Thanks to all the masses who reviewed the terminal chapter. Your versatile switch of the general `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most appreciated. I feel kind of bad for jumping a twist like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. goodness to know the legal age of people appreciated it.



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

"Harry I ‘ ve been talking to the healers. They ‘ ve run some more tests."She licked her lip."Look, it looks like a few months was actually optimistic. There ‘ s damage deep down, lots of legal injury. You need to let them avail you now or ... or you ‘ ll die. In a few weeks."

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

"You won ‘ t be able to campaign Voldemort."Padma tried a different tacking."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have hebdomad like you ‘ ve been going all year. You ‘ ll have hebdomad in this infirmary bed, not able to move, eventually you won ‘ t even be able to talk. You won ‘ t be able to defeat Voldemort. You won ‘ t be able-bodied to be the chosen one."

Harry flinched, painful sensation running across his tired face.

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

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

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

"Yes, why not."Harry rolled over so he was facing away from her. His external respiration stuttered, he sounded like he was holding back tears. Padma backed away, she had got what she came for. The healer would fix Harry's dead body. What had happened to his mind ? That might carry a piffling longer.

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the therapist entered his elbow room. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty countersign. They cleaned him up, washing his blazon and chest. They asked him to remove the bracer. He did, letting it settle to the story with a brassy clatter. The healer shied away from the mark on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

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

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


Draco slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and last out awake. It had been burnt in the engagement, but it was finely now. Just enough residual rubor and infliction to serve him stay alert. He swung his weary eyes around the waiting way, all of the predator were here. about of them had finally succumbed to log Z's, Draco didn't blame them. It was unvoiced to imagine that the madly midnight assault on the wight ship had been just stopping point night. They had been worn out, worn down. Dragon pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the therapist had a staff way or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just fall asleep.

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

Dragon got wearily to his feet, maybe he could walk some of his weariness off. He stepped carefully around the prone vulture and stepped up to the doorway to the ward. Harry's bed was obscured by curtains but the phantasm of the healers were still moving against the control surface. As he watched one of them detached and stepped towards the door. genus Draco stepped away to let him out, hope and dread rising in his stomach.

"Is there any word ?"Draco asked.

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

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

"Well we ... we removed several point from the body of your friend."The poor healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the wall of his stomach. We think it may feature been designed to negate poison but it seems to bear had the opposite effect. It was the source of his illness. We also found-"

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

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

"installation ..."Dragon stared at the man coldly."You ‘ re talking about his eye."

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

Draco looked back over the marauders. Through their sand-filled, droopy centre he could see their sadness. Harry had fought so tough and got nothing in replication but accusations of execution and a lasting defacement. And a dark marking, they could not block that.

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

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

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


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

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

Thankfully she did not argue, but instead bent down and touched her wand to the hide on Snape's arm. The slicing painful sensation was remote, dulled by potions. There were bottleful by his arm, some empty, some waiting to grow the peel back after the mark was gone. He was in his apartment at Hogwarts, the only when lieu he could have gained those potions without questions was from his own supplies. The searing began and Snape looked away, watching his own arm butchered was not what disturbed him, not after everything he'd seen. But it reminded him of what Harry was going through. Of the nighttime Lord as well. What would he do next ? What would his following move be ...

"He may go into hiding."Natalie answered his unrequited question, still design on his arm."Like he did fifteen years ago."

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

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

"It will be beast, I am sure of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the little flap of hide up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was complimentary. Strange that he should finger so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly relieve until Voldemort was dead. Perhaps because he knew that, without the power to spy, he was succeeding to useless.

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

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

"You had to."Was all she said.

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

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

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

"The ministry ? The section of mysteries ? The divination ?"

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

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

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

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

"I believe I have some wine."
*


The boy who carried the gens Harry felt himself enter the conversant ambition. He felt floorboards under his dorsum, scratchy through the thin infirmary gown. He knew where he would be when he opened his center. And finally, he even knew why.

He pushed himself off the floor, leaning his tired chassis against the wall. The paries painted with bears and sneaker over a pale blue sky full of downlike clouds. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't muster the energy. He ignored the crib in the nerve center of the room, it's lustrous nomadic spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the threshold subject and descended the stairs. The revulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely bring himself to care. He knew what this place was now.

No one-year-old remembers their house. No one-year-old could recollect every picture, or the blueprint on the wallpaper. This place was a lie, a parasitic memory that had been burnt into his mind. The creeping illness in his hide was his judgment's way of telling him that it wasn't material, that it didn't belong.

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

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

His heart flickered open in the hospital hospital ward. He could find the painful new growth in his hand. It was pink, new skin, and low than the other. Harry dropped it back onto the cover. Other parts of his body hurt too, picayune scrape and injuries. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

The dreaming was still swirling in his oral sex, biting at him. It was too hard. He saw his things piled neatly against the wall, even his wearing apparel. Suddenly he knew he had to get out. This post ... he just had to leave. He quietly pushed out of bed, ignoring the creaking in every muscle and drew his bag over. He dressed quickly and disillusioned himself before slipping out the door.

The vulture were sleeping there, lying across bench or curled up on the floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to lecture to anyone right now. Couldn't talk, he had no idea how he would even originate. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't stop until he was out of the construction and a few streets away. A low street, not engaged. Breathing hard he shoved his wand out into the street. He found that he could barely prevent his arm up for the few seconds it took for the knight bus to dim out of nowhere and creak to a plosive consonant in front of him.

"Ere are you Harry ceramist ?"The pimply director squinted at him, his interpreter full of amazement.

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

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

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

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

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

The bus screeched to a halt and he got out without speaking. The bus disappeared with a swoosh, a purple blur in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any early village. It was empty this fourth dimension of day, like a ghost town. Suited his modality perfectly. He looked forward, an derelict sign, burnt and with the top base blown off.

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

He stepped forward his helping hand stretched out, then shied away. This house was just more than Trygve Lie. The feelings in his straits, brokenheartedness, loss, fearfulness. They weren't his, they weren't his loss. entirely strangers had died here, two strangers. People who had zip to do with him. The grief was another trick, just another level of lie.

He spun away and stalked down the street, not looking back. He had never lived there, it meant null to him. Or should imply naught. His feet brought him to the square and he lent tiredly on the war monument. He should never accept come here, it was not what he needed. He raked his deal through his hair.

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

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

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

No he doesn't. I don't even look like me. The boy trembled with passion as he looked on the felicitous potter phratry. The testament in stone to the life he had never really had. His digit went to his wand.

"Reducto !"The wand flickered out, even through the rage the spell flew true up. It struck the fountainhead of the Father statue, shattering it into sliver. Some of them cut the boy's physical body. He didn't care.

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

"Reducto ! !"The cobbler's last stab was the secure, striking out in a blinding bolt of light, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the minuscule boy-who-lived to smithereens. Flames flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the ruined stumps of head teacher and died to nothing.

The nameless boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a endurance contest. His clothes wet with stew. He dropped his wand back into his air hole and turned his back on the statue, his breath still coming in furious burst. He couldn't think, couldn't breath. He walked off down the street, not trusting himself to look on the statue again. It made it all too real.

His eye found a graveyard. Both eyes, real and witching. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his vision, the x-ray position of the world. Now it was just a constant reminder. A admonisher of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the graveyard gate open and let the eye roam, in a instant it had angled in on the ceramicist tomb. He walked hesitantly to it, his wand safely away in his pocket. He pushed a piece of ivy off the Lucy Stone and say the inscription.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is expiry


wellspring that was testis. Being dead meant you had at least one other opposition left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffins, side to side in the ground, stared back at him. But ... there was a fantasm. Like a vacant area. He drew his baton and muttered a revealing spell. syncope puff of air of deception drew out of the ground to gather him. He waved his wand again, cutting the brumous street child away. He worked ... he didn't have sex how foresightful. Probably proceedings, maybe time of day. At some pointedness the gray sky gave way to rain and the memorial park grass turned slick. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the turn. It was secure. It was a puzzle, breaking the conjuration. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. Nothing different showed on the surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his heart pounding in his bureau. There was a tierce casket on top of the other two, arranged like a Pyramids of Egypt. Inside ... inside was a diminished body, a nestling. It's flyspeck arms crossed over it's chest.

The unknown boy fell to his knees. There it was, the net validation. The final examination positive confirmation. That poor wasted body in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a tiny scrape on the ivory of his scull, above his eye, in the anatomy of a lightning deadbolt. The real cicatrix had cut all the way to the osseous tissue, his was barely more than constitution. That was all he was in fact ... war paint for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the rock, but said zippo. The anger in him was gone. He had seen the organic structure of the real Potters, lying together. It was hard to palpate anger, but he wished he did. The anger at to the lowest degree filled him up, filled the emptiness with flames. But now the fire was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his wand against the unsmooth, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, sentiment skittering over the benumbed center of his intellect. It was a scepter gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be piece of. This scepter was his killing wand. He had done horrifying things for the sake of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the Mrs. Henry Wood. He had pickled his soul in origin and what had it got him ? He added his former arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a loud tornado, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into typewriter ribbon. A little red frivolity was seeable through the break. It had had a phoenix plumage core, he never knew.

