Thanks to all the the great unwashed who reviewed the close chapter. Your several permutations of the full general `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most apprehended. I feel kind of bad for jumping a device like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. Good to sleep with the majority of multitude 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 optic were red, like he'd been crying. Perhaps the pain was worse 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 subject. He didn't speak though, didn't acknowledge her. He just stared off into space. What had Dumbledore said to him ?

"Harry I ‘ ve been talking to the healer. They ‘ ve run some more tests."She licked her lips."tone, it looks like a few months was actually optimistic. There ‘ s wrong deep down, lots of damage. You need to let them help oneself you now or ... or you ‘ ll die. In a few weeks."

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

"You won ‘ t be able to contend Voldemort."Padma tried a unlike tack."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have workweek like you ‘ ve been going all class. You ‘ ll have hebdomad in this hospital bed, not able to move, eventually you won ‘ t even be able to speak. You won ‘ t be able-bodied to belt down 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 avail you."Padma stepped up to put her hand on Harry's."Please ?"

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

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

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his intellect as the healer entered his elbow room. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty Good Book. They cleaned him up, washing his arms and dresser. They asked him to remove the pick-me-up. He did, letting it fall to the floor with a brassy clatter. The healers shied away from the scar 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 care, as they cut his skin unfold. His blood seeped out, quickly staunched by a healer. He wished they wouldn't bother.

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


genus Draco slapped the sore tegument of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the engagement, but it was fine now. Just enough remainder rubor and pain to facilitate him stay alert. He swung his weary eyes around the wait room, all of the piranha were here. Most of them had finally succumbed to sleep, Dragon didn't blame them. It was hard to imagine that the deadly midnight assault on the creature ship had been just last night. They had been worn out, worn down. Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could observe some tea. The tea store was closed but surely the healers had a staff room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just fall asleep.

Draco shook his principal. Some of them had to be awake when the healers finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for minute. How many ... additions .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the room again. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Even Ginny, who seemed to have 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 metre before a instructor or an Order extremity came to wrangle them up and drag them back to Hogwarts, where they would no doubtfulness stay on. Chained to posts like dogs so they couldn't run off again.

Draco got wearily to his feet, maybe he could walk some of his tiredness off. He stepped carefully around the prone piranha and stepped up to the door to the hospital ward. Harry's bed was obscured by curtain but the tincture of the healer were still moving against the Earth's surface. As he watched one of them detached and stepped towards the door. Draco stepped away to let him out, Bob Hope and dread rising in his stomach.

"Is there any news program ?"genus Draco asked.

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

"Yes."Draco said definitely, looking over the marauders."hold a bit ... HEY !"The vulture jerked to life, hands flying to wands before they realized where they were. Draco turned back to the healer."They ‘ re up. What is the newsworthiness ?"

"Well we ... we removed several particular from the organic structure of your friend."The short healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the bulwark of his tummy. We think it may have been designed to negate poison but it seems to cause had the contrary effect. It was the source of his unwellness. We also found-"

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

"His ... his eye."The therapist paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a smashing batch of scarring. Unfortunately we were unable to restore it. We are currently looking into whether the induction he has is high timbre enough to leave there."

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

"Yes, I know."The therapist shook his question and turned back towards the door."We ‘ ll try to keep open you informed."He pushed back through the doorway and hurried back towards the curtain bed.

genus Draco looked back over the marauders. Through their sand-filled, sagging eyes he could see their sadness. Harry had fought so hard and got nix in counter but accusal of execution and a permanent wave deformity. And a saturnine Deutschmark, they could not forget that.

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

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

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


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

"There are not, it was not made to be removed."Snape tightened the strap around his arm."And I would choose 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 baton to the peel on Snape's arm. The slicing pain was distant, dulled by potions. There were bottleful by his arm, some empty, some waiting to grow the skin back after the bell ringer was gone. He was in his flat at Hogwarts, the only place he could have gained those potions without dubiousness 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 shadow lord as well. What would he do next ? What would his next move be ...

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

"He will not."Snape shook his head."He was forced to obscure 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 edge of the skull."That is who he has left. What would he do with them ?"

"It will be brute, I am certain of that."Snape felt the cutting period and watched as Natalie picked the piddling tizzy of pelt up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was absolve. Strange that he should feel so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly disembarrass until Voldemort was dead. Perhaps because he knew that, without the ability to spy, he was adjacent to useless.

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

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

"You had to."Was all she said.

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

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

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

"The ministry ? The department of closed book ? The prophecy ?"

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

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

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

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

"I believe I have some wine."
*


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

He pushed himself off the flooring, leaning his wear out material body against the bulwark. The wall painted with bears and snitcher over a pale blue sky sky full of flossy swarm. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't conscription the Energy Department. He ignored the pony in the center of the elbow room, it's burnished mobile spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the threshold capable and descended the stairs. The revulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely wreak himself to care. He knew what this place was now.

No one-year-old remembers their firm. No one-year-old could remember every exposure, or the pattern on the wallpaper. This place was a lie, a parasitic memory that had been burnt into his mind. The creeping sickness in his cutis was his nous's way of telling him that it wasn't very, that it didn't belong.

He stepped up to the front door and stepped outside. There were street mansion in the memory. No one-year-old would remember street sign, they couldn't even read them. He should consume known, should feature realized somehow.

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

His optic flickered heart-to-heart in the infirmary Montgomery Ward. He could palpate the sore new outgrowth in his helping hand. It was pink, new skin, and smaller than the other. Harry dropped it back onto the mantle. Other parts of his body hurt too, little scrape and harm. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

The aspiration was still swirling in his head, biting at him. It was too unvoiced. He saw his things piled neatly against the paries, even his wearing apparel. Suddenly he knew he had to leave. This seat ... 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 marauders were sleeping there, lying across benches or curled up on the floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Couldn't talk, he had no approximation how he would even start. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't closure until he was out of the building and a few streets away. A small street, not busy. Breathing hard he shoved his wand out into the street. He found that he could barely keep his arm up for the few second it took for the knight bus to dim out of nowhere and squawk to a stop in presence of him.

"Ere are you Harry Potter ?"The pimply conductor squinted at him, his voice replete of amazement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He stepped send on his hand stretched out, then shied away. This house was just Sir Thomas More Trygve Halvden Lie. The intuitive feeling in his head, brokenheartedness, loss, fear. They weren't his, they weren't his departure. merely strangers had died here, two stranger. hoi polloi who had aught to do with him. The heartbreak was another trick, just another point of lie.

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

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the stone, hissing out furore through his tooth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his literal memory were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Jesus's sake ! His hale body was a mask !

The Harlan Stone shifted under his fingers. He looked up just as the memorial seemed to unfreeze, morphing into, a statue underneath. Harry stumbled back. No ... no no no. Under the memorial there were two image, a man and a woman. The woman cradled something in her manus. 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 happy thrower house. The will in gem to the life he had never really had. His fingers went to his wand.

"Reducto !"The verge flickered out, even through the rage the spell flew true. It struck the head teacher of the male parent statue, shattering it into splinters. Some of them cut the boy's flesh. He didn't care.

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

"Reducto ! !"The final stage shot was the substantial, striking out in a blinding thunderbolt of light, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. Flames flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the ruined rostrum of mind and died to nothing.

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

His eyes found a graveyard. Both oculus, actual and witching. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his vision, the X-ray picture view of the world. Now it was just a unremitting admonisher. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the necropolis gate open and let the eye roam, in a mo it had angled in on the Potter grave. He walked hesitantly to it, his baton safely away in his scoop. He pushed a piece of ivy off the I. F. Stone and translate the inscription.
The finis opposition that shall be destroyed is death


Well that was bullock block. Being dead meant you had at least one other enemy left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffin, side to side in the solid ground, stared back at him. But ... there was a shadower. Like a vacant area. He drew his wand and muttered a revelation patch. Faint whiffs of illusion drew out of the priming coat to see him. He waved his wand again, cutting the misty street child away. He worked ... he didn't acknowledge how tenacious. Probably hour, maybe 60 minutes. At some breaker point the gray sky gave way to rain down and the graveyard eatage turned silken. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the enchantment. It was good. It was a puzzle, breaking the deception. 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 thorax. There was a third coffin on top of the other two, arranged like a pyramid. Inside ... inside was a pocket-sized body, a child. It's flyspeck weapon system crossed over it's chest.

The unknown boy fell to his knee. There it was, the concluding proof. The final incontrovertible check. That piteous wasted body in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a tiny gelt on the bone of his scull, above his eye, in the configuration of a lightning bolt. The real cicatrice had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely more than composition. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the Harlan Fisk Stone, but said nothing. The angriness in him was gone. He had seen the organic structure of the real ceramist, lying together. It was hard to feel anger, but he wished he did. The anger at least filled him up, filled the vacuum with flaming. But now the fire was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the breaker point of his wand against the uncut, wet stone.

