Disclaimers and Notes: Good Gad, you get it by now!
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And FINALLY, goes back to normal so that she feels comfortable posting. Sorry for the wait, and I didn't want to post on Father's Day... also I never got a chance to get on the net at all Father's Day.
READ and REVIEW if you so wish.
Geuna~
Author: Lady Geuna
Official Editor: Giesbrecht
This Chapter Rated: PG-13 for the usual scariness and light cursing
Summary: You should know by now. ^__~
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"..." - speech
'....' - thoughts
/..../ - with italics means a part of a flashback.
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Noble Sacrifices Part 1 of 2: The Things You Do For Those You Love
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"Every other teacher in this whole bloody school is out searching, aren't they? ... Why shouldn't we help?"
~ Harry Potter, Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", The Final Game, by Lady Geuna
"Oh, HUSH! I'm not telling you it's dangerous, I'm telling you there's a much easier way to find Fred! ... The Marauder's Map, of course!"
~ Hermione Granger, Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", The Final Game, by Lady Geuna
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"If Longbottom is a werewolf, whether intentional, accidental or beyond his control completely, Lupin will be apprehended by werewolf control and sent directly to Azkaban.... ..... If he's lucky he won't receive the Kiss.... .... I believe ("for once") you should start thinking with your head, Black."
~ Severus Snape, Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", The Final Game, by Lady Geuna
"What happen!?"
"Mr. Weasley, let him-"
"George, what did you think you were doing!?" He refused to let it go. "How could you!?"
"Mr. Weasley, the boy must be treated or he will become very sick! Do let him be."
Not long ago, George Weasley had been brought into the school by none other than Sirius Black, shocking every teacher he pasted. Black had literally make the boy sit on his back and carried him all the way to Hogwarts, as George was too tired, cold and wet to move on his own. Other than that he was in good health (With the occasional coughing fit.) but that wouldn't be official until Madame Pomfrey had a look at him. His father, however, was slowing the process.
The angrier George felt the warmer he became (He wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing.) and despite the aching all over his boy George kept moving along as Madame Pomfrey led him by the arm. Black left quickly to meet back with Lupin, who had attempted to go off and look from Fred after the twin had so deceptively slipped through their fingers.
As a number of Hogwarts professors watched along the halls, Mr. Weasley refused to let George off the hook for what he did. George --as politely as he was possibly capable-- insisted that he could go on his own, no matter how Madame Pomfrey gripped his arm, trying to help him along. It was a wonder he had talked her out of using a stretcher.
"It could have killed you," Mr. Weasley ranted on practically in his son's ear, "What would your mother do then?"
"Just leave it already!" Why couldn't the man just leave him alone!? He had his own reasons, these was no reason to explain.
"What would any of us do-and what about Fred? Would he want you-"
George snapped, spinning around and wrenching his arm free of Pomfrey. "He would want someone to care enough to risk a little!" Then he turned and began stalking away (Through he moved rather acquiredly in his condition.) ignoring Madame Pomfrey's annoying insistence. He didn't have any intent on going to the Hospital Wing now, George wanted to go somewhere where there wasn't someone to yell at him. Besides, when did his father become his mother, and even she wasn't like this. His father never got angry like this.
George had gotten about twelve paces away and nearly rounded a corner only to have Mr. Weasley grab his arm, bringing him to a sudden, painful halt, his body screaming in protest.
"Where are you going, young man!? We're-"
"DONE, dad," George yelled, though he didn't look back at his father, keeping his head pointed in the direction he had been going. He was too angry to look at his father now, too infuriated and hotheaded at the moment. George wanted to stay angry. "You just don't get it...
"... You're too busy worrying about everyone else, about trying not to make the situation worse that you forget that you need to try to make the situation better, to take a chance and risk everything.... You're thinking too much, while you should be doing something...
"... Besides... I'm only did what he would do for me... Maybe for once you're wrong, dad." He didn't know where it had come from, but he said it. Surprisingly, Mr. Weasley had nothing to say to him.
George shook his arms free, and this time his father let go with very little resistance, allowing his to go. He noticed this, pausing only a moment before shaking it off, moving on. He tried it convince himself that he felt guilt for what he just said...
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Mr. Weasley's mind was working too fast for him to keep up with. He ignored the people starring at him and those who shuffled past him, including Madame Pomfrey as the dear woman hurried after George.
'Was I wrong...?'
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"Come on, daddy..."
'Harry...?'
"Daddy, it's time to wake-up now!"
James' head was pounding, but he forced himself to sit up and bear it. He was lying on his back, and James found himself gripping at the soiled ground of the Greenhouse floor as his hands curled into fists. 'What...?' "Harry...?"
