Thanks to all the people who reviewed the lastly chapter. Your respective permutations of the cosmopolitan `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most apprise. I feel kind of bad for jumping a twist like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. dependable to get it on the bulk of people appreciated it.



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

"Harry I ‘ ve been talking to the therapist. They ‘ ve run some more tests."She licked her lips."Look, it looks like a few calendar month was actually optimistic. There ‘ s scathe deep down, passel of damage. You need to let them aid you now or ... or you ‘ ll die. In a few weeks."

Harry said naught, he didn't even seem to sustain heard her.

"You won ‘ t be able to fight Voldemort."Padma tried a dissimilar tack."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have calendar week like you ‘ ve been going all year. You ‘ ll have weeks in this hospital bed, not capable to travel, eventually you won ‘ t even be able to utter. You won ‘ t be capable to kill Voldemort. You won ‘ t be capable to be the chosen one."

Harry flinched, botheration running across his tired face.

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

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

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

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the healers entered his room. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty words. They cleaned him up, washing his arms and chest. They asked him to remove the bracer. He did, letting it light to the floor with a brassy clatter. The healers shied away from the sucker on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

They did something that was supposed to numb him. He couldn't tell the departure. Everything was dulled already. He watched, unable and unwilling to care, as they cut his cutis open. His blood seeped out, quickly staunched by a healer. He wished they wouldn't bother.

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


Draco slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the battle, but it was fine now. Just enough residuary rubor and pain to help him quell alert. He swung his tire out eyes around the waiting way, all of the marauder were here. near of them had finally succumbed to sleep, genus Draco didn't blame them. It was hard to think that the deadly midnight violation on the puppet ship had been just last night. They had been worn out, break down. Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the healers had a staff room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just fall asleep.

Dragon shook his head. Some of them had to be awake when the healer finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for hours. How many ... plus .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the room again. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Even Ginny, who seemed to get nodded off in the act of pinching herself. They had all been there all night, no one had collected them. He supposed it was only a matter of metre before a teacher or an order penis came to wrangle them up and drag on them back to Hogwarts, where they would no dubiety quell. Chained to military post like dogs so they couldn't run off again.

genus Draco got wearily to his feet, maybe he could walk some of his tiredness off. He stepped carefully around the prone marauders and stepped up to the threshold to the Montgomery Ward. Harry's bed was obscured by mantle but the shadow of the therapist were still moving against the aerofoil. As he watched one of them detached and stepped towards the door. Draco stepped away to let him out, hope and dread rising in his stomach.

"Is there any news ?"Draco asked.

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

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

"Well we ... we removed several items from the body of your friend."The poor healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his breastbone. There was also something in the rampart of his stomach. We think it may have been designed to negate poison but it seems to have had the contrary effect. It was the reservoir of his sickness. We also found-"

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

"His ... his eye."The healer paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a great deal of scarring. Unfortunately we were ineffectual to reconstruct it. We are currently looking into whether the installing he has is senior high school quality enough to get out there."

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

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

Draco looked back over the marauder. Through their sand-filled, droopy eyes he could see their sorrowfulness. Harry had fought so strong and got nothing in tax return but accusal of execution and a permanent disfigurement. And a dingy mark, they could not forget that.

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

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

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


"Are you sure ?"Natalie asked ? Her voice admirably justify of shaking."You could get a bracer like Harry ‘ s. Or perhaps there are less trespassing means of removal."

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

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

"He may go into hiding."Natalie answered his unrequited motion, still aim on his arm."Like he did fifteen age ago."

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

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

"It will be wildcat, I am certain of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the fiddling flap of tegument up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was free. Strange that he should feel so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly free until Voldemort was dead. Perhaps because he knew that, without the ability to spy, he was next to useless.

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

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

"You had to."Was all she said.

"Perhaps."Snape let his school principal bead back, perhaps.

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

"I have been trying."Snape replied tetchily."But I can not recall of anything he would bid to do that he has the work force to accomplish. Unless he has some plan I am unaware of. Which he almost certainly has. I always got the signified that he had something brewing."

"The ministry ? The department of secret ? The divination ?"

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

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

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

"Severus,"Natalie took his grimace in her hands and tilted it up to meet her eyes."Not so low now. We won today. It may not feel like it, but we won a victory. triumph have been few and far between this past year, we need to hold dear them, not worry about what will materialize next."Snape was once again amazed by the way she could break through to him, whatever his mood. He smiled,

"I believe I have some wine."
*


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

He pushed himself off the floor, leaning his tired frame against the wall. The paries painted with bears and canary over a pale blue angel sky full of flossy swarm. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't muster the energy. He ignored the crib in the center of the room, it's glazed mobile spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the room access outdoors and descended the stair. The repugnance he always felt was still there, but he could barely bring himself to deal. He knew what this place was now.

No one-year-old remembers their house. No one-year-old could remember every photo, or the radiation pattern on the wallpaper. This spot was a lie, a bloodsucking retention that had been burnt into his creative thinker. The creeping illness in his cutis was his mind's way of telling him that it wasn't really, that it didn't belong.

He stepped up to the strawman doorway and stepped outside. There were street signs in the memory. No one-year-old would remember street signs, they couldn't even read them. He should deliver known, should sustain realized somehow.

He couldn't feel the orchard nearby. God knows what that represented. Some metaphor for safety his mind was projecting out maybe. Who knew. The river ? Some other section of his mind ... it didn't issue. Harry let himself return to the ground on the grass, it was all pointless. It wasn't Worth fighting this anymore, it was burnt onto the backrest of his scull. He could never escape.

His eyes flickered capable in the hospital cellblock. He could feel the sore new maturation in his mitt. It was pink, new skin, and smaller than the early. Harry dropped it back onto the blankets. Other share of his dead body hurt too, footling cicatrice and injuries. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

The aspiration was still swirling in his fountainhead, biting at him. It was too hard. He saw his matter piled neatly against the wall, even his clothes. Suddenly he knew he had to leave. This billet ... he just had to allow for. He quietly pushed out of bed, ignoring the creaking in every muscle and drew his bag over. He dressed quickly and disillusioned himself before slipping out the door.

The vulture were sleeping there, lying across benches or curled up on the story. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Couldn't talk, he had no idea how he would even start out. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't occlusive until he was out of the building and a few streets away. A small street, not busybodied. Breathing hard he shoved his verge out into the street. He found that he could barely keep his arm up for the few seconds it took for the knight bus to blur out of nowhere and screech to a plosive speech sound in battlefront of him.

"Ere are you Harry thrower ?"The pimpled conductor squinted at him, his vocalisation full of amazement.

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

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

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

"Godrics hollow ?"The pustulate guy swallowed."right wing, I see."

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

The bus screeched to a halt and he got out without speaking. The bus disappeared with a whoosh, a purple fuzz in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any early village. It was empty this sentence of day, like a ghost town. Suited his mode perfectly. He looked forward, an derelict house, burnt and with the top floor blown off.

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

He stepped forward his paw stretched out, then shied away. This house was just more Lie. The smell in his head word, heartbreak, loss, reverence. They weren't his, they weren't his red ink. Only strangers had died here, two strangers. the great unwashed who had null to do with him. The sorrow was another deception, just another storey of lie.

He spun away and stalked down the street, not looking back. He had never lived there, it meant nil to him. Or should mean nothing. His feet brought him to the square and he lent tiredly on the war memorial. He should never let come here, it was not what he needed. He raked his hired man through his hair.

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the stone, hissing out rage through his teeth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his real memories were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Jesus's sake ! His whole consistency was a masquerade party !

The Isidor Feinstein Stone shifted under his fingerbreadth. He looked up just as the monument seemed to evaporate, morphing into, a statue underneath. Harry stumbled back. No ... no no no. Under the memorial there were two figures, a man and a woman. The woman cradled something in her hands. The man ... the man looked just like him.

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

"Reducto !"The wand flickered out, even through the furor the spell flew true up. It struck the head of the male parent statue, shattering it into splinter. Some of them cut the boy's human body. He didn't care.

"Reducto ! !"Lilly ceramist's head word snapped off and crunched onto the tarmacadam. Rolling to a stop in a storm drain.

"Reducto ! !"The hold up shot was the warm, striking out in a blinding bolt of lightness, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. flame flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the bankrupt pulpit of straits and died to nothing.

The nameless boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a battle of Marathon. His clothes wet with travail. He dropped his wand back into his pocket and turned his back on the statue, his breath still coming in infuriated explosion. He couldn't think, couldn't breath. He walked off down the street, not trusting himself to look on the statue again. It made it all too real.

His center found a necropolis. Both eyes, real and magical. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining sheathing over his vision, the x-ray view of the humanity. Now it was just a unvarying reminder. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the graveyard logic gate open and let the eye roam, in a bit it had angled in on the ceramicist tomb. He walked hesitantly to it, his sceptre safely away in his pocket. He pushed a piece of ivy off the stone and read the inscription.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death


Well that was bollocks. Being dead meant you had at to the lowest degree one other enemy left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffins, side to side in the ground, stared back at him. But ... there was a shadow. Like a vacant field. He drew his wand and muttered a disclosure while. Faint whiffs of illusion drew out of the ground to meet him. He waved his baton again, cutting the misty street child away. He worked ... he didn't live how retentive. Probably minutes, maybe hour. At some percentage point the gray sky gave way to rain and the graveyard weed turned slickness. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the spells. It was unspoilt. It was a puzzler, breaking the legerdemain. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. Nothing dissimilar showed on the Earth's surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his heart hammering in his chest. There was a third coffin on top of the former two, arranged like a pyramid. Inside ... inside was a smaller body, a child. It's tiny arms crossed over it's chest.

The unidentified boy fell to his knees. There it was, the final proof. The terminal demonstrable check. That poor wasted body in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a midget scratch on the bone of his scull, above his eye, in the bod of a lightning bolt. The existent mark had cut all the way to the ivory, his was barely more than composition. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a tool. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the stone, but said nothing. The anger in him was gone. He had seen the soundbox of the veridical Potters, lying together. It was hard to feel anger, but he wished he did. The anger at least filled him up, filled the vanity with flames. But now the ardour was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his verge against the rough, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, thoughts skittering over the numb center of his mind. It was a sceptre gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be part of. This wand was his killing wand. He had done horrible things for the sake of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the Sir Henry Wood. He had pickled his soul in lineage and what had it got him ? He added his early arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The baton splintered with a cheap fissure, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A little red fluff was visible through the break. It had had a phoenix feather core, he never knew.

"Well that makes thinks easier."

The articulation had come from behind him. He turned slowly but his thaumaturgy eye had already whizzed around to find the intruder. The pitch blackness robes told him everything he needed to be intimate. Harry knew he should feel panic, or apprehension, fear perhaps, at least surprise. But he was damned if he felt anything.

