Chapter 3: A War takes its toll
As Harry awoke on the second day after the Battle at Hogwarts, he looked outside to inspect the early morning light. This particular day though wasn't very cheerful; rain violently tapping down on the towers and rooftops, dark grey clouds engulfed the sky and with the occasional flash of lightning and crack of thunder, the weather didn't seem to reflect the makings of a good day. Harry looked to his clock and saw that it was five in the morning; curse my unusual sleeping habits, he thought to himself. He was up now so the idea of returning to sleep didn't entice him that much, that night he'd been fortunate not to have any nightmares which was a feat in of itself. Harry wasn't going to tempt fate for a horrific dream, so he stayed awake. Harry then got dressed and went down to the common room, there wasn't a single person there, or so he thought. He then drifted over to the window and gazed out at the awful weather; he rested his elbows on the window sill, put his head in his palms and looked over the surrounding castle grounds.
She saw him come down into the common room, he looked quite depressed or at the very least unhappy. He didn't even notice her as he went over to the enormous church-like window, she witnessed him gaze over the horrid day. They hadn't spoken in a while and now that the war was over she felt now would be the best time to talk to him. She began walking towards him quietly and cautiously, eventually she stood no more than a few feet away from him. With a deep inhale she gently placed a hand on his shoulder and said softly. "Hi Harry." His response was instant but not what she expected.
Harry rapidly turned around, as he did so he shoved her hand away and reached for his wand, the Elder Wand. Once his positioning was done he pointed his wand directly at the girl, a few awkward silent seconds passed before Harry withdrew his wand and replied with a tone of relief in his voice. "Ginny." They both gave a couple of nervous breaths before Harry continued. "What are you doing up at this hour?"
"I could ask you the same. Why did you draw your wand at me? Afraid Volde had come back or something?" she asked with a slightly nervous laugh. Harry just scowled at her; he didn't find it tasteful or humorous to joke about that. Eventually Ginny shut up and allowed Harry to reply.
"Well actually, I'm up because I couldn't sleep. And the reason I pointed my wand at you was because I thought you were threatening me."
"Okay Mr. Uptight, no need to be so serious about everything. Also Harry, I was thinking since the war is over, do you think maybe, we could…you know…get back together?" She asked with a half-smile, she really wanted Harry back but was nervous since his current…situation…wasn't really ideal for trying to re-establish old relationships.
"Uh… Ginny, I take it you're aware of my predicament like pretty much the rest of the school. I just don't feel like we can pick this up right now, plus I've heard a lot of things regarding our relationship. And they've made me wonder…" Harry finished with a slight indifference towards Ginny.
"What things?" she asked with a slight hint of anger in her tone. I'll make anyone who stands between us suffer, she thought aggressively to herself.
Harry composed himself knowing full well that what he was about to say would really irritate Ginny, possibly even make her violent. It's okay; she won't go completely ape-shit and kill me, no. Harry thought nervously to himself but remembered the things he'd heard to justify his position.
"Ginny." He began slowly trying to keep the conversation peaceful. "I've heard from various sources including several newspapers, that the only reason you ever cared for me was because you were after my assets. Because obviously the Weasleys aren't very rich and I am…sort of." Ginny was about to protest when Harry forcefully continued. "I have also heard that your mother is the person behind all of this; slipping me love potions, affection charms and so on… So because of this I just don't think it can work right now, or ever in fact." Harry stated that last part with venom in his voice, he firmly believed what he heard and so now he expressed desire to be away from them. Not least because of the insufferable matriarch, Molly. Ginny took a few steps back and contemplated what she was being told, she knew her mother had expressly told her to go 'after' Harry, but she didn't really know why.
"But Harry, I thought we had something. We kissed, and I've, I've risked my life for you!" Harry could sense the heat and anger building in her voice as she went on. "No, I refuse to believe you'd just cast me away like some tramp!" she pulled out her wand as she said this. She hastily pointed it at Harry and he did the same, pulling out his wand and drawing it at her.
