice, how well can you use sight?"
"What do you mean?" Alice asked in the same hushed tones. She eyed her father assessing his situation and he looked directly at Alice. "Good I think."
Susan shook her head. "Can you see the threads Harry is making?" Alice had no idea what her mother was talking about. It showed on her face.
Owen was a few feet away from them and heard the two. "I think I know what you mean. Sight." Owen sucked in his breath and swore. The spell Harry had caught was pooling into the wand. "Clever. We can't absorb magic from inanimate objects." His eyes lost focus and he nodded at Susan. "His magic is entwined into his wand. All the magic I see is held with in the wand itself." Owen saw the thick ropes that tied Harry to the wand in his hand. The magic that was left to Harry was solely inside the silver wand. "He pushed all his magic into the wand didn't he?" Owen said aloud. Harry's arm vibrated from the change of magic before the spell he had caught disappeared. He lowered his wand arm while gritting his teeth. He knew he was tired. Harry raised his free hand to an open palm to absorb any spell that was through at him.
"We need to dispel the wand. You and I need to break those threads Owen." Susan said determinedly.
Alice raised her wand and nodded to the others. "We will give you an opening."
"We have to use integration." Said someone on Alice's right.
"Listen everyone, there is a chance the wand has the ability to kill your summons." Susan said while staring down her husband. He smiled as she said it. He enjoyed the startled looks from the others.
Several of the adults looked at each other but nodded. In a cacophony of voices Alice and Susan heard "Integrate."
0
Cho barely managed to roll onto her side and cough loudly. Dust choked her throat and made her want to gag. She stood up and unsteadily walked to her husband who was laying several meters away from her. She held onto the wall of the room to keep from falling over but stumbled soon after she started. Cho Longbottom looked at her husband who lay peacefully on his back. She was just within arms reach when her body refused to move any more. Protecting herself from Harry's last attack had almost completely drained her. Cho did not want to think of the others who were in the room with her and their fates. Her arm reached from her weak position and touched Neville's face. Her fingernails ran across his cheek and she stared at his chest to see if it would rise. She felt completely helpless. Her body did not want to move and her mind screamed for her mouth to call Neville's name. She looked at her husband and cried. The numbness of her body was forgotten and all she could see was Harry's lifeless face and how it matched Neville's now. She just wanted to make sure Neville was still living. Her silent crying echoed across the room, and she felt alone.
0
"Stick to physical attacks! He absorbs slower through physical contact!" Alice shouted while raising her wand she let it go to float in mid air before spreading her hands to her sides arms open wide. She slammed her hands over the wand in a loud clap. The sky turned gray and she felt the dome become successfully erected. It was similar to the one Harry made for his only original spell. It prevented anyone from escaping for the duration it is in effect.
Harry saw the dome for what it was and one of the wizards was flown into his hands and Harry caught the young man by the throat. The young man named Daniel screamed before he passed out and his body collapsed at Harry's foot. Harry jumped into the air and dodged several charges by witches and wizards. He pointed at the dome in the sky and gave a wordless shout. Heat flared from the wand and impacted the dome. Alice closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping the dome up. Alice flinched at the impact. The dome vibrated but remained still. The sand dunes shook and the landscape was slowly becoming a flat sand land.
Susan and Owen charged in after Bruce was able to get Daniel out of harms way. Owen fired a spell. Harry eagerly opened his palm to accept it until he saw the spell change into metal pole. Harry side stepped the projectile in time not to be impaled. Owen moved to the left and Susan moved to the right. Susan noticed that she was not getting hexed as much as the others. She dodged debris that was kicked up from Harry and three others who were trying to draw the man into an open position to be taken. Susan spared a second glance at Alice. The whole length of the fight Harry had outright ignored her. Susan thought it was something. I hope Alice will forgive me. Susan cast a flash charm. IT was enough to get Harry's attention.
Harry's eyes narrowed at her and he quickly began to fire spell after spell at her. Susan dodged them all. Her waist and arms moved back and forth as if dancing. Harry snarled and fired faster at the woman who easily evaded the hexes. Susan pulled her wand and then lowered to fire a hex, but it wasn't to Harry she was pointing it at. "REDUCTO!" A red beam of magic erupted from her wand and headed toward Alice. Susan prayed her aim would be true to simply pierce through Alice's ear in case Harry did not react the way she had hoped he would.