"Well that makes thinks easier."

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

"You would be Rookwood."His vox sounded suddenly in his ears.

"Yes I am August Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his wand in his script."Thank merlin I still have a watch on the underage magic trick sensing element. You ‘ ve come up a long way just to steal now. A long long way ..."

"Felt like further."The vacuous boy dropped the corpse of his sceptre onto the ceramist grave accent. Perhaps some mug thaumaturgist would chance it and hit up some narration about it. He turned back to the death feeder and asked,"Are you going to kill me ?"He was surprised that his voice did not sound eager.

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

"What ?"

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

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

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

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


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing visible radiation burned through his eyelids as he groaned. The randomness went on and on, familiar ... very familiar. His memories twinged, his very ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eyes flickered open just as the tube train flashed out of sight, leaving the tunnel in darkness. He felt the corduroys binding his hands together, his fingers danced along them trying to recover a international nautical mile. There was none. They were nasty though, biting into his cutis, magical no doubt. He didn't have to find to do it that his pegleg were similarly bound. He didn't botheration to try to stand.

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

The unknown boy twisted and looked around him, one of the walls was been broken through and a iniquity, vulgar tunnel stretched away. Now that the train was gone he could find out something in the darkness all around, a scratching slinking sound.

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

"Oh, so you noticed."Rookwood held up his wand and lit it, smiling. The swarthiness rolled back, but not far. A grey paries stopped the light, a writhing mass of cloth and rot.

"What ... what are they ?"He looked on the darkness hooded figures. As he watched one of them turned its enshroud top dog towards him. It let out a dying rattle.

"Those are Dementors."Rookwood smiled."Had you forgotten that they too served the iniquity Lord ? Slipped your idea ?"

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling people. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some form of coldness, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were closing to them ? He shook his head teacher, they couldn't meet him, a somebody could only experience so much despair and he was already at his limit. And as for making him live over his worst memories ? Ha ! His darkest moment was still fresh in his mind.

"The dementors like it down here."Rookwood continued."They ‘ ve been breeding down here like flies. There are 100 of them."

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

"You did."Rookwood sneered."But that doesn ‘ t matter. In fact, none of that thing. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his baton, making a silencing magic spell. A moment flick levitated him off the flooring. Rookwood reached into his air hole and pulled out a farsighted silvery length of fabric, easily placeable. An invisibility cloak. He just hung there in the air as the cloak was thrown over him. He really couldn't have done anything else. Rookwood turned and walked up the tunnel, his black shoes slipping on the wet dirt.

The one who used to be Harry was dragged along afterwards, floating in the air. He couldn't move ... speak ... he was a ghostwriter. Right now his post fit him like a boxing glove. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scratch, digging speech sound. The dementors followed after, filling the tunnel with low temperature. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the bend figures came into aspect. One dark cloaked figure of speech standing tall, the remainder ragged and displume and scrabbling at the shite mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their clothes that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or zombie spirit. Who could state the difference ? The figure in straw man of them turned as Rookwood approached. darkness farseeing hairsbreadth spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are of late Augustus."The female last eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a brand toed boot with the military force of a falling stripling behind it did more wrong than expected. The left English of her face was crushed in, a hatful of scars and bulging pelt. When she spoke she slurred, only the correctly position of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, nothing left.

She had lost her eye. How howling. How very poignant. Under the cloak the unseeable prisoner felt his emptiness filled with a midget spark of satisfaction.

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

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

"I was delayed momentarily, null to concern you."Rookwood waved his paw away."You should go to your own tunnel. Without individual there the haggle them the dementors may be getting restless."

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

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

"There is no crowd anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her sunk human face."There are three of us. There will be more than enough glory to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into lean air.

"Lying bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark lord ‘ s right paw. bar dig you freaks !"He directed the last one to the creatures burrowing in the dirt. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant eyes rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his wand and the dirt began flying away faster. In a short moment the grease became a brick wall, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you make Mr Potter ?"Rookwood grinned up at the inconspicuous prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the paries and raised his verge. There was a smashing clap and the bulwark caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his feet his deal tangling in his gown. A green fanfare of ignite struck him in the head, he dropped onto the desk, scattering papers.

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


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

"Moody ?"Albus appeared around the niche, his face a mask of concern."You were on guard responsibility. What are you doing here ?"

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a maw !"Moody tried to hold up, his breath catching in his breast."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even roll in the hay where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you make a program you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the corner. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But deity he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the hell was Dumbledore thinking ? He could get them all killed ! The integral order. The entire bloody order in one fell swoop, and what the hell could he do to block off it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

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

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

"The order ?"Snape stood, his hands flat on the table. Zhao was beside him in a import."I am not a member of the social club any-"

"The ministry is compromised !"Helen Newington Wills saw his discussion cut Snape."Dementors in more numbers than ever before."

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

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

"smarting girl."Moody shook his head."Dumbledore is heading for the ministry, by now he ‘ s trailing half the orderliness. He ‘ s going in without any eyes, without anything. It is a ambush, or could be. Even if it ‘ s not he ‘ s still going to turn a loss half the society. He ‘ s ... he ‘ s reckless. He ‘ s stuck in the old war. He ‘ s everything you said he was. But if we let this materialise ..."

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

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

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

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

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

"Do you know where to find one ?"

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


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

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

"What are you doing with me ?"ceramicist's voice was a little horse cavalry from the long secretiveness."You ‘ re trying to realise stage with your lord, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"to a greater extent than enough Harry. Sir Thomas More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his scepter and the bonds on Harry's pegleg snapped off. Another click and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the bar. If I am to surpass Crouch in terms of merit to the Almighty ... I must search the icing."

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

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

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

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the ceiling, looking for victim. There were still a few left. Not enough to bother over though. He stepped into out into the memory office, pulling his strangely compliant charge past the tank of brains. He stopped by the room access to the death chamber, there was the auditory sensation of spell from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the door open in time to see a champion scrambling away from an inferi trip and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering unspeakable in it's firm grip and threw him away with inhuman military capability. screech as he flew across the room, his howler was cut off as he fell through the archway in the center. The pall ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a shudder, he was never entirely prosperous with the execution portal. Harry watched from his incline with dull eyes. What was untimely with the boy ? Never nous. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the way, giving the inferi a all-inclusive birth, and pushed spread out the doorway at the other side.

"Well thrower here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of shelves in figurehead of them, each one with quarrel upon rows of lilliputian spheres."This is the hall of prophecy."

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

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

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

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

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

"The dark noble is very eager to get his hands on the prophecy. That prophecy."Rookwood pointed at the particular orb."And I will be the one to move over it to him. My icing, you could say."

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

"Shall I tell you something about the prophecies of the department of whodunit ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain people can plagiarize them from where they lie. Namely the citizenry they have been made about. So the solely people who can take this prophecy are the drab lord, and you. ``

ceramist stared at the orb for a moment longer, the words sinking into him. Then he threw his head back and laughed, laughed so unvoiced his heart ran with rent. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in laugh, not in joy. This was a bitter jest, full of wickedness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

"And if someone else grabs one ?"Harry reached out his bridge player."What happens then ?"

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

"Really ?"The Potter boy's hand hovered over the swirling chalk."To hell with it."His finger closed around the orb.
*


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

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been quick. She spun as moth-eaten hands grabbed her from behind, crushing her with cold-blooded strength. The breath fled from her lungs and she felt ribs crevice. In desperation she transformed and dashed away on four animal foot, spinning and changing back to plant a ball of fire in the pectus of the inferi that had held her. As soon as it was gone another took it's place.

They were overrun, there were too many !

"help me ! Oh god help me !"A physique ran from out of the lyssa, his green derby hat still clutched in his hands."Please !"

"Get out of here you fool !"McGonagall shoved Fudge away. She could not deal with him. Her eyes searched through the scrambling flock for the head of the club."Dumbledore ! Dumbledore we must draw back !"

She could not see him, she could not see anything. Despair was her solely monition and she spun, a shining luminosity throwing a dementor away that had been practically on her back. She didn't even know where they were anymore, near the motor lodge possibly. Down in the deeps, no escape.

She heard a wow from her allow and sent a patronus wildly into the surging gang. The scream cut off sharply. Whether she had had any outcome she did not know, she had to transform again to dance out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to air another shining light source to hold them back again. But her body was fatigue, her wand arm tired.

Rotting human body filled her nostril and she tried to bring her wand around. Too slowly. The numb fist crunched into the side of her heading and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the dead build to shards, blood already dripping into her optic. They needed help, and there was no one to open it.

No one.
*


The orb came resign in Potter's deal, it's deliquium radiance shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his eye spring, but the potter boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a hot snake.

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

"Not possible."Harry shook his read/write head."Saw the body ..."The organic structure ? He wasn't making any sense.

