Chapter Fifteen

Minister Cornelius Fudge burst into the room with several Aurors and Order Members. The alarms hadsounded that something was happening deep within the Ministry and they were just answering the sound when they found the room full of shadows. And once the shadows cleared they could see the lifeless bodies of several Death Eaters and one Harry Potter. Another figure the shadows were creeping from groaned as it shifted.

Nothing is happening. Nothing but a mistake to be fixed.

Confused, Fudge stared at the shimmering figures stepping out of the Veil. "Who or what are you?"

One Auror stepped forward, "Sir, it's the Guardians of the Veil. They are the ones who created the Veil."

"What nonsense is this?"

The Guardians pressed invisible fingers over the one Auror, reaching deep inside for the understanding of their language. Then delved into their Mistress and Master, allowing them to continue. "Nothing is happening. Nothing but a mistake to be fixed."

Fudge drew himself up, trying to intimidate them. "Arrest them! They are obviously Dark followers of Harry Potter!"

But the darker figure of the two withdrew a wicked sword, daring someone to touch his queen. "Touch her and you will be visiting me earlier than you should. And you, sir, will no longer be the leader."

"You hold no sway over me!"

"Ah, but we do. We hold sway over the magic in this world. We are the beings that granted the gift to such mortals as yourself and we can take it back. My mother knows of what has happened here. You will see the results of your mistake. You have tried to ruin the life of the mostworthy mortal we have seen since our time of ruling. You will pay in magic, in life, and in blood to rectify such a mistake. And my husband, as well as I, will personally deliveryour soul to be judged and placed."

Fudge tried to hide his trembling, "Harry Potter is a Dark Lord. He practices the Dark Arts."

A weak voice called out, "No. He learned in order to save his life against Voldemort. But in the end he sacrificed his happiness to save me from the Dark Arts. I allowed myself to fall beneath their temptation in hopes of finding my own happiness. But all Ifound was hatred and hunger for power, death, and bloodshed. I am now free to be who I was meant to be, free to find my light in life."

Eyes widened as mouths dropped. Tom Marvolo Riddle was slowly reaching his feet, wobbly but gaining strength. "Tom?"

Narrowed eyes turned to face a stunned Headmaster, "You suspected me. Never thought to see why I turned away. I desired a new life, help from my old life. But everyday I learned I had to return such a life. I had believed for once that something cared, someone cared. I had truly wanted a new life, someone to help me be free. And in the end I lost myself. Only Harry Potter understood and freed me, giving up his heart's desire for my freedom."

"Ah, but he hasn't. He has given so much of his happiness to help others, to give them what they wanted even if it turned them away. He has tried so hard, even sacrificing his life to save those who believed in him. He gave up to prove to us there are worthy souls. He knew the price of asking for a lost soul and listened. He gave it all up in hopes his world would remain free and innocent." The young queen knelt by Harry's side, a pale hand stroking dark strands, "He believed when no one else did. He kept what little light he had close to his heart, even if they were lost."

Her husband grimly smiled. "Return to you, my child. Return, my minions. Return the worthy soul of such purity and innocence. Give him back to the world that loved him, even hated him. Give him the chance to be himself. And in return I grant his heart's desire. Live, both. My gift to you, my queen, my gift to you." With those words, he turned away, stepping back into his world.

She brightly smiled, shimmering into nothing as her sweet voice rang clear, "Be free." Be free, my child.

Harry's body suddenly began gasping for air, shuddering with intense cold. His companions immediately stripped off their outer robes, covering his shivering form with their little warmth. "Harry."

Emerald eyes fluttered open, locking onto cold gray, "We win?"

"Of course. Malfoys always choose the winning side." Draco allowed a tiny smile to grace his face as he helped his school nemesisto wobbly feet.

Harry opened his mouth to say more when something came tumbling out of the Veil, we have granted you a gift, little one. Our Master and Mistress have returned your heart's desire in return for showing them there are worthy souls. That you do have such innocence and purity of heart. Sacrificing yourself for those who hate you, for those who fear you, for those who love you. Live and be free.

And with those words, the Guardians fell back into their eternal sleep until they were summoned by another worthy soul.

And Harry forced himself to walk over to the object that had fallen from the Veil. His heart pounded inhis chest, overlapping his hearing. Something told him it couldn't be true but his eyes refused to lie. There before him laya stunned Sirius Black, looking exactly the same way he had entered the Veil that night in Fifth Year against Bellatrix Lestrange. "Sirius."