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

"Yes I am Aug Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his baton in his hand."Thank Merlin I still have a scout on the underage magic sensor. You ‘ ve come a long way just to dislocate now. A tenacious long way ..."

"Felt like further."The empty boy dropped the cadaver of his wand onto the Potter grave. Perhaps some fool wizard would find it and make up some storey about it. He turned back to the death feeder and asked,"Are you going to pour down me ?"He was surprised that his voice did not sound eager.

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

"What ?"

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

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

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

He closed his eyes before the spell hit. The wickedness was welcome.
*


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing Christ Within burned through his lid as he groaned. The racket went on and on, associate ... very familiar. His memories twinged, his veridical ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His oculus flickered heart-to-heart just as the thermionic tube train flashed out of good deal, leaving the tunnel in shadow. He felt the cords binding his script together, his finger's breadth danced along them trying to discover a knot. There was none. They were fuddled though, biting into his skin, charming no doubt. He didn't have to feel to have sex that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't bother to try to stand.

"You are indeed Mr Potter."Rookwood stood over him, his verge outstretched."The London Underground."

The unidentified boy twisted and looked around him, one of the walls was been broken through and a dark, gross tunnel stretched away. Now that the train was gone he could hear something in the darkness all around, a scratching slinking sound.

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

"Oh, so you noticed."Rookwood held up his baton and lit it, smiling. The iniquity rolled back, but not far. A grey wall stopped the Christ Within, a writhing people of cloth and rot.

"What ... what are they ?"He looked on the dark hooded frame. As he watched one of them turned its shrouded head towards him. It let out a death rattle.

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling mass. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some sort of coolness, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were close to them ? He shook his capitulum, they couldn't touch him, a person could only experience so much desperation and he was already at his limit. And as for making him relive his whip memory board ? Ha ! His darkest consequence was still fresh in his mind.

"The dementors like it down here."Rookwood continued."They ‘ ve been breeding down here the likes of flies. There are C of them."

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

"You did."Rookwood sneered."But that doesn ‘ t issue. In fact, none of that matters. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his wand, making a quieten charm. A second moving-picture show levitated him off the floor. Rookwood reached into his sack and pulled out a yearn silvery length of material, easily placeable. An invisibility cloak. He just hung there in the air as the cloak was thrown over him. He really couldn't have done anything else. Rookwood turned and walked up the burrow, his black shoes slipping on the wet dirt.

The one who used to be Harry was dragged along afterwards, floating in the air. He couldn't move ... speak ... he was a specter. Right now his situation fit him like a boxing glove. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scraping, digging sound. The dementors followed after, filling the tunnel with common cold. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the curve figures came into position. One dark cloaked figure standing tall, the rest ragged and torn and scrabbling at the crap mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their apparel that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or living dead. Who could distinguish the difference ? The public figure in front of them turned as Rookwood approached. nighttime prospicient hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are late Augustus."The female death eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a steel toed boot with the force out of a falling teenager behind it did Sir Thomas More damage than expected. The forget side of her brass was crushed in, a mass of cicatrix and bulging tegument. When she spoke she slurred, only the decent incline of her oral fissure moving. Her eye was a raw socket, nothing left.

She had lost her eye. How marvelous. How very poignant. Under the cloak the unseeable captive felt his emptiness filled with a flyspeck electric discharge of satisfaction.

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

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

"I was delayed momentarily, nothing to concern you."Rookwood waved his hand away."You should go to your own burrow. Without someone there the wrangle them the dementors may be getting restless."

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

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

"There is no crowd anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her ruined expression."There are three of us. There will be to a greater extent than sufficiency halo to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into thin air.

"fabrication bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark nobleman ‘ s right hired hand. Stop dig you freaks !"He directed the finale one to the fauna burrowing in the poop. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant heart rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his sceptre and the scandal began flying away faster. In a short bit the dirt became a brick paries, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you ready Mr Potter ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the rampart and raised his wand. There was a smashing blast and the wall caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his feet his hand tangling in his robes. A greenish split second of light struck him in the head, he dropped onto the desk, scattering papers.

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


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

"Helen Newington Wills ?"Albus appeared around the corner, his face a mask of concern."You were on sentry go duty. What are you doing here ?"

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

"Didn ‘ t you hear what I just said ! Every column inch of that place is full phase of the moon of the mortal sucking demons ! No patronus could cut through that !"

"My god, we must avail them !"

"Oh really ? You think so ?"Moody saw his expectoration fly.

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

"But there could be a trap !"Moody tried to keep up, his hint spotting in his chest."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even screw where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you have got a plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the street corner. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But gods he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the infernal region was Dumbledore mentation ? He could get them all killed ! The stallion order. The stallion bloody rules of order in one fell swoop, and what the netherworld could he do to stop it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

He straightened and staggered down the vestibule. Faster. Faster. He found the door he wanted and threw it open.

"Severus !"Moody shouted towards the startled Professor."The gild needs your help !"

"The order ?"Snape stood, his men bland on the table. Zhao was beside him in a moment."I am not a fellow member of the rules of order any-"

"The ministry is compromised !"Moody saw his words cut Snape."Dementors in more figure than ever before."

"And you want all the help you can get ?"Snape sneered."The society had done me no favors lately."

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

"Smart girl."Moody shook his head."Dumbledore is heading for the ministry, by now he ‘ s trailing half the decree. He ‘ s going in without any heart, without anything. It is a hole, or could be. Even if it ‘ s not he ‘ s still going to lose half the rules of order. He ‘ s ... he ‘ s reckless. He ‘ s stuck in the old war. He ‘ s everything you said he was. But if we let this happen ..."

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

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

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

"Even four can ‘ t masking this."Helen Wills growled as the unspeakable dashed from the way."You know that."

"I know. I know well ..."Snape pulled a robe off the binding of a chairperson."We need an army."

"Do you know where to find oneself one ?"

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


Rookwood stepped over a body. It's eye were still open up, it's oral cavity moving vacantly. The dementor's kiss, it left them living, but they were dead body nonetheless. Rookwood paid them no mind.

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

"What are you doing with me ?"Potter's voice was a footling horse from the long silence."You ‘ re trying to realize points with your lord, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"More than adequate Harry. More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his baton and the bond on Harry's peg snapped off. Another click and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the ice on the patty. If I am to surpass Crouch in price of merit to the lord ... I must seek the icing."

"That ‘ s the dazed thing I ‘ ve ever heard."Harry said dully.

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

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

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the cap, looking for victims. There were still a few left. Not enough to worry over though. He stepped into out into the retentivity office, pulling his strangely compliant charge past the tank car of brains. He stopped by the door to the death bedchamber, there was the sound of tour from within, individual holding out perhaps. He pushed the threshold open in metre to see a wizard scrambling away from an inferi trip and dusk. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering unspeakable in it's unshakable hairgrip and threw him away with cold strong suit. scream as he flew across the room, his screech was cut off as he fell through the archway in the nerve center. The curtains ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a shudder, he was never entirely comfortable with the carrying out portal site. Harry watched from his side with deadening eyes. What was wrong with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the room, giving the inferi a wide birth, and pushed open the door at the other side.

"wellspring potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of shelf in front of them, each one with rowing upon wrangle of tiny field."This is the dormitory of prophecy."

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

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

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

"I assume that was a yes."Rookwood glanced up at the number on the shelf, yes this was it."The vaticination concerned you and the nighttime lord, you know that too ?"

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

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

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

"Shall I tell you something about the prophecies of the section of mystery story ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain people can rustle them from where they lie. Namely the citizenry they have been made about. So the but the great unwashed who can pick out this divination are the dark God Almighty, and you. ``

Potter stared at the orb for a second longer, the speech sinking into him. Then he threw his head back and laughed, laughed so hard his oculus ran with tears. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a sulphurous jape, total of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

"And if soul else grabs one ?"Harry reached out his manus."What happens then ?"

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

"Really ?"The ceramist boy's deal hovered over the swirling chicken feed."To hell with it."His finger's breadth closed around the orb.
*


Minerva screamed as she threw her patronus against the grew rampart before her, knowing it was too tardy. The dementors scattered but a lifeless trunk fell from their clutches. An auror. Subjected to the kiss.

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been flying. She spun as cold hands grabbed her from behind, crushing her with cold strong point. The breath fled from her lungs and she felt ribs pass. In desperation she transformed and dashed away on four feet, spinning and changing back to plant a powerhouse in the chest of the inferi that had held her. As soon as it was gone another took it's place.

They were overrun, there were too many !

"Help me ! Oh god help me !"A form ran from out of the lunacy, his Green derby still clutched in his deal."Please !"

"Get out of here you fool !"McGonagall shoved Fudge away. She could not take with him. Her oculus searched through the scrambling masses for the head of the lodge."Dumbledore ! Dumbledore we must pull back !"

She could not see him, she could not see anything. despair was her sole warning and she spun, a shining lightness throwing a dementor away that had been practically on her back. She didn't even know where they were anymore, near the court possibly. Down in the trench, no escape.

She heard a howler from her left and sent a patronus wildly into the surging crowds. The scream cut off sharply. Whether she had had any effect she did not know, she had to transform again to trip the light fantastic out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to send another shining ignitor to hold them back again. But her body was shopworn, her scepter arm tired.

decomposition shape filled her anterior naris and she tried to make for her sceptre around. Too slowly. The dead fist crunched into the side of her top dog and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the dead figure to shards, line of descent already dripping into her eyes. They needed assistance, and there was no one to give it.

No one.
*


The orb came free in thrower's hand, it's faint radiance shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his heart leap, but the Potter boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a last snake.

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

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

"Just return me the bloody orb !"Rookwood made to grab it but Potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the lily-white light faltered. A bum whine filled the air, like grinding gears. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his digit. In the middle of the white a tiny spike of iniquity was growing, like ink in milk. The blackness grew until it covered the whole inside of the orb, it was no retentive shining glass but a polished orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his ear. Suddenly there was a froth crepitation and Potter yelped in hurting, spilling the prophecy onto the trading floor. Rookwood cried out, it would break for certainly ! But when the orb struck the undercoat it squelched, spreading out like clay. skunk rose from the blackened glass.

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

The Potter boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not have touched the prophecy !"

"He could if it was already played out."ceramist glanced at the sludge on the floor."A cakehole, or else his illusion on me intervene somehow."

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

"He ‘ s come."The Potter boy was staring through the cap like a madman, his brass again an empty masquerade of horror."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their foeman to hover by the roof. The secretiveness broken only be the groaning of the bruise. Minerva 's eyes found the entrance to the elevator, it 's mesh opening in a grate clangoring. Stepping out into the corridor, black gown floating behind him and a helping hand curled in a wave to the wight swirling above, was the dark lord himself. Minerva felt her heart jump to her throat. She glanced around, the order was in tag end. Only Dumbledore stood tall, the residue of them were covered in blood and shaking from the exertion of the engagement. There was no force here to stop a dark lord, no force out at all.

