Chapter 14: Hellish Aftermath
Harry awoke the next morning still tired, muscles sore, and wishing for the morning to never come. He had to get up though and use the bathroom so he went to the regular one instead of going all the way to the Prefect Bathroom.
Getting done he was washing his hands when he looked in the mirror and saw a stranger. The man looking out at him seemed older. He had bags under his eyes and had the shadow of a beard growing. The person looked paler than him, The reflection still had his eyes. His mother's eyes so it had to be him.
Harry scrubbed his face getting what little blood he had missed before from when he was helping the bleeding Professor Snape. Looking back in the mirror he looked a little better.
He needed to eat, needed a shower, and needed to get last night's evil off of him. For this he wanted to be alone so he did go to the Prefect Bathroom to beat the memories from last night out of his head with hot water.
An hour later Harry left for the Great Hall seeing Hermione waiting for him at the entrance. "Are you ok Harry? I saw you left for the Prefect Bathroom and was starting to get worried you did something."
"No I just needed to be alone Hermione. I wouldn't have done anything like that." Harry figured there had been enough death and adding another body wouldn't have helped. "Is Dumbledore back yet?" Hermione nodded.
"He is waiting for everyone who is up for it to come in for breakfast before he says anything else." Hermione and Harry walked into the Great Hall seeing the black banners hanging from the walls and ceiling, the blood, the gore, the carnage having been removed and the chairs and tables fixed or replaced.
Sitting down at the Gryffindor table Harry looked around seeing all the empty seats. The majority of the empty seats being at the Ravenclaw table with almost the entire 1st-3rd year students having been killed by a controlled Cho.
A few minutes later after several more students came in and Dumbledore had the doors closed. "As you know several horrible events happened last night with one of them happening here. The School, the Ministry, Azkaban, Hogsmeade, and several other places across the country were attacked. We lost many students and a teacher here. We lost several Aurors at the Ministry and across the country. Some of you have lost family members. I have never had anything like this happen and I am sorry I wasn't able to help. I was at the Ministry on school business and could not make it here. As my failure cost the lives of dozens of students I am planning on leaving my post as Headmaster of Hogwarts after this year."
Gasps filled the room, how could Dumbledore be blaming himself for what happened? He said it himself he was at the Ministry and couldn't make it back to Hogwarts. "I will remain as an advisor to your new Headmaster, Professor McGonagall. I have a few actions to perform before I step down. The first being the cancellation of the House Cup this year. Second will be giving an honorary award to Head Boy Michael Nikkturn who lost his life defending this school, and third will be giving another honorary award to another student, Devin Starks, for giving his life to defend this school."
Harry didn't understand this one. Devin was alive the last time Harry saw him. Had he died in Madam Pomfrey's office? "I will also be canceling the normal exams this year." Normally this would have brought cheers but under the circumstances there was nothing. "Now for those of you who don't know the truth about what happened last night I must tell you. Cho Chang was not a Death Eater but was being controlled. Miss Chang will not have her name tarnished for what she did last night as she had no control over them. Several Slytherin students were also killed. Young Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Kirkner, and Lott by another student who I am sad to say I never saw becoming a Death Eater. There was a traitor here in Hogwarts who betrayed all of us. His friends, his family, everyone.
People tried to keep from crying. Dumbledore spoke a little louder. "Ronald Weasly was controlling Cho Chang. He had given a way to get into the castle to the Death Eaters and killed a teacher. Professor Krats." The ones not in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw gasped at this.
A Weasly becoming a Death Eater? Weren't they a Mud Blood loving family? Wasn't the dad obsessed with all things Muggle? "Which brings me to the last honorary award to a student who defended this school and saved Professor Snape. A student who although young was able to defeat several Death Eaters. A student who first warned me of the attack on Hogwarts. Harry Potter." Harry didn't even stand up just put his head on the table not wanting anyone to see his face.
"Come on Harry you did earn it didn't you?" Hermione tried to get Harry to at least look up but failed.
"There is other bad news from the other attacks. I am sorry to say but the Bones, the Peachtree's, the Dingot's, and the recently pardoned Sirius Black were killed." This brought Harry back to the world. "Their houses were targeted by the Death Eaters and the last one was with a friend when he was killed. I am sorry I couldn't have done more. I should have seen this coming, but didn't." Dumbledore looked as though he was going to break. Something Harry had never thought he would see. "I am arranging for the Hogwarts Express to come early so you can all go home early. The ones that want to." Dumbledore went to the staff table and sat down in his place.
The staff table was missing people also. Professor Krats who was dead, Professor Snape who was still in the Infirmary, and Hagrid.
