Harry thrower and The Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 6 - Too Close an confrontation

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When Harry shut the door to his elbow room and descended the stair he was, perhaps, the happiest he had ever been in all his animation. The sun sent golden rays streaking through the one-sided windowpane above and cast a gilded prototype on the floor below, tinged with plenty red to make Harry think fleetingly of Fawkes. His hair a convoluted sight, he was wearing a tee shirt, drawers and wind sleeve, one with a rather large hole through which the heavy toe on his good understructure protruded. He scratched his stomach as his horn in took in the odour of something that resembled the look of burning ham. He took one tone down and turned to appear back at his room. His room ? His star sign ? No, not really. Not anymore. And he was thankful for that and smiled all the more as the fragrance of reinvigorated coffee filled the air, perhaps the only thing Sothis could make properly.

When he pushed open the door to the kitchen of Number twelve, Grimmauld Place, he found Sirius working feverishly in front of the stove. His verge was casting spell after tour, not so much at the food preparation, but in an effort to take in the smoke that was billowing throughout. Harry walked over and turned down the flaming with a waving of his hand.

"Here,"he said gently,"let me help."His godfather looked wounded.

"No, really, I wanted to do you breakfast. You know, first day of school and all."He cracked an egg and put both liquid and casing in the same bowl and started mixing it with his wand. Harry chuckled kindly and shook his header in mental rejection. It was swell being free of Privet Drive, to be here with his godfather, to finger wanted and appreciated. It was probably the first fourth dimension he had ever opened a software program of bacon for breakfast without a sour taste sensation in his mouth. He gave Sirius a aspect that said,"Get real,"and then positioned himself squarely in front of the stove.

"I'm not bad at this,"offered Harry, cracking four eggs at once into a arena and discarding the shield with a flick of his wand. Sirius shrugged and started to sit, but Harry stopped him."Oh no you don't. You need to see how this is done, and when I come back for Christmas Day it'll be your turn."Sirius seemed to like the challenge, and the idea that he would be spending Christmas Day with Harry.

"You know,"said Sirius pouring two loving cup of coffee,"I hear New House of York is spectacular at Christmas time. Have you ever been to the province ?"Harry shook his heading."Maybe we could go for a straightaway visit."

"I promised Gabri—"

"Visit,"Sirius cut in."That's all. Maybe Gab can get along."

"If we're not at war,"said Harry glumly.

"Or if the war's over by then,"suggested Sirius with more optimism. Harry nodded plating the food and levitating the plates to the table.

Sothis ate like a dog and finished in about three minutes. Harry was more pondering, and while he did fetch up, it took him much longer. The nicest matter about being of age was that he didn't have to walk or select a car to go to Riley B King's hybridisation place. For that matter, he didn't need to go to King's cross at all ; he could Apparate to Hogsmeade and base on balls in from there. Only the Head Boy and Head Girl had to take the train with their housemates, and this class the header miss was none former than Hermione farmer. Odd, Harry thought, considering she'd nearly killed Theodore Nott last year. He smiled and took another sip of chocolate. Hermione didn't know who the Head Boy was, but it wasn't Ron. Still, the red-header and his girlfriend were inseparable and so Harry would be travelling too. When Harry told Gabriella he would be going to Hogwarts by string, her facial expression fell momentarily and grew concerned.

"Then I go as well,"she declared, and she began to shiver slightly. The thought sent a cold tingle down Harry's acantha as the warm umber slipped down his throat.

"Any more Roger Bacon ?"asked Sirius rummaging through the crusted pans about the stove.

"That pitch blackness stuff and nonsense you fried up over there on the side is bacon ; at least it used to be."

Sirius poked at it a few times, and then finally took a bite. His look took on a slight bitter tone as it scrunched ever so slightly, then he took another raciness, shrugging his shoulders. His teeth and tongue covered in charcoal gray he said,"You'd better get ready. Is your trunk packed ?"He glanced at the hourglass on the counter.

"Er… yeah,"Harry lied."Just a few more things."He levitated his plate to the cesspit which was piled heights with pots and cooking pan from the finale few days."Do you want me to take caution of these before I—"

"I'll take precaution of it,"Dog Star lied."Go get yourself ready."Harry shrugged and nodded his head, and started up the stair, once again scratching his stomach and knowing full well it would be sidereal day, perhaps hebdomad, before the cesspit was cleared.

It was unknown really, getting fix for his end year at Hogwarts. So often he was rushed in the hustle and bustle of the Weasley category. This year, however, Harry wanted to be with his own class — Sirius Black. And it was the right decision he'd ever made. It had only been a few mean solar day, but in that shortly time Canicula and Harry did absolutely… cipher. There were opportunity to talk about the old days when Sirius palled around with St. James ; there were chances to exercise advanced spells or pick up the mathematical operation of some of the aureate musical instrument that still lined the walls in the blackness menage sketch ; there were sentence when they could birth discussed how Harry brought Sirius back from behind the drapery ; and at every turn, at every open up door, Harry and Sirius simply took the prison term to delight each other in the here and now. They played chess ; the playact cards ; they raced Caduceuses across the London sky at night ; they drank, probably too a great deal ; and they laughed Thomas More than they had laughed in a long, long time. Dog Star'optic had never been brighter, and Harry's heart had never been lighter.

This metre when Harry readied himself at the breast door to leave, there was no dark cloud hanging over their headway, but rather an aegir hullabaloo about the class to come and what it would bring. They drew strength from each early knowing that whatever war was around the corner, whatever iniquity rose on the skyline, they would face it together. For a consequence they just stared at each early and around the room.

"Er… Right then,"began Dog Star."Off you go."He nervously patted the incline of his hips with his hands.

"I'll… I'll owl you when I get in,"replied Harry. Dog Star nodded. secretiveness."right hand, then."There was another long break."Bloody hell on earth,"Harry cursed and he walked over and pulled Canicula to him tightly with a grand hug. Canicula responded in kind.

They held each other for Thomas More than a minute and then Canicula whispered in a somewhat raspy voice,"Be careful."Harry pulled away wearing an enormous smile.

"I've never been anything but !"He winked, there was a crack, and he was gone.

He Apparated to an out of the way location just down the street from King's hybridization Station and began walking. The late break of the day was clean-cut, and he was surprised to feel the air so cold. He'd been spending so much time inside with Sirius he hadn't thought much about the weather. His coat was in his body, and he didn't feel much like opening that in the center of a street filled with Muggles. He shivered, rubbed his weapon system, and continued on his way. He was coming to the first step of the station when a mendicant boldly stepped in front of him demanding a donation. Wearing a good three days'stubble, his clothes were filthy, and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

"seed on, spouse,"he wheezed."Just a Cypriot pound fer me consideration. I ain't eatin'in days."

"Sorry,"said Harry earnestly,"I don't have a pound."

"Surely a schilling ?"

Harry kept walking trying to dismiss the trespasser."Really,"he said over his berm,"I don't have any money."The man grabbed Harry by the arm.

"I can hear the jingle in yer pants, boy !"It was genuine that Harry had a few galleons in his sac, but no Muggle money of any sort. He was sorry for that, but he was irritated for being called a boy and he turned to face the beggar.

"Call me a boy again, and you—"

"You'll what !"spat the drunk, stepping toe-to-toe with Harry. The sight was a bit funny since Harry was not the pocket-size tike he once was. Indeed he was a strapping young man, and he stood a good four inch taller than his adversary. Curling the fingers on his right hand, he was about to say just what he'd do when a familiar tingling ran up his spine. He grabbed for his wand, but too late. Or at least it would consume been if he had been the objective. The sot stood motionless, eyes glazed, consistency frozen in status. Harry looked up just as a hand gently took him by the arm.

"Sorry about that, sir,"said a Whitney Moore Young Jr. man not much sometime than Harry."I… er… I wasn't paying care. Won't happen again, I promise."

The man, still in his adolescent, wore a benighted Asa Gray causa with sparse blue piping, a Burgundy wine tie and Andrew D. White shirt. The dark glasses reminded Harry of old James bail movies, but the white-hot tennis shoes with red laces told Harry at once he was dealing with a champion. Then he noticed the build of the jaw, the spokesperson, but the hair—

"Finnius ?"Harry asked, wondering if he was talking to the sometime head teacher Boy of Hufflepuff who at graduation had a startle at a face fungus and haircloth that hung down to his waist."I thought you were going to start a band ? The… er, The Grindly trough ?"

"Erm,"said Finnius, looking around nervously,"can we continue going ?"

"Why ? What's the topic ?"

"Well… see, I'm supposed to—"

"Not you ?"Harry exclaimed in disbelief."Surely the Ministry—"

Finnius pulled Harry by the arm just as the drunk began to come to his common sense. Quickly, they climbed the pace and found themselves in a sea of people heading to their platforms at King's crossbreed. sudation was popping out on Finnius'brow and Harry wondered if he hadn't wet himself he looked so skittish."It's just… well, I promised Tonks and already I've made a mess of things."

"You work with Tonks ?"Harry asked with a bit more fervour and interest. He hadn't heard from her all summer, and she wasn't at the Joining with Singehorn."Is she okay ? Where is she ?"Finnius continued to usher Harry toward chopine nine and three-quarters holding Harry with his right hand and wiping his eyebrow with his left.

"Yeah, well, she's the one that convinced me I could be an Auror. Said she'd wagon train me, see… herself. But since that clientele at the Ministry hold out year, she's been in and out of hospital and… well, now she's in and… well, she made me hope. See ?"

Harry didn't see, and he was getting a bit irritated. He yanked his arm out of Finnius'grip."What do you imply she's in hospital ? What's wrong ?"Finnius looked away from Harry's intense gaze.

"Ah, here we are."They were at the platform."Just in meter too !"Before Harry could say another Word of God, Finnius gave him a bit of a shove and he plunged through the rampart and found himself on the early side of meat standing just in social movement of the Hogwarts express. Harry dropped his trunk, reached for his wand and started back toward the wall when he was tackled from the face. The flash of raven disastrous hair in his face told him at once it was Gabriella.

"You made it !"she cried."I was beginning to think—"She stopped, sensing at once that Harry's emotions were in turmoil."What's wrong ?"And then she too looked at the paries to the outside creation."Who's out there ?"

The thwarting on Harry's cheek was clear ; he was about to bear down back out when his eyes caught something he had never before seen : Neville Longbottom was hugging his parents, Frank and Alice, adios. Alice held his face in her hands and planted a big wet kiss on his nerve. They were all smiles as Neville wiped it with his sleeve. Then frank Longbottom handed his son something and, as Neville wrapped his digit about the aim, a more serious tone came into his center. His dad slapped him on the shoulder and a thin smile appeared again as Neville boarded the train.

"He's question Boy,"Gabriella said warmly.

Harry looked at Gabriella, then at the paries behind, and back to the train, then back to the wall."Come on, let's—"

"ALL ABOARD !"the director called.

"doyen said he'd save us a spot,"said Gabriella, taking hold of Harry's paw. Harry took one conclusion looking at the wall behind them, and then the two boarded the train. The corridor was crowded with students, particularly first years who were completely confused. What was noticeable, however, was that the pattern demarcation of star sign zona seemed to be somewhat blurred. There were Slytherins purposefully mixing in with Ravenclaws near the front of the string, and a grouping of third class Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in another pusher playing crack. A few cars down Harry just caught a glimpse of somebody in Gryffindor plume disappearing into a carriage and so he and Gabriella followed. He pushed open the carriage door only to walk in on Neville and Helen kissing ; a sweet fragrance filling the air.

"Oh,"said Harry."Sorry."Neville had Helen up against the paries and there was some sort of vine with fragile pink flowers wrapping itself around her arm and abdomen. She was wearing a grin and blushing slightly."Er… seen Dean ?"Neville who seemed about three inches taller than when Harry last saw him which was only a few weeks ago spoke through a beaming smile.

"Yeah, he's up forward."Then, with a confident flick of his scepter Neville shut the door in Harry's case, following that with a charm that sealed it tight. Gabriella just raised her eyebrow and smiled.

"See what happens when you're late."She smacked Harry's tummy."That could have been us !"

They continued moving forward past several pram when the flash of red whisker caught Harry's eye. It was Ron, and he was bickering with Hermione. The floor of the rig they were in was littered with clothes, books and assorted things Harry knew to be Ron's, most notably by the overabundance of socks.

"Honestly, Ronald,"said Hermione in a chew out voice as if talking to a four year old."If you don't find it soon you'll have to tell professor Flitwick, and if you won't I will."

"Is that a threat ?"shot back Ron, holding both mitt on his rose hip and kicking at the quite a little of clothes on the floor. Gabriella walked in first.

"Is there something wrong ?"she asked gently, Harry only a pace behind her.

"No, nothing's improper,"snapped Ron immediately."Er… hey, mate !"he said with a Wave at Harry.

"He's lost his wand,"exclaimed Hermione.

"I haven't lost anything,"retorted Ron in defiance."I've just… er…"

"Have you tried summoning it ?"asked Harry, starting to rummage through the clothes on the pushchair floor. The nerve look of fire in Ron's eyes said that they had certainly tried that and many early things and would Harry just not progress to any other suggestions because Hermione has already made every possible suggestion known in the Wizarding world and none of them have worked.

"Hermione,"said Gabriella with a tone that Harry had come to fuck all too well, and yet was still new to Hermione."Perhaps one of my Slytherin housemates is playing a magic trick, most likely Teddy. Would you link me and perhaps together we can solve this little problem."Knowing Hermione's disposition toward Nott, Harry wondered if it was a Wise idea to put the two in close proximity, but Gabriella may get been on to something. Certainly Nott would have the motivation to rip a stunt like this, but perhaps Gabriella just wanted to get Hermione away from Ron for a bit. He smiled to himself realizing that it was probably both.

"Sure,"said Hermione. She cast one more feeling at Ron before she left and said,"And don't you stop looking !"The minute the miss departed, Ron flopped down on the carriage bench and blew the hairsbreadth out of his eyes.

"Bloody hell."

"Well, Fred or George III can certainly get you a new wand,"offered Harry, sitting down across from Ron."Or maybe we can sneak out this weekend and Apparate to Ollivanders."Unfortunately, Ron's grimace did not brighten at the suggestion.

"feel at us, Harry,"said Ron with a whimsical aspect on his face, tinged with a bit of sullenness."We were here six geezerhood ago, you and me. Do you remember ?"

There was a second of silence as Harry watched the countryside slip of paper by. It wasn't the like string as six years ago, but it might as well have been.

"Yeah,"said Harry, almost in a whisper as he nodded his point,"I remember."

"thing haven't changed much."

"They've changed loads."Harry reached forward and pulled on the small goatee now sprouting from Ron's chin.

"Really ?"asked Ron with a snort."Back then you were Harry thrower, The Boy Who Lived, and I was Ron Weasley with a smudge of dirt on my nose."

"That's not—"

"Now we're both of age and you're Harry thrower, guardian, shielder and Emissary, the whizz that destroyed Voldemort and brought peace treaty with the giants, and I'm Ron Weasley the kid that can't find his BLOODY WAND !"At the last-place run-in he stood up, kicked at the rampart, and put his boot all the way through.

Harry was trying to come up something to say when the door began to open. Angry, Ron instinctively reached for his wand to slam the room access shut, but it wasn't there. He growled like a lion and was about to physically mosh the doorway shut when St. Patrick O'Riley, now in his second year, poked his question through.

"Was that you, Ron ?"asked Patrick brightly, nodding his oral sex toward the hole that now protruded into the corridor. Then he noticed Harry."Hey, Harry ! Dean said you were going to be up in his carriage."

"Later,"answered Harry."Right now I'm just—"

"Patrick,"cut in Ron, doing his scoop to continue simmer down,"we don't have time to—"

"Prob'ly mad ‘ bout losin'this,"interrupted Patrick, and he held up Ron's baton. For a moment Ron sputtered, unable to speak. Finally, he grabbed the wand and pulled it close, cradling it like a infant as a wave of relief passed over his body.

"Where'd you find it ?"asked Harry.

"Oh, I didn't,"said Patrick,"St. James the Apostle did. When he showed it teh me, I knew at once whose it was. He was on his way teh take it teh Flitwick, but I told him I'd get it teh yeh."

"Er… thanks,"answered Ron."You're okey, kid."At net Ron smiled as he slipped his wand away.

"Why don't you and King James I stay in here,"offered Harry."I haven't heard from the Changs all summertime and was wondering how Cho was doing."At these words, Patrick became noticeably uncomfortable.

"Gee, Harry,"he answered, looking back down the corridor,"we're already hangin'out with the Slytherins."

"Slytherins ?"asked Harry."I thought James was going to start Gryffindor this class. He knows he can pick whatever star sign he wants doesn't he ?"

"Yeah, well, he changed his mind o'er the summer, I guess."Again he glanced nervously down the hallway."Well… see yeh !"He smiled and disappeared down the corridor to the back of the train.

"That was a bit odd,"said Ron, sweeping away a few pairs of drogue with his hired man and sitting down on the bench.

"Yeah, it was."

"Why on Earth would anybody pick out Slytherin over Gryffindor ? Everyone knows they're nothing but a bunch of—"

"Yes ?"Gabriella stood at the open threshold, her fingers drumming against the frame.

"Er…."

"…Sweethearts !"chimed Hermione gaily as she stepped into the carriage with Gabriella."Except maybe… Teddy."She flopped down side by side to Ron.

"He didn't take it too well when we asked if he'd stolen Ron's wand,"continued Gabriella as she sat adjacent to Harry. Hermione took Ron's hand and pulled him close up to her.

"No, but he didn't dare use a cross Holy Writ or raise his part,"said Hermione."Quite the gentleman's gentleman for a change."

"Being nearly killed can do that to some people,"said Ron.

"I could sense right away he was telling the Truth,"said Gabriella,"so we decided to come up back. Patrick told us he found your wand."

"No, King James Chang found it,"said Harry."Saint Patrick only returned it. Did he enjoin you that James has decided to go with Slytherin this yr ?"

"There, you see !"said Gabriella,"Another very well deterrent example. James was one of the comfortably first yr pupil as I recall."Ron pulled out his wand and looked at it closely.

"I should probably have it examined,"he said."Maybe Nott put him up to it."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous,"said Hermione, slapping his hand. Then she turned to Harry, trying hard to push aside the mess on the floor."So how's Sirius doing at Grimmauld lieu ?"

The 60 minutes passed quickly as dejeuner came and the late good afternoon brought drooping lid to everyone. Dean never made his way back to the pram, and they never endeavoured to proceed further up the wagon train. They were all nodding off to log Z's when the power train began to slow.

"Hogsmeade ?"asked Ron groggily. The noon sun seemed suddenly to pass to darkness as if someone had just pulled down the curtain.

"No,"said Hermione with a bit of business concern."It's too early."They all noticed the last word of honor leave her sass in a pouffe of roll of tobacco -- the air was growing colder by the bit. They knew at once what was happening and each had their wand at the fix. The darkness outside the gear filled with flashes of light. Ministry guards had moved out to see the bombardment which was centred toward the figurehead of the train. Incantations filled the air as Patronus after Patronus was being sent out against the set on Dementors. There were shriek all up and down the corridors, mostly from the untried students.

"Ron,"said Hermione with a overtop representative."Help me conglomerate the beginning years."Ron was up in a flash, and a moment later his voice was barking parliamentary law down the corridor for everyone to remain tranquilize, calling for the first gear days to muster at the caboose. educatee began to go toward the rear of the train, away from the fighting.

"They're looking for you, Harry,"said Gabriella, holding her wand at the windowpane. She cast a spell at the shabu, protecting it from attack, just as other windowpane began to shatter about the train.

"fountainhead they're about to find me !"shot Harry as he started for the door. Gabriella grabbed his arm.

"You can't be serious. Who knows how many are out there. Your best using the train as a—"The string lurched forward causing collective screaming all up and down the corridor. Then it began to impress -- chug… choo-choo… chug… choo-choo… She was quickly gathering speed. There was another fuss of lustrous white flashes of unhorse cast against the duskiness, and the afternoon light suddenly reappeared and the warmth returned. Everyone cheered as the veil of swarthiness became nothing more than a sullen cloud on the apparent horizon behind the train.

A tone of relief spread across Gabriella's case, but darkness still remained in Harry's eyes as he reached and grabbed the wrist joint of the hired hand that was holding his arm. Slowly, but firmly he pulled her hand away, and looked at her with a very grim expression. She sensed his emotions before he said the words and she didn't like what she was feeling. Finally, he spoke in a unrelenting and fire up voice.

"Don't EVER do that again."

"But—"

There was a screeching that Harry knew at once to be Ginny's. In a flash he was out the doorway and down the corridor, only a whole tone ahead of Neville Longbottom, and two stone's throw behind Ron. Ginny was on her articulatio genus in the carriage, break dance glass everywhere and weeping streaming down her eyes. She grabbed her comrade by his sleeve.

"Do something, Ron !"she cried out."They've taken him. They've taken Dean !"

"But… but he's right here, Gin"answered Ron, looking at Dean who was still seated on his chair, but looking out the window at the rural context running past. It was Gabriella who noticed first.

"Oh, no,"she whispered, stepping past tense Harry and turning James Byron Dean to look them all. There was a collective gasp. Still breathing, his eyes were vacuous, his face sunken, and his skin almost picket. He gave them no reaction at all. Ginny stood up and wrapped him in her weapon system, rocking him back and Forth. On her finger was the ring doyen had given her the twelvemonth before. The firestone with which it was set had lost its brilliant glow, its flame, its passion extinguished.

"They've taken him,"she cried again."They've taken his soul."




Harry ceramist and the core of Becoming

Chapter 7 - The Lost someone

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Harry clenched his fists and spat,"Fucking war."Other than that, only the rumbling of the train and the flatus whistling through the shattered window accompanied Ginny's bastard. He stepped adjacent to Gabriella and watched helplessly as Ginny, a somebody mate if ever he had one, rocked back and forth with dean in her arms. Dean, breathing but lifeless, made no reception. He might as well be a cadaver - he'd be salutary off. Harry felt the rage building within, but something was tempering it, something was focusing it. He gazed into nothingness as smoke streamed by the broken windowpane and a snag tracked down his cheek.

"Ginny,"Gabriella whispered, then louder,"Ginny."The red-header, her typeface wet, looked up at Gabriella."May I see him ?"Ginny sniffed, wiped her facial expression and nodded silently. soul, a fille, screamed at the door and then ran down the corridor shouting for avail.

"I'll get a healer,"said Neville despondently to Harry. His phonation was much older and much sadder than Harry had ever heard before. They both knew it was pointless.

"It won't do any good,"thought Harry to himself, reaching for his wand and then nervously fiddling it with his digit. Then, out loud, he whispered,"He's gone."The rage roiled in his mind as he watched the green pitcher's mound roller by - a picture perfect day. Finally, his nous found its uncloudedness."This was past tense forgiveness,"he thought to himself and his hand clenched tightly about his scepter as he pulled it to the ready."I'll kill them ! I'll stamp out them all !"He would Apparate back down the tracks and destroy every Dementor that moved. He began the wrist social movement when Gabriella grabbed his arm. His eyes injection ardor into hers."I told you—"he began.

"You're not thinking,"interrupted Gabriella, staring at him intently with dark fateful eyes that demanded he not be so cheeky.

"I don't worry how many of them there are !"cried Harry.

"I'm with you, Harry !"yelled Ron."We'll putting to death ‘ em all !"

"YEAH !"cried others."LET'S GO !"

Wands began to look from everyone.

"Harry !"shaft Gabriella."THINK !"She pulled him close."You know a better way !"

Harry's mind began to race ; there was no clock time for this. The Harlan Stone ? Was she talking about the Harlan Fisk Stone ? Certainly she didn't mean that he could heal Dean's soul using the stone."I don't have time—"

"Your voices, Harry,"she said softly but with a abrupt tone.

interpreter ? Voices ! She couldn't be serious. She had wanted to work with him on the voices, the giving of those who had touched him at the connexion, but he chose instead to pass his clip with Dog Star. All those present at the Joining on Singehorn's peck were, in several mode, a part of him now. They had shared of themselves freely, but there were so many he couldn't sort them out and fourth dimension was dripping through his fingers.

"I can't."

"You must."

For a present moment, as More vocalization clambered about the corridor for a counterattack on the Dementors, he tried to reach down deep inside, calling to those who had shared of themselves, scanning through unnumerable memories, snippets of scene that spanned centuries.

"This is unsufferable,"he said with a sigh.

"ejaculate on, Harry ! Let's kill them !"somebody called from tail end. It was Anthony Goldstein. Very well said, thought Harry, but Anthony's Patronus would be favorable to push away a bingle Dementor let alone dozens. Unfortunately, before Harry could say another Good Book, Anthony gave Harry the most peculiar face and shouted,"For our family, married person !"There was a pop and Goldstein was gone. It was followed by another pop and another grab. Senior students were Disapparating from everywhere.

"postponement ! STOP"Harry yelled."You're… you're not ready !"

"Mama's seen them, Harry,"said Gabriella above the snaps and pops."She may know. Think of her… be her !"

Harry closed his eyes once again and focused on Soseh. His mind dwelt on the warmth of her hospitality and the aroma of her kitchen, but Gabriella turned his mind.

"chilliness. Emptiness,"she whispered."The odour of decay, of death."

double filled Harry's psyche. persona of what was, what is, what might be. He saw Dakhil, a much younger looking Dakhil, blood dripping from the corner of his sass ; he saw himself hanging from the window on Privet cause, an odd radiance surrounding his half-naked body ; he saw Grigor looking cruel and defiant ; he saw the cold deadened body of Antreas, twinge wounds covering every inch of his bare pectus ; death, and then he saw them.

It was Night and the sole auditory sensation, beyond a lone scream in the duskiness, was the raspy breath of the oncoming Dementor. Just a few invertebrate foot away, a immature missy was cowering beneath the dissemble figure. Just to her left was a man, somewhere in his late 20, a firedrake emblazoned on his right-hand forearm. Ignoring the man, the Dementor pulled back his hood revealing its skull-like masquerade party of horror, a large hole where perhaps a mouth should be. The vision seemed so real Harry tried to extend to for his baton, but found his arms shackled to a stone wall.

The fille screamed as the Dementor drew in its breath in a not bad wheeze. Another scream… another wheeze. On the third wheeze, the female child made no speech sound ; her dull eyes opened, staring blankly up at her attacker. It was then, as if empowered with a second visual sensation, Harry saw it : the gleam. He watched the faint favorable white illumination being pulled into the hollow in the Dementor's opening. He expected it to disappear into the darkness, but it didn't. The Dementor pulled his exhaust hood up over his skull, but Harry could still perceive the glow trying to struggle its way out. It was as if the Dementor was shining, backlit by a spotlight from above."I see,"Harry whispered and the duskiness rushed away to be replaced by the lights and rumblings of the racing Hogwarts Express.

"I see !"cried Harry."I…"He paused."Soseh can see,"he said slowly shaking his principal."Soseh has the giving, I don't, at least not yet. I haven't tried. There's no way I can—"Gabriella's middle were fixed on his. He knew she bore her mother's gift of muckle, and her eyes were telling him that she too must go."No,"he said flatly."You're staying here."

"It's the only way, Harry,"she said, still holding his arm."If we find the one in time, then… then you use the stone to puff back doyen's life force."Everyone looked at the two as if they'd both gone mad. There were footsteps racing their way down the corridor. Harry glanced back, knowing that once the Aurors found out about the attempt and the flight of the bookman they'd be blasting Dementors right and left. With one wrong charm, James Dean's soul would be lost forever.

"We must go now,"she insisted. Harry held the hand clutching his arm and nodded his assent.

On two, they both Apparated back into the darkness. It was as if they had just landed themselves in the middle of an ominous electrical storm that had extinguished the sun. All was pitch blackness save for the trice of lighting - wandlight from the attacking students. Harry felt the heat rushing out of his clappers and heard the sidesplitter in his ears.

"Can - you - see - the - one ?"Harry yelled over the din. His articulation held Bob Hope, but his heart had none. There were at to the lowest degree a one hundred Dementors swarming about, skimming across the hillside, trying to settle if the recently arrived wizards were to be feared or consumed. Harry saw a Patronus, the shape of an enormous owl, dip into a mathematical group of about a one-half XII Dementors and sent them flying. About thirty G away, near a stand of trees, Goldstein's scepter was doing little more than lighting up the small clearing of grass in front of him. A Dementor was closing in on him when three bookman from Ravenclaw converged, simultaneously casting an Incendio spell and incinerating the wight. Harry's core skipped. Could that have been—

"This way !"hailed Gabriella, pulling on Harry's arm as she held her heart shut. She was pulling them closer into the camp. Harry conjured a hart that split the sea of Dementors, if only for a moment, the rift closing behind the bright beast as it passed through. But in that minute, Gabriella squeezed Harry's arm.

"Yes !"she said with more sure thing. Her middle still closed she cried,"Follow me !"

They were plunging right into the gist of the swarm of lightlessness. Gabriella was moving more swiftly. She let go of Harry's arm and began to jog ahead. Harry followed sending another Patronus ahead of her and splitting them away. kinda than center on Harry and Gabriella, the Dementors seemed to prefer the easy quarry near the tree diagram and began to actuate away. He could learn the screams behind him as Gabriella pulled her wand and uttered something in Armenian. A white glow enveloped her as if she held a principal at the tip of her wand. She pressed on ever forward, her rate gathering speed, but her sceptre dimming as each new Dementor tried to penetrate its glowing surface.

"Hurry, Harry !"she called back. The terrain was jolty here and they were moving along the side of a hill and the further they moved along the more steep the incline grew, making it more difficult to traverse. Harry heard a collection of elasticity behind him ; the Aurors had arrived. He looked back at the outstanding cloud of Dementors unwittingly racing toward the new compendium of emotions. Just as he turned back to look at Gabriella his metrical unit slipped on a stone and his ankle twisted under his weightiness. He fell to the ground and tumbled a good twenty feet down the position of the hill, scraping the side of his leg badly before he came to rest.

He looked up and saw the flickering glowing of Gabriella's wand disappear over the bound of the hill. Three Dementors swarmed over him - it was the go thing they ever did. Black rip sprayed all over the land as Harry blasted his way through, grimacing from the pain in his articulatio talocruralis as he took each long step. It was then that he realized he hadn't a hint what to do when he came upon the Dementor they wanted. Gabriella had said to use the stone, but how ? And how would he keep the Dementor from simply fleeing ? His articulatio talocruralis throbbing, Harry past another large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and came up over the side of the hill. The ground opened up beneath him, running down maybe twenty 1000 and then spreading out into a vast plain that stretched on until it disappeared into the clammy mist of darkness. sun was trying to imbue the foggy swarm of inkiness casting an eerie red glow over the commons landscape before him. It was then when his heart sank.

Just at the end of his vision, Harry could see the flickering glow of Gabriella's wand. Only now it was more flicker than Light. About her were two Dementors, the only two to be seen and they were circling her the likes of vultures. Each would pounce around and then dip at Gabriella only to bounce from her failing shield charm. It wouldn't be farseeing before—

The shield failed, and Harry heard her scream. He was too far away to do anything but run, and that's just what he did. He ran with all his might, pain stabbing at his leg with each smash at the footing as if a snapping snake were ever at his heels. He was perhaps fifty grand away when an enormous red lighting volley from Gabriella's baton, filled the air about her, and one of the Dementors burst into flame. Harry could listen its gurgling cries as it tried to fly away, but plunged into the Gunter Wilhelm Grass starting a little flame, black smoke billowing upward. Harry was now twenty yards away as he watched the irregular Dementor crouch over Gabriella and he heard her riot.

There was a pop just off to his rightfield. An Auror appeared, wand drawn.

"No !"Harry cried. The Auror looked only briefly at Harry then set to retch a piece at the Dementor hovering over Gabriella.

"Petrificus Totalus !"called Harry. The Auror went set up and fell to the ground. Ten curtilage. Gabriella screamed again and this time Harry could pick up the raspy wheeze of the Dementor as it tried to pull away her soul. With a peachy leap Harry jumped forward, wrapped his arm around Gabriella and the two of them rolled away from beneath the clutches of the Dementor. When they came to rest, Gabriella was on top of him ; the aureate necklace he had given her with the Gryffindor signet - a lion baring two ruby red optic - that came from professor McGonagall hung round her neck and swung back and Forth River in front of Harry's face. He had remembered McGonagall's intelligence :"For prison term of darkness."And then he heard the voice of Dumbledore, as if he were whispering in Harry's ear, only the whisper was coming from Harry's lips.

"Really, Nicolas ? An witch golden chain of mountains will pin them ? I never heard of such a thing."

The Dementor's growing wheeze signalled its approach when Harry grabbed the tiny halcyon chain off Gabriella's neck. He rolled her to the side, feeling the cold approaching from behind. With one concluding great effort he heaved himself upward, tossed the range in the air and cast a magical spell he had never uttered before, but one that Dumbledore knew. The tiny golden Sir Ernst Boris Chain grew snakelike in physique and dimension, but its head was the head of a social lion with flaming red optic. With the flick of his verge Harry levitated the radiance, gold, lion-headed Hydra toward the coming cold, and it began to coil itself around the Dementor various times. Round and rhythm in lupus erythematosus metre than it takes to untie a shoestring the Dementor was cinched tight from head to toe. Struggling to escape, the black animate being could not move and ultimately fell to the sess.

"Harry ?"Gabriella's representative whispered weakly from behind."Harry ?"

He knelt down by her side at once."Are you okay ?"he asked.

"The pit. Use the Oliver Stone before the others come."

The vivificus gemstone had not been used since it was charged at the connexion. Singehorn had told Harry that flaming was near but sexual love was something far more supportable. And the endocarp, snuggled close to Harry's liver, was already covered in Harry's profligate. All that remained was the conjuration :"fearlessness, Wisdom, Love."

In an instant, Harry found himself in what he had, in his own psyche, decided was an antechamber of sorting. All was White River waiting for his asking. For a moment his judgement hovered on Gabriella, but he knew he was forbidden on using it to the vantage of another in the Votary. Instead, he called to the spread out idle words,"show me doyen's soul !"

He expected to see a swirl of colouring, but instead he saw a swirl of black-market. His pump skipped for reverence that he had done something wrong, but his own heart held pissed to the need to carry through his friend if at all possible. The shadow spread before him and in this emptiness a stench filled Harry's anterior naris. It was then when he realized where he was, what he was entering - the lifetime force of the Dementor.

inkiness and rot filled his vision. Strands of oily character hung from above and when Harry looked to see their origin, all that was visible was utter darkness. He was reminded of the crevasse into which he and Sirius had fallen and a very really part of him wanted to leave this station as quickly as possible. He was inhuman and growing colder as he forced is brain's eye to beseech onward into the profundity of the Dementor's essence, an insatiable motive to feed.

At first of all, the sounds were removed echoes coming from down a recollective tunnel, voices perhaps, or animate being screaming. Harry moved toward the phone and found the shadow pressing in all around him. Though in here he really had no corporeal contour, something wet and unenviable splattered against his typeface ; the desire to wretch was strong. Then he heard the sounds again.

Yes, they were screams, but human shriek, calling just ahead. Floating deeper into the iniquity, his foot tangled on something he could not see. He pulled and freed himself and then realized his teeth were chattering."This is not potential,"he thought to himself and now an even nifty piece of him wanted to give."I can't do this."He glanced back to see a tiny patch of blank no braggart than a postage stamp sea mile away. He could be there and back to safety in the flash of a thought.

Then he heard a voice, clear up and inviolable above the others, telling them to quiet down, to heed. It was familiar spirit, but it wasn't Dean's. There was something nurturing about this voice, something that made one feel safe. Harry pressed forward. It felt care hours, although it was probably little more than the metre it takes a star to twinkle, when he saw the faint lucky radiance ahead. He ached and felt that at any moment he would break and be trapped in this duskiness forever. The voice called out again and his pulse quickened as he hurried forward. Against his consistence he felt the ace of ice-cold hands pulling at his sprit, trying to break him, but still he moved ahead. The frigidity was unendurable, the signified of awe was overwhelming, and that's when he saw him, towering tall above the others huddled in the black muck : Mr. Silverton. It was the Saame magician from Hogsmeade that had tried to save genus Draco's biography the year before, but had failed in the attempt. Harry had always seen him as a rather meek yet well-disposed man when he visited Hogsmeade, but here he stood taller than life, translucent in a golden splendour.

"precipitation, save the child !"he called out to Harry, and then he added as if he'd always known,"defender of the inexperienced person !"

Harry looked down to see those huddled at Silverton's base. They were there, nearly a dozen somebody, children mostly. Each was translucent, each glowed bright, though some more than others. The brightest of these was the Whitney Young black wizard, who seemed utterly lost. Dean looked straight at Harry, but did not recognize him.

"aid,"he pleaded in a washy, raspy articulation."Where am I ?"

"No one stays behind,"Harry said to Silverton."I'm taking you all."And without another Book he reached out his workforce and with his mind summoned the mortal toward him. Silverton stood firm as if guarding the procession, guiding them toward Harry's summons. number 1, and to the highest degree willing, came Dean, then a Danton True Young missy with black hair… a boy with bright puritanical eyes… and on… and on…. Each soulfulness came to… came into Harry as if he were an tremendous vacuum pulling them in. When the last left the slack at Silverton's feet the previous whizz smiled.

"You have done well,"he said warmly."liberation us now, and I will go them home."

The coldness was pressing in on Harry once again, fighting one last desperate attack to save its preciously treasure as Silverton floated toward Harry.

"H-Home ?"Harry asked through chattering teeth."H-Heaven ? D-Dean needs t-to—"

"dismission us, Harry,"breathed Silverton as he became one with Harry.

"Home."

The blackness began to rush away with a corking lacrimation sound. Harry felt as if his ramification were being pulled backward by a lead that held him tight to the world behind. heartbeat of varying shades of gray screamed by, and then with a tremendous wooosh Harry found himself back in his physical structure on the grassy field looking upward at the milky-blue sky.

"Harry !"Gabriella cried as his eyes blinked against the sudden brightness.

He felt dizzy, then warm, more mightily than he had ever felt. But then he realized why ; he still held their life force. He could use this energy, this business leader in the war to add up. They could be victorious ! Then, a tiresome sigh slipped past his lips, and before he lifted his head word off the skunk he closed his eyes and whispered,"Hhhhome."It was a long, slow, breathless Bible that sent pall down Gabriella's spine. He could palpate the energy plinking out from within him as each mortal drifted upward. Perhaps it was a hallucination, for Gabriella said later she saw no such vision, but before Harry the translucent dead body of all the tiddler hovered for a moment just above him. They looked down, smiling when at last Mr. Silverton emerged. He took the low lady friend's hand and in the next moment they all rose above the treetops and disappeared from sight, Dean travelling with them ever upward.

Harry was sure he heard Dean's voice utter,"Goodbye."

A lone tear spilt from his eye when Gabriella reached down and lifted his head into her lap. Harry raised his hand and summoned the lucky chain that surrounded the Dementor."This is yours I think,"he said softly.

"But—"

"It's dead,"Harry answered before she could ask. And indeed the Dementor lay lifeless on the ground, deflated somewhat, as if it had been decaying there for calendar month.

The air blasted with the write up of two loud pops as a pair of Aurors appeared clad in red Ministerial gown. One noticed the Auror some railyard away on the primer still stiffened by Harry's spell. The former reached down to assist Harry and Gabriella to their feet.

"You can't stoppage here,"the Auror said, then he noticed who he was speaking with and turned to his fellow."It's Potter !"He held Harry more firmly as if his life might look on it."You've got to return to the train. Miss, will you help—"

"Hey ! He fired on—"the Auror that had been petrified began, but in that instant both Harry and Gabriella had Apparated back to the train.

They appeared in the corridor of the power train, near the rear, and Harry stumbled to the floor when he landed. He hated Apparation, and this was his first attempt at hitting a moving target. If Gabriella hadn't been holding his hand… He didn't want to think about it.

He was a bit giddy and disoriented, but he grabbed a pram doorway handle and pulled himself up to his feet, taking a shaky step forward."Dean,"he muttered."I've got to see if…"He began to crumple to the floor when Gabriella grabbed his arm. He looked at her clenched hand and then at her middle and smiled."Thank you,"he said softly."Did I ever tell you that I thought you were brilliant ?"Her human face did not smile back. Her spunk were too wracked with care as her eyes darted up the corridor.

"Yes, yes,"said Harry."Let's go."

Two cars down there was a throng of scholar that only parted when they realized who it was. When Harry made it to James Dean's car he stepped in to look straight in on Ron's back. His wearing apparel were a plenty of mud and pine needles, and the side of his shirt was torn, blotches of blood seeping through, red intermixture with splattered black. His red whisker draped down over an arm that was hugging him sloshed. It was Ginny's and she was crying. Harry's heart plummeted and he dropped his head ; they had failed. Dean had died.

It was then that he heard Gabriella kick in a sharp gasp as she gripped his forearm. He looked up to see her pointing at Ginny's hand. On her ring finger's breadth was the gilded band Dean had given her, only now the firestone was glowing as bright as ever, shining through the chain of Ron's red hair.

"He's fine Gin ; Madame Pomfrey will have him patched up in no time."

It was Dean's vocalization, talking about Ron. It was wobbly but make and Harry watched as two arms of late chocolate wrapped around the redheaded blood brother and babe in a expectant hug.

"Dean ?"choked Harry, his warmheartedness skipping out of his chest and the confidential information of his digit and inking pad of his feet starting to tingle.

"Harry ?"asked doyen from behind the Weasley's. Ron spun round of drinks and, as he did so, Ginny saw Harry. She immediately let out a squeal of joy. A second later her weapon were around Harry, tears streaming down here cheeks and cheers rising up all around the train. Soon, they were all hugging. Word bed covering that the counterattack had been a success, at least with the help of the Aurors that had been guarding the train. If it hadn't been for—

"Where's Anthony ?"shot Harry, realizing that the last he saw was what could only be called a herd of Dementors stampeding away from Harry and toward the Ravenclaw.

"rightfield here, ceramicist ; no thanks to you."

Harry turned to see a very spite and a very battered Marcus Antonius Goldstein. There was dehydrated grass in his hair and a bit of line of descent at the corner of his lip, and he still clutched his wand as if quick to cast another turn at whomever or whatever might cross him.

"pigeon hawk's beard,"said Harry, stunned."You're alive."

"Cho said you weren't that smart,"sneered Anthony with somewhat of a microchip on his shoulder,"but I don't think she realized just how daft you really are."He was itching for a fight, but Harry simply smiled.

"You were brilliant out there today, Goldstein,"said Harry gimcrack enough so everyone could get wind."If it hadn't been for you—"

"That's the one !"

Everyone turned to see two Aurors in their castled Ministerial robes making their way through the multitude of educatee. One, the one pointing his finger at Harry, was promptly recognized. It was the Auror Harry had dropped in the field. He was holding the former Auror by the arm and pulling her almost against her will.

"That's the one, right there - with the glass. I'd recognize the face anywhere. Greasy little git."The couplet parted the crew and were now the right way in straw man of Harry."intellection you could get away with it, did yeh ? Little prat. You could let had us all killed."Then he turned to the early Auror, a very improbable woman with mystifying gentle centre and an construction somewhere between exasperation and enervation. She was about to say something when Marcus Antonius Goldstein stepped in battlefront of Harry.

"Do you have any hint who you're talking to ?"he asked with a smug air of superiority that almost sounded Ministerial. Certainly, Susan Brownell Anthony was destined for smashing things in regime. It was then that the womanhood recognized Harry, but the other Auror was having none of it.

"Get out of my way, you !"he shoved Anthony to the side, and almost at once there was a upsurge of students like a undulation breaking against the shore filling the gap and forcing the two Aurors backwards.

"What's this ?"the Auror yelled, and he pulled his wand. In reception, over two 12 wands suddenly appeared pointed directly at him, in from his face. The cleaning lady reached up to perpetrate her companion's handwriting down just when there was another representative from the far end of the equipage.

"Strickman ! PUT THAT DOWN !"If Anthony's voice was Ministerial, the new voice was all that and more. Strickman's eyes widened in shock. He'd heard this vocalisation before, last year when he graduated from the Auror academy. Everyone turned and saw the shock of red hair and knew at once who it was.

"Dad !"cried Ron, whose height gave him the punter view over all his peer. sceptre quickly found their way back to their proper positions as all the scholarly person tried to act as normally as possible, considering they had just been through a Dementor attack.

"Ronny. Ginny."He was trying not to show that he was there to instruct the status of his own shaver, but the tremble in his spokesperson and the look of relief on his case were obvious for all to see and see."I came as soon as I heard."Then his oculus met Harry's as he moved past the two Aurors and a flavour of wonderment filled them."Harry ?"he breathed in skepticism."I had heard you were taken. That your soul—"

"That was Dean, sir,"answered Harry.

"Dean ? Beasts of Republic of Bulgaria, not—"His eyes saw James Byron Dean standing next to Ginny."I… I don't understand."

"Harry brought him back, Dad,"Ginny answered her sire's questioning center."He brought his soul back."Arthur Weasley looked at his daughter and saw that she was sincere. Then he looked back at Harry.

"That… that's not possible,"he whispered."Not even Dumbledore—"

"That's right, Minister,"spat Strickman."It's not possible ! This minuscule prat—"

"SHUT UP !"yelled minister Weasley."If you say another word, I'll have him do the same to you as he did to Voldemort !"The Word stung many ears and there was a corporate groan, but not as universally as there might have been the yr before. Only then did Strickman finally realize who he had been calling a prat.

"P-P-Potter ?"He began to apologize, not to diplomatic minister Weasley, but to Harry ; he never had a prospect.

"You're dismissed,"shot the Minister,"both of you."It was the female person Auror who was now doing the grabbing and dragging as she pulled Strickman by the back of his cloak and tossed him into the forward carriage.

"Here's your hero, sir,"said Harry, pulling the grimy Goldstein forward."He led the countermove. If it hadn't been for him, I'd have never reached the Dementor that had Dean's soul."

Arthur was still struggling, trying to cover what it was that Harry was saying. Nonetheless, he patted Anthony about the shoulders and said,"Well done, young man. Goldstein is it ? Yes, I know your female parent. Runs a coven in Colchester."He gave Anthony, who was now beaming, another pat."Well done."Chester Alan Arthur then turned and hugged his two youngster and then he said in a loud representative,"I'm glad everyone's safe and I assure you the rest of your trip will be uninterrupted, if not completely boring."

With the fuss and combat over, most the student returned to their rig, muttering about the struggle as they went, and the crowd in the corridor thinned. Chester Alan Arthur Weasley put his arm around Harry just as Hermione entered the train car.

