It's My Life
Time had stopped, for Harry, at least. Sirius pushed him aside and got hit with the killing curse, then just…Faded into the archway. Harry couldn't think, he couldn't move. Pain swelled in the man's chest, tears already forming and threatening to fall as the realization set in that Sirius Black, his godfather, was dead and gone. Everyone realized what happened, everyone saw it. And everyone's heart went out for Harry, except the death eaters. Well, Lucius cared. This is what Severus had been afraid of just days before; the war causing Harry to lose someone he loved dearly.
And now, Sirius Black was gone, having given his life willingly to protect Harry. Severus wanted nothing more than to grab Harry and hold him tightly. This would not be something Harry just recovered from easily. This was going to do some damage. Harry had hoped to see Sirius come out the other side, but he didn't and his body seemed to finally move as he went for the arch. Severus understood what Harry was going to do, and went to rush over to stop him, but another beat him to it. Remus Lupin.
"Harry, no!" Remus quickly held Harry from behind, locking the boy's arms at his sides.
"Let go! Let me go, I have to save him!" Harry stated.
"Harry, you cannot!" Remus told him. "The veil is a manifestation of the barrier between two worlds. The land of the living, and dead. It's a one-way trip…You will never come back if you cross that, and we cannot lose you too."
Harry fought against the man who was essentially his uncle, trying to break free on brute strength alone, and it was working. But Remus still managed to hold Harry back from charging into that veil. "No…No." Harry whispered. "Let go. Remus, let go of me!" He demanded. "Sirius!"
"Harry…Harry, stop. There's nothing more you can do for Sirius; he was hit by the killing curse! He was dead before he fell into the veil!…It's too late to save him. I'm sorry…He's gone, cub…" Remus informed, fighting his own pain that he just lost another good friend.
Harry finally stopped fighting against Remus, his head bowed down low and the tears fell from his green orbs. However, it was just a moment later when Harry threw his head back against Remus's chest and let out the most heart and gut-wrenching scream of anguish anyone had ever heard. "AHH!" Harry fell forward again before something caught his tear-filled eyes. Bellatrix was smirking, moving towards the fireplace to escape. Breathing hard, anger was swelling inside him, and enough that everyone could feel it. The aura of the room shifted, it had been Harry's pain before, they all felt it when he yelled out. But this was anger now.
"Harry…Harry, don't do anything rash! It's what he wants, son!" Severus tried before Harry jerked out of Remus's grasp and bolted after Bellatrix.
"This is bad…" Lucius said.
"Way to point out the obvious, Dad…" Draco mumbled. "Harry just lost his godfather, I wouldn't be alright either if someone killed Uncle Sev while he tried to protect me…"
"No, not Harry's pain and anger. Though, very tragic. The dark lord is here…He's waiting for a chance to get Harry alone." Lucius commented. "Severus, you need to stop him."
"I don't think anyone can break through him right now." Tonks said.
"We have to try. Harry's gonna get himself into a fight he can't win in that state because he's not thinking clearly." Hermione said.
"On the contrary…If I were the dark lord, I'd be running for my life right now because an emotional teenager who is prophesied to destroy me is coming to kill me for starting this whole mess by taking my godfather and torturing him, then getting him killed. I wouldn't want to be the dark lord right now because Harry's gonna kick his ass from here to hell and back again." Kingsley shrugged.
"No matter, it's still the dark lord Harry's facing. Harry needs to know he's not alone." Draco remarked.
"Then we go after him so he is not alone." Pansy informed. "I'm not saying get in his way, but he'll know we're there and sometimes…That's enough."
It didn't take long for them to all get up and rush after Harry, the adults, not far behind them. The unconscious death eaters were left in that room, in full body-binds to keep them from escaping. Upon getting into the next room, it seemed to be cleared of all other people except them, and sure enough, Harry was chasing Bellatrix.
"I killed Sirius Black. I killed Sirius Black!" Bellatrix laughed the entire time she ran from Harry. "You coming to get me?" She taunted before Harry got just close enough and pulled his wand forward, casting some spell silently that caused Bellatrix to be blasted a bit and fell on her front as Harry stopped just a few inches away, wand pointed at Bellatrix as she had turned over on her back to look at Harry with what looked like fear as she was whimpering while Harry's hand was shaking with rage. It seemed he was holding back from uttering a spell.
