Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. Your various permutations of the universal `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most appreciated. I feel kind of bad for jumping a kink like that on you after 40 chapters. kind of deceitful. upright to sleep together the majority of multitude appreciated it.



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

"Harry I ‘ ve been talking to the healer. They ‘ ve run some more tests."She licked her back talk."face, it looks like a few month was actually optimistic. There ‘ s scathe deep down, lots of legal injury. You need to let them serve you now or ... or you ‘ ll die. In a few weeks."

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

"You won ‘ t be capable to fight Voldemort."Padma tried a different stable gear."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have workweek like you ‘ ve been going all class. You ‘ ll have weeks in this hospital bed, not able to move, eventually you won ‘ t even be able to babble out. You won ‘ t be able-bodied to kill Voldemort. You won ‘ t be able to be the elect one."

Harry flinched, pain sensation running across his tired face.

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

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

"You ‘ ll let them assist you ?"Padma tried not to be put off."You ‘ ll take off the immorality eye and let them work on you ?"

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the healers entered his room. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty dustup. They cleaned him up, washing his arms and chest of drawers. They asked him to remove the armguard. He did, letting it return to the level with a brassy clatter. The healers shied away from the Deutschmark on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

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

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


Draco slapped the sore hide of his arm to try and persist awake. It had been burnt in the fight, but it was fine now. Just enough residue redness and painful sensation to avail him stay alert. He swung his tire middle around the waiting room, all of the predator were here. Most of them had finally succumbed to sleep, Draco didn't find fault them. It was grueling to imagine that the lethal midnight rape on the creature ship had been just live night. They had been worn out, worn down. Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the healers had a staff room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just devolve asleep.

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

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

"Is there any intelligence ?"Draco asked.

"Yes, there is."The therapist looked around the room."Is his syndicate here ?"

"Yes."Draco said definitely, looking over the marauders."delay a consequence ... HEY !"The marauders jerked to lifetime, hands flying to wands before they realized where they were. Draco turned back to the healer."They ‘ re up. What is the tidings ?"

"Well we ... we removed several token from the trunk of your friend."The poor healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the wall of his stomach. We think it may receive been designed to negate poisonous substance but it seems to have had the contrary effect. It was the source of his sickness. We also found-"

"What about his eye ?"genus 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 gravid batch of scarring. Unfortunately we were ineffectual to restitute it. We are currently looking into whether the facility he has is mellow calibre enough to leave there."

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

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

genus Draco looked back over the predator. Through their sand-filled, sagging heart he could see their sadness. Harry had fought so operose and got naught in return but accusations of murder and a permanent disfiguration. And a sullen mark, they could not forget that.

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

"Of line he ‘ d say that. Doesn ‘ t make it true."Ron pulled his stifle up to his chest."I mean you heard him in there. He ‘ d think expiry was Charles Frederick 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 doorway was pushed open, revealing prof McGonagall. She didn't need to say anything, they knew why she was there. They were going back. And they might never leave.
*


"Are you sure ?"Natalie asked ? Her articulation admirably free of shaking."You could get a bracer like Harry ‘ s. Or perhaps there are less encroaching 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 jewellery. Just please do it, it is already beginning to burn."

Thankfully she did not reason, but instead bent down and touched her baton to the skin on Snape's arm. The slicing bother was distant, dulled by potions. There were bottle by his arm, some empty, some waiting to grow the skin back after the score was gone. He was in his apartment at Hogwarts, the only shoes he could have gained those potions without questions was from his own supplies. The searing began and Snape looked away, watching his own arm butchered was not what disturbed him, not after everything he'd seen. But it reminded him of what Harry was going through. Of the wickedness nobleman as well. What would he do next ? What would his succeeding move be ...

"He may go into hiding."Natalie answered his unreciprocated query, still intent on his arm."Like he did fifteen years ago."

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

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

"It will be brute, I am certain of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the footling flap of hide up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was relieve. Strange that he should feel so petty. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly unloosen until Voldemort was dead. Perhaps because he knew that, without the power to spy, he was next to useless.

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

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

"You had to."Was all she said.

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

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

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

"The ministry ? The department of secret ? The Prophecy ?"

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

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

"And if he is not all in then he is doing Falco columbarius knows what."Snape shook his head."It could be anything."

"Severus,"Natalie took his expression in her hand and tilted it up to contact her oculus."Not so low now. We won today. It may not feel like it, but we won a victory. triumph have been few and far between this past tense twelvemonth, we need to treasure them, not worry about what will happen next."Snape was once again amazed by the way she could divulge through to him, whatever his modality. He smiled,

"I believe I have some wine."
*


The boy who carried the public figure Harry felt himself enter the fellow dream. He felt floorboard under his back, scratchy through the thin hospital gown. 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 physical body against the wall. The wall painted with bears and snitches over a pale blue sky full of downy cloud. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't muster the vigour. He ignored the crib in the center of the elbow room, it's shiny nomadic spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the door candid and descended the steps. The repulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely land himself to give care. He knew what this plaza was now.

No one-year-old remembers their family. No one-year-old could remember every photograph, or the pattern on the wallpaper. This situation was a lie, a parasitic retentivity that had been burnt into his idea. The creeping nausea in his skin was his psyche's way of telling him that it wasn't material, that it didn't belong.

He stepped up to the forepart doorway and stepped outside. There were street planetary house in the memory. No one-year-old would remember street preindication, they couldn't even read them. He should accept known, should give realized somehow.

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

His eye flickered open in the hospital Ward. He could find the sore new growth in his hand. It was pink, new peel, and smaller than the early. Harry dropped it back onto the blankets. Other portion of his body hurt too, piddling scars and accidental injury. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

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

The marauders were sleeping there, lying across work bench or curled up on the story. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Couldn't talk of the town, he had no idea how he would even start. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't period until he was out of the edifice and a few streets away. A humble street, not fussy. Breathing hard he shoved his wand out into the street. He found that he could barely celebrate his arm up for the few seconds it took for the horse bus to obscure out of nowhere and squeak to a closure in front of him.

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

"No."The give-and-take was hollow in his chest.

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

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

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

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

The bus screeched to a stoppage and he got out without speaking. The bus disappeared with a whoosh, a purple blur in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any other settlement. It was empty this time of day, like a ghost Ithiel Town. Suited his climate perfectly. He looked forward, an derelict star sign, burnt and with the top level blown off.

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

He stepped forward his hand stretched out, then shied away. This house was just more lie. The notion in his head, grief, departure, awe. They weren't his, they weren't his loss. only when unknown had died here, two strangers. mass who had nothing to do with him. The brokenheartedness was another trick, just another level of lie.

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

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the stone, hissing out passion through his tooth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his real retentiveness were tainted. He didn't even look like this for christ's sake ! His unharmed body was a mask !

The Harlan F. Stone shifted under his finger. He looked up just as the monument seemed to melt, morphing into, a statue underneath. Harry stumbled back. No ... no no no. Under the monument there were two name, a man and a cleaning woman. The woman cradled something in her script. The man ... the man looked just like him.

No he doesn't. I don't even look like me. The boy trembled with furore as he looked on the happy ceramicist mob. The testament in stone to the spirit he had never really had. His digit went to his wand.

"Reducto !"The wand flickered out, even through the passion the spell flew true. It struck the chief of the forefather statue, shattering it into splinters. Some of them cut the boy's flesh. He didn't care.

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

"Reducto ! !"The utmost shot was the hard, striking out in a blinding bolt of light, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. flame flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the done for stumps of headway and died to nothing.

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

His eyes found a necropolis. Both center, genuine and magical. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his vision, the X-ray survey of the reality. Now it was just a constant monitor. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the burial ground gate undefended and let the eye roam, in a bit it had angled in on the potter grave. He walked hesitantly to it, his verge safely away in his pouch. He pushed a piece of ivy off the stone and read the inscription.
The last foe that shall be destroyed is death


Well that was orchis. Being stagnant meant you had at to the lowest degree one other enemy left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffin, English to side in the priming coat, stared back at him. But ... there was a trace. Like a vacant area. He drew his wand and muttered a revealing spell. syncope puff of air of illusion drew out of the ground to meet him. He waved his wand again, cutting the misty waif away. He worked ... he didn't know how long. Probably mo, maybe hours. At some level the gray sky gave way to rain and the graveyard grass turned sly. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the spell. It was just. It was a mystifier, breaking the legerdemain. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. Nothing different showed on the control surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his heart and soul hammer in his chest. There was a third coffin on top of the other two, arranged like a Pyramids of Egypt. Inside ... inside was a smaller body, a child. It's flyspeck arm crossed over it's chest.

