-149 - Bonus Chapter Over One Million Hits!!!!!!!!!!
By the time Harry, Draco and Severus left Harry's bedroom, the living room was filled with Order members. A hush fell over the room when Harry walked in. He could tell that Dumbledore had already told his friends about his imminent death because all three Gryffindor had red rimmed eyes.
Mrs. Weasley had one arm wrapped around Hermione and the other around Ginny. Ron sat on Hermione's other side with his face pressed against her shoulder. Tonks quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
McGonagall gave Harry one of those sad smiles that made Harry feel even more isolated. Hermione's eyes immediately went to his scar. Harry rubbed his throbbing scar and unconsciously leaned into his dad for morale support. His dad wrapped an arm around his shoulder, making him feel less isolated.
"Idiots," Severus muttered under his breath. He gave the Gryffindor a reproachful look. Harry needed his friends to see him as they always had. It wouldn't due to have the Gryffindor show anymore fear then they already had.
Draco came to stand on Harry's other side, "Why are you all looking so grim? Potter's going to come out of this all right!"
That seemed to snap everyone from the black cloud they were under.
In a forced upbeat tone, Hermione added, "Thank goodness you have a potion master for a father, Harry."
"Yeah, I know," Harry replied, giving his dad a pat on the back. "Everything's gonna be fine, guys. Don't look so gloomy, Tonks."
Tonks turned her hair a rainbow of colors. Her smile almost reached her eyes, "I'm not worried about you, Harry. With Severus and Albus on your side, I'm sure you'll pull out of this just fine."
"He bloody well better!" Ron chimed in, earning himself a swift slap to the back of his head by his mum. "Ouch!"
"So, how does this Elixir work, Professor?" Hermione asked, noting the sharp look from the Professor in return.
When Severus didn't answer, Harry implored, "Yeah, Dad, I'd like to know that myself. Am I going to die first, then be brought back to life?"
Severus closed his eyes, hating the fact that he was having a conversation about impending death with a sixteen year old.
"Tell me, dad," Harry demanded, wanting to know the plan now that he would live.
"I suppose this is a discussion I can put off no longer," Severus would have preferred to have this discussion in private. Then again, Harry did seem to gather strength from his friends, prompting him to continue, "I have complete faith in the Headmaster's rebounding spell. He has assured me that it is perfected."
Harry hoped Dumbledore knew how much he appreciated him as a mentor. "Thanks for everything, Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure it will work just fine."
It eased Severus' anxiety to hear Harry say that. He felt a stab of pride in his son's bravery, "Once you are in the presence of Voldemort we plan to attack his stronghold, forcing him to cast the killing curse against you as soon as possible. If all goes as planned, you will not be left alone with the Dark Lord for more then a moment or two before the Order members arrive."
Harry could practically picture the scene in his mind. He cringed at the thought of seeing Voldemort's snakelike face once more. "Okay, then he casts the killing curse, …so then what happens?"
"For all intents and purposes, you will in point of fact … die."
"Right," Harry whispered, trying not to let that panic rise up inside his chest.
Severus pulled a chair out for Harry, efficiently pushing the boy back into it. It was evident the boy was past the point of exhaustion. His concern that Harry would require full Occlumency shields whilst in the presence of Voldemort continued to nag at his thoughts. He knew that the final battle would have to be fought sooner rather then later as the boy was getting weaker by the moment.
"With Albus' rebounding curse in place, Voldemort's killing curse will bounce back and strike him down with almost double the force in which it strikes you," Severus said, noting the boy's face continuing to go pale..
"Then BANG, Voldemort's history!" Ron chimed in. Severus shot the imbecile a reproving glare.
The room was deathly silent. Harry suddenly felt edgy as his heart raced with anxiety. He stood up and walked over to the fireplace with his back to everyone else. He stared at the flames, unaware of all eyes directed at him. He wished Sirius was here. His godfather had a way of making everything seem less daunting.
"How will you administer the Elixir Of Life, if Harry is still with Voldemort?" Ginny anxiously asked…
Severus didn't take his eyes off Harry, "As soon as Harry's heart stops beating, a portkey will be set off transporting him directly to the infirmary. I will be waiting there with the potion and administer it within minutes of his organs ceasing to function." He walked to where his son was standing and tried to get Harry to look at him. The boy kept his head bent down. He could see the slight tremor in the teen's hands.
"If all goes as planned, all this will happen within a few moments of your last breath, Harry," Severus said, hoping to assure his son. He sat on the coffee table and took hold of Harry's trembling hand. "I shall be waiting for you to come back to us, son."