"You've got to mean it, Harry…" Voldemort's whisper was heard around the room, but no one could see him. Harry's head rotated as if letting the voice in. "She killed him. She deserves it."
"Harry! Harry, don't listen!" Hermione yelled.
But Harry wasn't listening to anyone, he was entirely focused on revenge on Bellatrix. "You know the spell, Harry…" Just then the dark lord came in, right behind Harry and next to his ear. "Do it." Bellatrix laughed at her lord's arrival. Harry suddenly turned his wand on the dark lord, and Voldemort smacked Harry's wand from him. "So weak." The dark lord remarked. "Even faced with the perfect chance at revenge, you refuse to be ruthless. How can a child who won't take the opportunity presented be destined to defeat me?" He asked. "You're nothing special. You lived because of your filthy mud-blood mother's sacrifice…Well, she isn't here to protect you now, is she? Let's see if you are truly worthy of being the boy who lived…" Harry didn't bother trying to move.
"Are you just as worthy to be a self-proclaimed dark lord? Let's not forget who actually failed to kill a child four times, and got beat three of them by that same child. You're the one who isn't special." Harry put his arms apart, leaving himself wide open with no attempt to get his wand back. "Know this, Tom…I won't die until I'm taking you with me. You won't hurt anyone else I care about. I'll always be here to protect them. Let's see the big bad snake take me down. Go for it…I dare you."
"Harry! No!" Remus yelped in fear. "Severus, do something!" The wolf shook Severus.
"Harry Potter, the boy who lived…Come to die." Voldemort smirked. "Avada Kedavra!" The green light shot out and struck Harry right in the chest, causing a massive blow back that blinded everyone, forcing them to shield their eyes.
When the blast died down and everyone looked. Voldemort had been sent back and Bellatrix was helping him up as Harry laid motionless on his side, eyes closed.
"Harry…" His friends whispered sadly. Hermione teared up as she turned against Ron, who held her tightly with his own head lowered. Luna leaned against Neville while Pansy lightly sobbed on Theodore's shoulder and Blaise was rubbing her shoulders. Draco just stood there, unable to believe it; Harry just gave himself up so easily, didn't even fight. Severus was also beside himself in shock. Harry was…Gone. Harry was dead.
-In Limbo-
Harry looked around the white train station, seeing himself alone. The place was similar to King's Cross, but much cleaner. Harry heard gasping as he looked around and finally under one bench to find a boney, fetal position of Voldemort; the baby thing he'd appeared as before coming back in fourth year.
"You can't help him," Spoke a voice as Harry looked up to see Sirius walking forward and in the distance two more figures, who now revealed themselves as his parents.
Lily was first to approach Harry. "My brave boy…" She cupped his cheeks in her hands with a smile. "You brave young man." She added.
"Come, son…Let's walk." James offered. They walked a bit as Harry kept looking back at the helpless Voldemort under the bench.
"What is that?" Harry inquired.
"Something beyond our help, pup." Sirius informed gently. "It's a part of Voldemort, sent here to die." He went on.
"And where exactly are we?" Harry wondered.
"We were going to ask you that," Lily smiled.
"Where would you say we are, my son?" James questioned.
"It…Looks like King's Cross, but cleaner." Harry stated, recalling his first impression of this place.
"King's Cross? Is that right? Well, this is, as they say, your party." James chuckled.
"Sweetheart, I suspect by now you've realized that you and Voldemort were connected by something other than fate. Since that night in Godric's Hollow all those years ago…" Lily mentioned.
"Dumbledore did say something like that when faced trial…That a part of Voldemort was living inside of me and that I had to die for him to die." Harry replied.
"It did live in you, but was destroyed moments ago by Voldemort himself when he killed you." Sirius remarked.
"I have to go back, haven't I?" Harry asked finally.
"That's up to you." Sirius said.
"I have a choice?" Harry inquired.
"Of course, yes. Voldemort did not kill you, just himself." James said. "We're in King's Cross, as you said. I think, if you desire enough, you'd be able to board a train back home."