"Ginny, put down the wand before you get hurt." Harry commanded smugly.
"Never, you hurt me and now, now I'm going to hurt you! Stupefy!" she shouted angrily. Harry saw the shockwave approach and cast a simple absorbing shield with the Elder wand. A thick blue aura appeared around Harry and the pitiful magic of Ginny's spell was absorbed into it. The spell did absolutely nothing. Ginny went a shade of red that would make her family proud. She continued casting spells at Harry until he tired of her pathetic efforts.
"Ginny, I'm giving you one more chance, if you don't take it you're going to get very, badly, hurt." Harry waited for her to put down the wand but she did nothing of the sort. She lifted her wand again and made her inevitable loss all the more painful, Harry had grown annoyed with her, the next spell she cast wouldn't be adsorbed. Instead it would be reflected.
"Reducto!" she yelled and put all her magical energy into it, big mistake!
"Protego Maxima!" Harry expertly reflected the energy and channelled it to her wand and hand in which she was holding it. With the intensity of Harry's magic coupled with the raw power of the Elder wand the spell completely and utterly destroyed Ginny's wand, burning it up and shredding it. The spell also made several points of contact with Ginny's right hand and fingers, once she recovered from the initial shock she looked to her hand. There were many cuts, bruises, inflammations and open wounds across her hand, they were also gushing blood. Harry saw this and acted quickly, despite his dislike for her and her mother, he wouldn't just let her bleed to death. He cast a quick healing charm to close her open cuts and wounds, that at least stopped the bleeding.
At that moment Ron, Hermione and many other Gryffindors came rushing down having heard the commotion. There was a frantic mood amongst them as Dean and Cormac quickly came around to Ginny and helped her away to the hospital. Once they left everyone just stared at Harry in contempt to which Harry replied angrily.
"What?!"
"What the hell Harry?!" asked an angry Ron.
"For your information, your insane sister just attacked me!" Harry replied. Gasps and shallow whispers echoed around the common room as everyone was just thinking about what they believed. Was Harry being serious about Ginny's attack or was he just lying to cover up an assault he committed upon her? This was the general thought process of the Gryffindors witnessing the scene play out before them.
Ron piped up again quieting the crowd that had now accumulated, "Why should we believe you? He might be lying, remember this is Ginny." Ron spoke to the crowd now; he then turned back to Harry. "Harry she loved you, and this is how you repay her!"
"No actually Ron!" Harry replied savagely before continuing. "Your sister loved me as much as Voldemort loved his followers, she was just using me." Finishing, Harry headed for the Room of Requirement; he was so annoyed that at just defending himself he could earn so much hatred just like that.
When he arrived inside, he once again was reminded the end of the war wasn't all bad, for him anyway. There they were, the two Black sisters, gorgeous as ever. He went and sat opposite them. From his aggressive looking body language and frustrated look the two ladies knew now was not the time for ploys to get him 'interested' in them. Bellatrix decided she would act playful to try and lighten his mood.
"What's got wittle Harry all upset?" she asked playfully with the cutest schoolgirl look on her face.
"It doesn't matter…" Harry responded distantly.
"Aww… C'mon, you can tell me. I am after all your God-something or other."
"God-cousin?" he questioned playing along.
"Yeah, something like that." With that she got up and sat next to Harry on his right side.
While Narcissa was staying out of any games with Harry right now Bellatrix was definitely more willing to take risks. Bella placed her left hand around him resting it on his left shoulder while her right hand came down to his thigh and softly rested just a little above his knee on his soft black robe. Harry then turned to face her. Once again he gazed in awe of her beautiful face; her dark violet eyes, pale complexion and pouty red lips. Oh how he had fantasied about them, but it was too weird, he had to keep himself in check before he let himself do anything stupid with her. Eventually Bella asked again about what was bothering him.
"Tell me Potter, what's on that little mind of yours?" she asked in a very sultry way. Harry just stared at her for a while before he replied.
"It's to do with Ginny." He responded in a frustrated tone.
"Oh." Bella responded now taking her right hand off his thigh.
