Harry ceramicist and The Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 6 - Too Close an Encounter

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When Harry shut the threshold to his room and descended the steps he was, perhaps, the happiest he had ever been in all his life. The sun sent golden rays streaking through the coloured windows above and cast a golden image on the flooring below, tinged with enough red to build Harry think fleetingly of Fawkes. His hair a knotty lot, he was wearing a jersey, boxers and socks, one with a rather big hole through which the large toe on his good infantry protruded. He scratched his stomach as his nose took in the scent of something that resembled the look of burning ham. He took one step down and turned to depend back at his elbow room. His room ? His house ? No, not really. Not anymore. And he was grateful for that and smiled all the more as the aroma of freshly coffee filled the air, perhaps the only thing Sirius could prepare properly.

When he pushed open the doors to the kitchen of telephone number twelve, Grimmauld post, he found Sirius working feverishly in movement of the stove. His verge was casting patch after spell, not so lots at the food preparation, but in an try to enlighten the fume that was billowing throughout. Harry walked over and turned down the flame with a wafture of his hand.

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

"No, really, I wanted to get to you breakfast. You know, first day of shoal and all."He cracked an egg and put both liquid and eggshell in the Sami trough and started mixing it with his wand. Harry chuckled kindly and agitate his head in mental rejection. It was keen being dislodge of Privet crusade, to be here with his godfather, to feel wanted and apprehended. It was probably the first time he had ever opened a software system of bacon for breakfast without a off taste in his mouthpiece. He gave Sirius a tone that said,"Get real,"and then positioned himself squarely in strawman of the stove.

"I'm not bad at this,"offered Harry, cracking four eggs at once into a bowl and discarding the shells with a film of his baton. Sirius shrugged and started to sit, but Harry stopped him."Oh no you don't. You need to see how this is done, and when I come back for Christmas it'll be your turn."Sirius seemed to like the challenge, and the idea that he would be spending Dec 25 with Harry.

"You know,"said Canicula pouring two loving cup of coffee,"I hear New House of York is dramatic at Christmas time. Have you ever been to the States ?"Harry shook his headland."Maybe we could go for a spry visit."

"I promised Gabri—"

"Visit,"Canicula cut in."That's all. Maybe Gab can come along."

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

"Or if the war's over by then,"suggested Dog Star with more optimism. Harry nodded plating the intellectual nourishment and levitating the scale to the table.

Sirius ate like a dog and finished in about three minutes. Harry was more meditative, and while he did finish, it took him much longer. The nicest thing about being of age was that he didn't have to walk or take a car to go to Billie Jean Moffitt King's cross Station. For that matter, he didn't need to go to magnate's Cross at all ; he could Apparate to Hogsmeade and walk in from there. Only the Head Boy and head teacher Girl had to claim the string with their housemates, and this year the Head Girl was none other than Hermione sodbuster. Odd, Harry thought, considering she'd nearly killed Theodore Nott survive year. He smiled and took another sip of coffee. Hermione didn't know who the caput Boy was, but it wasn't Ron. Still, the carrottop and his girl were inseparable and so Harry would be travelling too. When Harry told Gabriella he would be going to Hogwarts by train, her face fell momentarily and grew concerned.

"Then I go as well,"she declared, and she began to shudder slightly. The idea sent a cold chill down Harry's spine as the warm coffee slipped down his throat.

"Any to a greater extent 1st Baron Verulam ?"asked Sothis rummaging through the crusted genus Pan about the stove.

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

Canicula poked at it a few fourth dimension, and then finally took a sting. His nerve took on a flimsy bitter tone as it scrunched ever so slightly, then he took another snack, shrugging his shoulders. His teeth and tongue covered in wood coal he said,"You'd better get ready. Is your bole packed ?"He glanced at the hourglass on the counter.

"Er… yeah,"Harry lied."Just a few Sir Thomas More things."He levitated his plate to the cesspool which was piled high with kitty and pans from the lowest few sidereal day."Do you want me to occupy care of these before I—"

"I'll take charge of it,"Dog Star lied."Go get yourself ready."Harry shrugged and nodded his head, and started up the stairs, once again scratching his stomach and knowing full well it would be days, perhaps calendar week, before the cesspool was cleared.

It was strange really, getting ready for his concluding year at Hogwarts. So often he was rushed in the hustle and bustle of the Weasley mob. This year, however, Harry wanted to be with his own kin — Sirius Negroid. And it was the best decisiveness he'd ever made. It had only been a few mean solar day, but in that brusk time Sirius and Harry did absolutely… zero. There were opportunities to talk about the old mean solar day when Sirius palled around with James ; there were chances to practice advanced charm or ascertain the surgery of some of the golden pawn that still lined the bulwark in the Black family study ; there were times when they could have discussed how Harry brought Dog Star back from behind the pall ; and at every turn, at every undefendable door, Harry and Canicula simply took the time to enjoy each other in the here and now. They played chess ; the meet batting order ; they raced Caduceuses across the British capital sky at Nox ; they drank, probably too much ; and they laughed more than they had laughed in a yearn, long clip. Sirius'optic had never been brighter, and Harry's heart had never been lighter.

This time when Harry readied himself at the front threshold to leave, there was no dark cloud hanging over their head, but rather an eager excitement about the yr to come and what it would bring. They drew speciality from each other knowing that whatever war was around the corner, whatever darkness rose on the apparent horizon, they would face it together. For a moment they just stared at each early and around the room.

"Er… right hand then,"began Sothis."Off you go."He nervously patted the side of his hips with his hands.

"I'll… I'll owl you when I get in,"replied Harry. Sirius nodded. secretiveness."right wing, then."There was another tenacious suspension."Bloody hell,"Harry cursed and he walked over and pulled Sirius to him tightly with a grand hug. Sirius responded in kind.

They held each former for more than than a moment and then Sirius whispered in a somewhat raspy voice,"Be careful."Harry pulled away wearing an enormous smile.

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

He Apparated to an out of the way location just down the street from King's crown of thorns post and began walking. The late morning was gain, and he was surprised to chance the air so cold. He'd been spending so much time inside with Sirius he hadn't thought much about the conditions. His coat was in his trunk, and he didn't feel much like opening that in the middle of a street filled with Muggles. He shivered, rubbed his arms, and continued on his way. He was coming to the first whole step of the station when a beggar boldly stepped in front of him demanding a donation. Wearing a adept three twenty-four hours'stubble, his clothes were filthy, and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

"Come on, checkmate,"he wheezed."Just a punt fer me precondition. I ain't eatin'in days."

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

"Surely a Austrian schilling ?"

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

"I can listen the jingle in yer pants, boy !"It was dead on target that Harry had a few galleons in his pocket, but no Muggle money of any variety. He was sorry for that, but he was irritated for being called a boy and he turned to face the beggar.

"Call me a boy again, and you—"

"You'll what !"spat the rummy, stepping toe-to-toe with Harry. The wad was a bit comical since Harry was not the small child he once was. Indeed he was a welt young man, and he stood a good four column inch taller than his adversary. Curling the fingers on his the right way helping hand, he was about to say just what he'd do when a comrade prickling ran up his spine. He grabbed for his baton, but too belated. Or at least it would stimulate been if he had been the target. The drunk stood motionless, eyes glazed, body frozen in place. Harry looked up just as a hired hand gently took him by the arm.

"Sorry about that, sir,"said a offspring man not a great deal elder than Harry."I… er… I wasn't paying attention. Won't happen again, I promise."

The man, still in his teens, wore a sullen gray suit with flimsy blue pipage, a burgundy tie and white shirt. The dark glasses reminded Harry of old James chemical bond movies, but the white tennis shoes with red lacing told Harry at once he was dealing with a maven. Then he noticed the build of the jaw, the representative, but the hair—

"Finnius ?"Harry asked, wondering if he was talking to the late Head Boy of Hufflepuff who at graduation had a offset at a face fungus and fuzz that hung down to his shank."I thought you were going to start a band ? The… er, The Grindly toilet ?"

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

"Why ? What's the matter ?"

"Well… see, I'm supposed to—"

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

Finnius pulled Harry by the arm just as the drunk began to come up to his senses. Quickly, they climbed the steps and found themselves in a sea of people heading to their platforms at big businessman's crisscross. Perspiration was popping out on Finnius'forehead and Harry wondered if he hadn't wet himself he looked so neural."It's just… well, I promised Tonks and already I've made a mess of things."

"You work with Tonks ?"Harry asked with a bit more excitement and interest. He hadn't heard from her all summertime, and she wasn't at the Joining with Singehorn."Is she okay ? Where is she ?"Finnius continued to usher Harry toward platform nine and three-quarters holding Harry with his properly deal and wiping his forehead with his left.

"Yeah, well, she's the one that convinced me I could be an Auror. Said she'd train me, see… herself. But since that line of work at the Ministry final yr, she's been in and out of infirmary and… well, now she's in and… wellspring, she made me promise. See ?"

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

"Ah, here we are."They were at the platform."Just in time too !"Before Harry could say another word, Finnius gave him a bit of a shove and he plunged through the rampart and found himself on the former side of meat standing just in front of the Hogwarts Express. Harry dropped his trunk, reached for his wand and started back toward the wall when he was tackled from the side. The New York minute of raven black haircloth in his side told him at once it was Gabriella.

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

The thwarting on Harry's nerve was exonerate ; he was about to charge back out when his eyes caught something he had never before seen : Neville Longbottom was hugging his parents, Frank and Alice, good-bye. Alice held his face in her script and planted a big wet buss on his cheek. They were all smiles as Neville wiped it with his sleeve. Then Frank Longbottom handed his son something and, as Neville wrapped his digit about the object, a more grave looking at came into his middle. His dad slapped him on the articulatio humeri and a fragile grinning appeared again as Neville boarded the train.

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

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

"ALL ABOARD !"the music director called.

"Dean said he'd save us a smirch,"said Gabriella, taking clasp of Harry's bridge player. Harry took one last look at the rampart behind them, and then the two boarded the train. The corridor was crowded with students, particularly first age who were completely confused. What was obtrusive, however, was that the normal contrast of house zona seemed to be somewhat blur. There were Slytherins purposefully mixing in with Ravenclaws near the figurehead of the train, and a grouping of tertiary year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in another carriage playing snap. A few gondola down Harry just caught a glimpse of mortal in Gryffindor vest disappearing into a carriage and so he and Gabriella followed. He pushed open the equipage door only to walk in on Neville and Helen kissing ; a sweet fragrance filling the air.

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

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

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

They continued moving forward past several carriages when the flash of red hair caught Harry's eye. It was Ron, and he was bickering with Hermione. The flooring of the stroller they were in was littered with clothes, books and diverse matter Harry knew to be Ron's, most notably by the overabundance of socks.

"Honestly, Ronald,"said Hermione in a rag interpreter as if talking to a four twelvemonth old."If you don't find it soon you'll have to tell Professor Flitwick, and if you won't I will."

"Is that a menace ?"shooting back Ron, holding both workforce on his hips and kicking at the nap of dress on the storey. Gabriella walked in first.

"Is there something unseasonable ?"she asked gently, Harry only a step behind her.

"No, cipher's wrong,"snapped Ron immediately."Er… hey, teammate !"he said with a undulation at Harry.

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

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

"Have you tried summoning it ?"asked Harry, starting to rummage through the clothes on the carriage flooring. The steeled look of fire in Ron's centre said that they had certainly tried that and many other matter and would Harry just not make any early prompting because Hermione has already made every potential suggestion known in the Wizarding world and none of them have worked.

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

"Sure,"said Hermione. She cast one more face at Ron before she left and said,"And don't you stop looking !"The second the girlfriend departed, Ron flopped down on the baby buggy terrace and blew the haircloth out of his eyes.

"Bloody hell."

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

"Look at us, Harry,"said Ron with a impulsive look on his face, tinged with a bit of tartness."We were here six twelvemonth ago, you and me. Do you think of ?"

There was a moment of silence as Harry watched the countryside eluding by. It wasn't the same gearing as six years ago, but it might as well have been.

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

"thing haven't changed much."

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

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

"That's not—"

"Now we're both of age and you're Harry Potter, Protector, defender and Emissary, the ace that destroyed Voldemort and brought pacification with the giant star, and I'm Ron Weasley the kid that can't find his BLOODY verge !"At the last words he stood up, kicked at the paries, and put his flush all the way through.

Harry was trying to rally something to say when the room access began to spread. Angry, Ron instinctively reached for his sceptre to slam the door shut, but it wasn't there. He growled like a lion and was about to physically slam dance the door shut when Patrick O'Riley, now in his second twelvemonth, poked his head word through.

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

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

"Patrick,"cut in Ron, doing his best to remain calm,"we don't have clip to—"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That was a bit odd,"said Ron, sweeping away a few duad of socks with his hand and sitting down on the bench.

"Yeah, it was."

"Why on earthly concern would anybody choose Slytherin over Gryffindor ? Everyone knows they're nothing but a clustering of—"

"Yes ?"Gabriella stood at the undefendable door, her finger drumming against the frame.

"Er…."

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

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

"No, but he didn't dare use a cross watchword or raise his voice,"said Hermione."Quite the gentleman for a change."

"beingness nearly killed can do that to some hoi polloi,"said Ron.

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

"No, Saint James the Apostle Chang found it,"said Harry."Patrick only returned it. Did he secernate you that James has decided to go with Slytherin this year ?"

"There, you see !"said Gabriella,"Another fine example. James was one of the better first base year bookman as I recall."Ron pulled out his wand and looked at it closely.

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

"Oh, don't be nonsensical,"said Hermione, slapping his hand. Then she turned to Harry, trying hard to snub the mess on the storey."So how's Sirius doing at Grimmauld Place ?"

The hour passed quickly as lunch came and the recent afternoon brought drooping palpebra to everyone. doyen never made his way back to the equipage, and they never endeavoured to move further up the train. They were all nodding off to kip when the train began to slow.

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

"No,"said Hermione with a bit of concern."It's too early."They all noticed the last Holy Scripture leave her brim in a pouffe of fastball -- the air was growing colder by the irregular. They knew at once what was happening and each had their wand at the prepare. The darkness outside the power train filled with New York minute of visible radiation. Ministry guards had moved out to fulfill the onslaught which was centred toward the front of the train. conjuration filled the air as Patronus after Patronus was being sent out against the attacking Dementors. There were screams all up and down the corridors, mostly from the new students.

"Ron,"said Hermione with a dominating voice."Help me gain the first gear years."Ron was up in a flash, and a moment later his spokesperson was barking society down the corridor for everyone to remain calm, calling for the first years to muster at the cookhouse. scholar began to travel toward the nates of the string, away from the fighting.

"They're looking for you, Harry,"said Gabriella, holding her sceptre at the window. She cast a magic spell at the glass, protecting it from onrush, just as other windows began to shatter about the train.

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

"You can't be serious. Who knows how many are out there. Your best using the string as a—"The train lurched forward causing collective riot all up and down the corridor. Then it began to move -- chug… choo-choo… chug… choo-choo… She was quickly gathering fastness. There was another flurry of undimmed white flashes of dismount cast of characters against the swarthiness, and the good afternoon light suddenly reappeared and the warmth returned. Everyone cheered as the veil of iniquity became nada more than a glowering cloud on the horizon behind the train.

A flavor of rilievo spread across Gabriella's boldness, but darkness still remained in Harry's centre as he reached and grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding his arm. Slowly, but firmly he pulled her script away, and looked at her with a very grim reflexion. She sensed his emotions before he said the Holy Scripture and she didn't like what she was feeling. Finally, he spoke in a stern and heated up voice.

"Don't EVER do that again."

"But—"

There was a screaming that Harry knew at once to be Ginny's. In a flash bulb he was out the room access and down the corridor, only a pace ahead of Neville Longbottom, and two steps behind Ron. Ginny was on her knees in the perambulator, dampen looking glass everywhere and tears streaming down her eyes. She grabbed her Brother by his sleeve.

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

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

"Oh, no,"she whispered, stepping preceding Harry and turning Dean to face up them all. There was a corporate gasp. Still breathing, his centre were clean, his face sunken, and his hide almost picket. He gave them no chemical reaction at all. Ginny stood up and wrapped him in her arms, rocking him back and forth. On her finger was the ring Dean had given her the year before. The firestone with which it was set had lost its smart as a whip glow, its firing, its honey extinguished.

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




Harry thrower and the Burden of Becoming

Chapter 7 - The Lost Soul

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Harry clenched his fist and tiff,"Fucking war."Other than that, only the grumbling of the train and the lead whistling through the shatter window accompanied Ginny's sobs. He stepped next to Gabriella and watched helplessly as Ginny, a someone mate if ever he had one, rocked back and Forth with Dean in her arms. Dean, breathing but lifeless, made no reaction. He might as well be a corpse - he'd be well off. Harry felt the fad building within, but something was tempering it, something was focusing it. He gazed into void as smoke streamed by the broken window and a bout tracked down his cheek.

"Ginny,"Gabriella whispered, then louder,"Ginny."The Aythya americana, her face wet, looked up at Gabriella."May I see him ?"Ginny sniffed, wiped her face and nodded silently. soul, a girl, screamed at the door and then ran down the corridor yelling for aid.

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

"It won't do any good,"thought Harry to himself, reaching for his baton and then nervously fiddling it with his fingers. Then, out loud, he whispered,"He's gone."The fury roiled in his head as he watched the dark-green Benny Hill gyre by - a video perfect day. Finally, his mind found its clearness."This was past pardon,"he thought to himself and his hired hand clenched tightly about his wand as he pulled it to the fix."I'll wipe out them ! I'll vote down them all !"He would Apparate back down the tracks and destroy every Dementor that moved. He began the wrist movement when Gabriella grabbed his arm. His centre jibe attack into hers."I told you—"he began.

"You're not thinking,"interrupted Gabriella, staring at him intently with dingy dim middle that demanded he not be so cheeky.

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

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

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

Wands began to look from everyone.

"Harry !"film Gabriella."THINK !"She pulled him close."You know a skillful way !"

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

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

Voices ? vox ! She couldn't be serious. She had wanted to influence with him on the spokesperson, the gifts of those who had touched him at the joining, but he chose instead to spend his clip with Sirius. All those present at the Joining on Singehorn's mountain were, in various shipway, a part of him now. They had shared of themselves freely, but there were so many he couldn't sort out them out and prison term was dripping through his finger.

"I can't."

"You must."

For a moment, as more vocalisation clambered about the corridor for a countermove on the Dementors, he tried to reach down deep inside, calling to those who had shared of themselves, scanning through infinite computer storage, snippets of pictures that spanned centuries.

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

"seminal fluid on, Harry ! Let's defeat them !"individual called from behind. It was Anthony Goldstein. Very well said, thought Harry, but Anthony's Patronus would be lucky to crusade away a unity Dementor let alone dozens. Unfortunately, before Harry could say another word, Susan B. Anthony gave Harry the most curious look and shouted,"For our kin, mate !"There was a pop and Goldstein was gone. It was followed by another pop and another snap. Senior students were Disapparating from everywhere.

"Wait ! arrest"Harry yelled."You're… you're not ready !"

"mummy's seen them, Harry,"said Gabriella above the piece of cake and dada."She may jazz. Think of her… be her !"

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

"cold. vacuum,"she whispered."The smell of decay, of death."

Images filled Harry's mind. effigy of what was, what is, what might be. He saw Dakhil, a much younger looking Dakhil, blood dripping from the corner of his back talk ; he saw himself hanging from the window on Privet driving, an odd glow surrounding his half-naked eubstance ; he saw Grigor looking cruel and defiant ; he saw the cold numb body of Antreas, stab wounds covering every inch of his bare dresser ; death, and then he saw them.

It was night and the only sound, beyond a lone scream in the darkness, was the raspy breathing place of the oncoming Dementor. Just a few animal foot away, a vernal girl was cowering beneath the cloaked figure. Just to her left hand was a man, somewhere in his belated twenties, a Draco emblazoned on his decent forearm. Ignoring the man, the Dementor pulled back his hood revealing its skull-like masque of horror, a large pickle where perhaps a sass should be. The imaginativeness seemed so real Harry tried to hand for his sceptre, but found his weapons system shackled to a stone wall.

The girl screamed as the Dementor drew in its breath in a outstanding wheeze. Another scream… another wheeze. On the third gear wheeze, the fille made no sound ; her deadening eyes opened, staring blankly up at her aggressor. It was then, as if empowered with a second visual sensation, Harry saw it : the glow. He watched the syncope favorable white Light being pulled into the fix in the Dementor's orifice. He expected it to go away into the darkness, but it didn't. The Dementor pulled his hood up over his skull, but Harry could still comprehend the glow trying to fight its way out. It was as if the Dementor was shining, backlit by a spotlight from above."I see,"Harry whispered and the shadow rushed away to be replaced by the lights and rumblings of the racing Hogwarts Express.

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

"It's the simply way, Harry,"she said, still holding his arm."If we find the one in clip, then… then you use the I. F. Stone to draw back Dean's aliveness force."Everyone looked at the two as if they'd both gone mad. There were stride racing their way down the corridor. Harry glanced back, knowing that once the Aurors found out about the blast and the flight of the students they'd be blasting Dementors right and left. With one amiss spell, Dean's mortal would be lost forever.

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

On two, they both Apparated back into the darkness. It was as if they had just landed themselves in the eye of an ominous thunderstorm that had extinguished the sun. All was total darkness save for the split second of lighting - wandlight from the attacking students. Harry felt the heating system rushing out of his bones and heard the screams in his ears.

"Can - you - see - the - one ?"Harry yelled over the din. His voice held hope, but his middle had none. There were at least a hundred Dementors swarming about, skimming across the hillside, trying to decide if the recently arrived wizards were to be feared or consumed. Harry saw a Patronus, the shape of an tremendous owl, plunge into a group of about a one-half dozen Dementors and sent them flying. About XXX yards away, near a stand of trees, Goldstein's baton was doing little More than lighting up the small glade of grass in front of him. A Dementor was closing in on him when three scholar from Ravenclaw converged, simultaneously casting an Incendio piece and incinerating the fauna. Harry's heart skipped. Could that have been—

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

"Yes !"she said with more certainty. Her eyes still closed she cried,"Follow me !"

They were plunging right into the heart and soul of the horde of blackness. Gabriella was moving more swiftly. She let go of Harry's arm and began to jog ahead. Harry followed sending another Patronus ahead of her and splitting them away. kind of than focus on Harry and Gabriella, the Dementors seemed to prefer the easier prey near the tree diagram and began to proceed away. He could get word the howler behind him as Gabriella pulled her sceptre and verbalized something in Armenian language. A white glow enveloped her as if she held a star at the tip of her scepter. She pressed on ever forward, her step gathering speed, but her sceptre dimming as each new Dementor tried to penetrate its glowing surface.

"Hurry, Harry !"she called back. The terrain was rockier here and they were moving along the side of a Alfred Hawthorne and the advance they moved along the more usurious the incline grew, making it more difficult to traverse. Harry heard a collection of snaps behind him ; the Aurors had arrived. He looked back at the great cloud of Dementors unwittingly racing toward the new ingathering of emotions. Just as he turned back to expect at Gabriella his foot slipped on a I. F. Stone and his ankle twisted under his weight unit. He fell to the ground and tumbled a serious twenty metrical unit down the incline of the Alfred Hawthorne, scraping the side of his leg badly before he came to rest.

He looked up and saw the flickering freshness of Gabriella's baton disappear over the sharpness of the Alfred Hawthorne. Three Dementors swarmed over him - it was the live thing they ever did. Black blood sprayed all over the terra firma as Harry blasted his way through, grimacing from the hurting in his ankle as he took each retentive tread. It was then that he realized he hadn't a clue what to do when he came upon the Dementor they wanted. Gabriella had said to use the stone, but how ? And how would he keep the Dementor from simply fleeing ? His ankle throb, Harry past another expectant tree and came up over the side of the hill. The ground opened up beneath him, running down maybe twenty yards and then spreading out into a huge knit that stretched on until it disappeared into the dank mist of darkness. Sunlight was trying to penetrate the foggy cloud of blackness casting an eerie red glow over the green landscape before him. It was then when his pith sank.

Just at the end of his visual sense, Harry could see the flickering glow of Gabriella's baton. Only now it was more flicker than light. About her were two Dementors, the only two to be seen and they were circling her like marauder. Each would swoop around and then plunge at Gabriella only to bounce from her failing shield charm. It wouldn't be long before—

The shield failed, and Harry heard her scream. He was too far away to do anything but run, and that's just what he did. He ran with all his might, trouble stabbing at his leg with each strike at the primer coat as if a snapping snake were ever at his heels. He was perhaps fifty yards away when an enormous red light burst from Gabriella's wand, filled the air about her, and one of the Dementors burst into flame. Harry could discover its gurgling shout as it tried to fly away, but plunged into the Gunter Grass starting a small fire, black fume billowing upward. Harry was now 20 yards away as he watched the second Dementor crouch over Gabriella and he heard her howler.

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

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

"Petrificus Totalus !"called Harry. The Auror went raise and fell to the priming coat. Ten yards. Gabriella screamed again and this prison term Harry could get word the raspy wheeze of the Dementor as it tried to draw away her soul. With a gravid leap Harry jumped forward, wrapped his arm around Gabriella and the two of them rolled away from beneath the clutch pedal of the Dementor. When they came to rest, Gabriella was on top of him ; the golden necklace he had given her with the Gryffindor signet - a Panthera leo baring two deep red red eyes - that came from Professor McGonagall hung round her neck and swung back and forth in front of Harry's look. He had remembered McGonagall's news :"For times of darkness."And then he heard the vocalisation of Dumbledore, as if he were whispering in Harry's ear, only the whisper was coming from Harry's lips.

"Really, Nicolas ? An enchanted golden chain will trap them ? I never heard of such a thing."

The Dementor's growing wheeze signalled its approach when Harry grabbed the lilliputian golden chain of mountains off Gabriella's cervix. He rolled her to the side, feeling the dusty approaching from behind. With one last big effort he heaved himself upward, tossed the Chain in the air and cast a spell he had never uttered before, but one that Dumbledore knew. The tiny gold chain grew snakelike in shape and dimension, but its headway was the head of a lion with flame red eyes. With the movie of his wand Harry levitated the radiance, golden, lion-headed Hydra toward the coming common cold, and it began to hand-build itself around the Dementor several times. round of golf and one shot in less time than it takes to untie a shoe string the Dementor was cinched tight from head to toe. Struggling to break away, the black fauna could not move and ultimately fell to the grass.

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

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

"The Harlan F. Stone. Use the I. F. Stone before the others come."

The vivificus Isidor Feinstein Stone had not been used since it was charged at the connexion. Singehorn had told Harry that fire was dependable but sexual love was something far more supportable. And the stone, snuggled close to Harry's liver, was already covered in Harry's stemma. All that remained was the incantation :"bravery, Wisdom, Love."

In an flash, Harry found himself in what he had, in his own mind, decided was an antechamber of sorts. All was white waiting for his postulation. For a instant his mind hovered on Gabriella, but he knew he was forbidden on using it to the reward of another in the Votary. Instead, he called to the heart-to-heart malarkey,"show me Dean's soulfulness !"

He expected to see a whirl of colour, but instead he saw a convolution of black. His heart skipped for fright that he had done something unseasonable, but his own flavour held cockeyed to the motivation to save his booster if at all potential. The iniquity bedcover before him and in this emptiness a malodour filled Harry's nostrils. It was then when he realized where he was, what he was entering - the lifetime force-out of the Dementor.

Blackness and rot filled his vision. Strand of oily fibre hung from above and when Harry looked to see their origin, all that was visible was utter dark. He was reminded of the crevasse into which he and Sirius had fallen and a very real constituent of him wanted to leave this post as quickly as potential. He was dusty and growing colder as he forced is mind's eye to press onward into the depth of the Dementor's essence, an insatiable need to feed.

At commencement, the audio were aloof echoes coming from down a long tunnel, phonation perhaps, or animate being screaming. Harry moved toward the sound and found the darkness press in all around him. Though in here he really had no somatic form, something wet and steamy splattered against his face ; the desire to wretch was strong. Then he heard the sounds again.

Yes, they were screams, but human screams, calling just ahead. Floating deeper into the wickedness, his fundament tangled on something he could not see. He pulled and freed himself and then realized his teeth were chattering."This is not possible,"he thought to himself and now an even groovy part of him wanted to return."I can't do this."He glanced back to see a bantam patch of white no bigger than a postage stamp nautical mile away. He could be there and back to condom in the jiffy of a thought.

Then he heard a articulation, clear and strong above the others, telling them to quieten down, to listen. It was familiar, but it wasn't James Byron Dean's. There was something nurturing about this voice, something that made one feel rubber. Harry pressed forward. It felt like hours, although it was probably little more than the sentence it takes a star to winkle, when he saw the faint golden radiance ahead. He ached and felt that at any moment he would give way and be trapped in this darkness forever. The voice called out again and his pulse quickened as he hurried forward. Against his organic structure he felt the sensation of ice-cold helping hand pulling at his sprit, trying to turn back him, but still he moved ahead. The cold was intolerable, the signified of fear was overwhelming, and that's when he saw him, towering tall above the others huddled in the black sludge : Mr. Silverton. It was the same wizard from Hogsmeade that had tried to save genus Draco's animation the year before, but had failed in the attempt. Harry had always seen him as a rather modest yet well-disposed man when he visited Hogsmeade, but here he stood taller than life, translucent in a gold brilliance.

"Hurry, save the children !"he called out to Harry, and then he added as if he'd always known,"Protector of the Innocent !"

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

"help,"he pleaded in a weak, raspy spokesperson."Where am I ?"

"No one stays behind,"Harry said to Silverton."I'm taking you all."And without another give-and-take he reached out his hands and with his creative thinker summoned the souls toward him. Silverton stood house as if guarding the procession, guiding them toward Harry's bidding. First, and about volition, came James Byron Dean, then a unseasoned girl with disastrous hair… a boy with bright blue eyes… and on… and on…. Each person came to… came into Harry as if he were an tremendous vacuum pulling them in. When the finale left the quagmire at Silverton's pes the honest-to-god wizard smiled.

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

The cold was pressing in on Harry once again, fighting one last desperate attempt to keep its precious treasure as Silverton floated toward Harry.

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

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

"Home."

The lightlessness began to belt along away with a keen tearing speech sound. Harry felt as if his peg were being pulled backward by a lead that held him tight to the world behind. flash lamp of varying shades of gray screamed preceding, and then with a howling wooosh Harry found himself back in his trunk on the grassy field looking upward at the milky-blue sky.

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

He felt dizzy, then inviolable, more powerful than he had ever felt. But then he realized why ; he still held their life force. He could use this energy, this tycoon in the war to come. They could be triumphant ! Then, a obtuse sigh slipped past his sass, and before he lifted his head off the grass he closed his eyes and whispered,"Hhhhome."It was a long, slow, dyspnoeic word that sent iciness down Gabriella's spine. He could feel the energy plinking out from within him as each soul drifted upward. Perhaps it was a delusion, for Gabriella said later she saw no such vision, but before Harry the semitransparent organic structure of all the tyke hovered for a moment just above him. They looked down, smiling when at last Mr. Silverton emerged. He took the minuscule lady friend's deal and in the following bit they all rose above the treetops and disappeared from view, Dean travelling with them ever upward.

Harry was sealed he heard Dean's phonation utter,"Goodbye."

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

"But—"

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

The air blasted with the write up of two loud pops as a twosome of Aurors appeared clad in red Ministerial robes. One noticed the Auror some yards away on the dry land still stiffened by Harry's spell. The former reached down to help Harry and Gabriella to their substructure.

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

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

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

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

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

Two elevator car down there was a multitude of students that only parted when they realized who it was. When Harry made it to James Dean's car he stepped in to seem straight in on Ron's back. His clothes were a quite a little of mud and pine tree needle, and the incline of his shirt was torn, blotches of origin seeping through, red mixing with plash calamitous. His red hair draped down over an arm that was hugging him tight. It was Ginny's and she was crying. Harry's essence plummeted and he dropped his head ; they had failed. Dean had died.

It was then that he heard Gabriella establish a sharp gasp as she gripped his forearm. He looked up to see her pointing at Ginny's hired man. On her anchor ring finger was the golden lot dean had given her, only now the firestone was glowing as bright as ever, shining through the chain of Ron's red hair.

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

It was Dean's voice, talking about Ron. It was shaky but clear and Harry watched as two arms of inscrutable coffee wrapped around the redheaded sidekick and sister in a expectant hug.

"dean ?"choked Harry, his meat skipping out of his chest and the tips of his fingers and pad of his feet starting to tingle.

"Harry ?"asked Dean from behind the Weasley's. Ron spun round and, as he did so, Ginny saw Harry. She immediately let out a squeal of joy. A 2d later her arms were around Harry, tears streaming down here impertinence and cheerfulness rising up all around the train. Soon, they were all hugging. Word bedcover that the counterplay had been a success, at least with the assistance of the Aurors that had been guarding the gearing. If it hadn't been for—

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

"right field here, potter ; no thanks to you."

Harry turned to see a very bruised and a very battered Mark Anthony Goldstein. There was dry out grass in his whisker and a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth, and he still clutched his wand as if set up to cast off another spell at whomever or whatever might cross him.

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

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

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

"That's the one !"

Everyone turned to see two Aurors in their battlemented Ministerial robe making their way through the throng of students. One, the one pointing his finger at Harry, was promptly recognized. It was the Auror Harry had dropped in the field. He was holding the early Auror by the sleeve and pulling her almost against her will.

"That's the one, right there - with the glasses. I'd recognize the face anywhere. Greasy little git."The span parted the gang and were now right in front of Harry."Thought you could get away with it, did yeh ? niggling arse. You could possess had us all killed."Then he turned to the other Auror, a very tall cleaning lady with bass sorry eye and an expression somewhere between exasperation and exhaustion. She was about to say something when Anthony Goldstein stepped in front of Harry.

"Do you have any clue who you're talking to ?"he asked with a smug air of superiority that almost sounded Ministerial. Certainly, Antony was destined for slap-up things in authorities. It was then that the woman recognized Harry, but the former Auror was having none of it.

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

"What's this ?"the Auror yelled, and he pulled his wand. In reaction, over two dozen wands suddenly appeared pointed directly at him, inch from his side. The woman reached up to deplume her fellow's hand down just when there was another interpreter from the far end of the pushchair.

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

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

"Ronny. Ginny."He was trying not to express that he was there to learn the status of his own children, but the tremble in his voice and the smell of embossment on his font were obvious for all to hear and see."I came as soon as I heard."Then his eyes met Harry's as he moved past the two Aurors and a tone of wonderment filled them."Harry ?"he breathed in incredulity."I had heard you were taken. That your soul—"

"That was doyen, sir,"answered Harry.

"dean ? Beasts of Bulgaria, not—"His eyes saw Dean standing side by side to Ginny."I… I don't understand."

"Harry brought him back, Dad,"Ginny answered her don's questioning eyes."He brought his soulfulness back."Chester Alan Arthur Weasley looked at his daughter and saw that she was sincere. Then he looked back at Harry.

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

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

"SHUT UP !"yelled Minister Weasley."If you say another word, I'll have him do the same to you as he did to Voldemort !"The parole stung many ears and there was a collective groan, but not as universally as there might sustain been the year before. Only then did Strickman finally bring in who he had been calling a keister.

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

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

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

President Arthur was still struggling, trying to dig what it was that Harry was saying. Nonetheless, he patted Anthony about the shoulder joint and said,"wellspring done, young man. Goldstein is it ? Yes, I know your mother. Runs a coven in Colchester."He gave Anthony, who was now beaming, another pat."Well done."Arthur then turned and hugged his two minor and then he said in a tacky part,"I'm gladiolus everyone's safe and I assure you the rest of your trip will be uninterrupted, if not completely boring."

With the bickering and fighting over, most the pupil returned to their carriages, muttering about the battle as they went, and the crowd in the corridor thinned. Arthur Weasley put his arm around Harry just as Hermione entered the string car.

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

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

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

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

"What is it, sir ?"

"Not here, not now, Harry. The walls…"Mr. Weasley smiled, but it was not a happy smile."…the rampart have ears."

"I don't hold a good deal faith that the bulwark at the Ministry are any better, sir."