Harry looked at the woman he remembered as his wife in confusion before he saw her target. A primal force in his mind registered the need to protect the girl and his body disappeared before standing in front of the girl and deconstructing the magic spell before it her. Alice looked at both of her parents in shock. Harry wore the same look as his daughter. Where did that come from? That is the second time... Owen appeared next to his former professor interrupting his thoughts. The young blonde moved his wand to slice the ropes of magic that tethered the wand to its user. Harry screamed from what felt like an appendage being cut off. The wand fell to the ground unceremoniously.
Susan and Owen each grabbed one of his arms and held him while he struggled to have his hands touch one of them. Three other witches ran and quickly grabbed a hold of the man's forearms. "We need to ground him now!" Susan shouted while one of his hands almost broke free of three witches grip.
Two witches did another variance of the transfiguration they did before. Harry's arms turned into roots that shot into the sand that turned to dirt around them. The roots traveled for hundreds of meters before stopping near a previously unknown water cave. Harry grunted against the forces trying to restrain him while more roots sprouted from his back and chest and then from his legs. Harry struggled for freedom from the roots rather than the arms holding him.
Finally Susan and the other slowly let go of their wayward teacher. Harry struggled for several more moments before his body finally exhausted itself and had no reserves of magic to hold itself together.
Harry's body collapsed now only being held up by the roots that bound him. Slowly the weight of his body pulled the roots to the ground with him. The roots that were still his hands dragged through the soil as he hit the soft earth that was a desert only moments before. He took a wizened breath and looked up at the two women his mind seemed to become fixated on. Susan and Alice centered his vision and he was not aware of the young men and women who surrounded him or the pressure of several summons as they held his body down.
0
Cho woke up again not realizing that she had fallen asleep. Her husband's chest was indeed moving and Cho held a sob of relief. She was able to stand and looked at the others. They were all alive and only unconscious. She checked each one but could not revive them either. She looked around to find clues to what had happened and found dirt in small circle in the middle of the floor. She brushed some dust of her shoulder and looked to where it had come from. She gasped aloud and the noise rung in her ears.
Cho saw a two meter hole in the ceiling that looked like it went all the way tot eh surface. Cho took a deep breath and tempered her mind before apparating to the surface. If there was still fighting, she needed to be apart of it. Not while she knew that Harry was still here, and not the one she knew. With a loud crack she was gone.
0
Harry felt his body surrounded by cold for moments while hands pushed him up and started to lift him. Did they win? His mind demanded. A relieved side said at once, Yes. Another protested, No! Harry's hands were returned to hands along with his feet and the coolness of the water and soil was replaced by heat from a desert. Let them win.
Far away a voice said, "We need to hurry. He won't stay weak for long. We need to start to find 'the faith' in his mind." Never let them win! I must win! The voice echoed in the hollows of Harry's mind.
"Alice and I will dive now. If we don't come back and Harry hasn't returned to normal we probably won't come back ever." Several Summons increased the pressure to Harry's body that pined him tot he ground. Several wizards conjured umbrellas and transfigured sand to water to help the group recover and quench their parched mouths.
Owen nodded and stood over the two women as they knelt over the man of their lives.
0
Alice and Susan opened their eyes and found themselves in a single room lined with stone. They looked at each other in surprise. "It wasn't like this the last time I was here." Susan said quietly. She looked around and found a path out of the room that was hidden with the alignment of the stones.
Alice followed and said quietly. "Its really barren compared to mine." Alice shuddered. The last time she had seen her own mind. It was in fact only a small part of her mind that Harry rescued her from, but it was something she would never forget. "I just hope Harry's horrors are not here to consume him." Susan didn't think on the statement and they both found the corridor ended at a dead end. They looked at each other before the hall changed to the wall entrance to Diagon Alley. Susan hit the required bricks and the path opened to reveal another stone room. This room had two Harry Potters who were strung against a wall opposite of each other. Susan and Alice ran to a different Harry.
Susan saw hers whispering something. She leaned closer and heard. "Don't stop, keep fighting. I can't loose, Never loose." She didn't know what to make of it. Was this the curse, or a part of her Harry that was fighting? She turned to Alice and saw here trying not to cry.
