Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters.
Harry breathed in the scent of lilies as he hugged his mother goodbye. Something told him that this may very well be the last time he ever got to hug her – in this world or any other.
"Will you be alright without us?"
Harry pulled back from the hug, looked at his mother's gently wrinkled face, and smiled reassuringly. "Of course I will, you'll only be gone for a couple of weeks."
"I know, but I still worry."
"Lily, the boy will be fine. He's quite capable of watching over himself – he is almost forty."
"Severus, you just called this almost forty-year old a 'boy', so no calling the kettle black."
"Hmph," Snape grunted as he crossed his arms.
Harry chuckled, they really did work well together; his father had made the right choice.
Lily gave Harry one last kiss on the check. As she backed up this time she grabbed his right hand and gave the memory ring on his finger a quick kiss, "Nice ring, it suites you."
"Thanks, Mother."
A few minutes later and his mother was in the car with all of the bags and Snape was staring at Harry – his customary sneer in place. Harry stuck out his hand, "Goodbye, sir."
Snape eyed it coldly for a moment before taking it. As soon as their hands were clasped Harry found himself jerked towards Snape, until Snape's mouth was almost touching Harry's ear.
"Listen quickly; your mother doesn't know this is for good, I'll tell her when we arrive, I think she might suspect though. The whole mansion is bugged, except my office, and she had no reason to go in there. The Fuhrer trusts no one – not even his wife – remember that. Now, put a look of fear on your face and pretend I just threatened you."
Snape pulled back and stared at Harry, "Well, boy?"
Harry put on his best fearful expression and snapped to an almost attention, "Yes, sir!"
"Good, see you in a couple of weeks."
Harry watched as Snape strode purposefully to the car and got in. As the car pulled away Harry waved at his mother and blew her one final kiss, which she returned. He couldn't believe that things were starting – it was unreal. Something about today told him that this was it – either the world changing would end or he'd move on to another world.
He didn't know why he was so sure this time – he just was.
XXX
Five hours later Harry pulled out his phone and checked the time – two minutes to go.
He cast a sidelong glance at Draco, who was standing on the other side of the doorway. The two of them were guarding one of the entrances to the Assembly Room, where the Ministers and Generals were gathered to await the Fuhrer.
The other four guarded the other two entrances to the room. Somehow the twins had hacked into the online program the government used for Guard assignments and gotten the six of them these posts for the day. All of the other Guards were either unarmed and in the room or off for the day.
No weapons were allowed in the Fuhrer's presence – except for his Elite Guards and only three of them were around him at a time.
Harry ran his fingers over the snitch-shaped cufflinks on his uniform, trying to calm his nerves, as the last arrival came barreling down the corridor. The poor Minister of Agriculture: a very rotund, red-faced man that never seemed to be anywhere on time.
Harry opened the door and let the man in as his phone buzzed, letting him know that it was noon. As Harry closed the door he saw the Fuhrer, followed by his guards and wife enter through the back panel into the room.
Good, everything was going perfectly.
As the door clicked shut he sent out the readied messages.
He sent one to Angelina, Draco, Luna, Justin, and Michael:
Time to move. Lock the room up quietly and enter the code. Then head to the Fuhrer's entrance.
He sent another to Regulus Black:
If you want to avenge your brother, than forget the answer to the question that you'll soon be asked.
Things moved in a blur after that. Draco gave a grunt of surprise when he realized it was happening already, but that didn't stop him from acting. The two of them quietly locked the doors and entered the code to seal them – only the Fuhrer's code and the Minister of State Security's code combined could open the room now. And that couldn't occur until an hour had passed.
Hopefully Sirius had been right and his brother was loyal. They were going to have to take over the building in an hour though, just to be on the safe side.
"I'm going to go let them in, I'll join you as soon as they're in." Harry said hurriedly to Draco.
"Alright, good luck."
"You, too."
Harry ran off to the stairs. Down in the basement was an old sewer entrance that they had discovered a year or so earlier. That was how everyone else was coming in.
"What took you so long?" Ron said as soon as Harry unlocked the door to the cellar.
"Oh, shut up, Ron. We don't have time for that," Harry muttered.
"He's right you know," Ginny added.
"Hmph, of course you'd side with him."
"Yes, of course. Hello, darling," Ginny gave Harry a quick kiss.
"Hey, can you two stop making out so we can get down to business?" The twins asked.