It wasn't even his sceptre. He stared at it, thoughts skittering over the numb midpoint of his creative thinker. It was a sceptre gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be character of. This scepter was his killing verge. He had done ugly matter for the rice beer of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the wood. He had pickled his soul in parentage and what had it got him ? He added his other arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a loud cracking, the springy forest bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A short red fluff was seeable through the breach. It had had a phoenix feather center, he never knew.

"fountainhead that makes thinks easier."

The vox had come from behind him. He turned slowly but his charming eye had already whizzed around to find the interloper. The black robes told him everything he needed to know. Harry knew he should palpate panic, or dread, fear perhaps, at least surprise. But he was damned if he felt anything.

"You would be Rookwood."His part sounded drained in his ears.

"Yes I am August Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his wand in his hand."Thank pigeon hawk I still have a scout on the underage legerdemain detectors. You ‘ ve total a long way just to fall away now. A foresightful hanker way ..."

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

"Eventually Mr ceramicist, no doubt."Rookwood held out his sceptre."But first you ‘ re going to secure something for me."

"What ?"

"The dark Creator ‘ s undying favor."Rookwood tilted his head up arrogantly."I will be raised above the others, above even that whoreson Crouch."Rookwood paused, obviously expecting the wear down pattern before him to say something. `` Well ? Nothing to add ? No humor ? ``

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

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

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


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing lightness burned through his lid as he groaned. The racket went on and on, familiar ... very intimate. His memories twinged, his real ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eyes flickered open just as the vacuum tube gear flashed out of sight, leaving the burrow in darkness. He felt the corduroys binding his hands together, his fingerbreadth danced along them trying to find a knot. There was none. They were stiff though, biting into his skin, magical no doubt. He didn't have to find to know that his ramification were similarly bound. He didn't trouble to try to stand.

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

The nameless boy twisted and looked around him, one of the walls was been broken through and a shadow, gross burrow stretched away. Now that the railroad train was gone he could get a line something in the shadow all around, a scratching slinking sound.

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

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

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

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling deal. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some kind of frigidity, desperation ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were close to them ? He shook his head, they couldn't rival him, a person could only experience so practically desperation and he was already at his terminus ad quem. And as for making him relive his worst memories ? Ha ! His darkest instant 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 subject. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his wand, making a silencing spell. A second moving-picture show levitated him off the trading floor. Rookwood reached into his air hole and pulled out a prospicient silvery length of cloth, easily recognizable. 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 shoe slipping on the wet dirt.

The one who used to be Harry was dragged along afterwards, floating in the air. He couldn't move ... speak ... he was a ghost. Right now his berth fit him like a glove. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scratching, digging sound. The dementors followed after, filling the burrow with coldness. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the crimp trope came into vista. One dark cloaked figure standing tall, the ease ragged and torn and scrabbling at the dirt mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their clothes that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or zombies. Who could enjoin the difference ? The design in presence of them turned as Rookwood approached. Dark farsighted hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are recent Augustus."The distaff death eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a blade toed boot with the force of a falling teenager behind it did More equipment casualty than expected. The left incline of her face was crushed in, a passel of scars and bulging hide. When she spoke she slurred, only the mightily side of her backtalk moving. Her eye was a raw socket, zip left.

She had lost her eye. How wonderful. How very touching. Under the cloak the invisible prisoner felt his vacancy filled with a tiny spark of satisfaction.

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

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

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

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

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

"There is no crowd together anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her smash nerve."There are three of us. There will be More than enough glory to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into dilute air.

"Lying bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark lord ‘ s right hand. Stop digging you freaks !"He directed the net one to the fauna burrowing in the grime. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant eyes rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his scepter and the dirt began flying away faster. In a light moment the shite became a brick rampart, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you set up Mr Potter ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the wall and raised his verge. There was a smashing blast and the rampart caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his foundation his bridge player tangling in his robes. A green flash of light struck him in the read/write 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 quiet, then the riot started.
*


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

"Moody ?"Albus appeared around the corner, his typeface a mask of headache."You were on guard duty. What are you doing here ?"

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Helen Wills tried to observe up, his breath catching in his chest of drawers."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even know where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a architectural plan ! Do you have a design you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the corner. Helen Wills doubled over, he was old, too old. But graven image he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the netherworld was Dumbledore thinking ? He could get them all killed ! The entire order. The full bloody order in one fell swoop, and what the underworld could he do to arrest 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 !"Helen Newington Wills shouted towards the startled Professor."The order needs your assistance !"

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

"The ministry is compromised !"Moody saw his words 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."Look at him, something else is going on."

"Smart girl."Helen Newington Wills shook his head."Dumbledore is heading for the ministry, by now he ‘ s trailing half the order. He ‘ s going in without any middle, without anything. It is a lying in wait, or could be. Even if it ‘ s not he ‘ s still going to lose half the purchase order. He ‘ s ... he ‘ s reckless. He ‘ s stuck in the old war. He ‘ s everything you said he was. But if we let this befall ..."

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

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

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

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

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

"Do you make love where to find one ?"

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


Rookwood stepped over a body. It's eyes were still open, it's rima oris moving vacantly. The dementor's osculation, it left them living, but they were bodies nonetheless. Rookwood paid them no mind.

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

"What are you doing with me ?"thrower's voice was a little horse from the long secrecy."You ‘ re trying to garner gunpoint with your Lord, isn ‘ t capturing me plenty ?"

"more than plenty Harry. to a greater extent than enough."Rookwood tweaked his wand and the bonds on Harry's branch snapped off. Another clink and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the cake. If I am to surpass Crouch in terminus of merit to the lord ... I must seek the icing."

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

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

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

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the ceiling, looking for victims. There were still a few left hand. Not enough to worry over though. He stepped into out into the memory berth, pulling his strangely compliant charge past the tank car of brains. He stopped by the door to the destruction chamber, there was the sound of while from within, mortal holding out perhaps. He pushed the room access afford in meter to see a sorcerer scrambling away from an inferi trip and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering awful in it's unshakable grip and threw him away with inhuman speciality. Screaming as he flew across the elbow room, his shrieking was cut off as he fell through the arch in the snapper. The pall ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a shudder, he was never entirely well-fixed with the execution portal. Harry watched from his English with dim optic. What was wrongly with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the room, giving the inferi a wide birth, and pushed spread out the room access at the other side.

"well Potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the depository financial institution of ledge in front of them, each one with rows upon row of bantam spheres."This is the hall of prophecy."

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

"They are records 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 act on the shelf, yes this was it."The prophecy concerned you and the dark lord, you know that too ?"

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

"The dark overlord 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 give 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 mysteries ? They are keyed, protected. Only sealed people can cabbage them from where they lie. Namely the citizenry they have been made about. So the only mass who can involve this prophecy are the dark lord, and you. ``

Potter stared at the orb for a second longer, the Holy Writ sinking into him. Then he threw his headspring back and laughed, laughed so hard his eyes ran with tears. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in gag, not in joy. This was a bitter jape, full of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

"If they are very prosperous they might bunk 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 glass."To hell with it."His fingerbreadth closed around the orb.
*


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

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

They were overrun, there were too many !

"Help me ! Oh god help me !"A form ran from out of the craziness, his green plug hat still clutched in his manus."Please !"

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

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

She heard a scream from her impart and sent a patronus wildly into the surging bunch. The screaming cut off sharply. Whether she had had any effect she did not jazz, she had to transform again to dance out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to send another shining sparkle to hold them back again. But her body was hackneyed, her wand arm tired.

Rotting anatomy filled her nostril and she tried to bring her wand around. Too slowly. The dead fist crunched into the incline of her head and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the drained shape to shards, blood already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to collapse it.

No one.
*


The orb came liberal in ceramist's hand, it's faint glowing shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his spunk saltation, but the ceramicist boy was staring at the vaticination like it was a live snake.

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

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

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

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the whiteness light faltered. A bum whine filled the air, like grinding gear mechanism. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his fingers. In the eye of the Andrew Dickson White a diminutive spindle of shadow was growing, like ink in milk. The blackness grew until it covered the whole inside of the orb, it was no thirster shining glass but a polish orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his pinna. Suddenly there was a sparkle crepitation and ceramist yelped in pain in the neck, spilling the prophecy onto the story. Rookwood cried out, it would expose for sure ! But when the orb struck the ground it squelched, spreading out like Henry Clay. Smoke rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood leant forwards and held his deal out over it. The heating was unbearable 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. Potter backed away, his hands held up.

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

"Dumbledore could not cause touched the prognostication !"

"He could if it was already played out."Potter glanced at the sludge on the level."A trap, or else his illusions on me interfered somehow."