"What is it Alice?" Alice only waved her hand to the other Harry.
"Let it go, let it all go. So tired, let me rest in peace."
Susan hugged her daughter and they both moved to the center of the room. "Which one is which?" Alice finally asked
Susan sighed and shook her head helplessly. "Think we can ask them? They have been fighting against something."
"Think it's the curse?"
Susan looked at them both. "I don't think either one of them is the curse. They are just parts of Harry that are always in conflict. Harry always had wanted to give up and never did for as long as I have known him." Alice nodded. She walked up to the one who wanted to keep fighting. She leaned over his bound body and said in a whisper to match her fathers. "We love you, we understand." The Harry continued to chant 'can't stop' finally silenced and both Harry's at the same timed sobbed a painful sob. Alice hugged him but he growled at her and fought against his bonds. "I CAN"T STOP FIGHTING! I CAN'T! I CAN'T FAIL! HE IS STILL HERE! HE WILL KILL EVERYONE! I WILL NOT LET TOM DO IT!" Harry struggled against the bonds and was slowly crying out his pain.
Alice and Susan looked at both Harry's and each took one in their arms. "You beat Tom along time ago Harry." Susan started. Alice hugged her father and said aloud for both Harry's. "No one can hurt us any more. You won."
The Harry who wanted to end it all nodded sadly. He smiled and said, "Its over... We can rest. I can live." That Harry screamed in pain. Both Harry's bonds broke free and they both hit the two girls to the center. Both Harry's looked at the stunned women and said in unison, "WE CAN'T STOP! NEVER STOP! TOO MUCH TO DO! EVIL TO WIPE AWAY! WORLD TO CORRECT!" Both Alice and Susan stood.
"Dad!" Alice cried out and reached to hug him. Harry only slapped her cheek and pushed her aside. Susan went picked up her daughter. "Harry please listen, we are trying to help you."
"GET OUT!"
0
Cho Longbottom appeared in the middle of the desert. She used sight and found two dozen people east of her. She closed her eyes and apparated to the group mindful to keep some distance to assess the situation. She arrived and found a small group of witches and wizards surrounding a person lying on the ground. She saw Harry unconscious and pulled her wand out. "Will you all please move? I have a wizard to kill." She said quietly. The other turned to look and saw a very determined Auror.
Bruce and Pam ran up to her. "Longbottom! Wait, Alice and Susan are still in there." Cho saw the two kneeling over Harry and touching his shoulders.
Cho looked at the group warily. "They are trying to save him then?" Owen walked up to the old woman and said, "Yes."
"They have ten minutes before I decide if I should kill Harry." She said, ice in her voice. She gripped her own hands trying to steel her determination.
Owen glared at her. "If you do anything to harm them you will not like the consequences." The air thickened and began to weigh the group down. Cho looked at him un affected. "You were not the first person he taught that to." The air doubled and Owen almost had to take a step to keep his footing. Cho smiled at the boy. He was obviously trying to handle the amount of magic he had conditioned. "I will not harm anyone as long as Harry does not harm anyone else." She said at last with a sigh. Silently she prayed for Susan's success, but it would normally do little good for Cho to hope when she would likely be forced to carry out the deed.
Again…
Owen nodded at the older woman's compromise and felt the air return to being hot and arid.
It was only two minutes before Alice and Susan screamed and opened their eyes. They both had sore throats and bruises appeared on their cheeks. Harry opened his eyes and snapped his fingers. The explosion that came from his body made Alice, Susan and Owen fly thought the air. Several wizards caught them and another healed the three of them. Harry stood and his body moved from side to side. "Can't let them go. Too dangerous." He whispered to himself.
"It didn't work?" Owen yelled over the sound of the explosion.
"Something is wrong, the curse over rode Harry's ability to reason after a point. As soon as he was able to work with something his mind turned back to the curses influence." Susan said to the group who were gathering around her and Alice to assure themselves they were both alive. They saw Harry standing and panting and their summons disappeared not chancing their summons to be killed.
Harry did not feel any magic with in his body and looked at the sun that was giving the earth so much heat. Harry opened his arms and began to enjoy the heat beaming onto his body. He instantly sighed in relief. The weakness of his body filtered away and the heat of the sun increased over him. Harry raised his hand and the wand flew into his grip. He pointed the wand toward the sun and heat of the desert tripled and heated winds pushed everyone surrounding him away.
