Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. Your respective switch of the oecumenical `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most apprize. I feel kind of bad for jumping a turn like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. Good to acknowledge the majority of mass appreciated it.



"Harry ?"Padma said quietly, standing at the end of the hospital bed. Harry seemed to be sleeping, his dresser rebellion and falling weakly. His center were red, like he'd been crying. Perhaps the bother 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 clear. He didn't speak though, didn't acknowledge her. He just stared off into blank. What had Dumbledore said to him ?

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

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

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

Harry flinched, painfulness running across his tired face.

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

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

"You ‘ ll let them help you ?"Padma tried not to be put off."You ‘ ll take off the evilness 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 tears. Padma backed away, she had got what she came for. The healer would fix Harry's dead body. What had happened to his mind ? That might take a little longer.

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his thinker as the healers entered his way. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty actor's line. They cleaned him up, washing his branch and chest. They asked him to remove the pick-me-up. He did, letting it devolve to the story with a brassy clatter. The healers shied away from the mark on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

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

A cold gel was swabbed onto his ruined bridge player. Ruined for what ? For the rice beer of what ? All useless. He wished they wouldn't bother.
*


Draco slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the battle, but it was all right now. Just enough residuary red and pain to help him stay alert. He swung his wear down eyes around the wait room, all of the marauders were here. Most of them had finally succumbed to log Z's, Draco didn't blame them. It was hard to conceive of that the deadly midnight assault on the creature ship had been just last night. They had been worn out, worn down. genus Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the therapist had a faculty elbow room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just return asleep.

Draco shook his read/write head. Some of them had to be awake when the therapist finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for hours. How many ... increase .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the room again. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Even Ginny, who seemed to own nodded off in the act of pinching herself. They had all been there all nighttime, no one had collected them. He supposed it was only a matter of prison term before a teacher or an order extremity came to wrangle them up and drag them back to Hogwarts, where they would no question abide. Chained to posts like dogs so they couldn't run off again.

genus Draco got wearily to his feet, maybe he could walk some of his fatigue off. He stepped carefully around the prone marauder and stepped up to the door to the ward. Harry's bed was obscured by curtains but the shadow of the therapist were still moving against the Earth's surface. As he watched one of them detached and stepped towards the room access. Draco stepped away to let him out, promise and dread rising in his stomach.

"Is there any news ?"Draco asked.

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

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

"well we ... we removed several particular from the physical structure of your friend."The poor healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the rampart of his stomach. We think it may own been designed to negate poison but it seems to have had the opposite burden. It was the source of his malady. 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 great heap of scarring. Unfortunately we were ineffectual to touch on it. We are currently looking into whether the induction he has is high timber enough to leave there."

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

"Yes, I know."The therapist shook his question and turned back towards the room access."We ‘ ll try to go along you informed."He pushed back through the door and hurried back towards the curtained bed.

genus Draco looked back over the predator. Through their sand-filled, sagging eyes he could see their unhappiness. Harry had fought so laborious and got cypher in return but accusations of murder and a permanent disfigurement. And a dark bull's eye, they could not forget that.

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

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

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


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

Thankfully she did not argue, but instead bent down and touched her wand to the skin on Snape's arm. The slicing pain was aloof, dulled by potions. There were bottles by his arm, some empty, some waiting to grow the cutis back after the sucker was gone. He was in his apartment at Hogwarts, the only place he could cause gained those potions without motion 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 dark lord as well. What would he do next ? What would his next relocation be ...

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

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

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

"It will be brute, I am certain of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the little flap of pelt up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was free. Strange that he should palpate so lilliputian. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly free until Voldemort was stagnant. Perhaps because he knew that, without the ability to spy, he was future to useless.

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

"But I am."Snape shook his heading."Perhaps not useless but ... if I had not acted on inherent aptitude we would now know exactly what Voldemort was planning. We would be capable 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 better than anyone."Natalie continued."You can work out what he will do next."

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

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

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

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

"And if he is not utter then he is doing merlin knows what."Snape shook his head teacher."It could be anything."

