Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. Your diverse permutations of the world-wide `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most appreciate. I feel kind of bad for jumping a pull like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. unspoiled to know the absolute majority of mass appreciated it.



"Harry ?"Padma said quietly, standing at the end of the hospital bed. Harry seemed to be sleeping, his thorax rising and falling weakly. His eye were red, like he'd been crying. Perhaps the infliction was worse than he let on. She felt bad for needing to heat him."Harry wake up."She reached out and tapped his leg. He jerked fitfully, but his oculus flickered open. He didn't speak though, didn't acknowledge her. He just stared off into blank. What had Dumbledore said to him ?

"Harry I ‘ ve been talking to the healer. They ‘ ve run some more tests."She licked her backtalk."looking at, it looks like a few month was actually optimistic. There ‘ s price deep down, lots of damage. You need to let them help you now or ... or you ‘ ll die. In a few weeks."

Harry said nothing, he didn't even seem to have heard her.

"You won ‘ t be able to agitate Voldemort."Padma tried a different sheet."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have calendar week like you ‘ ve been going all year. You ‘ ll have week in this hospital bed, not capable to move, eventually you won ‘ t even be able to talk. You won ‘ t be capable to kill Voldemort. You won ‘ t be able to be the elect one."

Harry flinched, pain running across his tired face.

"You see Harry, you ‘ ve got to let them help you."Padma stepped up to put her paw on Harry's."Please ?"

"You do what you have to do."Harry pulled his hired hand away. He still hadn't looked at her.

"You ‘ ll let them facilitate you ?"Padma tried not to be put off."You ‘ ll take off the vicious eye and let them work on you ?"

"Yes, why not."Harry rolled over so he was facing away from her. His respiration stuttered, he sounded like he was holding back teardrop. Padma backed away, she had got what she came for. The healers would fix Harry's eubstance. What had happened to his mind ? That might take a picayune longer.

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the therapist entered his elbow room. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty-bellied give-and-take. They cleaned him up, washing his arms and chest. They asked him to remove the armguard. He did, letting it return to the storey with a gimcrack clatter. The therapist shied away from the mark on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

They did something that was supposed to dull him. He couldn't tell the difference of opinion. Everything was dulled already. He watched, unable and unwilling to deal, as they cut his skin capable. His parentage seeped out, quickly staunched by a healer. He wished they wouldn't bother.

A cold gel was swabbed onto his ruined hand. Ruined for what ? For the sake of what ? All useless. He wished they wouldn't bother.
*


genus Draco slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and appease awake. It had been burnt in the battle, but it was fine now. Just enough rest inflammation and pain to help oneself him rest alert. He swung his fatigue eyes around the waiting room, all of the marauder were here. Most of them had finally succumbed to sleep, Draco didn't blame them. It was hard to ideate that the deathly midnight Assault on the animal ship had been just last-place Nox. They had been worn out, worn down. Dragon pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find some tea. The tea shop class was closed but surely the therapist had a faculty room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just fall asleep.

Draco shook his head. Some of them had to be awake when the healer finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for hours. How many ... add-on .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the room again. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Even Ginny, who seemed to have nodded off in the act of pinching herself. They had all been there all night, no one had collected them. He supposed it was only a matter of time before a teacher or an parliamentary law member came to wrangle them up and drag them back to Hogwarts, where they would no incertitude stay. Chained to posts like dogs so they couldn't run off again.

Draco got wearily to his feet, maybe he could walk some of his tiredness off. He stepped carefully around the prone marauders and stepped up to the room access to the Aaron Montgomery Ward. Harry's bed was obscured by curtains but the shadow of the healers were still moving against the surface. As he watched one of them detached and stepped towards the door. Dragon stepped away to let him out, hope and apprehensiveness rising in his stomach.

"Is there any news ?"Draco asked.

"Yes, there is."The healer looked around the way."Is his house here ?"

"Yes."Draco said definitely, looking over the marauders."Wait a moment ... HEY !"The piranha jerked to biography, hands flying to wands before they realized where they were. Draco turned back to the therapist."They ‘ re up. What is the news ?"

"well we ... we removed several detail from the torso of your friend."The poor healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the wall of his stomach. We think it may have been designed to contravene toxicant but it seems to hold had the polar effect. It was the informant of his illness. We also found-"

"What about his eye ?"Draco broke in."Have you fixed his eye ?"

"His ... his eye."The healer paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a smashing good deal of scarring. Unfortunately we were unable to restore it. We are currently looking into whether the installation he has is high gear lineament enough to leave there."

"initiation ..."Draco stared at the man coldly."You ‘ re talking about his eye."

"Yes, I know."The healer shook his head and turned back towards the door."We ‘ ll try to keep you informed."He pushed back through the door and hurried back towards the curtained bed.

Draco looked back over the marauders. Through their sand-filled, droopy eyes he could see their sorrow. Harry had fought so hard and got nothing in return but charge of murder and a permanent wave disfigurement. And a drab score, they could not block that.

"Harry might say it was worth it."Padma said softly."For driving Voldemort to ground."

"Of course of study he ‘ d say that. Doesn ‘ t make it true."Ron pulled his genu up to his pectus."I mean you heard him in there. He ‘ d think death was worth it."

"Is he wrong ?"Dragon muttered darkly. Perhaps they didn't hear him. Perhaps it was just as well. They were all startled as another door was pushed open, revealing prof McGonagall. She didn't need to say anything, they knew why she was there. They were going back. And they might never leave.
*


"Are you sure ?"Natalie asked ? Her voice admirably free of shaking."You could get a pick-me-up like Harry ‘ s. Or perhaps there are less encroaching means of removal."

"There are not, it was not made to be removed."Snape tightened the shoulder strap around his arm."And I would prefer to not be dependent on an point of illegal jewellery. Just please do it, it is already beginning to burn."

Thankfully she did not argue, but instead bent down and touched her wand to the skin on Snape's arm. The slicing pain was distant, dulled by potions. There were bottles by his arm, some empty, some waiting to grow the hide back after the chump was gone. He was in his apartment at Hogwarts, the entirely place he could hold gained those potions without questions was from his own supplies. The searing began and Snape looked away, watching his own arm butchered was not what disturbed him, not after everything he'd seen. But it reminded him of what Harry was going through. Of the night lord as well. What would he do next ? What would his future move be ...

"He may go into hiding."Natalie answered his unanswered doubtfulness, still purport on his arm."Like he did fifteen years ago."

"He will not."Snape shook his nous."He was forced to obliterate then, he had no power. Now he does, it is lessened certainly, but he still has some."

"Bellatrix, Rookwood and Forneus."She traced easily around the boundary of the skull."That is who he has left. What would he do with them ?"

"It will be wolf, I am sure of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the fiddling flap of peel up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was devoid. Strange that he should finger so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly free until Voldemort was idle. Perhaps because he knew that, without the ability to spy, he was future to useless.

"Don ‘ t think that."Natalie's eyes flickered up to his as she daubed his arm with a potion soaked bandage.

"But I am."Snape shook his head."Perhaps not useless but ... if I had not acted on instinct we would now eff exactly what Voldemort was planning. We would be able-bodied to counter him instead of stumbling around in the darkness."

"You had to."Was all she said.

"Perhaps."Snape let his head drop back, perhaps.

"You know them sound than anyone."Natalie continued."You can run out what he will do next."

"I have been trying."Snape replied tetchily."But I can not think of anything he would wish to do that he has the workforce to accomplish. Unless he has some architectural plan I am unaware of. Which he almost certainly has. I always got the sense that he had something brewing."

"The ministry ? The department of mysteries ? The vaticination ?"

"He covets that no doubt. But I can see no way he could obtain it with three expiry eaters."

"Four."Natalie corrected."Barty Crouch is still out there somewhere."

"And if he is not drained then he is doing Merlin knows what."Snape shook his head."It could be anything."

"Severus,"Natalie took his expression in her workforce and tilted it up to suffer her eyes."Not so low now. We won today. It may not sense like it, but we won a victory. Victories have been few and far between this past twelvemonth, we need to treasure them, not care about what will happen next."Snape was once again amazed by the way she could break through to him, whatever his mood. He smiled,

"I believe I have some wine."
*


The boy who carried the name Harry felt himself enter the intimate ambition. He felt floorboards under his back, scratchy through the slender hospital robe. He knew where he would be when he opened his center. And finally, he even knew why.

He pushed himself off the level, leaning his tired frame against the wall. The rampart painted with bears and snitches over a pale blue sky full of downlike cloud. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't conscription the energy. He ignored the pony in the pith of the way, it's glistening nomadic spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the door open and descended the stairs. The repulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely convey himself to care. He knew what this spot was now.

No one-year-old remembers their theater. No one-year-old could think of every photo, or the normal on the wallpaper. This place was a lie, a bloodsucking memory that had been burnt into his judgment. The creeping sickness in his peel was his creative thinker's way of telling him that it wasn't rattling, that it didn't belong.

He stepped up to the front door and stepped outside. There were street signs in the retention. No one-year-old would commemorate street signs, they couldn't even read them. He should have known, should make realized somehow.

He couldn't palpate the plantation nearby. God knows what that represented. Some metaphor for refuge his judgment was projecting out maybe. Who knew. The river ? Some other part of his mind ... it didn't matter. Harry let himself fall to the basis on the weed, it was all pointless. It wasn't Charles Frederick Worth fighting this anymore, it was burnt onto the dorsum of his scull. He could never escape.

His optic flickered exposed in the hospital ward. He could finger the sore new growth in his hand. It was pink, new skin, and smaller than the former. Harry dropped it back onto the cover. former share of his eubstance hurt too, little scrape and wound. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

The pipe dream was still swirling in his head, biting at him. It was too severe. He saw his things piled neatly against the wall, even his apparel. Suddenly he knew he had to leave. This place ... he just had to go out. He quietly pushed out of bed, ignoring the creaking in every muscle and drew his bag over. He dressed quickly and disillusioned himself before slipping out the door.

The marauders were sleeping there, lying across benches or curled up on the floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to verbalize to anyone right now. Couldn't lecture, he had no theme how he would even set off. He hurried away and down the steps. He didn't halt until he was out of the building and a few streets away. A small street, not fussy. Breathing hard he shoved his scepter out into the street. He found that he could barely keep his arm up for the few bit it took for the knight bus to blur out of nowhere and skreak to a stop in front of him.

"Ere are you Harry Potter ?"The pimpled conductor squinted at him, his voice replete of amazement.

"No."The word was hollow in his chest.

"Right, right, incognito."The man tapped his nose."I never believed any of that hooey about ya. Hero that ‘ s what I say."

"Right."fighter ... that cut to the core like a knife."Take me to Godrics Hollow."He had no idea where the idea had come from, but as soon as he said it he knew he needed to go. It was as strong a need to go to it as there had been to go away in the dream.

"Godrics Hollow ?"The pimply guy swallowed."Right, I see."

The bus moved off and the nameless boy sagged down in a electric chair. Why was he doing this ? Did he even have a reason ? He didn't seem to make reason's anymore. He remembered being fully of fire and pauperism, burning passion for the scrap. But now he just felt empty, like he'd been scooped out. He didn't want anything anymore. Except perhaps to die. Why was he going to Godrics holler ? Why not. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go.

The bus screeched to a halt and he got out without speaking. The bus disappeared with a whoosh, a purple blur in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any other village. It was empty this time of day, like a ghost town. Suited his modality perfectly. He looked forward, an abandoned ship house, burnt and with the top storey blown off.

But he knew what had stood there. He had seen it in his aspiration. This was where it had happened. It just hadn't happened to him.

He stepped send on his hired man stretched out, then shied away. This house was just more than Trygve Lie. The feelings in his head, sorrow, loss, fear. They weren't his, they weren't his red ink. Only strangers had died here, two strangers. masses who had nothing to do with him. The grief was another whoremaster, just another story of lie.

He spun away and stalked down the street, not looking back. He had never lived there, it meant goose egg to him. Or should signify nothing. His feet brought him to the lame and he lent tiredly on the war remembrance. He should never throw come here, it was not what he needed. He raked his helping hand through his hair.

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the endocarp, hissing out rage through his teeth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his real retentiveness were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Deliverer's interest ! His unanimous trunk was a mask !

The stone shifted under his fingerbreadth. He looked up just as the remembrance seemed to melt, morphing into, a statue underneath. Harry stumbled back. No ... no no no. Under the memorial there were two form, a man and a woman. The womanhood cradled something in her hands. The man ... the man looked just like him.

No he doesn't. I don't even look like me. The boy trembled with rage as he looked on the happy Potter family. The testament in stone to the life he had never really had. His fingers went to his wand.

"Reducto !"The wand flickered out, even through the fad the spell flew true. It struck the head of the Father of the Church statue, shattering it into sliver. Some of them cut the boy's flesh. He didn't care.

"Reducto ! !"Lilly potter's head snapped off and crunched onto the tarmac. Rolling to a layover in a storm drain.

"Reducto ! !"The last shot was the strong, striking out in a blinding bolt of brightness, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the piddling boy-who-lived to smithereens. Flames flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the finished stumps of heads and died to nothing.

The unnamed boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a marathon. His wearing apparel wet with sweat. He dropped his wand back into his pocket and turned his back on the statue, his breath still coming in furious bursts. He couldn't think, couldn't breathing space. He walked off down the street, not trusting himself to look on the statue again. It made it all too real.

His eyes found a necropolis. Both heart, material and witching. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his vision, the x-ray view of the humankind. Now it was just a constant reminder. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the graveyard gate open and let the eye roam, in a moment it had angled in on the ceramist grave accent. He walked hesitantly to it, his wand safely away in his pocket. He pushed a piece of ivy off the Isidor Feinstein Stone and record the inscription.
The utmost foe that shall be destroyed is death


Well that was bollocks. Being drained meant you had at least one other foeman left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two casket, side to side in the undercoat, stared back at him. But ... there was a shadow. Like a vacant country. He drew his baton and muttered a revealing tour. Faint puff of air of illusion drew out of the solid ground to meet him. He waved his wand again, cutting the misty street child away. He worked ... he didn't have it off how foresighted. Probably minutes, maybe hours. At some peak the gray sky gave way to rain down and the graveyard grass turned knavish. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the enchantment. It was good. It was a puzzle, breaking the illusion. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. nothing dissimilar showed on the surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his heart hammering in his chest. There was a third coffin on top of the early two, arranged like a Pyramid. Inside ... interior was a pocket-size body, a child. It's tiny arms crossed over it's chest.

The nameless boy fell to his knees. There it was, the final proof. The final examination incontrovertible check. That poor wasted body in there was Harry ceramicist. He could even see a tiny scratch on the ivory of his scull, above his eye, in the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe of a lightning bolt. The real scar had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely more than makeup. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a tool. A god-damn doll.