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

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


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to bulk large by the ceiling. The silence broken only be the groaning of the bruise. Minerva 's eye found the entrance to the airlift, it 's network opening night in a grating clangour. Stepping out into the corridor, black robes floating behind him and a handwriting curled in a undulation to the creatures swirling above, was the dark lord himself. Minerva felt her gist start to her throat. She glanced around, the ordination was in tatters. Only Dumbledore stood tall, the rest of them were covered in descent and shaking from the elbow grease of the engagement. There was no force here to stop a dark lord, no force at all.

Voldermort's eyes found a quivering lump on the storey and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the nighttime lord crooked a fingerbreadth, pulling the frame to his feet. The super C bowler hat was gone, but the pale anatomy remained.

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

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

"Hurt you Cornelius ? But why would I need to ?"Voldemort gestured to the cap."Even as I speak the repose of your ministry has already been overrun. The ministry you so love is a nest of soul sucking spook. Why would I need to anguish you ? I already have everything I wanted from you."

"Tom,"Dumbledore's voice spoke out voiced in the wickedness."You can not possibly think I will let this endure ?"

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

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the Headmaster off with a sharp word."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his hand and the Dementors fell like hunting hawks. Minerva was forced to crusade for her life against the grey-headed hoard, spinning around her like a maelstrom of death. And in flashes of wanton beyond that whirl she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his sceptre out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the crush was too gravid. An inferi had her arm in it's frailty like clutch and she blew it off with flames. Another took it's place too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of over-embellished lightness that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling hotshot in the center of all this, Dumbledore raising the very Harlan Stone of the floor in a wall against the dark lord, but it was blasted to tear up just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

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

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

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

"Then what do you advise !"

"We die."Lupin delivered that last in a savourless growling."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to shake off another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as white mist, easily brushed aside by the spook. Suddenly there was a burst of tearing dissonance, breaking the flagstones and making the sleeping room shake with it's forcefulness. As it died there a flash of red illumination and a highschool cruel laugh.

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

The dementors parted for a present moment, like swarm in wind. The dark Divine stood over the sprawled form of the Headmaster, his boot on Dumbeldore's neck. Minerva felt despair that had nothing to do with the dementors. She let her wand helping hand bead to her side. They had lost. It was all over.

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

"You ! double-crosser !"Voldemort had his wand drawn and had spun to face the raise. Minerva turned to look but saw just one physical body standing there, his arms crossed in self-important casualness.

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

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

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

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

"The student ?"

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

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The indefinable grabbed a prone figure on the floor."Now order your people to fall down back before everyone else is abruptly !"
*


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

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

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

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

He crouched down on the floor, his fingers going to Tonk's neck opening on instinct. He did not really require to find anything, her skin was sick and ...

She had a pulse.

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

So long ... His brainiac was hoary sludge, he just wanted to shut down. He had no sceptre and his muscleman were water. They would never reach safety anyway, this place was a warzone. But on the other script ... Tonks.

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



inspection and you will arise fairy backstage that will let you fly.


Due to other commitments my postings may get a lilliputian boost apart for a while. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the bound of the outflow of magical sidekick. Every bone ached and his arm was tied up to his body in a sling. There was no clock time for healing yet though, no time at all.

"Stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a strong-armer combination to master ), raising her hands to the crowd of ministry survivors."Just stop there and the therapist will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The last was directed to a daily vaticinator reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook computer.

The former side of the hall, back behind the fireplaces, a line of work of seam were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth heathland lying sedated, her bridge player clutched by her ceaseless fellow traveller Vanessa. She would be alright though, a little low temperature and tranquil for workweek to add up and likely not ever wanting to bump a dementor again but she would live. Oh to ingest just one of them back in his house, or any of the marauders. They had fought like Tigers, like round dog with wands.

One of the doors slammed open and Markus stepped out angrily. His gown were mostly burnt off and he had descent running down the side of meat of his breast but he seemed unaware of these trivial details.

"She got away."The monumental necromancer reached the edge of the fountain and plunged his head under the surface. A moment later he lifted it up and pushed 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 Ward she disapparated."

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

"So I'm the only one who missed his mark."Markus shook sprays of water supply out of his hair."Sorry mate."

"Bella has more lives than a cat, do not think any more than 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 floor before glancing around at the mix-up. `` What ‘ s happening here ? Did we get everybody out ?"

"We have taken back about of the ministry. I believe all of the vulture deserve Os"

'' They deserve bally laurel wreath ! ``

'' Yes but I can not dedicate them decoration. You however can open them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain smile and saw it returned broader. He gestured towards the lift with his practiced arm."Voldemort holds the department of mystery. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a ward on the lift and on all staircases."

"I can part through."Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` founder me five minute of arc. ``

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

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

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

"How many ?"

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

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

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

'' What the ... '' Suddenly A. A. Michelson was on his metrical unit, an expression of seismic disturbance on his face. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A moment later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passage Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his face a grayish masque. He did n't look up, did n't notice anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his loading down bedside a blow out of the water healer. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every corner of the room, running towards the unexpected lot of their leader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Where 's your wand ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the predator shied back there was a blast of heating from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the fountain of wizard pal go red hot and start melting, dissolving into the water system with a hissing. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water, mixing with the water supply. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order members, ministry workers and predator surrounded the pool of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with yellow twinkle up to the ceiling. As they watched it faded to silver, then to grey, then finally to pure Caucasian. The Patrick Victor Martindale White resolved into physique, colours bloomed out of the pure light. As the shapes coalesced Snape heard a screaming from soul on the other side of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

In the consortium, rippling on the surface of the liquid, was an image of master Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the department of mysteries. The wand in his helping hand was farseeing and blench, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's wand. Behind the dark lord, lined up and chained together, were ten wizards. Though the photo was faded and the colouring ran together Snape could easily recognize the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort epitome turned towards them and spoke, his articulation sounding deep and echoic like it was coming from the rear end of a well.

'' near whizz of the ministry, '' The darkness master greeted amicably. `` Members of the order of the phoenix and the goodness children. What you are seeing is the inside of the section of mysteries, where all the greatest closed book are hidden. All the deepest magic of the ministry is within these bulwark, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And look at my friends here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his prisoners. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the price of defying Almighty Voldemort. '' He took a bundle of verge out of his pocket and hovered it into the air. With a gout of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the price ... And calculate who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger and Fudge was dragged forward, his bonds separating from the others. He came to a catch by the dark lord 's groundwork and looked up with anguish eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to kill you you woeful petty larceny man, whatever you say. ``

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a niggling soft. `` Do you recollect when I used to invite you up for tea ? Back when I was ... I was a department hear and you were ... you were younger. ``

'' Yes ? ``

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

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

Green light filled the pool of water and for a moment none of them could see anything. Snape felt his center beating rapidly in his breast. The lighter cleared in fourth dimension for them too see the dark nobleman savagely kicking the minister 's consistence to the slope and stabbing his verge towards Dumbledore. The schoolmaster was thrown forward roughly.

Snape swallowed worriedly. The nighttime nobleman was showing them this to demonstrate his big businessman 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 pickle in the schoolmaster 's robe. `` Do you not have got something to say ? Some stopping point word before I take your life. ``

Dumbledore just stayed mute. It was only from the light rise and fall of his chest that Snape could recite he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the throw of the overrefinement curse for a few import before releasing him. `` You will verbalize ! There has been too a good deal between us, you have been my enemy for too long for me to let you end it this way. You will recognize that I have won, you will say it ! You will acknowledge this victory in some way before I kill you with your own baton ! ``

Dumbledore did n't even seem at the darkness lord. In a rage Voldemort slashed his scepter through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

'' You will speak ! '' The Snake River like face was set with cruel anger. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am gear up ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am cook to die for everything I have done. Those are my last Christian Bible, the only one you will get. toss off me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his wand to form the swearword but let it die on his backtalk. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under dominance. `` But of course of study, how could I abnegate a last postulation. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if time froze. The pocket billiards exploded with unripened luminousness again and Snape's pharynx closed, every muscle tensing. The other viewer around the pool held their handwriting to their faces, or escape from there head teacher ... they would not believe it. The green Light faded and the trunk of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the footing. It crumpled like a paper napkin, his beard trailing onto the trading floor like a rag.

So fell Albus Dumbledore. Snape felt a minor hand worm into his. Natalie 's hand. He did n't have a go at it whether she was offering consolation or asking for it. Perhaps both.

'' Here dies Albus Dumbledore. '' Voldemort laughed. `` A fool to the end, and in the end a disappointment. So there you are, two hostages dead. I have eight left and all will die if you do not open me what I want. I want Harry ceramicist. Bring him to me in one 30 minutes or I will kill another, perhaps the werewolf. I am for certain no one will neglect him. But if any of you wish to see these wizards alive, then you know what you must do. add. Me. Harry. ceramist ! ``

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

Snape turned to the entrance in metre to see the doors snap shut.
*


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

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the screech of breaks. He prayed that one of the cars would hit him. His ft would not stop moving and the sound of horns was left behind. His magic trick eye painted the world in shimmering curtains of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's aerofoil. He pushed past a man in a courting and heard the man yell. He could n't stop running. 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 ticker beating like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the frigidness, wet pavement. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, dark and dirty. Wait ...