"Where do you think Hagrid is?" Hermione noticed Harry was back to the real world and tried to get him to talk.
"Probably burying Fang." If there was anything left of him. Harry saw what the Manticore had done to the Trolls that had gotten in its way.
"We should go then. He would want us to and we are his friends." Hermione turned around and saw the Great Hall doors were still closed. "Maybe not." Dumbledore stood up from his chair and gave one last announcement.
"The rest of the week will be for anything you want as long as it is on school grounds. Normally I would say take your free time to study but really that isn't important right now. Spending time with friends and classmates is. I need to see the remaining Prefects and the Head Girl before you leave." Harry grabbed some toast and bacon eating it quickly.
"Hermione want to go with me to talk to Dumbledore? Then we can go see Hagrid." Hermione nodded finishing the rest of her egg. The two went over to Dumbledore to see what he wanted.
"Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. You two are the main ones I needed to talk to. You will still be staying at Sirius's house this summer. The Granger's will be your guardians while there. Harry I am sorry that Sirius died but please don't blame Remus. He already feels bad enough as it is even though he had no control of what he did." This confused Harry.
"What do you mean? Why would I blame Remus?"
"Last night was the full moon. Remus uses the rooms at the Ministry they have for Werewolves who don't have a dungeon to go to in their home. Your God Father was there in his other form to keep Remus company and to make sure he didn't escape. When the Death Eaters attacked your God Father went to fight them. But before he could get out of the Werewolf area Voldemort was able to break the spells used to keep the doors locked. Remus escaped and attacked the closest person to him." Harry couldn't believe it. Remus killed Sirius. A Marauder had killed another Marauder just like Wormtail had killed Prongs
"But this can't be true, Sirius had just been pardoned. I was going to live with him. I was going to have a dad. A house of my own to live in. A real family." Harry knew Dumbledore wasn't lying but he still couldn't believe it. "You said Devin gave his life to protect Hogwarts but he was alive when we left him…"
"He isn't dead but he isn't alive. He is like a person who had their soul sucked out by a Dementor. He had special powers which gave him special problems. I am not sure he will ever wake up." Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "I was also wanting to ask you Harry since you are Sirius's closest family member if it would be alright for young Monica to stay with you and the Granger's. I haven't seen Sirius's will yet but I don't know who else he would have left his things to so I am assuming the house is yours." Harry hadn't thought about this. Would he get Sirius's house? He had never been there and now he might be the owner of it?
"I guess its ok, if Monica wants too. What about her dad? Doesn't he live in America?" Dumbledore nodded.
"He can't take them. His line of work in America makes it so he can't have his family near him most of the time. So I am asking you if Monica can stay with you. If her brother doesn't recover he will stay here or at St. Mungos. If he does happen to pull a miracle and come out of his coma then he will live with you also." Dumbledore waved his arm showing they could leave if they wanted. The two left the Great Hall and went towards where Hagrid's cabin use to be.
"Hagrid?" Harry felt foolish calling out Hagrid's name since Hagrid was big enough to be seen if he was there.
"Maybe he went into the woods to bury Fang." Hermione's shoulders slumped and started to walk away.
"Hey you two shouldn't be out here you should be in the castle." Hagrid came out of the woods and walked over to them.
"We wanted to see you. We thought you might be burying Fang and wanted to be there for it." Hermione looked at the ground not wanting to look at Hagrid.
"Well I did that already." Hagrid still has the shovel in his hands. "I already miss him." Hagrid sniffed and tried to keep himself from crying in front of the two. "I need wood for my hut. I'll be busy rebuilding over the summer." He wipes at a tear from his eye."Thank you for the thought." Hagrid sets down the shovel.
"Well is there any way we could help?" Harry couldn't think of anything else to say or do."
"You aren't allowed in the woods and you know it. I need to get more wood though and don't exactly have a place for you to sit and have some tea so you better head back to the castle." Hagrid tried to smile but his heart wasn't in it. His eyes were still red from crying over Fang.
The two turned around and left for the castle. "You've never been to Sirius's house so I guess you don't know how big it is." Harry nodded. "Well at least I will get to be with my parents again. I miss them so much." The two decided to go to the Common Room and do nothing.
In the Common Room Harry was barraged with questions from other students. "Look everyone shut up and stop asking me about last night!" Harry got fed up with it and went to his room.
Harry paced around the room not wanting to lay down in case he fell asleep. He didn't need those dreams he had last night to come again. He didn't need to see Ron laugh at him as he killed Cho, as he killed Professor Krats. The evil laugh that filled Harry's ears when he fell asleep that night. Harry was so busy pacing and thinking he never heard the door open.
"Harry? Are you ok?" It was Hermione.
