A/N.
Do you remember the warning at the start of this fic? Well, this chapter and the next one are the reason it was written. But, I will say one thing, please trust me and if you read beyond this point, please stay until the end of chapter 14 (The Epilogue), where all will be revealed.
And on a lighter note, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed.
Chapter 12 – Godric's Hollow
A loud scream from the garden drew Harry's attention from Hermione's revelation, and together they ran down the stairs to find Nagini preparing to strike down Ginny and Luna.
"Stop," hissed Harry.
"More friendssss," hissed the snake annoyed, "Isss there anyone you don't know?" Nonetheless Nagini lowered it's head, and instead considered Dolohov's remains, checking Harry carefully a couple of times before swallowing the Death Eater whole. Luna ran into the devastated house, while Harry hugged Ginny, her lips hungrily finding his.
"DA Galleon … worried about you … had to come …" Ginny told him between kisses as Harry lost himself in her familiar scent. That is until he heard, "Sectumsempra, Avada Kedavra."
Harry pushed Ginny away and rounded on Hermione who had just killed Nagini. "What did you do that for? She wasn't a Horcrux."
"So I see, but I'll never trust the word of a snake alone," said Hermione in a very fierce battle weary voice. At Harry's look of indignation and anger, Hermione expertly changed the subject. "We need to get Neville to Hogwarts hospital wing, and quickly."
"Oh Godric! I'd forgotten, they're still fighting at Hogwarts. It was going badly we'd better help." The four staggered back inside, to find Luna casting healing spells over Neville, who was now standing and his groans had been replaced with a kind of purr.
"The Hogwart's floo will no longer be guarded, as the castle had already been overrun when I left. So lets floo from here." Harry passed some of his spare powder around as Hermione cast one of her blue flames into the grate. Before he stepped into the fire, Harry looked at the pile of wands, he didn't want to leave them there for any returning Death Eaters to pick up, so he used the spell Dumbledore had shown him, to banish them to Grimmauld Place. Satisfied, Harry stepped into the flames.
As they climbed from the fire in the Head's Office a depressing mist immediately shrouded them. "Dementors? What next?" Harry called out wearily as he led them down the eerie steps, past the gargoyle and into an empty passageway. The Great Hall was also apparently deserted, but as Harry approached the open doorway, he heard the familiar screems of his parents. Then he saw a throng of Dementors gliding in through the open doors.
"Expecto Patronum!" The six yelled as one. Harry's Prongs flew from his wand and charged forcing the Dementors out the door. It was followed by Ginny's tiger, Hermione's otter and Ron's fox. Even Neville managed a corporeal Patronus which was a large bulldog. Luna's was a strange creature which resembled a toad, but appeared to have a large squashed horn on its flat nose. Prongs and the other Patroni were doing a good job at herding up individual Dementors and keeping them away from the entrance doors, but Harry noticed that the foul creatures were petrified of Giny's tiger Patronus. They shrieked and flew away from it at top speed. Harry idly thought that maybe Dementors had good memories after all.
Within seconds the soul-suckers were repelled from the Hall and were gliding back towards the Forest. The mist started to lift over the castle as the patroni galloped back towards their castors, before fading from sight. Harry turned, lowered his wand and collapsed with exhaustion in Ginny's arms, as several aurors sheepishly reappeared in the Hall.
Harry awoke many hours later, to find himself in his usual bed in a packed hospital ward, with Ginny sat in chair alongside his bed. Harry looked into her eyes and could see she had been crying. He didn't know a better way to put the question, so he whispered, "Charlie?"
Ginny swallowed hard and nodded, as she tried to wipe a fresh stream of tears from her cheeks. "Professor McGonagall said they used a cutting hex, to sever the wing off his dragon. He was probably killed by the fall, but we'll never know." She swallowed hard. "The poor dragon tired to protect him, even then. But they massacred that as well. Professor McGonagall wouldn't even let me see Charlie's body." She finished in a rush, the unspoken implication obvious to Harry.
He reached over and pulled Ginny down onto his bed holding her tight. "I saw Moody and Tonks hit," he started, not wanting to hurt Ginny further, but desperate for some good news.
