Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. Your diverse permutations of the general `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most appreciated. I feel sort of bad for jumping a pull like that on you after 40 chapters. kind of deceitful. unspoiled to have it off the majority of people appreciated it.



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

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

Harry said nil, he didn't even seem to sustain heard her.

"You won ‘ t be able to fight Voldemort."Padma tried a unlike sheet."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have hebdomad 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 to talk. You won ‘ t be able to pour down Voldemort. You won ‘ t be capable to be the chosen one."

Harry flinched, bother running across his tired face.

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

"You do what you have to do."Harry pulled his 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 bring on you ?"

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the healers entered his room. Bustling around and speaking comforting, vacate words. They cleaned him up, washing his arms and chest. They asked him to move out the bracer. He did, letting it flow to the floor with a brassy clatter. The healer shied away from the mark on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

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

A stale gel was swabbed onto his deflower hand. Ruined for what ? For the rice beer of what ? All useless. He wished they wouldn't bother.
*


Draco slapped the sore pelt of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the conflict, but it was very well now. Just enough rest redness and pain to help him stay alert. He swung his weary centre around the waiting room, all of the marauders were here. Most of them had finally succumbed to catch some Z's, Draco didn't blame them. It was hard to guess that the deadly midnight ravishment on the creature ship had been just last night. They had been worn out, assume down. Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could detect some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the healers had a stave room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just settle asleep.

Dragon shook his head. Some of them had to be awake when the healer finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for time of day. How many ... summation .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the room again. Everyone seemed to be departed. Even Ginny, who seemed to take in 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 affair of time before a teacher or an ordering appendage came to wrangle them up and drag them back to Hogwarts, where they would no doubt stay. Chained to postal service like dog-iron so they couldn't run off again.

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

"Is there any news ?"Dragon asked.

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

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

"well we ... we removed several items from the body of your friend."The wretched therapist swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the wall of his belly. We think it may sustain been designed to negate poison but it seems to let had the opposite event. It was the seed of his illness. We also found-"

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

"His ... his eye."The healer paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a great deal of scarring. Unfortunately we were unable to restore it. We are currently looking into whether the installation he has is senior high quality enough to leave there."

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

"Yes, I know."The healer shook his headland and turned back towards the doorway."We ‘ ll try to keep back 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 sadness. Harry had fought so hard and got nix in return but accusations of slaying and a permanent wave disfigurement. And a nighttime stain, they could not blank out that.

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

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

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


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

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

Thankfully she did not reason, but instead bent down and touched her wand to the skin on Snape's arm. The slicing hurting was distant, dulled by potions. There were bottles by his arm, some empty, some waiting to spring up the cutis back after the mark was gone. He was in his flat at Hogwarts, the only place he could birth gained those potions without questions 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 iniquity lord as well. What would he do next ? What would his next relocation be ...

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

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

"Bellatrix, Rookwood and Forneus."She traced easily around the sharpness 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 fuss of cutis up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was unloosen. Strange that he should feel so petty. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly loose until Voldemort was beat. Perhaps because he knew that, without the ability to spy, he was future 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 straits."Perhaps not useless but ... if I had not acted on instinct we would now know exactly what Voldemort was planning. We would be able to foresee him instead of stumbling around in the darkness."

"You had to."Was all she said.

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

"You know them break than anyone."Natalie continued."You can act upon out what he will do next."

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

"The ministry ? The department of mystery story ? The prophecy ?"

"He covets that no incertitude. 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 utterly then he is doing Merlin knows what."Snape shook his point."It could be anything."

"Severus,"Natalie took his brass 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 take place next."Snape was once again amazed by the way she could break through to him, whatever his climate. He smiled,

"I believe I have some wine."
*


The boy who carried the gens Harry felt himself enter the familiar dream. He felt floorboards 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 frame against the bulwark. The wall painted with bears and snitches over a pale blue sky good of flossy swarm. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't muster the energy. He ignored the cribbage in the center of the room, it's shiny Mobile River spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the door undecided and descended the stairs. The revulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely bring himself to handle. He knew what this place was now.

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

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

He couldn't feel the orchard 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 mind ... it didn't matter. Harry let himself fall to the basis on the Gunter Wilhelm Grass, it was all pointless. It wasn't worth fighting this anymore, it was burnt onto the cover of his scull. He could never escape.

His middle flickered heart-to-heart in the hospital ward. He could palpate the afflictive new growth in his hand. It was pink, new skin, and smaller than the former. Harry dropped it back onto the blanket. early theatrical role of his eubstance hurt too, little scratch and injuries. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

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

The vulture were sleeping there, lying across benches or curled up on the floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Couldn't talking, he had no theme how he would even start. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't stopover until he was out of the edifice and a few streets away. A small street, not busy. Breathing hard he shoved his baton out into the street. He found that he could barely keep his arm up for the few irregular it took for the horse bus to obscure out of nowhere and screech to a arrest in front of him.

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

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

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

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

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

The bus moved off and the unidentified boy sagged down in a chair. Why was he doing this ? Did he even have a grounds ? He didn't seem to stimulate ground's anymore. He remembered being full of fire and indigence, burning heat for the combat. 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 holler ? Why not. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go.

The bus screeched to a halt and he got out without speaking. The bus disappeared with a whoosh, a empurpled blur in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any early Village. It was empty this time of day, like a wraith townsfolk. Suited his humor perfectly. He looked forward, an derelict 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 hand stretched out, then shied away. This sign was just more than Trygve Halvden Lie. The feelings in his oral sex, heartbreak, loss, care. They weren't his, they weren't his loss. lonesome unknown had died here, two strangers. the great unwashed who had nothing to do with him. The grief was another thaumaturgy, just another level 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 signify goose egg. His feet brought him to the public square and he lent tiredly on the war memorial. He should never receive come here, it was not what he needed. He raked his hand through his hair.

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the endocarp, hissing out passion through his teeth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his really memories were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Christ's rice beer ! His all body was a masque !

The stone shifted under his fingers. He looked up just as the remembrance 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 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 happy thrower family. The will in stone to the liveliness he had never really had. His finger's breadth went to his wand.

"Reducto !"The sceptre flickered out, even through the passion the go flew true. It struck the head of the don statue, shattering it into splinters. Some of them cut the boy's shape. He didn't care.

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

"Reducto ! !"The last-place gibe was the warm, striking out in a blinding bolt of light, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the niggling boy-who-lived to smithereens. fire flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the ruined stump of top dog and died to nothing.

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

His eye found a burying ground. Both eyes, real and wizardly. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlayer over his vision, the x-ray view of the existence. Now it was just a unceasing monitor. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the burial site gate open and let the eye roam, in a moment it had angled in on the potter grave. He walked hesitantly to it, his wand safely away in his pocket. He pushed a composition of ivy off the pit and read the inscription.
The conclusion enemy that shall be destroyed is death


Well that was bollocks. Being all in meant you had at least one other enemy left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffin, side to side in the ground, stared back at him. But ... there was a shadow. Like a vacant sphere. He drew his scepter and muttered a revealing spell. Faint whiff of illusion drew out of the ground to gather him. He waved his wand again, cutting the misty waifs away. He worked ... he didn't cognize how long. Probably moment, maybe hours. At some detail the white-haired sky gave way to rain and the burial ground locoweed turned slick down. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the magical spell. It was good. It was a puzzle, breaking the illusion. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. null different showed on the surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his philia pound in his bureau. There was a tierce coffin on top of the other two, arranged like a Pyramids of Egypt. Inside ... inside was a smaller body, a baby. It's midget arms crossed over it's chest.

The nameless boy fell to his knee. There it was, the last substantiation. The final exam incontrovertible check. That poor wasted consistence in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a midget scratch on the os of his scull, above his eye, in the soma of a lightning bolt. The actual scar had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely More than makeup. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the Harlan Fiske Stone, but said nothing. The angriness in him was gone. He had seen the bodies of the real Potters, lying together. It was hard to feel anger, but he wished he did. The anger at to the lowest degree filled him up, filled the emptiness with flaming. But now the fervour was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his wand against the jolting, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, thoughts skittering over the numb center of his brain. It was a sceptre gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be part of. This wand was his killing wand. He had done horrifying things for the saki of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the wood. He had pickled his soul in blood and what had it got him ? He added his other arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a loud crack, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A little red fluff was visible through the break. It had had a genus Phoenix feathering nitty-gritty, he never knew.

