I do not own Harry Potter, I do own a pair of Converse. They are Red. I love them
This is a reposted version of this chapter
Chapter 33
Harry woke up in a black void. He looked down to where his left hand used to be and when he saw just a bloody stump he couldn't help but vomit.
"OH CHARMING THAT IS!" A disembodied voice echoed all around him.
"Keeper?" Harry asked. "Oh shit, am I dead?"
"NO. YOU ARE NOT DEAD." Keeper told him as he swirled into existence. "IN FACT THE BOSSES THINK YOU ARE DOING WELL FOR A MEAT PUPPET"
"Meat Puppet?" Harry demanded. "That's just rude, mate. All right, why am I here?"
"YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE STRUCK THE FIRST BLOW!" Keeper told him. "YOU HAVE PROVEN TO ALL OF WIZARDING BRITAIN THAT VOLDEMORT CAN BE HURT. AND IF HE CAN BE HURT HE CAN BE BEATEN!"
"But he got me too." Harry objected.
"Oh Pish Posh." said another disembodied voice. "A hand can be remade doncha know?" white smoke swirled into Merlin.
"Merlin!" Harry exclaimed. "I am pleased to see you."
"And I am pleased to see you too, my boy." Merlin beamed. "You are definitely exceeding all of my expectations so far my boy. Part of your quest is for you to create your new hand." The ancient wizard explained.
"How am I going to do that?" Harry asked.
"If I told you it wouldn't be a quest." Merlin smirked. "I will tell you that your wonderful girlfriend has already catalogued the book at the Tor."
"Of course she had." Harry grinned. "Hermione catalogues all of the books everywhere. It's one of the things I love about her."
"REMEMBER," Keeper said. "VOLDEMORT IS ONLY ONE PART OF YOUR TASK."
"I know. Unite the wizarding community and end the divide between the magical and muggle community."
"YOU ARE MAKING DECENT PROGRESS ON THAT FRONT ALSO." Keeper told him. "THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS BEGINNING TO CRUMBLE. I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE MUGGLE GOVERNMENT."
"I will. I think Dumbledore might be able to get me in with the Prime Minister." Harry told them.
"YOU ARE DOING WELL. I HAVE FAITH IN YOU!" Keeper told him as he and Merlin dissolved into smoke and Harry regained consciousness.
Amelia Bones stood in the centre of the Wizengamot chamber. She scanned the room and saw most people were in their places. Sirius Black arrived and gave a slight nod in greeting to his old friend as he took his seat. A few seconds later one of the chamber Clarks handed her a note.
Please call on me to speak.
I have news about Lord Potter and Voldemort.
SB
Bones caught Sirius's eye and gave him a very slight nod. Just as a bell began to chime to signal the beginning of the session, Fudge entered the room and took his place.
"ORDER!" Bones roared slamming the Staff of Merlin on the floor. "I call this extraordinary session of the Wizengamot to order."
"Point of Order!" Fudge called rising.
"Point of Order Minister Fudge." Bones declared allowing the Minister time to speak.
"It is unconscionable that this session has been called against the will of the Magical Government. Instead of being allowed to get on and steering us through this crisis I am here being forced to participate in this farce."
"The Minister is well aware that it is well within the authority of the Chief Warlock to call sessions when they believe it is necessary and with what has been going on in this country over the last few days, I absolutely think it is correct for you to come to this place and explain yourself to the entire chamber." Bones replied. "Now, before I ask the Minister for his report on what his Ministry is doing to keep the magical, and indeed the Muggle population of this country safe, I call Lord Sirius Black to make a statement."
Sirius stood and slightly bowed his head.
"Thank you Madam Chief Warlock. It is with a heavy heart that I rise to speak to you this morning. Yesterday, members of the ICW delegation, who are investigating this Ministry for breaking many international laws visited Newcastle, the scene of the hideous attack on our country. Not on the Muggles as members opposite, and sadly members behind me may want us to believe but all of us who live in this great country. As one of Hogwarts Defence against the Dark Arts professors I accompanied them along with Lord Potter. Once their Lord Potter managed to dissipate the Dark Mark that blighted the sky line."
Sirius paused his speech to allow this point to sink in.
"Mere seconds later Voldemort returned to the scene of his heinous crime. He duelled with Lord Potter and they fought to a draw. It is true that Lord Potter has been severely wounded, but so to was Voldemort. My friends, Voldemort can be beaten. Lord Potter is recovering well at Hogwarts, although his Vassal will sit in his place today."