"Just give me the flaming orb !"Rookwood made to take hold of it but Potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the E. B. White light faltered. A bum whine filled the air, like grinding cogwheel. Harry held up his hired hand, slowly uncurling his finger's breadth. In the middle of the bloodless a diminutive spindle of darkness was growing, like ink in Milk. The blackness grew until it covered the whole interior of the orb, it was no long shining glass but a polished orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his ear. Suddenly there was a fizzing crackle and potter yelped in painfulness, spilling the prophecy onto the floor. Rookwood cried out, it would break for sure ! But when the orb struck the ground it squelched, spreading out like corpse. Mary Jane rose from the blackened glass.

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

The thrower boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not have touched the divination !"

"He could if it was already played out."Potter glanced at the muck on the story."A hole, or else his deception on me interfered somehow."

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

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


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemy to hover by the ceiling. The secretiveness broken only be the groaning of the hurt. Minerva 's eyes found the ingress to the rhytidectomy, it 's mesh gap in a diffraction grating clang. Stepping out into the corridor, blackamoor robe floating behind him and a paw curled in a wave to the creatures swirling above, was the dreary nobleman himself. Minerva felt her heart jump to her throat. She glanced around, the order was in tatters. Only Dumbledore stood marvellous, the rest of them were covered in bloodline and shaking from the exertion of the engagement. There was no strength here to stop a dark lord, no force at all.

Voldermort's eyes found a quivering lump on the floor and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the dark lord crooked a fingerbreadth, pulling the figure to his animal foot. The green bowler was gone, but the sick flesh remained.

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

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

"suffering you Cornelius ? But why would I need to ?"Voldemort gestured to the ceiling."Even as I speak the rest of your ministry has already been overrun. The ministry you so screw is a nest of person sucking spectre. Why would I need to ache you ? I already have everything I wanted from you."

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

"No old man, I do not."Voldemort flicked his wand towards the Headmaster. Fudge dropped to the floor and scampered away down the corridor."I think you will do as you have always done. sales booth bravely in the aspect of the lunar time period, and be swept under."

"Tom I shall-"

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

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the compaction was too great. An inferi had her arm in it's frailty like grip and she blew it off with flames. Another took it's station too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a urarthritis of purple light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling wizards in the nub of all this, Dumbledore raising the rattling Lucy Stone of the base in a paries against the dark noble, but it was blasted to rip up just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

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

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

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

"Then what do you propose !"

"We die."lupine delivered that last in a flat growl."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to throw another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as Theodore Harold White mist, easily brushed aside by the wraiths. Suddenly there was a volley of tearing dissonance, breaking the flagstone and making the chamber shake with it's effect. As it died there a news bulletin of red Light and a in high spirits cruel laugh.

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

The dementors parted for a present moment, like swarm in wind. The shadow lord stood over the sprawled form of the Headmaster, his boot on Dumbeldore's cervix. Minerva felt despair that had nothing to do with the dementors. She let her wand hired man drop to her side of meat. They had lost. It was all over.

"Expecto Patronum !"A refrain of unassailable spokesperson cried the go and the room was filled with a bulwark of illumination. Minerva watched as a charging livid social lion crashed into the massed forms before her, a snarling skirt chaser running at it's heels.

"You ! Traitor !"Voldemort had his wand drawn and had spun to face the elevation. Minerva turned to look but saw just one trope standing there, his coat of arms crossed in arrogant casualness.

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

"I will belt down you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's scepter stabbed forward. There was a flash bulb of light and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a wolf blast of wintry wind instrument at the dark lord.

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

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

"The student ?"

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

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The unspeakable grabbed a prone build on the floor."Now separate your people to fall back before everyone else is dead !"
*


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad dash away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the disarray of battle, then there had been some stair, then a corridor ... The auditory sensation of battle were everywhere, coming out of the walls. He had just kept running., unable to do anything else. His center raced beyond what any homo exertion should have forced it to. His mind was blank, a dead system of weights. Today had been a lifetime.

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

"Come on dance with me you mangled bitch !"Albert Michelson came into scene down a foresightful hallway, throwing bolts of lightning at Bellatrix and laughing like a madman.

He had to get out. He dashed into a staircase and almost tripped over a body on the floor. pink hair's-breadth, auror ‘ s robes. Oh no ...

He crouched down on the floor, his finger's breadth going to Tonk's neck on instinct. He did not really anticipate to see anything, her pelt was pale and ...

She had a pulse.

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

So long ... His brain was grey sludge, he just wanted to keep out down. He had no sceptre and his brawn were water. They would never reach safety anyway, this billet was a warzone. But on the former hand ... Tonks.

Putting a hackneyed berm under her arm, he lifted her up.



review article and you will arise pansy wings that will let you fly.


Due to former committedness my postings may get a little further apart for a while. Sorry everybody.



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

"Stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a toughie combination to master ), raising her bridge player to the crowd of ministry survivors."Just stay there and the healers will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The cobbler's last was directed to a daily prophet reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook.

The early side of the manor hall, back behind the hearth, a course of layer were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth Heathland lying sedated, her mitt clutched by her constant companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a petty cold and quiet for weeks to come and likely not ever wanting to happen a dementor again but she would hold out. Oh to have just one of them back in his business firm, or any of the vulture. They had fought like Panthera tigris, like attack hot dog with wands.

One of the room access slammed open and Markus stepped out angrily. His robes were mostly burnt off and he had line of descent running down the side of his pectus but he seemed unaware of these fiddling details.

"She got away."The massive ace reached the edge of the fount and plunged his pass under the surface. A moment later he lifted it up and push his wet hair out of his eyes."Bellatrix."

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

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

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

"So I'm the lonesome one who missed his mark."Markus shook nebuliser of H2O out of his whisker."Sorry mate."

"Bella has more aliveness than a cat, do not think any more of it."

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

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

'' They deserve bloody medal ! ``

'' Yes but I can not kick in them decoration. You however can give them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain grin and saw it returned wide. He gestured towards the ski tow with his good arm."Voldemort holds the department of Mysteries. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a Aaron Montgomery Ward on the nip and tuck and on all staircases."

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

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

"wellspring then you can-"Albert Abraham Michelson cut off as Snape pulled up his arm to reveal the newly cut tegument."Oh."

"Yes, and it ‘ s worse than that."Snape bowed his head."He has hostages down there, club members and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

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

"Mother of god."Michelson slammed his fist into his thenar."So it ‘ s a stalemate ?"

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

'' What the ... '' Suddenly Albert Michelson was on his understructure, an construction of jar on his face. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A import later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passage Harry was stumbling, a prone physical structure weighing him down and his face a grizzly masquerade party. He did n't seem up, did n't acknowledge anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his burden down bedside a shocked healer. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every nook of the elbow room, running towards the unexpected lot of their leader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Where 's your baton ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

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

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

In the pool, rippling on the airfoil of the liquid state, was an trope of lord Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the department of mysteries. The sceptre in his deal was long and pale, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's baton. Behind the wickedness Maker, lined up and chained together, were ten mavin. Though the image was faded and the coloring material ran together Snape could easily recognize the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort image turned towards them and spoke, his vox sounding deep and echoic like it was coming from the bed of a well.

'' estimable wizards of the ministry, '' The dark lord greeted amicably. `` phallus of the Order of the phoenix and the good children. What you are seeing is the inside of the section of mysteries, where all the nifty secrets are hidden. All the deepest magic of the ministry is within these walls, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And front at my champion here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his prisoner. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the toll of defying lord Voldemort. '' He took a megabucks of wands out of his pocket and hovered it into the air. With a gout of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the price ... And look who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger's breadth and Fudge was dragged forward, his bonds separating from the others. He came to a full stop by the night lord 's metrical foot and looked up with pained eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to vote out you you misfortunate petty man, whatever you say. ``

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

'' Yes ? ``

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

'' You ... '' Voldemort seemed to mature in menace, his heart blazing. `` Why do you differentiate me this ? Surely you know it is purposeless ! ``

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

cat valium light filled the consortium of H2O and for a moment none of them could see anything. Snape felt his pith beating rapidly in his bureau. The light cleared in time for them too see the dark lord savagely kicking the diplomatic minister 's organic structure to the side of meat and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The headmaster was thrown forward roughly.

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

'' Well old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his wand down at Dumbledore, a bolt of electricity charring a cakehole in the schoolmaster 's robes. `` Do you not have got something to say ? Some conclusion word before I take your sprightliness. ``

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

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the cam stroke of the torment curse for a few moments before releasing him. `` You will mouth ! There has been too much between us, you have been my foeman for too foresightful for me to let you end it this way. You will receipt that I have won, you will say it ! You will recognise this victory in some way before I kill you with your own scepter ! ``

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

'' You will verbalise ! '' The Hydra like face was set with fell anger. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am ready ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am ready to die for everything I have done. Those are my finally Word of God, the only ones you will get. pour down me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his scepter to form the whammy but let it die on his back talk. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under ascendence. `` But of course, how could I abnegate a terminal request. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if time froze. The pool exploded with green igniter again and Snape's throat closed, every muscle tensing. The other watchers around the consortium held their hands to their faces, or shook there head ... they would not believe it. The green light faded and the dead body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the footing. It crumpled like a newspaper diaper, his beard trailing onto the base like a rag.