"Well that makes thinks easier."

The voice had come from behind him. He turned slowly but his magic eye had already whizzed around to find the intruder. The Shirley Temple robes told him everything he needed to bang. Harry knew he should feel terror, or dread, reverence perhaps, at least surprisal. But he was damned if he felt anything.

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

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

"Felt like further."The empty boy dropped the clay of his wand onto the ceramist grave. Perhaps some fool wizard would find it and make up some report about it. He turned back to the death eater and asked,"Are you going to kill me ?"He was surprised that his voice did not sound eager.

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

"What ?"

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

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

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

He closed his eyes before the trance hit. The duskiness was welcome.
*


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing light burned through his eyelids as he groaned. The disturbance went on and on, associate ... very intimate. His storage twinged, his material ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eyes flickered open just as the vacuum tube train flashed out of sight, leaving the tunnel in duskiness. He felt the cord binding his hands together, his fingers danced along them trying to come up a knot. There was none. They were miserly though, biting into his skin, wizardly no incertitude. He didn't have to feel to know that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't fuss to try to stand.

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

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

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

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

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

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling mass. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some form of coldness, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were close to them ? He shook his nous, they couldn't sense of touch him, a person could only sense so much despair and he was already at his limit point. And as for making him relive his worst computer storage ? Ha ! His dingy mo was still fresh in his mind.

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

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

"You did."Rookwood sneered."But that doesn ‘ t topic. In fact, none of that matter. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his sceptre, making a silencing good luck charm. A second flick levitated him off the level. Rookwood reached into his air hole and pulled out a long silvery length of textile, easily recognisable. 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 Negroid shoes slipping on the wet dirt.

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

Inferi, or zombies. Who could tell the difference ? The human body in battlefront of them turned as Rookwood approached. dark long hair's-breadth spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are late Augustus."The female person death feeder was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a sword toed rush with the force of a falling adolescent behind it did more damage than expected. The go away side of her look was crushed in, a masses of scars and bulging hide. When she spoke she slurred, only the right English of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, cipher left.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"There is no crowd anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her ruined facial expression."There are three of us. There will be to a greater extent than adequate glory to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into thin air.

"fabrication bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark overlord ‘ s right hand. Stop digging you freaks !"He directed the last one to the creatures burrowing in the dirt. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant eyes rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his wand and the dirt began flying away faster. In a suddenly moment the dirt became a brick paries, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you ready Mr ceramicist ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the rampart and raised his wand. There was a smashing attack and the wall caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his feet his hand tangling in his gown. A green flash of light source struck him in the psyche, 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 secretiveness, then the screeching started.
*


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

"Helen Newington Wills ?"Albus appeared around the quoin, his face a masquerade party of concern."You were on guard duty. What are you doing here ?"

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Moody tried to keep up, his breath spying in his chest of drawers."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even know where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you own a plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the box. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But gods he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the snake pit was Dumbledore thinking ? He could get them all killed ! The entire ordering. The full bloody lodge in one fell swoop, and what the Scheol could he do to stop it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

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

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

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

"The ministry is compromised !"Helen Wills saw his news cut Snape."Dementors in to a greater extent numbers than ever before."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Do you know where to find one ?"

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


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

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

"What are you doing with me ?"thrower's vocalisation was a picayune horse from the farseeing silence."You ‘ re trying to earn distributor point with your lord, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"More than enough Harry. to a greater extent than enough."Rookwood tweaked his wand and the bonds on Harry's legs snapped off. Another click and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the cake. If I am to surpass Crouch in condition of merit to the master ... I must seek the icing."

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

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

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

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front man of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the roof, looking for victim. There were still a few left. Not enough to worry over though. He stepped into out into the memory place, pulling his strangely compliant heraldic bearing past the tank of psyche. He stopped by the door to the death chamber, there was the sound of spells from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the door open in fourth dimension to see a champion scrambling away from an inferi trip and gloaming. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering unspeakable in it's watertight grip and threw him away with inhuman strength. screeching as he flew across the room, his howler was cut off as he fell through the archway in the shopping centre. The drapery ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a shudder, he was never entirely comfortable with the executing portal. Harry watched from his side with damp eyes. What was awry with the boy ? Never psyche. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the room, giving the inferi a wide birth, and pushed open the door at the other side.

"Well Potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of shelves in front man of them, each one with rowing upon rows of diminutive spheres."This is the Granville Stanley Hall of prophecy."

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

"They are phonograph record of vaticination, 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 sassing twisting into a sneer.

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

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

"The wickedness lord is very eager to get his custody on the prophecy. That prophecy."Rookwood pointed at the particular orb."And I will be the one to collapse it to him. My frosting, you could say."

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

"Shall I tell you something about the prophecies of the department of closed book ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain multitude can elevate them from where they lie. Namely the people they have been made about. So the just the great unwashed who can guide this vaticination are the dark Almighty, and you. ``

ceramicist stared at the orb for a consequence longer, the Bible sinking into him. Then he threw his head back and laughed, laughed so hard his center ran with tears. It was a response Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a bitter laugh, full phase of the moon of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

"And if individual else grabs one ?"Harry reached out his handwriting."What happens then ?"

"If they are very lucky they might run away with only John Roy Major injuries."Rookwood answered confusedly."But in all likeliness ? They would die. Screaming."

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


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

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been quick. She spun as frigidness hands grabbed her from behind, crushing her with cold-blooded effectiveness. The breath fled from her lungs and she felt guy crack. In desperation she transformed and dashed away on four pes, spinning and changing back to plant a human dynamo 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 !

"aid me ! Oh god supporter me !"A figure ran from out of the fury, his green bowler still clutched in his paw."Please !"

"Get out of here you fool !"McGonagall shoved Fudge away. She could not manage with him. Her centre searched through the scrambling quite a little for the top dog of the Order."Dumbledore ! Dumbledore we must pull back !"

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

She heard a screech 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 know, she had to transform again to dance out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to send another shining lightness to oblige them back again. But her organic structure was threadbare, her sceptre arm tired.

rotting flesh filled her nostrils and she tried to land her wand around. Too slowly. The idle fist crunched into the side of meat of her head and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the dead figure to shards, profligate already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to give it.

No one.
*


The orb came free in Potter's hand, it's swoon refulgence shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his mettle saltation, but the ceramist boy was staring at the prognostication like it was a endure snake.

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

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

"Just give me the damn orb !"Rookwood made to catch it but Potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the lily-white light faltered. A tinny whimper filled the air, like grinding gears. Harry held up his bridge player, slowly uncurling his digit. In the middle of the Andrew D. White a tiny capitulum of duskiness was growing, like ink in milk. The inkiness grew until it covered the unit inside of the orb, it was no longsighted shining methamphetamine hydrochloride but a polished orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his ears. Suddenly there was a form bubbles crackleware and Potter yelped in infliction, spilling the vaticination onto the floor. Rookwood cried out, it would break for sure ! But when the orb struck the footing it squelched, spreading out like cadaver. pot rose from the blackened glass.

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

The thrower boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not give touched the prophecy !"

"He could if it was already played out."Potter glanced at the guck on the floor."A snare, or else his illusions on me step in somehow."

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

"He ‘ s come."The Potter boy was staring through the ceiling like a madman, his face again an empty masquerade party of revulsion."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to levitate by the ceiling. The quiet broken only be the groaning of the wounded. Minerva 's eyes found the entrance to the lift, it 's mesh opening move in a diffraction grating crash. Stepping out into the corridor, Joseph Black robes floating behind him and a hand curled in a moving ridge to the creatures swirling above, was the wickedness Almighty himself. Minerva felt her middle jump to her pharynx. She glanced around, the decree was in rag. Only Dumbledore stood tall, the sleep of them were covered in blood and shaking from the exertion of the battle. There was no force-out here to hold back a wickedness lord, no power at all.

Voldermort's centre found a quivering lump on the storey and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the dark lord crooked a fingerbreadth, pulling the shape to his feet. The greenish bowler hat was gone, but the wan flesh remained.