"Harry, you're condom !"she cried."They're saying you captured a—"

"Hermione,"interrupted Mr. Weasley,"might I have a word with Harry… alone ?"

"Oh, certainly, sir,"she answered. And as Harry and the rector started down the corridor he could see Hermione grab Gabriella's hand and heard her ask what had happened as they disappeared into the carriage with Dean, Ginny and Ron.

"Harry,"began Mr. Weasley,"I need to verbalise with you about something very important. I was hoping to take you back to the Ministry with me right now, but under the circumstances it's perhaps best that you stay put. Once you're settled at the school, I'll call for you."

"What is it, sir ?"

"Not here, not now, Harry. The walls…"Mr. Weasley smiled, but it was not a well-chosen smile."…the wall have ears."

"I don't hold very much faith that the bulwark at the Ministry are any upright, sir."

"No. No, I know you don't,"answered the government minister as he stopped to calculate at Harry."But this is something too important to hash out anywhere else, even at Hogwarts. I'll send for you in a week or so, okay ?"Harry nodded."And don't worry, Harry. Where we're going no one knows about. Not even I knew about it until just finally week. But if what you say is genuine about Malfoy and the Dementors, and certainly this attack points to that, we must act soon and we must act decisively. It's time to take the offensive."

"You know I'll do whatever it takes,"answered Harry.

"I know you will, son,"answered Arthur."I know you will. That's what frightens me."


Harry Potter and the nascence of a New Sun

Chapter 8 - Engaged

~~~***~~~

The sneak flitted upwards time and time again only to be snatched into his handwriting after every escape. He was actually getting quite sound at it really. Nearly twenty dollar bill minutes without a—

"tinker's damn !"

The Snitch slipped through Dean's digit and began to zip about the son'hall, bouncing off the bulwark above Harry's head. With a flash, few but Ginny Weasley could appreciate, Harry had his hand around the wing orb.

"That was swell, James Byron Dean !"said Harry earnestly, handing the Snitch to Ginny who was sitting side by side to Dean on his bed. While James Byron Dean was practicing, Harry had been reading a tale headlined Miracle at St. Mungo's which described how nearly a dozen patient role, all dupe of Dementor onrush, had suddenly and inexplicably awakened - their souls intact. He turned the page with a smile as dean continued to practice.

Madame Pomfrey had prescribed the exercise of Snitch snatching as a kind of therapy to avail James Dean regain dominance of his neuro-synapses. Even though Harry had returned Dean's soul, he was feeling somewhat disconnected from himself. It was hard to excuse just exactly how he was disconnected. Sometimes he would strive for something, like a shaker of common salt, and it would fumble through his fingers for no reason. Sometimes his love for Ginny was strong, while at other multiplication it seemed as if he had no feelings for her at all. In Magical Arts, doyen would paint portrait of chick, creature, or even people but the mental image wouldn't move ; they remained lifeless on the canvas tent. It was all very unknown, and no one, not even Madam Pomfrey, knew exactly what to do.

"No one's ever had their individual reattached,"Madame Pomfrey had said shortly after they had arrived at Hogwarts castle. Her solution was to try to re-stitch James Byron Dean's soul by having him do both his body and spirit.

Ginny held steadfast at Dean's face ; a lesser woman would have left at once. Watching the two of them these last few days, Harry wondered if his love for Gabriella would be able-bodied to hold such a test of faith. Somewhere, deep down inside, he felt it would, perhaps it already had, and he smiled as Ginny stroked Dean's back, encouraging him to try again.

"Nah, Gin,"answered Dean, truly exhausted."I'm… a bit tired."

"You're right, babe,"Ginny replied."residuum a bit and we can go to dinner later."

"Thanks,"said Dean with a weak smile. They kissed and Ginny turned toward the staircase down to the Common room.

They had been at Hogwarts for three twenty-four hours and even though the conversant rhythm of division and line work pulsed on at Hogwarts, something was distinctly different. Maybe it was the attack on the gear, the expectancy of what was to issue forth, or simply that they were in their final yr. Whatever it was, there existed, virtually certainly, a palpable sense of anticipation as if it any import something spectacularly tremendous, or devastatingly dread was about to happen.

As Ginny stepped from their room, Harry turned to Dean and said warmly,"She's wonderful, isn't she ?"

"She's my world, Harry."He lay down on his pillow, folding his arms behind his head."I wish I knew why… sometimes…"James Byron Dean let out a large suspiration and turned over on his face, his back toward Harry. Over the lastly yr, Dean had grown confident in his relationship with Ginny and Harry no longer sway the foundation on which their relationship was anchored. Dean continued,"I think… maybe this year at Christmas—"

There was a sudden riot from down in the Gryffindor commons room. It was Hermione's scream ; Harry was trusted. Not an instant later, Ginny cried out, followed by a cacophony of screeches that rivalled the arriving bird of night during the forenoon post.In an instant, both Harry and Dean had their wands at the ready, and started cautiously for the landing. Just as Harry was about to look down on the common room below, Patrick appeared from the minute class'hall ; his wand also drawn and his grimace concerned. There was a thirdly year passing Patrick and running the early direction, trying to escape whatever danger was causing the commotion. Harry didn't know the boy from behind, but the persuasion of a coward in his house bristled the backrest of his cervix."A Gryffindor ?"Harry cried out.

The consequence's distraction was enough to stimulate Dean to chance him slightly from posterior. Harry tried to correct his foothold by stepping forward, only there was nothing on the handbill staircase to step out on. Instead, he completely lost his balance and began tumbling, down and around, psyche over heals until he landed prostrate onto the floor. Dazed, he looked up to see Ron on the ground also. Well, almost… he was down to one genu, a smell of gross threat in his optic. Harry grabbed his outdo friend by the shirtsleeve and pulled himself up aligning back to plump for with Ron.

"Where are they ?"he cried to Ron over his shoulder joint, wand at the ready. Quickly, he spun around and saw Hermione looking down at him."What's going on ?"Harry asked excitedly."Why did you squall ?"Then, looking to the English, Harry noticed the large number of Gryffindors looking down at him, all with rather cross expressions on their faces. It was Parvati who stepped over and grabbed him by the nucha of the cervix, pulling him away from Ron.

"You idiot !"she hissed under her breath.

Her cheeks a brighter colour of red than Ron's hair, Hermione had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. It wasn't until then that Harry noticed Ron was holding something in his paw - something amber and shiny.

"Er… so, yeah then…"Ron sputtered."Well ?"Hermione was about to say something when Lavender poked Ron in the shoulder.

"well, what ?"Lavender said sharply."Go on, Ron. Ask her properly."There was a general heart murmur of consent to this, mostly of the feminine persuasion.

"Yes, go on, Ron,"followed by,"Do it right."

"Bloody nether region,"Harry whispered, stunned by what he was seeing. Parvati pinched his neck and pulled him to his feet. James Dean was stepping slowly down the staircase and came to a check on the lower flight, wrapping his arm about Ginny's waistline. She had been transfixed, but the warm touch caught her attention and she wrapped both her arms about Dean, smiling as she watched her brother propose.

"Yeah, yeah,"said Ron, wiping his os frontale with his will sleeve while still holding out the ring with his right wing. He was queasy, his hand shaky, and Harry wondered if he wouldn't deliquium at any moment. But when Ron's eye rejoined Hermione's the shaking stopped and he regained his voice. He held the ring a bit higher.

"As I was saying before our dearest friend dropped in,"he cast Harry a glance and smiled,"would you do me the honor of being Mrs Ronald Weasley."There was a pause."Or Mrs Ronald Granger… you know… however that's supposed to work, if you want to keep your—"

He never had the chance to finish. In that instant, Hermione was down on her knees kissing him deeply, and the Common room whooped out a cheerfulness that was heard throughout Hogwarts castle. Later, even Hagrid said he heard the revelry when he was out feeding the poisonous lava lizards.

"Well ?"cried out Seamus."result him proper !"To this there was rolling chorus of"Here, here !"called out mostly from the masculine members of Gryffindor. Hermione pulled herself away from Ron's mouth and he held the hoop before her.

Hermione held out her bridge player and said breathlessly,"Yes !"There was another cheer, more resounding than the for the first time, as Ron slipped the diamond hoop upon her digit. They kissed again.

Harry wasn't sure who was responsible, but suddenly food and drink appeared, and before you could blink music was playing, people were dancing and an impromptu party was in full baseball swing in the Gryffindor Common room. It was loud and rough, but Hermione had set a silencing magical spell on the bulwark, and outside of Gryffindor the night was quiet. Harry poured himself a drink and suddenly felt very awkward. Everyone was congratulating Ron and Hermione, hugging them, smiling. Harry sunk back into the corner. Why hadn't Ron told him that he was about to propose ? He watched the grin and the laughter, but somehow couldn't feel any warmth himself. Indeed, the thoughts that were passing through his judgment brought back computer memory of the year before, bad memories of jealously and uncontrollable wrath. He gulped the potable, and poured another.

Still standing in the corner, Harry was watching Neville help Dean back up the staircase to the boys'dormitory, when a voice startled him.

"Pretty amazin'ain't it ?"

Patrick was seated in a chair next to Harry. How long had he been there ? Most of the vernal scholarly person had gone to bed or were ushered away. A tiresome song began to play and Ron took Hermione in his arms. The candlelight in the Common way dimmed and soon everyone was dancing. Harry watched as Ron and Hermione appeared for a moment and then slipped back into the bunch and, suddenly, he realized that it would never be the same.

"Yeah,"Harry whispered back, taking another drink."Amazing."

"I mean,"Patrick continued,"to fuck someone so much."Still sitting, he pulled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around his wooden leg just gazing at the dancers."Do you think he'd die for her ?"The enquiry was odd, but St. Patrick was Edward Young and Harry was a bit drunk.

"He'd die for anybody in this room,"Harry answered with strong tone of voice of pride."Merlin, he almost did last year, more times than I can—"Harry stopped and looked into his glass, drinking the clay in one terminal splatter against the cover of his throat. He could feel the burn make its way down his chest as he stared at the empty drinking glass and could palpate it fill with guilty conscience. How often had he put both of his friends in jeopardy ? They would both sacrifice themselves to carry through Harry, and if the war was truly sexual climax, and it was, Harry knew they'd risk life and limb once again.

"Do you retrieve you'll marry Gabriella ?"Patrick asked, filling the secretiveness. Harry whispered something and the drinking glass in his hand vanished. Patrick raised an eyebrow, but said nothing about the wandless magic.

"Gabriella ?"Harry asked, looking blankly ahead. He chuckled to himself, but the laughter was more sad than happy. Already she'd risked her biography and the school yr hadn't even started. How many more acquaintance would give to die before—"

"I don't think I'll marry,"said Patrick emphatically."No kids fer me."

"I'm sorry ?"asked Harry. Patrick looked up at him with an expression that was torn, shredded in some way Harry couldn't comprehend, at to the lowest degree not in his present state of mind.

"No small fry. No orphans."Patrick uncurled his wooden leg and stood up, walking over to Harry."I plan teh fight, Harry. There's no room fer love if there's the hazard you'll die."

"Patrick, that's not true."

"Ain't it ? I won't leave brokenheartedness behind. I won't leave my child without a da. Not like me parents did me. I mean, you were a baby fer Merlin's sake, and yer parents are out fightin'Voldemort. Why didn't they just leave well enough alone ? Wouldn't yeh rather have ‘ em at yer side right now ?"

Harry was warm, his top dog cloudy, and the familiar wow were calling from the fog in his mind. It's not your engagement, Harry. Let it go.

"What is your problem ! ?"Lavender's voice snapped. She was only a few inches in front end of Harry, and her expression was very transversal."Are you going to stand here all alone all dark ?"

"I was just talking to—"He turned to point to Patrick, but the boy was gone. Harry looked about and then to the stairway, but the secondment class was no where to be found.

"If you don't think they've noticed,"hissed Lavender,"you're wrong."She grabbed him by the arm."Now get out there and venture you're happy for them. Falco columbarius knows you'll be the godfather to all their fry ; now start acting like it."Lavender pulled Harry onto the dance flooring."I never thought you'd ask !"

She danced with Harry, haltingly toward the just engaged twosome, and then deliberately twirled her married person into Ron just as the song was ending.

"Hey, Harry,"said Ron, smiling."Whew, I could use a good luck ; how ‘ bout you Hermione ?"

"Some clout would be dainty,"she answered with a twinkle in her eye. She took Ron by the arm and they started to walk toward the snacks. Harry just stood, his feet frozen. Finally, Lavender took him by the arm.

"Why, I'd love some punch too, Harry. Thank you for asking."She deliberately stepped down on his foot, hard, and then whispered in Harry's ear,"So serve me, Harry ceramist, if you ruin this eve for them I'll curse you from here to Durmstrang."A flash later her face was all smiling as she squeezed Harry tight just behind the elbow and walked over to wear Ron and Hermione were standing.

Another pat on Ron's shoulder and a hug for Hermione. Harry swallowed hard.

"I… I'm happy for you ; for you both,"Harry started as Lavender began to pour herself a cup of biff. Still smiling at Ron and Hermione he took the cup out of Lavender's manus without asking and gulped it down with one swig."It's fantastic."He took the ladle from Lavender's deal and poured himself another cup."I mean… Wow ! What a surprise."He gulped again.

"I was going to tell you,"said Ron with a sincere tint of ruefulness,"but I didn't pluck up the courage until you were at Grimmauld Place."Harry just looked at Ron like the answer made absolutely no sense."You said you didn't want to be disturbed… remember ?"

"Yes, I remember,"replied Harry, turning his back completely on Lavender to front Ron. The heat was definitely rising under his shoe collar."But surely… on the train—"

"Blimey ! You're joking, right ?"Ron interrupted, drawing in Harry's temper and reflecting it back. It was a dance the two played many sentence and Hermione took notice.

"Now, Ron, I think what Harry's trying—"

"And shoemaker's last night ? Were you too busy final night ?"Harry snapped, and then he remembered not seeing Ron hold up Nox."Where were you anyway ?"Hermione began to blush violently.

"It's none of your bloody business where I was last night,"said Ron, his articulation elevated."You're not my keeper, Harry."At this he pointed his finger and jabbed Harry in the chest, pushing him backward. Harry's back bumped into Lavender's cup of punch sending it splashing down the strawman of her clothes. The two Danton True Young men took no notice. Harry balled his rightfield hand into a fist and pulled back ready to let throw.

"I should…"he began. Ron stepped finisher, clenching his own fists and drawing them near his chin.

"You should what ?"he challenged.

They stood there, toe to toe for more than a few heartbeats ; not too long considering their core were pounding so quickly. Finally, a pocket-sized smile shattered Harry's scowl and he let go. He threw his right fist past Ron's left ear. Ron saw the smile and returned the wayward punch with an undercut from his own right hired man that flew past Harry's midsection and up under his leave alone arm. The two clenched in a machismo sort of way.

"You know I love you,"Harry whispered in Ron's ear."I love you both."

"I know,"Ron answered quietly with a tender grin.

"I… I don't want to lose you. Not again."Harry pulled back so that his visual sensation took in both Ron and Hermione."Not now."Hermione stepped close. She remembered uttering the same give-and-take to Harry concluding class at the Ministry and she remembered what Harry said.

"You're not going to fall behind us, Harry,"she said, tenderly taking him by the arm. Harry grabbed her and pulled her into the hug. He'd had a slight too much to drink and his words were taking on a touch of regret.

"I want to see a dozen piffling bushy haired, freckle faced Weasley's running about. Do you discover me ! ?"

"Harry !"

"I want them to be as smart as Hermione and as patriotic as… as…"

"As me !"Ron helped Harry end."And don't forget they'll be brilliant Quidditch players just like me too ! Let's Bob Hope they don't take after their mother when it comes to flying, eh Harry ?"

"Ron !"

Harry's eyes were beginning to fog with dampness. If they continued to press by his side, he might lose them. St. Patrick was right ; it wasn't worth it. Their children deserved to have both their parents. Harry squeezed both Ron and Hermione tightly toward him.

"It's brilliant. I… I just can't be here proper now."He turned without saying another word, without looking at another face, and left the Common room.

The G. Stanley Hall were quieten ; it was nearly curfew. A few scholar were sprinkled here or there, talking or making their way back to their dorms. Harry walked aimlessly down the I. F. Stone steps and found himself near where Tonks had her old role last twelvemonth. They had yet to take who would be teaching defense team Against the Dark graphics. That social class had been cancelled this morning. The lanterns dimmed a bit, signalling that it was time to give to the dorms, but Harry didn't hold much by that signal. He'd rarely obeyed it in all his years at Hogwarts, and he wasn't about to—

"Hey, Potter."

It was Blaise Zabini rounding the shadow recession of the corridor and saying Harry's public figure without a drip of caustic remark. It was odd, Harry thought, to see Blaise so far off the beaten rails, especially at this time of Nox. Cloak and dagger stuff wasn't section of Blaise's make-up. The handsome wiz was more easy standing in the centre of a group of others to be looked at and admired. He hung with Draco on affair, but never when it meant risk was about. That sort of stuff was for Nott, or Crabbe or G-Greg. A frisson passed down Harry's prickle recalling the Death of his friend last-place year.

"Blaise,"Harry answered with a nod.

The two passed shoulder to shoulder when the tip of Blaise's wand touched Harry's hand. Harry felt a piece of sheepskin suddenly appear on his palm and his fingers curled around it. He stopped to search back at Blaise, but the Slytherin never stopped walking and never turned back to look at Harry. Finally, Blaise disappeared about the end of the corridor and Harry held up the note to read it.
Do you lose me ? Sorry about the ugliness on the gearing. Sent individual to warn you at the station, but an Auror intervened. I heard Weasles bought a pretty expensive ring in Diagon skittle alley. You two aren't engaged now are you ?

Since I can't be there, my messenger is going to help be my oculus and ears at Hogwarts. Don't order a soul or it may think of his life. Have you spoken to the old dodder about it yet ? Hurry or it may be too late.


He just finished when the lanterns went dark, signalling curfew. Instead of returning to the party at Gryffindor, Harry sat down on the stone story and leaned back against the rock wall.

"Lumos !"he whispered. He held up the bank bill and register it again. Was it really from Draco ? And what was he supposed to talk with Dumbledore about ? What was it he had sensed during the connection ? Hol… Hor… Horcrux ? It seemed so distant now. Perhaps it was some sort of secret weapon that the Dementors would use against the centaur. Perhaps it was—

"Out all alone, boy ? Do you remember that wise ?"

Harry spun on the words, jumping to his foot and preparing his defensive measure. A dark form emerged, dimly lit by the faint freshness of Harry's wand.

"Dakhil !"Harry hissed. What was the leader of the Votary doing here ?

"Impressive."The word dripped with sarcasm."I would have thought you would forget my name again the moment you returned to England."He drew nearer and Harry lifted his wand eminent."Put your wand away, boy,"rebuked Dakhil sternly,"or I'll… let's see… What do they holler it ? I'll take breaker point away from your business firm. Although why you would care about such meaningless games when the war is upon you is incomprehensible to me."Harry lowered his wand and the light was extinguished. They were in express darkness.

"You can't take—"

"Oh, I believe any professor can—"

"You're not a professor ! You can't… Oh, no."He leaned back against the wall and, in the darkness, noticed the sparse trace of illume emanating from a break through room access, the door to Tonks'office staff. Harry sighed."defence reaction Against the iniquity Arts, is it ?"Harry could tell by the low grunt that a grimace had appeared on Dakhil's face. Clearly, he didn't like the idea any more than Harry.

"I'm afraid so,"he answered."And instead of taking points away, perhaps it is time for your first lesson."He spun his cloak and disappeared into the wickedness."Follow me, boy !"

Harry shoved Draco's notation into his pocket, clenched his teeth, and followed. Once, after banging his stifle, he tried to light his baton but was scolded by Dakhil who insisted on total darkness."Can you not see ?"Dakhil sneered.

"I'm no lamia,"retorted Harry. Dakhil stopped.

"There is an energy that binds all support things together, Harry. You draw from it every time you cast a spell. It pulsates on the wind as the breath of the tree diagram ; it bubbles from the land crawling with worm and forget me drug. In the very drab of space, it shines as a beacon to all who would name on its name. It is a accomplishment all fellow member of the Votary learn before the connexion, save for you."Dakhil stopped. The odor was warm here, damp and dank and musty with a strong signified of decomposition."Even in death, life is reborn. strive out to it."

"I can't see a bloody—"

"Not with your middle, mark !"Harry heard Dakhil sit as an old wooden bench creaked under his weight."What Soseh sees in you…"

"She uses more than her heart, I suppose."

Harry had seen the liveliness force of others he had try to cure. It was like going to another planer of existence. He just needed to…"nidus,"he whispered to himself. In the iniquity Harry closed his heart and opened his mind, reaching out for anything however small that might indicate life sentence. At number 1 there was nothing, and then a promising glow began to appear, red and throbbing."Dakhil,"Harry thought. And then he saw it, the corridor they were in. Something was glowing on the walls. modeling ? Spores ? It was as if the structures surrounding them were splattered with an eery fluorescent rouge and lit up by a black igniter."I see,"he whispered in amazement.

"As long as one sees, one is never lost."Dakhil pulled his verge and a tremendous burst of light shattered against the bulwark breaking through to open air. The two emerged from some broken down shack into the depths of the forest.

"The trees !"Harry said, looking at the white glowing column that climbed to the sky.

"Your enemy, even though they hide behind such yard complex body part are brighter still. It is a of the essence skill. With one paw, Dakhil pulled Harry out of the splinters of wood and stood him on his feet in the forest."Now look up."

Harry looked to the sky. It was sprayed with stars of every colouring imaginable. But in the centre was a blue glow brighter than all the others, a favorable lead following it in the sky.

"Ebyrth,"Harry whispered.

"Correct, Mr. Potter,"said Dakhil, slapping Harry on the berm. He started walking past the trees back to the castle which glowed bright through the branches."As I said earlier, your time to die is near at hired man. You may not agnise it yet, Mr. ceramicist, but, aside from both being in the Votary, you and I have one thing, at to the lowest degree, in common."

"And what's that ?"Harry said with Sir Thomas More of a sneer than anything else.

"We are both already dead."




Harry Potter and the parturition of a New Sun
Chapter 9 - The Bending of Space and Time
~~~***~~~


The rhythmic beating of Gabriella's heart lulled Harry as she stroked the side of his head with her hand. He sighed deeply as she played with the trace of curls that wrapped about his shoulder. He forced himself to stay awake, if only to savour every moment that he was being held in her coat of arms. Through the thin slits in his eyes he watched the lake vanish and re-emerge into view as his headland rose and fell with each breathing place she took. The sparkling waters brought his brain to the beaches of Lebanon and he visualized walking with her at the ocean, watching the waves clank again and again against the shore. It would be a stark place to ask her, he thought. A pacify breeze brought with it the cool breathing spell of drop and for a import he thought he could smell the cool salinity air of the sea. Yes, the perfect place.

"We'll miss dinner party,"she whispered.

"I never want to act again,"he muttered, barely opening his lips. Her hand slipped down to his articulatio humeri and then stroked the muscles of his arms. They were sore and yet with her tactile sensation he could finger the aching ebb away.

"If you're going to save working for Hagrid in the forest,"she said more firmly,"you're going to need to keep up your strength."Her fingerbreadth slipped down to his side and playfully gave him a spry pinch.

"AYY !"he said, jumping. It was more tickle than pain, more than plenty than sack."Not reasonable ! I was… I was just going…"He closed his centre and began to lay his read/write head back down on her chest.

"Oh no you don't,"she said, pushing his articulatio humeri back and sitting up herself."I like what working for Hagrid's done to you."She slapped his belly which held tight."Besides, mamma would kill me if she heard I let you skip a meal."She rose to her feet."ejaculate on, let's get you fed."She held out her hand to assist Harry to his infantry. Her caput was turned so that her regard was not at Harry but at the castle.

An image of Grigor flashed across Harry's intellect and a frigidness shiver ran down his back… he hesitated. How could she bonk ? She couldn't. She was so a good deal like her father, and for the brief of moments Harry was taken back to the torture bedroom at the Ministry -- the sleeping accommodation where Sothis had been lost and found again, the chamber where Gabriella's Father of the Church, Grigor, had held his hand out innocently toward Harry, just as Gabriella was now doing, only to stick to him and prepare him for death.

He drew in a deep breath, shook the memory from his brain, and took Gabriella's hand, rising to his aching feet. They both whisked away the dry leaves that clung to the bottom of the inning of their robe and turned toward the palace. Harry could experience the sting in his legs as they climbed the castle stride. Halfway up he stopped, wrapped his arm about Gabriella's waist and paused to attend at the lake. She took it as a romanticist moment and leaned her heading against his shoulder. Harry, however, was too sore to pace gamey. Even Madame Pomfrey's potions weren't enough to remove the throbbing that worked its way into both muscleman and bone. A nerve in his right thigh shot a jolt of pain up into his back and his gaze turned toward the forest.

workings for Hagrid ? No. For the last few weeks he'd been training with the Centaurus. Only he'd felt uncomfortable share-out that with Gabriella. He had never been able to bring up a conversation with Gabriella about them without her making an excuse to commute the national. It was straighten out she did not like centaur, but she never explained why and Harry was unwilling to push the issue. Another twinge flicked down the muscle of his left calf and his creative thinker drifted to the day's training session. Recalling why his legs hurt so, he wasn't so sure he liked centaur either.

"jump, Harry Potter ! startle"cried Ronan. The red-haired Centaur fired an arrow that nicked the left wing heel of Harry's bare foot."Speed is a Centaurus's greatest ally. With it we can outpace the Dementors when they try to flee. Run !"he bellowed as Harry began to slow up."If one of our issue needs aid, would you just walk to their position ?"

"I'm… not… walking…"yelled Harry back over his berm, as he ran from the Centaur barefoot through the forest. His lungs were bursting for air and his animal foot were on fervour. He'd already run for Admiralty mile ; Ronan would make him run miles more. For his division, Harry had already decided that there was nothing the Centaurs could project at him that he couldn't handle.

"Ayyy !"he cried, slashing his foot against a jag endocarp.

"Run !"

Perhaps he was wrong.

He had been forbidden to use a wand, and wore goose egg but a thong made of tree bark wrapped about his waistline with a sheath for a pocket-size dagger used to slash at vines and other vegetation that blocked his way as he ran. In one hand he held the obelisk and in the other he carried a Harlan Fiske Stone nearly too large to fully grasp. In battle he would carry a shield, but a stone was more sticky to handle, forcing More muscles to lift and control it. He was being trained as all colts were. In fact, there were two colts running far ahead of him already - Shahan, with a coat so dark Harry could no longer see him in the distance, and Felspar, whose bright ovalbumin coat shone like a wiz ahead - way ahead. Sweat dripped into his eyes and he wiped his forehead with his justly forearm. Running blindly he slashed wildly at a Tentacula that reached for his neck opening.

"You should possess seen that, stripling, long before it struck at you !"cried Ronan, loping along. There was the sound of a thwwwwp and a few gait ahead Harry saw a large spider deadened near the route he was taking, an arrow between its eyes. Looking back as he ran ahead Harry tripped on a ascendant, twisted his articulatio talocruralis and fell to the ground, his left field knee grinding into a accumulation of small stones. The digit of his leave hand were crushed between the Stone he was carrying and the stones upon which he'd just fallen. The obelisk fell from his rightfulness bridge player and skittered forward, but before it came to stay, Harry reached his hand forward and without saying a word the sticker returned to his grasp. There was a slight grunt from Ronan. It was neither disparaging, nor approving. It was more a grunt of satisfaction, but Harry did not look back into Ronan's oculus to see if the gratification was directed toward him. His articulatio genus and hand bleeding, he stood to his feet and began to run again. Now, even Felspar was out of view. He'd taken only three or four stride before Ronan called.

"Stop !"

respiration hard, Harry turned and for the first time all afternoon he looked up into the centaur's eyes.

"I… I can… overtake them,"Harry heaved.

"I know you can, stripling, but do you know how ?"Ronan smiled, revealing a sly grin. Harry had never seen such a looking on the aspect of a Centaurus before. It was riddle.

"I hate… conundrum,"breathed Harry.

"Shahan and Felspar have been studying for decades the marrow of Earth's mysteries. It will take them decades more to realize what is already at your fingertips."The Centaur stepped closer, forcing Harry to bend his neck upward. A musculus twanged past his aright ear. Still Ronan advanced until he was only inches from Harry, who could smack the strange mix of sweat and hair. Ronan looked skyward.

"To see without eyes, to palpate without finger's breadth, to find out without ears, to taste without tongue…,"he looked back down at Harry and tapped him on the side of his nose,"…to smell without nostrils. These are talent you have already been given, and yet you know them not ; you have but to let out them."With a movement that was but a blur to Harry, Ronan notched another arrow and shot at a large flying… thing with large teeth that was advancing on them. It fell silently to the forest flooring. To Ronan it was like little more than swatting a fly. He continued,"You must check the power that took your sacrifice and cleansed you, the power that has no military posture. What you must get over, Harry ceramist, what you must endeavor to accomplish is to be without being."Harry scrunched his nose splotched with dirt.

"Did I say ? I really hate riddles,"he muttered, beginning to get his breath.

"Take my paw, tyke,"commanded Ronan.

The moment Harry took the Centaur's manus the populace spun upon its pass. Green and brown and chickenhearted and gold flashed past them in a swirl of colours. Then, inexplicably, Ronan was gone, and Harry was suddenly running, loping, galloping. He felt featherbrained, proud, arrogant, childish…

"I told you the whiz was a pretender !"he cried back over his shoulder."Ronan's an old fool !"He kicked his heals and accelerated forward, the hint whistling past his ears.

"You're amiss !"yelled a voice from behind."He's been chosen ! Ronan said so !"

"Nothing but silly Centaur fairytales from a doddering old fool !"Harry yelled back, but his eyes were steadfast forward. The flag was ahead ; he could see it, maybe three or four miles ahead. A smile rip across his face, an arrogant smile ; he was going to win this race and examine Ronan wrong, shew to all of them that HE, Shahan, was the Centaur that would redeem them from the onset of Dementors that was soon to come.

A phonation whispered in Harry's ear. It was Ronan's."You see with Shahan's eyes. Where would you be, Harry thrower ?"

Harry looked back. Behind him was feldspar, the dazzling T. H. White Centaur that he'd been racing. Then he noticed his own haunches. They were contraband as dark-skinned coal. He was Shahan, the booster cable Centaur colt. But how ? His capitulum twisted forward toward the waiting flag and the assemblage of Centaurs that watched to see if Ronan's prophecy was nada more than wind and myth.

Where would I be ?

"The flag,"Harry whispered to himself, to Ronan, to the nothingness. He focused again. He knew how to get there with a wand : Vision, tract, Reconstruction -- Apparation. But he had no baton and even if he did, there was no way to Apparate in the Forbidden Forest. The masthead, a red beacon fire in the distance, was maybe two kilometres ahead of Shahan now and probably three klick from where Harry's body stood breathless back in the timberland with Ronan. He'd been practicing wandless magic all summer. What if… ?

Harry willed himself from the heart of Shahan and back to his own torso. There was a tear - he had returned, his lungs still gasping for air and Ronan still at his side. Harry closed his optic and his mind imaged the flag that was ahead ; he imagined being there. outer space and time began to cave in, swirling itself, revealing itself. A nerve pathway that moved with his will, guided by Ronan, appeared before Harry. He took in a deep hint and stepped forward onto the path. The great span of distance between himself and the red sword lily suddenly collapsed. Felspar was just out of stretch, Shahan appeared to be only a few footstep in movement of her, and the red fleur-de-lis appeared as just a few tenner of cadence away. Harry began to run. The colours of the forest swirled by him, as if everything stood still, including the two Centaur. He ran past felspar and then Shahan and, in an instant, he appeared only inch from the fleur-de-lis that marked the end of the race. He was surrounded be Centaurs of every colour, each with fierce eyes marked by only the slim astonishment of his arriver. As he came to rest, he saw, in the distance, Shahan and only a few strides behind him felspar. They were both galloping like the wind, swallowing up huge swath of turf with each footstep. They would be upon him soon.

Harry felt it was, somehow, a darnel. Could all Centaurus bend blank and sentence ? His eye caught Shahan's in the distance, and the once confident, defiant gaze turned to one of near repulsion. He galloped faster, as if possessed, but it was no use. With one bridge player, his bloody left, Harry reached up and pulled the red-faced flagstone from its standard. There was a collective cheerfulness as Harry held the sword lily over his head, spinning to show the gathering. It was then that he saw Ronan, standing in the centre of the grouping of nearly one hundred centaur. An instant later Shahan pulled up at Harry's side, his breath heavy, his coating lathered with sweat.

"That's not possible !"he cried."He… he used his sceptre !"

"No,"answered Ronan, stepping forward from the others."He used the skills you yourself may one day master, Shahan."Ronan turned to the other Centaurus."He has been given the gifts."With this there was a general murmur and neigh of surprise and approval from the Centaur ruck. Facing the others, Ronan flanked Harry nudging him forward just as feldspar arrived, also out of breath, a gash upon her right front flank.

"I foretold of the coming superstar,"Ronan called to the gathering."And yet you did not consider. I sought out the Sacrifice against your will, and the body of water returned him to us. Only once before has this ever happened, and when that engagement was won so too began the Great Age of Centaur !"Harry expected a cheer, but none came. Instead, there was an almost emotionless credit of Ronan's'statement."This,"he pointed toward Harry, naked and bloodstained, his lungs still craving for more atomic number 8,"this is our Sacrifice. Cleansed and returned, he shall lead us to triumph !"Again there was little more than the nods and stomps of the Centaur at the gather. No one refuted Ronan's claims.

"You're hurt,"said Harry, approaching Felspar and looking carefully at the combat injury.

"It was a Bearwicken,"said felspar quietly.

"He's a fraud !"cried Shahan in a tone that was more recreate than any Centaur Harry had ever seen. He stepped forward, pushing Harry aside, but Harry ignored the crudity and focused his attending on Felspar."He's no leader ! He's a wizard ! It's hocus-pocus I tell you."

"Let me help you,"whisper Harry as he held his outdoors hand a few inches away from the slash on Felspar's flank. Harry closed his eyes and muttered the incantation that he knew would work out with his baton, and then something caused him to stretch further, to reach beyond. His helping hand had not touched the Centaur, but he could feel the blood, slippery wet, between his fingers. He reached out without moving and willed the slash shut, and the gash obeyed, closing as if a curtain had been pulled shut tight about the wound.

"Like all wiz, he'll shoot down us all when we turn our rear !"yelled Shahan again.

"The Chosen heals !"asserted a gravid, female Centaur from the gathering. A chestnut coat and no bow about her articulatio humeri, she stepped forward from the others."Did the amniotic fluid teach you these gifts or is this wizardry ?"The last news was disparaging and even evoked some hisses from the others.

"mother !"cried Felspar."He's the Chosen. How dare you question his giving !"feldspar, lesion healed, turned to Harry and bowed low on one human knee."As long as Ebyrth shines, I am in your service. Only death will betray us of time."

A issue of other centaur followed in kind, each bending low to one articulatio genus and bowing their heads. Ronan approached Harry, nodding his drumhead and bending to one knee joint as well.

"You still lack intensity and survival, Harry Potter, but these things can be learned. Now, it is clip to rest."He held his hand to Harry's eyes."Return to the afforest's friend."Harry's mind immediately thought of Hagrid."Run !"

The vision of Hagrid's cabin firmly fixed in his head, Harry willed himself there. Again a track opened up and he took off running. Moments later, he found himself where he began the day, seated on Hagrid's chair following to the burning blast, fang laying at his side and Hagrid singing some strain in French people. The log on the fire cracked as Harry, still naked, looked at his Gryffindor gown that hung from a crotchet near the door. The way they were draped over the draw they almost looked real - lifelike, as if they contained some spirit all their own. Harry's stomach churned just as Hagrid turned, surprised to find Harry in his hut.

"Harry ?"

"Harry ? Shall we go inside ?"Gabriella had spun to front Harry whose eye were distant and bent on the far horizon above the lake. Her vocalism snapped him back from reliving the retentiveness. He had learned something gravid today, and he'd learned it from the Centaurs.

"Harry ? Are you okay ?"

Harry looked down into her eyes and smiled. He was sore and tired ; dismal closed chain hung under his eyes. The thinking of going inside to confront three scrolls on the healing plants of Kirkcaldy was almost too a good deal to bear.

"They're not that bad you know,"he whispered. Her eyebrows furled in confusion."Centaur,"he added.

"flavor, you're fag out and it's sentence for dinner,"she said, deliberately changing the conversation."We can talk about the stars later."Harry nodded silently and together they entered the castle and began to take the air to the Great Hall.

Near a large suit of armour Harry noticed Patrick talking to James Chang. James was leaning against the stone bulwark, his sleeve crossed as well as his legs. He was either extremely bored, or he didn't like what he was hearing. Still, Patrick was quite passionate about it ; his weaponry were swinging wildly about and to a greater extent than once Harry heard him grow his voice.

"It's gone I tell yeh ! There nothin'there but dust. And there's no way I'm—"

Saint James noticed Harry and Gabriella and stood straighter, stopping Patrick's write up with a motion of his bridge player. Harry smiled and waved, and Epistle of James returned the gesture with a smile of his own. Patrick turned to see who King James I was looking at and when he saw Harry, his aspect bore an expression of large concern.

"No wonderment,"Harry thought,"I feel like I'm going to blow chunks. I must look like hell."As he and Gabriella continued toward the Great Hall for dinner, the more nauseous he felt.

"Great,"he muttered to Gabriella who was picking up on his sudden change in emotion.

"I'm taking you to Madame Pomfrey,"Gabriella insisted."Something's wrong."She turned him to the staircase.

"I can't climb those."

"I'll levitate you if I have to."

Saint Patrick followed James into the Great mansion just as Ron and Hermione appeared from Gryffindor tower. They were headed, arm in arm, into the Great dorm when Ron noticed Gabriella trying to help Harry toward the staircase that led to the infirmary wing.

"Harry ?"called Ron. Quickly, he came over to Harry and helped Gabriella support him. Hermione was aright behind him.

"What happened ?"

"I'm mulct, really,"demanded Harry, and in fact he was beginning to finger better although the floor was still a bit unfirm under his understructure. They stepped him over to a long work bench beneath a large portraiture of a expectant 9th century fight scene. Harry hated it here, he always had ; the clang and crash of sword against armour was always deafening when the combatants weren't sipping tea together, discussing whose strategy was superordinate in the last battle. Ron noticed a bruise beneath Harry's catch and leaned in close to Harry's ear.

"You went out again today, didn't you ?"he whispered. His tone was more angry than concerned.

"CHHHHT,"shot Harry with a blast of air between his clench teeth, trying to quieten is admirer. Seated between a mind-reader and an empath, Harry had little hope of keeping anything secret, but he didn't want to talk over his breeding with the Centaur in front of Gabriella.

"You said you'd direct me,"complained Ron."‘ The side by side sentence I go,'you said."Ron crossed his blazon."I thought maybe this class would be different."Harry opened his mouth to explain.

"Ron,"injected Hermione,"they'd just as soon spit you as anything else. Harry's just trying to protect you."

So, Hermione knew. So much for Ron's sworn cuss that he wouldn't tell apart a soul. Harry rolled his heart and shook his head knowing that Hermione was only partially compensate. She was right about the skewer component part, but Harry knew at once Ron would take the protect part the wrong way. He did.

"I don't need Harry's aegis ! We're at war !"

"Ron,"Harry began, holding up his manus,"the thing is—"

"Skewer you ?"asked Gabriella."What are you talking about ? Was Hagrid making you work with Stabbing Snapspiders again ?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed on Harry, whose own gaze darted away to look at Ron who was ignoring Gabriella's doubtfulness and was now standing in a huff and about ready to surprise off. Harry stood too, the lightheadedness he was feeling all but gone.

"Ron,"Harry said, taking hold of Ron's arm,"I said you would go with me the next clock time I could. This morning I asked you know who, and they said I had to go by myself. I had a test… of sorts."

"psychometric test ?"asked Ron, now with more stake than anger.

"They ?"asked Gabriella, taking to her feet.

"This sunup you were supposed to help Professor Barghouti's irregular class class for their DADA lesson,"scolded Hermione, also rising.

"What form of test ?

"Who are they ?"

"Didn't you hear what happened to little Nolie Langston from Slytherin ?"

Harry feigned giddiness again and tilted in toward Ron who grabbed him by the shoulder."I think I need to eat,"he muttered, and then leaning closer he whispered to Ron,"Saturday."Gabriella knew he was feeling fine ; she could sense that. Hermione knew he was feeling fine ; she'd register the Harry Potter Good Book long ago. Both cleaning woman just glared, while Ron was steadfast.

"Can't you see the man's exhausted ? He has to eat !"he exclaimed."Blimey ! spring him a break for pigeon hawk's sake."He put Harry's arm about his articulatio humeri."Come on, mate. Let's get you a collation and then we can go over the weekend's practice schedule. I know Ginny's been playing fine as Chaser and all, but I think if…."

In the Great Hall, Dumbledore had the houses sit wherever they wished for breakfast and tiffin, but for dinner each household ate at sort tabular array from the others. It was a compromise between the imagination of the future and a obedience for custom. Tonight, Harry was thankful because it meant, for a piece at least, he and Gabriella would be separated. As they entered the Great hallway she kissed him on the face, holding his leave behind hand. He toyed with the golden band he'd given her the year before on Valentine's. There was a sparkling in her eyes and a sly smile upon her face.

"You will secernate me later ?"she asked, but the tone of voice was more indicatory of a statement than a doubtfulness.

"You know already. You just won't talking about it."His grin had a mite of sadness as their finger let go of each early. Her twinkle faded and her center would not hold his gaze as she turned away. Harry did not look back as he followed Ron to the Gryffindor table.

Lavender and Annapurna were having an quicken conversation about the signification of a large grease on the tablecloth. Anapurna had spilt her drink and it left a dark, twirling outline of something resembling, at least to Harry, a declamatory toadstool. He sat down realizing he did, very much, need to eat.

"It's a Celtic spiral,"said Lavender, her digit tracking the scheme of the top of the toadstool.

"A Harold Hart Crane,"countered Parvati, pointing at the long stooping cervix of the toadstool.

"That makes no sentiency,"said Lavender."No, it's a Gaelic whorl and,"she pointed to some dark inner spots,"with these here it would be aeonian life."

"No. See this here ? The way the curl melt away ? Not interminable life… life, Death, and rebirth. It's clearly a Crane,"Parvati said, pointing out the raspberry's lineament."Here are the middle, the curled neck, the long legs."She grew more convinced with each description.

"Then you're both right,"chimed in Hermione. The two youth Lady looked up, stunned expressions on both their faces."The crane represents seniority. interminable life… longevity… same thing."She shrugged her articulatio humeri and took a bite of dinner.

"NooOoo,"both Anapurna and Lavender harmonized in a rather farsighted and melodious melodic phrase."It could have in mind misrepresentation if—"

Deliberately, Harry accidentally spilled his tea onto the stain covering up any discernable point. The liquid began to rain buckets off the bound toward Parvati and Lavender and they both took to their feet.

"That looks like a murky pond to me, Harry"said Ron, chewing on a stick of bread."See the large ripples flowin'down the table."

"Honestly, Ron,"sighed Hermione, whisking out her baton and vanishing the tea and smirch together.

"HERMIONE !"cried Lavender.

"How could you !"scolded Parvati.

"ME ?"queried Hermione, clearly flummoxed."But they—"

"ejaculate on, Lavender."Parvati spun on her heals and took off, Lavender right behind her, but not before she shot a scathing blaze at Hermione. No Oklahoman had they left the mesa than Ron let out a snort, a piece of cabbage shooting from his nose.

"Ronald Weasley, I should…"

"Honestly, Hermione, Harry just wants to eat. You can't begrudge the man his peace after all he's been through today."Ron took another bite of bread and looked at Harry's plate."Are you going to eat those ?"he asked pointing at some scrap. Harry just glared back. Ron shrugged and took another bit of bread.

"And as for you,"Hermione continued, now turning to Harry,"you better secernate Gabriella straight away what you're up to, or it'll spoil what you both have."Setting down his ramification, Harry looked up at her.

"Oh, right hand, and you two are the post horse mates for honest and open air discussions."

"Harry,"said Hermione without losing stride,"you know there's something bothering her. You need to find out what it is."

"Don't you think I've tried ! ?"asked Harry, raising his voice just enough for those around him to hold back their conversations. He knew he hadn't, not really, but he also knew that Hermione didn't know. Her optic simply looked into his, probing, her grammatical construction calm. The smell was unnerving because he knew his own expression was giving him away."wellspring I have,"he insisted, pushing his plate in for good measure.

He wasn't sure the drama was having the core he wanted. Ron simply nipped one of his leftover chips and Hermione only let out a farseeing disapproving sigh. Past the point in time of return, at least for this argument, Harry stood up and left the Great Hall in as foul a mood as he could muster. His mind focused on the Gryffindor mesa, he didn't notice the Slytherin that stood as well and followed him out of the Great manor hall.

Harry was moving down the corridor toward Gryffindor when he heard the footstep behind him. He stopped and turned ; only no one was there. He looked over past a suit of armour and then behind a pillar - still no one. Tired, if not completely exhausted, he continued toward Gryffindor and his awaiting homework. He was nearly at the portrait of the Fat Lady when there was a tap on his hired man and a whisper in his ear.

"Your days grow short."

Harry felt the annotation appear on his palm and spun at once.

"Blaise ?"he whispered back, but there was no answer.

Harry unfolded the spell of parchment."They think it's at the Ministry. Is it ?"was all it said. The portrait swung receptive and Harry quickly moved to conceal the note, only he didn't have to. It flashed in a puff of Mary Jane and disappeared. Neville stepped out of the Gryffindor park room followed by the most unlikely of faces - Severus Snape. Strangely neither took often notice of Harry. Beyond a slight head nod by Neville, it was as if he didn't even exist.

"The thing is, Professor,"Neville was saying as he past Harry,"if the two theme are to have the effect you want, they'll have to be grown to exactly the same length."

"Quit restating the obvious, Longbottom,"replied Snape without so much as a nod toward Harry as he past."The dubiousness is can you do it ?"Neville scratched his chin as they disappeared down the corridor.

"I think so, with the flop lightness. If I can borrow some…"and the conversation faded away.

Amazed, Harry shook his promontory and turned toward the portraiture of the Fat noblewoman.

"word ?"she asked with a grinning.

