Harry Potter and the Scars of Time
By: Krystal Lily Potter
Chapter 24: The Call of War
Rating: AA (which means, around here, 14 and up)
Summary: Harry's last year at Hogwarts has finally come but that doesn't mean things will be any easier for him. After last year's horrifying events the school things that nothing worse could happen. They were all wrong. The prophecy resurfaces and is dangling in front of Harry, held up by the pain from the past, quite literally. As the world is slowly being morphed outside of the safety of Hogwarts the people inside it are finding out that they cannot hide for much longer and that time is as much their best friend now as it is their worst enemy. What is a person supposed to do when they know they have to face the most evil wizard in history and if they're killed then the rest of the world, magic and muggle is doomed?
Warning: More violence then last time. There are mentions of suicide, murder, and that type of stuff). There will also be fighting, cursing (and I don't mean spells) and gory stuff. For now the rating stays AA/PG-13 but later, towards the end, it might go up to R.

Heed this warning if you don't like death: there will be A LOT more deaths of characters you recognise from JKRs books and some original ones. If you thought I was cruel and brutal in the prequel to this then I don't know what you're going to think of me after reading this story.

Sequel to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

IMPORTANT: (PLEASE READ) You're going to notice many of the same elements as in the Half Blood Prince (JK's version, not mine) in this chapter and a little bit in the following ones but its not THAT much, promise! Reading the Half blood Prince will not give away the ending of this story or even how the events that will end this story all add up together.

I also added a little twist with Kaylee, Ron and everything to make it a little more canon…you'll see what I mean!


Also I know everything seems a little…ok REALLY choppy in this chapter but it IS necessary because I don't want to stretch this another 10 chapters. SO there are several things here that are happening at the same time, just from different points of view.

Yes this story is coming to an end. I'll tell you right now there are EXACTLY 29 chapters in this story! I know it's an odd number unlike a nice even 30 but…I just don't have anything extra I WANT to put in here. I think these next few chapters will be longest ones yet and at the end they'll simmer down but I'm not 100 sure yet. All I know is that I have the last chapter 75 percent done…lol I know I'm a loser! I wrote the last chapter before writing 25, 26, 27 and 28!

"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon darkness and death, nothing more."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, JK Rowling

Kaylee Black walked down the stairs of Gimmauld place, a confused look on her face. The house looked as if it had been abandoned for years yet she knew that it was constantly occupied by the Order.

"Kaylee," a voice whispered, causing her to jump and her heart to start thumping loudly in her chest. It was a voice she knew as well as her mothers, but it was one she hadn't heard in nearly a year. Tears appeared in her grey eyes as she whipped around to see the speaker.

He was a tall young man with light red hair and yellow coloured eyes…the exact same as she remembered him down to the last little scar.

"Josh," she said as her tears flowed freely, "is it really you?"

"As she as there's a sky above your head," Josh Lupin replied with a laugh and a grin. That quickly faded though and he was left with a solemn and tired look to him, "Kaylee I'm not just here for a pleasant visit or anything. I'm here to warn you—"

"Of what?" she interrupted him.

"I WAS about to explain that," he said sharply, "but since you insist on interrupted like always…"

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again," Kaylee pleaded quickly.

Josh studied her for a moment before saying, "You have to go back to Hogwarts."

"What? Why?" she asked wildly, a sudden panic flooding her body at the tone of his voice, "What's wrong Joshua?"

"He's coming. He will attack Hogwarts tonight. This is it Kaylee, the beginning of the end," Josh replied sadly, "many people are going to die. You need to get back to Hogwarts to warn them all, especially Harry."

Kaylee wanted desperately to say something but her words caught in her throat. Suddenly Josh slowly started vanishing in front of her very eyes.

"No! Josh!" She yelled at him.

"Hurry Kaylee, there's not much time!"

She woke up quickly and looked around her carriage with confusion. She was sure that she had been asleep for hours.

"Kaylee," one of her friends asked, "are you ok?"

She looked at her friend with confusion and said, "I forgot to do something." She moved to the seat closest to the door with confused look from her friends.

"What are you doing?" a guy asked and someone screamed as she opened the door and jumped out.

Kaylee rolled down the grass into a ditch, getting grass stains all over her but she didn't care. Ignoring her friends cries from the carriage she jumped to her feet and started running in the direction of Hogwarts.

Suddenly a terrible scream filled the air and she looked back to see the main carriage catch on fire before exploding and she knew that time was running out. She pushed herself to the limit and sprinted away from the oncoming destruction as quickly as she could.

