Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To minerdude: Thank you! I don't think naming one of the bigots Himmler was over the top, but I see what you mean. Himmler and Norton were just random names I picked based on books that were surrounding me at the time I was writing. Thank you! To midnitewanderer: Thank you for that heartfelt review. I will be sad when this story is finally complete as well. It means so much to know that I can make you feel so much with my writing! As for Hinny… soon! To Steelcode: Yes, Fudge is gone and Sirius told off Umbitch! It was a success! Hermione is healing, slowly! Thank you! To speedsONEandONLY: I wanted Hermione to be friends with Viktor's sisters and all of her friends to be there for her. Mixed feelings about Mandy? As to the ring, you can view it on my tumblr! I agree, they were dicks and the Wizengamot needed to be put into place. And yes, I know the whole Wizengamot just saw Harry transform — it is explained at the beginning of this chapter. Don't worry, Sirius has covered all of the bases. Thank you! To alucardgal: Thank you! You'll see what happens next soon!
To alix33: Thank you! To LifeonEarth: Don't worry, I have plans for Harry's fifth year — promise! To Moony The Sheep: LOL, please don't pass out! Things are getting stronger for the upcoming war, but so much more to come! Thank you! To SilverMidas: Agreed, Lucius wants to protect his family, but I wouldn't necessarily say he is good either, at least not all the way through. As to getting leniency, well… we'll see. Thank you! To purplevictory: "I agree that Harry may have taken comfort from his grandmother. I liked how you wrote his inner conflict and interaction with Mandy, he was mad, but didn't want to take it out on her and yet she just couldn't be what he needed her to be at that moment." — this is exactly what I was trying to explain. Thank you! In reference to the speed of Fudge being removed from office, the Wizengamot voted for him to be impeached, however Bones is only temporarily acting Minister until the public is informed and can vote accordingly. Thanks for such an amazing review!
To Blue Luver5000: Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To notthatchhavi: Thank you! I love writing Harry and Hermione as brother/sister. Harry and Hermione is one ship I cannot stomach! The ring does show that Remus is not financially struggling anymore and shows he is a gentleman by going to Ted and Andy, agreed! Thank you! Thanks for saying the Wizengamot bit was one of the best scenes in this story! That means a lot! And yes, I do think Zee is a feminist to some extent. She's a strong, independent woman and not afraid to show it. Thanks for liking the micro phallus bit LOL! To Leaf Ranger: Thank you! No, the Ministry is not wasting a year, but are starting to get ready to prepare for Voldemort. As to things going smoothly, well, we'll see! Thank you! To sherryola: Thank you! To coloredwords: You're warming up to Lucius? That's interesting. And yes, sometimes it seems that the Ministry doesn't do much lol. Thank you! To Hunnih: Thanks for saying you can't get enough of this story! To supersandman86: Yes, Sirius did basically tell Umbitch to fuck off and unfortunately, we haven't seen the last of her quite yet. I'm glad everyone seems to approve of Bones as my new Minister of Magic, I always liked her. I never thought Fudge was a bad guy, just not right for the job. He took the coward's way out and it bit him in the ass. Thank you! Zee is pretty awesome and she has many connections and is willing to help! Thank you!
To Wolf's scream: I think the Malfoys have a lot to think about. I like showing Augusta Longbottom as a bit of a badass! Stunning Bulstrode definitely put Lucius in a better light. Thank you! To Matt9917: Ginny is definitely the one to keep Harry grounded and he's starting to realize that! Thank you! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! To Saz J: Yes, Bones is PM! Thanks and ha, I will post accordingly lol. To Guest: Thank you! To Bookworm17: Did I got the name Althea from Hazel Wood, no, I have no idea what that is. I got the name Althea from the Greek goddess. Thank you! To Lady Phoenix: Thank you! It is still a work in progress and Bones still had to be voted in by the public but the Wizengamot impeached Fudge so that is a plus. But hopefully we shall see some change! Thank you! To Jmcglynn522: Thank you! I love double wows! Yes, Fudge just got his ass kicked! I didn't even think Marvel, but I should have lol. Thanks for loving my Phoenix Initiative and yes, Sirius told Umbitch to fuck off lol. Thank you!
To Bosma18: Thank you! I like using Celtic culture and pagan holidays. I have a lot of Celtic culture in my background so it's fun. Thank you! To Niamh Hickey: Thank you very much! To Soveliss: Thanks for saying so many good things happened! Yes, Lucius is protecting his family, even if he's not a great guy, he does care about his wife and son! Thank you!
Also just to help with the timelines: The Third Task was Saturday; Tuesday was Cedric's funeral; Thursday was the day of the Wizengamot session; Viktor's funeral is Saturday. Hope this helps.
Thanks as always for the wonderful reviews and thoughts. And please, don't hate me too much with this one ;)
Thank you to my Beta — SilverStarwolfe!
My posting schedule: Once a week and sometimes on weekends.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-TWO:
The One Where Remus Proposes Again and Harry Dies
Harry and Remus both stared at Sirius in shock as he explained to them what had happened during the Wizengamot session.
"So, Fudge is gone?" Harry asked in amazement.
"Yeah," Sirius said simply. "He knows that he's lost and I think that he's okay with it. We'll see what the people vote, but I can't imagine that Amelia won't win. She's the one we need right now and she's going to do a bang up job."
Harry looked up at the barn owl who flew in with the copy of the Evening Prophet newspaper. He opened it up and raised an eyebrow. "They certainly didn't wait long to make sure word got out."
"What does it say, Harry?" Remus asked him as Harry began to read:
LADY AMELIA BONES DECLARED
NEW MINISTER OF MAGIC BY WIZENGAMOT
AS MINISTRY OF MAGIC DECLARES RETURN OF
HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED
In a surprise move today, the Wizengamot Assembly impeached Cornelius Fudge from office and unanimously voted on Lady Amelia Bones, current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, to become the new Minister of Magic. The polls will open Monday morning for the public to vote her in or out of office, but so far, our temporary Minister Bones is already stirring things up.
Her first move as de facto Minister was to help vote on a new idea that the government is dubbing "The Phoenix Initiative." The idea in question is all about incorporating magical cooperation within the government and within our society focusing on education, government, and the economy.
"I think that it's a great cause," Minister Bones told the Daily Prophet this evening. "The Wizengamot believes that it is the right step for us as a Ministry to be taking. It's about time that we start making magical cooperation a part of our daily lives. We can't be afraid of people just because they're different from us. A war is coming and we have to be prepared for it."
The new Minister went on to warn the public that the rumours are in fact true.
"Denying it is not going to help anybody," Minister Bones declared. "You Know Who has returned and I urge everyone to please be on their guard for anything suspicious. If there is anything that concerns you or if you think a friend or family member may be acting strangely, please contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Your safety is our first priority."
The new Minister promised to release a safety measure bill in time for the weekend paper to help residents feel safer and better protected in their homes.
With the return of He Who Must Not Be Named, everyone is running scared and it seems like Minister Bones is taking charge. It's about time we have a Minister who knows what she is doing.
Former Minister Fudge was not available for comment.
THREE WIZENGAMOT MEMBERS ARRESTED AS DEATH EATERS
Lord Lucius Malfoy, Lord Marcus Bulstrode, and Lord Aaron Macklebee were all arrested today during a session of the Wizengamot after being accused of being Death Eaters. Irrefutable evidence was given of their loyalty to He Who Must Not Be Named and they were immediately arrested by the Aurors and taken to Azkaban to await trial.
Rumours are circulating of other known Death Eaters within the Ministry ready to be weeded out. Another arrest was made this evening for Ludo Bagman's personal assistant, Henry Jacks. No formal charges have been made against him and the Aurors claim that he was only brought in as a witness.
Is fear already taking over?
To read more about the previous trials of the Death Eaters after The Boy Who Lived defeated He Who Must Not Be Named, turn to page six.