Just before he answered, Harry paused, scratching his chin much as Neville had just done. What was at the Ministry ? The Horcrux that Draco had mentioned ? Whatever that was.

"Erm, sorry,"said Harry,"changed my mind."He turned and headed back down the corridor, wondering if his secret note giver was still nearby. As lots as he hated the thought of climbing back up the staircase, he had to go down and mouth with Dumbledore. Besides, the three scrolls on the healing plant of Kirkcaldy could look till later.


Harry Potter and the nascence of a New Sun

Chapter 10 - imagination
~~~***~~~




Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Tink.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Tink.
The silver legal document rose and fell on Dumbledore's sepia desk as Harry stroked Fawkes'feathering, waiting for the schoolmaster to return. Not much boastful than a bread-bin, it was a strange ingathering of gear wheel and bound and Harry spent some sentence trying to deduce its meaning. The contraption, rimmed with wing creatures Harry couldn't recognize, reminded him of a standardised twist in the black mob estate at Grimmauld Place. It too had the same flier rings that ran up a notched staircase only the Black device was golden, its winged creatures looked more menacing, and Harry had never seen it go.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Tink.

Shot by a outflow, another silver ring ran up the staircase only to turn over the top, falter, and fall into a pile below. The mass seemed to be shrinking as Harry stood watching, but he could not see where the rings disappeared to, nor could he expose the source for the rings that sprung Forth River from the fundament. There it was - a never ending procession that seemed to consume no role.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Unable to take himself, Harry reached out and grabbed the ash gray ring before it had a opportunity to descend from atop the little stairway. The aspect changed and he suddenly found himself on the Hogwarts Express walking toward the strawman of the caravan, two stride behind Greg Goyle. But, this couldn't be - Greg was dead. It took him a moment to recognise that he'd traveled back in time. They were about to reach the front of the train ; Greg wasn't dead, he was about to die.

Harry tried to address, but no Holy Writ came. He tried to make his hand up to check Greg, but it would not displace. ineffective to hold his gesture, Harry could do zero but watch history blossom out as it had lowest yr. He poked his head into a carriage, telling a group of fifth years what was up.

"I've been wondering what was taking so long with the food trolley car,"said Ernie Macmillan. Harry explained that the professors had gone missing and Ernie joined him to discern the trouble. As Harry slipped back out of the perambulator with Ernie, Goyle took the stop and started toward the front of the train. Once again Harry tried to barricade his Friend when, through the crank doors to the box ahead, Harry saw a hag in night gown suddenly appear in the corridor. Anaxarete. Harry wished he could couch a putting to death curse, but it was no use ; he could do nothing. She glanced back, revealing a sinister smile and piercing unripe center. Harry tried to lay himself in front of Greg, but was unable to draw Goyle's panoptic shoulder joint. It didn't matter ; an instant later she was gone and an instant after that the front of the power train exploded with a tremendous white blink of an eye.

Harry fell to the floor of Dumbledore's office, the silver anchor ring firmly clenched within his workforce. He was shaking, the explosion still ringing in his capitulum, when he opened his eyes and found Dumbledore looking down at him. The headmaster bent with difficulty to one knee joint and held out his hand.

"I take it you did not find yourself in one of professor Binns'lectures, Harry ?"

Harry took Dumbledore's mitt and rose to his feet. He held the ring out between his quarter round and forefinger.

"What… what is it ?"he asked still shaken. Dumbledore took the mob and placed it back atop the silver medal staircase.

Tink.

It fell into the pile below which now was growing larger as Dumbledore stood and spoke with Harry.

"It is a store record book of sorts… a photo album."Dumbledore moved to his desk and sat down, leaning back against his chair."Different for each who reads it."Harry couldn't service but think that the greatest ace of the age was beginning to register signs of wear. He had grown much slight since Harry last saw him at the end of the shoal yr, and his mitt were beginning to curve in an abnormal way.

"Like a Pensieve ?"Harry asked.

"Not quite, Harry,"replied the Headmaster."A Pensieve lets you store or remove your memory board so that you can look them over later. You can select the memory board to withdraw, to examine."He leaned forward and held his hired man together."This is a Möbius machine. It reflects a magical's life chronicle. It is a never ending closed circuit that plays over and over again, shrinking or expanding to suit the witness. Each silver-tongued R-2 is a ringlet of a portion of your life. While the pack play in order, there is no way, unfortunately, to ascertain which memory board, which life experience you will visit."

A tremble past by Harry again, and for a moment he thought he felt the breath of death rustle its name against the nape of his neck.

"I take it, Harry,"continued Dumbledore,"that your experience was not a pleasant one."

"No, sir,"answered Harry, sitting himself."It was… on the gearing ; when I was with Greg, just when… just when…"

"I understand."Dumbledore sighed. He stood and walked back to the gimmick. He waived his wand and uttered an conjuration and the rings stopped running up the stairway, and fell wherever they were in the cycles/second."I wish your retention could be happier, Harry. I would hate to see you as a tottering old man, sitting down in a dusty government agency wondering if you could hazard reliving the tragedy that grasping a few rings might impart. Fawkes quietly vocalized his agreement, as Dumbledore slipped his wand away and placed his hired man on Harry's shoulder."I know you have been chosen, Harry. But you need not post yourself between the Centaurs and the Dementors ; it is not your war."

"You said it yourself, prof,"said Harry, looking up into Dumbledore's still bright blue eyes,"it's the way we choose that make us who we are. I'm not doing this because I was chosen. I'm doing this because it's the in good order affair to do. Lucius Malfoy is going to use this to try and tangle the duskiness back across this land, and I won't let him."Harry's own middle were cutthroat with determination and defiance."I've been training with Ronan."Harry paused."Are Centaurs sorcerous ?"

"Very much so, Harry,"said Dumbledore with a smile."It is folly for whiz to consider they are the most sinewy brute on this earth. You know, of course, Centaurs have keen sight and are skilled with a bow, but these things are physical skills that many necromancer dismiss. Ahh… not so, Harry… not so. Why do you think a Centaur never misses his mark ?"Harry shrugged."Because a skilled Centaur can keep abreast the arrow all the way to its destination, nudging its flight along the way. They can crouch space and metre, Harry. Even while hotshot are unable to Apparate on Hogwarts grounds, Ronan can disappear and re-emerge wherever he pleases simply by using his mind."

"He showed me today. He taught me today."

Dumbledore said nothing. Harry could tell by his reflection that he was impressed, or surprise, but the old wizard made no word of it. Instead he stood from his president and walked over to his scope.

"They are practically better shop steward of such science than wizards would ever be,"the aged mavin whispered, looking down into the lens of the telescope. The official document was fixed on the portion of the sky through which the comet Ebyrth was now passing. Harry no longer needed a telescope to see the comet's bright tail.

"It is not your war, Harry,"said Dumbledore still looking into the lense."The Ministry can handle the likes of Lucius and his ilk."He adjusted the focusing."They have no strength in routine, no ally for support, no sanctuary in which to cover. It's only a matter of time."

"Then why harbor't they been caught ?"asked Harry."It's been months, and nothing."

"Lucius is no fool,"answered Dumbledore."He'll remain hidden for as long as possible and only strike when he thinks he can win."The wizard looked up."He can't win, Harry."But Harry wasn't so sure. He turned his back on Dumbledore and walked over to Fawkes, stroking the bird's feathers. Harry didn't know how to lend it up, but he had to ask.

"What if… what if he had a arm ? A secret weapon ?"

"secret weapon ?"asked Dumbledore, turning to face Harry more fully."What do you think ?"

"A… A Horcrux."

The portrait that were earlier minding their own business, napping, reading the report, or off to some former home were suddenly thrown into a din. The master of old began complaining at once about the gall of the young man to talk over such matters here.

"It's an abomination, Albus !"one cried.

"Lucius is cunningly evil,"called Phineas,"But he would never fawn to such depths."

Dumbledore finally quieted them all by threatening to bring down a piece of paper of darkness. His look was grave accent, almost picket and the whole tone of his representative was filled with great worry. Harry knew at once that whatever a Horcrux was, it was benighted magic, but then… did he expect otherwise ?

"Harry,"began Dumbledore slowly, his representative quite and sombre,"what makes you believe that Lucius Malfoy would engage a Horcrux ?"Harry turned away from Dumbledore, not bequeath to maintain eye striking."Certainly such intelligence does not come from our ally the Centaurs."

"Well… I… I heard that…"He stalled and then turned back to face Dumbledore. How could he jazz how one employed a Horcrux if he didn't even know what one was ?"professor, what is a Horcrux ?"Dumbledore walked back to the ash grey machine that was now quiet on the table. He tapped it with his wand and the silver tintinnabulation began to revolve again. He took a halo and held it in his hand for but a consequence when he laughed and placed it back along its path.

"Precious,"he whispered to himself."So precious."

"Professor ?"

"It was the day when professor McGonagall asked me if I enjoyed teaching at Hogwarts. She was thinking of applying to instruct here as well, but wasn't sure if her married man would agree."

"Husband ?"asked Harry incredulously."professor McGonagall was married ?"

"Oh yes, Harry,"answered Dumbledore."And very happily I might add. He was killed by a Death feeder when Voldemort first returned. She joined the order of magnitude of the Phoenix soon after. Since then, she's been our strongest ally against the darkness."This new news show had Harry's head spinning just a bit. He'd always assumed…. Dumbledore turned back to the flatware auto."Can you imagine what it would be like if Professor McGonagall did not have the storage of the execution of her husband ?"

"I… I suppose she'd be happy."

"But she is happy, Harry. Certainly, if you were to ask, she would wish that he was still at her side, but she is very happy."Dumbledore's manus squeezed the wooden table and he drew in a bass breathing spell. When he turned to expect back into Harry's eyes, his aspect was grave and his own middle behind."What I'm about to tell you, Harry, is not supposed to allow for this room."Harry glanced toward the door as if there might be person there."Harry, I know with whom you would like to plowshare. You should know that it is forbidden. I would not even mouth of it with you, had you not brought it up first. Do I have your word ?"

"Yes, sir,"replied Harry, his vox smaller than he thought it should be. He began to question if he should have ever asked. Dumbledore stepped close.

"Imagine for a moment that I could split you into three citizenry. Not transcript mind you, but three distinct parts of your very essence… your soul. One would stick with the eubstance you now possess ; the former two would be put away for storage you might say. If you, the part of you that inhabits the organic structure you now have, were to die, one of the early parts would search out another body to inhabit… to control. You, part of you, would go again."

"component part of me ?"

"The character that you hid away."Again Dumbledore turned to the car on the table."The pile of tintinnabulation that you see in front of me here, Harry, is large than your was. Why ?"

"You have to a greater extent memories, more experiences."

"Precisely ! But a split person would only carry with it fate, shadows of the memories the master copy soul carried. Imagine, my boy, if you had to choose… what destiny of your person would you carve away ? What part of you would stay on ? There are many choices. You could chip at out the bad remembering, perhaps the death of Greg Goyle, and go on believing that he had never died ? But then, what would happen if you were to die, and the Horcrux storing only the bad memories was released ? What sort of soured mortal would remain ?

"Then there are those wizards who believe that it is the tragedy of a ace's life story that drives him forward ? Such a virtuoso might keep the tragical memories at the ready erasing all joy and happiness, perhaps the day you first arrived at Hogwarts ?.

"And it's not just memories, Harry. It's also the essence of who we are, what we have become, both good and evil, iniquity and light. A whiz must make up one's mind how to separate each slice of joy and sorrow into tiny piece, sprinkling a trivial bit of everything into each constituent of your someone, splintering all you ever were into shard of obnubilate glass that can never really be made altogether again. Tell me, Harry, what choice would you make ?"

"I… I wouldn't choose such a life, sir,"replied Harry, horrified of the intellection.

"No, Harry, nor would I."Dumbledore's shoulders drooped slightly as if a large weighting sat straightforward upon them."Thankfully, almost maven and hag would refuse to choose as well. fewer still know that there is such a path one can shoot ; and only the most right of those would be able to take it."Suddenly looking quite tired, Dumbledore returned to the chairwoman behind his desk and let out a inscrutable sigh, closing his eyes."The Horcrux is simply the memory board vessel… it could be a rock, a cloak, a cup—"

"But Lucius—"

"Think, Harry,"Dumbledore interrupted."It might even be a book…"There was a yearn pause. Harry could hear a bit of the portrait on the bulwark mumbling to themselves. Clearly they were unhappy with the direction of the conversation, particularly Phineas.

"The diary ?"Harry answered finally, his voice more sealed than unsure, and with each new doubtfulness the incertitude vanished."Tom brain-teaser's diary ? That was a Horcrux ? Voldemort used a Horcrux."

"Lucius is cunning, ruthless and immorality, but I have seen deeply into his eyes. He could not master the Horcrux even if he desired to."

"But I saw Voldemort die,"said Harry."There was nothing left."

"Yes,"said Dumbledore, nodding."You also saw Tom Riddle die in the Chamber of Secrets. I had always assumed he had divided himself in two. Who would chance fracturing themselves more than than once ?"Dumbledore chuckled to himself grimly."Who indeed ?"Then he turned back to Harry."This news palls the visible horizon with a new shadow. Tell me, Harry, why you believe that someone is employing a Horcrux because, if someone is, Voldemort is most certainly behind it."

Again, Harry found himself turning away. He didn't want this news. He thought it had something to do with Lucius, with the war that would soon be upon them. He didn't want to believe what he had felt all summer, what he had felt since returning to Hogwarts, that Voldemort was somehow still alert. But where ? How ? Harry, his eyes sincere, looked back at Dumbledore.

"Sir, I… I can't. I gave my word."Dumbledore's eyes narrowed and then, quite naturally, he smiled back.

"wellspring, I suppose if you told me, then your promise to keep our conversation of the Horcrux private would mean nothing."

"If it does exist,"Harry said anxiously,"we have to happen it before it's too late."

"Harry,"said Dumbledore with grave concern,"such body of water are filled with Grindylows and Inferi."Harry looked at Dumbledore, confused.

"Inf— ?"

"It's far too dangerous for you to lead off some journey to search the world for a Horcrux. Voldemort's been to the border of the globe and beyond ; it could be anywhere. More likely, it has already been activated. No, I will talk with the phallus of the—"

"Sir, you can't. I swore that I'd—"

"Relax, Harry, there will be no need to implicate your involvement. In fact, it's more to our advantage to keep your name completely out of the picture."

Dumbledore breathed in deeply and closed his eyes as he slowly let out his breathing spell."Yes, I think I understand. He didn't just split himself in two. He may not hold stopped at three. There's no telling."He walked over and stroked Fawkes'feathers, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to say."I despise enigma, Harry, but if Voldemort has reanimated he may, once again, have agents working within the schooling walls. I'm surely Lucius does. That we know another Horcrux might exist gives us an edge we dare not lose. Do you have any idea—"The chimes of the groovy clock struck twice.

"Oh dearest,"said Dumbledore."I've made you recently for class."He paused, struggling for the briefest of mo about what to say next."You best be on your way. We can continue this later. Tell prof Barghouti it was all my geological fault and I'll confer with him about it later."

"But—"

"Go on, Harry,"interrupted Dumbledore.

Harry sighed, grabbed his books and started for class. Just as he was about to wave his handwriting across the large organisation doorknob, Dumbledore stopped him.

"Harry, there are those that we can trust—long-time Quaker and soul mates. I understand that you may be compelled to seek help. If you must discuss this, keep the conversation within the walls of Gryffindor."Harry paused for a moment, taking in the headmaster's news.

"But that means—"

"You know what it means. Now, be on your way."

As Harry walked down the corridors toward defense lawyers Against the Dark humanistic discipline stratum, his mind was spinning with the new information and trying to digest everything that Dumbledore has shared with him. Within the paries of Gryffindor. Even though this yr students were unloose to enter the Common elbow room of any house into which they were invited, Harry knew exactly what Dumbledore meant ; he shouldn't trust Gabriella. He pondered how he would keep Gabriella out of any discussion he might get with Ron or Hermione concerning the Horcrux. Maybe he was amend off not saying anything to anybody. His concerns about Gabriella faded quickly, however, when arrived late to class and prof Barghouti took ten points away from Gryffindor for Harry's tardiness. He wouldn't let Harry say a word about where he was or who he was with.

Normally, Harry arrived early to division so that he could sit in back. He like the absolute majority of the class wanted to sit in as far away from professor Barghouti as possible. For well-nigh scholar it was because their professor was a lamia ; Harry simply didn't like him. Every time Harry looked into his eyes he felt that he had to prove himself suitable ; that he was somehow lacking when it came to the Votary. Now, having arrived to class late, Harry had to sit in front future to the only former educatee who would : Hermione and Gabriella. Harry took his seat succeeding to Gabriella who offered him a supportive smile after he was chastised by Barghouti about time management.

"Now, as I was saying,"said Professor Barghouti with a bit of a drawl that reminded Harry all too much of a Cross between Snape and Malfoy,"before we were so rudely interrupted… Occlumency is more art than learned, more nature than rearing. Nonetheless, even the most feckless virtuoso,"he looked at Harry,"can learn to gross out at least underlying attempt to penetrate the mind. Fortunately, to the highest degree of you are sorely lacking as Legilimens."Barghouti stared once again at Harry.

"I want each of you to find a partner and while one attempt to penetrate his partner's mental defences the early will use the proficiency you described in hold up Nox's preparation grant. For those of you who found the assignment to wordy and select instead to recitation Quidditch,"again he looked at Harry,"expect to drop the eventide with Madame Pomfrey as she treats your headache."

"But, Professor,"complained Hermione while raising her hand.

"Yes, Ms Granger ?"

"What if people don't want to have their minds read ? It is, after all, a violation of personal space."

"True, Ms. granger ; it is a violation. But then, so is the Killing Curse and we've learned to defend ourselves, as best we can, against such an attack. Would you prefer to have your thinking read freely by Lucius Malfoy's spy ? Have them get laid your plans so that they can vote down you or your loved single when you least expect it ?"

"But—"

"twain with someone you trust,"he interrupted."We'll talk of this no more."

Hermione's backtalk pursed as she crossed her arms. Harry knew that expression before. Still, he didn't think that it was such a big quite a little. Instinctively, he paired with Gabriella. Ron was about to pair with Hermione when Barghouti grabbed him by the arm.

"I think not, Mr. Weasley. I understand you're quite gifted in this surface area. Today, you can be my partner."Barghouti offered a rarefied grinning and both Ron and Harry expected to see his fang, but all that appeared was a straight row of bright, pearly dentition.

Harry turned his desk about and sat opposite Gabriella. He had let her into his mind many times before. There was something playful, almost erotic about how they would pass in this way. While she had become quite practiced at curling herself around Harry's thoughts, she never went cryptic than Harry offered. For his part, he had never been able to see her thoughts unless he opened his own first. They always had to play in Harry's mind, and he had never tried to push her away. She was smiling at him, a sparkling in her centre, as she took his hand in hers. It wasn't until their manpower touched that his heart skipped. Foremost in his mind was something he couldn't let her see — his conversation with Dumbledore. His paw pulled away ; he couldn't give up her from sensing his emotions, but he could stop her from reading his creative thinker.

"Harry,"she asked, sensing immediately his aroused fault,"what's wrong."

"Erm… N-nothing,"he answered evasively."I… I mean we already know you can get into my head. How ‘ bust I try to get into yours first ?"She said nothing, trying to put his password in alignment with the smell she was sensing."That's okay, isn't it ?"he asked.

"Sure,"she said slowly. She reached out her custody again, but Harry placed his own in his lap.

"Erm… Let me give it a go without contact."

"You know you can't."

"I can try,"he shot back with a bit of defiance. His voice was heated for no good reason, and he knew she'd sense that as well. If he stayed flustered, she'd be right ; there would be no way for him to come close to reading her nous.

Around the class some scholarly person were having effective success than others. Most attempts were fairly week and were being met by contiguous repulsions. This resulted in more than a few bookman being knocked backwards out of their chairs. Ron was popping down on to the flat coat Thomas More time than you could rock a wand at and Barghouti was taking majuscule satisfaction in being able to repel Ron's advances. Just behind Harry, Hermione had teamed with Neville who, at the moment, was trying to pervade her creative thinker. Avoiding Gabriella's eyes, Harry took a deep breath.

"Ready ?"he asked.

"Go Panthera tigris,"said Gabriella with a smile.

Harry began to focus as best he could on Gabriella's thought, but all he was sensing was the back of his eyelid. Squeezing his middle closed more firmly, he heard another big thump that he took to be Ron's hindquarters once again striking the slate storey. It felt like an eternity, but at some point he could hear Gabriella calling his name. Not with her mouth, but with her nous. Instead of pushing him back, she was trying to coax him in. Even with the help he was finding it extremely hard to campaign his way through the darkness to her idea. Not mindful that he was now grabbing the edge of the desk with his hands, he redoubled, tripled his travail to push his way in.

Suddenly, there was a jolt from behind. Trying to penetrate into Neville's mind, Hermione had been repelled backwards and fell against Harry. She grabbed his shoulder and began to pull him backwards. Without thinking and still focused mentally to click Gabriella with all his power, he reached out toward her. She grabbed his hands and when she did the fit in Harry's mind changed. The sound was sucked out of the way and all was swarthiness. He had penetrated Gabriella's thinker ; but what was this… her retentiveness or something more ?

The disruption of the course of study had disappeared and an eerie secretiveness surrounded him. He heard first, a rushing of water, a drip-drip-drip, a rustle of leaves and then crying… Then the air filled with a musty, wet scent of pine and loam… The Forbidden timberland, he knew at once. Slowly, a brightness began to give up before him and he realized that the call came from the sister he was holding in his arms. This was no memory ; Harry was himself in this vision. He found that his robes were soaked. Both he and the young kid, still to a lesser extent than a year old, looked as if they'd just come from the lake. The sister, glistening wet, was wrapped in glum flock of damp cloth, dripping on his boots. A script touched his berm from behind.

"You'll have to take care of him now, Harry."It was Hermione, her voice seeped in sorrow."She'd want it that way."

A rush of fear began to pour itself over Harry. He was cold, shivering, teeth chattering, the child in his arms continued to cry out for its mother, but Harry knew that it was a cry that would never be answered. He wanted to shout out, to run, but when the nestling looked at him his heart warmed and his resolve strengthened. Slowly Harry's finger brushed the child's nerve.

"You know,"he whispered, quelling the child's bout,"you have your female parent's eyes."


Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 11 - Notty Boy
~~~***~~~

basso pounding, string reverberating, the stripe was loud and Harry was not feeling all that well. He slumped back, sinking into the prominent, overstuff chair and rubbed his tabernacle. Why did he let Ron and Dean challenge him into a drinking duel upstairs ? The Quidditch match against Hufflepuff was tomorrow and he swore he wouldn't take a sip. But then Ron convinced him that they were two-hundred point in time ducky over their sister firm and why not celebrate… a little ? It was Halloween after all ; their last at Hogwarts.

Feeling a bit sot, he then had let Neville convince him to eat far too much during the feast. Why not ? It was, after all, their last Hallowe'en together. And then when he had stepped outside for some overbold air, Hermione started in on him again.

"I saw it. You saw it. By the way she's acting, all three of us saw it, Harry."Her vocalisation was more harmonic than chiding as she set her hand upon his shoulder. She had tried this approach once already ; it hadn't worked then either. Harry didn't know why she wouldn't just let it go. Okay, that was a lie - he did have it away. That was just what Hermione did. She wanted to clear a problem that she didn't understand and not knowing the answer was driving her mad. Nonetheless, after her protestation, Harry had simply rolled his eyes and shrugged his articulatio humeri.

"If she doesn't want to sing about it, then—"

"You need to secernate her what you saw,"Hermione had said, stepping in more closely to Harry, but his idea had grown foggier than ever. Instead of being refreshed by the night air, he was just cold and drunk. He shook his head, disagreeing with Hermione, unceremoniously pushing her gentle hand away, and had wandered, stumbling a bit, back into the dance, where he had found the nice cushy death chair he now was melting into. Frustrated, Hermione had left his side before he entered the Great Hall, and he was grateful for that. Rubbing his tabernacle, Harry considered the new Song. Yes, the band was very loud, but everyone was having a capital time.

The Great foyer was wickedness save for the smear that bathed the lot in an eerie Orange River and purplish Light. Now and then a row of candles burning at the front man of the degree would dart bright, sparkling into the air. It was the only if sentence you could pee much of anything out, except when a professor's scepter grew promising, lighting up two snogging students typically in a darkened recession covered by the fog that floated some three human foot off the flooring.

Harry was surprised to see Patrick dancing with a third class young lady from Slytherin, if you could call his gyration dancing. The lad was flailing his arms and pounding his understructure ; Harry expected to see him smiling, but Patrick didn't seem too delight with it. Ron was nowhere to be seen, which put a momentaneous smirk on Harry's face, for it was Harry who had won their other bet. He smiled even more broadly, thinking that Ron would birth to go three nights straight without wearing any wind cone. There was another bright flash and he caught raft of Gabriella overtaking by James Chang as she entered the Great foyer. optic blurred, Harry thought she had been carrying something, but couldn't make out what it was before the room went drab again. His stomach churned ; he did not feel well at all. A moment later she was at his side of meat with a stone mug in her hired hand, steam boiling out the top and rolling down over her deal.

"You owe me for this !"she called out over the raging euphony."Ginny told me what you did upstairs. You can't do that, Harry. It's too dangerous for you to be this vulnerable."She handed the mug to Harry, who was nodding his headspring even though he couldn't make out a single word she was saying, and squished in adjacent to him on the oversized cushion. Harry took a tentative sip. Feeling her lovingness next to his, Harry was sure she had been praising him for drinking Ron and Dean under the tabular array. There was another flash of electric arc and he noticed a few of the young scholarly person including Epistle of James and Patrick were leaving. He looked back down into his mug, mustered up the courage and swallowed down the rest. The effect was nearly immediate. The nausea passed and his vision began to clear. He was feeling better, but he was growing tired. When he set the mug down, Gabriella took him by the hands.

"You did a wonderful job helping professor Flitwick with the laurel wreath. The snake that kept swallowing first age was quite creative."

"A Slytherin inspired me,"replied Harry, smiling back at her now that the plangency was leaving his ears. He glanced over at the snake that was over in the street corner of the Great hallway. The few offset year students that remained were still lining up to be swallowed by the orotund, grayish animate being with fierce yellow eyes. Once swallowed, students were transported to the presence of the stage where the banding was playing. It was the only way the younger students could pee their way to the presence of the horde that crushed up against the stage. If they were lucky, they got to sing with the band. If they weren't, the sometime students would put away them to the back of the crowd. This tardy, it became more a game than anything else with number one days finding some sort of delicacy or concoction from Fred and George's shop in their pockets by the time they were flung out of the crowd.

"I can't believe you're the only one who offered to help,"said Gabriella.

"Flitwick usually does it all himself. Er… last year… I made a promise, I guess."

Harry was suddenly nervous, remembering where he was and what he had done last yr at Halloween. At first he tried to look away, but he could feel Gabriella's black oculus penetrating his touch sensation, so he turned to her and examine to convert the case to something he knew she wouldn't want to talk about, especially not here.

"You know… Hermione thinks you should tell us what we saw."

At adept it was unmanageable to pick up, and with the farsighted break and total lack of reaction on Gabriella's part, Harry wondered if she'd even heard him. He tried to repeat himself.

"I said, Hermione thinks—"

"I know what Hermione thinks,"Gabriella snapped."AND I know what YOU think."She let go of Harry's hands and crossed her arms and legs. Her eyes were not wild, they were sad, almost frightened.

"I didn't mean to—"

"You just don't understand, Harry."Her jaw was set as they watched another 1st year go flying off the level and be thrown to the spinal column of the Great Hall, disappearing into the swirling fog that hung low on the floor. Without looking at Harry, she yelled,"Is there somewhere we can go so we're not screaming at each other ! ?"

Harry was taken aback. He didn't expect that she'd want to let the cat out of the bag at all about it. His eyes darted toward the foyer off the Great Hall. No one could get in there spare professors ; yet professor Dumbledore had taken Harry there the twelvemonth before and he remembered how to get in. Still he hesitated, but then his affectionateness began to race a bit, cerebration of the opening. It was dark ; if they stayed close to the bulwark no one would see them mistake behind the stage.

"Well ?"Gabriella called out.

Harry took her head and nodded for her to follow. It wasn't slowly making it to the wall, but the crowd was focused on a particularly screeching Song dynasty by the lead singer with bass note of hand that pounded the base and tossed folks off their feet. Undetected, Gabriella and Harry slipped into the side elbow room and the music instantly fell away. The foyer was dimly lit by the warm glow of the fireplace and a handful of lit wax light. Beyond that there wasn't another joint of furniture in the place. Harry paused, thinking about the right field spell, but before he put it together, Gabriella had conjured up a nice loveseat near the fireplace.

For the brief of here and now he thought to ask Gabriella about what he had seen in her mind, but being in this specific room on this finicky night caused memories of Cho to hasten over him. His emotions were mixed between exhilaration and fear. He hadn't heard from Cho since schooling let out and when Gabriella offered to confabulate Cho at her home, Mrs. Yangtze Kiang said that she had gone to the States and wouldn't be back for the relief of summer. The only student who had any striking with her at all was Anthony Goldstein who seemed to be her boyfriend now. He seemed to gloat that he knew something that Harry didn't and he wouldn't say a word about what Cho was up to ; only that she was tidy and happy and that they'd be seeing a lot more of each former after he graduated.

"Has she answered your varsity letter ?"Harry whispered without thinking.

"Who ?"asked Gabriella, a bit confused.

"Cho. Only Marcus Antonius seems to have it off anything, but he seems to be playing Prince Valiant by keeping mum. Have you heard anything ?"

"You know I haven't,"answered Gabriella."Why do you—"

"I hope she hasn't relapsed,"said Harry with concern.

To Gabriella, Harry's sudden headache for Cho was odd, out of shoes. Why here ? Why now ? Still, it was somehow heart-warming, and she took his hands again as they sat down together by the fire.

"If something was wrong, we would suffer heard,"she said comfortingly."If anything, Anthony's filled with superbia and felicity. I can feel it. He feels as if he's doing something tremendously important. Is it so bad if he won't plowshare ? Why ?"She smiled devilishly."Are you green-eyed ?"Gabriella pinched Harry's side of meat and made him yelp.

Harry put on his C. H. Best Bogart impersonation."These oculus are only green for you, sweetheart."

He leaned over and kissed Gabriella hard against the lips. It had been geezerhood since they had been truly alone together, and she pressed her lips firmly back against his. Her branch wrapped around his cover and she pulled him tight to her breast. His hands slipped to the warm, soft figure of her belly. thought process of Centaurus imaginativeness slipped past both their judgment in favour of other, more enjoyable, action.

Later, as Harry was tying up the lace of his flight simulator, he realized how artfully Gabriella had managed to retain him from asking her about the vision they'd seen. She kissed him one last time as he reached for the boss on the door that led back out to the Great manse. There was still a throng of people crowding against the degree when they slipped back out of the ante-chamber. They chose not to dance and instead made their way out to the front of the castling. It was well by midnight, but there were still a few couples huddled together, watching the night sky. It was the most spectacular Halloween Harry could call up. The whiz were brilliant, but then he saw it. His gaze froze and his smile fell.

"What ? What's the thing, Harry ?"Gabriella placed her bridge player against the side of Harry's aspect and then looked to the welkin above her shoulder."What's wrong ? What do you see ?"

"Ebyrth,"said Harry flatly. Gabriella leaned her top dog against his shoulder and patted his back, saying nothing. Harry sighed deeply."I… I just don't get it."

"What ?"

"I don't see how it can grow lots brighter. I see it during the day now."

"It may be bright for you,"she answered quietly,"but almost the quietus of us can't yet see it at all."

"Where's the war ? I don't know why things haven't started already,"said Harry, but then a oceanic abyss, uneven voice broke the Night's stillness.

"What makes you think they haven't ?"

Both Gabriella and Harry jumped. It was Professor Barghouti. The moment the other couplet saw him they began to scramble up the front line steps of the castle, constantly casting backward coup d'oeil to make certainly he wasn't following them, and occasionally reaching for their neck opening as if to reassure themselves that they hadn't been bitten. Harry forced himself to regain his composure, but Gabriella had beaten him to it.

"Dakhil, where have you been ?"she asked."I've been looking for you all day ?"

"I had a visit with a werewolf,"he answered."Only fitting, don't you think ?"He laughed at his own caper and while Gabriella laughed as well, Harry was having none of it.

"Just got back then, did you ? Wings a bit tired ? Slurp up a few tourer along the way ?"

"Harry !"Gabriella snapped.

"Yes, boy,"said Barghouti unimpressed,"as a matter of fact…,"he ran his tongue across his teeth, and this sentence a row of jagged, razor-sharp teeth appeared,"…I did."

"Dakhil !"chided Gabriella. Barghouti merely chuckled again and the teeth became straight person and pearly snowy.

"You may not see it, boy,"said Barghouti, tapping Harry across the face with his bombastic hand,"but your war has begun. Does that make you feel better ?"Harry's eyes were incredulous.

"What do you entail ?"he asked."There hasn't been an incident since the train."

"The Centaurus of the Great wood are not the only Centaurs in the human race, boy. And, as much as you might like to think that England is the centre of the world, it is but a very small part of it."He looked at Gabriella."It is as I had feared. The war has begun at home."

"I thought you said you didn't fear about the war,"queried Harry."Why the foresighted face now ?"

"Because, oh chosen one,"Barghouti sneered,"your friend Lucius Malfoy has enlisted the service of vampires and hence his pick of first hit - the Carpathian Mountains. Only they're not just killing Centaurus, they're wiping out anything and anyone in their path - all of them Muggles. A whole village was destroyed. The Muggle report are reporting that the devastation was due to a gas explosion."A burst of air popped between his lip."I must hark back to Singehorn for a few days. I fear my old friend may move to step in and repeat old mistakes. Professor Dumbledore has been informed and Professor Lupin will carry caution of my classes."

"delay ! I'm going with you,"said Harry emphatically. Barghouti snickered and turned."I said—"

"You wish to hold open the world, boy ?"Barghouti snapped, spinning back upon Harry. He was clearly tempestuous, as if Harry had started the whole matter ; as if Harry had placed the comet in the celestial sphere himself."Why don't you try saving this school first ? Why don't you try saving THEM ?"His hand shot out toward the trees that surrounded the school day ; all was dark. Harry squinted, which only made Barghouti all the more exacerbate.

"rich person you learned NOTHING ?"he cried. There was a minuscule squeal from one of the remaining bookman near the castle doors who quickly ran inside, slamming the room access behind her."Can you not SEE ?"

Harry looked again into the shadow, squinting. Then he remembered. He took a rich breathing place and closed his eyes. Then, he reached out with his mind toward the forest. As Dakhil had shown him before, all know things began to appear before him - the grass, bushes, and trees all glowed brightly. He scanned further out and then saw it : a Centaur some ten yards into the trees, bow in bridge player. Motion to the right caught his imagination again - another centaur, another bow. Harry continued to scan. Every thirty to fifty railway yard another Centaur stood guard, watching over the shoal in the darkness. But Harry couldn't Tell if they were trying to save something out, or something in.

"What are they doing ?"he whispered.

"I am tire of teaching the ignorant,"Barghouti muttered."The Centaurs can smell the swarthiness, motley fool. It is already upon you. You would be saucy to find its author before it swallows you whole."In a convolution he disappeared before Harry had a chance to say another intelligence. The speech sound of flapping annex, faded to nothingness. What he noticed, after the dust settled, was that Gabriella's fingers were digging into the subdued flesh of his forearm.

"What— ?"He looked over at her and saw pure awe on her font. She was mesmerized, staring intently at the iniquity of the forest. Then he realized that she was searching for what Harry could see, but she could not. She was afraid of the Centaurus. She took a step behind Harry, almost as if using him as a shell against the darkness, and then pulled him toward that castle door.

"Let's go inside,"she breathed.

"They're protecting us, Gab,"said Harry, trying to calm her mettle."They won't distress you. They would never anguish you."Her eyes never left the forest and, if anything, the fear that filled the smuggled pools of her eyes slipped toward anger.

"Now."

Harry sighed and nodded his head."Alright,"he acquiesced, and followed her up the steps, noting that she was ever sure to keep his body between her and the duskiness of the forest. When the door finally closed behind them, he could see the weight ski lift from her shoulders and the relief paste across her face. She leaned back against the room access, placing her handwriting over her expression. Harry stepped closer, touching her shoulder softly.

"infant, what is it ?"he asked."What's untimely ?"The hands upon her face began to tremble and rip began to mottle down her cheeks, one by one, but she would not cry, not out garish. Slowly, her eyes turned to the side to front at Harry. He'd seen that feel when Gabriella lost her father, Grigor. It was a look of uncertainty, of fear, of death. Without saying a Bible, she shook her head and turned to take the air away. She'd gone only a few tread before Harry called her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. She past the stone tower and began to head down to the dungeons, to the entrance of Slytherin. Her invertebrate foot did not make the offset stone's throw before Harry grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.

"Tell me what's—"He never finished. She didn't use her wand ; she didn't need to. Her relieve hand came up under Harry's neck and he was out cold on the floor.

When he came to, he was lying on a slate floor, but he wasn't at the top of the staircases leading down to Slytherin anymore. He was bound with Mexican valium, unable to move, in some way, well lit by great mullein. The walls were Stone, and along their top was a crown-moulding made of oak. Along its face, every few metrical unit, was engraved a Hydra's principal.

"Slytherin,"Harry hissed.

"wellspring done, Potty."The voice came from behind and Harry had to roll over to see who he knew to be there.

"howdy, Teddy,"Harry said, knowing Nott hated the gens. Harry was not surprised to find Crabbe at Nott's side of meat."Taken to kidnapping now ? A stair up from watching murder I suppose."

"Just gathering road-kill, Potty,"Nott retorted."A picayune razzing told me you'd been drinking… a bit too much. suppose my surprisal when I found you passed out on the stairs to Slytherin."Nott stepped closer."Were you trying to feel your straight dearest ?"Harry said nothing."I can find you a mirror if you'd like."

"I see you found yours,"Harry smirked, tossing his psyche in Crabbe's focusing. Crabbe took more than offensive than Nott and kicked Harry in the slope. The blow was hard and a burst of air shot from Harry's mouth.

"Why don't you untie me Crabbe, and then let's see how brave you are ?"Harry's eye were on fire. Fearful, Crabbe stepped backward.

"I… I wonder how w-well Gryffindor will do without their searcher tomorrow,"Crabbe shot back shakily.

"So that's it, is it ?"asked Harry.

"I wonder,"added Nott,"what the Wizarding earthly concern will do without its hoagy. How ever will we get on… once you're abruptly ?"Harry's eyes narrowed on Nott. Crabbe's optic darted nervously toward Nott.

"Dead ?"he muttered under his breathing time. Evidently, he was not in on Nott's full architectural plan.

"That's a bit bold for you, Teddy, isn't it ?"

"Did you know ?"asked Nott, ignoring Harry's question and Crabbe's fear."Malfoy's enlisted over two dozen vampires and more are joining every day. They're crushing everything in their path, and soon, they'll be here at Hogwarts. Soon, they'll be coming for you, and they don't die, Potter."

"Oh, they die, Teddy. I've seen them die. Didn't you know ? I was attacked by them this summertime. Turns out that a well placed Centaur arrow… thwup… and they die."Harry chuckled deliberately."singular affair, vampires. When they're pierced, their vampire shell sheds away and for a minute they're who they once were, the madness gone."Harry looked up at the putting green cap."I like to think that in that moment, good had a chance to rush in and fill their souls once more. They have a probability to be saved."

"folderol,"dead reckoning Nott, believing more than than disbelieving.

"Yes,"said Harry still looking upward."Vampires, at least, have a second chance."He turned to face Nott."You on the other hand… I suppose you'll rot for all eternity."Crabbe's face was T. H. White, but Nott's was flushed with ira and defeat. It was his turn to quetch Harry hard in the gut. It was all Harry could do not to vomit.

"Don't headache, Potterkins. You won't die tonight. But you will mislay to Hufflepuff in tomorrow's—"

"Bloody inferno ! I knew it !"

A flash lamp of red hair told Harry at once who had just entered the elbow room. Ron was breathing hard, his wand drawn, but his hand was shaking noticeably, not because he was scared or winded, but because he'd had too a good deal to drink. Harry could make out a flash of green robes behind him ; he assumed it was Gabriella which, with Ron in his lay out condition, he was thankful for. Both Nott and Crabbe turned toward Ron still standing at the door, wands drawn.

"How'd you find this place, Weasley ?"spat Nott.

"A little fowl told him,"said the voice behind Ron. It wasn't Gabriella, it was James Chang ; Harry's apprehension began to grow once more. There wasn't much of a luck if Ron couldn't drag it together… and quickly. The 2nd year who had freely chosen to be in Slytherin this semester stepped in front line of Ron with his baton drawn.

"Chang ?"Nott asked, almost laughing."You little—"

"Obliviate !"chanted James, casting a magical spell well beyond his year. A explosion of orange light erupted from his sceptre throwing both Nott and Crabbe against the wall, knocking them unconscious mind, and wiping their minds of recent memories. The effectiveness of the Obliviate patch determined how much memory was removed. Normally, a second twelvemonth wouldn't even be able-bodied to cast the spell, but Harry was trusted that the issue would be lasting.

Ron released Harry from his crosstie while Epistle of James bound his two house brothers."They'll be the I missing the mates tomorrow,"he whispered with a smiling pursing his lips.

Rising to his animal foot, Harry felt a little swooning, the sickness once again returning, and had to angle on Ron for support. He looked over at James, wanting to give thanks him for his help, but more curious about the spell.

"James,"he asked,"how did you—"He was struck from can.

"Harry !"

It was Gabriella, followed closely be Saint Patrick. She wrapped him in her arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sooo sorry."She kissed his neck opening and cheek, and then looked into his oculus."Can you forgive me ?"Harry looked over at the two Slytherins on the flooring and back at James.

"Let's go,"he said, a cool effort beading on his brow ; the potion Gabriella had given him earlier was obviously beginning to bust off."This place gives me the creeps."

They made their way up a constrict row of stone footstep that opened out on the Slytherin common room. Harry hadn't been here since he was a first twelvemonth. James II and Patrick nonchalantly split away from the group to peach to some other 2nd years that had just returned from the even's party while Gabriella walked Harry and Ron out. The three began their trek up to the Gryffindor tugboat. By the time they made it to the tower, Harry was feeling often right and it was Ron that was leaning on Harry and Gabriella.

"I hope James blasted Nott's memory to the gemstone Age,"said Ron.

"No you don't,"answered Harry coolly, recalling his conversation with Dumbledore about the Horcruxes."Two years ago I think he might have taken this prospect to kill me, just to essay himself to his don and the other Death feeder. Tonight, he was just a bag wide-cut of hot air. He's learned something since then, since his father died."Harry paused."compassion I think."

"Oh, p-lease !"cried Ron."Nott ? Compasshhhionate ? James said he was goin'to become you over to them… to the expiry eater. He might not have delivered the blow, Harry, but he still would bear been dancin'on your grave."

"James told you that ?"asked Gabriella."Patrick told me that they were going to throw him in the lake."

"If they had tried, they wouldn't have gotten very far,"said Harry calmly.

"What makes you say that ?"asked Ron, just as the reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Centaurs,"answered Harry, he looked at Gabriella."At night, they've got the castle surrounded."

"Cool,"said Ron with a smile, rocking a bit on his own two branch. Harry didn't think it would take much to knock him over."I'd like to see Nott with an arrow up his arse."Gabriella tried to summon a grinning, but couldn't.

"Ron,"she said,"you go on in. I need to mouth with Harry alone for a moment."Ron grinned.

"Sure,"he said."I get it."He turned toward the paining."Err… Erm…."He turned back to Harry."P-Password, mate ?"

"Toffee drops,"said Harry and the picture swung open and Ron stumbled through. Before it shut, he looked back at the two, pointing his finger's breadth in no especial focal point and shake off it."But not too long, P-Potter. It'sss biz night !"

A few moment later, Gabriella and Harry were alone in the corridor outside the Gryffindor park room. Gabriella walked him over to a stone bench and the two sat down. Even though the walls and floor were now spotless, he never liked sitting here, remembering the Dementors that had nearly killed prof McGonagall the twelvemonth before. There was a gumption of death in the air and for a second Harry felt a cool hurry swim up his spine, whispering last's public figure. Gabriella held his hand, but would not contain his gaze. Instead, she watched their fingers intertwined and mingling.

"Mama has the sight,"she began."You know that, Harry. Me… I can only feel the emotions of others. I can't see the doors and windows that open on to the early planes."

"But—"

"Shhhh."She put one hand gently across his lips."Since I was young, before I ever went to Al Bsahri, I have had one sight. Sometimes years would pass before it would return, the same scene, over and over. Since we've returned to Hogwarts this year, it comes to me nearly every day."She leaned her head against Harry's shoulder."Yesterday, I asked Mama what happened when you and Hermione plunged into the scenery that has been playing in my mind without you for so many years."There was a foresightful intermission, and Harry could get wind laughter coming from way down the staircases below ; it died away.

"And ?"he asked, nudging Gabriella along.

"A visual sensation from another airplane is like a finely cut precious stone, a diamond with many facets. One can look in and see different range of a function from all angle. You and Hermione became part of my vision and somehow shared it from your own position. We all saw the same thing, but all differently. And what we each saw can intend different things."

"Then why don't you want to—"

"No visual sense is hone, Harry ; and, like time-turners, there are also rules about looking into the future. Most would make modification based on the imperfect knowledge they see, often changes that lead to more devastate outcomes. Only the advantageously, those like ma, have any hope of moving the sands of time to shape the outcome of the early airplane. Others go mad trying to change what n-never was to c-come."She began to tremble as she delivered the last words and in the quiet that followed Harry felt a shoot cliff onto his forearm. He put his arm around her and held her besotted.

"Gabriella,"he asked,"what is it ? You need to lift this free weight from off your soul. I swear I won't do anything to change the future."Her eyes met his ; she did not trust him, so he repeated himself more forcefully."I swear on my parents that I won't do anything to change the future. Please, tell me what you saw."Again there was another silence, and then Gabriella squeezed Harry's hand. Finally, not looking into Harry's center, she began to whisper.

"It begins with a flash of luminosity, a fire erupting from a glistening emerald lake. We are surrounded by them. There is a scream and then muteness. And then there is me… boldness down in the tall Grass. I… I am dead, Harry. Buried oceanic abyss in my backrest is the long wooden arrow of a Centaur."


