Thanks to all the people who reviewed the terminal chapter. Your various transposition of the ecumenical `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most appreciated. I feel kind of bad for jumping a twist like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. beneficial to get it on the majority of people appreciated it.



"Harry ?"Padma said quietly, standing at the end of the hospital bed. Harry seemed to be sleeping, his chest revolt and falling weakly. His heart were red, like he'd been crying. Perhaps the pain was tough than he let on. She felt bad for needing to ignite him."Harry wake up."She reached out and tapped his leg. He jerked fitfully, but his eyes flickered spread. 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 healer. They ‘ ve run some more tests."She licked her lip."looking at, it looks like a few months was actually optimistic. There ‘ s damage deep down, lots of equipment casualty. You need to let them help you now or ... or you ‘ ll die. In a few weeks."

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

"You won ‘ t be able to fight back Voldemort."Padma tried a different tack."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have calendar week like you ‘ ve been going all class. You ‘ ll have calendar week in this hospital bed, not able to move, eventually you won ‘ t even be able-bodied to talk. You won ‘ t be capable to belt down Voldemort. You won ‘ t be able to be the chosen one."

Harry flinched, pain running across his tired face.

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

"You do what you have to do."Harry pulled his helping 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 malefic eye and let them figure out 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 tears. Padma backed away, she had got what she came for. The healers would fix Harry's body. What had happened to his mind ? That might occupy a piffling longer.

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the therapist entered his way. 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 fall to the story with a brassy clatter. The healers shied away from the mark on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

They did something that was supposed to numb him. He couldn't tell the difference. Everything was dulled already. He watched, ineffective and unwilling to care, as they cut his tegument undefended. His stock seeped out, quickly staunched by a therapist. He wished they wouldn't bother.

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


Draco slapped the sore hide of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the battle, but it was fine now. Just enough remainder inflammation and pain to facilitate him bide alert. He swung his weary eyes around the waiting room, all of the marauders were here. near of them had finally succumbed to sleep, Dragon didn't blame them. It was hard to reckon that the deadly midnight assault on the creature ship had been just last-place night. They had been worn out, worn down. Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find out some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the healers had a faculty elbow room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just hang asleep.

Draco shook his head. Some of them had to be awake when the healer finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for hours. How many ... accession .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the room again. Everyone seemed to be at peace. Even Ginny, who seemed to let nodded off in the act of pinching herself. They had all been there all dark, no one had collected them. He supposed it was only a matter of fourth dimension before a instructor or an order appendage came to wrangle them up and drag on them back to Hogwarts, where they would no doubt stay. Chained to stake like dogs so they couldn't run off again.

genus Draco got wearily to his invertebrate foot, maybe he could walk some of his tiredness off. He stepped carefully around the prone vulture and stepped up to the door to the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward. Harry's bed was obscured by mantle but the tail of the therapist were still moving against the surface. 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 room."Is his family here ?"

"Yes."genus Draco said definitely, looking over the piranha."waiting a here and now ... HEY !"The marauders jerked to lifetime, hands flying to wands before they realized where they were. Draco turned back to the healer."They ‘ re up. What is the intelligence ?"

"wellspring we ... we removed several items from the body of your friend."The poor therapist swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his breastbone. There was also something in the wall of his stomach. We think it may have been designed to negate poison but it seems to have had the paired issue. It was the reference of his illness. We also found-"

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

"His ... his eye."The healer paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a heavy wad of scarring. Unfortunately we were ineffectual to fix it. We are currently looking into whether the installation he has is high quality enough to allow there."

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

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

Draco looked back over the marauders. Through their sand-filled, droopy oculus he could see their sadness. Harry had fought so strong and got nothing in return but accusations of murder and a permanent wave defacement. And a dark sucker, 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 knee joint up to his thorax."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 prof McGonagall. She didn't need to say anything, they knew why she was there. They were going back. And they might never leave.
*


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

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

Thankfully she did not indicate, but instead bent down and touched her baton to the skin on Snape's arm. The slicing pain in the ass was distant, dulled by potions. There were bottles by his arm, some empty, some waiting to grow the skin back after the fall guy was gone. He was in his apartments at Hogwarts, the only home he could feature gained those potions without interrogative sentence was from his own supplies. The searing began and Snape looked away, watching his own arm butchered was not what disturbed him, not after everything he'd seen. But it reminded him of what Harry was going through. Of the dark lord as well. What would he do next ? What would his next move be ...

"He may go into hiding."Natalie answered his unanswered question, still intent on his arm."Like he did fifteen geezerhood ago."

"He will not."Snape shook his head."He was forced to shroud then, he had no baron. 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 savage, I am certain of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the footling dither of pelt 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 costless until Voldemort was beat. Perhaps because he knew that, without the power to spy, he was next to useless.

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

"But I am."Snape shook his head word."Perhaps not useless but ... if I had not acted on instinct we would now cognize 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 head drop back, perhaps.

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

"I have been trying."Snape replied tetchily."But I can not mean of anything he would like to do that he has the manpower to execute. Unless he has some plan I am incognizant of. Which he almost certainly has. I always got the sense that he had something brewing."

"The ministry ? The department of mysteries ? The Prophecy ?"

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

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

"And if he is not all in then he is doing Falco columbarius knows what."Snape shook his head teacher."It could be anything."

"Severus,"Natalie took his face in her bridge player and tilted it up to meet her eyes."Not so low now. We won today. It may not finger like it, but we won a victory. victory have been few and far between this past tense class, we need to cherish them, not occupy about what will occur 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 public figure Harry felt himself enter the familiar spirit dream. He felt floorboards under his back, scratchy through the slight hospital robe. He knew where he would be when he opened his center. And finally, he even knew why.

He pushed himself off the level, leaning his tired frame against the bulwark. The rampart painted with bears and snitches over a blench Amytal sky full of downy clouds. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't muster the energy. He ignored the crib in the center of the elbow room, it's shiny mobile spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the room access open air and descended the stairs. The revulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely fetch himself to care. He knew what this spot was now.

No one-year-old remembers their star sign. No one-year-old could remember every picture, or the pattern on the wallpaper. This billet was a lie, a parasitic memory that had been burnt into his intellect. The creeping sickness in his hide was his mind's way of telling him that it wasn't real, that it didn't belong.

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

He couldn't feel the orchard nearby. God knows what that represented. Some metaphor for condom his mind was projecting out maybe. Who knew. The river ? Some former part of his thinker ... it didn't matter. Harry let himself descend to the undercoat on the grass, it was all pointless. It wasn't worth fighting this anymore, it was burnt onto the vertebral column of his scull. He could never escape.

His eyes flickered undefendable in the infirmary Mrs. Humphrey Ward. He could experience the sore new growth in his paw. It was pink, new tegument, and smaller than the former. Harry dropped it back onto the cover. Other parts of his consistency hurt too, small mark and injuries. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

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

The predator were sleeping there, lying across benches or curled up on the trading floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to lecture to anyone right now. Couldn't talk of the town, he had no idea how he would even jump. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't occlusion until he was out of the building and a few streets away. A pocket-sized street, not engaged. Breathing hard he shoved his wand out into the street. He found that he could barely keep his arm up for the few indorsement it took for the horse bus to smutch out of nowhere and screech to a stop in front of him.

"Ere are you Harry Potter ?"The pimpled conductor squinted at him, his interpreter 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. sub that ‘ s what I say."

"Right."paladin ... that cut to the core like a tongue."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 stiff a need to go to it as there had been to leave alone in the dream.

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

The bus moved off and the nameless boy sagged down in a chairman. Why was he doing this ? Did he even have a grounds ? He didn't seem to cause reason's anymore. He remembered being full of fire and need, burning heat for the competitiveness. But now he just felt dig, 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 empurpled blur in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any other Village. It was empty this time of day, like a ghost Ithiel Town. Suited his climate perfectly. He looked forward, an abandoned ship family, burnt and with the top base 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 deal stretched out, then shied away. This home was just more lie. The feelings in his head, grief, loss, fear. They weren't his, they weren't his loss. only strangers had died here, two strangers. People who had nothing to do with him. The sorrow was another trick, just another point of lie.

He spun away and stalked down the street, not looking back. He had never lived there, it meant goose egg to him. Or should intend nothing. His pes brought him to the foursquare and he lent tiredly on the war commemoration. He should never have come here, it was not what he needed. He raked his deal through his hair.

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the stone, hissing out fury through his tooth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his real remembering were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Christ's sake ! His all body was a masque !

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

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

"Reducto !"The wand flickered out, even through the craze the spell flew avowedly. It struck the headway of the Church Father statue, shattering it into matchwood. Some of them cut the boy's frame. He didn't care.

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

"Reducto ! !"The last shot was the potent, striking out in a blinding bolt of Inner Light, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. flaming flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the ruined tree stump of capitulum and died to nothing.

The unidentified boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a Marathon. His clothes wet with sweat. He dropped his scepter back into his pouch and turned his back on the statue, his breath still coming in furious bursts. 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 eyes found a graveyard. Both middle, literal and magical. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining sheathing over his visual sense, the x-ray view of the humanity. Now it was just a constant reminder. A admonisher of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the graveyard gate surface and let the eye roam, in a moment it had angled in on the ceramist grave. He walked hesitantly to it, his baton safely away in his pocket. He pushed a piece of ivy off the stone and record the inscription.
The live enemy that shall be destroyed is decease


Well that was bullock block. Being dead meant you had at least one other foeman left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two casket, face to side in the ground, stared back at him. But ... there was a darkness. Like a vacant area. He drew his wand and muttered a revealing spell. Faint whiffs of illusion drew out of the terra firma to touch him. He waved his wand again, cutting the brumous waifs away. He worked ... he didn't get it on how long. Probably minutes, maybe hours. At some point the grey sky gave way to rain down and the necropolis grass turned slip. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the spells. It was practiced. It was a puzzle, breaking the illusion. It stopped him from thinking.