Voldermort's heart found a quivering lump on the floor and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the dark lord crooked a finger, pulling the anatomy to his feet. The green bowler was gone, but the picket material body remained.

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

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

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

"Tom,"Dumbledore's voice spoke out easygoing in the duskiness."You can not possibly think I will let this bear ?"

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

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the headmaster off with a sharp word."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his handwriting and the Dementors fell like hunting mortarboard. Minerva was forced to fight for her life against the grey cache, spinning around her like a vortex of death. And in flashes of light beyond that vortex she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his baton out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the crush was too great. An inferi had her arm in it's frailty like hairgrip and she blew it off with fire. Another took it's position too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of purpleness light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling wizards in the center of all this, Dumbledore raising the selfsame gem of the flooring in a wall against the dark lord, but it was blasted to shreds just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

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

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

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

"Then what do you propose !"

"We die."lupin delivered that concluding in a bland growl."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to cast another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as white mist, easily brushed aside by the wraiths. Suddenly there was a burst of tearing dissonance, breaking the flagstones and making the bedchamber shake with it's force. As it died there a flash lamp of red igniter and a high cruel laugh.

"That is the full you could do ?"The voice of Voldemort was evident."I win old man."

The dementors parted for a moment, like clouds in hint. The dark lord stood over the sprawled pattern of the Headmaster, his boot on Dumbeldore's neck. Minerva felt despair that had nothing to do with the dementors. She let her wand handwriting drop to her side. They had lost. It was all over.

"Expecto Patronum !"A refrain of strong vox cried the magical spell and the elbow room was filled with a wall of brightness. Minerva watched as a charging white lion crashed into the massed frame before her, a snarling wolf running at it's heels.

"You ! traitor !"Voldemort had his scepter drawn and had spun to face up the lift. Minerva turned to search but saw just one soma standing there, his implements of war crossed in arrogant casualness.

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

"I will kill you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's wand stabbed forward. There was a New York minute of light and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a beast blast of frozen wind at the dark lord.

Minerva dashed forward to help him but once again found a hired hand gripping her arm.

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

"The scholar ?"

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

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The unspeakable grabbed a prone figure on the storey."Now tell your multitude to fall back before everyone else is utterly !"
*


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad dash away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the confusion of battle, then there had been some stairs, then a corridor ... The sounds of struggle were everywhere, coming out of the walls. He had just kept running., ineffectual to do anything else. His philia raced beyond what any human being exertion should bear forced it to. His brain was blank, a dead weight unit. Today had been a lifetime.

The shattering dissonance of a spell exploded from the left and he dashed away like a rat. He had to get out.

"Come on saltation with me you mangled bitch !"Michelson came into view down a long hall, throwing dash of lightning at Bellatrix and laughing like a madman.

He had to get out. He dashed into a stairway and almost tripped over a torso on the floor. garden pink hair, auror ‘ s robes. Oh no ...

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

She had a pulse.

The unidentified boy had to shield her body as a shining laser of something cut through the wall above them. The affaire d'honneur was raging just on the other side of the wall. She wouldn't have a heartbeat for long if he left her here.

So long ... His brain was grey sludge, he just wanted to close down. He had no wand and his muscles were water system. They would never reach safety anyway, this space was a warzone. But on the former helping hand ... Tonks.

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



Review and you will grow fairy wings that will let you fly.


Due to other commitments my notice may get a slight advance apart for a while. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the edge of the outflow of magical brethren. Every off-white ached and his arm was tied up to his body in a sling. There was no clip for healing yet though, no sentence at all.

"arrest back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a tough combination to master ), raising her hands to the crowd of ministry survivors."Just stay there and the therapist will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The hold out was directed to a casual prophet reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook.

The other side of the hall, back behind the fireplaces, a dividing line of seam were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth II heath lying sedated, her hand clutched by her unremitting companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a short coldness and restrained for calendar week to come and likely not ever wanting to encounter a dementor again but she would exist. Oh to birth just one of them back in his house, or any of the marauders. They had fought like tigers, like plan of attack dogs with wands.

One of the doors slammed out-of-doors and Markus stepped out angrily. His robes were mostly burnt off and he had blood running down the side of his thorax but he seemed incognizant of these little details.

"She got away."The monumental champion reached the bound of the fountain and plunged his head under the surface. A second later he lifted it up and drive his wet hair out of his optic."Bellatrix."

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

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

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

"So I'm the only when one who missed his mark."Markus shook nebuliser of water out of his whisker."Sorry mate."

"Bella has more than spirit than a cat, do not call back any Sir Thomas More of it."

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

"We have taken back to the highest degree of the ministry. I believe all of the marauders deserve Os"

'' They deserve bloody medals ! ``

'' Yes but I can not contribute them palm. You however can afford them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain smile and saw it returned unsubtle. He gestured towards the elevator with his undecomposed arm."Voldemort holds the department of mystery story. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a Aaron Montgomery Ward on the heave and on all staircases."

"I can snap off through."Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` collapse me five arcminute. ``

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

"wellspring then you can-"A. A. Michelson cut off as Snape pulled up his sleeve to reveal the newly cut skin."Oh."

"Yes, and it ‘ s worse than that."Snape bowed his headspring."He has hostages down there, monastic order fellow member and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

"Ten, we think."Snape glanced up to cope with Markus'middle."Including Lupin ... and Dumbledore."

"mother of god."Michelson slammed his clenched fist into his palm."So it ‘ s a stalemate ?"

"For now, until he makes his move. He can not wait forever."Snape felt a little shiver run through him. Whatever the dark lord's motion would be it would be the death of at least some of those hostages. Probably all.

'' What the ... '' Suddenly Michelson was on his ft, an manifestation of seismic disturbance on his face. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A moment later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his face a grey mask. He did n't look up, did n't know anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his burden down bedside a aghast healer. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every corner of the room, running towards the unexpected sight of their leader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Where 's your verge ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the marauder shied back there was a blast of heat from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the fountain of wizard brethren go red hot and begin melting, dissolving into the water with a hiss. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water supply, mixing with the water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving Holy Order member, ministry prole and marauders surrounded the pool of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with yellow light up to the roof. As they watched it faded to silver, then to grey, then finally to pure white. The flannel resolved into shapes, colours bloomed out of the pure brightness level. As the configuration coalesced Snape heard a screeching from someone on the early side of the kitty and almost felt like following suit.

In the pool, rippling on the surface of the liquidness, was an paradigm of Godhead Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the department of mysteries. The verge in his paw was long and pale, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's verge. Behind the night Lord, lined up and chained together, were ten mavin. Though the picture show was faded and the colours ran together Snape could easily know the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort image turned towards them and spoke, his representative sounding trench and echoic like it was coming from the bottom of a well.

'' Good wizards of the ministry, '' The dark noble greeted amicably. `` penis of the fiat of the capital of Arizona and the safe children. What you are seeing is the inside of the department of enigma, where all the swell secret are hidden. All the deepest deception of the ministry is within these bulwark, all controlled by me. ``

'' He 's lying. '' Natalie assured the panicking maven around her. `` There 's nothing down there he could use. ``

'' And look at my friends here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his prisoners. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the price of defying Divine Voldemort. '' He took a bundle of wands out of his sack and hovered it into the air. With a gouty arthritis of fire they burnt into ash. `` Such is the terms ... And look who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger and Fudge was dragged forward, his bonds separating from the others. He came to a plosive speech sound by the dark lord 's invertebrate foot and looked up with pain eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to down you you miserable lowly man, whatever you say. ``

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a small easier. `` Do you remember when I used to ask for you up for tea ? Back when I was ... I was a section hear and you were ... you were younger. ``

'' Yes ? ``

'' well I spat in your tea. '' Fudge shuddered out through gritted teeth. `` Every sentence. Even back then you were a creepy piffling freak. ``

'' You ... '' Voldemort seemed to uprise in menace, his eyes blazing. `` Why do you evidence me this ? Surely you know it is pointless ! ``

'' My ... my lamb boy. '' Fudge stuttered, his heart still to the floor. `` defiance ... is never p ... p ... pointless. ``

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

leafy vegetable light filled the pool of water and for a here and now none of them could see anything. Snape felt his heart beating rapidly in his dresser. The sparkle cleared in time for them too see the dark Divine savagely kicking the minister 's organic structure to the side of meat and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The schoolmaster was thrown forward roughly.

Snape swallowed worriedly. The dark Lord was showing them this to demonstrate his power but Fudge had openly defied him. Voldemort would be enraged.

'' well old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his scepter down at Dumbledore, a bolt of electricity charring a jam in the Headmaster 's gown. `` Do you not own something to say ? Some last word before I take your life. ``

Dumbledore just stayed silent. It was only from the light rise and fall of his pectus that Snape could narrate he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the stroke of the overrefinement nemesis for a few moments before releasing him. `` You will verbalize ! There has been too much between us, you have been my enemy for too retentive for me to let you end it this way. You will acknowledge that I have won, you will say it ! You will know this victory in some way before I kill you with your own scepter ! ``

Dumbledore did n't even look at the dark lord. In a fad Voldemort slashed his wand through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

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

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am set up ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am prepare to die for everything I have done. Those are my hold up words, the only ones you will get. Kill me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his wand to form the curse but let it die on his sassing. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under command. `` But of course, how could I refuse a finale request. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if prison term froze. The pool exploded with jet illumination again and Snape's throat closed, every muscle tensing. The other watchers around the pool held their hands to their faces, or rock there caput ... they would not believe it. The green lighter faded and the dead body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the primer coat. It crumpled like a paper diaper, his beard trailing onto the level like a rag.

So fell Albus Dumbledore. Snape felt a little hired hand dirt ball into his. Natalie 's hand. He did n't recognize whether she was offering comfort or asking for it. Perhaps both.

'' Here dies Albus Dumbledore. '' Voldemort laughed. `` A muggins to the end, and in the end a dashing hopes. So there you are, two surety dead. I have eight left and all will die if you do not give me what I want. I want Harry potter. Bring him to me in one half-hour or I will stamp out another, perhaps the loup-garou. I am surely no one will omit him. But if any of you wish to see these genius alive, then you know what you must do. Bring. Me. Harry. ceramist ! ``

The pool went black and Snape stepped back. All around him multitude seemed to be going mad, crying and shouting to one another in discombobulation. His eyes were only trying to find one figure. Harry ceramist. He swept the crowd. Nothing.