"Both dead," wailed Ginny. "When Tonks was hit, Professor Lupin left Greyback and blasted her attackers." As Ginny paused, Harry squeezed her tighter and opened his mouth, intending to ask about his former teacher. But before he could speak, Ginny continued very hesitantly. "That left Dad fighting that … that werewolf by himself. He … he … Shacklebolt said he didn't suffer very much."
"I'll kill the …" started Harry
"No you won't, love. Bill already has. Professor McGonagall said the wolf in him snapped, and he was incredible. She said Bill saved all their lives tonight. It just wasn't soon enough for Dad." Harry tried his best to console his girlfriend, and eventually he and Ginny cried themselves to sleep, still in each others arms.
They didn't stir when Molly Weasley, supported by eldest son Bill, put her head round the curtains. Molly was about to scold Ginny, when she remembered herself curling up asleep with Arthur, the night her elder brothers Fabien and Gideon were killed in the first war against Voldemort. The memory of Arthur brought a fresh wave of tears and she backed away from the bed.
A few hours before dawn, Harry stirred to find himself staring into Dobby's large eyes, "Harry Potter must come with me, see his wolfie." Harry looked uncomprehendingly at the house-elf as he struggled to wake up. Dobby was insistent and after repeating himself several times without any results, tried to drag Harry out of bed. Reluctantly he allowed himself to be untangled from Ginny and he followed the elf across the hospital wing to another bed, where Remus Lupin lay, a deathly looking grey.
"Remus what happened? Arthur wasn't you fault." cried Harry rushing over to his former Professor's side.
"Wormtail's got me with his sodding silver hand." Harry looked confused.
"Any contact with silver is a fatal poison to a werewolf," explained Lupin, as if he was once again teaching Harry. "He sneaked up on me when I was duelling."
"But Madam Pomfrey, surely she can save you?"
"No there is nothing that can be done," sighed Lupin in a resigned voice. As Harry jumped up to protest, Lupin silenced him and he continued "No, I haven't long left. Today we won. We fought and destroyed Voldemort's entire army. He had less than twenty Death Eaters left when it ended. Bill was fantastic; I haven't seen anyone duel like that since Albus. He must have killed dozens of them." Remus paused and coughed violently before continuing. "I saw Voldemort skulking around outside, afraid to face Fred and George of all people. Did you know George snapped his wand? Voldemort was furious, he knew you'd killed his snake, he screamed Nagini and apparated away. Now you've got all the Horcruxes you go and kill him."
Harry gulped, but fortunately Lupin didn't notice. "Albus always said this wasn't our war, and it was time to pass the Order onto the younger generation. Well I'm proud of what I saw today, and I can move on knowing this world is safe the hands of you and your friends. Get Voldemort and Peter for me, Tonks, Sirius, James, Hagrid, Alistor and all the rest. The loss of an old wolf like me is worth it to give you, Ginny, Ron and Hermione the opportunity to live free."
Harry didn't have the heart to disillusion his mentor, about the Horcrux, he just reached out and held his friend's hand until Remus's life slipped away from him. As it did Harry thought about what had happened. He'd brought them all here to fight for him, and it had cost them their lives and for what? Voldemort was still alive and he still had a ruddy Horcrux. Everyone he'd ever got close to ended up dead. Well that was it, never again. His mind made up, Harry released Remus's limp hand and strode down the hospital wing with a renewed purpose, not even pausing to say goodbye to Ginny, who was still sleeping in his hospital bed.
He glanced at Hermione's bed as he passed. Ron was dozing in a chair keeping a vigil. Luna had climbed into the next door bed and was snuggling the recovering Neville. They were all he had left, and he was damn well going to keep them safe, and the safest place was well away from him, and hence Voldemort. As Harry reached the far door he had to wait for Madame Pomfrey who was holding out Mrs Norris the cat to Filch.
"I've removed the blockage Argus, she'll be fine, just take care what you feed her, no more of these!" Madame Pomfrey dropped a small silver paw into Filch's outstretched palm. "Mr Potter where do you think you are going?"
"It's Remus, he's … he's dead." Madame Pomfrey gave Harry a pittying look and tore off down her ward. Harry didn't look behind him as he left the hospital wing alone. Once clear of Hogwarts gates he apparated outside of Grimmauld Place, walked in through the door of number twelve and climbed up to his room. Once there he searched through his trunk, which took a while due to the huge pile of Ollivander's wands which were currently filling his room. Eventually Harry located the deeds to Godric's Hollow, noted its location, turned and walked out of the most noble and ancient House of Black, apparating as soon as he reached the pavement.
