Declaimer : None of this belongs to me. I'm just having some fun with the characters and will wipe their memories before returning them to J.K. Rowling.

AN: I apologize for the delay but I was recovering from a severe bout of flu. Enjoy reading.

One Sweet Day

Chapter 5 - Believe It Or Not I

This couldn't be true, it couldn't…

Though Harry had a sneaking suspicion that what he had witnessed was reality. 'No' he pushed the thought from his mind
and then turned his head to the left; he could see a single light emanating from Madam Pomfreys' office, the door was ajar but not wide enough for Harry to see who was there but he could hear several agitated voices emanating from inside the room. Confirming his suspicions…

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"You mean to tell me that the foolish children went to Hogsmeade looking for the Knife instead of going to St Mungo?!" McGonagall demanded from across the room. The Headmistress was sitting in Poppy's office facing Longbottom.

Neville nodded, his shoulders shrugging listlessly, "and we were supposed to meet them by the Shrieking Shack," Tonks was sitting beside him while the medi-witch was tending to Remus after being hit by a Sectumsempra from one of the retreating Death Eaters, luckily, the nasty curse has just brushed by his right ear. Even though the sudden attack on Hogsmeade took them by surprise, the Order members along with the Aurors have instantly organized themselves by cell and eventually quelled the Death Eaters.

Remus sighed heavily Arthur has fire called from the Ministry telling them that his children hadn't shown in St Mungo that day, he was beside himself with worry when an Auror reported that a group of Death Eaters were seen Disapparate with five hostages. Although the Auror couldn't identify them, he mentioned that most of the hostages had red hair. Therefore, and after making sure that Harry was going to be fine and giving his round-faced friend a Calming Potion, they coaxed the information about the other five teenagers' whereabouts from Neville. "How did you know the Apothecary was still there?" Remus asked.

Neville's eyes dropped down to his hands, he took a deep, shaky breath and replied "Fred and George…" his voice broke. Tonks held her arms open and Neville fell forward into her welcome embrace. "I can't believe they're gone…" his strained voice whispered in her shoulder before the first sobs overtook him. Obviously the Calming draught Madam Pomfrey has given him was wearing off.

"Dear goddess, even the twins!" Poppy gasped. The news of the children's capture have shaken them all.

"Shh, Neville," Tonks crooned softly, her one arm wrapped around his trembling shoulders while the other smoothed his hair and pressed his head against her shoulder. "Oh Minerva, how are we going to tell Molly?"

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Harry shook his head, unable to comprehend the thought of losing his best friends and… Ginny... she's gone and would never come back because Snape killed her, he killed them all. Just like he killed Dumbledore and was responsible for Sirius's death. Snape was also the cause of his parents' death because he's been the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy. All the people Harry had loved and cared about were now gone forever, dead, and Severus Snape was the murderer…

With a severe startle Harry's whole body jumped. "I'LL KILL YOU SNAPE!-" he started shouting, tears willing down his cheeks, "-I'LL BE WORSE THAN VOLDEMORT! I'LL USE EACH AND EVERY CURSE IN THE BLOODY WORLD! ALL THE UNFORGIVABLES! YOU COWARDLY-" Harry stopped mid-rant as pain lanced across his chest, sharp and pointed, like a knife slashing through his flesh as if his heart was being cut out of his chest, and he couldn't breath. He began to gasp for air but all oxygen seemed to have gone from his body. Then the world did an odd little dip and swirl and vanished completely.

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The adults run out of the office when they heard Harry screaming the place down. But the outburst stopped as suddenly as it started and the boy doubled over with pain Remus rushed and caught him in time before he hit the floor and laid him on the bed. Poppy waved Lupin to the side, drew her wand and started her diagnostic charms.

"Is he having a vision?" Remus asked as he stood at the foot of the bed watching with concern; the teen eyes were closed and his chest heaving under a face twisted with agonized pain. Tonks was holding Neville and Minerva stood aside for Poppy to work.

The medi-witch shook her head "No, these are no symptoms of vision" she muttered frowning; Harry would usually thrash around, holding to his scar and screaming with pain. The fact that he wasn't, was a very bad sign indeed. Poppy passed her wand over Harry's chest, checking the boy's heart beat, it shouldn't be that fast, his heart was racing in an alarming speed and he was panting. Her face took on an ashen pallor when one of her monitoring charms turned a dangerous colour, a chime whispering through the air. "Oh no young man you're not dying on me!" Poppy exclaimed as she realized his heart had stopped.