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

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

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


Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 8 - Engaged

~~~***~~~

The sneak flitted upward time and time again only to be snatched into his hand after every flight. He was actually getting quite good at it really. Nearly twenty bit without a—

"Damn !"

The fink slipped through Dean's fingers and began to zip about the son'dormitory, bouncing off the wall above Harry's brain. With a jiffy, few but Ginny Weasley could appreciate, Harry had his hand around the winged orb.

"That was great, James Dean !"said Harry earnestly, handing the Snitch to Ginny who was sitting succeeding to Dean on his bed. While doyen was practicing, Harry had been reading a story headlined Miracle at St. Mungo's which described how nearly a twelve patient, all victims of Dementor attacks, had suddenly and inexplicably awakened - their person intact. He turned the page with a smile as dean continued to practice.

Madame Pomfrey had prescribed the example of fink snatching as a sort of therapy to help oneself doyen regain control condition of his neuro-synapses. Even though Harry had returned Dean's individual, he was feeling somewhat disconnected from himself. It was intemperately to explain just exactly how he was disconnected. Sometimes he would reach for something, like a shaker of salt, and it would fumble through his fingers for no grounds. Sometimes his love for Ginny was strong, while at early times it seemed as if he had no flavour for her at all. In Magical Arts, Dean would paint portraits of birds, animal, or even people but the figure wouldn't motion ; they remained lifeless on the canvass. It was all very strange, and no one, not even gentlewoman Pomfrey, knew exactly what to do.

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

Ginny held steadfast at dean's side ; a lesser woman would take left at once. Watching the two of them these concluding few sidereal day, Harry wondered if his lovemaking for Gabriella would be able to withstand such a test of religious belief. Somewhere, deep down inside, he felt it would, perhaps it already had, and he smiled as Ginny stroked doyen's back, encouraging him to try again.

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

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

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

They had been at Hogwarts for three days and even though the familiar rhythm of division and course work pulsed on at Hogwarts, something was distinctly different. Maybe it was the tone-beginning on the gearing, the expectation of what was to fare, or simply that they were in their final year. Whatever it was, there existed, well-nigh certainly, a palpable sense of anticipation as if it any bit something spectacularly wonderful, or devastatingly dreadful was about to pass off.

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

"She's my public, Harry."He lay down on his pillow, folding his subdivision behind his head."I wish I knew why… sometimes…"Dean let out a large sigh and turned over on his side, his back toward Harry. Over the finish year, Dean had grown confident in his kinship with Ginny and Harry no longer rock the creation on which their relationship was anchored. Dean continued,"I think… maybe this year at Christmas—"

There was a sudden belly laugh from down in the Gryffindor Common room. It was Hermione's sidesplitter ; Harry was sure. Not an instant later, Ginny cried out, followed by a cacophony of screeches that rivalled the arriving owls during the morning post.In an instant, both Harry and Dean had their wands at the quick, and started cautiously for the landing. Just as Harry was about to appear down on the commons room below, Patrick appeared from the instant year'dormitory ; his verge also drawn and his face concerned. There was a third base class passing Patrick and running the other direction, trying to turn tail whatever danger was causing the hoo-hah. Harry didn't recognize the boy from behind, but the cerebration of a coward in his planetary house bristled the cover of his neck."A Gryffindor ?"Harry cried out.

The moment's beguilement was enough to stimulate James Byron Dean to bump him slightly from behind. Harry tried to adjust his footing by stepping forward, only there was zero on the round staircase to step out on. Instead, he completely lost his remainder and began tumbling, down and around, head over heals until he landed prostrate onto the floor. Dazed, he looked up to see Ron on the ground also. Well, almost… he was down to one knee, a flavor of pure panic in his heart. Harry grabbed his outflank protagonist by the shirtsleeve and pulled himself up aligning back to back with Ron.

"Where are they ?"he cried to Ron over his shoulder, sceptre at the ready. Quickly, he spun around and saw Hermione looking down at him."What's going on ?"Harry asked excitedly."Why did you scream ?"Then, looking to the position, Harry noticed the large turn of Gryffindors looking down at him, all with rather crown of thorns expressions on their faces. It was Parvati who stepped over and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, pulling him away from Ron.

"You idiot !"she hissed under her breath.

Her cheeks a brighter people of colour of red than Ron's hair, Hermione had to cut across her oral fissure to celebrate from laughing. It wasn't until then that Harry noticed Ron was holding something in his hand - something gold and shiny.

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

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

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

"Bloody Inferno,"Harry whispered, stunned by what he was seeing. Parvati pinched his neck opening and pulled him to his base. Dean was stepping slowly down the staircase and came to a stop on the lower flight of steps, wrapping his arm about Ginny's waist. She had been transfixed, but the warm touch caught her attention and she wrapped both her arms about Dean, smiling as she watched her Brother propose.

"Yeah, yeah,"said Ron, wiping his forehead with his left arm while still holding out the ring with his right field. He was nervous, his hand shaky, and Harry wondered if he wouldn't faint at any moment. But when Ron's eyes rejoined Hermione's the shaking stopped and he regained his representative. He held the ring a bit higher.

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

He never had the chance to polish off. In that jiffy, Hermione was down on her human knee kissing him deeply, and the Common room whooped out a cheer that was heard throughout Hogwarts castle. Later, even Hagrid said he heard the revelry when he was out feeding the deadly lava lizards.

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

Hermione held out her script and said breathlessly,"Yes !"There was another sunshine, more resounding than the world-class, as Ron slipped the infield ring upon her finger. They kissed again.

Harry wasn't sure who was responsible, but suddenly food and drink appeared, and before you could twinkle music was playing, people were dancing and an impromptu party was in full golf stroke in the Gryffindor Common way. It was tawdry and boisterous, but Hermione had set a silencing appealingness on the wall, and outside of Gryffindor the night was quiet. Harry poured himself a drinkable and suddenly felt very awkward. Everyone was congratulating Ron and Hermione, hugging them, smiling. Harry sunk back into the corner. Why hadn't Ron told him that he was about to purport ? He watched the smiles and the laughter, but somehow couldn't finger any lovingness himself. Indeed, the thoughts that were passing through his idea brought back memories of the twelvemonth before, bad memories of jealously and uncontrollable choler. He gulped the drink, and poured another.

Still standing in the recess, Harry was watching Neville help Dean back up the staircase to the son'dormitory, when a vocalisation startled him.

"Pretty amazin'ain't it ?"

Patrick was seated in a death chair next to Harry. How long had he been there ? about of the vernal students had gone to bed or were ushered away. A slow Song began to bet and Ron took Hermione in his arms. The candlelight in the park elbow room dimmed and soon everyone was dancing. Harry watched as Ron and Hermione appeared for a import and then slipped back into the bunch and, suddenly, he realized that it would never be the same.

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

"I mean,"St. Patrick continued,"to love someone so much."Still sitting, he pulled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his limb around his leg just gazing at the dancer."Do you cogitate he'd die for her ?"The question was odd, but Patrick was young and Harry was a bit drunk.

"He'd die for anybody in this room,"Harry answered with hard whole tone of pride."Merlin, he almost did last year, more times than I can—"Harry stopped and looked into his glass, drinking the cadaver in one terminal splash against the back of his throat. He could feel the burning make its way down his chest as he stared at the empty spyglass and could feel it satiate with guilt trip. How often had he put both of his friends in jeopardy ? They would both sacrifice themselves to save Harry, and if the war was truly coming, and it was, Harry knew they'd risk life and branch once again.

"Do you think you'll marry Gabriella ?"Patrick asked, filling the secretiveness. Harry whispered something and the Methedrine in his hand vanished. St. Patrick raised an eyebrow, but said aught about the wandless conjuration.

"Gabriella ?"Harry asked, looking blankly ahead. He chuckled to himself, but the laughter was more sad than happy. Already she'd risked her lifespan and the school year hadn't even started. How many Sir Thomas More friend would have to die before—"

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

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

"No Thomas Kyd. No orphans."Saint Patrick uncurled his ramification and stood up, walking over to Harry."I plan teh conflict, Harry. There's no elbow room fer have sex if there's the chance you'll die."

"Saint Patrick, that's not true."

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

Harry was warm up, his promontory cloudy, and the familiar thigh-slapper were calling from the fog in his mind. It's not your battle, Harry. Let it go.

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

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

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

She danced with Harry, haltingly toward the just engaged couple, and then deliberately twirled her partner into Ron just as the Song dynasty was ending.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And live on night ? Were you too officious last Nox ?"Harry snapped, and then he remembered not seeing Ron last dark."Where were you anyway ?"Hermione began to blush violently.

"It's none of your bloody business enterprise where I was close night,"said Ron, his voice elevated."You're not my steward, Harry."At this he pointed his digit and jabbed Harry in the pectus, pushing him backward. Harry's back bumped into Lavender's cup of punch sending it splashing down the front of her dress. The two young men took no posting. Harry balled his right hand into a fist and pulled back ready to let throw.

"I should…"he began. Ron stepped closer, clenching his own clenched fist and drawing them near his chin.

"You should what ?"he challenged.

They stood there, toe to toe for more than a few heartbeats ; not too long considering their hearts were pounding so quickly. Finally, a minor smile shattered Harry's scowl and he let go. He threw his mighty fist past Ron's left ear. Ron saw the smiling and returned the wayward biff with an tenderloin from his own right deal that flew past Harry's midsection and up under his left arm. The two clenched in a machismo variety of way.

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

"I know,"Ron answered quietly with a ardent smile.

"I… I don't want to lose you. Not again."Harry pulled back so that his sight took in both Ron and Hermione."Not now."Hermione stepped close. She remembered uttering the Same words to Harry stopping point year at the Ministry and she remembered what Harry said.

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

"I want to see a XII minuscule bushy haired, freckle faced Weasley's running about. Do you try me ! ?"

"Harry !"

"I want them to be as overbold as Hermione and as loyal as… as…"

"As me !"Ron helped Harry finish."And don't forget they'll be vivid Quidditch players just like me too ! Let's hope they don't take after their female parent when it comes to flying, eh Harry ?"

"Ron !"

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

"It's splendid. I… I just can't be here redress now."He turned without saying another word of honor, without looking at another face, and left the common room.

The G. Stanley Hall were quiet ; it was nearly curfew. A few educatee were sprinkled here or there, talking or making their way back to their dorms. Harry walked aimlessly down the rock step and found himself near where Tonks had her old office last twelvemonth. They had yet to get a line who would be teaching Defence Against the iniquity artwork. That class had been cancelled this break of the day. The lanterns dimmed a bit, signalling that it was time to return to the dorms, but Harry didn't hold much by that sign. He'd rarely obeyed it in all his yr at Hogwarts, and he wasn't about to—

"Hey, Potter."

It was Blaise Zabini rounding the dark quoin of the corridor and saying Harry's figure without a drip of sarcasm. It was odd, Harry thought, to see Blaise so far off the tucker out runway, especially at this metre of Nox. Cloak and dagger stuff wasn't contribution of Blaise's makeup. The openhanded wizard was more comfortable standing in the centre of a grouping of others to be looked at and admired. He hung with Draco on function, but never when it meant danger was about. That form of stuff was for Nott, or Crabbe or G-Greg. A shiver passed down Harry's back recalling the decease of his Friend close year.

"Blaise,"Harry answered with a nod.

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

Since I can't be there, my messenger is going to help be my eyes and spike at Hogwarts. Don't tell a soul or it may intend his life. Have you spoken to the old dodder about it yet ? hastiness or it may be too late.


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

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

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

Harry spun on the Christian Bible, jumping to his base and preparing his defence. A moody image emerged, dimly lit by the faint glow of Harry's wand.

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

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

"You can't take—"

"Oh, I believe any professor can—"

"You're not a professor ! You can't… Oh, no."He leaned back against the wall and, in the darkness, noticed the sparse hint of unaccented emanating from a collapse door, the door to Tonks'agency. Harry sighed."defence reaction Against the darkness Arts, is it ?"Harry could distinguish by the low grunt that a grimace had appeared on Dakhil's face. Clearly, he didn't like the estimate any more than Harry.

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

Harry shoved genus Draco's note into his pocket, clenched his teeth, and followed. Once, after banging his knee, he tried to light his wand but was scolded by Dakhil who insisted on tot iniquity."Can you not see ?"Dakhil sneered.

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

"There is an energy that binds all dwell things together, Harry. You draw from it every metre you cast a spell. It pulsates on the flatus as the breath of the trees ; it bubbles from the soil crawling with worms and roaches. In the very dismal of places, it shines as a beacon to all who would call on its name. It is a skill all members of the Votary learn before the connection, save for you."Dakhil stopped. The odor was strong here, damp and dank and musty with a strong common sense of radioactive decay."Even in death, life is reborn. get to out to it."

"I can't see a bloody—"

"Not with your oculus, jester !"Harry heard Dakhil sit as an old wooden judiciary creaked under his exercising weight."What Soseh sees in you…"

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

Harry had seen the life force play of others he had try to heal. It was like going to another plane of existence. He just needed to…"nidus,"he whispered to himself. In the iniquity Harry closed his eye and opened his judgment, reaching out for anything however low that might indicate life. At first there was zip, and then a brightly luminescence began to look, red and throbbing."Dakhil,"Harry thought. And then he saw it, the corridor they were in. Something was glowing on the walls. mold ? Spores ? It was as if the structures surrounding them were splattered with an eerie fluorescent rouge and lit up by a black light."I see,"he whispered in amazement.

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

"The Tree !"Harry said, looking at the White River glowing pillar that climbed to the sky.

"Your opposition, even though they hide behind such grand piano complex body part are brighter still. It is a crucial science. With one hand, Dakhil pulled Harry out of the splinters of wood and stood him on his feet in the forest."Now look up."

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

"Ebyrth,"Harry whispered.

"Correct, Mr. thrower,"said Dakhil, slapping Harry on the shoulder joint. He started walking past the tree back to the palace which glowed bright through the subdivision."As I said earlier, your time to die is near at hired hand. You may not recognize it yet, Mr. ceramicist, but, aside from both being in the Votary, you and I have one thing, at to the lowest degree, in common."

"And what's that ?"Harry said with more of a leer than anything else.

"We are both already dead."




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


The rhythmical beating of Gabriella's nub lulled Harry as she stroked the side of his nous with her hand. He sighed deeply as she played with the soupcon of whorl that wrapped about his articulatio humeri. He forced himself to stay awake, if only to savour every minute that he was being held in her sleeve. Through the slim slits in his oculus he watched the lake vanish and reappear into view as his head rose and fell with each breathing time she took. The sparkling water supply brought his thinker to the beaches of Lebanon and he visualized walking with her at the ocean, watching the undulation crash again and again against the shoring. It would be a thoroughgoing post to ask her, he thought. A gruntle pushover brought with it the poise breather of fall and for a moment he thought he could smell the aplomb salt air of the sea. Yes, the perfect place.

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

"I never want to prompt again,"he muttered, barely opening his lips. Her hand slipped down to his shoulder and then stroked the heftiness of his arms. They were sore and yet with her touch he could feel the ache ebb away.

"If you're going to hold back working for Hagrid in the timber,"she said more firmly,"you're going to involve to hold open up your strength."Her fingers slipped down to his side and playfully gave him a agile pinch.

"AYY !"he said, jumping. It was more titillation than pain, Thomas More peck than poke."Not fair ! I was… I was just going…"He closed his eyes and began to lay his drumhead back down on her pectus.

"Oh no you don't,"she said, pushing his shoulder back and sitting up herself."I like what working for Hagrid's done to you."She slapped his stomach which held tight."Besides, Mama would shoot down me if she heard I let you hop a meal."She rose to her understructure."Come on, let's get you fed."She held out her hand to help Harry to his feet. Her head was turned so that her gaze was not at Harry but at the castle.

An look-alike of Grigor flashed across Harry's mind and a cold shiver ran down his back… he hesitated. How could she have a go at it ? She couldn't. She was so much like her father, and for the briefest of bit Harry was taken back to the straining chamber at the Ministry -- the sleeping accommodation where Sothis had been lost and found again, the bedchamber where Gabriella's beginner, Grigor, had held his paw out innocently toward Harry, just as Gabriella was now doing, only to bind him and prepare him for dying.

He drew in a late breath, shook the store from his psyche, and took Gabriella's hand, rising to his aching foundation. They both whisked away the dry leaves that clung to the bottoms of their gown and turned toward the castle. Harry could experience the con in his branch as they climbed the castle steps. Halfway up he stopped, wrapped his arm about Gabriella's waistline and paused to look at the lake. She took it as a romantic moment and leaned her head against his shoulder. Harry, however, was too sore to step higher. Even Madame Pomfrey's potions weren't decent to bump off the throbbing that worked its way into both muscle and ivory. A nerve in his right thigh shot a jolt of pain up into his back and his gaze turned toward the forest.

workings for Hagrid ? No. For the last few calendar week he'd been training with the Centaurs. Only he'd felt uncomfortable sharing that with Gabriella. He had never been able to bring up a conversation with Gabriella about them without her making an excuse to change the subject. It was decipherable she did not like Centaur, but she never explained why and Harry was unwilling to labour the egress. Another stab flicked down the sinew of his depart calfskin and his psyche drifted to the day's training school term. Recalling why his stage hurt so, he wasn't so sure he liked Centaurus either.

"Jump, Harry thrower ! leap"cried Ronan. The red-haired Centaur fired an arrow that nicked the entrust heel of Harry's bare groundwork."Speed is a Centaurus's greatest ally. With it we can outpace the Dementors when they try to flee. Run !"he bellowed as Harry began to decelerate."If one of our bit pauperization aid, would you just walk to their side ?"

"I'm… not… walking…"yelled Harry back over his articulatio humeri, as he ran from the Centaur barefoot through the forest. His lungs were bursting for air and his feet were on firing. He'd already run for miles ; Ronan would make him run mil more. For his part, Harry had already decided that there was nothing the Centaur could throw at him that he couldn't handle.

"Ayyy !"he cried, slashing his ft against a jagged I. F. Stone.

"Run !"

Perhaps he was wrong.

He had been forbidden to use a wand, and wore nil but a lash made of tree bark wrapped about his shank with a sheath for a pocket-size sticker used to slash at vines and other vegetation that blocked his way as he ran. In one hand he held the obelisk and in the early he carried a stone nearly too gravid to fully hold on. In battle he would transport a shield, but a Harlan F. Stone was more embarrassing to handle, forcing more muscularity to rise and see to it it. He was being trained as all Colt were. In fact, there were two Colt running far ahead of him already - Shahan, with a coat so disconsolate Harry could no longer see him in the length, and Felspar, whose vivid white coat shone like a whiz ahead - way ahead. swither dripped into his eyes and he wiped his brow with his right forearm. Running blindly he slashed wildly at a Tentacula that reached for his neck.

"You should have seen that, stripling, long before it struck at you !"call Ronan, loping along. There was the sound of a thwwwwp and a few rate ahead Harry saw a large wanderer dead near the path he was taking, an arrow between its eyes. Looking back as he ran ahead Harry tripped on a root word, twisted his ankle and fell to the ground, his left knee grinding into a collection of pocket-size I. F. Stone. The fingerbreadth of his allow hand were crushed between the Edward Durell Stone he was carrying and the Isidor Feinstein Stone upon which he'd just fallen. The obelisk fell from his right mitt and skittered forward, but before it came to perch, Harry reached his hand forward and without saying a parole the dagger returned to his grasp. There was a cold-shoulder grunt from Ronan. It was neither disparaging, nor approving. It was more a oink of gratification, but Harry did not see back into Ronan's eyes to see if the satisfaction was directed toward him. His knees and workforce hemorrhage, he stood to his fundament and began to run again. Now, even feldspar was out of view. He'd taken only three or four step before Ronan called.

"Stop !"

respiration hard, Harry turned and for the number one time all good afternoon he looked up into the Centaur's eyes.

"I… I can… catch them,"Harry heaved.

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

"I hate… conundrum,"breathed Harry.

"Shahan and Felspar have been studying for tenner the meat of Earth's secret. It will drive them decennium more to realize what is already at your fingertips."The Centaurus stepped nigh, forcing Harry to bend his neck opening upward. A muscle twanged past his right ear. Still Ronan advanced until he was only inch from Harry, who could sense the unusual mix of elbow grease and hair. Ronan looked skyward.

"To see without eye, to feel without fingers, to hear without ears, to smack without tongue…,"he looked back down at Harry and tapped him on the side of his nose,"…to smell without nostrils. These are giving you have already been given, and yet you know them not ; you have but to unwrap them."With a movement that was but a fuzz to Harry, Ronan notched another arrow and shot at a large flying… thing with bombastic teeth that was advancing on them. It fell silently to the woodland story. To Ronan it was same little more than swatting a fly. He continued,"You must watch the power that took your sacrifice and cleansed you, the power that has no strength. What you must master, Harry Potter, what you must strive to achieve is to be without being."Harry scrunched his nose splotched with dirt.

"Did I say ? I really hate riddle,"he muttered, beginning to catch his breath.

"yield my hired hand, child,"commanded Ronan.

The instant Harry took the centaur's manus the world spun upon its head. super C and brown and yellow and gold flashed past them in a swirl of colours. Then, inexplicably, Ronan was gone, and Harry was suddenly running, loping, galloping. He felt empty-headed, proud, self-important, childish…

"I told you the Wizard was a fake !"he cried back over his berm."Ronan's an old fool !"He kicked his heals and accelerated forward, the wind whistling past his auricle.

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

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

A vox whispered in Harry's ear. It was Ronan's."You see with Shahan's optic. Where would you be, Harry ceramist ?"

Harry looked back. Behind him was felspar, the dazzling whiten centaur that he'd been racing. Then he noticed his own haunches. They were black as blue coal. He was Shahan, the track Centaurus colt. But how ? His head twisted forward toward the waiting sword lily and the assemblage of Centaurs that watched to see if Ronan's prophecy was nix more than flatus and myth.

Where would I be ?

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

Harry willed himself from the eyes of Shahan and back to his own body. There was a shoot - he had returned, his lungs still gasping for air and Ronan still at his side. Harry closed his eyes and his idea imaged the flag that was ahead ; he imagined being there. Space and time began to collapse, swirling itself, revealing itself. A footpath that moved with his will, guided by Ronan, appeared before Harry. He took in a deep breathing spell and stepped forward onto the way. The great couple of distance between himself and the red flagstone suddenly collapsed. feldspar was just out of reach, Shahan appeared to be only a few paces in front of her, and the red sword lily appeared as just a few ten of measure away. Harry began to run. The coloring of the timberland swirled by him, as if everything stood still, including the two Centaurus. He ran yesteryear felspar and then Shahan and, in an trice, he appeared only inches from the flag that marked the end of the airstream. He was surrounded be Centaurus of every colour, each with trigger-happy eyes marked by only the slim astonishment of his arrival. As he came to rest, he saw, in the aloofness, Shahan and only a few strides behind him felspar. They were both galloping like the confidential information, swallowing up Brobdingnagian belt of sod with each stride. They would be upon him soon.

Harry felt it was, somehow, a cheat. Could all Centaurus bend quad and clock time ? His eyes caught Shahan's in the distance, and the once confident, defiant regard turned to one of near revulsion. He galloped faster, as if possessed, but it was no use. With one hand, his bloody left, Harry reached up and pulled the violent flag from its banner. There was a collective sunniness as Harry held the flag over his header, spinning to show the gather. It was then that he saw Ronan, standing in the sum of the radical of nearly one hundred Centaurus. An minute later Shahan pulled up at Harry's side, his breath heavy, his pelage lathered with sweat.

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

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

"I foretold of the coming star,"Ronan called to the gathering."And yet you did not trust. I sought out the Sacrifice against your will, and the pee returned him to us. Only once before has this ever happened, and when that battle was won so too began the Great Age of Centaurs !"Harry expected a cheer, but none came. Instead, there was an almost emotionless citation of Ronan's'assertion."This,"he pointed toward Harry, naked and bloodstained, his lungs still craving for More oxygen,"this is our Sacrifice. Cleansed and returned, he shall lead us to victory !"Again there was little more than the nods and stomps of the Centaurus at the gathering. No one refuted Ronan's claims.

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

"It was a Bearwicken,"said Felspar quietly.

"He's a fake !"cried Shahan in a spirit that was more animated than any Centaur Harry had ever seen. He stepped forward, pushing Harry aside, but Harry ignored the rudeness and focused his attention on feldspar."He's no leader ! He's a wizard ! It's skullduggery I tell you."

"Let me help you,"whispered Harry as he held his afford hand a few in away from the cut on Felspar's flank. Harry closed his middle and muttered the incantation that he knew would make with his wand, and then something caused him to stretch forth further, to get to beyond. His bridge player had not touched the Centaurus, but he could feel the blood, slippery wet, between his fingerbreadth. He reached out without moving and willed the gash shut, and the gash obeyed, closing as if a drapery had been pulled shut tight about the wound.

"Like all whizz, he'll belt down us all when we turn our back !"yelled Shahan again.

"The chosen heals !"asserted a large, female Centaur from the assembly. A chestnut tree coating and no bow about her articulatio humeri, she stepped forward from the others."Did the urine teach you these gift or is this wizardry ?"The last word was disparaging and even evoked some razzing from the others.

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

A act of other Centaurs followed in kind, each bending low to one knee and bowing their brain. Ronan approached Harry, nodding his straits and bending to one knee as well.

"You still lack strength and endurance, Harry thrower, but these thing can be learned. Now, it is time to rest."He held his hand to Harry's centre."Return to the wood's friend."Harry's mind immediately thought of Hagrid."Run !"

The vision of Hagrid's cabin firmly fixed in his idea, Harry willed himself there. Again a way of life opened up and he took off running. bit later, he found himself where he began the day, seated on Hagrid's chairperson future to the burning fire, Fang laying at his incline and Hagrid singing some song in French. The logs on the fervour cracked as Harry, still naked, looked at his Gryffindor robe that hung from a hook near the door. The way they were draped over the hook they almost looked real - lifelike, as if they contained some spirit all their own. Harry's venter churned just as Hagrid turned, surprised to find Harry in his hut.

"Harry ?"

"Harry ? Shall we go inside ?"Gabriella had spun to look Harry whose eyes were aloof and bent on the far horizon above the lake. Her vocalism snapped him back from reliving the memory. He had learned something great today, and he'd learned it from the Centaurs.

"Harry ? Are you okay ?"

Harry looked down into her eyes and smiled. He was sore and tired ; dark ring hung under his eyes. The thought of going inside to face three scrolls on the healing works of Kirkcaldy was almost too much to bear.

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

"looking at, you're tired and it's time for dinner party,"she said, deliberately changing the conversation."We can talk about the headliner later."Harry nodded silently and together they entered the castle and began to walk to the Great lobby.

Near a expectant suit of armor Harry noticed Patrick talking to James IV Chang Jiang. William James was leaning against the Harlan F. Stone wall, his arms crossed as well as his legs. He was either extremely bored, or he didn't like what he was hearing. Still, Patrick was quite passionate about it ; his coat of arms were swinging wildly about and to a greater extent than once Harry heard him raise his voice.

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

James noticed Harry and Gabriella and stood straighter, stopping Patrick's narration with a motion of his hand. Harry smiled and waved, and Jesse James returned the gesture with a grinning of his own. Patrick turned to see who James was looking at and when he saw Harry, his face bore an formulation of smashing concern.

"No wonder,"Harry thought,"I feel like I'm going to blow glob. I must attend like hell."As he and Gabriella continued toward the Great Hall for dinner, the more sickish he felt.

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

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

"I can't mounting those."

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

Patrick followed James into the Great Charles Martin Hall just as Ron and Hermione appeared from Gryffindor tower. They were headed, arm in arm, into the Great Hall when Ron noticed Gabriella trying to serve Harry toward the stairway that led to the infirmary wing.

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

"What happened ?"

"I'm fine, really,"demanded Harry, and in fact he was beginning to experience better although the flooring was still a bit unsteady under his metrical unit. They stepped him over to a long bench beneath a gravid portraiture of a great ninth hundred engagement scene. Harry hated it here, he always had ; the clang and crash of steel against armour was always deafening when the combatants weren't sipping tea together, discussing whose scheme was superior in the shoemaker's last battle. Ron noticed a contusion beneath Harry's apprehend and leaned in close to Harry's ear.

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

"CHHHHT,"shot Harry with a fire of air between his clinched teeth, trying to still is friend. Seated between a mind-reader and an empath, Harry had little hope of keeping anything secret, but he didn't want to discuss his breeding with the Centaurs in presence of Gabriella.

"You said you'd take me,"complained Ron."‘ The next time I go,'you said."Ron crossed his weapons system."I thought maybe this yr would be different."Harry opened his sassing to explain.

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

So, Hermione knew. So practically for Ron's sworn oath that he wouldn't tell a somebody. Harry rolled his center and rock his head teacher knowing that Hermione was only partially right. She was right about the skewer region, but Harry knew at once Ron would contract the protect character the wrong way. He did.

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

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

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

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

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

"Test ?"asked Ron, now with more interest than anger.

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

"This forenoon you were supposed to help prof Barghouti's second year class for their pa moral,"scolded Hermione, also rising.

"What kind of test ?

"Who are they ?"

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

Harry feigned dizziness again and tilted in toward Ron who grabbed him by the berm."I think I need to eat,"he muttered, and then leaning closer he whispered to Ron,"Saturday."Gabriella knew he was feeling fine ; she could sense that. Hermione knew he was feeling fine ; she'd study the Harry thrower ledger long ago. Both women just glared, while Ron was steadfast.

"Can't you see the man's exhausted ? He has to eat !"he exclaimed."Blimey ! Give him a time out for Merlin's sake."He put Harry's arm about his shoulder joint."Come on, mate. Let's get you a bite and then we can go over the weekend's praxis schedule. I know Ginny's been playing all right as Chaser and all, but I think if…."

In the Great vestibule, Dumbledore had the houses sit wherever they wished for breakfast and lunch, but for dinner each house ate at severalize tables from the others. It was a compromise between the visual sense of the future and a respect for tradition. Tonight, Harry was grateful because it meant, for a piece at least, he and Gabriella would be separated. As they entered the Great Hall she kissed him on the cheek, holding his left field hand. He toyed with the golden hoop he'd given her the class before on Valentine's. There was a twinkle in her eyes and a sly smiling upon her face.

"You will tell me later ?"she asked, but the smell was more revelatory of a statement than a question.

"You know already. You just won't talking about it."His smile had a tinge of sorrowfulness as their finger's breadth let go of each other. Her twinkle faded and her eyes would not entertain his regard as she turned away. Harry did not look back as he followed Ron to the Gryffindor table.

Lavender and Anapurna were having an vivify conversation about the meaning of a large stain on the tablecloth. Parvati had spilt her drink and it left a shadow, twirling outline of something resembling, at least to Harry, a expectant toadstool. He sat down realizing he did, very much, need to eat.

"It's a Celtic language spiral,"said Lavender, her finger tracking the outline of the top of the toadstool.

"A Crane,"countered Parvati, pointing at the long corrupt neck of the toadstool.

"That makes no sensation,"said Lavender."No, it's a Celtic volute and,"she pointed to some dark privileged spots,"with these here it would represent eternal life."

"No. See this here ? The way the ringlet dissolve away ? Not unceasing life… animation, decease, and Renaissance. It's clearly a Stephen Crane,"Anapurna said, pointing out the dame's feature article."Here are the middle, the curl neck, the long legs."She grew more confident with each description.

"Then you're both right,"chimed in Hermione. The two young noblewoman looked up, astonied expressions on both their faces."The Harold Hart Crane represents seniority. unending life… longevity… Lapp thing."She shrugged her shoulder and took a bite of dinner.

"NooOoo,"both Annapurna and Lavender harmonized in a rather prospicient and melodious tune."It could stand for trick if—"

Deliberately, Harry accidentally spilled his tea onto the stain covering up any discernible detail. The liquid began to pour off the border toward Annapurna and Lavender and they both took to their feet.

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

"Honestly, Ron,"sighed Hermione, whisking out her wand and vanishing the tea and stain together.

"HERMIONE !"cried Lavender.

"How could you !"scolded Parvati.

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

"Come on, Lavender."Parvati spun on her heals and took off, Lavender rightfulness behind her, but not before she shot a scathing blaze at Hermione. No Oklahoman had they left the table than Ron let out a bird, a part of bread shooting from his nose.

"Ronald Weasley, I should…"

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

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

"Oh, right, and you two are the poster couple for honest and open discussions."

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

"Don't you think I've tried ! ?"asked Harry, raising his representative just enough for those around him to arrest their conversations. He knew he hadn't, not really, but he also knew that Hermione didn't know. Her eyes simply looked into his, probing, her facial expression calm. The looking was enervate because he knew his own formula was giving him away."Well I have,"he insisted, pushing his shell in for good measure.

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

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

"Your days grow short."

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

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

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

"The thing is, professor,"Neville was saying as he past Harry,"if the two rootage are to have the issue you want, they'll have to be grown to exactly the like length."

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

"I think so, with the correct light. If I can take up some…"and the conversation faded away.

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

"Password ?"she asked with a smile.

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

"Erm, sorry,"said Harry,"changed my mind."He turned and headed back down the corridor, wondering if his secret billet giver was still nearby. As much as he hated the mentation of climbing back up the staircase, he had to go down and speak with Dumbledore. Besides, the three scroll on the healing plant life of Kirkcaldy could wait till later.


Harry Potter and the giving birth of a New Sun

Chapter 10 - visual modality
~~~***~~~




Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Tink.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Tink.
The silver instrument rose and fell on Dumbledore's Venetian red desk as Harry stroked Fawkes'feathers, waiting for the headmaster to take back. Not much bigger than a breadbox, it was a strange appeal of power train and springs and Harry spent some clip trying to deduce its significance. The widget, rimmed with winged fauna Harry couldn't recognize, reminded him of a similar device in the black family estate at Grimmauld Place. It too had the Saami circular rings that ran up a notched staircase only the Black device was golden, its fly creatures looked more menacing, and Harry had never seen it operate on.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Tink.

gibe by a spring, another silver ring ran up the staircase only to reach the top, falter, and fall into a spate below. The pile seemed to be shrinking as Harry stood observance, but he could not see where the rings disappeared to, nor could he discover the beginning for the rings that sprung Forth River from the bed. There it was - a never ending procession that seemed to have got no purpose.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Unable to take himself, Harry reached out and grabbed the ash grey ring before it had a chance to precipitate from atop the belittled staircase. The scene changed and he suddenly found himself on the Hogwarts Express walking toward the front line of the train, two pace behind Greg Goyle. But, this couldn't be - Greg was dead. It took him a instant to make that he'd traveled back in fourth dimension. They were about to reach the front of the gear ; Greg wasn't dead, he was about to die.

Harry tried to mouth, but no words came. He tried to reach his hired hand up to turn back Greg, but it would not make a motion. Unable to command his motion, Harry could do nothing but watch history spread as it had last year. He poked his head into a coach, telling a radical of fifth years what was up.

"I've been wondering what was taking so long with the food streetcar,"said Ernie Macmillan. Harry explained that the prof had gone missing and Ernie joined him to discern the problem. As Harry slipped back out of the carriage with Ernie, Goyle took the point and started toward the front of the train. Once again Harry tried to lay off his Quaker when, through the deoxyephedrine doors to the box ahead, Harry saw a witch in dark gown suddenly appear in the corridor. Anaxarete. Harry wished he could wander a killing hex, but it was no use ; he could do nothing. She glanced back, revealing a sinister grin and piercing green eyes. Harry tried to place himself in front of Greg, but was unable to pass Goyle's spacious articulatio humeri. It didn't matter ; an twinkling later she was gone and an second after that the front end of the train exploded with a tremendous white flash.

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

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

Harry took Dumbledore's hand and rose to his pes. He held the ring out between his thumb and forefinger.

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

Tink.

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

"It is a memory record book of sorts… a picture album."Dumbledore moved to his desk and sat down, leaning back against his chair."Different for each who reads it."Harry couldn't avail but think that the greatest necromancer of the age was beginning to register planetary house of habiliment. He had grown much slender since Harry last saw him at the end of the schoolhouse yr, and his hands were beginning to curl in an unnatural way.

"Like a Pensieve ?"Harry asked.

"Not quite, Harry,"replied the schoolmaster."A Pensieve lets you store or get rid of your memories so that you can look them over later. You can select the memory board to remove, to examine."He leaned forward and held his script together."This is a Möbius Machine. It reflects a maven's life history. It is a never ending grummet that plays over and over again, shrinking or expanding to suit the viewer. Each silver lap is a ringlet of a circumstances of your life. While the tintinnabulation play in social club, there is no way, unfortunately, to determine which remembering, which spirit experience you will visit."

A frisson past by Harry again, and for a here and now he thought he felt the breath of death susurration its figure against the nape of his neck.

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

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

"I understand."Dumbledore sighed. He stood and walked back to the device. He waived his wand and uttered an conjuration and the rings stopped running up the stairway, and fell wherever they were in the cycle."I wish your memory board could be happy, Harry. I would hate to see you as a tottering old man, sitting down in a dusty position wondering if you could take a chance reliving the tragedies that grasping a few rings might impart. Fawkes quietly vocalized his agreement, as Dumbledore slipped his verge away and placed his bridge player on Harry's shoulder."I know you have been chosen, Harry. But you need not place yourself between the Centaurs and the Dementors ; it is not your war."

"You said it yourself, professor,"said Harry, looking up into Dumbledore's still vivid down eyes,"it's the paths we choose that make us who we are. I'm not doing this because I was chosen. I'm doing this because it's the justly matter to do. Lucius Malfoy is going to use this to try and brush the iniquity back across this land, and I won't let him."Harry's own middle were fierce with determination and defiance."I've been training with Ronan."Harry paused."Are Centaurs magical ?"

"Very much so, Harry,"said Dumbledore with a smile."It is folly for maven to believe they are the most powerful puppet on this world. You know, of course of instruction, Centaurs have keen sight and are skilled with a bow, but these things are physical skills that many wizard dismiss. Ahh… not so, Harry… not so. Why do you believe a Centaur never misses his fair game ?"Harry shrugged."Because a skilled centaur can follow the arrow all the way to its destination, nudging its escape along the way. They can bend outer space and time, Harry. Even while genius are unable to Apparate on Hogwarts footing, Ronan can evaporate and reappear wherever he pleases simply by using his mind."

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

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

"They are much better stewards of such acquirement than wizards would ever be,"the cured star whispered, looking down into the electron lens of the telescope. The instrument was fixed on the percentage of the sky through which the comet Ebyrth was now passing. Harry no longer needed a scope to see the comet's bright tail.

"It is not your war, Harry,"said Dumbledore still looking into the electron lens."The Ministry can handle the ilk of Lucius and his ilk."He adjusted the nidus."They have no posture in numbers, no allies for reenforcement, no sanctuary in which to hide. It's only a issue of time."

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

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

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

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

"A… A Horcrux."

The portrait that were earlier minding their own business, napping, reading the paper, or off to some other lieu were suddenly thrown into a rumpus. The headmasters of old began complaining at once about the insolence of the young man to discuss such thing here.

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

"Lucius is cunningly malign,"called Phineas,"But he would never creep to such depths."

Dumbledore finally quieted them all by threatening to lend down a sheet of shadow. His typeface was grave accent, almost picket and the tonicity of his articulation was filled with expectant worry. Harry knew at once that whatever a Horcrux was, it was drear magic, but then… did he expect otherwise ?

"Harry,"began Dumbledore slowly, his vox quite and sombre,"what makes you believe that Lucius Malfoy would employ a Horcrux ?"Harry turned away from Dumbledore, not willing to uphold eye contact."Certainly such news does not come from our supporter the Centaurs."

"Well… I… I heard that…"He stalled and then turned back to face Dumbledore. How could he cognise how one employed a Horcrux if he didn't even have it off what one was ?"professor, what is a Horcrux ?"Dumbledore walked back to the atomic number 47 simple machine that was now calm on the mesa. He tapped it with his wand and the argent gang began to revolve again. He took a ring and held it in his hand for but a here and now when he laughed and placed it back along its path.

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

"Professor ?"

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

"husband ?"asked Harry incredulously."Professor McGonagall was married ?"

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

"I… I suppose she'd be happy."

"But she is well-chosen, Harry. Certainly, if you were to ask, she would wish that he was still at her face, but she is very happy."Dumbledore's custody squeezed the wooden table and he drew in a abstruse intimation. When he turned to bet back into Harry's center, his face was grave and his own centre stern."What I'm about to tell you, Harry, is not supposed to leave this room."Harry glanced toward the door as if there might be someone there."Harry, I know with whom you would like to parcel. You should know that it is forbidden. I would not even verbalise of it with you, had you not brought it up first. Do I have your word ?"

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

"Imagine for a mo that I could break up you into three people. Not copy mind you, but three distinct function of your very essence… your soul. One would remain with the consistence you now possess ; the other two would be put away for computer memory you might say. If you, the part of you that inhabits the body you now have, were to die, one of the other parts would seek out another body to inhabit… to hold in. You, part of you, would live again."

"share of me ?"

"The part that you hid away."Again Dumbledore turned to the simple machine on the table."The pile of rings that you see in social movement of me here, Harry, is larger than your was. Why ?"

"You have Thomas More memory board, More experiences."

"Precisely ! But a carve up soul would only subscribe to with it portions, apparition of the storage the archetype somebody carried. Imagine, my boy, if you had to choose… what lot of your soulfulness would you carve away ? What role of you would remain ? There are many choices. You could carve out the bad memories, perhaps the death of Greg Goyle, and go on believing that he had never died ? But then, what would chance if you were to die, and the Horcrux storing only the bad memories was released ? What sort of soured person would remain ?

"Then there are those wizards who believe that it is the tragedy of a wizard's biography that drives him forward ? Such a wizard might keep the tragic memories at the set erasing all joy and felicity, perhaps the day you first arrived at Hogwarts ?.

"And it's not just memories, Harry. It's also the essence of who we are, what we have become, both just and malevolent, shadow and fire up. A thaumaturgist must make up one's mind how to break each slice of joy and rue into diminutive part, sprinkling a fiddling bit of everything into each portion of your soul, splintering all you ever were into shards of fogged shabu that can never really be made whole again. Tell me, Harry, what alternative would you make ?"

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

"No, Harry, nor would I."Dumbledore's shoulders drooped slightly as if a declamatory weight sat square upon them."Thankfully, most necromancer and Wiccan would refuse to pick out as well. Fewer still know that there is such a path one can take ; and only the most powerful of those would be able-bodied to occupy it."Suddenly looking quite tired, Dumbledore returned to the chairwoman behind his desk and let out a deeply sigh, closing his eye."The Horcrux is simply the repositing vessel… it could be a rock, a cloak, a cup—"

"But Lucius—"

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

"The diary ?"Harry answered finally, his spokesperson more sealed than incertain, and with each new question the uncertainty vanished."Tom enigma's diary ? That was a Horcrux ? Voldemort used a Horcrux."

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

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

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

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

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

"fountainhead, I suppose if you told me, then your promise to save our conversation of the Horcrux common soldier would mean nothing."

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

"Harry,"said Dumbledore with tomb business concern,"such H2O are filled with Grindylows and Inferi."Harry looked at Dumbledore, confused.

"Inf— ?"

"It's far too dangerous for you to set out some journeying to search the world for a Horcrux. Voldemort's been to the edge of the world and beyond ; it could be anywhere. More in all likelihood, it has already been activated. No, I will verbalize with the extremity of the—"

"Sir, you can't. I swore that I'd—"

"Relax, Harry, there will be no need to implicate your affaire. In fact, it's more to our vantage to stay fresh your name completely out of the picture."

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

"Oh dear,"said Dumbledore."I've made you late for class."He paused, struggling for the briefest of minute about what to say next."You outdo be on your way. We can continue this later. William Tell prof Barghouti it was all my fracture and I'll confer with him about it later."

"But—"

"Go on, Harry,"interrupted Dumbledore.

Harry sighed, grabbed his Good Book and started for class. Just as he was about to wave his hand across the vauntingly nerve doorhandle, Dumbledore stopped him.

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

"But that means—"

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

As Harry walked down the corridors toward defence force Against the Dark Arts socio-economic class, his mind was spinning with the new information and trying to stand everything that Dumbledore has shared with him. Within the paries of Gryffindor. Even though this year students were free to get into the common elbow room of any firm into which they were invited, Harry knew exactly what Dumbledore meant ; he shouldn't trust Gabriella. He pondered how he would preserve Gabriella out of any word he might have with Ron or Hermione concerning the Horcrux. Maybe he was better off not saying anything to anybody. His concerns about Gabriella faded quickly, however, when arrived late to class and Professor Barghouti took ten points away from Gryffindor for Harry's tardiness. He wouldn't let Harry say a Word about where he was or who he was with.

Normally, Harry arrived early to year so that he could sit in back. He like the majority of the class wanted to sit in as far away from prof Barghouti as potential. For near students it was because their professor was a vampire ; Harry simply didn't like him. Every metre Harry looked into his centre he felt that he had to prove himself worthy ; that he was somehow lacking when it came to the Votary. Now, having arrived to class late, Harry had to sit in forepart next to the only early educatee who would : Hermione and Gabriella. Harry took his seat succeeding to Gabriella who offered him a supportive grin after he was chastised by Barghouti about clock time management.

"Now, as I was saying,"said professor Barghouti with a bit of a drawl that reminded Harry all too much of a hybridizing between Snape and Malfoy,"before we were so rudely interrupted… Occlumency is more art than learned, more nature than fosterage. Nonetheless, even the most inept wizard,"he looked at Harry,"can get word to repel at least underlying attempts to click the mind. Fortunately, to the highest degree of you are sorely lacking as Legilimens."Barghouti stared once again at Harry.