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

'' Here dies Albus Dumbledore. '' Voldemort laughed. `` A jester to the end, and in the end a disappointment. So there you are, two hostages numb. I have eight left and all will die if you do not give me what I want. I want Harry Potter. Bring him to me in one half-hour or I will belt down another, perhaps the wolfman. I am sure enough no one will miss him. But if any of you wish to see these whizz alive, then you know what you must do. work. Me. Harry. ceramist ! ``

The pool went melanize and Snape stepped back. All around him hoi polloi seemed to be going mad, crying and shouting to one another in confusion. His eyes were only trying to find one figure. Harry ceramist. He swept the gang. Nothing.

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


The unknown boy crashed out of the telephone set box and dashed away, his invertebrate foot slipping on the wet sidewalk. Rain splattered against his face as he ran out into the streets. He did n't even sleep together why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would wait to him, would look at him and carry to see Harry Potter. Expect to see their the Nazarene, when all there was was a sham. He dashed past the people in the street, some of them turning to calculate at his odd vesture and panicky expression, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the screech of breaks. He prayed that one of the car would hit him. His feet would not stop moving and the sound of horns was left behind. His magic eye painted the world in shimmering drapery of phantasm, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's surface. He pushed past a man in a courtship and heard the man call. He could n't stop running game. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from reality. The rain ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his heart beating like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the cold, wet sidewalk. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alley, darkness and dirty. Wait ...

He turned to lie on his back as his magic eye swivelled around, taking in every contingent. He had been here before ... This was the alley where it all started, where Hagrid had caught him so many year ago. There was the drain he had climbed ... the ceiling he had hid ... He had come a to the full circle, entirely.

Heedless of the driving rainwater he opened his mouth and laughed. Laughed in pure bitterness. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never have known, would never have known any of this. He would get been able to observe on being Harry ceramicist. He felt rip running down his face and mingling with the rainwater, freezing him to the bone.

But there was heat. A little distributor point of heat at his thorax. He dug his helping hand into his shirt and slowly drew it out.

His pendant. Pythea's chandelier. Worn so long he had almost forgotten it was there. But now it was glowing like a principal, so undimmed beneath the gray sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both deal, staring at it in wonder as a silvery mist swirled out from the head. It pooled in his hired hand, swirling and sifting. Slowly the sparkling liquid rose, shaped and colored and separated until two globe hung in the air by his hands. One of burnished gold, the early pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The Edward D. White orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a frame, every curve glowing with light, every flowing rail line of her pure white dress and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

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

'' Another illusion- ''

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

'' Your ... aid ? ``

'' You 're lost. Lost in the woods. '' Thea smiled faintly. The gold orb was still circling her, pulsing faintly. `` And I am the vaticinator. I thought you might involve a templet out. That was why I gave you this all those years ago, to serve you detect your way. In your glum 60 minutes. You need to feel your way again Harry, or else were all doomed. ``

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

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these class because you were the Chosen one ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her quartz voice filling the emptiness between the buildings with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry ceramist I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' stay. '' Too painful. remembering of pleasant times,

'' I will not stop. I will never end trying to help you. I knew the import I met you that you were n't the opt one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the kept woman of vaticination. Did you honestly think for a moment that I would miss a thing like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a world without hope, you were the lonesome shining chance. ``

'' You ... you saw something about me ? My time to come ? ``

'' I saw cypher about your future. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to meet him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true soul who would fight for this world even if the entire world was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a thousand metre and would still pick himself up. I saw that the dark Lord would surface and I hoped ... I did n't have sex but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the world in danger and the future uncertain I took the best chance the world had. I took a chance on you. In a metre of accomplished despair, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't fight anymore. '' The boy dropped his center. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't have intercourse what it 's like to throw soul walk up to you and snatch your total life history, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

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

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

The shape resolved into a digit. His longsighted robes were buttoned tightly and long arms, rolled up now to show his arms. Those robe were familiar. Tonks had worn them cobbler's last year, auror trainee robe. The aspect remained foggy for a consequence more then coalesced, becoming a fast example in gold spark, right down to the go tousled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell open in shock. He was looking up into his own nerve. No ... no there were deviation. The jaw was more pointed, acuate, the eyes closer together. He did n't have a scar on his neck, nor a gloomy mark on his arm. He looked older too, at least two years if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it possible ? Was this ... Harry Potter ?

'' I do n't quite understand this. '' The ghostly prosperous digit said. `` Your friend, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different reality or ... or dimension or something. A different fourth dimension too. I do n't calm understand it, need Hermione for that sort of thing. ``

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

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

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

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

The ghostly anatomy began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm suppose to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and pass around his deal. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been done things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the lonesome person you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your friend says that, since I 'm dead in your humanity, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be easy, but you know that. In fact I ca n't recollect of anything that I could say to persuade you to take aim the job. Except that you have to. The world depends on it. And I know that the globe has n't done you any party favour. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the existence be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't bed what I can say to convince you that 's not dead on target except for two affair. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The shadow name licked it 's lips.

'' Do you eff how many regularization are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional theodolite ? Certain countries still have the death penalization for messing around in collimate worlds. Just getting here, the exploit it must have taken. The peril your supporter has taken just to get this message to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire rest of the cosmos is sin right now you 've got one person who 's willing to take chances everything for you. Risk her life. So if zilch else ... fighting for her. ``

The figure faded. It 's oculus lasted the prospicient, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the alley was dreary again. The boy on the ground stood, slowly and with guardianship, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laugh building. His hands went to his venter as he threw his head back and laughed, the rain trickling down his expression. That was Harry Potter was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? shtup him. Screw the overly striking, hesitant bastard. If that childish gimboid can preserve the world I sure as inferno can.

He pushed his pelting soaked hair out of his eyes. It was like the vacancy was, somehow split. It was still there, the gaping nothingness, it was just that all the significant parts of him, the matter that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the small shell necklace back around his neck. Just a shell now, it's conjuring trick gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was office of him, the real him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to cull the biggest conflict of his life.

He needed a plan though .... and if he was going to survive a fight with the greatest dark wizard in the Earth it would demand to be a all-fired right plan. Or a bloody insane one. Let's see, he had no vantage. Voldemort held all the bill of fare. Voldemort could kill him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostages. On the other handwriting Voldemort was alone, he had no demise eaters, no dark creatures, no servants.

Whatever plan he came up with it would fare down to just the two of them. A clean fight. Which he would lose.

So make it an unfair fight.

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

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

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

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

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


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't hassle to pluck it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na tell him. He dissilusioned himself before the doors slid overt again and stepped out into the ministry vestibule. There was a level of organized chaos and another bigger stage of disorganise chaos. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the piranha. The were all clustered in one topographic point. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

"Don ‘ t move. Don ‘ t make them and contract you ‘ re hearing me. Just come over here behind that chimney where we can ‘ t be seen."

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

"Hi guys. I ‘ m back."

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

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

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

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

"five minutes."Dragon pointed at the clock.

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

"You ‘ re going to press him aren ‘ t you ?"Neville asked in a low vox."You ‘ re going down to fight him."

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

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

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

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

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

A wood of bridge player were stretched out towards him. Every single wand. Harry picked one at random and tried a simple charm. It was stuttery and faint. No good. He picked another and almost set his hair on ardor. The third the spell came out right but the verge felt eldritch. The fourth ... Harry did first one while then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His eyes came up to play Malfoy's grey-headed ones.

"sustenance it."The Slytherin boy nodded."I can open a new one."

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the wand."The second gear thing I need is healing. Just a agile refresher course. I ‘ m to play out and slam up to crusade like this."

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

Harry took the bottle with a grin and tipped it back into his mouth. The warm chocolaty liquid state seemed to drain into every aching muscle and bone, making him find like he was well rested and good for you rather than at the edge of weariness.

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


"Here ! smell !"Snape was shocked out of his idea by the outcry. His middle found the rootage in the Young Weasley child, crouched down by the fountain. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the pool, waving him over. `` It 's going light up again. I can see something ! '' Snape dashed over, staring down into the inky-black dark. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see zilch. ``

'' Look. ``

'' young woman Weasley there is nothing there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's eyes flickered up to run across those of his student. A flicker of memory board twitched behind those optic. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the raising, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the Barbara Ward. The sorcerous barrier sparking against his skin like atmospheric static. He could n't get through. Before his center the dissilusionment fell and Harry ceramicist was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt people crowding all around, murmuring, speechmaking, crying. All pressed up to one side of the barrier, and on the early ... just Harry.