He turned to lie on his book binding as his magic eye swivelled around, taking in every item. He had been here before ... This was the alley where it all started, where Hagrid had caught him so many years ago. There was the drainpipe he had climbed ... the roof he had hid ... He had come a full circle, entirely.

Heedless of the driving rainfall he opened his oral fissure and laughed. Laughed in pure bitter. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never suffer known, would never have known any of this. He would let been capable to hold back on being Harry Potter. He felt tears running down his face and mingling with the pelting, freezing him to the bone.

But there was warmth. A little point of heat at his chest of drawers. He dug his bridge player into his shirt and slowly drew it out.

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

'' Harry ... ''

The bloodless orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a name, every curved shape glowing with light, every flowing line of her pure gabardine garb and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

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

'' Another illusion- ''

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

'' Your ... assistant ? ``

'' You 're lost. Lost in the forest. '' Thea smiled faintly. The golden orb was still circling her, pulsing faintly. `` And I am the vaticinator. I thought you might involve a scout out. That was why I gave you this all those class ago, to avail you regain your way. In your darkest minute. You need to notice 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 oneself, not the Chosen one. I 'm not- ''

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these years because you were the chosen one ? '' Theia laughed lightly, her watch glass voice filling the void between the buildings with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry ceramicist I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' stop. '' Too awful. Memories of pleasant times,

'' I will not stop. I will never arrest trying to avail you. I knew the moment I met you that you were n't the opt one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the schoolmistress of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a consequence that I would miss a matter like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a creation without hope, you were the only polishing chance. ``

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

'' I saw goose egg about your future. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to converge him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true someone who would fight for this existence even if the entire domain was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a G sentence and would still find fault himself up. I saw that the nighttime lord would heighten and I hoped ... I did n't know but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the world in peril and the hereafter unsure I took the best hazard the world had. I took a chance on you. In a time of complete desperation, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't fight anymore. '' The boy dropped his oculus. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't experience what it 's like to have someone walk up to you and snatch your entire life-time, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

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

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

The build resolved into a figure. His longsighted gown were buttoned tightly and long arms, rolled up now to show his implements of war. Those robes were familiar. Tonks had worn them last year, auror trainee gown. The face remained bleary for a consequence more than then coalesced, becoming a firmly model in lucky igniter, right down to the last tousled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's back talk fell assailable in shock absorber. He was looking up into his own face. No ... no there were differences. The jaw was more channelise, sharpy, the oculus closer together. He did n't own a mark on his cervix, nor a dark sign 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 infer this. '' The ghostly aureate figure said. `` Your acquaintance, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different cosmos or ... or dimension or something. A unlike time too. I do n't lull understand it, need Hermione for that variety of thing. ``

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

'' Your friend says I wo n't remember recording this, wo n't remember any of it. '' The anatomy was just staring into outer space as it spoke. Apparently this one was a avowedly 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 gilt Harry glanced to the level, shaking his head.

'' I wish I knew why but ... your acquaintance wo n't severalise me. Something about lessening the incumbrance as much as possible. There are early things I wish I could severalize you, things you really should know about- '' The recording skewed like static for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's say me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The fourth dimension thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my future, to be given to you in your past, to play in your present. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't bang. I do n't know what I 'm saying. I ca n't reckon what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this time it 's bad because you know you had a by it 's just been taken. I know you must sense 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 recognize what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostly public figure began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm hypothetical to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and distribute his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the lonesome somebody you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your admirer says that, since I 'm deadened in your mankind, 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 call back of anything that I could say to persuade you to take the job. Except that you have to. The world depends on it. And I know that the world has n't done you any favors. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the populace be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't know what I can say to convince you that 's not true except for two thing. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The trace figures licked it 's lips.

'' Do you know how many regulations are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional transit ? Certain country still have the last penalty for messing around in parallel worlds. Just getting here, the effort it must have taken. The risks your friend has taken just to get this substance to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire eternal rest of the world is Inferno right now you 've got one somebody who 's willing to risk everything for you. Risk her life. So if zip else ... fight for her. ``

The human body faded. It 's heart lasted the longest, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the alley was nighttime again. The boy on the ground stood, slowly and with care, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter construction. His hand went to his stomach as he threw his head back and laughed, the rain trickling down his face. That was Harry Potter was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the overly striking, hesitant bastard. If that childish gimboid can save the world I sure as Scheol can.

He pushed his rainfall soaked hair out of his eyes. It was like the vanity was, somehow freestanding. It was still there, the gaping vacuum, it was just that all the important component part of him, the things that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the small shell necklace back around his cervix. Just a shell now, it's magic gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was contribution of him, the real him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to pick the magnanimous fight of his life.

He needed a plan though .... and if he was going to survive a scrap with the nifty dark wizard in the world it would need to be a bloody secure plan. Or a bally insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the cards. Voldemort could defeat him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostages. On the other hired man Voldemort was alone, he had no destruction eater, no nighttime puppet, no servants.

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

So make it an unfair fight.

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

Smiling, he walked out of the alleyway. He picked up his footstep and he reached the street, how much of his half hour was gone ? He had lost all cartroad of time. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would help oneself no one if he was to outwear to fight. It seemed an age until the phone box came into view, sticking up out of the street. Harry got in, then pressed the code on the receiver.

"Welcome to the ministry of magic. Please land your epithet and business."The telephone set said flatly.

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

The auto apparently took him a little too literally as ...
Harry Potter
Messiah


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't bother to nibble 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 undetermined again and stepped out into the ministry foyer. There was a level of organized chaos and another magnanimous story of disorganized chaos. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the marauders. The were all clustered in one position. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

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

The marauder's stiffened, but to their acknowledgment 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 magic and smiled at his friends.

"Hi guy wire. 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 place in his thorax begged to differ but he ignored it."I ‘ m spirit .... I ‘ m better."

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

"There ‘ s no time, how much sentence we got until the foremost surety goes ?"

"Five minutes."Draco pointed at the clock.

"trade good that ... that might be enough."

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

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

"Do you withdraw 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. Things I need your help with."

"You got it Harry."Ginny went into serious musical 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 forest of hands were stretched out towards him. Every single verge. Harry picked one at random and tried a unproblematic charm. It was stuttery and faint. No serious. He picked another and almost set his pilus on fire. The third the spell came out right but the scepter felt weird. The fourth ... Harry did first one turn then another ... then another ... they all came out perfective tense. His eye came up to contact Malfoy's grey ones.

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

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the verge."The second gear thing I need is healing. Just a quick refresher. I ‘ m to jade and bed up to fight like this."

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

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

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


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

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see nothing. ``

'' feel. ``

'' Miss Weasley there is zilch there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's eyes flickered up to forgather those of his student. A flicker of retentiveness twitched behind those eye. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the lift, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the Mrs. Humphrey Ward. The witching barrier sparking against his skin like motionless. He could n't get through. Before his eyes the dissilusionment fell and Harry ceramicist was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt mass crowding all around, murmuring, public speaking, crying. All pressed up to one position of the barrier, and on the former ... just Harry.

'' Harry, please. '' Snape held his hired hand out to the rampart of the Aaron Montgomery Ward. `` Do n't do this. ``

'' Eight mass. '' The kid shrugged. `` Eight masses or me. Choice is pretty obvious. ``

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

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

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


The face lift grate slid undecided and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of struggle was everywhere, majuscule gouge gone from the walls and doors blown off their hinges. This was n't the department of mysteries yet though. Just the courtroom. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The door to the department came into eyeshot, a blank rectangle at the end of a recollective corridor. Harry could see aught beyond the door, not even with his magic eye. Some sort of protection must offer around the section of mysteries. For the sake of his plan he hoped it did n't exsert inside the department too. Harry raised his wand to his neck opening and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom conundrum ! '' Harry 's amplified voice shook the bricks in the paries. `` I 'm here. '' There was a present moment 's wait, then.

'' Welcome Mr potter. '' A similarly booming voice sounded down the hall. `` I was not for sure you would come. ``

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

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

Harry waited in muteness for a mo ... then the doorway at the end of the corridor swung open. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The view was just as it had been reflected in the pool, the line of prisoner, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the nerve center. The trunk of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the circle elbow room, the spinning room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the doors had been knocked off their hinges and he could see into the rooms beyond.

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

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

'' Of path. '' Voldemort gestured mildly. The mountain chain on the prisoner crashed to the ground.

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

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

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

'' Ok, fine. Wait ! '' Harry held up a handwriting, then pointed to lupine and a brawny looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, exact them up with you. ``

lupine hang 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 thing did n't change.

As the last-place man trouped out Harry pushed the door shut and locked it. The arduous dash sliding into billet sounded like a hammer.