THE RETURN OF HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED AND
THE TRIWIZARD CHAMPION HARRY POTTER
Harry Potter, better known to the world as The Boy Who Lived, recent winner of the TriWizard Tournament, was a witness to the recent return of You Know Who. Escaping the Dark Wizard's clutches once again has called for many people to wonder what kind of powers Potter is hiding.
The Ministry of Magic revealed that Potter is a registered Animagus at barely fifteen years of age. After winning a tournament dangerous enough for older wizards to struggle through and after his defeat of You Know Who in 1981, the world is wondering, is Potter the one powerful enough to rid the world of the dark wizard for good?
For reasons why Potter may be the Chosen One, turn to page nine.
Harry spluttered when he saw the last article. "The Chosen One!"
Remus took the paper from Harry's hands and frowned. "That is interesting. Where are they getting this information? Sirius, I thought that Evangeline promised not to publish anything about Harry without your permission?"
Sirius nodded, his eyes on the paper. "He did. I gave him permission to publish it. I went directly to his office before coming home. Let them have their rumours and codswallop, it takes the attention off of what happened in the Third Task. Some people are whispering that Harry is the one who killed Diggory and Krum and I thought this piece was a better way to quash those rumours."
Harry frowned. "People really think that I killed them?"
Sirius gave him a reassuring smile. "Only idiots."
"And when did I become a registered Animagus?"
Sirius grinned. "Minerva registered you herself after the Third Task. We figured with everyone having seen you arrive as a Tamaskan dog before transforming into yourself, on top of you using your form as a means of escaping from Voldemort, your secret is out. Now you are registered and backdated as being registered since the first of June, per lessons with Minerva. It will be up to your friends to decide if they want to register as well."
Harry nodded as Remus put the paper on the table. "I guess that makes sense." He glanced at the headline about Voldemort's return. "Well, the world knows now."
Remus squeezed his shoulder gently. "Yes, they do and we're going to take things one step at a time."
"If the Ministry is aware of Voldemort and they are starting this whole Phoenix thing, does that mean that there won't be an Order?"
Sirius shrugged. "I'm not sure. Obviously, we are still working with our Operation FUVP and we want to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, but I think having the Order will still be a good idea in terms of the agency of it. However, it may not need to be kept a secret this time around. We'll see what happens when Bones is officially voted into office and go from there. The Phoenix Initiative is only an idea so far and we still need to drum out the idea and the concept of it and that's going to take time. The Horcruxes will still stay a secret for now. We can't have too many people knowing about it and risk it getting back to Voldemort that we are hunting them down."
Harry nodded, grabbing his bag from the couch. "All right… so how come Dobby is Apparating me to Bulgaria?"
Remus smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders at the abrupt change in the conversation. "It's safer that way. No one will even be aware of you leaving the country. We need to keep things quiet about where you are at all times. We know that Voldemort is out there now, Harry, and he has many followers that are still in the wind."
"I still can't believe that Lucius allowed us to arrest him. I gave him a warning," Sirius said in surprise, shaking his head.
Remus shrugged. "He knows what he's doing, Padfoot. He must have a reason behind it."
Sirius nodded. "Unless he thinks that it was the safer choice for Cissa and Draco, which could very well be the case."
Remus stared at his friend. "Possibly. Right now, he's imprisoned and it might be the safest place for him. Is the Bulgarian Ministry going to be talking to the Croatian Ministry about Selwyn Manor?"
Sirius shook his head. "I'm not sure. Amelia Bones will be dealing with that along with Kingsley. Tonks mentioned that she would be talking to King today or tomorrow to discuss the details of the Death Eater hunt. Most of them will have gone into deep hiding by now, but hopefully we've weeded out a few more of them." He glanced at the clock and stood up. "All right, Harry, Dobby will be taking you to the cottage that we rented in the city of Varna. Your friends, Zee, and I will be meeting you there within the hour."
Harry smiled at him. "I won't leave the cottage, I promise."
"Good," Sirius said in relief, leaning in to kiss Harry's forehead.
"Can I bring Marauder?"
Remus smiled at him. "Of course you can. I'll see you in two days when you come back."
"Are you sure that you and Tonks don't want to come?" Harry asked him.
"We have some work to do here. I only met Viktor briefly, as did Tonks. You go and pay your respects and be there for Hermione. She's going to need her friends."
Harry nodded as Sirius grabbed his bag and headed out the front to Apparate to the Ministry of Magic. He knew that Hermione needed him and he planned on making sure that she had every friend available to her as she needed it.
He didn't want her to grieve alone.
~ ASC ~
Hermione was thankful to Sirius when they arrived in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Ministry of Magic had officers immediately usher them to a waiting car which drove them through the lovely city of Varna and directly to the Krum home. The driver helped them with their luggage and then Hermione held both of her parents hands as they moved through the Muggle repelling charms and their eyes widened at the sight of the large home, that to them, had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Desislava Krum came running out of the house as they started up the drive and hugged Hermione tightly, speaking quickly in Bulgarian. Hermione only understood half of what she said, but she nodded and followed the little girl inside.
Mrs Krum smiled warmly and moved to hug Hermione. "So glad that you could come, Hermione. I vish Viktor vas here to show you his home."
"Me too," Hermione said softly, tears in her voice.
Mrs Krum kissed her cheek and smiled at the people behind her. "And vho did you bring vith you?"
"Mrs Krum, these are my parents, Greg and Jean Granger; Mum, Dad, this is Mrs Boyana Krum."
Greg stepped forward to embrace her. "I am sorry to meet you under such terrible circumstances."
Mrs Krum smiled at him. "As am I. Your charming daughter has captured our hearts and she is very velcome here, along vith anyone else she vishes."
"Thank you," Greg said with a smile.
"This is my husband, Kosta, and my daughters Iglika and Desislava," Mrs Krum said as everyone nodded in greeting. "Now come; I shall feed you."
And she led the way to the kitchen without waiting for a response.
They had spent the evening talking about Viktor: About his passion for Quidditch and Transfiguration, about his love of flying, and about how much he had spoken about Hermione. She looked at hundreds of baby photos, learned how he first broke his arm and his nose, and about how much he loved his little sisters. Greg and Jean had shared similar stories about Hermione and they told the Krums how much their daughter had loved their son.
It was exactly the kind of closure she needed.
Thursday morning she found herself occupied with Viktor's friends Andrei, his girlfriend Daniella, and Dimo along with his girlfriend Anyanka. They spent the morning talking about her and Viktor and sharing funny stories about their friend. She spent the afternoon with Iglika and Desislava, who both peppered her with questions about Viktor and how they met and the things they had done and spoken about. Iglika was twelve and eager to know everything. Desislava was only nine and still seemed to be in shock over losing her big brother and decided that she needed to hug Hermione as much as possible. Hermione found that she didn't mind and rather liked the warm embrace of the small girl.
Now it was the day of the funeral and Hermione felt sick to her stomach again. The thought of watching them lower his beautiful body into the ground made her heart clench and she bit her lip to fight back her tears.
Harry and everyone had arrived late last night and arranged for Hermione, Greg, and Jean to stay in the cottage with them for the last night so that the Krum family could be alone to deal with their grief. Sirius had rented a four bedroom cottage for the two nights and Hermione would be sharing a room with Ginny and Luna after the funeral today. The knock on the doorjamb startled her from her thoughts and she turned to see her two girlfriends there.
"Hermione, your dad asked us to come and get you. Are you ready to head to the funeral?" Luna asked, moving to sit on the bed in the lovely guest room Hermione had been given in the Krum home.
"I—I don't know."
Ginny moved into the room and hugged her tightly and Hermione curled into her friend's embrace, grateful for her. "Whatever you need, Hermione, we're here for you — all of us."
The three of them headed into the living room and Greg reached for his daughter as soon as he saw her. Hermione immediately moved into his arms, engulfed in his warm hug and when she turned around and saw her friends all waiting for her, love swamped her.
She could do this, she told herself. It was time to say goodbye.