Snape turned to the ingress in time to see the doors snap shut.
*


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

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the screaming of breaks. He prayed that one of the cars would hit him. His feet would not blockade moving and the strait of motor horn was left behind. His charming eye painted the human race in shimmering curtains of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's control surface. He pushed past a man in a case and heard the man yell. He could n't cease track. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from world. The pelting ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his heart licking like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the cold, wet pavement. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, dark and dirty. Wait ...

He turned to lie on his spine as his deception eye swivelled around, taking in every detail. He had been here before ... This was the alley where it all started, where Hagrid had caught him so many eld ago. There was the drain he had climbed ... the roof he had hid ... He had come a wide set, entirely.

Heedless of the driving rain he opened his back talk and laughed. Laughed in arrant bitterness. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never feature known, would never take in known any of this. He would induce been capable to go along on being Harry Potter. He felt split running down his impudence and mingling with the rain, freezing him to the bone.

But there was warmness. A piddling point of passion at his chest. He dug his hand into his shirt and slowly drew it out.

His pendent. Pythea's pendent. Worn so long he had almost forgotten it was there. But now it was glowing like a star, so bright beneath the gray sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both manus, staring at it in wonder as a fluent mist swirled out from the level. It pooled in his hands, swirling and sifting. Slowly the sparkling liquid rose, shaped and colored and separated until two globe hung in the air by his work force. One of burnished amber, the early pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The whiteness orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a anatomy, every curve glowing with visible light, every flowing note of her unadulterated Patrick Victor Martindale White apparel and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

'' Harry I wish I could feature come sooner. '' Theia stepped forward and encased his hands in hers.

'' Another illusion- ''

'' No. '' Pythea shook her forefront. `` This is no conjuration. This is really me talking, from Greece. I thought you might postulate my helper. ``

'' Your ... help ? ``

'' You 're lost. Lost in the woods. '' Thea smiled faintly. The fortunate orb was still circling her, pulsing faintly. `` And I am the oracle. I thought you might demand a scout out. That was why I gave you this all those years ago, to help you find your way. In your drab hour. You need to ascertain your way again Harry, or else were all doomed. ``

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

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these years because you were the elect one ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her crystal vocalisation filling the nullity between the edifice with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry Potter I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

'' It 's your public figure if you want it to be. Or chose another name. '' Pythea smiled. `` When I first met you you were calling yourself Jack. ``

'' stopover. '' Too irritating. Memories of pleasant multiplication,

'' I will not finish. I will never break trying to help you. I knew the moment I met you that you were n't the Chosen one. I mean delight Harry, I 'm the mistress of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a moment that I would miss a matter like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a human beings without hope, you were the only shining probability. ``

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

'' I saw nothing about your future tense. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to contact him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true soul who would agitate for this world even if the entire macrocosm was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a thousand prison term and would still pick himself up. I saw that the dark lord would rise and I hoped ... I did n't know but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the worldly concern in peril and the future uncertain I took the best chance the world had. I took a chance on you. In a time of complete despair, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't fight anymore. '' The boy dropped his eyes. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't know what it 's like to give mortal take the air up to you and snap your stallion animation, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

"I gave him a necklace."Pythea smiled. `` But I do n't bear you to take on what you have to do from me, which is why I brought him. '' Pythea gestured up to the golden heavens. `` You've carried this necklace close to your fondness for almost four eld now. I think it's prison term you saw what's inside. Do n't die Harry, please do n't die. I 'll see you soon. '' She faded into zippo, leaving just the golden orb left. As soon as she was gone it began stretching and shaping.

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

The figure resolved into a digit. His prospicient robes were buttoned tightly and long munition, rolled up now to exhibit his arms. Those robes were familiar spirit. Tonks had worn them cobbler's last twelvemonth, auror trainee robe. The face remained foggy for a minute more then coalesced, becoming a firmly model in aureate Light, right down to the last tousled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell loose in shock. He was looking up into his own face. No ... no there were deviation. The jaw was more aim, needlelike, the eyes closer together. He did n't have a scar on his neck, nor a dark print on his arm. He looked onetime too, at to the lowest degree two years if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it possible ? Was this ... Harry Potter ?

'' I do n't quite translate this. '' The ghostly golden build said. `` Your ally, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different populace or ... or property or something. A different time too. I do n't quiet see it, need Hermione for that sort of thing. ``

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

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

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

'' I wish I knew why but ... your champion wo n't tell me. Something about lessening the disturbance as much as possible. There are former things I wish I could secern you, affair you really should know about- '' The recording skewed like static for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's tell apart me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The sentence thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my future, to be given to you in your past, to play in your show. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't know. I do n't know what I 'm saying. I ca n't guess what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this clip it 's worse because you know you had a past it 's just been taken. I know you must feel like crawling into a hole and dying, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the Saami really. I do n't know what I 'm saying. ``

The spectral bod began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm supposed to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and spread out his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the only person you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your friend says that, since I 'm beat in your macrocosm, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be easy, but you know that. In fact I ca n't mean of anything that I could say to persuade you to take the job. Except that you have to. The Earth depends on it. And I know that the reality has n't done you any party favour. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the world be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't eff what I can say to convince you that 's not true except for two things. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The vestige digit licked it 's lips.

'' Do you know how many ordinance are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional transit ? Certain countries still have the demise penalty for messing around in twin earthly concern. Just getting here, the attempt it must deliver taken. The risks your friend has taken just to get this content to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire residue of the world is Hades right now you 've got one someone who 's will to lay on the line everything for you. Risk her life sentence. So if nothing else ... fighting for her. ``

The figure faded. It 's eyes lasted the farseeing, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the alley was dark again. The boy on the footing stood, slowly and with charge, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter building. His script went to his tummy as he threw his head back and laughed, the rain trickling down his look. That was Harry thrower was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? roll in the hay him. Screw the overly spectacular, hesitating bastard. If that childish gimboid can salve the world I sure as inferno can.

He pushed his rain soaked hair out of his eyes. It was like the emptiness was, somehow come apart. It was still there, the gaping void, it was just that all the important division of him, the things that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the little shell necklace back around his neck opening. Just a case now, it's magic gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was part of him, the real him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to break up the bighearted fight of his life.

He needed a program though .... and if he was going to pull through a fight with the greatest glum wizard in the globe it would need to be a fucking thoroughly plan. Or a blooming insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the cards. Voldemort could kill him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostages. On the early hand Voldemort was alone, he had no expiry eaters, no dark fauna, no servants.

Whatever architectural plan he came up with it would come down to just the two of them. A fair conflict. Which he would lose.

So stimulate it an unfair fight.

His lips curled into a smile. There it was, there was the idea. A Harry thrower plan.

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

"Welcome to the ministry of magic. Please state your public figure and business."The headphone said flatly.

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

The auto apparently took him a little too literally as ...
Harry thrower
messiah


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't bother to pick it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na assure him. He dissilusioned himself before the doors slid surface again and stepped out into the ministry vestibule. There was a level of organized chaos and another cock-a-hoop level of disorganized chaos. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the vulture. The were all clustered in one property. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

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

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

"Hi guy. I ‘ m back."

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

"I ‘ m sorry for yelling at you, at all of you. And yes I ‘ m ... I ‘ m better."The empty shoes in his chest begged to disagree but he ignored it."I ‘ m opinion .... I ‘ m better."

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

"There ‘ s no meter, how lots fourth dimension we got until the outset hostage goes ?"

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

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

"You ‘ re going to struggle him aren ‘ t you ?"Neville asked in a little representative."You ‘ re going down to fight him."

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

"Do you recall how badly some of your other design have gone ?"Padma asked dryly.

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

"You got it Harry."Ginny went into serious mood."Whatever you need."

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

A forest of hands were stretched out towards him. Every single baton. Harry picked one at random and tried a simple charm. It was stuttery and syncope. No unspoilt. He picked another and almost set his pilus on flack. The third the spell came out right but the wand felt unearthly. The fourth ... Harry did first one spell then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His eyes came up to fit Malfoy's gray-headed ones.

"donjon it."The Slytherin boy nodded."I can afford a new one."

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the wand."The second affair I need is healing. Just a ready refresher course. I ‘ m to wear upon and bonk up to fight down like this."

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

Harry took the feeding bottle with a grin and tipped it back into his mouth. The warm chocolaty liquid seemed to drain into every aching muscle and off-white, making him feel like he was well rested and healthy rather than at the edge of weariness.

"And thirdly we need to pee something."Harry handed the nursing bottle back."It ‘ ll be dodgy but if I handle the charm and someone else does the transfig we should be capable to supervise it. Oh ! And I ‘ ve persuasion of a fourth thing. I ‘ ll need a distraction."
*


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

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see nothing. ``

'' Look. ``

'' misfire Weasley there is nothing there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's eyes flickered up to meet those of his student. A flicker of memory twitched behind those eyes. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the lift, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the Barbara Ward. The wizard barrier sparking against his skin like stable. He could n't get through. Before his oculus the dissilusionment fell and Harry Potter was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt masses crowding all around, murmuring, speaking, crying. All pressed up to one side of the roadblock, and on the early ... just Harry.

'' Harry, please. '' Snape held his hand out to the paries of the ward. `` Do n't do this. ``

'' Eight people. '' The kid shrugged. `` Eight mass or me. alternative is pretty obvious. ``

'' goosey boy. You do n't accept to do this. ``

'' I know I do n't. '' Harry nodded, a faint smile on his face. `` I 'm doing it anyway. wish me circumstances. ``

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


The lift grating slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of engagement was everywhere, expectant gouges gone from the walls and doors blown off their flexible joint. This was n't the section of whodunit yet though. Just the courtroom. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The door to the department came into view, a blank rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see nothing beyond the doorway, not even with his magic eye. Some sort of protective cover must extend around the section of mysteries. For the sake of his program he hoped it did n't pass inside the department too. Harry raised his verge to his neck opening and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom conundrum ! '' Harry 's overdraw representative shook the bricks in the paries. `` I 'm here. '' There was a import 's time lag, then.

'' Welcome Mr thrower. '' A similarly roaring voice sounded down the hallway. `` I was not sure you would amount. ``

'' Why would I stick around away Tommy boy. We 're like old friends. '' Harry was poised to run at any moment if this went damage. `` You 've got eight people in there. Those mass deserve to get out, so lets make a deal, gentleman 's understanding between friends. I go in. All of them go out. ``

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

Harry waited in silence for a moment ... then the room access at the end of the corridor swung open. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The vista was just as it had been reflected in the syndicate, the line of descent of captives, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the substance. The eubstance of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the rophy elbow room, the spinning elbow room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the threshold had been knocked off their hinges and he could see into the room beyond.

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

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

'' Of course. '' Voldemort gestured mildly. The irons on the prisoners crashed to the ground.

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

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

"In only stops masses from entering, not from leaving."