"Yes, please, I think I'm about to be sick." Tonks said as she pushed past Harry and Ginny.
"That's probably just the smell from the sewer. The gases that have been gathering down here create quite a stench when inhaled. It can make you physically ill if you aren't careful." Hermione said this as she pulled off the mask she'd used. "Now, minutes are ticking. Everyone, go take care of your targets, we're running out of time."
People Harry knew and quite a few more that he didn't know said "yes, ma'am" and started running up the stairs and off in all directions – they were all armed to the teeth though.
Harry glanced over at his partner for this endeavor – Ron. He didn't know why Hermione had insisted that they work together – something about conflict making you more aware or some such rubbish.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Kay, follow me."
"Alright."
Harry led the way back up the stairs and down a maze of corridors until he reached the antechamber for the Assembly Room.
Justin and Michael stood outside, weapons drawn and looking very fidgety. They did smile in relief when they saw Harry.
"Everything going alright?" Harry asked them.
"So far so good, we have had one hiccup though. The monitors in the antechamber show us that we're missing the Minister of Transportation and he was supposed to be here today. Angelina and Luna ran off to find him, we can't let one get free or we're in trouble." Justin informed Harry.
"Alright, is Draco inside?"
Michael nodded, "He's watching the monitors – they haven't noticed the doors are locked yet."
"Alright, we'll be inside." Harry found himself frowning as he entered the antechamber, everything was going entirely too smoothly. Sure, they'd misplaced a Minister, but there should be more hiccups than this. If things went too well now, that just meant that the screw-up later would be all the worse.
Draco looked up from his spot by the monitors, a tied and gagged guard in the chair next to him. "Everything going well?"
"Too well, it's giving me a bad feeling."
Draco frowned, "So it's not supposed to go well?"
Ron rolled his eyes, "What this idiot is trying to say is that the better it goes, the worse the screw-up will be when it comes."
Draco's eyebrows shot up as he eyed Ron, "Who's this?"
"Ginny's brother, he doesn't like me."
"Ah, I see that."
"Yes, he seems to think no one is good enough for his sister."
"Most brothers seem to be like that, I'm glad I don't have a sister. Or that Luna doesn't have a brother."
"Yes, you're rather lucky in that regard."
"You know, I am, aren't I?"
Ron's face grew redder and redder as Draco and Harry kept talking and ignoring him. "Will you two please shut up?" He eventually hissed, but this time his face was the same color as his hair.
Harry looked at Ron, "I guess we should, we are in the midst of a rebellion."
"Somehow, I'd forgotten that." Draco said, his customary wicked grin in place.
"Isn't it funny how easily we forget things?"
"I guess that's what happens when we're having fun."
"I think you're right."
"I know I'm–"
Draco was cut off by the sounds of gunfire outside. The three men froze for an instant before gripping their rifles and edging towards the door.
Ron reached out and turned the knob.
He slowly pushed the door open.
Justin lay on the ground, his rifle across his chest as blood pooled from it. His eyes stared up blankly at the ceiling.
Next to him, sticking out around the door, was Michael's unmoving arm.
Draco growled low in his throat at the sight. Before Ron or Harry knew what was happening he was letting out a war cry and running into the corridor firing at the two men that had killed Justin and Michael.
By the time Ron and Harry were out the door and behind him the men were dead on the ground and Draco was sporting a wound in his side.
"Idiot, why'd you go out there alone?" Harry yelled at Draco as he helped him sit.
Draco just grunted in pain and clutched his side.
Ron came over, his hands covered in blood from checking the four men that were down, "They're all dead."
"Damn it!" Draco shouted, his face screwed up in pain.
It was hard for Harry to believe that this was the same man that had blown up half a city street to kill him.
There was a noise from behind them and Harry and Ron whirled around to see the Fuhrer's wife, Bellatrix Riddle, standing in the doorway. A wicked smile was on her twisted, wrinkled face.
Why was she there? They were still inside the hour time limit; the code couldn't be lifted, so no one should be able to get in or out of the Assembly Room.
"I thought I heard something. I'm so glad I checked. Now, who tied up the guard in here? Come on, do tell." Harry and Ron just stared at her. "Oh, you won't talk? Well, I suppose I'll have to call my love in here, he'll sort you out. Now, if you'll just come with me…" She started to raise her right hand, Harry saw a glint of metal, and then a second later he heard a gunshot.