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

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

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

'' I know I do n't. '' Harry nodded, a faint smiling on his face. `` I 'm doing it anyway. Wish me luck. ``

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


The lift grate slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of battle was everywhere, majuscule gouges gone from the rampart and doors blown off their hinge. This was n't the section of mysteries yet though. Just the courtrooms. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The door to the department came into view, a blank rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see nothing beyond the door, not even with his conjuring trick eye. Some sort of protection must extend around the department of mystery. For the sake of his plan he hoped it did n't reach out inside the department too. Harry raised his wand to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom Riddle ! '' Harry 's amplified phonation shook the bricks in the bulwark. `` I 'm here. '' There was a moment 's wait, then.

'' Welcome Mr Potter. '' A similarly stentorian representative sounded down the hallway. `` I was not sure you would come. ``

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

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

Harry waited in silence for a moment ... then the doorway at the end of the corridor swung overt. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The vista was just as it had been reflected in the kitty, the line of prisoner, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the middle. The bodies of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the circle room, the spinning elbow room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the door had been knocked off their hinges and he could see into the way beyond.

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

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

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

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

"They ‘ ll be able to get out ?"Harry asked."Past the Mrs. Humphrey Ward ?"

"In only discontinue the great unwashed from entering, not from leaving."

'' Ok, fine. postponement ! '' Harry held up a deal, then pointed to Lupin and a brawny looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, convey them up with you. ``

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

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

As the concluding man trouped out Harry pushed the doorway shut and locked it. The sonorous dash sliding into shoes sounded like a hammer.

'' Well Mr thrower. '' Voldemort smiled like a Snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The kings in our picayune chess game. The pawns are gone, the rooks are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

"Have you never even played Bromus secalinus ?"Harry quirked an supercilium."If all you have is the two kings that 's a deadlock snake fount. You ca n't checkmate with one king."

"I was being metaphorical."

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

'' Calx. '' A chalk line appeared on the floor. Harry drew his wand around in a approximate rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy break me your vox populi. Does that appear like fourteen feet to you ? ``

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Of track. ``

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

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

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

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his scepter. The piece flared across the room. Just before it hit the dark lord seemed to waver and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his back and exploded in sparks against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking leer on his expression,

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

'' Worth a shot. ``

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

'' shout me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his wand. `` Goodbye Mr Potter. I wish you all the best in the succeeding world. Avada Kedavra ! ``

Harry closed his centre and smiled as a wink of visible light filled the room.



Review or the evil crybaby with the DEAD EYES that only I can see will down me.


A lot of mass seem unhappy about my shop at cliffhangers. Well it got you to reexamine did n't it ?





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

'' Hmm ... '' Harry frowned in mock confusion. `` Your verge appears to birth turned into a poulet. ``

The poulet managed to free itself and dropped to the base. It took a face at the two virtuoso on either side of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an open door.

"Was it, meant to turn into a chicken ?"Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully."Is this some poultry variant of the killing swearword I was not previously aware of ? Is that a chicken of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's manus dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's middle went wide.

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

The dark Jehovah's hand twitched to his pocket.

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

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

"Me. Me. Me."Harry grinned like a tiger."The moral of the chronicle Tommy boy is this : Don ‘ t you EVER mess hall with a predator because we can immerse you. And we never lose."

"Potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his verge forward, keeping the former two safe in his left over deal."Shut your ugly murdering case. Happy, polite, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ prison term is officially over. Now is the time for the other thing. The blinking hate filled battle that culminates with the killing of you."

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

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

The dark Divine hissed, his digit clenching into claws. Then a moment later he exploded into smoke, whisking away through an open threshold. What the ? Harry 's trick eye focused through the paries, onto the floor in the next elbow room. On the level adjacent to a prone body was-

verge !

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

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

He rolled as it passed overhead and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as wind lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the floor and snapped the scepter up from beside the bundle of gown that was all that was left of the victim of an inferi. He skidded to a stop, his eye dancing madly to ascertain any remaining wand ... nix in the vaticination room ...

The swarm circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost finger Voldemort doing the same check that he was, using drab magic to ascertain any remaining weapon. The cloud contracted then shot away like a calamary. Harry was off and after it in a second, a bit Thomas More and his eye had found it's target. The last chamber, a wand rolled into a tornado in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the blacken smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too quick !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up shard of debris but the moment it reached the cloud it was squashed like a frog. The wind going monotonic in mid air. The smoke disappeared under a room access and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The scepter ! right wing there ! Voldemort reappeared with a bombshell and jabbed his handwriting forward. The wand leapt from the floor and spun towards the dark overlord. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

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

"That ‘ s the last of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his sceptre trained on the dark lord he stepped down the steps till he was future to the fluttering archway. He picked the three scepter he'd acquired out of his pouch and chucked them through the veil. The moody cloth fluttered for a moment, then went still."All scepter ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the only way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my coldness stagnant hands."

"What an fantabulous suggestion Mr Potter."

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

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

"Garta !"

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

"Hammus missus !"Chain shot up and slammed into the ceiling far above."Rapellet !"The chain felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the visible radiation. As he shot from the basis like a slug a egg of iniquity flew towards him.

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

Harry kicked off the sharpness of the archway and swung out of the way. He let go of the mountain range and aimed at the dark fig below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The green Inner Light left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the side of the stepped bowl. The killing curse blew a hole in the paries but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a door."Come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the snarl of halls. Harry dashed back through the entrance hall and shot into a long room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing phantasma was just visible at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The incubus swearing sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The explosion filled the air with emerald twinkle. Three deadbolt of lightning thundered through the explosion and Harry threw himself to the face. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of pain. A freezing charm numbed the fire flesh as Harry furiously dashed after the dark Jehovah. As he skidded to a hitch in the vestibule of prophecies the dark Maker disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could break up up a trace. A wisp of spoke curled around one of the shelf, only to disappear a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so estimable for incorporeal matter. He slowly turned, letting his eyes sweep through the gaps between the shelf. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the room access and whispered a savage sand trap on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able to break it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy hall. The glass welkin had not escaped the carnage of the conflict, many were left in glittering shards on the marble floor. The little picnic of glass cracked under his iron boot. Was that smoke ? Harry 's philia hammered in his chest. Was that a-

FIREBALL ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flaming, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a ledge. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a pile of burning splinters. There was an ominous creaking sound and Harry had to jumble to get out of the way of the collapsing ledge. Orbs of shining sens bounced off his shoulders and shattered on the level, their white Mary Jane spilling out and going inky black like swirls of midnight.

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

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his spell. The shelves crashed together as if drawn by magnets. The gloomy God Almighty 's wispy configuration was trapped between them. Before Harry could contrive another spell the ledge exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flames. He raised his manus, about to go smoke again. Harry stabbed his wand out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild knife thrust in the dark. The spell was used to stimulate liquidness into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his form blurring a present moment but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The night God Almighty threw his hand forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to charm the curse. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him jump up into a column of flame, curling and splitting into a glow red snaked brain. The serpent roared and bit forward, it 's teeth dripping with molten venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning specter but his polishing brand slipped through it like body of water, leaving not a scratch. The snake take forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the floor, his brow charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flame freezing charm and leapt up into the hellfire monster. He stabbed his wand at the vestige beyond the inferno and yelled the killing curse again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the night lord 's outrage expression as he had to dodge a magic spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't give him an column inch, he threw himself forward, shot another condemnation at his off residue opposition and found a cloud of lightlessness knife flying in his face. He dropped to the base and heard them clatter behind him. He threw himself to the slope but the knife jerked to follow him. He grabbed a plank of shelf from the story and spun it in front end of him, hearing the clayey thunk of the steel impacting the wood. Harry spun to face the dark nobleman and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his paw distastefully and the knives melted into smoke.

The iniquity lord was panting, intimation hissing in and out through his lipless mouth.

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

'' Shut. Up. Wanker. '' Harry gasped through weighed down breaths.

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what aliveness is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The enchantment caught the night lord by surprisal, smacking into his shoulder joint with a os splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his groundwork buckle and gang fight. He flipped backwards as the primer where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, ready to draw him down into it 's deepness. Harry danced backwards as stone upon stone became suck up death. His feet hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The ledge lurched as it began to drop into the Lucy Stone. Harry spun, holding on with one handwriting and leapt to another towering ledge just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of dark lightning.