Harry sensed that Bellatrix had got the wrong message and so hastily replied. "It's not like that, I 'dumped' her, and for that she attacked me." Harry's head then bowed in sadness and his eyes turned towards the cold, grey, lifeless stone floor.
Bella was simply irritated that a little Weasley bitch could make Harry feel such sadness. This is the-boy-who-lived, the boy who defeated the Dark Lord. And yet that little Weasley slut attacks him, Bella thought. Bella then felt a strange sensation in her chest, a weird tingling, almost like fluttering. She listened to this feeling and all she felt was to take Harry in her arms to try and make him feel better, to try and comfort him the best she could. The primal urge almost felt motherly to Bella, a woman who until two days ago would've killed anyone on a whim but was now growing an attachment to the Potter boy. Who she'd been tasked with capturing and killing if necessary so many times, she wasn't sure if it was the magic Harry had used on them, if it was some deep maternal instinct but she could feel it strongly and by one way or another she would damn well act on it. Overwhelmed by the urges inside her, she brought her right hand to Harry's chin, tightened her grip on his left shoulder, turned his head to look him in the eyes, swung her right arm around him as well and brought him into her bosom with all the loving care she could manage.
Harry meanwhile subdued by this didn't feel repulsed or violated or angry, he just returned the favour and slowly wrapped his arms around her. Savouring the moment Harry didn't move at all apart from to breath, he loved the feeling too much to let it go. Bella also didn't seem to want the embrace to end until a loud clearing throat sound came from behind the group of three. Much to her dislike Harry ended the sensual touching and looked up to see who was the one making the noise.
"Harry, the Minister for Magic is here." A very depressed Luna announced.
"What is 'she' doing here?" Harry questioned slightly annoyed at having to come away from Bella.
"No one knows, but it's a school announcement. Everyone has to be there." Ending her statement, Luna walked off her head bowed in sadness while Harry got ready to go to the Great Hall.
Harry then stood up, patted himself down and bid a hasty farewell to Bella and Narcissa. "Sorry Bella, but I have to go. I'll come see you later." Harry then left the Room of Requirement and made his way to the Great Hall.
Inside everyone was gathered; teachers, students, ground staff and even some aurors were there. Harry sat next to Hermione as she saved him a seat, as he sat he inquired about Ron. "Aren't you going to sit with Ron?" he said awaiting a stout answer which would be followed by her getting up and walking over to Ron. Instead he was met with a very strange reply from the now fierce looking Hermione.
"No actually Harry, Ron is acting like an ass. I believe Ginny did attack you, I heard her shouting offensive spells from my bed. Then I also heard you giving her many a chance to back down but she didn't, little ginger cunt…" she whispered that last part in a vain attempt to mask the sound from Harry, that didn't work, not even slightly.
"Hermione!" Harry spoke in a raised tone, he never expected the goodie, goodie Gryffindor to ever say that, but she did.
"What? It's true, she is one. She never deserved you Harry. And what she did this morning proves it." Hermione then turned back to look at the podium that the minister was now approaching.
In the wake of Fudge's resignation, Amelia Bones took up the post of Minister for Magic. She had been a close ally of Harrys' and of the Potter family in general. Now she was here to deliver a message to the school regarding the war, and also to thank Hogwarts for its valiant efforts in stopping the Dark Lord. As she set her speech on the podium she looked out over the gathered students and her eyes met with Harry's. She briefly held her gaze with his before returning to her speech notes and preparing to deliver the news, good and bad to Hogwarts.
"Good morning, to all of you. This is a speech I have prepared to let you know, the future of the Wizarding world and what exactly has happened over the past few days. Now we all know how difficult the war has been, several of you have lost friends, and more have lost relatives. I don't come here to tell you the war is over, many loyal to the Dark Lord are still out there, and in great numbers. I come here today to ask those of you who are brave enough, clever enough, and selfless enough, to join the ranks of Aurors once you leave here. We have cut the head off the snake so to speak, but to tell you we are winning the war would be a lie. In the past week alone the community of wizards in Britain has lost eight thousand; Death Eaters, Aurors, civilians and criminals alike.