~ ASC ~
Tonks had to work late at the Ministry on Friday. She had spent her lunch hour deep in conference with Kingsley Shacklebolt and she was pleased to say that he was more than just interested in joining the Order. He really liked the entire concept of having an elite force working strictly on stopping Voldemort and had made mental notes on the concept of it, telling her that he would speak to Dumbledore about his thoughts. She felt good about that, like one good thing had come out of it.
They had also finally tracked down Ludo Bagman. He had been found dead in a ditch outside of London. Constance Thomas-Bagman had been found with him. She had been brutally raped before being killed. They couldn't prove who had hurt them, but they knew that it was Death Eaters and most likely Abraxas Malfoy based on what Harry had heard in the graveyard.
The case had been passed onto another Auror and Tonks was grateful. She had enough on her plate as it was. They were still trying to find Barty Crouch Jr to talk to him about his father's torture and murder, but no one had seen him. He seemed to be a leaf in the wind that they just couldn't seem to catch.
Not to mention that Karkaroff was also still missing in action.
She Apparated home, smiling when she saw the lights on in the cottage. She loved coming home to her man… her mate… her fiancé, she thought with a grin. They were supposed to be going to her parents' home on Sunday for dinner and she couldn't wait to tell them that they were engaged. She had promised Remus that she would wait until they could tell them together, but she was finding it hard to keep it a secret from her mum. She had always told Andromeda everything and hadn't stopped by once this week for tea, which she knew her mum would see as a sure sign that she was keeping a secret.
Tonks stepped into the cottage, surprised to find the living room empty. She figured that he was in the kitchen, but found that empty too, outside of a bouquet of pink alstroemerias in the centre of the island. She pushed her nose into the flowers happily, enjoying their scent and then saw that a petal had fallen to the ground. She bent to pick it up, only to notice that a trail of petals led out of the kitchen and she followed it, intrigued.
It led her to the bathroom and when she opened the door she saw that the entire room had been lit by floating candles and the tub was steaming full of thick bubbles in her favourite scent with a glass of her favourite white wine poured and sitting on the shelf near the wall for her.
She almost purred in happiness.
Tonks undressed, tossing her clothes into the hamper before she climbed into the tub, sighing at the warmth of the water. The moment that she settled herself in the tub, the Weird Sisters began to play from the wireless in the corner and she grinned.
"Are you going to come out of hiding, oh perfect man of mine?"
Remus stepped into the bathroom and grinned at her. He knelt next to the tub, his fingers twisting in her curls and tugging her lips to his for a long passionate kiss that left her breathless.
She trailed her tongue across her bottom lip. "Join me."
Remus kissed her again. "I will, but not yet."
Tonks frowned and brought her soapy hand up, shifting the bubbles away so that a pink nipple glistened above the surface. "Please?"
Remus licked his lips but shook his head. "In a bit."
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "You leave me gorgeous flowers with a trail of petals leading me to this beautiful hot bubble bath with my favourite wine and my favourite band playing… I think I am putty in your hands, Professor."
He smirked and kissed her again. "Good, that's how I like you."
"Charmer," she said, smiling at him as she reached for the wine glass to take a sip. "What do you need me to do for you first? Or is it to you?"
His cheeks flushed and her eyes twinkled. "I've corrupted you."
Tonks grinned wider. "Did you now? Are you sure that it wasn't the other way around?" She asked, twisting her nipple between two fingers as he watched. "Get in here."
Remus kissed her again, sighing when she covered his neck with soapy bubbles. "In a minute."
She only pouted and he smiled, kissing her pouted lips.
Remus reached into his pocket and carefully removed the velvet box that he had been carrying for the last two days. It was perfect and he had never been so happy with anything that he had purchased more than he was with the ring in his hand. He held it in his hand by the side of the tub as he looked at her.
"You are the most beautiful, most incredible woman that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You aren't afraid to be different. You aren't afraid to let the world know what you think of them, and you're not afraid of being with me, no matter what the world thinks about it."
"Rem," she said, softly. "I love you. What other people think doesn't matter."
He smiled. "I love you, Nymphadora. I love you so much that sometimes I just wake up in the middle of the night and look at you, and my heart just bursts with it. You are my world and I know that you said you didn't need it, that it was enough, but I disagree." He lifted the box up and flipped open the lid. "Nymphadora, will you marry me?"
Tonks' eyes filled up and she grabbed him by the hair, tugging him close to kiss him deeply. "I already told you yes, you silly man!"
Remus kissed her again. "But this time it was better because my finger wasn't on your clit when I asked."
She laughed and her eyes twinkled. "True, but I hope it will be there again soon."
He flushed and held out the ring. "May I?"
Tonks' eyes fell to the ring in his hands and she gasped. "Oh! Oh, Remus… it's gorgeous!"
He slid it onto her finger and smiled as she admired it. "I wanted to give you something that was uniquely you. The stone belonged to my mother. It's a rainbow moonstone."
Tonks' eyes snapped to his. "It couldn't be more perfect. I love you."
Remus kissed her deeply, leaning into her and laughing as she tugged his shirt off. He stood up and undressed, stepping into the large tub and stretching out, pulling Tonks close and into his lap. He took her ring hand, kissing each finger tenderly.
"You're so beautiful."
"You make me feel beautiful," she whispered, kissing him. She took his hand and kissed each finger, sucking on each one, her eyes on his. "I think you mentioned something about your finger before…"
His lips parted and he slid his hand under the water; a finger slipped into her. She gasped and leaned into him, sucking on his bottom lip.
"Rem?"
"Mmm?" he said as his finger circled inside of her.
"I can't wait to marry you."
His eyes softened and he added a second finger, his lips meeting hers for a long, deep kiss. "Neither can I."
And then he lifted her high so that she was standing in the tub and used his mouth on her.
Tonks threw her head back in ecstasy, her fingers clutching his hair as her beautiful engagement ring winked on her finger. She knew that she had never been happier in her entire life.
~ ASC ~
Hermione felt like the days of the funeral happened in a daze. She was aware of everything around her, but she felt like she was looking down at herself, as if it was a film that she was watching on screen, but not really participating in. After the first showing, she went back to the cottage Sirius had rented and cried herself to sleep as Ginny and Luna lied on either side of her, their arms wrapped around her in comfort.
Her friends were incredible. It seemed whenever one of them left her alone, someone else would come to sweep her away. Ron's arms were always open and around her as were Harry's. Ginny and Luna linked arms with her or held her hands and Neville had a way about him of just giving her this look that she knew meant it would be okay.
Her parents were there as well, talking to Sirius and Zee and a little bit to Mr and Mrs Krum. Sirius explained to the Grangers about the upcoming war and what it meant now that Voldemort had returned and she had seen the fear in their eyes. But they trusted Sirius and they trusted her and she knew that they would let her make her own choices about wanting to stay in the magical world.
Even if they were terrified for her.
When the funeral was finally over on Saturday afternoon, Hermione felt emotionally and physically drained. The Krums told her that she would always be welcome in their home if she ever decided to return to Varna and Desislava asked if she could write to her which Hermione eagerly accepted.
They returned to the cottage to pack up and Hermione went out into the yard, her arms wrapped around herself as she looked up at the sky. Ron came up to stand beside her.
"If you're not up to going home, we'd love to have you at the Burrow."
Hermione offered him a small smile. "Thanks, but I think that I want to spend some time with my parents right now."
Ron nodded and offered his hand. "Okay, if you change your mind, you only have to say the word."
Hermione smiled at him and hugged him close. "Thank you for everything, Ron. Dad told me that you called them and… thank you!"
He hugged her back, holding on a moment longer than necessary. "Of course. Come on; the portkey takes off in thirty minutes. You have to make sure that you're all packed."
Hermione nodded as she let him lead her back into the house. She was really grateful for her wonderful friends, she thought. But she missed Viktor and her heart ached at the thought of what could have been.
And what now would never be.