"Right here, daddy." A chuckle, though he couldn't tell where it was coming from.
James groaned, rubbing his temples. There had been a noise, and then everything went black... "Harry?" This time when he called out he got no response, and as he looked around he saw no sign of his son.
But there was a redheaded boy, laying face down on the ground only feet away.
Fred Weasley!?
He wondered where Harry was, considering he was defiantly the one who had spoken to James moments ago, but right now he was worried more about Harry's friend.
Struggling though his headache, James crawled over to the boy on his hands and knees, and upon reaching him he flipped the Weasley onto his back. Fred was shivering madly, sopping wet and almost deadly cold to the touch. But not the spook, abnormal sort of cold he felt around the creature, but a natural reaction to being wet and out in the cold...
That may or may not have meant the entity was gone, but James felt willing to risk it as he gripped the boy's shoulder and began shaking him gently. "Fred?" He shook Fred again. "Fred, wake-up." James moved his hand to brush away wet red locks out of the way of Fred's eyes and creased brow, hoping for a conscious response.
But when his hand came up with some sticky and oddly warm... Blood... "Fred! Dammit, Fred, wake-up, now! Wake-up!"
"Oh, don't bother, daddy. I just gave him a little bonk on the head. Hardly worth getting into a fuss over it."
James found himself shivering as hard as Fred. The Greenhouse seemed so much colder than before, but that wasn't the reason for him shivering. And for the first time it seemed he noticed a dark figure sitting not very far away on a planet shelf. The contents of that shelf lay scattered and broken along the ground.
Once brilliant green eyes, now a dull olive, starred at him.
"Harry..."
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"Have you found anything, Neville?" came Ron's voice from beneath Hermione's bed.
Neville shook his head, lifting up the rug and scanning the surface there with his eyes and hands. "Nothing," he said remorsefully. Neville turned to Ginny with hope shining in his eyes. "Anything, Ginny...?"
Ginny carefully sorted through one of Hermione's clothing drawers. Ron had started there first, deciding the quickest thing to do was take the drawers out one by one and flip them upside down. Knowing Hermione would be less than thrilled if she found out Ron had been throwing her.... *ahem*... "unmentionables" out and allowing room for all to see...
The thought made Neville blush horribly as he went back to the task at hand, searching for secret compartments, though he had no idea what a secret compartment was supposed to look like. Wasn't it totally inconspicuous? Like a certain rock you're supposed to press and then a whole wall or floor will drop out or swing away and reveal a passage. Or perhaps it was supposed to be at least semi-conspicuous, so that Hermione herself wouldn't loose track of it, like a book sticking out of a shelf, and when you push it the bookshelf swings open like a door (there were no book shelves in the room, though...). Or maybe... well... Was it possible for it to be in a way inconspicuously inconspicuous...?
"I'm totally lost," Neville groaned, finally sitting back on his bum, feeling defeated. "I have no idea where to look, I don't even know what to look for."
Ron carefully shimmied his way out from under the bed, distinguishing the lighting spell from his wand. "She's bloody tidy under there, but I don't see it anywhere, either. Maybe she put a spell on it so no one can see it be looking directly at it?"
Ginny was now inspecting the bottom, topside, under and around each and of every drawer. "Don't worry, Neville," she soothed, closing one drawer and moving to the next, "you're just trying too hard. It's not going to be out in the open-"
"But what if it is," Ron said suddenly, face lighting up at if he were having some sort of epiphany. "What if she's smart enough to leave it out in the open where no one will see it, ever no one will expect it!"
"Ron, you've been reading Muggle comics, haven't you? This is Hermione, and she would know full well that she should hide something out of sight, especially when there's a risk of people actually going to look for it. This is a folded paper you say, right? You only keep something in plain sight wh--"
"Who's been readin' Muggle comics?"
"This is serious, Ron! If we don't find this soon, Fred might..."
Neville tried hurriedly to go back to his searching as Ron rushed over to his sister to calm her down. He forced himself not to look, blushing furiously and feeling horrible around the whole situation. He remembered walking through the halls and a big shadow coming at him suddenly. Surely after being possessed by the Thing he would be somehow able to help, but no...
But once... Just this once, Neville wanted to help. Wanted to actually help and not be in the way. For once he wanted to be the hero.
'Don't worry, I'll find that map.' And Neville threw himself back into his search.
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Meanwhile in Greenhouse Three...