Harry froze, half expecting to feel a bullet pierce his body. When no pain came he felt himself breathe again just in time to see Bellatrix slowly fall backwards, a red flower blooming on her dress.
Harry looked over at Ron. There was a hard expression on the red-head's face as he lowered his gun. "That was for Hermione's parents you heartless bitch."
Before the words could even sink in there was shouting coming from the antechamber. An instant later there stood the Fuhrer with his trio of elite guards before him.
In a glance Voldemort's red eyes seemed to take in the situation. "Which one of you shot her? Draco Malfoy, can you tell me?"
Harry looked down at Draco, fear clutching his chest.
Draco shook his head, "No, sir. World spinning." Draco then gasped and clutched his side again, his face screwed up in pain.
"Ah, well, which one of you two was it? Tell me and I won't kill both you." The man these people called the Fuhrer, who Harry had known longer as Voldemort, though some still called him Tom Riddle, stared at Harry and Ron. His red eyes were blazing with fury and hate, but no pain. There was no way out of this. His guard's guns were aimed at their heads and the hour was only half up. No one would be up here for a while.
Harry felt Ron shift next to him and knew what the red-head was going to do, but Harry couldn't let him do it. Ron was a father. Ron hadn't been born to fight this man.
Anyway, Harry was getting used to sacrificing himself for his friends, and, no matter how Ron felt about him in this world, he was still Harry's friend.
No, Harry was going to do the only thing he could do.
He was going to sacrifice himself and buy Ron some time.
Maybe, just maybe, someone could show up and rescue Ron before anyone else died.
"It was me." Harry said loudly and clearly, his chin going up in defiance. "I shot that heartless slime of a woman you called your wife."
"Harry, what–" Ron started, but Harry punched him.
"Don't be a hero Ron, give my love to Ginny."
Harry stood up and threw the Grindle down the hall, as far from Voldemort as he could make it go. He didn't want him to touch it. Harry turned and stared into the Fuhrer's blood-red eyes.
Fear clutched his chest, but he pushed it aside. There was no way he was going to let Voldemort know he was afraid.
"Well, what's taking you so long, are you going to make me pay for killing your slimy wife? Or are you just going to stare me to death, like a little kid on a playground?" Harry wasn't sure where the words came from, but they gave him intense satisfaction.
Voldemort gingerly stepped over his dead wife and approached Harry as the guards trained their weapons on Ron. When their noses were almost touching Voldemort hissed out, "Nobody mocks me."
Then his hands were up around Harry's neck, slowly crushing the air out him. The world slowly grew black as Voldemort laughed, "Are you too much of a weakling to fight back? Just like your father. Oh, don't widen your eyes in surprise, Harry Potter. I know who you are, I've been watching you grow up and now I'm going to watch you die."
Harry's world grew completely black as Voldemort's high, cruel laugh filled his ears.
Then, even the laughter was gone.
Harry was sinking into the black nothingness, like he had three times before, when something cold reached out and grabbed his arm.
"I don't think so," a cold, hard voice said.
Author's Note: Dun Dun Dun – Cliff Hanger!
And, I'm sorry to say that it will be a week or more until I can update. I only got this one up because I made my poor boyfriend sit in Starbucks for two hours while I wrote it. But, never fear, I will get it out for you to read by the 23rd at the latest. I swear!
And, our big thank you this time goes to obsessivegirl73 for nominating RM for the Merlin Awards and writing a really, really nice recommendation for it.
She wrote:
Reason: I can honestly say this is the most unique/original plot I have ever seen on fanfiction. The story is wonderfully descriptive, and keeps your attention throughout every chapter. Also, I do not like HarryGinny as much as others, and this fic has me loving it. In addition, there are many popular side couples which makes it very interesting. This is also the only fic I have made my friends read because I need someone to discuss theories with. Overall, an amazing story
So, thank you obsessivegirl73 and also a big thank you to everyone else who has read, faved, or alerted RM or any of my stories.
If you want to see what the Merlin Awards are go to the profile for misswhiteblack. She has the link there.
Also, if you have any ideas on who grabbed Harry's arm feel free to visit the forum and discuss. Cheers! And have a good week! Next time I write my lovely sister will be a high school graduate, yay!
(I know, I got random in this AN, my excuse is that I'm graduated, virtually jobless, and totally unsure about my future – it's a freaky situation – y'll and this story are one of the few constants in my life atm)
Enjoy! Read! Review!