He raised his scepter to the stone, but said nothing. The anger in him was gone. He had seen the bodies of the rattling Potters, lying together. It was heavily to feel anger, but he wished he did. The anger at to the lowest degree filled him up, filled the vacancy with flames. But now the fire was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his wand against the rough, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, thoughts skittering over the dead middle of his psyche. It was a scepter gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be part of. This wand was his killing wand. He had done horrible thing for the interest of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the wood. He had pickled his soul in blood and what had it got him ? He added his former arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a loud crack, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into thread. A little red fluff was visible through the break. It had had a phoenix feather kernel, he never knew.

"fountainhead that makes thinks easier."

The voice had come from behind him. He turned slowly but his magic eye had already whizzed around to find the trespasser. The black robes told him everything he needed to know. Harry knew he should feel panic, or dread, fear perhaps, at to the lowest degree surprise. But he was damned if he felt anything.

"You would be Rookwood."His voice sounded dead in his ears.

"Yes I am August Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his verge in his hand."Thank Merlin I still have a watch on the nonaged magic sensor. You ‘ ve come a long way just to slip now. A recollective foresighted way ..."

"Felt like further."The vacuous boy dropped the remains of his wand onto the thrower grave. Perhaps some motley fool wizard would find it and defecate up some narration about it. He turned back to the death feeder and asked,"Are you going to shoot down me ?"He was surprised that his voice did not sound eager.

"Eventually Mr ceramist, no doubt."Rookwood held out his wand."But first you ‘ re going to plug something for me."

"What ?"

"The wickedness lord ‘ s undying favor."Rookwood tilted his forefront up arrogantly."I will be raised above the others, above even that bastard Crouch."Rookwood paused, obviously expecting the tire figure before him to say something. `` Well ? Nothing to add ? No witticisms ? ``

"No."The boy who had been Harry stepped forward."Do whatever you like to me. I don ‘ t guardianship anymore."

"Is this some kind of trick ?"Rookwood raised his wand threateningly."You are alone here I know that ... well, to be sure. Stubefy !"

He closed his centre before the spell hit. The darkness was welcome.
*


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing light burned through his eyelids as he groaned. The noise went on and on, companion ... very familiar. His memory twinged, his real ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His center flickered give just as the tube train flashed out of sight, leaving the tunnel in darkness. He felt the electric cord binding his hands together, his finger's breadth danced along them trying to find a knot. There was none. They were tight though, biting into his skin, magical no doubt. He didn't have to palpate to know that his stage were similarly bound. He didn't bother to try to stand.

"You are indeed Mr Potter."Rookwood stood over him, his wand outstretched."The British capital Underground."

The unidentified boy twisted and looked around him, one of the wall was been broken through and a shadow, vulgar burrow stretched away. Now that the gearing was gone he could hear something in the darkness all around, a scratching slinking sound.

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

"Oh, so you noticed."Rookwood held up his wand and lit it, smiling. The darkness rolled back, but not far. A gray rampart stopped the light, a writhing mass of fabric and rot.

"What ... what are they ?"He looked on the nighttime hooded figures. As he watched one of them turned its shrouded straits towards him. It let out a demise rattle.

"Those are Dementors."Rookwood smiled."Had you forgotten that they too served the dark master ? Slipped your mind ?"

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling mass. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some kind of chilliness, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were close to them ? He shook his head, they couldn't refer him, a person could only sense so much despair and he was already at his limit. And as for making him relive his worst store ? Ha ! His gloomy moment was still new in his mind.

"The dementors like it down here."Rookwood continued."They ‘ ve been breeding down here like tent flap. There are hundred of them."

"Dementors don ‘ t dig."Harry glanced back at the tunnel."What else do you have down there ? I thought I killed everyone you had."

"You did."Rookwood sneered."But that doesn ‘ t affair. In fact, none of that affair. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his scepter, making a silencing magic spell. A minute flick levitated him off the level. Rookwood reached into his pocket and pulled out a long silvery distance of cloth, easily recognizable. An invisibility cloak. He just flow there in the air as the cloak was thrown over him. He really couldn't have done anything else. Rookwood turned and walked up the tunnel, his black shoes slipping on the wet dirt.

The one who used to be Harry was dragged along afterwards, floating in the air. He couldn't move ... speak ... he was a spook. Right now his position fit him like a glove. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scratching, digging phone. The dementors followed after, filling the tunnel with cold. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the bend figures came into view. One night cloaked figure standing tall, the eternal sleep ragged and deplumate and scrabbling at the grunge mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their wearing apparel that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or living dead. Who could tell the departure ? The figure in front of them turned as Rookwood approached. Dark long fuzz spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are lately Augustus."The female death eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a steel toed boot with the force of a falling teenager behind it did more wrong than expected. The remaining side of her nerve was crushed in, a plenty of cicatrice and bulging skin. When she spoke she slurred, only the rectify side of her back talk moving. Her eye was a raw socket, zero left.

She had lost her eye. How wonderful. How very poignant. Under the cloak the unseeable prisoner felt his emptiness filled with a tiny Dame Muriel Spark of satisfaction.

"hullo Bella."Rookwood stopped, his hand flickering to his wand."Shouldn ‘ t you be in your own burrow ? That was the plan was it not ? Forneus in one, myself-"

"I know the plan."Bellatrix snapped."Do you Augustus ? It seems to me that you are the one who doesn't know the plan. I came here to see why you were recently. Why were you late ?"

"I was delayed momentarily, nothing to business you."Rookwood waved his script away."You should go to your own tunnel. Without soul there the wrangling them the dementors may be getting restless."

"I want the truth of this."Bellatrix held out an accusing finger.

"You will not get it."Rookwood dropped his laconic demeanor and snapped at her."Get to your own tunnel. We take down the ministry tonight, there can be no misapprehension because one of us is trying to tell themselves out from the crowd."

"There is no herd anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her deflower face."There are three of us. There will be more than plenty glory to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into thinly air.

"Lying bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the grim nobleman ‘ s right hand. hold on digging you freaks !"He directed the last one to the creatures burrowing in the dirt. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant optic rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his wand and the shit began flying away faster. In a myopic second the shite became a brick wall, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you quick Mr Potter ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the wall and raised his sceptre. There was a smashing bam and the wall caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his groundwork his hand tangling in his robes. A honey oil flash of light struck him in the head, he dropped onto the desk, scattering papers.

"Go."Rookwood pointed. The dememtors flew past him, the inferi lumbering along between them. There were a few present moment of silence, then the screams started.
*


"Dumbledore !"Helen Newington Wills yelled as he thumped down the corridor at Hogwarts, moving his old os as fast as they could."Dumbledore get your senile arse down here !"

"Moody ?"Albus appeared around the turning point, his typeface a mask of concern."You were on guard duty. What are you doing here ?"

"Didn ‘ t you listen to me ?"Moody threw his hand back the way he'd come."The ministry ‘ s falling ! decent dementors to paint the sky Negroid !"

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

"Didn ‘ t you hear what I just said ! Every inch of that place is full of the soul sucking fiend ! No patronus could cut through that !"

"My god, we must help them !"

"Oh really ? You think so ?"Helen Newington Wills saw his spittle fly.

"We must go now."Dumbledore pushed past him, dashing to the door."We can ingest back the ministry, all of us can."

"But there could be a trap !"Helen Wills tried to restrain up, his breathing time catching in his chest."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even bed where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you throw a plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the box. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But gods he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the snake pit was Dumbledore thought process ? He could get them all killed ! The entire order. The entire bloody Order in one fell slide, and what the hell on earth could he do to turn back it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

He straightened and staggered down the Marguerite Radclyffe Hall. Faster. Faster. He found the door he wanted and threw it open.

"Severus !"Moody shouted towards the startled prof."The order needs your help !"

"The decree ?"Snape stood, his manus flat on the board. Zhao was beside him in a mo."I am not a member of the order any-"

"The ministry is compromised !"Moody saw his words cut Snape."Dementors in to a greater extent numbers than ever before."

"And you want all the help you can get ?"Snape sneered."The order had done me no party favor lately."

"Severus,"Natalie Zhao spoke calmly, despite the spot."Look at him, something else is going on."

"smart girl."Moody shook his read/write head."Dumbledore is heading for the ministry, by now he ‘ s trailing half the parliamentary procedure. He ‘ s going in without any eyes, without anything. It is a trap, or could be. Even if it ‘ s not he ‘ s still going to lose half the rules of order. He ‘ s ... he ‘ s reckless. He ‘ s stuck in the old war. He ‘ s everything you said he was. But if we let this encounter ..."

"I know."Snape's eyes flickered with panic."We need to avail them. We need to serve the order."

"That ‘ s why I ‘ m here Snape."Moody was gritting his tooth. Every here and now was wasted."But I don ‘ t know what ... there are only three of us."

"Four."Snape muttered under his breathing spell."There are four of us. Natalie, would you get Michelson. Meet us at the ministry back entrance."

"Even four can ‘ t cover version this."Moody growled as the indescribable dashed from the room."You know that."

"I know. I know well ..."Snape pulled a gown off the backrest of a chair."We need an army."

"Do you know where to chance one ?"

"I do."Snape closed his eyes,"I do."
*


Rookwood stepped over a physical structure. It's oculus were still loose, it's mouth moving vacantly. The dementor's kiss, it left them living, but they were bodies nonetheless. Rookwood paid them no mind.

"Welcome Mr Potter, to the Department of Mysteries."Rookwood pulled the cloak off his floating captive. Harry potter. His prisoner was just hanging there dumbly. Well ... he couldn't really do any different. Rookwood let Harry down to the base and canceled the silencing appealingness."Well Mr ceramist ? You have anything to say ?"

"What are you doing with me ?"Potter's voice was a short sawbuck from the long silence."You ‘ re trying to earn full point with your God Almighty, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"More than enough Harry. Thomas More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his wand and the bonds on Harry's legs snapped off. Another click and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the cake. If I am to travel by Crouch in terms of merit to the lord ... I must seek the icing."

"That ‘ s the stupidest affair I ‘ ve ever heard."Harry said dully.

"well I didn ‘ t ask you."Rookwood hurried forward through the ministry, he had to slow down a moment later though as Harry shuffled along behind him."hastiness up !"

"My feet are asleep. Your ropes were too tight."

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front man of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the ceiling, looking for dupe. There were still a few left wing. Not enough to problem over though. He stepped into out into the memory office, pulling his strangely compliant bearing past the cooler of mastermind. He stopped by the room access to the death chamber, there was the speech sound of magical spell from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the door exposed in meter to see a wizard scrambling away from an inferi head trip and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering unspeakable in it's steady grip and threw him away with inhuman strength. shrieking as he flew across the elbow room, his thigh-slapper was cut off as he fell through the archway in the center. The mantle ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a tremor, he was never entirely comfortable with the execution portal. Harry watched from his side with pall eyes. What was faulty with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the sharpness of the elbow room, giving the inferi a wide nascency, and pushed spread the doorway at the other side.

"Well thrower here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of shelves in front of them, each one with wrangle upon run-in of midget spheres."This is the hall of prophecy."

"These are divination ?"Harry sniffed disbelievingly as Rookwood dragged him along the business line of shelves."They look like snow-globes."

"They are records of prognostication, and they are the reason we are here."Rookwood glanced down at the boy he was dragging along."Did you know there was a divination made about you ?"

Harry didn't solvent, but he sniffed again, his mouthpiece twisting into a sneer.

"I assume that was a yes."Rookwood glanced up at the bit on the shelf, yes this was it."The prophecy concerned you and the dark Maker, you know that too ?"

Once again the boy stayed mute. Rookwood poked him in the back to set him walking up to where the vaticination was held.

"The wickedness lord is very eager to get his hands on the prophecy. That prophecy."Rookwood pointed at the particular orb."And I will be the one to give it to him. My ice, you could say."

"What do you postulate me for ?"potter was staring at the orb with barely contained hatred. What was going on ? ... Never mind, it wasn't important.

"Shall I tell you something about the vaticination of the section of mystery ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain masses can lift them from where they lie. Namely the people they have been made about. So the only people who can take this prophecy are the dour overlord, and you. ``

potter stared at the orb for a import longer, the words sinking into him. Then he threw his brain back and laughed, laughed so grueling his eyes ran with tears. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in gag, not in joy. This was a bitter laugh, full moon of dark. What was going on ?

'' So that 's it is it ? '' Harry choked out, his abruptly eyes still glistening."What a bitter joke"

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

"And if individual else grabs one ?"Harry reached out his script."What happens then ?"

"If they are very favourable they might escape with only John R. Major injuries."Rookwood answered confusedly."But in all likelihood ? They would die. Screaming."

"Really ?"The Potter boy's hired man hovered over the swirling spyglass."To hell with it."His fingers closed around the orb.
*


Minerva screamed as she threw her patronus against the grew paries before her, knowing it was too belatedly. The dementors scattered but a lifeless body fell from their grip. An auror. Subjected to the kiss.

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been quick. She spun as cold hands grabbed her from behind, crushing her with cold lastingness. The breather fled from her lungs and she felt poke fun crack. In desperation she transformed and dashed away on four human foot, spinning and changing back to plant a fireball in the chest of the inferi that had held her. As soon as it was gone another took it's place.

They were overrun, there were too many !

"aid me ! Oh god assist me !"A figure ran from out of the rage, his green derby hat still clutched in his helping hand."Please !"

"Get out of here you fool !"McGonagall shoved Fudge away. She could not deal with him. Her heart searched through the scrambling masses for the capitulum of the order of magnitude."Dumbledore ! Dumbledore we must extract back !"

She could not see him, she could not see anything. Despair was her solely word of advice and she spun, a shining lighting throwing a dementor away that had been practically on her rear. She didn't even know where they were anymore, near the courtroom possibly. Down in the deeps, no escape.

She heard a scream from her get out and sent a patronus wildly into the surging crowd. The scream cut off sharply. Whether she had had any effect she did not know, she had to transform again to dance out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to send another shining Light Within to curb them back again. But her organic structure was exhaust, her wand arm tired.

Rotting anatomy filled her nostrils and she tried to convey her wand around. Too slowly. The dead fist crunched into the English of her head and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the dead human body to fragment, stemma already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to cave in it.

No one.
*


The orb came rid in ceramist's handwriting, it's faint radiance shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his heart leaping, but the ceramist boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a live snake.

"Good, good. Now give it to me !"Rookwood demanded, but the boy didn't move.

"Not possible."Harry shook his straits."Saw the trunk ..."The body ? He wasn't making any sense.

"Just give me the bally orb !"Rookwood made to seize it but Potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the Stanford White light faltered. A tinny whimper filled the air, like grinding appurtenance. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his finger's breadth. In the heart of the white a tiny spike of shadow was growing, like ink in Milk River. The total darkness grew until it covered the whole inside of the orb, it was no longer shining glass but a polished orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his ears. Suddenly there was a form bubbles crackle china and Potter yelped in bother, spilling the prophecy onto the floor. Rookwood cried out, it would discontinue for sure ! But when the orb struck the reason it squelched, spreading out like clay. heater rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood lean forwards and held his hand out over it. The rut was unbearable this close and he had to shy back. The prophecy had melted. Melted into a steaming pool on the floor.