"I'll never see you again, will I? After I leave?" Harry stated softly.
"Oh, darling…We'll always be with you." Lily smiled.
"We never left." James added.
"We've been here," Sirius pointed to Harry's heart.
"It's time for you to go, sweetie." Lily informed as a train pulled up to them. "It is not your time, not yet. There is still much more for you to do in your life. Don't waste it…"
"You know what must happen." James remarked.
"Go on now. Don't want to miss the train." Sirius led Harry over to the door. Lily kissed Harry's forehead, then James hugged Harry tightly, putting a kiss on his cheek. Finally, Sirius held Harry in his arms, and placed a kiss on the top of his head. " Go home, son…Go home to those still there and love you. You are stronger than you realize when surrounded by it." Sirius let Harry go as the teenager backed onto the train. "Tell Remus it's okay and I'm fine. I'm with Lily and James, that we're watching over all of you." Harry nodded.
"We love you, Harry," The three adults said.
"I…Love you too,"
The doors shut as the train began to pull away and Harry waved to his parents and godfather as they soon vanished from sight. Harry saw the train going into the light as he refocused himself. He knew what he had to do now to destroy the bastard once and for all.
-Land Of The Living-
"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort cheered with Bellatrix. Harry's eyes snapped open, but he didn't move yet. Harry slowly pulled his wand to him without anyone noticing and heard footsteps approaching behind him. Harry closed his eyes once more as Voldemort shifted the boy on his back. "So much for the boy who lived…And now there's no one here to save you."
The dark lord began to walk away as Harry opened his eyes to watch as Voldemort was preparing to attack his friends. Harry rolled over and got to his feet. "Don't be so sure about that, Tom…" The dark lord's face was priceless at seeing Harry still alive. "I told you that you would fail, that I would not die until we die together. You will never win as long as I'm alive to keep protecting the people I care about."
"Now, get away from my family…" He moved in front of them, standing between his friends and family so Voldemort couldn't get to them. "Everte Statum!" Harry flicked his wand forward and sent the dark lord flying backward into a wall, causing it to leave a body-size dent. "Your fight is with me."
Voldemort finally moved from being hit and raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" Harry didn't say anything as he sent his own spell, a red beam that collided with Voldemort's green one. The two blasts met in the middle, shifting back and forth for who was stronger. It went on a good five minutes before Voldemort broke it and rushed forward as a mist and entered Harry's body.
"I've got you now, Potter…" Harry's voice, but not his own, spoke. "So weak…Look at me, we're the same…" In Harry's mind, he found himself looking at a mirror, but when looking at himself, he saw Voldemort.
"We…Are not." Harry managed as his image turned back to his own. "And thereby extension, if we're the same…You're just as weak." He growled. Voldemort twitched as Harry assaulted him through memories of his friends and family. "Get. Out." Harry powered himself up with nothing but love for his friends and family as Voldemort was forced out of his body.
"You're a fool, Harry Potter…And you're going to lose everything." Voldemort remarked. "Just like you lost your godfather."
"My godfather died protecting me. That wasn't your victory, it was his choice to give his life over mine, but hey…Since you obviously can't kill me when I actually let you…I'd say that makes this five outta five you've failed." Harry informed. "You really are bad at this bad guy thing, aren't you? I will not lose anything or anyone because I'm stronger than you could ever hope to be. Because I have something you don't and with the prophecy destroyed…You'll never know what that is." Harry retorted.
"I know your secret power, it's that powering up thing you do." Voldemort glared. "I'll just get in your head again."
"That's no secret. I don't keep it hidden…That's just my magic manifesting physically. It's rare, but not impossible or exclusive to me, you idiot." Harry raised his wand. "You won't because I broke the connection we had. I severed it entirely, you've got nothing to use against me anymore. Rather, you destroyed it. When you tried to kill me. So thanks for that, I guess." Voldemort's eye twitched in annoyance. "You seem to be under the impression that I'm afraid of you and that couldn't be farther from the truth. I pity you, Tom."
"Stop calling me that!" Voldemort snapped.
