Chapter 40
AN: Thank you so much for your support. I really hope you like this chapter. Please let me know what you think.
Three days have passed since Madam Pomfrey and healer Shafiq performed rituals to allow Magic to keep Mie alive while her body rests and ever since then Albus, and by extension Gellert who refuses to leave Albus, haven't left her side. While Aberforth and Regulus have also been spending most of their time in the Hospital wing Regulus has needed to go to class, having been convinced to do so by Sirius, and as it has become clear that Aberforth and Gellert should not spend an extended amount of times together Aberforth has been spending some time away, at the others who know the truths suggestion, to prevent a fight between them as they all know that that is the last thing Albus needs.
It's after lunch on a Tuesday and while the students who know everything about Mie, who have been visiting as much as they can, are at class Albus, Gellert, Aberforth and Minerva who is supervising Gellert and Aberforth to try and prevent a fight, are the only ones sitting around Mie's bed.
As they sit around Mie Albus is holding his daughter's hand, carefully watching her for any sign that something has changed. While Albus is holding Mie's hand with one of his Gellert is holding his others hand, doing everything he can to offer Albus silent comfort. On the other side of Mie's bed Aberforth is holding Mie's other hand while Minerva is sitting next to him, looking between Aberforth and Gellert, hoping that the two of them care enough about Albus not to give into the hate they feel towards each other. Though the tension is clear to Minerva, Gellert, and Aberforth Albus seems oblivious to it due to how much he is worried about Mie.
As the four people who care about each other, and care about Mie watch her magic breathe for her everything is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Due to how silent it is everyone hears the second they hear what sound like gagging coming from Mie.
"Annemie," Albus says, moving closer to her as quickly as possible, sounding terrified.
"I'll get Poppy," Minerva says, getting up and racing to get her, having no idea what is going on.
"Annemie, it's okay, you're okay," Albus says to Mie, having no idea what else to say to her and feeling worried about what is going on, and seconds later, as Mie continues to gag, Poppy and Minerva run towards Mie's bed, which has a privacy curtains around it to keep Mie and the people who are sitting with her away from prying eyes. "Poppy what is going on? Why is she gaging?" Albus asks worried.
"She's fighting the magic," Poppy explains. "She able to breathe on her own," Poppy explains and Albus feels incredible relief at that as that is exactly what he has been waiting for.
Over the next few minutes Albus, Gellert, Aberforth and Minerva watch as Poppy reverses the magic that is breathing for Mie.
"She's breathing on her own," Poppy tells Albus, Aberforth, Gellert and Minerva.
"When will she wake up?" Albus asks, needing to know.
"I can't say," Poppy answers. "Mie is breathing on her own, which is good, but her nervous system has still gone through a lot of stress, it may still be a while before she wakes up," Poppy explains.
"But she will wake up, won't she?" Aberforth asks, feeling worried about the answer, but needing to know.
"There is nothing that indicates that she won't, but I cannot say when she will," Poppy says, giving them all a lot to think about, as she knows that it may be a while before she wakes up.
Having no idea how terrified her family is for her, though if she thinks she would realise, Mie is with Harry in her version of what's between life and death. For Mie it feels like she hasn't been with Harry long even though a lot more time has passed in the real world.
"What are you thinking about?" Harry asks Mie curious as she has been silent for a little while as she clearly thinks about something.
"Dad," Mie answers. "He's always said that death is just the next great adventure, that it's nothing to fear," Mie reminds Harry.
"That's true, but Mie you've still got plenty more adventures in the world of the living," Harry tells her. ,
"Why are you trying to get me to go back? You're moving on," Mie says to her friend, there being an edge to her voice.
"Because I lived one hundred and seventy years. I died of old age; my death was completely natural; I was at peace. I had an amazing life, it was my time, it's not yours," Harry tells her. "You can choose to move on with me, to see our Remus, and our friends who we've lost, but I think that would be a mistake," Harry tells Mie. "You are eighteen years old, you have so much life in front of you if you'd just decide to go back to it, if you'd just decide to live," Harry tells Mie making it clear that he wants so much for her than dying at eighteen.