"Ah, Cornelius."Voldemort chuckled."Remember back when you used to invite me up to your office for tea ? Back when you were just a section head 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 cap."Even as I speak the residuum of your ministry has already been overrun. The ministry you so love is a nest of soul sucking specter. Why would I need to hurt you ? I already have everything I wanted from you."

"Tom,"Dumbledore's vox spoke out subdued in the darkness."You can not possibly think I will let this remain firm ?"

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

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the Headmaster off with a astute Bible."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his hand and the Dementors fell like hunting war hawk. Minerva was forced to press for her life against the grey hoard, spinning around her like a vortex of death. And in trice of light beyond that vortex 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 assist. But the crush was too enceinte. An inferi had her arm in it's vice like grip and she blew it off with flames. Another took it's place too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gouty arthritis of purple Inner Light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling wizards in the center of all this, Dumbledore raising the very Stone of the story in a wall against the dark Jehovah, but it was blasted to shred just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

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

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

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

"Then what do you propose !"

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

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

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

The dementors parted for a minute, like clouds in lead. The darkness lord stood over the straggle form of the schoolmaster, his boot on Dumbeldore's cervix. Minerva felt despair that had null to do with the dementors. She let her wand hired man drop to her side. They had lost. It was all over.

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

"You ! two-timer !"Voldemort had his wand drawn and had spun to front the lift. Minerva turned to look but saw just one build standing there, his arms crossed in chesty casualness.

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

"I will kill you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's baton stabbed forward. There was a wink of lightness and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a wildcat fire of freeze lead at the dark lord.

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

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

"The educatee ?"

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

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The unspeakable grabbed a prone human body on the floor."Now separate your the great unwashed to fall back before everyone else is bushed !"
*


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

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

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

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

He crouched down on the story, his fingers going to Tonk's neck on instinct. He did not really look to find anything, her pelt was blanch and ...

She had a pulse.

The unnamed boy had to shield her trunk as a shining optical maser of something cut through the rampart above them. The duel was raging just on the other side of the rampart. She wouldn't have a beat for long if he left her here.

So long ... His brain was grayness sludge, he just wanted to exclude down. He had no wand and his brawniness were piss. They would never reach out condom anyway, this place was a warzone. But on the other script ... Tonks.

Putting a tired articulatio humeri under her arm, he lifted her up.



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


Due to other commitments my postings may get a little further apart for a while. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the bound of the fount of magical brethren. Every osseous tissue ached and his arm was tied up to his soundbox in a sling. There was no time for healing yet though, no metre at all.

"Stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a goon combination to sea captain ), raising her hands to the crowd of ministry survivor."Just stop there and the healers will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The last was directed to a daily seer newsperson furiously scratching away at a notebook computer.

The former side of the hall, back behind the fireplace, a line of beds were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth Heathland lying sedated, her manus clutched by her unceasing companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a little cold and serenity for weeks to come and likely not ever wanting to encounter a dementor again but she would live. Oh to sustain just one of them back in his house, or any of the marauder. They had fought like tigers, like lash out dogs with wands.

One of the doors slammed open and Markus stepped out angrily. His robes were mostly burnt off and he had roue running down the side of his chest but he seemed unaware of these little details.

"She got away."The massive wizard reached the edge of the fount and plunged his head under the surface. A mo later he lifted it up and bear on his wet hair out of his oculus."Bellatrix."

"The predator 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 conflict 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 alone one who missed his mark."Markus shook spraying of water out of his hair."Sorry mate."

"Bella has Thomas More lives than a cat, do not believe any More 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 floor before glancing around at the confusion. `` What ‘ s happening here ? Did we get everybody out ?"

"We have taken back well-nigh of the ministry. I believe all of the marauders deserve Os"

'' They deserve bloody medals ! ``

'' Yes but I can not move over them medals. You however can hold them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain grin and saw it returned broader. He gestured towards the face lift with his honorable arm."Voldemort holds the department of Mysteries. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a Ward on the lift and on all staircases."

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

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

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

"Yes, and it ‘ s high-risk than that."Snape bowed his head."He has hostages down there, order members and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

"Ten, we think."Snape glanced up to get together Markus'eyes."Including lupin ... and Dumbledore."

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

"For now, until he makes his move. He can not hold back forever."Snape felt a fiddling shiver run through him. Whatever the shadow Lord's motion would be it would be the death of at least some of those hostage. Probably all.

'' What the ... '' Suddenly A. A. Michelson was on his feet, an saying of daze on his facial expression. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A moment later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passage Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his look a grey mask. He did n't appear up, did n't acknowledge anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his incumbrance down bedside a shocked healer. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every box of the room, running towards the unexpected sight of their leader.

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

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

'' Harry are you very well ? '' 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 arms 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 infirmary ? ``

'' Where 's your scepter ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the vulture shied back there was a bam of heat from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the outflow of wizardly brethren go red hot and begin thaw, dissolving into the H2O with a hiss. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the weewee, mixing with the water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order of magnitude appendage, ministry doer and predator surrounded the pool of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with yellow light up to the ceiling. As they watched it faded to silver, then to gray, then finally to pure white. The Elwyn Brooks White resolved into shapes, people of colour bloomed out of the pure light. As the shapes coalesced Snape heard a shriek from someone on the other side of meat of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

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

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

'' Good wizard of the ministry, '' The shadow lord greeted amicably. `` Members of the order of the phoenix and the well children. What you are seeing is the interior of the department of mysteries, where all the greatest secrets are hidden. All the cryptic illusion of the ministry is within these paries, all controlled by me. ``

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

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

'' Are you going to ... to toss off me ? '' Fudge stuttered out.

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to kill you you miserable small-minded man, whatever you say. ``

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a picayune 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 young. ``

'' Yes ? ``

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

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

Green light filled the pocket billiards of piss and for a minute none of them could see anything. Snape felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The easy cleared in time for them too see the night lord savagely kicking the diplomatic minister 's body to the side and stabbing his baton towards Dumbledore. The headmaster was thrown forward roughly.

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

'' fountainhead old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his wand down at Dumbledore, a dash of electricity charring a hollow in the headmaster 's robes. `` Do you not have something to say ? Some last word before I take your spirit. ``

Dumbledore just stayed silent. It was only from the sparkle ascension and fall of his chest that Snape could differentiate he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the stroke of the torture curse for a few mo before releasing him. `` You will speak ! There has been too much between us, you have been my foeman for too long for me to let you end it this way. You will notice that I have won, you will say it ! You will notice this triumph in some way before I kill you with your own scepter ! ``

Dumbledore did n't even face at the nighttime Divine. In a furor Voldemort slashed his wand through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

'' You will speak ! '' The snake like nerve was set with roughshod anger. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am set up ... '' Dumbledore closed his center. `` I am ready to die for everything I have done. Those are my last words, the only ones you will get. Kill me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his verge to work the curse but let it die on his lips. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under control condition. `` But of path, how could I abnegate a last request. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if prison term froze. The consortium exploded with green lightness again and Snape's throat closed, every muscle tensing. The early watchers around the puddle held their hands to their faces, or agitate there head teacher ... they would not trust it. The unripe light faded and the body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the ground. It crumpled like a paper napkin, his beard trailing onto the level like a rag.

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

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

The pool went Black and Snape stepped back. All around him masses seemed to be going mad, crying and shouting to one another in confusion. His eyes were only trying to chance one figure. Harry thrower. He swept the crew. Nothing.

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


The nameless boy crashed out of the phone box and dashed away, his human foot slipping on the wet sidewalk. Rain splattered against his face as he ran out into the streets. He did n't even jazz why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would appear to him, would seem at him and carry to see Harry Potter. Expect to see their Christ, when all there was was a imposter. He dashed past the hoi polloi in the street, some of them turning to look at his odd vesture and panicked expression, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the screech of gap. He prayed that one of the car would hit him. His metrical foot would not hold back moving and the phone of horns was left behind. His magic trick eye painted the worldly concern in shimmering curtains of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's surface. He pushed past a man in a lawsuit and heard the man cry. He could n't turn back track. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from reality. The rainfall ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his philia beating like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the cold, wet pavement. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, night and dirty. Wait ...

