Lily shuddered and felt James' hand on her shoulder. No longer was Voldemort a far off, shadowy threat. Now he was real and dangerous, and his near death had only increased his determination to murder their son.
Dumbledore gave final instructions to McGonagall and Severus and led the shocked Potters to his office. Harry's leg had been injured somehow, and he had to lean on James in order to walk. Lily could not take her eyes off him; she could hardly believe how close he must have come to dying. She was nearly wild to know exactly what happened, but she would never ask. There was a haunted look in her son's eyes that she had seen in survivors during the wizarding war, and she wished desperately that it had never appeared in his.
The group entered the headmaster's office. As soon as they entered, Sirius transformed into his human form, his face white and gaunt. The Potter's sat in front of the desk, and Dumbledore behind it, while Sirius hovered around, too nervous to sit down. Fawkes swept over and settled on Harry's knee.
"I need to know what happened after you touched the portkey in the maze, Harry," said Dumbledore.
"We could leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" Sirius broke in, harshly. "Let him have a sleep. Let him rest."
Lily glanced at James. Desire to know what happened was battling with her protectiveness. Her husband looked like he was as torn as she was.
"If I thought I could help you by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it," Dumbledore said, "But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."
Lily couldn't argue with that, although it rather looked like Sirius wanted to. She could remember Dumbledore insisting on a similar philosophy during the wizarding war. Everyone had to report the details of their missions as soon as they got back from them. She knew from experience that talking about the battles, even in a purely professional manner, did help.
Harry began to explain what had happened. He had not been talking long when he told how Wormtail had taken his blood for the potion to revive Voldemort. Sirius let out a vehement exclamation, James leapt to his feet and started pacing, and Lily gripped Harry's hand tightly. Dumbledore stood very fast and examined Harry's arm.
"He said my blood would make him stronger than if he used somebody else's," said Harry, "he said the protection my…" his gaze met Lily's, "you left in me, he'd have it too. And he was right. He could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face."
Lily felt her eyes fill with tears and blinked them hastily away. She had hoped that her sacrifice would have protected Harry for much longer, especially after what happened in his first year. Now, her son was in even more danger. She also felt a flash of anger. That protection wasn't meant for him; he had no right to steal it! James had stopped pacing and was looking to Dumbledore for conformation.
Dumbledore sat down, looking rather old. "Very well. Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Harry, continue, please."
Harry did. When he got to the part where Voldemort's wand started regurgitating its past spells, he paused. Lily and James had already known about the twin cores, but not what effect it could have, so Dumbledore explained all about Priori Incantatem.
"Which means," he finished, "that some form of Cedric must have reappeared."
Harry nodded. "And an old man. Bertha Jorkins. And…" he hesitated. "You two," looking at his parents.
Lily gasped. "How is that possible?" James asked. "We're not dead."
"Most likely they were an echo of the years you spent in a coma," Dumbledore speculated, "A shadow of the life you lost, even if you were not truly killed. Or it might be because whatever curse Voldemort cast on you was meant to kill you, even if it failed. We can only guess."
Lily nodded, and James sat back down. Harry continued explaining what the shadows from the wand did, how his father had told him what to do, and how Cedric had asked him to return his body. At this point, Fawkes healed Harry's injured leg
"I will say it again," said Dumbledore, "you have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight, Harry. You have shown yourself equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his power. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it – and you have now given us all we have a right to expect. You will come with me to the hospital wing; I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A sleeping potion and some peace."
When Dumbledore, the Potters, and the big, black dog arrived in the hospital wing, they found Ron and Hermione demanding of Madam Pomfrey where Harry was. Dumbledore explained that he needed rest and quiet, and he told Madam Pomfrey that Snuffles was to remain with Harry. Then, Harry was given the sleeping potion, and Lily sat down next to his bed, glad that nothing else could happen tonight.