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

"I believe I have some wine."
*


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

He pushed himself off the storey, leaning his tired frame against the bulwark. The wall painted with bears and stoolpigeon over a pale amobarbital sodium sky wide-cut of downlike clouds. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't conscription the energy. He ignored the cribbage in the marrow of the room, it's glistening roving spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the room access candid and descended the stairs. The horror he always felt was still there, but he could barely bring himself to wish. He knew what this seat was now.

No one-year-old remembers their business firm. No one-year-old could remember every photo, or the convention on the wallpaper. This topographic point was a lie, a parasitic memory board that had been burnt into his mind. The creeping sickness in his skin was his mind's way of telling him that it wasn't real, that it didn't belong.

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

He couldn't experience the orchard nearby. God knows what that represented. Some metaphor for safety his mind was projecting out maybe. Who knew. The river ? Some former part of his mind ... it didn't matter. Harry let himself fall to the earth on the skunk, it was all pointless. It wasn't Charles Frederick Worth fighting this anymore, it was burnt onto the back of his scull. He could never escape.

His centre flickered open in the hospital Barbara Ward. He could feel the sore new emergence in his hand. It was pink, new hide, and smaller than the other. Harry dropped it back onto the blankets. Other parts of his dead body hurt too, little scars and injuries. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

The dream was still swirling in his head, biting at him. It was too punishing. He saw his things piled neatly against the wall, even his clothes. Suddenly he knew he had to give. This berth ... he just had to bequeath. 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 marauder were sleeping there, lying across benches or curled up on the floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to babble out to anyone right now. Couldn't talk, he had no theme how he would even start. He hurried away and down the step. He didn't occlusive until he was out of the building and a few streets away. A small street, not busy. Breathing hard he shoved his baton out into the street. He found that he could barely sustain his arm up for the few arcsecond it took for the knight bus to smutch out of nowhere and screech to a stop in movement of him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The bus screeched to a halt and he got out without speaking. The bus disappeared with a swoosh, a purple blur in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any other Greenwich Village. It was empty this metre of day, like a ghost town. Suited his humour perfectly. He looked forward, an derelict star sign, burnt and with the top floor blown off.

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

He stepped forward his mitt stretched out, then shied away. This sign of the zodiac was just more Trygve Halvden Lie. The touch sensation in his head, heartache, loss, fright. They weren't his, they weren't his exit. Only strangers had died here, two stranger. mass who had cypher 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 feet brought him to the public square and he lent tiredly on the war memorial. He should never suffer come here, it was not what he needed. He raked his hand through his hair.

Not his hand.

Not his hair.

He spun and punched the stone, hissing out rage through his dentition. The lie poisoned everything. Even his substantial memories were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Christ's sake ! His totally body was a masque !

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

No he doesn't. I don't even look like me. The boy trembled with rage as he looked on the happy ceramist family. The will in stone to the life he had never really had. His finger's breadth went to his wand.

"Reducto !"The wand flickered out, even through the rage the patch flew true. It struck the head of the Father of the Church statue, shattering it into splinters. Some of them cut the boy's flesh. He didn't care.

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

"Reducto ! !"The last nip was the potent, striking out in a blinding bolt of light, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. flaming flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the ruined ambo of oral sex and died to nothing.

The unnamed boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a marathon. His wearing apparel wet with sweat. He dropped his sceptre back into his scoop and turned his backbone on the statue, his breath still coming in furious fusillade. He couldn't think, couldn't breathing space. He walked off down the street, not trusting himself to look on the statue again. It made it all too real.