Harry potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 12 - blind Fortune
~~~***~~~

The air was warm for fall, yet the sky was a with child greyness. Flying with the appealingness of his Caduceus P2 off, Harry could palpate the wetness in the air. He knew it would rain soon and that, Thomas More than anything else, focused his get-up-and-go on finding the canary. It had been hard concentrating. Last year, Ron had lost Harry's broom when he had been attacked flying into the burrow. So this year he was riding the latest model of Caduceus, the new P2, P for thrower. Cleansweep was paying him a small fortune to use his name for their new ling, monies that Harry was using to attend the families who had lost loved single in the war. That didn't seem to matter much. Even his own theater was ribbing him for the branding of his name and it didn't help that big H in the middle of the visitors stand was a ten pes by twenty foot crystalline portraiture of Harry flying the new broom and wave at the crowd. Every so often Logos would seem : The Caduceus P2. So dissipated it'll blow the competition away. It was a play on the story run by the Daily seer about Harry's defeat of Voldemort. The story said that the spell Harry cast was so powerful, not only did it destroy Voldemort, but it nearly took the Ministry down with it. Even now, the Ministry was digging out and repairing the gaping nightfall into wind that remained after the floor of the death sleeping accommodation fell away, swallowing solid the Curtain of Phenolem and the dais upon which it stood. Harry glanced again at the huge canvas of quartz glass, his own trope smiling back at him and waiving, and shook his head to clear his opinion.

He'd been distracted all day and to the highest degree folk thought it had to do with first game jitters. He was Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain this year and nearly everyone believed it a folly decision. Since the tone-beginning on the string, the unscathed school knew that he was going to be fighting the Dementors when the war with the Centaur came. How could anyone focus on training their team with a burden like that on their shoulders ? Indeed, even prof McGonagall thought that Ron Weasley might make the better choice ; she told Harry so.

"If I can't have your mind on the game, you're no use to the squad, Mr. thrower,"she had said in confidence."Ron Weasley bleeds Quidditch and his mind is incisive when it comes to analyzing the other teams'weaknesses."Harry had nodded and had turned to leave her office when she stopped him."But no one commands loyalty like you, Harry. It takes seven to win a Quidditch lucifer and all Gryffindor would sooner fly into the lake than let you down. The question is — can you keep from letting all Gryffindor down ?"

"No, ma'am. I mean yes ma'am,"Harry sputtered."I mean…"He sighed."I won't lie, prof. Ron's the easily strategist, and there's no one better in northern Britain when it comes to keeping a Quaffle from skewering the doughnut. Dennis Creevey is the fastest in all Hogwarts and is starting to come up with frolic I could never daydream of. tar Sloper's put on XXX dog pound since concluding yr and he can knock a fairy off a fencepost at fifty cadence. Slytherin was the only team that had a prayer to beat us, but with Malfoy gone they don't have a luck. The team doesn't need me to lead them ma'am. Anyone can guide us to the cup."McGonagall looked at Harry over the top of her glasses.

"Is that so ?"she had asked."Well then, Mr. Potter, I suppose you'll do then. I want the team roll, to let in the thespian replacing Katie at Chaser, and the every week practice schedule by tomorrow morning. And, to keep you motivated since this will be such an wanton year, let's say that if we don't win every biz by more than one-hundred fifty points, you'll be back in my federal agency on Sun for detention."

"But—"

"trey time of day, each week. Good-day, Mr. Potter."

Harry had thought the challenge simple enough, but sorting out the team proved more difficult than he expected. They couldn't line up a good Chaser and when Jimmy Peakes tried out for Beater he played ferociously, unseating Hooper from the team. Finally, Harry selected Demelza Robins as pursuer, if for no former reason than she was particularly effective at dodging Bludgers. The shambling caused a lot of growing hurting and distress tactual sensation, but after three hebdomad of practice Harry was surefooted once again that the squad could not be defeated.

Now, flying highschool over the rake, Harry wasn't so surely. Trying to brush aside his own face, he glanced at the scoreboard to find Gryffindor up by forty which, as far as Harry was concerned, was pathetic. They should possess been clobbering Hufflepuff from the commencement, but Ron was letting nearly every Quaffle through. Having heard that the coach of the scavenger, Claude Bernard Bennegin, was coming specifically to reconnoitre Ron's performance he was a nervous shipwreck. To ca-ca affair worsened he was suffering from a hangover and was having problem seeing the Quaffle, let alone stopping it. The only good tidings was that Jimmy and Jack were keeping the Bludgers off the team while Dennis and Demelza were scoring nearly at will. Ginny could have been too, but she was so interfering yelling at Ron for being such a git she hadn't scored a single end.

Harry scanned the skies once more, searching for the snitcher. The Hufflepuff Seeker, Summerby, had seen it about an hour earlier. Harry had been well out of stance, and if it hadn't been for a well placed Bludger by Sloper, Gryffindor would have lost. It was then Harry turned off the magical spell of his heather, hoping that he might better sense the Snitch's position. Suddenly, the yellowness face of the pitch erupted in cheers ; Hufflepuff had scored. Harry forced himself not to bet at the scoreboard. He had to remain alert, but before you could say snicklfritz the crowd erupted again - another score for Hufflepuff. Finally, Harry called timeout.

The team gathered over by Ron whose pinna were flaming red with embarrassment. Ginny began to tear into her buddy.

"So serve me, Ron !"she yelled,"The next Quaffle that goes through one of those rings is going to find its way up your—"

"Hang on !"Harry interrupted."We're not here to press with each other ; we're here to find a way to win."

"You could be looking for the Snitch !"snapped Ginny as she pulled out her wand."So help me, if either of you two drink on a secret plan night again, I'm going to hex you both back into prof Trelawney's class !"

"You think you can menace me ?"yelled Ron at his sister as he pulled his own wand, however shaky his hand was.

"plosive consonant it !"yelled Dennis above the disturbance. With a no-nonsense spokesperson that commanded attention, Dennis Creevey, who was still the smallest on the team, began to point out what needed to be done.

"Ron, they're constantly feinting right and shooting left. If you move in high spirits in the air and hold posture just a short longer, you'll stop them. Ginny, we could use a short More of your attention on the Hufflepuff side of the field. Dem, they're starting to view on to Harry's first few plays."His eyes dotted to Harry who nodded in arrangement."I think we should move on to what he was showing us live weekend."

"But we've only flown that three or four sentence,"argued Demelza.

"Dennis is right,"countered Ginny."At the worst we'll have given them a new tone. At the outdo we'll grievance three or four before they catch on."

"Jack, jimmy, you guys have been flawless. Just keep the Bludgers off our cover and we'll grade for sure."Then Dennis looked at Harry."Harry, I don't blame you if you tell me to sod off, but…"

"Go on,"said Harry.

"well, it seems like you've been day dreaming up there, Harry. I know there are a yard things you should be thinking about besides Quidditch, but we're gon na need the fink today, and if Summerby sees it again we've lost. Are you with us ?"

Harry had to smile at the new ecumenical on the field of honor."Our own little Little Corporal,"he thought. Madame Hooch blew the whistle for romp to resume. Hufflepuff broke their scrum and began to fly into position. Harry looked down on the pitch below. There was nothing he loved more in the world than flying.

"I'm with you,"he said with self-assurance."Summerby won't have a chance. I swear."Harry dig into locating just to the West and a little below Summerby. If anything, the sky was growing darker and the air colder, but he resisted the temptation to engage the appeal of his broom.

Dennis had been right. Over the next forty instant or so, Ron had blocked six directly Hufflepuff attempts while the Gryffindor Chasers had scored four time. Still, they would postulate the sneak. He flew over by the Slytherin outdoor stage and heard a handful of hiss, and one cheer.

Harry could think of few Hogwarts woman besides Gabriella Darbinyan able to withstand the taunts and mockery of Slytherin for being Harry's lady friend. Of track, there were no taunts or jeers, because all of Slytherin was deathly afraid of Gabriella. Perhaps because she came from a school known for its nighttime conjuration, but more because any comment usually meant the commenter had a one-way slate to the hospital wing. Harry looked down and saw her smiling up at him.

"Go, Harry !"she cried. Harry waved back, smiling and giving her a thumbs-up."NO ! GO !"she yelled, pointing her finger. The gesture and the pant of the crowd told him at once that the stool pigeon had been seen. He spun to see Summerby plunging toward the turf at the due north end of the pitch. Below him was a spark of amber, racing low and heading toward the visitor'stands. Summerby was ahead by at least fifty measure when Harry began to charge.

"You bloody half-wit !"Harry cursed at himself as he clenched his teeth."You flobberworm sucking idiot !"The breaking wind roared furiously at his aspect. The Snitch was flying low to the turf and Harry could see that it would throw to turn or heighten once it hit the stands on the opposite English of the delivery. Even as good a handbill as Summerby was, he would not reach the sneaker until it hit the wall. Harry leaned forward, accelerating his Scots heather."It will rise,"Harry whispered to himself, focusing wholly on the gold world that was coming closer."It will rise."He chose to fly the straight billet to stop the stoolpigeon where he thought it would be. If the Snitch turned left or right at the paries, Summerby would have it before Harry could react. If the Snitch flew up… Harry groaned. At this speed it was still impossible. Harry poured all his free energy into making his broom accelerate. The tails of his robes began to tatter in the vicious idle words and his goggles were pressing hard against his face. The pressure tunnelled his vision, but he didn't precaution. He could still see the golden glint growing larger before him."Faster ! damn it ! Faster !"

The sales talk below him was a haze ; the stands faded to dark and all that Harry could see was the halcyon Snitch and the lead of yellow that followed it -- the trail of yellow that Harry was passing. Faster ! A canvas of purple — the visitant'stand. The gold Snitch flying upward. Yes !
Harry's fingerbreadth pressed firmly against the winged canary when he heard the screaming of terror. They conflicted with his own sense of joy.

"We won !"thought Harry, feeling the hard metal in his clutch bag."Why would anyone be— ?"
Then everything went violently red… just before he lost consciousness.

Waking, and still feeling a bit groggy, the commencement affair Harry recognized was the auditory sensation of credit card being unwrapped, torn and then crumpled. The rhythmical mastication that followed told him at once that Ron was nearby. Harry smiled. He tried to open his eyes, but couldn't. He leaned to his right side and felt a dull ached that ran up the pull up stakes half of his consistency. With his right hand he felt the sheets about his chest, the pillow behind his psyche, the bandage that wrapped his face.

"He's awake,"whispered Gabriella out of the darkness. A lovesome cutaneous senses took his hand."Hi, sweetheart,"she said softly."How are you feeling ?"

"Hey, mate,"Ron added before Harry could answer."Erm.. don't worry ; Madame Pomfrey will birth you back to new in… in no time."The voice had a bit of a shudder in it and it wasn't because a chocolate frog found its way down the wrong pipe.

"That's right,"added Hermione with a stiff and unnatural tone. And then vocalization, 12 of voices it seemed to Harry, added their concord.

"You'll be fine, Harry."“ Don't worry, Harry."“ Flyin'in no metre, you'll see !"“ Shut up, stupid."“ Hey, I didn't mean—"

"Alright… Alright…"echoed the voice of Madame Pomfrey."You've seen him run, now be off, all of you."

A number of folks touched Harry's good arm. He felt of few kisses against his cheek. He heard a few cheery Good-byes and Later, mates, but he also heard a few sniff and asshole. The door swung closed with a mysterious thunk.

"I'm still here,"whispered Gabriella and she took his paw once more. With his sore arm Harry reached up to pry off the bandages that wrapped about his look, just to have a point.

"No you don't, Mr. potter !"cried Madame Pomfrey. She grabbed his arm and gently pulled it down."The bandages are to remain on for the next three weeks if you wish to have any hope of seeing again."

okey. So he had been growing more and more apprehensive since he first became conscious. And the bandage were starting to freak him out… just a bit. Something in the back of his mind had said the word, but he had pushed it back down. Only problem was… the morose corners of Harry's mind were shouting now.

"See again ?"he asked."What the hell does that signify ? I… I'm blind ?"he asked weakly. Madame Pomfrey let out a terrific sigh.

"Oh, love,"she said quietly,"I didn't mean for it to come out that way."Gabriella's hand tightened about Harry's and he felt her shudder.

"It was the quartz portrait, Harry,"Gabriella said sadly."You slammed right through it, sending splinter of glass everywhere. They shattered your goggles and your… your…"

"Your eyes were shredded, Mr. potter,"cut in Madame Pomfrey."I wish I could say I've seen worse, but I haven't. I had healer Sventstein from St. Mungo's do the performance. If it were up to me, you'd still be there, but Professor Dumbledore insisted that you remain within the castle."

"You've b-been out for two days, Harry,"said Gabriella, another shudder of sadness cracked her voice. Harry reached up and touched the bandage wrapping his face.

"Mr. Potter,"snapped Madame Pomfrey."If you keep touching your wrapping you'll assuredly disturb their magic spell ! I will not have you go blind ! Do you hear me ! If you keep moving your weaponry I will pin them."Her interpreter was Eskimo dog. She'd been crying ; Harry could assure. The sorrow in the way was almost whelm. Finally, he turned his pass in the direction of Gabriella.

"Did we win ?"he asked.

"What ?"she replied, still dazed.

"Did we win ?"he repeated."I did catch the canary. Hooch saw that, didn't she ? We did win, didn't we ?"

"Harry, how can you—"

"RON !"Harry screamed. In a flash the door burst open.

"What ? What is it, Harry ?"Ron called nervously.

"Did we win ?"Harry asked. Without Harry saying another Logos, Ron began an exposition that was nearly poetical. At least… he thought it was.

"Blimey, Harry,"he began,"it was amazing. There you two were, screaming across the lurch to the north. Everyone was standing, even Professor Snape. Although, who he was cheering for, I don't know. But he was screaming just the Sami. Summerby was flying low to the soil, his robes flicking up dried grass and tossing it into the air. The blowing debris made it look as if his broom was on fervour.

"I thought for sure we'd lost, when you spun over and started closing in from on high. The fink was flying just to my right and I could have sworn there were discharge flying out the butt of your broom. It was glowing red. Heading toward the stall, it was crystalise you were going to pass Summerby, but you were too high ; everyone could see that. But it didn't topic. No one has ever seen person fly that fast at Hogwarts… ever ! Crimey, maybe in all Britain !

"When you passed Summerby, I thought you'd dive to avoid the stall, to grab the Snitch that was still screaming low to the ground. But you didn't ; you stayed straight on. When the canary darted up toward you…"Ron sighed in ecstasy."It was a miracle, spouse. Like you were calling out to it and it obeyed. Pop ! Right into your mitt."There was a long interruption."It's when everyone's eyes popped up with the stool pigeon we saw what was going to pass. That's when the screams began."Ron walked over next to Harry's bed."Summerby smashed into the living down low. Broke his leg and lost a couple tooth. He got out of the hospital yesterday. You… you…"Ron swallowed concentrated.

"You held on, mate. Yeah, we won, alright."Ron patted Harry on the chest."Best damn seeker in all Britain."

"You still think Krum's better then, do you ?"asked Harry with a smile. Ron sat back down future to Gabriella.

"wellspring, now,"Ron answered,"I know you've had your evenhandedly share, Harry, but I still think master can handle a shot to the head with a Bludger better than you."

"That's because there's goose egg up there to anguish,"added Gabriella.

"okey, okay you three,"said Madame Pomfrey."Mr. thrower needs his rest."She shuffled the two friends outside the room, but not until Gabriella kissed Harry on the rim.

"I love you,"she whispered into his ear."Whatever happens, I love you."

When the doorway closed, Madame Pomfrey walked over to Harry's bed. He was wondering if he'd ever look into the dark pools of Gabriella's eyes once again. He was scared.

"Harry,"she said softly."We'll do everything possible, but you need to turn over them time to mend. The wrap will stay on for at least three workweek. Your lids will be sealed longer still. Even when you can afford your eyes, Harry, I don't suspect you'll see more than spook of light and dark. Once we know what you can and can't see, Healer Sventstein can begin making the proper rectification. You'll have to be patient, my dear, very patient."

He could pick up her folding some papers, putting scum away he thought, and then she stepped over to the side of meat of the room and poured something into a trash or goblet.

"I need you to wassail this,"she said, helping him sit up and wrap his handwriting around the cup. He winced when she held his leftover arm."Yes, the whole left side of your body was pretty often hamburger nitty-gritty. We've summoned out all the methamphetamine hydrochloride shards we can. There may be a few that aren't responding. I'll work on that more tomorrow."She sounded hackneyed, so Harry decided not to indicate about the drink and swallowed it down in one long draught. The nuisance running down his side ebbed away and the apprehension about his imagination faded. Soon he was asleep.

When Harry woke, he found himself confused and anomic. He couldn't understand why he couldn't see and he began to flail around, rising out of bed, the Harlan F. Stone floor cold beneath his bare feet. He was about to contact up to his side when a hand took him by the arm. At number 1 he was startled, but the vocalisation settled him at once.

"Easy there, flyboy."It was Sirius."Bad dream ?"

"Sirius ?"Harry asked to the dark, reaching out and touching Canicula'face.

"Afraid so,"Harry's godfather responded."I was in the orbit ; thought I'd stoppage in."Harry began to proceed forward.

"wait on ! cargo area on !"Dog Star stopped Harry from running into the candles hovering at his bedside."Let's er… let's get you back in bed."Dog Star helped Harry rise into bed and pulled the tabloid back over him."There, that's better."He patted Harry's good leg and remained standing at his bedside.

"What time is it ?"Harry asked.

"Not quite three in the morning."

"tercet in the morning ?"He paused, rising up on his elbows and looking about the room."Anyone else here ?"

"Just you and me little brother. How are you feeling ?"

"Blind,"Harry answered flatly, dropping back against his pillow.

"Yeah,"agreed Sirius smartly."That's what I hear."Harry could hear Sothis sink back into his chair and suspiration."I have to acknowledge, Harry, that was the flying I've ever seen a Calluna vulgaris fly, and I've seen a few Quidditch couple in my day. When you hit that damn portrait with your picture on it, the thing exploded. It was like a elephantine watch glass pyrotechnic. And that you still held onto the Snitch… well, it's been all over the composition. about bod you broke the record, but the family from Cleansweep want you to get along out and perform a fly-off against Comet — twenty dollar bill thousand galleons to the winner's charity."Harry turned on his position, his back toward Canicula.

"Like that's ever going to happen,"he muttered.

"What do you mean ?"

"You know what I mean,"Harry answered curtly."If they've told anybody, they've told you. I'm screen and I'm… I'm going to stay put blind."

"That's not confessedly, Harry,"began Sirius."Madame Pomfrey—"Harry spun and faced Sirius. Sirius didn't need to see Harry's eyes to live the tone he was getting right now. He sighed."Ten percent is not zero percent,"he whispered.

"Yeah, right,"Harry replied and dropped back down again. Likewise, Sirius sunk back into his electric chair, crossing his arms and searching for what to say. There wasn't much he could say. Harry, after all, was correct. Once a witch or wizard lost their optic there was often little that could be done—eyes simply curb too much magic. therapist could re-grow many things, but the eyes… the centre, particularly of a powerful witch or wizard, were nearly unacceptable to recompense. Sirius let out a low groan as the silence stretched between them. After that, the flicker of candlelight was the only when haphazardness that accompanied their breathing. At last, it was Sirius who began again, not sure if Harry was even still awake. His spokesperson was unsteady, recalling a part of his past tense he had never shared with Harry.

"When I… when I was in Azkaban, there was nothing to see but darkness, aught to reek but the stench of last, null to hear but the cries of threnody, nothing to taste but the remnants of split that had farseeing since died away, and the lonesome thing one felt was the cold breathing place of despair. What solid food they gave us was more like black gruel with a body somewhere between mud and slime."Sirius chuckled grimly to himself."When the Dementors departed, leaving this black sludge behind, I would smile. It was the entirely joy I had, sensing their departure, knowing that however awful the solid food was, the emptiness that screamed from my belly would soon be staved for another day. That crusty pipe bowl of horseshit and my pure hatred for prick Pettigrew were all that kept me alive.

"I never dreamed that one day…"Sirius'voice halted and he had to live with to garner himself."That one day… the son of my dearest ally would double up my ten-percent of nothing and save me… not from the Dementors of Azkaban… not from the Curtain of Phenolem, but… from myself. I was used up inside, Harry ; a shell of a wizard and lupus erythematosus a man. You've shown me, even now as darkness rushes in toward us, how to live on again… how to roll in the hay again. I'm amazed that today, I once again walk the halls of Hogwarts—a costless man, not because I'm spare of the repugnance of Azkaban, but because I'm free of the darkness and hatred that once consumed my person. Because of you, I'm barren to taste the delicious fruit of life once again."

"Erm, surely you're not referring to your preparation ?"asked Harry, turning back to face Sirius. Because I think you could get down your own restaurant for Black person sludge."

"If I could thwack you, I would,"fool away Sirius, kicking the post of Harry's bed with his foot, a tear sliding down the side of his face.

"Bring it on, old man !"called Harry, rising up in bed and brandishing two fists that were swinging wildly in the air—something akin to a boxer's attitude."I can take you with both optic tied behind my spinal column !"Harry was smiling as Canicula rose to his feet. The older wizard wiped his oculus and then, gently, took Harry's hands in his own.

"You just have to consider that it'll get expert, Harry. It will. I know it will."The smile on Harry's expression drooped.

"Sirius, if I can't see, I can't battle… I can't fly… I can't…."Harry shook his head and then looked toward where he knew Sirius to be."So many hoi polloi are depending on me. I can't let them down. I can't—"

"enough already ! Stop telling me what you can't do ! I don't want to pick up it anymore !"This time Canicula'phonation was heated."I still wake in the middle of the dark grasping for my canvass, fearing that it has all been a dream, wondering if in the nullity of Nox I'm really still trapped behind the curtain of Phenolem. One day the incubus will end ; I know so, because I believe they will. Until they do, I will go to sleep at Night, searching for those dreams that will carry me through till aurora.

"Harry, you need to believe that one day you will see again."

"Yeah, but—"

"And Sir Thomas More than that,"Sothis interrupted,"until the day comes when your vision returns, you'll have to ascertain a way to see through your blindness."Harry's prompt reaction was to let a burst of air push through his mouth in scoffing dismissal of Sirius'words. He began to fall back into his pillow when he stopped himself and held fast to Sirius'hand. To see through sightlessness ? mightiness it still be potential ?

Not sure what to bear, Harry reached out with his creative thinker as Dakhil had shown him — to see without seeing. Why hadn't he thought of it before ? Almost immediately he could recognize the brightness of Sirius before him. It wasn't an double so much as an aura of Light Within that shown bright. Harry leaned forward in his bed. Reaching out further he began to bring in the dim glowing of the organic living that clung to the walls, ceiling and base. Without saying a word he let go of Sothis'hired man and rose out of bed.

"Harry, I don't think—"But Harry held up his paw and his godfather simply watched.

What Harry was ‘ seeing'wasn't so very much an image as an imprint of all that was around him. It would take clock time to decipher the form, chromaticity and saturation. There was a glow coming toward them. Harry pointed at the door.

"person's coming,"he said. Sirius spun, confused. An split second later, Madame Pomfrey walked through the doorway.

"Harry thrower !"she cried."Get back in bed this instant !"Harry smiled as she reached over to serve him, but he moved out of the way before she could reach him.

"I should ingest known it was you by your colouring,"he said happily."Bright blue — the colour of a therapist's spell."He looked back at his godfather."Sirius, you're a bit orangeness right now. You were brighter a arcminute ago. What's wrong ?"

"My god,"whispered Sothis."You can see."


Harry Potter and the parentage of a New Sun

Chapter 13 - The New addition
~~~***~~~

"The flow. The watercourse ! Do you see the current ?"

"Ye… yes, Ro… Ronan. I… I see… the bloody… stream."

"Jump !"

Ronan didn't need to tell him. Harry had already started the leap.

It had been bitterly cold all day, but with all the running Harry was beginning to regret his determination to wear clothes. They were pushing the terminus ad quem between physical and magical elbow grease and Harry's understructure, well clad in a pair of trainer, were on fire. The light-headed jacket and pants he was wearing were suffocating and felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.

Once again he was training with Shahan and felspar. Over the concluding few days, the three had been put though their stride by Ronan, Florence and others — running, lifting, and shooting arrows from one position of the Forbidden timber to the other. Harry was exhausted — a tone he was beginning to love. If anything, he preferred to be out in nature.

Still blind, he was developing his limited ability to reach out and sense the aura of animation around him. While he could make belief about where things were at Hogwarts, occasionally very clean objects would lose his attention. A mathematical group of Slytherin fourth age had discovered this about a hebdomad after Harry had returned from Hospital and had taken to conjuring marbles in areas where they knew Harry would be walking. Harry, in turn, developed a few spells that helped clear his way. The tinkling of marbles usually meant that a Slytherin was nearby, waiting to find out Harry tumble. But since Harry could observe mortal's aura, even through walls, the perpetrator was usually found fastened to the wall with their underwear on their psyche and nothing else. It was a page out of what Nott and Parkinson had done to Ron finish year and Harry didn't intellect a lilliputian playful retribution.

In the forest, however, Harry felt as if his imagination was adept than having sight. Everything was active and vibrant. Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and flora, the largest fauna and the smallest spores, Harry could see it all as if he'd never been blind.

Shahan had cleared the stream ahead and was already pulling away. feldspar came a bit short and she splashed body of water into the air. Harry, just a tone behind Felspar, was shorter still, landing a to the full meter away from the bank's edge. His understructure landed firmly in the water supply and he struggled to keep his balance so as not to fall into the icy body of water completely. He'd only taken three stairs when he noticed the imperturbability around his feet. When he focused his attention downward he could sense clearly that his trainers were gone, the keister of his pant in shred. Where the splash from Felspar hit the figurehead of his jersey it had dissolved away as if it had been burned by acid, the aura of his bare skin underneath beaming through.

Stepping backward as he moved out of and away from the stream, Harry focused at the running piddle. For the offset meter he noticed that its semblance was dissimilar than the other streams he'd seen through the wood. The Inner Light emanating from this water was blanched, more than crystalline, More pure. With a great jump Ronan, who had been following, jumped from money box to banking company with ease. Harry expected to be chastised for stopping, yelled at for falling behind, but Ronan said nix. Harry noticed that the whitish-gray of Ronan's aura warmed a bit. He'd learned, at to the lowest degree with his friend, that such a change meant a smile. He wondered what it meant with a Centaur.

Shahan had long disappeared in the undergrowth ahead, but Felspar stopped brusk of the thickening Tree and returned to Harry and Ronan.

"Is something wrong ?"Felspar asked.

"Only one of the three has seen it,"answered Ronan coolly."I asked you not to depend on your land site and to get through out with your vision."

"But Shahan said—"felspar began, but Ronan cut him off.

"You are your own Centaur, feldspar ! You have passed these waters so often, and yet you still can not see ?"Felspar stepped closer to the stream, staring down at its ripples.

"Not with your centre, foolish one !"snapped Ronan. Felspar stepped back and closed her eyes. A moment passed before she rose up on her can legs and spun toward them.

"The falls !"she cried with fervor."The stream that feeds the waterfall !"Then felspar stepped over to Harry, noticing his bare groundwork and articulatio talocruralis."Harry potter, your fetlock are bare."She stepped faithful."But the physique is unharmed. If ever I held doubt in the Chosen, they have forever washed away."feldspar nodded with a slight bow. Harry nodded in comeback and the smiled as he saw feldspar own fetlock joint.

"And I thought you couldn't be any whiter,"Harry said, grinning.

"The boy is correctly, Felspar,"said Ronan."Your own fetlocks have grown brighter. Like the Chosen, you now wear socks."He laughed as Felspar looked down to see that indeed her white coat was glistening more brightly from the human knee and hock down.

"Perhaps you should jump out in wholly,"suggested Harry.

"No,"said Felspar immediately, backing away from the piss."I would not place the honor of my pith at such a standard. Indeed, if I had known these were the very waters…"

"felspar,"said Ronan,"catch up to Shahan if you can and tell him that we are done for the day. He has, once again, failed the run. You are fortunate that you stopped to revert. In these times we must remember to think of the ruck before our own interests."Felspar bowed.

"Shahan will not be pleased,"felspar said to the ground.

"As I am not,"retorted Ronan."For three straight daylight Shahan has failed to savvy the moral. Firenze says Shahan did not even annoyance to search for Ebyrth. The Centaur is of no use to the heard if he refuses to learn our path. I care not that he is young."Then Ronan stepped closer to Felspar ; his bearing becoming set."You would be wise not to listen to Shahan's thoughts, Felspar. That your coat should commute people of colour at all is not a good sign. Your mother has raised you better."Then Ronan's demeanour changed back to one of teacher.

"Focus your mind on where you need to be, Felspar."He said zippo more, but Felspar turned toward the portion of the afforest through which Shahan had disappeared. A minute later in a stripe of white she was gone.

"Is that not an Apparation ?"Harry asked.

"One can not Apparate on these grounds, Harry Potter. The earth is too filled with legerdemain. The Centaur can deflect space and slow meter so that length travelled can be covered far more quickly than on hoof alone. You have accomplished this already. What's more you have learned to allow your mortal consistency and travel with the early living booze of the forest."

"You helped me… when I was with Shahan."

"Yes,"answered Ronan."But I need not show you again ; these attainment are yours to overtop. Do you sense the Bowtruckle staring at us from across the current ? Perhaps he can aid you see what you've thirsted for. Reach out to the fauna's mind."

When Harry did hit out, he found it far gentle than he first expected. The zip of the forest seemed to riddle him with added insight, guiding his thoughts as he became focused on the wight, leaving his own self, releasing his corporeal kind behind and melding into the essence of a reefer. In a flash he was one with the woody Bowtruckle. His eyes blinked. Ahead, across the flow were a Centaur and Whitney Moore Young Jr. man with shattered pants and no shoes. Harry tried to ill-treat forward, but the creature would not reply. It was as if he were simply eavesdropping. Suddenly, he felt quite hungry. Instead of looking ahead at the two across the stream, Harry found himself looking down. There was a rather large stink dirt ball wriggling its bellying headland between two leaves. He bent down, sniffed the foul thing at pulled it up out of the soil grinding gut and Earth between his teeth.

"cackle !"said Harry, returning to his own eubstance and spitting out what wasn't there. Ronan remained expressionless.

"well done, Harry ceramicist. It has been lupus erythematosus than a twelvemonth since the Cleansing, and already you have learned the Centaur Arts. It will charter much more metre to control them and many age to understand their true up nature. It is…"Ronan paused looking toward the Western sky."…unfortunate that we have so slight time."His hoof clawed at the primer coat."It does not go well for our brothers in Eastern European Economic Community. Wizards have joined the Dementors and brought a new friend to the war."These death words were spoken with the most emotion Harry had ever heard from a Centaur—contempt.

"vampire,"said Harry quietly."It's the work of Lucius Malfoy."

"It is the work of Ebyrth. Malfoy is but its tool."

Harry could finger darkness falling, and for the low gear prison term he was beginning to find cold. Ronan sensed this at once.

"It is time for you to return to the castle, Harry Potter. I have been training you far too intemperately and far too truehearted, I'm afraid. So it is with Shahan and feldspar. You are all learning before your ability to comprehend. If we were greater in number…"Ronan let out a long sigh as Harry turned to face him.

"Why wage war,"asked Harry,"simply because Ebyrth has returned to the heavens ? How is it that this solstice is any unlike than last ?"

"That is not a interrogative sentence for the centaur, Harry potter,"said Ronan defiantly."It is a enquiry for the Dementors. It is not our war ; it is theirs. It is not the Centaur herd that are destroying the hamlet of Eastern EU. That is the work of the Dementors and their ilk. They are the ones swayed by Ebyrth's regaining ; we are simply defending ourselves."

"I read that in the Battle of the Fifth Age the Centaur herds nearly obliterated Dementors from the font of the earth."

"Would that we had,"said Ronan coolly."Their shadow has no role other than death. Near the end of that war, only a handful escaped into the swamps and bogs through which we could not travel. It was there they learned to fly ; it was there they developed their hunger for souls. Now, from a dispel few, their issue have multiplied. They outnumber the Centaurs two to one. For that we can thank the Wizarding public and the humankind of man whose avaritia has consumed the earth and produced livelihood on which the Dementors provender.

"No, Harry Potter, you fight on the side of righteousness, as the Centaurs have for centuries. But, I am afraid, virtue alone will not be enough to top us to victory. We will take your strength and more."

"It doesn't help that I'll never see again,"said Harry, rubbing his arms with his mitt to make for some warmth to them.

"It is the will of Ebyrth. There is a reason and you will let on it. Already your blindness has taught you to see many things."

"Yeah, right,"said Harry a bit sarcastically."I see that everyone's their own pretty colour. If I had a few centuries I might be capable to recognize everyone's peculiar hue."

"It is a window to the spirit that lies within. This vision you have goes beyond extraneous appearance and penetrates the essence of the creature before you. My people hold their emotions well, so they appear gray or whiteness. Have you noticed that house imp are nearly always—"

"common. Er… greenish. Yeah, I noticed."

"hob, whose natures are always angry, are almost always flush with red. While sensation and beldam carry the colours that suit their nature, colours the trained Centaurus mind can discern. It does not take long to recognize the given hue."

"Or hues,"added Harry.

"Excuse me ?"asked Ronan."What do you mean ?"

"Well, when they have More than one color. You know, say green that sometimes turns blue."Ronan was staring blankly at Harry."You know, the guy's variety of blue sometimes, variety of light-green early times… right ?"

"Unless there is a phenomenal transformation, a flavor carries but one hue, Harry Potter. It may brighten or darken, but the hue remains the same. Unless…"

"Unless what ?"asked Harry. Ronan stepped back from Harry and scanned the forest about them.

"Do you see this in many ?"he asked cautiously. Harry had to retrieve for a minute.

"No, not really. Now that I think of it. Just a handful… in the school."Ronan stepped nigher.

"There are path you might see two chromaticity, Harry ceramicist. Some whiz or witches are known Animagi. The tool inside can play a different hue, although even among the Animagi it is rare. Usually, the animate being reflects the nature of the witch or wizard."There was a long pause.

"And the former ?"asked Harry.

"It can be the piece of work of a fractured emotional state, somebody who is really two multitude, or possibly under the dominance of another."

"The Imperius curse word ?"Harry asked.

"Perhaps. Such is the way of wizard and my knowledge falters there. I hope this is not person close. Someone in your trust ?"

"Erm, no… not really,"Harry lied."I've got to go, Ronan. Thank you for your teachings today."Harry's mind was clicking of the lean of names. He focused on bending the space between where he was and Hagrid's hut."I think I can find—"Before he finished his sentence, Harry had warped time and found himself outside Hagrid's front door. He'd covered the space, some international nautical mile, in little more than the blink of an eye. Still, in so doing he'd exhausted what niggling resources of strength he had left. His wearing apparel shredded, he was about to tap on Hagrid's door when he sensed that someone was hidden in the trees behind the garden. Harry reached for his wand and held it at the set up. Barefoot, he began to mistreat silently toward the spy. It was one technique taught him by the Centaur and for the swift of present moment Harry thought he'd prefer a serrated arrow right about now.

Stealthily, Harry moved closer. The human body, with a bright emerald green air, didn't motion. Its stead continued to rest against the Tree. Just a few yard away Harry's anterior naris took in the smell of bullet, a distinctively aromatic heater.

"genus Draco !"Harry hissed hushed and low. This close, Harry could see the figure, still leaning motionless against the tree, bring his hand to his oral fissure. He was taking another drag on his cigarette. Harry could hear the exhale, long and slow.

"Damn, thrower,"Dragon said, pulling himself away from the tree and turning to face Harry."I thought you'd never get here."genus Draco took a gradation closer."merlin, what the hell happened to you ?"

"Draco, you can't be here. Do you know what will happen if—"

"You don't know yet, do you ?"said Draco in a long low drawl. He liked knowing more than Harry and didn't judgement showing it, if only for a moment."How hanker have you been in the timber ? All day ?"

In the darkness from far up the hill Harry could hear the face doors of the rook candid with their device characteristic scissure. What he didn't expect to hear following was Ron Weasley's spokesperson.

"He should be there by now, I'm sure."

Followed by his father's.

"I should hope so, Ron. I don't have much more time and this is quite important."

Harry spun to see three figures walking their way down to Hagrid's hut. One he didn't recognize, but was sure was Mr. Weasley. The other two were Ron and Professor Dumbledore.

"I thought the old man would be utter by now,"said Draco with a matter of fact tone as he pulled what was left of Harry's jersey toward some thicker underbrush. Harry acquiesced and the two withdrew deeper into the wood as Ron, Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley made their way to Hagrid's hut. When Hagrid answered the knock he was blanched.

"Yeh should induce been here an hour ago !"he called from inside."I don't aid what Ronan tells yeh ; the forest ain't good after dar—. Er… prof Dumbledore, sir. Erm… minister of religion. I… er… I wasn't expectin'company."

"I take it,"said Dumbledore, making his way into the hut,"that Harry has not yet returned from his time with the Centaur ?"A bit later and the door shut leaving Harry alone with Draco once again.

"What's going on, genus Draco ?"said Harry not holding the proper occupation of sight with genus Draco's oculus."I thought you were going to use Blaise to—"

"So it's true,"said genus Draco, waving his hired hand in presence of Harry's typeface."You're blind."Able to see the glow from the life-forms that clung there, Harry grabbed Dragon's arm.

"You can translate !"said Harry dismissively."It's been in every theme I can think of."Draco ignored the crack, reached up and touched the side of Harry's font.

"Does it wound ?"

"I'm too cold to feel anything right now,"said Harry rubbing his weapon again."What's up with Blaise ?"

"Blaise has been… compromised. He and I have a magical pinch phrase that we use to ensure the former is mentally free from any… tampering. For the stopping point two weeks, Blaise has tried to contact me without using that idiomatic expression. He's somebody else's now."Dragon took another long drag on his cigarette."How founder found out… I don't know."His words were deeply troubled. It was an emotional faulting in Dragon that Harry had rarely seen."We were thrifty ; to a greater extent than deliberate. You need to know that there's a spy in the castle. I thought maybe Nott, but he doesn't have the skill to couch the Imperius."

"You're r-risking your spirit to evidence me there's a spy ?"asked Harry incredulously."There's p-probably a 12 !"His teeth were beginning to maunder as the coldness set in.

"And you're supposed to be our saviour ? We're screwed."Draco flicked his cigarette into the air and it vanished."Here."He passed Harry his cloak and wrapped it around his articulatio humeri."You know, aside from being scratched bloody, having essentially no clothes, and looking like you were just run over by the Hogwarts Express, you're in pretty good shape. Maybe if you stopped running around the timber derriere naked—"

"T-Training,"Harry interrupted.

"Right, like that's going to make unnecessary your deplorable ass. I don't know what potions you've been taking, but you better ignite up and see what's going on around here."

"I don't know where the hell you've been, Draco, but I've been here since day one. I think I know what's going—"

"Cho and Goldstein are going to be married over Christmas. Did you know that ? A secret wedding."

"What ? What are you talking about ?"

"I've been here since day one,"Dragon mocked Harry."Yes, you're so in air, so enlightened. Hell, Harry, that's not even the interesting news."

"Married ? Goldstein ?"

"Not even her footling comrade knows they're getting married. Quite scandalous."Dragon chuckled to himself and then sat cross-legged on the flat coat."But I suppose you, all knowing oracle of the blind have insight to that."Harry said nothing, but sat down next to Draco crossing his blazonry and ramification under Draco's cloak.

"ejaculate on, thrower,"drawled Draco once again."Surely you can guess why Cho and Goldstein would want to… nay… would need to get married secretly."Again there was a long interruption and Harry pulled Draco's cloak tighter about his shoulders. He was feeling a sting of jealousy and he had no rightfield to. He had loved Cho and he would always love her, but their paths were never meant to move around together. His path was and would forever be entangled with Gabriella. It wasn't perfect but the attracter was potent and the love life house and the uncertainty of any given day that kept Harry forever on edge tickled a very Slytherin role of his spirit that wriggled deep inside him. Finally, Harry breathed.

"Cho's pregnant,"Harry whispered."That explains why they've been meeting secretly for months. Goldstein won't say where."

"France,"answered Draco with a sly smiling."Don't William Tell anyone, Harry, but Goldstein's protector may be their chaperone by day, but at night he's a expiry Eater in my Padre's inspection and repair. It's a tryst of petty aftermath to my father and it pays the bills for Patrick Henry, the chaperone, but I knew you might have a special interest."

"I never thought that Goldstein and Cho would—"

"Oh, but I'm not done, Harry. Cho Yangtze spends her mean solar day in Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault, in a small Pancho Villa just north of Marseille, a town called La Mure. She and the—"

"When's she due ?"Harry asked."Do you know how far along she is ?"At this Draco smiled.

"Wiccan can hide that fact until the very day of delivery, Harry. Have you ever seen a pregnant witch ?"For a moment, Harry pondered the estimate. No, he hadn't ever seen a significant witch. And then he remembered that he'd seen Geoffrey Hooper's mother just a few workweek before her baby was born and she looked no unlike than the year before.

The doorway to Hagrid's cabin opened and the behemoth stepped out for just a here and now looking toward the forest."Should be any moment, sir,"he said to the family inside."Any moment."Then more quietly to himself before he went back in he whispered to the timberland,"Harry, where in Singehorn's name are yeh ?"Harry began to place upright, but Dragon pulled him back down. For a split second, Harry was irritated, but caught himself.

"You know, Draco,"Harry said gently,"if we walked in there right now, together, Dumbledore and the minister of religion would assume you back. You'd be—"

"Dead in about two days,"cut in Draco."Not by the Ministry's hand, but by its dark underbelly."

"Then why are you risking your lifetime right now ? It's not to gossip on about some girl and guy you couldn't give a darn about. What's so important that—"

"They've found it,"Draco interrupted."calendar month ago I asked you to regain it first, and you didn't even try. Now they have it."He flicked a twig into Harry's face."Blaise risked his life story and you did nil. Now he's been found out."Draco leaned over and grabbed the cloak about Harry's neck opening. Harry could feel the cloth tighten, not by Draco's deal, but another force."You're going to get it back, dearest, or I'll kill you myself."The cloth tightened further. Harry reached for his wand, but found the cloak held his manpower tight.

"Draco,"he gasped,"I don't know what you're—"

"Save it for soul who gives a damn."He leaned over Harry who was gasping for breath now."funny remark thing… charming cloaks. They can prevail so many enchantments."He pressed Harry firmly against the sod as the Gryffindor desperately tried to garner air."Understand, Harry, I don't want it and I sure as underworld don't want my Padre to get his hands on it. But he will if they have their way. Get it out of the Ministry before it's too late."

All of a sudden, the cloak released Harry and he began to cough, heaving in as a great deal air as he could. Draco took to his metrical unit and wrapped the blacken cloak about his shoulders, his longsighted blonde hair starkly gabardine in direct contrast. Still coughing, Harry stumbled to his feet and pulled his wand. Draco ignored the motion and turned to leave. But then he stopped as if suddenly remembering a forget sentiment. The doorway to the Hagrid's hut opened and Ron stepped out. He'd heard the audio of Harry's cough.

"Harry ? !"Ron called to the darkness.

"Oh, and Harry,"Draco said, looking Harry in the oculus even if the coup d'oeil was not returned."Cho isn't pregnant."He turned to bequeath."It's a neonate baby boy. wellspring, not so often newborn any more. You'll never guess the birthday… it's the Lapp day as yours."

"Harry !"Ron called again. This time, by the whole step in Ron's articulation, Harry knew they'd been seen. He focused back toward the hut, but when he turned back to Draco, the Slytherin was gone.

"That's not possible,"he whispered at the emptiness. The sound of footsteps came charging up from behind and Harry could hear the rumpus on the front porch of Hagrid's hut. A hand touched Harry's shoulder.

"Was that who I think it was ?"Ron asked quietly. Harry simply nodded."That can't be good,"Ron muttered.

"No. No, Ron, it's not."

"Harry ? Is that you my boy ?"Chester Alan Arthur Weasley called from the hut."Harry, come inside. Get out of the cold."

"I told you, Arthur,"Dumbledore said gently from within the hut,"nothing to concern about. Come in and let's ending our tea."

"My god, Albus !"cried Arthur as Harry and Ron returned to the cabin."Look at the boy !"Harry was still barefooted, what remained of his clothes in tag end, his face covered in mud and now a thin red line of merchandise that wrapped about his neck shown through the soil. As he climbed the gradation with Ron's assistance his teeth once again began to chatter.

"Yes, yes,"said Dumbledore, dispassionately."I see they've been working you rather hard today, Harry."The statement was more than interrogative than anything."A lot to think about ?"Harry just nodded and walked through the door."Well, it's not going to get any easier, Cy Young man."

"Get o'er by the fire, lad,"said Hagrid, offering a blanket. But before Harry had a chance to take on, Dumbledore pulled his wand and tapped Harry's berm. The grunge disappeared and a Hogwarts robe covered his dead body. The dilute red parentage about his neck and the aching sinew, however, remained.

"Hagrid,"said Dumbledore,"perhaps some tea and some…"Harry tried to catch Dumbledore's eye to differentiate him to stop, but found, as it had been since his chance event, he could no longer effectively pass on silently with his eyes."…stone cakes."

Warming his heftiness by the fire, sipping a bit of tea, and pretending to enjoy Hagrid's rock-hard stone cakes, Harry was beginning to finger himself again. He assured Chester A. Arthur Weasley that he was very well and that his dishevelled visual aspect was all in a day's work, training with the Centaurs in the forest ; but the Minister was none too convinced.

"Your clothes were in rag, Harry, and it still looks as if you've been strangled."

"Just a short work with Devil's Snare is all, sir,"answered Harry, rubbing his neck opening with his left helping hand and sipping some more tea with the other. If they could see his eyes, they would fuck he wasn't listening to a Word they were saying. Draco probably thought his short show would center Harry's nous fully on some Horcrux that the Ministry had no doubt just found, but Harry's brain was anything but centred. After a bit more banter about school, regrets about Harry being blind, and news about the battles raging in Eastern European Community, President Arthur Weasley finally got down to the role of his visit.

"You know, I'm sure,"he began,"that we have been excavating the collapse that occurred at the Ministry shoemaker's last year, beneath the… erm, chamber."

"What ?"Harry exclaimed."Why ?"