~ ASC ~
Ginny finished packing her stuff and hurried off to find Harry. She had been so busy trying to be there for Hermione over the last few days that she hadn't had a chance to really talk to him. He was putting his bag in the living room when she found him.
"Harry! Can we talk for a minute?"
He raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded and led her into the garden. "What's going on? You okay?"
Ginny smiled at him. "I am fine. It's you that I want to check on." When he rolled his eyes, she grabbed his arm. "I'm not talking physically, Harry."
Harry stared at her. "It's not until the eighth."
Ginny nodded. "I know and I know how scared you must be."
He shrugged. "I've been trying not to think about it."
Ginny squeezed his arm gently. "If you need to talk about any of it, you know where to find me."
Harry nodded at her. "You didn't tell anyone?"
"It's not my secret to share, Harry," she said, softly. "Did you want me to tell them?"
He shook his head. "No… not yet. Hermione has enough going on right now, I don't want her worrying about me on top of it."
Ginny smiled at him. "Okay. Do you want me to come to Greece with you?"
Harry's eyes met hers in surprise. "You'd — you'd do that for me?"
"Do you really have to ask that? I would be there in a heartbeat if you wanted me to be."
He pulled her close for a hug and her floral scent engulfed him. She felt good in his arms, she felt right, and he knew that letting her come to Greece with him was a bad idea. Merlin, if she came with him… he was positive he wouldn't be able to resist kissing her, touching her… the last thing he wanted to do was ruin their friendship. No, she needed to stay here so that he could put some distance between them for both of their sakes.
"I appreciate that, Ginny, I do, but I'll be okay. Uncle Sirius and Uncle Rem are both coming and so are Zee and Tonks. I'll be fine. I'll write to you the moment it's over and let you know what happened. I promise."
Ginny kissed his cheek and his whole body tingled at the feel of her lips on his skin. "If you change your mind, my offer is always open. What about Mandy?"
"What about her?"
"Does she know why you're going to Greece? That you'll be undergoing an operation?"
Harry shook his head. "No. I mean, I can't exactly tell her, can I? I wrote to her and told her that I'm going to Greece for a few weeks with my family to visit some friends of Uncle Sirius and that I would write to her. She wants me to meet her mum and to go with her to brother's wedding in August."
Ginny smiled at him. "I think not telling her is a good choice, at least for now."
Harry stared at her for a moment. "She — never mind."
Ginny merely raised an eyebrow. "She what?"
Harry's eyes stared into her chocolate brown ones. He could lose himself in those eyes, he thought; drown in a pool of chocolate and not even be upset about it. "She's worried about me and she wants me to talk to her about the graveyard and… I don't know what to say."
Ginny's face was sympathetic. "Of course she wants to know that, Harry. Her boyfriend broke through wards believed to be impossible, arrived bleeding and broken, and claimed that Voldemort had returned. I would want to know too."
"I don't want to talk about it," he admitted.
"I get that. But as someone who was forced to talk about it, it does help and maybe telling Mandy about it will help a little more because she doesn't know all the extra stuff like we do. She's… I don't want to say an outsider, but I do. It could be good for you," she told him.
Harry let out a slow sigh. "I want you to come to Greece with me, Ginny."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Of course, I will, Harry, I told —"
"— No, I want you there, but it's better for both of us if you don't come."
She frowned at that. "What does that mean? I should be there. Harry, if you need me, let me be there for you."
Harry pulled her close for a quick hug. "I'll write to you and tell you what happened, I promise. Try not to worry about me too much this summer."
Ginny continued to frown at him. "If you don't explain what you meant by that, Harry, I will be following you to Greece."
His smile was slow and it made her stomach flop deliciously. "Knowing that you will be here when I get back is more wonderful than I can explain. That's all."
Ginny kissed his cheek, feeling like he wasn't telling her something and she couldn't quite place what it was. "Then I will be here, until you tell me that the operation went well, and that you're safe."
Harry stared at her and then he nodded. "And you won't tell anyone else? I don't want everyone to worry and with Hermione still reeling from Viktor, the last thing I want is for her to… I'll tell them all after it's over. Okay?"
Ginny nodded. "Okay."
When he wrapped her in his arms again, she rested her cheek over his heart, trying to make sense of his words. When he gave her a reassuring smile and led her back into the house, Ginny knew that she would keep whatever secret he asked of her. Unbeknownst to her, Harry was starting to think that being near Ginny was getting downright dangerous. When he let her go, he was eager to get home and away from the temptation that was his best friend more than he was worried about what Greece entailed.
~ ASC ~
The next week passed in a blur for Harry. He spent his spare time exercising and working out his sore and tired muscles, training with Misha in the garden, and training with Remus. Remus and Misha had both decided that even though he wasn't of age, they were teaching him how to Apparate properly. He had already done it in his Animagus from and broken through the wards at Hogwarts, so teaching him to do it officially wouldn't be too hard.
"I want to stress this, Harry. You are to Apparate for an emergency only. If the Ministry catches you Apparating whilst underage you will be in trouble. You're not old enough to be doing so and do not have a license," Remus lectured.
Harry only nodded and promised not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Within two days, he had it down and was able to Apparate from Black Cottage to Lupin Cottage and back quite easily both as himself and in his Animagus form, making Misha smile.
By the time the seventh of July hit, Harry was positive that the days had sped up. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he was nervous. The portkey to Greece seemed to have been a whirlwind of a thing. One minute they were at the portkey station and the next, they were standing on a sunny street in Athens, Greece where the very reason that they were there seemed to be screaming at him.
Zee had organized the portkey privately, stating that she was heading there for a holiday, but there was still the possibility that the Ministry of Magic would be aware of the fact that Harry had left the United Kingdom. Only Zee had actually been the one to travel by the portkey. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Harry had each been Apparated there by Dobby and Kreacher, who had been only too happy to assist.
Sirius and Remus were both being extra cautious with him now. He knew that they had increased the charms on Black Cottage and on Lupin Cottage and had used something that they had created called the Marauder Charm to triple the wards. They were confident that no one would be able to ascertain his location as long as he was at one of the two homes, but it was the travelling and going other places that made them nervous. Diggory's funeral for one had made Sirius nervous about allowing Harry to attend, but Harry had insisted on attending anyway. Cedric had never been anything but nice to him and the thought of not attending and paying his last respects to his friend wasn't something that he wanted to miss. Then the whirlwind trip to Bulgaria had meant even more wards and more charms to keep him safe, but Sirius and Remus had felt that Harry was safer in Varna for Krum's funeral than he had been in England for Diggory's.
Now they were in Greece and tomorrow the neuro-healer Xander Papakonstantinou, would remove the AH, as Sirius had taken to calling it, from his head. It made his head spin a little to think about it.
He adjusted his bag on his shoulder as he followed Sirius and Zee through the streets and down to the cottage that they had rented. It had three bedrooms for them and Harry tossed his bag on the bed, letting out a slow sigh as he looked out at the beautiful city. He had only been to Greece once before and he didn't remember much outside of the wedding and some dancing. Now he was old enough to appreciate the trip, but he had too much going on to really appreciate what he was seeing.
Tonks knocked on the doorjamb and grinned, leaning her hip against it. Her beautiful moonstone engagement ring winking at him as the sunlight reflected off the surface of it. They were planning a small wedding before the summer was over and he couldn't wait to attend and watch them get married.
"Hey," Tonks said.
Harry only nodded at her and changed into his Animagus, stretching out across the bed.
Tonks sat on the bed next to him and scratched him behind the ears, gently running her hands along his back. "I know that you're scared, Scout. I'm terrified for you. But this is the big moment and we're all going to be here with you the whole time. Nothing is going to keep us away."
He made a whining sound and put his head on her knee. Tonks kissed his snout with a smile.
"Come on out. We're going to head down to the beach for a bit. Why don't you put your bathing trunks on and join us?"
The thought of going out and having fun seemed like just the thing he needed, but he also just wanted to get it over with. She seemed to realize that because she nodded.