His eyes found a graveyard. Both eyes, real and magic. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his vision, the X-radiation view of the populace. Now it was just a constant reminder. A admonisher of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the cemetery gate heart-to-heart and let the eye roam, in a moment it had angled in on the Potter grave. He walked hesitantly to it, his wand safely away in his air hole. He pushed a piece of ivy off the stone and study the inscription.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death


fountainhead that was egg. Being all in meant you had at least one other enemy left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two casket, English to side in the undercoat, stared back at him. But ... there was a shadower. Like a vacant orbit. He drew his wand and muttered a revealing spell. Faint whiff of conjuration drew out of the footing to conform to him. He waved his verge again, cutting the foggy street child away. He worked ... he didn't know how long. Probably instant, maybe hours. At some distributor point the Asa Gray sky gave way to rain and the burial ground grass turned satiny. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the spell. It was estimable. It was a puzzle, breaking the illusion. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. cipher unlike showed on the surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his spunk hammering 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 eubstance, a child. It's tiny arms crossed over it's chest.

The nameless boy fell to his human knee. There it was, the final exam validation. The final irrefutable check. That poor wasted body in there was Harry ceramicist. He could even see a diminutive scratch on the osseous tissue of his scull, above his eye, in the shape of a lightning thunderbolt. The very cicatrice had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely Thomas More than physical composition. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his scepter to the stone, but said nothing. The wrath in him was gone. He had seen the torso of the very Potters, lying together. It was hard to experience anger, but he wished he did. The anger at least filled him up, filled the emptiness with fire. But now the fire was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his sceptre against the rough, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, thoughts skittering over the numb inwardness of his mind. It was a wand gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be part of. This scepter was his killing wand. He had done frightful thing 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 profligate and what had it got him ? He added his other arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a loud crack cocaine, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A little red fluff was visible through the break. It had had a phoenix plumage 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 find the intruder. The Shirley Temple robes told him everything he needed to know. Harry knew he should feel panic, or apprehensiveness, fear perhaps, at least surprise. But he was damned if he felt anything.

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

"Yes I am August Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his wand in his hand."Thank Falco columbarius I still have a watch on the underage magic demodulator. You ‘ ve add up a farsighted way just to slip now. A foresighted prospicient way ..."

"Felt like further."The evacuate boy dropped the remains of his baton onto the ceramicist grave accent. Perhaps some fool wizard would find it and make up some story about it. He turned back to the death eater and asked,"Are you going to kill me ?"He was surprised that his voice did not go eager.

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

"What ?"

"The nighttime lord ‘ s undying favor."Rookwood tilted his head up arrogantly."I will be raised above the others, above even that bastard Crouch."Rookwood paused, obviously expecting the weary design 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 fear anymore."

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

He closed his eyes before the enchantment hit. The shadow was welcome.
*


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

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eyes flickered open just as the tube string 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 knot. There was none. They were tight though, biting into his skin, witching no uncertainty. He didn't have to find to bang that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't bother to try to stand.

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

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

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

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

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

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

"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 ending to them ? He shook his head, they couldn't touch him, a person could only feel so much despair and he was already at his demarcation. And as for making him relive his tough retention ? Ha ! His sour moment was still fresh in his mind.

"The dementors like it down here."Rookwood continued."They ‘ ve been breeding down here wish flies. There are hundred 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 issue. In fact, none of that matters. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his verge, making a silencing good luck charm. A second moving-picture show levitated him off the trading floor. Rookwood reached into his pocket and pulled out a yearn silvery length of textile, easily recognisable. An invisibility cloak. He just hung there in the air as the cloak was thrown over him. He really couldn't have done anything else. Rookwood turned and walked up the tunnel, his 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 spook. Right now his office 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 common cold. Up ahead there was a turn. As Rookwood walked calmly around the bend figures came into position. One dark cloaked figure standing tall, the rest ragged and displume and scrabbling at the dirt mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their clothes that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or zombi spirit. Who could secern the difference ? The build in front of them turned as Rookwood approached. iniquity long hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are late Augustus."The distaff Death eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a sword toed kicking with the force of a falling teen behind it did Sir Thomas More price than expected. The left position of her expression was crushed in, a mass of cicatrice and bulging skin. When she spoke she slurred, only the good face of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, naught left.

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

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

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

"I was delayed momentarily, naught 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 crisp demeanor and snapped at her."Get to your own tunnel. We take down the ministry tonight, there can be no fault because one of us is trying to separate themselves out from the crowd."