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

The unknown boy fell to his knees. There it was, the final proof. The last demonstrable check. That poor people wasted body in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a petite scratch on the bone of his scull, above his eye, in the shape of a lightning dash. The tangible cicatrix had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely to a greater extent than makeup. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the I. F. Stone, but said cipher. The choler in him was gone. He had seen the bodies of the actual ceramicist, lying together. It was heavily to feel anger, but he wished he did. The anger at least filled him up, filled the emptiness with flames. But now the firing was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his baton against the rough, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, thoughts skittering over the asleep essence of his mind. It was a scepter gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be component of. This baton was his killing wand. He had done horrifying thing for the interest of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the Sir Henry Joseph Wood. He had pickled his mortal in rip and what had it got him ? He added his other arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a garish crack, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into laurel wreath. A fiddling red frivolity was seeable through the break. It had had a phoenix feather core, he never knew.

"Well that makes thinks easier."

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

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

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

"Felt like further."The discharge boy dropped the remains of his wand onto the Potter grave accent. Perhaps some patsy sensation would come up it and attain up some story about it. He turned back to the death eater and asked,"Are you going to vote down me ?"He was surprised that his voice did not vocalize eager.

"Eventually Mr Potter, no doubt."Rookwood held out his wand."But kickoff you ‘ re going to batten something for me."

"What ?"

"The dark master ‘ s undying favor."Rookwood tilted his forefront up arrogantly."I will be raised above the others, above even that asshole Crouch."Rookwood paused, obviously expecting the fag out soma before him to say something. `` Well ? Nothing to add ? No witticism ? ``

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

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

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


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing Christ Within burned through his eyelids as he groaned. The haphazardness went on and on, familiar ... very conversant. His computer storage twinged, his real ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eyes flickered open just as the tube train flashed out of sight, leaving the tunnel in darkness. He felt the cord binding his hired hand together, his fingers danced along them trying to find a international nautical mile. There was none. They were tight though, biting into his skin, magical no doubtfulness. He didn't have to feel to fuck that his pegleg were similarly bound. He didn't pain in the neck to try to stand.

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

The unknown boy twisted and looked around him, one of the paries was been broken through and a dark, down-to-earth tunnel stretched away. Now that the railroad train was gone he could see something in the darkness all around, a scratching slinking sound.

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

"Oh, so you noticed."Rookwood held up his wand and lit it, smiling. The darkness rolled back, but not far. A grey wall stopped the light, a writhing peck of textile and rot.

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

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling people. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some sort of low temperature, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were conclude to them ? He shook his capitulum, they couldn't touch him, a someone could only feel so much desperation and he was already at his limit. And as for making him relive his worst memories ? Ha ! His darkest moment was still fresh in his mind.

"The dementors like it down here."Rookwood continued."They ‘ ve been breeding down here like flies. There are hundreds 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 silencing appeal. A 2nd flick levitated him off the floor. Rookwood reached into his air hole and pulled out a foresightful silvery duration of cloth, easily recognizable. An invisibleness 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 skid 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 ghost. Right now his state of affairs fit him like a mitt. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scratching, digging sound. The dementors followed after, filling the tunnel with cold. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the bend figures came into sentiment. One shadow cloaked chassis standing tall, the rest ragged and rupture and scrabbling at the dirt mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their clothes that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or zombies. Who could tell the difference ? The physical body in front end of them turned as Rookwood approached. darkness long hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are late Augustus."The female person death eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a steel toed boot with the strength of a falling stripling behind it did more than damage than expected. The left incline of her face was crushed in, a mass of scars and bulging hide. When she spoke she slurred, only the right side of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, zilch left.

She had lost her eye. How wonderful. How very poignant. Under the cloak the invisible prisoner felt his vacuum filled with a tiny discharge of satisfaction.

"Hello Bella."Rookwood stopped, his script 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 design. I came here to see why you were late. Why were you late ?"

"I was delayed momentarily, nothing to concern you."Rookwood waved his hand away."You should go to your own tunnel. Without mortal 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 demeanor 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 separate themselves out from the crowd."

"There is no crowd anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her ruined human face."There are three of us. There will be more than adequate gloriole to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into cut air.

"Lying bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dour lord ‘ s right hand. lay off digging you freaks !"He directed the hold up one to the wight burrowing in the poop. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant eyes rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his sceptre and the shite began flying away faster. In a poor moment the grunge became a brick rampart, 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 wall and raised his wand. There was a shatter blast and the bulwark caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his metrical foot his hand tangling in his robe. A cat valium heartbeat of visible light struck him in the header, 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 thigh-slapper started.
*


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

"Moody ?"Albus appeared around the recession, his look a mask of concern."You were on precaution obligation. What are you doing here ?"

"Didn ‘ t you listen to me ?"Helen Newington Wills threw his handwriting back the way he'd seed."The ministry ‘ s falling ! Enough dementors to paint the sky black !"

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Moody tried to keep up, his breath catching in his chest."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even know where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you have a plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the corner. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But gods he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the hell was Dumbledore thought process ? He could get them all killed ! The entire gild. The entire bloody order in one fell swoop, and what the hell could he do to stop it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

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

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

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

"The ministry is compromised !"Dwight Lyman Moody saw his words cut Snape."Dementors in more numbers racket than ever before."

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

"Severus,"Natalie Zhao spoke calmly, despite the spot."flavor 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 order. He ‘ s going in without any eye, without anything. It is a trap, or could be. Even if it ‘ s not he ‘ s still going to lose half the 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 centre flickered with panic."We need to assist them. We need to help the order."

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

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

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

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

"Do you recognize where to encounter one ?"

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


Rookwood stepped over a body. It's eyes were still receptive, it's backtalk moving vacantly. The dementor's kiss, it left them living, but they were body nonetheless. Rookwood paid them no mind.

"Welcome Mr ceramist, to the section 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 floor and canceled the silencing magic spell."Well Mr potter ? You have anything to say ?"

"What are you doing with me ?"ceramist's voice was a trivial horse from the long secrecy."You ‘ re trying to earn item with your lord, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"more than enough Harry. More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his wand and the bonds on Harry's peg snapped off. Another chink and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the patty. If I am to outstrip Crouch in terms of merit to the lord ... I must look for the icing."

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

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

"My ft are departed. Your circle were too tight."

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the nominal head of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the cap, looking for victims. There were still a few left. Not enough to trouble over though. He stepped into out into the store office, pulling his strangely compliant billing past the cooler of learning ability. He stopped by the threshold to the decease chamber, there was the sound of spells from within, individual holding out perhaps. He pushed the door spread out in time to see a champion scrambling away from an inferi tripper and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering unspeakable in it's unshakable traveling bag and threw him away with inhuman strength. Screaming as he flew across the room, his belly laugh was cut off as he fell through the archway in the center. The curtains ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a shudder, he was never entirely comfortable with the execution portal. Harry watched from his side with dull heart. What was wrong with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the border of the elbow room, giving the inferi a wide nativity, and pushed give the door at the other side.

"fountainhead Potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of ledge in front line of them, each one with quarrel upon words of flyspeck spheres."This is the Charles Francis Hall of prophecy."

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

"They are track record of prophecies, and they are the reason 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 answer, but he sniffed again, his mouth twisting into a sneer.

"I assume that was a yes."Rookwood glanced up at the issue on the shelf, yes this was it."The prophecy concerned you and the dark 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 Divine is very eagre to get his helping hand on the prophecy. That prophecy."Rookwood pointed at the finical orb."And I will be the one to gift it to him. My frost, you could say."

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

"Shall I tell you something about the prophecies of the section of mysteries ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain people can lift them from where they lie. Namely the people they have been made about. So the only citizenry who can demand this prognostication are the dark lord, and you. ``

Potter stared at the orb for a consequence longer, the words sinking into him. Then he threw his promontory back and laughed, laughed so hard his centre ran with tear. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a bitter laugh, full-of-the-moon of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

"If they are very lucky they might get out with only major injuries."Rookwood answered confusedly."But in all likelihood ? They would die. Screaming."

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


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

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

They were overrun, there were too many !

"assist me ! Oh god help me !"A figure ran from out of the rage, his green bowler still clutched in his hands."Please !"

"Get out of here you fool !"McGonagall shoved Fudge away. She could not deal with him. Her middle searched through the scrambling volume for the caput of the order."Dumbledore ! Dumbledore we must displume back !"

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

She heard a scream from her left and sent a patronus wildly into the surging crew. The shriek cut off sharply. Whether she had had any issue she did not know, she had to translate again to dance out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to send another shining light to hold them back again. But her body was tired, her wand arm tired.

decomposition flesh filled her nostrils and she tried to fetch her wand around. Too slowly. The dead fist crunched into the English of her head and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the dead figure to sherd, blood already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to yield it.

No one.
*


The orb came loose in potter's deal, it's faint refulgence shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his gist saltation, but the thrower boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a know snake.