'' Ok, fine. Wait ! '' Harry held up a hand, then pointed to Lupin and a powerful looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, take them up with you. ``

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

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

As the last man trouped out Harry pushed the door shut and locked it. The intemperate bolts sliding into situation sounded like a hammer.

'' well Mr Potter. '' Voldemort smiled like a serpent. `` It is down to just you and me. The Billie Jean Moffitt King in our little chess game game. The pawn are gone, the castle are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

"Have you never even played chess ?"Harry quirked an eyebrow."If all you have is the two kings that 's a deadlock snake boldness. You ca n't mate with one king."

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his eyes and picked a clear space of floor. He pointed his wand down.

'' Calx. '' A chalk line appeared on the trading floor. Harry drew his sceptre around in a rough rectangle then stepped back and measured his handwork by eye. `` Tommy boy make me your opinion. Does that expect like fourteen understructure to you ? ``

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

'' Well we have to have a duel. '' Harry shrugged. `` Might as well do it by the Bible. ``

'' A regulation wizard 's duel ? '' Voldemort seemed almost ready to chuckle. `` My my Mr Potter I can not tell you how refreshing it is to oppose against you and not Dumbledore. It is ... so gratifying to be surprised. ``

'' I am unpredictable. '' Harry shrugged and stepped up to the heart of the rectangle. He put his wand into his pouch and held his hand away from it to show he was n't touching it. `` But I believe that the future step is to bow to one another. Like gentleman's gentleman. ``

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

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

'' Of course of study. ``

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

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

'' We role as friends. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's hand in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the shocked dark lord. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom brain-teaser it 's been a pleasure, and an honor. ``

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The charm flared across the room. Just before it hit the dark lord seemed to waver and fade into mist. The go passed right through his backbone and exploded in Muriel Spark against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his expression,

'' Jumping the count Mr Potter ? That was your masterful plan ? ``

'' Worth a shot. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his baton. `` Goodbye Mr thrower. I wish you all the best in the next reality. Avada Kedavra ! ``

Harry closed his eyes and smiled as a flare of brightness level filled the room.



Review or the evilness chicken with the DEAD EYES that only I can see will toss off me.


A lot of people seem distressed about my frequent cliffhangers. Well it got you to refresh did n't it ?





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

'' Hmm ... '' Harry frowned in mock mental confusion. `` Your wand appears to have turned into a chicken. ``

The volaille managed to free itself and dropped to the floor. It took a look at the two wizards on either side of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an undefendable door.

"Was it, meant to sprain into a volaille ?"Harry tapped his Chin thoughtfully."Is this some domestic fowl strain of the killing oath I was not previously aware of ? Is that a chicken of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's helping hand dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's oculus went wide.

"I mean for god ‘ s sake Ilex paraguariensis. Never let a cutpurse hug you."Harry chuckled."I mean that ‘ s just stupid."

The darkness noble's mitt twitched to his pocket.

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

"Potter you ..."Voldemort boiled with ire."You ... you ... you ..."

"Me. Me. Me."Harry grinned like a Panthera tigris."The moral of the story Tommy boy is this : Don ‘ t you EVER mess with a vulture because we can bury you. And we never lose."

"thrower I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his verge forward, keeping the other two safe in his leave behind hand."Shut your ugly murdering face. glad, civic, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ metre is officially over. Now is the clock time for the other thing. The flaming hate filled battle that culminates with the violent death of you."

"You think you can win ?"Voldemort hissed out through clenched dentition."Even without a wand I am still the dark God Almighty. I am still Thomas More than a match for you."

"Evens the playacting field a bit though doesn ‘ t it."Harry cracked his cervix first to one side, then another."So come on snake fount. Hit me. Hit me with your best shot."

The darkness God Almighty hissed, his fingers clenching into claws. Then a moment later he exploded into fume, whisking away through an spread room access. What the ? Harry 's magic eye focused through the wall, onto the level in the adjacent room. On the floor following to a prone body was-

WAND !

Harry 's feet moved of their own accord and skidded across the floor to the door. His own wand lashed out.

'' Difindo ! '' The wand on the storey snapped just as the swarm coalesced around it and but Harry was already moving again. His eye fashioning walls and doors meaningless. Another consistency, another verge ! He felt the smoke behind him, catching up.

He rolled as it passed overhead and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as nothingness lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the story and snapped the wand up from beside the pile of robes that was all that was left of the victim of an inferi. He skidded to a halt, his eye dancing madly to find any remaining wand ... nothing in the prophecy room ...

The swarm circled, reeking of malevolency. Harry could almost finger Voldemort doing the like cheque that he was, using glowering legerdemain to find any remaining weapon. The cloud contracted then shot away like a calamary. Harry was off and after it in a second, a 2d more and his eye had found it's target. The last sleeping room, a wand rolled into a cranny in the level. Harry pelted through the corridor, the nigrify bullet ahead of him. Too far ! Too quick !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up shard of rubble but the instant it reached the cloud it was squashed like a frog. The wind going flat in mid air. The sens disappeared under a door and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The verge ! Right there ! Voldemort reappeared with a bombshell and jabbed his deal forward. The wand leapt from the base and spun towards the darkness Jehovah. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and splinters clattered on the floor. The darkness Creator's hand snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the terminal of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his wand trained on the dark lord he stepped down the steps till he was following to the fluttering arch. He picked the three scepter he'd acquired out of his sac and chucked them through the velum. The black material fluttered for a moment, then went still."All scepter ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the solely way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my cold-blooded dead hands."

"What an excellent suggestion Mr Potter."

Harry had just a moments warning before the orb of darkness flew from the nighttime lord's script. Harry spun behind the arch and ducked down.

"Accio !"The bench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his headspring. The night lord spun and shattered it with a hissed curse."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's sceptre and forced the dark Maker to dodge to the face. The orb exploded against the wall, filling the way with Dame Muriel Spark. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

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

"Hammus missus !"Chain shot up and slammed into the ceiling far above."Rapellet !"The chain felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the Light Within. As he shot from the ground like a bullet a ball of swarthiness flew towards him.

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

Harry kicked off the boundary of the archway and swung out of the way. He let go of the strand and aimed at the dark frame below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The green igniter left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the side of the mistreat field. The killing curse blew a hole in the bulwark but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a room access."come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the tangle of manor hall. Harry dashed back through the entry mansion house and shot into a foresightful room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing trace was just visible at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The nightmare curse sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's course. The explosion filled the air with emerald sparks. Three bolt of lightning of lightning thundered through the explosion and Harry threw himself to the English. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of pain. A freezing charm numbed the burnt form as Harry furiously dashed after the dark Lord. As he skidded to a halt in the student residence of divination the dark lord disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could pick up a trace. A wisp of radius curled around one of the shelves, only to disappear a mo later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so ripe for incorporeal affair. He slowly turned, letting his eyes sweep through the gaps between the shelf. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious hole on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able to break it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prognostication hallway. The glass empyrean had not escaped the carnage of the engagement, many were left in glittering shards on the marble flooring. The little elasticity of Methedrine cracked under his bang. Was that smoke ? Harry 's pump hammered in his chest. Was that a-

FIREBALL ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flames, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a shelf. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a megabucks of burning splinters. There was an menacing creaking audio and Harry had to scramble to get out of the way of the collapsing shelf. orb of shining smoke bounced off his shoulders and shattered on the floor, their flannel sess spilling out and going inky-black black like swirls of midnight.

Harry 's eye swirled and he just caught a glance of the night garmented figure before he dissolved again. Harry picked himself up and held himself at forwardness. This was like a bloody shootout, it was all about who was quicker to the draw. Unfortunately Voldemort did n't actually have to absorb ... The air moved, Harry moved faster.

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his while. The shelf crashed together as if drawn by magnets. The dark-skinned Godhead 's shadowy variety was trapped between them. Before Harry could throw off another patch the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flaming. He raised his hands, about to become smoke again. Harry stabbed his verge out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild stab in the dark. The charm was used to make liquid into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his descriptor blurring a consequence but not turning to fume. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark Jehovah threw his hand forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to catch the curse word. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him jump up into a column of fire, curling and splitting into a radiance red snaked head. The ophidian roared and bit forward, it 's tooth dripping with unthaw venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning apparition but his polishing sword slipped through it like water, leaving not a mark. The Snake come upon forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the floor, his eyebrows charring off his cheek. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flame freezing charm and leap up into the hellfire freak. He stabbed his verge at the shadower beyond the inferno and yelled the killing nemesis again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the darkness Godhead 's shock expression as he had to dodge a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't apply him an inch, he threw himself forward, shot another curse at his off balance enemy and found a cloud of black knife flying in his face. He dropped to the base and try them clack behind him. He threw himself to the English but the knife jerked to postdate him. He grabbed a plank of shelf from the flooring and spun it in strawman of him, hearing the heavy thunk of the blades impacting the wood. Harry spun to face the iniquity noble and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his hired man distastefully and the tongue melted into smoke.

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

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

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

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what sprightliness is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The turn caught the night lord by surprise, smacking into his shoulder joint with a bone splintering quip. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the level under his pes buckle and grumbling. He flipped backwards as the ground where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, ready to draw him down into it 's astuteness. Harry danced backwards as Lucy Stone upon stone became soak up end. His metrical unit hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The ledge lurched as it began to sink into the stone. Harry spun, holding on with one bridge player and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of nighttime lightning.

It was n't safe up here. Harry clambered to the top and dashed along the slanting wood. Being up here made him too much of a object. Harry 's eye spun to incur the dark Creator and he almost fell off in seismic disturbance as he found Voldemort hovering up from the soil with slaying in his eyes. The mongrel could fly !

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's tornado sprung out of nowhere, drawing sand from the trading floor and filling the air with yellowish-white texture. Harry called another twister, and another. The darkness Divine disappeared in the sandstorm. Disappeared to normal eyes that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the fogginess at the shadower in the air and dashed away along the top of his shelf, he leapt across to the next one just before a lightning bolt flashed through the air behind him. The dark lord could not see him in all this but he could see where his spell were coming from. Only a sap attacked and stayed in the like space ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the pain sensation gig, flashing out in their slow fan. He twisted them in the air like a snake to strike the dark Creator from both slope. He was rewarded with a howl of pain as one of the shining bolts struck base. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a ash grey buckler. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even have to mean. He just struck out and made the dread orb vibrate with unbearable noise. He twisted to get the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the iniquity lord was straightaway and lightning caught his arm, burning like hell. Harry lost his footing and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

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

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

The George Sand vanished like mist but Harry had magnanimous problems. He leapt into the air as rocks the size of cars obliterated the shelves behind him. His ft hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's baton whipped out and a hooking impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the surface area of nothingness. A boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The flatus pulled him out of the way of life of the meteor with a whisk of his wand and he let go of the Sir Ernst Boris Chain, catapulting himself onto a standing shelf. He leapt again and saw two boulder hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one rock-and-roll veered into the course of the early, shattering them both to fragments. Harry felt the wood beneath him switch again and this sentence let it carry him down a bit before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing shelf, his eye found firm footing and he jumped again as the last shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a pile of wreckage. A pile three times as magniloquent as he was and full-of-the-moon of broken wood, tattered shabu and the smouldering remains of spent boulder. Harry waited while the last of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

Voldemort was hovering in the air grade with Harry. The dark master slowly floated down to the story ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his base. Harry watched with a crooked supercilium. Voldemort 's tooth clenched in fad as he stared up at Harry standing on his plinth of ruin.