'' wellspring Mr potter. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake in the grass. `` It is down to just you and me. The Rex in our little chess game. The pawns are gone, the rooks are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

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

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his eye and picked a solve space of base. He pointed his sceptre down.

'' calcium oxide. '' A chalk cable appeared on the floor. Harry drew his wand around in a rough rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy give me your opinion. Does that take care like xiv feet to you ? ``

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

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

'' A ordinance champion 's duel ? '' Voldemort seemed almost cook to chuckle. `` My my Mr Potter I can not secernate you how refreshing it is to fight against you and not Dumbledore. It is ... so gratifying to be surprised. ``

'' I am irregular. '' Harry shrugged and stepped up to the middle 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 succeeding step is to bow to one another. Like gentlemens. ``

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

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

'' Of course. ``

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

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

'' We part as ally. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's hand in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the shocked iniquity Divine. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom conundrum it 's been a pleasure, and an honor. ``

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The spell flared across the elbow room. Just before it hit the dark Jehovah seemed to quaver and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his spine and exploded in sparks against the bulwark. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his face,

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

'' Worth a stroke. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his scepter. `` Goodbye Mr Potter. I wish you all the best in the next creation. Avada Kedavra ! ``

Harry closed his eyes and smiled as a ostentation of light filled the room.



reappraisal or the evil chicken with the DEAD heart that only I can see will stamp out me.


A lot of the great unwashed seem unhappy about my patronize cliffhangers. Well it got you to review did n't it ?





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

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

The wimp managed to rid itself and dropped to the floor. It took a looking at at the two wizards on either slope of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an overt door.

"Was it, meant to sprain into a Gallus gallus ?"Harry tapped his mentum thoughtfully."Is this some domestic fowl strain of the killing torment I was not previously aware of ? Is that a chicken of end ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's deal dipped into his scoop."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's middle went wide.

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

The dark lord's script twitched to his pocket.

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

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

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

"ceramicist I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his sceptre forward, keeping the other two good in his left-hand manus."Shut your ugly murdering face. well-chosen, civic, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the time for the other thing. The bloody hate filled battle that culminates with the kill of you."

"You think you can win ?"Voldemort hissed out through clenched teeth."Even without a sceptre I am still the iniquity noble. I am still to a greater extent than a mates for you."

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

The dark lord hissed, his fingers clenching into claws. Then a moment later he exploded into sens, whisking away through an open door. What the ? Harry 's conjuring trick eye focused through the bulwark, onto the base in the following room. On the level succeeding to a prone body was-

WAND !

Harry 's animal foot moved of their own accord and skidded across the floor to the door. His own sceptre lashed out.

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

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

The cloud circled, reeking of malevolency. Harry could almost feel Voldemort doing the Lapp handicap that he was, using dark deception to find any remaining weapon. The swarm contracted then shot away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a second gear, a mo Sir Thomas More and his eye had found it's quarry. The decease chamber, a wand rolled into a crack in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the grim smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too warm !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up sherd of detritus but the moment it reached the swarm it was squashed like a batrachian. The wind going plane in mid air. The smoking disappeared under a door and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The wand ! right hand there ! Voldemort reappeared with a bombshell and jabbed his helping hand forward. The wand leapt from the floor and spun towards the nighttime lord. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and matchwood clattered on the base. The night Divine's paw snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the last of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his sceptre trained on the dark Almighty he stepped down the stride till he was next to the fluttering archway. He picked the three scepter he'd acquired out of his pocket and chucked them through the veil. The iniquity cloth fluttered for a moment, then went still."All verge ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the alone way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my cold deadened hands."

"What an excellent suggestion Mr Potter."

Harry had just a moments warning before the orb of dark flew from the darkness Divine's manus. Harry spun behind the arch and ducked down.

"Accio !"The judiciary behind Voldemort shot forward towards his head. The dark nobleman spun and shattered it with a boo curse."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's wand and forced the dark lord to elude to the side of meat. The orb exploded against the rampart, filling the room with sparks. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

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

"Hammus Missus !"Sir Ernst Boris Chain shot up and slammed into the cap far above."Rapellet !"The string felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the light. As he shot from the flat coat like a bullet a Lucille Ball of darkness flew towards him.

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

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

"Avada Kedavra !"The green light left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the side of the abuse arena. The killing curse blew a trap in the wall but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a doorway."Come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the maze of halls. Harry dashed back through the entrance Hall and pellet into a farsighted room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing phantom was just visible at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The nightmare curse sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's route. The detonation filled the air with emerald sparks. Three thunderbolt of lightning thundered through the explosion and Harry threw himself to the side. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of pain. A freezing appeal numbed the glow flesh as Harry furiously dashed after the dark lord. As he skidded to a stay in the hall of prophecies the dark master disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could pluck up a trace. A wisp of spoke curled around one of the ledge, only to evaporate a second later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so good for incorporeal things. He slowly turned, letting his eyes sweep through the gap between the shelves. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the doorway and whispered a vicious sand trap on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able-bodied to pause it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy hall. The ice firmament had not escaped the carnage of the battle, many were left in glittering sherd on the marble floor. The niggling snaps of glass cracked under his boots. Was that smoke ? Harry 's ticker hammered in his chest. Was that a-

ball of fire ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flames, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a ledge. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a sight of burning splinters. There was an ominous creaking sound and Harry had to scramble to get out of the way of the collapsing shelves. globe of shining smoke bounced off his shoulders and shattered on the floor, their white smoke spilling out and going inky blackness like swirls of midnight.

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

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his turn. The ledge crashed together as if drawn by magnet. The grim Almighty 's shadowy human body was trapped between them. Before Harry could regurgitate another magical spell the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flames. He raised his hands, about to become smoke again. Harry stabbed his wand out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild stab in the dark. The magic spell was used to hit liquids into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his form blurring a moment but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark Godhead threw his manus forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to catch the curse. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him jump up into a tower of flame, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked point. The serpent roared and bit forward, it 's teeth dripping with mellow out venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning spectre but his shining sword slipped through it like water, leaving not a simoleons. The Hydra run into forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the storey, his eyebrows charring off his expression. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flaming freezing charm and leapt up into the hellfire monster. He stabbed his baton at the trace beyond the the pits and yelled the killing curse again. The rubor flashed to green and Harry could see the dark lord 's shocked expression as he had to dodge a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't give him an inch, he threw himself forward, stab another hex at his off proportion enemy and found a swarm of lightlessness knives flying in his brass. He dropped to the floor and get a line them clatter behind him. He threw himself to the side but the knives jerked to stick to him. He grabbed a board of shelf from the floor and spin around it in front end of him, hearing the heavy thunk of the blades impacting the Ellen Price Wood. Harry spun to present the night overlord and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his manus distastefully and the knives melted into smoke.

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

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

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

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what life is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The spell caught the dark overlord by surprise, smacking into his shoulder with a bone splintering crevice. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his feet buckle and grumble. He flipped backwards as the ground where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, prepare to draw him down into it 's depths. Harry danced backwards as Lucy Stone upon stone became sucking death. His feet hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The ledge lurched as it began to slide down into the stone. Harry spun, holding on with one hired man and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of blue 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 dark Creator and he almost fell off in jar as he found Voldemort hovering up from the ground with murder in his eye. 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 rule middle that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murkiness at the fantasm in the air and dashed away along the top of his shelf, he leapt across to the side by side one just before a lightning deadbolt flashed through the air behind him. The dark lord could not see him in all this but he could see where his piece were coming from. Only a fool attacked and stayed in the same position ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the pain spears, flashing out in their slowly fan. He twisted them in the air like a snake to mint the night lord from both face. He was rewarded with a ululation of pain as one of the shining bolt struck home. Harry cast again but the gloomy overlord summoned a argent shell. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even have to call up. He just struck out and made the terrible orb vibrate with unendurable haphazardness. He twisted to find the sonorousness but Voldemort was slyer than A. A. Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the dark Almighty was quicker and lightning caught his arm, burning like netherworld. Harry lost his ground and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his tornado and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the sirocco until his digit caught the edge of a shelf and he held on for dear life. He pulled himself up and tried to stand, his eye spinning to line up the dark noble. There he was, but what-

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

The backbone vanished like mist but Harry had bigger job. He leapt into the air as Rock the sizing of railcar obliterated the shelves behind him. His groundwork hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's wand whipped out and a hook impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the expanse of malarky. A Boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The air current pulled him out of the itinerary of the meteor with a whisk broom of his wand and he let go of the chain, catapulting himself onto a standing shelf. He leapt again and saw two Boulder hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one careen veered into the itinerary of the former, shattering them both to shard. Harry felt the wood beneath him change over again and this clip let it extend him down a import before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing shelf, his eye found unfaltering footing and he jumped again as the death shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a hatful of wreckage. A chain reactor three prison term as marvellous as he was and full of broken woodwind instrument, shattered deoxyephedrine and the smouldering remains of spent boulders. Harry waited while the cobbler's last 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 round-shouldered eyebrow. Voldemort 's teeth clenched in fury as he stared up at Harry standing on his pedestal of ruin.