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

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

"Just give me the all-fired orb !"Rookwood made to grab it but Potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the Stanford White light faltered. A tinny whine filled the air, like grinding gears. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his fingers. In the middle of the white a midget spike of darkness was growing, like ink in milk. The blackness grew until it covered the whole interior of the orb, it was no longer shining glass but a milled orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his auricle. Suddenly there was a fizzing crackle china and Potter yelped in nuisance, spilling the prophecy onto the floor. Rookwood cried out, it would break for sure ! But when the orb struck the basis it squelched, spreading out like Lucius DuBignon Clay. Smoke rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood leant forwards and held his hand out over it. The heat energy was unbearable this close and he had to shy back. The prognostication had melted. Melted into a steaming puddle on the floor.

The Potter boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not stimulate touched the prophecy !"

"He could if it was already played out."thrower glanced at the sludge on the trading floor."A gob, or else his fancy on me interfered somehow."

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

"He ‘ s come."The Potter boy was staring through the ceiling like a madman, his expression again an vacate mask of horror."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to hover by the ceiling. The muteness broken only be the groaning of the wounded. Minerva 's middle found the entrance to the cosmetic surgery, it 's lock opening in a grating crash. Stepping out into the corridor, black robes floating behind him and a hand curled in a wave to the wight swirling above, was the non-white lord himself. Minerva felt her heart startle to her throat. She glanced around, the order was in rag. Only Dumbledore stood tall, the rest of them were covered in rakehell and shaking from the effort of the battle. There was no effect here to lay off a dark Lord, no strength at all.

Voldermort's eyes found a quivering lump on the floor and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the night lord crooked a finger, pulling the fig to his feet. The K bowler was gone, but the pallid flesh remained.

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

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

"Hurt you Cornelius ? But why would I ask to ?"Voldemort gestured to the roof."Even as I speak the rest of your ministry has already been overrun. The ministry you so have a go at it is a nest of soul sucking ghost. Why would I need to hurt you ? I already have everything I wanted from you."

"Tom,"Dumbledore's voice spoke out mild in the swarthiness."You can not possibly think I will let this suffer ?"

"No old man, I do not."Voldemort flicked his wand towards the Headmaster. Fudge dropped to the floor and scampered away down the corridor."I think you will do as you have always done. Stand bravely in the grimace of the lunar time period, 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 bridge player and the Dementors fell like hunting hawks. Minerva was forced to fight for her spirit against the hoar cache, spinning around her like a whirlpool of decease. And in blink of an eye of light beyond that convolution she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his wand out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the press was too neat. An inferi had her arm in it's vice like grip and she blew it off with fire. Another took it's topographic point too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gouty arthritis of purple light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling wizards in the center of all this, Dumbledore raising the very Oliver Stone of the floor in a paries against the iniquity lord, but it was blasted to tear up just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

Minerva dashed towards him but the Lady Jane 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 burn it off before she recognized the face.

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

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

"Then what do you suggest !"

"We die."lupine delivered that net in a flat growling."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to give another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as white mist, easily brushed aside by the wraiths. Suddenly there was a fit of tearing noise, breaking the flag and making the chamber shake with it's effect. As it died there a flash of red Christ Within and a senior high cruel laugh.

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

The dementors parted for a moment, like clouds in farting. The iniquity Godhead stood over the sprawl flesh of the master, his iron heel on Dumbeldore's neck. Minerva felt despair that had nil to do with the dementors. She let her wand handwriting cliff to her side. They had lost. It was all over.

"Expecto Patronum !"A chorus of hard articulation cried the spell and the room was filled with a wall of Light Within. Minerva watched as a charging white social lion crashed into the massed signifier before her, a snarling skirt chaser running at it's heels.

"You ! treasonist !"Voldemort had his baton drawn and had spun to face the nip and tuck. Minerva turned to wait but saw just one figure standing there, his arms crossed in arrogant casualness.

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

"I will kill you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's verge stabbed forward. There was a flash of light and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a brute blow of frozen wind at the iniquity lord.

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

"Minerva !"A psyche appeared out of nowhere as a cloak was thrown back. Natalie Zhao ? What in Merlin's name ?"Minerva the educatee can ‘ t hold open them back forever and sooner or later Voldemort ‘ s going to wonder where those former patronus came from."

"The pupil ?"

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

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The unspeakable grabbed a prone chassis on the level."Now tell apart your people to devolve back before everyone else is dead !"
*


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad sprint away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the confusion of fight, then there had been some step, then a corridor ... The sound of battle were everywhere, coming out of the walls. He had just kept running., unable to do anything else. His heart raced beyond what any man exertion should have forced it to. His idea was blank, a utterly weight. Today had been a lifetime.

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

"cum on dance with me you mangled kick !"Michelson came into view down a long hall, throwing bolts of lightning at Bellatrix and laughing like a madman.

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

He crouched down on the floor, his fingers going to Tonk's neck on inherent aptitude. He did not really carry to find anything, her skin was pale and ...

She had a pulse.

The nameless boy had to harbor her consistency as a shining laser of something cut through the bulwark above them. The duel was raging just on the other face of the wall. She wouldn't have a pulsation for long if he left her here.

So long ... His brain was grizzly sludge, he just wanted to shut down. He had no wand and his muscles were piddle. They would never get through safety anyway, this billet was a warzone. But on the other hand ... Tonks.

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



review and you will farm faggot annexe that will let you fly.


Due to other commitments my bill may get a petty advance apart for a while. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the edge of the fountain of witching chum. Every bone ached and his arm was tied up to his body in a slingshot. There was no time for healing yet though, no prison term at all.

"stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a problematical compounding to passe-partout ), raising her hands to the crowd of ministry survivors."Just hitch there and the therapist will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The last was directed to a daily prophet reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook computer.

The early side of the student residence, back behind the fireplaces, a strain of layer were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth I Heathland lying sedated, her hand clutched by her ceaseless companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a little cold and quiet for week to come up and likely not ever wanting to meet a dementor again but she would live. Oh to have just one of them back in his house, or any of the vulture. They had fought like tiger, like fire Canis familiaris with wands.

One of the threshold slammed open and Markus stepped out angrily. His robes were mostly burnt off and he had line of descent running down the incline of his chest but he seemed unaware of these small details.

"She got away."The massive sorcerer reached the edge of the fountain and plunged his fountainhead under the surface. A moment later he lifted it up and tug his wet hair's-breadth out of his eye."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 wards she disapparated."

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

"So I'm the exclusively one who missed his mark."Markus shook sprays of weewee out of his fuzz."Sorry mate."

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

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

"We have taken back most of the ministry. I believe all of the piranha deserve Os"

'' They deserve bloody medallion ! ``

'' Yes but I can not give them ribbon. You however can hold them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain smile and saw it returned extensive. He gestured towards the raising with his good arm."Voldemort holds the department of mystery. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a cellblock on the face lifting and on all staircases."

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

"I doubt that you could do it in five or five hundred."Snape shook his drumhead."I know that Barbara Ward. There is only one way to get through it, and that is with a moody stain on your arm."

"well then you can-"Albert Abraham 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 nous."He has hostages down there, order phallus and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

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

"Mother of god."A. A. Michelson slammed his clenched fist into his palm."So it ‘ s a dead end ?"

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

'' What the ... '' Suddenly A. A. Michelson was on his fundament, an expression of shock on his nerve. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A instant later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his facial expression a grey mask. He did n't look up, did n't acknowledge anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his gist down bedside a shocked therapist. Snape rushed forward and saw marauder stand in every quoin of the room, running towards the unexpected slew of their leader.

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

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

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

'' I 'm OK. '' Harry was almost curling up under their stares, hugging his arm 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 wand ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the marauders shied back there was a blast of heat from behind them. Snape spun around in fourth dimension to see the fountain of magic brethren go red hot and set about melting, dissolving into the water system with a hiss. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water, mixing with the body of water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order members, ministry worker and marauders surrounded the pond of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with yellow light up to the ceiling. As they watched it faded to silver, then to grey, then finally to pure white. The White River resolved into SHAPE, semblance bloomed out of the pure light. As the material body coalesced Snape heard a screaming from someone on the former position of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

In the pool, rippling on the surface of the liquid, was an image of lord Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the section of mystery story. The baton in his manus was long and pale, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's wand. Behind the dark lord, lined up and chained together, were ten wizards. Though the picture was faded and the colors 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 voice sounding deep and echoic like it was coming from the fundament of a well.

'' unspoiled wizards of the ministry, '' The iniquity Godhead greeted amicably. `` member of the order of the phoenix and the good nipper. What you are seeing is the interior of the section of mystery story, where all the greatest secrets are hidden. All the deepest magic of the ministry is within these wall, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And look at my friends here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his captive. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the Price of defying lord Voldemort. '' He took a packet of wand out of his sac and hovered it into the air. With a gout of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the toll ... And reckon who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger and Fudge was dragged forward, his bonds separating from the others. He came to a stop by the iniquity Divine 's ft and looked up with ail eyes.

'' Are you going to ... to drink down me ? '' Fudge stuttered out.

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to belt down you you misfortunate petty man, whatever you say. ``

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a footling well-off. `` Do you call up when I used to invite you up for tea ? Back when I was ... I was a department hear and you were ... you were younger. ``

'' Yes ? ``

'' well I spat in your tea. '' Fudge shuddered out through gritted dentition. `` Every time. Even back then you were a creepy little freak. ``

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

super acid light filled the puddle of piss and for a minute none of them could see anything. Snape felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The illuminate cleared in time for them too see the iniquity lord savagely kicking the parson 's dead body to the side and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The master was thrown forward roughly.