Alice allowed the wind to push her back a meter and landed on her feet. Her mask appeared over her face and reflected the heat but her arms and legs were burning from the heat. The black ink eyes opened wide and Alice saw magic appearing out of the very air. Alice had never seen Harry do something like this but she was positive she was seeing the heat from the sun changing into magic.
"Too dangerous... Need to stop them now." Harry panted out. The sky turned black and a dome, miles wide, began to come down over the horizon on all sides. Alice shouted, "RUN!" Eight people apparated immediately and three tried and failed. It was too late. Harry stood panting still chanting "Can't let them go, too dangerous Need to stop them now." Stone walls circled Harry and Owen banged his fist against the casing too late to flee and too late to stop the spell. Several people tried the ground but found that the dome extended beneath them as well. Alice immediately had her mask over her face. Ink eyes and mouth wide open in full circles. "I am going to try and disenchant the dome any other ideas are helpful right now."
Susan went to the stone pillar to try and talk to her husband. Several others looked around helplessly. "Kid, what's your name?" Cho asked the blonde. "Owen Yellow."
"Owen I need your help. We should be able to break that casing if we both combined our spells. Do you know the assassin piercing curse?"
Owen smirked. "Of course," Owen pointed to himself. "Slytherin."
Cho nodded. "We need to pierce the rock. Aim for where the shoulder would be." Owen nodded and Pam screamed when she saw a fifteen meter black Argent standing on the sand. Next to him the other summons appeared. "Let's hurry."
"Bruce, get Susan out of there!" Bruce's bear appeared next to him and the earth shook in waves. Susan lost her footing before the waves of sand as fast as a river's current pushed her away from the pillar.
"I trust you are very good with condition after I saw your little display earlier." The air became dense with magic and the others near by moved away, having a hard time breathing.
Owen nodded and followed suit. His magic laced into thin strong ropes around his body and was quickly building in power. "It is the only thing I know." He said finally.
Cho didn't look at him but heard the disappointment and frustration in his voice. "On 3. 1..2..3.."
Both witch and wizard thrust their wand onto the point where Harry's shoulder would be. Two brown beams of magic sped from their wands and hit the pillar with a loud crack. Owen and Cho held their positions keeping the spell as a constant drill. Cho saw the cracks in the pillar slowly mending and she threw as much magic into the spell as she could. Owen used his free hand to modify his condition. His mind had set the condition of his magic to break the pillar. The pillar was indeed broken and the condition was slowly wearing off. Owen concentrated to pierce Harry's shoulder and his spell tripled in strength. Owen sucked him his breath and kept his knees locked as to not fall over from the sudden drain of energy.
Susan looked at the casters and then back to the pillar where Harry was protected. The pillar continually cracked and finally everyone flinched as they heard a scream form inside.
Cho and Owen cut off their spells. Cho shouted to Susan. "If you want to dive again this is your last chance!" Susan ran to her husband and reached her arm into two foot hole. She touched his bloody shoulder and felt her mind slipping into his.
Four animals cried and Cho and Owen finally noticed the enormous obsidian-like beasts that had lined up against the pillar. Cho looked to Owen. "I am going to help Susan. Get everyone ready to dodge those things as fast as you can. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BLOCK THEM!" She screamed to everyone as she stood behind Susan and reached over the shorter woman's shoulder.
0
Cho opened her eyes and found Susan talking two one of two Harry's. Each one was shouting at her to leave him. Just as one was about to strike his wife Cho reached and stopped his hand. "I know you Harry this is nothing compared to what you have broken before."
"GET OUT!" Susan and Cho felt themselves beginning to be pushed but they both grabbed onto the chains that held Harry in place.
"Neither of us are going to leave Harry. We are not leaving you here like this." Susan said aloud. The wind that was pushing the two witches finally died.
"The people are care about are going to die! Do you want that?" Cho pleaded. The two Harry's growled at the women.
"Alice is going to die." Susan screamed.
"Your wife is going to die." Cho said after her. The growling stopped and a look that was almost Harry's gave the two hope.
One of the Harry's muttered. "Must make it clean."