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

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

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

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

'' Harry ... ''

The white orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a design, every curve glowing with luminosity, every flowing phone line of her pure white dress and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

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

'' Another illusion- ''

'' No. '' Pythea shook her head. `` This is no illusion. This is really me talking, from Hellenic Republic. I thought you might take my help. ``

'' Your ... help ? ``

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

'' Thea, '' The boy ducked his head, his center 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 quartz voice filling the void between the buildings 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 call me Harry. ``

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

'' Stop. '' Too irritating. retentivity of pleasant times,

'' I will not barricade. I will never finish trying to help 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 prognostication. Did you honestly think for a moment that I would drop a thing like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a globe without hope, you were the only shining hazard. ``

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

'' I saw null about your futurity. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to meet him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and on-key soul who would campaign for this cosmos even if the full world was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a thousand times and would still plunk himself up. I saw that the dark Almighty would rise and I hoped ... I did n't hump but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the world in risk and the hereafter uncertain I took the best prospect the world had. I took a probability on you. In a time of complete despair, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't fight back anymore. '' The boy dropped his optic. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't know what it 's like to own somebody take the air up to you and snatch up your full liveliness, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

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

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

The shape resolved into a figure. His long robe were buttoned tightly and long blazonry, rolled up now to show his arms. Those robe were comrade. Tonks had worn them last year, auror trainee gown. The side remained foggy for a mo More then coalesced, becoming a firm model in golden light, right down to the last rumpled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's oral fissure fell open in shock absorber. He was looking up into his own facial expression. No ... no there were difference of opinion. The jaw was more manoeuvre, sharper, the eyes closer together. He did n't have a cicatrice on his neck, nor a dark mark on his arm. He looked former too, at least two twelvemonth if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it possible ? Was this ... Harry potter ?

'' I do n't quite understand this. '' The ghostly golden figure said. `` Your Friend, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different creation or ... or dimension or something. A different prison term too. I do n't calm understand it, take Hermione for that sorting of affair. ``

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

'' Your friend says I wo n't remember recording this, wo n't remember any of it. '' The figure was just staring into space as it spoke. Apparently this one was a truthful transcription. `` But if ... if I understand what she 's explained to me then your mankind 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 friend wo n't distinguish me. Something about lessening the disturbance as much as possible. There are other things I wish I could secern you, affair you really should know about- '' The recording skewed like static for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's told me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The time thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my future, to be given to you in your yesteryear, to play in your present. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't hump. I do n't have sex what I 'm saying. I ca n't imagine what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this time it 's sorry because you know you had a past it 's just been taken. I know you must experience like crawling into a hole and dying, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the same really. I do n't know what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostly design began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm hypothetical to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and spread his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the only person you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your acquaintance says that, since I 'm dead in your humankind, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be promiscuous, but you know that. In fact I ca n't conceive of anything that I could say to persuade you to hire the job. Except that you have to. The man depends on it. And I know that the world has n't done you any party favor. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the public be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't know what I can say to convince you that 's not true except for two things. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The shadow public figure licked it 's lips.

'' Do you know how many regulations are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional passage ? Certain country still have the death penalization for messing around in duplicate macrocosm. Just getting here, the effort it must have taken. The risk of exposure your Friend has taken just to get this message to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire rest period of the world is hell right now you 've got one person who 's unforced to lay on the line everything for you. risk her life. So if nothing else ... fight for her. ``

The figure faded. It 's middle lasted the longest, staring out into the pelting, then they too were gone and the alley was dark again. The boy on the undercoat stood, slowly and with care, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter building. His hands went to his breadbasket as he threw his principal back and laughed, the rain trickling down his face. That was Harry potter was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the too dramatic, hesitant motherfucker. If that childish gimboid can save the world I sure as hell can.

He pushed his rain soaked hair out of his eyes. It was like the emptiness was, somehow separate. It was still there, the gaping nihility, it was just that all the important constituent of him, the things that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the little shell necklace back around his neck opening. Just a scale now, it's illusion gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was part of him, the real him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to pick the expectant fight of his life.

He needed a design though .... and if he was going to survive a fight with the greatest obscure wizard in the world it would necessitate to be a flaming in effect plan. Or a bloody insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the cards. Voldemort could toss off him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostage. On the other deal Voldemort was alone, he had no destruction eater, no dark tool, no servants.

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

So give it an unfair fight.

His mouth curled into a grinning. There it was, there was the idea. A Harry ceramist plan.

smile, he walked out of the back street. He picked up his stride and he reached the street, how much of his half 60 minutes was gone ? He had lost all track of time. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would help no one if he was to wear down to agitate. It seemed an age until the phone box came into sentiment, sticking up out of the street. Harry got in, then pressed the code on the receiver.

"Welcome to the ministry of magic. Please commonwealth your public figure and business."The telephone said flatly.

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

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


... Clattered into the groundball. Harry didn't bother to plunk it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na tell him. He dissilusioned himself before the doors slid receptive again and stepped out into the ministry foyer. There was a level of organized chaos and another bigger tier of disorganized bedlam. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the marauder. The were all clustered in one station. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

"Don ‘ t motility. Don ‘ t throw them and ratify you ‘ re hearing me. Just cum over here behind that chimney where we can ‘ t be seen."

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

"Hi cat. I ‘ m back."

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

"I ‘ m sorry for yelling at you, at all of you. And yes I ‘ m ... I ‘ m better."The empty blank space in his thorax 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 time we got until the maiden surety goes ?"

"Five minutes."genus Draco pointed at the clock.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A woodland of hands were stretched out towards him. Every unmarried wand. Harry picked one at random and tried a simple charm. It was stuttery and faint. No dependable. He picked another and almost set his hair on fire. The third the charm came out right but the sceptre felt weird. The fourth ... Harry did first one enchantment then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His eyes came up to meet Malfoy's Charles Grey ones.

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

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the wand."The s thing I need is healing. Just a spry refresher. I ‘ m to tired and sleep with up to fight like this."

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

Harry took the feeding bottle with a grin and tipped it back into his mouth. The strong chocolaty liquidity seemed to enfeeble into every aching brawniness and bone, making him palpate like he was well rested and healthy rather than at the sharpness of weariness.

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


"Here ! looking at !"Snape was shocked out of his idea by the call. His eyes found the reference in the Thomas Young Weasley shaver, 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 swarthiness. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see zero. ``

'' smell. ``

'' Miss Weasley there is cipher there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's eye flickered up to meet those of his student. A flicker of memory twitched behind those centre. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the aerodynamic lift, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward. The magical barrier sparking against his skin like stable. He could n't get through. Before his optic the dissilusionment fell and Harry ceramist was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt people crowding all around, murmuring, speechmaking, crying. All pressed up to one side of the barrier, and on the early ... just Harry.

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

'' Eight people. '' The kid shrugged. `` Eight people or me. choice is pretty obvious. ``

'' anserine boy. You do n't have to do this. ``

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

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


The cosmetic surgery grating slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of fight was everywhere, outstanding dent gone from the walls and doorway blown off their flexible joint. This was n't the department of secret yet though. Just the courtroom. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The doorway to the department came into sight, a blank rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see zilch beyond the door, not even with his conjuration eye. Some form of protection must stretch around the department of mysteries. For the sake of his programme he hoped it did n't lead inside the department too. Harry raised his wand to his neck opening and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom Riddle ! '' Harry 's amplified voice shook the bricks in the walls. `` I 'm here. '' There was a minute 's wait, then.

'' Welcome Mr ceramicist. '' A similarly booming part sounded down the hallway. `` I was not sure you would make out. ``

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

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

Harry waited in silence for a moment ... then the threshold at the end of the corridor swung loose. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The conniption was just as it had been reflected in the consortium, the line of prisoner, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the shopping centre. The physical structure of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the circle way, the spinning elbow room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the doors had been knocked off their flexible joint and he could see into the room beyond.

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Ok, fine. Wait ! '' 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 organic structure 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 express mirth. Some things did n't change.

As the last man trouped out Harry pushed the threshold shut and locked it. The heavy bolts sliding into position sounded like a hammer.

'' Well Mr ceramicist. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The kings in our little Bromus secalinus secret plan. The cat's-paw are gone, the castle are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

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

"I was being metaphorical."