"Well, to try to recover the bodies, Harry,"answered Mr. Weasley, surprised somewhat at Harry's reaction."Many Aurors lost their lives that evening and their trunk have never been found — at least, not until live calendar week. Since the collapse we tried for months to detect the merchantman with no success. We encountered one witching portal after another, and the workers were none too tend to accidentally stagger across the pall itself."

"You recovered the Curtain of Phenolem ?"cried Ron."Why ? Why in bloody—"

"No, Ron,"interrupted Dumbledore,"the Curtain and the dais were destroyed in the crepuscle. No, just the trunk, consistency from both sides, have been returned to their loved ones."

"wellspring, yes, Albus,"added Chester A. Arthur with some jitteriness."virtually of them, anyway. We have yet to witness Draco Malfoy's remains."Ron began to cough.

"Hagrid,"he asked, clearing his throat once again,"do you give birth any more stone cakes ?"

"Why sure, Ron,"said Hagrid with mirth."Come on in teh the kitchen."Ron stood and followed Hagrid, patting Harry's articulatio humeri on the way.

"I don't really see what any of this has to do with me, sir,"said Harry."I mean… well, I've put that behind me now. Haven't I ? There's another darkness we need to stave off, isn't there ?"

"Yes, yes, absolutely, Harry, absolutely."Arthur patted Harry's lap."But there was one other recovery at the very astuteness of the gaping fissure."All at once, Mr. Weasley's aureole faded and Harry knew the following password were a lie."They pulled it up today, just before luncheon. I looked for you earlier, Harry, but you'd already left for the forest."Chester Alan Arthur Weasley stood from his president and looked out the window facing the rook, the coloring returned to his aura."I was thinking we could consume a dedication of sorts. You could fall to the Ministry as we put it on display. It would certainly remind the citizenry in these dingy times that we can vanquish darkness."

"I'm sorry, sir, but what did you recover ?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, Harry,"answered Arthur."I've wanted to hash out our lookup since you and I spoke on the train. I never knew taking upkeep of the Ministry would ware so a great deal of my time."His middle wandered for a import and then returned to meet Harry's."No thing,"he whispered."In our search, we recovered the cloak. The black cloak of… You-Know-Who. The only oddment of his iniquity and a symbol to all of his defeat."

"Voldemort ?"snapped Harry."You have Voldemort's cloak ?"Harry turned in his chair."Burn the damned thing. ruin it !"

"I knew you might finger this way, Harry,"said Arthur with understanding."That's why I came myself. You must actualise what an icon you've become in the Wizarding world. Just one impression of you, perhaps wand drawn, next to the cloak of the evil you destroyed would mean so a good deal to—"

"It's insane !"said Harry, rising to his feet."Do you know what that might be ? It could—"

"Harry,"said Dumbledore sternly, silencing Harry's fustian."I think it would be wise for you to take some time to moot what all the implication are. meter to consider what's skilful for… everyone involved."Harry expected to see the warmth of anger build in Dumbledore's aura, but if anything his light dimmed with a coolness of business concern.

"I… I'm sorry, sir,"said Harry, cooling his own temperament."Yes, that's what I need Minister… time."

"Please, Harry, you needn't call me—"

"apology me, sir. I need to go. It's just… I'm really tired is all."Harry reached out his deal to shake, and King Arthur Weasley took it."Let me get my promontory together, and I'll get back to you. Just a day or two."

"Certainly, Harry, I understand. Until then, we'll keep it safe ; I can tell you."Harry started for the door."Here, let me walk you to the castle."

"I got it dad,"said Ron, dropping one of the stone cakes on the table with a thud."culture your tea and have some more… er, cakes."Ron ran to the door next to Harry's side. Staring at the bar and then Hagrid, King Arthur was about to say something when Dumbledore spoke out instead.

"Excellent melodic theme, Mr. Weasley,"he said to the younger redhead."Please find Harry safely back to the castle."

"Goodnight, Hagrid,"said Harry to the giant still in the kitchen, baking up another batch of cakes for his guests."Thanks !"

"Sure thing, Harry,"called Hagrid."Anytime."Then he turned to Mr. Weasley just as Harry began to keep out the threshold."Minister, try another one, hot out of the oven !"

By the time Harry and Ron were at the castle tone, Harry had answered most of Ron's questions.

"I just don't get it, Harry,"said Ron shaking his head teacher."It's just a art object of textile. You killed him."

"Ron, you saw my clothes tonight. They were burnt away because I fell into the charming stream that feeds the Fall. think back when you fell in net class ?"

"Pulled in you mean,"said Ron, rubbing his right wrist."Yeah, I remember. My wearing apparel disappeared."

"They didn't disappear,"corrected Harry."They were burnt away. dress are unclean. They can't survive the honour of the water."

"That's a centaur tale,"said Ron dismissively.

"tale or not, the piddle destroys textile. I doused Voldemort in nearly ten gallons of the stuff. It was enough to dissolve every evil ivory in his trunk, but the cloak… tinker's dam ! I should experience known when I saw it then. The cloak survived. But why ?"

"So you think it's the…"Ron's vocalisation dipped low,"…the Horcrux Draco was talking about ?"

"I don't see how it can be,"answered Harry."If it's parting of Voldemort, it should ingest been destroyed."Harry sighed."Maybe Hermione will know."Ron shrugged and nodded in agreement as he reached to open the castle doors. Ron heaved on the grievous handle just as Harry's hand stopped him and shut them again.

"Ron ?"he asked."You have a lot of brother and sisters. Erm… how long does it take to… er… for a crone to… you know… have a baby, after… you know."For a moment, Ron just stared at Harry, and then reaching ever so slightly to the mentation on the tip of Harry's mind he understood.

"Oh ! How long does it subscribe for a child to be born after conception ?"he asked.

"Yeah… yeah, that's it."

"Well my mum's always going on how I took long than most… ‘ Forty two weeks, and in the middle of the war !'she'd say.

"So… figurin'my birthday, what would you say… you know… for my family line to…er—"

"Do the nasty ?"said Ron with a smile. Harry simply nodded. Well, Ron thought for a moment, touched his fingers and counted backwards, and then a gleam of a grin crossed his look once again.

"Pretty damn near to Halloween, Harry."He poked Harry in the ribs."Do you imagine they were wearing costumes ?"Harry didn't react in the way Ron expected. Instead, he leaned his backbone against the castle doors and slid down to a sit on the rock landing.

"Oh, Merlin,"he whispered in a sickly variety of voice."Oh, bloody, fucking, Merlin."

"What ? What is it, Harry ?"

"Ron… I think… I think I'm a father."


Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 14 - Wedding Plans ~~~***~~~

When Harry and Ron passed through the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry found the Gryffindor common room, ardent than normal. Near the hearth sat the auras of Parvati, Lavender, Gabriella, Hermione, Ginny and dean. Towards the back, Neville was helping Patrick and a few others, Harry had yet to recognize, educate for their Herbology test. Evidently, the exam involved a burning plant of some kind, perhaps fireseed, Harry thought, since there was a billowy cloud of fume that hung over the group and cypher seemed to beware.

Harry, his judgement fractured at the moment, brought his tending on Patrick. The smoke was clouding his ability to see the auras of those at the back mesa, but the percolate luminance emanating from Patrick was the Saami as it had been since Harry first met him after the stroke - blue and green. Each colour waxed and waned, growing more green whenever he was excited or near Harry.

"St. Patrick ?"Harry thought silently to himself, but the thought was curt lived.

"Harry ! Ron !"cried Dean. His vox brought Harry's attention back to the group about the fireplace. The Call sounded like a plea for assist, as if dean felt, at the bit, like a immobilise rat in a Snake's cage. He began to stand when Ginny grabbed his arm.

"Oh, James Byron Dean,"she said breathlessly,"isn't it beautiful ?"Hermione was projecting an icon of a Edward Young woman in a white nuptials frock. The girl stood, suspended in the eye of the five students and modelled the dress she was wearing, slowly turning in all directions so that everyone could see, everyone that is except Harry.

"Er… yeah, dandy,"muttered Dean miserably, sinking back into the lounge.

"I don't know, Gin,"said Lavender cautiously."I think the train's a little long."

"Lavender's right, Hermione,"added Anapurna."You don't want to deal with all that dragging behind you even if it's levitated."

"You could make fairy's carry it."

"I kind of like it,"Hermione said as she held her bridge player to her mentum and tapped her impertinence with one finger."But I think the second…"Dean let out an hearable groan, but the girls ignored him while Hermione began to wink through mannikin after good example, dress after dress, as if thumbing pages of a book. It was only then when she noticed that Ron and Harry had entered the vulgar elbow room.

"Ron !"she exclaimed."You're just in time."Dean's eyes grew all-embracing and he shook his read/write head as nondescriptly as he could to ward them off. Ron caught it, but Harry did not."We were just looking over dresses when—"She stopped herself mid-sentence, noticing the expression on Ron's face."What's wrong ?"

Gabriella stood and came over to Harry."You both look like someone died. Did Filch take in you sneaking into the kitchens again ? Out with it… what happened ?"Ron looked at Harry, and Harry looked blankly above the daughter.

"Nothing,"they said simultaneously.

Gabriella patted Harry's face.

"nothing ?"she said, sensing the swirling drove of emotions that must have shown like a beacon for everyone to see."Would you like to get together us ?"she asked."We were just—"

"No thanks,"interjected Harry. While he had grown accustomed to seeing students from early business firm in the vulgar room, he had completely forgotten that the girls were going to get together this evening to discuss Hermione's wedding plans for the summer."I need to get make for the Potions exam tomorrow."Ginny stood, looking at Harry.

"I thought you were supposed to be out training all day today,"she said, questioningly.

"I was."

"But you're squeaking clean and jerk,"she replied sceptically."You know, if you weren't working out in the timberland today, we could ingest gotten at to the lowest degree three hours on the pitch."

"I was in the woodland today !"Harry exclaimed."Besides, you know I can't Seak. Not like this."He waved his handwriting in front of his eyes.

"You're the squad captain ! It's you're responsibility to—"

"These aren't your gown,"interrupted Gabriella, rubbing the textile in her fingers."These are new."

"Dumbledore cleaned him up,"offered Ron. This was followed by a chorus.

"Dumbledore ?"

"Well, er… he and Dad were at Hagrid's and—"

"Dad ?"asked Ginny."Dad's here ? Why didn't he say he was coming to schooltime ? Where is he ?"It felt, suddenly, as if sharks were beginning to circle Harry and Ron.

"fountainhead, he only had a minute,"said Ron, stepping finisher to his sister. She had risen to her foot and Dean took the opportunity to quickly dart away and maneuver toward the spiral staircase to the son'dormitory."And he needed to see Harry, so I took him over to—"

"So he saw you, but he didn't have time to see his entirely daughter ?"

Less than a instant later everyone was talking at once. Ron and Harry were being bombarded with questions about everything from the Minister's visit, to why Dumbledore needed to adjure Harry new robe, to what pattern Ron thought would be nice for the new chinaware.

Unexpectedly, there was a loud explosion from the back of the way that caused everyone to shriek. A rather large fireball spewed forth from the table where Neville and the others were working. It was Neville who stopped it from lighting the whole berth on flack by casting a slop appeal.

"Damn it, Patrick,"Neville said irritably, while a few of the early student laughed,"I told you not to mix fireseeds with dittany powder ! If you do that in the exam tomorrow, professor Sprout will go bad you for sure."

The ruction that had surrounded Harry, quickly gathered about the back table and the adust faces that stood there. Harry took the chance to pursue doyen's footsteps up the staircase. Near the top he heard a rather dejected Saint Patrick apologize, but what he saw was a bluish aura beaming with pride. Then Harry noticed Saint Patrick flash him a thumbs-up from within the longsighted sleeve of his robe, a sign that no one could see.

"Sorry, Neville,"said St. Patrick with a shrug of his shoulder."I'm just no safe at this form of stuff. I'll be lucky to form it to the third yr at this rate."

Gabriella looked back toward the open fireplace to find Harry and before she could find where he was Harry disappeared into the boys'dormitory. Inside he found dean, belly down on his bed, reading a book about Quidditch. He loved the game so, it was a pity he wasn't any good at it. He looked up as Harry entered.

"Are they gone ?"he asked."Did you have to blow them all up ?"

"Well, I—"

"Because that'd be fine by me, Harry. I was about to blow myself up if I had to calculate at one more china pattern."He looked back at the book and turned the page."talking about pressure… blimey."He turned another Sir Frederick Handley Page."I mean… I love Ginny and all, but does she actually think I'm going to ask her to hook up with me ?"He turned another page ; clearly not having read the endure."So… last year… yeah, maybe. But that's your fault."Dean looked up, pointing a finger at Harry.

"Me ?"

"fountainhead, I mean, I was in a engagement — fighting you for her. You know. That variety of thing, well… it gets a guy in the mood. But this hooey downstairs… wedding dresses, and coloration of table clothes, and…"James Byron Dean sighed."talking about deflating."Without looking back down to the book, he turned another varlet. Then, quite suddenly, Dean groaned and turned over on his bed, placing the undecided Holy Writ over his dresser."Falco columbarius, I love her."There was silence and he sighed again."She's been my macrocosm. She brought me back after the accident."Dean held his hand up, flexing the fingerbreadth in front of his face. His person had been reconnected to his corporeal variant and Ginny had been there every measure of the way."She didn't need to do that."

"She loves you,"said Harry, walking over to his bed, taking off his new school day robes and putting on a loose pair of denim."Face it, James Byron Dean, you're her public too."

"I just don't want to be thinking about married couple while I'm still in school,"answered Dean, sitting up on the sharpness of his bed and cladding Harry."There's enough to be getting on about without having to worry about in-laws… china patterns…"

"…children,"added Harry quietly.

"Merlin, no,"stroke James Dean."I can't even imagine. But then Ginny's ready to hand with a sheathing good luck charm. We're careful… you know ?"Harry nodded as a air mile twisted in his stomach."Can you think Neville and Helen of Troy ?"continued Dean."Neither one of them used any tribute their low gear few times. Hermione found out and had a fit."

"Hermione ?"queried Harry.

"Well, I told Neville that he was being an idiot. I told him how Lee Jordon told me that Fred told him that George V hooked up with some young lady in Hogsmeade last yr and wound up with a case of runespoor wart. Had to go to St. Mungo's to get them removed. Can you conceive it ? Yeesh."Lee covered his crotch with his hand and grimaced.

"But why Hermione ?"

"If you want to know any spell, charm, or hex to get the job done, Harry, who do you go to ? Hermione."Harry looked a bit disgruntled and crossed his arms. dean sensed Harry's pride and added,"After all, everyone knew she and Ron were together since the fall of last year. She knew how to be safe, and Neville sure wasn't going to talk to Ginny."

Harry wasn't sure how to take that. He didn't have a clue until hold out Christmas that Ron and Hermione were together. Yet, everyone else seemed to know. Further, he was pretty sure that last year Tonks had used her Metamorphosis skills to remove on the appearance of Helen so that she could pinch into Gryffindor tower with Neville. It brought up memories… bad memory. Suddenly, going to let the cat out of the bag to Hermione about anything didn't seem like such a salutary idea. Harry began to drum his desk with his digit, then crossed his arms and just looked down at the flooring. He could see the glory's of the living organisms that his mates had tracked in under their shoes. Maybe aunty Petunia wasn't such a crazy bat after all - at to the lowest degree as far as wiping one's feet at the door was concerned.

"What's up, Harry ?"asked Dean."Why are you so wind up anyway ?"

Barefoot and shirtless, Harry walked over to the window. Noel was a week away and, sadly, no snow had fallen. The dry land below and the surrounding timberland glistened brightly in Harry's blindness. He placed his allow bridge player on his chest, just above Asha's pith, the Edward Durell Stone that even now sat hidden within him. Focusing high above the crown he found null but black. Late in the evening, cloud had moved in, covering all in a dark blanket through which no stars shone. He peered at the same quarter-circle of sky in which he knew Ebyrth hung, growing ever closer. He closed his eyes and dropped his capitulum heavily against the spyglass window.

Voldemort's cloak should have been destroyed by the piss from the declination, but it wasn't. Why ? Was it the Horcrux Draco thought it was, or simply an object of power that Lucius craved ? There was a spy in the castling, probably within Gryffindor or Slytherin that had given up Blaise. He was now under a Death Eater's Imperious expletive. Who was the spy ? Could they have turned Patrick too ?

It wasn't enough that war was raging in Eastern Common Market and would soon decorate the forest about Hogwarts, if not the castling itself. Now there was a child. Could it really be his ? That was a stupe interrogative. Of grade it could be ; the timing was near perfect and they had been… well, stupid. It was just before the Halloween feast. Harry was going to tell Cho about Gabriella… let Cho know that they couldn't be together, that Gabriella was the one he truly loved. But then she touched his arm… the look in her eyes. Even now, the retention sent a tingle down his pricker and made his insides quiver. Neither of them was in the ripe frame of intellect, but they both knew what they wanted. Now they were both paying for it. At least Cho was. Harry began to wonder… if the child was Harry's, did Anthony make out, or was Cho simply using him ?

Harry shook his head, trying to realise his woolly-headed thoughts. Maybe he was making a big bargain of nothing. Maybe Antony was the begetter. But the vision… Gabriella's visual modality that both he and Hermione shared. He'd seen a child. Gabriella saw her own death and yet Harry saw life history. He thought it was their child, his and Gabriella's. Now, Harry wasn't so sure as shooting.

The windowpane was dusty and a shiver ran across his torso. He turned and walked over to his computer memory chest, opening the lid and feel around for a shirt.

"Harry ?"dean asked."I know something's bothering you. What is it ?"

"Tell me, dean,"said Harry as he found a shirt. He began to louse up about for a pair of wind cone.

"Yes ?"

"Ah…"Harry held up two socks."Do these match ?"

"Kinda,"answered Dean, looking at smuggled and maybe a dark navy blue.

"Good… good,"replied Harry and he slipped the shirt and wind cone on. He sat back on his bed and slipped on his charge without saying a word.

"Harry ?"asked Dean probing."Where are you going ?"

"Accio cloak !"Harry called with his right hand in the air, fingers outstretched for a arrest. His cloak flew into his brass."Almost,"Harry muttered. He stood and put on the cloak on and then slipped his wand into his sleeve and stepped toward the room access.

"James Dean,"he said,"please yield my apologia to prof Snape. I'll miss the exam tomorrow I'm afraid. It's sad really. Since the Joining, I think I had a pretty expert prospect of acing it. Severus, after all, shared a bit of himself with me that night."Harry rubbed the cicatrice on his mighty arm.

"Slow down, fellow,"said Dean, taking to his foundation."You can't just go off—"

"Whew ! I made it !"cried Ron, jumping into their room."I never thought I'd get Hermione's attention. I finally had to go in through the back door, if you know what I mean."He tapped his head."She'll be up in a… Whoa. Where are you going ?"he asked Harry.

"Actually Ron,"began Harry,"I was just telling Dean that—"

"What's all this about the Horcrux ?"asked Hermione as she entered the room.

"Shhhh !"cried Ron and Harry simultaneously, ushering her interior.

"You found it ?"she asked in a near whisper.

"Maybe… if you can think Malfoy,"answered Ron.

"Malfoy ?"asked dean."Not Draco ? I thought he was—"Gabriella entered the elbow room.

"What's going on ?"she asked. Then looking at Harry she queried,"Where are you going ?"

Harry, who had leaned up against the rampart near the door, began tapping it nervously with his finger. He glared at Ron."Great plan, mate."

"well,"said Ron,"I tried to—"Harry held up one finger to his lips and Ron lowered his vox."I tried to—"Harry shook his finger at Ron. There was a bit of a rumble and Ginny burst through the door.

"What's up ?"she asked. Then she noticed Harry."What's with the cloak ?"Harry crossed his arm.

"Bloody netherworld,"he whispered.

"Is that what's got you so agitated Harry ?"dean asked as Ginny slipped into his arms. Then he turned to her."Did you know Draco was alive ?"It was a question she didn't expect and it caught her off safety. Her eye shot immediately to Ron and the look gave her away at once.

"You did !"cried dean."How could you not tell me ? Did you all recognise ?"Harry could see the fire building in James Byron Dean's emotions. nobody said a Book."How tenacious have you known ?"

"Get over it, Dean !"Harry snapped."Draco wanted it mysterious and we're keeping it that way. We know because we were there. Ginny knows because her brother has a big fat mouth."Harry gestured at Ron without looking his way."genus Draco's heart is here at Hogwarts, Dean. Until we can elucidate his name we can't make him out as a fugitive."

"clear his gens ?"said Dean."He was… he is a dying Eater."

"He saved my life, Dean,"interjected Ron."That you do love. That I've told everyone. But my watchword isn't decent to keep him out of Azkaban. I should know, the diplomatic minister's my Dad and, no, he doesn't know about Draco either."

These words cooled Dean's flak, if only a smidgen, and his hands found his pockets. There was a moment of silence and then he turned to Ginny reached out and took her script.

"You know, Gin,"Dean said gently,"if we're going to expend the rest of our lives together, we can't be keeping arcanum from one another. Secrets… they… they sour souls and twist trust. If you'd have just told me to keep mum, you know I would deliver. All you had to do is ask. You know that… don't you ?"Ginny reached her hand to Dean's cheek and kissed him.

"I know,"she said softly. Then she held him tightly in her subdivision."I'm sorry."

"Well… good,"said Harry uncomfortably."Erm… Ron, tell your Dad that we can have the ceremony with Voldemort's cloak this Saturday after exams."

"But that's three mean solar day, Harry,"Ron said,"isn't that too long to—"

"Right,"cut in Harry,"so that's why you… all,"he waved toward the group,"can figure out how we get the cloak tomorrow Night. I'll meet you at the entrance to the Ministry at midnight. Have the plan gear up and I'll assistant you however I can."He grabbed Gabriella's mitt."Come with me."They started for the doorway when Hermione grabbed the dorsum of Harry's cloak, stopping him in his tracks.

"What do you mean ? Where are you going ? Your Potions exam is tomorrow."Harry turned back, his facial expression tail but his oculus lacuna.

"number one, I'm going to see a friend of mine in Ravenclaw, and then… then I'm going to France."

There was a collective,"What ! ?"from everyone but Ron.

"It's one arcanum I'm afraid,"said Harry, raising his script to quiesce his friends,"that needs to be kept… at least for now."Again he took Gabriella's arm."Come on."Everyone turned to Ron as Gabriella and Harry left the room. Almost immediately, Gabriella began to ask questions, but Harry held a finger to his lips.

"Not here… not now,"he whispered.

They were about to clear out through the portrait of the Fat Lady when Lavender stopped them near the fireplace.

"So I guess Hermione's done looking at dresses for the nighttime ?"she asked.

"I think she and Ron might be having a bit of a row,"said Gabriella insightfully."She's definitely done for the night."

"Ooooh,"hummed Lavender as she cast a gossipy glance toward Annapurna.

"Men,"said Parvati flatly. Gabriella simply nodded, taking Harry by the arm and walking out of the Gryffindor green room.

The two didn't speak until they reached the staircases. It was quiet with only a few students roaming about. almost were likely studying for tomorrow's exams. The others were either heading toward or returning from the subroutine library. The two found themselves alone on the staircase as it slowly began to slew into lieu. Finally, Harry gathered the courage.

"Did you know… ?"he began cautiously."Did you know about Cho ?"

"Cho Chang Jiang ?"Gabriella asked blankly.

"Yes, Cho Chang !"Harry snapped."How could you not fuck ? You two were inseparable at the end of hold up year. She helped you through exams. Merlin, you spent Sir Thomas More meter with her than with me. How could you not know ?"

The stone stairway came to roost against the rampart. The two climbed off that one and onto another that began to slide into yet another commission.

"So we're going to see Anthony,"Gabriella said knowingly. Harry said zilch, wishing only that the staircase would move more quickly."William Tell me Harry, are you still so jealous ?"

"Jealous ?"Harry asked angrily."Jealousy has nothing to do with this. I have a right to sleep with !"His finale words were tawdry and reverberated off the stone paries.

"They have a right to their privacy, Harry,"Gabriella replied with an sharpness in her phonation."They have a right hand to keep open the Daily Prophet out of their animation. Frankly, I don't see how it's any of your concern. It's light up Cho knew what she was talking about when she asked that I keep this from you. She said you'd react this way."

They turned and began to make their way up to Ravenclaw tower. A 3rd twelvemonth Ravenclaw joined them on the moving subject upward. Harry moved close to Gabriella failing miserably at keeping his representative hushed.

"None of my business ? None of my business ? !"

"Yes ! None of your business organization ! They were dullard, Harry,"Gabriella said struggling to maintain her equanimity in front end of the third gear year, although Harry could feel the ira building within her."It was a fault, a mistake that Marcus Antonius's wizard enough to set straight. Can't you see that he's trying to do the right affair by caring for what will soon be his family line ?"

At this, the third year Ravenclaw looked back over his shoulder at Harry and Gabriella. Gabriella flashed him a look that put the boy's nose back into the al-Qur'an he was reading. The rock staircase came to a stay and the boy stepped off followed by Harry, but Gabriella grabbed his arm.

"What do you intend to do ?"she asked."Confront him ? Hex him for getting your… your fancy woman pregnant ? If that's what she was. You hardly carry the more noble ground."

Suddenly Harry realized that Gabriella knew, but didn't know. She knew that Cho had had a nipper, but she didn't know that Harry could be the father. He stopped and leaned against the balusters. The delay was just long enough that the stairway began to move again.

"She was not my mistress,"Harry said quietly to the dark."I… I was not myself last year. You know—"Gabriella put her men about Harry's shoulder.

"I know,"she whispered sadly. Harry turned to present her.

"I've only ever loved you,"he said.

"I know that too,"she said with a smile that Harry could not see but could smell out. She kissed him gently on the cheek and pulled him close. They held each former that way for some clip and when the staircase came to a occlusive Gabriella moved to get off, but Harry stood still.

"I'm not jealous because of Mark Anthony,"spoke Harry to the unfastened air before him."It's just that… I could be the male parent,"he said softly.

"What ?"

"I could be the father,"he repeated, stepping close to her."It wasn't Susan Brownell Anthony that was the stupid one ; it was me - Hallowe'en of finale yr. Cho's child… it could be mine."

Harry waited to see the response, but none came. The news had no result on Gabriella's aura. Either she knew already, or had suspected all along, or the news program simply didn't effect her emotions.

"I see,"she finally whispered."That muddies things a bit, doesn't it ?"

"I need to ask Anthony where she is,"he said firmly."I need to see her ; I need to know."

"It seems to me,"Gabriella said slyly,"that, for individual who's not supposed to fuck anything, you know quite a bit already. You know there's a child. You know she's in France."

"La Mure,"added Harry.

"Then you know all there is to know, Harry. The township's not that boastfully and a few well placed interrogative sentence will get us to where we need to go."

"Us ?"Harry asked.

"Don't be silly,"answered Gabriella."It's far too dangerous for you to go forth the castle alone. Besides, Professor Snape has already released me from tomorrow's examination for—"

"—for high stain,"interrupted Harry."Yeah, I know. I know."He paused for a few import and then shook his head. But before Harry could say a word Gabriella began.

"Harry,"she said gently, holding her hand to his face,"I don't guardianship how well you can see what others can not."She took his paw."You're screen. It makes a difference. You can't go somewhere you've never been, talk to citizenry you've never met and think that it's no big deal."There was another retentive pause.

"Cho's bodyguard is a destruction feeder,"Harry said, more to himself than to Gabriella.

"You're joking, right ?"

"He's not much of one, but Cho's escort is a Death Eater."He paused, churning the suggestion in his mind. Finally he said,"You're correctly. I probably wouldn't get a chance to see her… not without help."He squeezed Gabriella's deal."Besides, you need to be there. I need you to be there."

It took twenty minutes to get what they needed before they could pussyfoot out through the veil burrow to Hogsmeade. It took half that time to make it to Le Mure. Gabriella was right, Harry would suffer been lost without her. It was bad enough trying to recall his French people ; it was worse trying to figure out what hand motion or facial nerve expression went along with it. Blind, he could detect none of it, but Gabriella was nearly perfective tense. In fact, Harry began to wonder if she had known the way all along. Finally, knowing that Cho's flat was just around the block, the two decided to drop the night at a pocket-size inn and hold until morning. It was the first they'd been truly alone since the summertime.

Harry offered to sleep on the floor, but Gabriella pulled him close to her. There was a warmth to her touching that meant more to him than anything in the totally world. That night he laid his individual bare, telling her everything he knew, everything she'd listen to, including genus Draco's theory about Voldemort's cloak. Only when he touched on his training with the Centaur, would she noticeably change the subject. He fell asleep in her arms and woke the future daybreak the same way. The sun was just breaking into the windowpane as he stroked her long lightlessness hair, wondering with some fear what the future would impart.

After breakfast, they walked down the alley toward the diminished apartment anatomical structure that the boniface had described to Gabriella. When they finally arrived, Harry covered himself with the invisibility cloak. Gabriella knocked at the door and the threshold opened, held open by an onetime man with grey tomentum and a tired feeling on his face. There were introductions and Gabriella slipped inside. The room access shut before Harry could follow. There was a moment of secretiveness and then squeals of joy. Harry knew the speech sound ; Cho was inside. A few moments later the man left, jingling coins in his scoop. Harry's program had worked - Gabriella, handing the man a match galleons, suggested he go to the corner pub for a bite and a beer or two. He wasn't to the sidewalk before there was a snap and he had Disapparated. Then the murmurs began ; louder, then diffused, then louder again. Finally, Harry heard,"Don't be silly."A moment after that, the threshold opened and Gabriella ushered him inside.

All the while, Harry had seen the auras of the two young cleaning lady and the older man. He watched as they moved back and forth, and as Gabriella hugged what he figured to be Cho. It had been the first metre he had observed a Disapparation without his batch and he noted with pursuit the sudden burst of energy that accompanied it. But more than anything else his care was focused on one matter above all - a dim reddish glowing that glimmered from the book binding of the flat. Through all the rampart it could have been anything - a cat, a dog. But Harry knew, by how well its colour blended with Cho's, what was there.

"Harry ?"Gabriella asked to the nothingness before her. Cho stood only a few metrical unit away. Harry sensed warmth unify with apprehension. As for himself, he could sense the travail of his palms as he reached up and slipped off the cloak.

"Cho ?"he asked to the glow before him. The aura didn't motility, the person didn't speak, but the semblance began to parboil almost immediately. Then her handwriting went to her typeface, covering her mouth.

"Oh, Harry,"she croaked."Tony told me about the accident, about…"Slowly she walked over to him.

"This ?"Harry asked, holding his paw near his tabernacle."It's zilch. Just a bit of glass. Surgery's scheduled for next month ; should sustain me good as new."Cho took his handwriting and then touched his facial expression.

"I'm so sorry,"she whispered."I should hold come to visit."She took him in her arms and held him tight. He could feel her vibration in his weapon system."I couldn't… I couldn't bear to see you again."

"Great,"Harry drawled."Always good to know you're thought of kindly."

"Harry !"snapped Gabriella shortly. She took Cho gently by the arm and said,"Cho, can we come in and have a sit ?"Cho loosened her grip on Harry and wiped her side with her hands.

"Oh, yes,"she said, sniffing,"of course."

The place was larger than Harry expected, compared to what it looked like from the alfresco, but it was sparsely furnished and what furnishing there were appeared old and tattered. As they entered the kitchen he noted a few Ravenclaw memorabilia here and there. He even recognized a broom, the Scots heather he bought her stopping point year, was propped up in the corner. Cho offered them some coffee bean, they accepted and together they sat at a modest tabular array in the kitchen. There was a little talking about the weather and school.

"Are your exams over ?"Cho asked."Tony has Arithmancy tomorrow."

"Tony,"muttered Harry through gritted teeth. Maybe he was a bit jealous of Antony."Er… yeah. Gab and I are done for the semester."

"That's great,"said Cho softly. There was an awkward silence, and then, finally, Harry could wait no longer.

"I heard… I heard you and, er, Tony were going to tie the knot… get married. I told Gab we should come by and discover out when. Ask what you might necessitate to, erm…"He looked around at the shabby piece of furniture."… spruce the berth up."

"Soon,"answered Cho without hesitating."But we're not telling anyone until after the schoolhouse year. Not even my kin. They think I'm here studying art."

"I also heard,"continued Harry, not really listening to Cho's run-in,"that you two had a child ; a baby boy is it ?"Before Cho could serve Gabriella took her by the hand.

"It's so sex, Cho !"she said joyfully."I'm sure you're a wonderful mother. The infant is so lucky to have two such wonderful parents. Both Ravenclaws !"

"Thank you, Gab,"said Cho warmly."T-Tony's been great."

"Can we see him ?"asked Gabriella excitedly."I've wanted to see him so."Cho was hesitant.

"fountainhead,"added Harry,"I can't see him, but I have a pretty good estimation that he's right field through there, isn't he ?"He pointed to the back way and swallowed."I think it's great that you and… er, Tony are doing the… er, right hand thing. It for sure would be corking, at least for Gabriella, to see him. Just a meridian ?"

"He is due to eat breakfast soon,"Cho said cautiously."Perhaps… just for a moment."

When she returned to the kitchen, Cho was carrying a baby boy dressed in a small red jumper. He smiled and muttered a few sounds as she sat him in his chairwoman, offering him a biscuit to chew on. The dull fog of Harry's heart were focused somewhere above the boy's question, but his head's eye was captivated on the golden red gleaming before him. It was splendid, almost blinding, and Harry wondered if the brightness of the glow was because he was a baby or something more. The biscuit snapped out of Cho's hand and flew into the waiting clutches of the baby's.

"Look at that ! So soon ?"cooed Gabriella."He's just perfect."And then she began to bubble baby talk to the child.

"Yes, he's pretty special,"answered Cho.

Harry could sense that she was looking at him, centred on his response, but he was at a personnel casualty. To have it off for sure he would give to ask straight out. Now, here they were, and Harry didn't know what to do. He half wanted to prod the baby with a stick to see what it would do.

"Has he,"Harry began,"shown any early signs of conjuration ?"

"No. Not really,"answered Cho cautiously."But he can stick out with helper and he's already tried to walk."She paused."I think, maybe, he'll be in Hufflepuff,"she added wistfully."He loves it when I take him to the zoo."

"What's his name ?"asked Gabriella.

"Jamie,"answered Cho.

"After your pal ?"

"We just liked the figure,"Cho said, not committing.

"I have to admit,"said Gabriella,"that he's the splitting mental image of you. And that's a adept affair ; you're much better looking than Anthony."She laughed and Cho did too. It sounded as if it had been the initiatory time Cho had laughed in quite some fourth dimension. But then the whole step in Gabriella's voice changed.

"In fact, he doesn't look much like a Goldstein at all. You're both so dark, and Jamie's cutis is so pale."

"He… he doesn't get out much,"said Cho, growing nervous.

"Cho, you know I love you like a sister. Don't you ?"Gabriella asked gently."Well, I think Harry has a right to bonk. You see, he told me that you two kip together at Hogwarts - just once, on Halloween. Caught in the heat of the moment, I guess."Gabriella took a breathing place, gathering her strength."I don't precaution why it happened. And it doesn't bother me anymore that it happened. The fact is it happened… nine calendar month before little Jamie here was born."

"Well—"

"Cho,"Gabriella interrupted."Harry may have his distrust, but he can't see what I can, and the eyes never lie. You and Susan Brownell Anthony, you both have brown middle. Both your parents each have brown eyes. It would take a powerful sorcerer to produce a boy with anything other than brown eye and the magic would most certainly be to turn the coloring material of the eyes to his own."Cho said nil. Harry said nil."It's true, Jamie is the break open image of his beautiful mother. But the eyes… I think he has his Church Father's eyes."Cho remained still. Once again, Harry watched as her air blanched.

"What do you have in mind ?"asked Harry blindly. Gabriella took his mitt.

"They're green, Harry,"she said quietly."Almond shaped and brilliantly green. Just like yours."


Harry ceramist and the birthing of a New Sun

Chapter 15 - Another Potter
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Beyond the babbles of the babe sitting beside Harry, there was silence. Perhaps, if one were to heed closely, the sound of a snort chirping or a remote bus creaking to a freeze could be heard, breaking the stillness of the morning. Then Cho's groundwork began to nervously tap against the side of the table. In front of Harry, she had been confronted by Gabriella with the truth, but still she would not, or could not speak. Harry had known before they came to France that the nipper would be his, and though he had not heard the row from Cho's brim, he wasn't about to become raging ; it was hard enough not to show how panicked he was feeling. No, if anything, he needed some time himself to get over the sinking opinion in his stomach, as if he'd just fallen off his broom. He would waitress for Cho to be ready. He breathed deeply the aroma of his coffee, took a sip, set the cup down and put out his finger, with which the little boy began to sting toothlessly.

"Jamie ?"Harry said tenderly."I… I like that name."

He smiled and put his paw on the boy's head.

"Oh, my. What a head of hair ! Is it black ?"This simple question was purposefully directed at Cho. There was the pulse of a pause before she answered.

"Yes,"she said quietly, with a bit of a crack in the word. Harry could hear her swallow.

"Thank Falco columbarius he's got his mother's looks,"Harry said with a chuckle. He took another sip of coffee.

"You'll see him one day, Harry,"said Gabriella with an encouraging look. Harry tilted his head down and didder it slowly.

"I don't think so,"he said quietly, his lips still turned in a slight smile.

"What do you stand for ?"asked Cho, surprised."Surely they can—"

"I was just examined by Madame Pomfrey,"interrupted Harry."The vision charms aren't knitting. There's still too much glass."

"But couldn't they just—"

"There are lashings of bantam shards - too many and too small to vanish without vanishing pieces of my heart and if they summon them out they'll shred whatever healthy eye tissue that's left."Cho gasped.

"I… I didn't know. I thought—"

"No matter,"said Harry taking to his fundament."I can see the fire in his soul, even if I can't see their colour of his eyes."He went to the coffee pot to stream himself one more cup. On the way, he tripped on a small toy that had fallen on the floor and what liquid that was in his cup spilt.

"Woops,"said Harry. Cho stood to clean the fall, but Harry had it off the basis nearly before it landed with a unproblematic wave of his hand. Since losing his sight, his abilities without a baton, abilities he rarely used in forepart of others, had strengthened. Without skipping a beat, he poured himself another cup, but rather than turn he continued to face the cabinetwork. Yes, he could see the fervidness in the boy's aura, but he would present anything to have his eyesight back… to see his child, his son. He began to tremble. For the first time in months he was cold with fear, and it wasn't fearfulness of a Dementor or decease Eater. It was fear for his child and his tiddler's female parent, fear for a futurity that was already so unsure, so gloomy. It felt as if all the air in the way was being sucked away.

"At to the lowest degree,"he said, holding the fond cup in his hands,"Antonius won't need to… to seem into my eyes and wonder. I… I wouldn't want that."Cho stepped up behind Harry and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Anthony Goldstein, Ravenclaw Prefect at Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry ?"asked Cho."He might be a bit proud at times, but he's no motley fool, Harry. He knows."She turned Harry to face her."He's always known that… that Jamie is your son. He came up with the name. Your f-father's name."She placed her mitt at the side of Harry's face."He knew that too. I… I didn't."With these actor's line, Cho began to cry. She held Harry by the front of his shirt and pulled him close, sobbing into his chest of drawers. Gabriella left her president and the three hugged for some metre while Cho repeated over and over how no-count she was, and Harry repeated over and over that it was okay, that he was the one who was sorry. It was picayune Jamie who broke up the ternion as he began to cry.

"Oh… he's hungry,"said Cho blotting her eyes. She picked the boy up into her blazon and ushered them all into the movement way where the fireplace sat cold, but the slightly tattered electric chair were more well-heeled. Even without the fervidness, Harry watched with curiosity the warmth that filled the room. He could state she loved the boy deeply. Nor, was the emotion lost on Gabriella, sitting at Harry's side, who was gathering a glow herself as she took in the room's emotions of love. He took Gabriella's hand and for the first meter in a tenacious metre Harry tried to relax, letting the swirling fear of the future tense fade from his mind. It was Cho that started the conversation as Jamie continued to suckle.

"I wanted to keep this secret, Harry - secret from my parents, enigma from my buddy, surreptitious from you. At firstly I was ashamed and then—"

"But—"

"Let me cease,"asked Cho."I need to finish, or I may never be able to."Harry nodded."shoemaker's last class you wanted to distinguish me about Gabriella."Cho looked at Gab."He did so require to promote me away, to tell me of the Muggle girl he had met back home."Her middle returned to Harry."But I could see that, just under the skin, there was a fire of desire and I… I wanted… my crack dead body wanted to be desired."

"He was cross-hexed by my parents,"said Gabriella. The Holy Writ were meant to be explanatory, but Harry noted a tinge of bitterness or lugubriousness.

"I know that now,"answered Cho."Maybe I knew it then, at least that he wasn't in his right judgment. I could have used a sheathe magical spell. I thought about it. I even reached for my wand before it happened Halloween night behind the Great Hall."Gabriella shot Harry a glance that he could not see."But then I stopped. I wanted this."Cho looked down at Jamie."I wanted to give birth something in case… in case…"

"In case I died ?"asked Harry."Like Cedric ?"Without speaking, Cho simply nodded.

"I was being stupid. As if I could ever… And then, when I found out about Gabriella, when we actually spoke…."Cho smiled."I was so glad for you, Harry, and you were so sad."She sighed, shaking her straits."So I hid it - I hid my pregnancy and I hid Jamie."She put the babe over her shoulder and began to pat its backbone."I thought that after You-Know-Who had been destroyed I could recount you, but then I heard about the new war… that Malfoy's Death eater were out to pop you. What would they do if they knew you had a son ?"She shook her head."This summer, I travelled to the United country with Anthony… Tony. One night, I fell asleep in his arms and when I woke up the future morning the befuddling appealingness had warn off. I was fraught for all to see. In that wink I panicked, horrified by what he might recollect, what he might do, and in the side by side I felt Tony's touch, warm and caressing on my abdomen. He stayed at my incline and he's never left."Jamie let out a rather impressive burp and everyone smiled.

grin, Cho held Jamie in her lap and said something in Taiwanese as she wiped the milk from his chin.

"Tony's hired Chalmers"said Cho, referring to the guard that was probably now close to finishing his morning meal,"to watch over Jamie and I, while he finishes schooltime. It's costing him every Cnut he has. Once we're married we'll qualify for benefits from the Ministry. They offer housing and, maybe, we can receive a nicer position to—"

"benefit ?"spat Harry, his back snapping rigid."From the Ministry ? You can't be serious ! You're not going to get a dime from the Ministry. As far as I'm concerned there all a bunch of turn !"

"Harry !"called Gabriella.

"wellspring, Ron's dad. But the residue of the lot ? Crooks !"He took to his feet."And as far as living in Ministry housing… never ! I won't allow it."

"What do you mean you won't allow it ?"said Cho a bit heatedly."You have no say in the matter."Harry ignored her.

"You'll stay at the castle. It's far enough away from what's happening… yes, you'll be safe there."

"We're safe here,"said Cho, standing herself, the baby held snugly in both arms.

"safe ! Are you kidding me !"cried Harry."What's his name… Chambers ? He's a Death eater !"

"Oh,"Cho chuckled,"now you're just being ridiculous. Chalmers wouldn't hurt a fly. He's only working for Tony because of the benignity in his heart. He hardly makes enough money to get by on."

"So he moonlights for Lucius Malfoy as a expiry Eater !"exclaimed Harry."At least he doesn't know that the boy is mine. Thank pigeon hawk for that."Cho's font dropped with surprise at these Son.

"How could you possible know that we haven't told him ?"she asked. Now Gabriella stood, stroked Jamie's cheek and took him in her own arms, patting his vertebral column as he rested against her shoulder.

"Because,"Gabriella said softly with a melodic phonation as if she were singing to the child,"if Chalmers knew, Lucius would know. And if Lucius knew, his son would know."

"Draco ?"breathed Cho."I thought Draco was…"Her voice quieted and she strode over to Harry and slapped him on the shoulder joint."You little prevaricator. You looked me straight in the eye and told me he fell into the abyss."Harry turned his vertebral column.

"Don't you look away from me !"Cho yelled."Let me see your face."Harry acquiesced. When he faced her, any ire he felt evaporated and his shoulder slumped.

"This is pointless,"he breathed."He'll be back here any present moment. Maybe he's a kindly old doddered just trying to clear a sawhorse any way he can. Cho, you can't take a chance."He placed his hired hand on her shoulders."I have money and it's my responsibility. Let me at least help pay the billhook until Susan B. Anthony alum. Let me at least hold you a roof over your school principal where the fireplace works and you'll know you'll be safe."

"It's beautiful there,"added Gabriella."viridity fields… azure seas… cute Greek son with bare chests."She winked and kissed Jamie on the head. Cho crossed her weaponry and walked over to the fireplace that had no fuel for the firing.

"I… I'll have to ask Tony,"answered Cho."Do you think… I know it's difficult abroad, but do you think we could connect to the floo electronic network ? I miss the kinsfolk so, and we are going to separate them… after Tony graduates."

"That's one matter the Ministry can do,"said Harry, suddenly happy Cho was changing her intellect."But you can tell Tony later. First, we need to—"There was a catch and an instant later the front door opened. Gabriella motioned for Harry to hide. He had just enough time to dart under his cloak and gather himself into the corner before Chalmers walked through the front door.

The sr. man was too thin and not much taller than Cho. When he entered he took his coating off and hung it against the wall with a sticking good luck charm.

"Beautiful day today, young lady Yangtze Kiang,"he said with a toothy smiling."Beautiful Day !"He stepped over and gave Gabriella a nod."And thank you missy for the very well meal."He paused."It's been a while since…"His face grew pensive, but then he shook his head."No matter."He slapped his workforce together and pulled his wand."Let me clear these dishes for you."Harry stood silently against the wall as Chalmers walked with a bit of a limp into the kitchen. There was a distinct rhythm to the cadence of his walk that Harry, two month ago, would not otherwise have noticed. It was then that Harry saw a alteration in Gabriella's gloriole ; something was wrong.

"Oh,"said Chalmers with a flavour of surprise in his voice."Three cups. Did you have another visitant today ?"Without waiting for an solvent he levitated the dishes into the cesspool where the scrubbers began to lap them. Cho was frozen, but Gabriella stepped over without hesitation.

"Yes,"she said quite calmly,"a girlfriend of ours, also from Hogwarts. She had to leave alone ahead of time to get back for her afternoon exam."Chalmers nonchalantly straightened the chairs.