A day has passed since the spells forcing Mie to keep breathing were removed and ever since she has been breathing on her own, but she has shown no sign of waking up.
"Albus, she will be okay, you haven't left the hospital wing in four days," Poppy tells Albus, as she thinks it would be good for him to leave and so she is trying to convince Albus to leave while Aberforth, Gellert, Minerva, Amelia, Alice, and Lily watch on.
"I appreciate your concern," Albus tells his friend. "But I am not leaving until Annemie is awake," Albus explains.
"That could still be a while, there is nothing you can do right now," Poppy tells Albus. "Go have a shower, have something to eat, maybe even a rest," Poppy suggests, knowing that there is also work that Albus needs to do but she also knows that Minerva is handing that to the best of her ability.
"I'm not leaving Annemie," Albus states, and Poppy looks between Aberforth and Gellert for help as she really believes that it would be good for Albus to get out of the hospital wing for a little while.
"What do you think Mie would see if she woke up and saw you like this?" Aberforth asks his brother. "She'd feel guilty and blame herself, do you want that?" Aberforth asks, feeling that if he were to guilt his brother it may be the best option.
"Your brother is right," Gellert tells Albus even though he has never agreed with Aberforth before. "You don't have to leave for long, but you cannot look after Annemie if you don't look over yourself," Gellert says and the fact that Aberforth and Gellert are agreeing is more convincing than anything either of them said.
"Fifteen minutes," Albus says. "I'll go for fifteen minutes," Albus explains, looking at Aberforth.
"I'll go with you," Gellert offers and Albus nods.
After agreeing to leave Albus moves closer to Mie, whispers something to Mie and kisses her head.
"The second anything changes send a Patronus," Albus tells Aberforth.
"Of course," Aberforth responds and once he does Albus and Gellert leave, it being clear that Albus would much rather stay with Mie, but Gellert is slowly leads him out.
"The other seventh years want to visit, they all care about Mie," Amelia says once Albus and Gellert leaves. "I think now might be the best time," Amelia admits, as it would avoid people asking the awkward questions about Gellert.
"It is," Aberforth says. "Go get them, but be quick," Aberforth says and as soon as he does Alice, Lily and Amelia hurry out of the room so that they can go get their friends.
For three days Mie has been able to breathe on her own, but she has no signs of waking up. While Albus did leave to have a shower, and to go back to his quarters he returned after fifteen minutes, just as the seventh years who do not know the truth about where Mie came from where leaving.
Ever since Albus and Gellert returned to the hospital wing it has become clear that Albus is not going to leave Mie's side, no matter who tries to convince him. As it is clear that Albus isn't going to leave Gellert has walked over to a table where Poppy has arranged for the elves to send up food, knowing that Albus needs to eat Gellert is putting a plate together when Aberforth walks over to him.
"What are you up to?" Aberforth asks with a grow.
"Putting a plate of food together for Albus," Gellert responds in a pleasant voice.
"Don't get smart, Grindelwald," Aberforth says, his hand going around his wand handle in his pocket.
"I just am smart, I'm not surprised you struggle to understand that," Gellert responds, as he continues to put Albus's favourite foods on the table.
"It's done, whatever you're playing at, whatever you're planning, it's done, you're going back to jail," Aberforth says, knowing he will drag Gellert back to jail if he has to.
"Albus got me here, he wants me here, I'm not going anywhere," Gellert says, and he tries to step around Aberforth who reaches out and grabs his arm. "Do you really want to do this, here? Now?" Gellert asks. "Do you really care about your brother that little?" Gellert asks, clearly challenging Aberforth.
While Aberforth disagrees with Gellert on every fundamental level he knows that Gellert is right about this, and that it wouldn't be fair to Albus and so he lets go of Gellert's arm.
"This isn't over," Aberforth warns Gellert.
"Never thought it was," Gellert responds, walking away from Aberforth and over to Albus, who seems oblivious about what just happened, due to his worry of Mie. Once Gellert is once again next to Albus he sits down and starts to encourage his love to try to eat.