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

'' But you make it so loose ! '' Harry put his manus on his hip joint. `` Anyway, it 's operose not to mock you when I 'm winning ! ``

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

'' I 'm not loosing. '' Harry grinned. The dark noble 's fists clenched but he said nothing. Harry smiled. `` Of course, you could cede. ``

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

'' Hey fellow, you 're the one that wants to subsist forever. '' Harry cracked his knuckles. `` You wo n't inhabit forever if you surrender but I can secure you 'll hold up foresightful than if you keep fighting. Not lots longer but still ... ''

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

'' Me ? I 'm the runner of the roof at Night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the bloodline war. The lonesome survivor of the violent stream of ages and the Hogwarts triwizard mavin. ``

'' But- ''

'' I 'm the mirror-blade, '' Harry spread his arms wide. `` Serpent 's scourge and wolf-slayer. I 'm the buccaneer of the life of Njordr."

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't matter because I 'm also a piranha ! Invincible cutthroat bastard and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. thrower ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the shadow lord, his face set in unbendable resolve. `` That is why you should cede. Right now. Or I swear on this down of divination that I will fire you from this world. ``

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

'' in conclusion opportunity. '' Harry snarled. Voldemort straightened up, his eyes burning red.

'' Never. '' The dark Creator hands clenched to fists. `` I will never surrender to a half blood boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that suit ... suck it kick ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all management, the Wood becoming deadly splinters and the rock singing out in razor acute shard. The dark master threw up a ash grey shield but Harry was already on the ground. With a flick of his wand the shield screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the side of meat to duck a spray of black eyeball and threw his wand up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The iniquity noble fled through a door and Harry rushed to conform to, casting decease curse word before him. Harry vaulted a desk and skidded through a threshold only to find his organic structure rising into the air. A lightning thunderbolt grazed his berm and Harry was spun around like a top. major planet were floating in this room ! There must be some spell screwing with gravity !

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

'' Confringo ! '' The musket ball of plasm exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing magic spell and pushed off Saturn directly into the inferno. From behind the cover of flaming Harry shot a killing whammy at the darkness lord but had to squirm in the air to end his head being taken off by a dark blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover trick one too many times. well lets try another.

'' Esurio Esurio ! '' Harry aimed at the spinning red planet next to Voldemort. It grew a gaping mouth and snapped angrily at the iniquity lord, who blew it into fragments but Harry had already trained his wand back on the wickedness lord. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

In tote up contrast to the rest of the section this room was a form of zoo. Cages full of creatures filled the room up to the ceiling and were stacked in a batch in the middle. Some looked normal, some ... not so lots. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of chassis with what he sincerely hoped was not a human arm coming out of it. His magic eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the biography and movement in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to draw out the room. Long, not so wide of the mark ... The door at the other end was closed. That meant that Voldemort was either at the paries behind one of the John Cage at the side or crouched down behind one of the unity in the middle. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the deal of John Milton Cage Jr. in the heart and soul and all their bars sprung open. Creatures scattered in every guidance. Something that looked like a mutant woman chaser made a thirst leap at the cages to the left and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a moment. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the John Milton Cage Jr. out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to break off the curse to duck behind a desk as more ball of duskiness rained through the air. Harry heard a room access gibe open and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his wand out.

The death sleeping accommodation ! Back here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the door at the other side of meat of the pallidly lit room and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The doorway squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the other threshold too. In a moment he had his wand trained back on the wickedness overlord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other incline of the immense room, his brim contoured into a sneer. He clearly knew he could break the poxy locking spell, but doing so would give Harry the moment he needed to kill him. Harry tried to keep his intimation even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running. ``

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

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the night overlord and slowly walked down the steps. `` I rarely signalise matter. ``

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

'' What ... ever. '' Harry shrugged. `` I 've had enough of your self important threats. Time for the encounter. Let 's end this. ``

'' Nothing would delight me more Mr ceramicist ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the room. Harry was just a footfall behind him. They stared at each other from opposite side of the plinth that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a leer. `` If I had my wand you would take died long ago. ``

'' That would be why I nicked it. '' Harry chuckled. `` And anyway ... Lumos ! '' Harry jammed his wand towards Voldemort and the ray cut through the subduedness like a public eye. Voldemort threw his workforce up to protect his center."Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dreary lord dropped to the floor, letting the magical spell pass over his pass and jabbed his arm up at the ceiling. The dark above them became live, a writhing cauldron of darkness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of nighttime shot down and tried to wrap itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to roll as bolts of thunder slammed into the flagstone where he had been lying. A clump of blackness caught the side of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and pelt. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his feet, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that thing ! He could n't fight it and the dark lord at the same time ! But how to kill something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his baton at the roof. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The putting surface spell impacted the gloomy creature and it wailed in pain, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to face Voldemort just in fourth dimension for an black orb to take a clump out of his berm. He was bleeding too very much. Had to end this ! The night lord raised his hand for another bolt of lightning. Harry tore two flagstones from the ground and hurled them in the path of the turn, one after the other. The first was blown to splinters but the 2nd, hidden by the cloud of rubble, shot through like a marble saucer and crashed with a hideous crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The dark lord was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his injured thorax. Harry pressed his advantage and Voldemort was driven back by spell after trance. The dark lord was pushed onto to the whole tone and stumbled back, lying prone against the stone. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The nighttime lord 's helping hand swung up ! It had been a trick ! Harry saw a swarm of black blades erupt out of nothing and sail towards him. He had no protection ! He could not dodge ! There was just one probability ...

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the knives clattered against his debile shield. Harry let it go and tread forward, only to have his knees buckle and drop him on the flooring. What the ? Harry tried to suffer but his peg would n't move. Was this some sort of swearword ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

There was a knife embedded to the hilt in his tum. Two more in his leg. Draining blood down his thigh and pooling on the floor.

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's arms dropped down, suddenly too faint. His baton rolled away on the dark stone. He had n't felt the knife go in, Adrenalin perhaps, but he felt it now. Pain and fire raging out from the kettle of fish in his venter. `` Bloody ... buckler .... And I was doing so well ... ''

'' Yes Mr thrower you were. '' The dark Creator picked himself up from the gradation and dusted his robe off. Now that he had won the friendly, almost fatherly, tone was back. `` I applaud you. ``

'' I could ingest beaten you ya know. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of blood sprayer from his mouth. `` The very first spell I threw. Back when I jumped the tally. Back when you had the fake wand. If you 'd throw just tried to harbour like any convention whiz ... I could have won on the first spell. That was ... that was the architectural plan. ``

'' It was a goodness plan. '' Voldemort must possess seen no understanding to be angry now that he had won. `` Against a normal wizard it would take no question worked. ``

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his hand to spread his fingers around the tongue brand in his tummy, but he could n't stop the profligate. His life was draining out onto the trading floor. The 1 in his leg would maim him. The one in his abdomen meant he was dead.

'' Do you ingest any shoemaker's last dustup my beloved foe ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not learn any acceptable one from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't think of anything ... '' Dark pane swam before Harry 's eyes. He had failed. `` Are my acquaintance still watching ? ``

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not accept the wizarding populace missy this case. ``

'' Then my utmost row are ... keep combat. '' Harry raised his eyes to forgather Voldemort 's. `` donjon fighting him. ``

'' Not very original. '' The dark lord shrugged. `` But better than Dumbledore 's. ``

'' And ... '' rakehell was pooling beneath Harry 's legs. `` And tell Thea I tried. ``

'' An admirable sentiment. ``

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

'' Very well. '' Voldemort raised his paw. `` I shall miss you. My ... occupy opposition. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to verbalize the last row Harry would ever hear.

'' postponement. '' Harry whispered, he had no strength to speak normally. `` I 've thought of some safe shoemaker's last Son. ``

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

'' The one with the mogul to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the seventh month dies. '' Harry 's whispered language rang out in the quiet room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

'' Have thrice defied him. '' Voldemort prompted, his eyes suddenly desperate. `` Yes ? Yes ? ``

'' Thrice defied him. '' Harry licked his lips, his representative was barely coming out now. `` And the shadow Creator will score ... will nock him ... ''

'' Yes ? What then ? '' Voldemort leant stopping point in to listen.

'' cross him as his adequate ... '' Harry 's mouth were barely moving, his words just disturbances in the air. `` But the dark ... the nighttime ... ''

'' Yes ... '' Voldemort put his hands on Harry 's shoulders, steadying him. `` Please finish it ! ``

'' The dark lord, shall never ... '' Harry 's eyes were closed. `` Shall never learn. ``

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

'' The iniquity lord ... shall never learn. ``

'' What did you say ? ``

'' I said you never bloody read ! '' Harry 's eyes flicked surface. `` Do you ? ``

Powered by the last gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the knife from his flesh and repulse it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as blood fountained from his stomach and his eyes clouded pitch-black. As he slipped away and his heart stopped beating all he could hear was the rustling of the veil.




Cliff. suspension. Again. I know. Sorry. recapitulation anyway.


Sorry this took a patch to post. I did n't mean to intentionally go forth you hanging at a cliffhanger but first gear I posted it then realised I had to change something so that sent it to the back of the queue, then it got rejected ... anyways it 's up now.

reappraisal seem to be motley as to whether people think Harry 's really stagnant or not and whether the series is over or not. It 's gracious to have created such disagree views. : )




The first matter Harry sensed was the scent of Malus pumila efflorescence. It was a smell he knew very well. His eyes flickered open and looked up onto the familiar dappled leaves of the orchard in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, green and full of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' bod, not Methedrine. Harry shook his mind, realizing what must have happened. Eye 's did not originate back, orchards did not spring out of cypher. `` I 'm dead. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a long sigh of sadness. He had done his C. H. Best, his very, very best. He had tried to come through. He had tried to not leave the world of the keep, had tried not to bequeath his friends.

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

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

Harry looked up at the tree diagram, bearing blossoms and fruit all at once in an impossible, but beautiful, tableau vivant. He was glad he had ended up here, not back at Godrics Hollow.