The real reason I came here today was to inform you all that the Dark Lord's army has reassembled under a council of the most powerful Death Eater families. Several of which are trying to rally more followers, which is why the Ministry needs you, why your country needs you, and most of all why I need you. I cannot gather the strength to defeat the Dark army without more Aurors; if you choose not to fight we may still yet lose this war.
To those of you who wish to see a person who truly fights for what they believe in, look no further than your own Harry Potter. He has risked his life just as many of you have to restore a permanent peace to the Magical World. I sincerely hope others will do the same. Finally I wish to extend my condolences to those of you who have lost anyone close to you, to have someone you care for taken away is truly one of the worst things that can happen to you. All I hope is that their deaths were not in vain, thank you." The minister then stepped down from the podium and took her seat beside the headmaster.
Dumbledore then stood up and went to the podium to announce to the school various people who had been killed during the fighting. "I am sorry to have to read down this list, but I believe it is important to tell you who died in defiance of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters." Clearing his throat, the headmaster began to read down the list of names in a very upset tone. Tears forming in the corners of his old eyes as he read. "The following are those who died two days ago in defence at the Battle at Hogwarts." He looked through his half-glasses at the list and read aloud. "Hannah Abbott – Laura Arnold – Christy Arnold – Katie Bell – Lenard Blair – Terry Boot – Lavender Brown – Cho Chang – Michael Corner – Colin Creevey – Dennis Creevey – Justin Finch-Fletchley – Seamus Finnigan – Filius Flitwick – Anthony Goldstein – David Greengrass – Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank – Angelina Johnson – Lee Jordan – Neville Longbottom – Ernest Macmillan – Rionach O'Neal – Parvati Patil – John Payne – Sarah Pond – Alicia Spinnet – Joshua Tyron – Alexander Veratuss – Ian Warren."
While Dumbledore was reading many students including Luna were in tears, Harry saw this and tears came to his own eyes too. But now it made sense why Luna had been depressed earlier, Neville and Luna were practically inseparable as going from best friends to a loving relationship bonded them in their sixth year. Now though, he was dead, and she had to bear witness to his death during the Battle at Hogwarts.
Once he'd finished reading the list Dumbledore looked back up to the now saddened school, he then spoke a few final words before he ended this meeting of the school. "I hope that you will all take into serious consideration what the Minister for Magic has said today. We won't win this war unless we have Aurors, gifted witches and wizards to do it. That is why the meeting was called, but beyond that think about this. If you don't step forward to help in the war effort and we do lose, what happens?" Albus paused for a second before continuing. "Destruction happens. Every corner of Wizarding Britain destroyed. But it won't stop there, no matter where you go, this war between good and evil will find you, make no mistake this is real. And regardless whether you run from it, hide from it or help in an effort against it. This war will find you, however it is up to you and how you choose to act that will determine the outcome of this war.
If you choose to run from it, what has been the point of all this death, of the Battle at Hogwarts? Would you simply let your classmates and fellow students die for nothing? If the answer is no, then do your bit and help us win this war. Thank you, you may go now." Then slowly and in a state of shock muddled with sadness the school students poured from the main hall. Harry being one of the last, as he didn't want anyone to see him going to the Room of Requirement.
Harry entered the room and was immediately greeted by Bellatrix who swung her arms around him swiftly; she gave him a warm hug but felt him do nothing. He merely buried his face in the crook of her neck and kept his arms by his sides. After a few awkward silent seconds Bella asked him, "What's wrong?" Harry left her and slumped onto the couch where he had the most depressing look on his face. He seemed empty inside as Bella came around to face him; she could see the cold and saddened look in his eyes. Her instinct kicked in again and she hastily sat beside him on his left this time, she wrapped her arms around him but all she got was a blank, depressed looking stare back. "Please Harry, what's the matter?" she asked him with a very serious concern.