"Yeah, I thought so, too. Okay, change into something more Greece worthy and we're going to go see Xander and Thea so that Xander can explain the procedure to you."
Scout licked her face as she gave him a look of disgust before he transformed back into himself. "That sounds perfect!"
Ten minutes later, the five of them were sitting in Xander and Thea's living room as their kids played around them. The twins Niko and Nilo were four and running around the living room giggling in laughter as their three-year-old brother Phoenix chased them. Basil and Bryony, their second twins, were both eleven months old and crawling everywhere. Thea was hugely pregnant again, due in September, and Xander kept gently running his hand over her stomach from where he sat next to her. They had found out they were having a little girl and they were thrilled. Xander had also stressed this little girl would be their last and had gotten himself fixed on his wife's orders. After all, six children was enough they both insisted.
Xander kissed his wife's hand softly, his eyes on Harry who had been watching the kids play. "Well, Harry, what would you like to know specifically?"
Harry hesitated, his eyes moving to Sirius and Remus who nodded at him. "I guess I mainly want to know exactly what this procedure is going to entail? What are you going to be doing to the soul piece to remove it from my head?"
Xander nodded. "That's the tough part. When someone has something on their brain, it's my job as a neuro-healer to remove it safely without injuring the brain itself or anything else about the person. Usually, I start off by putting the person into a dreamless sleep and freezing them. The freezing charm is to prevent any unintentional movement from the patient while I am operating. Once you are frozen in place and asleep, I can examine your brain more carefully. I do this by wearing my Examination Lenses which allows me to see through the skin and the bone and into the muscle and tissue, highlighting each part in a different colour spectrum for me to examine. The muscles are pink, the tissue blue, the brain purple, and the bone green. It is up to me to determine where each vein, each stem leading to your spinal cord and basically into your entire nervous system, is going, and why. From there, I will move to the place directly where your scar is situated on your frontal right lobe and examine the blackness that sits just in front of your brain where I will carefully and slowly extract each thread of it from your brain and your tissue."
"I thought that it wasn't in my brain?" Harry asked.
"It's not in your brain, no," Xander said carefully, "but it has subtly attached itself to you which means it has veins or arms that have extended into you; it's feeding off of you and your essence to help it survive."
Harry gulped visibly at that. "So, it is part of me?"
"No, Harry," Remus said gently. "It is feeding off of you, but it is not in you. It does not change who you are."
Xander nodded. "Remus is right, it does not alter you as an individual in any way. However, I do think that it might be suppressing some of your magic. I cannot be sure, but once it is removed, I do believe that you will be a more powerful wizard than you are now."
Harry only stared at him. "How long will it take?"
"A few hours at least," Xander told him honestly. "The hard part is going to be carefully extracting the soul piece in a way that is not going to wake it up."
"What happens if it wakes up?" Harry asked.
"If it wakes up, it could alter you and force you to wake up and then you could be fighting me. It could also lash out directly at me and my magic and fight back. Sirius has informed me that when it does lash out it could hit me personally and dig into my own memories, my own fears and insecurities, which would make it harder for me to concentrate; make it harder to keep my magic steady in your brain to remove the threads that bind it to you," he explained carefully. "It's going to be difficult, Harry, and frankly, I'm not going to lie to you — this is the hardest surgery that I will ever have performed in my life because I cannot tell you exactly what will happen when I attempt to remove it from your brain. I have never before removed something that is so clearly and so visibly, alive."
Harry nodded. He understood that. He knew this was a big thing and he knew that it wasn't only a risk to him, but to those helping him as well.
"Knowing what you will be doing in there helps me though, I mean, if I were to wake up, knowing what you're doing will help me and maybe even help me stay calm."
"I hope so," Xander told him honestly. "And you know the potential risks and side effects?"
"Yes," Harry said, remembering everything that Sirius and Remus had told him.
"Going into this, I personally think that the biggest risk is you falling into a coma, but as I told Sirius and Remus, that's not necessarily a bad thing. A coma is a way for your body to heal and to cope with what has happened to it. But we're going to take it one step at a time, Harry, and I can promise you that I will do my very best to get that thing out of you."
"Thank you," Harry told him honestly as Zee picked up his hand, squeezing tightly. "And this will happen tomorrow?"
"Yes," Xander told him. "Eight AM. I will have a monitoring charm over you to help me keep me informed of you brain activity, your heart, and your blood pressure. It will also help keep an eye on all of your organs and tell me what is happening to your body while I work. I am taking every precaution. I have an operating room scheduled for us at St Nicholas' Hospital and I have three of my best healing assistants scheduled to assist."
Harry gulped audibly. "What about Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus? Will they be in the room along with Zee and Tonks?"
"Normally, I do not allow that for the safety of the patient as well as the family members, but this is not a normal procedure. This is different and I am fully aware that I might need them to help me keep you calm during any and all changes or outbursts within the surgery, so yes, the four of them will all be present."
Harry nodded. That made him feel a little better. "And... what are we going to put the Horcrux into once we remove it?"
Sirius pulled out an ornate gold box dripping in onyx; a black snake covered the side looking almost life-like. "This belonged to my father. He always kept cigars in it and I always thought that it was the most hideous thing that I've ever seen. Reg and I were never allowed to touch it. We're going to place it in here and seal it closed and then blow it to smithereens when we destroy it later."
"How do you know that it will stay in there?"
"We don't," Zee told him honestly. "But we're ninety percent sure that it should nest in there, comfortably enough for us to destroy it."
Harry nodded, staring around at everyone in the room. "Okay."
Althea smiled at him. "I can't imagine what this is like for you, Harry, but after tomorrow, it will all be over."
It would be over, he thought, one way or another.
~ ASC ~
Harry couldn't sleep that night.
He tossed and he turned and he cuddled Marauder to him in the large bed, wondering if tonight was going to be his last night on earth. It wasn't a happy thought, but he couldn't remove it from his mind.
He held his dog close to him, his thoughts a jumble of emotions and his scar throbbed painfully, the pain intense enough for him to bite his tongue. Marauder barked at him and he winced.
"I'm okay, boy."
But he knew that someone wasn't.
Someone had displeased Lord Voldemort and he could feel it in every fibre of his being that that someone was in serious trouble. He didn't know who, but he knew that Voldemort was not happy with them.
Marauder nuzzled him, offering him comfort and he gladly accepted it. He wished that he was still a kid who could run into Sirius' bed and feel safe, he thought, hugging the dog. But he was too old to do that now. Not to mention that he had been putting distance between himself and his fathers since the big Horcrux reveal and he had never wished so desperately that he hadn't.
He rested his head against Marauder's stomach wondering if maybe he should go wake up Sirius or Remus anyway, they probably wouldn't mind…
The door to his room opened half an inch and he saw Sirius poke his head in and a wave of happiness passed over him.
"Uncle Siri," he said quickly, relief etched on his face. He really didn't want to spend the night alone.
Sirius gave him a small smile, closing the bedroom door behind him and moving to stretch out in the bed next to his son. "Come here." Sirius put his arm around his shoulder, tugging him forward and into his arms. "I imagine that you're sleeping as well as me tonight?"
Harry shrugged against his shoulder and allowed Sirius to pull him closer before he burrowed into his side in relief.
Sirius kissed the top of his head. "I'm terrified of this."
Harry looked up at him. Now that Sirius had his arms around him, he felt a little bit calmer. He felt like maybe everything really would be all right. "But you think that it's going to work."
He sighed. "Yeah, I do think that it's going to work, but it's how it's going to affect you that worries me."
He turned his head into Sirius' chest. "Uncle Siri… I'm scared that I might die tomorrow."
"Hey," Sirius said, kissing his head again. "None of that! I don't want to hear that!"
"But it is possible! The side effects… if the Horcrux reacts and fights back… Xander could lose control and I can become a vegetable or a — a Squib!"
