Thanks to all the the great unwashed who reviewed the last chapter. Your several permutations of the universal `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most appreciated. I feel kind of bad for jumping a twist like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. Good to live the legal age of multitude appreciated it.



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

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

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

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

Harry flinched, pain running across his old-hat face.

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

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

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

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the healers entered his way. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty words. They cleaned him up, washing his blazonry and dresser. They asked him to absent the pick-me-up. He did, letting it pass to the floor with a brassy clatter. The therapist shied away from the mark on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

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

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


Draco slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and detain awake. It had been burnt in the engagement, but it was OK now. Just enough residual inflammation and pain in the ass to help him remain alert. He swung his tire eyes around the wait room, all of the marauder were here. to the highest degree of them had finally succumbed to sleep, Draco didn't charge them. It was hard to imagine that the insanely midnight rape on the animate being 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 find some tea. The tea shop class was closed but surely the healers had a faculty room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just light asleep.

Dragon shook his promontory. Some of them had to be awake when the healers finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for 60 minutes. How many ... additions .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the room again. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Even Ginny, who seemed to induce nodded off in the act of pinching herself. They had all been there all night, no one had collected them. He supposed it was only a matter of metre before a teacher or an purchase order member came to wrangle them up and drag them back to Hogwarts, where they would no doubt stay. Chained to posts like dogs so they couldn't run off again.

Dragon got wearily to his foundation, maybe he could walk some of his tiredness off. He stepped carefully around the prone vulture and stepped up to the door to the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward. Harry's bed was obscured by drapery but the shadow of the healer were still moving against the surface. As he watched one of them detached and stepped towards the door. genus Draco stepped away to let him out, hope and apprehension rising in his stomach.

"Is there any word ?"Draco asked.

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

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

"well we ... we removed several items from the dead body of your friend."The piteous healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the rampart of his stomach. We think it may deliver been designed to neutralise poisonous substance but it seems to own had the opposite effect. It was the source of his illness. We also found-"

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

"His ... his eye."The healer paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a great mess of scarring. Unfortunately we were unable to bushel it. We are currently looking into whether the installation he has is high-pitched calibre enough to get out there."

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

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

Draco looked back over the marauders. Through their sand-filled, droopy eyes he could see their lugubriousness. Harry had fought so hard and got cipher in income tax return but accusation of execution and a perm disfigurement. And a glum mark, they could not forget that.

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

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

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


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

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

Thankfully she did not debate, but instead bent down and touched her wand to the skin 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 pelt back after the mark was gone. He was in his apartment at Hogwarts, the only when place he could have gained those potions without doubtfulness was from his own supplying. 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 night Maker as well. What would he do next ? What would his succeeding move be ...

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

"He will not."Snape shook his headway."He was forced to hide 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 savage, I am certain of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the little flap of skin up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was barren. Strange that he should feel so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly dislodge 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 promontory."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 counter him instead of stumbling around in the darkness."

"You had to."Was all she said.

"Perhaps."Snape let his header fall back, perhaps.

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

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

"The ministry ? The department of mysteries ? The vaticination ?"

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

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

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

"Severus,"Natalie took his face in her hands and tilted it up to meet her eyes."Not so low now. We won today. It may not feel like it, but we won a victory. victory 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 through to him, whatever his mood. He smiled,

"I believe I have some wine."
*


The boy who carried the public figure Harry felt himself enter the familiar ambition. He felt floor board under his spine, scratchy through the thin hospital robe. He knew where he would be when he opened his eyes. And finally, he even knew why.

He pushed himself off the floor, leaning his tired inning against the wall. The wall painted with bears and stool pigeon over a pale blue sky full of fluffy clouds. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't selective service the energy. He ignored the cot in the center of the way, it's shiny roving spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the threshold receptive and descended the stairs. The revulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely bring himself to care. He knew what this home was now.

No one-year-old remembers their house. No one-year-old could remember every photo, or the shape on the wallpaper. This space was a lie, a parasitic store that had been burnt into his mind. The creeping sickness in his skin was his thinker's way of telling him that it wasn't genuine, that it didn't belong.

He stepped up to the look door and stepped outside. There were street signs in the store. No one-year-old would retrieve street signboard, they couldn't even read them. He should induce known, should have realized somehow.

He couldn't finger the woodlet nearby. God knows what that represented. Some metaphor for safety his mind was projecting out maybe. Who knew. The river ? Some other part of his nous ... it didn't topic. Harry let himself lessen to the ground on the weed, it was all pointless. It wasn't Charles Frederick Worth fighting this anymore, it was burnt onto the back of his scull. He could never escape.

His eyes flickered open in the infirmary hospital ward. He could experience the sensitive new ontogenesis in his hand. It was pink, new tegument, and minor than the other. Harry dropped it back onto the mantle. early parts of his dead body hurt too, picayune scars and combat injury. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

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

The predator were sleeping there, lying across workbench or curled up on the floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to mouth to anyone right now. Couldn't talk, he had no thought how he would even start. He hurried away and down the steps. He didn't stop consonant until he was out of the building and a few streets away. A small street, not busybodied. Breathing hard he shoved his scepter out into the street. He found that he could barely restrain his arm up for the few seconds it took for the knight bus to blur out of nowhere and screech to a stop in front end of him.

"Ere are you Harry Potter ?"The pimply music director squinted at him, his voice full of amazement.

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

"right hand, right, incognito."The man tapped his olfactory organ."I never believed any of that clobber about ya. Hero that ‘ s what I say."

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

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

The bus moved off and the unknown boy sagged down in a chair. Why was he doing this ? Did he even have a ground ? He didn't seem to have reason's anymore. He remembered being full of blast and penury, burning rage for the scrap. But now he just felt hollow, like he'd been scooped out. He didn't want anything anymore. Except perhaps to die. Why was he going to Godrics Hollow ? Why not. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go.

The bus screeched to a check 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 other small town. It was empty this clip of day, like a ghost townsfolk. Suited his mood perfectly. He looked forward, an abandoned ship house, burnt and with the top floor blown off.

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

He stepped forward his mitt stretched out, then shied away. This home was just to a greater extent Lie. The touch in his psyche, grief, release, fright. They weren't his, they weren't his red ink. Only unknown had died here, two strangers. People who had goose egg to do with him. The heartbreak was another trick, just another grade 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 nothing. His feet brought him to the square and he lent tiredly on the war monument. He should never have come here, it was not what he needed. He raked his hired hand through his hair.

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the stone, hissing out rage through his teeth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his tangible memory board were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Jesus Christ's sake ! His wholly body was a mask !

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

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

"Reducto !"The wand flickered out, even through the cult the spell flew true. It struck the head of the Fatherhood statue, shattering it into sliver. Some of them cut the boy's chassis. He didn't care.

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

"Reducto ! !"The survive shot was the firm, striking out in a blinding dash 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 undone stumps of heads and died to nothing.

The unknown boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a marathon. His clothes wet with exertion. He dropped his baton back into his pocket and turned his cover on the statue, his intimation still coming in furious bursts. He couldn't think, couldn't breath. He walked off down the street, not trusting himself to look on the statue again. It made it all too real.

His center found a burial ground. Both eyes, real and wizard. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his vision, the x-ray scene of the world. Now it was just a incessant monitor. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the memorial park gate open and let the eye roam, in a instant it had angled in on the Potter grave accent. He walked hesitantly to it, his wand safely away in his pocket. He pushed a piece of ivy off the stone and register the inscription.
The lastly enemy that shall be destroyed is death


Well that was bollocks. Being dead meant you had at least one former foe left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffins, side to side in the ground, stared back at him. But ... there was a phantom. Like a vacant area. He drew his sceptre and muttered a disclosure spell. Faint whiffs of fantasy drew out of the primer coat to meet him. He waved his wand again, cutting the misty waifs away. He worked ... he didn't know how long. Probably minutes, maybe hours. At some full stop the gray sky gave way to rain and the burying ground locoweed turned slick. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the spells. It was good. It was a puzzle, breaking the illusion. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. Nothing different showed on the Earth's surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his heart pounding in his chest. There was a one-third coffin on top of the other two, arranged like a Pyramids of Egypt. Inside ... inside was a littler body, a child. It's petite limb crossed over it's chest.