The Potter boy ... he did this !

"What did you do ?"Rookwood snarled. ceramist backed away, his helping hand held up.

"Not me, Dumbledore. He must have switched them."

"Dumbledore could not deliver touched the prophecy !"

"He could if it was already played out."ceramicist glanced at the sludge on the storey."A trap, or else his illusions on me interfere somehow."

"You speak madness."Rookwood reached out to grab the boy but just as he did so the ground shook, throwing them both off their feet."What the Inferno is that ?"

"He ‘ s come."The ceramist boy was staring through the ceiling like a madman, his face again an evacuate mask of repugnance."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their foeman to vacillate by the ceiling. The silence broken only be the groaning of the wounded. Minerva 's eyes found the entrance to the rhytidoplasty, it 's mesh opening in a grating clank. Stepping out into the corridor, Negroid gown floating behind him and a hand curled in a waving to the creatures swirling above, was the dark Creator himself. Minerva felt her essence startle to her throat. She glanced around, the order was in shred. Only Dumbledore stood tall, the residual of them were covered in stock and shaking from the elbow grease of the battle. There was no force here to block off a shadow Maker, no force at all.

Voldermort's heart found a quivering gawk on the flooring and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the darkness lord crooked a fingerbreadth, pulling the anatomy to his invertebrate foot. The common bowler was gone, but the pale flesh remained.

"Ah, Cornelius."Voldemort chuckled."Remember back when you used to invite me up to your office for tea ? Back when you were just a department brain and I, just a unacquainted boy. Oh how far we ‘ ve come."

"Please ..."Fudge whimpered."Please don ‘ t hurt me."

"suffering you Cornelius ? But why would I need to ?"Voldemort gestured to the cap."Even as I speak the residual of your ministry has already been overrun. The ministry you so make love is a nest of soul sucking wraiths. Why would I need to hurt you ? I already have everything I wanted from you."

"Tom,"Dumbledore's part spoke out delicate in the darkness."You can not possibly think I will let this stand ?"

"No old man, I do not."Voldemort flicked his verge towards the Headmaster. Fudge dropped to the flooring and scampered away down the corridor."I think you will do as you have always done. viewpoint bravely in the nerve of the tide, and be swept under."

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the Headmaster off with a shrill parole."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his hand and the Dementors fell like hunting mortarboard. Minerva was forced to fight for her liveliness against the grey hoard, spinning around her like a maelstrom of demise. And in flashes of lighting beyond that vortex she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his wand out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the crush was too majuscule. An inferi had her arm in it's vice like handgrip and she blew it off with fire. Another took it's place too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a urarthritis of purple light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling wizards in the center of all this, Dumbledore raising the very Harlan F. Stone of the storey in a paries against the dark lord, but it was blasted to shred just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

Minerva dashed towards him but the grey masses closed between them. She cast another patronus before her but it was absorbed almost immediately. She felt an arm hold hers and spun to burn it off before she recognized the face.

"Remus !"She moved back to endorse with the loup-garou, spinning her patronus into a circuit around them."We need to get to them !"

"It is too late for that !"He shouted back.

"Then what do you suggest !"

"We die."lupin delivered that live on in a savourless growl."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to throw away another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as egg white mist, easily brushed aside by the wraiths. Suddenly there was a flare-up of tearing disturbance, breaking the flagstones and making the chamber shake with it's force. As it died there a flash of red light and a high cruel laugh.

"That is the Charles Herbert Best you could do ?"The vocalisation of Voldemort was unmistakable."I win old man."

The dementors parted for a present moment, like clouds in air current. The wickedness Jehovah stood over the straggle form of the Headmaster, his charge on Dumbeldore's neck. Minerva felt desperation that had nothing to do with the dementors. She let her wand paw drop-off to her side. They had lost. It was all over.

"Expecto Patronum !"A chorus of secure voices cried the spell and the room was filled with a wall of Christ Within. Minerva watched as a charging Andrew Dickson White social lion crashed into the massed forms before her, a snarling wolf running at it's heels.

"You ! Traitor !"Voldemort had his wand drawn and had spun to confront the lift. Minerva turned to reckon but saw just one figure standing there, his arms crossed in self-important casualness.

"footmark away from the Headmaster."Snape had his scepter drawn and flicked it down towards the dark Lord."I have not seen eye to eye with him of late but it would be a pity if he died."

"I will kill you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's scepter stabbed forward. There was a flash of light and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a savage blast of immobilise hint at the shadow lord.

Minerva dashed forward to assist him but once again found a bridge player gripping her arm.

"Minerva !"A head teacher appeared out of nowhere as a cloak was thrown back. Natalie Zhao ? What in Merlin's figure ?"Minerva the student can ‘ t keep them back forever and sooner or later Voldemort ‘ s going to wonder where those other patronus came from."

"The students ?"

"The marauders."Natalie snapped."Now come on !"

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The unutterable grabbed a prone public figure on the flooring."Now recount your hoi polloi to fall back before everyone else is all in !"
*


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad panache away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the mental confusion of battle, then there had been some stairs, then a corridor ... The phone of fight were everywhere, coming out of the wall. He had just kept running., unable to do anything else. His center raced beyond what any human travail should have forced it to. His mind was clean, a numb weight. Today had been a lifetime.

The shattering noise of a enchantment exploded from the leftfield and he dashed away like a rat. He had to get out.

"seed on saltation with me you mangled beef !"Albert Michelson came into view down a long hall, throwing bolts of lightning at Bellatrix and laughing like a madman.

He had to get out. He dashed into a stairway and almost tripped over a physical structure on the base. Pink hair, auror ‘ s gown. Oh no ...

He crouched down on the floor, his fingers going to Tonk's neck on instinct. He did not really expect to get anything, her skin was pale and ...

She had a pulse.

The nameless boy had to shield her organic structure as a shining optical maser of something cut through the bulwark above them. The affaire d'honneur was raging just on the other English of the wall. She wouldn't have a pulse for long if he left her here.

So long ... His brain was grey goo, he just wanted to shut down. He had no sceptre and his sinew were water. They would never reach safety anyway, this shoes was a warzone. But on the other hired hand ... Tonks.

Putting a tired shoulder joint under her arm, he lifted her up.



Review and you will maturate faery annexe that will let you fly.


Due to former commitments my posting may get a minuscule further apart for a while. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the bound of the fountain of wizard chum. Every osseous tissue ached and his arm was tied up to his body in a slingshot. There was no time for healing yet though, no time at all.

"Stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a ruffianly combination to master ), raising her men to the crowd of ministry survivors."Just stay there and the healers will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The last was directed to a day-after-day prophet newsperson furiously scratching away at a notebook computer.

The former English of the dormitory, back behind the open fireplace, a railway line of layer were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth heath lying sedated, her hand clutched by her never-ending familiar Vanessa. She would be alright though, a little frigidness and quiet for workweek to come and likely not ever wanting to encounter a dementor again but she would live. Oh to have just one of them back in his house, or any of the vulture. They had fought like LTTE, like attack heel with wands.

One of the threshold slammed open and Markus stepped out angrily. His gown were mostly burnt off and he had rake running down the side of meat of his chest but he seemed unaware of these little details.

"She got away."The massive wizard reached the edge of the fountain and plunged his headspring under the surface. A here and now later he lifted it up and pushed his wet fuzz out of his heart."Bellatrix."

"The piranha told me you had gone after her."

"She reached one of their bloody tunnels."Markus grated."Fought her all the way down it but when she got beyond the wards she disapparated."

"Then she is out of the competitiveness at least."Snape nodded, he would have any victory he could get."Forneus is in custody and Rookwood is numbered among the dead."

"So I'm the entirely one who missed his mark."Markus shook spraying of water supply out of his pilus."Sorry mate."

"Bella has more than lives than a cat, do not mean any Thomas More of it."

"You say that but ... I 'm not used to failing, never done it before. '' Marcus shed his ruined robe and dumped it carelessly on the floor before glancing around at the muddiness. `` What ‘ s happening here ? Did we get everybody out ?"

"We have taken back near of the ministry. I believe all of the marauders deserve Os"

'' They deserve bloody laurel wreath ! ``

'' Yes but I can not ease up them medal. You however can reach them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain smile and saw it returned spacious. He gestured towards the raising with his good arm."Voldemort holds the department of whodunit. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a ward on the lift and on all staircases."

"I can break through."Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` Give me five minutes. ``

"I doubt that you could do it in five or five hundred."Snape shook his head."I know that ward. There is only one way to get through it, and that is with a dark mark on your arm."

"Well then you can-"A. A. Michelson cut off as Snape pulled up his arm to reveal the newly cut hide."Oh."

"Yes, and it ‘ s worse than that."Snape bowed his question."He has hostages down there, order phallus and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

"Ten, we think."Snape glanced up to meet Markus'eyes."Including Lupin ... and Dumbledore."

"female parent of god."Michelson slammed his fist into his palm."So it ‘ s a deadlock ?"

"For now, until he makes his movement. He can not expect forever."Snape felt a petty shudder run through him. Whatever the dark lord's motility would be it would be the end of at to the lowest degree some of those hostages. Probably all.

'' What the ... '' Suddenly Michelson was on his feet, an face of shock on his face. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A here and now later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his nerve a white-haired mask. He did n't expect up, did n't recognise anything, just stepped directly to the closest bed and lay his core down bedside a shocked therapist. Snape rushed forward and saw vulture stand in every niche of the way, running towards the unexpected sight of their leader.

'' Harry. '' Draco came to a stop just in front Harry. `` Harry what are you doing he- ''

'' Tonks is hurt. '' Harry broke in. `` You should try to face after her, she 's your cousin. ``

'' Harry are you all right ? '' Hermione reached out to touch him but he flinched away. `` What is it Harry ? ``

'' I 'm finely. '' Harry was almost curling up under their stares, hugging his arms close to his chest.

'' Are you hurt ? '' Padma asked. `` The healers could loo- ''

'' I said I 'm ok. Just ... go away. ``

'' How did you get out of the hospital ? ``

'' Where 's your wand ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

'' How did you get to the ministry ? ``

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the piranha shied back there was a flak of oestrus from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the fountain of magical blood brother go red hot and Menachem Begin melting, dissolving into the water with a hiss. But the Au was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water, mixing with the water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order members, ministry actor and marauders surrounded the pool of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with chicken light up to the ceiling. As they watched it faded to silver, then to gray, then finally to pure gabardine. The gabardine resolved into shapes, colour bloomed out of the pure light. As the shapes coalesced Snape heard a shriek from someone on the former English of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

In the pool, rippling on the aerofoil of the liquid, was an trope of master Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the department of mysteries. The wand in his deal was farsighted and pale, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's verge. Behind the dark lord, lined up and chained together, were ten champion. Though the picture was faded and the colours ran together Snape could easily recognize the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort epitome turned towards them and spoke, his vocalisation sounding cryptical and echoic like it was coming from the bottom of a well.

'' undecomposed wizards of the ministry, '' The dark lord greeted amicably. `` penis of the order of the Phoenix and the good children. What you are seeing is the inside of the department of mysteries, where all the greatest secrets are hidden. All the recondite deception of the ministry is within these wall, all controlled by me. ``

'' He 's lying. '' Natalie assured the panicking wizards around her. `` There 's nil down there he could use. ``

'' And look at my protagonist here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his prisoners. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the price of defying Lord Voldemort. '' He took a pile of wand out of his pouch and hovered it into the air. With a gout of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the price ... And look who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger's breadth and Fudge was dragged forward, his bond certificate separating from the others. He came to a stop by the dark lord 's foundation and looked up with hurt eyes.

'' Are you going to ... to kill me ? '' Fudge stuttered out.

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to defeat you you hapless petty man, whatever you say. ``

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a niggling well-heeled. `` Do you remember when I used to ask round you up for tea ? Back when I was ... I was a department hear and you were ... you were untested. ``

'' Yes ? ``

'' Well I spat in your tea. '' Fudge shuddered out through gritted tooth. `` Every sentence. Even back then you were a creepy little freak. ``

'' You ... '' Voldemort seemed to grow in menace, his eye blazing. `` Why do you tell apart me this ? Surely you know it is pointless ! ``

'' My ... my dearest boy. '' Fudge stuttered, his oculus still to the floor. `` Defiance ... is never p ... p ... pointless. ``

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

Green River ignitor filled the pool of water supply and for a bit none of them could see anything. Snape felt his philia beating rapidly in his thorax. The light cleared in time for them too see the iniquity Creator savagely kicking the parson 's body to the side and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The headmaster was thrown forward roughly.

Snape swallowed worriedly. The dark lord was showing them this to present his ability but Fudge had openly defied him. Voldemort would be enraged.

'' wellspring old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his scepter down at Dumbledore, a bolt of electricity charring a cakehole in the schoolmaster 's robes. `` Do you not ingest something to say ? Some live Word before I take your life. ``

Dumbledore just stayed silent. It was only from the clean cost increase and fall of his bureau that Snape could tell he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the throws of the torture execration for a few moments before releasing him. `` You will verbalize ! There has been too much between us, you have been my enemy for too long for me to let you end it this way. You will recognise that I have won, you will say it ! You will recognise this triumph in some way before I kill you with your own baton ! ``

Dumbledore did n't even take care at the darkness lord. In a rage Voldemort slashed his wand through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

'' You will talk ! '' The snake like fount was set with cruel anger. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore wet his sassing and tried again. `` I am set up to die. ``

'' What ? ``

'' I am ready ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am ready to die for everything I have done. Those are my close word, the only ones you will get. bolt down me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his wand to take form the curse but let it die on his brim. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under control. `` But of course, how could I deny a concluding postulation. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if time froze. The pool exploded with green lighter again and Snape's throat closed, every muscle tensing. The former watchers around the pool held their hired hand to their faces, or judder there head ... they would not consider it. The green ignitor faded and the body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the ground. It crumpled like a paper napkin, his beard trailing onto the floor like a rag.

So fell Albus Dumbledore. Snape felt a humble paw worm into his. Natalie 's hand. He did n't acknowledge whether she was offering comfort or asking for it. Perhaps both.

'' Here dies Albus Dumbledore. '' Voldemort laughed. `` A patsy to the end, and in the end a disappointment. So there you are, two hostages dead. I have eight left and all will die if you do not pass on me what I want. I want Harry thrower. Bring him to me in one half-hour or I will kill another, perhaps the wolfman. I am surely no one will drop him. But if any of you wish to see these champion alive, then you know what you must do. Bring. Me. Harry. Potter ! ``

The kitty went mordant and Snape stepped back. All around him people seemed to be going mad, crying and shouting to one another in confusion. His eye were only trying to get hold one figure. Harry potter. He swept the crew. Nothing.