"Harry, we are going to do everything in our power to keep both you and Xander calm and collected in there. I won't lose you! You won't lose any part of you. We have to stay positive about this," Sirius said with determination as if he was also trying to convince himself. "I trust that this is going to work. You know that I would never allow you to go through with this if I wasn't confident in Xander's ability to safely remove the AH."
Harry let Sirius engulf him in a tight hug. "Before you came in… my scar hurt." Harry felt Sirius jerk against him slightly. "It was just a twinge, but… I knew that Voldemort was angry at someone. Someone did something to displease him."
"Do you know who?" Sirius asked, quietly.
Harry shook his head. "No. I just felt it. It was like I had this intense rage inside of me… but it wasn't… it wasn't my rage, the emotions belonged to him…"
Sirius was quiet for a moment. "Now that he's… back, maybe the soul piece is more attuned to him, and therefore you feel a reflection of his emotions. I'm not sure. But after tomorrow, you won't have to feel his emotions ever again. Just your own emotions and thoughts up there, all right, Prongslet?"
Harry nodded, his head resting on Sirius' shoulder. He knew that he wasn't a little kid anymore, but having his father here with him made him safer than he had in a long time and he shifted closer to him.
"Uncle Siri?"
"Hmm?
"I'm sorry that I've been so… distant lately… I get why you lied to me — I do! I even understand why you didn't want me to know amidst the chaos of the tournament. You were right. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on it and… maybe I would have let something slip to Voldemort in the graveyard if I had known about what… was inside of me… I'm sorry."
Sirius sighed, hugging him close. "Don't be sorry. You had every right to be angry. I was angry at myself for keeping it from you. I just want so badly to keep you safe; to keep you from harm… and every time that I think I have a handle on how to do that, you pull out some crazy stunt and save yourself. You're becoming quite the young man, Harry. I miss that little boy who used to want me to sing him to sleep, who insisted on hearing stories, and starting tickle wars. You're the most important person in my world, Harry. No one else holds a candle to you."
"Not even Zee?"
Sirius smiled and gently brushed a finger down his son's cheek. "Not even Zee. I am madly in love with that incredible woman and watching you and her grow closer makes me very happy. But you're my number one, Prongslet. Now and always. Harry… Prongslet still slips out sometimes, I'm sorry. You will always be my little Prongslet."
Harry grinned. "I guess, sometimes… it's okay."
He kissed his hair. "I can't believe that you're going to be fifteen. You're growing up much too fast on me."
"I'm the same height as you now."
Sirius grinned. "I noticed that too. When we get home, we're going to measure you in the archway." When Harry rolled his eyes, he grinned wider. "Hey, until you are fully grown, mister, your height will be recorded."
The door opened a bit again, making both of them turn, and Remus smiled. "Can I join the party?"
Harry smiled at him and he and Sirius slid over to make room as Remus stretched out on the other side of Harry. "You can't sleep either?"
Remus shook his head. "Not remotely. Nymphadora kicked me out. She said that I was thinking too loudly."
"I'm really happy that you and Tonks are getting married, Uncle Moony," Harry told him.
Remus smiled and hugged Harry to him. "Me too. I'm going to need you to rest up and get through tomorrow with flying colours because I need my best men up there."
Harry grinned. "Really?"
"Of course. You and Sirius will be standing up there with me; I won't have it any other way."
Sirius gave his friend a look of approval before smiling back at Harry. "Speaking of girls, I've been wondering about something."
Harry merely lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "What's that?"
"After the Third Task, it was Ginny who you wanted when you woke up, who you insisted on staying with you while we spoke, and who knows about the AH. Have you told your other friends?"
He shook his head and looked down at his hands. "No."
Sirius nodded. "I thought not."
"Why not?" Remus asked him, his brow furrowing slightly.
Harry sighed. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that... with Viktor's death and Hermione and… Ginny gets it in a way that they won't. She understands. She... the diary..."
"Yeah, she does," Sirius agreed, his eyes on his son.
"She's... sometimes it's just easier to talk to her. She knows when I need to talk and when I don't want to talk. She just gets it; gets me."
Sirius stared at him. "When did your feelings for her start to change?"
"What? They didn't!"
Remus scoffed at him. "Denial runs big in the Evans bloodline, doesn't it, Padfoot?"
"I'm not in denial!" Harry insisted stubbornly.
Remus grinned. "Your mother used to tell me the same thing whenever I caught her checking out James. As for you, I first wondered about it during the Quidditch World Cup with the Veela dance. Did you know that Ginny broke his trance, Sirius?"
Sirius grinned. "It takes a strong connection with someone to break a Veela trance."
"It does. Plus, you didn't see the awestruck look on his face when he was dancing with her at the Yule Ball."
"Actually, I saw the photos and every time a certain redhead moved into his line of vision he looked like Jamie always did when Evans was in the room. Not to mention that Ginny was who he would miss most in the Second Task. Moony, wasn't he very much denying it then, too?"
"I think he was," Remus answered with a smile.
"Ginny and I are friends," he insisted, the backs of his ears flushing. "Of course I would miss her!"
Remus patted Harry's arm gently. "You are friends. Good friends. I understand why that worries you."
"I can't like her as anything other than a friend."
"And why is that Harry?"
"She used to fancy me… and… and… I—I told her that we could never because we were friends. She doesn't even like me like that anymore. I—I can't risk losing her as a friend just because I think that she's beautiful."
Sirius smiled sympathetically at him. "Sometimes being friends first is what makes a love stronger. Look at your parents, they went from being friendly, to your mum almost hating him, to becoming close friends, to being head over heels in love."
"We're just friends. I won't risk that," he insisted, adamantly.
Remus and Sirius' exchanged a look before Sirius spoke up. "That's okay if that's what you want, Harry. We just want you to be happy."
"And we know that you obviously like Mandy quite a lot."
"I do like Mandy!" he said quickly. "She's great."
Sirius smiled at him. "You and Mandy have definitely seemed to have gotten closer since we saw her at Easter."
Harry blushed a bit. "I really like her. She's so pretty and so sweet. She's easy to talk to and she makes me smile."
"Plus the snogging," Remus added, looking over at Sirius. "Did I tell you, Padfoot, that I caught Harry and Mandy snogging rather intensely behind that big tapestry of the giant wars on the sixth floor a few days before the Third Task?"
"No, I don't believe that you did," Sirius said with a smirk. "How intensely are we talking, Moony?"
"Oh well, there was definitely some obvious tongue action and he was also cupping her bottom."
Harry was turning a bright shade of red as his fathers grinned at him. "Come on, this is unnecessary torture!"
"We just want to make sure that we taught you well, Harry," Sirius said with a smirk. "You've obviously managed the snogging portion well enough and we both know that you made it to the breasts with Harley… just how far have you gotten with Mandy exactly?"
"There's no way that I'm telling you that!" he exclaimed, his face reddening even more.
Remus smiled. "Good man. Just because Padfoot always liked to share every sordid detail of his romantic life doesn't mean you do too. It's private for a reason."
Harry looked at him gratefully.
"But," Remus said, his eyes on his son's green ones. "We are going to practice the contraceptive charm again; just to make sure that you know how to do it right."
Harry turned scarlet, but nodded.
Sirius sighed and moved his hands behind his head, stretching out more comfortably as Marauder took up the end of the bed. "I miss this."
"Me too," Remus admitted. "Sometimes it's nice for it to just be the three of us again; just us blokes, no women around."
Harry smiled as he settled himself a bit more comfortably between them. "Having you two here right now… it reminds me of when I got sick or had a bad dream. You always used to sleep with me in the middle."
Remus grinned. "Guess you don't need us to do that anymore. Merlin, you're already as tall as Sirius as it is. I sometimes still can't believe how grown up you are, my little Prongs."
"Not so little," Harry said with a grin. "I'm taller than Uncle Siri."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "You have like two centimetres on me! Big deal."
Harry smiled sheepishly. "Still taller."