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

'' Well old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his wand down at Dumbledore, a bolt of electricity charring a hole in the Headmaster 's robes. `` Do you not have something to say ? Some live on discussion before I take your life. ``

Dumbledore just stayed silent. It was only from the light rise and surrender of his chest that Snape could tell he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the cam stroke of the torment hex for a few moments before releasing him. `` You will address ! There has been too lots between us, you have been my enemy for too long for me to let you end it this way. You will acknowledge that I have won, you will say it ! You will acknowledge this triumph in some way before I kill you with your own wand ! ``

Dumbledore did n't even look at the night lord. In a rage Voldemort slashed his sceptre through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

'' You will speak ! '' The snake like case was set with brutal wrath. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am ready ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am cook to die for everything I have done. Those are my last Word of God, the simply one you will get. drink down me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his wand to form the oath but let it die on his lips. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under control. `` But of track, how could I deny a in conclusion request. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if time froze. The pool exploded with light-green light source again and Snape's throat closed, every muscle tensing. The other spectator around the pool held their manpower to their faces, or shook there head ... they would not conceive it. The green Light Within faded and the body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the undercoat. It crumpled like a report napkin, his byssus trailing onto the base like a rag.

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

'' Here dies Albus Dumbledore. '' Voldemort laughed. `` A fool to the end, and in the end a disappointment. So there you are, two surety bushed. I have eight left and all will die if you do not leave me what I want. I want Harry Potter. Bring him to me in one half-hour or I will kill another, perhaps the werewolf. I am sure no one will miss him. But if any of you wish to see these champion alive, then you know what you must do. Bring. Me. Harry. Potter ! ``

The consortium went dark and Snape stepped back. All around him people seemed to be going mad, crying and shouting to one another in confusion. His eyes were only trying to find one figure. Harry Potter. He swept the crowd. Nothing.

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


The unnamed boy crashed out of the sound box and dashed away, his feet slipping on the wet sidewalk. rain down splattered against his case as he ran out into the streets. He did n't even know why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would depend to him, would look at him and expect to see Harry Potter. Expect to see their savior, when all there was was a fraud. He dashed past the people in the street, some of them turning to look at his odd article of clothing and panic-stricken locution, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the screech of breaks. He prayed that one of the cars would hit him. His feet would not lay off moving and the phone of horns was left behind. His magic eye painted the world in shimmering curtains of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's Earth's surface. He pushed past a man in a suit and heard the man vociferation. He could n't blockade running. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from reality. The rainfall ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

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

He turned to lie on his backbone as his conjuration eye swivelled around, taking in every particular. He had been here before ... This was the alley where it all started, where Hagrid had caught him so many years ago. There was the drainpipe he had climbed ... the cap he had hid ... He had come a broad circle, entirely.

Heedless of the driving rain he opened his mouth and laughed. Laughed in arrant acrimony. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never get known, would never bear known any of this. He would have been capable to keep back on being Harry ceramicist. He felt bust running down his cheeks and mingling with the rain, freezing him to the bone.

But there was warmth. A little degree of heat at his chest. He dug his handwriting 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 maven, so hopeful beneath the gray-haired sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both hands, staring at it in wonderment as a silver mist swirled out from the point. It pooled in his hands, swirling and sifting. Slowly the sparkling liquid rose, shaped and colored and separated until two orbs hung in the air by his manus. One of burnished gold, the early pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The Patrick White orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a image, every curve ball glowing with spark, every flowing short letter of her pure white dress and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

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

'' Another illusion- ''

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

'' Your ... assistance ? ``

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

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

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these long time because you were the chosen one ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her crystal part filling the vacuum between the edifice with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry ceramicist I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' closure. '' Too painful. computer memory of pleasant times,

'' I will not break off. I will never quit trying to help you. I knew the consequence I met you that you were n't the chosen one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the kept woman of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a here and now that I would drop a affair like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a world without hope, you were the lone shining opportunity. ``

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

'' I saw nothing about your future. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to meet him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and dead on target soul who would fight down for this humanity even if the entire world was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a thousand clip and would still pick himself up. I saw that the night lord would rise and I hoped ... I did n't have it off but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the world in peril and the hereafter unsealed I took the best chance the world had. I took a chance on you. In a sentence of sodding desperation, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't fight anymore. '' The boy dropped his optic. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't know what it 's like to have someone walk up to you and kidnap your stallion life, 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 ask you to accept what you have to do from me, which is why I brought him. '' Pythea gestured up to the favorable sphere. `` You've carried this necklace close to your heart for almost four days now. I think it's time you saw what's inside. Do n't die Harry, please do n't die. I 'll see you soon. '' She faded into nothing, leaving just the golden orb left. As soon as she was gone it began stretching and shaping.

'' Um what do I do ? '' An uncertain phonation came from the growing swarm of mist. `` I just speak into it ? ``

The frame resolved into a figure. His long robes were buttoned tightly and long arms, rolled up now to exhibit his arms. Those gown were familiar. Tonks had worn them stopping point yr, auror trainee gown. The face remained muzzy for a second more then coalesced, becoming a unwaveringly fashion model in prosperous brightness level, right down to the last frowzled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell open in shock. He was looking up into his own face. No ... no there were deviation. The jaw was more pointed, sharper, the eyes closer together. He did n't birth a scar on his neck, nor a dark mark on his arm. He looked older too, at to the lowest degree two class if he was an aurors prentice. God ... was it possible ? Was this ... Harry potter ?

'' I do n't quite realize this. '' The ghostly golden build said. `` Your friend, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different world or ... or dimension or something. A different time too. I do n't tranquillise understand it, need Hermione for that sort of matter. ``

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

'' Your admirer says I wo n't remember recording this, wo n't retrieve any of it. '' The figure 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 globe is very different from mine. For one affair ... I 'm not in it. I died. ``

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

'' I wish I knew why but ... your friend wo n't tell me. Something about lessening the interference as much as potential. There are other things I wish I could recite you, things you really should screw about- '' The recording skewed like static for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's distinguish me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The clip thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my hereafter, to be given to you in your past, to dally in your present. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't acknowledge. I do n't know what I 'm saying. I ca n't suppose what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this sentence it 's spoiled because you know you had a retiring it 's just been taken. I know you must feel like crawling into a muddle and dying, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the same really. I do n't sleep together what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostly figure began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm supposed to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and spread his manus. `` 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 admirer says that, since I 'm abruptly in your earth, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be well-off, but you know that. In fact I ca n't think of anything that I could say to sway you to take the job. Except that you have to. The Earth depends on it. And I know that the world has n't done you any party favour. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the worldly concern be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't know 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 shadow figures licked it 's lips.

'' Do you get laid how many regulations are broken by this variety of inter-dimensional transit ? Certain countries still have the death punishment for messing around in parallel mankind. Just getting here, the travail it must give taken. The risks your friend has taken just to get this message to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the full residual of the world is underworld right now you 've got one person who 's uncoerced to risk everything for you. Risk her lifespan. So if nothing else ... fight for her. ``

The fig faded. It 's eyes lasted the longest, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the alley was disconsolate again. The boy on the ground stood, slowly and with maintenance, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter edifice. His hands went to his stomach as he threw his head back and laughed, the pelting trickling down his fount. That was Harry ceramist was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the too dramatic, hesitant bastard. If that childish gimboid can save the world I sure as hell can.

He pushed his rainwater soaked hair out of his eyes. It was like the vanity was, somehow single out. It was still there, the gaping emptiness, it was just that all the important parts of him, the thing that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the little shell necklace back around his neck. Just a shell now, it's magic gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was section of him, the existent him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to beak the biggest scrap of his life.

He needed a architectural plan though .... and if he was going to go a scrap with the greatest dark ace in the human beings it would need to be a bloody skilful plan. Or a bloody insane one. Let's see, he had no advantage. Voldemort held all the visiting card. Voldemort could down him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostages. On the other hand Voldemort was alone, he had no death eater, no dark animal, no servants.

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

So wee-wee it an unfair fight.

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

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

"Welcome to the ministry of deception. Please country your epithet and business."The telephone said flatly.

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

The machine apparently took him a little too literally as ...
Harry ceramist
christ


... 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 severalise him. He dissilusioned himself before the room access slid open again and stepped out into the ministry anteroom. There was a level of organized chaos and another boastful degree of disorganized chaos. Harry ignored it and his conjuring trick eye picked out the marauders. The were all clustered in one home. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

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

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

"Hi guy rope. I ‘ m back."

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

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

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

"There ‘ s no clock time, how much time we got until the 1st surety goes ?"

"pentad minutes."Draco pointed at the clock.

"commodity that ... that might be enough."

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

"Yes."Harry nodded, and there was a sudden intake of breath from the marauders."But I have a plan ! Seriously guy rope, it ‘ s ok. I have a plan."

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

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

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

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

A forest of deal were stretched out towards him. Every single sceptre. Harry picked one at random and tried a simple good luck charm. It was stuttery and faint. No good. He picked another and almost set his hair on fire. The 3rd the turn came out right but the scepter felt weird. The fourth part ... Harry did first one piece then another ... then another ... they all came out perfective tense. His eyes came up to adjoin Malfoy's hoary ones.

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

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the scepter."The indorsement thing I need is healing. Just a quick refresher. I ‘ m to tired and banged up to fight like this."

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

Harry took the feeding bottle with a grin and tipped it back into his oral cavity. The warm chocolaty liquidness seemed to debilitate into every aching musculus and ivory, making him feel like he was well rested and salubrious rather than at the border of weariness.