"The school meeting." He replied. Bella merely gave him a confused look, then he continued slowly and meekly. "They told us who died during the battle. A few on the list I know you killed." Harry then shrugged off her arms and sent her a piercing look, as if to say 'you're a horrible human being'.
Bella couldn't find the words to say so thought an apology would be a good place to start, "Look, I'm sorry Harry. Truly I am…" she was cut off by Harry's return jab at her pathetic attempts to make up for killing innocent people.
"Oh you're sorry. Well that makes it all better doesn't it?" Harry's voice was a sharp mesh of anger and sarcasm.
"Well no, but…" she was cut off again.
"But nothing! You could've stunned them, or cursed them, or even disabled them. But no, you just straight up murdered them in cold blood." Harry shot her another piercing gaze, this one though seemed to suggest 'be very careful what you say next, remember I can kill you at any time for any reason'.
"Harry, you have no idea what it was like being 'loyal' to the Dark Lord. You do something well, you live. You do something bad, you get tortured brutally or killed, some would prefer death in that situation. I never wanted to kill, but I had to, otherwise I'd be the one getting eaten by a snake." She tried to make a reasonable case for the things she did but Harry wasn't buying it. Not because it wasn't true but because he couldn't understand what the life of a Death Eater was truly like.
"Tell that to Angelina or Ian or Neville or whoever else you've killed. They were innocent kids protecting a school and you killed them." Harry looked away from her, stood up and walked over to another couch.
Bella tried to make their deaths seem less awful, but the way in which she did it was a conversational nuclear bomb. "At least they were quick deaths, I didn't torture any of them."
"What…?" Harry whispered subtly. "What?" he asked a little louder. "What?!" he yelled at her viciously. "How dare you try and make yourself out to be some saint for not torturing them! How dare you try and drop the level of your sick crimes by equating a quick death to merciful." Harry was now looking straight at Bella when he continued. "Did you see my friend Luna?" Bella nodded in sadness. "Neville Longbottom, my friend. Was her boyfriend, they loved each other. And you took that away. And to deal with that! You tell me that 'at least they were quick deaths'. Imagine how she'd react if I told her that. Don't ever use that as an answer or excuse again, or you'll know the true meaning of pain." Harry seriously threatened.
Bella then said something that shook Harry to the core, "You sound like 'him'." She said softly, her voice rooted deep in sadness.
"Who?" Harry quickly asked, now slightly nervous.
"The Dark Lord." She replied honestly.
"I'm nothing like that monster." Harry forcefully stated in a threatening way.
"Yes you are, more than you think. He was forceful, threatening and promised pain to those who would defy him also." Bella stated, picking at Harry's more demonising qualities. Narcissa was getting more and more worried by each passing moment the two squared off against one another verbally.
"Shut up!" Harry demanded.
"Or what?" she asked strongly.
"Or I'll…!" Harry couldn't finish his sentence.
"You'll what? You'll what?!" Bella asked again. Harry raised his hand as if to strike her. Bella braced herself for the first strike, but none ever came. Harry then raised his hand further back, Bella shut her eyes. The next feeling that came was the weirdest sensation she'd ever felt.
Instead of bringing his hand down and hitting her across the face the touch Harry gave Bella was infinitely more intimate. She felt lips on hers, then rather than pulling back quickly he kept on kissing her right on the lips. Then she opened her mouth and they began exchanging tongues in each other's mouths, she began sucking on his bottom lip while he just let out small moans and licked her top lip. After around two to three minutes of the intimate exchange Bella finally opened her eyes to see two emerald pearls gleaming at her. She got entirely lost in them while they kissed, the beautiful clear deep green irises and shining pupils which seemed to dance under her gaze into them. One last gentle suck on each other's lips ended the kiss but both Harry and Bella felt something new within each other.
Author's Note: I'm aware that to some of you the ending might not make sense, but trust me. Read it again if you didn't get it the first time. Hopefully you found it entertaining, sorry for not uploading in so long but life for me has a habit of getting in the way of my writing. I hope this will make up for it, thank you for reading.