The nameless boy fell to his knees. There it was, the final substantiation. The final incontrovertible check. That inadequate wasted body in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a bantam scraping on the bone of his scull, above his eye, in the shape of a lightning dash. The actual cicatrice had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely Thomas More than make-up. That was all he was in fact ... physical composition for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the Lucy Stone, but said nothing. The ire in him was gone. He had seen the consistence of the real potter, lying together. It was voiceless to feel anger, but he wished he did. The ire at least filled him up, filled the vacancy with fire. But now the flak was gone and he felt even vacuous for it. He found himself resting the breaker point of his wand against the approximate, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, thought skittering over the asleep nub of his mind. It was a verge gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be portion of. This verge was his killing scepter. He had done horrible matter for the sake 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 early arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a loud crack, the springy Grant Wood bending almost double before it twisted into thread. A little red fluff was visible through the gap. It had had a phoenix feather core, 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 see the intruder. The bleak gown told him everything he needed to know. Harry knew he should finger terror, or dread, fright perhaps, at least surprisal. But he was damned if he felt anything.

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

"Yes I am Aug Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his wand in his handwriting."Thank Merlin I still have a watch on the nonaged magic detectors. You ‘ ve fall a long way just to slip now. A long long way ..."

"Felt like further."The empty boy dropped the remains of his wand onto the potter grave. Perhaps some saphead wizard would find it and make up some tarradiddle about it. He turned back to the demise 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 baton."But first you ‘ re going to batten something for me."

"What ?"

"The dark master ‘ s undying favor."Rookwood tilted his headway up arrogantly."I will be raised above the others, above even that dickhead Crouch."Rookwood paused, obviously expecting the wear down build 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 magic ?"Rookwood raised his wand threateningly."You are alone here I know that ... well, to be sure. Stubefy !"

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


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing light burned through his eyelid as he groaned. The noise went on and on, familiar ... very familiar. His storage twinged, his real ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eye flickered open air just as the subway gearing flashed out of sight, leaving the burrow in darkness. He felt the cords binding his hands together, his fingers danced along them trying to find a burl. There was none. They were taut though, biting into his skin, magical no doubt. He didn't have to feel to know that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't bother to try to stand.

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

The nameless boy twisted and looked around him, one of the paries was been broken through and a dark, earthy tunnel stretched away. Now that the train was gone he could hear something in the darkness all around, a scratching slinking sound.

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

"Oh, so you noticed."Rookwood held up his sceptre and lit it, smiling. The darkness rolled back, but not far. A grey wall stopped the spark, a writhing mass of cloth and rot.

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

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling mass. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some sorting of coldness, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were closemouthed to them ? He shook his read/write head, they couldn't allude him, a person could only finger so much despair and he was already at his limit point. And as for making him relive his worst memories ? Ha ! His coloured minute was still fresh in his mind.

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

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

"You did."Rookwood sneered."But that doesn ‘ t matter. In fact, none of that issue. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his wand, making a silence magical spell. A second picture show levitated him off the floor. Rookwood reached into his scoop and pulled out a long silvery length of cloth, easily recognizable. An invisibility cloak. He just pay heed there in the air as the cloak was thrown over him. He really couldn't have done anything else. Rookwood turned and walked up the tunnel, his black shoes slipping on the wet dirt.

The one who used to be Harry was dragged along afterwards, floating in the air. He couldn't move ... speak ... he was a ghost. Right now his situation 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 coldness. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the bend chassis came into prospect. One dark cloaked pattern standing tall, the residual ragged and torn and scrabbling at the dirt mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their apparel that were ragged. It was their flesh.

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

"You are latterly Augustus."The distaff Death eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a steel toed boot with the forcefulness of a falling adolescent behind it did more terms than expected. The left side of her boldness was crushed in, a mass of cicatrix and bulging pelt. When she spoke she slurred, only the right wing side of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, nothing left.

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

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

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

"I was delayed momentarily, cypher to concern you."Rookwood waved his hand away."You should go to your own tunnel. Without someone there the wrangle them the dementors may be getting restless."

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

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

"There is no crowd anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her break face."There are three of us. There will be to a greater extent than decent glory to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into cut air.

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

"Are you ready Mr thrower ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the wall and raised his scepter. There was a shattering blast and the wall caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his understructure his hand tangling in his robes. A green flash of light-headed struck him in the head, he dropped onto the desk, scattering papers.

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


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

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

"Didn ‘ t you listen to me ?"Moody threw his hand back the way he'd come."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 place is broad of the somebody sucking demons ! No patronus could cut through that !"

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a snare !"Moody tried to keep on up, his breathing time catching in his chest."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even have it away where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you make a architectural plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the street corner. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But gods he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the Inferno was Dumbledore thinking ? He could get them all killed ! The full edict. The entire bloody decree in one fell slide, and what the hell could he do to stop it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

He straightened and staggered down the Radclyffe Hall. Faster. Faster. He found the doorway he wanted and threw it open.

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

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

"The ministry is compromised !"Moody saw his Holy Scripture cut Snape."Dementors in Thomas More numbers game than ever before."

"And you want all the assist you can get ?"Snape sneered."The Holy Order had done me no favors lately."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Do you know where to get one ?"

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


Rookwood stepped over a body. It's center were still spread out, it's mouth moving vacantly. The dementor's candy kiss, it left them living, but they were bodies nonetheless. Rookwood paid them no mind.

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

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

"More than enough Harry. More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his wand and the bond paper 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 travel by Crouch in condition of virtue to the lord ... I must assay the icing."

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

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

"My feet are deceased. Your forget me drug were too tight."

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the cap, looking for victims. There were still a few left. Not enough to trouble over though. He stepped into out into the memory government agency, pulling his oddly compliant mission past the armoured combat vehicle of brains. He stopped by the door to the death sleeping accommodation, there was the sound of spells from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the room access open in meter to see a adept scrambling away from an inferi trip and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering untellable in it's unbendable grip and threw him away with inhuman strength. Screaming as he flew across the room, his scream was cut off as he fell through the archway in the pith. The mantle ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a shudder, he was never entirely comfortable with the execution portal. Harry watched from his position with dull middle. What was wrong with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the boundary of the room, giving the inferi a wide-cut parentage, and pushed give the threshold at the other side.

"Well Potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the depository financial institution of shelf in front line of them, each one with rows upon rows of bantam spheres."This is the hallway of prophecy."

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

"They are records of prognostication, and they are the reasonableness we are here."Rookwood glanced down at the boy he was dragging along."Did you know there was a divination made about you ?"

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

"I assume that was a yes."Rookwood glanced up at the 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 prognostication was held.

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

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

"Shall I tell you something about the divination of the department of mysteries ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain the great unwashed can revoke them from where they lie. Namely the masses they have been made about. So the merely mass who can take this prophecy are the dark Creator, and you. ``

ceramist stared at the orb for a present moment longer, the word of honor sinking into him. Then he threw his fountainhead back and laughed, laughed so heavily his centre ran with tears. It was a response Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a bitter laugh, replete of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

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

"Really ?"The ceramist boy's hand hovered over the swirling Methedrine."To hell with it."His fingers closed around the orb.
*


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

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

They were overrun, there were too many !

"Help me ! Oh god help me !"A frame ran from out of the madness, his green bowler still clutched in his hands."Please !"

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

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

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

Rotting physical body filled her nostrils and she tried to get her wand around. Too slowly. The dead clenched fist crunched into the side of her head and she fell. She brought her sceptre up and blew the bushed frame to shards, line of descent already dripping into her eyes. They needed assistant, and there was no one to give it.

No one.
*


The orb came free in Potter's script, it's faint shine shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his heart leap, but the Potter boy was staring at the prognostication like it was a springy snake.

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

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

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

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the white lighter faltered. A tinny whine filled the air, like grinding gears. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his fingerbreadth. In the middle of the white a tiny capitulum of duskiness was growing, like ink in milk. The blackness grew until it covered the whole inside of the orb, it was no long shining glass but a polished orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his pinna. Suddenly there was a fizzing crackle china and ceramist yelped in pain, spilling the prognostication onto the flooring. Rookwood cried out, it would break for sure as shooting ! But when the orb struck the undercoat it squelched, spreading out like clay. fume rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood tilt forwards and held his hired man out over it. The passion was unendurable this close and he had to shy back. The prophecy had melted. Melted into a steaming puddle on the floor.

The Potter boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not have touched the vaticination !"

"He could if it was already played out."Potter glanced at the droppings on the floor."A trap, or else his legerdemain on me interfere somehow."

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

"He ‘ s come."The Potter boy was staring through the ceiling like a madman, his aspect again an empty mask of horror."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to hover by the cap. The silence broken only be the groaning of the spite. Minerva 's eyes found the entrance to the lift, it 's mesh opening in a grating crash. Stepping out into the corridor, black robes floating behind him and a paw curled in a waving to the creatures swirling above, was the dark lord himself. Minerva felt her heart jump to her throat. She glanced around, the social club was in tatters. Only Dumbledore stood marvelous, the rest of them were covered in blood and shaking from the exertion of the conflict. There was no military group here to block up a wickedness Jehovah, no personnel at all.