In the four days since Mie's been breathing on her own but unconscious and the three days before that where magic was breathing for her, her friends have been worrying about her, but they have also been dealing with their feelings about Peter's death. While they all feel a lot of anger, and betrayal, over what he did they also feel pain, and loss, and grief as even with everything that has happened, everything he does, and everything that those who know about the other timeline know he did there, he was still their friend.
Even though they considered waiting until Mie woke up the seventh years have realised that they don't know when that would be and so they have come to the decision to have a memorial of their own. It is after midnight and James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, Alice, Amelia, Emmaline, Dorcus, Marlene, Mary, Edgar, Alora, Isaac, Kathleen, Frank and Severus have made their way out to the lake, something they have been able to do even without the increased security.
Once the teens are at their meeting spot, they form a circle and together Sirius, Remus and James work together to create a fire. After the fire is burning the teens watch it for a while, as they watch the fire the other teens realises that James, Sirius, and Remus aren't going to start so one of them have to so Lily nods, deciding that it will be her.
"In our third year Peter was really struggling with charms," Lily says. "After seeing him in in the library for a week straight I asked what I could do to help him," Lily explains. "He said that there were these muggle cheese biscuits he loved, and he really believed they would help him study," Lily says, her voice sounding amused. "I wrote to my parents, got them; he was so thankful," Lily says, before pulling a packet of the biscuits she was talking about and gently throwing them into the fire. "May you find peace, and comfort wherever you are," Lily says, putting her arm around James.
Over the next ten minutes each of the seventh years tell a story of Peter and throw an item that has significance into the fire until finally it is just Sirius, Remus and James left to speak. Looking between his boyfriend and best friend Remus realises that neither of them are going to speak and so he decides it's his time.
"In froth year I had a really bad cold," Remus says, stepping forward. "I spend so much time in the Hospital Wing that I really didn't want to go," Remus admits. "I was shivering, so Peter gave me his sweater, stayed with me through the worse of it, even skipped class to do it," Remus says, before throwing the sweater into the fire. "I will miss you, you deserved a chance to make different choices," Remus says, before walking back over to Sirius, who's hand he squeezes.
"Guess it's my turn," Sirius says, taking a step forward. "When Remus wasn't talking to me…. Well, you all know what I was doing, Peter found me one night, I had just done… more than a few things I'm not proud of," Sirius says, showing the others an empty fire whiskey bottle. "I was drinking out of this bottle, he stole it off me, poured it out over me, told me that I had to pull my head out of my ask and make it up to Moony," Sirius explains. "I had never seen him like that," Sirius admits, looking down at the empty bottle before throwing it into the fire. "You weren't alone, you should have believed that," Sirius says before walking back over to Remus's who's hand he takes.
As Sirius once again takes his position in the circle everyone turns to James, as it is his turn. After kissing Lily's cheek, taking comfort from the woman he loves James steps up to the fire.
"I wanted to save him," James says. "Damn it Peter, you should have trusted us, you shouldn't have been so stupid," James says angrily.
"Prongs…" Sirius starts to say in a gentle voice.
"This was our first picture together," James says, showing the group a picture of him, Sirius, Remus and Peter from first year. "You took it Marlene," James says to her.
"I remember," Marlene confirms.
"Peter didn't even realise we wanted him to be included in first, we dragged him in and before we were even ready you took the picture, said it was the best way to portray who we are," James says.
"I stand by that," Marlene admits.
"Thank you for the memories. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the faith," James says before throwing the picture into the fire. "Thank you for being my friend," James says, his voice breaking as tears roll down his face as even with everything that has happened, he still feels like that.
After James speaks, he steps back into the circle and Lily once again puts her arm around him. Once James retakes his spot the group of seventh years watch the fire burns, grieving their lost friend.
Five days have passed since Mie was able to breath one her own again and Albus continues to sit by her side, refusing to leave. Far away from Hogwarts Voldemort, who is still furious that Albus managed to get the better of him, and get Mie back. It is late afternoon and Voldemort is in 'office' when there is a knock on the door.