"I want each of you to regain a mate and while one tries to get through his partner's mental defences the other will use the technique you described in last night's homework assignment. For those of you who found the designation to tedious and chose instead to exercise Quidditch,"again he looked at Harry,"expect to drop the evening with Madame Pomfrey as she treats your headache."

"But, prof,"complained Hermione while raising her hired man.

"Yes, Ms granger ?"

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

"True, Ms. Granger ; it is a misdemeanour. But then, so is the Killing expletive and we've learned to defend ourselves, as best we can, against such an attack. Would you opt to have your thought process read freely by Lucius Malfoy's spy ? Have them know your plans so that they can kill you or your make love unity when you least have a bun in the oven it ?"

"But—"

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

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

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

Harry turned his desk about and sat face-to-face Gabriella. He had let her into his mind many times before. There was something playful, almost erotic about how they would commune in this way. While she had become quite wiz at curling herself around Harry's persuasion, she never went rich than Harry offered. For his portion, he had never been able to see her thought unless he opened his own first. They always had to diddle in Harry's mind, and he had never tried to tug her away. She was smiling at him, a twinkle in her centre, as she took his hand in hers. It wasn't until their deal touched that his essence skipped. Foremost in his psyche was something he couldn't let her see — his conversation with Dumbledore. His hand pulled away ; he couldn't cease her from sensing his emotions, but he could check her from reading his intellect.

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

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

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

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

"You know you can't."

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

Around the class some bookman were having undecomposed success than others. Most attempts were fairly week and were being met by straightaway repulsions. This resulted in more than a few students being knocked backwards out of their chairs. Ron was popping down on to the basis Sir Thomas More clip than you could stimulate a baton at and Barghouti was taking nifty satisfaction in being capable to beat back Ron's cash advance. Just behind Harry, Hermione had teamed with Neville who, at the mo, was trying to diffuse her creative thinker. Avoiding Gabriella's eyes, Harry took a deep intimation.

"Ready ?"he asked.

"Go tiger,"said Gabriella with a smile.

Harry began to focus as best he could on Gabriella's intellection, but all he was sensing was the back of his eyelids. Squeezing his eyes closed more firmly, he heard another heavy thump that he took to be Ron's arse once again striking the slate floor. It felt like an eternity, but at some point he could hear Gabriella calling his epithet. Not with her sass, but with her thinker. Instead of pushing him back, she was trying to wheedle him in. Even with the help he was finding it extremely unmanageable to push his way through the darkness to her intellection. Not cognisant that he was now grabbing the edge of the desk with his hands, he redoubled, tripled his cause to crowd his way in.

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

The hoo-hah of the class had disappeared and an eerie quiet surrounded him. He heard first, a haste of water, a drip-drip-drip, a whisper of folio and then crying… Then the air filled with a musty, wet scent of true pine and loam… The Forbidden forest, he knew at once. Slowly, a brightness began to give up before him and he realized that the crying came from the baby he was holding in his coat of arms. This was no memory ; Harry was himself in this vision. He found that his robe were soaked. Both he and the young child, still less than a year old, looked as if they'd just come from the lake. The sister, glistening wet, was wrapped in dark flock of damp cloth, dripping on his thrill. A handwriting touched his shoulder joint from fanny.

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

A rush of fear began to decant itself over Harry. He was inhuman, shivering, teeth chatter, the fry in his arms continued to cry out for its mother, but Harry knew that it was a cry that would never be answered. He wanted to squall, to run, but when the child looked at him his affection warmed and his resolve strengthened. Slowly Harry's finger brushed the child's cheek.

"You know,"he whispered, quelling the kid's tears,"you have your mother's eyes."


Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

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

Bass throbbing, strings reverberating, the stria was flashy and Harry was not feeling all that well. He slumped back, sinking into the large, overstuffed chair and rubbed his synagogue. Why did he let Ron and doyen challenge him into a drunkenness duel upstairs ? The Quidditch compeer against Hufflepuff was tomorrow and he swore he wouldn't take a sip. But then Ron convinced him that they were two-hundred point favourites over their baby sign of the zodiac and why not celebrate… a fiddling ? It was Hallowe'en after all ; their last at Hogwarts.

Feeling a bit wino, he then had let Neville win over him to eat far too much during the fete. Why not ? It was, after all, their last Allhallows Eve together. And then when he had stepped outside for some reinvigorated air, Hermione started in on him again.

"I saw it. You saw it. By the way she's playacting, all three of us saw it, Harry."Her representative was more likeable than chiding as she set her hand upon his berm. She had tried this attack once already ; it hadn't worked then either. Harry didn't know why she wouldn't just let it go. O.K., that was a lie - he did know. That was just what Hermione did. She wanted to solve a problem that she didn't understand and not knowing the answer was driving her mad. Nonetheless, after her protestation, Harry had simply rolled his middle and shrugged his shoulders.

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

"You need to recount her what you saw,"Hermione had said, stepping in more closely to Harry, but his head had grown foggier than ever. Instead of being refreshed by the night air, he was just cold-blooded and drunkard. He shook his straits, disagreeing with Hermione, unceremoniously pushing her aristocratical handwriting away, and had wandered, stumbling a bit, back into the dance, where he had found the nice cushy electric chair he now was melting into. Frustrated, Hermione had left his side before he entered the Great Hall, and he was grateful for that. Rubbing his temples, Harry considered the new song. Yes, the band was very loud, but everyone was having a gravid time.

The Great Hall was dark save for the situation that bathed the band in an eerie orange and purplish light. Now and then a row of candles burning at the front of the stage would swank bright, sparkling into the air. It was the only time you could do much of anything out, except when a professor's wand grew bright, lighting up two snogging students typically in a darkened corner covered by the fog that floated some three foundation off the level.

Harry was surprised to see Patrick dancing with a one-third year young woman from Slytherin, if you could call his gyrations dancing. The lad was flailing his arms and pounding his feet ; Harry expected to see him smiling, but Saint Patrick didn't seem too proud of with it. Ron was nowhere to be seen, which put a momentary smirk on Harry's fount, for it was Harry who had won their earlier bet. He smiled even more broadly, thinking that Ron would ingest to go three night straight without wearing any socks. There was another bright flash and he caught raft of Gabriella passing by St. James Chang as she entered the Great foyer. center blurred, Harry thought she had been carrying something, but couldn't make out what it was before the room went dark again. His abdomen churned ; he did not feel well at all. A mo later she was at his incline with a stone mug in her helping hand, steam boiling out the top and rolling down over her hand.

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

"You did a wonderful job helping prof Flitwick with the decorations. The snake that kept swallowing first days was quite creative."

"A Slytherin inspired me,"replied Harry, smiling back at her now that the tintinnabulation was leaving his ear. He glanced over at the snake that was over in the box of the Great Hall. The few first year pupil that remained were still lining up to be swallowed by the large, grayish animate being with rough white-livered eyes. Once swallowed, student were transported to the front of the stage where the band was playing. It was the only way the younger students could make their way to the front of the host that crushed up against the stage. If they were lucky, they got to sing with the band. If they weren't, the honest-to-god student would toss them to the back of the crowd. This lately, it became more a game than anything else with commencement year finding some sort of kickshaw or concoction from Fred and St. George's shop in their sack by the time they were flung out of the crowd.

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

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

Harry was suddenly nervous, remembering where he was and what he had done last year at Halloween. At first he tried to reckon away, but he could feel Gabriella's black eyes penetrating his flavour, so he turned to her and taste to change the subject area to something he knew she wouldn't want to talk about, especially not here.

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

At full it was difficult to listen, and with the long pause and tally lack of reaction on Gabriella's region, Harry wondered if she'd even heard him. He tried to double himself.

"I said, Hermione thinks—"

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

"I didn't mean to—"

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

Harry was taken aback. He didn't expect that she'd want to talk at all about it. His optic darted toward the entrance hall off the Great Hall. No one could get in there save professors ; yet Professor Dumbledore had taken Harry there the year before and he remembered how to get in. Still he hesitated, but then his heart began to race a bit, thinking of the possibilities. It was dark ; if they stayed finale to the rampart no one would see them slip behind the level.

"Well ?"Gabriella called out.

Harry took her head and nodded for her to come. It wasn't easy making it to the wall, but the gang was focused on a particularly screeching Song dynasty by the lead Isaac Merrit Singer with basso musical note that pounded the base and tossed folks off their pes. Undetected, Gabriella and Harry slipped into the side room and the music instantly fell away. The antechamber was dimly lit by the fond glow of the hearth and a fistful of lit candles. Beyond that there wasn't another stick of piece of furniture in the place. Harry paused, thinking about the rightfulness spell, but before he put it together, Gabriella had conjured up a skillful loveseat near the fireplace.

For the abbreviated of moments he thought to ask Gabriella about what he had seen in her thinker, but being in this particular room on this particular night caused memories of Cho to rush over him. His emotions were mixed between excitement and concern. He hadn't heard from Cho since school let out and when Gabriella offered to chat Cho at her household, Mrs. Yangtze River said that she had gone to the States and wouldn't be back for the residue of summertime. The only scholar who had any tangency with her at all was Anthony Goldstein who seemed to be her boyfriend now. He seemed to gloat that he knew something that Harry didn't and he wouldn't say a Holy Writ about what Cho was up to ; only that she was intelligent and happy and that they'd be seeing a lot more of each former after he graduated.

"Has she answered your alphabetic character ?"Harry whispered without thinking.

"Who ?"asked Gabriella, a bit confused.

"Cho. Only Anthony seems to know anything, but he seems to be playing Prince Valiant by keeping mum. Have you heard anything ?"

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

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

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

"If something was incorrectly, we would give birth heard,"she said comfortingly."If anything, Anthony's filled with pridefulness and happiness. I can sense it. He feels as if he's doing something tremendously crucial. Is it so bad if he won't share ? Why ?"She smiled devilishly."Are you jealous ?"Gabriella pinched Harry's incline and made him yap.

Harry put on his best Humphrey DeForest Bogart caricature."These eyes are only super acid for you, sweetheart."

He leaned over and kissed Gabriella hard against the lips. It had been geezerhood since they had been truly alone together, and she pressed her lips firmly back against his. Her arms wrapped around his back and she pulled him tight to her breast. His hands slipped to the warm, soft flesh of her belly. mentation of Centaurus visions slipped past both their minds in favour of other, more enjoyable, activeness.

Later, as Harry was tying up the lace of his trainer, he realized how artfully Gabriella had managed to continue him from asking her about the vision they'd seen. She kissed him one endure clock time as he reached for the knob on the room access that led back out to the Great Hall. There was still a throng of citizenry crowding against the point when they slipped back out of the ante-chamber. They chose not to dance and instead made their way out to the presence of the palace. It was well preceding midnight, but there were still a few couples huddled together, watching the nighttime sky. It was the most outstanding Halloween Harry could remember. The stars were brilliant, but then he saw it. His regard froze and his smiling fell.

"What ? What's the matter, Harry ?"Gabriella placed her hired man against the side of Harry's face and then looked to the empyrean above her shoulder."What's wrong ? What do you see ?"

"Ebyrth,"said Harry flatly. Gabriella leaned her forefront against his shoulder and patted his backrest, saying cypher. Harry sighed deeply."I… I just don't get it."

"What ?"

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

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

"Where's the war ? I don't know why things haven't started already,"said Harry, but then a inscrutable, scratchy interpreter broke the nighttime's stillness.

"What makes you think they haven't ?"

Both Gabriella and Harry jumped. It was Professor Barghouti. The moment the former twosome saw him they began to scramble up the nominal head stone's throw of the castle, constantly casting backward glances to build sure he wasn't following them, and occasionally reaching for their neck as if to reassure themselves that they hadn't been bitten. Harry forced himself to regain his composure, but Gabriella had beaten him to it.

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

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

"Just got back then, did you ? wing a bit sap ? Slurp up a few tourists along the way ?"

"Harry !"Gabriella snapped.

"Yes, boy,"said Barghouti unimpressed,"as a subject of fact…,"he ran his glossa across his teeth, and this fourth dimension a row of jagged, razor-sharp tooth appeared,"…I did."

"Dakhil !"chided Gabriella. Barghouti merely chuckled again and the teeth became uncoiled and chopper clean.

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

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

"The Centaurs of the Great woods are not the only Centaurs in the humankind, boy. And, as a great deal as you might care to believe that England is the middle of the man, it is but a very small part of it."He looked at Gabriella."It is as I had feared. The war has begun at home."

"I thought you said you didn't attention about the war,"queried Harry."Why the long human face now ?"

"Because, oh chosen one,"Barghouti sneered,"your Quaker Lucius Malfoy has enlisted the help of vampires and hence his choice of initiatory strike - the Carpathians. Only they're not just killing Centaurs, they're wiping out anything and anyone in their path - all of them Muggles. A whole village was destroyed. The Muggle papers are reporting that the devastation was due to a gas explosion."A flare-up of air popped between his lips."I must give to Singehorn for a few days. I fear my old champion may strike to interpose and recapitulate old mistakes. Professor Dumbledore has been informed and Professor Lupin will take care of my classes."

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

"You wish to save the mankind, boy ?"Barghouti snapped, spinning back upon Harry. He was clearly tempestuous, as if Harry had started the entirely affair ; as if Harry had placed the comet in the heavens himself."Why don't you try saving this shoal first ? Why don't you try saving THEM ?"His hand shot out toward the trees that surrounded the schooltime ; all was darkness. Harry squinted, which only made Barghouti all the more exasperated.

"Have you learned NOTHING ?"he cried. There was a small squeal from one of the remaining students near the castle doors who quickly ran inside, slamming the door behind her."Can you not SEE ?"

Harry looked again into the darkness, squinting. Then he remembered. He took a deep breath and closed his centre. Then, he reached out with his mind toward the timber. As Dakhil had shown him before, all endure things began to appear before him - the dope, Dubya, and trees all glowed brightly. He scanned further out and then saw it : a Centaur some ten yards into the tree, bow in script. Motion to the right caught his vision again - another Centaur, another bow. Harry continued to skim. Every thirty to fifty yards another Centaur stood guard, watching over the school in the darkness. But Harry couldn't tell if they were trying to keep on something out, or something in.

"What are they doing ?"he whispered.

"I am weary of teaching the ignorant,"Barghouti muttered."The Centaurs can smell the dark, fool. It is already upon you. You would be knowing to find its source before it swallows you whole."In a swirl he disappeared before Harry had a chance to say another parole. The speech sound of flapping flank, faded to nothingness. What he noticed, after the dust settled, was that Gabriella's finger's breadth were digging into the diffused material body of his forearm.

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

"Let's go inside,"she breathed.

"They're protecting us, Gab,"said Harry, trying to calm her nerves."They won't hurt you. They would never offend you."Her middle never left the timber and, if anything, the fear that filled the black pools of her middle slipped toward anger.

"Now."

Harry sighed and nodded his head."Alright,"he acquiesced, and followed her up the stairs, noting that she was ever surely to prevent his eubstance between her and the swarthiness of the wood. When the door finally closed behind them, he could see the weight lift from her shoulders and the relievo banquet across her brass. She leaned back against the doors, placing her paw over her boldness. Harry stepped nigher, touching her shoulder softly.

"baby, what is it ?"he asked."What's wrong ?"The hands upon her face began to tremble and bout began to streak down her cheeks, one by one, but she would not cry, not out loud. Slowly, her eye turned to the side to look at Harry. He'd seen that look when Gabriella lost her father, Grigor. It was a feel of uncertainness, of fear, of death. Without saying a give-and-take, she shook her chief and turned to walk away. She'd gone only a few tempo before Harry called her to check, but she wouldn't listen. She past the stone column and began to head down to the dungeons, to the entryway of Slytherin. Her substructure did not make the first step before Harry grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.

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

When he came to, he was lying on a ticket trading floor, but he wasn't at the top of the staircases leading down to Slytherin anymore. He was bound with ropes, ineffectual to move, in some room, well lit by torches. The bulwark were stone, and along their top was a crown-moulding made of oak. Along its face, every few foundation, was engraved a snake's fountainhead.

"Slytherin,"Harry hissed.

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

"hello, Teddy,"Harry said, knowing Nott hated the name. Harry was not surprised to find Crabbe at Nott's side."Taken to kidnap now ? A stone's throw up from watching murder I suppose."

"Just gathering road-kill, Potty,"Nott retorted."A little bird told me you'd been drinking… a bit too much. Imagine my surprise when I found you passed out on the stair to Slytherin."Nott stepped airless."Were you trying to find your true dearest ?"Harry said nothing."I can find you a mirror if you'd like."

"I see you found yours,"Harry smirked, tossing his head in Crabbe's counselling. Crabbe took more offence than Nott and kicked Harry in the side. The blow was heavy and a burst of air jibe from Harry's oral cavity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh, they die, teddy bear. I've seen them die. Didn't you know ? I was attacked by them this summer. Turns out that a well placed centaur arrow… thwup… and they die."Harry chuckled deliberately."singular thing, lamia. When they're pierced, their vampire shell sheds away and for a minute they're who they once were, the madness gone."Harry looked up at the green roof."I like to remember that in that bit, goodness had a chance to rush in and fill their souls once more. They have a chance to be saved."

"Rubbish,"shot Nott, believing more than disbelieving.

"Yes,"said Harry still looking upward."vampire, at least, have a secondment chance."He turned to present Nott."You on the other hand… I suppose you'll rot for all eternity."Crabbe's face was Andrew Dickson White, but Nott's was flushed with ire and frustration. It was his turn to kick Harry hard in the gut. It was all Harry could do not to cast.

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

"Bloody hell ! I knew it !"

A ostentation of red hair's-breadth told Harry at once who had just entered the room. Ron was breathing hard, his wand drawn, but his hand was shaking noticeably, not because he was scared or winded, but because he'd had too often to fuddle. Harry could make out a flashbulb of honey oil gown behind him ; he assumed it was Gabriella which, with Ron in his stage condition, he was thankful for. Both Nott and Crabbe turned toward Ron still standing at the door, wands drawn.

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

"A petty razzing told him,"said the representative behind Ron. It wasn't Gabriella, it was Jesse James Chang ; Harry's discernment began to grow once more. There wasn't much of a chance if Ron couldn't pull it together… and quickly. The indorsement year who had freely chosen to be in Slytherin this semester stepped in front of Ron with his wand drawn.

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

"Obliviate !"chanted William James, casting a spell well beyond his years. A fusillade of orangeness light source erupted from his wand throwing both Nott and Crabbe against the wall, knocking them unconscious, and wiping their minds of recent memories. The strength of the Obliviate spell determined how much memory was removed. Normally, a second class wouldn't even be capable to cast the spell, but Harry was sure that the effect would be lasting.

Ron released Harry from his ties while Epistle of James bound his two house chum."They'll be the I missing the couple tomorrow,"he whispered with a smile pursing his backtalk.

Rising to his feet, Harry felt a little light-headed, the nausea once again returning, and had to lean on Ron for support. He looked over at Jesse James, wanting to thank him for his avail, but more curious about the spell.

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

"Harry !"

It was Gabriella, followed closely be Patrick. She wrapped him in her weapons system.

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

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

They made their way up a nail down row of stone pace that opened out on the Slytherin plebeian room. Harry hadn't been here since he was a first-class honours degree twelvemonth. James and Saint Patrick nonchalantly split away from the mathematical group to blab out to some early 2nd year that had just returned from the evening's political party while Gabriella walked Harry and Ron out. The three began their trek up to the Gryffindor tower. By the time they made it to the tugboat, Harry was feeling lots well and it was Ron that was leaning on Harry and Gabriella.

"I hope James blasted Nott's retentiveness to the Stone Age,"said Ron.

"No you don't,"answered Harry coolly, recalling his conversation with Dumbledore about the Horcruxes."Two class ago I think he might have taken this chance to kill me, just to turn out himself to his father and the former Death Eaters. Tonight, he was just a bag broad of hot air. He's learned something since then, since his don died."Harry paused."Compassion I think."

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

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

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

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

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

"Cool,"said Ron with a grinning, rocking a bit on his own two legs. Harry didn't think it would train a great deal to knock him over."I'd like to see Nott with an pointer up his arse."Gabriella tried to muster a grin, but couldn't.

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

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

"brittle drop,"said Harry and the painting swung unfastened and Ron stumbled through. Before it shut, he looked back at the two, pointing his finger in no particular direction and shook it."But not too long, P-Potter. It'sss secret plan night !"

A few here and now later, Gabriella and Harry were alone in the corridor outside the Gryffindor common room. Gabriella walked him over to a Edward Durell Stone terrace and the two sat down. Even though the bulwark and level were now spick, he never liked sitting here, remembering the Dementors that had nearly killed Professor McGonagall the year before. There was a signified of death in the air and for a sec Harry felt a cool down rush swimming up his spine, whispering last's name. Gabriella held his hand, but would not hold his gaze. Instead, she watched their digit intertwined and mingling.

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

"But—"

"Shhhh."She put one bridge player gently across his brim."Since I was Thomas Young, before I ever went to Al Bsahri, I have had one sight. Sometimes years would pass before it would return, the Same view, over and over. Since we've returned to Hogwarts this year, it comes to me nearly every day."She leaned her head against Harry's shoulder."Yesterday, I asked mom what happened when you and Hermione plunged into the scene that has been playing in my judgment without you for so many years."There was a foresighted pause, and Harry could discover laughter coming from way down the staircases below ; it died away.

"And ?"he asked, nudging Gabriella along.

"A imagination from another woodworking plane is like a finely cut gem, a baseball field with many facets. One can look in and see unlike images from all angle. You and Hermione became part of my imaginativeness and somehow shared it from your own linear perspective. We all saw the Lapplander thing, but all differently. And what we each saw can mean different things."

"Then why don't you want to—"

"No imaginativeness is perfect, Harry ; and, like time-turners, there are also normal about looking into the futurity. Most would wee-wee changes based on the continuous tense knowledge they see, often changes that wind to more devastating termination. Only the skillful, those like Mama, have any hope of moving the guts of meter to shape the outcome of the other planes. Others go mad trying to deepen what n-never was to c-come."She began to tremble as she delivered the hold up news and in the silence that followed Harry felt a shoot down drop onto his forearm. He put his arm around her and held her stiff.

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

"It begins with a newsbreak of light, a firing erupting from a glistening emerald lake. We are surrounded by them. There is a screech and then silence. And then there is me… face down in the improbable eatage. I… I am dead, Harry. Buried trench in my binding is the retentive wooden arrow of a Centaur."


Harry Potter and the birthing of a New Sun

Chapter 12 - subterfuge Fortune
~~~***~~~

The air was lovesome for decline, yet the sky was a heavy greyness. Flying with the magic spell of his Caduceus P2 off, Harry could feel the wetness in the air. He knew it would rain soon and that, more than anything else, focused his vitality on finding the snitch. It had been hard concentrating. survive year, Ron had lost Harry's Scots heather when he had been attacked flying into the Burrow. So this class he was riding the latest simulation of Caduceus, the new P2, P for potter. Cleansweep was paying him a small fate to use his epithet for their new Scots heather, monies that Harry was using to assist the families who had lost loved ones in the war. That didn't seem to weigh much. Even his own firm was ribbing him for the branding of his gens and it didn't help that smack in the middle of the visitors stand was a ten foot by 20 foot crystalline portrait of Harry flying the new Scots heather and waving at the crowd. Every so often words would appear : The Caduceus P2. So riotous it'll blow the competition away. It was a play on the narrative run by the Daily seer about Harry's defeat of Voldemort. The story said that the spell Harry cast was so powerful, not only did it destroy Voldemort, but it nearly took the Ministry down with it. Even now, the Ministry was digging out and repairing the gaping gloaming into nothingness that remained after the floor of the death sleeping accommodation fell away, swallowing entirely the mantle of Phenolem and the dais upon which it stood. Harry glanced again at the huge sheet of watch glass, his own figure smiling back at him and waiving, and shook his psyche to clear his sentiment.

He'd been distracted all day and most folks thought it had to do with first game heebie-jeebies. He was Gryffindor's Quidditch maitre d' this year and nearly everyone believed it a folly decision. Since the attack on the gear, the hale schooling knew that he was going to be fighting the Dementors when the war with the centaur came. How could anyone focus on training their team with a load like that on their shoulders ? Indeed, even Professor McGonagall thought that Ron Weasley might make the better choice ; she told Harry so.

"If I can't have your mind on the game, you're no use to the team, Mr. ceramist,"she had said in assurance."Ron Weasley bleeds Quidditch and his intellect is sharp when it comes to analyzing the other teams'weaknesses."Harry had nodded and had turned to leave her situation when she stopped him."But no one commands loyalty like you, Harry. It takes seven to win a Quidditch mates and all Gryffindor would sooner fly into the lake than let you down. The query is — can you stay fresh from letting all Gryffindor down ?"

"No, ma'am. I mean yes ma'am,"Harry sputtered."I mean…"He sighed."I won't lie, professor. Ron's the better strategist, and there's no one better in northern Britain when it comes to keeping a Quaffle from skewering the ringing. Dennis Creevey is the fastest in all Hogwarts and is starting to come up with plays I could never daydream of. laborer Sloper's put on thirty punt since shoemaker's last class and he can criticize a pansy off a fencepost at fifty metre. Slytherin was the only team that had a prayer to beat us, but with Malfoy gone they don't have a hazard. The team doesn't need me to direct them ma'am. Anyone can direct us to the cup."McGonagall looked at Harry over the top of her field glass.

"Is that so ?"she had asked."Well then, Mr. Potter, I suppose you'll do then. I want the squad roster, to include the actor replacing Katie at Chaser, and the hebdomadary exercise docket by tomorrow dayspring. And, to continue you motivated since this will be such an easy year, let's say that if we don't win every game by more than one-hundred fifty points, you'll be back in my office on Sundays for detention."

"But—"

"Three hr, each workweek. Good-day, Mr. Potter."

Harry had thought the challenge unproblematic enough, but sorting out the squad proved more unmanageable than he expected. They couldn't regain a good Chaser and when jemmy Peakes tried out for Beater he played ferociously, unseating Hooper from the squad. Finally, Harry selected Demelza Robins as chaser, if for no early reason than she was particularly soundly at dodging Bludgers. The shuffle caused a lot of growing pains and harm feelings, but after three weeks of practice Harry was confident once again that the squad could not be defeated.

Now, flying mellow over the pitch, Harry wasn't so surely. Trying to ignore his own face, he glanced at the scoreboard to feel Gryffindor up by forty which, as far as Harry was concerned, was pitiable. They should have been clobbering Hufflepuff from the outset, but Ron was letting nearly every Quaffle through. Having heard that the coach of the Magpies, Bernard Bennegin, was coming specifically to reconnoitre Ron's performance he was a nervous wreck. To form matters worse he was suffering from a holdover and was having trouble seeing the Quaffle, let alone stopping it. The only proficient news was that jemmy and Jack were keeping the Bludgers off the team while Dennis and Demelza were scoring nearly at will. Ginny could bear been too, but she was so busy yelling at Ron for being such a git she hadn't scored a undivided end.

Harry scanned the skies once more, searching for the sneaker. The Hufflepuff Seeker, Summerby, had seen it about an hour earlier. Harry had been well out of post, and if it hadn't been for a well placed Bludger by Sloper, Gryffindor would have lost. It was then Harry turned off the charm of his broom, hoping that he might better feel the Snitch's localisation. Suddenly, the yellowness side of the lurch erupted in cheers ; Hufflepuff had scored. Harry forced himself not to attend at the scoreboard. He had to remain alive, but before you could say snicklfritz the bunch erupted again - another sexual conquest for Hufflepuff. Finally, Harry called timeout.

The team gathered over by Ron whose spike were flaming red with superfluity. Ginny began to tear into her brother.

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

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

"You could be looking for the stoolpigeon !"snapped Ginny as she pulled out her sceptre."So help me, if either of you two drink on a game nighttime again, I'm going to hex you both back into Professor Trelawney's class !"

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

"Stop it !"yelled Dennis above the fray. With a no-nonsense vocalisation that commanded attention, Dennis Creevey, who was still the humble on the team, began to target out what needed to be done.

"Ron, they're constantly feinting right and shooting left. If you move higher in the air and hold position just a petty farsighted, you'll stop them. Ginny, we could use a picayune more of your care on the Hufflepuff face of the field of battle. Dem, they're starting to trance on to Harry's first few plays."His optic dotted to Harry who nodded in agreement."I think we should act on to what he was showing us finally weekend."

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

"Dennis is right,"countered Ginny."At the worst we'll have given them a new looking at. At the comfortably we'll scotch three or four before they catch on."

"squat, jemmy, you guys have been flawless. Just go on the Bludgers off our backs and we'll score for sure."Then Dennis looked at Harry."Harry, I don't blame you if you tell me to sod off, but…"

"Go on,"said Harry.

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

Harry had to smile at the new world-wide on the theater."Our own little Napoleon,"he thought. Madame Hooch blew the whistling for play to resume. Hufflepuff broke their scrum and began to fly into position. Harry looked down on the lurch below. There was zip he loved more in the world than flying.

"I'm with you,"he said with self-assurance."Summerby won't have a chance. I swear."Harry snapshot into status just to the west and a slight below Summerby. If anything, the sky was growing darker and the air colder, but he resisted the temptation to mesh the charms of his Scots heather.

Dennis had been right. Over the next forty minutes or so, Ron had blocked six unbowed Hufflepuff attempts while the Gryffindor chaser had scored four times. Still, they would need the Snitch. He flew over by the Slytherin bandstand and heard a handful of hushing, and one cheer.

Harry could think of few Hogwarts women besides Gabriella Darbinyan able to withstand the taunting and jeers of Slytherin for being Harry's girlfriend. Of track, there were no taunts or jeers, because all of Slytherin was deathly afraid of Gabriella. Perhaps because she came from a school known for its dark thaumaturgy, but more because any comment usually meant the commenter had a one-way ticket to the infirmary backstage. Harry looked down and saw her smiling up at him.

"Go, Harry !"she cried. Harry waved back, smiling and giving her a thumbs-up."NO ! GO !"she yelled, pointing her digit. The motion and the gasp of the gang told him at once that the stoolpigeon had been seen. He spun to see Summerby plunging toward the turf at the north end of the sales pitch. Below him was a glint of Au, racing low and heading toward the visitant'viewpoint. Summerby was ahead by at to the lowest degree fifty m when Harry began to load.

"You bloody moron !"Harry cursed at himself as he clenched his teeth."You flobberworm sucking cretin !"The wind roared furiously at his face. The fink was flying low to the sod and Harry could see that it would have to turn or move up once it hit the stands on the opposite side of the auction pitch. Even as just a flyer as Summerby was, he would not reach the Snitch until it hit the bulwark. Harry leaned forward, accelerating his heather."It will rise,"Harry whispered to himself, focusing wholly on the gold globe that was coming closer."It will rise."He chose to fly the directly line to bug the Snitch where he thought it would be. If the snitch turned left or right at the wall, Summerby would have it before Harry could react. If the stool pigeon flew up… Harry groaned. At this velocity it was still unimaginable. Harry poured all his vigor into making his Calluna vulgaris accelerate. The tails of his gown began to tatter in the condemnable air current and his goggles were pressing hard against his face. The insistence tunnelled his vision, but he didn't forethought. He could still see the fortunate glint growing larger before him."Faster ! darn it ! Faster !"

The sales talk below him was a haze ; the stands faded to dark and all that Harry could see was the golden stool pigeon and the track of yellow that followed it -- the trail of yellow that Harry was passing. Faster ! A sheet of purple — the visitors'stands. The golden Snitch flying upward. Yes !
Harry's fingerbreadth pressed firmly against the winged Snitch when he heard the thigh-slapper of terror. They conflicted with his own sense of joy.

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

Waking, and still feeling a bit groggy, the first thing Harry recognized was the phone of plastic being unwrapped, shoot and then crumpled. The rhythmic chew that followed told him at once that Ron was nearby. Harry smiled. He tried to open his eyes, but couldn't. He leaned to his justly side and felt a dull ached that ran up the left one-half of his dead body. With his right hand he felt the piece of paper about his chest, the pillow behind his head, the bandage that wrapped his aspect.

"He's awake,"whispered Gabriella out of the dark. A lovesome pinch took his mitt."Hi, sweetie,"she said softly."How are you feeling ?"

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

"That's right,"added Hermione with a clay and unnatural tone. And then voices, dozens of part it seemed to Harry, added their accord.

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

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

A bit of folks touched Harry's thoroughly arm. He felt of few kisses against his face. He heard a few cheery au revoir and Later, mates, but he also heard a few sniffs and sobs. The doorway swung closed with a mystifying thunk.

"I'm still here,"whispered Gabriella and she took his hand once more. With his sore arm Harry reached up to pry off the bandage that wrapped about his face, just to experience a peak.

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

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

"See again ?"he asked."What the snake pit does that have in mind ? I… I'm blind ?"he asked weakly. Madame Pomfrey let out a tremendous sigh.

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

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

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

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

"Mr. Potter,"snapped Madame Pomfrey."If you keep touching your wrapping you'll assuredly disturb their good luck charm ! I will not hold you go blind ! Do you see me ! If you keep moving your arms I will immobilize them."Her part was husky. She'd been crying ; Harry could tell. The sadness in the elbow room was almost overmaster. Finally, he turned his header in the commission of Gabriella.

"Did we win ?"he asked.

"What ?"she replied, still dazed.

"Did we win ?"he repeated."I did watch the Snitch. hooch saw that, didn't she ? We did win, didn't we ?"

"Harry, how can you—"

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

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

"Did we win ?"Harry asked. Without Harry saying another Good Book, Ron began an exhibition that was nearly poetic. At least… he thought it was.

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

"I thought for sure we'd lost, when you spun over and started closing in from on high. The canary was flying just to my right and I could stimulate sworn there were sparks flying out the arse of your broom. It was glowing red. Heading toward the stands, it was clearly you were going to elapse Summerby, but you were too high ; everyone could see that. But it didn't matter. No one has ever seen someone fly that fasting at Hogwarts… ever ! Crimey, maybe in all UK !

"When you passed Summerby, I thought you'd diving to avoid the pedestal, to grab the Snitch that was still screaming low to the background. But you didn't ; you stayed straight on. When the sneaker darted up toward you…"Ron sighed in ecstasy."It was a miracle, Ilex paraguariensis. Like you were calling out to it and it obeyed. Pop ! Right into your mitt."There was a foresighted break."It's when everyone's heart popped up with the stoolpigeon we saw what was going to happen. That's when the screams began."Ron walked over next to Harry's bed."Summerby smashed into the sustenance down low. Broke his leg and lost a couple teeth. He got out of the hospital yesterday. You… you…"Ron swallowed difficult.

"You held on, spouse. Yeah, we won, alright."Ron patted Harry on the bureau."Best damn quester in all Britain."

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

"Well, now,"Ron answered,"I know you've had your average contribution, Harry, but I still think master can handle a dead reckoning to the head teacher with a Bludger substantially than you."

"That's because there's zippo up there to hurt,"added Gabriella.

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

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

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

"Harry,"she said softly."We'll do everything possible, but you need to give them metre to cure. The wrapping will stay on for at least three weeks. Your lid will be sealed yearner still. Even when you can open your center, Harry, I don't suspect you'll see More than dark glasses of Inner Light and dark. Once we know what you can and can't see, Healer Sventstein can begin making the right corrections. You'll have to be patient role, my dear, very patient."

He could get wind her folding some papers, putting shabu away he thought, and then she stepped over to the side of the elbow room and poured something into a shabu or chalice.

"I need you to drink this,"she said, helping him sit up and twine his hands around the cup. He winced when she held his left wing arm."Yes, the solid depart side of your body was pretty a lot hamburger kernel. We've summoned out all the glass shards we can. There may be a few that aren't responding. I'll work on that more tomorrow."She sounded tired, so Harry decided not to debate about the deglutition and swallowed it down in one long gulp. The pain running down his side of meat ebbed away and the savvy about his visual sense faded. Soon he was asleep.

When Harry woke, he found himself confused and lost. He couldn't understand why he couldn't see and he began to flail around, rising out of bed, the Isidor Feinstein Stone trading floor cold beneath his bare feet. He was about to accomplish up to his face when a hired man took him by the arm. At get-go he was startled, but the vocalism settled him at once.

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

"Sirius ?"Harry asked to the shadow, reaching out and touching Sirius'typeface.

"Afraid so,"Harry's godfather responded."I was in the area ; thought I'd full stop in."Harry began to move forward.

"grip on ! appreciation on !"Dog Star stopped Harry from running into the wax light hovering at his bedside."Let's er… let's get you back in bed."Canicula helped Harry climb into bed and pulled the sheets back over him."There, that's better."He patted Harry's undecomposed leg and remained standing at his bedside.

"What time is it ?"Harry asked.

"Not quite three in the morning."

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

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

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

"Yeah,"agreed Canicula smartly."That's what I hear."Harry could see Sothis sink back into his hot seat and suspiration."I have to admit, Harry, that was the fastest I've ever seen a broom fly, and I've seen a few Quidditch equal in my day. When you hit that damn portrait with your pictorial matter on it, the thing exploded. It was like a giant star lechatelierite pyrotechnic. And that you still held onto the Snitch… well, it's been all over the composition. Most figure you broke the disk, but the family from Cleansweep want you to come out and do a fly-off against Comet — twenty dollar bill G galleons to the success's charity."Harry turned on his side, his back toward Sirius.

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

"What do you imply ?"

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

"That's not true, Harry,"began Sirius."Madame Pomfrey—"Harry spun and faced Sirius. Dog Star didn't motivation to see Harry's eyes to sleep together the look he was getting right now. He sighed."Ten percent is not cypher percent,"he whispered.

"Yeah, right,"Harry replied and dropped back down again. Likewise, Sirius sunk back into his chair, crossing his subdivision and searching for what to say. There wasn't much he could say. Harry, after all, was adjust. Once a witch or star lost their eyes there was often small that could be done—eyes simply reserve too lots trick. healer could re-grow many thing, but the eyes… the heart, particularly of a powerful Wiccan or sorcerer, were nearly impossible to vivify. Sirius let out a low groan as the silence stretched between them. After that, the flicker of candlelight was the only racket that accompanied their ventilation. At last-place, it was Sirius who began again, not sure if Harry was even still awake. His vocalization was unsteady, recalling a part of his yesteryear he had never shared with Harry.

"When I… when I was in Azkaban, there was null to see but darkness, zilch to sense but the malodour of demise, nothing to hear but the cries of threnody, nothing to try out but the remnants of tears that had farsighted since died away, and the only matter one felt was the cold breath of despair. What food for thought they gave us was more like pitch-black gruel with a eubstance somewhere between mud and slime."Sirius chuckled grimly to himself."When the Dementors departed, leaving this Black person gook behind, I would smile. It was the only joy I had, sensing their difference, knowing that however awful the food was, the emptiness that screamed from my belly would soon be staved for another day. That ill-humored bowl of crap and my pure hatred for peter Pettigrew were all that kept me active.

"I never dreamed that one day…"Canicula'voice halted and he had to swallow to gather himself."That one day… the son of my dearest protagonist would parlay my ten-percent of cipher and spare me… not from the Dementors of Azkaban… not from the Curtain of Phenolem, but… from myself. I was used up inside, Harry ; a racing shell of a hotshot and to a lesser extent a man. You've shown me, even now as darkness haste in toward us, how to live again… how to love again. I'm amazed that today, I once again walk the halls of Hogwarts—a devoid man, not because I'm free of the horrors of Azkaban, but because I'm absolve of the duskiness and hatred that once consumed my soul. Because of you, I'm gratis to taste the delicious fruits of life once again."

"Erm, surely you're not referring to your cooking ?"asked Harry, turning back to look Sirius. Because I think you could start your own restaurant for Black sludge."

"If I could smack you, I would,"shot Canicula, kicking the post of Harry's bed with his groundwork, a bout sliding down the English of his human face.

"Bring it on, old man !"called Harry, rising up in bed and brandishing two fists that were swinging wildly in the air—something akin to a boxer's position."I can film you with both eyes tied behind my cover !"Harry was smiling as Dog Star rose to his feet. The quondam thaumaturgist wiped his optic and then, gently, took Harry's manus in his own.

"You just have to believe that it'll get ameliorate, Harry. It will. I know it will."The smile on Harry's face drooped.

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

"Enough already ! stay telling me what you can't do ! I don't want to hear it anymore !"This time Sirius'voice was heated."I still wake in the middle of the Nox grasping for my sheet, fearing that it has all been a dream, wondering if in the wind of Nox I'm really still trapped behind the Curtain of Phenolem. One day the nightmares will end ; I know so, because I believe they will. Until they do, I will go to sleep at Nox, searching for those pipe dream that will persuade me through till break of day.

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

"Yeah, but—"

"And Sir Thomas More than that,"Sirius interrupted,"until the day comes when your imaginativeness recurrence, you'll have to recover a way to see through your blindness."Harry's immediate response was to let a flare-up of air energy through his lip in scoffing dismissal of Sirius'news. He began to strike back into his pillow when he stopped himself and held fast to Sirius'hand. To see through blindness ? Might it still be possible ?

Not for sure what to look, Harry reached out with his mind as Dakhil had shown him — to see without seeing. Why hadn't he thought of it before ? Almost immediately he could tell apart the brightness of Sirius before him. It wasn't an image so much as an aura of luminance that shown bright. Harry leaned forward in his bed. Reaching out further he began to occupy in the dim glow of the organic life that clung to the walls, ceiling and storey. Without saying a word he let go of Canicula'hired man and rose out of bed.

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

What Harry was ‘ seeing'wasn't so much an image as an impression of all that was around him. It would demand time to decipher the anatomy, hues and volume. There was a gleaming coming toward them. Harry pointed at the room access.

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

"Harry ceramicist !"she cried."Get back in bed this second !"Harry smiled as she reached over to help him, but he moved out of the way before she could achieve him.

"I should make known it was you by your colour,"he said happily."Bright blueish — the color of a healer's spell."He looked back at his godfather."Sirius, you're a bit orangeness right now. You were undimmed a mo ago. What's haywire ?"

"My god,"whispered Dog Star."You can see."


Harry Potter and the nascency of a New Sun

Chapter 13 - The New increase
~~~***~~~

"The stream. The stream ! Do you see the stream ?"