The nameless boy fell to his stifle. There it was, the final proof. The final examination demonstrable check. That piteous wasted eubstance in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a tiny boodle on the os of his scull, above his eye, in the shape of a lightning bolt. The veridical scar had cut all the way to the off-white, his was barely more than physical composition. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the stone, but said aught. The anger in him was gone. He had seen the dead body of the real number Potters, lying together. It was hard to feel anger, but he wished he did. The wrath at least filled him up, filled the emptiness with flaming. But now the fire was gone and he felt even vacuous for it. He found himself resting the detail of his wand against the crude, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, persuasion skittering over the numb center of his psyche. It was a sceptre gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be role of. This sceptre was his killing sceptre. He had done horrible things for the sake of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the Wood. He had pickled his person in descent and what had it got him ? He added his early arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a loud crack, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A little red bagatelle was visible through the break. It had had a capital of Arizona feather core, he never knew.

"Well that makes thinks easier."

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

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

"Yes I am Aug Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his sceptre in his handwriting."Thank Merlin I still have a vigil on the minor trick demodulator. You ‘ ve come a long way just to slue now. A long recollective way ..."

"Felt like further."The vacate boy dropped the stiff of his verge onto the Potter grave. Perhaps some fool champion would find it and make up some news report about it. He turned back to the death eater and asked,"Are you going to kill me ?"He was surprised that his vocalism did not fathom eager.

"Eventually Mr thrower, no doubt."Rookwood held out his wand."But initiative you ‘ re going to secure something for me."

"What ?"

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

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

"Is this some form of whoremonger ?"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 light burned through his lid as he groaned. The noise went on and on, familiar ... very familiar. His retentiveness twinged, his real ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eyes flickered open just as the tube caravan flashed out of sight, leaving the tunnel in dark. He felt the cords binding his mitt together, his fingers danced along them trying to find a knot. There was none. They were tight though, biting into his cutis, magical no doubt. He didn't have to experience to sleep with that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't pain to try to stand.

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

The unknown boy twisted and looked around him, one of the rampart was been broken through and a iniquity, gross burrow stretched away. Now that the train was gone he could take heed something in the darkness all around, a scratching slinking sound.

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

"Oh, so you noticed."Rookwood held up his baton and lit it, smiling. The darkness rolled back, but not far. A Grey wall stopped the light, a writhing spate of cloth and rot.

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

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling mass. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some kind of iciness, desperation ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were close to them ? He shook his head, they couldn't touch him, a somebody could only sense so much desperation and he was already at his limit. And as for making him relive his high-risk storage ? Ha ! His darkest moment was still fresh in his mind.

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

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

"You did."Rookwood sneered."But that doesn ‘ t matter. In fact, none of that matters. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his verge, making a still appeal. A 2d flick levitated him off the floor. Rookwood reached into his pouch and pulled out a tenacious silvery length of material, 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 place 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 spot fit him like a mitt. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scratching, digging auditory sensation. The dementors followed after, filling the tunnel with cold. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the bend figures came into survey. One shadow cloaked build standing tall, the ease ragged and torn and scrabbling at the turd mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their dress that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or zombies. Who could tell the difference ? The build in strawman of them turned as Rookwood approached. Dark long hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are late Augustus."The female destruction eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a brand toed boot with the force of a falling teenager behind it did Thomas More scathe than expected. The go forth face of her face was crushed in, a mass of scratch and bulging cutis. When she spoke she slurred, only the right side of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, goose egg left.

She had lost her eye. How fantastic. How very poignant. Under the cloak the invisible captive felt his vanity filled with a tiny electric discharge of satisfaction.

"how-do-you-do Bella."Rookwood stopped, his deal flickering to his sceptre."Shouldn ‘ t you be in your own tunnel ? That was the design 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 late. Why were you late ?"

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

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

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

"There is no push anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her sunk face."There are three of us. There will be More than enough aura to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into thinly air.

"fabrication bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark lord ‘ s right hand. arrest excavation you freaks !"He directed the last one to the creatures burrowing in the shit. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant middle rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his scepter and the dirt began flying away faster. In a dead import the dirt became a brick wall, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you ready Mr thrower ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible captive hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the wall and raised his baton. There was a shattering blast and the wall caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his feet his script tangling in his robe. A K flare of fire up struck him in the head word, he dropped onto the desk, scattering papers.

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


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

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

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Moody tried to keep up, his breather spotting in his pectus."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even bang where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you own a plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the quoin. Helen Newington Wills doubled over, he was old, too old. But graven image he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the snake pit was Dumbledore cerebration ? He could get them all killed ! The stallion order. The entire bloody lodge in one fell swoop, and what the hell could he do to stop it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

He straightened and staggered down the manse. 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 helper !"

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

"The ministry is compromised !"Helen Wills saw his give-and-take 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."

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

"I know."Snape's middle 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 hint."There are four of us. Natalie, would you get 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 dorsum of a chair."We need an army."

"Do you do it where to regain one ?"

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


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

"Welcome Mr ceramicist, to the Department of Mysteries."Rookwood pulled the cloak off his floating prisoner. Harry ceramist. 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 ?"Potter's voice was a little Equus caballus from the long silence."You ‘ re trying to take in point with your lord, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"More than enough Harry. More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his wand and the trammel on Harry's ramification snapped off. Another click and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the bar. If I am to excel Crouch in terms of merit to the Lord ... I must search the icing."

"That ‘ s the stunned affair I ‘ ve ever heard."Harry said dully.

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

"My human foot are asleep. Your rophy were too tight."

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the ceiling, looking for victim. There were still a few left. Not enough to bother over though. He stepped into out into the retentiveness position, pulling his strangely compliant charge past the tankful of brains. He stopped by the door to the destruction bedchamber, there was the sound of spells from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the doorway open in meter to see a virtuoso scrambling away from an inferi trip and twilight. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering unspeakable in it's unwavering hairgrip and threw him away with inhuman strength. Screaming as he flew across the room, his sidesplitter was cut off as he fell through the archway in the shopping centre. The curtains ruffled for a mo, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a shudder, he was never entirely comfortable with the execution portal. Harry watched from his side with slow oculus. What was wrong with the boy ? Never nous. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the room, giving the inferi a wide birth, and pushed afford the door at the other side.

"well Potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the cant of shelves in social movement of them, each one with rowing upon row of bantam celestial sphere."This is the hall of prophecy."

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

"They are book 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 lip twisting into a sneer.

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

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

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

"What do you involve me for ?"ceramicist 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 prophecy of the department of mystery story ? They are keyed, protected. Only sure people can get up them from where they lie. Namely the people they have been made about. So the only citizenry who can take this prophecy are the glowering overlord, and you. ``

ceramicist stared at the orb for a bit longer, the words sinking into him. Then he threw his head back and laughed, laughed so hard his optic ran with split. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a bitter jest, full of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

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

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


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

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been quick. She spun as insensate hands grabbed her from behind, crushing her with inhuman strong point. The breathing space fled from her lungs and she felt ribs wisecrack. In despair she transformed and dashed away on four metrical unit, spinning and changing back to plant a fireball in the chest of the inferi that had held her. As soon as it was gone another took it's place.

They were overrun, there were too many !

"help me ! Oh god assistance me !"A figure ran from out of the insaneness, his honey oil bowler still clutched in his hired hand."Please !"

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

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

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

putrefaction frame filled her nostrils and she tried to bring her scepter around. Too slowly. The bushed fist crunched into the position of her head and she fell. She brought her baton up and blew the stagnant figure to shard, parentage already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to consecrate it.

No one.
*


The orb came complimentary in Potter's hand, it's swoon radiance shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his kernel leap, but the ceramist boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a alive snake.

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

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

"Just give me the bloody orb !"Rookwood made to snap up it but Potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the white lightness faltered. A tinny whine filled the air, like grinding gearing. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his fingerbreadth. In the midsection of the white a tiny stiletto heel of darkness was growing, like ink in Milk River. The total darkness grew until it covered the unscathed inside of the orb, it was no longsighted shining field glass but a polished orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his pinna. Suddenly there was a effervesce crackle and ceramist yelped in painful sensation, spilling the prophecy onto the story. Rookwood cried out, it would go bad for sure ! But when the orb struck the ground it squelched, spreading out like Lucius Clay. Smoke rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood list forwards and held his hand out over it. The heating system was intolerable this close and he had to shy back. The vaticination had melted. Melted into a steaming puddle on the floor.

The Potter boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not let touched the vaticination !"

"He could if it was already played out."thrower glanced at the goo on the storey."A snare, or else his illusion on me interfered somehow."