Harry found himself stood on a deserted hillside in Wales, next to a sheep. The sheep took one look at Harry, bleated in fright and shot across the field. All the sheep from the surrounding area instinctively ran together forming a protective clump away from him, frightening most of the birds and other wildlife in the process. So much for an unobtrusive approach, thought Harry, can't say I blame the sheep though for not having anything to do with me. If it did it would probably wind up dead.
Harry tried to concentrate on his surroundings as a way to block the memories of the battle. The hillside he was on sloped gently downwards into a narrow valley, dotted here and there were decaying stone walls, showing up like pencil lines. The grass here was short and burned brown, due in part to the sheep and in part the recent dry weather. The valley was very narrow with what looked like a stream meandering its way along the bottom. The opposing hillside rose steeply up from the valley floor. It was far more rugged and was covered in large, ancient oak trees. Harry looked away to his left, to the point where the two hills merged as one and the valley ended. There, according to his deeds, near a small waterfall stood the remains of Godric's Hollow. He couldn't see anything from here and briefly wondered if it could be protected from the fidelius charm, until he remembered that the wizard who held the secret was now dead. The thought of Mrs Norris eating Wormtail almost succeeded in bringing a small smile to his lips.
Harry shook his head to get back to the task at hand, and started to trek down the hillside towards the spot he hoped would contain his parents' house. As he got closer, he could see an area of very overgrown rhododendron bushes, nothing like Aunt Petunia's neatly trimmed ones and a tall, wild conifer hedge. The house had to be behind those. Harry broke out into a jog, and finally rounded the end conifer. In front of him he saw what remained of his parents' house.
He guessed that originally it had been a comfortable, two story farmhouse. It was built out of the same heavy looking stone that was used for the small livestock walls which he'd seen dotted about the hillside. One end of the house had completely fallen down, the other remained upright, covered with, and more likely supported by, thick ivy. There were even a few old slates still left on the roof at this point, balancing precariously on a heavily rotted and listing oak beam. The front wall of the house tapered away from being almost complete, and ivy covered at one end, to a pile of bare bricks at the other. A large, irregular hole stood in the centre of this wall. Harry noticed the stone around this hole was charred black. This must have been where the front door stood, where Voldemort blasted his way in, he thought breaking into a cold sweat. Harry fought his way towards the hole, through the overgrown rhododendrons, which were growing in what would have been his parents' front garden.
In his haste to get to the front door Harry didn't notice the obscured garden pond until he fell, face first into it. Annoyed with himself he got to his feet and cast Dumbledore's drying charm on his robes. He looked down to see where it was safe to tread and spotted, a sole white lily, floating on the now uncovered water. Harry carefully stepped around both the lily and the pond and made it without further incident to the hole where the front door had stood. Any thoughts of entering the house from here disappeared, as he found that the upper floor and roof had collapsed inwards. His route was barred by a mass of stone and broken beams. Harry decided to try and find a backdoor and inched his way round the good end of the building.
The ivy was very thick round here, covering everything. He found that he had to pull it away just to make any progress. As he tugged at one particularly stubborn piece, a large, upright piece of slate was uncovered. Harry could just about make out something carved into it, so he grabbed an armful of his robes and tried to rub the slate clean uncovering;
In loving memory of
James Potter (1958 - 1981)
Always a marauder,
Prongs will ride forever in our memories.
Also his beloved wife
Lily Potter (1958 - 1981).
Her eyes will shine brightly for all eternity.
Both will be greatly missed.
Harry sank to his knees in front of his parents' grave and wept. He had no idea how long he knelt there, as he poured his heart out to his parents. He told them all that happened, all that had gone wrong and how it had been his fault.
Suddenly he heard a very real voice, "It is not your fault, Harry. You did not kill them Voldemort and the Death Eaters did." Harry stood and turned to see Ginny standing angrily behind him, hands on hips, her flaming red hair glinting against the sun light. It was possibly the most beautiful thing that Harry had ever seen.