"well, you know how Mr. Goldstein feels about visitors, Miss Chang."He settled himself into one of the cushioned chairs and began to spread out the newspaper, still scanning the room with the eyes."At least strangers."Harry could tell that the old man was on safeguard, sensing something that was not veracious."Just tryin'to keep you and the infant rubber he is."

Baby Jamie babbled something and then pointed at Harry hidden beneath the cloak. The apparent movement was enough to make Chalmers to turn and search back into the far corner at the cracked and empty bulwark. Jamie babbled again and gave a light laughter. Chalmers smiled.

"Well, wee Jamie is happy enough to ingest guests."He held up the straw man page."What's your booster's epithet, girl ?"

"Hermione… Hermione granger,"answered Gabriella. There was the slightest suspension and she added,"And I should be on my way as well."She gave Cho a hug and kissed Jamie's cheek."Thanks so much for letting us visit. He's just adorable and you're a terrific mother."

"Thank you, Gabriella,"answered Cho, kissing Gab's cheek."I couldn't ask for a kinder, ardent friend. Please get visit after the wedding party. I think I'll feel more well-off then - Mrs. Goldstein."

"Oh ! That reminds me,"said Gabriella suddenly."Mr. Chalmers is it ?"Chalmers set his paper in his lap.

"Just Chalmers, missy."

"Cho was showing me the nursery and I noticed the dorsum window. We had discussed placing a waterproofing magical spell, but I wasn't sure if—"

"Yes, missy,"cut in Chalmers proudly."The whole sign is sealed tight. No one can get in without permit. It's a Bucinum charm."

"Oh dearest,"said Gabriella."A Bucinum charm ?"Chalmers nodded his head."I think a Trepidus charm would be safer."

"Trepidus charm ?"asked Chalmers blankly.

"Oh yes,"added Cho."A Trepidus charm would be ideal."

"Certainly,"continued Gabriella,"I mean, if someone tries to break in the Bucinum charm blows them up. That could harm the sister. Do you think you could show me where you set the charms ? Together we can make the replacement."

"Oh, please do, Chalmers,"asked Cho pleadingly."Gabriella's a first class Wiccan. She studied at Al Bsahri you know."

"Did she now,"said Chalmers with interest as he took to his foot."I've heard they reopened the school this year."

"Yes,"said Gabriella,"it's quite lovely."

"Well, let's have a look around and see what we can do."Together, Chalmers and Gabriella made their way to the backbone of the business firm, leaving Cho and Jamie alone with Harry. Even as Harry moved toward the front door beneath his invisibility cloak, Jamie followed him with his gaze, pointing with his hand. Cho walked to the door and opened it.

"When… when do you marry Gold— Susan B. Anthony ?"Harry asked.

"Christmas,"Cho answered. She tried to make the word of honor sound exciting and vivacious, but it fell matt.

"Cho, you don't have to—"

"Don't I ?"Cho snapped."Don't I ? Tony loves me for all the cosmos. He'd peril his life to protect me… and your son. He's honest, hardworking, and… and… and I'm marrying him on Christmas."Jamie wriggled in her implements of war, both hands outstretched toward Harry.

"You deserve to be happy,"said Harry quietly."You deserve ..."but Harry's language failed him."I'm so sorry."Cho ushered Harry outside to the battlefront stoep and shut the room access behind her. She lifted his cloak to unveil his face.

"Harry,"she said."Tony… he looks at me… he looks at me the way you look at Gabriella. What girl wouldn't want that ?"She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, and then draped the cloak back over him."I'll ask him about your offer. He's a proud man, Harry, and a bit refractory. You should be able-bodied to value that."

"I love you, Cho. If there's ever anything you need… anything at all, let me know and it's yours. I'll see to it, I swear."Cho smiled, but her optic were sad. Jamie began to suck on his finger's breadth. The door opened and Gabriella appeared followed closely by Chalmers.

"Ah, here you are,"said Gabriella. The sun was affectionate on her facial expression as she put her arms out and gave Gabriella a hug."The apartment is sealed tight."Cho took in a mystifying intimation.

"good, thank you,"she said."I was just giving Jamie a little sun."

"Which he can get through the window, my high-priced,"said Chalmers herding Cho back into the house."Now come inside."He seemed quite protective, but Harry wondered if it wasn't something more."A delight to meet you, Miss Darbinyan, was it ?"

"Yes, and a joy it was to get together you,"Gabriella replied."It's well to see my friends in such ok hands. Cho, I'll be by before long with those gifts I promised."

"Gifts ?"Cho asked."Oh, yes, gift. Yes, yes, anytime. Be safe ; there's a calm distance to Apparate just behind that gray building over there."They kissed arrivederci and Gabriella began to walk down the street, Harry at her side. Chalmers stood for some time after Cho had gone inside, watching from the stoep. Gabriella waved one last prison term as she turned the niche out of sight. Harry was about to rend off the cloak when she stopped him.

"Stay hidden,"Gabriella whispered."We're being followed."Harry spun and there behind the building they'd just passed were the auras of two small figures. They hadn't been there a minute of arc before.

"Did you see them ?"Harry asked."I didn't hear an Apparation."

"House elves,"Gabriella whispered,"at least one of them. The other… I can't tell."

"But there weren't any house elves at the mansion,"said Harry.

"I know,"she replied."They must belong to someone else, or one's with its master."

"Who ?"

Gabriella just shrugged.

"How did he know your figure ?"asked Harry.

"It just slipped out. But I don't think—"

"You don't think Lucius would just as soon see you up on a superhighway as me ? It was betise !"

"He'd have found out soon enough,"said Gabriella with a suspiration as the two turned another corner. The street was deserted save for two young boys playing football game near the end by a chain-link fence. Gabriella pulled her wand. She was going to aggress the two that were nearing the corner, but Harry stayed her hand.

"Gab, no,"he whispered."Grimmauld Place."

"But—"

"Now !"

A moment later they found themselves on the streets of John Griffith Chaney, just outside of numeral twelve, Grimmauld Place. They waited to see if they might have been followed, then checked that the streets were clear. Finally, Harry uncloaked and walked up the steps to the door, knocking twice. The door opened of its own accord and the two walked in. There was a rustle, a thud, and then Sirius appeared atop the staircase wearing boxers and a t-shirt. wand drawn he pointed it blindly toward the door.

"Freeze !"he screamed."Or I'll obliterate you !"

"I hope not,"answered Harry."I'm kinda hungry."

"Harry ?"Sirius said, blinking his oculus."Harry what the hell… Gabriella ?"Dog Star made an effort at slicking back his whisker and started down the stairs.

"It's after midday,"Harry said."Don't tell me you were still sleeping."

"I was up late lastly night. Remus finished grading report and we— Hey, isn't your Potions exam today ?"Sirius'heart dig to the door."And why didn't you use the floo ? What's going on ?"

"Erm… can we eat first,"asked Harry.

"What,"shot Sirius in a singularly insistent tone,"is… going… on ? !"

"Sothis,"said Gabriella softly,"I think it dear if we sit down."

"You do, do you ?"snipped Dog Star, but Gabriella's black eyes caught a soft-spot in Dog Star'bark."Well… okay."

The three moved into the kitchen and Sirius started toward the stove. He grabbed a spatula and summoned some blimp when Gabriella took his hand.

"Here,"she said softly,"let me do that. You sit with Harry."Canicula moved to the board and sat opposite his godson.

"Well ?"Sirius queried."It's obvious something's afoot. spatter it out."Harry tried, but he couldn't declare his godfather's gaze.

"I… I, erm…"He sucked in a turgid draft of air and exhaled."Igoterpregnant."

"What ?"Canicula asked."What was that ?"

"I… I got her pregnant."

"What !"Canicula stood and spun towards Gabriella."You're pregnant ?"Gabriella turned the sausages with her baton."How could you—"

"Let him eat up,"she replied, floating three plates out onto the table.

"Not Gabriella,"Harry said. Sirius turned back to face Harry."Cho… Cho Chang."Canicula fell back into his hot seat.

"Are you sure ?"asked Dog Star with a disbelieving tincture."Because sometimes witches can—"

"Oh,"cut in Gabriella sharply."He's sure."

"merlin,"he whispered, scratching his chin."Harry, you should know better."

"I know. I know I should do it better."

"And you,"Sirius said, turning back to Gabriella,"why are you here with this cheating scum if Cho's running around meaning ?"Expressionless, Gabriella placed the blimp on the scale and added some warm attic.

"It was in conclusion year,"she answered sitting down and handing Sothis a fork.

"The baby was born in July,"said Harry."On my birthday. His name is Jamie."

Sothis'forking fell with a clank onto the photographic plate, splattering red beans onto his white-ish t-shirt.

"A b-boy ? Jamie ?"

"They're living in a garbage dump,"said Harry quickly,"and I can't have my son living like that. I won't have another Potter live with dust and spiders, not as long as it's in my ability. So, I offered to have them appease at your castle. You know… until Susan Brownell Anthony graduates. Merlin pull through his psyche if he ever—"

"My castle ? Anthony ? Who's Anthony."

"Goldstein. wellspring Cho calls him musical note. How cheesy is that ? Anyhow, the thing is…."

It was well into the evening before Harry had set Sirius straight on all the detail, uncertain as they were. Dog Star then began a language that lasted for nearly thirty minutes and included a few references to Harry's parents. But when Harry began to probe bass Sirius changed the theme. After venting about Harry's foolishness, he had agreed to take Anthony, Cho and Jamie in and serve in any way he could.

The sausages Cho cooked little Thomas More than a retentiveness, Dog Star grew hungry again and he convinced them to go to a Thai eatery that he had found just a few pulley-block away. When they arrived, Harry discovered that it was run by an old Muggle, but frequented by a act of witch and wizards. The occasional jiffy of magic trick that occurred never seemed to faze the old man. Sothis called him a Savant, a Muggle in air with the magic of the natural world but possessing no skill his own. Harry was half-way through his Panang Curry when he realized that tonight he was to meet Ron and Hermione at the Ministry.

"The cloak,"he muttered suddenly to himself, before taking another bite.

"What's that, Harry ?"asked Sirius. Harry looked up into Canicula'center ; they were smiling. Harry's blindness didn't allow him to see that the creases that had once drawn the sides of Sirius'eyes down were now curling upward. But he could sense the brightness of the gloriole in his godfather's reflexion. For a moment, Harry considered telling Dog Star of their design at the Ministry. Gabriella touched his deal.

"More tea ?"the waiter asked, and all three nodded. Harry continued to depend toward Sirius who was as well-chosen as ever. The thought of asking Sirius to help them, particularly at the Ministry, curdled the curry in Harry's tum.

"I said I almost choked,"Harry said with a cough.

"You're eating too fast,"said Gabriella knowingly, rubbing his arm and smiling."It's not a race."

"Probably the curry,"said Sirius, taking another raciness."It's a bit spicy tonight."

"Yeah… yeah that's it,"Harry answered. He wiped his mouth with his serviette and set it on the table."Erm… Actually, I think I better be—"

"Harry,"interrupted Gabriella,"I have to go before it gets past midnight."

"Is it getting that late ?"asked Sirius, his mouth one-half full. Harry shot her a glance ; his sass frowned. He didn't want her at the Ministry any more than he wanted Sothis. There were too many memories—bad memory. Then she said something that surprised even Harry.

"I need to see Jamie,"she said,"just for a moment. I should ingest taken attention of it this daybreak, but I forgot. I've not been in tune with the old way for some time. Mama would be disappointed in me."Unconsciously, Harry began to rub the dragon scar that was emblazoned on his veracious forearm.

He remembered what Gabriella's mother, Soseh, had said at the end of last school day twelvemonth."The blessing is inscribed on the male person of each genesis by the woman of the generation before. It will be Gabriella's duty to run the blessing to your sons."Once it was clear that Harry would accept Jamie as his son, it was Gabriella's obligation, by curse, that she pass to him the blessing of Asha.

"The Votary,"Harry whispered quietly, staring down at the bowling ball of yellowness and amber. Then his muted heart looked toward hers."It's too dangerous,"he said sharply."What if Chalmers has told them. What if he knew all along ? What if they're still there ?"

"They ? They who ?"asked Canicula.

"We were followed after we left Cho's apartment,"said Gabriella."But it makes no difference. By purity, I have no choice. It must be done, and the sooner it's done the with child the mightiness of Jamie's blessing, of his auspices. He'll need Asha's help in these sentence of darkness."

"You mentioned the Death Eater escort, but you didn't reference that you were followed,"said Dog Star, his eyes turning toward Harry with a more unplayful limelight.

"Draco said that Chalmers doesn't study nights, at least not for Goldstein. Sirius, you need to go with her, keep her rubber. That way you can see Jamie and pass on the news, maybe convince Cho to move into the castle tonight while Chalmers is away."

"And you ?"Sirius asked.

"I'll just head back to Hogwarts. If the two were a couple of Lucius'thugs out to get me it'd be beneficial if I wasn't there."Sirius sighed, looking longingly at an unmoved barbeque trim rib. He licked his brim and pushed his scale forward.

"Very well, let's go."They paid and made their way outside and down the street, finding a more remote alleyway often used by the visiting witch and wizards to Apparate. Sirius took Harry by the arm and looked him in the eyes, but Harry turned away to await down the street as a car past by.

"Straight to Hogwarts,"said Dog Star sternly,"okay, Harry ?"

"Straight to Hogwarts,"Harry agreed. Gabriella kissed him on the boldness.

"I can see your emotions roiling,"she whispered in his ear."Be vigilant and say, ‘ Hi !'to Ron and Hermione for me."She pulled her wand as did Sirius."Oh, and don't trouble ; Jamie will be fine. I'll make sure enough that no wickedness harms your child."Harry tried to muster a smile.

"Did I ever tell you how often I loved you ?"he asked and then they kissed."I'll see you at school in the aurora. Keep her safe, Sirius."There was a cracking and both Gabriella and Sothis had vanished. Harry focused his vision to another piece of London and in the next consequence found himself at a telephone box above the entranceway to the Ministry. As off-putting as Apparating was for Harry, he was ill prepared for what happened future.

"Stupefy !"The blast of red light hit Harry squarely in the chest, knocking him backward some ten to twenty metrical foot, his wand tumbling from his hand."There, Harrington,"a large cloaked figure said with a rather blusterous interpreter, picking up Harry's verge,"and you were about make to wet your knickers. He is a boy, after all."Still on his back Harry could feel them stepping toward him.

"I… am not… a… boy !"he rasped. This made the confining star gag, but the smaller man behind him said nothing.

"Well, I've got your wand, little man. I doubt you'll—"

"Diffindo !"Harry hissed, stretching his right arm forward. Orange light erupted from the articulatio humeri down and extended out and beyond Harry's fingertips.

The front of the Death feeder's cloak looked as if a large saber had just slashed across it, tearing cloth and flesh alike up and outward. Harry could palpate the blood line sputter his face. The dying Eater screamed falling to his knees. Unsteadily, Harry stood. The solid place seemed to be spinning. He was dizzy and a gathering sensation of nausea was building inside.

"Accio verge !"he cried, wrenching his baton from the death Eater's clutch and in to his own mitt. Limping forward he yelled"BOY ?"Then he placed his wand on the forehead of his foe."BOY ?"Blood continued to trickle from beneath the crouching last Eater's ribs and between the hands that clutched his chest."Who do you forge for ?"Harry asked, already knowing the answer.

Harry had focused so much attention on the declamatory last eater, he had neglected the smaller one that had retreated to the shadows.

"I said WHO - DO - YOU - WORK FOR !"Standing over his cowering victim, it was then that he noticed the lighter - mass of lighter. Five more auras had Apparated ; he was surrounded. Seemingly emboldened by the new arrivals, the smaller end Eater emerged from the fantasm and held out his verge.

"Expel—"There were three magical spell cast almost simultaneously that stopped the wiz before he had a probability to stop.

"Stupefy !"“ Diffindo !"and Harry's shield charm,"Contego !"

Only, Harry didn't need the cuticle charm… for himself. The first patch came from one of the approaching atmosphere Harry presumed to be to a greater extent Death feeder. The bolt, not the unassailable Harry had ever seen, knocked the smaller wizard backward, albeit only a few invertebrate foot. Fearing for his animation, and rightfully so, the diminutive destruction feeder Disapparated. The second charm came from yet another aura, small yet acute. It was directed at the halt wiz crouching before Harry. The result was frightful and instantaneous ; the Death eater's head fell to the gravelled paving material and his torso slumped forward, draining blood at Harry's feet, a boiling pool of Light like lave erupting from a vent.

Harry spun to face the five genius approaching him, holding his wand high. Two showed hints of both red and green in their auras as they drew nearer."prideful Curse ?"Harry wondered. And then a vocalisation came to him that startled him more than that of the previous decease eater.

"Bloody hell, James ! What in merlin's public figure did you do that for ?"

The colouring material, the lope, the tone… Harry knew at once it was Ron Weasley.


Harry ceramist and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 16 - The gist Calls
~~~***~~~

"He was reaching for his scepter,"said Epistle of James, pointing at the decapitated Death Eater at Harry's metrical foot."He was going to kill Harry !"

"He was on his knee,"snapped Hermione."Harry had him firmly in control."

"He didn'have the… that little guy in restraint,"countered Patrick."I had teh take him down."

"You're just lucky he was as frightened as a molamar in piddle,"said Anthony Goldstein with a rather swaggering interpreter.

"Goldstein ?"asked Harry in surprise as the group converged on him.

"Damn, Potter,"said Goldstein,"you're a bloody mess. And I do think bloody. Scourgify !"The spattering covering the movement of Harry's fount, shirt and gasp vanished, though the pocket billiards on the pavement remained."There, that's better."

"Who in Aides told Goldstein ?"cried Harry.

"Actually, ceramist,"replied Goldstein,"I stumbled on this merry company as they tried to pinch out. Seemed like a good DA mission.

"Are you kidding ?"snapped Harry, gazing at the aura of the man who'd be his son's father. There was a purity about it, but Harry was to inflamed to consider it."You… you can't be here. It's too dangerous."

"Yes, I see that,"said Goldstein with a rather sarcastic pure tone. Gingerly, Harry stepped out of the pedigree, pooling at his pes. Hermione ran over to him and hugged him.

"Who were they ?"she asked."nonentity's supposed to cognise we're here."

"That's what I thought,"answered Harry."I was trying to get an answer when James here decided to wreak the butcher."Harry turned to the endorsement yr."The side by side clip I need your help Yangtze River, I'll ask for it."Harry sensed at once the anger building within the small wizard, but then it subsided almost as quickly as it came.

"I… I was just trying too surd I guess,"answered Saint James the Apostle."It was scary."

"And why are you two,"Harry pointed to both Saint James and Patrick,"here in the first place ? bumble across the company as well ?"He shot Ron a glance and wished he could bring eyes of death.

"Patrick overheard our programme and said he'd shit if we didn't bring ‘ em along,"answered Ron."It was supposed to be quieten ; I didn't figure we'd run into end Eaters."

"If that's what they were,"said Harry, still holding his wand at the cook."They acted more like hired strong-armer than Death Eaters."

The night air was cold and hush. He could find the dampness of a flimsy mist wrap about his face, sending shake down his spinal column. For a moment he thought of Dementors, but the coolness, this chilled clamminess was something else, something more splanchnic. The whispers of dying were swirling ; somehow Harry knew that. And not for the man that had just been slain, the whispers were telling Harry that more would soon join the utterly man at his feet. But who ?

"Goldstein,"Harry said suddenly,"Anthony, really you… you have to—"

"Well, we're here now,"said Henry James."Dispatchio !"The utterly hotshot and the pool of blood beneath him vanished."Let's say we get in, get the cloak and get out before anymore… er, benighted wiz show up. Wouldn't want Luci—"

"Where'd you learn that spell ?"queried Hermione."That's fifth year."James shrugged his shoulder joint.

"My sis I guess,"he said."She's the smart one in the family."

"Yeah… I see,"said Harry, noticing James'atmosphere disappearance from green to red then back from red to green. For the first clock time, he thought Saint James the Apostle might not really be an friend."Ron, maybe you should take—"

"James is right,"interrupted Susan Brownell Anthony."Best if we get down into the Ministry before another dozen Death feeder Apparate in."

"But—"

"Harry,"interrupted Hermione,"let's just get downstairs. We can tattle then."Harry heaved a sigh and the group squeezed into the earphone booth. Ron said the password his father had told him and a fluent orb appeared, scanning Ron in a ailing white brightness. Then, with a jar, the lift began to plummet. Harry tried to bet at Ron and suggest to the redheaded woodpecker that he should scan Harry's mind, but his center were blank and Ron didn't pick out the facial nerve construction as he once would have. Harry silently cursed his blindness.

Harry's heart began to quicken. If the two second old age were under the Imperious Curse, they were likely in Lucius Malfoy's control. He was feeling strongly like he wanted to wretch onto the shine marble floors just as the doors opened onto the splendid entrance hall of the Ministry of Magic. The six stepped out, sceptre drawn.

After only a few paces, they all saw where the cloak was to be displayed - it was obvious. A expectant chalk case had already been erected. On a pole was the body of a mannequin and next to that a golden statue of Harry with his wand drawn. They all stepped finisher. There was no cloak, but there was a plaque. It read,"This site commemorates the defeat of the Dark whizz Voldemort by the Grand Wizard Harry ceramicist, fiat of Merlin, number one socio-economic class, who faced his foe wand-to-wand and struck him down."
"order of magnitude of pigeon hawk ?"asked Goldstein surprised."I didn't know—"

"Neither did I,"cut in Harry.

"They'll probably award it to you during the ceremony tomorrow,"said Hermione brightly. Harry turned to her.

"If we do this right field, there won't be any ceremony,"said Harry shortly."No dark cloak, no return of Voldemort, no ceremony. Ron, do you have any thought where—"

There was a resonance coming from down the hall and a faint lambency that was growing nearer. It sounded as if individual were humming. The grouping began to pull back, away from the presentation compositor's case ; all, that is, except James. Harry went to grab his sleeve, but the boy wouldn't motility.

"Is this it ?"he asked, still staring at the re-enactment before him."Is this how it happened ? You struck him down ? Nobody could secern me for sure, not even Gabriella."Harry held more tightly to James'robe and began to pull him bodily across the floor.

"Epistle of James,"Harry said, huffing between his tooth,"there are some things you can't believe. First, never trust a Bible Trelawney says unless she sounds like a hobgoblin on flaming whiskey. mo, never trust a word written in the Dailey prophet, unless it's written by Luna Lovegood. And finally, never… ever believe anything the Ministry says - ever !"He continued dragging James by the back of his shoe collar until they were hidden between two marble columns.

"Bold words, Harry,"continued James passively."But I never believed you could beat Lord Voldemort wand-to-wand. Tell me, is there still a portion of the shadow Jehovah that courses through your veins ? That could be utilitarian, if—"

"Shhh."All was soundless, bring through for the periodic cracking ember from one of the fireplaces that surrounded the one thousand entrance hall and the humming that was growing louder by the minute. Again Harry tried to tuck Ron's attention, but he was engaged whispering something in Hermione's ear as they clung together behind a lawsuit of armour opposite the outpouring of Magical Brethren. At another newspaper column just behind Harry and James II, Saint Patrick and Anthony crouched. The susurration of death were growing louder. So loud, in fact, that Harry turned to see if perhaps a ghost or something more were at his right side. Only James was there, kneeling quietly on the base.

The light grew brighter and then the hag appeared. Harry could make out her air, a shimmering Au, but not her features at this distance. In front of her was a cloak levitated some two groundwork off the terra firma. She was approaching the showing typeface when King James I began to wriggle under Harry's hand.

"Hold still,"he whispered, but the marble walls took in the sound, ring them about, amplifying the noise such that it was hearable to the beldam at the exhibit case. Harry noticed the hesitation. He expected her to deform, but she did not. Instead, she levitated the cloak onto the trunk within the exhibit grammatical case and closed the Methedrine door. She cast a spell with her wand and then turned as if to give. In turning, she revealed her face to the others, but Harry was still unable to pick out who the witch was. From the faint gasp from across the manor hall it was top that Hermione, for one, knew who it was. The enchantress stepped toward the fount and took something out of her pocket, perhaps a coin, Harry couldn't tell. In a motion that was as elegant and as cunning as any Harry had ever seen, she flipped the object into the natural spring. It twirl high into the air and, just as it crested in its arc, her other helping hand pointed her scepter toward it and cast the go.

"Immobulus !"Harry recognized the vox at once ; it was Molly Weasley, Ron's mother.

half of the light leaving her wand passed the coin cleanly and struck the beldame and sensation by the wooing of armor. The other one-half, however, glinted off the coin, reflecting toward and blasting the two wizards next to the column behind Harry. With one go she had immobilized Ron, Hermione, Anthony and Patrick. Again, Henry James wriggled under Harry's grasp and again Harry held him fast.

"I know you're there,"Mrs. Weasley said with a vox that held no fear."I'm afraid it's well after 60 minutes. If you're lost, I'm for sure I can help you find your way. Come out from behind the column and let's see where you belong. Shall we ?"

Again James pushed against the exercising weight of Harry who was pressing him intemperate against the marble floor. Finally, Harry had had enough. He couldn't peril what James might do.

"Incarcerous !"he called. roach sprung from his wand and began to wrap up themselves about James.

"Sectumsempra !"cried James, slashing the Mexican valium with his sceptre and pushing Harry away. Then he pointed his baton at Mrs. Weasley."Avada Ked— !"
"Stupefy !"she called, her tour interrupting the boy's. The red light nearly take James who deflected it at the final moment, sending the beam into the roof above, showering them all with art object of marble and splinter of walnut tree. This was no sec yr wizard.

Harry jumped to his metrical foot and barf his own stunning spell, but again William James deflected it. It was then that molly Weasley noticed who he was.

"Harry ?"she called.

"Hide, Mrs. Weasley !"he cried in counter."Hide !"

James River cast a jet of red light Harry's way. Harry focused on where he needed to be—out of the radio beam's track. Suddenly, everything slowed and he found himself running to the rightfield, toward the fountain, just as the dash of red passed his provide elbow. James IV smiled.

"Impressssive, Harry,"James hissed in a much higher, cold voice, a voice that shook Harry to the core. It couldn't be."You've learned well from the Centaur. I did as well ; although I suspect my methods of extracting the noesis I required were somewhat different than yours."There was another bolt, green, and again Harry disappeared and reappeared into another region of the grand hall.

"Diffindo !"called Mrs. Weasley. Her spell come across James on the left shoulder, leaving a nasty slash. James spun on the beldam.

"Avada Kedavra !"

This time the green light sailed toward Molly Weasley. Harry began to levitate a marble workbench into the light beam's path, but quickly realized the bench was too heavy and would not travel fast enough. Instead he ran, slowing time and bending the space between them tightly together. He grabbed her by the berm and pushed her to the ground just as the blow past the pair, smashing into the bulwark behind and showering them with dust and rock music. Harry landed on his back as Mrs. Weasley landed on top of him, knocking the air out of his chest.

"Harry,"she said sternly as only a mother could,"what are you doing here ? What's going on ?"

"It… it's Voldemort,"he gasped trying to encounter air that wasn't there."He's… back."He wheezed, sucking in a brusk breath of air."In… James."Without questioning further, Mrs. Weasley's back went rigid and she rose to face Jesse James, to face Voldemort.

"Nooo,"Harry rasped, struggling to sit up, but barely able. She ignored his beckon and faced the small boy now standing only a few feet in front of her.

"parting the boy, Voldemort,"she commanded, brandishing her sceptre."He can't possibly be of any use to you, now we know the truth."

"Truth ?"queried James as his eyes shot toward the darkness cloak still protected behind the sealed glass. Harry rose to his knees, trying to add air back into his lungs."The truth is that there are only two things in this elbow room I want… and you're not one of them."His scepter rose in unison with Harry's, only Harry was unable to gasp the turn.

"Avada Kedavra !"

Placing himself between Mrs. Weasley and Voldemort, Harry tried to rear up in front of the jet of green but the pour down curse word would win the wash this time ; he knew that. For her part, Molly Weasley cast a shield charm about them both, hoping to deflect the go, but they all knew it wouldn't work. In her last second of spirit her work force gripped Harry by the shoulder joint and she cast a glance down into his blind eyes, a coup d'oeil that held love and compassion, a glance that was filled with care not for herself but for the boy before her… a glance he couldn't see. She fell beat to the floor.

"NO !"cried Harry as he spun and cast another slashing spell against Saint James the Apostle who deflected it with ease."You're being controlled, Epistle of James ! scrap back !"St. James the Apostle only laughed.

"YOU stood face-to-face with the Great Dark lord Voldemort and defeated him ?"James mocked."What a joke !"

With Mrs. Weasley dead, the charm she cast on the other four wizards began to wear thin off. Slowly, they were coming to there sentiency, working to recover control of their motions. King James walked over to a groaning Patrick who was still prone on the floor. He grabbed Patrick's hair and pulled his head off the ground.

"This one here,"called Jesse James, his voice echoing off the walls,"thinks of you as a brother, ceramist. He'd sooner die than see you come to harm. Yet he's betrayed you at my every command. Shall I kill him succeeding ?"

"Expelliarmus !"Harry cried, but once again James I deflected the spell.

"haven't you figured it out yet, ceramist ? Even with the acquisition of the Centaurs, you're as slow as your perfectly parents. Nonetheless, you could be useful ; the Malfoy boy suggested as much. I heard, perhaps, he's not as dead as everyone thinks."He released Patrick whose head cracked against the stone flooring. But instead of striking at Harry, William James held his wand to the chalk presentation vitrine."Diffindo !"The gust of light struck the chalk, but held house as if swallowing the push of the eruption, the glass began to glow. For the beginning time, the smile on James Yangtze's face disappeared."Diffindo !"he called again, and again the energy was absorbed and the field glass grew brighter still.

"You've killed your only chance for opening the eccentric,"Harry sneered."But then… I always heard that that was one of your greatest weaknesses… TOM… being pudden-head !"

Another eruption of light shooting toward Harry ; it was red not green, not a killing expletive. Once Thomas More, Harry slipped out of its way. This time he moved quickly around and behind St. James the Apostle reappearing with his wand drawn.

"Stupefy !"Harry cried, sending a clap of red at Henry James'back, but again the adept deflected the magical spell as if swatting a fly and then turned back toward the display typesetter's case."You're not trying to kill me, Tom. Why not ?"

"I'll kill you sssoon enough,"James slithered."First, the cloak. Then, I need to extract something of mine that you stole from me when you were a baby. Soon, I will be—"Suddenly two more than go came from beyond the fountain. Ron and Hermione had revived themselves sufficiency to oppose, but barely.

"No ! Get out of here !"Harry screamed."It's Voldemort ! Run !"

"I don't have sentence for this,"cried James, sending three more blasts of light at the glass sheath. On the third base deadbolt the glass cracked, but only just. Harry could recount that the spells that James had cast over the hold up few minutes were draining him. He looked tired, almost vulnerable. At the same here and now the fires ringing the grand hall roared to liveliness.

"Finally,"Harry whispered,"some help."whiz after wizard appeared at each hearth, brandishing their wands."Whatever time you thought you had has just expired, Tom."

The room erupted in red light. Seven blasts came at the lowly ace by the display instance. Two struck true while the others struck the glowing shabu, shattering it completely. The expectant ice shards that scattered the floor, however, were still glowing as brightly as ever. There were more blasts of red directed at Harry.

"It's me !"he yelled."Harry thrower !"

"Harry !"cried Hermione from the far side of the hall."It's not the Ministry ! It's—"A fire of red dropped her to the background.

"Hermione !"cried Ron."He cast a enchantment knocking the whiz by Hermione backward into the rampart with a tacky crack. He pointed towards another thaumaturgist and ran at him."Leave her alone, you bloody—"There was a blast of purple and he too fell to the storey.

"We're students !"Harry yelled, but it only focused the aid of another barrage of red deadbolt his way. Harry cast a shield charm and sent them flying in every conceivable direction. The blasts weakened him."Are you crazy ? ! We're—"And then he noticed it - the unmistakably brightly emerald gullible atmosphere of Draco Malfoy, stepping from the flaming of one of the fireplace. He had warned Harry and now it was too later.

Simultaneously, ropes began to swirl about Ron, Hermione, St. Patrick, and most importantly James who was still motionless on the floor. Somehow Antonius had managed an flight and stood at Harry's position. There were nearly a 12 Death feeder moving in on them.

"learn the cloak, Draco,"drawled a tall wizard in dark black robe with crimson liner.

"Lucius ?"Harry sneered in the thaumaturgist's centering."Is that you ? I should have known by the sickening yellow colour."The wizard said nothing, trying to cut Harry."Now that I'm blind, you're much better looking in — strike that. No you're not. You're still as lots a pig as you always were. Still, somehow… missing an arm suits you. How'd you lose it again ?"The prodding worked.

"Big dustup for a blind boy, potter,"he snapped.

"Now, now… sticks and stones…. But then I guess six month with Dementors and pudden-head will clabber anyone's conversational capabilities."Harry could see that Draco was moving over the glowing glass and into the case to call up the robe. Harry turned to look him.

"Hey ! Blonde by-blow ! I wouldn't go in there if I were—"

"What's this ?"genus Draco cried out. He had come to molly Weasley's body. The people of color of his air blanched."I gave particular society ! Who cast a killing curse ?"Harry could tell immediately that Draco was livid.

"gather the cloak !"yelled Lucius.

"But father—"

"NOW !"

"Don't do it !"yelled Harry.

Dragon moved forward toward the case. Suddenly, the tattered glassful that was still glowing with the Energy it had absorbed exploded in a superb tweed flash. Draco flew up into the air, nearly striking the ceiling, and then landed with a sickening crunch against the marble floor.

"Draco !"cried Lucius. Goldstein took the distraction as his opportunity. His wand erupted with undimmed bluish light, but instead of being directed at one of the Death feeder, it was directed toward one of the portrayal hanging high on the wall of the thousand hall. The portraiture sparked, zapping the senior wizard that had, so far, slept through the ruckus.

"Hey,"the wizard in the portrayal yelped."No need for—"

"Get supporter you idiot !"yelled Goldstein. The wizard in the portrait, seeing the wipeout, disappeared instantly."It won't be long now,"Goldstein muttered, staring at the abandon portrait.

There was another burst of piece headed at the two wizards and together they fended them off, but Harry was growing light by the second. Lucius ignored Goldstein's call for aid, he ignored the battle of sceptre, and he ignored the cockle heap on the floor that was his son. Instead, unwilling to touch it himself, he pointed to the cloak that was still standing in the windowless display case.

"The cloak !"he yelled again. After some disinclination, another Death Eater approached the black material and grabbed it just as James, still bound by roach, began to make out to his senses. With lust-filled eyes, Lucius only half glanced at Draco, still motionless on the trading floor, rip dripping from the street corner of his mouth. Instead, he focused fully on the black gown held before him.

"Luciusss,"uttered James breathlessly,"you fool."

Malfoy wrenched the textile out of the Death feeder's hands. Quickly, he slipped it on and waited as if anticipating something to materialise.

"You expected, maybe, a investiture ?"Harry sneered."Perhaps a peak and trumpets as we all bow down to kiss your arse ? It's a stupe piece of material !"

"Kill him,"Malfoy drawled, pointing with his good arm toward Harry."killing HIM !"Harry grabbed Mark Antony by the arm as the bolts of green approached and in an New York minute they were on the other side of the resplendent hall that now appeared more like a war zone than the showpiece of the Ministry. Looking back, they saw that the spot where they once stood was nil now but a Crater. Goldstein grabbed Harry's arm.

"How did you do—"

"You are NOT going to miss the nuptials,"Harry snapped. He took in a deep breather, reaching out with his mind to cull any magic trick he could from the creation around him. He let out a foresightful, slack exhale and pointed his wand at the flooring.

"Festio !"he cried, ripping XII of marble tiles upward and sending them toward his adversaries. The decease Eaters tried to shatter the tiles with spells, but the action only served to create thousands of bantam projectile all headed in their direction. A few cast shell charms in metre, but most were struck. Above the din of screams, Harry could hear James River cursing Lucius.

"spill me, you idiot ! loose me now."But Malfoy, ignorant of James'rightful identity element, ignored the boy's pleadings. He had what he came for and was beginning to walk toward his son when snaps began to fill the room. Auror after Auror was Apparating within the grand manse. In an instant, trance were flying everywhere. Blast after blast of illumination, cutting down wizard after wiz, hag after witch. The room was filled with thoroughgoing mayhem and Harry, his shoulders slumped with tiredness, moved to enter the fray. Before Harry could take a full step, Goldstein grabbed him by the shoulder joint.

"You're no well to anybody dead,"he whispered."We need you, Harry. Me… I'm not much more than canon fodder."And then he charged forward ahead of Harry, taking down two Death Eaters before he too was stunned and fell to the ground. It was then that Harry noticed Saint James the Apostle. He was beginning to slew free of the bonds that held him. Lucius, on the other hand, had abandoned everyone, including his son, and was racing to the floo. A bolt of orange low-cal struck the wall behind Harry, casting Edward Durell Stone and dust down his book binding. Lucius was about ready to lam. Harry focused on where he needed to be and before Lucius had taken another stride, Harry was standing in movement of him, blocking the entree to the open fireplace.

"Silencio !"Harry whispered, holding his manus between the cloak's sheepcote of black cloth and directly against Malfoy's chest. The wizard tried to cast a spell, but was deaf-mute."Now, what with the sporty arm and all… that's what I call an improvement. You should commemorate to button up before you step out, Lucius. Now, take off the cloak before I blast it off."Malfoy's oculus glowed with pure hatred and he raised his wand."Expelliarmus !"Harry whispered again and Malfoy's sceptre flew from his manus. There was an expression of surprisal in Malfoy's eye that made Harry smile.

"Now,"continued Harry,"as I was saying, take off the—"With a sudden shove from behind, Malfoy fell forward onto Harry and they both tumbled to the storey. It was then that Harry noticed that James had freed himself and now, forgoing the use of a wand, had his manpower around Malfoy's pharynx, squeezing… squeeze. He was in a hysteria of pure hatred and ira.

"Do you know who I am ?"cried James."facial expression into my oculus !"

Lucius, even Harry, saw the flame of red sparkle in James River'eyes.

"N-Not pos-sible,"he gasped, ineffectual to rest."D-Dead."Then the full realization struck him."I-I never knew."

"You know now,"Saint James spat between gritted dentition."And now is sssoon enough."A flack of red light came from the far wall and struck James River in the incline, but before he released his handle on Lucius, a dark acrid smoke issued from his mouth and anterior naris. To Harry, it was a watercourse of green evil leaving the red seat. James'grip on Lucius released and the blond wizard gasped for air, but instead of air he sucked in cipher but smoke. Voldemort had penetrated him. Stunned, Harry saw the green surround the yellowness and snuff it out. Lucius took to his feet as a blast of red struck him in the back. Nothing happened. It bounced off him, off the cloak he was wearing, like weewee off a duck's back. Before Harry could react, Lucius, Voldemort and the cloak had vanished in a swirl of park flame.

There were a couple Thomas More bam, a couple more breeze, and a couple more screeching of painfulness, but finally the room fell silent. Only the sound of rock scraping against the floor, as the remaining Aurors stepped across the dust, broke the silence.

"rector, over here. It's your… over here, sir. Please."For the first time, Harry realized that Chester Alan Arthur Weasley had been among the Aurors that had come to protect the Ministry. He watched as the wizard walked toward the shattered video display case, while the Auror that called him levitated a wooden beam that had fallen over molly Weasley up and out of the way. It landed with a dull thud.

"Molly ?"he uttered as if trying to gently wake up someone from a deep nap."Molly,"he said again only louder."MOLLY !"He grabbed his wife in his blazon, pulling her up out of the dust ; pebbles cascaded to the level."Oh my god, no. No… no… no… no… NOOO !"he screamed. The grand Granville Stanley Hall rumbled, shaking mortar loose from the walls onto the floor below as Mr. Weasley buried his head into the nook of his married woman's neck. He continued to heft up great asshole as Harry looked down at Saint James, prone on the floor, arms outstretched toward the hearth. The green was gone ; only blue remained, but the luminosity was weak and flickered. He was near demise. The indorsement year began to grown, slowly looking up to line up Harry.

"H-Harry ? H-Help… I… I can't…."And he collapsed to the floor. Harry looked around at the devastation. James was not the lonesome one near end. Instinctively, he pulled his wand to summon the Heart of Asha, but before he could roam the spell, shot after walkover began to fill the foyer ; therapist were appearing. In a matter of second base nearly a dozen Healers had Apparated into the Ministry. One, an older wizard with shaggy T. H. White hair, was at James'side almost instantly. Scanning the boy with his baton he turned to Harry.

"You're the thrower boy, aren't you ?"Without waiting for an solution he said quickly,"Tell me, was it a stunner ? Because I'm not detecting any—"

"He was possessed by Voldemort,"Harry cut in. The healer cringed, looking up at Harry with skepticism.

"Look son,"he said derisively,"you shouldn't go around—"

"Damn it !"Harry screamed."His spirit's been sundered ! It probably has been all year. Voldemort just left him to take on another host. If you don't rush, he'll die."For only a second, the healer tried to read the look of Harry's face. He was old enough to hump what Harry meant. He remembered the old war and he didn't need to be told twice. Without saying another word, the therapist rose to his invertebrate foot and a flash of tremendous purpleness light left his wand bathing Henry James in its gleam from head to toe.

Harry stepped back, twisting his ankle on a rock beneath his foot. He cursed. Other than the people swarming about the hall, it was difficult to make anything out. His vision was truly failing him in the rough mess. He could see Mr. Weasley and heard his prick, and tried to peck his way through the rubble as Auror and therapist alike seemed to pass him by as they rushed to another's aid. It was as if no one knew him, or no one cared. His emotions were sloshing back and forth. He needed to help… he needed to chase after Lucius, after Voldemort… he needed to —"

"minister !"someone cried out."Minister ! It's your son !"Harry turned his care on a luminescence that lay prone on the flooring near an Auror's metrical foot.

"My god, Percy ? !"cried Mr. Weasley still reeling from the red of his wife.

"No, sir,"the Auror replied."It's your vernal boy, Ron. Looks like a stunner is all."

"That's not possible,"whispered Arthur Weasley, unsure just what to do."He's at Hogwarts."Then he noticed Harry, stumbling blindly toward him."Harry ? My god, Harry why are you—"

"He's back,"said Harry weakly. He was tired and sore, and his right arm was starting to prickle with pain."Voldemort's back."

"What ?"

"A Horcrux,"Harry whispered nonsensically, stumbling closer to Mr. Malfoy and rubbing his rightfulness forearm with his left helping hand. It itched."There must have been to a greater extent than one. We… we came for the cloak."

"Jonah,"called another Healer to the old man that was working on James IV,"I need your help. It's the Malfoy boy. What's his gens, Draco ?"

"I thought he was dead ?"the old man called back. The youthful therapist looked down at Draco and then back up.

"Well, if he wasn't before—"

"You knew ?"asked Mr. Weasley, his vox sceptical. Gently he kissed his wife's brass and lowered her to the floor."You knew they were coming ?"

Harry was feeling dazed. He looked toward Draco, toward Arthur Weasley. His ripe arm was aching. He had reached Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and his heart began to sink further.

"No one was supposed to be here,"Harry said thinly, his interpreter hoarse with sorrow."I just wanted to destroy the cloak before… before…"Mr. Weasley rose to his feet.

"She loved you like a son !"he yelled and slapped Harry severely across the face."AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY HER !"

The black eye knocked Harry backwards and he slipped on the loose rock that scattered the floor. Rising to one elbow he could taste the blood that was dripping from his cut lip, and then he noticed his rightfulness forearm - it was glowing. A thin etch of a rune had appeared, the Viswa Vajra. Harry had always wondered when it would come about, in what way it would manifest itself, and even though he'd never seen such a radiance, he knew what it meant, and he knew he had no choice but to obey.

The Minister of trick who had loved Harry as his own son was demanding response, result Harry desperately wanted to give. Draco and James lay near death, and Harry had it in his power to easily spare them both. Voldemort had escaped with a new body and another part of his someone, and Harry anxiously needed to chase after them - the Wizarding populace was again at risk. Once more, demise began to whisper in his ear and he began to thrill.

In maliciousness of that, none of it mattered. He had sworn an oath ; it was a effect all phallus of the Votary carried. He was being summoned and so, clutching his baton, he focused on where he needed to be. He felt a soft touch on his shoulder and heard Hermione call his figure. He looked up at her, wishing he could convey the sorrow weighing on his someone.

"Harry…"

He was gone.


Harry Potter and the nativity of a New Sun

Chapter 17 - The Summoning
~~~***~~~

When Dakhil left Harry at the stone steps leading to the look room access of Hogwarts Castle, Harry had pleaded that he too fight the onrush of Dementors and dying eater raging against Dakhil's mother country in the Carpathians. The vampire should own been gone for only a few days, but it had been week and Dakhil had not returned nor had he sent word of the status of the battle. The Daily Prophet had been worthless, only reporting the difficulties that the respective European Ministries were having trying to disguise the numerous atrocities as natural cataclysm. Thomas More worrying was that Antreas had left shortly after Dakhil and had not been heard from since. Everyone who had left to fight back seemed to vanish into a bang-up vortex of void.

Before he disappeared, Dakhil had told Harry that his job was to protect Hogwarts, to protect the Centaurs of the Great timber from a darkness within the schooling. Harry brushed the impression of darkness inside the palace walls aside, believing it was a backhanded insult toward Harry, but now he was paying for it. Maybe that's why they were summoning him, he had failed in his one delegation. Voldemort had not only break loose, but he had captured his Horcrux and was gear up to bring back to index. Or was he ?

Voldemort had said he needed only two things in the howling Marguerite Radclyffe Hall of the Ministry - his old black cloak and Harry. He had asked earlier if there was still part of the Dark God Almighty that coursed through Harry's veins. What James, what Voldemort didn't know was that the darkness, Voldemort's brand, had been washed away by the Cleansing of the falls in the Great Forest. Perhaps, Voldemort was too weak without this other part of himself, perhaps—

It was hot, painfully hot - the first thing Harry noticed when he finally appeared at the summoning site - hot and dark. Not dark in the good sense that there was no light, although it was that too ; a lack of light-colored wouldn't matter to a blind man. No, it was dark in the sense that Harry saw nothing. There was no spirit here, no aliveness in any management, just heat, an intense, blistering heat that appeared, to Harry, like a dull daze as he looked to the Night sky and saw Ebyrth shining as bright as ever.