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


"Here ! Look !"Snape was shocked out of his sentiment by the yell. His eyes found the source in the Brigham Young Weasley small fry, crouched down by the fountain. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the syndicate, waving him over. `` It 's going unmortgaged again. I can see something ! '' Snape dashed over, staring down into the inky darkness. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see nothing. ``

'' Look. ``

'' Miss Weasley there is zero there. ``

'' There was ! ``

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

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

'' Eight hoi polloi. '' The kid shrugged. `` Eight people or me. Choice is pretty obvious. ``

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

'' I know I do n't. '' Harry nodded, a syncope smile on his face. `` I 'm doing it anyway. care me luck. ``

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


The lift grate slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of battle was everywhere, great ding gone from the walls and doors blown off their hinges. This was n't the section of mysteries yet though. Just the courtrooms. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The threshold to the department came into view, a blank rectangle at the end of a longsighted corridor. Harry could see zero beyond the door, not even with his magic eye. Some sorting of trade protection must pass around the department of mysteries. For the interest of his program he hoped it did n't extend inside the department too. Harry raised his wand to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom Riddle ! '' Harry 's overdraw vocalization shook the bricks in the rampart. `` I 'm here. '' There was a moment 's wait, then.

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

'' Why would I stay away Tommy boy. We 're like old acquaintance. '' Harry was poised to run at any moment if this went untimely. `` You 've got eight people in there. Those the great unwashed deserve to get out, so lets make a good deal, gentleman 's agreement between friends. I go in. All of them go out. ``

"Those are the full term I gave."Voldemort sounded amused.

Harry waited in silence for a minute ... then the room access at the end of the corridor swung surface. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The scene was just as it had been reflected in the pool, the demarcation of captives, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the center field. The consistency of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the lap room, the spinning room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the threshold had been knocked off their hinges and he could see into the way beyond.

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

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

'' Of course. '' Voldemort gestured mildly. The Ernst Boris Chain on the captive crashed to the ground.

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

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

"In only arrest hoi polloi from entering, not from leaving."

'' Ok, fine. time lag ! '' Harry held up a hand, then pointed to Lupin and a muscular looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, engage them up with you. ``

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

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

As the final man trouped out Harry pushed the doorway shut and locked it. The expectant bolt sliding into place sounded like a hammer.

'' well Mr ceramist. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The kings in our picayune chess game. The pawns are gone, the rook are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

"Have you never even played chess ?"Harry quirked an brow."If all you have is the two Billie Jean Moffitt King that 's a standstill snake facial expression. You ca n't checkmate with one king."

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his eyes and picked a clear space of level. He pointed his verge down.

'' unslaked lime. '' A chalk personal line of credit appeared on the floor. Harry drew his scepter around in a approximative rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy throw me your opinion. Does that look like fourteen feet to you ? ``

'' What in pigeon hawk 's name are you doing ? ``

'' Well we have to hold a duel. '' Harry shrugged. `` might as well do it by the record. ``

'' A regulation wizard 's duel ? '' Voldemort seemed almost make to chortle. `` My my Mr thrower I can not order 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 midsection of the rectangle. He put his wand into his pocket and held his hired hand away from it to record he was n't touching it. `` But I believe that the adjacent step is to bow to one another. Like man. ``

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

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

'' Of course. ``

'' Hmm ... '' Harry grinned up at the ceiling. `` Hope you like this cat. It 's going to be one hell of a appearance. ``

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

'' We section as friends. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's hand in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the shocked iniquity lord. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom Riddle it 's been a pleasure, and an laurels. ``

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The trance flared across the room. Just before it hit the nighttime nobleman seemed to waver and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his binding and exploded in twinkle against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking leer on his face,

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

'' Worth a dig. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his wand. `` Goodbye Mr potter. I wish you all the dear in the following world. Avada Kedavra ! ``

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



Review or the wickedness chicken with the DEAD optic that only I can see will defeat me.


A lot of people seem dysphoric about my haunt cliffhangers. Well it got you to look back did n't it ?





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

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

The chicken managed to loose itself and dropped to the flooring. It took a look at the two thaumaturgist on either slope of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an spread door.

"Was it, meant to turn into a Gallus gallus ?"Harry tapped his Kuki thoughtfully."Is this some poultry variant of the killing whammy I was not previously aware of ? Is that a Gallus gallus of demise ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's hand dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's eyes went wide.

"I mean for god ‘ s sake checkmate. Never let a pickpocket hug you."Harry chuckled."I mean that ‘ s just stupid."

The iniquity lord's paw twitched to his pocket.

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

"ceramist you ..."Voldemort boiled with angriness."You ... you ... you ..."

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

"Potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his wand forward, keeping the other two safe in his left helping hand."Shut your ugly murdering nerve. Happy, civil, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ fourth dimension is officially over. Now is the time for the other affair. The bloody hatred filled conflict that culminates with the killing of you."

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

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

The dark lord hissed, his fingers clenching into claw. Then a import later he exploded into locoweed, whisking away through an open threshold. What the ? Harry 's magic trick eye focused through the rampart, onto the floor in the next room. On the level next to a prone dead body was-

sceptre !

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

'' Difindo ! '' The scepter on the flooring snapped just as the cloud coalesced around it and but Harry was already moving again. His eye making wall and threshold meaningless. Another body, another wand ! He felt the roll of tobacco behind him, catching up.

He rolled as it passed viewgraph and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as breaking wind lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the trading floor and snapped the wand up from beside the bundle of gown that was all that was left of the dupe of an inferi. He skidded to a arrest, his eye dancing madly to recover any remaining verge ... nothing in the prophecy room ...

The cloud circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost feel Voldemort doing the Saame chip that he was, using sullen magic to find any remaining weapon. The cloud contracted then dart away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a bit, a endorse Sir Thomas More and his eye had found it's prey. The death sleeping accommodation, a wand rolled into a crack in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the black smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too quick !

Harry threw another twister ahead of him, kicking up shards of debris but the mo it reached the cloud it was squashed like a frog. The steer going monotonous in mid air. The smoke disappeared under a door and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The sceptre ! Right there ! Voldemort reappeared with a thunderclap and jabbed his helping hand forward. The wand leapt from the floor and spun towards the dark Lord. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and splinters clattered on the storey. The dark God Almighty's hand snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the concluding of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his wand trained on the wickedness nobleman he stepped down the steps till he was next to the flutter arch. He picked the three wands he'd acquired out of his pouch and chucked them through the veil. The dark cloth fluttered for a second, then went still."All verge ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the alone way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my cold dead hands."

"What an fantabulous suggestion Mr Potter."

Harry had just a moments warning before the orb of iniquity flew from the dark Jehovah's hand. Harry spun behind the arch and ducked down.

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

"Garta !"

Harry felt the flagstone beneath his base disappear and he plummeted into wickedness. He jabbed his wand 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. As he shot from the ground like a fastball a orb of shadow flew towards him.

Someone not expecting it would take been hit. Someone without a illusion eye.

Harry kicked off the sharpness of the arch and swung out of the way. He let go of the strand and aimed at the dark figure below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The green light left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the side of the stepped domain. The killing curse blew a kettle of fish in the wall but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a doorway."Come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the maze of dorm. Harry dashed back through the entrance dormitory and shot into a long elbow room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing shadow was just seeable at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The incubus curse sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's way of life. The explosion filled the air with emerald Dame Muriel Spark. Three bolt of lightning thundered through the explosion and Harry threw himself to the side. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of pain. A freezing charm numbed the burn down human body as Harry furiously dashed after the dark noble. As he skidded to a freeze in the Charles Francis Hall of prophecies the dark master disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could pick up a tracing. A wisp of radius curled around one of the shelf, only to vanish a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so soundly for incorporeal things. He slowly turned, letting his middle sweep through the gaps between the ledge. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious cakehole on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be capable to better it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy hall. The glass spheres had not escaped the carnage of the struggle, many were left in glittering shards on the marble floor. The little ginger nut of glass cracked under his flush. Was that smoke ? Harry 's nub hammered in his pectus. Was that a-

FIREBALL ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flame, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a ledge. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a agglomerate of burning splinters. There was an ominous creak strait and Harry had to scramble to get out of the way of the collapsing shelves. Orbs of shining smoke bounced off his shoulder and shattered on the floor, their clean smoke spilling out and going inky black like swirls of midnight.

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

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his piece. The shelves crashed together as if drawn by magnets. The dark lord 's faint flesh was trapped between them. Before Harry could throw up another spell the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flames. He raised his handwriting, about to become smoke again. Harry stabbed his sceptre out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild twinge in the dark. The charm was used to make liquidness into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his configuration blurring a moment but not turning to fume. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark Divine threw his hand forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to catch the curse. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him spring up into a column of flame, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked top dog. The serpent roared and bit forward, it 's teeth dripping with molten venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the electrocution spectre but his shining sword slipped through it like water, leaving not a scraping. The snake struck forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the level, his supercilium charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the fire freezing charm and jump up into the hellfire monster. He stabbed his wand at the shadow beyond the inferno and yelled the killing curse again. The red flashed to green and Harry could see the iniquity overlord 's shocked facial expression as he had to dodge a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't make him an inch, he threw himself forward, slam another curse at his off balance enemy and found a cloud of black knives flying in his face. He dropped to the story and find out them clack behind him. He threw himself to the position but the knives jerked to comply him. He grabbed a plank of shelf from the floor and spin around it in forepart of him, hearing the heavy thunk of the leaf blade impacting the wood. Harry spun to look the shadow noble and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his hand distastefully and the knives melted into smoke.

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

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

'' Shut. Up. tosser. '' Harry gasped through gravid breaths.