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

"Jump !"

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

It had been bitterly cold all day, but with all the running Harry was beginning to regret his decision to wear apparel. They were pushing the limits between strong-arm and magical exertion and Harry's base, well clad in a twosome of trainer, were on fire. The light jacket and pants he was wearing were suffocating and felt like they weighed a thousand lb.

Once again he was training with Shahan and Felspar. Over the final few days, the three had been put though their paces by Ronan, Florence and others — running, lifting, and shooting arrows from one side of the Forbidden woodland to the other. Harry was exhausted — a feeling he was beginning to enjoy. If anything, he preferred to be out in nature.

Still blind, he was developing his modified ability to reach out out and sense the aureole of life around him. While he could piss impressions about where matter were at Hogwarts, occasionally very clean objects would miss his attention. A chemical group of Slytherin one-fourth years had discovered this about a hebdomad after Harry had returned from hospital and had taken to conjuring marbles in areas where they knew Harry would be walking. Harry, in turning, developed a few spells that helped illuminate his way. The tinkling of marbles usually meant that a Slytherin was nearby, waiting to watch Harry tumble. But since Harry could celebrate someone's nimbus, even through walls, the culprit was usually found fastened to the bulwark with their underwear on their fountainhead and nothing else. It was a page out of what Nott and C. Northcote Parkinson had done to Ron last year and Harry didn't creative thinker a little playful retribution.

In the forest, however, Harry felt as if his vision was better than having sight. Everything was awake and vivacious. Trees and vegetation, the magnanimous brute and the smallest spores, Harry could see it all as if he'd never been blind.

Shahan had cleared the stream ahead and was already pulling away. Felspar came a bit short and she splashed weewee into the air. Harry, just a footprint behind felspar, was light still, landing a wide measure away from the money box's edge. His feet landed firmly in the H2O and he struggled to maintain his balance wheel so as not to flow into the icy water completely. He'd only taken three gradation when he noticed the coolness around his feet. When he focused his attention downward he could sense clearly that his flight simulator were gone, the bottoms of his pants in tatters. Where the splash from Felspar hit the front of his jersey it had dissolved away as if it had been burned by acid, the glory of his bare skin underneath beaming through.

Stepping backward as he moved out of and away from the stream, Harry focused at the hunt water. For the first time he noticed that its people of colour was different than the former streams he'd seen through the forest. The light emanating from this water was whiter, more than crystalline, Thomas More pure. With a great leap Ronan, who had been following, jumped from bank to banking concern with ease. Harry expected to be chastised for stopping, yelled at for falling tush, but Ronan said goose egg. Harry noticed that the whitish-gray of Ronan's aura warmed a bit. He'd learned, at least with his acquaintance, that such a change meant a smile. He wondered what it meant with a centaur.

Shahan had long disappeared in the underbrush ahead, but Felspar stopped short of the thickening Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and returned to Harry and Ronan.

"Is something wrong ?"feldspar asked.

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

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

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

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

"The falls !"she cried with fervour."The stream that feeds the falls !"Then Felspar stepped over to Harry, noticing his bare pes and ankles."Harry Potter, your fetlock joint are bare."She stepped stuffy."But the chassis is unharmed. If ever I held uncertainty in the chosen, they have forever washed away."Felspar nodded with a thin bow. Harry nodded in return and the smiled as he saw Felspar own fetlock joint.

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

"The boy is right, feldspar,"said Ronan."Your own fetlocks have grown brighter. Like the chosen, you now wear socks."He laughed as feldspar looked down to see that indeed her white pelage was glistening to a greater extent brightly from the genu and hock down.

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

"No,"said Felspar immediately, backing away from the water."I would not place the honour of my heart at such a touchstone. Indeed, if I had known these were the very waters…"

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

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

"As I am not,"retorted Ronan."For three full-strength days Shahan has failed to grasp the example. Firenze says Shahan did not even bother to search for Ebyrth. The Centaur is of no use to the heard if he refuses to get a line our ways. I care not that he is young."Then Ronan stepped closer to Felspar ; his position becoming rigid."You would be wise not to listen to Shahan's thoughts, Felspar. That your coat should change colour at all is not a good sign. Your mother has raised you better."Then Ronan's behavior changed back to one of instructor.

"focusing your mind on where you need to be, Felspar."He said nothing more, but Felspar turned toward the portion of the wood through which Shahan had disappeared. A present moment later in a bar of ovalbumin she was gone.

"Is that not an Apparation ?"Harry asked.

"One can not Apparate on these undercoat, Harry ceramist. The earth is too filled with magic. The Centaur can turn away space and tedious time so that length travelled can be covered far more quickly than on hoof alone. You have accomplished this already. What's more you have learned to leave your somebody eubstance and travel with the other living spirit of the forest."

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

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

When Harry did reach out, he found it far well-fixed than he first expected. The DOE of the timber seemed to imbue him with added insight, guiding his sentiment as he became focused on the creature, leaving his own self, releasing his corporeal form behind and melding into the essence of a stick. In a flash he was one with the woody Bowtruckle. His eyes blinked. Ahead, across the stream were a Centaurus and young man with tattered pants and no brake shoe. Harry tried to maltreat forward, but the creature would not respond. It was as if he were simply eavesdropping. Suddenly, he felt quite hungry. Instead of looking ahead at the two across the flow, Harry found himself looking down. There was a rather prominent stink insect wriggling its bulbous head between two leaves. He bent down, sniffed the maculate thing at pulled it up out of the territory grinding gut and earth between his teeth.

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

"Well done, Harry Potter. It has been less than a twelvemonth since the Cleansing, and already you have learned the Centaur Arts. It will contain much more time to dominate them and many years to understand their dead on target nature. It is…"Ronan paused looking toward the western sky."…unfortunate that we have so little time."His hoof clawed at the ground."It does not go well for our brothers in Eastern Europe. Wizards have joined the Dementors and brought a new ally to the war."These finale intelligence were spoken with the most emotion Harry had ever heard from a Centaur—contempt.

"lamia,"said Harry quietly."It's the employment of Lucius Malfoy."

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

Harry could experience darkness falling, and for the first time he was beginning to feel cold. Ronan sensed this at once.

"It is meter for you to return to the palace, Harry potter. I have been training you far too hard and far too dissolute, I'm afraid. So it is with Shahan and Felspar. You are all learning before your power to get the picture. If we were slap-up in number…"Ronan let out a longsighted sigh as Harry turned to look him.

"Why salary war,"asked Harry,"simply because Ebyrth has returned to the heavens ? How is it that this solstice is any different than conclusion ?"

"That is not a head for the Centaurs, Harry Potter,"said Ronan defiantly."It is a interrogation for the Dementors. It is not our war ; it is theirs. It is not the Centaurus herds that are destroying the Greenwich Village of Eastern Common Market. That is the work of the Dementors and their ilk. They are the ones swayed by Ebyrth's return ; we are simply defending ourselves."

"I read that in the fight of the Fifth Age the Centaur herd nearly obliterated Dementors from the nerve of the earth."

"Would that we had,"said Ronan coolly."Their darkness has no purpose other than destruction. Near the end of that war, only a smattering escaped into the swamp and bogs through which we could not locomote. It was there they learned to fly ; it was there they developed their hunger for person. Now, from a spread out few, their progeny have multiplied. They outnumber the Centaur two to one. For that we can thank the Wizarding world and the cosmos of man whose greed has consumed the dry land and produced sustenance on which the Dementors feed.

"No, Harry potter, you fight on the position of righteousness, as the centaur have for century. But, I am afraid, virtue alone will not be enough to lead us to triumph. We will need your strength and more."

"It doesn't service that I'll never see again,"said Harry, rubbing his weapon with his hands to fetch some warmth to them.

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

"Yeah, right,"said Harry a bit sarcastically."I see that everyone's their own pretty colour. If I had a few centuries I might be able-bodied to distinguish everyone's special hue."

"It is a window to the feel that lies within. This vision you have goes beyond external appearance and penetrates the sum of the creature before you. My people hold their emotions well, so they appear gray or White River. Have you noticed that business firm elves are nearly always—"

"K. Er… dark-green. Yeah, I noticed."

"hob, whose natures are always furious, are almost always redden with red. While superstar and witches carry the colours that suit their nature, colours the trained Centaur mind can pick out. It does not take long to recognize the given hue."

"Or hues,"added Harry.

"apology me ?"asked Ronan."What do you imply ?"

"wellspring, when they have more than than one colour. You know, say greens that sometimes turns blue."Ronan was staring blankly at Harry."You know, the guy's variety of blue sometimes, form of commons other times… right ?"

"Unless there is a phenomenal transmutation, a spirit carries but one hue, Harry Potter. It may lighten or darken, but the hue remains the Saami. Unless…"

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

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

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

"There are ways you might see two hues, Harry Potter. Some wizards or beldam are known Animagi. The fauna inside can represent a dissimilar hue, although even among the Animagi it is rare. Usually, the animate being reflects the nature of the crone or wizard."There was a tenacious pause.

"And the former ?"asked Harry.

"It can be the study of a fracture feeling, someone who is really two hoi polloi, or possibly under the control of another."

"The Imperius execration ?"Harry asked.

"Perhaps. Such is the way of wizards and my noesis falters there. I hope this is not someone close. Someone in your confidence ?"

"Erm, no… not really,"Harry lied."I've got to go, Ronan. Thank you for your teachings today."Harry's brain was clicking of the list of names. He focused on bending the quad between where he was and Hagrid's hut."I think I can find—"Before he finished his sentence, Harry had warped time and found himself outside Hagrid's look door. He'd covered the distance, some miles, in little more than the blinking of an eye. Still, in so doing he'd exhausted what picayune resourcefulness of persuasiveness he had left. His wearing apparel shredded, he was about to knock on Hagrid's door when he sensed that somebody was hidden in the tree behind the garden. Harry reached for his verge and held it at the ready. Barefoot, he began to tread silently toward the spy. It was one technique taught him by the Centaur and for the swift of moments Harry thought he'd prefer a notched arrow right field about now.

Stealthily, Harry moved closer. The bod, with a brilliantly emerald cat valium atmosphere, didn't motion. Its lieu continued to rest against the tree. Just a few chiliad away Harry's anterior naris took in the smell of weed, a distinctively redolent smoke.

"Draco !"Harry hissed quiet and low. This close, Harry could see the trope, still leaning motionless against the tree, bring his script to his mouth. He was taking another retarding force on his cigarette. Harry could hear the exhale, long and slow.

"shucks, thrower,"Draco said, pulling himself away from the tree and turning to brass Harry."I thought you'd never get here."Draco took a step closer."pigeon hawk, what the the pits happened to you ?"

"Dragon, you can't be here. Do you have it away what will happen if—"

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

In the darkness from far up the hill Harry could get word the front doors of the rook open with their feature crack. What he didn't expect to find out following was Ron Weasley's phonation.

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

Followed by his Father's.

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

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

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

"Yeh should have been here an hour ago !"he called from inside."I don't fear what Ronan tells yeh ; the forest ain't dependable after dar—. Er… Professor Dumbledore, sir. Erm… diplomatic minister. I… er… I wasn't expectin'company."

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

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

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

"You can record !"said Harry dismissively."It's been in every newspaper publisher I can think of."Dragon ignored the cleft, reached up and touched the side of Harry's face.

"Does it suffer ?"

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

"Blaise has been… compromised. He and I have a magical grab idiom that we use to ensure the other is mentally free from any… tampering. For the last two weeks, Blaise has tried to contact me without using that phrase. He's someone else's now."Draco took another long drag on his cigaret."How Father of the Church found out… I don't know."His discussion were deeply bother. It was an worked up shift in genus Draco that Harry had rarely seen."We were careful ; more than measured. You need to be intimate that there's a spy in the castle. I thought maybe Nott, but he doesn't have the acquirement to cast the Imperius."

"You're r-risking your aliveness to differentiate me there's a spy ?"asked Harry incredulously."There's p-probably a dozen !"His tooth were beginning to chatter as the common cold set in.

"And you're supposed to be our saviour ? We're screwed."Dragon flicked his cigaret into the air and it vanished."Here."He passed Harry his cloak and wrapped it around his shoulder."You know, aside from being scratched bloody, having essentially no clothes, and looking like you were just run over by the Hogwarts express mail, you're in pretty well physical body. Maybe if you stopped running around the timberland can naked—"

"T-Training,"Harry interrupted.

"Right, like that's going to save your no-count ass. I don't know what potions you've been taking, but you serious awake up and see what's going on around here."

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

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

"What ? What are you talking about ?"

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

"Married ? Goldstein ?"

"Not even her petty pal knows they're getting married. Quite scandalous."Draco chuckled to himself and then sat cross-legged on the ground."But I suppose you, all knowing oracle of the screen have insight to that."Harry said nothing, but sat down next to Dragon crossing his arms and legs under genus Draco's cloak.

"Come on, Potter,"drawled genus Draco once again."Surely you can guess why Cho and Goldstein would want to… nay… would need to get marry secretly."Again there was a long suspension and Harry pulled Draco's cloak tighter about his articulatio humeri. He was feeling a pang of jealousy and he had no right to. He had loved Cho and he would always love her, but their way of life were never meant to travel together. His track was and would forever be entangled with Gabriella. It wasn't perfect but the attraction was strong and the love firm and the doubt of any given day that kept Harry forever on edge tickled a very Slytherin component part of his feel that wriggled deep inside him. Finally, Harry breathed.

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

"French Republic,"answered Draco with a sly smile."Don't tell anyone, Harry, but Goldstein's defender may be their chaperone by day, but at nighttime he's a Death eater in my father's service. It's a tryst of little event to my sire and it pays the banknote for Joseph Henry, the chaperone, but I knew you might make a special interest."

"I never thought that Goldstein and Cho would—"

"Oh, but I'm not done, Harry. Cho Yangtze Kiang spends her daytime in France, in a fiddling villa just north of Marseille, a town called La Mure. She and the—"

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

"hag can hide that fact until the very day of obstetrical delivery, Harry. Have you ever seen a significant beldame ?"For a instant, Harry pondered the idea. No, he hadn't ever seen a pregnant witch. And then he remembered that he'd seen Geoffrey Hooper's mother just a few calendar week before her baby was born and she looked no different than the twelvemonth before.

The room access to Hagrid's cabin opened and the giant stepped out for just a moment looking toward the timber."Should be any moment, sir,"he said to the folks inside."Any moment."Then more quietly to himself before he went back in he whispered to the forest,"Harry, where in Singehorn's name are yeh ?"Harry began to stand, but Draco pulled him back down. For a flash, Harry was irritated, but caught himself.

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

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

"Then why are you risking your life history right now ? It's not to gossip on about some fille and guy you couldn't give a damn about. What's so significant that—"

"They've found it,"Draco interrupted."Months ago I asked you to find it first, and you didn't even try. Now they have it."He flicked a branchlet into Harry's typeface."Blaise risked his life-time and you did naught. Now he's been found out."Draco leaned over and grabbed the cloak about Harry's neck. Harry could sense the cloth tighten, not by genus Draco's hand, but another force."You're going to get it back, dearest, or I'll putting to death you myself."The textile tightened further. Harry reached for his wand, but found the cloak held his helping hand tight.

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

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

All of a sudden, the cloak released Harry and he began to cough, heaving in as much air as he could. Draco took to his feet and wrapped the black cloak about his shoulders, his long blonde hair starkly E. B. White in contrast. Still coughing, Harry stumbled to his feet and pulled his scepter. Draco ignored the gesture and turned to pull up stakes. But then he stopped as if suddenly remembering a forgotten thought. The threshold to the Hagrid's hut opened and Ron stepped out. He'd heard the sound of Harry's coughing.

"Harry ? !"Ron called to the darkness.

"Oh, and Harry,"Draco said, looking Harry in the heart even if the glimpse was not returned."Cho isn't pregnant."He turned to go out."It's a new-sprung sister boy. wellspring, not so very much newborn any more. You'll never guess the birthday… it's the same day as yours."

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

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

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

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

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

"I told you, Arthur,"Dumbledore said gently from within the hut,"nada to concern about. Come in and let's wind up our tea."

"My god, Albus !"cried Arthur as Harry and Ron returned to the cabin."spirit at the boy !"Harry was still barefooted, what remained of his apparel in rag, his human face covered in mud and now a reduce red dividing line that wrapped about his neck shown through the dirt. As he climbed the steps with Ron's assistance his dentition once again began to chatter.

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

"Get o'er by the flack, lad,"said Hagrid, offering a blanket. But before Harry had a chance to accept, Dumbledore pulled his wand and tapped Harry's berm. The soil disappeared and a Hogwarts robe covered his body. The thin red line about his neck opening and the aching muscles, however, remained.

"Hagrid,"said Dumbledore,"perhaps some tea and some…"Harry tried to bewitch Dumbledore's centre to tell him to intercept, but found, as it had been since his accident, he could no longer effectively communicate silently with his eyes."…stone cakes."

Warming his muscles by the fire, sipping a bit of tea, and pretending to enjoy Hagrid's rock-hard stone cake, Harry was beginning to feel himself again. He assured Chester A. Arthur Weasley that he was fine and that his frowzled coming into court was all in a day's work, training with the Centaur in the forest ; but the rector was none too confident.

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

"Just a little work with Devil's Snare is all, sir,"answered Harry, rubbing his neck with his go away hired man and sipping some more tea with the other. If they could see his eyes, they would lie with he wasn't listening to a Son they were saying. Draco probably thought his lilliputian display would centre Harry's mind fully on some Horcrux that the Ministry had no doubt just found, but Harry's mind was anything but centred. After a bit more banter about school, rue about Harry being blind, and news about the conflict raging in Eastern Europe, Arthur Weasley finally got down to the aim of his visit.

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

"What ?"Harry exclaimed."Why ?"

"well, to try to recuperate the soundbox, Harry,"answered Mr. Weasley, surprised somewhat at Harry's reaction."Many Aurors lost their lives that evening and their body have never been found — at least, not until net week. Since the crash we tried for months to observe the bottom with no success. We encountered one magical hepatic portal vein after another, and the proletarian were none too fain to accidentally stumble across the drapery itself."

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

"No, Ron,"interrupted Dumbledore,"the Curtain and the ambo were destroyed in the gloaming. No, just the eubstance, torso from both sides, have been returned to their loved ones."

"Well, yes, Albus,"added Arthur with some nerves."nearly of them, anyway. We have yet to get Draco Malfoy's remains."Ron began to cough.

"Hagrid,"he asked, clearing his throat once again,"do you have any Thomas More I. F. Stone bar ?"

"Why sure, Ron,"said Hagrid with glee."seminal fluid on in teh the kitchen."Ron stood and followed Hagrid, patting Harry's shoulder on the way.

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

"Yes, yes, absolutely, Harry, absolutely."Arthur patted Harry's lap."But there was one other recuperation at the very depths of the gaping fissure."All at once, Mr. Weasley's aura faded and Harry knew the following Christian Bible were a lie."They pulled it up today, just before lunch. I looked for you other, Harry, but you'd already left for the forest."Arthur Weasley stood from his chair and looked out the window facing the castling, the colouring material returned to his aura."I was thinking we could have a commitment of sorts. You could come to the Ministry as we put it on display. It would certainly remind the hoi polloi in these saturnine times that we can beat darkness."

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

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, Harry,"answered President Arthur."I've wanted to discuss our search since you and I spoke on the train. I never knew taking care of the Ministry would consume so a lot of my time."His oculus wandered for a present moment and then returned to play Harry's."No matter,"he whispered."In our hunting, we recovered the cloak. The pitch blackness cloak of… You-Know-Who. The lonesome oddment of his darkness and a symbol to all of his defeat."

"Voldemort ?"snapped Harry."You have Voldemort's cloak ?"Harry turned in his professorship."Burn the tinker's dam affair. demolish it !"

"I knew you might palpate this way, Harry,"said President Arthur with understanding."That's why I came myself. You must realize what an icon you've become in the Wizarding earth. Just one picture of you, perhaps wand drawn, next to the cloak of the evil you destroyed would intend so a good deal to—"

"It's insane !"said Harry, rising to his invertebrate foot."Do you know what that might be ? It could—"

"Harry,"said Dumbledore sternly, silencing Harry's fustian."I think it would be Stephen Samuel Wise for you to fill some time to debate what all the deduction are. Time to consider what's estimable for… everyone involved."Harry expected to see the warmth of anger material body in Dumbledore's aura, but if anything his illumination dimmed with a frigidness of business organization.

"I… I'm sorry, sir,"said Harry, cooling his own temperament."Yes, that's what I need Minister… time."

"Please, Harry, you needn't call me—"

"Excuse me, sir. I need to go. It's just… I'm really tired is all."Harry reached out his hand to shake, and Chester Alan Arthur Weasley took it."Let me get my drumhead together, and I'll get back to you. Just a day or two."

"Certainly, Harry, I understand. Until then, we'll keep it safe ; I can promise you."Harry started for the door."Here, let me walk you to the castle."

"I got it dad,"said Ron, dropping one of the Edward Durell Stone cakes on the table with a thud."cultivation your tea and have some more… er, cakes."Ron ran to the door next to Harry's side. Staring at the cake and then Hagrid, King Arthur was about to say something when Dumbledore spoke out instead.

"Excellent thought, Mr. Weasley,"he said to the young redheader."Please find Harry safely back to the castle."

"Goodnight, Hagrid,"said Harry to the giant still in the kitchen, baking up another batch of patty for his guests."Thanks !"

"Sure affair, Harry,"called Hagrid."Anytime."Then he turned to Mr. Weasley just as Harry began to shut the door."minister, try another one, hot out of the oven !"

By the time Harry and Ron were at the castle steps, Harry had answered well-nigh of Ron's questions.

"I just don't get it, Harry,"said Ron shaking his foreland."It's just a piece of cloth. You killed him."

"Ron, you saw my wearing apparel tonight. They were burnt away because I fell into the charming current that feeds the falls. Remember when you fell in final year ?"

"Pulled in you mean,"said Ron, rubbing his rightfulness wrist."Yeah, I remember. My clothes disappeared."

"They didn't disappear,"corrected Harry."They were burnt away. dress are soiled. They can't survive the honour of the water."

"That's a centaur narration,"said Ron dismissively.

"tale or not, the pee destroys cloth. I doused Voldemort in nearly ten gallons of the hooey. It was enough to dissolve every evil bone in his body, but the cloak… Damn ! I should have known when I saw it then. The cloak survived. But why ?"

"So you think it's the…"Ron's voice dipped low,"…the Horcrux Draco was talking about ?"

"I don't see how it can be,"resolve Harry."If it's region of Voldemort, it should give been destroyed."Harry sighed."Maybe Hermione will know."Ron shrugged and nodded in accord as he reached to spread the castle doorway. Ron heaved on the heavy handgrip just as Harry's hand stopped him and shut out them again.

"Ron ?"he asked."You have a lot of brothers and babe. Erm… how long does it take to… er… for a Wiccan to… you know… have a baby, after… you know."For a minute, Ron just stared at Harry, and then reaching ever so slightly to the thought on the tip of Harry's mind he understood.

"Oh ! How long does it direct for a baby to be born after concept ?"he asked.

"Yeah… yeah, that's it."

"fountainhead my mum's always going on how I took thirster than most… ‘ forty two week, and in the eye of the war !'she'd say.

"So… figurin'my birthday, what would you say… you know… for my folk music to…er—"

"Do the nasty ?"said Ron with a smile. Harry simply nodded. Well, Ron thought for a instant, touched his fingerbreadth and counted backwards, and then a glow of a grin crossed his case once again.

"Pretty damn near to Halloween, Harry."He poked Harry in the ribs."Do you cogitate they were wearing costumes ?"Harry didn't react in the way Ron expected. Instead, he leaned his cover against the castle threshold and slid down to a sit on the Harlan Fisk Stone landing.

"Oh, Merlin,"he whispered in a sickly sort of voice."Oh, bloody, fucking, Merlin."

"What ? What is it, Harry ?"

"Ron… I think… I think I'm a father."


Harry thrower and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 14 - marriage Plans ~~~***~~~

When Harry and Ron passed through the portrait of the Fat dame, Harry found the Gryffindor usual room, affectionate than normal. Near the fireplace sat the air of Annapurna, Lavender, Gabriella, Hermione, Ginny and James Dean. Towards the back, Neville was helping Patrick and a few others, Harry had yet to recognize, cook for their Herbology test. Evidently, the examination involved a combustion plant of some sort, perhaps fireseed, Harry thought, since there was a balloon cloud of smoking that hung over the group and nobody seemed to take care.

Harry, his psyche fractured at the moment, brought his attention on St. Patrick. The smoke was clouding his ability to see the aureole of those at the vertebral column mesa, but the strain visible radiation emanating from Patrick was the same as it had been since Harry first met him after the stroke - blue sky and gullible. Each colour waxed and waned, growing more super acid whenever he was excited or near Harry.

"Patrick ?"Harry thought silently to himself, but the thought process was shortsighted lived.

"Harry ! Ron !"cried Dean. His voice brought Harry's attention back to the group about the fireplace. The cry sounded like a plea for help, as if Dean felt, at the moment, like a trapped rat in a snake's cage. He began to stand when Ginny grabbed his arm.

"Oh, James Byron Dean,"she said breathlessly,"isn't it beautiful ?"Hermione was projecting an image of a offspring cleaning woman in a T. H. White wedding dress. The little girl stood, suspended in the middle of the five scholarly person and modelled the dress she was wearing, slowly turning in all direction so that everyone could see, everyone that is except Harry.

"Er… yeah, dandy,"muttered James Dean miserably, sinking back into the couch.

"I don't know, Gin,"said Lavender cautiously."I think the train's a niggling long."

"Lavender's right, Hermione,"added Parvati."You don't want to cope with all that dragging behind you even if it's levitated."

"You could take fairy's carry it."

"I form of like it,"Hermione said as she held her hired man to her chin and tapped her brass with one digit."But I think the second…"James Dean let out an audible groan, but the girls ignored him while Hermione began to wink through mannequin after model, dress after dress, as if thumbing pages of a book. It was only then when she noticed that Ron and Harry had entered the coarse room.

"Ron !"she exclaimed."You're just in time."James Dean's oculus grew widely and he shook his head as nondescriptly as he could to ward them off. Ron caught it, but Harry did not."We were just looking over clothes when—"She stopped herself mid-sentence, noticing the expression on Ron's face."What's faulty ?"

Gabriella stood and came over to Harry."You both look like individual died. Did Filch catch you sneaking into the kitchens again ? Out with it… what happened ?"Ron looked at Harry, and Harry looked blankly above the girls.

"Nothing,"they said simultaneously.

Gabriella patted Harry's nerve.

"naught ?"she said, sensing the swirling swarm of emotions that must have shown like a beacon for everyone to see."Would you like to join us ?"she asked."We were just—"

"No thanks,"interjected Harry. While he had grown accustomed to seeing scholar from other houses in the common way, he had completely forgotten that the girls were going to get together this evening to discuss Hermione's wedding design for the summer."I need to get ready for the Potions exam tomorrow."Ginny stood, looking at Harry.

"I thought you were supposed to be out training all day today,"she said, questioningly.

"I was."

"But you're squeaking clean,"she replied sceptically."You know, if you weren't working out in the timber today, we could have gotten at to the lowest degree three hours on the pitch."

"I was in the forest today !"Harry exclaimed."Besides, you know I can't Seak. Not like this."He waved his hand in front of his heart.

"You're the team captain ! It's you're province to—"

"These aren't your robes,"interrupted Gabriella, rubbing the cloth in her digit."These are new."

"Dumbledore cleaned him up,"offered Ron. This was followed by a chorus.

"Dumbledore ?"

"fountainhead, er… he and Dad were at Hagrid's and—"

"Dad ?"asked Ginny."Dad's here ? Why didn't he say he was coming to school ? Where is he ?"It felt, suddenly, as if sharks were beginning to circle Harry and Ron.

"well, he only had a min,"said Ron, stepping airless to his sister. She had risen to her feet and Dean took the opportunity to quickly scoot away and head toward the gyrate staircase to the boys'residence hall."And he needed to see Harry, so I took him over to—"

"So he saw you, but he didn't have prison term to see his only daughter ?"

lupus erythematosus than a moment later everyone was talking at once. Ron and Harry were being bombarded with interrogative about everything from the curate's sojourn, to why Dumbledore needed to conjure Harry new gown, to what pattern Ron thought would be prissy for the new china.

Unexpectedly, there was a flashy explosion from the rachis of the room that caused everyone to shriek. A rather large ball of fire spewed Forth from the table where Neville and the others were working. It was Neville who stopped it from lighting the unit place on fire by casting a squelching charm.

"shucks it, St. Patrick,"Neville said irritably, while a few of the other students laughed,"I told you not to mix fireseeds with dittany gunpowder ! If you do that in the exam tomorrow, professor Sprout will fail you for sure."

The commotion that had surrounded Harry, quickly gathered about the back table and the parched faces that stood there. Harry took the opportunity to come after dean's footsteps up the stairway. Near the top he heard a rather dejected Patrick apologize, but what he saw was a bluish glory beaming with superbia. Then Harry noticed Saint Patrick flash him a thumbs-up from within the long arm of his robe, a signal that no one could see.

"Sorry, Neville,"said St. Patrick with a shrug of his shoulders."I'm just no good at this kind of stuff and nonsense. I'll be lucky to make it to the third year at this rate."

Gabriella looked back toward the fireplace to witness Harry and before she could find where he was Harry disappeared into the boys'dormitory. Inside he found doyen, belly down on his bed, reading a book about Quidditch. He loved the plot so, it was a shame he wasn't any good at it. He looked up as Harry entered.

"Are they gone ?"he asked."Did you have to blow them all up ?"

"wellspring, I—"

"Because that'd be fine by me, Harry. I was about to blow myself up if I had to appear at one more china pattern."He looked back at the book and turned the pageboy."talk about pressure… blimey."He turned another page."I mean… I love Ginny and all, but does she actually think I'm going to ask her to splice me ?"He turned another Thomas Nelson Page ; clearly not having read the end."So… last year… yeah, maybe. But that's your fault."James Byron Dean looked up, pointing a digit at Harry.

"Me ?"

"Well, I mean, I was in a battle — fighting you for her. You know. That sorting of affair, well… it gets a guy in the mood. But this stuff downstairs… wedding dresses, and coloring material of tabularise apparel, and…"Dean sighed."public lecture about deflating."Without looking back down to the book, he turned another page. Then, quite suddenly, James Dean groaned and turned over on his bed, placing the open book over his chest."Merlin, I love her."There was silence and he sighed again."She's been my world. She brought me back after the accident."Dean held his hired man up, flexing the fingers in front of his face. His mortal had been reconnected to his corporeal material body and Ginny had been there every step of the way."She didn't need to do that."

"She loves you,"said Harry, walking over to his bed, taking off his new shoal robes and putting on a loose pair of blue jean."Face it, doyen, you're her world too."

"I just don't want to be thinking about union while I'm still in school,"answered doyen, sitting up on the edge of his bed and facing Harry."There's decent to be getting on about without having to worry about in-laws… china patterns…"

"…children,"added Harry quietly.

"Merlin, no,"tear Dean."I can't even imagine. But then Ginny's handy with a sheathing appealingness. We're careful… you know ?"Harry nodded as a knot twisted in his belly."Can you think Neville and Helen ?"continued James Dean."Neither one of them used any protection their first-class honours degree few times. Hermione found out and had a fit."

"Hermione ?"queried Harry.

"well, I told Neville that he was being an changeling. I told him how Lee Jordon told me that Fred told him that George hooked up with some young woman in Hogsmeade lowest twelvemonth and wound up with a case of runespoor warts. Had to go to St. Mungo's to get them removed. Can you believe it ? Yeesh."Lee covered his private parts with his hand and grimaced.

"But why Hermione ?"

"If you want to bed any tour, good luck charm, or hex to get the job done, Harry, who do you go to ? Hermione."Harry looked a bit disgruntled and crossed his arms. James Byron Dean sensed Harry's pride and added,"After all, everyone knew she and Ron were together since the fall of last year. She knew how to be prophylactic, and Neville sure wasn't going to talk to Ginny."

Harry wasn't certain how to look at that. He didn't have a hint until last Christmas Day that Ron and Hermione were together. Yet, everyone else seemed to cognise. Further, he was pretty certainly that in conclusion year Tonks had used her transfiguration skills to take on the appearance of Helen so that she could abstract into Gryffindor tower with Neville. It brought up memories… bad computer storage. Suddenly, going to utter to Hermione about anything didn't seem like such a commodity idea. Harry began to grind away his desk with his finger's breadth, then crossed his munition and just looked down at the floor. He could see the aura's of the living organisms that his mates had tracked in under their shoes. Maybe Aunt Petunia wasn't such a crazy bat after all - at least as far as wiping one's feet at the room access was concerned.

"What's up, Harry ?"asked Dean."Why are you so weave up anyway ?"

Barefoot and shirtless, Harry walked over to the window. Christmas was a week away and, sadly, no snow had fallen. The grounds below and the surrounding timber glistened brightly in Harry's blindness. He placed his left hand on his thorax, just above Asha's nerve, the Edward Durell Stone that even now sat hidden within him. Focusing high above the crown he found goose egg but pitch blackness. Late in the evening, clouds had moved in, covering all in a nighttime mantle through which no stars shone. He peered at the same quarter-circle of sky in which he knew Ebyrth hung, growing ever closer. He closed his eyes and dropped his brain heavily against the deoxyephedrine window.

Voldemort's cloak should have been destroyed by the water system from the falls, but it wasn't. Why ? Was it the Horcrux Draco thought it was, or simply an physical object of tycoon that Lucius craved ? There was a spy in the rook, probably within Gryffindor or Slytherin that had given up Blaise. He was now under a Death eater's sniffy curse. Who was the spy ? Could they have turned Saint Patrick too ?

It wasn't enough that war was raging in Eastern Europe and would soon grace the woodland about Hogwarts, if not the castle itself. Now there was a child. Could it really be his ? That was a stupid question. Of course it could be ; the timing was near perfect and they had been… well, stupefied. It was just before the Halloween feast. Harry was going to secern Cho about Gabriella… let Cho know that they couldn't be together, that Gabriella was the one he truly loved. But then she touched his arm… the tone in her eyes. Even now, the retentiveness sent a tingle down his spine and made his inside quiver. Neither of them was in the right wing frame of mind, but they both knew what they wanted. Now they were both paying for it. At to the lowest degree Cho was. Harry began to wonder… if the child was Harry's, did Susan B. Anthony know, or was Cho simply using him ?

Harry shook his headspring, trying to clear his muddled opinion. Maybe he was making a big deal of nothing. Maybe Anthony was the sire. But the vision… Gabriella's vision that both he and Hermione shared. He'd seen a baby. Gabriella saw her own dying and yet Harry saw life. He thought it was their child, his and Gabriella's. Now, Harry wasn't so sure enough.

The window was cold and a shiver ran across his body. He turned and walked over to his storage chest, opening the lid and feeling around for a shirt.

"Harry ?"Dean asked."I know something's bothering you. What is it ?"

"Tell me, Dean,"said Harry as he found a shirt. He began to bollix up about for a pair of socks.

"Yes ?"

"Ah…"Harry held up two socks."Do these pair ?"

"Kinda,"answered James Byron Dean, looking at dark and maybe a dark navy blueing.

"Good… upright,"replied Harry and he slipped the shirt and socks on. He sat back on his bed and slipped on his boots without saying a word.

"Harry ?"asked James Dean probing."Where are you going ?"

"Accio cloak !"Harry called with his right hand in the air, fingers outstretched for a catch. His cloak flew into his face."Almost,"Harry muttered. He stood and put on the cloak on and then slipped his wand into his sleeve and stepped toward the doorway.

"Dean,"he said,"please leave my excuse to Professor Snape. I'll miss the exam tomorrow I'm afraid. It's sad really. Since the Joining, I think I had a pretty good chance of acing it. Severus, after all, shared a bit of himself with me that night."Harry rubbed the scar on his right arm.

"Slow down, mate,"said Dean, taking to his understructure."You can't just go off—"

"Whew ! I made it !"cried Ron, jumping into their elbow room."I never thought I'd get Hermione's attending. I finally had to go in through the backdoor, if you know what I mean."He tapped his caput."She'll be up in a… Whoa. Where are you going ?"he asked Harry.

"Actually Ron,"began Harry,"I was just telling Dean that—"

"What's all this about the Horcrux ?"asked Hermione as she entered the room.

"Shhhh !"cried Ron and Harry simultaneously, ushering her interior.

"You found it ?"she asked in a nearly whisper.

"Maybe… if you can conceive Malfoy,"answered Ron.

"Malfoy ?"asked James Byron Dean."Not Draco ? I thought he was—"Gabriella entered the room.

"What's going on ?"she asked. Then looking at Harry she queried,"Where are you going ?"

Harry, who had leaned up against the bulwark near the door, began tapping it nervously with his digit. He glared at Ron."Great plan, mate."

"well,"said Ron,"I tried to—"Harry held up one finger to his mouth and Ron lowered his voice."I tried to—"Harry shook his finger at Ron. There was a bit of a rumble and Ginny burst through the door.

"What's up ?"she asked. Then she noticed Harry."What's with the cloak ?"Harry crossed his branch.

"Bloody hell,"he whispered.

"Is that what's got you so agitated Harry ?"Dean asked as Ginny slipped into his arms. Then he turned to her."Did you know genus Draco was alive ?"It was a inquiry she didn't expect and it caught her off guard. Her eyes shot immediately to Ron and the expression gave her away at once.

"You did !"cried James Byron Dean."How could you not tell me ? Did you all experience ?"Harry could see the fire construction in Dean's emotions. cypher said a word."How long have you known ?"

"Get over it, Dean !"Harry snapped."Draco wanted it undercover and we're keeping it that way. We know because we were there. Ginny knows because her Brother has a big fat mouth."Harry gestured at Ron without looking his way."Draco's heart is here at Hogwarts, dean. Until we can clear his name we can't make him out as a fugitive."

"clear his name ?"said Dean."He was… he is a Death Eater."

"He saved my life, Dean,"interjected Ron."That you do love. That I've told everyone. But my word of honor isn't enough to keep him out of Azkaban. I should know, the government minister's my Dad and, no, he doesn't know about Draco either."

These speech cooled Dean's ardour, if only a iota, and his manus found his pocket. There was a moment of silence and then he turned to Ginny reached out and took her bridge player.

"You know, Gin,"dean said gently,"if we're going to spend the residue of our life story together, we can't be keeping secrets from one another. Secrets… they… they sour souls and wrench trustingness. If you'd have just told me to keep mum, you know I would have. All you had to do is ask. You know that… don't you ?"Ginny reached her hired man to Dean's cheek and kissed him.

"I know,"she said softly. Then she held him tightly in her arms."I'm sorry."

"Well… commodity,"said Harry uncomfortably."Erm… Ron, tell your Dad that we can have the ceremony with Voldemort's cloak this Saturday after exams."

"But that's three days, Harry,"Ron said,"isn't that too long to—"

"right hand,"cut in Harry,"so that's why you… all,"he waved toward the group,"can visualize out how we get the cloak tomorrow Night. I'll meet you at the entrance to the Ministry at midnight. Have the plan ready and I'll helper you however I can."He grabbed Gabriella's hired hand."semen with me."They started for the door when Hermione grabbed the back of Harry's cloak, stopping him in his tracks.

"What do you think ? Where are you going ? Your Potions exam is tomorrow."Harry turned back, his face stern but his eye space.

"commencement, I'm going to see a booster of mine in Ravenclaw, and then… then I'm going to France."

There was a corporate,"What ! ?"from everyone but Ron.

"It's one closed book I'm afraid,"said Harry, raising his hands to quiet his Quaker,"that needs to be kept… at to the lowest degree for now."Again he took Gabriella's arm."seminal fluid on."Everyone turned to Ron as Gabriella and Harry left the room. Almost immediately, Gabriella began to ask questions, but Harry held a finger to his sassing.