"The world is already clean Harry! Hermione ensured that years ago!" Cho said. It was hard to see one of her friends and someone she had always loved in pain.
Harry struggled with something and Susan finally said, "Now you just need to let it go." Both Harry's snarled and turned their heads from side to side in pain.
0
"No luck with breaking this down." Alice said tiredly.
The black summons had not moved since they appeared and the group was spreading out to be able to move around them. "We will be alright, there are only four of them and we have miles to dodge them in." Bruce said confidently. The former students were set into pair groups to be able to alternate as to not let themselves tire out.
Alice saw Susan and Auror Longbottoms' body still in their standing position against the pillar. "I hope those two will be okay."
"They will be they just need to time do what ever they are doing." Alice looked at Owen and squeezed his hand for reassurance. "We will all make it Alice." Owen squeezed back.
The animals all roared again. They glowed violet energy. "Get ready!" Bruce shouted.
The Phor moved his head before he broke apart into thousands of small balls of light. Argent, Arvalis and Rain followed suit. Pam managed to utter out, "Oh god."
0
"Can't accept! Can't give up!" One of the Harry's finally said.
"Yes you can! You told me once that when the fighting was over you need to recognize it is all over!" Cho screamed. She grabbed one of the Harry's by the shoulders. "You promised me that when Voldemort was dead you would live your life! You are breaking your promise Harry." Cho said aloud.
Susan looked at Cho not fully aware she was not surprised. She went to the other Harry and said to him. "Your ex and your wife are both here to tell you that we still love you Harry. We never want to give up on you. I know it is had to let go so I will do it first." Susan leaned against Harry's body and kissed his cheek even as he tried to bite her. "Bye Harry, I am letting you go. If you think you can let go too, I will be waiting." Harry's' eyes shone through for a moment.
Cho heard Susan's good bye and followed her. "I will always hold a place for you in my heart Harry. We showed each other the best and worst of love. I think I will let it all go now too. If you can accept the world as it is and it is and will get better, we will be here." Cho kissed Harry's forehead and walked out of the room. The door finally closed and neither woman could hear the snarling and panting words that both Harry's had continued to say. Susan was crying and they both left Harry's mind unsure what they would find when they returned to their bodies, if they had bodies to return to.
0
Both Harry's still felt the kiss the women left on their faces. Harry felt his mind convulse and memories of both women and his promises to everyone appeared in his mind. Harry screamed in two voices. 'You have to let go sometime Harry'. Harry recognized Cho's voice from years ago. 'I doubt that you could change the world as it is. Some times things change faster when you do nothing.' Rain's voice echoed in his head. And it was one of those times that it eerily sounded like Sirius's. Susan said once, 'You want to do it all. No one can. When you get it through your thick skull, get me." Harry felt her voice fade.
"The world is better than it was..." Both Harry's said at once. They both screamed in pain. Something was compelling them not to give up. They both broke free of their bonds and they looked to a wall. It was something they had never wanted to look at. It was their great shame. They opened the door that appeared where the wall once stood. A single memory appeared to them.
Bill Weasley looked at Harry and smiled. "I can't escape Harry. No one else can now. I know you feel you have to fight all the time, but there are times where everything has to be released." Bill ruffled the young mans hair even as his hand burned from touching the source of magic. "Let it go, Let it all go."
Both Harry's screamed at the memory and everything that happened afterward. Harry vividly saw Bill die again.
'let it all go'
Harry nodded and felt what ever was making him keep fighting snap.
0
Susan and Cho moved their stiff bodies and saw thousands of black lights in the sky. They both recognized that they were the summons. Some one said 'oh god' before the lights charged down to the ground.
Susan looked inside the pillar when she heard Harry gasp. She saw part of Harry's face and normal green eyes looked back at her. He closed his eyes and the black balls of energy turned silver even as they started flying around the desert chasing witches and wizards. Pam stumbled as Bruce pulled her shoulder to keep moving. A single ball of energy flew towards her chest and Bruce and Pam both looked on helplessly. The black ball of energy turned silver and passed through Pam's chest harmlessly. They all looked around and saw the dome that had covered the sky faded. People were still fleeing from the spheres but soon did not need to. They were slowly returning to the single stone pillar.