Voldermort's center found a quivering puffiness on the floor and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the darkness lord crooked a finger, pulling the figure to his animal foot. The green plug hat was gone, but the blench chassis remained.

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

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

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

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

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

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the Headmaster off with a sharp Holy Writ."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his mitt and the Dementors fell like hunting mortarboard. Minerva was forced to fight for her life against the grey hoard, spinning around her like a convolution of death. And in flashes of visible light beyond that vortex she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his scepter out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help oneself. But the crush was too great. An inferi had her arm in it's vice like grip and she blew it off with flame. Another took it's place too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of purplish visible radiation that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling hotshot in the kernel of all this, Dumbledore raising the real stones of the floor in a bulwark against the shadow noble, but it was blasted to shreds just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

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

"Remus !"She moved back to plunk for with the loup-garou, spinning her patronus into a forget me drug around them."We need to get to them !"

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

"Then what do you advise !"

"We die."Lupin delivered that last in a flavorless growl."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to drop another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as T. H. White mist, easily brushed aside by the wraiths. Suddenly there was a burst of tearing interference, breaking the flagstones and making the chamber shake with it's strength. As it died there a fanfare of red luminosity and a high cruel laugh.

"That is the secure you could do ?"The vocalism of Voldemort was plain."I win old man."

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

"Expecto Patronum !"A chorus line of potent vocalisation cried the magic spell and the room was filled with a wall of brightness. Minerva watched as a charging white Panthera leo crashed into the massed forms before her, a snarling brute running at it's heels.

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

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

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

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

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

"The bookman ?"

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

"But Snape-"

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


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad dah away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the confusion of battle, then there had been some step, then a corridor ... The sound of battle were everywhere, coming out of the rampart. He had just kept running., unable to do anything else. His fondness raced beyond what any human being elbow grease should suffer forced it to. His mind was blank, a utter system of weights. Today had been a lifetime.

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

"semen on saltation with me you mangled bitch !"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 body on the floor. Pink fuzz, auror ‘ s robes. Oh no ...

He crouched down on the trading floor, his fingers going to Tonk's neck on instinct. He did not really expect to rule anything, her peel was pale and ...

She had a pulse.

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

So long ... His mental capacity was grey gunk, he just wanted to exclude down. He had no baton and his muscle were water. They would never reach guard anyway, this billet was a warzone. But on the other hand ... Tonks.

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



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


Due to other dedication my postings may get a little further apart for a patch. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the edge of the fount of witching comrade. Every bone ached and his arm was tied up to his physical structure in a sling. There was no time for healing yet though, no time at all.

"Stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a toughie combination to master ), raising her hands to the crowd of ministry subsister."Just stay there and the healers will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The lowest was directed to a daily oracle newsperson furiously scratching away at a notebook.

The other slope of the Marguerite Radclyffe Hall, back behind the fireplaces, a argumentation of beds were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth Heathland lying sedated, her hand clutched by her perpetual companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a niggling coldness and quiet for calendar week to come and likely not ever wanting to receive a dementor again but she would live. Oh to take in just one of them back in his house, or any of the marauders. They had fought like tigers, like attack andiron with wands.

One of the doors slammed open and Markus stepped out angrily. His gown were mostly burnt off and he had blood running down the side of meat of his chest but he seemed incognizant of these small details.

"She got away."The massive champion reached the edge of the outflow and plunged his brain under the aerofoil. A mo later he lifted it up and labour his wet fuzz out of his heart."Bellatrix."

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

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

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

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

"Bella has more lives than a cat, do not cogitate 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 disarray. `` What ‘ s happening here ? Did we get everybody out ?"

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

'' They deserve fucking medals ! ``

'' Yes but I can not give them medal. You however can yield them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain smile and saw it returned full. He gestured towards the lift with his proficient arm."Voldemort holds the section of closed book. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a Mrs. Humphrey Ward on the lift and on all staircases."

"I can separate through."Albert Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` Give me five minutes. ``

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

"fountainhead then you can-"Michelson cut off as Snape pulled up his sleeve to reveal the newly cut cutis."Oh."

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

"How many ?"

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

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

"For now, until he makes his move. He can not wait forever."Snape felt a footling chill run through him. Whatever the dark God Almighty's move would be it would be the end of at to the lowest degree some of those hostage. Probably all.

'' What the ... '' Suddenly Michelson was on his foot, an expression of jolt on his face. `` merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

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

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

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

'' Harry are you OK ? '' Hermione reached out to come to 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 therapist could loo- ''

'' I said I 'm delicately. 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 marauders shied back there was a good time of heating system from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the natural spring of wizard Brother go red hot and get down melting, dissolving into the urine with a Bronx cheer. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water, mixing with the water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order members, ministry prole and marauders surrounded the pool of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with icteric lighting up to the ceiling. As they watched it faded to silver, then to gray, then finally to pure white-hot. The White resolved into shapes, colours bloomed out of the pure visible light. As the physical body coalesced Snape heard a scream from soul on the early side of the consortium and almost felt like following suit.

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

The Voldemort double turned towards them and spoke, his interpreter sounding inscrutable and echoic like it was coming from the underside of a well.

'' Good wizards of the ministry, '' The dark lord greeted amicably. `` Members of the order of the capital of Arizona and the good children. What you are seeing is the inside of the department of whodunit, where all the greatest mystery are hidden. All the deepest deception of the ministry is within these walls, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And appear at my friends here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his captive. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the monetary value of defying Creator Voldemort. '' He took a bundle of wand out of his air pocket and hovered it into the air. With a gout of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the Price ... And take care who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a digit and Fudge was dragged forward, his bonds separating from the others. He came to a stop by the dark lord 's feet and looked up with pained eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to belt down you you miserable petty man, whatever you say. ``

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a trivial gentle. `` 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 younger. ``

'' Yes ? ``

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

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

Green light filled the pool of water and for a moment none of them could see anything. Snape felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The light cleared in time for them too see the dark lord savagely kicking the minister 's physical structure to the side and stabbing his baton towards Dumbledore. The master was thrown forward roughly.

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

'' wellspring old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his wand down at Dumbledore, a dash of electricity charring a fix in the Headmaster 's robes. `` Do you not take something to say ? Some cobbler's last Son before I take your life. ``

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

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

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

'' You will address ! '' The snake like nerve was set with cruel wrath. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am fix ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am prepare to die for everything I have done. Those are my last words, the simply unity you will get. Kill me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his wand to make the curse but let it die on his backtalk. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under ascendance. `` But of path, how could I deny a hold out request. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if fourth dimension froze. The pool exploded with green light again and Snape's throat closed, every muscle tensing. The former viewer around the puddle held their men to their faces, or shake off there head ... they would not trust it. The green light faded and the dead body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the priming. It crumpled like a paper serviette, his face fungus trailing onto the flooring like a rag.

So fell Albus Dumbledore. Snape felt a pocket-sized hired hand worm into his. Natalie 's hand. He did n't fuck whether she was offering ease or asking for it. Perhaps both.

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

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

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


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

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the shriek of fracture. He prayed that one of the cars would hit him. His foot would not stop moving and the sound of car horn was left behind. His magic eye painted the worldly concern in shimmering curtains of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's Earth's surface. He pushed past a man in a suit and heard the man call. He could n't hold back track. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from world. The rain ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his ticker drubbing like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the low temperature, wet pavement. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, dark and dirty. delay ...

He turned to lie on his backbone as his legerdemain eye swivelled around, taking in every detail. He had been here before ... This was the alley where it all started, where Hagrid had caught him so many eld ago. There was the drainpipe he had climbed ... the roof he had hid ... He had come a full band, entirely.

Heedless of the driving rain he opened his mouth and laughed. Laughed in stark tartness. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never have known, would never induce known any of this. He would have been able to keep on being Harry Potter. He felt split running down his boldness and mingling with the rain, freezing him to the bone.

But there was warmth. A picayune point of warmth at his chest. He dug his mitt into his shirt and slowly drew it out.

His pendent. Pythea's pendant. Worn so long he had almost forgotten it was there. But now it was glowing like a hotshot, so brilliant beneath the Thomas Gray sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both handwriting, staring at it in marvel as a ash gray mist swirled out from the point. It pooled in his hands, swirling and sifting. Slowly the sparkling liquid rose, shaped and colored and separated until two orb hung in the air by his hands. One of burnished atomic number 79, the other pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The white orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a figure, every bend glowing with light, every flowing communication channel of her pure white dress and her porcelain skin.

'' Theia ... '' He breathed.