Harry sat in his bed staring at his hands. Those piercing green eyes that were identical to his own flooded his mind.

For a moment in time he had felt hope flood through him, perhaps Peter had brought back his dead mother! But then the realization came to him, she reminded him of someone but she was not his mother, he was positive about that.

Closing his own eyes he sighed deeply before getting up and walking over to his window. Leaning lightly on it he noticed it wasn't even sunset yet. Glancing at his watch quickly he saw that he had only been asleep for about 20 minutes.

Turning quickly again he made his way to the door and headed into the halls, towards the Great Hall where he knew Hermione would be doing her last exam. She had regretted not being able to say goodbye to Kaylee but Salem's Headmaster insisted that their deportation cause as small of an interruption as possible.

A few people waved to him as he passed but he mostly ignored them. He wanted to go and wait for Hermione but on his way there he changed his direction once again and started going towards Nickleson's room. He just couldn't seem to make up his mind on where he wanted to go.

Knocking on his Professor's door roughly he felt a bubbling anger suddenly appear in him. She had hidden something important from him all year!

"Someone always does though, don't they Harry?" his thoughts whispered to him. He knew his mind was right.

"Come in," Nickleson's kind voice called out. Harry walked in just in time to see her gulp down her bright green potion. She smiled slightly at him before saying, "Harry, well this is an unexpected surprise."

"Who are you?"

She blinked, "Pardon?"

Silence.

"Don't you dare," Harry said angrily, "Don't you dare try to get around the truth. I don't know who you are but you're name is not Nickleson. I'll bet that the potion you drink isn't even to heal your elbow or your knee or whatever it was that

She sighed and leaned her elbows on her desk and rested her chin in her hands. Her greenish-brown eyes stared at him in wonder and she said, "You're right."

"I—what?" he asked with surprise. He had been waiting for her to deny his claims and beg for him to believe and trust her, he hadn't expected her to accept being caught.

"I told you not to trust anyone Harry, including me," she said with a small smile, "I know that in the back of your mind you've always known that I'm not who I say I am."

He continued to stare at her and asked, "Why are you telling me this."

"I've never actually hidden my identity from you Harry, you just never asked directly if I really was who I said I am."

Harry wanted to argue with her but nothing came out of his mouth. Her point was true; he admitted this with a shiver passing down his spine. He felt as if he were speaking to himself! He was trying to weed information out of her but she dodged his questions carefully with the truth, as if she knew exactly where he was going with his points before he said them.

"Don't ask me who I am Harry," she said suddenly, "I don't want to lie to you. You're not ready to know yet."

"Why not?" he demanded heatedly.

Ignoring his question she simple said, "Exams are out. Hermione will probably be looking for you. Good afternoon Mr. Potter."

Harry's mouth fell open slightly as she motioned for him to leave with a stern tone in her voice. Anger filled his mind once again and he said, "I destroyed most of Dumbledore's possessions in my fifth year when he got me angry, what makes you think I'll listen to you when I could do that to the Headmaster?"

"Maturity Potter," she said honestly, "you're two years older now."

Harry stared at her for a moment before turning and walking out the door.

"How'd your exam go?" Harry asked Hermione with a grin as they met each other in the entrance hall.

She seemed rather frazzled as she said, "I think I messed up on question seven and Merlin how could I be so stupid with question thirty!" Her wild eyes looked at Harry and she yelled, "And what might I ask is so funny Harry James Potter?"

"Nothing Hermione," he replied but he couldn't get rid of the grin on his face at her antics.

She continued to stare at him suspiciously until someone knocked into them. His book fell to the ground, as did he and he said, "Sorry I—oh Harry, Hermione." It was Ron. He looked very uncomfortable around the two and quickly moved to get out of their way.

"Tell Ron I don't hate him." Kaylee's words from just before she left rang in Harry's ears as he watched Ron walk away. He knew that if Kaylee didn't hate him then there was no reason for him to hate Ron as well.

"Ron!" Harry yelled at the red-head's retreating form.

Ron stopped and faced Harry with a curious look on his face. There was also a tinge of fear and acceptance in his eyes and simply seeing that made Harry realize that Ron knew what he had done was wrong and, for once, had accepted his punishment with a maturity that Harry seemed to lack lately.

"Kaylee wanted me to tell you that she doesn't hate you and…neither do I," Potter admitted, "I'm sorry for being such a git."

Ron studied him for a moment before his mouth split into a large grin and he said, "It's alright. It was my fault and it was wrong."

Hermione looked from one to the other, tears welding up in her eyes and she cried out, "you two are so stupid!"

They both laughed and Weasley said, "And you're mental but we love you anyway."