"Enter," Voldemort says and a Death Eater who is not in the inner circle but who is incredibly valuable in this moment walks in.
"You wanted to see me my Lord?" The Death Eater asks, and while Voldemort can tell that he is a little nervous he ignores that fact.
"Yes," Voldemort responds. "You grew up in Austria, is that correct?" Voldemort asks.
"Yes, My Lord," the Death Eater responds and while there is a brief look of confusion on his face Voldemort ignores that.
"Good, I want to know everything you know about Gellert Grindelwald," Voldemort says as he knows that is the only way he is going to find out why Grindelwald came to rescue Annemie Dumbledore when her father was the person who imprisoned him.
"Yes, My Lord," The Death Eater responds, and he proceeds to explain everything he knows.
Six days have passed since Mie was able to breathe on her own and ever since she has shown no signs of waking anytime soon. While Albus is up in the Hospital wing with Mie, talking to her in hopes that it will help Sirius has gone in search of his office as non-one has seen him in a while.
After not seeing his brother on the map Sirius realises exactly where he is and he finds himself surprised when he is able to get into the Room of Requirements, by just focusing on his brother and how he desires the room where his brother is.
"Reg?" Sirius says, walking into the room, Sirius sees his brother sitting on the couch and it takes him a few seconds to realise that he is crying. "Oh Reg," Sirius says, walking over to his brother and sitting down next to him.
"She can't die, Sear, she can't," Regulus says, his voice breaking as he cries.
"I know, I know," Sirius says, putting his arm around his brother and holding him closely.
"I think I'm in love with her," Regulus tells Sirius.
"I know you are, and you're going to get to tell her," Sirius tells his brother and the two of them drift into silence as they sit together, Sirius holding his brother as he cries, feeling terrified that he is going to lose the woman he loves.
For ten days Mie's family in the real word have been waiting for her two wake up while Mie has been with Harry in the place between life and death. For Mie it feels like a lot less time has passed, and while she would like to stay where she is she can't.
"It's time," Harry tells Mie.
"Time? What do you mean?" Mie asks confused.
"Time passes differently here, it seems like we haven't been talking long, right?" Harry asks, and Mie nods. "It's not the same back on earth," Harry confirms.
"How long?" Mie asks, wondering if it is a question that she wants the answer to.
"Ten days, and the first three magic spells were keeping you alive," Harry explains. "But you're getting stronger, if you try you might even be able to hear what is going on around you," Harry admits, and feeling curious Mie closes her eyes and focuses.
"Albus, maybe you should try taking a walk," A voice that Mie recognizes to be Grindelwald's say.
"I can't… I need to be here when she wakes up," Albus's voice responds, and Mie can hear the pain. "I don't want her to think she's alone," Albus responds.
"Oh Liebling, Annemie knows how much you love her, she knows she's not alone," Gellert tells Albus.
Not needing to hear anymore Mie opens her eyes so that she is once again looking at Harry in their version of the space between life and death.
"What did you hear?" Harry asks curious.
"Dad, he was talking with… Grindelwald, I don't know how I feel about that," Mie admits.
"That's okay, I'm not sure you're supposed to have an opinion about that yet," Harry responds. "You're getting stronger Mie, you've got to make a decision," Harry tells her. "I know all the reasons why you're scared of going back, and you know all the reasons why I want you to, but ultimately it is your choice," Harry admits. "Me, Remus, everyone from my timeline who love you are waiting, but the thing is we can keep waiting, the people who love you in your timeline can't," Harry admits. "This won't be goodbye forever, I'll always be with you, and if you decide to go back to your life we'll see each other again, I promise you that," Harry assures her.
"How does this work? What do I have to do?" Mie asks.
"If you decided to move on, we'll walk hand in hand through the door behind the head table, and if you decide to go back you walk back through the entrance hall, and please do your best to make sure you're not back here any time soon," Harry requests.
"I love you so much," Mie says, tears coming to her eyes as in her heart she knows what she has to do.
"I love you too," Harry says, reaching out and squeezing Mie's hand. "What's it going to be?" Harry asks.