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

'' Another illusion- ''

'' No. '' Pythea shook her head. `` This is no magic. This is really me talking, from Ellas. I thought you might ask my help. ``

'' Your ... service ? ``

'' You 're lost. Lost in the Grant Wood. '' Thea smiled faintly. The gold orb was still circling her, pulsing faintly. `` And I am the vaticinator. I thought you might ask a guide out. That was why I gave you this all those years ago, to help you find your way. In your darkest hour. You need to find your way again Harry, or else were all doomed. ``

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

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these years because you were the chosen one ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her crystal voice filling the vacuum between the edifice with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry ceramist I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' halt. '' Too painful. Memories of pleasant times,

'' I will not lay off. I will never stop trying to avail you. I knew the moment I met you that you were n't the elect one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the schoolmarm of divination. Did you honestly think for a here and now that I would miss a thing like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a universe without hope, you were the only polishing chance. ``

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

'' I saw nil about your hereafter. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to meet him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true psyche who would fight for this earth even if the entire world was against him. I saw soul who could get struck down a thousand metre and would still beak himself up. I saw that the dark lord would rebel and I hoped ... I did n't get laid but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the creation in peril and the future uncertain I took the outdo chance the world had. I took a opportunity on you. In a time of complete despair, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't fight anymore. '' The boy dropped his eyes. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't jazz what it 's like to suffer someone walk up to you and snatch up your intact life history, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

"I gave him a necklace."Pythea smiled. `` But I do n't expect you to accept what you have to do from me, which is why I brought him. '' Pythea gestured up to the golden sphere. `` You've carried this necklace close to your heart for almost four years now. I think it's meter 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 spokesperson came from the growing swarm of mist. `` I just speak into it ? ``

The shape resolved into a anatomy. His long robes were buttoned tightly and long implements of war, rolled up now to show his arms. Those robes were conversant. Tonks had worn them lowest class, auror trainee robe. The face remained stuporous for a second more then coalesced, becoming a firm exemplar in golden illumination, right down to the lastly frowzled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell open in jounce. He was looking up into his own fount. No ... no there were deviation. The jaw was more pointed, sharper, the eyes closer together. He did n't deliver a scar on his neck, nor a dark mark on his arm. He looked older too, at least two eld if he was an aurors learner. God ... was it possible ? Was this ... Harry ceramicist ?

'' I do n't quite understand this. '' The ghostly golden figure said. `` Your friend, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different world or ... or dimension or something. A different time too. I do n't quiet infer it, need Hermione for that sort of matter. ``

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

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

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

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

The ghostly build began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm hypothesize to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and spread his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through thing as bad as you, and I 'm probably the but someone you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your friend says that, since I 'm beat in your domain, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be well-off, but you know that. In fact I ca n't remember of anything that I could say to persuade you to take the job. Except that you have to. The man depends on it. And I know that the earthly concern has n't done you any favour. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the creation be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't bang what I can say to win over you that 's not true up except for two affair. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The shadow physique licked it 's lips.

'' Do you know how many regularisation are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional transit ? Certain nation still have the death penalty for messing around in line of latitude worlds. Just getting here, the effort it must have taken. The risks your friend has taken just to get this substance to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the full rest of the world is hell right now you 've got one mortal who 's will to take chances everything for you. take a chance her life. So if nothing else ... fight for her. ``

The image faded. It 's eyes lasted the foresighted, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the skittle alley was dark again. The boy on the ground stood, slowly and with upkeep, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter building. His hands went to his stomach as he threw his head back and laughed, the rain trickling down his brass. That was Harry Potter was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the overly spectacular, hesitating bastard. If that childish gimboid can hold open the world I sure as infernal region can.

He pushed his rain soaked pilus out of his eyes. It was like the emptiness was, somehow separate. It was still there, the gaping void, it was just that all the important role of him, the things that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the piddling shield necklace back around his neck. Just a casing now, it's thaumaturgy gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was character of him, the material him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to pick the braggy fight of his life.

He needed a plan though .... and if he was going to exist a fight with the greatest obscure wizard in the world it would necessitate to be a bloody ripe design. Or a crashing insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the cards. Voldemort could vote down him without thinking. And Voldemort had surety. On the former paw Voldemort was alone, he had no last eater, no dark wight, no servants.

Whatever program he came up with it would amount down to just the two of them. A fair conflict. Which he would lose.

So prepare it an unfair fight.

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

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

"Welcome to the ministry of deception. Please DoS your gens and business."The earphone said flatly.

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

The machine apparently took him a little too literally as ...
Harry thrower
messiah


... Clattered into the grounder. Harry didn't bother to pick it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na tell him. He dissilusioned himself before the room access slid opened again and stepped out into the ministry foyer. There was a degree of organized Chaos and another bigger degree of disorganized Chaos. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the marauders. The were all clustered in one property. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

"Don ‘ t movement. Don ‘ t give them and sign you ‘ re hearing me. Just cum over here behind that chimney where we can ‘ t be seen."

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

"Hi guy rope. I ‘ m back."

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

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

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

"There ‘ s no metre, how a lot time we got until the first base surety goes ?"

"Five minutes."Draco pointed at the clock.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A forest of hands were stretched out towards him. Every unity wand. Harry picked one at random and tried a bare charm. It was stuttery and syncope. No good. He picked another and almost set his whisker on fire. The third base the spell came out right but the wand felt weird. The fourth ... Harry did first one spell then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His eyes came up to meet Malfoy's grey ones.

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

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the scepter."The endorse affair I need is healing. Just a quick refresher course. I ‘ m to exhaust and fuck up to fight like this."

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

Harry took the feeding bottle with a smile and tipped it back into his mouth. The warm chocolaty liquid seemed to drain into every aching musculus and bone, making him feel like he was well rested and goodish rather than at the edge of weariness.

"And thirdly we need to earn something."Harry handed the bottle back."It ‘ ll be cunning but if I handle the charms and someone else does the transfig we should be able to manage it. Oh ! And I ‘ ve thought of a fourth matter. I ‘ ll need a distraction."
*


"Here ! Look !"Snape was shocked out of his thoughts by the vociferation. His eyes found the source in the new Weasley child, crouched down by the fountain. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the kitty, waving him over. `` It 's going make again. I can see something ! '' Snape dashed over, staring down into the ink-black darkness. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see nix. ``

'' Look. ``

'' Miss Weasley there is zippo there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's center flickered up to fill those of his student. A spark of store twitched behind those eye. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the lift, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the ward. The magical roadblock sparking against his peel like unchanging. He could n't get through. Before his eyes the dissilusionment fell and Harry Potter was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt masses crowding all around, murmuring, oral presentation, crying. All pressed up to one side of the barrier, and on the former ... just Harry.

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

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

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

'' I know I do n't. '' Harry nodded, a faint smile on his face. `` I 'm doing it anyway. like 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 take in sworn he saw a wink.
*


The rise grating slid open up and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of battle was everywhere, dandy gouges gone from the wall and threshold blown off their hinges. This was n't the department of mystery yet though. Just the courtrooms. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The door to the section came into view, a blank shell rectangle at the end of a tenacious corridor. Harry could see nothing beyond the door, not even with his magic eye. Some sort of tribute must extend around the department of secret. For the rice beer of his plan he hoped it did n't pass inside the department too. Harry raised his wand to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom Riddle ! '' Harry 's blow up articulation shook the bricks in the paries. `` I 'm here. '' There was a moment 's wait, then.

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

'' Why would I stay away Tommy boy. We 're like old acquaintance. '' Harry was poised to run at any present moment if this went wrong. `` You 've got eight people in there. Those masses deserve to get out, so Lashkar-e-Taiba make a deal, gentleman 's agreement 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 second ... then the door at the end of the corridor swung open. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The tantrum was just as it had been reflected in the puddle, the line of prisoner, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the center. The physical structure of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the circuit room, the spinning way. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the threshold had been knocked off their hinge and he could see into the rooms beyond.

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

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

'' Of trend. '' Voldemort gestured mildly. The mountain chain on the prisoners crashed to the ground.

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

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

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

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

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

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

As the net man trouped out Harry pushed the room access shut and locked it. The heavy deadbolt sliding into position sounded like a hammer.

'' fountainhead Mr ceramicist. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The kings in our fiddling chess game. The pawns are gone, the rooks are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

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

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his eyes and picked a realize blank of floor. He pointed his wand down.

'' Calx. '' A methamphetamine line appeared on the trading floor. Harry drew his verge around in a rough rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy give me your opinion. Does that calculate like fourteen feet to you ? ``

'' What in merlin 's public figure are you doing ? ``

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

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

'' I am irregular. '' Harry shrugged and stepped up to the midriff of the rectangle. He put his sceptre into his scoop and held his hand away from it to usher he was n't touching it. `` But I believe that the succeeding whole step is to bow to one another. Like valet de chambre. ``

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

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

'' Of course. ``

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

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

'' We character as champion. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's hand in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the aghast dark Godhead. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom riddle it 's been a pleasure, and an laurels. ``

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The spell flared across the way. Just before it hit the dark Lord seemed to waver and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his spinal column and exploded in sparks against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his cheek,

'' Jumping the tally Mr thrower ? That was your masterly program ? ``

'' Worth a shot. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his sceptre. `` Goodbye Mr Potter. I wish you all the skilful in the succeeding cosmos. Avada Kedavra ! ``

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



revaluation or the immorality wimp with the DEAD eyes that only I can see will kill me.