Harry looked at his dad. He glanced around the room, suddenly aware all eyes were on him. He smiled, but only one of those sad 'McGonagall smiles', "I know. It all sounds so easy. I just want it to be over with."
At that moment the fire turned green and Sirius stepped out, almost knocking Harry down. He caught hold of the teen. Instead of letting him go he pulled him into a firm embrace.
"Hey kiddo, everything all right?" Sirius asked, noting the tension in the room.
"Yeah. I was just saying that I wanted this to be over with," Harry said into his godfather's shoulder. "Did you hear about my dad's potion?"
"I did. We're lucky he's spent most of his life playing with his little chemistry set," Sirius retorted, giving Snape a wink.
Severus frowned back at the mutt.
Harry took a seat next to Ginny on the sofa. Molly reached behind her daughter and gripped his shoulder.
"It will be over soon, dear," Molly reassured, "We'll all be waiting for your safe return."
"That's right, pup. I'll be first in line to welcome you back," Sirius said.
Severus gave Albus a look that went unspoken but must have conveyed his thoughts, for the headmaster spoke up.
"Well now, I think the youngsters should spend a few moments talking amongst themselves in Harry's bedroom, so we adults can work out the details."
Harry stayed where he was, not wanting to be left out of any important decision making.
"I'd rather stay," he said.
"Just obey, Harry," Severus said in a weary voice. Harry could see the exhaustion in the man. He knew it was his fault that his dad had gotten so little sleep.
Harry stood up but stopped before he reached the hallway, "I just want all of you to know how much I appreciate everything you've done. I don't want anyone to get hurt for me though. If I thought you'd let me do this on my own … I would."
"Don't say such things, Harry!" Mrs. Weasley admonished, "We could never send you to him alone!"
"If you even think of leaving without my express permission …" Severus darkly threatened. He took a step closer to Harry, his tone softened up considerably, "Promise me, Harry, promise me that you will not act foolishly?"
"Don't worry, dad. I think I've learned my lesson by now."
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Harry was wiped out. He flopped down on his bed, stuffing his face into his pillow. He grumbled when Ron dove onto the other side of the bed, causing the mattress to jump.
Ginny sat down on the edge of the bed by Harry's side and started to run her hands through his hair.
"This whole thing is so weird," Ginny said. "that bastard won't stay away."
"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Harry just wanted to forget everything, even if it was just for a little while.
"Okay, I can respect that. Do you want a back rub?" Ginny asked, leaning down to kiss his ear.
"Sure," came his muffled answer as he closed his tired eyes. "I'm so tense."
Ginny began to massage Harry's back, laughing when he let out a satisfied sigh.
"Hey, Mione," Ron called out from his spot on the bed, "What about me? I wouldn't mind a backrub, myself!"
Hermione was standing by the door, wondering how she could cast a listening spell so she could hear what the adults were talking about. She took her wand out to test the door for a privacy spell. The door lit up in red before going back to its regular color. That was all the proof she needed to establish the fact that there was a strong privacy spell on the door.
Draco was watching her from his spot on the sofa where he poured himself a cup of tea.
"Hey Mione, come on over here and give me a backrub," came Ron's insistent voice.
Hermione huffed out in exasperation, "Shut it, Ronald, I'm trying to think! If you want a backrub that badly you'd better persuade Draco to do it."
Draco choked on his tea, "I'd just as soon cut off my hands before I'd touch Weaselbee!"
Harry couldn't help laughing at the thought of Draco rubbing Ron's back!
Ron quickly jumped off the bed, "Someone Obliviate me! That image is burning a hole in my brain."
Everyone laughed, breaking the tension they all felt. Harry flipped over and pulled Ginny against his chest, "Can I return the favor, Beautiful?"
"Not with me in the room and my mum and dad right outside that door, you can't!" came Ron's indignant reply.
"You're a mood killer, Ron, "Harry said, sitting up and letting Ginny pull him to his feet. "Can you hear anything, Hermione?" he asked, walking over and pressing his ear to the door.
Hermione shrugged, "No. I'm pretty sure Professor Snape put a privacy spell on the door."
"Yeah, he'd do something like that," Harry confirmed.
"You could use extendable ears?" Ron suggested, "You still have those, Harry? "
Harry knelt down next to his trunk and flipped it open. He rummaged around until he found the small sack holding the strings.
It didn't take long for Hermione to thread the skin colored listening devices under the door and manage to guide it down the hallway into the living room. She had the other side of the string held up to her own ear.
"Can you hear anything?" Ron asked, trying to push his ear as close to the device as possible. "I can't hear anything."