"Harry Potter," said Ginny angrily. "You have done nothing but good. You have fought Voldemort, you have shown he can be beaten, you have given us all hope and most of all ... most of all I love you!" Ginny strode over to Harry and grabbed him, pulling him into a big kiss and hug which ended with them both shedding tears. The tender moment was interrupted as it so often is in Wales, by heavy spots of rain. Harry reluctantly let got of Ginny and looked at the house wall. Another few strides through this ivy and they would be able to see the back of the house which was set deep into the ancient hillside. They both set about clearing a path.
"How did you find me here?" asked Harry. For a reply Ginny reached in her pocket and pulled out the crumpled chocolate frog card that Harry had discarded in anger. Dumbledore winked at Harry. With Ginny's help the ivy soon yielded, and together, they found themselves staring at the rotten back-door to Godric's Hollow.
Harry gently turned the handle, but the old door gave up the unequal struggle and fell forwards into the house. The ceiling at this end was still just intact, held up by the outer wall, although it was leaning badly as the interior dividing walls had collapsed under the weight of the roof. Harry thought they were in what once could have been a hallway, as there were no visible windows. The carpet that had lain underfoot had rotted years ago into a slimy mess, a legacy of the house being open to the elements. The wallpaper was damp and peeling off the walls, covered in patches of unpleasant fungal growth. A long-deserted small birds nest balanced, precariously out of an alcove in the wall, but most striking of all was a large oil painting. Although badly damaged, where paint had flaked off and the canvas had rotted, Harry could still recognise the back drop as being Hogwarts. In the foreground on the lawn was a very pretty red haired lady. She wore a beautiful flowing dress, and appeared to be sleeping uncomfortably on a purple cushion.
"Hello," said Ginny tentatively, "Who are you?"
The woman woke with a start. "Who am I? You do not recognise me, Rowena Ravenclaw founder of Hogwarts."
"Ravenclaw? What are you doing in Godric's Hollow?" asked Harry.
"Where else would I be, but in my lovers ancestral home? Stupid boy! Godric's painting hung at the other end of the house, but it's long gone, ever since that evil descendant of Salazar killed young James and … Merlin's beard!, you must be their child. Young Harry isn't it?"
Harry was by now speechless, so Ginny asked the painting how she knew. "Apart from looking just like James and having Lily's eyes you mean? Well, Godric and his descendants have always had a penchant for taking gorgeous redheads as lovers. Looks like something's never ever change." The portrait winked saucily at Harry and made a suggestive gesture with her ornate wand.
Harry's indignant reply died on his lips as he recalled where he had seen that wand before. In the window of Ollivander's shop, perched on the same, albeit faded, cushion that Rowena herself was now sat on. "The missing Horcrux," he breathed, "I wonder?"
"Hey! Where are you going? Come back I haven't had anyone to talk to for years. It's lonely in here," complained the portrait as Harry dashed out into the rain. He paused by the pond and picked the lily, returning to place it carefully on his parents' grave. This allowed Ginny time to catch up with him and demand an explanation.
"Stop, I'm not letting you run away from me ever again, Harry."
Harry grabbed Ginny's hand, side-apparating her back to Grimmauld Place. They sneaked into number twelve unheard. Everyone appeared to be in the living room attending an Order meeting judging by the dissenting noises coming from behind the closed door. Still holding hands they dashed upstairs to Harry's room which remained full of the wands he had banished from Little Hangleton. Harry delved into the pile as Ginny looked on in confusion, until he triumphantly came out holding the very same ornate wand that they had just seen Rowena hold in the painting. Harry threw Ravenclaw's wand on the floor, drew his own wand and cast the killing curse, much to Ginny's shock. The wand snapped clean in half, its unicorn hair shattering and with a pained scream, the familiar dark mist rose into the air.
Harry turned to Ginny who asked, "Was that a Horcrux?"
"Yes, the final one?"
"So you're going to leave me now to go ... go and kill him aren't you?" Harry nodded as Ginny started to cry.
"I'm sorry Ginny, I can't take you. Knowing you were there would make me worried, and quite possibly distracted. But don't worry I'll be alright, I've got something to live for now; you."