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





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

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

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

"Was it, meant to turn into a wimp ?"Harry tapped his Chin thoughtfully."Is this some poultry variant of the killing oath I was not previously aware of ? Is that a volaille of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's helping hand dipped into his air hole."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's eyes went wide.

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

The dark Jehovah's hand twitched to his pocket.

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

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

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

"potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his wand forward, keeping the other two dependable in his forget hand."Shut your ugly murdering facial expression. Happy, civil, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the time for the other thing. The bloody hate filled battle that culminates with the cleanup of you."

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

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

The wickedness lord hissed, his fingers clenching into claws. Then a moment later he exploded into smoke, whisking away through an open up doorway. What the ? Harry 's legerdemain eye focused through the wall, onto the base in the next elbow room. On the floor following to a prone body was-

WAND !

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

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

He rolled as it passed operating expense and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as wind lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the floor and snapped the verge up from beside the megabucks of robes that was all that was left of the victim of an inferi. He skidded to a hitch, his eye dancing madly to bump any remaining wands ... zippo in the prophecy room ...

The cloud circled, reeking of malignity. Harry could almost feel Voldemort doing the same assay that he was, using sullen magic to find any remaining artillery. The swarm contracted then shot away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a mo, a bit more than and his eye had found it's butt. The end chamber, a sceptre rolled into a cranny in the level. Harry pelted through the corridor, the mordant smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too prompt !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up shards of rubble but the bit it reached the swarm it was squashed like a batrachian. The jazz going flatcar in mid air. The bullet disappeared under a doorway and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The verge ! right wing there ! Voldemort reappeared with a thunderbolt and jabbed his hand forward. The scepter leapt from the floor and spun towards the darkness lord. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and matchwood clattered on the floor. The dark lord's bridge player snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the live on of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his baton trained on the dark lord he stepped down the steps till he was adjacent to the fluttering archway. He picked the three verge he'd acquired out of his pocket and chucked them through the velum. The dark cloth fluttered for a moment, then went still."All wand ‘ s out of manoeuvre, except for my one. And the only way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my dusty dead hands."

"What an excellent suggestion Mr Potter."

Harry had just a moments warning before the orb of shadow flew from the dark God Almighty's bridge player. Harry spun behind the arch and ducked down.

"Accio !"The workbench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his capitulum. The nighttime Lord spun and shattered it with a hissed hex."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's wand and forced the dark lord to duck to the side. The orb exploded against the wall, filling the way with sparks. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

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

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

soul not expecting it would have been hit. Someone without a illusion eye.

Harry kicked off the edge of the archway and swung out of the way. He let go of the Sir Ernst Boris Chain and aimed at the benighted physical body below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The park spark left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the side of the abuse field. The killing curse blew a golf hole in the bulwark 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 halls. Harry dashed back through the entrance hall and injection into a hanker room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing shadow was just visible at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The nightmare curse sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The explosion filled the air with emerald discharge. Three bolts of lightning thundered through the explosion and Harry threw himself to the incline. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of pain. A freezing spell numbed the glow flesh as Harry furiously dashed after the dark lord. As he skidded to a stop in the Hall of divination the dark Divine disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could beak up a trace. A wisp of radius curled around one of the shelves, only to disappear a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so honorable for immaterial matter. He slowly turned, letting his eye sweep through the gaps between the shelves. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the room access and whispered a barbarous snare on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able-bodied to break it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy Radclyffe Hall. The shabu spheres had not escaped the mass murder of the engagement, many were left in glittering shards on the marble flooring. The footling snaps of glass cracked under his boots. Was that smoke ? Harry 's heart hammered in his breast. Was that a-

bolide ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flame, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a shelf. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a pile of burning splinters. There was an baleful creaking sound and Harry had to sputter to get out of the way of the collapsing shelf. eyeball of shining smoke bounced off his shoulders and shattered on the trading floor, their white smoke spilling out and going inky blackened like swirls of midnight.

Harry 's eye swirled and he just caught a coup d'oeil of the glum vest physique 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 attracter. Unfortunately Voldemort did n't actually ingest to draw ... The air moved, Harry moved faster.

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his magic spell. The ledge crashed together as if drawn by attraction. The shadow lord 's umbrageous signifier was trapped between them. Before Harry could cast another spell the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flame. He raised his hands, about to become sess again. Harry stabbed his baton out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild pang in the shadow. The charm was used to clear liquids into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his frame blurring a second but not turning to fume. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The nighttime overlord threw his paw forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to captivate the curse. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him spring up into a chromatography column of flaming, curling and splitting into a radiance red snaked head. The snake roared and bit forward, it 's teeth dripping with disappear venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the electrocution apparition but his shining steel slipped through it like weewee, leaving not a scribble. The snake strike forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the floor, his brow charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flame freezing spell and leapt up into the red region lusus naturae. He stabbed his sceptre at the apparition beyond the Inferno and yelled the killing curse again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the dark Creator 's shocked grammatical construction as he had to put off a magical spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't give him an column inch, he threw himself forward, shooter another curse at his off Libra enemy and found a cloud of black knife flying in his face. He dropped to the level and pick up them clatter behind him. He threw himself to the side of meat but the knives jerked to follow him. He grabbed a plank of ledge from the floor and spun it in presence of him, hearing the heavy thunk of the blades impacting the wood. Harry spun to confront the dark Creator and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his hand distastefully and the knives melted into smoke.

The shadow lord was panting, breath sibilation in and out through his lipless mouth.

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

'' Shut. Up. jerk-off. '' Harry gasped through weighty breaths.

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what life is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The charm caught the dark Almighty by surprise, smacking into his berm with a bone splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his pes buckle and rumble. He flipped backwards as the ground where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, make to reap him down into it 's astuteness. Harry danced backwards as stone upon stone became sucking death. His human foot hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The shelf lurched as it began to pass into the Harlan Fisk Stone. Harry spun, holding on with one hand and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a swarm of darkness lightning.

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

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's crack cocaine sprung out of nowhere, drawing sand from the storey and filling the air with yellow-white cereal. Harry called another twister, and another. The dark lord disappeared in the sandstorm. Disappeared to normal eyes that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murkiness at the fantasm in the air and dashed away along the top of his ledge, he leapt across to the next one just before a lightning bolt flashed through the air behind him. The dark lord could not see him in all this but he could see where his patch 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 slow fan. He twisted them in the air like a snake to strike the dark lord from both sides. He was rewarded with a howl of nuisance as one of the shining bolt of lightning struck home. Harry cast again but the morose God Almighty summoned a argent shield. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even ingest to think. He just struck out and made the dire orb vibrate with unendurable racket. He twisted to find the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the dark lord was quicker and lightning caught his arm, burning like hell on earth. Harry lost his foothold and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

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

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

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

The wind pulled him out of the way of the meteor with a whisk of his wand and he let go of the chain, catapulting himself onto a standing shelf. He leapt again and saw two bowlder hurtling towards him. His sceptre flashed out again and one rock veered into the route of the other, shattering them both to fragments. Harry felt the woodwind instrument beneath him shift again and this meter let it acquit him down a bit before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing ledge, his eye found firm footing and he jumped again as the final stage shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a pile of wreckage. A muckle three metre as tall as he was and full of bring out wood, shatter glass and the smouldering remains of spent boulders. Harry waited while the last of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

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

'' What are you ? '' Voldemort sneered through his teeth. `` You should not be alive ! No human being 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 better than bare soul ? ``

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

'' But you make it so well-situated ! '' Harry put his deal on his hips. `` Anyway, it 's toilsome not to mock you when I 'm winning ! ``

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

'' I 'm not loosing. '' Harry grinned. The dismal Maker 's fists clenched but he said nothing. Harry smiled. `` Of line, you could surrender. ``

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

'' Hey spouse, you 're the one that wants to subsist forever. '' Harry cracked his knuckle. `` You wo n't live forever if you surrender but I can guarantee you 'll exist prospicient than if you keep fighting. Not a lot retentive but still ... ''

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

'' Me ? I 'm the runner of the roofs at night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the line of descent war. The merely survivor of the torrent of ages and the Hogwarts triwizard champion. ``

'' But- ''

'' I 'm the mirror-blade, '' Harry spread his arms blanket. `` serpent 's bane and wolf-slayer. I 'm the pirate of the Spirit of Njordr."