A black dog quickly ran through the forest quickly, panting from all the running she had been doing. When deciding to take a short cut through the forest to get to Hogwarts faster she had encountered many hideous beasts that were obviously under the control of Voldemort and knew it'd be safer traveling as an animal then as the person she was.

Even as a dog her grey eyes began water with exhaustion but she kept onwards, determined to make it there before the Dark Lord did.

Dumbledore sat in his office, his face pale and his hands shaking. Fear echoed in his mind and terror in his heart. He knew that something bad was set in motion. Looking out the window of his office he sighed, knowing that Voldemort was making his final move somewhere and there was nothing he could do to stop it. All he could do was prepare the Order and his students for the oncoming danger.

There was a knock at his door and he said, "Enter."

Marie Nickleson entered the room with a worried look in her eyes. A silence surrounded them before Dumbledore sighed and said, "It's begun, hasn't it?"

"Yes," she replied in a sad tone, "Harry finally asked me who I really was today. He knows I'm not who I say I am."

Dumbledore chuckled before saying, "Harry is very good at figuring out mysteries. I am surprised that it took him so long."

"He knows of the Orb of Efil as well. I can feel it in my blood," she admitted to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore sighed and pulled out a sheet of parchment before saying, "So starts the beginning of the end."

Ron sat at the edge of the lake, staring out to the shore across it. He was thankful that Harry and Hermione had forgiven him for what he had done; he regretted it to his very core.

"But," a voice echoed in his mind, "You never have loved her have you? And she's never loved you. Both of you want a person you can't have, her because of his death and you because she's with your best friend."

Ron smiled sadly at the voice in his head and nodded to himself. He had known from the beginning that Kaylee had felt strongly for Josh and that he himself had feelings for Hermione Granger, but she and Harry seemed so happy so he simply did the mature thing and moved on.

He threw a stone at the lake and watched it skip over the surface before a tentacle came out of the lake and dragged it under before the giant squid spat it back out above the water, realizing it wasn't food someone had thrown into the lake.

Suddenly a moving shape from across the lake caught his eyes. He watched a bush shake for a moment before a dog leap out of it. The dog panted for a moment before looking directly at him. It started running into the forest at the lakes edge and disappeared into the trees.

Before Ron even knew what had happened the dog appeared on the side of the lake he was on and ran at him. She tried to stop but skidded and ended up stumbling over him.

"BLOODY HELL!" Ron cried out angrily while glaring at the creature. A sudden feeling of dejavu appeared in him and he asked, "Sirius?"

The dog actually shook its head no before changing into a person. Ron gaped as Kaylee Black appeared in front of him, looking tired out and panicked.

"Kaylee? What—how? I…" he had no clue what to say.

"Find Dumbledore and Harry," she said quickly, "Voldemort's here!"

"Vol—what?" he asked, completely lost.

She made an annoyed sound before jumping up and running towards the castle. He followed her quickly and asked, "What's going on? Why are you still here?"

Kaylee stared at him for a moment before opening her mouth to speak when they heard a loud crash from behind them. She screamed as a giant appeared out of the trees, creating a path for the others who followed.

Ron grabbed her arm and started running towards the school without a word, all the other students who happened to be outside followed suit, trying to get into the walls that protected them from the horrors of the war since it had been openly accepted the year before.

"No, no no no," Kaylee said over and over, "No I was supposed to get back in time to warn you all!"

"Warn us?" Ron asked her oddly as they got in the entrance of Hogwarts.

"Now I know this sounds crazy but Josh…Josh told me in a dream that this was going to happen," she said, tears were streaking down her face, which went about five shades paler, "I know you probably don't believe me—"

"Actually yes I do," Ron said while grabbing her arm and pulling her farther into the safety of the castle, "I've been friends with Harry long enough to see how dreams can give us warnings for what's going to happen."

"I couldn't get here in time though," she replied in distress.

Ron never got a chance to reply as they heard screams coming from the other direction. Kaylee let out a loud scream as the wall they were standing beside opened quickly and they were pulled inside.

Both youths whipped out their wands only to find themselves facing Alyssa Black.

"Mom, what's going on?" Kaylee asked in a terrified voice.

"There are Death Eaters in the castle," she said with a shaky voice, "I need you two to get to the Gryffindor common room. We're rounding up as many students to get them to safety as quickly as possible."

"How'd they get in the castle?" Ron asked with amazement thick in his voice.

"We're not sure," Alyssa replied, "Now go!" She charged into the hallway and vanished into the mass confusion.