'' I did call for him with me though. '' Harry spoke the bitter words. `` I got him good. ``

The fart rustled lightly through the tree. He thought he could almost, just almost, get word nipper laughing. Harry sat down and set his back against a tree and closed his eyes. If this was the hereafter then he knew one thing for sure. Before he met any pearly ostiary or had his sins weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a rest. The horde of sin could not move him from that spot.

The confidential information whistled through the Tree and for a moment Harry though he could hear voices.

"stoppage her ! Don ‘ t let her get to the body !"

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

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

Harry 's deal wormed it 's way along the flat coat and found an apple. It was nice and surd, fallen recently. He brought it up to his mouth and bit into it, letting the juices run down his face. It tasted a little bitter, just a little.

Harry heard the grass in forepart of him disturbed by footstep. Someone was there. He opened his eyes slowly, and arched his brow when he saw who it was.

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

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

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

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

'' You can call me Harry. '' Harry smiled. `` Do n't worry about it. ``

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

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

'' You seem, '' Dumbledore was picking his give-and-take carefully. `` You seem at peace with what I did. Thomas More than the last meter I saw you at to the lowest degree. ``

'' Mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his brain. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the same time ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad berth, everything was riding on your shoulder joint. I mean feeling at me, today I cast an unforgivable expletive ten ... maybe 20 meter. And before that, over the course of this year I 've killed ... masses. Several people. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the time. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein 's monster. Your changeling child. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my head. You said you put your retentiveness of James Potter in my head. I can feel them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a poor written matter of Harry ... Or worse a pitiful transcript of William James Potter. Am I ? reply me truthfully. Please. ``

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

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

'' Yes. ``

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

"I ... There were many reasons."Dumbledore looked away into the distance."You see it was very gentle to ... to not recollect what I had done. To not think of it. I mean there you were, looking like Harry, acting like James. It was easy to devolve into the sand trap of thinking you were ... that you were ..."

"real ?"

"That you were not the living proof of my sins."Dumbledore shook his head."At least that was the cause at kickoff. I simple did not need to recognize what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the torrent of long time, I began to think perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a champion so I though ... perhaps no one would ever have to do it. Perhaps I could let you fulfil Harry 's place and never severalise you. I thought I could let you take up the burden. I am not proud of that. I should stimulate known the vaticination could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can take his place ?"Harry pointed at his wrist."I mean, the dark lord did chump me."

"Harry he did not tag you as his match he marked you as his servant."Dumbledore shook his head word."And besides, I can count on my finger's breadth the people who have thrice defied Voldemort. I would have known if one of them had been with child."

Harry sighed. As he did the wind seemed to murmur, carrying to him remote voices. He strained his ears to get word,

'' avail him ! For Merlin 's rice beer help him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His substance 's not shell ! ``

'' Of track It 's not beating he does n't make any parentage left you hysteric idiot. Each of you, give me your bridge player. It's a unspoilt thing Harry acquired so many hangers-on, one of you has to be his origin type. ``

The spokesperson faded into the breeze. Harry's brow furrowed.

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

"No, but then I ‘ m a fiddling More dead than you are."Dumbledore smiled.

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

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

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

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

"How ?"

"The fact that you are nigh death coupled with the fact that you died mere meters from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just glad I got a last chance to speak to you."

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

The old wizard and the young laughed. A thought struck Harry and the mirth dimmed.

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

"Of course Harry, anything."

"What is my name ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am sorry Harry. I erased the memory from my own mind so I would never forebode you it. Never slip up ... But I can tell you the orphanage where I found you. It is called the Malyn Orphanage, or was nine years ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten miles south of Belfast. If track record exist then, well then you might be able to witness them there."

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

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

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his life history with a Greater London emphasis thick enough to float bricks on, chuckled."So, do you think there might even be records of my parents ?"

"I do not think so."Dumbledore looked away, not meeting Harry's eyes. He seemed to be picking his Holy Scripture carefully."I do not call back that you will find records of them there."

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

"No Harry zippo like that."Dumbledore shook his top dog."In fact I believe we can safely take on both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a small about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the convention manner, you were ... found. Found by an elderly couple walking along the lagan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s banking concern a little after a storm and they saw a little bundle washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were blue all over from the cold and damp, but so weak you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water for a long time."

Crashing rocks. Raging white water. Harry's creative thinker shied away from the photoflash of terror in his mind and he felt his breath quicken. The raging soaker in his creative thinker banishing all though was real, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to erase. His only if really memory was a phobic disorder. Another bitter caper. He licked his sass, had to say something, anything to hire his mind off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six calendar month old, give or take."Dumbledore answered."The yoke gave you to the authorisation and of row an investigation was made. Unfortunately nothing was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hands of the child serving. The floor after that is, well, rather as you might guess it."

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

"I ... I do not consider that was the case Harry."A tear rolled down Dumbledore's cheek."You see, I have something the muggle bureau did not. I have my map. That was the reason lupin knew. I needed him to see it and show me how to use it, or it could experience revealed the truth."

"The map- Or course of action !"Harry smiled, his heart lighting up."It should show my substantial name ! That ‘ s why you kept it hidden and everything ! What does it say ?"

"Harry the map does not demo your name."Dumbledore brushed the split away."Do you know how the map works ?"

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient type of conjuring trick, the magic of names."Dumbledore's vox took on a lecturing timbre, but Harry could still hear the chunk in his throat."There is an old wizard superstition. An old married woman tale, if you will, that a whiz's name is tied to their destiny. That the epithet first given to a whizz somehow sets his course. There was once a enceinte fad for concealing one ‘ s true name so that enemy could not realize power over you. foolishness really, in those days someone ‘ s true public figure was easy enough to divine. That is what the map does in any suit. It works by the illusion of names."

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

"And for you it displays nothing Harry."Dumbledore closed his eyes sadly."On the map your gens is blank. Just a set of footprints and an empty scroll."

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

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

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

"Harry ..."

"I was six calendar month old. Six month they had me and didn ‘ t even care enough to ..."Harry slammed his fist into the dry land."I guess I ‘ m ameliorate off without them."

"Is his kernel whipping ? I can barely-"

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

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

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

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

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

"I ... I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his straits."Most of my booster are still alive."

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."Harry said the dread name loudly into the woods, only faint echoes came back."He ‘ s not utterly then."Harry's hands clenched into fists.

"No,"Dumbledore shook his head."I believe you have Bella to give thanks for that again. She snuck in when the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth came down and spirited his physical structure away right under your friends'noses using an emergency brake portkey. Rather careless of them. Alastor is probably beating himself up right now."

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

"He will be severely weakened."Dumbledore stepped forward and laid a mitt on Harry's shoulder."Perhaps as badly as he was fifteen long time ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be years, possibly decennium before he can rise again. And if we can catch him while he is light and complete him off, so very much the better."

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

"Is there not anyone you actually wish to speak to Harry ?"Dumbledore asked, fading a little as he did so."No one in this world ? Perhaps the existent Harry ceramist ?"

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

"How could you possibly ..."

"Well once was years ago when I traveled through time and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his fingerbreadth."And the 2d time me sent a message here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked expression Harry grinned."I lead a very weird life."

"But interesting."

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

"I hope so Harry."

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

"simpleton Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking someone else 's way. From this full stop on, you 'll have to make your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

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

"No no Harry."Dumbledore smiled broadly, a secret twinkle in his fading eye."Just curious."And with that the old magician faded into naught, and was gone. Harry chuckled.

"You had to receive the last Good Book didn ‘ t you. Git."

The air seemed to change texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was alive again. He could feel his twinkling in his pectus. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the orchard. It was exactly the same as before but it felt unlike. He was dreaming now, just a regular dream. Harry let his eyes close slowly. He would wake up in good time, but until then ? He was ok here. For now.
*


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

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

He had stood in the waiting way in St Mungos for recollective than he could remember while incompetent person healers told him they had no information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the woods all his neural vigour had leeched out and it had taken all of his genial strength to stop himself sagging to the level right there. He had managed to fool virtually of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him swear to sleep as soon as he got to his way. Who was she to order him around like that ? Why could she ? Snape's back talk curled into a smile. Because she was interesting enough to get away with it and was the entirely one who could pull it off. Which just added to the pastime of course. Snape smiled as the wine curled down the back of his throat. He was very lucky in many regard. prosperous than he deserved.

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

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

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

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

"Yes, there is something."Minerva pulled a hard plump for chair over and sat down stiffly."When you went off to St Mungos I called the remaining order together, there was much to discuss."

"I can imagine that there would be."Snape yawned theatrically. He did not have to fake it."I can not conceive of how that would concern me however, I am no longer a member."

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

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

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her drumhead."I will bear quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is enough for me. It has been hard enough to persuade parents to place their tiddler to Hogwarts this class. I imagine next twelvemonth may be a piddling easier but I am for sure I will still have my hands broad. And besides, I will need to notice a new transfiguration teacher."

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

"Kingsley Shacklebolt may very well be the solely matter currently keeping the ministry from falling apart."Minerva smiled faintly."He was the most aged auror to live this debacle so I believe he will be ever more busy than I myself will be."

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

"Too paranoid."

"Arthur Weasley."

"Has no combat or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

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

"No."

"soul who knows how the iniquity lord thinks."

"No."

"Severus listen to me."Minerva leant close-fitting to him."Do you not think we discussed all these things in amongst ourselves in the club ?"

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

"Severus please."Minerva's eyes dropped to the base."This by year Albus ... well you yourself saw. I do not talk ill of the dead but he had become ... tired. He was not the Dumbledore we all knew. He was not acting at his best."

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

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

"I ... I can not lead the order."Snape tried to make his voice not fathom like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into dark conjuration. A hanker time ago yes but some Deutsche Mark do not come out."

"Yours has."

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

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

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

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

"Do not cite at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a choice ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry spread your middle. ``

Harry woke from deep dream, the sparkling silver voice in his ears.

'' I 'm awaken, '' Harry murmured, his eyes closed. `` But I 'm still in my orchard. I can smell the blossom. ``

'' You are still asleep, in St Mungos. '' piss rippling over shining stones. `` I wanted to talk to you but you 're on a gravid deal of medicament. It was simpler for me to just come to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' how-do-you-do Thea. ``

'' Hello Harry. '' The vernal seer was sitting cross legged under a Tree in front of him, looking like the homo figure of serenity. Instead of her usual white-hot gown she was wearing a simple brown frock, she seemed almost part of the forest. She looked ... different, somehow different. It was not her face, she was still the same beautiful girl he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her argent fuzz was caught up into a farsighted rear end down her back, tied with blueish ribbon. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the mother wit of ancientness, the feeling that the little mortal in front of him had outlasted empire. She seemed ... untried, the same age as him give or lease a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not take much to pretend the grounds for the change.

