Catcher

Chapter 29; Intercepted

Quarterdeck of Burning Wind

Alandria stared in shock as the bronze dome faded from view allowing her senses to focus on her friend and his bonded. What her senses told made her fall to her knees. Valice followed her down in shock as his own senses confirmed that Harry was dead. The healer rushed forward again to heal the cuts and scraps that he had gotten during the fight but there was little else to do; The young Lord's shoulder was completely healed over without leaving so much as a blemish under the shredded shirt.

The Quarterdeck stood in silence as the healer transferred the two prone forms onto stretchers before running his hand down Harry's face to close his eyes. All of the Elves had tears in their eyes, they hated death more than humans because of their extended lives and it hit them hard that the well loved Lord was dead.

It was this scene that the Muggle fleet eventually joined. HMS Kent pulled up beside The Burning Wind and it was then that the Elves noticed how low in the water their Flagship really was and all of the unwounded jumped into action plugging holes and tending the wounded. Valice started yelling for help from the Kent as Alandria was unable to do more then cry over her protégée.

Captain Dowlrey looked in shock at the shattered ship before him. What was once a majestic ship that demanded awe and respect was now riddled with holes and was listing heavily to its starboard side. The worst sight was the red channels of blood as it ran from the deck into the water. He immediately ordered damage control teams over onto the other ship as well as medical evacuation teams and ordered his First Lieutenant to get the Burning Wind lashed to the Kent so that it wouldn't sink.

"Alandria, we need to move Matt to the HMS Kent." Valice spoke softly as he put a hand on his shoulder. Then quieter, "And Harry to."

Alandria sobbed but reluctantly pulled her hands out of Harry pale ones letting them fall to his chest. Four of the Naval personnel moved forwards to lift the stretchers but Valice stopped them. The men understood and moved to clear the way to the jerry rigged lift that ran up the side of the Kent. Valice moved to lift the end of Harry's stretcher and the Captain moved to the other end and together they headed for the other ship. The second in command and one of the Elven Guards carried Matt behind them. Alandria walked beside Harry not wanting to leave his side.

HMS Kent; One hour later

Captain Dowlrey watched from the starboard balcony as the ships slowly slipped through the water on their way to Portsmouth. It would take a while at this speed but he was now confident that the Elven Flagship that was lashed tightly to his ships side would make the journey intact, or as intact as the battle had left it.

They had picked up all of the survivors from Atlantis in a pitifully short amount of time and it was a shock to many of the Atlantians to discover that they remainder of their ruling Maesters had perished in the attack, having been main targets for the strike.

General Granger stood to his side quietly gazing at the fleet of combined ships as they slipped through the water. Three Destroyers were in formation with HMS Kent in the centre and slightly behind. The numerous Motor Torpedo Boats were laid out around them with the two submarines running above the water in front of the ships. The Avrilon stood out to the windward side of the fleet matching pace with the three Atlantian Battleships behind it.

They stood in silence for five minutes before they were interrupted by his first lieutenant telling him that Lord Dragon had awoken and was trying to get out of the infirmary.

The Kent was large enough for it to take five minutes more to reach the infirmary and the scene they entered into was chaos. The Naval Doctor and Nurse were crouched in the far corner whilst three Elves – that Dowlrey separated as being one Healer and two Guards distinguished by how many weapons they carried – struggled to keep their Lord on the bed.

Valice suddenly appeared at his shoulder. "He says he wants to see Harry."

"Then let him!" Dowlrey replied.

"It's not that simple, he had an extremely strong bond to Harry and with it suddenly ripped apart he could go crazy. It's your ship he might damage." Valice pointed out calmly before moving forward as he saw one of the Elven Guards thrown back into a wall.

"Let him!" Dowlrey decided after a pause and the chance to study the pained look in the boy's eyes. Valice released the boy's arms and the two Elves stepped back with a bow of their heads. "Take them to the morgue Doctor." He said regretfully as he turned to face the Doctor in the corner of the small room.

The aforementioned Doctor lead the group down the hall and throw a set of swinging doors into a cool room. Several tables stood with body laid on them, sheet covering what was once part of the proud crew of the Burning Wind. On one table the sheet had been pulled back and Alandria had her head on Harry's chest as she cried remembering when they had first met and the shy boy that he had been all that time ago. She looked up at the intrusion and Matt stared into her red eyes before moving to the other side of the bed and placing a hand on both Harry's forehead and chest.