"Shush!" Hermione hissed, "I can't hear anything but your big mouth."
"Whatever," Ron grumbled, abandoning the task when he spied Harry's golden practice Snitch on the top of the desk. "Come on, Harry. I bet five chocolate frogs that I catch the snitch before you do."
Even though Harry wasn't feeling his best, he rallied at the idea of anything to do with Quidditch. He really missed the game. Besides, if Hermione found anything out she would be sure to tell him. He took a swipe at the tiny ball when it buzzed around his head.
"Game on, Ron," Harry grabbed hold of Ginny's wrist and pulled her into the game as well.
Draco was torn between getting in on the game or finding out what Granger was hearing from that odd string. He opted for spying on the adults.
"Do you mind if I listen in too?" Draco asked Hermione.
She answered by holding the string a little bit away from her ear so he could listen too. They could barely hear talking until Draco pulled his wand out and incanted a spell. The voices coming from the string rose considerably. They could hear every word spoken as if they were in the living room themselves:
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Severus was in the midst of explaining the details regarding the potion. He completely failed to spot the pale listening device as it snaked into the room.
"The potion must be brewed and administered within an hour of Harry's organs stopping," Severus explained. "I will be alerted the moment Voldemort dies and begin the final phase of the potion. It is imperative that it be administered immediately."
"How will you know when he dies?" Sirius interrupted.
Severus simply rubbed his arm, bringing about several nods as people came to understand that it would be through his dark mark. The moment Voldemort died the dark mark would cease to ache. The pain he had been feeling the last few days was almost unbearable.
"What happens if the portkey doesn't work and we can't bring Harry to you in time?" Tonks anxiously asked.
"That will not happen," Dumbledore clarified. "The portkey is set to go off the moment Harry's heart stops beating. I have added several spells to the portkey, intensifying it's power."
"But what if they discover the portkey and take it from him?" Remus asked.
"Albus and I have discussed that possibility," Severus said, "We have decided the best way for Harry to carry the portkey will be for him to swallow it before he leaves the school. It will be virtually impossible to detect."
Albus gave Severus a somber nod, indicating that it was time to ask the most important question. He turned to address the group, "The potion to bring Harry back has one important component that we are still in need of. Neither Severus nor I are able to offer that component since we are the only ones able to execute the potion. We are most fortunate to have Severus' vast knowledge of potions. There is no other person in the world able to brew such a complicated potion. Perhaps, Severus can explain it better/"
Severus stood up to face the Order members, "The Elixir will also require Albus' considerable magical energy. Without his substantial powers the Elixir would be impossible to achieve. With that said, there is another important component which we still require." He took a deep breath, then asked the most important question he would ever ask, "The Elixir Of Life requires an even exchange. To alter the potion it will necessitate a life given willingly, in exchange for my son's life. Is anyone willing to give their life up for that of my son's?"
The room fell silent as everyone digested that profound information.
"It will be me," Sirius alleged. "He's my godson, my responsibility."
"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "It should be me. Harry will be devastated if he loses you again."
"I am afraid you are exempt, Remus," Dumbledore quietly clarified. They all knew it was due to his being a werewolf.
Remus bent his head as realization begun to dawn. He would be losing his best friend once more.
"Then it's me," Hagrid said from his place by the door.
Severus shook his head, thinking it obvious that a giant could not take the place of a wizard.
"I'll do it," Tonks offered, but was cut off by Sirius.
"It's to be me!" Sirius growled. "I knew there must be a reason for my return. I came back to save him!"
Molly sniffled into her handkerchief, "He'll be so heartbroken."
"He never really recovered from losing you the first time," McGonagall said, her voice choked up with tears.
"Snape will get him through," Sirius said with certainty. He looked to the man he had begrudgingly grown to respect. He could see the gratitude in Snape's eyes.
Severus was taken aback by the man's conviction. He was momentarily caught off guard by the debt he owed the Gryffindor. His eyes must have betrayed his feelings for the mutt spoke up.
"Don't get all emotional on me now, Snape. He'll need you to be strong!"
Severus masked his emotions, as until recently he had been so disciplined in doing. He gave Black a curt nod, "You can rest assured, Black, I will do my best as far as Harry is concerned. You have my utmost gratitude for this gift you are giving my son."
"He was my godson before he ever became your son! I'm doing this for Harry!" Sirius was glad to see the acceptance in the potion master's face. He felt a rush of satisfaction in being able to give Harry something that Snape couldn't.
"How will you tell him?" Tonks asked, openly crying over losing her cousin a second time.