"It's who you are, Riddle. You can change your name all you want, it doesn't change who you are. You're not scary. You're not feared, not as long as I'm around…The people have nothing to be afraid of because they all know I'm the one who is going to get rid of you." Harry paused. "You're the weak one. You'll never know love, or friendship. And I feel sorry for you."
"Why you little-!" Voldemort began.
Harry thrust his wand forward and sent Voldemort back again. "This proves my point. You won't fight because you know you won't win. Now, are you actually going to fight me, or would you like to run away as you always do like a pup with its tail tucked between its legs?"
"How dare you…" Voldemort started for Harry.
"Levicorpus!" Harry cast as Voldemort got lifted up and turned upside down, being dangled by his ankle.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Voldemort demanded.
"As you wish," Harry cut the spell so the dark lord would fall.
"Sectum Semp-,"
"Langlock!" The dark lord felt his tongue hit the roof of his mouth and he couldn't talk. Harry repeated the move his godfather had done against Lucius, shoving his wand forward and blasting Voldemort back. "Quit while you're ahead. If you persist, I'll stop holding back and I'll hurt you indefinitely."
"Hold…Holding back!?" Voldemort asked.
Harry's energy showed red around him, but black lightning. One energy whisp shot out and wrapped around Voldemort, electrifying the man as he yelled out. Harry raised the whip up and slammed the dark lord down before he shot forward a stunner to the dark lord's chest. It made him fall to a knee and have to breathe heavily.
"My lord. My lord, people are coming!" Bellatrix warned.
Fireplaces around them began to reveal people coming out and seeing the dark lord himself, finally, after a year of everyone saying he wasn't truly back. Bellatrix helped Voldemort up and the two of them vanished from sight.
"That's what I thought…Coward." Harry's power receded as he turned around and faced his friends.
"Harry…Thank Merlin you're alright," Hermione cried as she hugged Harry, then Pansy and Luna joined in. Ron, who was never one for hugs, grabbed Harry and gave him one too.
"Scared us to death, mate," Ron stated.
"We're glad you're safe," Blaise patted Harry's shoulder.
"Great fight," Gregory and Vincent smiled.
"Never seen Voldemort look so scared. Good job," Theodore chuckled.
"Harry…" Remus hugged his cub tightly. "Don't you ever do something like that again!" He scolded. "Don't ever risk your life like that again! Sirius would be furious to know he protected you and then you throw yourself back into it! You could have died!"
"Uncle Remus, calm down." Harry told him. "I did what needed to be done, and now I'm one step closer to getting rid of the dark lord." Finally, Harry faced Severus. "Hi, Dad…I'm sure you want an expla-,"
Severus just wrapped Harry in his arms tightly, sighing out in relief his son was okay. "We'll talk about it later, son. Right now, it doesn't matter…You're alive, and safe…That's all I care about…" Severus kissed the side of Harry's head. "I thought I'd lost you for good…"
Harry hugged his father back. "I'm not going anywhere, Dad…" He returned the hug. "Can we go back to school now?..." He said sadly. Despite what had been said about Sirius's sacrifice, the man was still gone from this world and Harry missed him.
"Of course, son," Severus nodded. He knew Harry needed time to mourn losing Sirius. What happened just now against the dark lord was anger, but now the danger had passed and the sadness was taking its place. "All students with me." He called.
"We'll talk soon, Severus." Lucius stated.
"As will we." Alastor remarked.
Severus led the students to the fireplace and let them all go two by two through to his office, and then he and Harry were last. The students went right on to inform new Headmistress McGonagall that they were back and let her know what happened. Harry, though, was taken to Severus's room and the teenager just silently sat down on the couch. Severus sat beside him, a comforting hand on his back before the tears that had formed in Harry's eyes finally slipped down.
Harry lowered his head into his palms and cried over losing his godfather and all Severus could do was pull Harry against him. Severus rubbed Harry's arms and back, hushing him softly and rocking him a bit, whispering that everything would be okay. One thing for sure, Severus knew his son's heart was breaking and Severus didn't like or ever want to have to feel it again because it hurt worse than anything he'd ever felt before. More than even thinking Harry had been dead, but that was also something that Severus never wanted to feel or see again.