"Not here… not now,"he whispered.

They were about to clear out through the portrait of the Fat lady when Lavender stopped them near the hearth.

"So I guess Hermione's done looking at dresses for the night ?"she asked.

"I think she and Ron might be having a bit of a row,"said Gabriella insightfully."She's definitely done for the night."

"Ooooh,"hummed Lavender as she cast a newsy glance toward Parvati.

"Men,"said Annapurna flatly. Gabriella simply nodded, taking Harry by the arm and walking out of the Gryffindor common elbow room.

The two didn't speak until they reached the staircases. It was unruffled with only a few scholar roaming about. Most were probably studying for tomorrow's exam. The others were either heading toward or returning from the library. The two found themselves alone on the staircase as it slowly began to slip into plaza. Finally, Harry gathered the courage.

"Did you know… ?"he began cautiously."Did you know about Cho ?"

"Cho Chang ?"Gabriella asked blankly.

"Yes, Cho Chang !"Harry snapped."How could you not know ? You two were inseparable at the end of last year. She helped you through exam. Falco columbarius, you spent more time with her than with me. How could you not know ?"

The stone staircase came to rest against the wall. The two climbed off that one and onto another that began to slide into yet another direction.

"So we're going to see Anthony,"Gabriella said knowingly. Harry said nix, wishing only that the staircase would be active more quickly."Tell me Harry, are you still so green-eyed ?"

"Jealous ?"Harry asked angrily."Jealousy has cipher to do with this. I have a right to know !"His last words were tawdry and reverberated off the stone walls.

"They have a right to their privacy, Harry,"Gabriella replied with an boundary in her vox."They have a rightfield to go along the Daily Prophet out of their living. Frankly, I don't see how it's any of your line of work. It's solve Cho knew what she was talking about when she asked that I keep this from you. She said you'd react this way."

They turned and began to make their way up to Ravenclaw pillar. A tierce year Ravenclaw joined them on the moving case upward. Harry moved close to Gabriella failing miserably at keeping his spokesperson hushed.

"None of my business ? None of my line of work ? !"

"Yes ! None of your business ! They were unintelligent, Harry,"Gabriella said struggling to maintain her calm in front of the third year, although Harry could sense the choler building within her."It was a mistake, a mistake that Anthony's wizard enough to set straight. Can't you see that he's trying to do the right thing by caring for what will soon be his crime syndicate ?"

At this, the third class Ravenclaw looked back over his articulatio humeri at Harry and Gabriella. Gabriella flashed him a look that put the boy's nose back into the book he was reading. The stone staircase came to a halt and the boy stepped off followed by Harry, but Gabriella grabbed his arm.

"What do you signify to do ?"she asked."Confront him ? Hex him for getting your… your mistress pregnant ? If that's what she was. You hardly carry the more nobleman ground."

Suddenly Harry realized that Gabriella knew, but didn't know. She knew that Cho had had a baby, but she didn't know that Harry could be the father. He stopped and leaned against the banister. The delay was just long enough that the staircase began to move again.

"She was not my schoolmistress,"Harry said quietly to the iniquity."I… I was not myself go year. You know—"Gabriella put her manpower about Harry's shoulder joint.

"I know,"she whispered sadly. Harry turned to face her.

"I've only ever loved you,"he said.

"I know that too,"she said with a grinning that Harry could not see but could sense. She kissed him gently on the cheek and pulled him close. They held each other that way for some fourth dimension and when the stairway came to a hitch Gabriella moved to get off, but Harry stood still.

"I'm not covetous because of Anthony,"spoke Harry to the open air before him."It's just that… I could be the father,"he said softly.

"What ?"

"I could be the father,"he repeated, stepping close up to her."It wasn't Anthony that was the stupid one ; it was me - Halloween of end year. Cho's child… it could be mine."

Harry waited to see the reaction, but none came. The newsworthiness had no effect on Gabriella's gloriole. Either she knew already, or had suspected all along, or the news simply didn't effect her emotions.

"I see,"she finally whispered."That muddies things a bit, doesn't it ?"

"I need to ask Anthony where she is,"he said firmly."I need to see her ; I need to know."

"It seems to me,"Gabriella said slyly,"that, for someone who's not supposed to know anything, you know quite a bit already. You know there's a child. You know she's in France."

"La Mure,"added Harry.

"Then you know all there is to know, Harry. The Ithiel Town's not that great and a few well placed questions will get us to where we need to go."

"Us ?"Harry asked.

"Don't be silly,"answered Gabriella."It's far too serious for you to leave the castle alone. Besides, prof Snape has already released me from tomorrow's exam for—"

"—for high up marks,"interrupted Harry."Yeah, I know. I know."He paused for a few moments and then shook his head. But before Harry could say a word Gabriella began.

"Harry,"she said gently, holding her hired man to his font,"I don't care how well you can see what others can not."She took his mitt."You're screen. It makes a difference. You can't go somewhere you've never been, blab out to multitude you've never met and think that it's no big deal."There was another foresightful pause.

"Cho's bodyguard is a Death eater,"Harry said, more to himself than to Gabriella.

"You're joking, right ?"

"He's not much of one, but Cho's bodyguard is a Death Eater."He paused, churning the proffer in his idea. Finally he said,"You're right. I probably wouldn't get a chance to see her… not without help."He squeezed Gabriella's hand."Besides, you need to be there. I need you to be there."

It took twenty mo to get what they needed before they could slip out through the hidden tunnel to Hogsmeade. It took one-half that time to name it to Le Mure. Gabriella was right, Harry would sustain been lost without her. It was bad enough trying to remember his French ; it was worse trying to figure out what hand gesture or nervus facialis expression went along with it. blind, he could observe none of it, but Gabriella was nearly pure. In fact, Harry began to enquire if she had known the way all along. Finally, knowing that Cho's apartment was just around the block, the two decided to spend the Nox at a small inn and postponement until morning. It was the first they'd been truly alone since the summer.

Harry offered to kip on the floor, but Gabriella pulled him close to her. There was a warmth to her touch that meant more to him than anything in the unit world. That night he laid his someone bare, telling her everything he knew, everything she'd listen to, including Dragon's theory about Voldemort's cloak. Only when he touched on his education with the Centaurs, would she noticeably change the subject. He fell asleep in her arms and woke the next morn the Lapp way. The sun was just breaking into the window as he stroked her longsighted black hair, wondering with some fear what the future would bring.

After breakfast, they walked down the back street toward the small apartment social organization that the boniface had described to Gabriella. When they finally arrived, Harry covered himself with the invisibleness cloak. Gabriella knocked at the threshold and the door opened, held heart-to-heart by an older man with grey haircloth and a hackneyed look on his side. There were introductions and Gabriella slipped inside. The doorway shut before Harry could abide by. There was a moment of silence and then squeals of joy. Harry knew the sound ; Cho was inside. A few moments later the man left, jingling coins in his pocket. Harry's programme had worked - Gabriella, handing the man a couple galleons, suggested he go to the corner pub for a bite and a beer or two. He wasn't to the sidewalk before there was a snap and he had Disapparated. Then the murmurs began ; louder, then softer, then louder again. Finally, Harry heard,"Don't be silly."A second after that, the door opened and Gabriella ushered him inside.

All the piece, Harry had seen the auras of the two new women and the older man. He watched as they moved back and Forth, and as Gabriella hugged what he figured to be Cho. It had been the for the first time clock time he had observed a Disapparation without his great deal and he noted with interest group the sudden burst of energy that accompanied it. But more than anything else his attention was focused on one thing above all - a dim scarlet glow that glimmered from the book binding of the apartment. Through all the paries it could have been anything - a cat, a dog. But Harry knew, by how well its color blended with Cho's, what was there.

"Harry ?"Gabriella asked to the void before her. Cho stood only a few substructure away. Harry sensed warmth mingle with arrest. As for himself, he could feel the sweat of his palm tree as he reached up and slipped off the cloak.

"Cho ?"he asked to the incandescence before him. The aura didn't motion, the somebody didn't speak, but the gloss began to pale almost immediately. Then her hand went to her expression, covering her mouth.

"Oh, Harry,"she croaked."Tony told me about the accident, about…"Slowly she walked over to him.

"This ?"Harry asked, holding his hand near his temples."It's nothing. Just a bit of ice. surgery's scheduled for next calendar month ; should give me good as new."Cho took his hand and then touched his grimace.

"I'm so blue,"she whispered."I should have come to visit."She took him in her coat of arms and held him tight. He could feel her vibration in his munition."I couldn't… I couldn't bear to see you again."

"Great,"Harry drawled."Always in effect to know you're thinking of kindly."

"Harry !"snapped Gabriella shortly. She took Cho gently by the arm and said,"Cho, can we do in and have a sit ?"Cho loosened her clutches on Harry and wiped her face with her hands.

"Oh, yes,"she said, sniffing,"of course."

The place was enceinte than Harry expected, compared to what it looked like from the outside, but it was sparsely furnished and what furnishing there were appeared old and tattered. As they entered the kitchen he noted a few Ravenclaw memorabilia here and there. He even recognized a Scots heather, the broom he bought her go class, was propped up in the corner. Cho offered them some chocolate, they accepted and together they sat at a small-scale table in the kitchen. There was a trivial talk about the weather and schooltime.

"Are your exams over ?"Cho asked."Tony has Arithmancy tomorrow."

"Tony,"muttered Harry through gritted teeth. Maybe he was a bit jealous of Susan Anthony."Er… yeah. Gab and I are done for the semester."

"That's groovy,"said Cho softly. There was an awkward secrecy, and then, finally, Harry could await no longer.

"I heard… I heard you and, er, Tony were going to tie the knot… get married. I told Gab we should come by and find out when. Ask what you might need to, erm…"He looked around at the shabby furniture."… spruce the situation up."

"Soon,"answered Cho without hesitating."But we're not telling anyone until after the school class. Not even my kin. They think I'm here studying art."

"I also heard,"continued Harry, not really listening to Cho's watchword,"that you two had a nestling ; a sister boy is it ?"Before Cho could answer Gabriella took her by the manus.

"It's so exciting, Cho !"she said joyfully."I'm sure you're a marvellous mother. The baby is so lucky to have two such howling parents. Both Ravenclaws !"

"Thank you, Gab,"said Cho warmly."T-Tony's been great."

"Can we see him ?"asked Gabriella excitedly."I've wanted to see him so."Cho was hesitant.

"Well,"added Harry,"I can't see him, but I have a pretty good idea that he's right through there, isn't he ?"He pointed to the back room and swallowed."I think it's great that you and… er, Tony are doing the… er, right matter. It sure enough would be smashing, at least for Gabriella, to see him. Just a peak ?"

"He is due to eat breakfast soon,"Cho said cautiously."Perhaps… just for a moment."

When she returned to the kitchen, Cho was carrying a baby boy dressed in a small red jump shot. He smiled and muttered a few speech sound as she sat him in his chair, offering him a biscuit to chew on. The dim fog of Harry's eyes were focused somewhere above the boy's head, but his mind's eye was captivated on the prosperous red glow before him. It was bright, almost blinding, and Harry wondered if the brightness of the radiance was because he was a babe or something more than. The biscuit snapped out of Cho's hand and flew into the waiting clutches of the child's.

"flavour at that ! So soon ?"cooed Gabriella."He's just perfect."And then she began to babble sister talk to the tike.

"Yes, he's pretty peculiar,"answered Cho.

Harry could sense that she was looking at him, centred on his reaction, but he was at a personnel casualty. To make love for sure as shooting he would have to ask straight out. Now, here they were, and Harry didn't know what to do. He half wanted to poke the infant with a joint to see what it would do.

"Has he,"Harry began,"shown any former sign of legerdemain ?"

"No. Not really,"answered Cho cautiously."But he can stand with help and he's already tried to walk."She paused."I think, maybe, he'll be in Hufflepuff,"she added wistfully."He loves it when I take him to the zoo."

"What's his name ?"asked Gabriella.

"Jamie,"answered Cho.

"After your brother ?"

"We just liked the name,"Cho said, not committing.

"I have to let in,"said Gabriella,"that he's the splitting range of you. And that's a effective thing ; you're much better looking than Anthony."She laughed and Cho did too. It sounded as if it had been the first time Cho had laughed in quite some sentence. But then the step in Gabriella's voice changed.

"In fact, he doesn't expression much like a Goldstein at all. You're both so dark, and Jamie's skin is so pale."

"He… he doesn't get out much,"said Cho, growing nervous.

"Cho, you know I love you like a sister. Don't you ?"Gabriella asked gently."Well, I think Harry has a right wing to roll in the hay. You see, he told me that you two slept together at Hogwarts - just once, on Halloween. Caught in the heat energy of the moment, I guess."Gabriella took a breath, gathering her strength."I don't care why it happened. And it doesn't bother me anymore that it happened. The fact is it happened… nine calendar month before niggling Jamie here was born."

"Well—"

"Cho,"Gabriella interrupted."Harry may have his suspicions, but he can't see what I can, and the eyes never lie. You and Anthony, you both have brown optic. Both your parents each have brown optic. It would deal a mightily virtuoso to bring about a boy with anything other than brown eyes and the conjuration would most certainly be to turn the coloration of the eyes to his own."Cho said nothing. Harry said zippo."It's straight, Jamie is the splitting prototype of his beautiful mother. But the eyes… I think he has his father's eyes."Cho remained silent. Once again, Harry watched as her aura blanched.

"What do you mean ?"asked Harry blindly. Gabriella took his hand.

"They're green, Harry,"she said quietly."sweet almond shaped and brilliantly green. Just like yours."


Harry potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 15 - Another Potter
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Beyond the babbles of the baby sitting beside Harry, there was secretiveness. Perhaps, if one were to hear closely, the audio of a boo chirping or a aloof bus creaking to a halt could be heard, breaking the motionlessness of the morning. Then Cho's foot began to nervously tap against the side of the table. In movement of Harry, she had been confronted by Gabriella with the Truth, but still she would not, or could not mouth. Harry had known before they came to France that the shaver would be his, and though he had not heard the words from Cho's backtalk, he wasn't about to get angry ; it was hard enough not to evince how frightened he was feeling. No, if anything, he needed some prison term himself to get over the sinking feeling in his stomach, as if he'd just fallen off his broom. He would look for Cho to be prepare. He breathed deeply the aroma of his coffee, took a sip, set the cup down and put out his finger, with which the lilliputian boy began to bite toothlessly.

"Jamie ?"Harry said tenderly."I… I like that name."

He smiled and put his script on the boy's question.

"Oh, my. What a header of hair ! Is it Shirley Temple ?"This simple question was purposefully directed at Cho. There was the beat of a interruption before she answered.

"Yes,"she said quietly, with a bit of a cleft in the word. Harry could hear her deglutition.

"Thank Merlin he's got his female parent's looks,"Harry said with a chuckle. He took another sip of chocolate.

"You'll see him one day, Harry,"said Gabriella with an encouraging quality. Harry tilted his head down and shake it slowly.

"I don't think so,"he said quietly, his lips still turned in a slight smiling.

"What do you mean ?"asked Cho, surprised."Surely they can—"

"I was just examined by Madame Pomfrey,"interrupted Harry."The vision charms aren't knitting. There's still too very much glass."

"But couldn't they just—"

"There are piles of lilliputian shard - too many and too minuscule to vanish without vanishing composition of my eyes and if they summon them out they'll shred whatever tidy eye tissue that's left."Cho gasped.

"I… I didn't know. I thought—"

"No matter,"said Harry taking to his foot."I can see the flak in his person, even if I can't see their colouration of his eyes."He went to the coffee pot to pelt himself one more cup. On the way, he tripped on a small toy that had fallen on the level and what liquid that was in his cup spilt.

"Woops,"said Harry. Cho stood to clean the spill, but Harry had it off the ground nearly before it landed with a simple wave of his hand. Since losing his pot, his abilities without a wand, abilities he rarely used in battlefront of others, had strengthened. Without skipping a beat, he poured himself another cup, but rather than plow he continued to front the cabinetry. Yes, he could see the fire in the boy's aureole, but he would leave anything to take his eyesight back… to see his child, his son. He began to tremble. For the world-class fourth dimension in months he was cold with fear, and it wasn't fear of a Dementor or Death eater. It was fear for his nipper and his child's female parent, reverence for a future that was already so uncertain, so dark. It felt as if all the air in the room was being sucked away.

"At to the lowest degree,"he said, holding the warm cup in his deal,"Mark Antony won't need to… to look into my eyes and wonder. I… I wouldn't want that."Cho stepped up behind Harry and placed her paw on his shoulder joint.

"Anthony Goldstein, Ravenclaw Prefect at Hogwarts School for witchcraft and Wizardry ?"asked Cho."He might be a bit gallant at clock time, but he's no fool, Harry. He knows."She turned Harry to face her."He's always known that… that Jamie is your son. He came up with the name. Your f-father's name."She placed her hand at the side of meat of Harry's face."He knew that too. I… I didn't."With these Scripture, Cho began to cry. She held Harry by the forepart of his shirt and pulled him close, sobbing into his chest. Gabriella left her chair and the three hugged for some sentence while Cho repeated over and over how gloomy she was, and Harry repeated over and over that it was okay, that he was the one who was sorry. It was niggling Jamie who broke up the trio as he began to cry.

"Oh… he's hungry,"said Cho blotting her eyes. She picked the boy up into her munition and ushered them all into the forepart room where the fireplace sat stale, but the slightly tattered chairs were more comfortable. Even without the fire, Harry watched with marvel the warmth that filled the room. He could tell she loved the boy deeply. Nor, was the emotion lost on Gabriella, sitting at Harry's side, who was gathering a freshness herself as she took in the way's emotions of love. He took Gabriella's hand and for the first gear time in a prospicient clock time Harry tried to relax, letting the swirling reverence of the future fade from his intellect. It was Cho that started the conversation as Jamie continued to suck.

"I wanted to keep this secret, Harry - secret from my parents, secret from my blood brother, secret from you. At first I was ashamed and then—"

"But—"

"Let me finish,"asked Cho."I need to eat up, or I may never be able to."Harry nodded."cobbler's last year you wanted to tell me about Gabriella."Cho looked at Gab."He did so want to crowd me away, to tell me of the Muggle girl he had met back home."Her middle returned to Harry."But I could see that, just under the cutis, there was a attack of desire and I… I wanted… my get out torso wanted to be desired."

"He was cross-hexed by my parents,"said Gabriella. The words were meant to be explanatory, but Harry noted a tinge of bitterness or unhappiness.

"I know that now,"answered Cho."Maybe I knew it then, at to the lowest degree that he wasn't in his rightfulness thinker. I could accept used a sheathe appealingness. I thought about it. I even reached for my sceptre before it happened Halloween dark behind the Great Hall."Gabriella gibe Harry a glance that he could not see."But then I stopped. I wanted this."Cho looked down at Jamie."I wanted to ingest something in case… in case…"

"In grammatical case I died ?"asked Harry."Like Cedric ?"Without speaking, Cho simply nodded.

"I was being stupid. As if I could ever… And then, when I found out about Gabriella, when we actually spoke…."Cho smiled."I was so happy for you, Harry, and you were so sad."She sighed, shaking her promontory."So I hid it - I hid my pregnancy and I hid Jamie."She put the baby over her shoulder and began to pat its back."I thought that after You-Know-Who had been destroyed I could tell you, but then I heard about the new war… that Malfoy's Death Eaters were out to bolt down you. What would they do if they knew you had a son ?"She shook her head teacher."This summer, I travelled to the United States with Anthony… Tony. One night, I fell asleep in his arms and when I woke up the next morning the befuddling good luck charm had warn off. I was meaning for all to see. In that instant I panicked, horrified by what he might think, what he might do, and in the next I felt Tony's touch, warm and caressing on my stomach. He stayed at my side and he's never left."Jamie let out a rather impressive burp and everyone smiled.

grin, Cho held Jamie in her lap and said something in Chinese as she wiped the milk from his chin.

"Tony's hired Chalmers"said Cho, referring to the guard that was probably now close to finishing his morning time repast,"to watch over Jamie and I, while he finishes schoolhouse. It's costing him every Canute the Great he has. Once we're married we'll qualify for benefit from the Ministry. They offer housing and, maybe, we can find a nice billet to—"

"welfare ?"tiff Harry, his spikelet snapping rigid."From the Ministry ? You can't be unplayful ! You're not going to train a dime from the Ministry. As far as I'm concerned there all a lot of twist !"

"Harry !"called Gabriella.

"wellspring, Ron's dad. But the rest of the lot ? Crooks !"He took to his pes."And as far as support in Ministry housing… never ! I won't allow it."

"What do you think of you won't allow it ?"said Cho a bit heatedly."You have no say in the matter."Harry ignored her.

"You'll stay at the castling. It's far enough away from what's happening… yes, you'll be safe there."

"We're condom here,"said Cho, standing herself, the baby held snugly in both arms.

"Safe ! Are you kidding me !"cried Harry."What's his name… Chambers ? He's a Death Eater !"

"Oh,"Cho chuckled,"now you're just being ridiculous. Chalmers wouldn't hurt a fly. He's only working for Tony because of the benignity in his pump. He hardly makes adequate money to get by on."

"So he moonlights for Lucius Malfoy as a Death eater !"exclaimed Harry."At least he doesn't know that the boy is mine. Thank pigeon hawk for that."Cho's grimace dropped with surprise at these words.

"How could you possible know that we haven't told him ?"she asked. Now Gabriella stood, stroked Jamie's cheek and took him in her own arms, patting his back as he rested against her shoulder.

"Because,"Gabriella said softly with a melodious voice as if she were singing to the baby,"if Chalmers knew, Lucius would be intimate. And if Lucius knew, his son would know."

"genus Draco ?"breathed Cho."I thought Dragon was…"Her vox quieted and she strode over to Harry and slapped him on the shoulder."You little liar. You looked me straight in the eye and told me he fell into the abyss."Harry turned his back.

"Don't you look away from me !"Cho yelled."Let me see your face."Harry acquiesced. When he faced her, any anger he felt evaporated and his shoulder slumped.

"This is otiose,"he breathed."He'll be back here any instant. Maybe he's a kindly old doddered just trying to lay down a Pearl Buck any way he can. Cho, you can't lease a chance."He placed his hands on her shoulders."I have money and it's my province. Let me at least service pay the bill until Antony graduates. Let me at least give you a ceiling over your head where the fireplace works and you'll know you'll be safe."

"It's beautiful there,"added Gabriella."Green fields… cerulean seas… cute Hellene boys with bare chests."She winked and kissed Jamie on the head. Cho crossed her arms and walked over to the fireplace that had no fuel for the fire.

"I… I'll have to ask Tony,"answered Cho."Do you think… I know it's difficult overseas, but do you think we could tie to the floo net ? I miss the family so, and we are going to distinguish them… after Tony graduates."

"That's one thing the Ministry can do,"said Harry, suddenly felicitous Cho was changing her judgement."But you can tell apart Tony later. first base, we need to—"There was a snap and an instant later the battlefront door opened. Gabriella motioned for Harry to hide out. He had just enough clock time to dart under his cloak and gathering himself into the niche before Chalmers walked through the nominal head door.

The one-time man was too thin out and not a good deal taller than Cho. When he entered he took his coat off and hung it against the rampart with a sticking appeal.

"Beautiful day today, Miss Yangtze,"he said with a toothy smile."Beautiful Day !"He stepped over and gave Gabriella a nod."And thank you missy for the very well meal."He paused."It's been a patch since…"His grimace grew wistful, but then he shook his head."No matter."He slapped his manus together and pulled his verge."Let me unclutter these stunner for you."Harry stood silently against the bulwark as Chalmers walked with a bit of a hitch into the kitchen. There was a distinguishable musical rhythm to the metre of his walk that Harry, two calendar month ago, would not otherwise have noticed. It was then that Harry saw a alteration in Gabriella's aureole ; something was wrong.

"Oh,"said Chalmers with a smell of surprise in his voice."Three cups. Did you have another visitant today ?"Without waiting for an solvent he levitated the peach into the swallow hole where the scrubbers began to wash them. Cho was frozen, but Gabriella stepped over without falter.

"Yes,"she said quite calmly,"a girlfriend of ours, also from Hogwarts. She had to allow early to get back for her afternoon exam."Chalmers nonchalantly straightened the chairs.

"Well, you know how Mr. Goldstein feels about visitor, girl Chang."He settled himself into one of the cushioned chairperson and began to unfold the newspaper, still scanning the room with the centre."At least strangers."Harry could tell that the old man was on safeguard, sensing something that was not proper."Just tryin'to celebrate you and the baby safe he is."

baby Jamie babbled something and then pointed at Harry hidden beneath the cloak. The motion was enough to cause Chalmers to turn and look back into the far box at the cracked and empty bulwark. Jamie babbled again and gave a fire up laughter. Chalmers smiled.

"Well, wee Jamie is happy enough to have got guests."He held up the strawman page."What's your supporter's epithet, miss ?"

"Hermione… Hermione Granger,"answered Gabriella. There was the svelte pause and she added,"And I should be on my way as well."She gave Cho a hug and kissed Jamie's cheek."Thanks so much for letting us sojourn. He's just adorable and you're a wonderful mother."

"Thank you, Gabriella,"answered Cho, kissing Gab's impudence."I couldn't ask for a kinder, warmer booster. Please come visit after the wedding ceremony. I think I'll look more comfortable then - Mrs. Goldstein."

"Oh ! That reminds me,"said Gabriella suddenly."Mr. Chalmers is it ?"Chalmers set his composition in his lap.

"Just Chalmers, missy."

"Cho was showing me the nursery and I noticed the back window. We had discussed placing a sealing good luck charm, but I wasn't sure if—"

"Yes, miss,"cut in Chalmers proudly."The hale theater is sealed tight. No one can get in without license. It's a Bucinum charm."

"Oh dear,"said Gabriella."A Bucinum charm ?"Chalmers nodded his head."I think a Trepidus magic spell would be safer."

"Trepidus charm ?"asked Chalmers blankly.

"Oh yes,"added Cho."A Trepidus charm would be ideal."

"Certainly,"continued Gabriella,"I mean, if someone tries to break out in the Bucinum appealingness blows them up. That could harm the babe. Do you think you could show me where you set the charms ? Together we can make the replacement."

"Oh, please do, Chalmers,"asked Cho pleadingly."Gabriella's a first-class honours degree class crone. She studied at Al Bsahri you know."

"Did she now,"said Chalmers with sake as he took to his substructure."I've heard they reopened the school this year."

"Yes,"said Gabriella,"it's quite lovely."

"wellspring, let's have a looking around and see what we can do."Together, Chalmers and Gabriella made their way to the rachis of the house, leaving Cho and Jamie alone with Harry. Even as Harry moved toward the front door beneath his invisibility cloak, Jamie followed him with his gaze, pointing with his hired man. Cho walked to the door and opened it.

"When… when do you marry Gold— Anthony ?"Harry asked.

"Christmastide,"Cho answered. She tried to pass water the give-and-take phone exciting and vibrant, but it fell flat.

"Cho, you don't have to—"

"Don't I ?"Cho snapped."Don't I ? Tony loves me for all the world. He'd hazard his life to protect me… and your son. He's honest, hardworking, and… and… and I'm marrying him on Christmas."Jamie wriggled in her arms, both hands outstretched toward Harry.

"You deserve to be happy,"said Harry quietly."You deserve ..."but Harry's words failed him."I'm so sorry."Cho ushered Harry outside to the front end stoop and shut the threshold behind her. She lifted his cloak to reveal his face.

"Harry,"she said."Tony… he looks at me… he looks at me the way you look at Gabriella. What girl wouldn't want that ?"She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, and then draped the cloak back over him."I'll ask him about your offer. He's a proud man, Harry, and a bit refractory. You should be able to appreciate that."

"I love you, Cho. If there's ever anything you need… anything at all, let me acknowledge and it's yours. I'll see to it, I swear."Cho smiled, but her eyes were sad. Jamie began to imbibe on his finger's breadth. The room access opened and Gabriella appeared followed closely by Chalmers.

"Ah, here you are,"said Gabriella. The sun was lovesome on her nerve as she put her arms out and gave Gabriella a hug."The apartment is sealed tight."Cho took in a deep breath.

"trade good, thank you,"she said."I was just giving Jamie a little sun."

"Which he can get through the window, my near,"said Chalmers herding Cho back into the house."Now come inside."He seemed quite protective, but Harry wondered if it wasn't something more."A pleasure to contact you, Miss Darbinyan, was it ?"

"Yes, and a pleasure it was to encounter you,"Gabriella replied."It's salutary to see my booster in such very well hands. Cho, I'll be by before long with those gifts I promised."

"natural endowment ?"Cho asked."Oh, yes, gifts. Yes, yes, anytime. Be good ; there's a repose space to Apparate just behind that hoary construction over there."They kissed adios and Gabriella began to walk down the street, Harry at her side. Chalmers stood for some prison term after Cho had gone inside, watching from the stoop. Gabriella waved one last time as she turned the street corner out of quite a little. Harry was about to pull off the cloak when she stopped him.

"check hidden,"Gabriella whispered."We're being followed."Harry spun and there behind the edifice they'd just passed were the aureole of two small figures. They hadn't been there a bit before.

"Did you see them ?"Harry asked."I didn't hear an Apparation."

"House elves,"Gabriella whispered,"at least one of them. The other… I can't tell."

"But there weren't any house elves at the theater,"said Harry.

"I know,"she replied."They must belong to individual else, or one's with its master."

"Who ?"

Gabriella just shrugged.

"How did he know your name ?"asked Harry.

"It just slipped out. But I don't think—"

"You don't think Lucius would just as soon see you up on a pike as me ? It was foolishness !"

"He'd have found out soon enough,"said Gabriella with a sigh as the two turned another recess. The street was deserted save for two youth boys playing football near the end by a chain-link fence. Gabriella pulled her wand. She was going to snipe the two that were nearing the corner, but Harry stayed her script.

"Gab, no,"he whispered."Grimmauld Place."

"But—"

"Now !"

A moment later they found themselves on the streets of London, just outside of issue twelve, Grimmauld place. They waited to see if they might let been followed, then checked that the streets were clear. Finally, Harry uncloaked and walked up the stride to the room access, knocking twice. The room access opened of its own conformity and the two walked in. There was a rustle, a clunk, and then Sirius appeared atop the staircase wearing Boxer and a t-shirt. Wand drawn he pointed it blindly toward the doorway.

"freeze !"he screamed."Or I'll obliterate you !"

"I hope not,"answered Harry."I'm kinda hungry."

"Harry ?"Dog Star said, blinking his heart."Harry what the hell… Gabriella ?"Sirius made an try at slicking back his whisker and started down the stairs.

"It's after noon,"Harry said."Don't tell me you were still sleeping."

"I was up late last night. Remus finished grading papers and we— Hey, isn't your Potions exam today ?"Canicula'heart scene to the door."And why didn't you use the floo ? What's going on ?"

"Erm… can we eat first,"asked Harry.

"What,"charge Sirius in a singularly insistent feeling,"is… going… on ? !"

"Sothis,"said Gabriella softly,"I think it best if we sit down."

"You do, do you ?"snipped Sirius, but Gabriella's Joseph Black center caught a soft-spot in Sirius'bark."Well… okay."

The three moved into the kitchen and Sirius started toward the stove. He grabbed a spatula and summoned some blimp when Gabriella took his hand.

"Here,"she said softly,"let me do that. You sit with Harry."Canicula moved to the tabular array and sat opposite his godson.

"Well ?"Sothis queried."It's obvious something's afoot. Spit it out."Harry tried, but he couldn't hold his godfather's gaze.

"I… I, erm…"He sucked in a large gulp of air and exhaled."Igoterpregnant."

"What ?"Sirius asked."What was that ?"

"I… I got her pregnant."

"What !"Sirius stood and spun towards Gabriella."You're meaning ?"Gabriella turned the blimp with her scepter."How could you—"

"Let him terminate,"she replied, floating three collection plate out onto the table.

"Not Gabriella,"Harry said. Sirius turned back to case Harry."Cho… Cho Chang."Sothis fell back into his chairwoman.

"Are you sure ?"asked Sirius with a disbelieving tint."Because sometimes witches can—"

"Oh,"cut in Gabriella sharply."He's sure."

"Merlin,"he whispered, scratching his Kuki-Chin."Harry, you should know better."

"I know. I know I should get laid better."

"And you,"Dog Star said, turning back to Gabriella,"why are you here with this cheating scum if Cho's running around pregnant ?"Expressionless, Gabriella placed the sausages on the plates and added some warmed beans.

"It was live on year,"she answered sitting down and handing Sirius a fork.

"The sister was born in July,"said Harry."On my birthday. His name is Jamie."

Sirius'crotch fell with a clank onto the home base, splattering red attic onto his white-ish jersey.

"A b-boy ? Jamie ?"

"They're living in a dump,"said Harry quickly,"and I can't have my son living like that. I won't have another potter live with rubble and spider, not as long as it's in my tycoon. So, I offered to have them ride out at your castling. You know… until Susan Anthony graduates. Merlin save his soul if he ever—"

"My castle ? Anthony ? Who's Anthony."

"Goldstein. wellspring Cho calls him Tone. How cheesy is that ? Anyhow, the thing is…."

It was well into the eve before Harry had set Sirius straight on all the contingent, uncertain as they were. Canicula then began a address that lasted for nearly xxx minutes and included a few references to Harry's parents. But when Harry began to examine deeper Sirius changed the subject. After venting about Harry's imbecility, he had agreed to take Anthony, Cho and Jamie in and help in any way he could.

The sausages Cho cooked little more than a memory, Dog Star grew hungry again and he convinced them to go to a Thai eating place that he had found just a few blocks away. When they arrived, Harry discovered that it was run by an old Muggle, but frequented by a number of witches and ace. The occasional news bulletin of thaumaturgy that occurred never seemed to faze the old man. Dog Star called him a learned person, a Muggle in tune with the magic of the instinctive globe but possessing no skill his own. Harry was half-way through his Panang Curry when he realized that tonight he was to meet Ron and Hermione at the Ministry.

"The cloak,"he muttered suddenly to himself, before taking another collation.

"What's that, Harry ?"asked Dog Star. Harry looked up into Sirius'eyes ; they were smiling. Harry's blindness didn't allow him to see that the creases that had once drawn the face of Sothis'oculus down were now curling upward. But he could sense the brightness of the aura in his godfather's expression. For a here and now, Harry considered telling Sothis of their programme at the Ministry. Gabriella touched his hand.

"More tea ?"the server asked, and all three nodded. Harry continued to look toward Sirius who was as happy as ever. The thought of asking Sirius to help them, particularly at the Ministry, curdled the curry in Harry's stomach.

"I said I almost choked,"Harry said with a cough.

"You're eating too fast,"said Gabriella knowingly, rubbing his arm and smiling."It's not a race."

"Probably the curry,"said Sirius, taking another raciness."It's a bit spicy tonight."

"Yeah… yeah that's it,"Harry answered. He wiped his sassing with his napkin and set it on the mesa."Erm… Actually, I think I sound be—"

"Harry,"interrupted Gabriella,"I have to go before it gets past tense midnight."

"Is it getting that recent ?"asked Dog Star, his mouth half full. Harry shot her a glance ; his oral cavity frowned. He didn't want her at the Ministry any more than he wanted Sirius. There were too many memories—bad memory. Then she said something that surprised even Harry.

"I need to see Jamie,"she said,"just for a moment. I should hold taken attention of it this good morning, but I forgot. I've not been in line with the old ways for some time. mom would be disappointed in me."Unconsciously, Harry began to rub the dragon scar that was emblazoned on his right forearm.

He remembered what Gabriella's mother, Soseh, had said at the end of last school year."The approving is inscribed on the male person of each generation by the women of the propagation before. It will be Gabriella's responsibility to expire the blessing to your sons."Once it was unmortgaged that Harry would accept Jamie as his son, it was Gabriella's responsibility, by oath, that she pass to him the blessing of Asha.

"The Votary,"Harry whispered quietly, staring down at the stadium of yellow and atomic number 79. Then his thudding eyes looked toward hers."It's too grave,"he said sharply."What if Chalmers has told them. What if he knew all along ? What if they're still there ?"

"They ? They who ?"asked Sirius.

"We were followed after we left Cho's apartment,"said Gabriella."But it makes no difference. By honour, I have no choice. It must be done, and the Oklahoman it's done the greater the power of Jamie's blessing, of his protection. He'll demand Asha's help in these meter of darkness."

"You mentioned the expiry feeder escort, but you didn't mention that you were followed,"said Sirius, his eyes turning toward Harry with a more serious glare.

"genus Draco said that Chalmers doesn't work nights, at to the lowest degree not for Goldstein. Dog Star, you need to go with her, keep on her safe. That way you can see Jamie and pass on the news, maybe convince Cho to strike into the castling tonight while Chalmers is away."

"And you ?"Sirius asked.

"I'll just drumhead back to Hogwarts. If the two were a couple of Lucius'thugs out to get me it'd be better if I wasn't there."Sirius sighed, looking longingly at an untouched barbeque spare rib. He licked his lips and pushed his denture forward.

"Very well, let's go."They paid and made their way outside and down the street, finding a more remote control alley often used by the visiting enchantress and thaumaturge to Apparate. Sirius took Harry by the arm and looked him in the eyes, but Harry turned away to expect down the street as a car past by.

"Straight to Hogwarts,"said Sirius sternly,"okeh, Harry ?"

"straightaway to Hogwarts,"Harry agreed. Gabriella kissed him on the cheek.

"I can see your emotions roiling,"she whispered in his ear."Be wakeful and say, ‘ Hi !'to Ron and Hermione for me."She pulled her wand as did Sirius."Oh, and don't vexation ; Jamie will be exquisitely. I'll make surely that no malevolent harms your child."Harry tried to muster a smile.

"Did I ever tell you how much I loved you ?"he asked and then they kissed."I'll see you at schooltime in the morning. Keep her safe, Sirius."There was a snap and both Gabriella and Sirius had vanished. Harry focused his visual sensation to another parting of London and in the next moment found himself at a phone box above the entering to the Ministry. As off-putting as Apparating was for Harry, he was ill prepared for what happened next.

"Stupefy !"The blow of red light hit Harry squarely in the breast, knocking him backward some ten to twenty animal foot, his wand tumbling from his mitt."There, Harrington,"a bombastic dissemble public figure said with a rather blustering voice, picking up Harry's scepter,"and you were about cook to wet your pants. He is a boy, after all."Still on his spine Harry could feel them stepping toward him.

"I… am not… a… boy !"he rasped. This made the closest ace laugh, but the modest man behind him said zippo.

"well, I've got your wand, minuscule man. I doubt you'll—"

"Diffindo !"Harry hissed, stretching his right arm forward. Orange light erupted from the shoulder down and extended out and beyond Harry's fingertips.

The front of the demise Eater's cloak looked as if a large saber had just slashed across it, tearing fabric and physique alike up and outward. Harry could experience the rakehell spatter his face. The destruction Eater screamed falling to his knees. Unsteadily, Harry stood. The whole place seemed to be spinning. He was silly and a cumulate sensation of sickness was building inside.

"Accio wand !"he cried, wrenching his wand from the demise feeder's grasp and in to his own hand. Limping forward he yelled"BOY ?"Then he placed his wand on the frontal bone of his foe."BOY ?"profligate continued to trickle from beneath the crouching Death feeder's ribs and between the hands that clutched his chest."Who do you work for ?"Harry asked, already knowing the solution.

Harry had focused so lots attention on the large expiry Eater, he had neglected the small-scale one that had retreated to the apparition.

"I said WHO - DO - YOU - WORK FOR !"Standing over his cowering victim, it was then that he noticed the lights - muckle of lights. Five more auras had Apparated ; he was surrounded. Seemingly emboldened by the new comer, the smaller Death feeder emerged from the fantasm and held out his verge.

"Expel—"There were three spells cast almost simultaneously that stopped the wizard before he had a fortune to finish.

"Stupefy !"“ Diffindo !"and Harry's shield charm,"Contego !"

Only, Harry didn't need the shield charm… for himself. The number one go came from one of the approaching auras Harry presumed to be more than Death eater. The bolt of lightning, not the secure Harry had ever seen, knocked the smaller wizard backward, albeit only a few fundament. Fearing for his spirit, and rightfully so, the diminutive demise feeder Disapparated. The back magic spell came from yet another aura, diminished yet intense. It was directed at the halt wizard crouching before Harry. The outcome was tremendous and instantaneous ; the last eater's head fell to the gravelled pavement and his torso slumped forward, draining blood line at Harry's substructure, a boiling pool of brightness like lave erupting from a volcano.

Harry spun to face the five star approaching him, holding his wand high. Two showed breath of both red and jet in their aura as they drew nearer."lordly Curse ?"Harry wondered. And then a voice came to him that startled him more than that of the previous Death feeder.

"Bloody hell, James ! What in merlin's name did you do that for ?"

The colour, the canter, the tone… Harry knew at once it was Ron Weasley.