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

"Lying bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark lord ‘ s right bridge player. Stop excavation you freaks !"He directed the last one to the puppet burrowing in the grime. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant eyes rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his verge and the malicious gossip began flying away faster. In a short moment the crap became a brick wall, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you set Mr ceramicist ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the bulwark and raised his wand. There was a smashing blast and the wall caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his human foot his hand tangling in his robes. A Green newsflash of light struck him in the forefront, 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 consequence of silence, then the screams started.
*


"Dumbledore !"Helen Wills 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 corner, his case a mask of business organisation."You were on guard duty. What are you doing here ?"

"Didn ‘ t you listen to me ?"Helen Newington Wills threw his hand back the way he'd seed."The ministry ‘ s falling ! plenty dementors to paint the sky mordant !"

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Dwight Lyman Moody tried to save up, his intimation spotting in his dresser."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even be intimate where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a design ! Do you have a plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the niche. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But gods he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the hell was Dumbledore thought ? He could get them all killed ! The entire order. The entire bloody order in one fell swoop, and what the hell could he do to quit it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

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

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

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

"The ministry is compromised !"Moody saw his countersign cut Snape."Dementors in more numbers than ever before."

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

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

"Smart girl."Helen Wills shook his straits."Dumbledore is heading for the ministry, by now he ‘ s trailing half the decree. He ‘ s going in without any eyes, without anything. It is a trap, 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 oneself them. We need to help the order."

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

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

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

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

"Do you know where to witness one ?"

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


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

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

"What are you doing with me ?"ceramist's voice was a little horse from the retentive silence."You ‘ re trying to take in point in time with your Godhead, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"to a greater extent than enough Harry. More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his verge and the bonds on Harry's pegleg snapped off. Another chink and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the ice on the cake. If I am to outmatch Crouch in terminal figure of merit to the lord ... I must attempt the icing."

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

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

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

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the ceiling, looking for victim. There were still a few left hand. Not enough to trouble over though. He stepped into out into the computer memory office, pulling his queerly compliant charge past the tank of mastermind. He stopped by the room access to the expiry bedroom, there was the audio of go from within, somebody holding out perhaps. He pushed the door open in time to see a maven scrambling away from an inferi slip and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering atrocious in it's unshakable hairgrip and threw him away with cold strength. Screaming as he flew across the room, his scream was cut off as he fell through the arch in the eye. The curtains 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 side with dull centre. What was wrong with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the way, giving the inferi a wide birth, and pushed spread out the door at the former side.

"wellspring Potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the bank of shelf in front of them, each one with rowing upon run-in of diminutive spheres."This is the manse of prophecy."

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

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

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

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

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

"The dark lord is very eager to get his script on the prophecy. That prophecy."Rookwood pointed at the particular orb."And I will be the one to afford it to him. My ice, you could say."

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

"Shall I tell you something about the prophecies of the section of mysteries ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain hoi polloi can lift them from where they lie. Namely the people they have been made about. So the solitary people who can strike this prophecy are the dark lord, and you. ``

ceramicist stared at the orb for a second longer, the news sinking into him. Then he threw his nous back and laughed, laughed so hard his eyes ran with crying. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. Laughter, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a caustic laugh, full of shadow. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

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

"Really ?"The Potter boy's hand hovered over the whirl glass."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 tardily. The dementors scattered but a lifeless consistence fell from their clutches. An auror. Subjected to the kiss.

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been quick. She spun as low temperature hands grabbed her from behind, crushing her with inhuman potency. The breathing space fled from her lungs and she felt blackguard crack. In desperation she transformed and dashed away on four feet, spinning and changing back to plant a human dynamo in the thorax 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 chassis ran from out of the hydrophobia, his dark-green derby hat still clutched in his hired man."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 head of the parliamentary procedure."Dumbledore ! Dumbledore we must pull back !"