Ginny tried to put on a brave face, as she nodded, "Go on." Harry turned and opened his bedroom door coming face to face with Fawkes the Phoenix. Fawkes hopped onto his shoulder and softly started singing an uplifting Phoenix song. Ginny watched as her boyfriend walked out the door, his new pet on his shoulder. Although Harry and Fawkes cut an imposing presence as they descended the stairs, Ginny was petrified, in case Harry was marching to his death. How could her poor, vulnerable Harry, hope to defeat the most powerful wizard ever in a straight duel. As Harry disappeared from sight, she slowly sank onto the bed in tears. As she cried and pounded away in frustration at the mattress, her hands closed around Harry's invisibility cloak.
"Look Snape has risked his life to tell us they are having a meeting now, this is the chance we need to press home our advantage. We can't just give up now. Voldemort is down to one Horcrux and less than twenty followers. If we stand here dithering, doing nothing we will be right back where we started. We should go to his poxy hideout and drive the bastard out of the country. My brothers here have beaten him in a duel once and we'll do it again." roused Bill Weasley.
"No, we should wait for the Ministry to…"
"The Ministry have known for the last three years where he has been hiding and they have done nothing. They wouldn't even acknowledge he existed for a year! Do you think they'll start fighting him now, when the auror force has been decimated, and the Minister, himself, killed?"
Harry took a deep breath and threw the door open as he marched to the front of the room with Fawkes, trilling merrily on his shoulder. The effect of his entrance was amplified as the door slammed menacingly behind him. He looked around the room as he waited for the shocked gasps to settle down. He could see the twins, McGonagall, Aberforth, Hestia Jones, Dedalus Diggle and a few others he didn't recognise, but it wasn't them he looked at, it was the empty chairs of those who were missing that caused Harry to almost fail, but he drew courage, thinking of Ginny, and turned to Bill.
"You're wrong, Bill. Voldemort has no Horcruxes left." Harry placed the two broken halves of Ravenclaw's wand on the table. "Otherwise I agree with everything you said. We attack immediately. Fred, George do you have anything you can use to create a diversion?"
"Funny you should ask," replied Fred placing a stuffed toy cat on the table. Harry raised his eyebrows, "Sneezing Kneazle!" announced Fred. "It's based on a Muggle radio-controlled toy." He stopped seeing the blank looks of the others present. "Look I won't explain it here, but trust me it will work."
"We've also got one of these for everybody," George produced a key ring shaped like a fish. "It's a hexed halibut, contains neat Gillyweed sap, courtesy of Neville. On contact with skin, the person will grow gills and will only be able to breathe underwater. It lasts for about ten minutes or so. You should have seen Fred when I got him the other day, had to shove his head down the toilet he did."
"Ok, you guys create the diversion. Everyone else takes on as many Death Eaters as possible, while Fawkes and I are going straight for Voldemort." Nobody thought to contradict Harry; such was his air of authority. The meeting broke up and they all trouped out of the house and prepared to apparate to Little Hangleton. Had Harry looked up the staircase when he passed, he would have noticed Ginny hastily winding up an extendable ear, which she shoved in her pocket along with his invisibility cloak.
As a disillusioned Harry watched Fred's Kneazles sneak lifelike across the garden, even he had to admit that the Death Eaters had done a fantastic job in repairing the Riddle House. There were barely any signs remaining of the previous day's battle. His thoughts were broken as a jet of red light struck a Kneazle, it toppled over.
"Nice shot buddy," came a voice and a group of Death Eaters shimmered into sight as they bent over to examine the Kneazle.
"Can we eat it?" asked one optimistically. As the others looked incredulously at their colleague Fred pressed a small red button his radio-control unit and the Kneazle sneezed, expelling a powdery gas.
"'Ere it gobbed on me, Achhooo!" sneezed a Death Eater. Within seconds all the group were rolling around sneezing uncontrollably. Bill, Ron and Harry wasted no time in diving in to stun the incapacitated Death Eaters. However the noise of the sneezing attracted the attention of all the others and they came streaming out of the house. The next batch fell victim to another of Fred's strategically placed, sneezing powder filled, Kneazles.
In the ensuing confusion Harry sneaked in through the door and immediately found himself on the floor, wandless and bound in ropes, as Amicus called out, "Incarcius, Expelliarmus."