Harry potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 16 - The Burden yell
~~~***~~~

"He was reaching for his sceptre,"said James, pointing at the decollate Death Eater at Harry's feet."He was going to kill Harry !"

"He was on his knee joint,"snapped Hermione."Harry had him firmly in control."

"He didn'have the… that little guy in control,"countered Patrick."I had teh take him down."

"You're just lucky he was as frightened as a molamar in water,"said Anthony Goldstein with a rather haughty interpreter.

"Goldstein ?"asked Harry in surprisal as the group converged on him.

"Damn, ceramicist,"said Goldstein,"you're a blinking mess. And I do think of bloody. Scourgify !"The splatters covering the front of Harry's fount, shirt and pants vanished, though the pond on the paving remained."There, that's better."

"Who in netherworld told Goldstein ?"cried Harry.

"Actually, Potter,"replied Goldstein,"I stumbled on this merry troupe as they tried to swipe out. Seemed like a just DA mission.

"Are you kidding ?"snapped Harry, gazing at the air of the man who'd be his son's father. There was a purity about it, but Harry was to inflamed to consider it."You… you can't be here. It's too dangerous."

"Yes, I see that,"said Goldstein with a rather sarcastic tone. Gingerly, Harry stepped out of the lineage, pooling at his fundament. Hermione ran over to him and hugged him.

"Who were they ?"she asked."Nobody's supposed to know we're here."

"That's what I thought,"answered Harry."I was trying to get an answer when James here decided to play the butcher."Harry turned to the second twelvemonth."The next sentence I need your help Chang, I'll ask for it."Harry sensed at once the anger building within the smaller whizz, but then it subsided almost as quickly as it came.

"I… I was just trying too voiceless I guess,"answered Henry James."It was scary."

"And why are you two,"Harry pointed to both James and Patrick,"here in the first space ? stumble across the troupe as well ?"He shot Ron a glance and wished he could convey eyes of dying.

"Patrick overheard our plans and said he'd snitch if we didn't bring ‘ em along,"answered Ron."It was supposed to be calm down ; I didn't figure we'd run into dying Eaters."

"If that's what they were,"said Harry, still holding his sceptre at the quick."They acted more like hired hood than Death Eaters."

The night air was moth-eaten and quiet. He could palpate the dampness of a thin mist wrapper about his human face, sending shivers down his spur. For a moment he thought of Dementors, but the frigidness, this chilled clamminess was something else, something more visceral. The whisper of death were swirling ; somehow Harry knew that. And not for the man that had just been slain, the whispers were telling Harry that more would soon link up the idle man at his feet. But who ?

"Goldstein,"Harry said suddenly,"Anthony, really you… you have to—"

"fountainhead, we're here now,"said James."Dispatchio !"The dead wizard and the puddle of blood beneath him vanished."Let's say we get in, get the cloak and get out before anymore… er, glowering superstar show up. Wouldn't want Luci—"

"Where'd you learn that spell ?"queried Hermione."That's fifth year."James shrugged his berm.

"My sister I guess,"he said."She's the smart one in the family."

"Yeah… I see,"said Harry, noticing St. James the Apostle'atmosphere slice from green to red then back from red to green. For the offset time, he thought James might not really be an ally."Ron, maybe you should take—"

"St. James is right,"disturb Anthony."Best if we get down into the Ministry before another dozen demise feeder Apparate in."

"But—"

"Harry,"interrupted Hermione,"let's just get downstairs. We can talk then."Harry heaved a sigh and the grouping squeezed into the earpiece Booth. Ron said the parole his father had told him and a silver orb appeared, scanning Ron in a sickly Patrick Victor Martindale White light. Then, with a jar, the lift began to plummet. Harry tried to look at Ron and suggest to the redheaded woodpecker that he should record Harry's brain, but his eyes were lacuna and Ron didn't recognize the facial expression as he once would have. Harry silently cursed his blindness.

Harry's centre began to quicken. If the two second year were under the Imperious Curse, they were probably in Lucius Malfoy's ascendancy. He was feeling strongly like he wanted to wretch onto the polished marble story just as the doorway opened onto the resplendent entrance hall of the Ministry of conjuring trick. The six stepped out, wands drawn.

After only a few paces, they all saw where the cloak was to be displayed - it was obvious. A large glass case had already been erected. On a perch was the trunk of a manakin and adjacent to that a gilded statue of Harry with his scepter drawn. They all stepped closer. There was no cloak, but there was a plaque. It read,"This site commemorates the frustration of the Dark Wizard Voldemort by the K Wizard Harry Potter, Order of Merlin, offset family, who faced his foe wand-to-wand and struck him down."
"Order of Merlin ?"asked Goldstein surprised."I didn't know—"

"Neither did I,"cut in Harry.

"They'll probably award it to you during the ceremony tomorrow,"said Hermione brightly. Harry turned to her.

"If we do this rightfulness, there won't be any ceremonial,"said Harry shortly."No darkness cloak, no replication of Voldemort, no ceremony. Ron, do you have any thought where—"

There was a plangency coming from down the anteroom and a faint glow that was growing nearer. It sounded as if somebody were humming. The group began to pull back, away from the show case ; all, that is, except Saint James the Apostle. Harry went to grab his sleeve, but the boy wouldn't relocation.

"Is this it ?"he asked, still staring at the re-enactment before him."Is this how it happened ? You struck him down ? Nobody could tell me for sure, not even Gabriella."Harry held more tightly to James II'robes and began to pull him bodily across the floor.

"Epistle of James,"Harry said, huffing between his teeth,"there are some things you can't believe. First, never consider a word Trelawney says unless she sounds like a goblin on fervor whiskey. indorsement, never believe a word written in the Dailey prophesier, unless it's written by Luna Lovegood. And finally, never… ever believe anything the Ministry says - ever !"He continued dragging James by the spine of his choker until they were hidden between two marble column.

"Bold Good Book, Harry,"continued St. James passively."But I never believed you could beat overlord Voldemort wand-to-wand. Tell me, is there still a persona of the Dark Lord that courses through your veins ? That could be useful, if—"

"Shhh."All was tacit, hold open for the episodic crack ember from one of the fireplace that surrounded the grand entrance hall and the humming that was growing louder by the minute. Again Harry tried to gather Ron's attention, but he was officious whispering something in Hermione's ear as they clung together behind a suit of armor opposite the jet of Magical Brethren. At another column just behind Harry and James, Saint Patrick and Susan Brownell Anthony crouched. The whispers of death were growing louder. So flashy, in fact, that Harry turned to see if perhaps a specter or something more were at his properly position. Only Saint James the Apostle was there, kneeling quietly on the floor.

The light grew brighter and then the beldam appeared. Harry could progress to out her atmosphere, a shimmering gold, but not her feature article at this distance. In presence of her was a cloak levitated some two feet off the earth. She was approaching the showing casing when James began to wriggle under Harry's paw.

"Hold still,"he whispered, but the marble bulwark took in the sound, recall them about, amplifying the noise such that it was audible to the witch at the display type. Harry noticed the hesitation. He expected her to ferment, but she did not. Instead, she levitated the cloak onto the trunk within the display display case and closed the glass door. She cast a spell with her wand and then turned as if to leave. In turning, she revealed her grimace to the others, but Harry was still unable to recognize who the witch was. From the faint gasp from across the hallway it was clear that Hermione, for one, knew who it was. The Wiccan stepped toward the jet and took something out of her pocket, perhaps a coin, Harry couldn't Tell. In a question that was as graceful and as cunning as any Harry had ever seen, she flipped the object into the jet. It spun eminent into the air and, just as it crested in its arc, her other hand pointed her baton toward it and cast the spell.

"Immobulus !"Harry recognized the articulation at once ; it was Molly Weasley, Ron's mother.

half of the light leaving her verge passed the coin cleanly and struck the enchantress and wizard by the suit of armour. The former half, however, glinted off the coin, reflecting toward and blasting the two wizards next to the chromatography column behind Harry. With one magical spell she had immobilized Ron, Hermione, Antony and Saint Patrick. Again, James wriggled under Harry's grasp and again Harry held him fast.

"I know you're there,"Mrs Weasley said with a voice that held no fear."I'm afraid it's well after time of day. If you're lost, I'm sure I can help you come up your way. issue forth out from behind the editorial and let's see where you belong. Shall we ?"

Again St. James the Apostle pushed against the weight of Harry who was pressing him hard against the marble floor. Finally, Harry had had enough. He couldn't risk of exposure what Saint James the Apostle might do.

"Incarcerous !"he called. roofy sprung from his baton and began to envelop themselves about James.

"Sectumsempra !"cried William James, slashing the ropes with his wand and pushing Harry away. Then he pointed his wand at Mrs. Weasley."Avada Ked— !"
"Stupefy !"she called, her tour interrupting the boy's. The red light nearly strickle James who deflected it at the in conclusion minute, sending the beam into the ceiling above, showering them all with art object of marble and splinters of walnut tree. This was no secondly year wizard.

Harry jumped to his feet and cast his own stunning spell, but again James deflected it. It was then that Molly Weasley noticed who he was.

"Harry ?"she called.

"Hide, Mrs Weasley !"he cried in reappearance."hide !"

Saint James cast a jet of red lightness Harry's way. Harry focused on where he needed to be—out of the irradiation's path. Suddenly, everything slowed and he found himself running to the rightfulness, toward the outflow, just as the thunderbolt of red passed his exit human elbow. James smiled.

"Impressssive, Harry,"James hissed in a much gamey, moth-eaten articulation, a phonation that shook Harry to the core. It couldn't be."You've learned well from the Centaurus. I did as well ; although I suspect my method acting of extracting the cognition I required were somewhat different than yours."There was another thunderbolt, honey oil, and again Harry disappeared and reappeared into another region of the grand lobby.

"Diffindo !"called Mrs. Weasley. Her enchantment mint William James on the left shoulder, leaving a foul diagonal. Epistle of James spun on the witch.

"Avada Kedavra !"

This time the green luminance sailed toward mollie Weasley. Harry began to levitate a marble workbench into the beam's itinerary, but quickly realized the work bench was too great and would not journey fast enough. Instead he ran, slowing sentence and bending the space between them tightly together. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her to the ground just as the gust past the pair, smashing into the rampart behind and showering them with dust and rock. Harry landed on his cover as Mrs. Weasley landed on top of him, knocking the air out of his chest.

"Harry,"she said sternly as only a mother could,"what are you doing here ? What's going on ?"

"It… it's Voldemort,"he gasped trying to come up air that wasn't there."He's… back."He wheezed, sucking in a short breather of air."In… James."Without questioning further, Mrs Weasley's back went rigid and she rose to face James, to front Voldemort.

"Nooo,"Harry rasped, struggling to sit up, but barely able-bodied. She ignored his beckon and faced the lowly boy now standing only a few metrical foot in strawman of her.

"Leave the boy, Voldemort,"she commanded, brandishing her baton."He can't possibly be of any use to you, now we know the truth."

"trueness ?"queried James as his middle shot toward the dark cloak still protected behind the sealed chalk. Harry rose to his knees, trying to work air back into his lungs."The Sojourner Truth is that there are only two things in this room I want… and you're not one of them."His baton rose in unison with Harry's, only Harry was unable to puff the turn.

"Avada Kedavra !"

Placing himself between Mrs Weasley and Voldemort, Harry tried to rise up in front of the jet of special K but the killing whammy would win the airstream this fourth dimension ; he knew that. For her constituent, Molly Weasley cast a shell charm about them both, hoping to deflect the charm, but they all knew it wouldn't workplace. In her last New York minute of living her work force gripped Harry by the shoulder joint and she cast a glance down into his blind middle, a glance that held love and compassionateness, a glimpse that was filled with concern not for herself but for the boy before her… a glimpse he couldn't see. She fell drained to the floor.

"NO !"cried Harry as he spun and roam another slashing spell against James who deflected it with ease."You're being controlled, James ! battle back !"James only laughed.

"YOU stood face-to-face with the Great Dark noble Voldemort and defeated him ?"King James I mocked."What a jape !"

With Mrs. Weasley dead, the spell she cast on the former four wizards began to wear off. Slowly, they were coming to there Mary Jane, working to retrieve control of their motions. James walked over to a groaning Patrick who was still prone on the floor. He grabbed Saint Patrick's hair and pulled his head off the priming.

"This one here,"called James, his voice echoing off the walls,"thinks of you as a brother, ceramicist. He'd Oklahoman die than see you come to harm. Yet he's betrayed you at my every command. Shall I kill him next ?"

"Expelliarmus !"Harry cried, but once again James deflected the turn.

"Haven't you figured it out yet, ceramist ? Even with the acquisition of the centaur, you're as slowly as your dead parents. Nonetheless, you could be useful ; the Malfoy boy suggested as much. I heard, perhaps, he's not as dead as everyone thinks."He released St. Patrick whose head cracked against the stone trading floor. But instead of striking at Harry, James held his wand to the glass display case."Diffindo !"The eruption of light struck the chicken feed, but held firm as if swallowing the DOE of the good time, the glass began to glow. For the start clock time, the smile on King James Chang's face disappeared."Diffindo !"he called again, and again the energy was absorbed and the glass grew brighter still.

"You've killed your only when opportunity for opening the sheath,"Harry sneered."But then… I always heard that that was one of your greatest weaknesses… TOM… being dolt !"

Another blow of light slam toward Harry ; it was red not green, not a killing whammy. Once Thomas More, Harry slipped out of its way. This meter he moved quickly around and behind James reappearing with his wand drawn.

"Stupefy !"Harry cried, sending a blast of red at James'back, but again the wizard deflected the piece as if swatting a fly and then turned back toward the video display eccentric."You're not trying to kill me, Tom. Why not ?"

"I'll kill you sssoon enough,"James IV slithered."First, the cloak. Then, I need to extract something of mine that you stole from me when you were a babe. Soon, I will be—"Suddenly two more spells came from beyond the fountain. Ron and Hermione had revived themselves enough to fight, but barely.

"No ! Get out of here !"Harry screamed."It's Voldemort ! Run !"

"I don't have time for this,"cried Henry James, sending three to a greater extent blasts of lighter at the glass case. On the third thunderbolt the chalk cracked, but only just. Harry could say that the spells that James had cast over the live few minute were draining him. He looked shopworn, almost vulnerable. At the Sami import the ardour ringing the magisterial hall roared to life.

"Finally,"Harry whispered,"some help."whiz after champion appeared at each hearth, brandishing their baton."Whatever sentence you thought you had has just expired, Tom."

The elbow room erupted in red visible radiation. septet good time came at the small wizard by the display slip. Two struck true while the others struck the glowing methamphetamine hydrochloride, shattering it completely. The large glass shards that scattered the floor, however, were still glowing as brightly as ever. There were more blasts of red directed at Harry.

"It's me !"he yelled."Harry potter !"

"Harry !"cried Hermione from the far side of the residence hall."It's not the Ministry ! It's—"A blast of red dropped her to the ground.

"Hermione !"cried Ron."He cast a magical spell knocking the wizard by Hermione backward into the rampart with a loud crack. He pointed towards another whizz and ran at him."leave her alone, you bloody—"There was a blast of purpleness and he too fell to the floor.

"We're pupil !"Harry yelled, but it only focused the tending of another barrage of red bolt of lightning his way. Harry cast a shield charm and sent them flying in every conceivable direction. The blasts weakened him."Are you crazy ? ! We're—"And then he noticed it - the unmistakably hopeful emerald green aura of genus Draco Malfoy, stepping from the flaming of one of the fireplaces. He had warned Harry and now it was too of late.

Simultaneously, ropes began to twiddle about Ron, Hermione, St. Patrick, and most importantly William James who was still motionless on the level. Somehow Anthony had managed an leak and stood at Harry's side. There were nearly a dozen demise eater moving in on them.

"Take the cloak, Draco,"drawled a tall sensation in saturnine bootleg robes with deep red lining.

"Lucius ?"Harry sneered in the genius's management."Is that you ? I should consume known by the sickening yellow colour."The wizard said nothing, trying to cut Harry."Now that I'm blind, you're much better looking in — tap that. No you're not. You're still as practically a pig as you always were. Still, somehow… missing an arm courtship you. How'd you lose it again ?"The prodding worked.

"Big Book for a unsighted boy, Potter,"he snapped.

"Now, now… control stick and stones…. But then I guess six months with Dementors and dullards will curdle anyone's colloquial capabilities."Harry could see that Draco was moving over the radiance ice and into the case to recover the robe. Harry turned to face him.

"Hey ! Blonde bastard ! I wouldn't go in there if I were—"

"What's this ?"Draco cried out. He had come to mollie Weasley's body. The colour of his aura blanched."I gave specific orders ! Who cast a killing nemesis ?"Harry could recite immediately that Draco was livid.

"gather the cloak !"yelled Lucius.

"But father—"

"NOW !"

"Don't do it !"yelled Harry.

Draco moved forward toward the casing. Suddenly, the shatter glass that was still glowing with the energy it had absorbed exploded in a brainy Andrew Dickson White flash. Dragon flew up into the air, nearly striking the roof, and then landed with a sickening crunch against the marble story.

"Draco !"cried Lucius. Goldstein took the beguilement as his opportunity. His scepter erupted with bright bluish Light, but instead of being directed at one of the end Eaters, it was directed toward one of the portraits hanging highschool on the wall of the wonderful Granville Stanley Hall. The portrait sparked, zapping the older wizard that had, so far, slept through the ruckus.

"Hey,"the wizard in the portrait yelped."No pauperization for—"

"Get help you idiot !"yelled Goldstein. The thaumaturgist in the portraiture, seeing the wipeout, disappeared instantly."It won't be long now,"Goldstein muttered, staring at the hollow portraiture.

There was another burst of charm headed at the two magician and together they fended them off, but Harry was growing frail by the here and now. Lucius ignored Goldstein's claim for aid, he ignored the battle of wands, and he ignored the crumpled heap on the base that was his son. Instead, unwilling to partake it himself, he pointed to the cloak that was still standing in the windowless display case.

"The cloak !"he yelled again. After some hesitation, another dying eater approached the pitch blackness cloth and grabbed it just as James, still bound by R-2, began to number to his senses. With lust-filled heart, Lucius only one-half glanced at Draco, still motionless on the floor, blood dripping from the niche of his mouth. Instead, he focused fully on the black robes held before him.

"Luciusss,"uttered Saint James the Apostle breathlessly,"you fool."

Malfoy wrenched the cloth out of the dying Eater's hands. Quickly, he slipped it on and waited as if anticipating something to take place.

"You expected, maybe, a coronation ?"Harry sneered."Perhaps a crown and trumpets as we all bow down to kiss your backside ? It's a stupid piece of cloth !"

"kill him,"Malfoy drawled, pointing with his good arm toward Harry."putting to death HIM !"Harry grabbed Anthony by the arm as the thunderbolt of honey oil approached and in an twinkling they were on the other side of the resplendent hall that now appeared more like a war zone than the collector's item of the Ministry. Looking back, they saw that the patch where they once stood was nothing now but a volcanic crater. Goldstein grabbed Harry's arm.

"How did you do—"

"You are NOT going to lack the wedding,"Harry snapped. He took in a deep breath, reaching out with his intellect to cull any magic he could from the world around him. He let out a long, slow exhale and pointed his wand at the storey.

"Festio !"he cried, ripping gobs of marble tiles upward and sending them toward his adversary. The decease Eaters tried to shatter the tiles with tour, but the natural action only served to produce thousands of petite projectile all headed in their focal point. A few dramatis personae shield good luck charm in metre, but most were struck. Above the din of screams, Harry could hear James cursing Lucius.

"spill me, you idiot ! Release me now."But Malfoy, ignorant of Henry James'admittedly individuality, ignored the boy's pleadings. He had what he came for and was beginning to take the air toward his son when child's play began to fill the room. Auror after Auror was Apparating within the luxurious hall. In an heartbeat, enchantment were flying everywhere. Blast after blast of Inner Light, cutting down wizard after wizard, witch after beldam. The room was filled with double-dyed mayhem and Harry, his shoulders slumped with fatigue, moved to accede the ruffle. Before Harry could pick out a full whole step, Goldstein grabbed him by the shoulder.

"You're no good to anybody perfectly,"he whispered."We need you, Harry. Me… I'm not much more than canyon fodder."And then he charged forward ahead of Harry, taking down two Death Eaters before he too was stunned and fell to the primer coat. It was then that Harry noticed Henry James. He was beginning to drop off free of the bonds that held him. Lucius, on the early deal, had abandoned everyone, including his son, and was racing to the floo. A bolt of Orange twinkle struck the wall behind Harry, casting stone and dust down his back. Lucius was about ready to head for the hills. Harry focused on where he needed to be and before Lucius had taken another step, Harry was standing in front of him, blocking the entering to the fireplace.

"Silencio !"Harry whispered, holding his hand between the cloak's folds of fatal cloth and directly against Malfoy's pectus. The hotshot tried to ramble a spell, but was mute."Now, what with the sporty arm and all… that's what I call an melioration. You should think back to button up before you step out, Lucius. Now, take off the cloak before I blast it off."Malfoy's centre glowed with pure hatred and he raised his verge."Expelliarmus !"Harry whispered again and Malfoy's wand flew from his hand. There was an manifestation of surprise in Malfoy's middle that made Harry smile.

"Now,"continued Harry,"as I was saying, take aim off the—"With a sudden shove from behind, Malfoy fell forward onto Harry and they both tumbled to the floor. It was then that Harry noticed that James had freed himself and now, forgoing the use of a baton, had his hands around Malfoy's throat, squeezing… squeezing. He was in a fury of pure hatred and ira.

"Do you sleep with who I am ?"cried Jesse James."looking at into my eyes !"

Lucius, even Harry, saw the flame of red illumination in James'oculus.

"N-Not pos-sible,"he gasped, ineffective to take a breath."D-Dead."Then the wide realization struck him."I-I never knew."

"You know now,"James spat between gritted teeth."And now is sssoon enough."A bang of red lighter came from the far wall and struck William James in the side, but before he released his hairgrip on Lucius, a colored acrid smoke issued from his mouth and nostril. To Harry, it was a current of leafy vegetable evil leaving the red behind. St. James'grip on Lucius released and the blond wizard gasped for air, but instead of air he sucked in nix but Mary Jane. Voldemort had penetrated him. Stunned, Harry saw the dark-green environs the yellowness and snuff it out. Lucius took to his feet as a bam of red struck him in the rachis. cipher happened. It bounced off him, off the cloak he was wearing, like water off a duck's back. Before Harry could react, Lucius, Voldemort and the cloak had vanished in a swirl of green flame.

There were a twosome more fire, a couple more centering, and a couple more screams of nuisance, but finally the room fell silent. Only the sound of rock scraping against the floor, as the remaining Aurors stepped across the debris, broke the secretiveness.

"minister, over here. It's your… over here, sir. Please."For the first sentence, Harry realized that President Arthur Weasley had been among the Aurors that had come to protect the Ministry. He watched as the wizard walked toward the shattered display case, while the Auror that called him levitated a wooden radio beam that had fallen over molly Weasley up and out of the way. It landed with a mute thumping.

"molly ?"he uttered as if trying to gently wake individual from a deep eternal sleep."molly,"he said again only louder."MOLLY !"He grabbed his wife in his arm, pulling her up out of the dust ; pebbles cascaded to the level."Oh my god, no. No… no… no… no… NOOO !"he screamed. The grand hall rumbled, shaking mortar loose from the walls onto the storey below as Mr. Weasley buried his head into the nook of his wife's neck. He continued to heave great sobbing as Harry looked down at James, prone on the floor, arms outstretched toward the fireside. The super C was gone ; only blue devil remained, but the Christ Within was weak and flickered. He was near destruction. The endorse yr began to grown, slowly looking up to find Harry.

"H-Harry ? H-Help… I… I can't…."And he collapsed to the floor. Harry looked around at the devastation. Jesse James was not the sole one near death. Instinctively, he pulled his scepter to summon the Heart of Asha, but before he could draw the turn, snatch after snap began to fill the hall ; healer were appearing. In a subject of seconds nearly a 12 Healers had Apparated into the Ministry. One, an one-time wizard with bushy whiten hair, was at Henry James'side almost instantly. Scanning the boy with his wand he turned to Harry.

"You're the Potter boy, aren't you ?"Without waiting for an response he said quickly,"William Tell me, was it a stunner ? Because I'm not detecting any—"

"He was possessed by Voldemort,"Harry cut in. The Healer cringed, looking up at Harry with disbelief.

"flavor son,"he said derisively,"you shouldn't go around—"

"Damn it !"Harry screamed."His spirit's been sundered ! It probably has been all year. Voldemort just left him to take on another host. If you don't hurry, he'll die."For only a second, the Healer tried to interpret the expression of Harry's face. He was old enough to know what Harry meant. He remembered the old war and he didn't need to be told twice. Without saying another word, the therapist rose to his feet and a flash of marvelous purpleness lighting left his wand bathing St. James the Apostle in its glow from head to toe.

Harry stepped back, twisting his ankle on a rock and roll beneath his foot. He cursed. other than the masses swarming about the hall, it was hard to piss anything out. His vision was truly failing him in the rocky mess. He could see Mr. Weasley and heard his asshole, and tried to clean his way through the detritus as Auror and Healer alike seemed to pass him by as they rushed to another's aid. It was as if no one knew him, or no one cared. His emotions were sloshing back and forth. He needed to help… he needed to dog after Lucius, after Voldemort… he needed to —"

"rector !"individual cried out."pastor ! It's your son !"Harry turned his attention on a glow that lay prone on the base near an Auror's understructure.

"My god, Percy ? !"cried Mr. Weasley still reeling from the loss of his married woman.

"No, sir,"the Auror replied."It's your youthful boy, Ron. Looks like a stunner is all."

"That's not possible,"whispered Arthur Weasley, unsure just what to do."He's at Hogwarts."Then he noticed Harry, stumbling blindly toward him."Harry ? My god, Harry why are you—"

"He's back,"said Harry weakly. He was tired and sore, and his right arm was starting to tingle with pain."Voldemort's back."

"What ?"

"A Horcrux,"Harry whispered nonsensically, stumbling closer to Mr. Malfoy and rubbing his correct forearm with his left hired man. It itched."There must throw been more than one. We… we came for the cloak."

"Jonah,"called another Healer to the old man that was working on James,"I need your help. It's the Malfoy boy. What's his name, Draco ?"

"I thought he was absolutely ?"the old man called back. The untested therapist looked down at Draco and then back up.

"fountainhead, if he wasn't before—"

"You knew ?"asked Mr. Weasley, his voice sceptical. Gently he kissed his wife's brass and lowered her to the base."You knew they were coming ?"

Harry was feeling dazed. He looked toward Draco, toward Arthur Weasley. His powerful arm was aching. He had reached Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and his heart began to sink further.

"No one was supposed to be here,"Harry said thinly, his voice hoarse with sorrow."I just wanted to destroy the cloak before… before…"Mr. Weasley rose to his feet.

"She loved you like a son !"he yelled and slapped Harry toilsome across the face."AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY HER !"

The blow knocked Harry backwards and he slipped on the loose Harlan Stone that scattered the story. Rising to one elbow he could try the blood that was dripping from his cut lip, and then he noticed his rightfield forearm - it was glowing. A slim down etch of a runic letter had appeared, the Viswa Vajra. Harry had always wondered when it would encounter, in what fashion it would manifest itself, and even though he'd never seen such a lambency, he knew what it meant, and he knew he had no choice but to obey.

The minister of conjuration who had loved Harry as his own son was demanding answers, answers Harry desperately wanted to contribute. Dragon and James lay near death, and Harry had it in his big businessman to easily save them both. Voldemort had escaped with a new body and another piece of his soul, and Harry anxiously needed to give chase after them - the Wizarding World was again at hazard. Once to a greater extent, death began to whisper in his ear and he began to shiver.

In spite of that, none of it mattered. He had sworn an cuss ; it was a burden all members of the Votary carried. He was being summoned and so, clutching his wand, he focused on where he needed to be. He felt a cushy touch on his shoulder and find out Hermione telephone his public figure. He looked up at her, wishing he could carry the sadness weighing on his soul.

"Harry…"

He was gone.


Harry Potter and the birth of a New Sun

Chapter 17 - The summoning
~~~***~~~

When Dakhil left Harry at the Harlan Stone steps leading to the front doors of Hogwarts palace, Harry had pleaded that he too fight the outpouring of Dementors and expiry Eaters raging against Dakhil's native land in the Carpathians. The vampire should induce been gone for only a few days, but it had been week and Dakhil had not returned nor had he sent word of the condition of the struggle. The Daily prophet had been worthless, only reporting the difficulties that the various European Ministries were having trying to disguise the numerous inhumanity as lifelike disaster. More badgering was that Antreas had left shortly after Dakhil and had not been heard from since. Everyone who had left to press seemed to vaporize into a great vortex of malarky.

Before he disappeared, Dakhil had told Harry that his job was to protect Hogwarts, to protect the Centaurus of the Great Forest from a shadow within the school. Harry brushed the notion of duskiness inside the castle walls aside, believing it was a backhanded affront toward Harry, but now he was paying for it. Maybe that's why they were summoning him, he had failed in his one mission. Voldemort had not only break away, but he had captured his Horcrux and was ready to return to power. Or was he ?

Voldemort had said he needed only two things in the howling vestibule of the Ministry - his old grim cloak and Harry. He had asked earlier if there was still part of the shadow Creator that coursed through Harry's veins. What James, what Voldemort didn't know was that the darkness, Voldemort's stain, had been washed away by the Cleansing of the falls in the Great forest. Perhaps, Voldemort was too weak without this former theatrical role of himself, perhaps—

It was hot, painfully hot - the first thing Harry noticed when he finally appeared at the summoning site - hot and dark. Not obscure in the sense that there was no Inner Light, although it was that too ; a lack of light wouldn't subject to a unsighted man. No, it was dark in the gumption that Harry saw nil. There was no lifespan here, no life in any direction, just heat energy, an intense, blistering hotness that appeared, to Harry, like a slow daze as he looked to the night sky and saw Ebyrth shining as bright as ever.

He had been able-bodied to Apparate across the Channel. From there he had tried once more, but couldn't make it across Germany. He was drained, unable to drop another spell, and the rankness of the earth's muscularity, normally plentiful in this orbit, was parched like an arid desert. There was nothing for Harry to draw on to replenish what magical energy he could cast. Instead, he used the powers of the Centaurs to turn blank space and irksome time, and he ran. He ran until his horseshoe wore through and fell away ; he ran over rivers that supported his weight as if they were flash-frozen solid ; he ran past flying dame that hovered in the air like floating balloons. He ran for what felt like days, stopping only to drink from the occasional stream or creek. At one point, just outdoors Vienna, he had grabbed half of a sandwich from the hand of a passer-by who might as well have been a statue frozen in time. His legs ached, his lungs wanted to erupt and all he could hear was the voice of Ronan compelling him forward, not to meet the call of the centaur, but to answer the summoning of the dragon.

By the time he had begun the final ascent, his judgment was blurred with tiredness. He had paid no notice to the mountain he had been climbing. Sweat burning his subterfuge center, he had ignored the screams and the blast through which he had past. He didn't see the transition from animation to death. He only knew one thing - the summoning internet site. He would not run out again, even as the live drops of long suit left his being.

This… this was the spot ; he was sure enough. Huge gulps of air splashed down his electrocution lungs unable to quench his thirst for atomic number 8. His desolate pes burned. Almost forgetfully, he held out his wand, bridge player shaking from exhaustion and mind knowing that he would not be able to drift a spell even if he wanted to. lather dripped down his forehead ; the heating was unbearable. He stood for a moment, scepter outstretched, squinting with miscarry center into the duskiness. Falco columbarius, it was hot. He moved to have a step forward, an acrid odour filling his nostril, when his left leg cramped and he fell face first hard into the stony footing. He didn't have the energy to pull away from the scorching stone, nor could he patter out the sand and petite pebbles that filled his oral fissure and burned his tongue.

"Maybe,"he thought,"if I rest for just—"He passed out, dropping his wand at his position.

Unconscious on the sweltering earth, swirls of smoke and luminance coalesced in his mind forming a picture of swarthiness and despair. Even in his dream the smell of burning flesh was unbearable. Yet, in his dream he could see - his sight, his sight was as good as ever. The dope and the smell cleared and he found himself at the falls, the twilight where Gabriella lay face down in the tall supergrass, an arrow sunk deep into her back. In the air was sorrowfulness. No… Thomas More than sadness - there was anger. It was Ron, screaming, screaming….

"NOOOOOOO !"

The earthly concern shook.

"Take him ! take aim him now ! Hurry !"

The scene changed. He was flying… flying in the air. Bounce. On a Hippogriff. Bounce. Harry felt a jarring pain against the side of his ribs. He blinked. The blindness had returned, but he could smell out that there was a light beneath him. Bounce. A person.

"rush !"

The voice… he knew that vocalization. The duskiness was clearing from his mind. He was waking. He was being carried. A group of five was climbing up the face of the slew. One had Harry over his shoulder. Weakly, Harry began to struggle to rid himself.

"Easy, Harry,"the young man holding him said gently, but with some urgency in his spokesperson."When we get you back to the fastness, we'll contract a feel at the burns. Praise Asha you're a member of the Votary, or you'd be dead."

"An-Antreas ?"Harry muttered. He hadn't heard the spokesperson of Gabriella's brother since the summer, but there was still no mistaking the undeniable intonation that was the exact replica of Antreas'father, Grigor."What… What's going on ?"

"There will be time for answers later !"cried another voice."Run !"Harry knew at once the other man public speaking. He also recognized the aura ; it was Dakhil. Troubling was the mother wit of concern, even fright in Dakhil's part. He'd never heard that before, even when they were being attacked by lamia concluding summer. What was more worrisome, however, was something that had bothered Harry since his terminal example with Ronan, something he had seen in Dakhil ever since the vampire first taught him to see without seeing. The aura of Dakhil faded from red to purple and indorse to red again. There were two personas present in his aura. For the first of all time since he'd arrived at the sight of Singehorn, Harry felt low temperature.

They continued to rush along up the mountain. Occasionally, Dakhil or one of the others would put spells back in the counsel from which they came. Harry could not see, nor could he sense what it was they were firing upon. Curiously, there were no patch cast in riposte. Soon, he began to remark tree, vegetation, life. After a few minutes more, the band came to a gravid Lucy Stone bulwark. One of the men cast a magical spell and an entryway appeared. They passed through and the opening in the endocarp sealed behind them. The entire company sighed with relief once they entered the compound.

"What… what's going on ?"Harry asked weakly."Where are we ? Who were you firing at ? What— ?"

"Slow down. slack down,"cut in Antreas."Let me see your face."Antreas lifted Harry's chin up and examined the left English, the Saame side that fell unconscious mind into the scorching globe. He reached up and pulled the glasses from Harry's look, glasses he continued to wear in the promise, or perhaps as a symbol to others, that one day he might see again. There was an unmistakable tearing sound, and Harry could feel the charge plate flange pull away from the skin on his face. When he reached to necessitate the chicken feed out of Antreas'hand, he could tell that the allow one-half of the frame was nearly melted away. He didn't want to think what his face must appear like. It didn't hurt. Harry moved to touch it but Antreas grabbed his helping hand.

"No !"he snapped, half trying to squelch the hurt in his own vox. He chuckled, but not convincingly."It… it's nothing, Harry. It's just best if you don't—"

"See that he has his own healer's collapsible shelter at once !"ordered Dakhil to one of the other men that were in the group. The man began to slowly limp away."hastiness,"Dakhil yelled."rush before there's nothing left of his typeface to put back together !"If Antreas had tried to cool it Harry's nerves, Dakhil had served to dismember them."You two,"Dakhil continued pointing at two men they had passed as they entered into the compound."Help carry the boy into the cave. I won't lose another one tonight !"

With Antreas'assistant, they carried Harry further up the mountain. Dakhil followed, but was unwilling to serve. Typical, Harry thought. There was a belittled outcrop of rock candy off to the side and they turned toward it as Dakhil continued upward. Antreas stopped.

"If Singehorn is unable to foretell the others in time,"he said,"we'll have to transmit for the centaur you spoke of."

"You were brave today, my son,"said Dakhil warmly."It is net your Father-God is with you. Your mother would be proud. Keep the boy safe and see what the Healer can do with what remains."He turned to continue upward then stopped."Singehorn, I'm afraid, was not able-bodied to cry for our friends, not tonight."He sighed with a abstruse mournful breath."Still we must stay with the plan ; it's our only hope. More may arrive before the Moon's salary increase tomorrow."

Facing a Harlan Fiske Stone paries, one of the men carrying Harry said something in a language he thought might be Russian and again an archway appeared where before was only careen and stone. Just before the rock and roll expression closed behind them Antreas called back to Dakhil who had followed them most of the way

"And the Centaurus ?"he called.

"He's in your limb,"replied Dakhil, just as the endocarp archway sealed the shut inside.

"Crazy,"said the Russian, referring to Dakhil."He'll kill us all."There was a wand at his neck in an trice ; it was Antreas ’. Harry felt like he was about to be dropped.

"There are so many injured here,"said Antreas with a ignite voice,"I'm sure no one would miss you. The next time you speak of the Votary, take care to choose the Holy Writ carefully. I may have to excise the offending tongue."The Russian said nix as Antreas pulled the sceptre back and the traveling bag on Harry became more certain. They turned a corner and the cave opened out into a great Radclyffe Hall filled with injured. To Harry, it looked as if a hundred lights had been spread across the story. Almost immediately a heart murmur rippled across the big cavern.

"Is that him ?"“ The Chosen !"“ My god what happened to his facial expression ?"“ Dragons."“ It's just a boy."“ That's not him ; some Muggle must sustain been caught in the crossfire."“ He's the Chosen !"
"Marek !"cried Dakhil."Marek ! This is a antecedence !"Harry noticed an orangeness coloring on the far side rise up from the ground. Marek was busy treating another patient and as he stood, Harry could tell that he was a large man.

"They're ALL priorities !"he called back."Have one of the others—"

"tinker's damn it ! NOW !"yelled Antreas. This was not the Sami Antreas that had waved good-bye to Harry and Gabriella as they began their summer vacation. That Antreas was still trying to perfect his wand work, and his confidence interacting with masses was shaky at proficient. While he made a passable neighbour on Privet Drive, he was an absolute wad around former wizards. This Antreas, however, the one standing before Harry, was more than just a foot soldier in this mountain struggle. He was clearly someone of importee.

Disgruntled, but acquiescing, Marek began to cross the hall as the three moved Harry into one of the collapsible shelter that were set up along the side of the heavy sleeping room. He was placed on a bed, business firm, but more well-fixed than a blanket on the Harlan Fiske Stone storey outside. Once he was down, the two men left Antreas alone with Harry. For some time neither wheel spoke and Harry noted his friend's discomfort.

"What is it Antreas ?"Harry asked. As he spoke, Harry noticed that the side of his expression didn't seem to act correctly. Still, there was no pain.

"I'm so no-good, Harry,"Antreas replied."If I had known… We were losing solid ground and… Dakhil must accept thought it would be safety. Our outer border was half a mile down the batch when he must have asked Singehorn to summon you. But then, they came so fast."

"Who ?"

"The Dementors. They've been swarming the mountain for days. They've grown so thick they can blob out the sun and when that happens it gives their allies, a band of about thirty wizard vampire, unblock rein to lash out during the day. This wasn't our war, but ultimately the dragons had no alternative. The Dementors were moving in on their rookery. Half a dozen dragons left to blacken the earth and leave no life behind. Not even a member of the Votary could survive such fervency. We had no way of letting you know, no way of knowing ourselves when… that you'd…"A big burst of air pellet from Antreas'lips.

"Dakhil had Singehorn summon me ?"

"Harry, there was no way of knowing. You passed out right in the centre of the incineration. It had to make been over two c degrees. One of the watch saw you first, but it was too hot. Only the Votary could get in to recollect you."Harry remembered Dakhil walking through the burning flames just before the connection ; he understood these row."The connection helped you to pull through, training would have been better. Your face… you've been burned… badly burned."

"But it doesn't hurt,"Harry said. He was feeling more tired by the minute.

"That's because there's nothing left to hurt. Your flesh is—"Marek pushed through the opening night of the tent.

"And what's this priority ?"he said wearily."Another case of damn Dementor frost— Oh… Oh, my."He cast Antreas a glance."One of the civilians ?"he asked, not recognizing the Brigham Young man he'd met over the summer."A Muggle caught in the fervidness ?"Assessing the expectant stature of the man before him and listening closely to his vocalization, it was Harry who first made the joining. It was the same Marek that had taken in Ron, Hermione and the others after the vampire onslaught.

"Marek ?"Harry asked hoarsely, finding it more unmanageable by the moment to move his jaw."It's me, Harry… Harry potter. I could… I could sure use a glass of water."

"Yes… I remember. You've put on a few pounds. Physical preparation ?"

"He's joined a centaur heard in England,"said Antreas.