He had been able to Apparate across the epithelial duct. From there he had tried once more, but couldn't make it across Germany. He was drained, unable to vomit another while, and the prolificacy of the world's vigor, normally plentiful in this area, was parched like an arid desert. There was cypher for Harry to draw on to replenish what magic energy he could cast. Instead, he used the tycoon of the centaur to bend outer space and easy time, and he ran. He ran until his place wore through and fell away ; he ran over rivers that supported his weight as if they were icy unanimous ; he ran past flying hoot that hovered in the air like floating balloons. He ran for what felt alike twenty-four hour period, stopping only to drink from the occasional watercourse or brook. At one point, just exterior Vienna, he had grabbed half of a sandwich from the hand of a passer-by who might as well have been a statue frozen in clock time. His wooden leg ached, his lungs wanted to explode and all he could get wind was the vocalization of Ronan compelling him forward, not to forgather the call of the Centaur, but to reply the summoning of the dragon.

By the prison term he had begun the final ascent, his mind was blurred with fatigue. He had paid no notice to the mountain he had been climbing. stew burning his dim middle, he had ignored the screams and the fire through which he had past. He didn't see the transition from spirit to death. He only knew one thing - the summoning situation. He would not run out again, even as the finis drib of strength left his being.

This… this was the spot ; he was certainly. Huge gulps of air splashed down his burning lungs unable to quench his thirst for oxygen. His bare feet burned. Almost forgetfully, he held out his wand, hand shaking from exhaustion and mind knowing that he would not be able to throw up a spell even if he wanted to. Sweat dripped down his forehead ; the oestrus was unbearable. He stood for a moment, wand outstretched, squinting with failed eyes into the swarthiness. merlin, it was hot. He moved to take a step forward, an bitter odour filling his anterior naris, when his left leg cramped and he fell boldness first hard into the stony ground. He didn't have the energy to pluck away from the scorching Harlan F. Stone, nor could he spit out the grit and tiny pebbles that filled his sass and burned his tongue.

"Maybe,"he thought,"if I rest for just—"He passed out, dropping his wand at his face.

unconscious on the sweltering earthly concern, swirls of Mary Jane and Inner Light coalesced in his psyche forming a picture of swarthiness and desperation. Even in his dreaming the olfactory modality of burning physique was unendurable. Yet, in his dream he could see - his vision, his quite a little was as commodity as ever. The smoke and the smell cleared and he found himself at the falls, the falls where Gabriella lay face down in the tall sess, an arrow sunk deep into her back. In the air was unhappiness. No… Sir Thomas More than sorrowfulness - there was anger. It was Ron, screaming, screaming….

"NOOOOOOO !"

The earth shook.

"Take him ! consume him now ! hurriedness !"

The scene changed. He was flying… flying in the air. saltation. On a Hippogriff. bounce. Harry felt a jarring annoyance against the side of his rib. He blinked. The cecity had returned, but he could sense that there was a light beneath him. Bounce. A person.

"hurry !"

The voice… he knew that phonation. The shadow was clearing from his creative thinker. He was waking. He was being carried. A mathematical group of five was climbing up the side of the mountain. One had Harry over his shoulder. Weakly, Harry began to struggle to exempt himself.

"Easy, Harry,"the Edward Young man holding him said gently, but with some urgency in his voice."When we get you back to the fastness, we'll take a aspect at the burn. Praise Asha you're a appendage of the Votary, or you'd be dead."

"An-Antreas ?"Harry muttered. He hadn't heard the voice of Gabriella's brother since the summer, but there was still no mistaking the undeniable intonation that was the claim replica of Antreas'Father-God, Grigor."What… What's going on ?"

"There will be prison term for solution later !"cried another interpreter."Run !"Harry knew at once the other man speechmaking. He also recognized the aura ; it was Dakhil. Troubling was the sense of concern, even fright in Dakhil's voice. He'd never heard that before, even when they were being attacked by vampires last summertime. What was more troubling, however, was something that had bothered Harry since his last example with Ronan, something he had seen in Dakhil ever since the vampire first taught him to see without seeing. The aura of Dakhil faded from red to purpurate and back to red again. There were two role nowadays in his nimbus. For the first time since he'd arrived at the plenty of Singehorn, Harry felt cold-blooded.

They continued to rush up the mountain. Occasionally, Dakhil or one of the others would cast spells back in the direction from which they came. Harry could not see, nor could he smell out what it was they were firing upon. Curiously, there were no spells cast in regaining. Soon, he began to notice trees, botany, life. After a few min more, the dance band came to a declamatory endocarp bulwark. One of the men cast a piece and an entrance appeared. They passed through and the initiative in the Isidor Feinstein Stone sealed behind them. The entire troupe sighed with relief once they entered the compound.

"What… what's going on ?"Harry asked weakly."Where are we ? Who were you firing at ? What— ?"

"Slow down. Slow down,"cut in Antreas."Let me see your face."Antreas lifted Harry's chin up and examined the will side, the same side of meat that fell unconscious into the scorching world. He reached up and pulled the drinking glass from Harry's facial expression, glasses he continued to assume in the hope, or perhaps as a symbol to others, that one day he might see again. There was an unmistakable lachrymation sound, and Harry could finger the charge card brim pull away from the tegument on his face. When he reached to require the spyglass out of Antreas'hand, he could separate that the left one-half of the physical body was nearly melted away. He didn't want to conceive what his face must look like. It didn't injury. Harry moved to touch it but Antreas grabbed his hand.

"No !"he snapped, half trying to quell the distress in his own phonation. He chuckled, but not convincingly."It… it's nothing, Harry. It's just considerably if you don't—"

"See that he has his own Healer's collapsible shelter at once !"ordered Dakhil to one of the former men that were in the grouping. The man began to slowly limp away."hurriedness,"Dakhil yelled."hurry before there's null left wing of his face to put back together !"If Antreas had tried to quieten Harry's nerves, Dakhil had served to dismember them."You two,"Dakhil continued pointing at two men they had passed as they entered into the chemical compound."assist carry the boy into the cave. I won't lose another one tonight !"

With Antreas'supporter, they carried Harry further up the heap. Dakhil followed, but was unwilling to assist. Typical, Harry thought. There was a little outcrop of rock 'n' roll off to the side and they turned toward it as Dakhil continued upward. Antreas stopped.

"If Singehorn is unable to call the others in sentence,"he said,"we'll have to send out for the Centaur you spoke of."

"You were brave today, my son,"said Dakhil warmly."It is clear your father is with you. Your mother would be proud. Keep the boy good and see what the healer can do with what remains."He turned to continue upward then stopped."Singehorn, I'm afraid, was not capable to phone for our admirer, not tonight."He sighed with a thick plaintive breath."Still we must stay with the plan ; it's our only hope. More may come before the Sun Myung Moon's rise tomorrow."

Facing a stone rampart, one of the men carrying Harry said something in a terminology he thought might be Russian and again an arch appeared where before was only stone and stone. Just before the rock'n'roll face closed behind them Antreas called back to Dakhil who had followed them virtually of the way

"And the Centaur ?"he called.

"He's in your arms,"replied Dakhil, just as the stone archway sealed the shut inside.

"Crazy,"said the Russian, referring to Dakhil."He'll kill us all."There was a wand at his neck opening in an blink of an eye ; it was Antreas ’. Harry felt like he was about to be dropped.

"There are so many injured here,"said Antreas with a hot up vocalisation,"I'm sure no one would miss you. The next meter you speak of the Votary, take caution to choose the words carefully. I may birth to excise the offending tongue."The Russian said nothing as Antreas pulled the wand back and the grip on Harry became more for certain. They turned a corner and the cave opened out into a heavy hall filled with spite. To Harry, it looked as if a C lighter had been spread across the floor. Almost immediately a grumbling rippled across the large cavern.

"Is that him ?"“ The Chosen !"“ My god what happened to his face ?"“ Dragons."“ It's just a boy."“ That's not him ; some Muggle must ingest been caught in the crossfire."“ He's the Chosen !"
"Marek !"cried Dakhil."Marek ! This is a anteriority !"Harry noticed an orange people of colour on the far position rise up from the flat coat. Marek was meddlesome treating another affected role and as he stood, Harry could say that he was a large man.

"They're ALL priorities !"he called back."Have one of the others—"

"tinker's dam it ! NOW !"yelled Antreas. This was not the same Antreas that had waved goodbye to Harry and Gabriella as they began their summer vacation. That Antreas was still trying to hone his verge body of work, and his assurance interacting with mass was shaky at scoop. While he made a adequate neighbour on Privet parkway, he was an absolute jam around former wizards. This Antreas, however, the one standing before Harry, was Sir Thomas More than just a metrical unit soldier in this mountain battle. He was clearly someone of import.

Disgruntled, but acquiescing, Marek began to intersect the dorm as the three moved Harry into one of the collapsible shelter that were set up along the position of the turgid chamber. He was placed on a bed, firm, but more well-situated than a blanket on the stone floor outside. Once he was down, the two men left Antreas alone with Harry. For some time neither spoke and Harry noted his champion's uncomfortableness.

"What is it Antreas ?"Harry asked. As he spoke, Harry noticed that the face of his face didn't seem to move correctly. Still, there was no pain.

"I'm so sorry, Harry,"Antreas replied."If I had known… We were losing reason and… Dakhil must have thought it would be rubber. Our outer perimeter was half a mile down the mount when he must ingest asked Singehorn to summon you. But then, they came so fast."

"Who ?"

"The Dementors. They've been swarming the mountain for days. They've grown so buddy-buddy they can fleck out the sun and when that happens it gives their Allies, a band of about xxx star lamia, relinquish rein to attack during the day. This wasn't our war, but ultimately the dragons had no pick. The Dementors were moving in on their rookery. Half a XII flying dragon left to scorch the earth and will no liveliness behind. Not even a member of the Votary could last such fire. We had no way of letting you know, no way of knowing ourselves when… that you'd…"A big volley of air shot from Antreas'lips.

"Dakhil had Singehorn muster me ?"

"Harry, there was no way of knowing. You passed out right in the nitty-gritty of the incineration. It had to let been over two hundred stage. One of the watch saw you first, but it was too hot. Only the Votary could get in to call up you."Harry remembered Dakhil walking through the electrocution flame just before the connexion ; he understood these words."The Joining helped you to come through, training would deliver been better. Your face… you've been burned… badly burned."

"But it doesn't scathe,"Harry said. He was feeling more tired by the minute.

"That's because there's nothing left to hurt. Your build is—"Marek pushed through the curtain raising of the tent.

"And what's this priority ?"he said wearily."Another casing of shit Dementor frost— Oh… Oh, my."He cast Antreas a glance."One of the civilians ?"he asked, not recognizing the Whitney Moore Young Jr. man he'd met over the summertime."A Muggle caught in the ardor ?"Assessing the large stature of the man before him and listening closely to his voice, it was Harry who first made the connecter. It was the same Marek that had taken in Ron, Hermione and the others after the vampire attack.

"Marek ?"Harry asked hoarsely, finding it more difficult by the minute to incite his jaw."It's me, Harry… Harry ceramist. I could… I could sure use a glass of water."

"Yes… I remember. You've put on a few pounds. physical preparation ?"

"He's joined a Centaur heard in England,"said Antreas.

"So this is the one Dakhil spoke of. That would explain affair. Yes, that would explain a lot."Marek reached into his gown."I haven't had to portion out with one of these for years,"Marek whispered,"but with flying lizard about, such George Burns are not uncommon. Praise Asha you're Votary."He leaned in close to Harry."What happened to your center ?"

"Glass,"Harry replied, wearily."Lots of glass."

"Hmmm. fountainhead, let's get started. Harry, lie back."Harry obliged."I have something far better than a glass of water."He watched Marek raise his wand over his burned human face."This should only learn a few hours."

"hour ?"Harry said, bringing up his hand to grab Marek's wrist."I won't take you away from helping the others just because I buggered it again."

"It's not your break, Harry,"said Antreas."There's no way you could have known."

"Yes, admirable qualities, Harry. But as Antreas has said—"

"I am NOT a anteriority ! I won't—"blue devil light erupted from Marek's baton and before he could say another word, Harry was asleep on the cot and Marek began his work. The last thing he remembered was a crackling sound and Marek's sombre voice.

"That'll leave a mark."

Time faded to nothingness and, when Harry woke, he sensed someone sitting at his bedside."Gabriella ?"he asked groggily.

"You wish, Ilex paraguariensis !"

"Fred ? Fred is that you ?"

Slowly, Harry began to regain consciousness. He tried to lean up, but someone pressed gently back on his articulatio humeri. His heart closed, Harry sensed that there were two people in the elbow room. Shaking the cobwebs free, he finally recognized the air of the early someone.

"Remus ?"

"Yes, Harry,"replied Remus lupine,"Fred and I are both here. We have been for about three days."

"triad mean solar day !"Harry exclaimed, once again trying to rise and once again being held down by Remus."I've been here for three days ?"

"No, ditz,"Fred laughed."We've been here for three day. You've been here for about, er, xiv hours."

"We came as soon as we heard you had arrived,"Remus added.

"I swear, Harry,"said Fred, leaning forward."Can you ever do anything the leisurely way ?"

While Fred was talking, Harry realized there was something on his grimace. He reached his work force up and felt the bandage wrapping his pass.

"An interesting look, if you ask me,"said Fred."variety of a toque gone mad. All in all I'd say it's an improvement. The heavy matter is, Harry, they gave you a whole new head ! Moody volunteered his."Fred laughed again and this time Remus joined him. A cold shiver passed through Harry. It had suddenly sunk in that Fred… Fred Weasley, was in the Saami room and if he'd been here for three days, he might not know….

"Why aren't you home ?"Harry asked."Where's George I ?"

"I'm flying solo, fellow,"said Fred."George is minding the shops."

"No one can locomote in or out,"said Remus."phantasma is impossible. It's a miracle that you made it alive. I'm sorry that—"

"What about content,"Harry interrupted."Can messages get in ?"

"Not for two days,"said Remus."The Dementors have the unhurt versant surrounded. I tried a Patronus. It passed through a few dozen, but there are just too many."

"Then you don't know,"Harry said with urgency. He sat up and this clip when Remus moved to push him back down, Harry flicked his arm away. Harry tried to face Fred, but. Fred only laughed.

"You look like a walking ice-cream cone, Harry."

"Fred,"Harry began, muffled by the patch surrounding his expression. He tried to come up up the courageousness, but in the death here and now it failed him."W-Why are you even here ?"

"Tonight, we go on the unsavory. We're through sitting back and letting Lucius Malfoy and his U. S. Army of darkness decide when and where to excise. They're mostly vampires and Dementors with a handful of Death Eaters sprinkled in for good measure. Last we heard Lucius may take in let himself get turned."

"Turned ?"Harry asked.

"The pathfinder were out early this dayspring, Harry,"said Remus, moving over and sitting future to Fred."We've seen him off and on in these parts for weeks. Only this morning… this morning they say he looked more lamia than wizard."

"He let himself be bitten, I tell yeh,"added Fred."Just to accomplish immortality."

Harry felt as if he was going to be sick. If Lucius was here that entail Voldemort was here. Were they looking for him ? For Harry ? His heart began to backwash. There was too much to do and too niggling fourth dimension. He needed to assure somebody, but whom ? His breath quickened and Remus took notice.

"Harry… you need to—"

"He's awake !"Harry shouted."He's still alive !"There was a short pause. Remus knew almost immediately what Harry meant, but wasn't sure if his words were the outcome of some sort of side-effect from one of the potions. Fred didn't understand.

"What do you imply, Harry ? Who's awake ?"

"Voldemort,"gasped Harry, taking in a majuscule breather of air through the bandages covering his side. He walked over to the side of the collapsible shelter and held the material in his fingers. To his brain, it had a sluggish orange visual aspect, probably spores of some sorting. He didn't want to say more ; he couldn't. But he had to. He could feel his essence hammer in his chest - it hurt. His breathing grew laboured, weighed down by the loading of what he was about to share.

"Somehow… I don't know… I don't be intimate how, but he took control of James Chang, Cho's younger brother. He's been inside James River, controlling him all year at schoolhouse. He was waiting for something… something significant. Then I heard that they had discovered Voldemort's old cloak. It had survived even though he was destroyed. It was there… what he wanted… at the Ministry. They brought it back out of the ashes of his dying. They dug cryptical, your father dug deep for what should have been left to the depths."

"Yeah,"said Fred cautiously, not really certainly what to think about Harry's ramblings."Mum and Dad were all excited. It was supposed to be a big deal. Sorry we had to pull in you away from the award ceremony to be in this hellhole. I'm not supposed to distinguish, but Dad's lined you up for ordering of Merl—"

"It was a Horcrux,"hissed Harry through gritted dentition. Remus understood and gasped, but Fred still didn't compass what Harry was saying."Can you trust it ? Lucius wanted it for himself - maybe to distill whatever centre Voldemort had left of himself in it."Harry madly grabbed Fred's robes."Don't you see ? I had to destroy it… to destroy the cloak."

"calmness down, Harry,"said Fred slowly, his optic glancing toward Remus with concern."Everything's okay."

"No it's not !"yelled Harry, turning from Fred and leaned against the bed."We just wanted to convey it, Ron, Hermione and me… only they showed up… and then… when we got inside… your Mum was there… and then James… I thought it was an disdainful Curse. I thought I'd be able-bodied to control him."He breathed hard again."But I couldn't. It wasn't a curse, it was Voldemort. I couldn't layover him. I tried—"He turned back to facial expression Fred."He… Voldemort used the Killing nemesis, Fred. I tried… I swear on Merlin's grave… I tried."

"What are you talking about, Harry ?"Fred's words were quiet, flighty and unsure.

"Last night, before Singehorn summoned me, in the grand entering hall of the Ministry, Voldemort… Voldemort killed your mother."short circuit gasps of air burst from Harry's lungs and he fell on his knee joint in front of Fred."She's dead… she's… dead."Clutching at the ass of Fred's robe, Harry began to warp great sobs. His voice was weak and cut."She's dead."Fred pushed Harry away and took to his foot.

"halt saying that !"he yelled."She's not absolutely ! She's not ! I just saw her before we came here. She was going to… she was going…"He slapped his hand against the bed."You're just messed up… the potions. You… you were dreaming… that's all. A- a- a- hallucination or something !"He turned to Remus.

"Remus ! Tell him ! William Tell Harry it was just a dream… a bad aspiration, that's all."Remus was pipe down, stoic. He didn't speak and he didn't movement. Fred pulled his wand and held it in Remus'face.

"Tell HIM !"

Remus held his limb out broad and, slowly, shook his head.

"No."Fred whispered, shaking his head vigorously in reply."No, it's not… it's not… oh god."

His men fell limp at his sides and his wand dropped to the flooring, tinkling and then rolling in the muteness. Fred shuddered, fell into lupine's arms and began to cry.

They stayed like that for some metre, Harry on the storey, Fred in lupine's arms, all three of them crying. Until now, Harry hadn't had the probability to mourn molly's death. The pain was deep and biting. In the tears and silence, Harry wished he could take it back. His action mechanism had cost another life and the choler in Arthur Weasley's vocalisation echoed within his intellect.

His thoughts turned to the others who had been murdered in the struggle and he wondered if James had made it."I may never do it,"he whispered to himself.

As the sadness began to subside, he mulled over how Fred and Remus had described the scout's sighting of Lucius. If the write up were rightful and Malfoy had returned to the mountain, then molly's murderer was within reach. Harry's bother began to rick to anger. The fuss on the tent furled open and in take the air Marek

"Remus, I— What in Merlin's epithet is up with you three ?"he said with a rather curmudgeonly phonation.

"We just found out. Fred's female parent has been killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,"answered Remus calmly.

"That… that's not possible,"said Marek, one-half believing the give-and-take to be dependable. Fred turned, wiping his oculus.

"I've got to see if I can get home,"he said. He started toward the outlet, but Marek took him by the arm.

"Fred, we're surrounded."

The redheaded woodpecker pulled his arm free.

"I have to go home."

"It'd be suicide, Fred."

"I don't care."

"Don't you think your mother would !"chided Remus."AND your beginner. What do you think it would do to him to turn a loss you both ?"Fred said nada."If you're going to put your life on the line, Fred, make it count ; get it matter."Remus stepped toward him and held Fred by the shoulders, looking him in the optic.

"Tonight,"he said with authority and surety."Tonight, you'll have your fortune, Fred."

"Why tonight ?"asked Harry.

"There are about LX of us, Harry,"said Remus,"counting me and Fred. Tonight the lunation turns wide. We'll attack with the dragons, a few dozen Centaurus, and—"

"full moon moon ?"asked Harry. He picked himself up off the floor and stood."Full moon ? I thought Soseh had given you a potion, given you both one to keep you from turning."

"She did, Harry,"answered Remus."But we haven't taken it during the cycle. There are few fauna on earth that can challenge a vampire. Surrounded by Dementors as they are now, even virtuoso have little hope of conducting an efficacious blast. They're a werewolf's natural fair game ; Dementors and lamia share a duskiness that… How can I put it ? Is tasty for a werewolf."

"Better than deep brown, they tell me,"added Fred, with an eery glow in his eye.

"Besides the dragons,"added Remus,"only one wight can break through both defences. Dakhil discussed it with me some time ago and we both agreed - we needed a werewolf army. I couldn't convince most, but I've convinced enough."

"Sixty doesn't make an army, Remus,"said Harry, stepping closer."sixty is a snack."

"What you say is true, Harry - werewolf descent is prized among the vampires. Still, I think our adversaries will be surprised,"said Remus with quiet confidence."Yes, we could give birth more in our act, but even with Arthur as Minister, the distrust of my form runs deep."

"Our kind, Remus ! And they'll be Thomas More than storm,"snapped Fred."They'll be bloody petrified !"

"Well,"said Harry sardonically,"bloody anyway."

The patch wrapping his side were hot and heavy and he was only just able-bodied to resist the enticement to rip them off so that he could scratch the itch that was growing warm by the minute. He placed both his hands flat against the business firm bed, curling the covers in his finger as they balled up into fist. Without looking up, he took in a hint and swallowed.

"Remus… Fred… You need to see everything. Lucius Malfoy isn't a vampire. The scouts… what they saw down on the mountainside this morning… It may have got looked like Lucius, but it wasn't. Yeah, he's been taken over all right, but not by a lamia. His spirit has been consumed by Voldemort. Lucius is Voldemort."He turned to face them."Sixty werewolves, sixty dragons, sixty of anything… it won't be enough."Hearing Harry's words, Remus stepped forward and placed a hand warmly about Harry's neck.

"No, Harry,"he said."No, it won't be adequate. But then, it never was. That's why we have you."


Harry potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 18 - The mob of Onyx
~~~***~~~

The Harlan Fisk Stone stride were large, great it seemed to Harry, than they were before. Yet, the same thin white cloud dusted the blue sky, and the heated air brought Harry's listen back to his summer travels with Gabriella in Lebanon. His psyche's eye flashed to a visual sense of her smooth, dark brown skin and twinkling black optic, and he wondered how she was fairing with Cho and his son, Jamie. His heart skipped at the cerebration and he drew in a breath to becalm his nerves. He stepped upward through the large rock pillar, upward toward the stiff of the capital Asiatic castle. Up ahead, seated on a crystal workbench intricately carved in an refine pattern was a boastfully blacken man in green and brown robe - Singehorn.

On the eve of the counterattack, the tartar had asked that the Whitney Young whizz meet him in this plane of consciousness that they might mouth with one another. Here, in this other world, Harry could not only speak to the dragon, he could see. He had no bandaged drumhead, no wand, only a white robe and naked feet that withstood the scorching heating system beneath them. In the cave where Harry's corporeal trunk sat in meditation, the others were preparing for war. Soon, the lunation would climb, the wolfman, including Remus and Fred, would sprain and the struggle would begin. It had taken Harry quite some time to close out all the distractions that were happening about him, but finally he made it.

As he drew close-fitting to the dragon, the descendant of Asha whose line Harry had sworn to protect, he noticed that the man looked more ripened than before and that his external respiration was heavy, laboured. With attempt, Harry heaved himself upward onto another stone step, and then another. On the dance step before reaching the landing where Singehorn sat in one of the two crystal benches, Harry saw a enceinte ring made of contraband onyx. He stopped for a moment to depend at it. The dragon coughed a bottomless throaty cough.

"Go on,"he said with a inscrutable scratchy spokesperson."picking it up."

Harry reached down and took the ring into his right hand. It was sound than Harry expected. Holding it in the fingers of both manus he examined it from all sides.

"I… I know this ring,"Harry said, trying to remember how or from where."I've seen it before."Singehorn shifted his howling weight and grimaced somewhat.

"The ring,"he said,"is known to many, but few alert today have seen it with their own eyes. For those few that saw it worn by its last master, it was most likely the hold up thing they saw. He was known for using the ring to kill."Suddenly, Harry remembered.

"Pravus,"he whispered, remembering the portrayal of the sinister wizard's hired hand Greg Goyle had shown him final year. Singehorn growled, long and low. Clearly, he did not love the audio of the figure.

"Very in effect,"answered the flying dragon."Very proficient. Come… sit."

Harry climbed the finish large step and tried to dust the front of his white robe which had grown brown from the desert guts. Singehorn laughed and, as Harry looked up, the man's mouth erupted in flames, enveloping Harry in a cracking E. B. White flash. In the following instant, Harry's gown were Edward Douglas White Jr. again and he was unscathed. Harry examined his hands, expecting to see scorch crisscross, but cipher was there.

"Sit,"said Singehorn again. Unlike his last visit with the man before him, the Cy Young wizard sat obediently across from his master.

"My child… not for fifty dollar bill age has that ring been held by homo hands, not since I tore off the arm of the hotshot that betrayed us all. When Pravus was destroyed and Grindelwald defeated, I thought for certain the darkness had been, at last, beaten back for good. I was young then and naïve, but not so naïve as to trust in men again."

"But Dakhil,"said Harry."You trust him."

"Do I, Harry ? Do I ?"There was another low grumble as Singehorn leaned forward. Harry noticed a slender, light scar that ran along the man's face, a cicatrice that wasn't there before the Joining. Over the lowest few calendar month, the flying lizard had seen struggle.

"Do you see the ring on Dakhil's finger's breadth ?"he continued."No, Harry… Soseh trusts Dakhil and I would confide Soseh with my life, but his lot lies on a different path."

"You need to hump, sir,"said Harry with some urgency in his voice."I've seen… I've seen two spirits inside him. He may be under the ascendance of another."Singehorn smiled and began to laugh. It was loud and thunderous, not the reaction Harry had expected.

"He's a vampire, my nipper,"the dragon said finally."He fights the liveliness inside him every waking moment. Few have learned to control the thirst for fresh parentage, the desire for death. None have fought more heroically than Dakhil Barghouti to stave off his own personal daimon. But his path will soon conduct elsewhere and I will necessitate individual to demand up his staff as Primate of the Votary. He would prefer I choose now, before his destiny befalls him."

Harry's optic widened in unbelief. Rolling the halo in his fingers he looked up at Singehorn then back down at the mob. Finally, he set it in his palm tree and held it out to the Draco.

"I can't, sir,"he said, shaking his header."Whatever great power this ring holds, I'm not ready."

"What ? No questions about what the gang does ? What enduringness it might play you ?"

"No, sir,"Harry replied, reaching yet further toward Singehorn. The dragon did not remove the pack from Harry's decoration, but instead leaned back on the bench.

"Not even if the hoop might facilitate you defeat the one who killed molly Weasley and so many More ?"Harry shook his head."What if it would avail you win the war against these Dementors, saving the living of unnumbered Centaurs ; these creatures you seem to care so much about ?"Singehorn leaned in again."Are you so certain that you wouldn't regard to finally ruin the wight that killed your parents ?"

For a minute, Harry's outstretched arm receded. Once more he held the mob between thumb and index finger, wondering what strength it might bring him. He took a mystifying breath and exhaled slowly. Finally, he shook his top dog once more.

"No, sir,"he said softly still rolling the ring in his fingers."When I was last here, you reminded me our calling : Bravery… Wisdom… Love."Harry shuddered, swallowing heavily."You also told me that I needed to work on my wisdom."Harry took in a deep breath as his eyes grew misty."But I've been valued shortly in that regard all year, eh ? I brought Voldemort into the Ministry. I brought him face-to-face with Mrs Weasley. I should have known…. I should hold been impertinent. Now, he's at your doorstep, threatening to destroy all we stand for."Holding back his tears, Harry held the ring out once again."Whatever powerfulness the closed chain bears, there are others more desirable than me."

With lightening speed, frighteningly fast for such a bombastic underframe, Singehorn grabbed Harry's hired man in his own, his monumental paw wrapping around Harry's entire fist and arm, squeezing the ringing into the flesh of Harry's palm and scorching the back of Harry's hand. His red centre glared with steel finding into Harry's and his claws drew blood from Harry's flesh.

"Tell me, my son, when the darkness spreads across this mountain and threatens my children and my minor's children what will you do ? There are only so many rocks to wax and the clouds will not protect us."Harry said nothing."When your friends charge down the versant to join my kin in the attack against the sludge that surrounds us, will you hide… a blind rat in a dark cave ?"The dragon's hook dug deeper, but Harry refused to cry out.

"I'd… sooner… die."

"Harry, the devil seeks you out, but he does not need you abruptly, not yet. He thinks he needs you animated, but he doesn't know that what he seeks is no longer there, washed away by the declivity at Hogwarts. Without the push he once shared with you, he is but half a man, half a wiz. In his ignorance, in his weakened state of matter, he can be defeated."

"Then I don't need the ring,"Harry said calmly, withstanding the pain.

"If only it was so simple,"sighed Singehorn, still holding Harry's bridge player firm."Before the cleanup at the falls, you joined."

"Joined ?"

"The darkness that was once in your veins… now flows through another's."

Harry's middle began to race. Another's ?
"Your inherited."

"Jamie,"Harry whispered.

"You would sooner die than see my fry harmed. What would you do to protect your minor ?"asked Singehorn.

"My… son."

Harry's fingers, almost instinctively, tightened around the ring burning the anatomy of his ribbon and in that inst his vision filled with a enormous flash of white. Singehorn's voice became dark and forbidding.

"I will not say your decision is wise, but it is our exclusively row. Forgive me, my nestling, for the magnate will take in you. Soseh has foreseen your avaritia turn to grief. On the day the tartar mark the sky, you will begin to recognize your true up metier. How you emerge from your failing will determine the destiny of us all."

Suddenly, Harry's muckle was gone, all before him dark. When he breathed in, the dampness must odour of the patch that wrapped his face filled his nostril.

"We've got to go, sir,"said a adept somewhere to Harry's left.

"If I have to separate you one Sir Thomas More time to be quiet, I'll rip your pharynx out,"snapped Dakhil in a low, hissing vocalisation."We will go when Singehorn says we can go. Do NOT disturb the boy."

Still seated on the floor, his legs folded beneath him, Harry reached out his intellect and sensed the two men arguing to his left. The one, a bright blue nimbus was clearly frightened ; the early flashed red and then purpleness. The red appeared to be winning and Harry wasn't sure that was a good thing for the man in juicy whose colour was fading so fast Harry thought he might wet himself. He wasn't the solely one nearby that was frightened. In the large cavern just beyond the rock-and-roll paries where Harry sat, piles of men mulled about nervously waiting for the final gild to attack. Harry was about to propel, to signal to the others that he had returned, when the orange colour of Marek moved into the way where he sat.

He slipped over and placed his hired man on Dakhil's back and the two walked to the far side of meat of the tent. They whispered and then the whispers grew louder.

"Marek,"Dakhil hissed,"I need to recognise. What is your opinion ?"

"As a Healer or a Warrior ?"the man that had worked on Harry's nerve replied. He was upset, annoy perhaps of the conflict that would soon be bringing the dying to his threshold."If we were home, I'd leave the bandages on for at least another week."

"The boy can't fight like that."

"Then leave the boy behind."

Two vocalisation harmonized :"No !"Simultaneously, Harry and Dakhil rejected Marek's suggestion.

"You've returned,"said Dakhil quietly."Good. The clock time is near. The full moon moon will soon stand up over the English of the mountain. We must select advantage of every minute it brings us the lycanthrope'strength. Dawn will come far too quickly I'm afraid."

Harry held his hand to his face."And these ? You can remove these ?"

"Really, Harry,"answered Marek,"if only you could spare two Thomas More days… two more."

"The battle will be over by break of the day,"said Harry,"and I can't fight with this rag weighing me down. It's sweaty enough as it is, and I can barely breathe."

"Then don't fight,"Marek said to Harry. Then he turned to Dakhil."What possible vantage does a boy bring this engagement beyond more gore ?"Steadying his feet on the dusty rock, Harry stood.

"I am no boy !"he said defiantly. Marek ignored him.

"Dakhil,"the therapist continued,"there is no reason to put his life… What ? What is it ?"

There was silence. Harry too noticed the change in Dakhil's aura that was likely now being mimicked by the vampire's face. The red had darkened into a rich scarlet - the emotion was a strong one, whatever it was.

"Dakhil, what are you looking at ?"Marek continued.

As Harry stood, his hand, which had been covered by the arm of his robe while he sat, became exposed. There, on the heart and soul finger's breadth of Harry's ripe bridge player was a doughnut. Angry at being called a boy, Harry had not noticed the contribute weight on his finger.

"Well… that can't be good,"said Dakhil with a rather cool voice."I had asked for a alternative, but I never…"

"I'll take the shucks bandages off myself if I have to,"cried Harry, reaching for his wand. It was then, when digit met Sir Henry Wood, that he realized there was a ring on his fingerbreadth. He let go his wand and held the ring with his left mitt. He moved to take it off, but the ring would not move. He pulled again, and again the ring held its handgrip about the bone of his right midsection finger.

"I had always hoped he might see fit to give it to me,"said Dakhil with more dashing hopes than angriness."I suppose Soseh has told him."

"Told him what ?"asked Harry, still trying to cultivate the gang from his digit.

"Damn the day I met you, boy,"said Dakhil, again in a placidity, matter of fact tone."She's seen my death, which is not such a great concern for a vampire when such events can be centuries hence."He paused.

"And ?"Harry asked.

"And you were there, boy. You were there."Dakhil moved closer."So, either you're going to cast down the mountainside, get bit and live to a very good old age as an immortal, or I'm going to die before the summer solstice. oath you,"Dakhil said dryly,"I always wanted to make it to the millennium."

"You're both talking gibberish,"said Marek."Would you stop over that,"he said to Harry."You're starting to bleed."Harry turned his sentiency downward and watched as the glowing drip of blood fell to the floor from his finger. Marek pulled his scepter and healed the finger."Now leave the damn ring alone. Here, let me slay it."

He cast a spell and nothing happened, cypher but the grating laughter from Dakhil. He tried a different magic spell and still the ring stayed clamped about Harry's finger's breadth.

"We don't have time for this,"said Harry finally."Look, just take the bandages off. put a cuticle charm about the skin if you must, but I can't—"

"Very well,"cut in Marek with a sigh."But it's not your skin that I was worried about."Sit over here."He led Harry to a stone bench.

"What do you mean ?"Harry asked.

"wellspring, Harry, while I was working on your human face, I thought I might see if I couldn't do something about your eyes."

"But I've seen nothing,"said Harry."Certainly through this gauze, I could discern—"

"I've sealed your palpebra shut so the eyes beneath could mend as the spell worked and weaved."He stepped closer to Harry."Son, two more than days… two More days and I'm sure that the knit will be complete."

"And I'll see again ?"asked Harry with a glint of hope in his articulation.

"You might."

"Well… look… it's black anyway,"Harry said."Take off the bandage and leave my eyes sealed. I'll be better off not trying to spot physical object in the darkness. I've gotten used to not seeing and trying to squint in the murky night may just realize things worse."

"There's the problem,"said Dakhil."The objects you wish to discern are Dementors. They suck the life from all about them. To your vision they would be duskiness and on the scorched mountainside where very little life remains, it would be near impossible to detect them."

At this it was Harry's turn to joke.

"Dakhil, I don't need my sight to know when a Dementor is breathing down my neck. I'll know where they are, believe me, I'll know."

"Then it's decided,"said Marek."I'll remove your bandages, but preserve your middle sealed. If you make it through the night Harry, your face should be re-wrapped immediately. A buckler appealingness might be acceptable for walking around schooltime or sitting about the house. It will be worthless against a well placed hex."

"Get on with it,"said Harry."I can get a line the howling already."

And indeed he could, they all could. Some of the wizard werewolves were growing queasy. Outside, the moon was nearing the summit of the eastern horizon and some were having difficultness controlling their metamorphosis even inside the cavern, away from the moonshine. Typically, such difficultness were had by newly converted werewolf, those who had recently become. Harry wondered how Fred was fairing.

When Dakhil removed the gauze bandages, Harry immediately reached up to his typeface to touch, but the shield charm stopped his digit.

"It feels like an eggshell,"Harry whispered.

"And it won't protect your face much more than one,"added Marek."Remember that, when you're out there playing the hero."Harry was about to protest but, preceded by a Bronx cheer, unexpected Book left Dakhil's backtalk first.

"An Acolyte of the Votary does not play at anything !"Dakhil's stature was suddenly somewhat magnanimous, and his aura somewhat redder."You would be wise to think of your position, Marek. With one thought the boy could destruct you."

"Yes… yes, of course,"Marek apologized."I'm sorry… I… I truly am sorry."

There was awe in his words, far more fright than Harry thought the situation warranted. component part of him understood, something he remembered from the Joining, but there wasn't time to well for its seed ; it was time for action. Harry stood and began to walk toward the declamatory sleeping room.

"One import, boy,"said Dakhil with a matter of fact feel. Harry stopped, turned and, before he had an second to react, Dakhil had cast a spell on him. Nothing happened.

"What… what was that ?"Harry demanded, still reaching for his wand.

"He's changed the people of color of your robes, Harry,"said Marek."They're no longer whiten ; they're crimson."

"Primate Potter,"said Dakhil in an exceptionally tetchy part followed by a short blasting coughing."Your title, when I die."He sighed."Asha protect us."Harry looked down, but could sense no discernable conflict."Don't concern, boy ; those who have travelled the itinerary through right training will know at once the implication of your robe. We'd best hurry. There won't be time for practically of a speech."

Harry and Dakhil left the collapsible shelter and entered the cavern ; it had emptied out onto the mountainside, staging for the battle to total. Soon, the gate would open and the soldiers would run out down upon their foe. Harry and Dakhil walked down the cave and as it narrowed toward its exit a young man came up and touched Harry by the sleeve.

"Asha be with you,"he said tilting his pass in a cold-shoulder bow.

"And with you,"replied Harry without forethought. Why did I say that ?
The cavern out door opened and, for a moment, Harry was blinded by the many nimbus gathered outside. He could see that some of the werewolves had already turned, and a group of wizards was having difficulty restraining them. No one seemed distracted by the howl, a ululation that assorted with words in Harry's mind - kill, bite, blood ! He turned to see if someone was talking to him, but no one was there. Another werewolf howled.

"Patience, my friends,"called Harry to the snapping beast and the wolves quieted at his words. That was not my voice, thought Harry. Or was it ?

Everyone was listening to Antreas who stood upon a large outcrop of rock above the growing din. His lyric were amplified, but Harry wasn't sure the increased intensity was necessary. He was calling out in a strong and commanding voice and Harry wondered why this role wasn't Dakhil's.

"….is all we need. Together we will be victorious ! Together we will ostracise the darkness into the abyss !"The dry land began to grumble with hand clapping. Harry noticed four hulk pounding their ft with blessing.

"giant ?"he asked Dakhil."I didn't notice any goliath when I arrived."

"They climbed over from the sheer cliffs on the plump for side of the stack. That way is not guarded save by Dementors, and they have no effect on such dim-witted creatures. So it is with the werewolves."

"It'll m-make for a b-bloody dying feeder busting surprise."

"Fred ?"

The red-header was clearly agitated, seemingly in the thick of the change.

"Fred, please… don't—"

"The Primate has ARRIVED !"cried Antreas with a jump off vocalism. He was referring to Dakhil, but Harry could feel hundreds of eyes turn toward him simultaneously. Save for the howl and the occasional turn being cast a unawares way down the hill, all became silent.

"Let's give them what they want, boy,"said Dakhil."Up you go."He levitated Harry some twenty feet in the air. Harry's heart began to race as he rose, wondering what he might say.

It was like rising over the embers of a dying fervidness, each glowing aura a tiny coal burning against the darkness. There were hundred gathered here. Some fell to their human knee as Harry rose ; well-nigh stood silently. behemoth, Centaurs, wizards and loup-garou, a riffraff compendium of misfits all collected to fight together against the malice Lucius Malfoy had co-opted for his own malign purposes.

Lucius probably hoped he would retrieve the cloak and arrive at this office of battle to celebrate a majuscule triumph, the first of many. piffling did he be intimate that his sometime headmaster would take up residence in his eubstance - if only long enough to need over Harry's. But that would never, could never happen. How the worm had turned on the blonde-haired patriarch. Soon, it would turn on the darkness worming within him. Harry raised his branch to the promised land above, a giant comet was clearly visible in the Nox's sky.

"Ebyrth marks its return and now we find ourselves at its mercy. While some have come to do the new sun's cry, others are here to protect our flying dragon pal against the darkness that wishes to destroy all in its path. Tonight we fight as one. Tonight we fight with the strength of goliath, the legerdemain of wizards, the ferocity of werewolf, the wisdom of Centaurs, and the heart of dragon !"

No sooner had the words left his oral fissure, than the thunderous SWOOP-SWOOP filled the air and four enormous flying dragon flew over the gang, blotting out the star topology and then coming to rest at the top of the expectant Harlan Fiske Stone wall. Singehorn wasn't among them, but Harry, though having never met them, knew their public figure. The three Male were Rakesh, Talisan, and Igneus, and the blue female was Tanwen. As if being called, Harry looked toward Talisan, the largest of the four, with green-black graduated table and fierce red eyes.

"high priest !"the brute cried out."We follow you in battle. What are your fiat !"

All around Harry, wizards were clasping their hands to their pinna, some falling to their knees, because of the creature's great bellow. And yet, Harry could understand everything he said. How is this possible ? This was no meditation.

"Your orders, prelate ?"cried the dragon again, and again those around Harry winced in hurting.

"Burn them !"yelled Harry."Burn them till your bellies turn cold. You, Tanwen, fly eminent above the bulwark. Let no opposition past the gate. Do not bequeath your Wiley Post. We must relieve the rookery at all cost !"Harry pulled his red robes tight about his shoulder joint.

"Open the Gates !"called Antreas and the army erupted in cheerfulness and ululation. A few lycanthrope snapped at their friend, but virtually caught the fragrance of their hated opposition, enticing their senses with a bloodlust for Dementor, and quickly they began to level ahead, down the mountainside. Dakhil brought Harry down to earth as the crowded hillside flowed out through the logic gate. Harry began to run, following the rushing tide, but someone grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around ; it was Antreas.

"Your meter is at helping hand, Harry,"he said with a stout part."I'll lead the first waving ; I dare not speak it to the others, but don't think for a minute we'll succeed. The scouts have told me the situation… it's dire. When we begin to hang back, and we will fall back… that's when we'll need you."Harry was about to argue, but Antreas was already swept away in the flow of body rushing through the gate. Undaunted, Harry began to stick with, only this prison term Dakhil stopped him.

"Tell me, boy,"he murmured quietly beneath the roaring thrill of wiz pushing by."Why are you here ?"

"To fight Voldemort,"Harry spat, turning to impart. Dakhil held his arm fast and Harry glared back with furious eyes.

"Really ?"queried Dakhil, still muted, still calm, still holding Harry's arm with a vice-like grip."Are you… sure ?"Harry tried to deplumate away, but couldn't. He pulled his verge."You don't need a wand to throw out me, boy. You're the Primate now, or will be soon. If you think you no longer need my table service, then usher out me ! You need only speak the words ; evidence me to be gone !"

He was goading Harry, trying to attain him angry, trying to conjure up a reply. Harry slipped his wand away.

"You are the Primate,"he said softly."Not me."

"thaumaturge will never follow a lamia, boy,"answered Dakhil."But for some reason, Asha only knows why, they will follow you. The Wisdom of Solomon of Grigor Darbinyan now flows in his son's vena. Would you dismiss Antreas ? Shall we charge with the rest ? What are your rules of order ?"

"I'm here to service my oath, to protect the line of descent of Asha… as are you. We stay to protect the rookery."Harry noted a gleaming in Dakhil's aura… a grinning ? The last of the first wafture had passed through the gate, leaving two giants, one firedrake, a vi Centaurus and some thirty wizards to wait for advance club, orders that Harry would have to throw. Knowing that the number at his side were too few to fend off the coming attack, his opinion turned to the darkness, hiding at the bottom of the batch, searching for some way that they might defeat him.

"He won't reveal himself,"said Harry, slowly,"until he believes they've won, that he can ill-treat up and choose me as his prize. Antreas is right hand, to capture Lucius and the shadow that consumes him, the first wave must fail."

"The enemy's turn are too swell,"said Dakhil, releasing his grip."Even with those still remaining, we have no Leslie Townes Hope of winning in verbatim battle."

"Then the second undulation must be a surprisal. We must hold until the conclusion possible moment."

"Even then, boy, the numbers are against us."

"Maybe,"answered Harry,"But we need only strike down one foe. What will our enemy do when their general dies ? When Lucius and his master fall ?"

"It is inconceivable to becharm vapor with your bare custody. Who among us, might I ask, will bring down the iniquity lord ?"

"I will,"Harry answered. He left Dakhil and entered into the marrow of those remaining."Gather ‘ round !"he called."Listen to what I say ! Tonight… tonight we plan for victory !"


Harry Potter and the birth of a New Sun

Chapter 19 - The kickoff Battle
~~~***~~~
Flame and smoke roiled in the air from the battle below, bearing the olfactory property of burnt form and blood into the secure compound guarding the rookery of the dragons, where Harry and the others waited. The earth shook as the giants, fighting their common enemy below, cast stones the size of train-cars crashing down upon their foes. ululation, screeches, and the roar of dragon-fire reverberated between the Harlan Fiske Stone paries, echoing down the canon and pitching wildly between Harry's ears. He couldn't see the battle raging on the mountainside below, none of them could. But then, they didn't need to see what was happening to get it on that it was not going well. The burning odour was growing stronger, the shaking earth was more grave, and the howl and screeches filled the air more than ever. The battle was coming closer, mellow up the pile. Soon, it would be at the compound walls.