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"Harry" grinned at James, tapping the side on his temple with his left hand, shaking his head. "I gave poor little Fred a bonk on the head," he sighed. Harry --or the thing inside him-- looked along the floor, observing the mess of overturned pots, dirt and plants splattered about below him, making a face. "I don't like planets. Especially those that try to bite. So I squished them." He laughed, throwing his head back in glee. "Serves them right for being so alive in the first place."
James wanted to throw up.
"Y-You, oooh..." Another flash of pain went through his head and it felt like his eardrums were bleeding. What on earth had hit him...?
Harry looked worried for the briefest second, then "tsk-tsked" him as an adult would to a small child when they have done something naughty. "Oh dear. Well, Mandrakes will give you quite a headache, won't they?"
"Mandrakes?" James was searching desperately for his wand even as he remained on the ground, patting along his robes, but for some reason he couldn't locate it.
Harry nodded, almost excitedly, then spoke in a deep, exaggerated voice as though trying to imitate someone. "The cry of a young Mandrake won't kill you, but will knock you out for a few hours (1)." He then raised his right hand, which had been hidden behind his back the whole time. On the tip of Harry's index finger he balanced a pair of black earmuffs, swaying them back and forth. 'Of course...'
"I'm afraid Fred pulled a little trick on us," Harry sighed, tossing the item aside. "But when he became... aware of himself again, I was sure to get him back for it." Then he reached into his robes and pulled out something else.
James' wand.
"Looks like I played a trick on you as well," Harry said humorously.
James left Fred where he was, knowing that he had to get the boy help soon. If Fred had been hit over the head with something, then it wasn't good for him to remain unconscious. Carefully James stood to face the creature posing as is son, finding that his headache was becoming more and more easy to ignore given the situation. He realized that his left lens had cobweb cracks in it, obstructing his ability to get a clear view of Harry.
Licking his lips, he spoke out clearly even as his throat felt horribly dry. "Get. out. of. my. son..."
The dark creature gasped, looking mockingly offended, jumping to the floor so that he landed on the many plants and pots there. For good measure he crushed a bulb under his shoe (It hissed in agony.) and kicked the shattered pottery aside. "Harry" carefully pocketed James' wand somewhere in his robes. "But daddy, I am your son."
"You're not my son," James spat, feeling even sicker having to look into those dead green eyes.
He saw those eyes in his nightmare, but they weren't Harry's eyes then...
The closing proximity between the Thing and James was making him almost frigidly cold, but he refused to back down. "Get out of him," he repeated.
The creature didn't respond but giggled, humored, which only served to make James angry.
Unbelievably, uncontrollably angry! So angry that he was unable to stop himself from grabbing the thing by the collar and squeezing, hard. "Get out! OUT!!"
The creature gasped, his eyes suddenly wide and watery. "D-Dad!? Wha-y-you're hurting me! Stop, pl-ah!" His face was twisted as though in agony.
James let go instantly, his arms suddenly becoming like rubber in shock. "Harry...?"
"Dad." He sounded desperate, close to tears, his voice hitching. "Dad, I'm scared, it won't leave me alone... Make it go away..." He doubled forward unto James', sobbing. At he been standing up straight they could've nearly met eye to eye, but more he seemed so small...
Desperate to calm him, to scare away whatever was haunting him, James took Harry into his arms, hushing him. "Sssh, it's okay," he grimaced at the feel of the boy's ice cold skin, "I'll be okay, son..."
"Thanks, daddy!" "Harry" suddenly jumped away, grabbing James' head and planting a wet, icy kiss on the man's forehead. "Love you, too, old man!" He winked, whispering huskily, "Gotcha..."
With a cry of disgust James pulling him away, though not so far as to be out of reach, then desperately took the opportunity to search the folds of Harry's robes where his wand must be.
The Thing moved very quickly, painfully gripping James' shoulders before shoving him back with so much force it was a wonder that James kept himself upright. James stumbled backwards from the force, his back colliding with another shelf. He suddenly felt as though he were being assaulted by a blizzard from the inside out.
Then the screaming.
/"James! JAMES!"/
'Lily screaming... Not again... NO!'
/"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"/
'Can't use this trick again be again... Never again!'
/"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside now...."/
/"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead--"/
James hissed between his teeth, starring at Harry carefully, as if focusing on his face would ward the voices off.... "Stop that..." He was shocked when he could barely heard his own voice over the noises in his head. Misty darkness threatened to completely block his vision.
The entity was doing all of it... It had been haunting him from the very beginning. He yelled again, trying to hear himself over the voices. He had to be heard, had to make it stop! "STOP IT NOW!"
The creature only starred back at him. "Stop what...?" James only saw him mouth out the words, never heard them, it was too loud...