"Mom!" the young Black tried to call out but Ron covered her mouth with his hand and started running up the stair case that was behind them, "What are you doing!"

"You're mom told us to go to the common room and we should! We can talk to everyone else there and figure out what to do," he replied quickly.

"Who are you and what have you done with Ronald Weasley?" she asked weakly.

Ron grinned slightly and said, "I guess I just grew up when I realized—"

Kaylee smiled lightly and said, "Just be happy for Hermione."

"How—?"

"Everyone knew Ron," she said as they carefully looked around in the hall they appeared in. Seeing that it was clear they ran for the portrait, which was only a few feet away, "just drop it for now ok?" They got there the same time a couple of terrified first years did.

"Canary Creams," Ron said quickly and they all scrambled into the common room.

Hermione tapped her fingers on her textbook and bit her lip with an unsure look on her face. She watched Harry pace in their small common room. His eyes stared at the carpet with determination as if he was trying to burn a hole in it.

"Did you tell Dumbledore about your scar burning?" she asked him.

He nodded before saying, "It's not just that Hermione!"

"I know," she replied calmly, "its Nickleson and the prophecy and how the Death Eaters got into the school in your nightmare."

Harry sat on the couch beside her and growled angrily at the wall across from him. He grabbed a book on the coffee table beside him and threw it across the room.

"HARRY!" Hermione yelled out and picked up the book, giving him a dirty look.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm acting immature I just…what's that?" he asked while pointing at the picture on the book.

"This?" she asked then looked down at the book, "it's a vanishing cabinet, why?"

"That's what Fred and George pushed Montague in right? In fifth year?"

"Yes?" she questioned, wondering where she was going with his questions.

"Let me see that," he said quickly. She passed it to him and he read the passage on the Vanishing Cabinet. His face growing paler with each sentence he read.

"If there are two of these things," Harry said suddenly, "then you can use them to get from one place to another."

"Yes," she said, motioning for him to continue.

"Hermione there IS a second one of these," he said, "in Borgin and Burkes. A place Death Eaters could get to without much attention, even a large group of them. I'm positive it's there because I hid in it when I ended up in Knockturn Alley in second year."

"Maybe Borgin sold it?"

"What are the odds of that?" he tried her. As he waited for her comeback his scar started hurting worse then formal. Suddenly he felt as if his head had split open and someone was stabbing a white hot iron rod into it.

He yelled in pain as he stumbled to the floor. At the exact same time an explosion was heard not far from their common room followed by screams of terrified students.

Bellatrix Lestrange was proud of herself, she always had been. Ever since the day she entered the Slytherin house after her older sister Narcissa she had become a proud member of the Black family. Unlike her eldest sister Andromeda, who had been a Gryffindor and soon disowned by their mother and father she was the prize child, even over Narcissa, who preferred to stand in the shadows looking pretty. No Bellatrix loved being the center of attention, whether it be from her housemates, her husband, a large court or her master.

Yes Bellatrix was, without a doubt, a very cocky witch. As she, along with her contact inside of Hogwarts, had planned this attack out all year she thought of how her master would congradualate her. She also though of Narcissa's reluctance to help with this, warning that if they were caught they would most likely be killed, not just sent to prison.

"I would gladly give up my life for the Dark Lord Cissy," Bellatrix claimed to her sister, "and many others. Why are you so reluctant?" It confused Lestrange, as well as scared her, to no end. To think that her sister had another agenda aside from the Dark Lord's bidden frightened Bellatrix more then anything else.

She shook her head clear of those thoughts as she continued moving through the castle, fighting those who dared try and stop her and killing those who ran from her.

A third year Hufflepuff fell in front of her and she raised her wand to put the "miserable creature" out of its "misery" when a voice she hadn't heard in years yelled, " Expelliarmus!"

She managed to dodge the spell and quickly faced the caster. An evil glint appeared in her eyes and she said, "Hello Alyssa. It's been awhile. I see you've finally come back, too bad it was after the death of your dear husband."

"Don't speak of him," Alyssa shot back, "Sirius was a betrayed man and you have no right to even utter a thought of him."

"He died begging for mercy," Bellatrix lied, "he fought like a weakling and a coward."

"LIAR!" Alyssa screamed and much to the other woman's surprise she threw magic to wind and punched her across the face, effectively breaking her nose.

"You'll pay for that!" Bellatrix yelled in rage.

"You have a lot more to pay for then I do," Alyssa replied before taking aim at her target.

"Harry," Dumbledore said as he made his way through the mass confusion, effectively disarming and capturing anyone who crossed his path.