Remus chuckled and kissed the top of his son's head. "Just because you have the height of an adult, doesn't make you one. Stop growing up so quickly, Harry."
"I'll try, Uncle Moony."
"So, let's make a new rule?" Sirius suggested, grinning at the two of them. "The three of us are going to have a boys only club once a week for the rest of the summer? No girlfriends, no women, period."
Remus smiled. "The women may disagree."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Please — they'll be happy to be rid of us."
Harry laughed at that, but nodded. "That sounds brilliant."
Sirius smiled and looked over at the clock on the table. "It's still only half past two and I don't know about you two, but sleep is not in the cards for me tonight."
"Me neither," Harry admitted. "Can you both stay here? All night?"
Sirius smiled at him and his eyes softened when Harry burrowed closer to him, his arms hugging him tightly. "As long you as you want, Harry. Now and for always."
Remus wrapped an arm around Harry from the other side and the three of them lied there in silence for a moment before Remus spoke up, winking at Sirius across the bed. "So… it's pretty obvious that the Chudley Cannons are going to win the Quidditch Cup this year, don't you agree?"
"What?" Harry exclaimed. "They've lost every single game!"
"Exactly, they're due for a comeback!"
"You've lost your bloody mind," Harry said, shaking his head. "Everyone knows that the team this year is going to be Appleby! They've had an incredible season. I wish that I would have been at that last game against Kenilworth. I read that Dawson scored eighty points himself in the last ten minutes of the game!"
Remus grinned at Sirius over Harry's head as they listened to their son rant about Quidditch. They were going to be just fine, he thought; just fine.
~ ASC ~
After spending the night lying between his fathers, talking Quidditch strategies and statistics along with girls and contraception, Sirius dragged him out of bed and downstairs to try to get breakfast started. Remus immediately got to work and frowned at him when he saw him picking at the breakfast that he had made as Zee and Tonks came down.
Harry was eating pieces of his toast, picking at the crust and dropping it back onto his plate when Tonks kicked him under the table until he grinned at her.
"My stomach is too nervous to eat."
She nodded. "I guess that's fair."
Sirius nodded and stood up to squeeze his shoulder, kissing the top of his head. "Remember, Harry, after today, it's going to be over. You will be free and another one bites the dust."
Harry only nodded in response to that.
They headed to St Nicholas' Hospital after everyone had eaten breakfast, Zee had urged Harry to eat at least half a piece of toast, and he was brought into the private waiting room. He took a seat between Sirius and Remus, Tonks next to her mate and Zee on the opposite side of Sirius. They waited ten minutes before Healer Assistant Angelis led them into a small room with a bed. She ordered Harry to undress down to his boxers and to put on the robe and socks provided. He nodded and was pleased for the moment alone. Once he was dressed accordingly he let his family back in and took Remus's arm.
"Remember what you promised, Uncle Rem. Destroy it. No matter what."
Remus pulled him close and kissed his forehead. Harry could feel his heart beating wildly against his cheek. "I promise."
Then he was being led inside, drinking the sleeping draught provided, and the last thing he saw was Healer Papakonstantinou nod before his eyes closed and his mind went blank.
~ ASC ~
The moment that Harry was asleep, Sirius let out a slow sigh. He placed the ugly gold ornate box on the table, the black onyx serpents seeming to move in the light. It really was incredibly ugly, he thought.
"All right, what do you need us to do?"
Xander gave him a look of assurance as he set up the monitoring charm. Sirius watched in fascination as a blue and white outline of Harry's body rose above him so that they could see his heart beating and his organs working as Xander checked his vitals.
"I'm going to secure him to the table for all of our safety," Xander said murmuring 'incarcerous' as thick straps securely bound Harry's body to the table before them. "Sirius, Remus, if you could each hold a hand and an arm, it would give him reassurance to feel your presence. Zee, Tonks, if you could just stand by. If I need anything else I will ask the two of you, but I can't have you hovering as I need space to work."
Zee nodded and Tonks clutched her hand tightly in hers.
"Healer Assistants Angelis, Georgopoulos, and Vitalis will be assisting me as necessary," Xander told them.
Sirius nodded. He knew the three healing assistants had all been briefed on the dark magic being attached to the brain. They weren't given the full details, but were aware the "curse" could fight back and needed to be prepared for what was coming.
Sirius watched as Xander let out a slow breath before he put on his examining glasses and touched the tip of his wand to Harry's head. It was completely fascinating the way the layout of Harry's brain suddenly seemed to float above his skull. He knew that Xander could distinguish the parts more clearly through a flow of colours with the Examination Lenses that he had told Harry about, but as he watched him shift over stems and tissue to find the Horcrux it made him uneasy, and he was only looking at a magical outline, not the actual brain.
Then he found it and Sirius' breath hitched.
The Horcrux glowed green and black in thick smoky flashes. It hovered at the right frontal lobe, but like Xander had said, it made no move to attack or to move from that spot.
Xander nodded. "There it is, the tricky bastard."
He moved his wand just slightly, tipping it into the black smoke and a small wisp hovered near his wand, moving slowly along the edge as if feeling it out, testing it. Xander moved his wand slightly to the right and the gold power that emanated from it, sprung up around the black smoke, encasing it. The black smoke rose up, pulsing beneath the golden light as if trying to break free.
Xander's eyes darkened. "Oh, it knows it's in danger now."
Vitalis moved closer, her hands moving out to hold Xander's arm steady as his wand arm trembled. Harry stirred slightly and Remus gently brushed a finger along his cheek.
"Shhh, it's okay," he whispered. "It's okay, little Prongs; we've got you."
This seemed to settle him slightly, but it didn't settle him comfortably. The black smoke pulsed around the gold in flashes and then the green underlying layer of the smoke rose beneath the gold and exploded around Xander.
"You don't have the power to do this," a voice hissed through the room sending shivers down Sirius' spine. "You think that you can defeat me, but I am eternal. I am immortal and I am destined to always be."
Xander's eyes flashed slightly, but he kept his wand hand steady, slowly chipping away at the edges of the smoke, unplugging every tiny thread of it from its crevice at the front of Harry's brain.
"You are nothing! The poor boy of a lowly farmer, not even worthy enough to lick the mud off of my boots, you filthy little Mudblood!"
Vitalis worked harder to hold him steady as Remus and Sirius tightened their grip on Harry as he attempted to break free. His eyes were still closed, but his jaw had clenched and his hands were attempting to fist as his fathers each linked their fingers through his and held on tightly.
The black smoke darkened, but the gold was starting to seep through it. The gold encased the black, shimmering like diamonds over a lake and rippling along the edges, tearing each thread of blackness from the threads of the brain.
"Mudblood!" The voice hissed through the air.
Xander was sweating now.
It was pouring down his face in small rivets as Georgopoulos wiped him off while Vitalis kept his arm steady and Angelis used a cooling charm on his body. It had already been well over an hour, and fifty percent of the Horcrux was still tied into the brain. Sirius could see it pulling at the roots and he watched in fascination as Xander carefully threaded the gold as if he was unstitching a wound and each thread fell apart at his touch.
The voice hissed angrily through the air.
"You'll kill him! The boy cannot survive without me as part of him! I will destroy him!"
Harry shifted and Sirius and Remus tightened their grips; at once the Horcrux shifted onto them, breaking into two different distinct voices: Each one narrowing into them individually. The smoke hovered, blocking Harry from their view as it consumed them.
Walburga Black's voice hissed through Sirius, but he did not let go of Harry. He could no longer see his boy, but he held on tightly, determined to ignore the figment of his mother that was hovering at his side.
"Raising that filthy half-blood child. Whoring yourself with someone who is not pure. You deserve nothing in your pitiful life. You're not worth my spit, you tackless ungrateful little shit. Having you as a son was the worst punishment that the world could ever have bestowed upon me."