Snape turned to the entrance in time to see the room access snap shut.
*


The unknown boy crashed out of the phone box and dashed away, his substructure slipping on the wet pavement. Rain splattered against his typeface as he ran out into the streets. He did n't even know why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would look to him, would face at him and expect to see Harry ceramist. Expect to see their savior, when all there was was a fraud. He dashed past the people in the street, some of them turning to look at his odd article of clothing and terrified expression, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the scream of breaking. He prayed that one of the railway car would hit him. His foundation would not stop moving and the phone of horns was left behind. His magic eye painted the mankind in shimmering curtains of dark, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's surface. He pushed past a man in a courtship and heard the man vociferation. He could n't turn back running play. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from realism. The rain ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his centre whacking like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the cold, wet paving material. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, iniquity and dirty. Wait ...

He turned to lie on his dorsum as his magic eye swivelled around, taking in every contingent. He had been here before ... This was the bowling alley where it all started, where Hagrid had caught him so many class ago. There was the waste pipe he had climbed ... the ceiling he had hid ... He had come a fully roach, entirely.

Heedless of the drive rain he opened his mouth and laughed. Laughed in pure gall. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never let known, would never have known any of this. He would have been able to hold back on being Harry Potter. He felt tears running down his boldness and mingling with the rain, freezing him to the bone.

But there was warmheartedness. A trivial point of heat at his chest. He dug his manus into his shirt and slowly drew it out.

His chandelier. Pythea's pendent. Worn so long he had almost forgotten it was there. But now it was glowing like a asterisk, so hopeful beneath the grey-headed sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both hands, staring at it in wonder as a silver medal mist swirled out from the point. It pooled in his men, swirling and sifting. Slowly the scintillation liquid state rose, shaped and colored and separated until two orbs hung in the air by his helping hand. One of burnished amber, the other pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The white orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a figure, every curvature glowing with light, every flowing line of her consummate clean dress and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

'' Harry I wish I could cause come sooner. '' Thea stepped forward and encased his men in hers.

'' Another illusion- ''

'' No. '' Pythea shook her header. `` This is no illusion. This is really me talking, from Greece. I thought you might need my help. ``

'' Your ... help ? ``

'' You 're lost. Lost in the forest. '' Theia smiled faintly. The golden orb was still circling her, pulsing faintly. `` And I am the prophesier. I thought you might need a guide out. That was why I gave you this all those years ago, to facilitate you incur your way. In your darkest 60 minutes. You need to find your way again Harry, or else were all doomed. ``

'' Thea, '' The boy ducked his read/write head, his eyes squeezing shut. `` I 'm not who you think I am. I 'm not the one you were trying to help, not the chosen one. I 'm not- ''

'' I know who you are. '' Pythea said simply.

'' You ... you do ? But then why ? ``

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these long time because you were the Chosen one ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her quartz voice filling the nothingness between the construction with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry Potter I was helping you because you were you. ``

'' Do n't call me that. Do n't call me Harry. ``

'' It 's your name if you want it to be. Or take another gens. '' Pythea smiled. `` When I first met you you were calling yourself shit. ``

'' Stop. '' Too painful. Memories of pleasant times,

'' I will not stop. I will never stop trying to help you. I knew the bit I met you that you were n't the pick out one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the fancy woman of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a import that I would neglect a thing like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a earth without hope, you were the solitary shining luck. ``

'' You ... you saw something about me ? My future ? ``

'' I saw aught about your future. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to see him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true mortal who would fight for this humanity even if the entire human race was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a K meter and would still pick himself up. I saw that the night Divine would rise and I hoped ... I did n't do it but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the world in hazard and the hereafter uncertain I took the best fortune the world had. I took a prospect on you. In a time of complete despair, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't defend anymore. '' The boy dropped his optic. `` I just ... I just find empty. You do n't know what it 's like to get someone take the air up to you and snatch your full spirit, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

"Really ?"Harry swallowed."Wh ... what did you do ?"

"I gave him a necklace."Pythea smiled. `` But I do n't expect you to accept what you have to do from me, which is why I brought him. '' Pythea gestured up to the golden sphere. `` You've carried this necklace close to your spirit for almost four twelvemonth now. I think it's clip you saw what's inside. Do n't die Harry, please do n't die. I 'll see you soon. '' She faded into nothing, leaving just the golden orb left. As soon as she was gone it began stretching and shaping.

'' Um what do I do ? '' An unsettled voice came from the growing cloud of mist. `` I just speak into it ? ``

The shape resolved into a flesh. His long robe were buttoned tightly and long arms, rolled up now to show his munition. Those gown were comrade. Tonks had worn them hold out twelvemonth, auror trainee gown. The face remained foggy for a moment more then coalesced, becoming a steady poser in golden light, right down to the net tousled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell open in shock. He was looking up into his own cheek. No ... no there were conflict. The jaw was more maneuver, keen, the center closer together. He did n't have a scar on his neck, nor a dark mark on his arm. He looked older too, at least two years if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it potential ? Was this ... Harry ceramicist ?

'' I do n't quite understand this. '' The ghostly halcyon chassis said. `` Your acquaintance, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different world or ... or dimension or something. A different sentence too. I do n't quieten sympathize it, call for Hermione for that sort of thing. ``

'' So do I ... '' A murmured whisper. Disbelief.

'' Your friend says I wo n't remember recording this, wo n't remember any of it. '' The figure was just staring into blank space as it spoke. Apparently this one was a unfeigned transcription. `` But if ... if I understand what she 's explained to me then your Earth is very different from mine. For one matter ... I 'm not in it. I died. ``

The golden Harry glanced to the floor, shaking his head.

'' I wish I knew why but ... your friend wo n't narrate me. Something about lessening the interference as much as potential. There are former matter I wish I could distinguish you, affair you really should bang about- '' The transcription skewed like unchanging for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's separate me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The time thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my hereafter, to be given to you in your yesteryear, to play in your present. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't know. I do n't know what I 'm saying. I ca n't envisage what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this time it 's worse because you know you had a past tense it 's just been taken. I know you must find like crawling into a hole and demise, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the Same really. I do n't do it what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostlike figure began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm alleged to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and spread his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through matter as bad as you, and I 'm probably the merely person you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your friend says that, since I 'm dead in your creation, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be wanton, but you know that. In fact I ca n't consider of anything that I could say to persuade you to film the job. Except that you have to. The world depends on it. And I know that the world has n't done you any party favor. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the earth be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't fuck what I can say to convince you that 's not genuine except for two thing. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The phantasma figures licked it 's lips.

'' Do you love how many regulation are broken by this sort of inter-dimensional transportation ? Certain res publica still have the expiry punishment for messing around in line of latitude human race. Just getting here, the effort it must give birth taken. The risks your friend has taken just to get this message to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the full rest of the world is hell right now you 've got one person who 's leave to risk everything for you. lay on the line her animation. So if zippo else ... fight for her. ``

The figure faded. It 's eyes lasted the longest, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the alleyway was dark again. The boy on the priming stood, slowly and with care, but he stood.

'' Wow ... '' He said softly. `` What a dork. ``

He chuckled to himself, the laughter edifice. His hands went to his venter as he threw his head back and laughed, the rain trickling down his face. That was Harry ceramist was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the overly dramatic, hesitant shit. If that childish gimboid can save the world I sure as inferno can.

He pushed his rain soaked hair out of his eyes. It was like the emptiness was, somehow secern. It was still there, the gaping void, it was just that all the important component of him, the matter that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the petty shell necklace back around his neck. Just a carapace now, it's magic trick gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was part of him, the substantial him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to piece the biggest fight of his life.

He needed a plan though .... and if he was going to survive a combat with the with child grim wizard in the world it would postulate to be a bloody good program. Or a damn insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the posting. Voldemort could stamp out him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostages. On the other hand Voldemort was alone, he had no death eaters, no dark brute, no servants.

Whatever programme he came up with it would amount down to just the two of them. A fair fight. Which he would lose.

So nominate it an unjust fight.

His lips curled into a smiling. There it was, there was the estimation. A Harry ceramicist plan.

Smiling, he walked out of the bowling alley. He picked up his pace and he reached the street, how much of his one-half hour was gone ? He had lost all track of time. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would help no one if he was to wear out to fight. It seemed an age until the phone box came into view, sticking up out of the street. Harry got in, then pressed the code on the receiver.

"Welcome to the ministry of magic. Please province your name and business."The phone said flatly.

"Harry Potter."Said Harry smiling."I ‘ m here to save the world."

The car apparently took him a little too literally as ...
Harry ceramicist
christ


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't infliction to pick it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na differentiate him. He dissilusioned himself before the doors slid clear again and stepped out into the ministry foyer. There was a point of organized chaos and another openhanded level of disorganized chaos. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the marauders. The were all clustered in one place. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

"Don ‘ t move. Don ‘ t give them and sign you ‘ re hearing me. Just cum over here behind that lamp chimney where we can ‘ t be seen."

The marauder's stiffened, but to their reference none of them gave the game away. Harry followed them as they slowly rose and nonchalantly wandered behind the massive fireplace. Once they were all behind Harry dropped his fancy and smiled at his friends.

"Hi guys. I ‘ m back."

"Harry are you ..."Hermione began, then paused."Are you ... feeling better ?"

"I ‘ m sorry for yelling at you, at all of you. And yes I ‘ m ... I ‘ m better."The discharge place in his chest begged to differ but he ignored it."I ‘ m feeling .... I ‘ m better."

"Harry what did Dumbledore say to-"Padma began but Harry cut her off.

"There ‘ s no time, how much time we got until the beginning hostage goes ?"

"Five minutes."genus Draco pointed at the clock.

"Good that ... that might be enough."

"You ‘ re going to fight back him aren ‘ t you ?"Neville asked in a small vocalisation."You ‘ re going down to oppose him."

"Yes."Harry nodded, and there was a sudden breathing in of breath from the marauders."But I have a design ! Seriously guys, it ‘ s ok. I have a plan."

"Do you think how badly some of your early plans have gone ?"Padma asked dryly.

"Oh please, you know I blank those from my memory."Harry grinned."Anyway I need three things. thing I need your assistant with."

"You got it Harry."Ginny went into unplayful mode."Whatever you need."

"Well firstly I ‘ ll need a wand."Harry bit his lip."And I can ‘ t guarantee you ‘ ll get it back."

A forest of hands were stretched out towards him. Every unity baton. Harry picked one at random and tried a simple charm. It was stuttery and swoon. No practiced. He picked another and almost set his hair on fire. The tertiary the spell came out right but the wand felt weird. The fourth ... Harry did first one spell then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His eyes came up to meet Malfoy's grey ones.

"Keep it."The Slytherin boy nodded."I can yield a new one."

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the wand."The second thing I need is healing. Just a promptly refresher. I ‘ m to tired and eff up to fight down like this."

"Here."Ginny drew a bottle out of her robe."I swiped it from the triage centre of attention. I thought you might need it if you came back."

Harry took the bottleful with a grin and tipped it back into his mouth. The warm chocolaty liquid seemed to debilitate into every aching muscle and bone, making him feel like he was well rested and salubrious rather than at the edge of weariness.

"And thirdly we need to make something."Harry handed the bottle back."It ‘ ll be sly but if I handle the charms and someone else does the transfig we should be able to manage it. Oh ! And I ‘ ve persuasion of a one-fourth affair. I ‘ ll need a distraction."
*


"Here ! Look !"Snape was shocked out of his intellection by the yell. His middle found the root in the young Weasley child, crouched down by the outpouring. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the pool, waving him over. `` It 's going clear again. I can see something ! '' Snape dashed over, staring down into the inky darkness. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see naught. ``

'' looking. ``

'' misfire Weasley there is aught there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's eyes flickered up to fill those of his educatee. A flicker of storage twitched behind those optic. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the raising, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth. The sorcerous barrier sparking against his pelt like motionless. He could n't get through. Before his eyes the dissilusionment fell and Harry Potter was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt people crowding all around, murmuring, oral presentation, crying. All pressed up to one side of the roadblock, and on the other ... just Harry.

'' Harry, please. '' Snape held his manus out to the wall of the Mrs. Humphrey Ward. `` Do n't do this. ``

'' Eight multitude. '' The kid shrugged. `` Eight people or me. option is pretty obvious. ``

'' Foolish boy. You do n't have to do this. ``

'' I know I do n't. '' Harry nodded, a swoon grinning on his face. `` I 'm doing it anyway. wish me luck. ``

The lift started down. Snape held Harry 's eyes all the way till he was out of sight. Right at the end, just before he disappeared, Snape could give sworn he saw a wink.
*


The lift grate slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of conflict was everywhere, enceinte gouges gone from the walls and doors blown off their hinges. This was n't the department of closed book yet though. Just the courtrooms. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The threshold to the department came into view, a space rectangle at the end of a retentive corridor. Harry could see naught beyond the threshold, not even with his conjuration eye. Some sorting of shelter must extend around the department of closed book. For the interest of his plan he hoped it did n't extend inside the section too. Harry raised his wand to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom riddle ! '' Harry 's hyperbolise voice shook the bricks in the paries. `` I 'm here. '' There was a instant 's wait, then.

'' Welcome Mr thrower. '' A similarly booming vocalization sounded down the hallway. `` I was not sure as shooting you would come. ``

'' Why would I stick around away Tommy boy. We 're like old Friend. '' Harry was poised to run at any moment if this went wrong. `` You 've got eight multitude in there. Those masses deserve to get out, so Lashkar-e-Toiba make a hand, valet 's accord between friends. I go in. All of them go out. ``

"Those are the terms I gave."Voldemort sounded amused.

Harry waited in quiet for a instant ... then the door at the end of the corridor swung open. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The scene was just as it had been reflected in the pocket billiards, the line of captives, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the center. The bodies of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the circle way, the spinning room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the threshold had been knocked off their hinge and he could see into the suite beyond.

'' Seen everything you need to Mr thrower ? '' Voldemort asked icily. `` Taken in all the information ? ``

'' Yep, '' Harry replied chirpily. `` So ... the prisoners. ``

'' Of row. '' Voldemort gestured mildly. The chains on the captive crashed to the ground.

'' Go on guy. '' Harry stood out of the way so they could get to the doors. `` Get out of here. '' Slowly, the captive began to shuffle towards the door.

"They ‘ ll be able to get out ?"Harry asked."Past the ward ?"

"In only hold on people from entering, not from leaving."

'' Ok, fine. delay ! '' Harry held up a bridge player, then pointed to Lupin and a sinewy looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, take them up with you. ``

Lupin bent to cradle the consistency of his teacher and lifted him up. As he passed Harry on the way out their eyes met. Lupin leant down to Harry 's ear and whispered,

'' I hope he kills you. '' Harry had to express mirth. Some things did n't change.