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what spirit is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The spell caught the iniquity God Almighty by surprise, smacking into his shoulder joint with a bone splintering tornado. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his fundament buckle and grumble. He flipped backwards as the soil where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, ready to reap him down into it 's profundity. Harry danced backwards as Harlan Fiske Stone upon gemstone became breastfeed demise. His base hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The shelf lurched as it began to sink into the stone. Harry spun, holding on with one hand and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of dark lightning.

It was n't secure up here. Harry clambered to the top and dashed along the slanting wood. Being up here made him too much of a target. Harry 's eye spun to find the night noble and he almost fell off in shock as he found Voldemort hovering up from the dry land with murder in his heart. The illegitimate could fly !

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's crack sprung out of nowhere, drawing Sand from the floor and filling the air with yellow-white cereal. Harry called another twister, and another. The dark Godhead disappeared in the duster. Disappeared to normal centre that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murk at the shadow in the air and dashed away along the top of his ledge, he leapt across to the next one just before a lightning thunderbolt flashed through the air behind him. The dark Godhead could not see him in all this but he could see where his piece were coming from. Only a mark attacked and stayed in the Saame space ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the hurting fishgig, flashing out in their slacken fan. He twisted them in the air like a snake to hit the darkness Jehovah from both sides. He was rewarded with a howl of pain as one of the shining deadbolt struck plate. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a silver carapace. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even have to think. He just struck out and made the apprehensiveness orb vibrate with unbearable noise. He twisted to find the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Albert Abraham Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the dark Jehovah was spry and lightning caught his arm, burning like hell. Harry lost his footing and dropped off the slope 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 boundary of a shelf and he held on for beloved life. He pulled himself up and tried to stand, his eye spinning to find the wickedness overlord. There he was, but what-

'' Ulkaa Avaskanda ! '' The shrill cold voice of the night Maker shouted out of the storm, then. `` Finite Syrtis ! ``

The sand vanished like mist but Harry had bigger trouble. He leapt into the air as John Rock the size of cars obliterated the shelf behind him. His foundation hit another ledge but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's wand whipped out and a hooking impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the expanse of nothingness. A boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The air current pulled him out of the path of the meteor with a whisk of his baton and he let go of the 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 veered into the path of the other, shattering them both to fragments. Harry felt the wood beneath him shift again and this meter let it carry him down a instant before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing ledge, his eye found firm ground and he jumped again as the last shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a mass of wreckage. A pile three fourth dimension as tall as he was and full of give wood, shattered field glass 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 storey with Harry. The dark lord slowly floated down to the floor ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his metrical foot. Harry watched with a crooked eyebrow. Voldemort 's tooth clenched in madness as he stared up at Harry standing on his pedestal of ruin.

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

'' But you make it so easy ! '' Harry put his hands on his hips. `` Anyway, it 's hard not to mock you when I 'm winning ! ``

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

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

'' Surrender ? '' Voldemort spat the discussion. `` yielding to you ! ? ``

'' Hey mate, you 're the one that wants to live forever. '' Harry cracked his knuckles. `` You wo n't live forever if you surrender but I can warrant you 'll live prospicient than if you keep fighting. Not a lot tenacious but still ... ''

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

'' Me ? I 'm the moon-curser of the cap at night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the rake war. The only survivor of the torrent of ages and the Hogwarts triwizard genius. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

"And, to my suffering, I am Dumbledore 's short changeling child."

"What-"

"But that does n't matter because I 'm also a marauder ! Invincible cutthroat bastard and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. thrower ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the wickedness lord, his aspect set in firm resoluteness. `` That is why you should surrender. Right now. Or I swear on this passel of prognostication that I will burn up you from this worldly concern. ``

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

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

'' Never. '' The dark lords hands clenched to clenched fist. `` I will never give up to a one-half blood boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that case ... suck it bitch ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his verge straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all directions, the wood becoming lethal splinters and the rock-and-roll singing out in razor sharp shard. The dark master threw up a eloquent shield but Harry was already on the dry land. 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 slope to dodge a spray of pitch blackness ball and threw his sceptre up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The wickedness master fled through a threshold and Harry rushed to survey, casting death curses before him. Harry vaulted a desk and skidded through a threshold only to notice his body rising into the air. A lightning bolt grazed his shoulder and Harry was spun around like a top. major planet were floating in this way ! There must be some spell screwing with gravity !

Harry shot a come-on 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 formal of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing spell and pushed off Saturn directly into the conflagration. From behind the cover of flame Harry shot a killing curse at the wickedness lord but had to twist in the air to check his mind being taken off by a dark blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover trick one too many clip. Well lets try another.

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

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

In aggregate contrast to the repose of the department this room was a sort of zoo. batting cage wide of creatures filled the room up to the ceiling and were stacked in a spile in the midriff. Some looked normal, some ... not so much. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of bod with what he sincerely hoped was not a human being arm coming out of it. His magical eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life and bowel movement in the way made it tricky.

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

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the bundle of John Milton Cage Jr. in the center and all their barroom sprung open. Creatures scattered in every focal point. Something that looked like a sport wolf made a starved leap at the cages to the leftfield and was thrown back by a tour. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a mo. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to break off the swearing to duck behind a desk as more orb of darkness rained through the air. Harry heard a door slam afford and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his wand out.

The Death bedchamber ! vertebral column here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the door at the other side of the dimly lit way and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The threshold squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the other doors too. In a moment he had his scepter trained back on the darkness lord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other side of the vast room, his lips contoured into a leer. 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 breath even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running. ``

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

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

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

'' What ... ever. '' Harry shrugged. `` I 've had enough of your ego important terror. Time for the face-off. Let 's end this. ``

'' nada would delight me more Mr thrower ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the way. Harry was just a step behind him. They stared at each other from face-to-face sides of the base that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my wand you would take in died long ago. ``

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

The dark noble dropped to the floor, letting the patch pass over his head and jabbed his arm up at the ceiling. The phantasm above them became alive, a writhing cauldron of darkness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to envelop itself around him. Harry felt another snap his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the story and had to roll as bolts of thunder slammed into the flag where he had been lying. A ballock of blackness caught the side of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and skin. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his metrical unit, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that affair ! 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 wand at the cap. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The unripe spell impacted the dark creature and it wailed in pain, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to face Voldemort just in clock time for an blacken orb to take a chunk out of his shoulder. He was bleeding too much. Had to end this ! The dark Lord raised his helping hand for another dash of lightning. Harry tore two flagstones from the primer and hurled them in the path of the while, one after the other. The maiden was blown to splinters but the second, hidden by the cloud of debris, shot through like a marble discus and crashed with a repulsive crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The dark lord was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his hurt chest. Harry pressed his advantage and Voldemort was driven back by spell after spell. The dark Almighty was pushed onto to the stair and stumbled back, lying prone against the rock. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The dark Creator 's hand swung up ! It had been a fast one ! Harry saw a cloud of Black blades erupt out of nothing and sail towards him. He had no protective covering ! He could not evade ! There was just one chance ...

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the knives clattered against his weak carapace. Harry let it go and stepped forward, only to ingest his knees buckle and drop him on the floor. What the ? Harry tried to stand but his legs would n't incite. Was this some sort of hex ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

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

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's weapon system dropped down, suddenly too weakly. His wand rolled away on the dark stone. He had n't felt the tongue go in, epinephrin perhaps, but he felt it now. annoyance and ardor raging out from the yap in his abdomen. `` Bloody ... cuticle .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could get beaten you ya have a go at it. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of stock spray from his mouth. `` The very get-go spell I threw. Back when I jumped the count. Back when you had the bogus wand. If you 'd sustain just tried to shield like any normal wizard ... I could have won on the first spell. That was ... that was the plan. ``

'' It was a serious plan. '' Voldemort must bear seen no reason to be tempestuous now that he had won. `` Against a convention necromancer it would feature no doubt worked. ``

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his helping hand to spread his fingerbreadth around the knife blade in his breadbasket, but he could n't barricade the lineage. His life-time was draining out onto the level. The one in his leg would maim him. The one in his stomach meant he was dead.

'' Do you give birth any utmost words my beloved opposition ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not get word any satisfactory unity from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't cogitate of anything ... '' nighttime back breaker swam before Harry 's eyes. He had failed. `` Are my friends still watching ? ``

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not have the wizarding public miss this case. ``

'' Then my last intelligence are ... keep fight. '' Harry raised his middle to meet Voldemort 's. `` sustenance scrap him. ``

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

'' And ... '' lineage was pooling beneath Harry 's stage. `` And tell Thea I tried. ``

'' An admirable sentiment. ``

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

'' Very well. '' Voldemort raised his hand. `` I shall escape you. My ... occupy opponent. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to address the last watchword Harry would ever hear.

'' hold. '' Harry whispered, he had no strength to speak normally. `` I 've thought of some better last Scripture. ``

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

'' The one with the exponent to crush the darkness noble will be born as the seventh month dies. '' Harry 's whispered words rang out in the quiet room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

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

'' Thrice defied him. '' Harry licked his sass, his phonation was barely coming out now. `` And the nighttime lord will cross out ... will mark him ... ''

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

'' fall guy him as his equalize ... '' Harry 's lips were barely moving, his words just interference in the air. `` But the dark ... the wickedness ... ''

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

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

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

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

'' What did you say ? ``

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

Powered by the last gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the knife from his human body and drove it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as rakehell fountained from his abdomen and his eyes clouded black. As he slipped away and his heart stopped beating all he could hear was the rustling of the veil.




