Erased But Not Forgotten

Chapter 18

Death's Return and the Ultimate Price

Harry and Rose, finally reunited, broke apart at the sound of several people apparating to the church lot. There was around half a dozen of them and they were all dressed in black cloaks and hood that obscured their faces, looking like the Klux Klutz Klan.

"Death Eaters?" Rose said inquisitively, looking up at Harry. "What are Death Eaters doing here?"

Harry, his eyes never leaving the masked group, gently pushed Rose behind him. "They're here for me," he replied grimly, stepping forward.

"Awh, are the poor little Death Eaters still sore that you killed the insane psychopath that was leading them?" Rose retorted in a baby voice, glaring at them all the while, sticking to Harry's side. Turning to him she continued, "We should pity them."

"Pity this!" a woman yelled, irritated, as she flung a curse at Rose. Anticipating her rash action, Rose easily blocked it and kept her guard up. As if on command, all the other Death Eaters joined in, throwing curses and hexes at both Harry and Rose.

Dodging a particularly nasty hex, Rose ducked behind a car parked in the lot before summoning a bolt of lightning to strike the caster down.

"Split second spell?" Harry shouted, inquiring as he stunned a second Death Eater.

"Better believe it!" she yelled back as a spell whizzed past her, missing her by inches. She heard Harry stun the Death Eater who'd cast the jinx. "Sorry, Harry, I know you don't like when I use heat-of-the-moment spells," she apologized, though she didn't recall him ever getting mad at her for it before.

"You do? Oh," he replied, slightly confused. As a Death Eater raised his wand, about to cast one of the Unforgivable Curses on him, Rose shot out of her hiding place and struck him down with another bolt of lightning.

"Not complaining!" he said in return, making her laugh out loud.

As Rose disarmed and stunned another, leaving Harry to deal with the last, the falling Death Eater threw a final spell, catching her arm and drawing blood. She cried out in pain as her enemy fell, unconscious.

"Rose!" Harry yelled, turning away from his opponent. Unfortunately, his enemy took advantage of the distraction.

"Crucio!" the female Death Eater yelled. Harry fell to the ground, writhing in pain. A tortured scream was ripped from his lips, causing Rose to turn around in time to see another burst of light leave the Death Eater's wand, this time dark blue and nonverbal.

"Harry!" she cried. Her eyes turned upon the Death Eater. Striding over to Harry's pain-contorted form, eyes like green wildfires, she raised her wand at the cloaked figure. Tapping into pure rage and the need to save Harry, she cried out, "Fati del Mercutio!"

With a shot of white light, the Death Eater fell, blood pouring from a single wound, as clean as if she'd been run through with a rapier. As she fell back, her hood dropped, revealing Bellatrix Lestrange; the woman who had killed Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. He had finally been avenged.

Rose ran to Harry's side, kneeling beside him in the mud, taking no notice of her wedding gown. Unlike before, now his face was strangely calm and still. Sitting down, she cradled his head in her lap. As she brushed a lock of his wet ebony hair away, he stirred.

"Rose?" he inquired softly, his emerald eyes slowly opening to gaze up at her. His breathing was slow and uneven, his voice ragged and coarse as if it hurt to talk.

"Yeah, Harry. I'm here," she replied, a tear falling down her cheek. She heard the church doors opening and could hear Ron, Hermione, Liz and James as they came out, looking for her.

"You ruined you dress," he said, eyes never leaving her face.

"What?"

"You're wedding dress. Why'd you come out here into the rain and ruin it in the mud?" he asked in a coarse whisper. A small smile graced Rose's lips as she smoothed out his hair, darkened with the rainwater.

"For you, Harry," she said.

"Rose, I'm sorry I ruined your wedding day," he said quietly, his voice growing softer.

She let out a weak laugh. "Harry, I couldn't marry him." He looked up at her inquisitively.

"I'm in love with another man," she explained, smiling through the rain.

"Oh," he said quietly, his eyes closing. His breathing seemed to be getting worst, coming in sharp gasps.

"I couldn't marry Jul because I'm in love with you, Harry," she finished, grinning. Harry's eyes shot open to meet her smoky green eyes that so lovingly looked down at him. He smiled faintly up at her. He tried to reach up and brush away her tears but he couldn't lift his arm. He let out a ragged gasp as pain shot through his entire body, and he felt as if he was still under the Cruciatis Curse.

"Harry?" he heard Rose call above him. But her voice was getter fainter and fainter and he could scarcely make out her face about him as the world started going dark.

"Rose, I think I'm…" he started as his eyes grew heavy. He felt something cold and wet land on his cheek; it was Rose's tears.

"No, Harry, no, you can't die," she said in a quivering voice, her tears falling like the unceasing rain.

"Rose," he whispered, opening his eyes again, slowly.

"What?" she inquired, tears streaming down her face.

He took a ragged breath. "I want you to know…to know…that I love you," he started.

Rose smiled weakly. "I know, gem, I love you too. Right now you need to hang on, I'll get Hermione and you're going to be alright."

"No," he stated firmly and she fell silent, "I love you, and you need to know…that I'm sorry. I only wanted…for you to be happy…I love you…"

"What? Harry, for what?" she asked, but his eyes closed, and with one final ragged breath, he was gone.

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wow that is the fastest i've updated! YAY!!!! lol ok so yeah, i no a lot of you are probably hating me right about now...or crying...or both, but notice one little thing for me: i have yet to change this story from in-progress to complete! lmk what you think, i'll be finishing the next chpt (or 2 :P) tomorrow cuz its really quite late and my mom keeps telling me to go to bed cuz skools starting in a coupla days...gay skool grr. well, lmk what you think!!! (please more than just 'great chapter, looking forward to next one' tell me how you reacted to harry dying for bob's sake!!!! review!!!! please!!!! it makes the authoress and her plot bunny happy!!!! even if it's threats to bring harry back or something else insane like that!!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!

your loving authoress,

Miss Romantic