Sirius closed his eyes and breathed slowly, glaring hard enough at the figment of his mother that she vanished and he focused harder on Harry. He was still struggling against the straps; the muscles in his neck straining as he tried to turn his head. He wasn't conscious, but his body was fighting them, straining to move and to break free. Sirius held his head tightly, knowing that he was going to bruise his jaw, still a bit bruised from the Third Task as it was, but too desperate that Harry not move as Xander worked.
He looked up as the smoke engulfed Remus and he saw the figment of Tonks hover near his friend.
"I don't love you. I could never love a monster such as yourself. When you touch me I want to vomit, and I hate myself for allowing it. I'm just using you."
The real Tonks moved towards Remus and slipped her arms around his neck from behind, kissing him softly on the ear. "You know it's not real, Rem. I love you." She kissed his neck as his fingers tightened on Harry.
The smoke seemed to pulse before rounding back on Xander, turning into Althea, but her soft smile was missing, and instead she held a look of intense dislike that Sirius had never before seen grace her beautiful face.
"Your children are ashamed of you. You're the worst husband a woman could ask for, always at work, never at home to help raise the family that you wanted. You disgust me! It's no wonder I turned to another. Do you really think all of these children are yours?"
Xander's hand trembled slightly and it was enough, the black smoke sprung up and backtracked, rethreading its way through the gold. He swore under his breath as Georgeopoulos wiped sweat from his brow again. He took a slow breath and began to unthread it once more.
The smoked figures kept circling the three of them, hissing and spitting angry words and traumatizing them with its speech before it turned on Vitalis. Whatever the smoke was whispering at her was enough for her to falter and Zee immediately stepped forward and held Xander's arm steady.
"I'm sorry," Vitalis said, tears in her eyes.
Zee shook her head. "It's all right. I know how convincing it is. I've got him."
Vitalis nodded and composed herself before reaching back out to hold Xander's arm, nodding at Zee in assurance.
And Xander continued to work.
~ ASC ~
Harry was experiencing his own internal fight. The black smoke seemed to hover around him, crowding him and making him feel claustrophobic. He could hear voices, telling him to fight, but whenever he stepped towards the smoke, he was cornered again and locked into the tight place, unsure of what to do or how to move.
And then the smoke cleared.
Ginny was lying on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets, but it wasn't the Ginny from his past, it was the Ginny from his present. She was dressed in her gown from the Yule Ball, all done up and she was bleeding, her body looked shattered and broken. The image of a young Tom Riddle was standing over her, twirling his wand between his fingers with an evil grin.
"Do you know how many bones are in the human body, Harry? I broke every one of them, one at a time… you should have heard her scream."
"Harry," she breathed and he reached for her as gold seeped out and trapped him, holding him still and preventing him from saving her.
Then she was gone and he was standing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Sirius was lying dead on the ground as the Dementors swooped down and sucked out his soul. He ran towards them, brandishing his wand and screaming his Patronus and as the Dementors disintegrated, the gold threads linked around his wrist, pulling his arms tightly to his body and urging him to be still.
It's not real, he thought. It's not real.
The gold threads tugged and held him firmly in place. He could feel Remus' fingers on his cheek; could hear the words of reassurance, but then the smoke cleared and he saw Zee get hit with a shot of green light, her body falling lifeless to the ground. Sirius ran to help her and a spell hit him, making him stumble before a killing curse tossed his dead body to the ground next to Zee.
"Everyone you love will die," the voice hissed. "It will be your fault. You will watch them die and you will know that you are to blame for every death."
"No!" Harry shouted, struggling against the golden rope. The golden threads snapped and he ran towards the images of Sirius and Zee only to watch them disappear into the smoke to be replaced by Remus and Tonks and his friends all lying dead on the ground before him one by one.
"You won't save them all," the voice said eerily. "You will be the cause of their deaths; slow and painful — they will all die screaming!"
The explosion of gold seemed to rain down over him like fire and the black smoke disintegrated around him and he ran through the gold mist blindly, desperately trying to find a way out.
He wasn't going to let anyone die because of him.
~ ASC ~
The next hour dragged into two and then three as Harry began to struggle in his binds. His eyes fluttered open, full of panic as Sirius and Remus each worked to hold him as still as possible. The freezing charm wasn't holding him and petrifying him wasn't an option because it would also petrify the movement of the Horcrux and hinder Xander's ability to unthread it.
Sirius whispered words of comfort into Harry's ear, kissing the back of his hand as Remus did the same, both of them eyes wide and terrified as they watched his body struggle beneath the binds.
Xander swore as Georgopoulos wiped more sweat off of him. "I've almost got it," he hissed. "A few more stitches and it should be off."
Angelis grabbed the box from the table and opened it, rushing over to Xander, her eyes wide. He twisted his wand through the smoke, the gold threads unweaving the black slowly.
The sound of Harry's sudden screams echoed around the room.
"HARRY!" Remus and Sirius both exclaimed.
Angelis shook her head. "Stay back!"
Harry was screaming in pain, his body twisting and bending as if he was being held under the torture curse for an extended period of time. Vitalis tightened his restraints as Sirius and Remus held tightly to his hands, tears in their eyes as they watched their son turn and struggle beneath their hold.
Xander's eyes were narrowed, but he never broke concentration. Harry's screams were becoming more desperate now; more pain filled.
"Xander… Xander you get that fucking thing out of him right now!" Sirius demanded, his eyes on his son. "I can't listen to this!"
"Padfoot," Remus said softly, his finger stroking Harry's cheek. "He's almost there. Just hold on! We promised him that we wouldn't stop!"
Xander was still unstitching in silence; methodically with each stroke. Then finally the last thread snapped and the Horcrux reared its ugly head, forming into the snake-nosed face of Lord Voldemort.
Angelis stabbed the box at Xander's wand and with an eerie scream, the Horcrux disappeared into the box and she slammed it shut, her breathing heavy as Harry finally stopped screaming, his body trembling. She placed the box on the table, using a charm to lock and seal it closed just as a loud rumble seemed to vibrate from around Harry. The rumbling grew louder and then bright white-blue power erupted in a flash so quick that it knocked Xander, the three healing assistants, Sirius and Remus all back, flying into the walls. Zee and Tonks gasped as the power flashed again suddenly, illuminating the room in bright light. The raw power seemed to radiate all around Harry like a flashing beacon and then just as quickly, it vanished into the air just as Harry started to suddenly convulse where he lay. Foam began to form at the side of his mouth, his eyes half closed as he thrashed wildly.
Sirius paled as Harry's head hit the table hard enough to draw blood and he and Remus ran back to their son's side, both of them staring in horror at Xander's words.
"Vitalis, grab him — he's seizing!"
Sirius and Remus immediately moved away from their son to give Xander room to work, eyes wide in panic as Harry continued to convulse on the table. Xander immediately put his wand tip to his head as the healing assistant held Harry in place. The moment the gold glow touched him, Harry stopped and Xander removed the straps, turning him so that he could vomit over the side of the table. Harry choked for a moment, his eyes wide and then he collapsed back onto the operating table, eyes closed, body trembling in aftershocks.
Xander moved his wand back over Harry to do a quick diagnostic exam and he began to seize again. His body convulsed harder and harder, freezing into place, eyes wide in panic. The blue monitoring charm began to flash wildly and Healer Assistant Vitalis grabbed her wand.
But Sirius didn't need the words spoken to see what was happening before him.
They had removed the Horcrux safely, but Harry's body hadn't been ready to equip itself without it.
Harry's heart had stopped beating.
~THE END! ~
End Author's Notes:
Just kidding!
Please don't hate me LOL!
Helpful reminder on Althea and Xander Papakonstantinou:
1. Niko Alexander Papakonstantinou (turned 4 in February)
2. Nilo Alexander Papakonstantinou (turned 4 in February)
3. Phoenix Nikolas Papakonstantinou (turned 3 in April)
4. Basil Kai Papakonstantinou (8 months)
5. Bryony Iliana (8 months)
6. Baby is due in September of 1995
Thanks for reading and please review!