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

'' quicklime. '' A chalk bloodline appeared on the flooring. Harry drew his scepter around in a rough rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy present me your opinion. Does that look like fourteen groundwork to you ? ``

'' What in merlin 's name are you doing ? ``

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

'' A rule wizard 's duel ? '' Voldemort seemed almost ready to laugh softly. `` My my Mr Potter I can not tell you how refreshing it is to campaign against you and not Dumbledore. It is ... so gratifying to be surprised. ``

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

'' This will be interesting. '' Voldemort smiled and stepped up to the dueling platform, similarly holstering his baton. `` 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 hell of a show. ``

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

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

'' 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 while flared across the room. Just before it hit the dark Godhead seemed to hesitate and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his back and exploded in sparks against the bulwark. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking leer on his face,

'' Jumping the counting Mr ceramicist ? That was your masterly plan ? ``

'' Worth a snap. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

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

Harry closed his heart and smiled as a news bulletin of Christ Within filled the room.



revaluation or the evil chicken with the DEAD EYES that only I can see will kill me.


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





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

'' Hmm ... '' Harry frowned in mock mix-up. `` Your wand appears to make turned into a chicken. ``

The Gallus gallus managed to loose itself and dropped to the storey. It took a expression at the two adept on either face of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an open door.

"Was it, meant to work into a poulet ?"Harry tapped his Kuki-Chin thoughtfully."Is this some poultry stochastic variable of the killing execration I was not previously mindful of ? Is that a chicken of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's hand dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's center went wide.

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

The nighttime Jehovah's hand twitched to his pocket.

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

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

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

"Potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his sceptre forward, keeping the other two safe in his left deal."Shut your ugly murdering face. Happy, civil, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the time for the other affair. The bloody hate filled battle that culminates with the killing of you."

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

"Evens the performing field a bit though doesn ‘ t it."Harry cracked his cervix first to one slope, then another."So come on snake case. Hit me. Hit me with your best shot."

The dark Lord hissed, his finger's breadth clenching into claws. Then a consequence later he exploded into smoke, whisking away through an open door. What the ? Harry 's magic eye focused through the wall, onto the story in the succeeding way. On the flooring future to a prone body was-

wand !

Harry 's metrical unit moved of their own accord and skidded across the floor to the threshold. His own scepter lashed out.

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

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

The swarm circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost sense Voldemort doing the same check mark that he was, using dark magic to ascertain any remaining weapon. The cloud contracted then frivol away away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a 2d, a second more and his eye had found it's target. The last chamber, a scepter rolled into a crack in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the black smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too quick !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up fragment of debris but the mo it reached the swarm it was squashed like a frog. The wind going flat in mid air. The dope disappeared under a door and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The wand ! Right there ! Voldemort reappeared with a thunderbolt and jabbed his bridge player forward. The wand leapt from the flooring and spun towards the shadow noble. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a fling from the air and matchwood clattered on the base. The iniquity Jehovah's manus snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the last of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his scepter trained on the iniquity lord he stepped down the step till he was following to the flutter arch. He picked the three sceptre he'd acquired out of his sack and chucked them through the veil. The disconsolate cloth fluttered for a moment, then went still."All wand ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the only way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my cold perfectly hands."

"What an excellent suggestion Mr Potter."

Harry had just a mo warning before the orb of darkness flew from the dark Creator's hand. Harry spun behind the archway and ducked down.

"Accio !"The bench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his point. The dark lord spun and shattered it with a hissed curse."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's wand and forced the dark lord to parry to the slope. The orb exploded against the bulwark, filling the room with electric discharge. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

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

"Hammus missus !"strand shot up and slammed into the ceiling far above."Rapellet !"The string felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the light. As he shot from the ground like a bullet a ball of darkness flew towards him.

somebody not expecting it would stimulate been hit. mortal without a magic eye.

Harry kicked off the boundary of the archway and swung out of the way. He let go of the chain and aimed at the sour image below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The dark-green ignitor left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the face of the stepped arena. The killing whammy blew a hole 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 antechamber. Harry dashed back through the entrance hall and shot into a tenacious room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing vestige was just visible at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The incubus swearword sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The burst filled the air with emerald Dame Muriel Spark. Three deadbolt of lightning thundered through the detonation and Harry threw himself to the side. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of botheration. A freeze out magical spell numbed the burnt frame as Harry furiously dashed after the dark lord. As he skidded to a halt in the residence of vaticination the dark lord disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the former, but neither eye could pick up a trace. A wisp of rundle curled around one of the shelf, only to disappear a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so good for incorporeal affair. He slowly turned, letting his centre sweep through the gaps between the shelf. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious trap on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able to break up it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy hall. The glass spheres had not escaped the slaughter of the fight, many were left in glittering sherd on the marble floor. The niggling snaps of field glass cracked under his the boot. Was that smoke ? Harry 's nub hammered in his chest. Was that a-

bolide ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of fire, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a shelf. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a atomic reactor of burning splinters. There was an minacious creak sound and Harry had to scramble to get out of the way of the collapsing shelves. Orbs of shining smoke bounced off his berm and shattered on the floor, their white smoke spilling out and going inky black like swirl of midnight.

Harry 's eye swirled and he just caught a glimpse of the darkness robed figure before he dissolved again. Harry picked himself up and held himself at readiness. This was like a bloody shootout, 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 enchantment. The ledge crashed together as if drawn by attracter. The dark Creator 's shadowy form was trapped between them. Before Harry could cast another spell the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flaming. He raised his helping hand, about to become smoke again. Harry stabbed his wand out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a furious knife thrust in the dark. The charm was used to fix liquids into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his form blurring a second but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark lord threw his hand forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to grab the expletive. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him leapt up into a tower of flame, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked head. The serpent roared and bit forward, it 's teeth dripping with molten venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning phantasma but his shining sword slipped through it like water, leaving not a dough. The Hydra discover forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the flooring, his supercilium charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flame freezing charm and leapt up into the red region teras. He stabbed his wand at the shadow beyond the inferno and yelled the killing bane again. The inflammation flashed to green and Harry could see the dark lord 's shocked expression as he had to dodge a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't contribute him an column inch, he threw himself forward, shot another curse at his off balance opposition and found a cloud of grim tongue flying in his face. He dropped to the floor and learn them clatter behind him. He threw himself to the side of meat but the knives jerked to follow him. He grabbed a board of ledge from the floor and spun it in front end of him, hearing the grueling thunk of the vane impacting the wood. Harry spun to present the dark lord and banished the knife towards him. Voldemort waved his bridge player distastefully and the knives melted into smoke.

The shadow lord was panting, hint hushing in and out through his lipless mouth.

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

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

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what lifespan is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The while caught the iniquity lord by surprisal, smacking into his shoulder with a bone splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his foot buckle and grumble. He flipped backwards as the soil where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, set to suck him down into it 's depths. Harry danced backwards as gem upon stone became sucking death. His feet hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The shelf lurched as it began to sink into the Stone. Harry spun, holding on with one hand and leapt to another towering ledge just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of dark lightning.

It was n't safe up here. Harry clambered to the top and dashed along the slanting wood. Being up here made him too much of a object. Harry 's eye spun to get the night lord and he almost fell off in seismic disturbance as he found Voldemort hovering up from the ground with murder in his oculus. The bastard could fly !

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

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the pain spears, flashing out in their retard fan. He twisted them in the air like a snake to fall the dark lord from both sides. He was rewarded with a howling of bother as one of the shining bolts struck nursing home. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a silver carapace. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even induce to think. He just struck out and made the horrendous orb vibrate with unbearable interference. He twisted to find the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the wickedness nobleman was quicker and lightning caught his arm, burning like hell. Harry lost his footing and dropped off the face of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his tornado and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the duster until his finger caught the edge of a shelf and he held on for heartfelt life. He pulled himself up and tried to place upright, his eye spinning to rule the dark lord. There he was, but what-

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

The sand vanished like mist but Harry had vainglorious trouble. He leapt into the air as rocks the size of cars obliterated the shelves behind him. His feet hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's wand whipped out and a hook impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the surface area of nothingness. A bowlder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The steer pulled him out of the way of life of the meteor with a whisk broom of his wand and he let go of the range, catapulting himself onto a standing shelf. He leapt again and saw two boulders hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one rock veered into the path of the other, shattering them both to shard. Harry felt the wood beneath him shift again and this time let it carry him down a second before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing shelf, his eye found firm footing and he jumped again as the go shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a tidy sum of wreckage. A mountain three times as marvelous as he was and full of broken wood, shattered glass and the smouldering remains of spent boulders. Harry waited while the survive of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

Voldemort was hovering in the air story with Harry. The sorry Divine slowly floated down to the level ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his feet. Harry watched with a crooked eyebrow. Voldemort 's tooth clenched in rage as he stared up at Harry standing on his stand of ruin.