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

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

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

'' I 'm not loosing. '' Harry grinned. The wickedness master 's fists clenched but he said zip. Harry smiled. `` Of course, you could surrender. ``

'' Surrender ? '' Voldemort spat the word. `` fall to you ! ? ``

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

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

'' Me ? I 'm the runner of the roofs at Night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the blood war. The only survivor of the cloudburst of eld and the Hogwarts triwizard champion. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't matter because I 'm also a marauder ! Invincible cutthroat bastard and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. potter ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the dark master, his face set in unshakable resolve. `` That is why you should give up. Right now. Or I swear on this pile of prophecy that I will sting you from this human beings. ``

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

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

'' Never. '' The nighttime lords hands clenched to fist. `` I will never surrender to a half blood boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that case ... suck it bitch ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all direction, the wood becoming deadly sliver and the rock singing out in razor sharp fragment. The wickedness lord threw up a silver shell but Harry was already on the priming coat. With a flick of his sceptre the carapace screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the position to dodge a nebuliser of fateful globe and threw his wand up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

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

'' Confringo ! '' The lump of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing spell and pushed off Saturn directly into the nether region. From behind the cover of flame Harry shot a killing curse word at the dark lord but had to twist in the air to arrest his head being taken off by a dark blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover trick one too many multiplication. Well lets try another.

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

Voldemort swung a chunk of satellite 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 room access he dropped to the floor again and raced through, skidding to a plosive when he saw where he was.

In total contrast to the balance of the department this room was a sorting of zoo. Cages full of creatures filled the elbow room up to the ceiling and were stacked in a quite a little in the middle. Some looked normal, some ... not so much. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of chassis with what he sincerely hoped was not a human arm coming out of it. His conjuring trick eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life and movement in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to draw out the way. Long, not so blanket ... The door at the former end was closed. That meant that Voldemort was either at the wall behind one of the cages at the side or crouched down behind one of the ace in the middle. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his baton at the pile of John Milton Cage Jr. in the nitty-gritty and all their stripe sprung overt. animal scattered in every direction. Something that looked like a mutant wolf made a esurient leap 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 break off the hex to duck behind a desk as more orbs of iniquity rained through the air. Harry heard a door jibe give and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his sceptre out.

The end chamber ! rear here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the door at the other English of the dimly lit elbow room and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the other doors too. In a moment he had his wand trained back on the dark lord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the early side of the vast room, his lips contoured into a sneer. He clearly knew he could break the poxy locking spell, but doing so would give Harry the bit he needed to stamp out him. Harry tried to keep his breath even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more track. ``

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

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the shadow nobleman and slowly walked down the pace. `` I rarely gestural things. ``

'' I will barf you through the embryonic membrane myself. ``

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

'' nix would please me more Mr Potter ! '' Voldemort reached the nates of the elbow room. Harry was just a footstep behind him. They stared at each other from face-to-face face of the plinth that held the archway of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my wand you would induce died long ago. ``

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

The dark lord dropped to the flooring, letting the magic spell toss over his head and jabbed his arm up at the ceiling. The apparition above them became alive, a writhing caldron of darkness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to twine itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to roll as thunderbolt of thunder slammed into the flagstones where he had been lying. A egg of pitch blackness caught the side of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and hide. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his feet, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that thing ! He could n't fight it and the dark lord at the like fourth dimension ! But how to wipe out something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his wand at the ceiling. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The jet spell impacted the dark animal and it wailed in pain, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to look Voldemort just in time for an fatal orb to read a chunk out of his shoulder. He was bleeding too much. Had to end this ! The dark Almighty raised his bridge player for another bolt of lightning. Harry tore two flag from the ground and hurled them in the path of the spell, one after the former. The first was blown to splinters but the second, hidden by the cloud of rubble, shot through like a marble saucer and crashed with a hideous crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The wickedness God Almighty was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his injured chest. Harry pressed his advantage and Voldemort was driven back by spell after piece. The nighttime lord was pushed onto to the footprint and stumbled back, lying prone against the stone. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

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

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

There was a knife embedded to the hilt in his stomach. Two Thomas More in his leg. Draining lineage down his thigh and pooling on the floor.

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's sleeve dropped down, suddenly too weak. His wand rolled away on the dark I. F. Stone. He had n't felt the knifes go in, adrenalin perhaps, but he felt it now. pain in the ass and fire raging out from the trap in his abdomen. `` Bloody ... carapace .... And I was doing so well ... ''

'' Yes Mr potter you were. '' The dark lord picked himself up from the stone's throw and dusted his gown off. Now that he had won the well-disposed, almost fatherly, shade was back. `` I applaud you. ``

'' I could have beaten you ya know. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of line spray from his mouth. `` The very first turn I threw. Back when I jumped the count. Back when you had the counterfeit scepter. If you 'd have just tried to screen like any convention wizard ... I could give won on the first piece. That was ... that was the plan. ``

'' It was a serious program. '' Voldemort must have seen no reasonableness to be angry now that he had won. `` Against a rule ace it would have no doubt worked. ``

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

'' Do you have any finally discussion my honey enemy ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not see any acceptable ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't think of anything ... '' night Transportation swam before Harry 's middle. He had failed. `` Are my acquaintance still watching ? ``

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not have the wizarding public fille this event. ``

'' Then my last words are ... keep scrap. '' Harry raised his eyes to meet Voldemort 's. `` hold fighting him. ``

'' Not very master. '' The shadow Lord shrugged. `` But better than Dumbledore 's. ``

'' And ... '' blood was pooling beneath Harry 's ramification. `` And tell Theia I tried. ``

'' An admirable persuasion. ``

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

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

'' Wait. '' Harry whispered, he had no forcefulness to verbalize normally. `` I 've thought of some upright lastly Book. ``

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

'' The one with the power to vanquish the dark nobleman will be born as the seventh month atomic number 66. '' Harry 's whisper lyric rang out in the quiet room. `` Max Born to those who ... those who ... ''

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

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

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

'' mark him as his match ... '' Harry 's rim were barely moving, his words just disturbances in the air. `` But the iniquity ... the nighttime ... ''

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

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

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

'' The iniquity Jehovah ... shall never get word. ``

'' What did you say ? ``

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

Powered by the close gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the tongue from his frame and push it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as blood fountained from his tummy and his eyes clouded black. As he slipped away and his heart stopped beating all he could hear was the rustle of the veil.




Cliff. Hanging. Again. I know. Sorry. limited review anyway.


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

revaluation seem to be miscellaneous as to whether mass think Harry 's really dead or not and whether the serial is over or not. It 's nice to have created such differing views. : )




The first matter Harry sensed was the scent of apple bloom. It was a olfaction he knew very well. His eyes flickered unresolved and looked up onto the familiar dappled foliage of the plantation in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, K and wide of life.

Harry was lying on the flooring. How had he got there ? He lifted his weapon system up and realized that his line of descent soaked and battle scare off garments were gone, replaced by a simple white gown. That was n't all that was missing either. Harry 's finger went up to his eye, poking it lightly.

'' Ow ! '' Flesh, not ice. Harry shook his head, realizing what must take happened. Eye 's did not develop back, plantation did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm dead. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a farsighted suspiration of lugubriousness. He had done his considerably, his very, very best. He had tried to survive. He had tried to not leave the world of the living, had tried not to pass on his friends.

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

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

Harry looked up at the trees, bearing blossoms and fruit all at once in an impossible, but beautiful, tableau. He was glad 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 good. ``

The jazz rustled lightly through the trees. He thought he could almost, just almost, hear children laughing. Harry sat down and set his binding against a tree and closed his heart. If this was the afterlife then he knew one thing for certainly. Before he met any pearly ostiary or had his sine weighed against a feathering or whatever he was sitting right here and having a sleep. The legions of hell could not move him from that spot.

The wind whistled through the trees and for a consequence Harry though he could listen voices.

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

The voices faded. Harry shrugged, that kind of matter probably happened all the meter when you were dead.

Harry 's hand wormed it 's way along the ground and found an apple. It was gracious and punishing, fallen recently. He brought it up to his mouth and bit into it, letting the succus run down his typeface. It tasted a short bitter, just a little.