"So this is the one Dakhil radius of. That would explain matter. Yes, that would excuse a lot."Marek reached into his robes."I haven't had to deal with one of these for years,"Marek whispered,"but with dragons about, such tan are not uncommon. Praise Asha you're Votary."He leaned in conclusion to Harry."What happened to your center ?"

"Glass,"Harry replied, wearily."destiny of glass."

"Hmmm. well, let's get started. Harry, lie back."Harry obliged."I have something far better than a glass of water."He watched Marek raise his wand over his burned face."This should only take a few hours."

"Hours ?"Harry said, bringing up his script to catch Marek's wrist."I won't take you away from helping the others just because I buggered it again."

"It's not your fault, Harry,"said Antreas."There's no way you could cause known."

"Yes, admirable calibre, Harry. But as Antreas has said—"

"I am NOT a priority ! I won't—"Blue light erupted from Marek's wand and before he could say another Word, Harry was asleep on the cot and Marek began his work. The last thing he remembered was a crackling audio and Marek's sober voice.

"That'll leave a mark."

Time faded to nothingness and, when Harry woke, he sensed someone sitting at his bedside."Gabriella ?"he asked groggily.

"You wish, married person !"

"Fred ? Fred is that you ?"

Slowly, Harry began to retrieve awareness. He tried to lean up, but soul pressed gently back on his shoulder joint. His centre closed, Harry sensed that there were two masses in the room. Shaking the gossamer free, he finally recognized the air of the former person.

"Remus ?"

"Yes, Harry,"replied Remus Lupin,"Fred and I are both here. We have been for about three days."

"Three days !"Harry exclaimed, once again trying to rise and once again being held down by Remus."I've been here for three days ?"

"No, ditz,"Fred laughed."We've been here for three Clarence Shepard Day Jr.. You've been here for about, er, fourteen hours."

"We came as soon as we heard you had arrived,"Remus added.

"I swear, Harry,"said Fred, leaning forward."Can you ever do anything the sluttish way ?"

While Fred was talking, Harry realized there was something on his face. He reached his hired man up and felt the bandage wrapping his head.

"An interest facial expression, if you ask me,"said Fred."Kind of a turban gone mad. All in all I'd say it's an improvement. The great thing is, Harry, they gave you a unanimous new principal ! Dwight Lyman Moody volunteered his."Fred laughed again and this fourth dimension Remus joined him. A cold shiver passed through Harry. It had suddenly sunk in that Fred… Fred Weasley, was in the same room and if he'd been here for three days, he might not know….

"Why aren't you home ?"Harry asked."Where's George ?"

"I'm flying solo, mate,"said Fred."George III is minding the shops."

"No one can travel in or out,"said Remus."phantasma is insufferable. It's a miracle that you made it animated. I'm sorry that—"

"What about messages,"Harry interrupted."Can messages get in ?"

"Not for two days,"said Remus."The Dementors have the whole versant surrounded. I tried a Patronus. It passed through a few dozen, but there are just too many."

"Then you don't know,"Harry said with urging. He sat up and this time when Remus moved to drive him back down, Harry flicked his arm away. Harry tried to face Fred, but. Fred only laughed.

"You look like a walking ice-cream retinal cone, Harry."

"Fred,"Harry began, muffled by the bandages surrounding his cheek. He tried to muster up the courageousness, but in the last moment it failed him."W-Why are you even here ?"

"Tonight, we go on the loathsome. We're through sitting back and letting Lucius Malfoy and his army of dark decide when and where to strike. They're mostly lamia and Dementors with a handful of Death Eaters sprinkled in for good measure. finally we heard Lucius may sustain let himself get turned."

"Turned ?"Harry asked.

"The guide were out early this first light, Harry,"said Remus, moving over and sitting next to Fred."We've seen him off and on in these parts for workweek. Only this morning… this morning they say he looked more vampire than wizard."

"He let himself be bitten, I tell yeh,"added Fred."Just to achieve immortality."

Harry felt as if he was going to be vomit up. If Lucius was here that imply Voldemort was here. Were they looking for him ? For Harry ? His tenderness began to race. There was too much to do and too piffling time. He needed to tell individual, but whom ? His breaths quickened and Remus took notice.

"Harry… you need to—"

"He's awake !"Harry shouted."He's still active !"There was a short-circuit suspension. Remus knew almost immediately what Harry meant, but wasn't sure if his Word were the resultant role of some sort of side-effect from one of the potions. Fred didn't understand.

"What do you mean, Harry ? Who's animated ?"

"Voldemort,"gasped Harry, taking in a nifty breath of air through the bandage covering his face. He walked over to the side of the collapsible shelter and held the textile in his fingers. To his creative thinker, it had a dull orange visual aspect, probably spores of some sort. He didn't want to say more ; he couldn't. But he had to. He could finger his nerve pounding in his pectus - it hurt. His breathing grew laboured, weighed down by the essence of what he was about to share.

"Somehow… I don't know… I don't know how, but he took ascendancy of James Chang, Cho's young comrade. He's been inside James, controlling him all year at school. He was waiting for something… something significant. Then I heard that they had discovered Voldemort's old cloak. It had survived even though he was destroyed. It was there… what he wanted… at the Ministry. They brought it back out of the ash of his demise. They dug deep, your father dug deep for what should have been left to the depths."

"Yeah,"said Fred cautiously, not really surely what to imagine about Harry's ramblings."Mum and Dad were all excited. It was supposed to be a big deal. Sorry we had to pull you away from the award observance to be in this snake pit. I'm not supposed to distinguish, but Dad's lined you up for ordination of Merl—"

"It was a Horcrux,"hissed Harry through gritted teeth. Remus understood and gasped, but Fred still didn't grasp what Harry was saying."Can you believe it ? Lucius wanted it for himself - maybe to extract whatever pith Voldemort had left of himself in it."Harry madly grabbed Fred's gown."Don't you see ? I had to destruct it… to destroy the cloak."

"Calm down, Harry,"said Fred slowly, his eyes glancing toward Remus with business organisation."Everything's okay."

"No it's not !"yelled Harry, turning from Fred and leaned against the bed."We just wanted to take it, Ron, Hermione and me… only they showed up… and then… when we got inside… your Mum was there… and then James… I thought it was an Imperious condemnation. I thought I'd be able-bodied to control him."He breathed hard again."But I couldn't. It wasn't a condemnation, it was Voldemort. I couldn't stop him. I tried—"He turned back to face Fred."He… Voldemort used the Killing swearword, Fred. I tried… I swear on Merlin's grave… I tried."

"What are you talking about, Harry ?"Fred's words were tranquillise, nervous and unsure.

"hold up night, before Singehorn summoned me, in the grand entryway dormitory of the Ministry, Voldemort… Voldemort killed your mother."Short gasps of air outburst from Harry's lungs and he fell on his knees in front of Fred."She's dead… she's… dead."Clutching at the freighter of Fred's robes, Harry began to gag great breathlessness. His vocalization was light and thin."She's dead."Fred pushed Harry away and took to his feet.

"halt saying that !"he yelled."She's not dead ! She's not ! I just saw her before we came here. She was going to… she was going…"He slapped his hand against the bed."You're just messed up… the potions. You… you were dreaming… that's all. A- a- a- hallucination or something !"He turned to Remus.

"Remus ! Tell him ! William Tell Harry it was just a dream… a bad dream, that's all."Remus was quiet, stoic. He didn't speak and he didn't move. Fred pulled his baton and held it in Remus'expression.

"TELL HIM !"

Remus held his branch out wide and, slowly, shook his read/write head.

"No."Fred whispered, shaking his head vigorously in answer."No, it's not… it's not… oh god."

His manus fell limp at his sides and his verge dropped to the story, tinkling and then rolling in the muteness. Fred shuddered, fell into lupine's arms and began to cry.

They stayed like that for some time, Harry on the base, Fred in Lupin's blazon, all three of them crying. Until now, Harry hadn't had the chance to mourn Molly's end. The botheration was deep and biting. In the tears and secrecy, Harry wished he could hire it back. His action had cost another life and the angriness in Arthur Weasley's voice echoed within his mind.

His thoughts turned to the others who had been murdered in the engagement and he wondered if Henry James had made it."I may never fuck,"he whispered to himself.

As the sorrowfulness began to subside, he mulled over how Fred and Remus had described the spotter's sighting of Lucius. If the study were genuine and Malfoy had returned to the hatful, then Molly's murderer was within reach. Harry's pain began to turn to anger. The flapping on the tent furled open and in walked Marek

"Remus, I— What in merlin's name is up with you three ?"he said with a rather gruff representative.

"We just found out. Fred's mother has been killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,"answered Remus calmly.

"That… that's not possible,"said Marek, half believing the language to be dependable. Fred turned, wiping his centre.

"I've got to see if I can get home,"he said. He started toward the release, but Marek took him by the arm.

"Fred, we're surrounded."

The redheaded woodpecker pulled his arm free.

"I have to go home."

"It'd be suicide, Fred."

"I don't care."

"Don't you think your mother would !"chided Remus."AND your sire. What do you think it would do to him to lose you both ?"Fred said zip."If you're going to put your life on the line of business, Fred, make it tally ; make it matter."Remus stepped toward him and held Fred by the articulatio humeri, looking him in the eyes.

"Tonight,"he said with sureness and surety."Tonight, you'll have your fortune, Fred."

"Why tonight ?"asked Harry.

"There are about sixty of us, Harry,"said Remus,"counting me and Fred. Tonight the moon turns full phase of the moon. We'll attack with the dragons, a few dozen Centaur, and—"

"Full synodic month ?"asked Harry. He picked himself up off the level and stood."full moonshine ? I thought Soseh had given you a potion, given you both one to keep you from turning."

"She did, Harry,"answered Remus."But we haven't taken it during the cps. There are few beast on earth that can challenge a vampire. Surrounded by Dementors as they are now, even magician have little Hope of conducting an effective attack. They're a wolfman's instinctive fair game ; Dementors and Vampires plowshare a darkness that… How can I put it ? Is tasty for a werewolf."

"Better than chocolate, they tell me,"added Fred, with an eerie gleam in his eye.

"Besides the dragons,"added Remus,"only one creature can break through both refutation. Dakhil discussed it with me some meter ago and we both agreed - we needed a lycanthrope army. I couldn't convince most, but I've confident enough."

"Sixty doesn't make an army, Remus,"said Harry, stepping closer."60 is a snack."

"What you say is true, Harry - werewolf parentage is prized among the vampires. Still, I think our adversaries will be surprised,"said Remus with silence confidence."Yes, we could have more in our number, but even with President Arthur as parson, the misgiving of my kind runs deep."

"Our form, Remus ! And they'll be Thomas More than surprised,"snapped Fred."They'll be bloody petrify !"

"Well,"said Harry sardonically,"bloody anyway."

The patch wrapping his face were hot and heavy and he was only just capable to defy the temptation to rip them off so that he could scratch the itch that was growing secure by the minute. He placed both his deal plane against the business firm bed, curling the covers in his fingerbreadth as they balled up into clenched fist. Without looking up, he took in a intimation and swallowed.

"Remus… Fred… You need to understand everything. Lucius Malfoy isn't a vampire. The scouts… what they saw down on the versant this morning… It may have looked like Lucius, but it wasn't. Yeah, he's been taken over alright, but not by a vampire. His spirit has been consumed by Voldemort. Lucius is Voldemort."He turned to face them."LX loup-garou, sixty Draco, 60 of anything… it won't be enough."auditory modality Harry's words, Remus stepped forward and placed a hand warmly about Harry's neck.

"No, Harry,"he said."No, it won't be enough. But then, it never was. That's why we have you."


Harry Potter and the parentage of a New Sun

Chapter 18 - The Ring of Onyx
~~~***~~~

The Harlan Stone steps were large, larger it seemed to Harry, than they were before. Yet, the same thin whiten clouds dusted the blue sky, and the heated air brought Harry's mind back to his summer travels with Gabriella in Lebanon. His creative thinker's eye flashed to a sight of her smooth, dark brown skin and twinkling sinister eyes, and he wondered how she was fairing with Cho and his son, Jamie. His heart skipped at the thought process and he drew in a breath to steady his nerves. He stepped upward through the large stone pillars, upward toward the remains of the great Asian palace. Up ahead, seated on a vitreous silica bench intricately carved in an elaborate practice was a large black man in green and brown gown - Singehorn.

On the eve of the counterattack, the Dragon had asked that the Pres Young whizz meet him in this planer of consciousness that they might address with one another. Here, in this early world, Harry could not only mouth to the Draco, he could see. He had no bandaged head, no verge, only a ovalbumin robe and unembellished fundament that withstood the scorching oestrus beneath them. In the cave where Harry's bodily consistence sat in meditation, the others were preparing for war. Soon, the moon would rise, the wolfman, including Remus and Fred, would turn and the conflict would begin. It had taken Harry quite some time to close out all the distractions that were happening about him, but finally he made it.

As he drew finisher to the dragon, the descendent of Asha whose line Harry had sworn to protect, he noticed that the man looked more aged than before and that his breathing was heavy, laboured. With effort, Harry heaved himself upward onto another stone step, and then another. On the stair before reaching the landing where Singehorn sat in one of the two quartz glass bench, Harry saw a large ring made of black onyx. He stopped for a moment to look at it. The dragon coughed a bottomless throaty cough.

"Go on,"he said with a late scratchy vocalism."option it up."

Harry reached down and took the ring into his right hired hand. It was labored than Harry expected. Holding it in the digit of both mitt he examined it from all position.

"I… I know this ring,"Harry said, trying to remember how or from where."I've seen it before."Singehorn shifted his tremendous weight and grimaced somewhat.

"The tintinnabulation,"he said,"is known to many, but few alive today have seen it with their own eyes. For those few that saw it worn by its last captain, it was most potential the last matter they saw. He was known for using the ring to kill."Suddenly, Harry remembered.

"Pravus,"he whispered, remembering the portraiture of the dark wizard's hand Greg Goyle had shown him last year. Singehorn growled, long and low. Clearly, he did not enjoy the sound of the epithet.

"Very serious,"answered the dragon."Very respectable. Come… sit."

Harry climbed the finale bombastic step and tried to dust the front of his White River robes which had grown brown from the desert sand. Singehorn laughed and, as Harry looked up, the man's mouth erupted in flames, enveloping Harry in a great white flash. In the next instant, Harry's robes were white again and he was unscathed. Harry examined his work force, expecting to see scorch marks, but nothing was there.

"Sit,"said Singehorn again. Unlike his utmost visit with the man before him, the immature wizard sat obediently across from his lord.

"My child… not for fifty dollar bill days has that ring been held by homo hand, not since I tore off the arm of the wizard that betrayed us all. When Pravus was destroyed and Grindelwald defeated, I thought for sure the darkness had been, at survive, beaten back for beneficial. I was young then and naïve, but not so naïve as to trust in men again."

"But Dakhil,"said Harry."You trust him."

"Do I, Harry ? Do I ?"There was another low murmuring as Singehorn leaned forward. Harry noticed a thin, short scratch that ran along the man's face, a scar that wasn't there before the Joining. Over the last few month, the dragon had seen conflict.

"Do you see the mob on Dakhil's finger ?"he continued."No, Harry… Soseh trusts Dakhil and I would entrust Soseh with my sprightliness, but his fate lies on a dissimilar path."

"You need to roll in the hay, sir,"said Harry with some urgency in his representative."I've seen… I've seen two emotional state inside him. He may be under the control of another."Singehorn smiled and began to laugh. It was loud and thunderous, not the response Harry had expected.

"He's a vampire, my child,"the tartar said finally."He fights the smell inside him every waking here and now. Few have learned to control the thirst for unused descent, the desire for expiry. None have fought more heroically than Dakhil Barghouti to stave off his own personal demon. But his course will soon lead elsewhere and I will want individual to pack up his staff as Primate of the Votary. He would prefer I choose now, before his luck befalls him."

Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. Rolling the pack in his fingerbreadth he looked up at Singehorn then back down at the gang. Finally, he set it in his palm and held it out to the dragon.

"I can't, sir,"he said, shaking his head."Whatever powers this ring holds, I'm not ready."

"What ? No enquiry about what the ring does ? What lastingness it might bring you ?"

"No, sir,"Harry replied, reaching yet further toward Singehorn. The flying dragon did not remove the hoop from Harry's medallion, but instead leaned back on the terrace.

"Not even if the ring might help you kill the one who killed Molly Weasley and so many Sir Thomas More ?"Harry shook his top dog."What if it would help you win the war against these Dementors, saving the life history of countless Centaur ; these tool you seem to give care so much about ?"Singehorn leaned in again."Are you so surely that you wouldn't want to finally destroy the creature that killed your parents ?"

For a import, Harry's outstretched arm receded. Once more he held the ring between thumb and index, wondering what speciality it might bring him. He took a oceanic abyss breath and exhaled slowly. Finally, he shook his head once more.

"No, sir,"he said softly still rolling the closed chain in his fingerbreadth."When I was last here, you reminded me our calling : Bravery… Wisdom… Love."Harry shuddered, swallowing hard."You also told me that I needed to work on my wisdom."Harry took in a deep breather as his eyes grew misty."But I've been precious short in that gaze all year, eh ? I brought Voldemort into the Ministry. I brought him face-to-face with Mrs. Weasley. I should have known…. I should cause been wiser. Now, he's at your doorstep, threatening to destroy all we stand for."property back his weeping, Harry held the ring out once again."Whatever power the band bears, there are others more worthy than me."

With lightening f number, frighteningly fast for such a with child frame, Singehorn grabbed Harry's hand in his own, his monolithic paw wrapping around Harry's entire clenched fist and arm, squeezing the ring into the flesh of Harry's palm and scorching the cover of Harry's hand. His red centre glared with steeled determination into Harry's and his claws drew pedigree from Harry's human body.

"Tell me, my son, when the darkness spreads across this mountain and threatens my children and my child's minor what will you do ? There are only so many rocks to climb and the swarm will not protect us."Harry said naught."When your friends charge down the mountainside to join my kin in the attack against the sludge that surrounds us, will you hide… a unreasoning rat in a dark cave ?"The dragon's chela dug deeper, but Harry refused to cry out.

"I'd… sooner… die."

"Harry, the monster seeks you out, but he does not want you dead, not yet. He thinks he needs you alive, but he doesn't know that what he seeks is no longer there, washed away by the falls at Hogwarts. Without the get-up-and-go he once shared with you, he is but half a man, half a wizard. In his ignorance, in his weakened nation, he can be defeated."

"Then I don't need the ring,"Harry said calmly, withstanding the annoyance.

"If only it was so childlike,"sighed Singehorn, still holding Harry's hand house."Before the cleansing at the gloam, you joined."

"Joined ?"

"The duskiness that was once in your veins… now flows through another's."

Harry's affection began to backwash. Another's ?
"Your inherited."

"Jamie,"Harry whispered.

"You would sooner die than see my children harmed. What would you do to protect your children ?"asked Singehorn.

"My… son."

Harry's fingers, almost instinctively, tightened around the gang burning the build of his palm and in that instant his imaginativeness filled with a terrible flash of white. Singehorn's articulation became darkness and ominous.

"I will not say your decision is saucy, but it is our only course. Forgive me, my child, for the power will exhaust you. Soseh has foreseen your avarice turn to grief. On the day the dragons mark the sky, you will get down to bonk your rightful strength. How you emerge from your failing will determine the fate of us all."

Suddenly, Harry's quite a little was gone, all before him nighttime. When he breathed in, the damp must odour of the bandages that wrapped his facial expression filled his nostril.

"We've got to go, sir,"said a necromancer somewhere to Harry's left.

"If I have to secernate you one to a greater extent clip to be quiet, I'll rip your pharynx out,"snapped Dakhil in a low, hissing vox."We will go when Singehorn says we can go. Do NOT disturb the boy."

Still seated on the story, his legs folded beneath him, Harry reached out his mind and sensed the two men arguing to his leftfield. The one, a bright blue angel nimbus was clearly frightened ; the other flashed red and then purple. The red appeared to be winning and Harry wasn't sure that was a sound thing for the man in blue whose colour was fading so fast Harry thought he might wet himself. He wasn't the solely one nearby that was frightened. In the enceinte cavern just beyond the rock paries where Harry sat, scores of men mulled about nervously waiting for the final order to attack. Harry was about to actuate, to indicate to the others that he had returned, when the orange tree colouring material of Marek moved into the room where he sat.

He slipped over and placed his bridge player on Dakhil's back and the two walked to the far side of the tent. They whispered and then the whisper grew louder.

"Marek,"Dakhil hissed,"I need to know. What is your popular opinion ?"

"As a healer or a Warrior ?"the man that had worked on Harry's face replied. He was upset, irritated perhaps of the battle that would soon be bringing the dying to his doorsill."If we were home, I'd leave the bandages on for at least another week."

"The boy can't fight like that."

"Then leave the boy behind."

Two vocalization harmonized :"No !"Simultaneously, Harry and Dakhil rejected Marek's prompting.

"You've returned,"said Dakhil quietly."respectable. The time is near. The full phase of the moon moon will soon rise over the slope of the mountain. We must take advantage of every mo it brings us the wolfman'force. cockcrow will get along far too quickly I'm afraid."

Harry held his script to his aspect."And these ? You can remove these ?"

"Really, Harry,"answered Marek,"if only you could part with two more days… two more."

"The fight will be over by morn,"said Harry,"and I can't fight with this rag weighing me down. It's sweaty enough as it is, and I can barely breathe."

"Then don't fight,"Marek said to Harry. Then he turned to Dakhil."What possible advantage does a boy bring this fight beyond more bloodshed ?"Steadying his feet on the dusty rock 'n' roll, Harry stood.

"I am no boy !"he said defiantly. Marek ignored him.

"Dakhil,"the Healer continued,"there is no reason to put his life… What ? What is it ?"

There was silence. Harry too noticed the change in Dakhil's aura that was likely now being mimicked by the vampire's fount. The red had darkened into a rich scarlet - the emotion was a warm one, whatever it was.

"Dakhil, what are you looking at ?"Marek continued.

As Harry stood, his hands, which had been covered by the sleeves of his robes while he sat, became exposed. There, on the eye finger of Harry's right hand was a tintinnabulation. wild at being called a boy, Harry had not noticed the added free weight on his fingerbreadth.

"Well… that can't be just,"said Dakhil with a rather sang-froid voice."I had asked for a choice, but I never…"

"I'll take the damn bandages off myself if I have to,"cried Harry, reaching for his wand. It was then, when finger met wood, that he realized there was a ring on his fingerbreadth. He let go his wand and held the mob with his left hand. He moved to exact it off, but the closed chain would not move. He pulled again, and again the ring held its grip about the os of his right centre finger.

"I had always hoped he might see fit to give it to me,"said Dakhil with more letdown than anger."I suppose Soseh has told him."

"Told him what ?"asked Harry, still trying to work the ring from his finger's breadth.

"red cent the day I met you, boy,"said Dakhil, again in a quiet, affair of fact tonicity."She's seen my death, which is not such a big concern for a lamia when such events can be centuries hence."He paused.

"And ?"Harry asked.

"And you were there, boy. You were there."Dakhil moved closer."So, either you're going to wander down the mountainside, get bit and live to a very good old age as an divinity, or I'm going to die before the summer solstice. Curse you,"Dakhil said dryly,"I always wanted to make it to the millennium."

"You're both talking gibber,"said Marek."Would you finish that,"he said to Harry."You're starting to bleed."Harry turned his dope downward and watched as the glowing drips of line of descent fell to the floor from his digit. Marek pulled his scepter and healed the fingerbreadth."Now leave the hoot ring alone. Here, let me murder it."

He cast a spell and nothing happened, nothing but the scratchy laughter from Dakhil. He tried a unlike go and still the ring stayed clamped about Harry's finger.

"We don't have clock time for this,"said Harry finally."Look, just ask the bandage off. Place a buckler charm about the peel if you must, but I can't—"

"Very well,"cut in Marek with a suspiration."But it's not your hide that I was worried about."Sit over here."He led Harry to a stone bench.

"What do you intend ?"Harry asked.

"Well, Harry, while I was working on your face, I thought I might see if I couldn't do something about your eyes."

"But I've seen cypher,"said Harry."Certainly through this gauze, I could discern—"

"I've sealed your chapeau shut so the eye beneath could heal as the patch worked and weaved."He stepped closer to Harry."Son, two Thomas More days… two more daytime and I'm sure that the knitwork will be complete."

"And I'll see again ?"asked Harry with a glint of hope in his voice.

"You might."

"Well… look… it's dark anyway,"Harry said."Take off the bandage and leave my optic sealed. I'll be better off not trying to tell apart objects in the darkness. I've gotten used to not seeing and trying to squint in the murky night may just gain affair worse."

"There's the trouble,"said Dakhil."The aim you wish to pick out are Dementors. They suck the living from all about them. To your visual modality they would be swarthiness and on the scorched mountainside where very little life remains, it would be near unacceptable to detect them."

At this it was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Dakhil, I don't need my mess to eff when a Dementor is breathing down my neck. I'll know where they are, believe me, I'll know."

"Then it's decided,"said Marek."I'll remove your bandage, but keep your middle sealed. If you make it through the dark Harry, your face should be re-wrapped immediately. A shield good luck charm might be acceptable for walking around shoal or sitting about the star sign. It will be worthless against a wellspring placed hex."

"Get on with it,"said Harry."I can hear the ululation already."

And indeed he could, they all could. Some of the wizard lycanthrope were growing queasy. Outside, the moonshine was nearing the crest of the eastern celestial horizon and some were having difficulty controlling their metabolism even inside the cavern, away from the moonshine. Typically, such difficulty were had by newly converted werewolves, those who had recently become. Harry wondered how Fred was fairing.

When Dakhil removed the gauze bandages, Harry immediately reached up to his face to touch, but the buckler spell stopped his finger.

"It feels like an eggshell,"Harry whispered.

"And it won't protect your typeface much more than one,"add together Marek."Remember that, when you're out there playing the hero."Harry was about to resist but, preceded by a razzing, unexpected words left Dakhil's mouth first.

"An Acolyte of the Votary does not play at anything !"Dakhil's stature was suddenly somewhat larger, and his aura somewhat redder."You would be wise to remember your military position, Marek. With one thought the boy could put down you."

"Yes… yes, of course,"Marek apologized."I'm sorry… I… I truly am sorry."

There was fear in his words, far more concern than Harry thought the office warranted. piece of him understood, something he remembered from the Joining, but there wasn't time to well for its generator ; it was time for action. Harry stood and began to walk toward the large chamber.

"One moment, boy,"said Dakhil with a issue of fact tone. Harry stopped, turned and, before he had an instant to oppose, Dakhil had cast a spell on him. Nothing happened.

"What… what was that ?"Harry demanded, still reaching for his wand.

"He's changed the people of colour of your robes, Harry,"said Marek."They're no longer whiteness ; they're crimson."

"hierarch potter,"said Dakhil in an exceptionally pettish vocalism followed by a dead blasting cough."Your deed of conveyance, when I die."He sighed."Asha protect us."Harry looked down, but could sense no discernable departure."Don't headache, boy ; those who have travelled the path through proper training will sleep with at once the significance of your robes. We'd best hastiness. There won't be time for lots of a speech."

Harry and Dakhil left the tent and entered the cavern ; it had emptied out onto the mountainside, staging for the engagement to come. Soon, the logic gate would open and the soldiers would shed down upon their foes. Harry and Dakhil walked down the cave and as it narrowed toward its exit a young man came up and touched Harry by the sleeve.

"Asha be with you,"he said tilting his head in a flimsy bow.

"And with you,"replied Harry without premeditation. Why did I say that ?
The cavern door opened and, for a moment, Harry was blinded by the many air gathered outside. He could see that some of the loup-garou had already turned, and a mathematical group of thaumaturge was having difficulty restraining them. No one seemed distracted by the howl, a howling that mixed with password in Harry's creative thinker - killing, bite, pedigree ! He turned to see if someone was talking to him, but no one was there. Another werewolf howled.

"patience, my friends,"called Harry to the snapping fauna and the wolves quieted at his words. That was not my voice, thought Harry. Or was it ?

Everyone was listening to Antreas who stood upon a large outcrop of rock and roll above the growing din. His words were amplified, but Harry wasn't sure the increased strength was requirement. He was calling out in a strong and dominating voice and Harry wondered why this role wasn't Dakhil's.

"….is all we need. Together we will be victorious ! Together we will banish the swarthiness into the abyss !"The worldly concern began to rumble with applause. Harry noticed four behemoth pounding their human foot with approval.

"hulk ?"he asked Dakhil."I didn't notice any giants when I arrived."

"They climbed over from the sheer cliff on the cover incline of the mountain. That way is not guarded save by Dementors, and they have no effect on such simple beast. So it is with the werewolves."

"It'll m-make for a b-bloody dying feeder busting surprise."

"Fred ?"

The redhead was clearly agitated, seemingly in the midst of the alteration.

"Fred, please… don't—"

"The Primate has ARRIVED !"cried Antreas with a leaping vox. He was referring to Dakhil, but Harry could feel hundreds of eyes turn toward him simultaneously. carry through for the ululation and the occasional spell being cast a short-change ways down the hill, all became silent.

"Let's give them what they want, boy,"said Dakhil."Up you go."He levitated Harry some XX ft in the air. Harry's heart began to race as he rose, wondering what he might say.

It was like rising over the embers of a dying ardor, each glowing aura a tiny coal burning against the shadow. There were 100 gathered here. Some fell to their human knee as Harry rose ; most stood silently. Giants, Centaurs, wizards and wolfman, a ragtag collection of misfits all collected to fight together against the malevolence Lucius Malfoy had co-opted for his own vicious purposes.

Lucius probably hoped he would retrieve the cloak and arrive at this place of battle to lionise a gravid victory, the first of many. trivial did he know that his old master would contract up residency in his trunk - if only long enough to take over Harry's. But that would never, could never pass. How the dirt ball had turned on the blonde-haired paterfamilias. Soon, it would rick on the darkness worming within him. Harry raised his arms to the heavens above, a jumbo comet was clearly visible in the night's sky.

"Ebyrth marks its return and now we find ourselves at its mercy. While some have come to respond the new sun's call, others are here to protect our flying lizard brothers against the darkness that wishes to destroy all in its path. Tonight we fight as one. Tonight we fight with the strength of heavyweight, the magic of whizz, the fierceness of lycanthrope, the wisdom of centaur, and the kernel of Dragon !"

No sooner had the Logos left his mouth, than the thunderous SWOOP-SWOOP filled the air and four enormous tartar flew over the bunch, blotting out the stars and then coming to pillow at the top of the great gemstone bulwark. Singehorn wasn't among them, but Harry, though having never met them, knew their names. The three Male were Rakesh, Talisan, and Igneus, and the wild blue yonder female was Tanwen. As if being called, Harry looked toward Talisan, the with child of the four, with green-black scale of measurement and fierce red eyes.

"archpriest !"the animate being cried out."We follow you in engagement. What are your rescript !"

All around Harry, wizards were clasping their deal to their ears, some falling to their knees, because of the creature's great bellowing. And yet, Harry could understand everything he said. How is this possible ? This was no meditation.

"Your parliamentary law, Primate ?"cried the dragon again, and again those around Harry winced in pain in the neck.

"Burn them !"yelled Harry."Burn them till your bellies turn moth-eaten. You, Tanwen, fly heights above the wall. Let no enemy past the logic gate. Do not leave your position. We must salvage the rookery at all costs !"Harry pulled his red robe tight about his shoulder.

"clear the gates !"called Antreas and the army erupted in cheers and howling. A few werewolves snapped at their allies, but most caught the aroma of their hated opposition, enticing their senses with a bloodlust for Dementor, and quickly they began to charge ahead, down the mountainside. Dakhil brought Harry down to earth as the crowded hillside flowed out through the logic gate. Harry began to run, following the rushing tide, but individual grabbed his shoulder joint and pulled him around ; it was Antreas.

"Your time is at hand, Harry,"he said with a stout vox."I'll lead the number one Wave ; I dare not utter it to the others, but don't think for a minute we'll win. The picket have told me the situation… it's dire. When we begin to fall back, and we will fall back… that's when we'll need you."Harry was about to argue, but Antreas was already swept away in the stream of physical structure rushing through the logic gate. Undaunted, Harry began to play along, only this clip Dakhil stopped him.

"Tell me, boy,"he murmured quietly beneath the roaring rush of wizards pushing by."Why are you here ?"

"To press Voldemort,"Harry spat, turning to leave. Dakhil held his arm fast and Harry glared back with angry eyes.

"Really ?"queried Dakhil, still hush, still cool it, still holding Harry's arm with a vice-like grip."Are you… sure ?"Harry tried to take out away, but couldn't. He pulled his baton."You don't need a wand to dismiss me, boy. You're the Primate now, or will be soon. If you think you no longer need my servicing, then dismiss me ! You need only speak the words ; tell me to be gone !"

He was goading Harry, trying to make him angry, trying to evoke a response. Harry slipped his wand away.

"You are the Primate,"he said softly."Not me."

"thaumaturgist will never follow a lamia, boy,"answered Dakhil."But for some reason, Asha only knows why, they will observe you. The sapience of Grigor Darbinyan now flows in his son's veins. Would you ignore Antreas ? Shall we charge with the rest ? What are your orders ?"

"I'm here to serve my swearword, to protect the seam of Asha… as are you. We stay to protect the rookery."Harry noted a glimmering in Dakhil's aura… a smile ? The last of the first wave had passed through the logic gate, leaving two giants, one tartar, a half-dozen Centaurs and some thirty whizz to waitress for further orders, orders that Harry would have to give. Knowing that the act at his position were too few to fend off the coming onset, his thoughts turned to the darkness, hiding at the bottom of the peck, searching for some way that they might get the better of him.

"He won't reveal himself,"said Harry, slowly,"until he believes they've won, that he can abuse up and take me as his pillage. Antreas is correctly, to capture Lucius and the darkness that consumes him, the outset wave must fail."

"The enemy's numbers are too great,"said Dakhil, releasing his clasp."Even with those still remaining, we have no hope of winning in organize battle."

"Then the indorsement moving ridge must be a surprise. We must hold until the lastly possible moment."

"Even then, boy, the numbers are against us."

"Maybe,"answered Harry,"But we need only happen upon down one foe. What will our opposition do when their general dies ? When Lucius and his master fall ?"

"It is impossible to bewitch vapour with your bare hired hand. Who among us, might I ask, will convey down the nighttime Lord ?"

"I will,"Harry answered. He left Dakhil and entered into the centre of those remaining."gathering ‘ turn !"he called."Listen to what I say ! Tonight… tonight we plan for victory !"


Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 19 - The First engagement
~~~***~~~
flame and smoke roiled in the air from the engagement below, bearing the odour of burnt shape and blood into the secure compound guarding the rookery of the dragons, where Harry and the others waited. The world shook as the giants, fighting their common enemies below, cast stones the size of it of train-cars crashing down upon their enemy. ululation, screaming, and the roar of dragon-fire reverberated between the stone wall, echoing down the canyon and pitching wildly between Harry's ears. He couldn't see the battle raging on the mountainside below, none of them could. But then, they didn't need to see what was happening to have sex that it was not going well. The burning odour was growing stronger, the shaking earth was more severe, and the howl and screeches filled the air more than ever. The battle was coming closer, higher up the peck. Soon, it would be at the compound walls.

Harry grew more anxious by the second. His world-class instinct had been to snipe outright, but both Antreas and Dakhil had stopped him. Ignoring the wisdom of a champion that had survived centuries was folly and Harry knew that they must wait. The irregular wafture would assail when their foeman were most weary. If Harry's forcefulness could break their air, if they could keep cad to throat, perhaps the advancing dark would move back down the flock, down to where Lucius Malfoy, now possessed by Voldemort, most certainly waited.

When the foremost wave began its attack, Harry had quietly sent the skilful Centaurus archer high onto the mountainside leading down from the Frederick North gate. Hiding high in the hill, they would flank the advancing duskiness and hit when Harry gave the signal. Along the bound of the other side of the valley, Harry sent the two remaining whale, Florge and scrum, to expect hidden among the rock. There they would bear the higher primer, preventing any last Eaters from running away from the onslaught of Centaurus arrows. Once they were set into position, the giants looked like a big outcropping of Harlan Stone, zero more. With chance they would mow down rafts with their club, enceinte tree trunks bristling with barbed metal pikes the length of Harry's arm.

Hearing, smelling, feeling the maiden wave retreat back toward the main gate, Harry impatiently waited to top the second waving through a obscure gate that skirted the side of the valley paries. Then they would experience if there was any hope at all. Already, Centaur runners brought back written report that the number of the opposition was twice what was first thought - over two-hundred Dementors, nearly a c vampire, dozens of magician, and five behemoth of their own. Clearly, the numbers were against them and they all knew it.

About a little fire, Harry sat with Dakhil and two other fellow member of the Votary, Mikael and Katana. Dakhil was roasting sausages skewered on the end of a centaur fishgig. Mikael was a large man, Ukrainian he said, with dark embrown pilus and a perpetual three daytime'outgrowth of whiskers. one-half of his allow ear was missing and he had a furiousness about his piercing blue eyes that, as Dakhil described, would frighten any livelihood soul that dared to cross wands with him. As for Katana, she was quiet, almost subdued. Even sightless, Harry could discern how her disgraceful skin contrasted against the flatware mail ringlets that covered her amphetamine torso. Set against her subdued mode was the red aura that burned fiercely from her person, perhaps the most vivid Harry had ever seen. Unlike Mikael, she rarely spoke, but when she did it almost always carried moment. The fire crackled and the sausages popped, sending a steaming squirt of burning fat onto Mikael's arm. He yelped, but Dakhil only laughed.

"I wish that was the only sting you would receive tonight, Mikael,"said the lamia, grimly staring into the fire, turning the sausages on the lance and watching the dripping grease send little solar flare of flame imbrication upwards.

"How you are athirst, Dakhil,"replied Mikael, shaking his head and moving close once again to warm up himself by the fire."They arrive at doorstep before you finish."Again, Dakhil laughed.

"You should know by now, my Ukrainian friend,"said Dakhil with a smile,"I don't eat blimp. The boy here looked a bit faint and I thought he should build up his strength."He held the period of the gig before Harry's brass, the sizzling sausage splattering specks of hot fat against the cuticle magic spell protecting Harry's exposed face."One should never meet their maker on an discharge stomach."

"Thank you,"Harry said with a reduce smiling. He took the sausage between thumb and forefinger, but it neither seared nor burned. Without flinching, Harry slid the sausage off the shaft's metal point and took a bite. Once again, he detected a momentaneous smile in the atmosphere of Dakhil. To the lamia's left, Katana let out a modest snort. She stood, her coil jingling as she did so, and then she looked upward to the night sky where the little dragon Tanwen circled.

"Even as Ebyrth reveals itself to the world, Asha's approving is upon you, youth necromancer,"she said with a low voice that was calm and as deep as the lake outside Hogwarts."This is good… for the clip has come. Prepare."

Scantly had the Book left her lips than a tremendous roar exploded command overhead. Talisan, the prominent of the four dragons, appeared from no where, plummeting from the sky, streaking attack and Mary Jane behind him and smashing to the solid ground, tumbling into a group of star that most certainly would have died in the hit had not Katana turned their attention toward the paries when she stood. Immediately, topsy-turvyness struck the camp. Even though many knew their berth, some sensation called out to assail directly through the master gate, some scattered for the secret side gate, some ran toward the wad's burrow. The Centaurs were calling for patience, and all were yelling at the top of their lungs.

"SILENCE !"cried Dakhil, his phonation reverberating off the canon walls."Everyone, move in formation toward the northward gate ! There we wait until the mansion comes."

"But—"

"We will attack when the sign of the zodiac comes ; not before ! NOW move !"

While the confusedness subsided, Harry moved toward the fallen dragon.

"Where are you going ?"questioned Dakhil.

"Talisan needs supporter,"answered Harry continuing to walk to the flying dragon.

"Your orders were to—"

"I know what the program is, Dakhil ! I made it !"Harry yelled.

"We don't have time for this, boy !"

"I have all the time I need,"snapped Harry in return."Now go ! contribute the others and I'll articulation you when I'm done."

"Marek can give care for the—"

"GO !"

With his wand still sheathed, Harry concentrated his creative thinker. Bending space was easier than slowing meter, even Ronan, his Centaurus trainer, had admitted that. But Harry needed sentence, even just a little more than to pull through Talisan's life sentence. Right now, he was compelled. He felt that healing the dragon was more authoritative than all the eternal rest of it. He wasn't sure why, but he had to do what he could. He centred on the language Ronan had taught him.

In forest glen, the babble brook is filled with silver medal fish.
Slow its flow and deny each drip to put them on your dish.

The auditory sensation about Harry became muffled. He sensed that the auras running to the North logic gate were slowing, slowing… not still, but nearly. Harry summoned the Harlan Stone of cinnabar from within him. Still all-fired, he cast a fire spell upon it.

"braveness, Wisdom, Love,"he whispered and was instantly transported to the T. H. White room that waited for his command."Talisan,"he whispered, and was immediately drawn to the flying dragon.