Remus stood aghast for a second not able to move, he felt a weird fog cloud his head as he tried to understand the meaning of Poppy's words. No. This wasn't happening! Harry couldn't die! Remus couldn't lose him too, not after James and Lily and Sirius! Besides he was the boy who lived, wasn't he?

Pomfrey had her wand tip against the teen's chest, rock steady, eyes tightly narrowed and lips moving rapidly but silently.

Tonks caught a motion from Minerva; the Headmistress nodded to herself as though reaching a decision then rushed out of the hospital wing. Meanwhile the medi-witch was pulling out all sorts of potions forcing them down the boys' throat but he didn't react; there were no signs of life, no movement.

Fear gripped Neville's heart. Oh no, not Harry, please...

Suddenly, the wards' doors flew open and the whole infirmary shuddered with an almost frightening surge of magic. Remus held Tonks against him while she kept a firm hand around Neville's waist. Poppy stilled in her furious bustling, the strong surge of magic pushed the stunned medi-witch back and reached for the still teen, brushing over his limp body, just as a blinding red light shot from Harry's chest and then he was gone.

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Remus paced the Headmistress office up and down restlessly, Minerva was checking on Neville, the poor boy was still in a state of shock, all he did was sitting in the infirmary staring fixedly at the closed door as though waiting for it to fly open and see his friend bursting into the room. It had been three days since Harry disappeared and Neville cried himself to sleep on his empty bed every night.

Remus sank down in one of the chairs facing the Headmistresses desk, his hands over his face. It just didn't seem possible that something so drastic could have happened in so short a time, one moment Harry was there, in the next, he disappeared into thin air. Remus sighed for the umpteenth time that night; he needed someone to talk to, a friend. The thought brought back memories of a long-lost friend Sirius. He missed Sirius. For all the other man's stupid prejudices and erratic temper he had been a good, true and loyal friend. No one understood Remus as Sirius had and no one had been a better listener, except maybe Albus. Remus glanced at Dumbledore's portrait; he looked as calm and serene as he always did, the former headmaster smiled gently at him then he rose from his chair and left his frame.

The fireplace suddenly erupted in green flames; a second later Tonks entered the room. The young witch looked terribly tired and crushed. For three days the Order Members have been searching every inch of the castle and the grounds, they even went into the Forbidden Forest, in the hope of finding Harry but all their efforts came to nought. She slumped into the chair next to Remus. Her fiancé was disheveled and much the worse for wear. It was as if grief consumed him. Tonks wished that there were something she could do to help him get over the loss of the raven- haired teen, but she had to accept that the only thing she could do was be there for him when he needed her.

"Everything will be just fine, Remus," Tonks said, grasping his hand in hers and squeezing lightly, her eyes looked miserable but her voice was firm. "By tomorrow, all this will be a bad memory. You'll see."

Remus reached out to squeeze her hand, drawing strength from her presence. "Ever the optimist," he wearily mused. Remus was certain that he would've gone insane if not for the warm presence of his to be wife beside him.

The office door opened. Minerva came in, looking stoic and relaxed. The Headmistress walked over to the enormous, claw-footed desk, and removed a small dark-blue box from one of its many drawers. "It's all about time," she murmured as she opened the box and pulled out a small crystal badger's head with two wide Amethysts stripes at it. Minerva then waved her wand over the desk and it moved to other the side of the office along with her chair. She stood before Dumbledore's empty canvas and pressed the crystal head into one side of the golden frame then taped at it with her wand. Remus and Tonks sat very still watching the Headmistress strange behavior intently. With a faint cracking sound the wall started to move revealing a cross curtain. Minerva pulled it aside to reveal French windows. She twisted the golden-work handle, and pushed the door open.

"Well it's about time you came," the Headmistress muttered under her breath as a cool breeze washed over them and the most beautiful creature they've ever seen, landed close to Minerva who reached out to stroke its mane. "I was beginning to feel worried, dearest" she said softly and kissed it on the neck.

"It's a Lunar!" Remus whispered staring at the beauty before him in awe. She was much bigger than a unicorn, perhaps five feet high, but with the same body shape and grace. However, this creature was far more attractive, far more beautiful. Instead of the slender, spiral horn on the forehead, there was a platinum crown, inset with rows of star-cut emeralds, rubies and sapphires. In the middle of which was a string of jet chaining to beads of Jade and diamonds in the form of a half- moon that hang between her eyes.