"I am sure that we all wish Lord Potter a speedy recovery." Bones said as Sirius sat down. "I would like to now call on the Minister of Magic to explain to this House what has led to the poor response of the Ministry of Magic to this latest crisis."
Fudge stood up at his dispatch box.
"As Minister for Magic of Great Britain I seriously object to this session!" He declared. "It is a waste of my time to be here today, I should be up stairs managing this crisis."
Lady Longbottom then rose to stand at her dispatch box.
"Whilst this session is indeed irregular." She began looking around the chamber, "I do agree with the Chief Warlock that answers must be given to this body. First of all, how is it that the alarm was not raised earlier?"
Fudge rose to answer the question.
"Unfortunately, due to budget constraints we are not able to have the monitoring stations manned twenty four hours a day seven days a week. However the monitoring stations do have redundancies and when magic is detected in muggle areas the monitoring equipment sends a report to the Aurors and really it would be up to the Sergeant to deploy his assets accordingly."
The session continued along this vein. Members of the Wizengamot would ask Fudge for an answer and much like his muggle counterpart the Minister would attempt to side step them or lay the blame elsewhere. Finally it was Dumbledore's turn to speak.
"It has been a long standing tradition of this place that those of us who sit on these, the minor benches to not involve ourselves in the wrangling between the Ministry benches and our Noble Lords and Ladies and as every one present will know that I myself have always been one to honour the traditions of this place, however I have come to the opinion that it may be time for a change!" Dumbledore said quietly so that everyone in the chamber had to listen intently to his words. There was a hushed whisper that rippled throughout the chamber. "We can no longer afford to sit idly by whilst Voldamort runs unchecked through our land whilst this Ministry sits on its hands. Therefore it is my intention to call for a vote of No Confidence in the Minister of Magic in the very next regular sitting of this Wizengamot!"
The benches descended into a round of boos and cheers. Fudge's face turned beet red as he left the chamber.
Severus Snape returned to Voldemort's lair with a seventh doctor. The man was not dressed like a traditional doctor. Instead of the shirt and white lab coat he wore a t-shirt and jeans and despite his young age he walked with the aid of a walking stick.
"Severus, you have been gone for several days." Voldemort snapped.
"I am sorry, My Lord." Snape bowed low, "But as the previous six doctors I have brought you from England have failed I had to go further afield. This Doctor is from the United States and he specialises in diagnosing and treating conditions other doctors have written off as a lost cause."
"Very well." Voldemort nodded. "Come forward Doctor, I am Lord Voldemort."
"And I'm Gr…" Doctor began.
"I do not care what your name is Muggle." Voldemort sneered.
"And I don't care that you don't care." the Doctor replied. "What on earth is that smell?" the Doctor asked wrinkling his nose. He moved towards Voldemort's bandaged leg, bent down and sniffed around the bandage. "Oh its you." The Doctor turned to Snape. "You, I need the equipment I told you to steal from the hospital."
"I will have it brought in immediately." Snape told him.
"Alrighty, in the meantime I need to do a detailed patient history. How old are you, Lord?"
"I am ageless." Voldemort sneered. "Age has no meaning to those who are immortal."
"Patient displayed delusions of grandeur." The Doctor muttered while making notes. "And seems confused as to his age. Now can you tell me about these rather shocking facial deformities?"
"Deformities?" Voldemort spluttered. "My face is of no concern to you muggle!"
The Doctor matched Voldemorts steely gaze then took a pill bottle from his pocket and shook out two tablets. He took them both and sighed deeply whilst he continued to take notes.
"Patient seems unconcerned by the lack of nose and brow." He then turned back to Voldemort. "And I am not a muggle, and they prefer the term 'non-magical' by the way. Actually I am a squib. I have a medical degree from the University of Michigan, and I am certified as a Healer by both Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and The New York Magical Medical Clinic."
"I see, you are indeed impressive for an abnormality that should have been drowned at birth." Voldemort mocked.
"This abnormality is the only one here trying to save your life." The Doctor snapped. "Now since this history isn't going anywhere I am going to have to examine you." He continued taking a stethoscope from his pocket and listening to Voldemort's chest. "No sign of a crackle on the lungs." He muttered then moved the stethoscope to listen to the heart beat. "Heart beats irregularly, slowly but strongly." Next he shone a small torch in Voldemort's eyes. "No pupil dilation. But then again the patient's eyes are not normal, more serpent like if I was to guess."