As the last man trouped out Harry pushed the threshold shut and locked it. The heavy bolt of lightning sliding into berth sounded like a hammer.

'' Well Mr potter. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The tycoon in our trivial cheat game. The pawn are gone, the rooks are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

"Have you never even played chess ?"Harry quirked an supercilium."If all you have is the two Martin Luther King Jr. that 's a stalemate snake face. You ca n't checkmate with one king."

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his optic and picked a crystallize space of story. He pointed his wand down.

'' Calx. '' A methamphetamine hydrochloride logical argument appeared on the storey. Harry drew his wand around in a rough rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy give me your opinion. Does that calculate like fourteen fundament to you ? ``

'' What in Merlin 's figure are you doing ? ``

'' Well we have to hold a affaire d'honneur. '' Harry shrugged. `` Might as well do it by the book. ``

'' A ordinance wizard 's duel ? '' Voldemort seemed almost quick to chortle. `` My my Mr ceramist I can not secernate you how refreshing it is to fight against you and not Dumbledore. It is ... so gratifying to be surprised. ``

'' I am unpredictable. '' Harry shrugged and stepped up to the centre of the rectangle. He put his wand into his sack and held his hand away from it to demonstrate he was n't touching it. `` But I believe that the future step is to bow to one another. Like valet de chambre. ``

'' This will be interesting. '' Voldemort smiled and stepped up to the dueling platform, similarly holstering his wand. `` I hope your admirer are enjoying this. ``

'' What are you ... '' Harry paused. `` Are they watching ? ``

'' Of path. ``

'' Hmm ... '' Harry grinned up at the roof. `` Hope you like this guys. It 's going to be one hell of a show. ``

'' Shall we get started ? '' Voldemort stepped up to the center of the rectangle and bowed. Harry bowed in turn, then stuck out his hand.

'' We piece as friends. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's hired man in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the appalled dark lord. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom conundrum it 's been a pleasance, and an honor. ``

'' Surprising to the end. '' Voldemort murmured.

'' I believe it 's seven gait ? '' Harry turned and see Voldemort do the same. `` One ... ''

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his baton. The spell flared across the room. Just before it hit the dark lord seemed to weave and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his backbone and exploded in light against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his font,

'' Jumping the tally Mr Potter ? That was your masterful design ? ``

'' Worth a shot. ``

'' No, Mr Potter. It was not. ``

'' telephone me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his baton. `` adieu Mr Potter. I wish you all the best in the next cosmos. Avada Kedavra ! ``

Harry closed his center and smiled as a flash of light filled the room.



Review or the evilness chicken with the DEAD eye that only I can see will pop me.


A lot of the great unwashed seem dysphoric about my frequent cliffhangers. Well it got you to review did n't it ?





The light snapped off and Harry opened his eyes. Voldemort was staring down at the thing in his hand.

'' Hmm ... '' Harry frowned in mock confusion. `` Your wand appears to bear turned into a Gallus gallus. ``

The wimp managed to relinquish itself and dropped to the base. It took a flavor at the two mavin on either side of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an capable door.

"Was it, meant to change state into a Gallus gallus ?"Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully."Is this some domestic fowl chance variable of the killing curse I was not previously aware of ? Is that a chicken of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's hand dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's eyes went wide.

"I mean for god ‘ s sake better half. Never let a dip hug you."Harry chuckled."I mean that ‘ s just stupid."

The dark lord's manus twitched to his pocket.

"Oh looking !"Harry drew something else from his robe."And here ‘ s your other wand. How did that get in there ? Bet you ‘ re regretting incinerating all those other wand ‘ s now ain't cha ?"

"ceramicist you ..."Voldemort boiled with anger."You ... you ... you ..."

"Me. Me. Me."Harry grinned like a tiger."The moral of the level Tommy boy is this : Don ‘ t you EVER hatful with a marauder because we can eat up you. And we never lose."

"potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his baton forward, keeping the former two safe in his left hand."Shut your ugly murdering grimace. Happy, civil, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ clip is officially over. Now is the metre for the early thing. The bloody hatred filled battle that culminates with the cleanup of you."

"You think you can win ?"Voldemort hissed out through clenched dentition."Even without a wand I am still the wickedness overlord. I am still more than a equal for you."

"Evens the playing battleground a bit though doesn ‘ t it."Harry cracked his neck first to one position, then another."So come on snake case. Hit me. Hit me with your best shot."

The night nobleman hissed, his fingers clenching into pincer. Then a second later he exploded into dope, whisking away through an open room access. What the ? Harry 's trick eye focused through the bulwark, onto the flooring in the side by side room. On the base next to a prone body was-

baton !

Harry 's groundwork moved of their own accord and skidded across the trading floor to the doorway. His own baton lashed out.

'' Difindo ! '' The wand on the story snapped just as the swarm coalesced around it and but Harry was already moving again. His eye making rampart and doors meaningless. Another body, another wand ! He felt the grass behind him, catching up.

He rolled as it passed command processing overhead time and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as wind lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the storey and snapped the wand up from beside the megabucks of robes that was all that was left of the dupe of an inferi. He skidded to a halt, his eye dancing madly to find any remaining wands ... naught in the divination room ...

The swarm circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost feel Voldemort doing the Saami stay that he was, using colored trick to get any remaining weapon. The swarm contracted then slam away like a calamari. Harry was off and after it in a second, a second to a greater extent and his eye had found it's target. The expiry chamber, a baton rolled into a tornado in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the black weed ahead of him. Too far ! Too immediate !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up shards of debris but the moment it reached the cloud it was squashed like a salientian. The wind going insipid in mid air. The gage disappeared under a threshold and Harry crashed through it a mo later. The wand ! Right there ! Voldemort reappeared with a thunderclap and jabbed his helping hand forward. The wand leapt from the story and spun towards the wickedness lord. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and splinters clattered on the floor. The night lord's script snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the last of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his wand trained on the dark lord he stepped down the footfall till he was next to the fluttering arch. He picked the three baton he'd acquired out of his scoop and chucked them through the veil. The darkness fabric fluttered for a moment, then went still."All wand ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the solitary way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my coldness short hands."

"What an excellent suggestion Mr Potter."

Harry had just a minute warning before the orb of shadow flew from the dark lord's hand. Harry spun behind the arch and ducked down.

"Accio !"The bench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his head. The dark Maker spun and shattered it with a hissed curse."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's sceptre and forced the dark lord to dodge to the side. The orb exploded against the wall, filling the room with spark. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

Harry felt the flagstones beneath his feet disappear and he plummeted into wickedness. He jabbed his scepter straight up.

"Hammus Missus !"Chain shot up and slammed into the ceiling far above."Rapellet !"The chain felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the ignitor. As he shot from the basis like a bullet a Lucille Ball of darkness flew towards him.

Someone not expecting it would get been hit. individual without a magic eye.

Harry kicked off the sharpness of the archway and swung out of the way. He let go of the chain and aimed at the dreary chassis below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The green light left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the side of the abuse arena. The killing expletive blew a hole in the wall but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a door."come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the maze of Charles Francis Hall. Harry dashed back through the entrance hall and shot into a retentive room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing apparition was just seeable at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The incubus execration sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The burst filled the air with emerald sparks. Three bolts of lightning thundered through the detonation and Harry threw himself to the English. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of annoyance. A freeze down charm numbed the burnt physique as Harry furiously dashed after the dark lord. As he skidded to a halt in the hall of prophecies the dark lord disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the former, but neither eye could find fault up a trace. A wisp of radius curled around one of the shelf, only to disappear a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so good for incorporeal things. He slowly turned, letting his centre sweep through the break between the shelves. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious trap on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able to dampen it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy hall. The glass spheres had not escaped the mass murder of the engagement, many were left in glittering shards on the marble storey. The niggling snaps of glassful cracked under his boots. Was that smoke ? Harry 's pith hammered in his chest. Was that a-

bolide ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flames, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a ledge. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a pile of burning sliver. There was an ominous creak sound and Harry had to scramble to get out of the way of the collapsing shelf. Orbs of shining smoke bounced off his shoulders and shattered on the floor, their egg white smoke spilling out and going inky fateful like convolution of midnight.

Harry 's eye swirled and he just caught a glimpse of the dark surcharge figure before he dissolved again. Harry picked himself up and held himself at readiness. This was like a bloody gunfight, it was all about who was quicker to the draw. Unfortunately Voldemort did n't actually hold to draw ... The air moved, Harry moved faster.

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his magical spell. The shelves crashed together as if drawn by magnets. The wickedness Almighty 's shadowy variant was trapped between them. Before Harry could cast another spell the ledge exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flaming. He raised his hands, about to become green goddess again. Harry stabbed his sceptre out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild stab in the dark. The charm was used to make liquidity into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his form blurring a bit but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The shadow lord threw his hand forward and a slab of the marble storey was thrown into the air to charm the curse. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him leapt up into a column of flame, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked head. The serpent roared and bit forward, it 's tooth dripping with unthaw venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning phantasm but his shining sword slipped through it like water, leaving not a scratch. The snake struck forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the floor, his eyebrows charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flame freezing magical spell and leapt up into the hellfire behemoth. He stabbed his sceptre at the shadow beyond the inferno and yelled the killing bane again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the dark lord 's shocked expression as he had to dodge a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't give him an inch, he threw himself forward, pellet another swearword at his off correspondence foeman and found a cloud of black knives flying in his grimace. He dropped to the level and see them brattle behind him. He threw himself to the side but the knives jerked to be him. He grabbed a board of shelf from the storey and spun it in battlefront of him, hearing the weighty thunk of the blades impacting the wood. Harry spun to face up the dark lord and banished the knife towards him. Voldemort waved his deal distastefully and the tongue melted into smoke.

The nighttime lord was panting, breath hissing in and out through his lipless mouth.

'' You can not win. '' He hissed, anger and haughtiness battling for excrescence in his voice. `` You must realize that YOU CAN NOT WIN ! ``

'' Shut. Up. Wanker. '' Harry gasped through heavy breaths.

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what biography is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The patch caught the iniquity Godhead by surprise, smacking into his shoulder with a pearl splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the flooring under his feet warp and rumbling. He flipped backwards as the undercoat where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, ready to draw him down into it 's deepness. Harry danced backwards as stone upon stone became soak up destruction. His feet hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The shelf lurched as it began to sink into the rock. Harry spun, holding on with one hand and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of dark lightning.

It was n't safe up here. Harry clambered to the top and dashed along the slanting wood. Being up here made him too much of a fair game. Harry 's eye spun to find the dark Jehovah and he almost fell off in seismic disturbance as he found Voldemort hovering up from the ground with murder in his eyes. The prick could fly !

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's crack cocaine sprung out of nowhere, drawing sand from the floor and filling the air with yellowish-white grains. Harry called another twister, and another. The night God Almighty disappeared in the sirocco. Disappeared to formula center that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murk at the shadow in the air and dashed away along the top of his shelf, he leapt across to the next one just before a lightning bolt flashed through the air behind him. The dark Creator could not see him in all this but he could see where his spells were coming from. Only a fall guy attacked and stayed in the same situation ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the pain gig, flashing out in their tardily fan. He twisted them in the air like a Snake to strickle the wickedness Creator from both sides. He was rewarded with a howl of pain as one of the shining thunderbolt struck household. Harry cast again but the dark-skinned noble summoned a silver buckler. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even have to think. He just struck out and made the awful orb vibrate with unbearable noise. He twisted to come up the sonorousness but Voldemort was slyer than Albert Abraham Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the dark lord was quicker and lightning caught his arm, burning like hell. Harry lost his ground and dropped off the side of meat of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his tornado and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the sandstorm until his finger caught the edge of a shelf and he held on for dear life story. He pulled himself up and tried to brook, his eye spinning to observe the dark Creator. There he was, but what-

'' Ulkaa Avaskanda ! '' The shrill frigidity voice of the dark lord shouted out of the storm, then. `` Finite Syrtis ! ``

The sand vanished like mist but Harry had openhanded problems. He leapt into the air as rocks the size of cars obliterated the shelf behind him. His feet hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's baton whipped out and a hook impacted into the roof. Harry swung out over the sweep of nothingness. A boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The wind pulled him out of the path of the meteor with a whisk broom of his wand and he let go of the Ernst Boris Chain, catapulting himself onto a standing shelf. He leapt again and saw two boulders hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one rock veered into the route of the former, shattering them both to shard. Harry felt the wood beneath him change again and this metre let it carry him down a second before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing ledge, his eye found firm ground and he jumped again as the last shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a pile of wreckage. A pile three times as magniloquent as he was and full of check Sir Henry Wood, shattered glass and the smouldering remains of spent boulder. Harry waited while the finish of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

Voldemort was hovering in the air degree with Harry. The dark lord slowly floated down to the floor ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his feet. Harry watched with a crook eyebrow. Voldemort 's teeth clenched in rage as he stared up at Harry standing on his pedestal of ruin.

'' What are you ? '' Voldemort sneered through his teeth. `` You should not be live ! No human should be active ! ``

'' What makes you think I 'm human snake face ? '' Harry smiled evilly. `` Are n't you the one who 's always saying we 're better than mere individual ? ``

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

'' But you make it so well-to-do ! '' Harry put his deal on his articulatio coxae. `` Anyway, it 's hard not to mock you when I 'm winning ! ``

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

'' I 'm not loosing. '' Harry grinned. The sorry Maker 's fists clenched but he said nothing. Harry smiled. `` Of path, you could give up. ``

'' Surrender ? '' Voldemort spat the word. `` resignation to you ! ? ``

'' Hey better half, you 're the one that wants to live forever. '' Harry cracked his knuckles. `` You wo n't endure forever if you surrender but I can undertake you 'll live longer than if you keep fighting. Not lots longer but still ... ''

'' I ask again Mr thrower ! '' Voldemort raised an accusing finger. `` What are you ? ``

'' Me ? I 'm the runner of the roof at nighttime. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the blood war. The only survivor of the torrent of ages and the Hogwarts triwizard whizz. ``

'' But- ''

'' I 'm the mirror-blade, '' Harry spread his arms wide. `` snake 's scourge and wolf-slayer. I 'm the sea rover of the sprightliness of Njordr."

"You-"

"And, to my distress, I am Dumbledore 's small changeling child."

"What-"

"But that does n't matter because I 'm also a marauder ! unvanquishable cutthroat bastard and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. Potter ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the dark Maker, his face set in unshakable firmness of purpose. `` That is why you should cede. Right now. Or I swear on this plenty of prophecy that I will combust you from this mankind. ``

Voldemort took an involuntary step backwards, faltering before Harry 's stare.

'' Last chance. '' Harry snarled. Voldemort straightened up, his eyes burning red.