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

"He ‘ s come."The potter boy was staring through the cap like a madman, his font again an empty-bellied mask of horror."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to oscillate by the ceiling. The silence broken only be the groaning of the bruise. Minerva 's oculus found the ingress to the elevation, it 's meshing gap in a grating clangoring. Stepping out into the corridor, pitch-black robes floating behind him and a hand curled in a wave to the brute swirling above, was the saturnine lord himself. Minerva felt her heart jump to her pharynx. She glanced around, the society was in tatters. Only Dumbledore stood marvelous, the balance of them were covered in blood and shaking from the exertion of the fight. There was no violence here to stop a dark Godhead, no force at all.

Voldermort's eyes found a quivering ball on the floor and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the dark Jehovah crooked a fingerbreadth, pulling the figure to his fundament. The park bowler was gone, but the pallid flesh remained.

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

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

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

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

"No old man, I do not."Voldemort flicked his baton towards the Headmaster. Fudge dropped to the base and scampered away down the corridor."I think you will do as you have always done. Stand bravely in the facial expression 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 hired hand and the Dementors fell like hunting hawks. Minerva was forced to push for her spirit against the gray-haired stash, spinning around her like a whirl of Death. And in photoflash of light beyond that maelstrom she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his wand out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the infatuation was too great. An inferi had her arm in it's frailty like grip and she blew it off with flames. Another took it's shoes too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of purple light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling sorcerer in the nerve center of all this, Dumbledore raising the very Harlan Fisk Stone of the storey in a wall against the dark Lord, but it was blasted to shreds just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

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

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

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

"Then what do you purpose !"

"We die."lupine delivered that concluding in a matted growl."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to shed another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as lily-white mist, easily brushed aside by the spook. Suddenly there was a burst of tearing noise, breaking the flagstone and making the chamber shake with it's force. As it died there a flash of red light and a senior high cruel laugh.

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

The dementors parted for a moment, like cloud in confidential information. The darkness lord stood over the straggle manakin of the schoolmaster, his thrill on Dumbeldore's cervix. Minerva felt despair that had nothing to do with the dementors. She let her wand hand drop to her slope. They had lost. It was all over.

"Expecto Patronum !"A Greek chorus of strong articulation cried the spell and the room was filled with a wall of spark. Minerva watched as a charging ovalbumin Leo crashed into the massed forms before her, a snarling skirt chaser running at it's heels.

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

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

"I will drink down you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's sceptre stabbed forward. There was a flash of Christ Within and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a brute blast of immobilise wind at the dark lord.

Minerva dashed forward to avail him but once again found a bridge player gripping her arm.

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

"The student ?"

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

"But Snape-"

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


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad elan away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the mix-up of battle, then there had been some step, then a corridor ... The sounds of struggle were everywhere, coming out of the walls. He had just kept running., unable to do anything else. His heart raced beyond what any human exertion should birth forced it to. His judgment was blank, a short weight unit. Today had been a lifetime.

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

"seminal fluid on dance with me you mangled bitch !"A. A. 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 staircase and almost tripped over a torso on the flooring. Pink hair, auror ‘ s robes. Oh no ...

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

She had a pulse.

The nameless 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 wall. She wouldn't have a pulse for long if he left her here.

So long ... His learning ability was grey guck, he just wanted to shut down. He had no wand and his muscles were weewee. They would never touch safety anyway, this place was a warzone. But on the other hand ... Tonks.

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



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


Due to other commitments my notice may get a trivial foster apart for a piece. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the border of the fount of magical brother. Every bone ached and his arm was tied up to his consistence in a slingshot. There was no time for healing yet though, no prison term at all.

"Stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a tough combining to master ), raising her handwriting to the gang of ministry survivor."Just halt there and the therapist will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The lastly was directed to a day-by-day prophet reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook.

The other side of the hall, back behind the open fireplace, a job of bed were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth heath lying sedated, her hand clutched by her never-ending familiar Vanessa. She would be alright though, a lilliputian cold and tranquility for workweek to number and likely not ever wanting to come across a dementor again but she would live. Oh to have just one of them back in his sign of the zodiac, or any of the marauders. They had fought like World Tamil Movement, like flak dogs with wands.

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

"She got away."The monolithic wizard reached the edge of the outpouring and plunged his head under the surface. A bit later he lifted it up and press his wet hair out of his eyes."Bellatrix."

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

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

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

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

"Bella has Sir Thomas More life history than a cat, do not think any to a greater extent of it."

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

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

'' They deserve bloody medallion ! ``

'' Yes but I can not apply them medals. You however can establish them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain grinning and saw it returned broader. He gestured towards the elevator with his good arm."Voldemort holds the department of mystery. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a Mrs. Humphrey Ward on the lift and on all staircases."

"I can break through."Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` grant me five transactions. ``

"I doubt that you could do it in five or five hundred."Snape shook his oral sex."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 divulge the newly cut peel."Oh."

"Yes, and it ‘ s worse than that."Snape bowed his brain."He has hostages down there, ordering extremity and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

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

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

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

'' What the ... '' Suddenly Michelson was on his groundwork, an face of daze on his boldness. `` merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A moment later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his face a Lady Jane Grey masquerade party. He did n't take care up, did n't acknowledge anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his essence down bedside a shocked therapist. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every quoin of the elbow room, running towards the unexpected mess of their leader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Where 's your wand ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the marauders shied back there was a blast of heating system from behind them. Snape spun around in fourth dimension to see the fount of wizardly brethren go red hot and start melting, dissolving into the water supply with a hissing. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water supply, mixing with the water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving rescript member, ministry workers and marauders surrounded the syndicate of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with yellow light up to the roof. As they watched it faded to silver, then to grey, then finally to pure white. The white resolved into shapes, gloss bloomed out of the pure light. As the contour coalesced Snape heard a screech from individual on the other position of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

In the pool, rippling on the open of the liquid, was an image of lord Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the department of mysteries. The baton in his paw was long and pale, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's sceptre. Behind the dark nobleman, lined up and chained together, were ten wizards. Though the picture was faded and the colours ran together Snape could easily recognize the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort simulacrum turned towards them and spoke, his voice sounding deep and echoic like it was coming from the bottom of a well.

'' honorable wizards of the ministry, '' The dark Divine greeted amicably. `` Members of the order of the genus Phoenix and the dear small fry. What you are seeing is the inside of the department of mystery story, where all the greatest secrets are hidden. All the deep magic trick of the ministry is within these walls, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And look at my friend here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his prisoner. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the price of defying lord Voldemort. '' He took a bundle of baton out of his pocket and hovered it into the air. With a gout of fire they burnt into ash. `` Such is the price ... And look who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger and Fudge was dragged forward, his attachment separating from the others. He came to a arrest by the shadow lord 's pes and looked up with pained eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to toss off you you piteous petty man, whatever you say. ``

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a little easier. `` Do you remember when I used to invite you up for tea ? Back when I was ... I was a department hear and you were ... you were immature. ``

'' Yes ? ``

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

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

'' My ... my near boy. '' Fudge stuttered, his eyes still to the flooring. `` Defiance ... is never p ... p ... pointless. ``

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

leafy vegetable light filled the pond of pee and for a mo none of them could see anything. Snape felt his inwardness beating rapidly in his chest. The light cleared in time for them too see the dark lord savagely kicking the minister 's torso to the side and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The master was thrown forward roughly.

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

'' wellspring old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his wand down at Dumbledore, a bolt of lightning of electrical energy charring a hole in the Headmaster 's robes. `` Do you not throw something to say ? Some final stage word before I take your spirit. ``

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

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

Dumbledore did n't even look at the shadow noble. In a passion Voldemort slashed his wand through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

'' You will speak ! '' The serpent like face was set with barbarous anger. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore wet his lip and tried again. `` I am fix to die. ``

'' What ? ``

'' I am ready ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am prepare to die for everything I have done. Those are my survive words, the solitary ones you will get. pour down me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his scepter to forge the cuss but let it die on his backtalk. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under control. `` But of class, how could I deny a last request. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if clip froze. The consortium exploded with unripened brightness again and Snape's throat closed, every brawniness tensing. The early watchers around the pool held their work force to their faces, or shook there head ... they would not think it. The green light faded and the dead body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the land. It crumpled like a paper diaper, his beard trailing onto the floor like a rag.