"Serpents are the most holy of all the creatures on the earth." Voldemort nodded.
"If you say so." The Doctor continued. "I have to take your blood pressure next. Hold out your arm." He attached a blood pressure cuff to Voldemort's arm. He repeated the test three times "BP 90/60. Are you sure you're not already dead?"
"Your impudence will find you in a world of pain Doctor." Voldemort warned.
"I live in a world of pain." The Doctor snapped back taking another pill, "The last time I saw a BP that low they were wheeling the patient to the morgue. Now I will look at your leg."
The Doctor slowly unravelled the bandage over the festering wound. "Good God!" The Doctor exclaimed. The wound had begun to fester. The flesh had turned black and the infection was clearly spreading below the knee and up the leg. The Doctor immediately put on a pair of latex gloves he had in his pocket. He took a stainless steel probe from his own kit and began to explore the ghastly open wound. Voldemort didn't even flinch.
"Does this hurt?" Doctor asked, pressing lightly on the edge of the wound.
"No." Voldemort admitted. "I have not felt anything there for at least a day."
"That is not good." The Doctor muttered as Snape returned to the room carrying an IV stand and a large leather Doctor's bag.
"I can make my diagnosis." The Doctor told them both. "Your leg is infected. That sweet smell you can detect is your leg putrefying as you're laying there. Judging by the spread of the black flesh I believe you have a hybrid condition known as Magi-Necrotising Fasciitis."
"What does that mean?" Snape asked.
"That means that this wound was caused by a very powerful curse. What curse I can not say, but the flesh is literally dying in front of us. The Necrosis is spreading quickly and will eventually make its way to the heart which is almost always fatal."
"Is there anything we can do to prevent it?"
"If the infection is in the blood already we may be able to slow it down, but that would be pointless at this stage. Before we even begin to fight the infection first we have to amputate the leg."
"What?" Voldemort shouted.
"The leg is resisting all attempts at magical treatments." Snape told the Doctor, "So if you were to be amputated then I believe you would have to do it by muggle means."
"Absolutely not!" Voldemort objected.
"I agree." The Doctor said ignoring him. "I have the necessary equipment with me for a field amputation. I'm going to need a long table that has been scrubbed clean and sanitised, then cover it in a white sheet. But before I do anything we need to flush his system with an IV of broad spectrum antibiotics. Try and hold the infection in its tracks." he limped towards the doctor's bag and took out an IV bag and a canula needle. He placed the needle into Voldemort's elbow then allowed the antibiotics to drip down from the bag into the tube.
"Listen to me carefully." The Doctor said, staring down Voldemort as he popped two more pills. "Your leg is dead. It is beyond saving. I couldn't do it with all of the doctors and surgeons in my hospital helping me out and the combined healers of St Mungo's and the Magical Medical Clinic couldn't save it. If I don't amputate your leg you will die."
Voldemort considered his predicament. On the one hand he knew that he was destined to kill Harry Potter and usher in a new era of magical subjugation of the muggles and he knew he would not die until these things where accomplished, but on the other hand he also knew that Potter would be following instructions of another necessity where Voldamort could only fall under the brats wand. This wound could well fulfil that prophecy.
"Very well do what you must, Doctor." Voldemort relented.
"I will make preparations." Snape confirmed.
After a battery of tests from Madam Pomfrey Harry was released from the hospital wing to return to the general population of the school. The stump on his arm was heavily bandaged. He set off in search of Hermione as the lunch bell had just rung. Harry followed the throng of students heading towards the great hall. As he came down the final set of stairs before coming to the entrance to the hall he ran into Malfoy.
"Looks like a true Lord has taught you a lesson ay, Lord Potter?" Malfoy sneered.
"No Heir Malfoy." Harry responded. "I taught Voldemort a lesson. I have the power to do things he can not even hope to match. I have power that you can not even comprehend. Your kind have had your day Malfoy. Your pure blood mania has run its course and I swear to you that I will make damn sure your father suffers for his part in this, and I just hope I can link you to his crimes as well, because if I do I swear to god I will make sure you share a cell in Azkaban."
Harry pushed past Malfoy and his cronies. As he passed Harry saw Malfoy begin to raise his wand.