Harry was breathing slowly and the stone pillar slowly disappeared. Harry fell to the ground and the silver lights combined until there were four animals circling the man. Cho and Susan knelt next to him and both hugged him tightly.
Harry just lay there and let them do it. Arvalis hmm'ed a moment before he saw Alice and Owen. He nudged Phor and the bird took off. The flying summoned called for everyone to gather.
Everyone apparated to Harry and saw the man laying on his back. His summons were talking quietly to a few people and they hushed when everyone arrived. Harry looked at the group and then to Cho and Susan. He smiled his normal smile. The group looked at him relieved. "Thank you everyone." Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep.
0
Susan looked at the ancient man and waved him good bye. "Are you going to be alright mom?" Susan looked down to his daughter and smiled back.
"I will, but there does not seem to be much time to rest. Albus was reading Hermione's letter in the Prophet. There is a call for war now."
Alice followed her mother while leaving Hogwarts grounds. "Everyone volunteered as soon as the news broke out. Have you visited your friend?"
"Thank them for me. Cho's group is too weak and they are almost all recovering. I have talked with Hermione and we need to hold a press conference to explain to Britain what has happened. And its going to have to be covered in detail. Whether Britain demands to do is still up in the air." Alice nodded and they both apparated to Ministry unsure of the future.
0
Harry woke and found himself in a bed. He saw the ceiling and sighed, quite bitter that he had been taken here of all places. He looked to his side and saw Albus slowly sipping tea in bed. Harry saw that Susan was not here watching over them. He was surprised since Susan never left her infirmary at Hogwarts. Especially if he was here. Harry did not want to think on that thought right now worried of what she would think of him.
"Feeling better?" Albus asked not once looking away from the news paper on his lap.
"I should be asking you that Albus." Harry tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. His head plopped back down to the bed and groaned again.
"I am glad to see you managed to break the curse on your own."
Harry muttered, "No, not on my own. I had a lot of help. Alice was always an anchor for me. Susan and Cho helped me find that last moment..."
Albus nodded and finally asked. "The curse... That was what it was..."
Harry furrowed and nodded sadly. "Voldemort placed a condition on me. It never was a curse. How can I be so stupid?" Harry scowled at himself but he let it soften. "No, that is not right. Tom was always brilliant. I don't know if he had been weaving that into me for years or if he had just done it at the spur of the moment."
"Either way Tom really was a genius."
"I don't even know where to start to place a condition on another person. Where did he start? When did he start to learn that kind of magical control? Did that mean he had used condition for his entire life? Or that he saw an insight and a weakness and performed something he never done on himself." Harry stopped and the room was silent except for Albus's tea as he drank it. Finally Harry sighed out. "The condition he placed on me was to not allow me to give up." Albus nodded in understanding. Harry would not have been able to see that kind of force placed on him since that was a natural inclination. "Tom knew me as well as I knew him. He knew that I was struggling with the world as it was. The condition forced me to prepare by getting as much magic together as possible and then lash out. The condition was eating at me and my magic since I was not acting on it." Harry struggled for a moment and said, "I killed Rain for a condition."
"Hush its all right my boy. You did what you believed was right."
"But I got rid of the one summon that could have helped me with this."
"The idea for Rains' summon was acceptance." Albus said. "That did not mean you could not accept anything, it just meant that it would be harder to accomplish it."
"But I never really tried did I? I searched for ways to conquer it. To defeat my 'curse'."
"We will never know Tom's true intent was when he placed that condition on you. Now we just have to move on. It is completely gone then?" Harry nodded; glad his head was feeling better. "Get some rest Harry the world will still be here tomorrow."
Harry fell back to bed and the questions of his friends being alright and of his wife and daughter hung on his head. He knew Albus had cast a resting charm on him but did not care. The rest of the world can wait for him to rest just this once.
End Part 1 Broken Will
A/N: This chapter has truly been a pain to write. I have not had much time to write it and even less time to think about the story. The story is not on hiatus, but I know I will not be able to keep to the weekly chapter update I had done for the last story. I am not sure if I will have a schedule or if I will simply post as they are finished. There are roughly 6 more chapters left to the story.
I looked at TOS and decided it is better to be safe than sorry. Not really happy with not responding to reviews on chapters. I will start responding to reviews on the yahoo group. That's it! I hope to see you all here next time.