"What the hell do you think Hermione!? I can't go down to the Common Room without everyone asking me about what happened last night. I can't sleep because my dreams are about last night and I have no family left! My brother is an evil bastard and my God Father was killed by his best friend. In a few days I get to go home to my house not Sirius's. It should be his but now it is mine."
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. I want to help you but can't."
Harry held back his anger and feelings of helplessness. "There is something else Ron told me. About you and me but I don't care about it anymore." Harry wanted Hermione to leave since he wanted to be alone.
"If it involved you and me then I think you should tell me. If he said me and him did anything he was lying. I never did anything with him I swear Harry." Hermione looked at her hands trying to keep Harry from looking into her eyes.
"No he didn't say that. He said he messed with both of us. He used Cho to spy on you when you were in Prefect meetings and in the Prefect Bathroom. Ron spied on you when you were in the Common Room. It was those two who kept showing me you when I was knocked out. It was Ron who used a potion on us to make us break up. He did something to the cookies he gave us. He said he gave them to the wrong people. I'm not sure what that means."
Hermione's eyes got big at this news. "You mean the reason I acted like that was because of Ron? The reason you didn't like me anymore was because of some potion? But that takes advanced magic. Skills we haven't learned in school. Ron could barely make it through Potions Class."
"He was faking it. Ron didn't care and he knew he wouldn't be around next year. He told me Voldemort had been giving him special training. I am sorry Hermione I let Ron do that to me, to you, I should have known something was wrong. I should have known…" Hermione put a finger on Harry's lips to stop him from talking.
"How Harry? How could you have known? Don't blame yourself for this Harry it wasn't your fault." Hermione hugged Harry hard and started crying.
"Are you ok Hermione? Everyone's asked if I was alright but no one asked you, I'm sorry." Harry hugged her back trying to comfort her.
"No Harry, you love me, I love you, it was those damn cookies that made you stop loving me." This caught Harry off guard. "I hated you for rejecting me but you didn't have a choice. It was whatever Ron put in the cookies that made you reject me. I still love you Harry. I will always love you even when I hate you I will still love you."
"You don't know. I don't know that. Maybe the potion only pushed us faster. I'd hate me if I were you. Because of me you can't go home." Harry didn't want to say this. He wanted to tell her he still loved her but look at what happened to Ron. What if they tried Hermione next?
"I don't care Harry a house is a house and I will get to stay with my parents this summer. At your house. I love you Harry don't worry about what might happen since anything might happen. Please Harry tell me you love me too." Hermione was close to pleading with Harry nearly breaking Harry. "I'm not afraid of being alone and I'm not afraid of Voldemort or any of his followers. Don't let them control you like this!"
Harry wanted to say it, those three little words. "Hermione I can't do that. I have to worry about who I care for. Everyone I have cared for is dead. Even ones I didn't like are dead because of me! Do you think I could stand losing you to the Death Eaters? Do you think I don't want to say those words? I want to Hermione but I can't. If I care about you then you will die." Harry was shocked by the slap but didn't say or do anything else.
"Then say them! I love you Harry and you just admitted you love me you just don't want to say the words. We will be living together this summer. We will have time to work on this. On us. We can do it Harry don't let anyone stop something you want. Why not just give up on Quidditch? If you play in a game Voldemort might attack it. If you work in the Ministry Voldemort might attack it, again. Hell Voldemort might attack right now! You can't live your life on might's but on what is and what is right now is my love for you. Just say it back to me Harry just say it back."
Harry thought about it, Hermione was right. If he made a Quidditch team and played in a game the game would probably be attacked. Would he stop playing Quidditch because of that? "I don't know Hermione. I want to play Professional Quidditch but if it put other people in danger I guess I wouldn't play. Maybe over the summer we can do something together. Work on this as you put it." Harry rubbed the back of his neck while Hermione stopped crying.
"Then say it, I know you love me just tell me you do."
"I, I…" Harry wanted to say it. He had it on the tip of his tongue. "I can't." Harry was still fighting inside his head. Hermione could defend herself and she wouldn't be corrupted like Ron was. She was a mud blood not a pure blood but she was in danger if he cared for her. She was already in danger since she was a mud blood and not doing something because Voldemort might do something because of it was letting Voldemort control his life.
Harry sighed. "Hermione I need to think about this. You're right I can't let Voldemort control me like this but I can't put someone else in danger." Hermione turned on her hell and started to walk away. "Wait Hermione don't be mad I just…" He reaches for her but she pulls away.
"You tell me it was Ron's fault that we broke up. That it was him who messed with us. You gave me hope that you still loved me and then stomp on my heart! I love you Harry and damn it when you are ready to tell me that you love me too we can talk until then be safe and stop letting Voldemort control you!" Hermione slammed the door behind her storming down the stairs.