"To Me!" Harry commanded drawing in his Will and Malfoy's wand flew to Harry. Harry snapped the wand against the wall and threw it back at Malfoys feet.
"You will pay for that Potter." Malfoy spat.
"Oh go fuck yourself Malfoy. Try that shit again and I will snap you instead." Harry replied without turning back.
Harry continued into the Great Hall and he saw Hermione sat with Neville.
"Oi Potter." Ron called. "There's no way you could have survived a curse from You - Know - Who."
"But I did Weasley."
"The only way you would survive an attack from Him is if He went easy on you. And the only way He would go easy on you is if you were on his side." Ron continued his voice raising. "YOU'VE GONE DARK POTTER!"
All conversation in the great hall ended as every single person, staff included watched intently. Every one of them wanting to know what Harry's response to going dark would be.
"What the fuck do you mean I've gone dark?" Harry demanded. He didn't need to shout. He spoke so quietly that the entire Great Hall was straining their ears to listen in. "You have no idea what I have gone through. All of the beatings off my family. All the nights I've spent in the hospital wing. Every time the bloody press has turned on me. The Philosopher's Stone. Saving Ginny from the Basilisk, facing off the Dementors. The Tournament. The Graveyard. The ritual. I have put my life on the line time and time and fucking time again and because of this…" Harry held the stump under Ron's nose, "Because I got outta the way of a backfired curse I'm dark. After everything I've done you say I'm dark? Fuck you, you fucking ginger twat!" Harry reached back and smacked the stump into his former best friend's head. Harry grabbed his stump and swore in pain. "FUCKING HELL!"
"Mister Potter!" McGonagall yelled from the staff table. "Rarely have I ever seen such a stupid display of pugilism. For goodness sake you still have a hand you could slap Weasley with. 5 points from Gryffindor. And You Mister Weasley, you will receive detention for such an unsubstantiated accusation." Harry nodded his understanding and moved towards Hermione.
"I have had another visitation." Harry told her. "According to Merlin you have catalogued a book from the Tor that will help me with a new hand."
"I don't remember all of the books, but I will check my list when I get back to the suite." Hermione told him. "Your stump is bleeding by the way." She told him.
"Fuck sake." Harry muttered and held his hand over the stump. "Heal," he told it. The bleeding stopped and the blood seeped away.
"Wow. that's quite some magic." Neville whistled.
"Sorry Nev, it's not something I can teach you. It's sort of part of the whole destiny thing." Harry said. He quickly ate his lunch and moved to the staff table looking for the Headmaster, but instead McGonagall was sat in Dumbledore's seat.
"Professor." Harry began. "First of all I would like to apologise for my earlier outburst. Mister Weasley has been spoiling for a fight all term. I shouldn't have risen to his bate."
"Quite alright Potter." McGonagall told him. "It does appear as though Weasley provoked you. What can I do for you?"
"I would like to see the Headmaster." Harry told her. "It's on order business."
"I'm afraid the Headmaster is abroad for ICW business. However, I will pass along the message."
"Thanks Professor. It's time we start working on two fronts. Voldemort is a blight that's for sure but the bigotry in our world is a goddamn cancer."
"Hear, hear Mister Potter." Professor Flitwick said from further down the table. "Five points to Gryffindor."
Harry returned to his seat and spoke softly to her Hermione. For her part Professor McGonagall couldn't help but smile as the young couple enjoyed each other's company.
Authers notes:
This is a repost of this chapter as I have a new Beta. Poly. So thanks Poly for makeing my rambeling make sence.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have just started a new job this week so updates may be a bit slower while i get used to my knew way of working but i am still writeing.
Thanks for every one who has liked and faverited this chapter, this story and me. I do appreciate it.
Jkarr. Thanks for the review
Ora1168: Gracias por tu reseña amigo. Me alegro que estés disfrutando la historia. por favor sigue leyendo.
N. A. Wennerholm: Thank you for your review. Yes, Her Majesty did apparently have a bit of a temper back in the day. But I do know that she was always respectful of peoples democratic right. She was rather a sticler for the Constitution.
Ilena Petrova: It is true Poppy did regrow the bones in Harrys arm. But Moody lost a leg. if Skelitalgrow could accomplish regrowing a leg why did Moodys leg not come back? Also, and lets be real hear, this is a story. I need Harry to lose his hand, its a plot device.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please drop me a review.
CJ