The Lunar nuzzled Minerva's hand and she chuckled softly "I missed you too, love"

Tonks gazed in wonder as the Lunar encircled them. Her coat was sleek, ebony, and where the moonlight fell the coat shimmered with a strange luminosity. Her mane and tail were pure white so were the wings; its white feathers passed seamlessly into shining silver at the tips which took on an ethereal glow, as though they were reflecting the very moonlit cast upon them. Tonks took a long slow breath, inhaling deeply the enticing scent of this beauteous being.

"Who is she?" Remus asked, cautiously stepping closer to where Minerva and the Lunar where now standing. Tonks drew nearer as well. But before Minerva could respond, the Lunar flapped her wings twice, Tonks gripped Remus's warm hands tightly as the tingling and rushing sensation of Apparition pulsed through her body.

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They looked around at the impressive surroundings; the place they were standing in was more like an art gallery then an ordinary room. Oak-panelled walls were covered in oil paintings and richly embroidered tapestries. Fabulous antiques and marble statuettes neatly arrayed on glass shelves.A splendid grand piano incised with Grecian scrolls, was in the far side of the room. One wall had a large portrait of The Four Founders of Hogwarts along with many other canvases of the legends of ancient Rome and Greece.

"Good evening, Minerva," a familiar cheerful voice greeted them from their right.

'Well that explains where the Headmaster has gone when he left his portrait' Remus thought, not that he could blame him, the place was simply a paradise!

"Good evening Albus" Minerva smiled as she made her way over to him.

"Ah, Remus and Nymphadora are here as well, excellent!"

"I hate it when you call me that," Tonks said mildly,and turned to look at the Headmaster's canvas. She came to a sudden halt, freezing to complete stillness. Sitting in an armchair, cross-legged before a bronze statue of Merlin was non other than Albus Dumbledore.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." the Headmaster mused, his eyes twinkling behind the half-moon spectacles.

Both Remus and Tonks stood still, gaping at the beaming wizard. Finally regaining some power to speak, Remus croaked out, "A-Albus?" his eyes blinking in disbelieve, "is it really you?"

The Headmaster nodded exuberantly while he smiled his gentle warm smile.

"You are…were… dead… "

Dumbledore chuckled. "No. Thanks to Severus, I am not."

"H-how-"

"-I shall explain everything later, but for now there's someone waiting to see you," he rose from his chair, strode towards the
the door and held it open, "If you will follow me,"

McGonagall walked across the threshold and mentioned for the couple to follow them. Albus and Minerva moved swiftly through a large, formal parlor, then through a set of double doors to a long ballroom. Remus and Tonks straggled a few steps behind them in a daze. Eventually they reached a pair of ornately carved doors. Albus opened them revealing a much more intimate space—a small study or library, perhaps.

Tonks was duly impressed. On both the left- and right-hand walls, were floor to ceiling built-in bookshelves that were stocked with many, well-tended books. Fawkes was slumbering on a golden perch nestled between an expansive desk, made of oak adorned with elaborate scroll-work and French windows that glazed with coloured glass. A rather large Persian carpet—in floral patterns of red, gold, pale green and cerulean blue—relieved the expanse cold of the marble floor. Like the room before it, this one too, had marvelous paintings adorning the walls. A roaring fire crackled in the enormous stone fireplace bringing another measure of warmth to the room.

It took her a minute to notice that a very healthy looking, Harry was sitting on a tapestry cushion next to the hearth.

"Harry!"

"Oh thank goodness!" Remus ran to Harry and took him in a bone crushing hug, "I thought I'd never see you again" Harry was surprised to see tears dancing in his eyes. Tonks moved forwards too, looking relieved. "You look great Harry!" she said smiling and patted him on the shoulder. The teen was smartly dressed in a cream shirt, dark trousers and boots.

"Thanks" Harry smiled, but it wasn't his usual beaming look.

Remus pulled back from him slightly, his eyes now examining him more closely "How do you feel now?" he asked.

"Fine thank you" Harry managed another smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.

Remus could tell from the teen's troubled features that there was something bothering him,"What happened?" his voice was short.

Harry didn't say anything for a few moments. Then he responded quietly, "Voldemort killed Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon"

TBC

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AN: So who do you think she is? The Lunar I mean, any guesses?

R&R