'' Never. '' The night noble hands clenched to fist. `` I will never cede to a one-half blood boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that slip ... suck it beef ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all charge, the Mrs. Henry Wood becoming deadly splinters and the rock-and-roll singing out in razor sharp shards. The dark lord threw up a silver gray shield but Harry was already on the ground. With a flick of his sceptre the buckler screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the English to circumvent a spray of smuggled globe and threw his baton up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark Creator fled through a door and Harry rushed to trace, casting destruction curse before him. Harry vaulted a desk and skidded through a door only to find his consistence rising into the air. A lightning bolt grazed his shoulder and Harry was spun around like a top. satellite were floating in this elbow room ! There must be some spell screwing with gravity !

Harry shot a hook at Saturn and pulled himself out of the way just before another lightning bolt flashed through the air. Harry jabbed his baton at the sun and yelled,

'' Confringo ! '' The ball of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing charm and pushed off Saturn directly into the hell on earth. From behind the cover of flaming Harry shot a killing nemesis at the dark lord but had to twist in the air to barricade his head being taken off by a benighted leaf blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover whoremonger one too many prison term. fountainhead lets try another.

'' Esurio Esurio ! '' Harry aimed at the spinning red major planet next to Voldemort. It grew a gaping sass and snapped angrily at the shadow Creator, who blew it into fragments but Harry had already trained his wand back on the darkness Almighty. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

Voldemort swung a chunk of planet into the path of the magical spell and fled, pushing open a door Harry had n't even seen. He pushed off the wall and floated weightlessly after him. As soon as he reached the door he dropped to the floor again and raced through, skidding to a occlusion when he saw where he was.

In total contrast to the eternal rest of the section this room was a kind of zoo. batting cage full phase of the moon of creatures filled the room up to the roof and were stacked in a chain reactor in the middle. Some looked formula, some ... not so practically. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of form with what he sincerely hoped was not a human being arm coming out of it. His magical eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the liveliness and bowel movement in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to trace out the room. Long, not so broad ... The door at the early end was closed. That meant that Voldemort was either at the wall behind one of the cages at the side or crouched down behind one of the single in the centre. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the mint of Cage in the center and all their bars sprung open. Creatures scattered in every direction. Something that looked like a sport Wolf made a ravenous leap at the cages to the left and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's verge was trained there in a moment. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to snap off off the curse word to duck behind a desk as more orbs of darkness rained through the air. Harry heard a threshold barb open and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the threshold and swung through, his wand out.

The death chamber ! Back here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the door at the former slope of the dimly lit room and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the other threshold too. In a bit he had his wand trained back on the dark nobleman. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other side of the vast elbow room, his mouth contoured into a sneer. He clearly knew he could break the poxy locking spell, but doing so would give way Harry the minute he needed to toss off him. Harry tried to keep his breath even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running. ``

'' Then you have signed your own death warrant. '' Voldemort slowly stepped down the side of the chamber.

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the dark lord and slowly walked down the steps. `` I rarely sign things. ``

'' I will cast you through the veil myself. ``

'' What ... ever. '' Harry shrugged. `` I 've had enough of your self important scourge. time for the confrontation. Let 's end this. ``

'' Nothing would please me more Mr Potter ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the room. Harry was just a measure behind him. They stared at each other from opposite English of the pedestal that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a leer. `` If I had my wand you would have got died long ago. ``

'' That would be why I nicked it. '' Harry chuckled. `` And anyway ... Lumos ! '' Harry jammed his baton towards Voldemort and the ray cut through the dimness like a spot. Voldemort threw his hands up to protect his eyes."Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark Divine dropped to the floor, letting the spell pass over his head and jabbed his arm up at the cap. The shadows above them became active, a writhing caldron of darkness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to wrap itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to roll as bolts of thunder slammed into the flagstones where he had been lying. A ball of total darkness caught the side of meat of his leg, simply obliterating pulp and skin. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his feet, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that thing ! He could n't crusade it and the iniquity lord at the Lapp meter ! But how to kill something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his wand at the ceiling. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The dark-green spell impacted the sour creature and it wailed in infliction, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to face Voldemort just in metre for an pitch-black orb to take a chunk out of his articulatio humeri. He was bleeding too very much. Had to end this ! The iniquity noble raised his hand for another bolt of lightning of lightning. Harry tore two flag from the footing and hurled them in the way of the magical spell, one after the other. The first was blown to splinters but the mo, hidden by the swarm of rubble, shot through like a marble discus and crashed with a hideous crush into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The shadow Maker was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his injured dresser. Harry pressed his advantage and Voldemort was driven back by spell after spell. The dark Lord was pushed onto to the stairs and stumbled back, lying prone against the stone. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The darkness lord 's hand swung up ! It had been a whoremonger ! Harry saw a cloud of black blade erupt out of nada and sail towards him. He had no protection ! He could not dodge ! There was just one chance ...

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the tongue clattered against his weak shield. Harry let it go and abuse forward, only to accept his knees buckle and drop him on the base. What the ? Harry tried to digest but his legs would n't proceed. Was this some kind of curse word ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

There was a tongue embedded to the hilt in his stomach. Two more than in his leg. Draining stemma down his thigh and pooling on the floor.

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's arms dropped down, suddenly too imperfect. His wand rolled away on the dark stone. He had n't felt the tongue go in, Adrenalin perhaps, but he felt it now. painfulness and fervency raging out from the fix in his abdomen. `` Bloody ... cuticle .... And I was doing so well ... ''

'' Yes Mr Potter you were. '' The nighttime Divine picked himself up from the steps and dusted his robes off. Now that he had won the friendly, almost fatherly, note was back. `` I applaud you. ``

'' I could take beaten you ya know. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of origin spray from his sassing. `` The very initiatory spell I threw. Back when I jumped the count. Back when you had the fake wand. If you 'd have just tried to shield like any normal genius ... I could have won on the first spell. That was ... that was the design. ``

'' It was a good architectural plan. '' Voldemort must have seen no understanding to be angry now that he had won. `` Against a pattern champion it would throw no doubt worked. ``

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his hand to broadcast his fingers around the tongue leaf blade in his tummy, but he could n't terminate the blood. His life was draining out onto the floor. The I in his leg would maim him. The one in his stomach meant he was dead.

'' Do you have any last words my honey enemy ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not hear any satisfactory ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't think of anything ... '' shadow battery-acid swam before Harry 's eyes. He had failed. `` Are my friends still watching ? ``

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not have the wizarding public young woman this event. ``

'' Then my last words are ... proceed combat. '' Harry raised his eyes to fill Voldemort 's. `` hold fight him. ``

'' Not very original. '' The darkness lord shrugged. `` But bettor than Dumbledore 's. ``

'' And ... '' Blood was pooling beneath Harry 's peg. `` And tell Theia I tried. ``

'' An admirable opinion. ``

'' That 's ... '' iniquity was closing in on Harry. `` That 's all I got. ``

'' Very well. '' Voldemort raised his paw. `` I shall miss you. My ... interesting opponent. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to verbalize the last Good Book Harry would ever hear.

'' Wait. '' Harry whispered, he had no strength to verbalise normally. `` I 've thought of some better finish parole. ``

'' Really ? '' Voldemort asked, amused. `` And ? ``

'' The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the seventh month atomic number 66. '' Harry 's whisper words rang out in the quiet room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

'' have thrice defied him. '' Voldemort prompted, his eye suddenly desperate. `` Yes ? Yes ? ``

'' Thrice defied him. '' Harry licked his rim, his interpreter was barely coming out now. `` And the dark Almighty will tick off ... will mark him ... ''

'' Yes ? What then ? '' Voldemort leant fold in to listen.

'' scratch him as his equalize ... '' Harry 's lips were barely moving, his speech just upset in the air. `` But the shadow ... the dark ... ''

'' Yes ... '' Voldemort put his hired man on Harry 's shoulders, steadying him. `` Please stop it ! ``

'' The darkness Almighty, shall never ... '' Harry 's eyes were closed. `` Shall never learn. ``

'' What ? '' Voldemort 's eyes narrowed to slits.

'' The dark lord ... shall never instruct. ``

'' What did you say ? ``

'' I said you never bloody learn ! '' Harry 's eyes flicked open. `` Do you ? ``

Powered by the last gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the tongue from his flesh and drove it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as profligate fountained from his abdomen and his middle clouded fateful. As he slipped away and his spunk stopped beating all he could try was the rustling of the veil.




Cliff. Hanging. Again. I know. Sorry. Review anyway.


Sorry this took a spell to station. I did n't mean to intentionally will you hanging at a cliffhanger but first-class honours degree I posted it then realised I had to change something so that sent it to the rachis of the queue, then it got rejected ... anyways it 's up now.

Reviews seem to be mixed as to whether people think Harry 's really dead or not and whether the serial is over or not. It 's nice to consume created such differing views. : )




The for the first time affair Harry sensed was the odor of apple flush. It was a look he knew very well. His heart flickered open and looked up onto the familiar dappled leaves of the orchard in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, green and full of life.

Harry was lying on the floor. How had he got there ? He lifted his arm up and realized that his ancestry soaked and battle scared garments were gone, replaced by a unsubdivided white robe. That was n't all that was missing either. Harry 's fingers went up to his eye, poking it lightly.

'' Ow ! '' shape, not glass. Harry shook his psyche, realizing what must have happened. Eye 's did not grow back, orchards did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm dead. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a long suspiration of gloominess. He had done his expert, his very, very best. He had tried to hold up. He had tried to not leave behind the existence of the sustenance, had tried not to leave his friends.

There are mass that will support if you die, even if you take Voldemort with you

'' I tried Theia. '' Harry felt a lump in his throat. `` Oh god I tried. But he was better than me. He was ... he was better. I mean I knew he was, really. I just hoped I could skew the betting odds enough to let me win. Let me unrecorded. I guess I was wrong. ``

Harry looked up at the trees, bearing efflorescence and fruit all at once in an unsufferable, but beautiful, tableau vivant. He was sword lily he had ended up here, not back at Godrics Hollow.

'' I did have him with me though. '' Harry spoke the bitter Bible. `` I got him honest. ``

The nothingness rustled lightly through the trees. He thought he could almost, just almost, find out children laughing. Harry sat down and set his cover against a tree and closed his eyes. If this was the hereafter then he knew one matter for trusted. Before he met any chopper gatekeepers or had his sinning weighed against a plume or whatever he was sitting right here and having a ease. The legions of Inferno could not move him from that spot.

The idle words whistled through the tree diagram and for a bit Harry though he could hear voices.

"point her ! Don ‘ t let her get to the soundbox !"

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

The phonation faded. Harry shrugged, that kind of matter probably happened all the time when you were dead.

Harry 's hand wormed it 's way along the ground and found an apple. It was squeamish and hard, fallen recently. He brought it up to his sassing and bit into it, letting the juice run down his face. It tasted a trivial bitter, just a little.

Harry heard the locoweed in nominal head of him disturbed by footfalls. individual was there. He opened his oculus slowly, and arched his eyebrows when he saw who it was.

'' Did n't gestate to see you here. '' Harry commented dryly. `` Though I suppose I should have. ``

'' May I sit down ? '' Dumbledore asked, his voice bearing a serenity it had not held in life.

'' Why not ? '' Harry shrugged. `` I mean were all all in here are n't we. Maybe Elvis and Merlin will bring together us next. ``

'' I doubt that Harry, Elvis is n't dead. '' Dumbledore frowned suddenly. `` I apologize, you asked me not to call in you- ''

'' You can phone me Harry. '' Harry smiled. `` Do n't interest about it. ``

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his head. `` I can never justify to you enough for what I did to you. No words could ever suffice. I ... I am only beaming that I got this one last fortune to tell you how sorry I am. My crime was unforgivable. ``

'' Apparently it was n't seeing as you 're here and not in a big fiery blank space with lots of pitchforks. '' Harry chuckled and rested his munition behind his head.

'' You seem, '' Dumbledore was picking his Book carefully. `` You seem at peace with what I did. More than the last time I saw you at least. ``

'' Mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the Saame metre ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad property, everything was riding on your shoulders. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable oath ten ... maybe twenty dollar bill meter. And before that, over the trend of this year I 've killed ... people. Several people. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the time. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein 's behemoth. Your changeling child. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my head. You said you put your memories of James potter in my caput. I can feel them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a poor copy of Harry ... Or worse a poor transcript of James thrower. Am I ? respond me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his oculus to the floor. `` I do not get it on how much of your original personality survived. Integrating memories is never fully successful, not from one somebody to another, but there is no way to tell how much mixing there has been. There is a prospect that the memories settled harmlessly into your subconscious, but then again ... ''

'' There 's a opportunity they did n't. ``

'' Yes. ``

"Why did n't you tell me this earlier ?"Harry sighed,"I mean before I went and cut out my eye and everything."

"I ... There were many reasons."Dumbledore looked away into the distance."You see it was very well-off to ... to not remember what I had done. To not recall of it. I mean there you were, looking like Harry, acting like William James. It was easy to precipitate into the trap of thinking you were ... that you were ..."

"Real ?"

"That you were not the animation proof of my sins."Dumbledore shook his head."At least that was the reasonableness at beginning. I simple did not require to acknowledge what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the cloudburst of ages, I began to think perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a hero so I though ... perhaps no one would ever have to sleep together. Perhaps I could let you occupy Harry 's blank space and never recite you. I thought I could let you hire the onus. I am not proud of that. I should have known the vaticination could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can take his place ?"Harry pointed at his articulatio radiocarpea."I mean, the dark God Almighty did print me."

"Harry he did not set you as his equal he marked you as his servant."Dumbledore shook his head."And besides, I can depend on my fingers the people who have thrice defied Voldemort. I would bear known if one of them had been with child."

Harry sighed. As he did the wind seemed to croak, carrying to him upstage part. He strained his spike to try,

'' assistance him ! For merlin 's sake help him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

'' Shut up and let me by. '' Snape 's voice cut across her.

'' His heart 's not beating ! ``

'' Of course of study It 's not beating he does n't throw any blood left you hysterical retard. Each of you, give me your deal. It's a near thing Harry acquired so many tagalong, one of you has to be his blood type. ``

The spokesperson faded into the walkover. Harry's hilltop furrowed.

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

"No, but then I ‘ m a little more all in than you are."Dumbledore smiled.

"So I ‘ m ... I ‘ m not dead ?"Harry felt hope upgrade in his heart.

"You are dead, technically. Your heart is not beating."Dumbledore's eye twinkled."But I believe that, with clock time and a generous donation of good red blood, you may be pulled back into the earth of the living."

"So ... Is this actually you then ?"Harry scratched his head."Is this actually the hereafter or just another dream ?"

"This is the afterlife."Dumbledore nodded."And I am, more or less, who I appear to be."

"How ?"

"The fact that you are near end coupled with the fact that you died mere time from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just gladiola I got a hold out opportunity to speak to you."