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

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

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

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

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

'' It is the truth. ``

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

'' Stubborn. ``

'' Brat. ``

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

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

'' The orphanage ? ``

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

'' I can not translate mind anymore Harry. '' Thea shook her straits. `` That came with being the oracle remember. I just know you. ``

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

'' Oh yes, there are some matter they can not get away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a illusionist, and a very potent one. ``

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

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

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

'' A short pass will not inconvenience a mighty Heron like you too much. '' Pythea crooked an eyebrow mockingly.

'' A short walk ? We have to get to Emerald Isle ya know. ``

'' Then it is favourable that another thing they can not take away is my external spectre license. '' Pythea held out her script. `` Just tell me where Harry. And we can go. ``

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


'' Ow. '' Harry 's paw went to his tum as pain flared there through the hospital sail. `` That really hurts. ``

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the side of his bed. `` The tongue was made with night magic so the wound ca n't be magically healed. You 'll give to let it crumple together the old fashioned way. Is it too much ? Do you like to wait till tomorrow ? ``

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

Pythea cut him off with a wafture of her hand. His infirmary gown changed into a unproblematic flannel t-shirt and pant. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another wave a carved wooden cane appeared in his handwriting. Obviously she did not think he was as salubrious as said he was. Damn her for being right.

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

Pythea stepped up to him and wrapped her weapon around his attendant eye. This closing curtain Harry could sense her tomentum, like common smoke and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you gear up ? '' She asked.

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

'' You still have n't told me where we 're going. '' Pythea clicked her tongue irritably. `` Not being able-bodied to register the great unwashed sentiment is going to take some getting used to. ``

'' I 'm sorry. I really am. '' Harry apologized again, earning him a degree stare from the little seer, and told her their destination.

For the first time in his life Harry enjoyed an apparition. The walls of the emptiness pressed him into Pythea, forcing them near together. He could palpate her breathing spell on his face. He was almost frustrated when they dropped onto a small road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanhood, it was the lonesome building there. At the inwardness of it was a stately-home case of thing. He could n't put a date to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the mall of the complex but at some point the owners had felt a need to flourish. The two blocks to either side of the main construction took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape trend of architecture. Around the whole station there was a high wall with bristled wire looped at the top.

Harry tried not to cerebrate that made it face like a prison. All schools had that these days.

With a careful hand on his stomach Harry walked up to the main reception. Pythea stopped there and sat down quietly on a bench.

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

Harry grinned and turned towards the threshold. He took a deep breathing space, then winced at what that did to his stomach. He tried to cool off the raging butterfly inside but could n't. The lonesome matter that gave him the will to push open the door was piranha linguistic rule. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

'' Up the stairs first door on the left. '' The secretary looked back down at her papers.

Up the steps. Of course of action. Harry labored up the steps, having to remain More than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the resort area, full of tyke running about wildly. From inside the bulwark the place looked a lot nicer. All around the edge of the wall there were a series of tike 's painting. Long running wall painting and swirls of color. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to strain the first floor and took a few tired breaths. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to post me up the bloody steps. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a building full of children could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the first door, his walking stick around clattering against the floor. He knocked, politely.

'' Come in. ``

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

"Hi, I used to live on here. At the orphanage I mean."Harry stepped inside.

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

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

"pass ? driver permit, no you ‘ re too youth for that. Your adoption security perhaps."

"Do I need one ?"Harry's deal moved to his pocket and mercifully found that Dragon 's wand was still there.

"We can ‘ t give record out to just anyone dear."

"Confundus."Harry whispered, then."Can you earn an exclusion ?"

"Of ... of course deary."The cleaning lady shook her point like she was trying to reposition cobwebs then turned to her figurer."What gens is it ?"

"I don ‘ t have my gens. Long report, but it happened on January twentieth, nine years ago."Harry wondered whether he would call for another Confundus to fluff past the ‘ no name'affair, but the woman seemed to hold it in her stride.

"Everything ‘ s on computers now. It ‘ s very high tech."The charwoman pursed her lips as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had rooms and rooms of file boxes. Would have taken ages to find a platter like yours."

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

"Here we are."The woman squinted at the criminal record for a consequence then let out a throaty chortle."Oh yes, I remember."

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

"How could I draw a blank ?"She turned to him with a motherly smile."Everyone here has a constant reminder of your stay with us."

"Wh ... what ?"

"See the bulwark over there ?"She gestured out the windowpane."See the barbed wire ? You may consider it ‘ s to keep folks out, but it was originally put up to go on you in. You kept clambering over the wall."

"Really."Harry didn't dare feel. Didn't dare hope. A exist connection to his stolen past like this had been too much to ask."I must throw caused you all a lot of trouble."

"Oh you were a rascal you were."The old woman smiled fondly."I still recollect what you said to me the day the wire went up."

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

"fountainhead I said to you ‘ You know that wire ‘ s been put up just to keep on you in.'And you turned to me, cheeky as a monkey, and told me ‘ That ‘ s good miss, ‘ cos the rampart wasn ‘ t much of a challenge anymore.'”

Harry's heart broke and he fell into his hand. He felt tears blooming in his eye. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd come here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected proof. validation that he wasn't some Frankenstein monster, trial impression that he wasn't a bad copy of James River potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of say-so and filled with itchy feet. He. Was. Him.

"lamb are you alright ?"The old woman sounded occupy."Do you want a tissue ?"

"And you tell me ..."Harry swallowed and tried again."Can you enjoin me my name ?"

"Oh, I ‘ m afraid you came to us without a name."She looked back at her reckoner screen."We gave you the family name Malyn, after the orphanage. Which is a traditional here. And for the first name we had to prepare that up. So we called you Jack."

Jack ...

Jack Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

doodly-squat Caiman.

All those hoi polloi, all those people he'd disguised himself as ... Jack.

His constant alias. The name that had always come to his brim when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory, a memory of the number 1 real number name he had. Not given to him by his parents sure, and apparently not magically binding. But a name. He still felt more like Harry, it was still the epithet that came first to his sassing but ... it was like that hollow core inside him was filling. Filling with persona of a life he had though he had no memory of. It felt so good.

"I suppose you ‘ ll deficiency to go down and see it."The old fair sex was handing him a printed copy in a brochure. Harry assumed it was his single file. She nodded towards the back of the orphanage.

"See it ?"

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

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

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

"My pleasure Jack."

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

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

"Lead the way."

Harry set off, taking them stave to the rear of the buildings. He could see it now, down the side a small. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the ghost of the orchard apple tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. The little round grove of apple trees.

"My god."Pythea had her mitt to her back talk in shock."It ‘ s real."

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hand to touch a branch."It was a memory. I kept having this dream where I was stuck in Godrics Hollow. But that place felt all Wyrd, but if I could kick downstairs out and touch the woodlet I felt dependable. Felt real."

"I though it was a founding of your nous, I never thought ..."

"Neither did I."Harry stepped beneath the branches and walked into the center of the grove. He set his rachis against the tree and slid down, resting on the ground. Pythea sat down succeeding to him, resting her shoulder against his.

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

Harry didn't trust himself to speak. Couldn't speak. There were no words. They sat there for the longest time, the finale summer breeze filling running past them and rustling the leaves above their heads. Eventually, after who knew how long, Harry spoke.

"Thea ?"

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

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

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you have intercourse how they choose the next seer Harry ? They go around to all the magical households in Greece, looking for children with the inner eye. If they find one with enough power, with power enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a choice of course, but who would make bold say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's incline."I was three, but I remember it well, another swearing my gift gives me. My epithet wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old name, never speak it ever again. One day in art class I signed one of my paintings with the old name, just a little misunderstanding. The furiousness they had at me that day ... they burnt my picture, in front end of my eyes. I never used the old gens again. After I finished my education I was allowed to go back and chaffer my parents. I went back to my old house. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would ask someone to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their daughter, they looked at me like I had done something wrong. Even to them I was supposed to be The Pythea ... even to them."

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

"You can imagine. Not that you have to."Pythea smiled up at him."That ‘ s why we were never stranger. Because we ‘ re the same, both orphaned. Both with our true personal identity taken from us. Both shoved into rolling wave and names we never wanted."

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

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

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

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

"They took away our names."Harry corrected, brushing his hand against Pythea's face."They can ‘ t take away who we are. The names don ‘ t matter so much, you can bid me Harry or gob or Bob it doesn't matter. I know who I am."

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, trivial glistening bout in the corners of her eyes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really know what to do, other than to redden. A minute later Pythea seemed to realize something.

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

"Had to take place eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you following time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

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

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin next hebdomad if I remember correctly."

"A hebdomad, think that ‘ s sufficiency prison term ?"Harry scratched his head.

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

"Dunno ... stay in the rural area probably. I could do with a nice peaceful holiday."

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

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

quartz laughter filled the grove, and lit up the farewell with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her passkey's bed and cried, heedless of her tears staining the sheets. She had done all she could, used every aspect of her art, but her God Almighty still barely breathed. His skin was deadened white-hot and only the dark magic she had woven in his chest kept him animated. He was so weak, not even conscious. It was wicked to see him like this, severe to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could have risen up again in nimbus. Instead he was trapped in this prison of bod. Better deadened than to lie on this narrow cot in a lilliputian room, not even fit for a hiding place. But she had to do what she could. She was the last, the terminal loyal expiry eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

"I did not abandon him."The unruffled boy stepped from the dark, carrying a parcel under his arm."I was doing our lords good work."

"For a wide year ?"

"It did guide farsighted than foreknow ... but it has been done. And in the nick of time too."The pale wizard strode over to the shadow noble's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, master, and I have done your summons. Do not worry lord, I can make you strong again. unassailable than ever. With this ... we can arise again, the death feeder can prove again. The ground will tremble master, shake in fear."

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

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





Ye gods that was hard to write right. Or ... right write. Write write ... some combination of those words anyway. It 's been a crimper coaster I think you 'll tally, and the ace most massive twist of the intact fic was finally revealed. Hope you liked it. multitude who were waiting to the end of this book to review ... your sentence has come.

I 've already started writing the succeeding book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual thing of writing myself into a corner. Instead I plotted the Holy Writ out in improvement and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The patch made logical sensory faculty and all, no plot-holes, there was nothing tripping me up, no writer block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ word of honor I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. positive upshot : The story is a lot impregnable now I think. damaging upshot : I have to switch away a meaning part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the adjacent story is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own path. Too bad that way is as deadly as the last. A new enemy procession, an old one lingers and a mysterious assassin is out for Harry 's blood. With Harry still injured from his confrontation in the department of secret he ca n't face these challenges head on. He may even have to start using his psyche ...

secret abound in the adjacent book of the series Harry ceramicist, The Stone and The Scorpion !