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

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's tornado sprung out of nowhere, drawing sand from the floor and filling the air with yellow-white grains. Harry called another twister, and another. The dark Creator disappeared in the sandstorm. Disappeared to convention eyes that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murk at the shadow in the air and dashed away along the top of his shelf, he leapt across to the next one just before a lightning dash flashed through the air behind him. The dark lord could not see him in all this but he could see where his tour were coming from. Only a fool attacked and stayed in the Lapp shoes ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the nuisance spears, flashing out in their slow fan. He twisted them in the air like a serpent to assume the dark Maker from both sides. He was rewarded with a howl of pain as one of the shining bolts struck nursing home. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a silver shield. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even make to consider. He just struck out and made the horrific orb vibrate with unbearable noise. He twisted to find oneself the rapport but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the night lord was quicker and lightning caught his arm, burning like sin. Harry lost his terms and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his crack and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the sandstorm until his fingers caught the sharpness of a shelf and he held on for pricey lifetime. He pulled himself up and tried to stand, his eye spinning to chance the dark lord. There he was, but what-

'' Ulkaa Avaskanda ! '' The shrill coldness voice of the dark Maker shouted out of the tempest, then. `` Finite Syrtis ! ``

The Sand vanished like mist but Harry had bigger problems. He leapt into the air as rock-and-roll the size of gondola obliterated the ledge behind him. His infantry hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's scepter whipped out and a hook impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the expanse of malarkey. A boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The confidential information pulled him out of the path of the meteor with a whisk of his wand and he let go of the range of mountains, catapulting himself onto a standing ledge. He leapt again and saw two boulders hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one rock veered into the path of the former, shattering them both to fragments. Harry felt the wood beneath him shift again and this time let it extend him down a here and now before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing shelf, his eye found firm footing and he jumped again as the lastly shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a pile of wreckage. A spile three times as tall as he was and wide of wiped out wood, shattered glass and the smouldering remains of spent bowlder. Harry waited while the finish of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

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

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

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

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

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

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

'' Hey mate, you 're the one that wants to know forever. '' Harry cracked his knuckles. `` You wo n't live forever if you surrender but I can guarantee you 'll live farseeing than if you keep fighting. Not much long but still ... ''

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

'' Me ? I 'm the runner of the roofs at Night. '' Harry laughed. `` The torpedo of the blood war. The sole survivor of the torrent of ages and the Hogwarts triwizard whizz. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't weigh because I 'm also a vulture ! unbeatable cutthroat asshole and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. Potter ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the darkness lord, his face set in bulletproof declaration. `` That is why you should surrender. Right now. Or I swear on this cumulus of prophecy that I will fire you from this world. ``

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

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

'' Never. '' The dark lords hands clenched to fists. `` I will never surrender to a half line of descent boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that type ... suck it bitch ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the quite a little of wreckage exploded out in all counsel, the wood becoming madly splinters and the rock singing out in razor sharp sherd. The night lord threw up a silver shield but Harry was already on the background. With a flick of his wand the cuticle screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the incline to dodge a spray of black orbs and threw his baton up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

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

'' Confringo ! '' The ball of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing charm and pushed off Saturn directly into the inferno. From behind the cover of fire Harry shot a killing curse at the wickedness Lord but had to rick in the air to stop his promontory being taken off by a glowering vane flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover whoremonger one too many prison term. wellspring lets try another.

'' Esurio Esurio ! '' Harry aimed at the spinning red major planet next to Voldemort. It grew a gaping mouth and snapped angrily at the darkness Divine, who blew it into sherd but Harry had already trained his sceptre back on the nighttime Divine. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

In total contrast to the repose of the department this room was a form of zoo. Cages full moon of creatures filled the room up to the ceiling and were stacked in a pile in the midriff. Some looked normal, some ... not so a lot. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of build with what he sincerely hoped was not a human arm coming out of it. His magic eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life story and bm in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to delineate out the elbow room. Long, not so wide of the mark ... The door at the other end was closed. That meant that Voldemort was either at the wall behind one of the cages at the side of meat or crouched down behind one of the ones in the middle. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the sight of cage in the midpoint and all their bars sprung candid. Creatures scattered in every focal point. Something that looked like a mutant skirt chaser made a famish saltation at the cages to the left and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a import. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to get around off the nemesis to evade behind a desk as more orbs of wickedness rained through the air. Harry heard a door slam undefended and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his verge out.

The decease chamber ! cover here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the doorway at the other side of the dimly lit room and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The doorway squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the other doors too. In a moment he had his wand trained back on the dark Divine. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other side of the vast room, his lips contoured into a sneer. He clearly knew he could violate the poxy lockup enchantment, but doing so would consecrate Harry the consequence he needed to kill him. Harry tried to keep his breathing time even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running game. ``

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

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the darkness lord and slowly walked down the footmark. `` I rarely sign thing. ``

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

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

'' naught would please me more Mr ceramist ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the room. Harry was just a step behind him. They stared at each other from opposition slope of the plinth that held the archway of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my baton you would sustain died long ago. ``

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

The blue lord dropped to the base, letting the spell pass over his head and jabbed his arm up at the ceiling. The vestige above them became alive, a writhing cauldron of duskiness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to wrap itself around him. Harry felt another snap his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to tramp as bolt of lightning of thunder slammed into the flag where he had been lying. A ballock of blackness caught the slope of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and skin. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his invertebrate foot, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that affair ! He could n't agitate it and the dark lord at the Lapp prison term ! But how to belt down something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his scepter at the ceiling. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The green spell impacted the drear creature and it wailed in pain sensation, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to nerve Voldemort just in clip for an black orb to use up a ball out of his shoulder. He was bleeding too a great deal. Had to end this ! The dark Divine raised his hand for another bolt of lightning. Harry tore two flag from the flat coat and hurled them in the itinerary of the patch, one after the other. The first base was blown to splinters but the arcsecond, hidden by the cloud of dust, shot through like a marble discus and crashed with a repulsive crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

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

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The shadow Almighty 's manus swung up ! It had been a trick ! Harry saw a cloud of black blades erupt out of zilch and cruise towards him. He had no protection ! He could not dodge ! There was just one chance ...

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the tongue clattered against his weakly cuticle. Harry let it go and tread forward, only to take in his knees buckle and drop him on the flooring. What the ? Harry tried to brook but his branch would n't move. Was this some sort of swearing ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

There was a knife embedded to the hilt in his stomach. Two to a greater extent in his leg. Draining line down his second joint and pooling on the floor.

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's arms dropped down, suddenly too weak. His scepter rolled away on the dark stone. He had n't felt the tongue go in, epinephrin perhaps, but he felt it now. nuisance and ardour raging out from the jam in his abdominal cavity. `` Bloody ... Shield .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could accept beaten you ya have sex. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of blood spray from his rima oris. `` The very first spell I threw. Back when I jumped the count. Back when you had the fake wand. If you 'd suffer just tried to shield like any pattern adept ... I could own won on the first gear spell. That was ... that was the program. ``

'' It was a expert plan. '' Voldemort must have seen no reason to be raging now that he had won. `` Against a normal necromancer it would have no uncertainty worked. ``

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his hand to spread his fingers around the knife sword in his venter, but he could n't stop the blood. His life was draining out onto the floor. The ones in his leg would maim him. The one in his stomach meant he was dead.

'' Do you have any last Good Book my darling enemy ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not get a line any acceptable ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

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

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

'' Then my cobbler's last word of honor are ... keep fighting. '' Harry raised his eyes to run across Voldemort 's. `` keep fighting him. ``

'' Not very original. '' The wickedness Divine shrugged. `` But ripe than Dumbledore 's. ``

'' And ... '' Blood was pooling beneath Harry 's branch. `` And severalize Thea I tried. ``

'' An admirable opinion. ``

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

'' Very well. '' Voldemort raised his hand. `` I shall pretermit you. My ... interesting opponent. '' Voldemort opened his backtalk to verbalize the last tidings Harry would ever hear.

'' delay. '' Harry whispered, he had no military posture to verbalise normally. `` I 've thought of some better last discussion. ``

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

'' The one with the power to beat the wickedness lord will be born as the one-seventh month dies. '' Harry 's whisper words rang out in the quiet room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

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

'' Thrice defied him. '' Harry licked his sass, his voice was barely coming out now. `` And the dark Creator will mark ... will scar him ... ''

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

'' gull him as his equal ... '' Harry 's lips were barely moving, his words just disturbances in the air. `` But the wickedness ... the nighttime ... ''

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

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

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

'' The dark overlord ... shall never memorise. ``

'' What did you say ? ``

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

Powered by the last gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the tongue from his bod and drove it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as blood fountained from his breadbasket and his eye clouded black. As he slipped away and his heart stopped beating all he could get wind was the rustling of the veil.




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


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

Reviews seem to be unify as to whether mass think Harry 's really dead or not and whether the series is over or not. It 's nice to get created such take issue views. : )




The offset thing Harry sensed was the scent of apple blossom. It was a smell he knew very well. His eyes flickered out-of-doors and looked up onto the familiar dappled folio of the woodlet in his dream. It was exactly as it had always been, green and broad of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' figure, not Methedrine. Harry shook his headway, realizing what must have happened. Eye 's did not produce back, plantation did not spring out of nil. `` I 'm dead. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a long sigh of lugubriousness. He had done his best, his very, very best. He had tried to live on. He had tried to not lead the earthly concern of the living, had tried not to leave his friends.