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

'' Here dies Albus Dumbledore. '' Voldemort laughed. `` A sap to the end, and in the end a letdown. So there you are, two hostages dead. I have eight left and all will die if you do not give me what I want. I want Harry ceramicist. Bring him to me in one half-hour or I will kill another, perhaps the werewolf. I am certain no one will lack him. But if any of you wish to see these superstar alive, then you know what you must do. take. Me. Harry. Potter ! ``

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

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


The nameless boy crashed out of the phone box and dashed away, his feet slipping on the wet sidewalk. rain down splattered against his look 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 dupery. He dashed past the masses in the street, some of them turning to look at his odd clothing and panic-stricken expression, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the scream of breaks. He prayed that one of the auto would hit him. His base would not give up moving and the auditory sensation of horn was left behind. His charming eye painted the creation in shimmering curtains of apparition, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's surface. He pushed past a man in a suit 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 heart trouncing like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the frigidity, wet pavement. He lay there, his groundwork still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, dark and dirty. waiting ...

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

Heedless of the drive rainwater he opened his mouth and laughed. Laughed in pure resentment. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never take in known, would never have known any of this. He would accept been able to keep on being Harry Potter. He felt tears running down his cheek and mingling with the rain, freezing him to the bone.

But there was warmth. A little period of estrus at his chest. He dug his paw into his shirt and slowly drew it out.

His pendant. Pythea's pendant. Worn so long he had almost forgotten it was there. But now it was glowing like a star, so brightly beneath the gray sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both hands, staring at it in wonder as a silver grey 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 ball hung in the air by his mitt. One of burnished gold, the early pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The white orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a figure, every bender glowing with Christ Within, every flowing line of her utter white wearing apparel and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

'' Harry I wish I could experience come sooner. '' Thea stepped forward and encased his hired man in hers.

'' Another illusion- ''

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

'' Your ... help ? ``

'' You 're lost. Lost in the woodwind instrument. '' Thea smiled faintly. The gilded orb was still circling her, pulsing faintly. `` And I am the vaticinator. I thought you might need a templet out. That was why I gave you this all those old age ago, to help you happen your way. In your darkest 60 minutes. You need to find your way again Harry, or else were all doomed. ``

'' Theia, '' The boy ducked his head, his eyes squeezing shut. `` I 'm not who you think I am. I 'm not the one you were trying to help, not the 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 ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her crystal vocalization filling the emptiness between the building with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry Potter I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' Stop. '' Too painful. memory of pleasant sentence,

'' I will not end. I will never stop trying to aid you. I knew the moment I met you that you were n't the chosen one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the mistress of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a moment that I would lose a affair like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a creation without Hope, you were the only shining hazard. ``

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

'' I saw aught about your time to come. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to adjoin him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true soul who would fight for this world even if the stallion world was against him. I saw person who could get struck down a G times and would still pick himself up. I saw that the dark lord would rise and I hoped ... I did n't bed but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the macrocosm in peril and the future tense uncertain I took the best chance the domain had. I took a opportunity on you. In a clip of thoroughgoing despair, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't agitate anymore. '' The boy dropped his centre. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't lie with what it 's like to have someone walk up to you and snatch your full life, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

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

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

The shape resolved into a trope. His long gown were buttoned tightly and long arms, rolled up now to show his weapon. Those robes were familiar. Tonks had worn them last twelvemonth, auror trainee robes. The expression remained logy for a present moment more then coalesced, becoming a firm model in golden light, right down to the in conclusion frowzled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's sassing fell afford in impact. He was looking up into his own face. No ... no there were differences. The jaw was more pointed, sharper, the oculus closer together. He did n't have a scar on his cervix, nor a wickedness marker on his arm. He looked older too, at least two years if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it potential ? Was this ... Harry ceramist ?

'' I do n't quite translate this. '' The ghostly gilt physique said. `` Your acquaintance, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different universe or ... or dimension or something. A different time too. I do n't tranquillize sympathise it, require Hermione for that sort of thing. ``

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

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

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

'' I wish I knew why but ... your ally wo n't differentiate me. Something about lessening the interference as much as possible. There are other things I wish I could assure you, things you really should bang about- '' The recording skewed like inactive for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's secernate me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The metre thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my future, to be given to you in your past, to act in your present tense. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't know. I do n't know what I 'm saying. I ca n't guess what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this time it 's spoiled because you know you had a past it 's just been taken. I know you must feel like crawling into a hole and dying, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the same really. I do n't bed what I 'm saying. ``

The apparitional soma began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm theorise to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and circulate his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through with things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the lone mortal you 'll ever fill that can say that. Your ally says that, since I 'm abruptly in your world, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be easily, but you know that. In fact I ca n't think of anything that I could say to carry you to hire 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 existence be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't cognize what I can say to convince you that 's not rightful except for two thing. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The shadow figures licked it 's lips.

'' Do you have intercourse how many regularisation are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional theodolite ? Certain countries still have the destruction penalty for messing around in parallel worldly concern. Just getting here, the campaign it must give taken. The peril your friend has taken just to get this subject matter to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire rest of the world is perdition right now you 've got one person who 's willing to lay on the line everything for you. Risk her life. So if nothing else ... fight for her. ``

The figure faded. It 's eyes lasted the longest, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the alley was blue again. The boy on the flat coat stood, slowly and with aid, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter building. His hands went to his tum as he threw his promontory back and laughed, the rainwater trickling down his brass. That was Harry Potter was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? screw him. Screw the overly dramatic, hesitant by-blow. If that childish gimboid can save the public I sure as hell can.

He pushed his rain soaked whisker out of his eyes. It was like the emptiness was, somehow classify. It was still there, the gaping void, it was just that all the of import parts of him, the things that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the niggling shell necklace back around his neck opening. Just a shell now, it's thaumaturgy gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was part of him, the existent him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to nibble the gravid fight of his life.

He needed a programme though .... and if he was going to survive a battle with the greatest dark wizard in the world it would need to be a bloody good plan. Or a bally insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the cards. Voldemort could kill him without thinking. And Voldemort had surety. On the former manus Voldemort was alone, he had no death feeder, no nighttime animal, no servants.

Whatever plan he came up with it would number down to just the two of them. A just combat. Which he would lose.

So make it an unfair fight.

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

Smiling, he walked out of the alley. He picked up his pace and he reached the street, how much of his half hour was gone ? He had lost all track of clip. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would help no one if he was to fag out to oppose. It seemed an age until the telephone set box came into view, sticking up out of the street. Harry got in, then pressed the codification on the receiver.

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

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

The motorcar apparently took him a little too literally as ...
Harry ceramist
Messiah


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't pain in the ass to foot it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na tell him. He dissilusioned himself before the doorway slid open again and stepped out into the ministry foyer. There was a level of organized Chaos and another bigger degree of disorganized chaos. Harry ignored it and his magic trick eye picked out the marauders. The were all clustered in one place. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

"Don ‘ t move. Don ‘ t pass them and signalise you ‘ re hearing me. Just semen over here behind that lamp chimney where we can ‘ t be seen."

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

"Hi guys. I ‘ m back."

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

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

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

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

"quintet 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-scale voice."You ‘ re going down to fight him."

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

"Do you recall 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 affair. matter I need your supporter with."

"You got it Harry."Ginny went into life-threatening mode."Whatever you need."

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

A timber of hands were stretched out towards him. Every single sceptre. Harry picked one at random and tried a uncomplicated charm. It was stuttery and faint. No good. He picked another and almost set his tomentum on fervency. The third the magic spell came out right but the baton felt unearthly. The quaternary ... Harry did first one magic spell then another ... then another ... they all came out perfective tense. His eyes came up to meet Malfoy's Charles Grey ones.

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

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

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

Harry took the nursing bottle with a grinning and tipped it back into his mouth. The warmly chocolaty liquid seemed to drain into every aching sinew and os, making him finger 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 tricky but if I handle the charms and person else does the transfig we should be able to manage it. Oh ! And I ‘ ve thought of a fourth thing. I ‘ ll need a distraction."
*


"Here ! Look !"Snape was shocked out of his view by the outcry. His eyes found the root in the Whitney Young Weasley child, crouched down by the fountain. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the syndicate, 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 street corner. ``

'' I see nothing. ``

'' flavor. ``

'' missy Weasley there is goose egg there. ``

'' There was ! ``

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

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

'' Eight people. '' The kid shrugged. `` eight masses or me. selection is pretty obvious. ``

'' Foolish boy. You do n't take in to do this. ``

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

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


The rhytidoplasty grate slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of battle was everywhere, great gouges gone from the walls and doors blown off their hinges. This was n't the department of whodunit yet though. Just the courtrooms. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The threshold to the section came into view, a blank rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see nothing beyond the threshold, not even with his magic eye. Some sort of protection must extend around the department of enigma. For the rice beer of his plan he hoped it did n't carry inside the section too. Harry raised his baton to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom Riddle ! '' Harry 's magnify interpreter shook the bricks in the bulwark. `` I 'm here. '' There was a second 's wait, then.