He started muttering under his breath and started to glow Bronze. He had come to a revelation after he had woken from his dream. Harry must have known he was going to die, otherwise he wouldn't have said his goodbyes; the thought of what Harry had said to him brought tears to his eyes once again as he summoned Gryat. The Bronze Dragon said that he would see him soon and had hinted at Harry helping him achieve the Silver Dragon.

'You worked it out then did you?' A voice echoed in his head and he felt a highly powerful presence in his mind. 'I'm glad; Atti wouldn't like it if she didn't get her chance.'

"Who's Atti?" Matt didn't realise he was speaking aloud but he caught everyone's attention.

'Don't you have something more important to do here rather than chat, he doesn't have a lot of time left before he passes through the Division and then I cant help him.'

"Please help him, I can't live without him," he whispered aloud again.

'Very well, just relax and I'll help you.' Suddenly Matt opened his eyes and was staring at empty black space, around him the air was filled with bright lights of different sizes. Most were no larger then his fist and Gryat beside him in a Dragons shape informed him that they were mundane souls. Some however were larger and tinted with an outer colour; Magical souls and their signature. A few others were there; close to him was several green souls which he guessed were that of Elves that had died in the battle. 'You need to reach out and call Harry to you, sound doesn't travel here and as he is dead you bond is broken in here, you need to release you own soul and hope that he recognised it. I'll do it for you this time but it will drain you quicker so concentrate on what I do so you can do it yourself next time.'

Matt felt his mind expand outwards as if he was leaving his body behind. 'Do you have a memory he might recognise? If you do picture it all, every detail you can think of and project it out. It's better if it's a happy one.'

Matt settled on his time in the City of Magic and they times when they had lied in the same bed for nights in a row sharing their memories across the link. Laughing together at the good ones and comforting each other through the bad ones. With it he thought one thought over and over. 'Please Harry, I need you.'

He watched the souls around him; they darted away as if admitting that they weren't the one he sought. One was moving towards him though, it was the largest one that he could see and it was surrounded by a golden signature. He knew instinctively that it was Harry as it came to settle in front of his face.

Matt stared at its beauty until it darted around in a circle and then around to Matt's shoulder. Matt couldn't decide what was happening until the temperature dropped suddenly around them. 'We've been here too long,' Gryat stated blandly.

A figure appeared before them. His shape was blurred and Matt couldn't make out any features of the man's face.

'I am Death, why have you come here Dragon Summoner.'

He stuttered a few times after hearing who it was that stood before him. 'I'm here to help my friend.'

'Is he all you came for?'

'Yes.'

'Who is he?'

'Harry Potter.' Matt became confused as to why this mattered.

'The Heir of Magic? He shouldn't have even died. Yet he is a powerful soul, worth more to me then all these others.'

'Please,' Matt pleaded, 'please let me take him back, I need him.'

'Very well, on one condition.' Death paused, 'You help this soul finish what it is fated for and when the time comes to let him go you do so.'

Matt couldn't understand the cryptic condition but nodded eagerly.

'Then you may leave, but remember no soul can enter this place unaided more than three times. On the forth they will be pass straight through the gate and there is no return from there.'

Matt felt Gryat take control again and then felt his mind return to his body. Dimly he felt Gryat leave him and for the second before he opened his eyes he could see the impression of Death on his eyelids and the cryptic condition echoed in his mind again.

His eyes flew open though when he heard a gasp from below him and felt his left hand rise as Harry sucked in a breath. He took in Harry's fluttering eyelids and buried him head in the nape of Harry's neck and cried out in relief. He felt Harry's arms come up and wrap around his back and pull him onto the table beside him.

Matt felt a part of him being filled again. Harry mind melded back into his and magic flowed through him. Alandria, Valice, and the Elves gasped as they felt magic rush into the room whilst the Muggles only felt the pressure increase and the temperature rise.

'Harry,' Matt's mental voice was sobbing, 'Please don't leave me again.'

'I'm sorry Matt, I wont leave you, thank you.'

A/N; I know its soppy etc etc. If you're going to moan about that don't bother reviewing. I didn't want Harry to be a heartless machine and I wanted to show the relationship between Harry and Matt better. Anyway, hope you review because I got a pitiful amount of reviews for the last chapter and I don't see the point in writing this anymore for a measly few reviews. Thanks to the people that did though.