The screaming grew louder... Oh Merlin, it was so loud...
/"Not Harry... Have mercy... Please, have mercy..."/
"STOP IT!! YOU'RE DOING THIS, NOW STOP IT!!"
Then all was silent...
James realized that he had stayed on his feet through the whole thing... How he had managed it he wasn't sure... One second it was so cold... He heard the screaming... Darkness... Then it was gone, like a switch had turned all the light back on and turned off the sound. James was sweating madly, his legs trembling.
A lone, small Venus Man-Trap was sitting there on the pot shelf he was leaning on for support. It nipped at his shoulders when he got within reach, but James easily swatted at it, sending the it crashing to the floor along with the other dead plants. It squirmed there soundlessly without the aid of soil to allow it any motion other than flopping around like a fish on land. James didn't care, however, trying desperately to keep focused on Harry while shaking the images from his mind.
Harry remained where to stood, calmly reaching into his robes and extracting his own ward, then calmly pointed it at James. The entity didn't need that wand to subdue James, though, they both knew that...
"What do you want," he screamed at the things that had his son's face, his smile. James was completely unintimidated by the wand alone, caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts. Why was it still here...? It had a new body, and as terrifying as the thought was, it had every chance to escape. It could whip his memories if it wanted! Why was it bothering with this!? "What is it!? TELL ME!" It starred at him, displeased. "You can't intimidate me... I know your tricks. I know better than to think they're real anymore!"
Then it frowned... Its expression simply fell as it studied James carefully... Then it spoke. "You're right... Though I am simply getting a rise out of you, human, but trying to drive you made..." It smirked a little, though with no amount of humor, but disgust. "Running around like this is costing me far to much energy... There are too many people looking for me now, and they do have a chance of catching me." It sneered. "I can't allow that. I've come too far to allow that."
"Yes," James said, trying to collect himself so he could speak rationally in the future. It won't do him any good to start screaming again, or he might try hurting his son again. He remained silent, waiting for the creature to speak first.
The creature smiled at him wickedly. "You should know, I'm here to make a bargain for your son's soul."
James ran this sentence over him his head a few times before responding. "... In exchange for...?"
"Your own soul, of course," the creature said pointedly, as is if the answer were obvious.
It had to be joking... Trying to get a rise out of him again.
"I can sense your disbelief," it continued, beginning to pace back and forth in front of James, one of Harry's hands behind his back with the other held his wand tightly. "It's very simple, you see. Humans, and ever creatures like that werewolf of yours, are unable to detect me if I remain hidden."
"A dirty trick..."
"However, by doing so I must allow my host to be in control," he scowled, "and I am unable to acquire a host that has no knowledge of my presence."
"Then what do you need-" He stopped suddenly, eyes widening. "You..."
It grinned. "Yes, you're finally getting it. I was going to give the same offer to the Weasley," he nodded to where Fred still lay on the ground, "to the other one, George. I knew that he would follow his brother, but I didn't know he would come out to the lake, I expected someone else at the time..." Harry frowned. "I couldn't make a deal this someone who was unconscious, and the other twin would have been able to figure things out easily. But it gave be a chance to escape again, unnoticed, then..." It stopped pacing, looking to James expectantly.
"Then," James said slowly, "you ran into me... and Harry..."
"Exactly." It chuckled. "If you give yourself to me willingly, become my host, willingly, keep my presence a secret, then I will leave you son alone. You, of course, will die, eventually, your soul destroyed, but you already knew that, didn't you?"
"Yes..." He already knew...
"And isn't that such a small price to pay for the life of your only family? You're only son?"
".... yes.... yes, it is... But... you hold nothing against me... You'll be caught soon, you can't outrun everyone. You'll be found! You can't-"
"Oh but I can, daddy," it said coldly, eyes narrowing. "If I am caught, I will no longer exist. However, I am prepared to take another with me..." James' nerves danced as it turned Harry's wand toward itself. "Are you familiar with the Killing Curse, daddy?"
James gulped, resisting the urgh to leap at the creature, knowing that wouldn't get very far. Even as he tried taking a cautious step toward Harry he felt a blast of cold and his body went numb. "Y-You're bluffing... Harry doesn't know that curse, he's too young..."
It chuckled. "Little Harry, no, of course not. But the werewolf knew... Even that sniveling boy Neville knew enough. You knew, daddy." James didn't want to listen anymore...
"Y-You wouldn't..." Please... Please don-"
"Avada..."
"STOP!"
It did stop, sighing loudly, looking oddly excited. "This really terrifies you, doesn't it? I knew it would, too. You would die before him, wouldn't you?"