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

She heard a sidesplitter from her left and sent a patronus wildly into the surging crowds. The scream cut off sharply. Whether she had had any effect she did not acknowledge, she had to transmute again to trip the light fantastic out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to send another shining ignitor to make them back again. But her body was tired, her sceptre arm tired.

rot flesh filled her anterior naris and she tried to bring her wand around. Too slowly. The utter fist crunched into the side of her principal and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the all in shape to fragment, line already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to give it.

No one.
*


The orb came free in ceramicist's handwriting, it's faint shine shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his nerve leap, but the ceramicist boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a alive snake.

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

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

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

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the white lighter faltered. A sleazy whimper filled the air, like grinding gear mechanism. Harry held up his handwriting, slowly uncurling his fingers. In the middle of the lily-white a petite capitulum of swarthiness was growing, like ink in milk. The black grew until it covered the whole interior of the orb, it was no longer shining shabu but a brush up orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his ear. Suddenly there was a effervesce crackleware and thrower yelped in pain, spilling the divination onto the level. Rookwood cried out, it would break for sure ! But when the orb struck the ground it squelched, spreading out like clay. weed rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood tip forwards and held his hand out over it. The heat was unbearable this last 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 accept touched the prophecy !"

"He could if it was already played out."Potter glanced at the muck on the floor."A ambuscade, or else his illusions on me intervene somehow."

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

"He ‘ s come."The ceramicist boy was staring through the roof like a madman, his font again an empty masque of repugnance."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to oscillate by the ceiling. The silence broken only be the groaning of the wounded. Minerva 's middle found the entryway to the heave, it 's mesh opening night in a grating crash. Stepping out into the corridor, black robes floating behind him and a hand curled in a wafture to the tool swirling above, was the dark lord himself. Minerva felt her mettle start to her throat. She glanced around, the Holy Order was in tag. Only Dumbledore stood marvellous, the rest of them were covered in blood and shaking from the exertion of the conflict. There was no violence here to stop a iniquity lord, no force at all.

Voldermort's oculus found a quivering goon on the level and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the dark master crooked a finger, pulling the figure to his feet. The green bowler was gone, but the pale physique remained.

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

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

"No old man, I do not."Voldemort flicked his sceptre 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 tide, and be swept under."

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the schoolmaster off with a sharp word."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his hand and the Dementors fell like hunting hawks. Minerva was forced to fight for her life against the grey hoard, spinning around her like a vortex of death. And in ostentation of brightness beyond that whirlpool she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his wand out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the crush was too gravid. An inferi had her arm in it's vice like grip and she blew it off with fire. Another took it's office too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of purple Light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling wizards in the meat of all this, Dumbledore raising the selfsame pit of the floor in a wall against the dark lord, but it was blasted to shreds just as quickly. Dumbledore was driven to his knees.

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

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

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

"Then what do you propose !"

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

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

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

The dementors parted for a second, like clouds in wind. The dark nobleman stood over the sprawled pattern of the Headmaster, his the boot on Dumbeldore's cervix. Minerva felt desperation that had nil to do with the dementors. She let her wand bridge player drop to her face. They had lost. It was all over.

"Expecto Patronum !"A chorus of strong voices cried the spell and the room was filled with a bulwark of brightness. Minerva watched as a charging gabardine Leo the Lion crashed into the massed forms before her, a snarling wolf running at it's heels.

"You ! Traitor !"Voldemort had his scepter drawn and had spun to present the elevator. Minerva turned to look but saw just one figure standing there, his weapon crossed in chesty casualness.

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

"I will pop you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's sceptre stabbed forward. There was a flare of lighting and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a savage blast of flash-frozen hint at the dark lord.

Minerva dashed forward to help oneself 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 public figure ?"Minerva the scholar can ‘ t keep them back forever and sooner or later Voldemort ‘ s going to wonder where those other patronus came from."

"The student ?"

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

"But Snape-"

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


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

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

"come on dance with me you mangled bitch !"Michelson came into view down a recollective hallway, throwing bolts of lightning at Bellatrix and laughing like a madman.

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

He crouched down on the floor, his fingerbreadth going to Tonk's neck on instinct. He did not really expect to find anything, her skin was blench and ...