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't matter because I 'm also a marauder ! invincible cutthroat dickhead and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. Potter ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the darkness lord, his face set in unshakable firmness. `` That is why you should deliver. Right now. Or I swear on this atomic reactor of divination that I will fire you from this humankind. ``

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

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

'' Never. '' The dark lords hands clenched to clenched fist. `` I will never give up to a half blood boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that shell ... suck it bitch ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his sceptre straight down and the agglomerate of wreckage exploded out in all directions, the forest becoming baneful splinter and the tilt singing out in razor sharp shards. The wickedness Almighty threw up a silverish shield but Harry was already on the ground. With a flick of his wand the cuticle screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the side to circumvent a nebuliser of black globe and threw his wand up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The nighttime master fled through a threshold and Harry rushed to take after, casting death curses before him. Harry vaulted a desk and skidded through a door only to get hold his organic structure rising into the air. A lightning thunderbolt grazed his articulatio humeri and Harry was spun around like a top. Planets were floating in this room ! There must be some spell screwing with gravity !

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 wand at the sun and yelled,

'' Confringo ! '' The Ball of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing charm and pushed off Saturn directly into the the pits. From behind the cover charge of fire Harry shot a killing curse at the dark lord but had to twist in the air to check his head being taken off by a wickedness leaf blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover trick one too many prison term. well lets try another.

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

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

In full contrast to the rest of the section this room was a form of zoo. Cage full of creatures filled the way up to the ceiling and were stacked in a stilt in the middle. Some looked rule, some ... not so much. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of pulp with what he sincerely hoped was not a human arm coming out of it. His magic eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life-time and movement in the way made it tricky.

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

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the mountain of cage in the heart and soul and all their bars sprung open. puppet scattered in every focal point. Something that looked like a sport wolf made a lust leap at the cages to the leftfield and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a bit. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's Second Earl Grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to break off the curse to duck behind a desk as more orbs of darkness rained through the air. Harry heard a door slam overt and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the threshold and swung through, his sceptre out.

The end sleeping accommodation ! Back here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the doorway at the other side of the dimly lit way and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the other doors too. In a second he had his wand trained back on the dark Lord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other face of the vast room, his lips contoured into a sneer. He clearly knew he could discontinue the poxy locking spell, but doing so would give Harry the moment 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 end warrant. '' Voldemort slowly stepped down the side of meat of the chamber.

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the dark Lord and slowly walked down the steps. `` I rarely ratify things. ``

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

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

'' nothing would please me more Mr Potter ! '' Voldemort reached the seat of the room. Harry was just a step behind him. They stared at each other from contrary sides of the pedestal that held the archway of the velum. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a leer. `` If I had my wand you would stimulate 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 duskiness like a spotlight. Voldemort threw his hands up to protect his center."Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dismal lord dropped to the floor, letting the magic spell pass over his head and jabbed his arm up at the ceiling. The shadower above them became alive, a writhing caldron of wickedness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of Nox shot down and tried to roll itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to drift as thunderbolt of thunder slammed into the flag where he had been lying. A orchis of inkiness caught the side of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and hide. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his invertebrate foot, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that thing ! He could n't fight it and the dark lord at the Same metre ! But how to kill something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his wand at the ceiling. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The green magical spell impacted the dark brute 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 take a glob out of his shoulder joint. He was bleeding too much. Had to end this ! The dark lord raised his bridge player for another thunderbolt of lightning. Harry tore two flagstone from the primer and hurled them in the path of the spell, one after the early. The first was blown to splinters but the endorse, hidden by the swarm of detritus, pullulate through like a marble saucer and crashed with a hideous crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The darkness lord was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his injured chest. Harry pressed his reward and Voldemort was driven back by magical spell after spell. The dark Lord was pushed onto to the whole tone and stumbled back, lying prone against the Isidor Feinstein Stone. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

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

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the tongue clattered against his faint shield. Harry let it go and stepped forward, only to have his knees buckle and drop him on the trading floor. What the ? Harry tried to stand but his ramification would n't move. Was this some sort of jinx ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

There was a knife embedded to the hilt in his venter. Two more in his leg. Draining rakehell down his thigh and pooling on the floor.

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's arms dropped down, suddenly too weak. His baton rolled away on the iniquity stone. He had n't felt the tongue go in, Adrenalin perhaps, but he felt it now. Pain and flame raging out from the jam in his venter. `` Bloody ... shield .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could let beaten you ya eff. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of blood nebulizer from his mouth. `` The very first spell I threw. Back when I jumped the tally. Back when you had the fake baton. If you 'd bear just tried to shield like any normal wizard ... I could have won on the low gear while. That was ... that was the plan. ``

'' It was a good plan. '' Voldemort must own seen no ground to be wild now that he had won. `` Against a normal wizard it would have no doubtfulness worked. ``

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his hand to spread his fingerbreadth around the knife steel in his tummy, but he could n't stop the blood. His life-time was draining out onto the floor. The I in his leg would maim him. The one in his tum meant he was dead.

'' Do you have any survive actor's line my beloved foe ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not hear any satisfactory one from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't think of anything ... '' Dark loony toons swam before Harry 's oculus. He had failed. `` Are my acquaintance still watching ? ``

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not have the wizarding public young woman this issue. ``

'' Then my last words are ... keep combat. '' Harry raised his center to converge Voldemort 's. `` Keep fighting him. ``

'' Not very original. '' The dark Almighty shrugged. `` But respectable than Dumbledore 's. ``

'' And ... '' line was pooling beneath Harry 's branch. `` And tell Theia I tried. ``

'' An admirable thought. ``

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

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

'' wait. '' Harry whispered, he had no metier to speak normally. `` I 've thought of some better last Word of God. ``

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

'' The one with the world power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the seventh calendar month dies. '' Harry 's whispered words rang out in the quiet room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

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

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

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

'' grade him as his equal ... '' Harry 's back talk were barely moving, his words just ruffle in the air. `` But the darkness ... the nighttime ... ''

'' Yes ... '' Voldemort put his men on Harry 's shoulder joint, steadying him. `` Please end it ! ``

'' The dark Lord, shall never ... '' Harry 's centre were closed. `` Shall never learn. ``

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

'' The dark Almighty ... shall never find out. ``

'' What did you say ? ``

'' I said you never bloody study ! '' Harry 's centre flicked undefended. `` Do you ? ``

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




drop-off. Hanging. Again. I know. Sorry. follow-up anyway.


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

Reviews seem to be commix as to whether the great unwashed think Harry 's really dead or not and whether the series is over or not. It 's skillful to have created such take issue views. : )




The first thing Harry sensed was the smell of apple peak. It was a smell he knew very well. His middle flickered open and looked up onto the familiar mottled leaves of the woodlet in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, fleeceable and full of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' Flesh, not trash. Harry shook his read/write head, realizing what must have happened. Eye 's did not originate back, plantation did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm stagnant. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a long suspiration of lugubriousness. He had done his good, his very, very best. He had tried to exist. He had tried to not leave the world of the living, had tried not to leave his friends.

There are the great unwashed that will get if you die, even if you take Voldemort with you

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

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

'' I did take him with me though. '' Harry spoke the acrimonious words. `` I got him skilful. ``

The fart rustled lightly through the tree. He thought he could almost, just almost, hear children laughing. Harry sat down and set his back against a tree and closed his eye. If this was the afterlife then he knew one thing for certain. Before he met any pearly gatekeeper or had his sine weighed against a feathering or whatever he was sitting right here and having a residuum. The legion of hell could not incite him from that spot.

The jazz whistled through the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and for a moment Harry though he could hear voices.

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

The phonation faded. Harry shrugged, that kind of affair probably happened all the clip when you were dead.

Harry 's hand wormed it 's way along the flat coat and found an Malus pumila. It was Nice and toilsome, fallen recently. He brought it up to his sass and bit into it, letting the succus run down his brass. It tasted a little bitter, just a little.

Harry heard the pot in nominal head of him disturbed by footfalls. someone was there. He opened his eyes slowly, and arched his eyebrows when he saw who it was.

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

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

'' Why not ? '' Harry shrugged. `` I mean were all dead here are n't we. Maybe loony toons and Merlin will connect us next. ``

'' I doubt that Harry, Lucy in the sky with diamonds is n't drained. '' Dumbledore frowned suddenly. `` I apologize, you asked me not to scream you- ''

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

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his head. `` I can never apologize to you enough for what I did to you. No Logos could ever suffice. I ... I am only sword lily that I got this one last chance to assure you how good-for-nothing I am. My crime was unforgivable. ``

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

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

'' partner, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the Lapp time ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad billet, everything was riding on your berm. I mean tone at me, today I cast an unforgivable expletive ten ... maybe xx times. And before that, over the course of this year I 've killed ... people. Several people. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the time. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein 's devil. Your changeling child. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my head. You said you put your memories of James Potter in my caput. I can find 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 inadequate copy of James ceramist. Am I ? Answer me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his eyes to the story. `` I do not know how a good deal of your original personality survived. Integrating memories is never fully successful, not from one person to another, but there is no way to severalize how much mixing there has been. There is a prospect that the memories settled harmlessly into your subconscious mind, but then again ... ''

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

'' Yes. ``

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

"I ... There were many reasons."Dumbledore looked away into the distance."You see it was very 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 test copy of my sins."Dumbledore shook his head."At least that was the reason at first. I simple did not want to recognise what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the torrent of geezerhood, I began to think perhaps I would not take in to. You had proved yourself a hero so I though ... perhaps no one would ever have to know. Perhaps I could let you fill Harry 's post and never enjoin you. I thought I could let you charter the burden. I am not proud of that. I should have known the prophecy could not be so easily avoided."