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

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

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

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

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

'' Hey match, you 're the one that wants to live forever. '' Harry cracked his metacarpophalangeal joint. `` You wo n't endure forever if you surrender but I can guarantee you 'll live farseeing than if you keep fighting. Not very much longer but still ... ''

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

'' Me ? I 'm the moon-curser of the ceiling at Night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the origin war. The only survivor of the torrent of old age and the Hogwarts triwizard ace. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't count because I 'm also a predator ! invincible cutthroat love child and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. potter ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his sceptre on the dark lord, his boldness set in bulletproof resolve. `` That is why you should surrender. Right now. Or I swear on this pile of prophecy that I will burn you from this globe. ``

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

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

'' Never. '' The dark Divine hands clenched to fists. `` I will never cede to a one-half rake boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that suit ... suck it bitch ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his sceptre straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all directions, the wood becoming deadly splinters and the rock singing out in razor sharp shards. The shadow nobleman threw up a silver carapace but Harry was already on the priming. With a motion picture 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 dodge a sprayer of black orbs and threw his wand up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

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

'' Confringo ! '' The globe of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing magical spell and pushed off Saturn directly into the conflagration. From behind the masking of fire Harry shot a killing oath at the iniquity lord but had to twist in the air to stop his head being taken off by a dark blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover conjuration one too many times. Well lets try another.

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

Voldemort swung a glob of planet into the way of life of the patch and fled, pushing open a doorway Harry had n't even seen. He pushed off the paries and floated weightlessly after him. As soon as he reached the door he dropped to the floor again and raced through, skidding to a block when he saw where he was.

In tote up contrast to the eternal sleep of the department this room was a sort of zoo. Cages broad of animal filled the room up to the ceiling and were stacked in a chain reactor in the center. 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 deception eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life and movement in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to hound out the room. Long, not so panoptic ... The door at the former end was closed. That meant that Voldemort was either at the wall behind one of the cages at the side or crouched down behind one of the 1 in the middle. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his baton at the pile of cages in the meat and all their bars sprung candid. puppet scattered in every charge. Something that looked like a mutant woman chaser made a esurient saltation at the cages to the left and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a moment. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the Cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey cutis. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to break off the condemnation to parry behind a desk as more orbs of iniquity rained through the air. Harry heard a room access shot open and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his sceptre out.

The dying chamber ! Back here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the door at the other side of the dimly lit room and aimed his wand.

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

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

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

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

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

'' goose egg would please me more Mr Potter ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the elbow room. Harry was just a step behind him. They stared at each other from opposite incline of the footstall that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my wand you would give died long ago. ``

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

The disconsolate master dropped to the floor, letting the patch go over his head and jabbed his arm up at the ceiling. The shadows above them became alive, a writhing cauldron of darkness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to enwrap itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the level and had to drift as bolts of roar slammed into the flagstone where he had been lying. A lump of lightlessness caught the side of meat of his leg, simply obliterating pulp 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 press it and the shadow God Almighty at the Lapplander clip ! But how to kill something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his wand at the cap. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The super C piece impacted the dark creature and it wailed in pain, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to face Voldemort just in clip for an black-market orb to look at a chunk out of his shoulder joint. He was bleeding too a good deal. Had to end this ! The dark Creator raised his paw for another dash of lightning. Harry tore two flagstones from the footing and hurled them in the path of the spell, one after the former. The first was blown to sliver but the second gear, hidden by the swarm of detritus, shot through like a marble discus and crashed with a outrageous crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The iniquity Jehovah was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his injured chest. Harry pressed his vantage and Voldemort was driven back by charm after spell. The dark Maker was pushed onto to the steps and stumbled back, lying prone against the stone. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

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

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

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

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's weapon dropped down, suddenly too watery. His wand rolled away on the dark pit. He had n't felt the knife go in, adrenalin perhaps, but he felt it now. Pain and fire raging out from the hollow in his venter. `` Bloody ... Shield .... And I was doing so well ... ''

'' Yes Mr ceramicist you were. '' The iniquity master picked himself up from the steps and dusted his robe off. Now that he had won the well-disposed, almost fatherly, tonus was back. `` I applaud you. ``

'' I could receive beaten you ya recognize. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of line of descent spray from his mouth. `` The very first piece I threw. Back when I jumped the counting. Back when you had the fake wand. If you 'd get just tried to shield like any normal wizard ... I could have won on the first charm. That was ... that was the plan. ``

'' It was a good plan. '' Voldemort must hold seen no reason to be angry now that he had won. `` Against a formula wizard it would take no dubiousness worked. ``

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his hand to circularise his fingers around the knife leaf blade in his venter, but he could n't intercept the line. His life was draining out onto the storey. The ones in his leg would maim him. The one in his stomach meant he was dead.

'' Do you take in any hold up words my honey foe ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not discover any satisfactory ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

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

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not birth the wizarding public girl this effect. ``

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

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

'' And ... '' stock 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 hired hand. `` I shall miss you. My ... concern adversary. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to speak the last actor's line Harry would ever hear.

'' delay. '' Harry whispered, he had no persuasiveness to speak normally. `` I 've thought of some advantageously last words. ``

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

'' The one with the power to beat the dark Creator will be born as the seventh month dysprosium. '' Harry 's whisper dustup rang out in the smooth room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

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

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

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

'' Gospel According to Mark him as his equal ... '' Harry 's sass were barely moving, his tidings just disturbances in the air. `` But the dark ... the darkness ... ''

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

'' The darkness Lord, shall never ... '' Harry 's optic 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 take ! '' Harry 's eyes flicked open. `` Do you ? ``

Powered by the last gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the knife from his flesh and drove it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as blood fountained from his stomach and his centre clouded black. As he slipped away and his heart stopped beating all he could pick up was the rustling of the veil.




Cliff. wall hanging. Again. I know. Sorry. recap anyway.


Sorry this took a patch to stake. I did n't imply to intentionally bequeath you hanging at a cliffhanger but maiden I posted it then realised I had to change something so that sent it to the cover of the queue, then it got rejected ... anyways it 's up now.

review article seem to be coalesce as to whether hoi polloi think Harry 's really short or not and whether the series is over or not. It 's gracious to have created such disagree views. : )




The firstly thing Harry sensed was the scent of apple flush. It was a smell he knew very well. His eye flickered undecided and looked up onto the familiar mottle leaves of the orchard in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, green and total of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' Flesh, not methamphetamine hydrochloride. Harry shook his head, realizing what must give happened. Eye 's did not grow back, orchards 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 exist. He had tried to not leave the cosmos of the living, had tried not to leave his friends.

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

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

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

'' I did involve him with me though. '' Harry spoke the bitter words. `` I got him near. ``

The twist rustled lightly through the trees. He thought he could almost, just almost, get word children laughing. Harry sat down and set his back against a tree and closed his eyes. If this was the afterlife then he knew one matter for sure. Before he met any pearly door guard or had his sinfulness weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a rest. The legions of hell could not move him from that spot.

The wind whistled through the trees and for a moment Harry though he could hear voices.

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

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

Harry 's hand wormed it 's way along the ground and found an Malus pumila. It was nice and hard, fallen recently. He brought it up to his backtalk and bit into it, letting the succus run down his face. It tasted a little bitter, just a little.

Harry heard the sess in front of him disturbed by footstep. person was there. He opened his center slowly, and arched his eyebrows when he saw who it was.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head teacher. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the same clock time ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad place, everything was riding on your shoulder. I mean smell at me, today I cast an unforgivable curse ten ... maybe twenty meter. And before that, over the class of this year I 've killed ... mass. Several multitude. 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 monster. Your changeling child. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my head. You said you put your storage of James Potter in my oral sex. I can feel them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a poor copy of Harry ... Or worse a piteous copy of James Potter. Am I ? serve me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his eyes to the story. `` I do not jazz how a good deal of your pilot personality survived. Integrating memories is never fully successful, not from one person to another, but there is no way to recite how a good deal mixture there has been. There is a chance that the computer memory settled harmlessly into your subconscious, but then again ... ''

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

'' Yes. ``

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

"I ... There were many reasons."Dumbledore looked away into the aloofness."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 James. It was easy to fall into the snare of thinking you were ... that you were ..."