"He can't know until it's too late," Sirius announced. "I don't want him to do anything foolish. He's got that impulsive side to him, just like his dad had."
Dumbledore interrupted, after a house elf popped in and handed him a note.
"My dear friends, I am afraid we have less time then we thought. The Minister has entered Hogwarts."
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That was as much as Hermione and Draco heard for the listening device was suddenly shoved back under the door by a house elf. They saw the elf fingers push the string under the door.
Hermione sat down hard on the closest chair, trying to comprehend what she had heard. Draco conjured up a glass of water and handed it to her. H e could see how upset she was and hoped Harry didn't catch on.
After she had a moment to gather herself, he leaned down to whisper, "You won't tell him, will you?"
"He'll be so devastated," Hermione whispered, her throat tightening with emotion.
They were both suddenly aware that Harry had stopped chasing the snitch to come talk with them.
Hermione nodded her head in agreement but her heart felt as if it might break apart. She knew how Harry would react when he found out about Sirius. She agreed with the adults though, Harry must not find out until it was too late. He would never accept such a gift.
"What's going on, Mione?" Harry asked, crouching down to take hold of Hermione's hands. He squeezed gently, "What'd you hear?"
She didn't trust herself to speak. She shook her head, biting her lip to keep from crying.
Harry looked up at Draco, "What did you hear, Draco?"
"Nothing much, just a lot of potion talk. You know how Severus gets when he starts talking about potions…"
"Don't lie to me," Harry angrily replied, "This is my life they're out there planning!"
"I'm not lying!" Draco spat, furrowing his brow at Granger. She wasn't helping the matter at all with her hound dog eyes. Bloody Gryffindors had no stealth!
"Mione, we're best mates, right? You've never lied to me before," Harry pleaded.
Hermione shook her head, "I didn't hear anything but Professor Snape talking about the potion."
Harry knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was lying. In desperation to know what was going on, he whipped out his wand and pointed it at her head. "Legilimens!"
"Harry, no!" Draco yelled.
Hermione felt the spell hit and was utterly helpless to block the memory that was pulled to the forefront. She had read how you were supposed to Occlude, she had even tried to help Harry with it last year, but now that she actually had to do it, she was powerless.
Harry delved deep into Hermione's thoughts, pulling forth the most recent memory:
"The potion to bring Harry back has one important component that we are still in need of. Neither Severus nor I are able to offer that component since we are the only ones able to execute the potion. Perhaps, Severus can explain it better." Harry could not see the headmaster but could clearly hear his voice. Then he recognized his dad's voice.
"The Elixir Of Life requires an even exchange."
That was the extent of what Harry heard for at that moment he felt a sharp pain as a fist slammed into his mouth!
Harry crashed into the floor. His split lip gushed out blood. All at the same time, he could hear Hermione crying and Ron and Draco shouting and he felt Ginny try to help him up.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy!?" Ron shouted, grabbing Draco by the collar.
"Get your fuckin' grimy hands off me, Weasel! He was stealing your girlfriend's memories, you bloody git!"
Harry managed to get to his feet with the help of Ginny. He pulled at Ron's arm, forcing his best friend to release Draco. "Let him go, Ron."
Ron looked at Harry then turned to look at Hermione, "Is that true Mione? Did Harry steal your memories?"
Hermione had her hand pressed to her mouth. She shook her head then covered her face with her hands. This was all just too much, her emotions got away from her and she started to cry.
Ron swung around to face Harry, "What the bloody hell did you do to her, Harry!?"
Harry stepped back until his legs hit his trunk and buckled. He sat down hard on the trunk, wiping at the blood dripping down his chin. "I'm sorry."
"You can't do stuff like that, Harry!" Ron shouted, throwing an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "It's just wrong."
"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done it but I'm just so bloody tired of being the last to know what's going on! Hermione, tell me what that meant? Tell me what my dad meant when he said the potion would require an even exchange?" He ignored the blood dripping down his chin and went to kneel in front of his friend. "Please, Mione?"
She shook her head, 'Please don't ask, Harry."
Harry felt a strange anger bubble up inside him. He found it impossible to control the rage fighting to escape. But then, he realized he didn't really want to stop it. It was the first time in days that he felt alive. He embraced the power surging through him, letting it control his emotions.
A coldness crackled through the air as the walls shook with an inexplicable darkness.
Draco and Ron had their wands pulled in a flash. Ron pushed Harry away from his girlfriend with so much force that Harry slammed to the ground. The tremors in the room ceased.
Harry scrambled to sit up, only to find two wands pointed at his head.
It was at that moment that Severus stepped through the bedroom door.
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