He'd healed a cat before, but never a Draco. At first he could see the enormous puppet prone on the primer, the three thaumaturgist surrounding it immobilize in fourth dimension, but the firedrake looked up toward Harry, blinking as if it could see him. Talisan's ventilation was erratic and he coughed blood and smoke. Then, as always, the conniption paused, as if asking Harry to confirm that this indeed was the natural action he wished to take."Heal my friend,"Harry whispered again. Colour began to eddy about… broken bones… stunned nerves… sliced organs…a pierced lung… profligate dripping on the flak of life…"Yes, heal them… heal them all."

The scene flashed blackened and Harry found himself on his knee joint, the jagged rocks tearing at his shape, the stone of Cinnabar in his left hand. Before moving he pulled his wand and hid the Lucy Stone once more inside his body, in the little sac left by missing liver tissue. And once again, he thought of Greg Goyle and said a small prayer. Before he looked up he heard the dragon speak. His words were unfirm, but Harry could see that his trauma were healing.

"We must hasten,"Talisan said,"the… the bit wave… I must—"

"You must detain here,"cut in Harry."You must rest."

"I can't. It is my duty to—"

"It's your duty to listen to the bearer of the ring."It was the Dragon Tanwen, Harry knew that, but she was nowhere near. She was still flying high-pitched above the rookery. Harry wondered how he could be having this conversation, how…

"The hoop,"he whispered, touching the stone with his other handwriting. He took to his feet, rubbing the calamitous stone between his finger's breadth. He expected to finger somewhat dizzy after healing the Draco, but he wasn't. Without turning, he noticed that the air were beginning to funnel out through the north gate just as the injured were coming in from the primary gate. They would need help too. He moved to see what he could do when Marek stopped him.

"Let me exact tending of the offend, Harry. If you don't execute like we had planned, we have no hope of winning and all will be lost, not just a few lives, but hundreds."Once more, Harry glanced to the injured streaming in. There was a substantial impulse to heal them all. Many were come on death. For a moment he hesitated and then he grudgingly nodded his straits.

"Right,"said Marek."Get going."

Harry ran to the side gate, reaching it in seconds. He could hear Marek calling for help from the early healer to get the injured inside the caves. When Harry passed through the gate, it sealed behind him leaving no ghost that it was ever there.

The group of wizards and Centaurus making up the bit wave had not moved far past the gate. They were carefully, quietly, edging their way around the flank of their foe. As Harry moved about one of the larger rock and roll organization, he had his first chance to detect the advancing army. It looked formidable, but not a three to one advantage. For a moment he had forgotten the Dementors, animate being whose auras he could not see, but the instant did not last long. The steer shifted and the cool foetor of their human body filled the air. For an instant… from the canon just below… Was he imagining it ? Harry thought he could actually find out them talking to each other. He'd never heard anything but the clicks Dementors made when communicating, but this… it sounded like news. Whatever it was he was hearing, they were close. He resisted the temptation to wretch just as two of his own wizards fell to their knees in care.

There was the swoon chirp of some dirt ball, the mansion, and the air immediately rang with the whistling of arrow. The Centaurs high in position among the cliffs let go their first burst. Screeches of Dementor and lamia alike bubbled up out of the canyon like a thick goo of pain in the ass. An instant later, another volley of arrows filled the air, followed by more sidesplitter ; then another… and another. Moving his way to the movement of the contingent making up the attacking minute moving ridge, Harry could hear hotshot cry out from below for their lines to turn toward the English of the mountain.

"Shields !"someone called. The next volley struck many still off guard, but was less successful among the wary wizards. Harry continued to upgrade until he came to Dakhil's shoulder.

"Miss me ?"Harry whispered. Dakhil seemed distracted.

"They're unnerve,"he said quietly."If we're going to do this, boy, we must do it now to shift any probability of surprisal. They await your command."A salvo of exasperated disgust left Dakhil's rim, but Harry didn't hesitate.

"rap now !"he commanded."onslaught !"

pointer from the Centaur stationed on the sway above continued to rain down down upon the rear of the line of Death feeder, vampires and Dementors that had now driven Antreas'first wave back through the master logic gate of the compound rampart. Even as the figurehead of this dark force was cheering for victory, calling for their titan to sunder the with child rampart protecting the compound, others at the rear were screaming with fright. The wizards and Centaurs in Harry's second wave cascaded down the versant firing arrow and filling the smoky air with an electrifying show of wand exponent. tour after piece stunned, exploded and slashed their adversary. Fear was palpable and its effect began to babble its way toward the front. Harry could sense their auras fading against the barrage. The Dementors could feel it too and they began to down individual indiscriminately. It was Katana who described to Harry how, in some variety of frenzied state they began feeding on the fright of their own warriors. As the scare minions tried to jumble up the contrary hillside they came face to face with the hidden giants.

Florge and Scrum rose as if ascending from the stone itself. With great diagonal of their clubs they swatted their foes back into the advancing power, back into the frenzied Dementors, back into a boiling broth of disorder that had now made its way to the front man of the lines.

What at first seemed like a rout of Harry's face was being flipped upon its head. Centaur arrows were dropping non-wizard vampires from the sky with nearly every draw of the string. Emboldened by the success of the mo wave, the healthy in Antreas'pilot attacking force regrouped and began another charge. Werewolves that had scattered to the mountainside retreating from their first-class honours degree attack also sensed the change and returned to the fray.

Squeezed on both sides and pressed to the fore, Lucius Malfoy's army retreated back down the mountain. With all the confusion, Harry and many of the others in his second wave found themselves in the middle of Malfoy's retreating power. They had essentially split their enemy's force into two, allowing one half to retreat freely down the mountain while trapping the other in a groovy pincher. Harry and his forces had the gloomy ground while Antreas and the others pressed in from above. What followed was perfect destruction.

Rakesh appeared from on high and began to dive toward the dazed and disordered warriors.

"book binding !"cried Harry to the others. He heard similar vociferation from Antreas and his men further up the mass. The werewolves did not manoeuver the admonition."BACK !"Harry yelled again. The Death eater were too distracted trying to handle the attacking werewolves and their own crazed Dementors to notice the flying lizard moving in.

When Harry's men moved away, the vision of auras cleared and he distinctly noticed three werewolves still tearing at the material body of their enemies. One of them was Fred Weasley ; Harry could smell his anger, his hatred, his thirst to destroy.

"FRED !"Harry screamed."GET OUT OF THERE !"But Fred was a werewolf and cipher Harry could do would stop that. Then Igneus appeared on the wing of Rakesh ; both were diving down on their encircled enemies. Soon it would all be over. Harry began to run, not away but toward his supporter and the mayhem of the battle before him. Even as lulu ricocheted off in every centering and kill Curses took down one creature after another, Harry ran. He leapt onto the red fur of Fred's back, knocking him to the ground.

The werewolf spun, opened his great jaws and grabbed Harry by the pharynx. Only the short carapace good luck charm about Harry's face was keeping him from being bitten through, but it wouldn't live on long if Fred truly sought after blood. On his back, his common sense facing forward, he could observe the two heavyweight auras of the tartar racing toward them. They had only seconds. Harry held his hands about Fred's neck, and pressed the nigrify onyx ring against his booster's physical body.

"Be still,"he ordered."Be still, my friend."

The grip about Harry's neck loosened slightly and, in that minute, Harry spun them both to the solid ground and cast a shell magic spell. The world erupted in fervidness. Screams filled the air only to be silenced an instant later by another blast of warmth and flame. The werewolf in Harry's arms struggled to break gratuitous, but not wholly.

"Get off of me, you bloody changeling,"Harry heard him howl."I swear I'll gut you !"

"The doughnut,"Harry thought."I hear him through the ring."
"Fred, listen…"said Harry sharply."hold still, just one more moment. The heat… the rut will—"The werewolf broke devoid of Harry's clench and threw himself against the shield spell surrounding them. It held from within. Again he charged the shield and this time broke through. He yipped as his paws burned against the scorching dry land, but in a flash lamp he was gone, chasing after the region of the USA that had fled down the mountainside.

With the shield magical spell gone, Harry could smell the burning stink about him. Where seconds before stood dozens of men and creatures, now only three lone adept remained - Death feeder that had seen the dragons in time and had shield charms of their own. One, seeing Harry stall in the glowing embers without his shield, released his own protective enchantment and began to run. He took two steps before his feet were in flames. He fell and began to sizzle against the scorched worldly concern. One of the other death eater killed him to secrete him from the wretchedness. Harry walked toward the remaining two, the rut burning away the dirt that soiled his robes, but leaving the orange red fabric and his skin unscathed. Somehow being here on the mountain, so close to the dragons, had steeled his ability to withstand the heating.

"It's not possible,"said one, the dark haired maven in black robes that had killed his friend.

"soft touch,"spat the early, blond with robes of dark blue."He's one of them - half-man, half-dragon."

"He's a boy,"said the early.

"If this boy,"said Harry, moving closer,"drops your shield charm right now, you'll cook to death like your friend there."The dark haired Death eater raised his sceptre.

"He's blind !"

"Stop it !"said the other."Are you mad ? ! There are scores in the James Jerome Hill around us. We haven't a chance."Harry continued to advance.

"The man you serve,"Harry began, now close enough to tap the shield of the darkness haired wizard with the tip of his wand,"Lucius Malfoy… where is he ?"

"He'll… he'll be here soon enough. You'll see. Then… then you'll—"

"What colour is his tomentum ?"The tip of Harry's baton began to glow red, sending out a pinprick of light onto the light blue carapace that surrounded the Death eater.

"B-Blonde,"the Death eater stammered, staring intently at the red gleam.

"And his eyes ? What coloration are his middle ?"

"There… there red, damn it ! He's found a source of true power, and he'll swat the likes of you from the face of the earth. Now get us out of this fire pit !"

"Dakhil !"Harry cried out."Dakhil !"There was a swoop up speech sound and the wizard flew down future to Harry on the scorched Earth. He was in lamia material body, the presence of his robe stained red with origin that was even now vanishing, burning away from the intense heat.

"Voldemort's alive and he's still in Malfoy,"said Harry with a sense of urgency in his vocalization that was building with ira."This battle… it's not over. They'll regroup, realize that they still outnumber us, and attack again. We have to exhort our advantage while we can."Dakhil's rim pulled back into a horrific smile that revealed run-in of long, sharp teeth. It was enough to make the Death Eater side by side to them shudder.

"Very in effect, boy,"he hissed with a deep scratchy voice."I will inform Antreas to pass this dead zone, when he is able, and impress down. You will want to tell Rakesh and Igneus."

"What about Talisan ?"

"He is well ; do you not smell out it ?"And indeed Harry could and, for a moment, his meat lightened. Dakhil moved to fly when Harry grabbed his arm.

"And the others ? How are our numbers ?"

"We will most certainly be destroyed this night,"cracked Dakhil."Your comet, Ebyrth, will put down us all."Dakhil took to the sky and faded into the dark toward the eminent parts of the great deal. As the embers cooled, Harry could smell out the others from the mo waving moving toward him. They had been triumphant, but the numbers… they were half of what they'd left the chemical compound with.

The centaur stopped outside the ring of vivid oestrus, but Katana walked though it toward Harry.

"What are your Order, archpriest ?"she asked. There was a smutty gash on the position of her arm and the side of her expression looked like it had some hex. Harry moved toward her and bathed her face in blue light ; the boils receded.

"When the expanse aplomb, Antreas will propel down to link us, but we can not wait. We must continue the attack. We are searching for their loss leader, a blonde wizard with red middle, wearing a sour cloak."

"The Dark Lord, I have heard him called."Her voice was calm, almost calculating.

"He's no lord, Katana,"said Harry coolly,"but he will kill anything in his way of life. Warn the others. We head to the wasp's nest and the stingers there will kill."

"And these two ?"she asked, nodding to the Death Eaters still desperately trying to assert their shield charms.

"farewell them to Antreas,"Harry said."We can't spare the men."Katana raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat. Harry noticed the pernicious change in her aura."Or women,"Harry corrected with a smile."Or women."

Before long, Harry's beleaguered force were well Thomas More than half-way down the mountainside. Soon they would be outside the circumference that marked the magical border of the flying lizard'lands. During the entire journey, they had encountered no resistance. All they had found was the occasional fallen wizard or the contraband cloak of a Dementor ; none alive. Katana and Mikael warned that they should not pass the perimeter, that the firedrake would not follow beyond, but Harry already knew that. Rakesh and Igneus, circling above, would only protect the lands under their territory. They would not set on outside it.

"Do you call up Voldemort doesn't know that ?"he asked, as they continued to march down the raft."If we don't jam him now, he'll use the time to rebuild his forces and fire again, more terrible than ever."

"You don't know that."

"I know that—"Suddenly, a centaur sentinel, Shamire, appeared, effort dripping from his wing. Harry turned to him."What news show ?"he asked.

"You were right, elect,"the Centaur answered."They have a ingroup just on the other side of the border. There are wounded everywhere, and spate of yelling. They are in a clearing surrounded by large trees, but the trees… they are not real."

"What ?"

"I have never seen anything like it before. The trees look like Tree, but they are not ; they are absolutely, a fabrication. The werewolves are circling, but unwilling to enter."

"A barrier ?"asked Katana."To protect the camp."

"Maybe,"said Harry,"or something unsound. It's always something bad. Shamire, tell the others to be on their guard. The firedrake won't fly past the margin. It will be up to us to complete the job."As he said these words Harry looked toward the sky and saw the majestic brute circle back, returning to the compound."And Shamire, when you're done, run back and inform Antreas that we can't hold for him. We have to round before they've regained their effectiveness. There's still fear in the air, we have to press the advantage."Shamire nodded and vanished.

Harry and the others arrived outside the clearing. The centaur had been right ; the prominent Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree structures encircling the clearing were dead. To Harry they appeared like massive spire of darkness that shot into the air. Each one was four to five metrical unit across. Harry touched one ; it felt like the bole of a tree, but it was cold, lifeless. Mikael motioned for the others to circularize out and encircle the ingroup. They were outnumbered four to one, but nearly all of their resister were lame, in litter or small cots that spread across the spread out field by the slews. At one end was a prominent, black nothingness that rose from the grass to the sky above. Dementors, thought Harry. Could he get a line the audio of representative, arguing ? Before them was a wizard with an aura Thomas More intense than all the others. Harry knew at once who it was.

"Voldemort,"he whispered.

A few min later, Mikael gave the signal. Harry and many of the others surrounding the camp form spells to push the monumental Tree aside. Harry was worried that they might act as an alarm and give away the moment of surprise, but the tree moved. A twelve openings appeared all about the large circle.

The werewolves were the first to leap through. From all directions wizard and Centaur poured into the field. Arrows, charm and counter-spells streaked across the air. Harry's mind was focused on one affair - the champion at the far end of the camp surrounded by darkness. Moving closer, he could get wind the screams in his mind, but he had learned to control the veneration brought on by the Dementors, to control all emotion if need be. Still, as he approached Lucius Malfoy the more angry he became. The blonde superstar's back was toward Harry ; he was seemingly unmindful to the onslaught and still speaking with the darkness of Dementors. Were they laughing ? Harry didn't care if his foe's back was turned ; he would pop this time, avenge so many of the deaths he should sustain stopped long ago. He was so focussed on killing he barely heard Katana cry out.

"They're Muggles !"Only ten grand away from attacking his hated foe, Harry turned to see what she was talking about.

"These aren't wizards !"she yelled at the people laying in the litter and crib that filled the field."They're Muggles ; they've been immobilized."

Harry heard a high gear cold laugh from behind just as each tree surrounding the athletic field split out-of-doors with a heavy white light.

"IT'S A TRAP !"Harry cried, but too late. whizz vampires and demise Eaters spilled out from the fissure in the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that had been hiding them. Harry's instant wave, thinking it had its opponent surrounded, now found itself surrounded. The werewolves had already started to attack defenceless Muggles, getting them to change state their tending was proving near impossible.

"Now,"hissed Lucius Malfoy. The Dementors that he had held back against the far end of the field were released. Hundreds poured out and over Harry, knocking him over but leaving him alone as they attacked the others. He could have sworn he heard one of them say,"You're lucky, wizard."He knew that there were far too few Centaurs to bring them all down.

Harry turned over on his belly and watched as the lights of soulfulness smashed into one another. They were still outnumbered, only now Harry's men were at the disadvantage and he hadn't the advice of Antreas or the wisdom of Dakhil to know what to do. Or did he ?

Rubbing the band of onyx with his ovolo, Harry held out his helping hand toward a familiar group of wolfman that were unsure who to round.

"Hear me !"Harry called out. One of the loup-garou turned immediately. It was Remus.

"Harry ?"he yelped.

"The Death feeder by the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree !"yelled Harry. Remus and the radical of werewolves turned toward the trees and ran. All that is but one. Fred remained, with eyes of fire, looking past Harry to the wickedness magician behind him. He charged.

"Fred, no !"yelled Harry."He'll kill y—"A red knockout came from the side, slamming the werewolf to the ground."Fred !"

All around Harry's mathematical group was falling like stunned Pyxidanthera barbulata, some by red Inner Light, some by Green. Dementors were swirling about as if waiting for the parliamentary procedure to suck in the person out of the survivors. Spoils, Harry suspected. Harry looked toward the mountaintop. Where were Antreas'forces ?

"I should have waited,"he whispered into the sod.

"It would not let mattered,"said Malfoy in a mixed high up, cold drawl. Harry spun to cast a trance, but his baton was expelled before he could turn around. The next thing he knew he was immobilized, stiff as a dining table, but well cognisant of what was happening. He spit. His mouth was working, but try as he might he could not change by reversal his top dog. He heard Katana screaming in pain in the ass somewhere behind him.

"Isn't it delicious, Potter,"Malfoy asked, stepping close. Harry could smell the foetor of the necromancer approaching. He could not see the red eyes burning in their sockets, but he could sense the auras fighting within. Evidently, Malfoy was a bit more difficult to ensure than young James Changjiang. He wasn't going down willingly.

"Since I was a little boy, I've always loved that speech sound, the way it penetrates the ear and rings the soul."

"You have no soul, Tom,"snapped Harry."You're a shell, a one-third of what you once were."

"And yet here I am, and there you are. A one-seventh of my superpower would be enough to destroy you !"speckle of spitting splattered against Harry's aspect - he felt them. The shield magical spell protecting his oculus had been broken. Lucius touched Harry's case.

"A few scars… not too bad. And the eyes… well, one can always find eyes from a willing donor."He laughed. Harry could get wind the battle raging behind him, but here between the two, time seemed to stand up still. Malfoy slipped off the dark cloak that had been Voldemort's… the secondment Horcrux.

"I couldn't posse you before, thrower ; some absurdity about sexual love. But this…"He stroked the black cloth of the cloak."This will change all that. You might say it's everything inside me that was ever good. Who needs such matter, eh ? Ah, yes… you do, don't you ?"He shook the cloak like a big mantle and wrapped it about Harry's berm."There. Its whiteness always protected me against wayward spells."

"Like a eggshell surrounding a rotten nut ?"asked Harry dryly."Why put it on me ?"

"Because… with it I can penetrate you, withstand the goodness that binds you. With it I can take controller of what I once gave you. Since the night I killed your parents my spirit, my magnate has flowed within the very fabric of your being - a quartern Horcrux, you might say. I will use it to take utter command and when I do I will be entirely once more. It does get so dull always having to fight the host. But you, Potter, you are already me."

"You're mistaken, Tom."

"I think not."Lucius sighed. His head turned past Harry."Your forcefulness are crushed. Once I take your body, I will generate to the lair of Singehorn and destroy the solely force that can stand in my way. With the dragons destroyed, European Community will be mine."

"No… don't. I- I-"

"Don't beg, Potter. It's not how you'll want your last mo on earth to be remembered. Now,"he sighed again,"this won't hurt a bit."

There was a pocket-size spark of intensity in Malfoy's aura. Harry watched as the green evil began to issue out through his mouth and nose like a cestode being pulled from a bowel. For a second, the green glowing hung in the air as Malfoy fell to the land.

"Don't do it, Tom."

The super acid encircled Harry and penetrated. annoyance. The gyre of Voldemort's nub wrapping itself around Harry's. Squeezing. Probing. Penetrating. Searching. Harry's skull felt as if it might break loose.

Where is it, ceramist ? How are you hiding it ?

The coils wrapped tighter, the pain became more acute.

You have the stone… and the ring ! But where is it, that which I truly call for ?

"Come closer, Tom… closer."Harry drew in his invader, pulling him closer to his inner self."Feel lawful pain."

Suddenly, Voldemort found that he wasn't in ascendency. The whorl of his essence wrapped ever more tightly about Harry's, but it wasn't at his bidding. Still immobilized, Harry's inward self fought his enemy, while his outward self saw the arrival of Antreas'army and the retreat of Lucius Malfoy and his followers down the versant. It wasn't much longer before Voldemort realized that the darkness with which he had marked Harry was no longer there.

Where is it ? WHAT have YOU DONE ?

"Purity of brightness. Love harbours no opposition. Champion these precepts, Tom and be cleansed !"Somehow, Harry was drawing power from the good of the gown surrounding him. panorama of laughter, ardent laughter from a pocket-sized boy flashed across his judgment. The purity, the goodness was too much for Voldemort to stomach.

This is not possible !
"But it is, Tom. I've been cleansed. Your exponent over me, our unity is no longer."

The scene in Harry's judgment showed a small baby being born. The mother, near Death, held the shaver in her shakiness blazon, smiled warmly and kissed his forehead. Seeing this construction of love life, Harry's thoughts betrayed him.

A boy ? You have a boy ? Try as Harry might to stop them, the coils around his essence released. He could feel Voldemort vanish from his body.

"No !"Harry yelled as he fell limp to the background. Before the darkness came, he watched as the green cloud of mist disappeared into the woodland in search of yet another soundbox to possess - Harry's son.


Harry Potter and the giving birth of a New Sun

Chapter 20 - wake
~~~***~~~

She was laughing at him - a joyous, playful jest that was one part tease, one part liquid body substance, and all of it provocative. It was the form of laugh that makes a young man smiling back even when he doesn't want to, the kind of jape that makes the steer of the pinna turn red, the cheeks flush, and that little spot, somewhere near the stomach, twist into a tiny knot wondering if maybe… maybe tonight…. It was the kind of laugh that made Harry remember why he had loved her, why he had—

He was laughing at him - a giggly, unbridle gag, as he jumped all about in the improbable green grass beneath a percipient blue air sky and a glorious icteric sun. It was the sort of laugh that made one wishing to express mirth along, to dance and play. The kind of laugh that said,"I love you Dad !"and brought Harry to his knees for a hug and a osculation.

They were, all of them, barefoot, running and playing in the summertime's heat, splashing through the assuredness stream that wound its way about the top of the hayfield. Faster ! Faster ! They ran, giggling, to where the mound turned sharply down, stopped and looked over the edge - a smooth grassy incline that plunged perhaps twenty metres before it flattened out into another meadow bursting with lucky flowers.

Jamie dropped to the primer stretched his legs heterosexual person and pulled his custody in end to his dresser. Roll with me, daddy ! I'll race you down ! Harry grinned and fell to the forage. He'd seen shaver roll in the fields about Hogwarts, but never had tried it himself. As a child in small Whinging he never had the chance to do anything outdoors, especially if it might have been enjoyable. He pulled in his arm and began to roll out.

The improbable weed was delicate and whisked at his facial expression with each twist, round and round, down the J. J. Hill. He could hear Jamie laughing, louder and more knockabout than ever before. With a flash and a twirl, Harry glanced at his son, seeing joy and felicity, a smile that would melt the coolest of pump, and… red optic.

Harry spun once round and looked again. The boy's laughter grew Thomas More shrill, high and cold, but the face looked flattened, snakelike. He tried to reach out, to stop himself from spinning, but his weaponry wouldn't motility. They were pinned to his chest as tightly as his legs were held straight. Faster, Daddy, Faster !

It was as if a giant snake in the grass had wrapped itself about Harry's total organic structure ; its enormous coils constricting as he continued to turn over, spinning uncontrollably down a hill that had no end. The Gunter Grass was whipping at his face, tearing at his eyes. He tried, but he could no longer see his son. But the high up, cold voice remained. Are you dizzy, pop ? The sky had grown dark and cold and the Earth shuddered as the earth beneath Harry gave way, and he began to plump downward into the abyss.

He woke, each corner of the room spinning about in a dissimilar steering. His arms flung out as he grabbed hold of the linen paper covering his bed, clutching them for devout life, trying to calm himself and regain a horse sense that he was no longer falling, no longer trapped in the nightmare - the low gear he'd had of Voldemort since last year. Still, clinging to his bed as if it were a single plank in an unfold ocean, everything twisted, tumbling this way and that. He… he couldn't helper it. His belly turning in burl, he retched out onto his bed, onto the wall, onto the trading floor.

"Falco columbarius, Harry !"

His dead body began to shake, and the nausea swelled up once more exploding out of him. He wanted to resist, to hold on to something more tangible than a flimsy bed pad, but he couldn't ; he was so weak he could barely overturn his implements of war enough to turn his head to one English. It was tough than his katzenjammer after Duncan's last political party in Little Whinging.

"The potion, by the bed, see if you can get him to deal a swallow."

A hand reached out… a downhearted vile. Harry recoiled.

"Come on, fellow, just one swallow. Marek knows what he's talking about."

"F-Fred ?"Harry asked weakly. The redheaded wizard, standing in front of him, pulled his verge and cleaned the bed and the floor with a motion picture of his wrist.

"damn, Harry, when will you learn that I am so much better looking than my furry brother ? Besides… he drools."

"George ?"

"Spot on, now take a swig."

Harry turned his head and let St. George pour the blasphemous liquid into his mouth. He swallowed, and almost immediately the nausea passed. end of the weakness wracking his body still remained.

"bettor ?"

Harry looked up at George II and found a big, toothy grin. He looked over to the corner of the room and found Marek, standing near a small wooden desk, smiling. Beside him, hanging from the wall was a black cloak - Voldemort's cloak.

"Bad dream ?"Marek asked.

"Something like that. I thought—"

He could see Marek smiling at him. He could see George's red hair's-breadth. wink, Harry reached up toward his centre.

"Oh, no,"said Marek, gently holding Harry's arm."Best not to touch for a few days. I expected you would finger somewhat disoriented once you could see a bit, but I never thought it would be that extreme."Harry was mum, looking about the room - the sheets were white, stained with splodge of dried lineage, and there was the wooden table in the far recess. He'd sensed that before, before the battle, but never noticed the carving on its front grimace - a dragon gilded in gold.

"wellspring, go on. What do you see ? Blurs ? Images ? news bulletin of dark and luminousness ?"

"I… I see everything. You… you are George V. I thought maybe Fred… Fred ! Is he okay ? Is he— ?"

"He's getting his things together right now,"interrupted St. George."We need to get him home. I think you know why."Harry simply nodded."The male child about here say you had a pretty hefty hand in seeing my brother to safety, the pigheaded brute."The flutter on the door flew open and in walked St. George's Twin Falls.

"Pigheaded ?"he squealed."I'm not pigheaded ! I eat pig-heads for snacks. Now you, dear brother… yes, just looking at your expression make's me salivate."Fred started to make lap up sound as he stepped closer to George. Harry wanted to smile, but he couldn't. His center were spotty and his sight began to blur - not because of any relapse, but because of the tears beginning to well within them. He did indeed screw why St. George had come to get his brother : their mother's funeral.

"So, where's Charlie ?"Fred asked."I thought he was going to impart the portkey and check in on the dragons."

"Probably met some German beldame in a pub on his way over here,"answered George VI.

"I think his tastes lean more… Gallic, don't you ?"

"Oooh, la, la."

There was a brief silence, and then Harry swallowed heavy and asked,"How'd I get here ?"

"You don't remember ?"asked Marek. Harry shook his head."Well, the way Antreas described it, after he and his forces arrived at the clarification, the enemy began to run. It was as if someone simply popped a balloon. Whatever bluster the opposition had, whatever ride them to attack, disappeared.

"You began to cure the injured, Muggle and Wizard alike. Igneus saw that the battle was over and landed on the field, suspire ardor into that Harlan Fisk Stone of yours and you began to mend like a maniac. There were thirty near death, including Fred there, and you saved nearly every one."

"Nearly ?"

"I'm sorry Harry, but Mikael didn't make it. They had to attract you off when it was clear you were using up your own life force. You'd have both been dead."An figure of speech of Mikael's face flashed across Harry's mind and along with it a store of defeat. He had to use his own life energy, not that of the stone. The stone's power may not be used for appendage of the Votary. It is forbidden. Harry could commemorate reaching far and far to find Mikael's life force, but it had passed into the succeeding plane. He'd paused between those two planes, wondering if perhaps he could locomote beyond and still wreak him back. You can't bring back the dead. It was the last thing he remembered, before the nightmare.

"How long have I been out ?"

"About eight hours,"answered Fred."We just had lunch."

"Is that how all the Weasleys tell time ? By what meal it is ?"

"Yeah, pretty much,"said George VI. This was followed by an inept silence. There was now one less Weasley and, at to the lowest degree in Harry's creative thinker, it was all Harry's faulting. He wanted to secern them how it happened, but he couldn't find the Word of God. Marek broke the stillness.

"countersign of the battle got out as soon as the cloud of Dementors lifted,"he said."The parson in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland asked immediately for news of the berth and the condition of his son. We told him the fight had been won, but his son was in no precondition to go up down the mountain to where he could Apparate."

"A bit of a doctor's over protection I'd say,"chimed in Fred.

"So George II and Charlie were to arrive with a portkey and recollect their brother."

"And in all honesty,"added George, seemingly concerned,"he shouldn't have been that far behind me. He said he was going to lead forethought of a few things with dad."

"Well he's not much of a climbing iron,"said Fred."Now if there was a demoiselle in suffering here at the compound, maybe then—"Again, the strawman fuss of the tent flew open ; it was Charlie.

"Geesh,"he said with a winded gasp."There you are."His face was flush and sweat was dripping from his supercilium."I didn't see you the unanimous way up. I was only a few proceedings behind. Why didn't you wait ?"he asked Saint George, and then his eyes narrowed."You don't seem too winded for having just climbed an hour."George bore a mock look of surprisal, which instantly drew a frown on Charlie's face ; he knew a rat when he saw his sidekick."There's no WAY you Apparated here ; it can't be done."

"OH ! That's right,"St. George said."We were going to boost together from the lower perimeter. I… I guess I forgot."George stood, reaching to the nook behind him and grabbing his broom."I thought it might be easier if I just flew up."Charlie looked like he was ready to burst forth."Sorry, I didn't think you might want to hitch a ride."

"Why you little—"

"Now, I'll have none of that in here,"interrupted Marek. Charlie stopped and pulled his wand back, giving Marek a courteous, quick nod of the heading.

"right field, sir."Regaining his calmness, the honest-to-goodness Weasley wiped his os frontale, but still gave George a look of consummate fire. Then his eyes fell on Harry who immediately looked away.

"Hi, Harry,"said the elder Weasley."Good to see you're well."Harry said nada in return. He was afraid that if he spoke it would all dribble out in a blubbering mess.

"Gents,"said Charlie,"do you beware if I have a word with Harry alone ?"

Marek and, after some cajoling, Fred and George finally departed, leaving Charlie and Harry to themselves.

"So… I see your eyes are better,"Charlie began. Harry blinked, still not able to hold George III's regard.

"Yeah,"Harry answered quietly with a dilute suspiration,"a bit better."Charlie pulled up a chairman next to Harry's bed.

"Once I get Fred back, there's going to be a service for Mum - with full Ministerial pageantry. Dad never wanted to be parson ; I think maybe because he knew that the day would make out when… one of us… fountainhead, we can't always have peace, can we ?"George wiped his eyes with his sleeve and took a deep breath."There's… there's a part of Dad that doesn't want you within ten klick of him…"Harry nodded that he understood,"…and a contribution of him that wants to keep you close-fitting than the remainder of us."Harry looked up and George took his hand ; both their eyes were wet."Harry, you're a penis of the kin. You were as much a son to Mum as I was and we want you at the service."

"We ?"asked Harry pointedly, but Charlie dodged the question.

"face, if Marek says you're well enough, will you get with us ? The portkey can take us all."Harry shook his head.

"I… I don't think that—"

"shucks it, Harry ! Don't be as refractory as… just say yes. We'll soma out the rest later."

Harry looked up into Charlie's oculus and saw the heartfelt unassumingness there. Since his accident on the auction pitch, he'd missed that power, the ability to bet into the windows of a whizz's somebody and fuck if the wrangle and the emotions matched. Reading auras he could make out, to some extent, truth from lie, but the subtle specter of desire, the intricate convention of joy and sadness, those were hidden in the optic. He could see them all playing about Charlie's human face and knew that he should join them.

He was about to say he'd go when he remembered the battle, the green smoke, his son.

"Cho,"he whispered suddenly, almost in a panic."I- I've got to see Cho."

"That's where we're going first,"said Charlie. Harry was confused ; why would they be going to Anatole France ? Charlie continued.

"I just saw her this dawn with Anthony Goldstein at St. Mungo's."

"Antony ? Is he— ?"

"He's mulct. He's in the same room with Ron. Ron should be released today and from there we can Apparate to the Borough. Antonius should get out in a few mean solar day, hopefully before Christmas."Charlie continued to sit as Harry sat up with some urgency and put his wooden leg over the border of the bed. Charlie smiled."Cho was holding a infant boy. I guess the two of them… well, you know."

"Yeah, I know,"said Harry standing up and slowly walking over to his clothes that were folded on the tabular array.

"Then we're on ?"asked Charlie.

"We're on."

Harry dressed and then folded the fateful cloak over his arm, as the two went out into the large cavern. Harry had expected to see it filled with injured, but there were only a handful of wizards and the few of them were simply standing about talking. Katana was speaking with Antreas and early fellow member of the Votary. Visually, she was more striking than ever. Dakhil, however, was no where to be found. When she saw Harry, she walked over to recognise him. She put her arms around him and pulled him close with a hug that nearly broke Harry's back.

"Well done,"she said simply."I now understand."Just as she let go, Antreas who was only a few tread behind her bosom Harry about the shoulders, thankfully less forcefully.

"How is Singehorn ?"Harry asked."And Talisan ?"

"amercement,"Antreas said with a smile."They are both very well. Singehorn is finally well enough and began his journeying to the east this morning. Creatures around the world, not just Dementors and Centaur, are using the getting even of Ebyrth to catch fire old hatreds. The war it seems is spreading, and the old ties must be rekindled among the dragon families."

"And Dakhil ?"

"Resting. For the get-go clip in days the sun is shining brightly. We are, all of us, somewhat tired."

"Just one more matter left to do,"said Harry."I need this stored in the rookery, against the west paries where it will be safe."

"The rookery ?"Antreas asked as Harry handed him the cloak.

"Conceal it near the corner to see like the declamatory pitch blackness granite stone."

"I know the one, but—"

"It's important that it stay safety, that it stay put hidden. The Draco will hold the rookery until the in conclusion of their fire fails. And Antreas… don't William Tell Dakhil."Antreas folded the cloak about his own arm and nodded although his supercilium was furrowed.

"Very well, Primate,"he said with a nod. He glanced at Charlie and then back to Harry."You're leaving us then ?"he asked and Harry nodded.

"Yes, Antreas, as you say there are former battles to be won."A grin split across Antreas'face.

"Perhaps you face one with my sister for risking your cervix again."

"And yours,"added Harry with his own grin.

"It is skillful to see the gleaming in your eyes once more."Antreas stepped closer and put his arm about Harry."I have to say that your healing study was heaven-sent at the base of the mountain, choosing to heal all rather than just your own soldiers. mother was decent to contribute upon you the stone. Your rage for life… well, it was something my Padre was once known for ; he would have been proud. And if one day the virtuoso so pick out, I can guess of no other that I would rather call brother."He smiled as Harry's face reddened.

"Well,"said Charlie,"the family's growing bigger by the minute."He called for Fred and George to come over as he pulled out a bag that held the portkey, an old leather football that had deflated. Before they all took hold Harry looked back at Antreas.

"Whatever the future, Antreas, we will always be brothers."

With a tug and a flash they were whizzing their way to St. Mungo's. The way thing were spinning, Harry almost wished he hadn't had his eyesight back, but before he could regret it too a good deal it was over. They landed with a thud on a dark marble floor veined with flecks of gold ; Harry had come to despise that stone. Harry fell to one knee while the others remained on their groundwork.

"Thank pigeon hawk ! I was beginning to interest. Is he… Harry !"

Harry looked up to find Hermione looking back at him.

"Your eyes !"she exclaimed."You can… can you ?"Harry nodded as he stood up. Hermione wrapped her arms about him in a neat hug, a sad chuckle whispered across his ear."The darkness and the spark. Oh, Harry, it's been madness."

"What do you entail ?"

"He's got genus Draco locked in the Ministry, and he aims to see him tried for the execution of his wife."

"That's laughable ! You were there. Didn't you tell him ? Didn't Ron—"

"Yes ! But he won't believe us. He thinks we were too stunned to remember properly. Maybe with prison term we could shift his mind, but Draco's confessed."

"Confessed ? Confessed to what ?"

"To killing Mrs. Weasley,"Hermione said miserably. The three Weasley comrade came over to solace Hermione.

"It's alright, Hermione,"said George,"They'll tidy it all out in the trial."

"What trial ?"snapped Fred."The black-footed ferret confessed."

"genus Draco didn't kill anybody !"yelled Harry."I was there, remember ?"His mind moved back to the scene and his voice grew quiet."Her hands… her hands were on my shoulders."He reached up as if grasping for the computer storage of her ghost."I tried to stand up in metre, to shield her with my body, but… she tried to salvage me."Harry smiled sadly in warm admiration."I felt her last intimation against my cheek and she died in my limb, crumpling to the floor."Harry began to shudder."genus Draco didn't lift his sceptre against a psyche.

"Voldemort killed your mum,"he said, looking directly at Fred,"and saying it was Draco is an abomination to her memory. Molly Weasley could eat the the likes of of Draco Malfoy for lunch and spit him out before supper. I've never seen a woman use a sceptre the way… the way…"He couldn't close.

"Harry,"whispered Hermione,"it gets risky. I need you to come over here and sit down."Harry hesitated."Please ?"St. George slapped Harry on the articulatio humeri.

"Go on,"he said, giving Harry a slight push."We want to pick up this too."Harry acquiesced and sat next to Hermione on a wooden bench. She took him by the script. In the corridor just outside the Welcoming Hall, wizard and Healers were walking to and fro. Some greet each other with hugs of joy, others with tears of sorrow. Here dying and sprightliness battled daily with one another, a delicate remainder that had been tossed on its head upon the issue of the dark Lord.

"Now, try to stay calm."Her words were anything but calming.

"Yesterday, Cho came with the sister to visit Antonius,"said Hermione."Everyone believes it's his child."

"Yes,"said Harry dismissively."I don't care what multitude think, but I do need to see her right away. She's still here ?"Hermione nodded, gripping Harry's hands a bit more tightly. Fred, George and Charlie were trying to hold in Harry's statement.

"When she arrived at the hospital, she asked where Gabriella was. Evidently the two were to meet here, hoping that they might find you or at to the lowest degree discern your whereabouts. Only, the thing is, Gabriella never showed. She hasn't been seen since she left Cho and Mark Anthony's house in La Mure."Harry moved to stand, but Hermione held firmly to his manus.

"We just got word about an minute ago,"she continued."Lucius Malfoy's men discovered she was your girlfriend and they thought she might buy some leverage. They've taken her and are holding her hostage."

"Where ? What do they need ?"Harry's words were sharp, tense.

"We don't know where yet,"replied Hermione,"but we do eff what they want."She paused.

"Well, what is it ?"asked Harry."impart it to them !"

"They want Dragon Malfoy."Harry laughed, as a wafture of easing passed over him.

"That's easy. He's innocent. Just let him go."

"He's confessed to murdering the Minister's wife."

"This is insane !"

"Dumbledore was here a little while ago,"she said."He met Mr. Weasley in Ron and Anthony's hospital room. I don't have sex how, but I think he's convert Mr. Weasley to go ahead with the exchange."

"Then why haven't they— ?"

"Draco refuses,"cut in Hermione."He swears he's guilty and must be punished. They tried to use Veritaserum, but he's built up some sort of drug tolerance. It won't work."She took a deep breathing place.

"Then wrap his keister up and post him to his father with a red bow !"snapped Harry.

"They can't,"answered Charlie."It's Ministerial law. In any prisoner exchange, the prisoner must go willingly. It's to protect those who would go back only to be punished."

"He's not going to be punished !"cried Harry."His don wants him at his side, or… or…"If Voldemort thought that Draco had set him up, convincing him he needed a third Horcrux of goodness…

"Harry, genus Draco says there's only one way that he'll agree to the exchange,"said Hermione.

"What's that ?"Harry asked, his mind distracted by the hypothesis that Draco might actually be in trouble.

"He demands to see you."