Harry sat down on his bed resting his head in his hands trying to think. Hermione had to be mad if she said something like that. It was his fault. He shouldn't have told her about what Ron had told him. He should have just let it go that Ron messed with him, with Hermione, and left Hermione alone.
"Damn it I need a break from this." Harry lay down on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Finding out I was a wizard was the greatest thing to happen to me. I was making friends, being loved, and now I wish I was still stuck under the stairs in the cupboard." Harry shut his eyes trying to clear his mind. Trying to get all thoughts out of his brain. It was just four days until he went home to a house he had never been to.
Harry got through the next few days trying not to scream at the top of his lungs about how unfair everything was. Hermione did talk to him but Harry was uncomfortable whenever she asked if he was done 'thinking'.
Tomorrow would be his last day at Hogwarts for the year. He would go to his new home and try to live in a place Sirius had called home.
Harry went to the Great Hall for dinner and sat next to Hermione. "So your parents are picking us up tomorrow?" Hermione nodded. Harry decided he would leave Hermione alone for the rest of the evening and just eat.
Dumbledore got up for his last speech as Headmaster of Hogwarts still planning on leaving his post to Professor McGonagall. "As the school year is ending a week early you will have an extra week at home with your family. Please spend this time wisely. In these dark times we must cherish the most precious things in life. Our friends and family. The richest man can be poor if he has no one to share it with just as the poorest man can be rich if he has friends and family to be with."
Harry was a little mad at Dumbledore for saying this. Harry was rich but had no family. Harry went back to his food ignoring Dumbledore after a mumbled "Go away."
"Thankfully the Ministry has arrested many of Voldemort's followers leaving Voldemort without an army. This was due to the actions of Devin Starks and so he will be getting the Order of Merlin, 3rd Class, from the Ministry early next month."
Monica started to cry leaving the Great Hall.
"Do not worry about Voldemort. Do not worry about the Death Eaters. You should use this summer to get closer with your family and friends, Use the time you have together as well as you can. For the students who took their NEWTs and OWLs this year good luck on your grades. For all students coming back next year I will miss being your Headmaster but I will not be leaving Hogwarts. Your new Headmaster Professor McGonagall has already accepted my proposal to be Advisor and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
This got Harry's attention. Dumbledore becoming a teacher? "This won't be a permanent job it will only be for a year and then we will have a new teacher to fill the position. Please enjoy this last meal together. Remember the friends and family we lost this year and try to get a good night's sleep." Dumbledore clapped his hands and the black banners hanging everywhere disappeared.
Harry finished his food and left going to his room to finish packing. Going to bed that night Harry made a decision for tomorrow on what he would do to solve his problems.
The next morning Harry woke up throwing everything except Hedwig into his bottomless pouch including his trunk that he had shrunk the night before. Going down the stairs Harry went out to the train and found a place to sit since he wasn't busy loading his trunk.
A few minutes later Hermione, Ginny, and Monica came into the car and sat down. "Thank you Harry for letting me stay with you. I wanted to stay at Hogwarts with my brother but Dumbledore said there wasn't any reason to. If Devin came back to us he would and if he didn't." Monica closes her eyes for a few seconds fighting back emotions. "I shouldn't sit around the castle all summer." Harry didn't reply.
Ginny touched Harry's arm. "I hope you are still coming to the wedding Harry. Bill and Fleur are hoping you could be one of the Groomsmen." Ginny sat next to Monica talking to her as the train left the station.
Hermione sat next to Harry. "Well Harry my parents won't be waiting for us on the platform, I tried to explain it to them but they don't understand about how the platform is only accessible by magical people. They are using a Ministry car so we will have plenty of room for our things."
Harry ignored her. He really didn't care.
The train went on its way as Harry sat there ignoring everyone around him. Luna came in and tried to talk to him but Harry ignored her. She gave up and went to Ginny and Monica talking to them.
The train pulled into the station stopping and letting the students off. "Harry after you get your things wait at the entrance for me ok?" Harry nodded and walked off the train.
This was it. If he did this next part of his plan he would be free. Checking that his bottomless pouch was still on him Harry walked towards the exit. Walking through Harry looked around saw a Ministry car and people he figured would be Hermione's parents looking around the Muggle train station.
Harry walked the opposite way leaving the wizarding world behind. He would leave the greatest thing he had ever known behind. Forever.
A/N Ok finally finished this one! Next? Harry Potter and the Other World! Which will need a TON of work to fix it to meet my standards. Well, new standards. After years of writing I know I am no expert but my earlier work still horrifies me.