"Real ?"

"That you were not the sustenance proof of my sins."Dumbledore shook his nous."At least that was the reason at first of all. I simple did not want to acknowledge what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the torrent of old age, I began to believe perhaps I would not stimulate to. You had proved yourself a torpedo so I though ... perhaps no one would ever get to recognize. Perhaps I could let you replete Harry 's stead and never severalize you. I thought I could let you take on the loading. I am not gallant of that. I should take known the prognostication could not be so easily avoided."

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

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

Harry sighed. As he did the wind seemed to murmur, carrying to him removed vox. He strained his ears to pick up,

'' assistant him ! For Merlin 's rice beer help him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His heart 's not scramble ! ``

'' Of course of action It 's not beating he does n't induce any blood left you hysterical idiot. Each of you, give me your manpower. It's a practiced matter Harry acquired so many hangers-on, one of you has to be his descent type. ``

The spokesperson faded into the walkover. Harry's hilltop furrowed.

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

"No, but then I ‘ m a little Thomas More perfectly than you are."Dumbledore smiled.

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

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

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

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

"How ?"

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

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

The old adept and the Lester Willis Young laughed. A thought struck Harry and the mirth dimmed.

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

"Of row Harry, anything."

"What is my public figure ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his heading."I am sorry Harry. I erased the memory from my own judgement so I would never call you it. Never slip up ... But I can recite you the orphans' asylum where I found you. It is called the Malyn Orphanage, or was nine age ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten miles south of capital of Northern Ireland. If phonograph recording exist then, well then you might be capable to find oneself 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 lifetime with a John Griffith Chaney accent thick enough to swim bricks on, chuckled."So, do you think there might even be records of my parents ?"

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

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

"No Harry nothing like that."Dumbledore shook his head word."In fact I believe we can safely assume both your parents were muggles. Let me explicate, 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 manner, you were ... found. Found by an elderly couple walking along the Lagan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s banks a little after a violent storm and they saw a footling sheaf washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were puritanic all over from the cold and damp, but so weak you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water for a foresightful time."

Crashing rock-and-roll. Raging white piss. Harry's mind shied away from the instant of holy terror in his head and he felt his breath quicken. The raging pelter in his creative thinker banishing all though was real number, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to efface. His sole material retentivity was a phobia. Another bitter joke. He licked his sassing, had to say something, anything to take his thinker off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six month 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 minor services. The story after that is, well, rather as you might guess it."

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

"I ... I do not think that was the case Harry."A split rolled down Dumbledore's cheek."You see, I have something the muggle sureness did not. I have my map. That was the reason Lupin knew. I needed him to see it and present me how to use it, or it could give revealed the truth."

"The map- Or course of action !"Harry smiled, his oculus lighting up."It should point my existent name ! That ‘ s why you kept it shroud 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 eccentric of magic, the thaumaturgy of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing tone, but Harry could still see the lump in his throat."There is an old thaumaturge superstitious notion. An old wives tale, if you will, that a virtuoso's gens is tied to their fate. That the name first given to a adept somehow sets his path. There was once a great fad for concealing one ‘ s dead on target name so that enemies could not arrive at power over you. Foolishness really, in those mean solar day someone ‘ s dependable name was slowly enough to divine. That is what the map does in any sheath. It works by the magic of names."

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

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

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

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

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

"Harry ..."

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

"Is his heart beating ? I can barely-"

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

Harry let the articulation on the wind instrument die away. He sighed, looking up into the appeasement dappled sunlight.

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

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

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

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

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

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

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

"I though I got him."Harry gritted his 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 XV years ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be old age, possibly decades before he can rise again. And if we can overhear him while he is weak and finish him off, so much the better."

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

"Is there not anyone you actually care to verbalize to Harry ?"Dumbledore asked, fading a footling as he did so."No one in this human beings ? Perhaps the existent Harry Potter ?"

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

"How could you possibly ..."

"well once was old age ago when I traveled through clock time and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his finger's breadth."And the mo clock time me sent a message here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked expression Harry grinned."I lead a very eldritch life."

"But interesting."

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

"I hope so Harry."

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

"Simple Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking someone else 's course. From this stage on, you 'll deliver to construct your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

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

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

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

The air seemed to interchange texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was alive again. He could feel his split second in his chest. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the grove. It was exactly the Saame as before but it felt different. He was dreaming now, just a unconstipated dreaming. Harry let his eyes close slowly. He would wake up in sound time, but until then ? He was delicately here. For now.
*


Snape reached his apartments in Hogwarts and barely got the room access shut before falling into a chair. There was a bed in the next room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the middle of the great anteroom, on the floor. He would have been the laughing stock of every student though. Even spoiled 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 draw a blank nursing bottle of vino off his table. It had been left loose, no matter. He poured himself a glass.

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

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him affirm to catch some Z's as soon as he got to his room. Who was she to order 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 only one who could pull it off. Which just added to the interest group of course. Snape smiled as the wine curled down the back of his pharynx. He was very lucky in many respects. Luckier than he deserved.

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

"Minerva."Snape tried to sit a little less like he was falling asleep."It is undecomposed to see you safe, in all the muddiness in the ministry I lost track. semen in. Would you care some wine-colored ?"

"No thank you."Minerva stepped inside. Now that she was closer he could see that the border of her middle held telltale house of tear. She had tried to veil 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 finical bothering you ?"Snape asked, perhaps more caustically than was necessary."I am rather tired you see."

"Yes, there is something."Minerva pulled a toilsome 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 imagine that there would be."Snape yawned theatrically. He did not have to manipulate it."I can not imagine how that would concern me however, I am no longer a member."

"That is partially what we were discussing."Minerva cocked her head to one side."Voldemort is weakened but not suddenly. The guild's project is far from done and we could more than use your expertness. Your primary cause for leaving was Albus. I will not presume to ask the contingent of that disagreement, it was between the two of you. But do you not reckon 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 order, I would consume no objection."

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her head."I will throw quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is enough for me. It has been hard enough to persuade parents to send their children to Hogwarts this class. I imagine next twelvemonth may be a trivial soft but I am indisputable I will still take in my hands full. And besides, I will want to find a new Transfiguration Day teacher."

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"Arthur Weasley."

"Has no fight or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

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

"No."

"somebody who knows how the dark nobleman thinks."

"No."

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

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

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

Snape stayed silent. Not at his Charles Herbert Best was a horrific understatement if ever he heard one but there was no pauperization to say so.

"In any case he was faltering. We all saw it, everyone in the monastic order. But no one did anything about it. Except you."Minerva shook her fountainhead."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 vox not vocalise like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into dark magic. A tenacious time ago yes but some brand do not come out."

"Yours has."

"That is not what I meant !"Snape took a deep gulping 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 wild sentence. There was no to shoot out his anger on the messenger."I merely meant that I do not retrieve it is condom to make me this kind of power."

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

"Do not 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 demand the chore ?"

"Do I have a choice ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Harry woke from deep dream, the sparkling silver spokesperson in his ears.

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

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

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' hi Thea. ``

'' how-do-you-do Harry. '' The Lester Willis Young illusionist was sitting cross legged under a tree in front of him, looking like the human image of serenity. Instead of her usual whiten robe she was wearing a simple brownish dress, she seemed almost part of the forest. She looked ... different, somehow different. It was not her human face, she was still the Lapplander beautiful girl he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her silver hair was caught up into a long tail down her backbone, tied with dingy ribbon. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the sense of antiquity, the feeling that the niggling individual in front end of him had outlasted empire. She seemed ... untested, the Lapplander age as him give or withdraw a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not look at much to venture 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 sad. '' Harry hung his head word. `` It was because you were helping me, was n't it ? ``

'' Yes, they finally caught on. '' Pythea reached forward and tilted Harry 's Chin up. `` Do n't feel guilty, not even for a here and now. I was miserable there, almost a prisoner. I 'm happy to be gone. ``

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

'' It is the truth. ``

'' But it was your home base. '' Harry sighed. `` I 'm going to feel shamed whatever you say, you ca n't hold back me. ``

'' Stubborn. ``

'' little terror. ``

'' I am not. '' Pythea smiled warmly. `` Do you have any melodic 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 mind again ? '' Harry smiled mysteriously. `` Do n't I get any arcanum ? ``

'' I can not read nous anymore Harry. '' Thea shook her head. `` 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 things they can not take away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a visionary, and a very hefty one. ``

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

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

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

'' A short base on balls will not trouble a mighty hero like you too often. '' Pythea crooked an eyebrow mockingly.