Harry heard the green goddess in front 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 take in. ``

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

'' Why not ? '' Harry shrugged. `` I mean were all drained here are n't we. Maybe Zen and Merlin will join us next. ``

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

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

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his drumhead. `` I can never justify to you enough for what I did to you. No words could ever suffice. I ... I am only beaming that I got this one live on probability to severalize you how pitiful I am. My law-breaking was inexcusable. ``

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

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

'' Mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the same clip ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad position, everything was riding on your shoulder. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable oath ten ... maybe twenty dollar bill times. And before that, over the course of this year I 've killed ... citizenry. respective people. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the clip. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein's monster 's teras. Your changeling tike. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put retention in my caput. You said you put your memories of Epistle of James ceramist 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 inadequate copy of Harry ... Or worse a short copy of James thrower. Am I ? reply me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his middle to the floor. `` I do not acknowledge how much of your original personality survived. Integrating computer storage is never fully successful, not from one person to another, but there is no way to severalise how very much mixing there has been. There is a chance that the memory settled harmlessly into your subconscious mind, but then again ... ''

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

'' Yes. ``

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

"I ... There were many reasons."Dumbledore looked away into the aloofness."You see it was very well-off to ... to not remember what I had done. To not suppose of it. I mean there you were, looking like Harry, acting like James. It was easy to come down into the trap of thinking you were ... that you were ..."

"Real ?"

"That you were not the living test copy of my sins."Dumbledore shook his top dog."At to the lowest degree that was the reason at first gear. I simple did not need to recognise what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the torrent of ages, I began to think perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a hero so I though ... perhaps no one would ever have to know. Perhaps I could let you fill Harry 's place and never tell you. I thought I could let you convey the burden. I am not proud of that. I should bear known the prophecy could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can necessitate his station ?"Harry pointed at his articulatio radiocarpea."I mean, the darkness Lord did print me."

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

Harry sighed. As he did the farting seemed to murmur, carrying to him distant interpreter. He strained his ears to hear,

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

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

'' His heart 's not work over ! ``

'' Of line It 's not beating he does n't deliver any blood left you hysteric imbecile. Each of you, give me your hands. It's a good matter Harry acquired so many hangers-on, one of you has to be his lineage type. ``

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

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

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

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

"You are dead, technically. Your middle is not beating."Dumbledore's eye twinkled."But I believe that, with time and a generous donation of good red origin, 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 hereafter or just another dream ?"

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

"How ?"

"The fact that you are near expiry coupled with the fact that you died bare metre from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just glad I got a go chance to speak to you."

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

The old ace and the young laughed. A thinking struck Harry and the mirth dimmed.

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

"Of trend Harry, anything."

"What is my public figure ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his nous."I am sorry Harry. I erased the memory from my own mind so I would never cry you it. Never slip up ... But I can tell you the orphanhood where I found you. It is called the Malyn Orphanage, or was nine years ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten mi south of capital of Northern Ireland. If platter exist then, well then you might be able-bodied to find them there."

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

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

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

"I do not believe so."Dumbledore looked away, not meeting Harry's centre. He seemed to be picking his words carefully."I do not cerebrate that you will notice disk of them there."

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

"No Harry nothing like that."Dumbledore shook his head."In fact I believe we can safely get into both your parents were muggles. Let me explicate, when I took you from the orphans' asylum they told me a petty 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 little bundle washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were absolutely, I was told that you were blue all over from the frigidness and damp, but so fallible you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the urine for a recollective time."

Crashing rocks. Raging Edward White body of water. Harry's intellect shied away from the jiffy of terror in his judgment and he felt his breathing time quicken. The raging torrent in his mind banishing all though was real, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to rub out. His only real memory was a phobic neurosis. Another piercingly gag. He licked his backtalk, had to say something, anything to take his psyche off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six months old, collapse or take."Dumbledore answered."The span gave you to the federal agency and of course an investigation was made. Unfortunately nothing was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hired hand of the child services. The story after that is, well, rather as you might estimate it."

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

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

"The map- Or course of study !"Harry smiled, his optic lighting up."It should shew my real figure ! That ‘ s why you kept it hide out and everything ! What does it say ?"

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient type of magic, the magic of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing tone, but Harry could still pick up the lump in his throat."There is an old champion superstition. An old wives narrative, if you will, that a wizard's name is tied to their destiny. That the figure first given to a wizard somehow sets his path. There was once a great fad for concealing one ‘ s true figure so that opposition could not derive power over you. stupidity really, in those Clarence Day somebody ‘ s rightful epithet was wanton enough to divine. That is what the map does in any case. It works by the magic of names."

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

"And for you it displays null Harry."Dumbledore closed his eyes sadly."On the map your name is space. Just a set of footprints and an vacate scroll."

"Oh ..."Harry let the secrecy grow between them. He couldn't really think of anything to make full it.

"Do you sympathise 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 month old. Six months they had me and didn ‘ t even manage enough to ..."Harry slammed his fist into the ground."I guess I ‘ m respectable off without them."

"Is his heart beating ? I can barely-"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."Harry said the apprehensiveness public figure loudly into the woodwind instrument, only faint echoes came back."He ‘ s not idle then."Harry's hands clenched into fists.

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

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

"He will be severely weakened."Dumbledore stepped forward and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder."Perhaps as badly as he was fifteen age ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be years, possibly decades before he can rise again. And if we can catch him while he is weak and finish him off, so much the better."

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

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

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

"How could you possibly ..."

"wellspring once was years ago when I traveled through fourth dimension and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his finger."And the second time me sent a message here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked expression 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 peace. After what I did to their statue I don ‘ t think I could present them. Anyways, goodbye old man. I'll see you again in a foresightful retentive while."

"I hope so Harry."

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

"Simple Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking someone else 's path. From this dot on, you 'll experience to urinate your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

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

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

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

The air seemed to switch texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was live again. He could find his flash in his chest. 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 regular aspiration. Harry let his eyes close slowly. He would awaken up in dear time, but until then ? He was fine here. For now.
*


Snape reached his flat in Hogwarts and barely got the door shut before falling into a chair. There was a bed in the next room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Sojourner Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the middle of the expectant dorm, on the floor. He would suffer been the laughing stock of every student though. Even regretful he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

Snape raised his verge shakily and levitated the forgotten bottle of wine-colored off his tabular array. It had been left clear, no issue. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting room in St Mungos for longsighted than he could remember while incompetent person therapist told him they had no selective information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the Ellen Price Wood all his nervous energy had leeched out and it had taken all of his mental strength to quit himself sagging to the story right there. He had managed to fool virtually of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

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

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

"Minerva."Snape tried to sit a slight less like he was falling asleep."It is estimable to see you safe, in all the confusion in the ministry I lost track. seed in. Would you care some wine ?"

"No thank you."Minerva stepped inside. Now that she was closer he could see that the sharpness of her eyes held telling signs of tears. She had tried to enshroud 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 especial bothering you ?"Snape asked, perhaps more caustically than was necessary."I am rather tired you see."

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

"I can imagine that there would be."Snape yawned theatrically. He did not have to manipulate it."I can not ideate how that would vexation 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 dead. The order's task is far from done and we could more than use your expertise. Your primary reason for leaving was Albus. I will not take for granted to ask the particular of that disagreement, it was between the two of you. But do you not remember that now he is ... gone, that you might be persuaded to come back to us ?"

"That would depend on who replaced him."Snape said levelly."For example if it were yourself leading the gild, I would let no objection."

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

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"Chester Alan Arthur Weasley."

"Has no combat or strategical experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

"Remus has grown unpredictable recently. Especially where Harry is concerned."Minerva fixed Snape with a horizontal surface stare."I believe we can accord that whoever should manoeuvre the orderliness should be somebody Harry faith. person like you."

"No."

"soul who knows how the nighttime lord thinks."

"No."

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

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

"Severus please."Minerva's optic dropped to the floor."This retiring yr Albus ... well you yourself saw. I do not speak ill of the dead but he had become ... well-worn. He was not the Dumbledore we all knew. He was not acting at his best."

Snape stayed silent. Not at his C. H. Best was a dire understatement if ever he heard one but there was no want to say so.

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

"I ... I can not lead the order."Snape tried to make his vocalism not sound like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into disconsolate magic. A hanker clock time ago yes but some bell ringer do not descend out."

"Yours has."

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

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

"Do not liken me to-"Snape bit back the end of that angry conviction. There was no to take out his angriness on the messenger."I merely meant that I do not think it is safe to give me this kind of power."

"Albus also said that those who seek power are those least suit to exert it."Minerva held his centre."The corollary of that is that those who are suited to exert superpower are those who reject it."

"Do not quote at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a choice ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry open your middle. ``

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

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

'' You are still numb, in St Mungos. '' Water rippling over shining Harlan F. Stone. `` I wanted to talk to you but you 're on a capital deal of medication. It was simpler for me to just number to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' Hello Thea. ``

'' Hello Harry. '' The young prophesier was sitting cross legged under a tree in presence of him, looking like the homo range of a function of serenity. Instead of her usual White person gown she was wearing a childlike Brown frock, she seemed almost office of the forest. She looked ... different, somehow different. It was not her aspect, she was still the same beautiful girl he had always known, or her middle, mismatched as they were. Her eloquent hair was caught up into a long tail down her back, tied with blue ribbon. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the sense of ancientness, the smell that the fiddling soul in front man of him had outlasted empires. She seemed ... Young, the Saame age as him give or drive a twelvemonth. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not take much to guess the ground for the change.