'' Welcome Mr ceramicist. '' A similarly booming voice sounded down the hallway. `` I was not surely you would amount. ``

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

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

Harry waited in silence for a minute ... then the door at the end of the corridor swung undefended. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The prospect was just as it had been reflected in the pool, the line of captives, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the center. The soundbox of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the circle way, 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 room beyond.

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

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

'' Of line. '' Voldemort gestured mildly. The Chain on the prisoners crashed to the ground.

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

"They ‘ ll be able to get out ?"Harry asked."Past the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth ?"

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

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

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

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

As the terminal man trouped out Harry pushed the door shut and locked it. The dense bolts sliding into place sounded like a hammer.

'' wellspring Mr Potter. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The kings in our piffling chess game plot. The cat's-paw are gone, the castle are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

"Have you never even played cheat ?"Harry quirked an supercilium."If all you have is the two kings that 's a dead end serpent side. You ca n't mate with one king."

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his eyes and picked a straighten out blank of floor. He pointed his scepter down.

'' Calx. '' A chalk argument appeared on the floor. Harry drew his wand around in a jumpy rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy give me your notion. Does that appear like XIV feet to you ? ``

'' What in Falco columbarius 's name are you doing ? ``

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

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

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

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

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

'' Of course. ``

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

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

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

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The spell flared across the room. Just before it hit the dark lord seemed to waver and pass off into mist. The spell passed right through his binding and exploded in sparks against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his face,

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

'' Worth a gibe. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his verge. `` Goodbye Mr ceramist. I wish you all the trump in the next worldly concern. Avada Kedavra ! ``

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



Review or the vicious chicken with the DEAD EYES that only I can see will kill me.


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





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

'' Hmm ... '' Harry frowned in mock confusion. `` Your scepter appears to have got turned into a volaille. ``

The chicken managed to justify itself and dropped to the floor. It took a look at the two whiz on either side of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an open door.

"Was it, meant to sour into a volaille ?"Harry tapped his Kuki-Chin thoughtfully."Is this some poultry variant of the killing nemesis I was not previously aware of ? Is that a wimp of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's hired man dipped into his scoop."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's heart went wide.

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

The dark lord's script twitched to his pocket.

"Oh flavour !"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 ?"

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

"Me. Me. Me."Harry grinned like a Panthera tigris."The moral of the fib Tommy boy is this : Don ‘ t you EVER good deal with a marauder because we can swallow you. And we never lose."

"ceramist I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his wand forward, keeping the other two safe in his depart hired hand."Shut your ugly murdering cheek. Happy, civil, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the time for the other thing. The bloody hatred filled struggle that culminates with the killing of you."

"You think you can win ?"Voldemort hissed out through clenched teeth."Even without a wand I am still the shadow God Almighty. I am still more than than a match for you."

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

The dark God Almighty hissed, his fingers clenching into hook. Then a moment later he exploded into grass, whisking away through an open door. What the ? Harry 's legerdemain eye focused through the wall, onto the floor in the succeeding elbow room. On the floor future to a prone organic structure was-

WAND !

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

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

He rolled as it passed command processing overhead time and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as wind lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the story and snapped the wand up from beside the bundle of gown that was all that was left of the victim of an inferi. He skidded to a hitch, his eye dancing madly to find any remaining wands ... nil in the prophecy room ...

The cloud circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost feel Voldemort doing the same check that he was, using dark conjuring trick to come up any remaining weapon system. The cloud contracted then guess away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a second, a second Sir Thomas More and his eye had found it's objective. The death chamber, a wand rolled into a crack in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the lightlessness smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too warm !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up shards of rubble but the moment it reached the swarm it was squashed like a Gaul. The wind instrument going categoric in mid air. The smoke disappeared under a door and Harry crashed through it a here and now later. The wand ! right wing there ! Voldemort reappeared with a thunderclap and jabbed his manus forward. The baton leapt from the floor and spun towards the iniquity lord. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and splinter clattered on the floor. The dark Lord's hired man snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the lastly of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his wand trained on the dark lord he stepped down the steps till he was next to the flap arch. He picked the three wands he'd acquired out of his sac and chucked them through the veil. The darkness textile fluttered for a moment, then went still."All sceptre ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the only way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my low temperature perfectly hands."

"What an excellent suggestion Mr Potter."

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

"Accio !"The Bench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his capitulum. The nighttime overlord spun and shattered it with a boo swearword."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's wand and forced the night Creator to dodge to the side. The orb exploded against the bulwark, filling the room with sparks. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

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

"Hammus Missus !"range shot up and slammed into the roof far above."Rapellet !"The chain of mountains felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the lightness. As he shot from the ground like a bullet a ball of darkness flew towards him.

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

Harry kicked off the edge of the archway and swung out of the way. He let go of the chain and aimed at the iniquity figure below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The green light left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the position of the stepped arena. The killing curse blew a maw 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 snarl of entrance hall. Harry dashed back through the entrance vestibule and shot into a long elbow room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing shadow was just seeable at the former end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The nightmare oath sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The explosion filled the air with emerald Muriel Sarah Spark. Three bolts of lightning thundered through the blowup and Harry threw himself to the side. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of painfulness. A immobilize appeal numbed the glow pulp as Harry furiously dashed after the iniquity lord. As he skidded to a stay in the hall of prophecies the iniquity Divine disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could pick up a trace. A wisp of spoke curled around one of the shelves, only to disappear a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so safe for incorporeal affair. He slowly turned, letting his eyes sweep through the opening between the shelves. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a deplorable trap on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be capable to break it, some matter required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy hall. The glass spheres had not escaped the massacre of the struggle, many were left in glittering sherd on the marble floor. The piffling snaps of shabu cracked under his kick. Was that smoke ? Harry 's heart hammered in his chest. Was that a-

FIREBALL ! Harry spun and yelled,

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

Harry 's eye swirled and he just caught a glimpse of the morose vest figure before he dissolved again. Harry picked himself up and held himself at readiness. This was like a bloody gunfight, it was all about who was quicker to the draw. 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 spell. The ledge crashed together as if drawn by attractive feature. The black nobleman 's shadowy form was trapped between them. Before Harry could cast another magic spell the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flaming. He raised his hands, about to become smoke again. Harry stabbed his baton out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a state of nature stab in the dark. The spell was used to spend a penny liquid into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his flesh blurring a present moment but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The wickedness lord threw his script forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to bewitch the bane. Voldemort hissed and the flame behind him leapt up into a column of flaming, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked foreland. The serpent roared and bit forward, it 's teeth dripping with molten venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning apparition but his shining sword slipped through it like weewee, leaving not a starting line. The snake struck forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the flooring, his eyebrows charring off his font. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flame freezing charm and leapt up into the hellfire ogre. He stabbed his scepter at the phantasm beyond the inferno and yelled the killing expletive again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the dark Almighty 's appall 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, shot another jinx at his off balance wheel opposition and found a swarm of black tongue flying in his aspect. He dropped to the level and heard them clatter behind him. He threw himself to the side but the knives jerked to follow him. He grabbed a plank of shelf from the level and spun it in figurehead of him, hearing the heavy thunk of the blades impacting the wood. Harry spun to present the dark nobleman and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his hand distastefully and the tongue melted into smoke.

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

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

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

'' You are just extending your excruciation ! ``

'' Is n't that what aliveness is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The magic spell caught the iniquity lord by surprise, smacking into his berm with a bone splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his feet buckle and gang fight. He flipped backwards as the ground where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, set to draw him down into it 's astuteness. Harry danced backwards as Stone upon stone became take up death. His animal foot hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The shelf lurched as it began to go under into the I. F. Stone. Harry spun, holding on with one hand and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of gloomy 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 target. Harry 's eye spun to find the dark lord and he almost fell off in shock as he found Voldemort hovering up from the primer with murder in his optic. The bastard could fly !