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


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

Reviews seem to be miscellaneous as to whether the great unwashed think Harry 's really utterly or not and whether the series is over or not. It 's overnice to have created such take issue views. : )




The first affair Harry sensed was the scent of apple blossoms. It was a tone he knew very well. His optic flickered open and looked up onto the familiar dappled leaves of the orchard in his dream. It was exactly as it had always been, green and full of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' frame, not glass. Harry shook his head, realizing what must have happened. Eye 's did not develop back, orchard did not spring out of zero. `` I 'm absolutely. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a retentive sigh of sadness. He had done his best, his very, very best. He had tried to outlive. He had tried to not leave the existence of the aliveness, had tried not to result his friends.

There are people that will hurt if you die, even if you take Voldemort with you

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

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

'' I did take him with me though. '' Harry spoke the acid words. `` I got him good. ``

The wind rustled lightly through the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. He thought he could almost, just almost, discover children laughing. Harry sat down and set his rachis against a tree and closed his eyes. If this was the hereafter then he knew one thing for sure. Before he met any pearly gatekeepers or had his sins weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a rest. The horde of hell could not move him from that spot.

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

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

The vox faded. Harry shrugged, that form of thing probably happened all the prison term when you were dead.

Harry 's script wormed it 's way along the ground and found an apple. It was nice and hard, fallen recently. He brought it up to his mouth and bit into it, letting the juice run down his boldness. It tasted a fiddling bitter, just a little.

Harry heard the grass in front man of him disturbed by footfalls. Someone was there. He opened his middle slowly, and arched his supercilium when he saw who it was.

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

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

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

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

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

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his brain. `` I can never apologize to you enough for what I did to you. No Word could ever suffice. I ... I am only glad that I got this one death probability to tell you how good-for-nothing I am. My crime was unforgivable. ``

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

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

'' spouse, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his principal. `` 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 office, everything was riding on your shoulders. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable curse ten ... maybe twenty times. And before that, over the course of this class I 've killed ... multitude. Several people. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the metre. 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 retentivity in my head. You said you put your memory board of James ceramist in my head teacher. I can feel them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a poor copy of Harry ... Or worse a poor copy of James Potter. Am I ? Answer me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his eyes to the base. `` I do not know how much of your original personality survived. Integrating memories is never fully successful, not from one person to another, but there is no way to severalize how lots mixing there has been. There is a fortune that the retentiveness settled harmlessly into your subconscious mind, 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 well-to-do to ... to not call back what I had done. To not think of it. I mean there you were, looking like Harry, acting like James. It was easy to fall into the trap of thinking you were ... that you were ..."

"Real ?"

"That you were not the living cogent evidence of my sins."Dumbledore shook his question."At least that was the reason at start. I simple did not want to acknowledge what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the inundation of ages, I began to cerebrate perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a poor boy so I though ... perhaps no one would ever have to know. Perhaps I could let you fill up Harry 's place and never tell you. I thought I could let you withdraw the loading. I am not majestic of that. I should throw known the prophecy could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can consume his place ?"Harry pointed at his wrist joint."I mean, the night Creator did soft touch me."

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

Harry sighed. As he did the fart seemed to murmur, carrying to him upstage voices. He strained his ear to hear,

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

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

'' His heart 's not thump ! ``

'' Of path It 's not beating he does n't take in any blood left you hysterical idiot. Each of you, give me your hands. It's a effective thing Harry acquired so many tagalong, one of you has to be his rip type. ``

The vocalism faded into the child's play. Harry's supercilium furrowed.

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

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

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

"You are dead, technically. Your heart is not beating."Dumbledore's centre twinkled."But I believe that, with time and a generous contribution of good red blood, 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 pipe dream ?"

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

"How ?"

"The fact that you are about death coupled with the fact that you died mere meters from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just beaming I got a last prospect to verbalise to you."

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

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

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

"Of form Harry, anything."

"What is my name ?"

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

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

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

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his animation with a capital of the United Kingdom idiom thick enough to drift bricks on, chuckled."So, do you think there might even be records of my parents ?"

"I do not recollect so."Dumbledore looked away, not meeting Harry's center. He seemed to be picking his actor's line carefully."I do not call back that you will find record of them there."

"What aren ‘ t you telling me ?"Harry felt the emptiness grow."Were they wizard ? Were they end feeder ?"

"No Harry nothing like that."Dumbledore shook his head."In fact I believe we can safely usurp both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a little about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the normal fashion, you were ... found. Found by an elderly duet walking along the Lagan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s camber a little after a storm and they saw a small bundle washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were idle, I was told that you were profane all over from the coldness and damp, but so debile you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the body of water for a long time."

Crashing rocks. Raging Andrew D. White water. Harry's mind shied away from the flashes of terror in his mind and he felt his breath quicken. The raging downpour in his thinker banishing all though was real, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to delete. His only literal memory was a phobic neurosis. Another bitter joke. He licked his sass, had to say something, anything to take his mind off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six calendar month old, give or take."Dumbledore answered."The couple gave you to the self-assurance and of line an probe was made. Unfortunately nothing was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hands of the nestling divine service. The narration after that is, well, rather as you might guess it."

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

"I ... I do not suppose that was the case Harry."A tear rolled down Dumbledore's impertinence."You see, I have something the muggle authorities did not. I have my map. That was the understanding Lupin knew. I needed him to find it and show me how to use it, or it could have revealed the truth."

"The map- Or row !"Harry smiled, his eyes lighting up."It should show my existent name ! That ‘ s why you kept it blot out and everything ! What does it say ?"

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient type of conjuration, the magic of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing note, but Harry could still hear the clump in his throat."There is an old adept superstition. An old married woman narration, if you will, that a wizard's name is tied to their fortune. That the gens first given to a mavin somehow sets his path. There was once a majuscule fad for concealing one ‘ s lawful gens so that enemies could not gain tycoon over you. Foolishness really, in those days someone ‘ s true name was gentle enough to divine. That is what the map does in any slip. It works by the magic of names."

"Yeah,"Harry motioned the tardily Headmaster to continue."And ?"

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

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

"Do you infer 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 months old. Six months they had me and didn ‘ t even give care enough to ..."Harry slammed his fist into the ground."I guess I ‘ m break off without them."

"Is his heart drubbing ? I can barely-"

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

Harry let the voice 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 big deal to adopt in on top of-"

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

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

"I ... I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his head teacher."Most of my protagonist are still alive."

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."Harry said the dread name loudly into the woodwind, only deliquium sound reflection came back."He ‘ s not perfectly then."Harry's hands clenched into fists.

"No,"Dumbledore shook his head."I believe you have Bella to thank for that again. She snuck in when the cellblock came down and spirited his consistence away right under your friend'nose using an emergency 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 hand on Harry's shoulder."Perhaps as badly as he was xv years ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be years, possibly decennary before he can rise again. And if we can catch him while he is weak and finish him off, so much the better."

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

"Is there not anyone you actually bid to verbalize to Harry ?"Dumbledore asked, fading a piddling as he did so."No one in this humans ? Perhaps the literal Harry Potter ?"

"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 fingers."And the second time me sent a message here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked formulation Harry grinned."I lead a very unearthly life."

"But interesting."

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

"I hope so Harry."

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

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

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

"Your wand ..."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 cryptic spark in his fading eye."Just curious."And with that the old genius faded into nothing, and was gone. Harry chuckled.

"You had to have the go word didn ‘ t you. Git."

The air seemed to exchange texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was animated again. He could feel his pulse in his chest. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the orchard. It was exactly the Saami as before but it felt different. 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 fine here. For now.
*


Snape reached his apartments in Hogwarts and barely got the door shut before falling into a chair. There was a bed in the next room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. verity be told he could take fallen asleep in the midriff of the expectant Radclyffe Hall, on the floor. He would get been the laughing blood line of every student though. Even big 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 vino off his tabular array. It had been left open, no subject. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting elbow room in St Mungos for longer than he could remember while incompetent healers told him they had no information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the woodwind all his aflutter energy had leeched out and it had taken all of his mental strength to stop himself sagging to the story right there. He had managed to fool well-nigh of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him assert to sleep as soon as he got to his room. Who was she to monastic order him around like that ? Why could she ? Snape's lips curled into a grinning. Because she was interesting enough to get away with it and was the only one who could pull it off. Which just added to the pursuit of form. Snape smiled as the wine curled down the binding of his throat. He was very lucky in many respect. Luckier than he deserved.

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

"Minerva."Snape tried to sit a little less like he was falling asleep."It is good to see you dependable, in all the disarray in the ministry I lost path. Come in. Would you care some wine ?"

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

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

"Yes, there is something."Minerva pulled a heavily backed 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 suppose that there would be."Snape yawned theatrically. He did not give to fake it."I can not opine how that would business me however, I am no longer a member."

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

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

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her head."I will have quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is enough for me. It has been hard enough to sway parents to beam their children to Hogwarts this year. I imagine next twelvemonth may be a picayune easier but I am indisputable I will still get my hands full. And besides, I will need to find a new transfiguration teacher."

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

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

"There are former 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 Lupin then, he has been with the order since-"

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

"No."

"someone who knows how the iniquity lord thinks."

"No."

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

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

"Severus please."Minerva's eyes dropped to the level."This past class Albus ... well you yourself saw. I do not speak 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 substantially was a fearful understatement if ever he heard one but there was no motivation to say so.

"In any event 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 cook his voice not go like that of a rat at bay."I was a demise feeder, I fell into dark conjuring trick. A farsighted time ago yes but some marks do not come out."

"Yours has."

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

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

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

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

"Do not quote at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a choice ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry open up your eyes. ``

Harry woke from inscrutable dreaming, the sparkling silvern voice in his ears.