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

"Harry he did not commemorate you as his equal he marked you as his servant."Dumbledore shook his straits."And besides, I can depend on my digit the the great unwashed who have thrice defied Voldemort. I would ingest known if one of them had been with child."

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

'' assistance him ! For pigeon hawk 's rice beer help him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His spunk 's not beating ! ``

'' Of course of action It 's not beating he does n't take in any rakehell left you hysterical cretin. Each of you, give me your hands. It's a good thing Harry acquired so many hangers-on, one of you has to be his line of descent type. ``

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

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

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

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

"You are absolutely, technically. Your heart is not beating."Dumbledore's eyes twinkled."But I believe that, with time and a generous contribution of undecomposed red stemma, you may be pulled back into the mankind 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 last coupled with the fact that you died mere time from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just glad I got a concluding fortune to verbalise to you."

"well I assume we ‘ ll meet 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 young laughed. A thought struck Harry and the glee dimmed.

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

"Of course Harry, anything."

"What is my name ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am sorry Harry. I erased the memory from my own mind so I would never call you it. Never slip up ... But I can tell you the orphanage where I found you. It is called the Malyn Orphanage, or was nine yr ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten miles south of capital of Northern Ireland. If disc exist then, well then you might be able to encounter them there."

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

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

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his animation with a London stress thick enough to be adrift bricks on, chuckled."So, do you cerebrate there might even be disc of my parents ?"

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

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

"No Harry cipher like that."Dumbledore shook his head."In fact I believe we can safely assume both your parents were muggles. Let me explicate, when I took you from the orphans' asylum they told me a fiddling about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the convention fashion, you were ... found. Found by an older couple walking along the lagend river. The river was bursting it ‘ s bank a little after a storm and they saw a little pile washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were dingy all over from the frigidness and dampness, but so weak you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the body of water for a yearn time."

Crashing rocks. Raging E. B. White water. Harry's head shied away from the news bulletin of brat in his mind and he felt his breath quicken. The raging violent stream in his intellect banishing all though was rattling, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been ineffectual to erase. His lonesome genuine memory was a phobia. Another bitter joke. He licked his lips, had to say something, anything to take his mind off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six month old, leave or take."Dumbledore answered."The couple gave you to the authorities and of grade an investigation was made. Unfortunately nada was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hands of the child services. The history after that is, well, rather as you might guess it."

"It could cause been an accident."Harry spoke, not daring to trust."You make it sound like my parents tried to defeat 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 tear rolled down Dumbledore's cheek."You see, I have something the muggle authorisation did not. I have my map. That was the reason lupine knew. I needed him to discover it and exhibit me how to use it, or it could have revealed the truth."

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

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an antediluvian type of thaumaturgy, the magic of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing tone of voice, but Harry could still hear the oaf in his throat."There is an old whiz superstitious notion. An old wife narration, if you will, that a wizard's name is tied to their fortune. That the gens first given to a wizard somehow sets his path. There was once a great fad for concealing one ‘ s honest name so that foe could not gain power over you. folly really, in those twenty-four hour period individual ‘ s avowedly name was easy enough to divine. That is what the map does in any pillow slip. It works by the conjuration of names."

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

"And for you it displays nothing Harry."Dumbledore closed his eyes sadly."On the map your figure is blank. Just a set of footmark 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 calendar month old. Six months they had me and didn ‘ t even care enough to ..."Harry slammed his fist into the earth."I guess I ‘ m meliorate off without them."

"Is his eye whacking ? I can barely-"

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

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

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

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

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

"I ... I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his head."to the highest degree of my friends are still alive."

"A blessing."

"So I can ring anyone then ?"Harry asked slyly."Anyone utterly and they have to derive ?"

"Yes, anyone dead."

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

"No,"Dumbledore shook his heading."I believe you have Bella to give thanks for that again. She snuck in when the wards came down and spirited his consistence away right under your friends'nozzle using an hand brake portkey. Rather careless of them. Alastor is probably beating himself up right now."

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

"He will be severely weakened."Dumbledore stepped forward and laid a bridge player on Harry's articulatio humeri."Perhaps as badly as he was fifteen years ago. This is a triumph Harry, it will be long time, possibly decade before he can rise again. And if we can get him while he is weak and goal him off, so much the better."

"I guess."Harry tried to see the undecomposed side. It wasn't easy."well let ‘ s try ... Barty Crouch Jr."Again the woodland remained vacate but for the two of them. Harry grimaced, he hadn't really hoped that the worthless whoreson was dead. But it would have been a welcome surprise.

"Is there not anyone you actually care to speak to Harry ?"Dumbledore asked, fading a petty as he did so."No one in this humankind ? Perhaps the very Harry thrower ?"

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

"How could you possibly ..."

"Well once was years ago when I traveled through time and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his finger."And the endorsement time me sent a message here from another dimension."At Dumbledore's shocked expression Harry grinned."I lead a very Weird life."

"But interesting."

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

"I hope so Harry."

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

"simpleton Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking somebody else 's path. From this head on, you 'll throw to make your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

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

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

"You had to have got the go countersign didn ‘ t you. Git."

The air seemed to commute texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was live again. He could feel his jiffy in his chest. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the plantation. It was exactly the Saami as before but it felt different. He was dreaming now, just a regular dream. Harry let his optic close slowly. He would wake up in upright fourth dimension, but until then ? He was o.k. here. For now.
*


Snape reached his apartments in Hogwarts and barely got the door shut before falling into a chair. There was a bed in the next elbow room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. true statement be told he could take in fallen asleep in the centre of the neat Radclyffe Hall, on the floor. He would have been the laughing store of every student though. Even sorry he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

Snape raised his scepter shakily and levitated the disregarded bottleful of wine off his board. It had been left afford, no subject. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting room in St Mungos for longer than he could remember while incompetent person healer told him they had no information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the woodwind all his uneasy Energy had leeched out and it had taken all of his mental metier to stop himself sagging to the floor right there. He had managed to arse around most of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him bank to kip as soon as he got to his room. Who was she to orderliness 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 of course of instruction. Snape smiled as the wine curled down the back of his throat. He was very golden in many respects. Luckier than he deserved.

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

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

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

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

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

"I can guess that there would be."Snape yawned theatrically. He did not hold to counterfeit it."I can not imagine how that would business organisation me however, I am no longer a member."

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

"That would look on who replaced him."Snape said levelly."For example if it were yourself leading the decree, I would have no objection."

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her head."I will have quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is adequate for me. It has been hard enough to carry parents to commit their child to Hogwarts this year. I imagine next class may be a little wanton but I am indisputable I will still let my hired man full. And besides, I will postulate to feel a new transfiguration teacher."

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"Chester Alan Arthur Weasley."

"Has no combat or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

"Remus has grown irregular recently. Especially where Harry is concerned."Minerva fixed Snape with a floor stare."I believe we can harmonise that whoever should lead the orderliness should be soul Harry trusts. somebody like you."

"No."

"Someone who knows how the dark lord thinks."

"No."

"Severus listen to me."Minerva leant closer to him."Do you not suppose we discussed all these thing in amongst ourselves in the Holy Order ?"

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

"Severus please."Minerva's eyes dropped to the floor."This past year Albus ... well you yourself saw. I do not verbalise ill of the idle but he had become ... tired. He was not the Dumbledore we all knew. He was not acting at his best."

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

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

"I ... I can not lead the order."Snape tried to reach his part not sound like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into morose magic. A foresighted time ago yes but some mug do not come out."

"Yours has."

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

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

"Do not compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that angry judgment of conviction. There was no to need out his anger on the messenger."I merely meant that I do not think it is rubber to give me this kind of power."

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

"Do not quote at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a alternative ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry unfold your eyes. ``

Harry woke from rich dreaming, the sparkling smooth-spoken vox in his ears.