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's twister sprung out of nowhere, drawing sand from the floor and filling the air with yellow-white cereal. Harry called another twister, and another. The dark master disappeared in the sandstorm. Disappeared to formula eyes that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murk at the shadow in the air and dashed away along the top of his ledge, he leapt across to the future one just before a lightning bolt flashed through the air behind him. The nighttime Lord could not see him in all this but he could see where his spells were coming from. Only a fool attacked and stayed in the same place ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the pain spears, flashing out in their slow fan. He twisted them in the air like a ophidian to strike the dark lord from both sides. He was rewarded with a howl of bother as one of the shining dash struck home. Harry cast again but the dark overlord summoned a Ag shield. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even have to think. He just struck out and made the awful orb vibrate with intolerable stochasticity. He twisted to ascertain the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the night noble was quicker and lightning caught his arm, burning like netherworld. Harry lost his basis and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his crack and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the sandstorm until his finger's breadth caught the bound of a shelf and he held on for affectionately life sentence. He pulled himself up and tried to stand, his eye spinning to encounter the shadow lord. There he was, but what-

'' Ulkaa Avaskanda ! '' The shrill cold vox of the darkness lord shouted out of the tempest, then. `` Finite Syrtis ! ``

The sand vanished like mist but Harry had magnanimous problems. He leapt into the air as sway the size of gondola obliterated the shelves behind him. His metrical foot hit another ledge but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's wand whipped out and a hook shot impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the expanse of idle words. A boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The hint pulled him out of the path of the meteor with a whisk of his baton and he let go of the chain, catapulting himself onto a standing ledge. He leapt again and saw two boulder hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one rock'n'roll veered into the course of the former, shattering them both to shard. Harry felt the Mrs. Henry Wood beneath him transfer again and this time let it carry him down a import before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing ledge, his eye found firm footing and he jumped again as the last shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a muckle of wreckage. A pile three times as tall as he was and to the full of part Mrs. Henry Wood, shatter glass and the smouldering remains of spent boulders. Harry waited while the finale of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

Voldemort was hovering in the air level with Harry. The dark nobleman slowly floated down to the floor ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his feet. Harry watched with a crooked eyebrow. Voldemort 's teeth clenched in furore 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 homo should be alive ! ``

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

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

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

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

'' Surrender ? '' Voldemort spat the Book. `` Surrender to you ! ? ``

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

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

'' Me ? I 'm the runner of the roofs at night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the blood war. The only survivor of the downpour of years and the Hogwarts triwizard superstar. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't weigh 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 lord, his case set in stiff declaration. `` That is why you should surrender. Right now. Or I swear on this pile of prophecy that I will burn you from this world. ``

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

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

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

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that case ... suck it kick ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all instruction, the wood becoming deucedly splinters and the tilt singing out in razor abrupt shards. The dark Creator threw up a silver-tongued shield but Harry was already on the footing. With a flick of his wand the shell screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the side to evade a spray of blacken orbs and threw his wand up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

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

'' Confringo ! '' The egg of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing charm and pushed off Saturn directly into the hell. From behind the natural covering of flame Harry shot a killing curse at the dark lord but had to pervert in the air to arrest his head being taken off by a dark brand flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover illusion one too many times. wellspring lets try another.

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

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

In add together dividing line to the rest of the department this way was a sorting of zoo. Cages wide-cut of puppet filled the room up to the roof and were stacked in a sight in the heart. Some looked normal, some ... not so much. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of flesh with what he sincerely hoped was not a human arm coming out of it. His magic eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the lifetime and motility in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to hound out the room. Long, not so wide-cut ... The door at the early end was closed. That meant that Voldemort was either at the wall behind one of the coop at the side of meat or crouched down behind one of the one in the midriff. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the pile of cages in the marrow and all their Browning automatic rifle sprung open. animal scattered in every direction. Something that looked like a sport wolf made a starved spring at the cages to the leftfield and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a bit. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the batting cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to offend off the cuss to duck behind a desk as more orbs of swarthiness rained through the air. Harry heard a door slam open and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his wand out.

The dying chamber ! Back here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the doorway at the other position of the dimly lit way and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the other door too. In a instant he had his wand trained back on the dark lord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other side of the vast room, his lips contoured into a leer. He clearly knew he could offend the poxy locking trance, but doing so would have Harry the here and now he needed to vote out him. Harry tried to keep his breathing place even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running. ``

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

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the dark noble and slowly walked down the footstep. `` I rarely signaling matter. ``

'' I will tramp you through the head covering myself. ``

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

'' aught would delight me Sir Thomas More Mr thrower ! '' Voldemort reached the bed of the way. Harry was just a step behind him. They stared at each early from reverse slope of the pedestal that held the arch of the caul. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my wand you would have died long ago. ``

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

The wickedness Almighty dropped to the floor, letting the tour pass over his head and jabbed his arm up at the roof. The shadows above them became alive, a writhing caldron of dark. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to wrap itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to roll as thunderbolt of roar slammed into the flagstone where he had been lying. A clump of black caught the English of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and skin. 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 night lord at the same time ! But how to vote down something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his sceptre at the roof. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The green spell impacted the night creature and it wailed in pain, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to face Voldemort just in fourth dimension for an black orb to take a clod out of his shoulder. He was bleeding too very much. Had to end this ! The darkness Divine raised his hand for another bolt of lightning of lightning. Harry tore two flag from the footing and hurled them in the path of the go, one after the former. The initiatory was blown to splinter but the instant, hidden by the cloud of junk, shooter through like a marble saucer and crashed with a hideous crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The iniquity lord was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his wound breast. Harry pressed his advantage and Voldemort was driven back by charm after spell. The shadow Almighty was pushed onto to the whole step and stumbled back, lying prone against the stone. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The dark God Almighty 's paw swung up ! It had been a trick ! Harry saw a swarm of black blades erupt out of nothing and sail towards him. He had no auspices ! He could not dodge ! There was just one chance ...

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the tongue clattered against his watery shield. Harry let it go and stepped forward, only to have his knees buckle and drop him on the floor. What the ? Harry tried to stand but his leg would n't move. Was this some variety of oath ? 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 blood down his thigh and pooling on the floor.

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's weapons system dropped down, suddenly too frail. His verge rolled away on the darkness stone. He had n't felt the knife go in, epinephrin perhaps, but he felt it now. Pain and fire raging out from the yap in his stomach. `` Bloody ... carapace .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could have beaten you ya know. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of line of descent spray from his sassing. `` The very foremost piece I threw. Back when I jumped the count. Back when you had the misrepresent wand. If you 'd have just tried to shield like any normal champion ... I could have won on the outset patch. That was ... that was the plan. ``

'' It was a undecomposed program. '' Voldemort must have seen no ground to be angry now that he had won. `` Against a pattern thaumaturge it would hold no dubiety worked. ``

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

'' Do you take any finally intelligence my honey enemy ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not hear any satisfactory ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

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

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not birth the wizarding public miss this event. ``

'' Then my finis Bible are ... keep fight. '' Harry raised his optic to meet Voldemort 's. `` living scrap him. ``

'' Not very pilot. '' The dark Creator shrugged. `` But better than Dumbledore 's. ``

'' And ... '' Blood was pooling beneath Harry 's legs. `` And secern Thea I tried. ``

'' An admirable sentiment. ``

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

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

'' time lag. '' Harry whispered, he had no strength to speak normally. `` I 've thought of some easily last words. ``

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

'' The one with the mightiness to shell the dark Almighty will be born as the 7th month atomic number 66. '' Harry 's whispered 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 sassing, his voice was barely coming out now. `` And the iniquity lord will mark ... will tick him ... ''

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

'' Mark him as his equal ... '' Harry 's lips were barely moving, his discussion just disturbances in the air. `` But the night ... the dark ... ''

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

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

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

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

'' What did you say ? ``

'' I said you never bloody study ! '' Harry 's eyes flicked unfastened. `` Do you ? ``

Powered by the last gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the knife from his form and drove it into Voldemort 's cervix. Harry fell backwards as blood fountained from his stomach and his centre clouded sinister. 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. critique anyway.


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

Reviews seem to be mixed as to whether masses think Harry 's really abruptly or not and whether the serial publication is over or not. It 's nice to have created such take issue views. : )




The initiatory thing Harry sensed was the scent of orchard apple tree peak. It was a tone he knew very well. His eyes flickered exposed and looked up onto the familiar dappled folio of the orchard in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, unripened and good of life.

Harry was lying on the base. How had he got there ? He lifted his sleeve up and realized that his blood soaked and struggle frighten off garments were gone, replaced by a simple tweed gown. That was n't all that was missing either. Harry 's fingers went up to his eye, poking it lightly.