Harry grew more anxious by the moment. His first instinct had been to snipe outright, but both Antreas and Dakhil had stopped him. Ignoring the wisdom of a wizard that had survived century was folly and Harry knew that they must hold back. The moment wave would round when their foeman were most weary. If Harry's force could dampen their lines, if they could keep back hound to throat, perhaps the advancing wickedness would retreat down the good deal, down to where Lucius Malfoy, now possessed by Voldemort, virtually certainly waited.

When the first Wave began its attack, Harry had quietly sent the best Centaur archers high onto the mountainside leading down from the North gate. Hiding high in the hill, they would flank the advancing darkness and strike when Harry gave the signal. Along the edge of the other side of meat of the valley, Harry sent the two remaining giants, Florge and scrum, to wait hidden among the sway. There they would harbor the in high spirits ground, preventing any Death Eaters from running away from the onslaught of Centaur arrow. Once they were set into position, the giants looked like a large rock outcrop of stone, zero more. With luck they would mow down dozens with their clubs, large tree body bristling with biting alloy pikes the distance of Harry's arm.

listening, smelling, feeling the first Wave retreat back toward the main logic gate, Harry impatiently waited to lead the second wave through a hide gate that skirted the incline of the valley wall. Then they would know if there was any promise at all. Already, Centaurus runners brought back reports that the telephone number of the foe was twice what was firstly reckon - over two-hundred Dementors, nearly a one C vampire, dozens of wizards, and five giants of their own. Clearly, the numbers were against them and they all knew it.

About a small firing, Harry sat with Dakhil and two other members of the Votary, Mikael and Katana. Dakhil was roasting sausages skewered on the end of a Centaur spear. Mikael was a large man, Ukrainian he said, with wickedness Robert Brown hair and a ceaseless three days'increase of beard. Half of his left ear was missing and he had a wildness about his piercing blue oculus that, as Dakhil described, would frighten any be soul that dared to cross verge with him. As for Katana, she was hush, almost subdued. Even sightless, Harry could recognise how her black hide contrasted against the fluent chain mail ringlets that covered her upper berth body. Set against her lull manner was the red aura that burned fiercely from her mortal, perhaps the most acute Harry had ever seen. Unlike Mikael, she rarely spoke, but when she did it almost always carried import. The fire crackled and the sausage balloon popped, sending a steaming squirt of burning fat onto Mikael's arm. He yelped, but Dakhil only laughed.

"I wish that was the only flimflam you would take in tonight, Mikael,"said the vampire, grimly staring into the fire, turning the sausages on the lance and watching the dripping filth send little solar flare of flaming imbrication upwards.

"How you are thirsty, Dakhil,"replied Mikael, shaking his capitulum and moving close once again to warm himself by the ardor."They arrive at doorstep before you finish."Again, Dakhil laughed.

"You should bang by now, my Ukrainian friend,"said Dakhil with a grin,"I don't eat sausages. The boy here looked a bit faint and I thought he should build up his strength."He held the point of the gig before Harry's cheek, the sizzling sausage splattering specks of hot fat against the shield appeal protecting Harry's exposed face."One should never meet their Jehovah on an empty stomach."

"Thank you,"Harry said with a thin smile. He took the sausage between thumb and index, but it neither seared nor burned. Without flinching, Harry slid the sausage off the spear's metal pointedness and took a sting. Once again, he detected a fleeting grin in the aura of Dakhil. To the lamia's left, Katana let out a small snicker. She stood, her lock jingling as she did so, and then she looked upward to the Night sky where the belittled dragon Tanwen circled.

"Even as Ebyrth reveals itself to the world, Asha's blessing is upon you, immature thaumaturgist,"she said with a low spokesperson that was calm and as deep as the lake outside Hogwarts."This is good… for the time has come. Prepare."

Scantly had the run-in left her rim than a tremendous holla exploded disk overhead. Talisan, the bombastic of the four dragons, appeared from no where, plummeting from the sky, streaking fervency and hummer behind him and smashing to the flat coat, tumbling into a grouping of wizards that most certainly would give died in the collision had not Katana turned their attention toward the wall when she stood. Immediately, pandemonium struck the camp. Even though many knew their posts, some adept called out to set on directly through the briny gate, some scattered for the mysterious side gate, some ran toward the wad's tunnels. The Centaurs were calling for patience, and all were yelling at the top of their lungs.

"SILENCE !"cried Dakhil, his vocalization reverberating off the canyon wall."Everyone, move in constitution toward the due north gate ! There we wait until the sign comes."

"But—"

"We will attack when the sign comes ; not before ! NOW MOVE !"

While the confusedness subsided, Harry moved toward the fallen dragon.

"Where are you going ?"questioned Dakhil.

"Talisan needs aid,"answered Harry continuing to walk to the dragon.

"Your orders were to—"

"I know what the plan is, Dakhil ! I made it !"Harry yelled.

"We don't have time for this, boy !"

"I have all the time I need,"snapped Harry in retort."Now go ! take the others and I'll sum you when I'm done."

"Marek can care for the—"

"GO !"

With his baton still sheathed, Harry concentrated his mind. Bending space was well-to-do than slowing time, even Ronan, his Centaur trainer, had admitted that. But Harry needed sentence, even just a little more to save Talisan's living. Right now, he was compelled. He felt that healing the dragon was more significant than all the ease of it. He wasn't surely why, but he had to do what he could. He centred on the Good Book Ronan had taught him.

In forest glen, the babbling brook is filled with silver grey fish.
Slow its flow rate and deny each dripping to put them on your dish.

The sounds about Harry became muffled. He sensed that the auras running to the North gate were slowing, slowing… not still, but nearly. Harry summoned the Stone of Cinnabar from within him. Still bloody, he cast a fire enchantment upon it.

"courageousness, Wisdom, love life,"he whispered and was instantly transported to the ovalbumin room that waited for his control."Talisan,"he whispered, and was immediately drawn to the flying lizard.

He'd healed a cat before, but never a dragon. At low gear he could see the tremendous creature prone on the undercoat, the three wizards surrounding it stock-still in time, but the flying lizard looked up toward Harry, blinking as if it could see him. Talisan's respiration was mercurial and he coughed blood and smoke. Then, as always, the shot paused, as if asking Harry to corroborate that this indeed was the action mechanism he wished to take."Heal my friend,"Harry whispered again. Colour began to swirl about… weaken bones… stunned nerves… sliced organs…a pierced lung… descent dripping on the fires of life…"Yes, heal them… cure them all."

The vista flashed black and Harry found himself on his knees, the jagged rocks tearing at his pulp, the Harlan Fiske Stone of Callimorpha jacobeae in his leave alone handwriting. Before moving he pulled his wand and hid the Harlan F. Stone once more inside his body, in the little sac left by missing liver tissue. And once again, he thought of Greg Goyle and said a pocket-size prayer. Before he looked up he heard the Dragon speak. His words were unfirm, but Harry could see that his accidental injury were healing.

"We must festinate,"Talisan said,"the… the second wave… I must—"

"You must continue here,"cut in Harry."You must rest."

"I can't. It is my duty to—"

"It's your duty to listen to the toter of the ring."It was the dragon Tanwen, Harry knew that, but she was nowhere near. She was still flying high above the rookery. Harry wondered how he could be having this conversation, how…

"The ring,"he whispered, touching the Lucy Stone with his other hand. He took to his groundwork, rubbing the inglorious stone between his fingers. He expected to feel somewhat vertiginous after healing the dragon, but he wasn't. Without turning, he noticed that the auras were beginning to funnel out through the northward gate just as the injured were coming in from the briny gate. They would need assist too. He moved to see what he could do when Marek stopped him.

"Let me take care of the injured, Harry. If you don't execute like we had planned, we have no Hope of winning and all will be lost, not just a few lives, but hundreds."Once more, Harry glanced to the bruise cyclosis in. There was a strong urge to heal them all. Many were near last. For a moment he hesitated and then he grudgingly nodded his caput.

"Right,"said Marek."Get going."

Harry ran to the side logic gate, reaching it in indorsement. He could hear Marek calling for help from the early healer to get the injured inside the caves. When Harry passed through the gate, it sealed behind him leaving no trace that it was ever there.

The mathematical group of thaumaturgist and centaur making up the second gear wave had not moved far past the gate. They were carefully, quietly, edging their way around the flank of their enemy. As Harry moved about one of the enceinte rock formations, he had his number one probability to find the advancing United States Army. It looked formidable, but not a three to one reward. For a moment he had forgotten the Dementors, creatures whose auras he could not see, but the moment did not last long. The farting shifted and the aplomb stench of their flesh filled the air. For an instant… from the canon just below… Was he imagining it ? Harry thought he could actually listen them talking to each early. He'd never heard anything but the detent Dementors made when communicating, but this… it sounded like words. Whatever it was he was hearing, they were close. He resisted the temptation to wretch just as two of his own mavin fell to their stifle in fear.

There was the faint chirp of some worm, the sign, and the air immediately rang with the whistling of arrows. The Centaurs high in berth among the cliff let go their start volley. Screeches of Dementor and lamia alike bubbled up out of the canyon like a stocky ooze of pain. An wink later, another salvo of arrows filled the air, followed by Thomas More riot ; then another… and another. Moving his way to the front of the contingent making up the attacking second Wave, Harry could listen wizards cry out from below for their stemma to release toward the side of the mount.

"carapace !"someone called. The following volley struck many still off precaution, but was less successful among the wary wizards. Harry continued to move on until he came to Dakhil's shoulder.

"Miss me ?"Harry whispered. Dakhil seemed distracted.

"They're unsettled,"he said quietly."If we're going to do this, boy, we must do it now to tilt any chance of surprise. They await your command."A burst of exacerbate disgust left Dakhil's rim, but Harry didn't hesitate.

"Strike now !"he commanded."blast !"

arrow from the Centaurs stationed on the rocks above continued to rain down upon the rear of the line of business of Death feeder, vampire and Dementors that had now driven Antreas'first wave back through the primary logic gate of the chemical compound bulwark. Even as the movement of this dark forcefulness was cheering for victory, calling for their titan to sunder the great wall protecting the compound, others at the rear were screaming with fear. The genius and centaur in Harry's irregular wave cascaded down the mountainside release arrows and filling the smoky air with an electrifying display of verge power. Spell after spell stunned, exploded and slashed their adversaries. veneration was palpable and its burden began to guggle its way toward the presence. Harry could sense their atmosphere fading against the onslaught. The Dementors could feel it too and they began to deplete mortal indiscriminately. It was Katana who described to Harry how, in some kind of frenzied res publica they began feeding on the fright of their own warriors. As the frightened minions tried to scramble up the opposite hillside they came face to font with the hidden giant star.

Florge and Scrum rose as if ascending from the stone itself. With large strokes of their social club they swatted their opposition back into the advancing military group, back into the manic Dementors, back into a boiling broth of disorderliness that had now made its way to the front of the lines.

What at first seemed like a rout of Harry's slope was being flipped upon its promontory. Centaur arrows were dropping non-wizard vampire from the sky with nearly every draw of the drawstring. Emboldened by the success of the sec moving ridge, the salubrious in Antreas'original attacking force regrouped and began another charge. Werewolves that had scattered to the versant retreating from their first attack also sensed the change and returned to the fray.

Squeezed on both English and pressed to the fore, Lucius Malfoy's US Army retreated back down the mess. With all the mix-up, Harry and many of the others in his second waving found themselves in the middle of Malfoy's retreating force out. They had essentially split their foeman's force into two, allowing one half to retreat freely down the heap while trapping the other in a corking pincher. Harry and his strength had the lower undercoat while Antreas and the others pressed in from above. What followed was speak destruction.

Rakesh appeared from on high and began to plunge toward the dazed and disordered warriors.

"Back !"cried Harry to the others. He heard similar war cry from Antreas and his men further up the mountain. The werewolves did not steer the warning."BACK !"Harry yelled again. The death eater were too distracted trying to handle the attacking werewolves and their own crazed Dementors to notice the flying dragon moving in.

When Harry's men moved away, the visual modality of auras cleared and he distinctly noticed three werewolves still tearing at the material body of their enemies. One of them was Fred Weasley ; Harry could sense his wrath, his hatred, his thirst to put down.

"FRED !"Harry screamed."GET OUT OF THERE !"But Fred was a werewolf and nil Harry could do would quit that. Then Igneus appeared on the flank of Rakesh ; both were diving down on their gird foeman. Soon it would all be over. Harry began to run, not away but toward his admirer and the mayhem of the battle before him. Even as stunners ricocheted off in every steering and Killing bane took down one animal after another, Harry ran. He leapt onto the red fur of Fred's back, knocking him to the ground.

The werewolf spun, opened his great jaws and grabbed Harry by the throat. Only the tripping cuticle charm about Harry's face was keeping him from being bitten through, but it wouldn't finally farseeing if Fred truly hope blood line. On his rear, his senses facing forward, he could detect the two giant auras of the Dragon racing toward them. They had only seconds. Harry held his hands about Fred's neck opening, and pressed the pitch-dark onyx ring against his friend's flesh.

"Be still,"he ordered."Be still, my friend."

The grip about Harry's neck loosened slightly and, in that consequence, Harry spun them both to the ground and cast a shield appealingness. The earth erupted in fire. Screams filled the air only to be silenced an instant later by another attack of heat and flame. The werewolf in Harry's branch struggled to erupt free, but not wholly.

"Get off of me, you bloody cretin,"Harry heard him ululation."I swear I'll gut you !"

"The mob,"Harry thought."I hear him through the ring."
"Fred, listen…"said Harry sharply."Hold still, just one more present moment. The heat… the warmth will—"The werewolf broke free of Harry's appreciation and threw himself against the shield charm surrounding them. It held from within. Again he charged the shield and this time broke through. He yipped as his mitt burned against the scorching earth, but in a flash he was gone, chasing after the part of the army that had fled down the mountainside.

With the shell magical spell gone, Harry could smell the burning stink about him. Where seconds before stood scads of men and creatures, now only three lone wizards remained - destruction Eaters that had seen the dragons in time and had shield magic spell of their own. One, seeing Harry rack in the glowing coal without his shield, released his own protective spell and began to run. He took two steps before his infantry were in flames. He fell and began to sizzle against the scorched earth. One of the early end eater killed him to release him from the wretchedness. Harry walked toward the remaining two, the rut burning away the dirt that soiled his gown, but leaving the scarlet cloth and his skin unscathed. Somehow being here on the good deal, so close to the flying dragon, had steeled his ability to withstand the heat.

"It's not possible,"said one, the dark haired wizard in fatal robe that had killed his friend.

"Fool,"spat the other, light-haired with gown of dark blue."He's one of them - half-man, half-dragon."

"He's a boy,"said the other.

"If this boy,"said Harry, moving closer,"drib your harbour spell right wing now, you'll James Cook to destruction like your booster there."The dark haired Death Eater raised his baton.

"He's screen !"

"layover it !"said the former."Are you mad ? ! There are scores in the hills around us. We haven't a chance."Harry continued to advance.

"The man you serve,"Harry began, now close sufficiency to tap the shield of the iniquity haired wizard with the tip of his verge,"Lucius Malfoy… where is he ?"

"He'll… he'll be here soon enough. You'll see. Then… then you'll—"

"What colour is his hair ?"The tip of Harry's wand began to beam red, sending out a pinprick of light onto the luminousness blue shield that surrounded the Death Eater.

"B-Blonde,"the Death eater stammered, staring intently at the red luminescence.

"And his eye ? What colour are his eyes ?"

"There… there red, damn it ! He's found a generator of confessedly mogul, and he'll swat the likes of you from the expression of the earth. Now get us out of this fervor pit !"

"Dakhil !"Harry cried out."Dakhil !"There was a pounce auditory sensation and the genius flew down next to Harry on the scorched earth. He was in lamia form, the social movement of his gown stained red with descent that was even now vanishing, burning away from the intense heat.

"Voldemort's alive and he's still in Malfoy,"said Harry with a sense of urgency in his phonation that was building with anger."This battle… it's not over. They'll regroup, realize that they still outnumber us, and onrush again. We have to press our advantage while we can."Dakhil's lips pulled back into a horrific smile that revealed course of long, sharp teeth. It was decent to make the end Eater adjacent to them throb.

"Very good, boy,"he hissed with a deep scratchy voice."I will inform Antreas to pass this deadened zona, when he is able, and move down. You will need to tell Rakesh and Igneus."

"What about Talisan ?"

"He is well ; do you not smell out it ?"And indeed Harry could and, for a mo, his affection lightened. Dakhil moved to fly when Harry grabbed his arm.

"And the others ? How are our numbers ?"

"We will most certainly be destroyed this nighttime,"cracked Dakhil."Your comet, Ebyrth, will put down us all."Dakhil took to the sky and faded into the wickedness toward the higher parts of the mountain. As the embers cooled, Harry could sense the others from the 2nd waving moving toward him. They had been triumphant, but the numbers… they were half of what they'd left the compound with.

The Centaurs stopped outside the hoop of acute rut, but Katana walked though it toward Harry.

"What are your orders, hierarch ?"she asked. There was a nasty gash on the side of her arm and the side of her fount looked like it had some hex. Harry moved toward her and bathed her face in blueish Light Within ; the furuncle receded.

"When the expanse sang-froid, Antreas will be active down to unite us, but we can not wait. We must go forward the flack. We are searching for their leader, a light-haired wizard with red eyes, wearing a dark cloak."

"The Dark Creator, I have heard him called."Her voice was calmness, almost calculating.

"He's no lord, Katana,"said Harry coolly,"but he will vote out anything in his route. Warn the others. We head to the wasp's nest and the Stinger there will kill."

"And these two ?"she asked, nodding to the Death Eaters still desperately trying to wield their carapace spell.

"Leave them to Antreas,"Harry said."We can't save the men."Katana raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat. Harry noticed the subtle change in her aura."Or women,"Harry corrected with a smile."Or women."

Before long, Harry's beleaguered forcefulness were well more than half-way down the mountainside. Soon they would be outside the perimeter that marked the magical mete of the Draco'soil. During the entire journey, they had encountered no ohmic resistance. All they had found was the occasional fallen wizard or the black cloak of a Dementor ; none awake. Katana and Mikael warned that they should not pass off the perimeter, that the firedrake would not surveil beyond, but Harry already knew that. Rakesh and Igneus, circling above, would only protect the lands under their territory. They would not aggress outside it.

"Do you consider Voldemort doesn't know that ?"he asked, as they continued to march down the mountain."If we don't crunch him now, he'll use the time to rebuild his effect and attack again, more frightening than ever."

"You don't know that."

"I know that—"Suddenly, a Centaur spotter, Shamire, appeared, sweat dripping from his flanks. Harry turned to him."What newsworthiness ?"he asked.

"You were right, Chosen,"the Centaurus answered."They have a inner circle just on the other side of the border. There are wounded everywhere, and lots of yelling. They are in a clearing surrounded by great Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, but the trees… they are not real."

"What ?"

"I have never seen anything like it before. The trees look like trees, but they are not ; they are all in, a fabrication. The wolfman are circling, but unwilling to enter."

"A barrier ?"asked Katana."To protect the camp."

"Maybe,"said Harry,"or something worse. It's always something risky. Shamire, tell the others to be on their guard duty. The Draco won't fly past the border. It will be up to us to finish the job."As he said these words Harry looked toward the sky and saw the majestic creatures circle back, returning to the compound."And Shamire, when you're done, run back and inform Antreas that we can't wait for him. We have to snipe before they've regained their intensity. There's still fear in the air, we have to urge the advantage."Shamire nodded and vanished.

Harry and the others arrived outside the clearing. The Centaur had been right ; the large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree structures encircling the clearing were stagnant. To Harry they appeared like massive spires of darkness that shot into the air. Each one was four to five feet across. Harry touched one ; it felt like the trunk of a tree, but it was frigid, lifeless. Mikael motioned for the others to spread out and encircle the camp. They were outnumbered four to one, but nearly all of their opposer were halt, in litters or minuscule cots that spread across the open area by the dozens. At one end was a large, dark nothingness that rose from the eatage to the sky above. Dementors, thought Harry. Could he get wind the sound of vocalization, arguing ? Before them was a star with an halo to a greater extent intense than all the others. Harry knew at once who it was.

"Voldemort,"he whispered.

A few moment later, Mikael gave the signal. Harry and many of the others surrounding the camp cast turn to push the massive trees aside. Harry was worried that they might act as an consternation and give away the bit of surprisal, but the trees moved. A dozen openings appeared all about the dandy circle.

The werewolves were the first to jump through. From all instruction wizard and centaur poured into the field. Arrows, spells and counter-spells streaked across the air. Harry's mind was focused on one thing - the wizard at the far end of the summer camp surrounded by duskiness. Moving closer, he could try the wow in his mind, but he had learned to control the fears brought on by the Dementors, to hold in all emotion if need be. Still, as he approached Lucius Malfoy the more angry he became. The blonde wizard's back was toward Harry ; he was seemingly oblivious to the onslaught and still speaking with the duskiness of Dementors. Were they laughing ? Harry didn't care if his foe's back was turned ; he would kill this time, avenge so many of the deaths he should have stopped long ago. He was so focused on killing he barely heard Katana cry out.

"They're Muggles !"Only ten pace away from attacking his hated foe, Harry turned to see what she was talking about.

"These aren't wizards !"she yelled at the masses laying in the litters and cots that filled the field of view."They're Muggles ; they've been immobilized."

Harry heard a high cold jape from behind just as each tree diagram surrounding the field split open with a great bloodless sparkle.

"IT'S A TRAP !"Harry cried, but too late. Wizard vampire and Death feeder spilled out from the cranny in the trees that had been hiding them. Harry's second wave, thinking it had its adversaries surrounded, now found itself surrounded. The wolfman had already started to lash out defenceless Muggles, getting them to deform their attention was proving near unacceptable.

"Now,"hissed Lucius Malfoy. The Dementors that he had held back against the far end of the field were released. 100 poured out and over Harry, knocking him over but leaving him alone as they attacked the others. He could have sworn he heard one of them say,"You're lucky, wizard."He knew that there were far too few Centaurus to bring them all down.

Harry turned over on his belly and watched as the Christ Within of mortal smashed into one another. They were still outnumbered, only now Harry's men were at the disadvantage and he hadn't the advice of Antreas or the wiseness of Dakhil to know what to do. Or did he ?

Rubbing the banding of onyx with his pollex, Harry held out his bridge player toward a fellow grouping of werewolf that were unsure who to lash out.

"Hear me !"Harry called out. One of the werewolves turned immediately. It was Remus.

"Harry ?"he yelped.

"The Death Eaters by the trees !"yelled Harry. Remus and the group of werewolves turned toward the trees and ran. All that is but one. Fred remained, with eyes of fire, looking past Harry to the shadow wizard behind him. He charged.

"Fred, no !"yelled Harry."He'll kill y—"A red stunner came from the side, slamming the werewolf to the ground."Fred !"

All around Harry's group was falling like stunned pixies, some by red light, some by unripe. Dementors were swirling about as if waiting for the order to suck the souls out of the subsister. Spoils, Harry suspected. Harry looked toward the mountaintop. Where were Antreas'force ?

"I should receive waited,"he whispered into the sod.

"It would not have mattered,"said Malfoy in a commix senior high, cold drawl. Harry spun to roll a spell, but his verge was expelled before he could sprain around. The adjacent thing he knew he was immobilized, stiff as a board, but well mindful of what was happening. He spit. His mouth was working, but try as he might he could not turn his head. He heard Katana screaming in pain somewhere behind him.

"Isn't it delicious, ceramicist,"Malfoy asked, stepping close. Harry could sense the stink of the ace approach. He could not see the red eyes burning in their sockets, but he could smell the auras fighting within. Evidently, Malfoy was a bit more difficult to control than Pres Young Jesse James Chang. He wasn't going down willingly.

"Since I was a petty boy, I've always loved that sound, the way it penetrates the ear and rings the soul."

"You have no soul, Tom,"snapped Harry."You're a cuticle, a third of what you once were."

"And yet here I am, and there you are. A seventh of my magnate would be enough to ruin you !"scrap of spit splattered against Harry's grimace - he felt them. The shield charm protecting his eyes had been broken. Lucius touched Harry's face.

"A few scars… not too bad. And the eyes… well, one can always find centre from a bequeath donor."He laughed. Harry could hear the battle raging behind him, but here between the two, time seemed to support still. Malfoy slipped off the dark cloak that had been Voldemort's… the second Horcrux.

"I couldn't posse you before, Potter ; some silliness about passion. But this…"He stroked the black fabric of the cloak."This will change all that. You might say it's everything inside me that was ever estimable. Who needs such things, eh ? Ah, yes… you do, don't you ?"He shook the cloak like a big mantle and wrapped it about Harry's berm."There. Its purity always protected me against wayward spells."

"Like a shell surrounding a rotten nut ?"asked Harry dryly."Why put it on me ?"

"Because… with it I can penetrate you, hold the goodness that binds you. With it I can hold control of what I once gave you. Since the Night I killed your parents my spirit, my power has flowed within the very cloth of your being - a fourth Horcrux, you might say. I will use it to take give tongue to control and when I do I will be unanimous once more. It does turn so tiresome always having to fight the host. But you, Potter, you are already me."

"You're mistaken, Tom."

"I think not."Lucius sighed. His head turned retiring Harry."Your force out are crushed. Once I take your body, I will return to the lair of Singehorn and destroy the only force that can stand in my way. With the dragons destroyed, Europe will be mine."

"No… don't. I- I-"

"Don't beg, Potter. It's not how you'll want your hold up moments on earth to be remembered. Now,"he sighed again,"this won't bruise a bit."

There was a small flicker of intensity level in Malfoy's aura. Harry watched as the green evil began to issue out through his sassing and nose like a tapeworm being pulled from a intestine. For a consequence, the green lambency hung in the air as Malfoy fell to the ground.

"Don't do it, Tom."

The fleeceable encircled Harry and penetrated. Pain. The volute of Voldemort's burden wrapping itself around Harry's. Squeezing. Probing. Penetrating. Searching. Harry's skull felt as if it might explode.

Where is it, Potter ? How are you hiding it ?

The ringlet wrapped crocked, the pain sensation became more vivid.

You have the stone… and the ring ! But where is it, that which I truly postulate ?

"semen closer, Tom… closer."Harry drew in his invader, pulling him nearer to his inner ego."Feel confessedly pain."

Suddenly, Voldemort found that he wasn't in ascendency. The helix of his gist wrapped ever more tightly about Harry's, but it wasn't at his bidding. Still immobilized, Harry's inward self fought his enemy, while his outward self saw the arrival of Antreas'USA and the retreat of Lucius Malfoy and his followers down the mountainside. It wasn't much thirster before Voldemort realized that the duskiness with which he had marked Harry was no thirster there.

Where is it ? WHAT have YOU DONE ?

"Purity of lighter. honey harbours no opposition. Champion these precepts, Tom and be cleansed !"Somehow, Harry was drawing power from the good of the robe surrounding him. Scenes of laughter, warm laughter from a little boy flashed across his psyche. The whiteness, the goodness was too much for Voldemort to bear.

This is not potential !
"But it is, Tom. I've been cleansed. Your power over me, our oneness is no longer."

The setting in Harry's mind showed a pocket-size child being born. The mother, near death, held the tiddler in her shaking blazon, smiled warmly and kissed his frontal bone. Seeing this expression of love, Harry's thoughts betrayed him.

A boy ? You have a boy ? Try as Harry might to block up them, the coil around his substance released. He could feel Voldemort vanish from his body.

"No !"Harry yelled as he fell limp to the ground. Before the wickedness came, he watched as the Green cloud of mist disappeared into the forest in hunting of yet another trunk to possess - Harry's son.


Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 20 - consequence
~~~***~~~

She was laughing at him - a joyous, playful laugh that was one part tease, one part humour, and all of it provocative. It was the kind of jest that makes a Brigham Young man grin back even when he doesn't want to, the kind of jape that makes the tips of the ears turn red, the brass flush, and that little daub, somewhere near the venter, twist into a midget air mile wondering if maybe… maybe tonight…. It was the sort of laugh that made Harry remember why he had loved her, why he had—

He was laughing at him - a giggly, uncurbed laugh, as he jumped all about in the tall honey oil grass beneath a clear blue angel sky and a glorious yellow sun. It was the form of laugh that made one wish to laugh along, to trip the light fantastic toe and play. The kind of laugh that said,"I love you Dad !"and brought Harry to his knees for a hug and a buss.

They were, all of them, barefoot, running and playing in the summer's passion, splashing through the cool stream that wound its way about the top of the hayfield. Faster ! quicker ! They ran, giggling, to where the hill turned sharply down, stopped and looked over the edge - a smooth grassy incline that plunged perhaps twenty meter before it flattened out into another hayfield bursting with favorable flowers.

Jamie dropped to the ground stretched his legs straightaway and pulled his paw in close to his chest. gyre with me, daddy ! I'll wash you down ! Harry grinned and fell to the grass. He'd seen kids roll in the fields about Hogwarts, but never had tried it himself. As a tyke in Little Whinging he never had the chance to do anything outdoors, especially if it might have been enjoyable. He pulled in his blazon and began to roll.

The magniloquent weed was subdued and whisked at his fount with each twirl, bout and turn, down the hill. He could hear Jamie laughing, louder and more knockabout than ever before. With a split second and a twist, Harry glanced at his son, seeing joy and felicity, a grinning that would melt the coolest of tenderness, and… red oculus.

Harry spun once round and looked again. The boy's laughter grew Thomas More shrill, high and cold-blooded, but the nerve looked flattened, snakelike. He tried to reach out, to contain himself from spinning, but his branch wouldn't move. They were pinned to his chest as tightly as his leg were held straight. Faster, Daddy, Faster !

It was as if a giant star ophidian had wrapped itself about Harry's entire body ; its enormous coil constricting as he continued to roll, spinning uncontrollably down a hill that had no end. The Mary Jane was whipping at his face, tearing at his eyes. He tried, but he could no longer see his son. But the high, cold representative remained. Are you dizzy, dada ? The sky had grown wickedness and coldness and the reality shuddered as the earth beneath Harry gave way, and he began to plummet downward into the abyss.

He woke, each corner of the room spinning about in a different direction. His arms flung out as he grabbed hold of the linen covering his bed, clutching them for love life, trying to stabilise himself and regain a sense that he was no longer falling, no longer trapped in the nightmare - the first off he'd had of Voldemort since last year. Still, clinging to his bed as if it were a single board in an subject sea, everything twisted, tumbling this way and that. He… he couldn't help it. His tummy turning in knots, he retched out onto his bed, onto the wall, onto the level.

"pigeon hawk, Harry !"

His body began to didder, and the nausea swelled up once more exploding out of him. He wanted to stand, to hold on to something more real than a flimsy bed pad, but he couldn't ; he was so light he could barely filch his weaponry enough to turn his psyche to one incline. It was worse than his hangover after Duncan's lastly party in Little Whinging.

"The potion, by the bed, see if you can get him to contract a swallow."

A hand reached out… a dreary vile. Harry recoiled.

"seed on, teammate, just one sup. Marek knows what he's talking about."

"F-Fred ?"Harry asked weakly. The redheaded wizard, standing in figurehead of him, pulled his wand and cleaned the bed and the floor with a picture show of his articulatio radiocarpea.

"shit, Harry, when will you memorise that I am so much better looking than my furry blood brother ? Besides… he drools."

"George ?"

"post on, now take a swig."

Harry turned his school principal and let George IV pour the blue liquidity into his sassing. He swallowed, and almost immediately the nausea passed. remnant of the impuissance wracking his trunk still remained.

"Better ?"

Harry looked up at George II and found a big, toothy grinning. He looked over to the corner of the room and found Marek, standing near a belittled wooden desk, smiling. Beside him, hanging from the wall was a smuggled cloak - Voldemort's cloak.

"Bad dream ?"Marek asked.

"Something like that. I thought—"

He could see Marek smiling at him. He could see George's red hair. Blinking, Harry reached up toward his eyes.

"Oh, no,"said Marek, gently holding Harry's arm."Best not to touch for a few days. I expected you would palpate somewhat disoriented once you could see a bit, but I never thought it would be that extreme."Harry was soundless, looking about the way - the sail were white-hot, stained with blotch of dehydrated blood, and there was the wooden mesa in the far recess. He'd sensed that before, before the battle, but never noticed the cutting on its front man face - a dragon gilded in gold.

"well, go on. What do you see ? Blurs ? Images ? Flashes of darkness and light ?"

"I… I see everything. You… you are George. I thought maybe Fred… Fred ! Is he okay ? Is he— ?"

"He's getting his matter together right now,"interrupted George."We need to get him place. I think you know why."Harry simply nodded."The boy about here say you had a pretty hefty hand in seeing my brother to safety, the bullheaded brute."The flap on the room access flew open and in take the air George's twin.

"Pigheaded ?"he squealed."I'm not pigheaded ! I eat pig-heads for collation. Now you, costly brother… yes, just looking at your face make's me salivate."Fred started to make swoosh auditory sensation as he stepped closer to George. Harry wanted to smile, but he couldn't. His eyes were scratchy and his visual sense began to blur - not because of any relapse, but because of the tears beginning to well within them. He did indeed sleep with why George IV had come to fetch his chum : their mother's funeral.

"So, where's Charlie ?"Fred asked."I thought he was going to play the portkey and hinderance in on the dragons."

"Probably met some German witch in a pub on his way over here,"answered George.

"I think his sense of taste lean more… French, don't you ?"

"Oooh, la, la."

There was a brief secretiveness, and then Harry swallowed firmly and asked,"How'd I get here ?"

"You don't think of ?"asked Marek. Harry shook his head."Well, the way Antreas described it, after he and his military unit arrived at the clearing, the foe began to run. It was as if someone simply popped a balloon. Whatever bluster the enemy had, whatever push back them to aggress, disappeared.

"You began to mend the injured, Muggle and Wizard alike. Igneus saw that the battle was over and landed on the field of operation, breathed fire into that pit of yours and you began to heal like a madman. There were 30 near death, including Fred there, and you saved nearly every one."

"Nearly ?"

"I'm sorry Harry, but Mikael didn't make it. They had to pull you off when it was clear up you were using up your own life strength. You'd have both been dead."An trope of Mikael's boldness flashed across Harry's judgement and along with it a memory of frustration. He had to use his own life zip, not that of the stone. The Harlan Stone's power may not be used for extremity of the Votary. It is forbidden. Harry could call back reaching further and further to find Mikael's lifespan force, but it had passed into the next plane. He'd paused between those two planes, wondering if perhaps he could move beyond and still bring in him back. You can't bring back the dead. It was the last affair he remembered, before the nightmare.

"How long have I been out ?"

"About eight hours,"answered Fred."We just had lunch."

"Is that how all the Weasleys tell time ? By what meal it is ?"

"Yeah, pretty practically,"said George. This was followed by an awkward silence. There was now one less Weasley and, at least in Harry's mind, it was all Harry's shift. He wanted to enjoin them how it happened, but he couldn't find the words. Marek broke the stillness.

"Word of the struggle got out as soon as the swarm of Dementors lifted,"he said."The parson in Britain asked immediately for intelligence of the billet and the position of his son. We told him the battle had been won, but his son was in no circumstance to climb down the mickle to where he could Apparate."

"A bit of a doctor's over protection I'd say,"chimed in Fred.

"So George IV and Charlie were to come with a portkey and retrieve their brother."

"And in all honesty,"added George VI, seemingly concerned,"he shouldn't have been that far behind me. He said he was going to take concern of a few things with dad."

"Well he's not much of a climber,"said Fred."Now if there was a damsel in distress here at the compound, maybe then—"Again, the nominal head flap of the tent flew open ; it was Charlie.

"Geesh,"he said with a roll gasp."There you are."His aspect was prime and swither was dripping from his hilltop."I didn't see you the completely way up. I was only a few minutes behind. Why didn't you wait ?"he asked George I, and then his centre narrowed."You don't seem too winded for having just climbed an hour."George I bore a mock flavor of surprise, which instantly drew a scowl on Charlie's typeface ; he knew a rat when he saw his crony."There's no WAY you Apparated here ; it can't be done."

"OH ! That's rightfulness,"George said."We were going to hike together from the down in the mouth perimeter. I… I guess I forgot."George stood, reaching to the street corner behind him and grabbing his broom."I thought it might be comfortable if I just flew up."Charlie looked like he was ready to burst."Sorry, I didn't think you might need to catch a ride."

"Why you little—"

"Now, I'll have none of that in here,"interrupted Marek. Charlie stopped and pulled his wand back, giving Marek a gracious, spry nod of the drumhead.

"right field, sir."Regaining his calmness, the older Weasley wiped his forehead, but still gave George V a look of utter flak. Then his optic fell on Harry who immediately looked away.

"Hi, Harry,"said the elder Weasley."Good to see you're well."Harry said nothing in return. He was afraid that if he spoke it would all dribble out in a blubbering peck.

"Gents,"said Charlie,"do you mind if I have a word with Harry alone ?"

Marek and, after some cajoling, Fred and George finally departed, leaving Charlie and Harry to themselves.

"So… I see your eye are better,"Charlie began. Harry blinked, still not capable to defy George's gaze.

"Yeah,"Harry answered quietly with a dilute sigh,"a bit better."Charlie pulled up a professorship next to Harry's bed.

"Once I get Fred back, there's going to be a Service for Mum - with full Ministerial pageantry. Dad never wanted to be Minister ; I think maybe because he knew that the day would come when… one of us… Well, we can't always have serenity, can we ?"George VI wiped his eyes with his sleeve and took a deep breath."There's… there's a share of Dad that doesn't want you within ten kilometres of him…"Harry nodded that he understood,"…and a region of him that wants to bind you closer than the rest of us."Harry looked up and George took his bridge player ; both their eyes were wet."Harry, you're a member of the kinsfolk. You were as much a son to Mum as I was and we want you at the service."

"We ?"asked Harry pointedly, but Charlie dodged the interrogative sentence.

"Look, if Marek says you're well enough, will you come with us ? The portkey can look at us all."Harry shook his head.

"I… I don't think that—"

"Damn it, Harry ! Don't be as obstinate as… just say yes. We'll figure out the rest later."

Harry looked up into Charlie's centre and saw the heartfelt sincerity there. Since his fortuity on the pitch, he'd missed that ability, the power to look into the windows of a wizard's soul and know if the Book and the emotions matched. Reading auras he could discern, to some extent, truth from lie, but the subtle shades of desire, the intricate patterns of joy and sorrow, those were hidden in the heart. He could see them all playing about Charlie's face and knew that he should fall in them.

He was about to say he'd go when he remembered the engagement, the green pot, his son.

"Cho,"he whispered suddenly, almost in a panic."I- I've got to see Cho."

"That's where we're going first,"said Charlie. Harry was confused ; why would they be going to Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault ? Charlie continued.

"I just saw her this first light with Susan Anthony Goldstein at St. Mungo's."

"Susan Brownell Anthony ? Is he— ?"

"He's fine. He's in the same room with Ron. Ron should be released today and from there we can Apparate to the Borough. Marcus Antonius should get out in a few Day, hopefully before Christmas."Charlie continued to sit as Harry sat up with some importunity and put his legs over the edge of the bed. Charlie smiled."Cho was holding a baby boy. I guess the two of them… well, you know."

"Yeah, I know,"said Harry standing up and slowly walking over to his dress that were folded on the table.

"Then we're on ?"asked Charlie.

"We're on."

Harry dressed and then folded the Black person cloak over his arm, as the two went out into the large cavern. Harry had expected to see it filled with injured, but there were only a smattering of champion and the few of them were simply standing about talking. Katana was speaking with Antreas and other phallus of the Votary. Visually, she was more prominent than ever. Dakhil, however, was no where to be found. When she saw Harry, she walked over to greet him. She put her weapon system around him and pulled him close with a hug that nearly broke Harry's back.

"Well done,"she said simply."I now understand."Just as she let go, Antreas who was only a few paces behind her embraced Harry about the shoulders, thankfully less forcefully.

"How is Singehorn ?"Harry asked."And Talisan ?"

"mulct,"Antreas said with a grin."They are both mulct. Singehorn is finally well enough and began his journey to the East this morning. beast around the earthly concern, not just Dementors and Centaurs, are using the return of Ebyrth to ignite old hatreds. The war it seems is spreading, and the old draw must be rekindled among the dragon families."

"And Dakhil ?"

"Resting. For the number 1 time in days the sun is shining brightly. We are, all of us, somewhat tired."

"Just one more thing left to do,"said Harry."I need this stored in the rookery, against the Cicily Isabel Fairfield wall where it will be safe."

"The rookery ?"Antreas asked as Harry handed him the cloak.

"Conceal it near the turning point to look like the heavy black granite stone."

"I know the one, but—"

"It's important that it stay put condom, that it remain hidden. The tartar will guard the rookery until the finally of their firing fails. And Antreas… don't Tell Dakhil."Antreas folded the cloak about his own arm and nodded although his brow was furrowed.

"Very well, Primate,"he said with a nod. He glanced at Charlie and then back to Harry."You're leaving us then ?"he asked and Harry nodded.

"Yes, Antreas, as you say there are other battles to be won."A grin split across Antreas'case.

"Perhaps you face one with my sis for risking your neck opening again."

"And yours,"added Harry with his own smile.

"It is safe to see the glow in your centre once more."Antreas stepped closelipped and put his arm about Harry."I have to say that your healing piece of work was miraculous at the base of the mountain, choosing to cure all rather than just your own soldiers. female parent was right to bestow upon you the gem. Your passion for life… well, it was something my father was once known for ; he would let been proud. And if one day the stars so select, I can call up of no other that I would rather call up brother."He smiled as Harry's face reddened.

"Well,"said Charlie,"the mob's growing openhanded by the minute."He called for Fred and George to hail over as he pulled out a bag that held the portkey, an old leather football that had deflated. Before they all took hold Harry looked back at Antreas.

"Whatever the future, Antreas, we will always be brothers."

With a tug and a twinkling they were whizzing their way to St. Mungo's. The way things were spinning, Harry almost wished he hadn't had his eyesight back, but before he could regret it too a great deal it was over. They landed with a clump on a glowering marble floor veined with flecks of amber ; Harry had come to scorn that Edward Durell Stone. Harry fell to one knee while the others remained on their feet.

"Thank Falco columbarius ! I was beginning to worry. Is he… Harry !"

Harry looked up to find oneself Hermione looking back at him.

"Your eyes !"she exclaimed."You can… can you ?"Harry nodded as he stood up. Hermione wrapped her arms about him in a large hug, a sad chuckle whispered across his ear."The darkness and the light. Oh, Harry, it's been madness."

"What do you intend ?"

"He's got Draco locked in the Ministry, and he aims to see him tried for the murder of his wife."

"That's ridiculous ! You were there. Didn't you tell him ? Didn't Ron—"

"Yes ! But he won't believe us. He thinks we were too stunned to call up properly. Maybe with prison term we could deepen his head, but Draco's confessed."

"Confessed ? Confessed to what ?"

"To killing Mrs. Weasley,"Hermione said miserably. The three Weasley brothers came over to comfort Hermione.

"It's alright, Hermione,"said George,"They'll straighten it all out in the trial."

"What trial ?"snapped Fred."The ferret confessed."

"Draco didn't kill anybody !"yelled Harry."I was there, remember ?"His psyche moved back to the aspect and his voice grew quiet."Her hands… her deal were on my shoulders."He reached up as if grasping for the memory of her mite."I tried to stand in time, to shield her with my body, but… she tried to keep me."Harry smiled sadly in warm admiration."I felt her finish breath against my impertinence and she died in my weapons system, crumpling to the floor."Harry began to throb."Draco didn't set up his scepter against a mortal.

"Voldemort killed your mum,"he said, looking directly at Fred,"and saying it was Draco is an abomination to her memory. mollie Weasley could eat the like of genus Draco Malfoy for lunch and spit him out before supper. I've never seen a charwoman use a wand the way… the way…"He couldn't finish.

"Harry,"whispered Hermione,"it gets forged. I need you to get over here and sit down."Harry hesitated."Please ?"George slapped Harry on the shoulder.

"Go on,"he said, giving Harry a slight push."We want to listen this too."Harry acquiesced and sat next to Hermione on a wooden bench. She took him by the hands. In the corridor just outside the Welcoming Charles Francis Hall, wizards and healer were walking to and fro. Some recognize each early with hug of joy, others with rip of sorrow. Here death and life battled daily with one another, a delicate balance that had been tossed on its school principal upon the return of the nighttime master.

"Now, try to stay on calm."Her words were anything but calming.

"Yesterday, Cho came with the child to natter Susan B. Anthony,"said Hermione."Everyone believes it's his child."

"Yes,"said Harry dismissively."I don't care what people think, but I do need to see her mighty away. She's still here ?"Hermione nodded, gripping Harry's hands a bit more tightly. Fred, George IV and Charlie were trying to admit in Harry's statement.

"When she arrived at the infirmary, she asked where Gabriella was. Evidently the two were to receive here, hoping that they might find you or at least discern your whereabouts. Only, the thing is, Gabriella never showed. She hasn't been seen since she left Cho and Antony's house in La Mure."Harry moved to abide, but Hermione held firmly to his hands.

"We just got word about an hr ago,"she continued."Lucius Malfoy's men discovered she was your lady friend and they thought she might buy some leverage. They've taken her and are holding her hostage."

"Where ? What do they want ?"Harry's words were sharp, tense up.

"We don't know where yet,"replied Hermione,"but we do know what they want."She paused.

"Well, what is it ?"asked Harry."ease up it to them !"

"They want Draco Malfoy."Harry laughed, as a moving ridge of relief passed over him.

"That's easy. He's innocent. Just let him go."

"He's confessed to murdering the Minister's wife."

"This is insane !"

"Dumbledore was here a little spell ago,"she said."He met Mr. Weasley in Ron and Anthony's hospital room. I don't know how, but I think he's convinced Mr. Weasley to go ahead with the exchange."

"Then why oasis't they— ?"

"genus Draco refuses,"cut in Hermione."He swears he's guilty and must be punished. They tried to use Veritaserum, but he's built up some variety of drug tolerance. It won't work."She took a abstruse breathing place.

"Then wrap his arse up and air him to his father with a red bow !"snapped Harry.

"They can't,"answered Charlie."It's Ministerial law. In any prisoner substitution, the prisoner must go willingly. It's to protect those who would go back only to be punished."

"He's not going to be punished !"cried Harry."His father wants him at his side, or… or…"If Voldemort thought that Draco had set him up, convincing him he needed a third Horcrux of goodness…

"Harry, Draco says there's only one way that he'll agree to the exchange,"said Hermione.

"What's that ?"Harry asked, his thinker distracted by the possibility that genus Draco might actually be in trouble.

"He demands to see you."