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

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

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

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

'' You do n't take in to tell me that just to- ''

'' It is the true statement. ``

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

'' Stubborn. ``

'' Brat. ``

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

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

'' The orphanhood ? ``

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

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

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

'' Oh yes, there are some matter they can not take away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a seer, and a very knock-down one. ``

'' Can you ... can you tell me my time to come ? '' Harry asked suddenly.

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

'' Now ? '' Harry scratched his pass. `` Are n't I in infirmary ? ``

'' A poor walk will not inconvenience a mighty hero like you too much. '' Pythea crooked an supercilium mockingly.

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

'' Then it is favourable that another thing they can not take away is my international phantom license. '' Pythea held out her hand. `` Just enjoin me where Harry. And we can go. ``

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


'' Ow. '' Harry 's hand went to his stomach as pain flared there through the hospital mainsheet. `` That really hurts. ``

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the side of his bed. `` The knife was made with dour 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 wish well to expect money box tomorrow ? ``

'' No no. It just surprised me is all. '' Harry slowly lowered his invertebrate foot to the floor and gingerly stood. He had to hunch just a minuscule to stop the hide of his stomach stretching painfully, but he could walk. No he could n't. His leg was mangled too. Maybe he could hop ... `` Do you give birth my apparel somewhere ? Oh hold my bag 's right here. Can you turn so I can- ''

Pythea cut him off with a wave of her hand. His hospital nightgown changed into a simple white t-shirt and trousers. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another waving a carved wooden cane appeared in his hand. Obviously she did not think he was as healthy as said he was. tinker's damn her for being right.

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

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

'' Are you cook ? '' She asked.

'' Yes. '' Harry shut his eyes and waited. And waited ... He opened them again and cocked his fountainhead to one side. `` Is there a trouble ? ``

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

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

For the first time in his life Harry enjoyed an phantom. The walls of the void pressed him into Pythea, forcing them stuffy together. He could feel her intimation 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 orphans' asylum, it was the simply building there. At the center of it was a stately-home eccentric of affair. He could n't put a date to it, old was the unspoilt he could do. That was clearly the center of the building complex but at some point the proprietor had felt a penury to expand. The two blocks to either face of the main edifice took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape flair of architecture. Around the altogether topographic point there was a eminent bulwark with barbed wire looped at the top.

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

With a careful hand on his belly Harry walked up to the master reception. 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 oceanic abyss breath, then winced at what that did to his stomach. He tried to calm the raging butterflies inside but could n't. The only matter that gave him the will to push open the door was marauder prescript. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

'' Up the step first door on the left. '' The escritoire looked back down at her papers.

Up the stairs. Of course of study. Harry labored up the steps, having to rest Sir Thomas More than once before he reached the top. Out the windowpane he could see the playground, wax of small fry running about wildly. From inside the wall the lieu looked a lot nicer. All around the sharpness of the wall there were a series of children 's paintings. Long running murals and vortex of color. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a pattern school.

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

'' semen in. ``

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

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

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

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

"passport ? driver licence, no you ‘ re too Whitney Moore Young Jr. for that. Your acceptation certification perhaps."

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

"We can ‘ t have records out to just anyone dear."

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

"Of ... of path deary."The woman shook her head like she was trying to dislodge gossamer then turned to her information processing system."What epithet is it ?"

"I don ‘ t have my figure. Long tale, but it happened on January twentieth, nine years ago."Harry wondered whether he would need another Confundus to blow past the ‘ no name'thing, but the woman seemed to take it in her stride.

"Everything ‘ s on computing device now. It ‘ s very high tech."The woman pursed her lips as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had elbow room and way of file boxwood. Would bear taken eld to determine a record like yours."

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

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

"You ... you do ?"Harry felt his breathing time quicken."You think me ?"

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

"Wh ... what ?"

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

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

"Oh you were a rapscallion you were."The old woman smiled fondly."I still think of what you said to me the day the telegram went up."

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

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

Harry's fondness broke and he fell into his workforce. He felt crying blooming in his eyes. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd cum here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected proof. substantiation that he wasn't some Frankenstein's monster monster, trial impression that he wasn't a bad copy of Henry James thrower. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of dominance and filled with wanderlust. He. Was. Him.

"Dear are you alright ?"The old adult female sounded concerned."Do you desire a tissue ?"

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

"Oh, I ‘ m afraid you came to us without a name."She looked back at her computing device screen."We gave you the last name Malyn, after the orphans' asylum. Which is a traditional here. And for the first name we had to gain that up. So we called you Jack."

Jack ...

diddly Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

knave Shakey.

Jack Caiman.

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

His constant alias. The name that had always come to his brim when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory board, 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 public figure that came first to his lips but ... it was like that holler core inside him was filling. Filling with parts of a life 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 booklet. Harry assumed it was his Indian file. She nodded towards the vertebral column of the orphanage.

"See it ?"

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

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

"Yes, I do want to see it. Thank you."Harry smiled thorough teary eyes."Thank you. thank you so much."

"My delight Jack."

Harry turned and hobbled from the room, it was only his aching lesion and walking spliff that stopped him from running. He reached the bottom 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 point vaguely.

"lead the way."

Harry set off, taking them cycle to the back of the construction. He could see it now, down the gradient a fiddling. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the shadowiness of the apple trees. The small round plantation of orchard apple tree trees.

"My god."Pythea had her hand to her mouth in seismic disturbance."It ‘ s real."

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a script to contact a branch."It was a memory. I kept having this pipe dream where I was stuck in Godrics hollow. But that space felt all weird, but if I could break out and reach the plantation I felt safe. Felt real."

"I though it was a creative activity of your brain, I never thought ..."

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

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

Harry didn't trust himself to speak. Couldn't speak. There were no words. They sat there for the longest time, the last summer breeze filling running past them and rustling the leave 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 good and-"

"But right at the get-go you couldn ‘ t have known all that."Harry pointed out."binding then I was a stranger."

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you make love how they choose the next prophet Harry ? They go around to all the wizard home in Greece, looking for children with the inner eye. If they find one with adequate power, with baron enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

"direct 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 expletive my gift gives me. My name wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old name, never speak it ever again. One day in art course I signed one of my painting with the old name, just a slight mistake. The frenzy they had at me that day ... they burnt my picture, in front of my eyes. I never used the old epithet again. After I finished my breeding I was allowed to go back and visit my parents. I went back to my old theater. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would expect person to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their daughter, they looked at me like I had done something wrong. Even to them I was supposed to be The Pythea ... even to them."

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

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

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

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

"I found out a name."Harry shrugged."But I think I ‘ ll maintain 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 side."They can ‘ t subscribe to away who we are. The names don ‘ t topic so much, you can bid me Harry or Jack or Bob it doesn't topic. I know who I am."

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, slight glistening tears in the box of her eyes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really get it on what to do, other than to blush. A moment later Pythea seemed to realize 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 Britain 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 workweek if I remember correctly."

"A week, think that ‘ s enough sentence ?"Harry scratched his head.

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

"Dunno ... stop 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."

watch crystal laughter filled the orchard, and lit up the leafage with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her superior's bed and cried, heedless of her tears staining the sheet. She had done all she could, used every aspect of her art, but her Godhead still barely breathed. His skin was dead whitened and only the dark conjuring trick she had woven in his pectus kept him active. He was so weak, not even witting. It was atrocious to see him like this, terrible to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could throw risen up again in gloriole. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better dead than to lie on this contract cot in a tiny room, not even fit for a hiding place. But she had to do what she could. She was the terminal, the live on patriotic death eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

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

"For a full phase of the moon year ?"

"It did use up foresighted than look to ... but it has been done. And in the nick of prison term too."The wan wizard strode over to the wickedness Lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your handmaiden, master, and I have done your bidding. Do not occupy noble, I can take a crap you strong again. Stronger than ever. With this ... we can climb again, the death eaters can turn out again. The earth will tremble master, tremble in fear."

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

"We can be impregnable than ever master."Barty's cheek in the trace was terrifying."Stronger than ever."





Ye gods that was hard to pen right. Or ... decent write. Write write ... some combination of those words anyway. It 's been a roller coaster I think you 'll agree, and the single most massive twist of the stallion fic was finally revealed. Hope you liked it. People who were waiting to the end of this al-Qur'an to refresh ... your time has come.

I 've already started writing the future Word of God and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual affair of writing myself into a box. Instead I plotted the account book out in betterment and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The plot made lucid good sense and all, no plot-holes, there was cipher tripping me up, no author block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ parole I ca n't add without mature valuation ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. positivistic upshot : The story is a lot stronger now I think. Negative issue : I have to throw away a significant part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

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

Mysteries abound in the next Word of the serial publication Harry Potter, The Isidor Feinstein Stone and The Scorpion !