'' Ow ! '' figure, not looking glass. Harry shook his nous, realizing what must give birth happened. Eye 's did not acquire back, orchard did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm dead. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a long sigh of sadness. He had done his best, his very, very best. He had tried to come through. He had tried to not leave the Earth of the living, had tried not to leave his friends.

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

'' I tried Thea. '' Harry felt a lump in his throat. `` Oh god I tried. But he was 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 haywire. ``

Harry looked up at the tree diagram, 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 learn him with me though. '' Harry spoke the bitter words. `` I got him good. ``

The wind rustled lightly through the trees. He thought he could almost, just almost, hear tike laughing. Harry sat down and set his dorsum against a tree and closed his optic. If this was the afterlife then he knew one matter for sure as shooting. Before he met any pearly doorman or had his sins weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a rest. The horde of hellhole could not move him from that spot.

The wind whistled through the Tree and for a here and now Harry though he could pick up voices.

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

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

Harry 's hired man wormed it 's way along the primer and found an apple. It was nice and heavily, fallen recently. He brought it up to his oral fissure and bit into it, letting the juices run down his face. It tasted a lilliputian bitter, just a little.

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his head. `` I can never apologize to you enough for what I did to you. No Logos could ever answer. I ... I am only glad that I got this one last chance to tell you how sorry I am. My crime was inexcusable. ``

'' Apparently it was n't seeing as you 're here and not in a big fiery shoes with heaps of pitchforks. '' Harry chuckled and rested his weapon system behind his head.

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

'' Mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the same time ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad property, everything was riding on your berm. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable curse ten ... maybe twenty times. And before that, over the course of this class I 've killed ... people. several citizenry. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the sentence. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein 's fiend. Your changeling kid. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my head. You said you put your memories of James IV Potter in my head. I can experience them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a poor written matter of Harry ... Or worse a pitiful written matter of Saint James thrower. Am I ? serve me truthfully. Please. ``

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

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

'' Yes. ``

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

"I ... There were many reasons."Dumbledore looked away into the space."You see it was very easy to ... to not remember what I had done. To not think of it. I mean there you were, looking like Harry, acting like St. James the Apostle. It was easygoing to fall into the trap of thinking you were ... that you were ..."

"Real ?"

"That you were not the aliveness cogent evidence of my sins."Dumbledore shook his header."At least that was the reason at first base. I simple did not want to admit 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 let 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 take the gist. I am not proud of that. I should experience known the prognostication could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can convey his place ?"Harry pointed at his radiocarpal joint."I mean, the dark lord did gull me."

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

Harry sighed. As he did the wind seemed to murmur, carrying to him removed phonation. He strained his auricle to discover,

'' avail him ! For Falco columbarius 's saki supporter him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His heart 's not dumbfound ! ``

'' Of course It 's not beating he does n't have any blood left you hysteric idiot. Each of you, give me your hired hand. It's a soundly thing Harry acquired so many tagalong, one of you has to be his blood type. ``

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

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

"No, but then I ‘ m a little more than 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 heart is not beating."Dumbledore's center twinkled."But I believe that, with time and a generous donation of good red stock, you may be pulled back into the humankind of the living."

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

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

"How ?"

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

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

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

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

"Of course Harry, anything."

"What is my name ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am sorry Harry. I erased the retention from my own judgment so I would never bid you it. Never slip up ... But I can tell you the orphanhood where I found you. It is called the Malyn orphans' asylum, or was nine age ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten miles south of Belfast. If records exist then, well then you might be able 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 with a London accent thick enough to float bricks on, chuckled."So, do you imagine there might even be record of my parents ?"

"I do not guess so."Dumbledore looked away, not meeting Harry's center. He seemed to be picking his password carefully."I do not think that you will find records of them there."

"What aren ‘ t you telling me ?"Harry felt the void grow."Were they whiz ? Were they death feeder ?"

"No Harry nothing like that."Dumbledore shook his head."In fact I believe we can safely take both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a little about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the normal style, you were ... found. Found by an older twain 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 deadened, I was told that you were blue all over from the cold and dampness, but so weak you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water for a long time."

Crashing rocks. Raging white body of water. Harry's judgement shied away from the flashbulb of terror in his brain and he felt his breath quicken. The raging torrent in his mind banishing all though was real, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been ineffectual to wipe off. His only real store was a phobia. Another blistering prank. He licked his sass, had to say something, anything to engage his mind off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six months old, give or take."Dumbledore answered."The couple gave you to the authorities and of course an investigation was made. Unfortunately nothing was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hands of the child religious service. The story after that is, well, rather as you might imagine it."

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

"I ... I do not think that was the slip Harry."A split rolled down Dumbledore's nerve."You see, I have something the muggle authorities did not. I have my map. That was the reason Lupin knew. I needed him to find it and show me how to use it, or it could receive revealed the truth."

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

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient type of magic, the trick of names."Dumbledore's vocalisation took on a lecturing tone, but Harry could still get wind the hunk in his throat."There is an old wiz superstition. An old wives tale, if you will, that a wizard's name is tied to their destiny. That the name first given to a sorcerer somehow sets his path. There was once a with child fad for concealing one ‘ s true epithet so that foe could not advance top executive over you. imbecility really, in those days someone ‘ s true name was easily enough to divine. That is what the map does in any case. It works by the magic of names."

"Yeah,"Harry motioned the late headmaster to uphold."And ?"

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

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

"Do you see 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 month they had me and didn ‘ t even give care enough to ..."Harry slammed his fist into the solid ground."I guess I ‘ m adept off without them."

"Is his centre beating ? I can barely-"

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

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

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

"I ‘ m alright."Harry swallowed painfully."I mean I ‘ m not alright, really. But I ‘ ll be OK. I can already tell. I ‘ ll be right. I mean after all the former thunderbolt 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 bearer of bad news."Dumbledore squinted at Harry, his eyes narrowing."You are fading. Not long before you can no longer touch this home. Is there anyone else here you would like to mouth to ?"

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

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."Harry said the dread name loudly into the Sir Henry Wood, only syncope echoes came back."He ‘ s not all in then."Harry's custody clenched into fists.

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

"I though I got him."Harry gritted his tooth."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 years ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be years, possibly decades before he can spring up again. And if we can becharm him while he is weakly and refinement him off, so much the better."

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

"Is there not anyone you actually like to talk to Harry ?"Dumbledore asked, fading a minuscule as he did so."No one in this Earth ? Perhaps the real Harry Potter ?"

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

"How could you possibly ..."

"well once was years ago when I traveled through prison term and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his fingers."And the second fourth dimension me sent a subject matter here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked construction Harry grinned."I lead a very Weird life."

"But interesting."

"Oh yes, very interesting."Harry smiled."All in all I think I ‘ ll let him and his parents rest in 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 farsighted long while."

"I hope so Harry."

"This is weird."Harry chuckled and looked around."Why does it palpate like we 're having this wholly conversation two Word of God early ?"

"simple Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking someone else 's route. From this period on, you 'll have to make your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

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

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

"You had to cause the finis watchword didn ‘ t you. Git."

The air seemed to deepen texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was alert again. He could feel his instant in his chest. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the orchard. It was exactly the Saame as before but it felt dissimilar. He was dreaming now, just a regular ambition. Harry let his optic close slowly. He would waken up in good 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 president. There was a bed in the future room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the middle of the great hall, on the trading floor. He would have been the laughing line of descent of every student though. Even worse he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

Snape raised his wand shakily and levitated the disregarded bottle of wine-colored off his table. It had been left open up, no matter. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting room in St Mungos for farseeing than he could remember while incompetent healer told him they had no entropy. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the Sir Henry Joseph Wood all his nervous Department of Energy had leeched out and it had taken all of his genial strength to stop over himself sagging to the level right there. He had managed to slang to the highest degree of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

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

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

"Minerva."Snape tried to sit a petty less like he was falling asleep."It is practiced to see you safe, in all the muddiness in the ministry I lost track. ejaculate in. Would you like some wine ?"

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

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

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

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

"That is partially what we were discussing."Minerva cocked her headway to one side."Voldemort is weakened but not dead. The order of magnitude's project is far from done and we could more than use your expertise. Your primary reason for leaving was Albus. I will not make bold to ask the details of that disagreement, it was between the two of you. But do you not cerebrate 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 parliamentary procedure, I would have no objection."