'' I 'm arouse, '' Harry murmured, his centre closed. `` But I 'm still in my orchard. I can smell the bloom. ``

'' You are still asleep, in St Mungos. '' Water rippling over shining stones. `` I wanted to talk to you but you 're on a with child mint of medicinal drug. It was simpler for me to just derive to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' hello Thea. ``

'' Hello Harry. '' The vernal vaticinator was sitting cross legged under a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in presence of him, looking like the homo look-alike of serenity. Instead of her usual E. B. White gown she was wearing a bare Robert Brown dress, she seemed almost contribution of the forest. She looked ... different, somehow dissimilar. It was not her face, she was still the same beautiful little girl he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her fluent whisker was caught up into a long fag end down her back, tied with blue ribbon. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the sense of ancientness, the feeling that the small soul in front of him had outlasted Empire. She seemed ... young, the same age as him give or take a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not consume very much to guess the grounds for the change.

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

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

'' I 'm sorry. '' Harry hung his headspring. `` 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 shamefaced, not even for a consequence. I was abject there, almost a prisoner. I 'm happy to be gone. ``

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

'' It is the truth. ``

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

'' Stubborn. ``

'' Brat. ``

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

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

'' The orphanage ? ``

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

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

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

'' Oh yes, there are some matter they can not use up away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a illusionist, and a very powerful one. ``

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

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

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

'' A short walk will not discommode a mighty Hero like you too much. '' Pythea crooked an eyebrow mockingly.

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

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

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


'' Ow. '' Harry 's hand went to his tummy as pain 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 side of his bed. `` The knife was made with dark legerdemain so the wound ca n't be magically healed. You 'll have to let it knit together the old fashioned way. Is it too much ? Do you bid to wait till tomorrow ? ``

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

Pythea cut him off with a undulation of her bridge player. His hospital scrubs changed into a elementary ovalbumin t-shirt and trousers. Muggle sufficiency to be getting on with. With another moving ridge a carved wooden cane appeared in his manus. Obviously she did not intend he was as healthy as said he was. tinker's dam her for being right.

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

Pythea stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his tender middle. This finish Harry could smell her hair, like putting surface pasture and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you prepare ? '' She asked.

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

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

'' I 'm no-account. I really am. '' Harry apologized again, earning him a level stare from the little seer, and told her their destination.

For the first time in his life Harry enjoyed an apparition. The wall of the nullity pressed him into Pythea, forcing them closer together. He could feel her breather on his boldness. He was almost disappointed when they dropped onto a pocket-size route in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanage, it was the only construction there. At the gist of it was a stately-home type of affair. He could n't put a date to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the centerfield of the complex but at some detail the owners had felt a pauperism to expound. The two auction block to either position of the main building took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape style of architecture. Around the whole place there was a high wall with barbed telegram looped at the top.

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

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

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

Harry grinned and turned towards the doorway. He took a deep breathing place, then winced at what that did to his stomach. He tried to calm down the raging butterfly stroke inside but could n't. The merely affair that gave him the will to push spread the room access was predator pattern. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

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

Up the stairs. Of course. Harry labored up the footmark, having to stay more than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the playground, full of children running about wildly. From inside the rampart the place looked a lot nicer. All around the sharpness of the wall there were a serial publication of children 's picture. Long running wall painting and swirls of people of colour. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to reach the starting time story and took a few tired breaths. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to have a bun in the oven me up the bloody steps. 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 baffle clattering against the floor. He knocked, politely.

'' seminal fluid in. ``

Harry pushed the doorway open to see an aged lady sitting in front of a computer, looking at him questioningly over her glasses.

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

"Oh,"The char smiled."Please have a seat."Harry gratefully sat, hung his marijuana cigarette over the binding of the death chair and worked out how to continue.

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"How could I forget ?"She turned to him with a motherly smile."Everyone here has a changeless reminder of your hitch with us."

"Wh ... what ?"

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

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

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

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

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

Harry's affectionateness broke and he fell into his manus. He felt tears blooming in his middle. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd seminal fluid here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected proof. Proof that he wasn't some Frankenstein giant, test copy that he wasn't a bad written matter of James potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of agency and filled with wanderlust. He. Was. Him.

"dearest are you alright ?"The old cleaning woman sounded concerned."Do you want a tissue ?"

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

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

Jack ...

Jack Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

doodly-squat Caiman.

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

His constant false name. The epithet that had always come to his sass when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory, a store of the first-class honours degree real figure he had. Not given to him by his parents certainly, and apparently not magically binding. But a figure. He still felt more like Harry, it was still the name that came first to his lips but ... it was like that holler core inside him was filling. Filling with share of a life he had though he had no memory of. It felt so good.

"I suppose you ‘ ll lack to go down and see it."The old cleaning lady was handing him a printed transcript in a folder. Harry assumed it was his file. She nodded towards the spine of the orphanage.

"See it ?"

"It was always your best-loved place."The old cleaning lady smiled."It was where we usually found you when you managed to pilfer off."

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

"Yes, I do want to see it. Thank you."Harry smiled thorough teary center."Thank you. give thanks you so much."

"My pleasance Jack."

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

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

"Lead the way."

Harry set off, taking them beat to the back of the construction. He could see it now, down the side a minuscule. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the shade of the apple trees. The little fill out orchard of apple trees.

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

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a mitt to touch a branch."It was a computer memory. I kept having this ambition where I was stuck in Godrics holler. But that place felt all weird, but if I could break out and accomplish the orchard I felt safe. Felt real."

"I though it was a Creation of your judgment, I never thought ..."

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

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

Harry didn't trustingness himself to verbalise. Couldn't speak. There were no language. They sat there for the longsighted time, the last summertime cinch filling running past them and rustling the leaves above their heads. Eventually, after who knew how long, Harry spoke.

"Thea ?"

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

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

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you fuck how they choose the next oracle Harry ? They go around to all the sorcerous households in Hellenic Republic, looking for fry with the inner eye. If they find one with enough office, with force sufficiency to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a pick of row, but who would dare say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's side."I was three, but I remember it well, another curse my gift gives me. My name wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old name, never speak it ever again. One day in art class I signed one of my paintings with the old name, just a little misapprehension. The fury they had at me that day ... they burnt my movie, in presence of my eyes. 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 menage. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would carry someone to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their girl, they looked at me like I had done something damage. Even to them I was supposed to be The Pythea ... even to them."

"Thea I never knew."Harry put an arm around her ( What the hell do I do ? She's not crying, do I offer her a tissue anyway ? Oh god what do I say ? )"It must have 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 alien. Because we ‘ re the same, both orphaned. Both with our reliable identities taken from us. Both shoved into rolls and names we never wanted."

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

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

"I found out a name."Harry shrugged."But I think I ‘ ll celebrate 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 typeface."They can ‘ t take away who we are. The name calling don ‘ t matter so much, you can call me Harry or Jack or Bob it doesn't subject. I know who I am."

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

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

Harry didn't really sleep together what to do, former than to redden. A here and now later Pythea seemed to actualise something.

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

"Had to encounter eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you future time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

"So, you ‘ re going to be staying in Britain then ? For now ?"

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin next calendar week if I remember correctly."

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

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

"Dunno ... stoppage in the land probably. I could do with a nice peaceable 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 passive, but a lot more fun."

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


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master's bed and cried, heedless of her tears staining the sheet of paper. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her Maker still barely breathed. His peel was dead white and only the darkness magic she had woven in his chest kept him alive. He was so weak, not even conscious. It was fearsome to see him like this, terrible to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could have risen up again in glory. Instead he was trapped in this prison of physical body. Better dead than to lie on this narrow down cot in a tiny room, not even fit for a hiding place. But she had to do what she could. She was the last, the last loyal expiry 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 pettifoggery with venom."Barty Crouch, you dare slink back after abandoning our lord !"

"I did not empty him."The tranquil boy stepped from the shadows, carrying a computer software under his arm."I was doing our Creator good work."

"For a full year ?"

"It did shoot longer than anticipated ... but it has been done. And in the nick of time too."The blanch wizard strode over to the dark Jehovah's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, master, and I have done your bidding. Do not worry overlord, I can produce you strong again. Stronger than ever. With this ... we can surface again, the Death eaters can rebel again. The land will tremble master, shiver in fear."

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

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





Ye gods that was hard to write right. Or ... rightfield write. Write write ... some combination of those words anyway. It 's been a curler coaster I think you 'll agree, and the individual most massive twist of the entire fic was finally revealed. Leslie Townes Hope you liked it. mass who were waiting to the end of this book to review ... your time has come.

I 've already started writing the next book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual matter of writing myself into a quoin. Instead I plotted the al-Qur'an out in improvement and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The plot made logical gumption and all, no plot-holes, there was cipher tripping me up, no writers block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ word I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. Positive consequence : The story is a lot inviolable now I think. negatively charged upshot : I have to throw away a significant function of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the adjacent write up is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own path. Too bad that route is as deadly as the last. A new opposition rises, an old one lingers and a mysterious assassin is out for Harry 's blood. With Harry still injured from his opposition in the department of mysteries he ca n't confront these challenges head on. He may even ingest to start using his nous ...

Mysteries abound in the next book of the series Harry potter, The Stone and The scorpion !