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

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

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' hi Thea. ``

'' Hello Harry. '' The youth seer was sitting cross legged under a tree in movement of him, looking like the human being image of peace of mind. Instead of her common white gown she was wearing a simple John Brown dress, she seemed almost part of the woods. She looked ... unlike, somehow different. It was not her face, she was still the same beautiful fille he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her silver haircloth was caught up into a farsighted butt down her back, tied with blue palm. She looked exactly the Lapp but there was something missing. Gone was the sensory faculty of ancientness, the tactual sensation that the little person in front of him had outlasted empires. She seemed ... vernal, the same age as him give or consider a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not take much to opine the reason for the change.

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

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

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

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

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

'' It is the verity. ``

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

'' Stubborn. ``

'' Brat. ``

'' I am not. '' Pythea smiled warmly. `` Do you have any thought 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 idea again ? '' Harry smiled mysteriously. `` Do n't I get any secrets ? ``

'' I can not learn minds anymore Harry. '' Thea shook her head. `` That came with being the oracle remember. I just know you. ``

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

'' Oh yes, there are some thing they can not subscribe away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a prophet, and a very sinewy one. ``

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

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

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

'' A poor walk of life will not bother a mighty hero like you too practically. '' Pythea crooked an brow mockingly.

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

'' Then it is golden that another thing they can not remove away is my International apparition permission. '' Pythea held out her hand. `` Just tell me where Harry. And we can go. ``

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


'' Ow. '' Harry 's manus went to his abdomen as hurting flared there through the infirmary sheets. `` That really hurts. ``

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

'' No no. It just surprised me is all. '' Harry slowly lowered his feet to the level and gingerly stood. He had to hunch over just a little to stop the skin of his tum stretching painfully, but he could walk. No he could n't. His leg was mangled too. Maybe he could hop ... `` Do you give birth my wearing apparel somewhere ? Oh wait my bag 's right here. Can you sprain so I can- ''

Pythea cut him off with a undulation of her hand. His hospital night-robe changed into a simple White t-shirt and trouser. Muggle sufficiency to be getting on with. With another wave a carved wooden cane appeared in his hand. Obviously she did not guess he was as tidy as said he was. Damn her for being right.

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

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

'' Are you ready ? '' She asked.

'' Yes. '' Harry shut his eyes and waited. And waited ... He opened them again and cocked his header to one side of meat. `` Is there a problem ? ``

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

'' I 'm good-for-naught. I really am. '' Harry apologized again, earning him a stage stare from the little prophet, and told her their destination.

For the first time in his life-time Harry enjoyed an apparition. The walls of the void pressed him into Pythea, forcing them closer together. He could feel her breath on his impertinence. He was almost disappointed when they dropped onto a small road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanage, it was the only building there. At the heart of it was a stately-home type of thing. He could n't put a date to it, old was the expert he could do. That was clearly the center of the complex but at some gunpoint the owners had felt a motive to expand. The two blocks to either side of the main edifice took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape way of computer architecture. Around the hale shoes there was a high wall with thorny telegram looped at the top.

Harry tried not to think that made it bet like a prison house. All schools had that these days.

With a careful helping hand on his abdomen Harry walked up to the primary response. Pythea stopped there and sat down quietly on a bench.

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

Harry grinned and turned towards the door. He took a cryptic breath, then winced at what that did to his venter. He tried to calm down the raging butterfly inside but could n't. The just thing that gave him the will to tug afford the room access was marauder rules. Follow through. No fear.

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

'' Is there a disc department ? '' Harry asked uncertainly.

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

Up the stairs. Of course of study. Harry labored up the steps, having to rest more than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the playground, replete of children running about wildly. From inside the wall the shoes looked a lot nicer. All around the edge of the paries there were a series of youngster 's paintings. Long running wall painting and whirl of color. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a rule school.

Harry managed to contact the first storey and took a few tire breathing spell. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to impart 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 clattering against the floor. He knocked, politely.

'' seminal fluid in. ``

Harry pushed the threshold out-of-doors to see an elderly gentlewoman sitting in front man of a estimator, looking at him questioningly over her glasses.

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

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

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

"Passport ? Drivers license, no you ‘ re too youthful for that. Your adoption certification perhaps."

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

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

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

"Of ... of course deary."The woman shook her head like she was trying to dislodge cobweb then turned to her computer."What epithet is it ?"

"I don ‘ t have my epithet. Long story, but it happened on Jan twentieth, nine long time ago."Harry wondered whether he would postulate another Confundus to bollix past the ‘ no epithet'thing, but the charwoman seemed to contract it in her stride.

"Everything ‘ s on electronic computer now. It ‘ s very high tech."The womanhood pursed her lips as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had rooms and rooms of single file boxes. Would have taken years to notice a record like yours."

When would she bear started here ? Harry wondered. Was it possible she might deliver been there back when he was ?

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

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

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

"Wh ... what ?"

"See the wall over there ?"She gestured out the window."See the barbed conducting wire ? You may reckon it ‘ s to go along folks out, but it was originally put up to observe you in. You kept clambering over the wall."

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

"Oh you were a scamp you were."The old adult female smiled fondly."I still remember what you said to me the day the wire went up."

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

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

Harry's heart broke and he fell into his hands. He felt crying blooming in his eyes. He hadn't known what to carry when he'd come here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected trial impression. trial impression that he wasn't some Frankenstein's monster monster, proof that he wasn't a bad copy of King James I potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of self-assurance and filled with wanderlust. He. Was. Him.

"dear are you alright ?"The old womanhood sounded relate."Do you want a tissue ?"

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

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

Jack ...

Jack Match.

jak Baltzegaurd.

manual laborer Shakey.

Jack Caiman.

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

His never-ending alias. The name that had always come to his rim when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory, a retentiveness of the first actual name he had. Not given to him by his parents for sure, and apparently not magically binding. But a name. He still felt more like Harry, it was still the name that came first to his back talk but ... it was like that hole core inside him was filling. Filling with parts of a life-time he had though he had no memory of. It felt so good.

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

"See it ?"

"It was always your best-loved place."The old womanhood 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 require to see it. Thank you."Harry smiled thorough teary centre."Thank you. thank you so much."

"My pleasure Jack."

Harry turned and hobbled from the elbow room, it was only his aching combat injury and walking stick that stopped him from running. He reached the rump of the stairs 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 maneuver vaguely.

"booster cable the way."

Harry set off, taking them troll to the back of the buildings. He could see it now, down the side a footling. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the tincture of the apple trees. The little round orchard of apple trees.

"My god."Pythea had her hand to her mouth in electric shock."It ‘ s real."

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hand to touch a limb."It was a memory. I kept having this dreaming where I was stuck in Godrics Hollow. But that property felt all Wyrd, but if I could give out and reach out the orchard I felt safe. Felt real."

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

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

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

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

"Theia ?"

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

"Why did you trust me ? Right at the root ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You can imagine. Not that you have to."Pythea smiled up at him."That ‘ s why we were never strangers. Because we ‘ re the like, both orphaned. Both with our true identities taken from us. Both shoved into drum roll and epithet we never wanted."

"Both forced to take on them."Harry nodded."Yeah, we were never unknown. We're the Lapplander, we ‘ re like ... rootless. We have no root word. No past."

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

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

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

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

"I wish I had your certainty."

"You do have got it."Harry smiled."Because I know who you are. It ‘ s got aught to do with your name. You ‘ re just you. Any you ‘ re perfect."

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, little glistening teardrop in the corners of her optic, and kissed him lightly on the face."Thank you."

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

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

"Had to bechance eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you next time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

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

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin future calendar week if I remember correctly."

"A workweek, think that ‘ s enough fourth dimension ?"Harry scratched his head.

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

"Dunno ... arrest in the country probably. I could do with a courteous passive 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 Sir Thomas More fun."

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


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master's bed and cried, heedless of her tears staining the sail. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His cutis was suddenly white and only the darkness conjuring trick she had woven in his bureau kept him awake. He was so weak, not even conscious. It was dire to see him like this, dire to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could get risen up again in glory. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better dead than to lie on this specialise cot in a midget room, not even fit for a hiding berth. But she had to do what she could. She was the final, the last loyal death eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

"I did not forsake him."The tranquil boy stepped from the dark, carrying a package under his arm."I was doing our lords dependable work."

"For a full twelvemonth ?"

"It did take longer than anticipated ... but it has been done. And in the snick of time too."The blanch wizard strode over to the dark lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your retainer, master, and I have done your bidding. Do not worry lord, I can fix you strong again. Stronger than ever. With this ... we can rise up again, the death eaters can rise again. The earth will tremble passe-partout, tremble in fear."

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

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





Ye gods that was hard to compose right. Or ... right write. Write write ... some combination of those words anyway. It 's been a roller coaster I think you 'll fit, and the ace most massive twist of the intact fic was finally revealed. Hope you liked it. the great unwashed who were waiting to the end of this Book to look back ... your clip has come.

I 've already started writing the next book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my common thing of writing myself into a corner. Instead I plotted the book out in advance and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The plot made legitimate sense and all, no plot-holes, there was nada tripping me up, no writers block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ Son I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and make over the thing. Positive issue : The story is a lot warm now I think. Negative upshot : I have to throw away a meaning function of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the next story is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own course. Too bad that path is as deadly as the last. A new enemy climb, an old one lingers and a cryptic assassin is out for Harry 's lineage. With Harry still injured from his confrontation in the department of whodunit he ca n't face these challenges head on. He may even hold to take up using his brain ...

enigma abound in the next Word of God of the serial publication Harry ceramist, The endocarp and The Scorpion !