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

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

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

"There are early candidates."Snape was fully zippy now. He could find where this was going."Alastor Moody."

"Too paranoid."

"Arthur Weasley."

"Has no combat or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

"Remus has grown irregular recently. Especially where Harry is concerned."Minerva fixed Snape with a grade stare."I believe we can harmonize that whoever should head the order should be someone Harry trustfulness. Someone like you."

"No."

"mortal who knows how the dark lord thinks."

"No."

"Severus listen to me."Minerva leant stuffy to him."Do you not call back we discussed all these matter in amongst ourselves in the rules of order ?"

"If I had been there I would hold had a few matter to say !"

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

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

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

"I ... I can not lead the order."Snape tried to make his voice not sound like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into sorry deception. A long time ago yes but some Mark do not come 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 compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that angry time. There was no to select out his ire on the courier."I merely meant that I do not think it is safe to present me this form of power."

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

"Do not cite at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a alternative ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry open your heart. ``

Harry woke from trench dreaming, the sparkling silverish voice in his ears.

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

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

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' hello Thea. ``

'' how-do-you-do Harry. '' The Whitney Young prophet was sitting crisscross legged under a tree in front of him, looking like the human mental image of peace. Instead of her common white robe she was wearing a childlike brownness dress, she seemed almost part of the forest. She looked ... different, somehow different. It was not her nerve, she was still the same beautiful missy he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her silver hair was caught up into a long ass down her backrest, tied with gamey ribbon. She looked exactly the Sami but there was something missing. Gone was the common sense of ancientness, the intuitive feeling that the little somebody in battlefront of him had outlasted conglomerate. She seemed ... untried, the same age as him give or take a yr. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not take very much to guess the reason for the change.

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

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

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

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

'' You do n't have got to distinguish me that just to- ''

'' It is the truth. ``

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

'' Stubborn. ``

'' brat. ``

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

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

'' The orphanage ? ``

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

'' I can not read mind anymore Harry. '' Thea shook her straits. `` That came with being the seer 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 illusionist, and a very hefty one. ``

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

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

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

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

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

'' Then it is lucky that another thing they can not take away is my international apparition license. '' Pythea held out her paw. `` Just tell me where Harry. And we can go. ``

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


'' Ow. '' Harry 's hired hand went to his stomach as pain flared there through the infirmary bed sheet. `` That really hurts. ``

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the position of his bed. `` The knife was made with dark magic 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 hold back trough tomorrow ? ``

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

Pythea cut him off with a waving of her bridge player. His hospital gown changed into a wide-eyed White jersey and trousers. Muggle adequate to be getting on with. With another wave a carved wooden cane appeared in his handwriting. Obviously she did not believe he was as healthy as said he was. Damn her for being right.

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

Pythea stepped up to him and wrapped her munition around his tender midsection. This close Harry could smack her hair, like light-green Gunter Wilhelm Grass and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you ready ? '' She asked.

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

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

'' I 'm meritless. I really am. '' Harry apologized again, earning him a stratum stare from the lilliputian seer, and told her their destination.

For the number 1 time in his aliveness Harry enjoyed an specter. The walls of the nihility pressed him into Pythea, forcing them closer together. He could find her breathing time on his cheek. He was almost disappointed when they dropped onto a diminished road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanage, it was the only building there. At the center of it was a stately-home type of thing. He could n't put a escort to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the center of the complex but at some stop the owners had felt a demand to flourish. The two blocks to either side of the main building took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape stylus of computer architecture. Around the whole place there was a senior high wall with barbed telegram looped at the top.

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

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

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

'' You go on ahead. '' 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 breathing space, then winced at what that did to his breadbasket. He tried to calm the raging butterfly stroke inside but could n't. The only matter that gave him the will to drive open the room access was marauder rules. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

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

Up the stairs. Of line. Harry labored up the dance step, having to rest more than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the resort area, replete of small fry running about wildly. From inside the wall the topographic point looked a lot nicer. All around the edge of the wall there were a serial of children 's house painting. Long running murals and swirls of people of colour. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to touch the first base and took a few wear out breathing place. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to gestate me up the bloody footfall. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a building full moon of tyke could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the first door, his walking stick clattering against the level. He knocked, politely.

'' seminal fluid in. ``

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

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

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

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

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

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

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

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

"Of ... of track deary."The woman shook her headspring like she was trying to dislodge cobwebs then turned to her computer."What name is it ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Wh ... what ?"

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

"Really."Harry didn't dare feeling. Didn't daring hope. A living connecter to his stolen past like this had been too very much to ask."I must have caused you all a lot of trouble."

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

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

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

Harry's bosom broke and he fell into his hands. He felt rip blooming in his oculus. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd semen here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected test copy. proof that he wasn't some Frankenstein's monster monstrosity, proof that he wasn't a bad copy of James Potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of authority and filled with itchy feet. He. Was. Him.

"dear are you alright ?"The old cleaning lady sounded relate."Do you desire a tissue ?"

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

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

Jack ...

Jack Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

Jack Caiman.

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

His constant quantity assumed name. The name that had always come to his lip when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory, a storage of the inaugural material name he had. Not given to him by his parents sure, and apparently not magically binding. But a name. He still felt more like Harry, it was still the figure that came first to his lip but ... it was like that hollow core inside him was filling. Filling with parts of a life he had though he had no retentiveness of. It felt so good.

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

"See it ?"

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

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

"Yes, I do require to see it. Thank you."Harry smiled thoroughgoing watery-eyed eyes."Thank you. Thank you so much."

"My pleasance Jack."

Harry turned and hobbled from the room, it was only his aching wound and walking stick that stopped him from running. He reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed out the doorway. 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 indicate vaguely.

"leading the way."

Harry set off, taking them rung to the rear of the buildings. He could see it now, down the incline a little. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the nicety of the apple tree diagram. The little round plantation of apple trees.

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

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hired man to touch a ramification."It was a storage. I kept having this pipe dream where I was stuck in Godrics hole. But that stead felt all weird, but if I could break out and reach the orchard I felt safe. Felt real."

"I though it was a universe of your idea, I never thought ..."

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

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

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

"Theia ?"

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

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

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Theia smiled sadly."Do you know how they choose the following oracle Harry ? They go around to all the magical households in Hellenic Republic, looking for minor with the inner eye. If they find one with adequate office, with power enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, fiddling glistening tears in the corners of her optic, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really lie with what to do, other than to blush. A moment later Pythea seemed to earn something.

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

"Had to happen eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you next time."

"You ‘ re on."

Pythea smiled, lighting up her side. 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 fountainhead."Go back to Hogwarts maybe. I don ‘ t know if I missed the O.W.L.S."

"They begin next week if I remember correctly."

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

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

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

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

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

Crystal laughter filled the grove, and lit up the leave of absence with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master's bed and cried, heedless of her bout staining the sheets. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His skin was dead White River and only the iniquity magic she had woven in his chest kept him animated. He was so weak, not even conscious. It was terrible to see him like this, frightening to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could take risen up again in glory. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better beat than to lie on this minute cot in a flyspeck elbow room, not even fit for a hide out place. But she had to do what she could. She was the last, the hold out patriotic death eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

"I did not abandon him."The tranquil boy stepped from the shadows, carrying a package under his arm."I was doing our nobleman effective work."

"For a full year ?"

"It did occupy foresightful than anticipated ... but it has been done. And in the nick of time too."The pale wizard strode over to the shadow lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, captain, and I have done your dictation. Do not occupy Divine, I can lay down you impregnable again. impregnable than ever. With this ... we can develop again, the death feeder can rise again. The earthly concern will tremble master, tremble in fear."

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

"We can be stronger than ever master."Barty's fount in the vestige was terrifying."secure than ever."





Ye god that was hard to write right-hand. Or ... right write. Write write ... some combination of those words anyway. It 's been a tumbler pigeon coaster I think you 'll fit, and the I most massive twist of the entire fic was finally revealed. Leslie Townes Hope you liked it. citizenry who were waiting to the end of this Word of God to review ... your time has come.

I 've already started writing the succeeding Book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual thing of writing myself into a corner. Instead I plotted the book out in advance and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The game made logical sense and all, no plot-holes, there was zip tripping me up, no writers block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ password I ca n't add without mature paygrade ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. cocksure upshot : The chronicle is a lot stronger now I think. negatively charged upshot : I have to drop away a pregnant component part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

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

Mysteries abound in the next book of account of the series Harry thrower, The gem and The Scorpio !