"Well I assume we ‘ ll meet again ... eventually."Harry cracked a smiling."When I ‘ m old and gray and die in a bed surrounded by beautiful women."

The old wizard and the Cy Young laughed. A thought struck Harry and the hilarity dimmed.

"So, while I have you here, can I ask you something ?"

"Of course of action Harry, anything."

"What is my epithet ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am dreary Harry. I erased the computer memory from my own mind so I would never call you it. Never slip up ... But I can enjoin you the orphanage where I found you. It is called the Malyn orphanage, or was nine geezerhood ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten miles south of Belfast. If records exist then, well then you might be capable to line up them there."

"Malyn Orphanage. Jan twentieth ..."Harry whispered. Then,"So I ‘ m Irish ?"

"Yes Harry. You ‘ re Irish."Dumbledore cracked a whimsical smile.

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his life with a John Griffith Chaney accent thick enough to drift bricks on, chuckled."So, do you think there might even be records of my parents ?"

"I do not remember so."Dumbledore looked away, not meeting Harry's eyes. He seemed to be picking his words carefully."I do not think that you will feel disc of them there."

"What aren ‘ t you telling me ?"Harry felt the void grow."Were they whiz ? Were they death eaters ?"

"No Harry nothing like that."Dumbledore shook his head."In fact I believe we can safely usurp both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a little about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the convention way, you were ... found. Found by an elderly couple walking along the Lagan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s banks a little after a storm and they saw a little big money washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were blueing all over from the cold and moistness, but so weak you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the weewee for a long time."

Crashing rock'n'roll. Raging Caucasian water. Harry's intellect shied away from the flare of terror in his mind and he felt his breathing time quicken. The raging cloudburst in his intellect banishing all though was real, a memory board so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to erase. His only if real memory board was a phobia. Another bitter laugh. He licked his lips, had to say something, anything to take his intellect off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six calendar month old, founder or take."Dumbledore answered."The duad gave you to the authorities and of course an investigation was made. Unfortunately nada was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hands of the youngster military service. The tarradiddle after that is, well, rather as you might pretend it."

"It could take in been an accident."Harry spoke, not daring to hope."You make it sound like my parents tried to wipe out me but it didn't have to happen that way. Maybe I was swept away from my family. You said there were floods."

"I ... I do not think that was the case Harry."A tear rolled down Dumbledore's face."You see, I have something the muggle authorities did not. I have my map. That was the reason lupine knew. I needed him to get it and show me how to use it, or it could possess revealed the truth."

"The map- Or course !"Harry smiled, his eyes lighting up."It should register my real name ! That ‘ s why you kept it cover and everything ! What does it say ?"

"Harry the map does not show your name."Dumbledore brushed the tear away."Do you lie with how the map works ?"

"No."

"It works by making use of an antediluvian type of magic, the magic of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing feeling, but Harry could still hear the lump in his throat."There is an old mavin superstition. An old wives story, if you will, that a necromancer's name is tied to their circumstances. That the name first given to a wizard somehow sets his path. There was once a great fad for concealing one ‘ s truthful name so that foeman could not reach power over you. Foolishness really, in those daytime somebody ‘ s genuine epithet was easy enough to divine. That is what the map does in any case. It works by the magic of names."

"Yeah,"Harry motioned the late master to continue."And ?"

"And for you it displays cipher Harry."Dumbledore closed his eyes sadly."On the map your epithet is blank. Just a set of footmark and an discharge scroll."

"Oh ..."Harry let the quiet grow between them. He couldn't really think of anything to fill it.

"Do you understand what that means Harry ? It means-"

"I know what it means."Harry said quietly."It means my parents never named me before they threw me away."

"Harry ..."

"I was six calendar month old. Six months they had me and didn ‘ t even worry enough to ..."Harry slammed his fist into the basis."I guess I ‘ m amend off without them."

"Is his nitty-gritty beating ? I can barely-"

"Is that a pulse ... it was there I swear it was there."

Harry let the vocalization on the winding die away. He sighed, looking up into the calming dappled sunlight.

"Harry are you alright ?"Dumbledore asked."I realize that this is a dandy deal to take in on top of-"

"I ‘ m alright."Harry swallowed painfully."I mean I ‘ m not alright, really. But I ‘ ll be O.K.. I can already narrate. I ‘ ll be aright. I mean after all the other bombshells this doesn ‘ t really tip the exfoliation that much does it. Like a molehill beside a smoking volcano."

"I ‘ m just sorry that I was once again the bearer of bad news."Dumbledore squinted at Harry, his eyes narrowing."You are fading. Not long before you can no longer bear on this place. Is there anyone else here you would like to utter to ?"

"I ... I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his head."almost of my friends are still alive."

"A blessing."

"So I can anticipate anyone then ?"Harry asked slyly."Anyone dead and they have to come up ?"

"Yes, anyone dead."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."Harry said the dread name loudly into the wood, only faint Echo came back."He ‘ s not all in then."Harry's hands clenched into fists.

"No,"Dumbledore shook his capitulum."I believe you have Bella to thank for that again. She snuck in when the wards came down and spirited his body away good under your friends'nozzle using an emergency portkey. Rather careless of them. Alastor is probably beating himself up right now."

"I though I got him."Harry gritted his tooth."I thought I got-"

"He will be severely weakened."Dumbledore stepped forward and laid a helping hand on Harry's shoulder."Perhaps as badly as he was fifteen old age ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be age, possibly decades before he can rise again. And if we can catch him while he is weak and finish him off, so practically the better."

"I guess."Harry tried to see the good side. It wasn't easy."Well let ‘ s try ... Barty Crouch Jr."Again the timber remained empty but for the two of them. Harry grimaced, he hadn't really hoped that the despicable bastard was dead. But it would feature been a welcome surprise.

"Is there not anyone you actually wish to verbalize to Harry ?"Dumbledore asked, fading a piffling as he did so."No one in this world ? Perhaps the real Harry ceramicist ?"

"I ‘ ve already met him. Twice actually now that I think about it."

"How could you possibly ..."

"Well once was years ago when I traveled through time and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his finger's breadth."And the second time me sent a substance here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked expression Harry grinned."I lead a very eldritch life."

"But interesting."

"Oh yes, very interesting."Harry smiled."All in all I think I ‘ ll let him and his parents rest in peace. After what I did to their statue I don ‘ t think I could confront them. Anyways, goodbye old man. I'll see you again in a long hanker while."

"I hope so Harry."

"This is weird."Harry chuckled and looked around."Why does it feel like we 're having this whole conversation two books early ?"

"simpleton Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking somebody else 's path. From this point on, you 'll stimulate to make your own."

"Good."Harry nodded."I 'm ready."

"I know you are Harry."Dumbledore continued to fade."I know you are. Oh wait, may I ask you something before I go ?"

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

"Your sceptre ..."Harry thought back."Oh ... I threw it through the humeral veil along with Voldemort ‘ s. Sorry did you want to be buried with it or something ?"

"No no Harry."Dumbledore smiled broadly, a mysterious twinkle in his fading eye."Just curious."And with that the old wizard faded into nothing, and was gone. Harry chuckled.

"You had to own the last Scripture didn ‘ t you. Git."

The air seemed to change texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was alive again. He could sense his heartbeat in his chest of drawers. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the orchard. It was exactly the same as before but it felt different. He was dreaming now, just a unconstipated dream. Harry let his eyes close slowly. He would come alive up in dependable meter, but until then ? He was delicately here. For now.
*


Snape reached his apartment in Hogwarts and barely got the door shut before falling into a chair. There was a bed in the next room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the middle of the enceinte hall, on the floor. He would take in been the laughing stock of every scholar though. Even worse he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

Snape raised his wand shakily and levitated the forget bottle of wine-colored off his table. It had been left open, no affair. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting way in St Mungos for yearner than he could think back while incompetent healers told him they had no selective information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the forest all his nervous vitality had leeched out and it had taken all of his mental durability to intercept himself sagging to the floor right there. He had managed to fool most of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him bank to sleep as soon as he got to his room. Who was she to parliamentary procedure him around like that ? Why could she ? Snape's lips curled into a smile. Because she was interesting enough to get away with it and was the only one who could pull it off. Which just added to the interest of course of study. Snape smiled as the wine curled down the vertebral column of his throat. He was very lucky in many deference. favorable than he deserved.

"Severus are you in there ?"There was a knock on the door. Not Natalie. Snape flicked his wand and the threshold creaked open. Minerva stood on the former side, looking as tired as he felt.

"Minerva."Snape tried to sit a niggling less like he was falling asleep."It is good to see you secure, in all the confusion in the ministry I lost data track. cum in. Would you care some wine ?"

"No thank you."Minerva stepped inside. Now that she was closer he could see that the edges of her center held telltale signs of binge. She had tried to hide it, but to the trained eye it was quite obvious."I heard you were back in the castle and came down to see you."

"Anything in particular bothering you ?"Snape asked, perhaps more caustically than was necessary."I am rather tired you see."

"Yes, there is something."Minerva pulled a concentrated backed electric chair over and sat down stiffly."When you went off to St Mungos I called the remaining parliamentary procedure together, there was much to discuss."

"I can envisage that there would be."Snape yawned theatrically. He did not have to fake it."I can not ideate how that would headache me however, I am no longer a member."

"That is partially what we were discussing."Minerva cocked her head to one side."Voldemort is weakened but not dead. The order's task is far from done and we could more than use your expertise. Your primary reason for leaving was Albus. I will not presume to ask the point of that disagreement, it was between the two of you. But do you not think that now he is ... gone, that you might be persuaded to come back to us ?"

"That would depend on who replaced him."Snape said levelly."For example if it were yourself leading the order, I would have no objection."

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her head."I will have quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is sufficiency for me. It has been hard enough to persuade parents to send their children to Hogwarts this year. I imagine side by side year may be a footling well-situated but I am for sure I will still have my script full. And besides, I will want to find a new transfiguration teacher."

"Shacklebolt then."Snape waved a hand vaguely."He has always been very capable."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt may very well be the only affair currently keeping the ministry from falling apart."Minerva smiled faintly."He was the most senior auror to outlast this debacle so I believe he will be ever to a greater extent fussy than I myself will be."

"There are other candidates."Snape was fully warning signal now. He could feel where this was going."Alastor Moody."

"Too paranoid."

"King Arthur Weasley."

"Has no armed combat or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

"Remus Lupin then, he has been with the order since-"

"Remus has grown unpredictable recently. Especially where Harry is concerned."Minerva fixed Snape with a level stare."I believe we can harmonize that whoever should channelize the order should be someone Harry trusts. individual like you."

"No."

"someone who knows how the dark lord thinks."

"No."

"Severus listen to me."Minerva leant closer to him."Do you not recall we discussed all these affair in amongst ourselves in the order ?"

"If I had been there I would have had a few things to say !"

"Severus please."Minerva's centre dropped to the level."This past year Albus ... well you yourself saw. I do not speak ill of the beat but he had become ... banal. He was not the Dumbledore we all knew. He was not acting at his best."

Snape stayed silent. Not at his best was a horrific understatement if ever he heard one but there was no need to say so.

"In any font he was faltering. We all saw it, everyone in the lodge. But no one did anything about it. Except you."Minerva shook her school principal."Perhaps we were all, how did you put it ? ‘ Trapped in the past.'Except you."

"I ... I can not conduct the order."Snape tried to establish his vox not sound like that of a rat at bay."I was a last eater, I fell into dark magic. A longsighted meter ago yes but some scrape do not occur out."

"Yours has."

"That is not what I meant !"Snape took a rich gulp of wine."I am ... tainted. Undeserving."

"Albus always said he did not deserve the prominence he was given."

"Do not compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that tempestuous sentence. There was no to take out his anger on the courier."I merely meant that I do not think it is safe to give me this kind of power."

"Albus also said that those who seek power are those least suited to wield it."Minerva held his eyes."The corollary of that is that those who are suited to wield power are those who reject it."

"Do not quote at me."

"Severus, there is no one else who can do the job as well as you. No one else."

"No one else."Snape felt like chuckling."That is what it always comes down to doesn ‘ t it ? We all do what we must."

"I always have."Minerva stood."So you will take the task ?"

"Do I have a choice ?"

"You do, but I already bang how you will choose."

"You knew before you stepped through that door."Snape sneered."I am trapped like a rabbit."

"Only by your own traps Severus."Minerva smiled and turned to the door.

"You know that I will do thing differently than Dumbledore."Snape said suddenly."There will be changes."

"I know, I look forward to them."McGonagall nodded, and left the room.

Snape rubbed his forehead. He should begin planning, there was much to do. No, he should not. Right now he had a promise to hold. Shedding his robe tiredly, he walked towards his bed.
*


'' Harry ... Harry spread out your eye. ``

Harry woke from deep dreaming, the sparkling silver vocalization in his ears.

'' I 'm awake, '' Harry murmured, his centre closed. `` But I 'm still in my plantation. I can smell the bloom. ``

'' You are still asleep, in St Mungos. '' Water rippling over shining rock. `` I wanted to verbalise to you but you 're on a gravid mass of medicine. It was simpler for me to just descend to you. ``

'' And where are you ? '' Harry 's lips twitched up into a smile.

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' hi Thea. ``

'' how-do-you-do Harry. '' The young oracle was sitting cross legged under a Tree in front of him, looking like the man prototype of tranquility. Instead of her usual Patrick White gown she was wearing a simple brown dress, she seemed almost piece of the forest. She looked ... different, somehow different. It was not her side, she was still the Lapplander beautiful girl he had always known, or her center, mismatched as they were. Her ash gray hair was caught up into a tenacious tail down her back, tied with dingy decoration. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the sentience of ancientness, the intuitive feeling that the little soul in battlefront of him had outlasted empires. She seemed ... new, the Sami age as him give or consider a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not have often to reckon the reason for the change.

'' You 're not the prophesier anymore. '' Harry guessed, guiltily.

'' No, I 'm not. '' Pythea smiled. `` I was sacked. ``

'' I 'm regretful. '' Harry hung his head. `` It was because you were helping me, was n't it ? ``

'' Yes, they finally caught on. '' Pythea reached forward and tilted Harry 's Kuki-Chin up. `` Do n't palpate guilty, not even for a moment. I was miserable there, almost a captive. I 'm happy to be gone. ``

'' You do n't have to tell me that just to- ''

'' It is the truth. ``

'' But it was your home base. '' Harry sighed. `` I 'm going to feel guilty whatever you say, you ca n't stop me. ``

'' Stubborn. ``

'' brat. ``

'' I am not. '' Pythea smiled warmly. `` Do you have any estimation what you will do now ? After you are released from hospital I mean. ``

'' I ... I have somewhere I want to go. ``

'' The orphanage ? ``

'' Hey, you reading my head again ? '' Harry smiled mysteriously. `` Do n't I get any secrets ? ``

'' I can not register minds anymore Harry. '' Theia shook her read/write head. `` That came with being the oracle remember. I just know you. ``

'' But you 're still a vaticinator, right ? '' Harry hesitated to ask.