Harry turned to see his Headmaster and for the first time in the longest time he saw exactly how old Dumbledore really was. There was a sad look on his aging face at the destruction of his precious school. He had worked so hard to prevent this, only to have his hopes for his students be destroyed.

"Harry I need you to head outside to help push the creatures back into the woods," Dumbledore explained, "There aren't enough people outside yet."

"Alright," he replied and was about to take off when Dumbledore grabbed his shoulder and said, "Take others with you. You will need the help. The last thing I want to do is send students out to danger but we have no choice. I trust you to protect as many as you can."

Green met blue as they stared at each other for a moment until Harry nodded and said, "I'll do my best sir." He started running up to the Gryffindor common room to get some help, but not before yanking Hermione out of the crowd.

Sarah Lupin had been through a lot in her life, including letting go of most of her friends to death, but this by far was the second toughest thing she ever had to do in her life.

She used her magic to push the creatures that were pouring out of the Forbidden Forest back into the trees and bushes. She could see that they were not only outnumbered but that their numbers were growing smaller. When a man got too close to one of the giants that were securely trapped down the creature moved its head and had bit his arm off! Although giants weren't cannibals so he didn't actually eat the man.

A shiver went up and down Sarah's spine at the realization that the giants weren't their problem. They were so big that it was impossible for them to spring a surprise attack but the werewolves, the inferius and the smaller creatures were a large problem, one that paled only in comparison to the large amount of dementors that were appearing out of the trees.

Beside her Remus viciously held off as many creatures as he could, taking a particular interest in the werewolves, who at the moment, were in fact still people.

"We need help!" she yelled out at her husband. Remus nodded at her but concentrated on the battle in front of him, his yellowish eyes flashing from one enemy to another.

"Expecto Patrous!" Hermione's voice rang out, sending away several dementors that were getting a little to close to the school. Seeing these monstrous creatures being chased away by a sparkling otter would, at most times, be particularly funny but at the moment no one paid any attention to it.

"What are you doing here?" Remus yelled at the students who were appearing by their side to help fight.

"Harry came and got us! Dumbledore told him that you needed help out here!" they heard Kaylee answer them as she shot flames at several inferius that were closing in.

"And where's Harry?" Sarah asked.

"He's back dealing with Malfoy," Ron replied.

"Malfoy? I thought he was on our side," Remus asked while shooting them a confused look.

Hermione shook her head and said, "No he isn't. He's the one who got the Death Eaters into the castle…"

Back at the edge of the bridge going into Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter stared each other down, a dangerous air dangling around them.

Author's Note

Yes, very choppy and terribly written, I know. This chapter was up in time to say goodbye to 2005…one of the most kick ass years yet! Well I better go and get ready to go out with my friends! I hope you all have a great new year with lots of happiness and luck!

Also see, it wasn't another six months! )

NikkyB – Ha that's amazing! Yes I originally wrote that I wasn't going to continue the story FOR ALONG TIME…I had some issues to work out. Ew physics and Hermione's not giving anyone the cold shoulders, she was just giving Harry some alone time to say goodbye to Kaylee.

Holimontski – Yeah I don't really like Harry/Ginny…at all, but I don't like Ginny at all either so meh. I still see where Harry/Hermione COULD happen but it's going to be Ron/Hermione and we all know it now. I purposely wrote that part of the chapter so you would know Nickleson has something to do with the Orb of Efil but not exactly what yet. About Kaylee…as you saw she's not gone quite yet and I just wanted to break the RW/KB thing and point out that she had originally liked Josh. You're right, my heart does belong with writing…even the test I took at school said so! 

Kitty.from.hell – Well Harry was only on the team for the very last game and I was planning on breaking Ron and Kaylee up since the beginning…

Hi – no, the first book was meant to be called the Philosopher's Stone. That was JKR's original title and that's what the book I have is titled. I'm pretty sure that in Britain it's called the Phliosopher's Stone.

Devinj2000 – lol yeah I'm back and I'll try to update as fast as I can

Silent – thank you, lol I feel honored that you actually wrote me a review then

- umm thanks!

Aqua Mage – Harry's sister is dead, no if ands or buts about it. Besides Gemma didn't have green eyes.

0e0 I look just like Buddy Holly – Sorry, I have to keep quiet about Nickleson for a little while longer. Although Harry's starting to realize who she is! LOL no worries, not six months!

Daughter-of-the-Night – You think so?

Trumpet-Geek – Third person to guess that. Don't worry, no one's been rude to be about such a long update yet but you're right, there's no point letting them get at ya.

Thanks you guys and I'll see ya'll next year!

Krystal Lily Potter