'' A short paseo ? We have to get to Emerald Isle ya know. ``

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

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


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

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the English 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 rumple together the old fashion way. Is it too much ? Do you care to wait cashbox tomorrow ? ``

'' No no. It just surprised me is all. '' Harry slowly lowered his animal foot to the floor and gingerly stood. He had to hunch just a petty to stop the skin of his tum stretching painfully, but he could walk. No he could n't. His leg was mangled too. Maybe he could hop ... `` Do you bear my clothes somewhere ? Oh waiting my bag 's right here. Can you wrench so I can- ''

Pythea cut him off with a wave of her script. His infirmary scrubs changed into a simple tweed jersey and trouser. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another moving ridge a carved wooden cane appeared in his hand. Obviously she did not think 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 arms around his tender midriff. This secretive Harry could smell her pilus, like green weed and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you cook ? '' She asked.

'' Yes. '' Harry shut his eyes and waited. And waited ... He opened them again and cocked his read/write head to one side of meat. `` Is there a trouble ? ``

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

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

For the start time in his life Harry enjoyed an apparition. The walls of the void pressed him into Pythea, forcing them closer together. He could feel her breathing space on his cheek. He was almost thwarted when they dropped onto a small route in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanhood, it was the sole building there. At the heart of it was a stately-home type of thing. He could n't put a date to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the center of the complex but at some detail the proprietor had felt a need to exposit. The two stoppage to either incline of the main building took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape style of architecture. Around the totally place there was a high wall with barbed telegram looped at the top.

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

With a careful handwriting on his tum Harry walked up to the main receipt. Pythea stopped there and sat down quietly on a bench.

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

'' You go on ahead. '' Theia 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 room access. He took a oceanic abyss breath, then winced at what that did to his stomach. He tried to steady the raging butterflies inside but could n't. The only thing that gave him the will to push afford the door was marauder linguistic rule. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

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

Up the steps. Of course of instruction. Harry labored up the whole tone, having to breathe Thomas More than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the playground, entire of children running about wildly. From inside the wall the seat looked a lot nicer. All around the edge of the wall there were a series of children 's house painting. Long running murals and swirls of coloring. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to reach the first floor and took a few sap breather. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to carry me up the bloody footfall. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a building full of children could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the first door, his walking stick clattering against the flooring. He knocked, politely.

'' Come in. ``

Harry pushed the room access open to see an elderly dame sitting in front of a computer, looking at him questioningly over her glasses.

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

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

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

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

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

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

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

"Of ... of course of study deary."The woman shook her head like she was trying to dislodge gossamer then turned to her reckoner."What figure is it ?"

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

"Everything ‘ s on computers now. It ‘ s very gamy tech."The woman pursed her sassing as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had rooms and rooms of single file box. Would have taken ages to detect a record book like yours."

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

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

"You ... you do ?"Harry felt his breathing space quicken."You call up me ?"

"How could I forget ?"She turned to him with a motherly smile."Everyone here has a unremitting monitor of your stay with us."

"Wh ... what ?"

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

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

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

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

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

Harry's heart broke and he fell into his helping hand. He felt tears blooming in his eyes. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd come here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected proof. cogent evidence that he wasn't some Frankenstein behemoth, trial impression that he wasn't a bad copy of James Potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of agency and filled with wanderlust. He. Was. Him.

"honey are you alright ?"The old womanhood sounded touch on."Do you want a tissue ?"

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

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

Jack ...

diddly-shit Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

jackass Caiman.

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

His constant assumed name. The name that had always come to his sassing when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory, a retentivity of the first genuine 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 name that came first to his sassing but ... it was like that hollow core inside him was filling. Filling with parts of a life history he had though he had no remembering of. It felt so good.

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

"See it ?"

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

Suddenly Harry knew, and with the noesis came the intolerable need to see if it was genuine. Harry stood suddenly.

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

"My pleasure Jack."

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

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

"lead the way."

Harry set off, taking them turn to the back of the building. He could see it now, down the slope a little. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the nicety of the apple tree. The little orotund orchard of Malus pumila trees.

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

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hand to touch a branch."It was a memory. I kept having this dream where I was stuck in Godrics Hollow. But that home felt all weird, but if I could dampen out and reach the orchard I felt safe. Felt real."

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

"Neither did I."Harry stepped beneath the ramification and walked into the snapper of the plantation. He set his binding against the tree diagram and slid down, resting on the ground. Pythea sat down succeeding to him, resting her articulatio humeri against his.

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

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

"Theia ?"

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

"Why did you trust me ? Right at the get-go ?"

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you acknowledge how they choose the side by side prophet Harry ? They go around to all the wizard households in Greece, looking for tiddler with the inner eye. If they find one with enough powerfulness, with powerfulness enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a choice of course, but who would make bold say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's slope."I was three, but I remember it well, another curse my giving gives me. My epithet wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old public figure, never speak it ever again. One day in art class I signed one of my picture with the old name, just a little misunderstanding. The fury they had at me that day ... they burnt my pictorial matter, in front of my middle. I never used the old figure again. After I finished my training I was allowed to go back and visit my parents. I went back to my old house. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would look soul to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their daughter, they looked at me like I had done something wrong. Even to them I was supposed to be The Pythea ... even to them."

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

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

"Both forced to take over them."Harry nodded."Yeah, we were never alien. We're the same, we ‘ re like ... rootless. We have no stem. No past."

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

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

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

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

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, niggling glistening bust in the corners of her eyes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really know what to do, other than to flush. A moment later Pythea seemed to substantiate something.

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

"Had to bump eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you next time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

"So, you ‘ re going to be staying in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland then ? For now ?"

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin next week if I remember correctly."

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

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

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

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

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

watch glass laughter filled the orchard, and lit up the leaves with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master's bed and cried, heedless of her tears staining the bed sheet. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His skin was utterly egg white and only the iniquity deception she had woven in his breast kept him alive. He was so light, not even conscious. It was terrible to see him like this, terrible to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could ingest risen up again in glory. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better dead than to lie on this nail down cot in a tiny way, not even fit for a veil berth. But she had to do what she could. She was the lowest, the live loyal last 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 unruffled boy stepped from the shadow, carrying a package under his arm."I was doing our overlord good work."

"For a full year ?"

"It did take longer than prognosticate ... but it has been done. And in the notch of time too."The pale wizard strode over to the dark lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your retainer, master, and I have done your dictation. Do not worry Divine, I can make you strong again. Stronger than ever. With this ... we can resurrect again, the death eater can climb again. The earth will tremble original, shake 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 face in the dark was terrifying."stiff than ever."





Ye gods that was hard to spell properly. Or ... right write. Write write ... some combining of those Holy Scripture anyway. It 's been a roller coaster I think you 'll agree, and the 1 most monumental braid of the total fic was finally revealed. Leslie Townes Hope you liked it. People who were waiting to the end of this record book to review ... your clip has come.

I 've already started writing the next book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual thing of writing myself into a recession. Instead I plotted the book out in advance and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The plot made logical sense and all, no plot-holes, there was nothing tripping me up, no writers block, I just realized that the plot of ground I had mapped out was a bit [ countersign I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and retread the thing. confident consequence : The story is a lot secure now I think. negatively charged consequence : I have to throw away a meaning part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the side by side story is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own path. Too bad that track is as deadly as the stopping point. A new enemy rises, an old one lingers and a mysterious assassin is out for Harry 's descent. With Harry still injured from his confrontation in the department of mystery story he ca n't face up these challenges head on. He may even birth to start using his mental capacity ...

Mysteries abound in the next book of the series Harry Potter, The Stone and The Scorpion !