Cursing his carelessness, Harry struggled to sit up as he once again came face to face with a stream of green light. As he had done for his previous master, Fawkes dived down, opened his beak and swallowed the killing curse whole. He fell lifeless next to Harry and burst into flames. The flames burned through the ropes which bound Harry's left hand, allowing him enough movement to reach into his pocket and aim the key ring at his captor. Amicus gulped and opened and shut his mouth in panic, he ran his hands behind his ears finding a pair of gills. As he slowly turned blue he turned to run, but too late, Harry was already holding his own wand and felled the Death Eater with a stunner. Harry quickly turned, hearing a noise behind him but again he was a fraction too late.
"Crucio," bellowed Voldemort. Harry felt the familiar pain begin, but with thoughts of his love for Ginny, he somehow forced his Occlumency shields to strengthen and he concentrated hard. As his eyes focused he noticed a fleeting look of surprise tinged with a hint of fear cross Voldemort's face. This gave Harry new hope and strength and he threw off the curse and launched a barrage of spells at the Evil Wizard.
Voldemort deflected or dodged them all, often vanishing with a swish of his cloak. Harry had a harder job dodging or blocking. Voldemorts spells were so powerful, each one that connected with his shield reverberating with a loud gong, which caused great shockwaves to travel through Harry's body. However, he noted, that they were not as powerful as they had been in the Ministry last year when Voldemort had fought Dumbledore. Maybe it was because Voldemort was weaker or maybe it was because he was using someone else's wand.
Finding a second wind Harry tried 'sectumsempra' which caught Voldemort on the leg, as he mistimed his jump. Voldemort looked in shock at his cut leg, but soon recovered to block Harry's next cutting hex. Fury emanated from the Dark Lord as he seemed to put his all into the next curse.
Harry felt himself blown backwards as Voldemort's retaliatory stunner hit his shield. He regained his balance as quickly as possible and turned casting stupify as Voldemort appeared behind him, doing the same. The spells hit in mid air and exploded blowing both men off their feet. Harry was protected slightly due to his still reverberating shield, and with glee noticed Voldemort was still on ground as he, himself struggled to his knees.
For the first time in his life, Harry knew he was going to win, he and Ginny were going to have a happily ever after. "Avada Kedavra," Harry called and watched as the jet of green light stuck Voldemort cleanly in the chest, and then rebounded towards himself. Harry dived out of the way of his own spell, just avoiding it, as it smashed into the wall behind him. He tried to get to his feet but felt his wand slip agonisingly through his fingers, as his hands suddenly became bound behind his back once more. He looked up in confusion to see Voldemort's evil red eyes glaring at him from across the room, as the evil wizard struggled painfully to his feet.
How could Voldemort have survived the curse? Harry mentally counted off the Horcruxes they'd destroyed; the diary, ring, locket, cup, staff and wand. That should have been all of them. Six Horcruxes, giving a magical seven splits of the soul.
"So you thought you could kill me, Harry Potter? Did you really think that you, a mere child, could destroy the most powerful wizard of all time? I've taken steps to ensure my immortality. Did you know that Harry?"
Voldemort laughed, at his rhetorical question. "Of course you didn't. If you knew that I had created seven Horcruxes, you would have destroyed them, wouldn't you? Little Harry."
Harry struggled futilely against his bindings, as his nemesis taunted him. "Legillimens"This time, Harry was unable to stop the memories of the destroyed Horcruxes coming to the front of his mind, before he was able to repel the Dark Lord.
Voldemort took a second to compose himself, before replying. "Impressive, Harry. But I only counted six in your memories. There is still one Horcrux, which you can not destroy, without killing yourself." Harry looked confused. "You see, Harry, it is ironic that my biggest mistake, has saved my life today. Sixteen years ago when I created your scar, I accidentally put a little piece of my soul inside of you. But I think that piece has served it purpose now, and its time to destroy it."
Voldemort steadied his hand and pointed it at Harry's head and screamed the killing curse. It was almost like slow motion, as the curse flew through the air inching towards him, until it was mere feet away, when it disappeared. Before Harry could register what had happened, there was a thump in front of him, and an invisibility cloak fell back revealing the face of Ginny Weasley; a face which was turned to look at him; a face which was frozen with a mixture of love and surprise. Harry closed his eyes and waited for Voldemort to kill him. He knew that he was going to die and he welcomed it. He had nothing left to live for.