'' Oh yes, there are some things they can not take away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a seer, and a very sinewy one. ``

'' Can you ... can you tell me my future ? '' Harry asked suddenly.

'' No. I ca n't. '' Pythea smiled and stood. `` Do you need to go to the orphanage now ? ``

'' Now ? '' Harry scratched his head. `` Are n't I in hospital ? ``

'' A short-circuit walk will not inconvenience a mighty Hero like you too much. '' Pythea crooked an supercilium mockingly.

'' A brusque walk ? We have to get to Eire ya know. ``

'' Then it is golden that another thing they can not take away is my international phantom license. '' Pythea held out her hand. `` Just separate me where Harry. And we can go. ``

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


'' Ow. '' Harry 's mitt went to his belly as pain flared there through the hospital rag. `` That really hurts. ``

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the side of meat of his bed. `` The knife was made with non-white magic so the combat injury ca n't be magically healed. You 'll experience to let it knit together the old fashioned way. Is it too much ? Do you like to wait cashbox tomorrow ? ``

'' No no. It just surprised me is all. '' Harry slowly lowered his human foot to the floor and gingerly stood. He had to hunch just a little to turn back the hide of his stomach stretching painfully, but he could walk. No he could n't. His leg was mangled too. Maybe he could hop ... `` Do you have my clothes somewhere ? Oh postponement my bag 's right here. Can you grow so I can- ''

Pythea cut him off with a waving of her hand. His hospital surgical gown changed into a unproblematic lily-white t-shirt and trousers. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another wave a carved wooden cane appeared in his hired hand. Obviously she did not think he was as sizable as said he was. Damn her for being right.

'' Thank you. '' Harry smiled and picked up his bag from beside the bed. `` Shall we go then ? ``

Pythea stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his tender eye. This close Harry could smack her hair, like green grass and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you ready ? '' She asked.

'' Yes. '' Harry shut his eye and waited. And waited ... He opened them again and cocked his head to one side. `` Is there a job ? ``

'' You still have n't told me where we 're going. '' Pythea clicked her tongue irritably. `` Not being able to read multitude sentiment is going to take some getting used to. ``

'' I 'm meritless. I really am. '' Harry apologized again, earning him a level stare from the trivial seer, and told her their destination.

For the first clock time in his life Harry enjoyed an specter. The walls of the void pressed him into Pythea, forcing them nigh together. He could feel her intimation on his face. He was almost disappointed when they dropped onto a small road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanage, it was the only edifice there. At the center of it was a stately-home type of thing. He could n't put a day of the month to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the center of the building complex but at some point the owners had felt a demand to expand. The two blocks to either side of the main edifice took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape panache of architecture. Around the whole place there was a high wall with barbed wire looped at the top.

Harry tried not to think that made it seem like a prison. All schooltime had that these days.

With a careful hired man on his stomach Harry walked up to the independent response. Pythea stopped there and sat down quietly on a bench.

'' You 're not coming in ? '' Harry asked.

'' You go on ahead. '' Thea looked out over the countryside. `` You should probably do this yourself. ``

'' I can still do it myself with you there. ``

'' Go inside Harry. ``

Harry grinned and turned towards the door. He took a deep breath, then winced at what that did to his tum. He tried to cool it the raging butterflies inside but could n't. The solitary matter that gave him the will to push open up the room access was vulture rules. Follow through. No fear.

As he stepped into the tiresome ingress hall a secretary looked up from her desk, eying him quizzically.

'' Is there a record book department ? '' Harry asked uncertainly.

'' Up the step first door on the left. '' The escritoire looked back down at her papers.

Up the steps. Of grade. Harry labored up the measure, having to rest more than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the resort area, wide-cut of small fry running about wildly. From inside the wall the place looked a lot nicer. All around the bound of the wall there were a series of children 's house painting. Long running mural and convolution of gloss. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to hand the starting time floor and took a few tired breathing time. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to carry me up the bally steps. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a construction full of nestling could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the commencement door, his walking perplex clattering against the floor. He knocked, politely.

'' come in. ``

Harry pushed the door open to see an senior lady sitting in front of a computer, looking at him questioningly over her glasses.

"Hi, I used to exist here. At the orphans' asylum I mean."Harry stepped inside.

"Oh,"The woman smiled."Please have a seat."Harry gratefully sat, hung his joystick over the rear of the chairman and worked out how to continue.

"I was wondering if I could get any record book you have of me ?"

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

"Passport ? Drivers license, no you ‘ re too Edward Young for that. Your adoption credentials perhaps."

"Do I need one ?"Harry's manus moved to his air hole and mercifully found that Dragon 's scepter was still there.

"We can ‘ t founder platter out to just anyone dear."

"Confundus."Harry whispered, then."Can you throw an exception ?"

"Of ... of course deary."The woman shook her head like she was trying to reposition cobwebs then turned to her calculator."What name is it ?"

"I don ‘ t have my name. Long story, but it happened on January twentieth, nine class ago."Harry wondered whether he would need another Confundus to blow past the ‘ no gens'matter, but the woman seemed to contract it in her stride.

"Everything ‘ s on computers now. It ‘ s very high gear tech."The woman pursed her lips as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had suite and rooms of file box. Would have got taken ages to retrieve a record like yours."

When would she have started here ? Harry wondered. Was it potential she might have been there back when he was ?

"Here we are."The adult female squinted at the track record for a here and now then let out a throaty chuckle."Oh yes, I remember."

"You ... you do ?"Harry felt his breath quicken."You call up me ?"

"How could I forget ?"She turned to him with a motherly smile."Everyone here has a constant monitor of your check with us."

"Wh ... what ?"

"See the wall over there ?"She gestured out the window."See the barbed telegram ? You may think it ‘ s to keep folks out, but it was originally put up to keep you in. You kept clambering over the wall."

"Really."Harry didn't dare flavor. Didn't dare Bob Hope. A exist joining to his stolen past like this had been too much to ask."I must have caused you all a lot of trouble."

"Oh you were a scallywag you were."The old woman smiled fondly."I still remember what you said to me the day the telegram went up."

"What ?"Harry swallowed."What did I say ?"

"wellspring I said to you ‘ You know that wire ‘ s been put up just to celebrate you in.'And you turned to me, cheeky as a monkey, and told me ‘ That ‘ s goodness Miss, ‘ cos the wall wasn ‘ t much of a challenge anymore.'”

Harry's philia broke and he fell into his hands. He felt teardrop blooming in his eyes. He hadn't known what to anticipate when he'd ejaculate here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected proof. Proof that he wasn't some Frankenstein monster, proof that he wasn't a bad copy of Saint James thrower. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of agency and filled with wanderlust. He. Was. Him.

"dearest are you alright ?"The old cleaning lady sounded interested."Do you require a tissue ?"

"And you tell me ..."Harry swallowed and tried again."Can you differentiate me my epithet ?"

"Oh, I ‘ m afraid you came to us without a name."She looked back at her information processing system screenland."We gave you the last name Malyn, after the orphanage. Which is a traditional here. And for the first figure we had to clear that up. So we called you Jack."

diddly-squat ...

Jack Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

knave Shakey.

old salt Caiman.

All those citizenry, all those the great unwashed he'd disguised himself as ... Jack.

His constant alias. The name that had always come to his lips when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory board, a retentivity of the first real name he had. Not given to him by his parents indisputable, and apparently not magically binding. But a figure. He still felt more like Harry, it was still the name that came first to his lip but ... it was like that hole core inside him was filling. Filling with parts of a life story he had though he had no computer memory of. It felt so good.

"I suppose you ‘ ll want to go down and see it."The old woman was handing him a printed written matter in a folder. Harry assumed it was his file. She nodded towards the book binding of the orphanage.

"See it ?"

"It was always your deary place."The old woman smiled."It was where we usually found you when you managed to sneak off."

Suddenly Harry knew, and with the noesis came the intolerable need to see if it was true. Harry stood suddenly.

"Yes, I do desire to see it. Thank you."Harry smiled thorough teary center."Thank you. Thank you so much."

"My pleasure Jack."

Harry turned and hobbled from the room, it was only his aching wound and walking stick that stopped him from running. He reached the bottom of the step and pushed out the door. Pythea was already standing, like she'd known he was coming.

"We need to go that ... that way."Harry was breathing so hard all he could do was orient vaguely.

"atomic number 82 the way."

Harry set off, taking them troll to the back of the building. He could see it now, down the slope a minuscule. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the shade of the Malus pumila trees. The little beat plantation of apple trees.

"My god."Pythea had her hand to her backtalk in cushion."It ‘ s real."

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hired man to relate a branch."It was a memory board. I kept having this dream where I was stuck in Godrics holler. But that post felt all Weird, but if I could break out and reach the orchard I felt safe. Felt real."

"I though it was a creation of your mind, I never thought ..."

"Neither did I."Harry stepped beneath the branches and walked into the centre of attention of the grove. He set his spinal column against the Tree and slid down, resting on the flat coat. Pythea sat down future to him, resting her shoulder against his.

"It ‘ s very peaceable here."Was all she said.

Harry didn't corporate trust himself to speak. Couldn't speak. There were no Book. They sat there for the farseeing metre, the last summer child's play filling running past them and rustling the leafage above their heads. Eventually, after who knew how long, Harry spoke.

"Thea ?"

"Hm ?"She murmured. Had she almost fallen asleep. Harry looked over into her beautiful mismatched eyes.

"Why did you entrust me ? Right at the beginning ?"

"I told you, because you are effective and-"

"But right at the beginning you couldn ‘ t have known all that."Harry pointed out."Back then I was a stranger."

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you make out how they choose the next oracle Harry ? They go around to all the witching house in Hellenic Republic, looking for kid with the inner eye. If they find one with enough powerfulness, with superpower enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

"involve them from their parents ?"Harry asked, shocked.

"The parents have a choice of course, but who would dare say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's slope."I was three, but I remember it well, another curse my gift gives me. My name wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old name, never speak it ever again. One day in art form I signed one of my paintings with the old gens, just a small mistake. The fury they had at me that day ... they burnt my picture, in front of my eyes. I never used the old public figure again. After I finished my training I was allowed to go back and visit my parents. I went back to my old business firm. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would have a bun in the oven someone to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their daughter, they looked at me like I had done something wrong. Even to them I was supposed to be The Pythea ... even to them."

"Thea I never knew."Harry put an arm around her ( What the hell do I do ? She's not crying, do I offer her a tissue anyway ? Oh god what do I say ? )"It must have been heart-wrenching. I can ‘ t imagine-"

"You can suppose. Not that you have to."Pythea smiled up at him."That ‘ s why we were never strangers. Because we ‘ re the same, both orphaned. Both with our dead on target identity taken from us. Both shoved into rolls and names we never wanted."

"Both forced to accept them."Harry nodded."Yeah, we were never strangers. We're the same, we ‘ re like ... rootless. We have no root. No past."

"Did you find out your gens ?"Pythea asked suddenly.

"I found out a name."Harry shrugged."But I think I ‘ ll keep back going with Harry, I ‘ ve carried it longer than the other now anyway."

"They took away who we are."She murmured.

"They took away our names."Harry corrected, brushing his bridge player against Pythea's face."They can ‘ t take away away who we are. The names don ‘ t thing so much, you can visit me Harry or Jack or Bob it doesn't subject. I know who I am."

"I wish I had your certainty."

"You do have it."Harry smiled."Because I know who you are. It ‘ s got nothing to do with your name. You ‘ re just you. Any you ‘ re perfect."

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, little glistening tears in the nook of her center, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really make out what to do, former than to blush. A moment later Pythea seemed to realize something.

"Harry, did you just beat me at being profound ?"

"Had to pass off eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you next time."

"You ‘ re on."

Pythea smiled, lighting up her cheek. Harry bit his lip and asked.

"So, you ‘ re going to be staying in Britain then ? For now ?"

"I think so. Are you ?"

"Yeah, probably."Harry rested his hands behind his question."Go back to Hogwarts maybe. I don ‘ t know if I missed the O.W.L.S."

"They begin next hebdomad if I remember correctly."

"A hebdomad, think that ‘ s adequate sentence ?"Harry scratched his head.

"Since it ‘ s all the revision you would do anyway, I ‘ d say, yes. And after that ?"

"Dunno ... Stay in the country probably. I could do with a squeamish peaceable holiday."

"Harry you wouldn ‘ t know what to do with a peaceable holiday."

"I ‘ d know exactly what to do."Harry winked."As soon as I got there it would get a lot less passive, but a lot more fun."

lechatelierite laughter filled the grove, and lit up the leaves with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her lord's bed and cried, heedless of her rent staining the sheets. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His skin was beat white and only the dark magic she had woven in his chest kept him live. He was so fallible, not even witting. It was frightening to see him like this, terrible to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could take risen up again in glory. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better dead than to lie on this contract cot in a midget room, not even fit for a hiding space. But she had to do what she could. She was the terminal, the last loyal death eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

Bella whirled, her wand snaking out. When she saw who it was she barely relaxed.

"You !"She clap with venom."Barty Crouch, you dare slink back after abandoning our lord !"

"I did not abandon him."The unflurried boy stepped from the shadows, carrying a software system under his arm."I was doing our lords ripe work."

"For a full moon yr ?"

"It did conduct thirster than anticipated ... but it has been done. And in the nick of time too."The wan wizard strode over to the iniquity lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, master, and I have done your bid. Do not interest lord, I can make you strong again. hard than ever. With this ... we can rise again, the demise eaters can rise again. The ground will tremble master, shake in fear."

Barty Crouch reached into his package and pulled something out. Bellatrix felt her jaw drop.

"We can be stronger than ever master."Barty's face in the shadows was terrifying."strong than ever."





Ye gods that was hard to spell right. Or ... properly write. Write write ... some combination of those words anyway. It 's been a roll coaster I think you 'll agree, and the single most massive wrench of the integral fic was finally revealed. Hope you liked it. people who were waiting to the end of this book to review ... your prison term has come.

I 've already started writing the next book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual thing of writing myself into a corner. Instead I plotted the Word out in procession and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The secret plan made logical mother wit and all, no plot-holes, there was nothing tripping me up, no writer block, I just realized that the patch I had mapped out was a bit [ tidings I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. Positive upshot : The story is a lot inviolable now I think. Negative upshot : I have to throw away a substantial office of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the following storey is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own path. Too bad that path is as deadly as the finally. A new enemy rises, an old one lingers and a cryptical assassin is out for Harry 's blood. With Harry still injured from his confrontation in the department of mysteries he ca n't confront these challenges head on. He may even possess to start using his brain ...

Mysteries abound in the side by side book of the series Harry potter, The pit and The Scorpio !