James nodded slowly.... 'Just get out of him. Get out...' He was shaking, but not out of fear for himself.
"Will you die for him now?"
James didn't know why he didn't feel scared of dying... He just felt... certain.... Without a doubt, that he knew what he had to do.
He couldn't save Lily from dying by the Killing Curse, but he could save Harry now. But then again, this could be the most selfish thing James could do... He couldn't leave Harry alone again, he couldn't! Not with the Dursleys, with no one to love him... But...
It was drawing closer to James now, looking suspicious, as thought sensing his indecision. It was careful as to not get to close and allow James the opportunity to attack, but at least had lowered the wand a bit. "Not sure what to do, are you?" It smiled darkly. "Maybe this will help... Do you know what little Harry's worst memory is...?"
James didn't say a word, and in truth he really didn't want to know...
"You screaming.... His mommy, screaming." His smile turned into a grin as he watched James' face. "Ah, yes, that's your worst memory as well...? Hearing Lily's shrieks of terror...? My, you two do have much in common-"
"Enough! You've made your point..."
"Do we have a deal, human? A swift dead is one thing, but imagine what he experiences every second you hesitate."
James swallowed hard. "Y... Yes."
"Yes?"
"YES! I'll do it... I'll keep your secret..."
"Do you swear of your dead wife?"
James looked up and... and as much as he wanted to think otherwise, he saw Harry standing there with his hand extended... Not just a thing inside his body, it was Harry. Just Harry. The smile it displayed was horrible and cruel... But seeing Harry there only strengthened his resolve...
"I swear... on Lily..."
He reached out and clasped his son's outstretched hand.
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Sirius walked forward with long, quick strides. "Remus, have you found anything?"
Remus shook his head as Sirius approached. The werewolf stood there with Hagrid, who was armed with his crossbow. "Not a thing, I can't tell where he went... Hagrid hasn't seen anything either, but he's asked the centaurs to watch out for anything suspicious."
Hagrid nodded, grunting to show his aggravation. "What ever it is, it ain't goin' to get past Firenze. Ronan and most of the others are willin' to help, I think, but jus' because they don' want no strange creature on their forests. If they see 'im, they'll be able to hold 'im off."
"We just have to keep looking," Remus said.
Sirius cursed vehemently, gritting his teeth until he could hear and feel them grind together.
Remus looked past him then, looking somewhat surprised. "Severus."
Indeed, Severus Snape --who had remained silent and unnoticed until that moment-- had followed Sirius as he was exiting the castle. In his hast he couldn't find it within himself to lash out at the other man, or perhaps it was because there were more important things to deal with. It certainly wasn't because he was getting... used to the daft bastard, no.
Snape had hardly said a word to him other than the fact that the dungeons were clear, and from what Sirius actually muttered to him along the way he knew that Fred Weasley had to be on the grounds and not inside the castle.
Snape nodded to Remus and Hagrid once in a less that patent or friendly manner, only willing to get down to business. "Has Potter reported to you?"
Sirius looked up sharply. Remus was starring at Snape as well, and Hagrid look outright confused. "Harry? What would 'e be doin' out here?"
"James," Sirius demanded clarification. "Or Harry?"
Snape scowled. "Both of them, Black. Dumbledore informed me that they were sent out here not long ago. It seems that young Mr. Potter couldn't keep his nose out of adult business and the Headmaster didn't see the logic of returning the brat to his common room." He seemed to ignore to way Hagrid bristled at the mention of Dumbledore, and the searing glare from Sirius at the mention of the godson. Remus was the one to easily process what Snape told them without becoming enraged.
"James and Harry are both out here," Remus mumbled to himself. "Are you sure?"
Snape eye narrowed. "Are you saying you haven't seen them? Either of them?" When Remus shook his head "no" (to Sirius' surprise) it was Snape's turned to curse. "Of all the-POTTER!"
"Where could they have gone?"
"Wherever you haven't looked, obviously," Snape growled, and in a flurry of dark cloaks he spun around and stalked off.
Sirius run after him, quickly meeting his pace. "Where-?"
"Where every other idiot teacher didn't bother to look, the other side of this school! The greenhouses, you fools!"
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To be continued in...
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1) "The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it, though the cry of a young Mandrake will give you one hell of a headache later, does it? Thus, wear special protection." Ring a bell? Not an exact quote or said by one person.
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James made a deal with the devil... Ever wondered what it would be like if a Dementor could actually speak to you, while making you relive your worse memories?
RUNS to finish fic and to escape reads as they fling hexs at her. AAAAAAH!!!
REVIEW PLEASE! ^__~
Geuna~