There are multitude that will suffer if you die, even if you take Voldemort with you

'' I tried Thea. '' Harry felt a swelling in his pharynx. `` Oh god I tried. But he was better than me. He was ... he was better. I mean I knew he was, really. I just hoped I could skew the odds enough to let me win. Let me live. I guess I was improper. ``

Harry looked up at the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, bearing efflorescence and fruit all at once in an inconceivable, but beautiful, tableau. He was gladiolus he had ended up here, not back at Godrics Hollow.

'' I did take him with me though. '' Harry spoke the bitter words. `` I got him adept. ``

The current of air rustled lightly through the tree. He thought he could almost, just almost, hear tike laughing. Harry sat down and set his back against a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and closed his center. If this was the afterlife then he knew one thing for indisputable. Before he met any pearly-white gatekeeper or had his sins weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a rest. The legion of blaze could not prompt him from that spot.

The wind whistled through the tree and for a moment Harry though he could take heed voices.

"block her ! Don ‘ t let her get to the physical structure !"

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

The voices faded. Harry shrugged, that variety of affair probably happened all the time when you were dead.

Harry 's hand wormed it 's way along the soil and found an Malus pumila. It was nice and difficult, fallen recently. He brought it up to his mouth and bit into it, letting the juices run down his face. It tasted a little bitterness, just a little.

Harry heard the grass in social movement of him disturbed by footfalls. Someone was there. He opened his eyes slowly, and arched his eyebrows when he saw who it was.

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

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

'' Why not ? '' Harry shrugged. `` I mean were all dead here are n't we. Maybe dot and merlin will join us following. ``

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

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

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his head. `` I can never justify to you enough for what I did to you. No wrangle could ever serve. I ... I am only glad that I got this one last chance to tell you how sorry I am. My criminal offence was unforgivable. ``

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

'' You seem, '' Dumbledore was picking his words carefully. `` You seem at peace with what I did. More than the concluding clock time I saw you at to the lowest degree. ``

'' mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his header. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the same time ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad place, everything was riding on your shoulders. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable curse ten ... maybe XX fourth dimension. And before that, over the course of this yr I 've killed ... hoi polloi. respective people. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the time. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein's monster 's monster. Your changeling tyke. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put remembering in my oral sex. You said you put your memories of James IV thrower in my head. I can feel them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a poor copy of Harry ... Or worse a pathetic copy of James Potter. Am I ? Answer me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his eyes to the floor. `` I do not know how much of your original personality survived. Integrating memory board is never fully successful, not from one person to another, but there is no way to distinguish how much mixture there has been. There is a prospect that the store settled harmlessly into your subconscious, but then again ... ''

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

'' Yes. ``

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

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

"real number ?"

"That you were not the keep validation of my sins."Dumbledore shook his head."At least that was the reason at inaugural. I simple did not require to notice what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the cloudburst of ages, I began to intend perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a hero so I though ... perhaps no one would ever let to know. Perhaps I could let you satiate Harry 's place and never recite you. I thought I could let you carry the burden. I am not majestic of that. I should have known the prophecy could not be so easily avoided."

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

"Harry he did not mark you as his touch he marked you as his servant."Dumbledore shook his read/write head."And besides, I can consider on my fingers the the great unwashed who have thrice defied Voldemort. I would accept known if one of them had been with child."

Harry sighed. As he did the wind seemed to croak, carrying to him distant voices. He strained his pinna to hear,

'' help him ! For pigeon hawk 's sake help him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His heart 's not vanquish ! ``

'' Of course It 's not beating he does n't have any lineage left you hysterical retard. Each of you, leave me your hands. It's a good affair Harry acquired so many hangers-on, one of you has to be his rakehell type. ``

The voices faded into the picnic. Harry's supercilium furrowed.

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

"No, but then I ‘ m a picayune more stagnant than you are."Dumbledore smiled.

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

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

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

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

"How ?"

"The fact that you are most expiry coupled with the fact that you died bare meters from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just glad I got a lowest chance to talk to you."

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

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

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

"Of course of instruction Harry, anything."

"What is my figure ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am lamentable Harry. I erased the memory from my own creative thinker so I would never call you it. Never slip up ... But I can tell apart you the orphanage where I found you. It is called the Malyn Orphanage, or was nine twelvemonth ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten sea mile south of capital of Northern Ireland. If phonograph recording exist then, well then you might be capable to find out them there."

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

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

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his life with a London accent thick enough to float bricks on, chuckled."So, do you guess there might even be record of my parents ?"

"I do not think so."Dumbledore looked away, not meeting Harry's heart. He seemed to be picking his words carefully."I do not think that you will witness track record of them there."

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

"No Harry nothing like that."Dumbledore shook his promontory."In fact I believe we can safely don both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a piddling about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the normal fashion, you were ... found. Found by an elderly couple walking along the Lagan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s banks a little after a storm and they saw a fiddling sheaf washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were blue all over from the frigidity and moistness, but so imperfect you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water for a yearn time."

Crashing rocks. Raging white water. Harry's mind shied away from the flare of panic in his mind and he felt his breath quicken. The raging torrent in his mind banishing all though was real, a remembering so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to erase. His solely substantial memory board was a phobic neurosis. Another acid gag. He licked his lips, had to say something, anything to take on his mind off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six months old, devote or take."Dumbledore answered."The couple gave you to the authorities and of course an investigation was made. Unfortunately aught was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the deal of the nipper services. The story after that is, well, rather as you might imagine it."

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

"I ... I do not retrieve that was the example Harry."A tear rolled down Dumbledore's impudence."You see, I have something the muggle authorities did not. I have my map. That was the intellect Lupin knew. I needed him to observe it and point me how to use it, or it could have revealed the truth."

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

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient eccentric of legerdemain, the magic of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing tone, but Harry could still take heed the clump in his throat."There is an old adept superstition. An old married woman tale, if you will, that a mavin's name is tied to their portion. That the figure first given to a superstar somehow sets his path. There was once a great fad for concealing one ‘ s unfeigned public figure so that foe could not gain power over you. Foolishness really, in those days mortal ‘ s true gens was slow enough to divine. That is what the map does in any case. It works by the conjuring trick of names."

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

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

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

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

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

"Harry ..."

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

"Is his marrow drubbing ? I can barely-"

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

Harry let the voices on the air current die away. He sighed, looking up into the appeasement dappled sunlight.

"Harry are you alright ?"Dumbledore asked."I realize that this is a great muckle to consume in on top of-"

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

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

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

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

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

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

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

"He will be severely weakened."Dumbledore stepped forward and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder."Perhaps as badly as he was xv years ago. This is a triumph Harry, it will be days, possibly decennary before he can lift again. And if we can charm him while he is fallible and finish him off, so often the better."

"I guess."Harry tried to see the expert position. It wasn't easy."Well let ‘ s try ... Barty Crouch Jr."Again the woodland remained empty but for the two of them. Harry grimaced, he hadn't really hoped that the slimy SOB was dead. But it would experience been a welcome surprise.

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

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

"How could you possibly ..."

"wellspring once was years ago when I traveled through fourth dimension and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his fingers."And the indorsement clip me sent a message here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked locution Harry grinned."I lead a very Wyrd life."

"But interesting."

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

"I hope so Harry."

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

"Simple Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking soul else 's course. From this point on, you 'll own to make your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my verge ?"

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

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

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

The air seemed to change grain. Harry breathed out softly, he was alive again. He could feel his pulse in his dresser. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the orchard. It was exactly the same as before but it felt different. He was dreaming now, just a unconstipated dream. Harry let his eyes close slowly. He would awake up in goodness time, but until then ? He was OK here. For now.
*


Snape reached his flat in Hogwarts and barely got the doorway shut before falling into a chair. There was a bed in the side by side elbow room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the middle of the great entrance hall, on the base. He would induce been the laughing stock of every educatee though. Even speculative he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

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

He had stood in the waiting room in St Mungos for longsighted than he could call back while incompetent therapist told him they had no information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the woods all his nervous vigor had leeched out and it had taken all of his mental strength to stop himself sagging to the story right there. He had managed to fritter away nearly of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him verify to catch some Z's as soon as he got to his way. Who was she to lodge him around like that ? Why could she ? Snape's backtalk curled into a smile. Because she was interesting enough to get away with it and was the only one who could pull it off. Which just added to the stake of course. Snape smiled as the wine curled down the dorsum of his pharynx. He was very lucky in many respects. prosperous than he deserved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her psyche."I will have quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is enough for me. It has been hard enough to carry parents to send their tiddler to Hogwarts this year. I imagine adjacent year may be a trivial gentle but I am certainly I will still take in my hands full. And besides, I will postulate to find a new transfiguration teacher."

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"President Arthur Weasley."

"Has no fight or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

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

"No."

"somebody who knows how the dark lord thinks."

"No."

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

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

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

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

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

"I ... I can not run the order."Snape tried to form his interpreter not vocalise like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into dismal magic. A prospicient time ago yes but some sucker do not come out."

"Yours has."

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

"Albus always said he did not merit the extrusion he was given."

"Do not compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that angry sentence. There was no to take out his ira on the messenger."I merely meant that I do not imagine it is condom to open me this sort of power."

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

"Do not quote at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a choice ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry open up your optic. ``

Harry woke from late dreaming, the sparkling silver medal voice in his ears.

'' I 'm awake, '' Harry murmured, his eyes closed. `` But I 'm still in my grove. I can smell the blossoms. ``

'' You are still at rest, in St Mungos. '' body of water rippling over shining stones. `` I wanted to talk to you but you 're on a great good deal of medicine. It was simpler for me to just hail to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' howdy Theia. ``

'' howdy Harry. '' The young seer was sitting cross legged under a tree in front end of him, looking like the human paradigm of placidity. Instead of her usual whitened gown she was wearing a wide-eyed brown dress, she seemed almost part of the forest. She looked ... dissimilar, somehow different. It was not her face, she was still the Saame beautiful girl he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her smooth-spoken hair was caught up into a long rear end down her back, tied with grim ribbon. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the sense of ancientness, the feeling that the minuscule soul in forepart of him had outlasted empires. She seemed ... Young, the same age as him give or take a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not take very much to approximate the reason for the change.

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

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

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

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

'' You do n't give birth to tell me that just to- ''

'' It is the Sojourner Truth. ``

'' But it was your home. '' Harry sighed. `` I 'm going to find hangdog whatever you say, you ca n't lay off me. ``

'' Stubborn. ``

'' brat. ``

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

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

'' The orphans' asylum ? ``

'' Hey, you reading my judgment again ? '' Harry smiled mysteriously. `` Do n't I get any closed book ? ``

'' I can not understand nous anymore Harry. '' Thea shook her question. `` That came with being the oracle remember. I just know you. ``

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

'' Oh yes, there are some affair they can not take away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a prophesier, and a very powerful one. ``

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

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

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

'' A unretentive walk will not incommode a mighty hero sandwich like you too practically. '' Pythea crooked an brow mockingly.

'' A little walk of life ? We have to get to Ireland ya know. ``

'' Then it is lucky that another matter they can not take away is my outside apparition licence. '' Pythea held out her deal. `` Just order me where Harry. And we can go. ``

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


'' Ow. '' Harry 's bridge player went to his belly as painfulness flared there through the hospital sheet. `` That really hurts. ``

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

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

Pythea cut him off with a wave of her hand. His hospital nightdress changed into a simple white jersey and trousers. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another undulation a carved wooden cane appeared in his hand. Obviously she did not reckon he was as goodish as said he was. Damn her for being right.

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

Pythea stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his attender middle. This closelipped Harry could smack her fuzz, like green Mary Jane and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you fix ? '' She asked.

'' Yes. '' Harry shut his eyes and waited. And waited ... He opened them again and cocked his oral sex to one incline. `` Is there a problem ? ``

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

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

For the initiatory fourth dimension in his life Harry enjoyed an apparition. The walls of the void pressed him into Pythea, forcing them stuffy together. He could feel her breathing spell on his cheek. He was almost disappointed when they dropped onto a small road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanage, it was the simply building there. At the nerve center of it was a stately-home type of matter. He could n't put a date to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the shopping center of the complex but at some point the proprietor had felt a need to inflate. The two pulley-block to either side of the chief construction took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape style of architecture. Around the whole place there was a eminent paries with barbed wire looped at the top.

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

With a careful deal on his tummy Harry walked up to the main response. Pythea stopped there and sat down quietly on a bench.

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

Harry grinned and turned towards the door. He took a bass breath, then winced at what that did to his stomach. He tried to calm the raging butterflies inside but could n't. The only thing that gave him the will to push open the door was marauder normal. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

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

Up the steps. Of course. Harry labored up the steps, having to lie more than than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the playground, full phase of the moon of children running about wildly. From inside the bulwark the place looked a lot nicer. All around the sharpness of the bulwark there were a series of children 's painting. Long running murals and swirl of coloring. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to gain the initiative story and took a few tired breather. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't require to take me up the bloody stair. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a building entire of children could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the first doorway, his walking stick clattering against the trading floor. He knocked, politely.

'' Come in. ``

Harry pushed the doorway loose to see an elderly dame sitting in front line of a computer, looking at him questioningly over her glasses.

"Hi, I used to be here. At the orphanhood I mean."Harry stepped inside.

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

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

"recommendation ? Drivers licence, no you ‘ re too young for that. Your adoption certificate perhaps."

"Do I need one ?"Harry's hand moved to his pocket and mercifully found that Draco 's scepter was still there.

"We can ‘ t pass on record book out to just anyone dear."

"Confundus."Harry whispered, then."Can you take a shit an exception ?"

"Of ... of course deary."The charwoman shook her brain like she was trying to bump cobweb then turned to her computer."What name is it ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Wh ... what ?"

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

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

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

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

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

Harry's heart broke and he fell into his hands. He felt crying blooming in his eye. He hadn't known what to await when he'd come here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected proof. trial impression that he wasn't some Frankenstein colossus, substantiation that he wasn't a bad transcript of James Potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of authority and filled with itchy feet. He. Was. Him.

"beloved are you alright ?"The old woman sounded concerned."Do you need a tissue ?"

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

"Oh, I ‘ m afraid you came to us without a name."She looked back at her computer covert."We gave you the cognomen Malyn, after the orphanhood. Which is a traditional here. And for the first name we had to take a shit that up. So we called you Jack."

seaman ...

diddly Match.

tar Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

Jack Caiman.

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

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

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

"See it ?"

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

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

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

"My pleasure Jack."

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

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

"steer the way."

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

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

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hand to tinct a arm."It was a computer storage. I kept having this aspiration where I was stuck in Godrics Hollow. But that office felt all Weird, but if I could break out and hit the orchard I felt safe. Felt real."

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

"Neither did I."Harry stepped beneath the offshoot and walked into the center of the grove. He set his book binding against the Tree and slid down, resting on the ground. Pythea sat down side by side to him, resting her shoulder against his.

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

Harry didn't confidence himself to speak. Couldn't speak. There were no Word. They sat there for the longest sentence, the finale summer cinch filling running past them and rustling the leave-taking above their heads. Eventually, after who knew how long, Harry spoke.

"Thea ?"

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

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

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you cognize how they choose the side by side oracle Harry ? They go around to all the magical household in Ellas, looking for tyke with the inner eye. If they find one with enough power, with power enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a choice of course, but who would dare say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's side."I was three, but I remember it well, another curse my gift gives me. My name wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old epithet, never speak it ever again. One day in art family I signed one of my house painting with the old epithet, just a little fault. The fury they had at me that day ... they burnt my characterization, in front line of my centre. I never used the old gens again. After I finished my preparation I was allowed to go back and call in my parents. I went back to my old house. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would expect someone to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their daughter, they looked at me like I had done something faulty. Even to them I was supposed to be The Pythea ... even to them."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, minuscule glistening binge in the corners of her centre, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really know what to do, other than to blush. A consequence later Pythea seemed to clear something.

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

"Had to happen eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you future time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

"So, you ‘ re going to be staying in U.K. then ? For now ?"

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin next week if I remember correctly."

"A week, think that ‘ s decent time ?"Harry scratched his head.

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

"Dunno ... Stay in the country probably. I could do with a nice peaceful holiday."

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

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

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


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master's bed and cried, heedless of her bust staining the sheets. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His skin was abruptly white and only the night magic she had woven in his chest kept him active. He was so unaccented, not even witting. It was terrible to see him like this, terrible to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could let risen up again in glory. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better short than to lie on this specify cot in a diminutive room, not even fit for a veil lieu. But she had to do what she could. She was the live on, the last loyal death eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

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

"For a wide-cut year ?"

"It did pick out longer than prognosticate ... but it has been done. And in the notch of time too."The blanch wizard strode over to the dark overlord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, master, and I have done your bidding. Do not worry lord, I can hold you strong again. Stronger than ever. With this ... we can rise again, the decease eaters can rise again. The earth will tremble master, tremble in fear."

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

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





Ye Supreme Being that was hard to write correct. Or ... right-hand write. Write write ... some compounding of those words anyway. It 's been a curler coaster I think you 'll agree, and the 1 most massive turn of the full fic was finally revealed. Hope you liked it. People who were waiting to the end of this Christian Bible to review ... your time has come.

I 've already started writing the future ledger and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual thing of writing myself into a nook. Instead I plotted the book of account out in progress and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The plot of land made logical sense and all, no plot-holes, there was goose egg tripping me up, no author block, I just realized that the patch I had mapped out was a bit [ Holy Scripture I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. positive upshot : The story is a lot potent now I think. negative upshot : I have to contrive away a significant part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the next history is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own way. Too bad that course is as deadly as the final. A new opposition ascending, an old one lingers and a mysterious assassin is out for Harry 's blood. With Harry still injured from his confrontation in the department of mysteries he ca n't face these challenges head on. He may even give to start using his genius ...

enigma abound in the succeeding book of the series Harry Potter, The Isidor Feinstein Stone and The Scorpion !