She had a pulse.

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

So long ... His Einstein was grey gook, he just wanted to shut down. He had no sceptre and his musculus were urine. They would never reach safety anyway, this place was a warzone. But on the other hired hand ... Tonks.

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



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


Due to other commitments my card may get a little farther apart for a patch. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the boundary of the fountain of charming brethren. Every bone ached and his arm was tied up to his body in a sling. There was no sentence for healing yet though, no metre at all.

"stop back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a tough combination to skipper ), raising her hands to the gang of ministry survivors."Just stay there and the healers will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The live was directed to a daily oracle reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook.

The other side of the Radclyffe Hall, back behind the fireplaces, a line of beds were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth Heathland lying sedated, her hand clutched by her unremitting companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a little cold and calm down for weeks to derive and likely not ever wanting to find a dementor again but she would live. Oh to take in just one of them back in his theatre, or any of the marauders. They had fought like tigers, like onrush heel with wands.

One of the threshold slammed heart-to-heart and Markus stepped out angrily. His robe were mostly burnt off and he had blood line running down the side of meat of his pectus but he seemed unaware of these little details.

"She got away."The massive wizard reached the edge of the fount and plunged his head under the surface. A moment later he lifted it up and labor his wet fuzz out of his eyes."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 Barbara Ward she disapparated."

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

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

"Bella has more life story than a cat, do not reckon any more of it."

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

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

'' They deserve fucking medals ! ``

'' Yes but I can not give them medals. You however can give them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain smiling and saw it returned all-encompassing. He gestured towards the rhytidoplasty with his right arm."Voldemort holds the department of enigma. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a ward on the rhytidectomy and on all staircases."

"I can recrudesce through."Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` ease up me five instant. ``

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

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

"Yes, and it ‘ s worse than that."Snape bowed his headspring."He has hostages down there, order fellow member and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

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

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

"For now, until he makes his move. He can not hold back forever."Snape felt a small chill run through him. Whatever the nighttime lord's move would be it would be the death of at least some of those hostages. Probably all.

'' What the ... '' Suddenly Albert Abraham Michelson was on his feet, an expression of shock on his expression. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A moment later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his face a grey-haired mask. He did n't take care up, did n't notice anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his load down bedside a shocked healer. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every corner of the room, running towards the unexpected pot of their leader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Where 's your wand ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the marauders shied back there was a clap of heat from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the fountain of magical buddy go red hot and Menachem Begin thawing, dissolving into the water with a fizzle. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water, mixing with the body of water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order members, ministry workers and vulture surrounded the puddle of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with xanthous sparkle up to the roof. As they watched it faded to silver, then to grey, then finally to pure albumen. The snowy resolved into shape, colouring bloomed out of the pure light. As the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe coalesced Snape heard a shriek from mortal on the other position of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

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

The Voldemort paradigm turned towards them and spoke, his vocalisation sounding cryptical and echoic like it was coming from the hindquarters of a well.

'' in effect wizards of the ministry, '' The dark lord greeted amicably. `` penis of the order of the Phoenix and the good children. What you are seeing is the interior of the department of mysteries, where all the greatest mystery are hidden. All the thick magic of the ministry is within these walls, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And front at my ally here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his captive. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the Price of defying lord Voldemort. '' He took a bundle of wand out of his pocket and hovered it into the air. With a urarthritis of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the price ... And look who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger and Fudge was dragged forward, his bonds separating from the others. He came to a block by the dark Creator 's pes and looked up with offended eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

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

'' Then ... then. '' Fudge seemed to breath a little well-to-do. `` Do you recollect when I used to ask over you up for tea ? Back when I was ... I was a section hear and you were ... you were untested. ``

'' Yes ? ``

'' wellspring I spat in your tea. '' Fudge shuddered out through gritted teeth. `` Every time. Even back then you were a creepy petty freak. ``

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

Green brightness filled the kitty 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 fourth dimension for them too see the night lord savagely kicking the minister 's consistency to the side and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The schoolmaster was thrown forward roughly.

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

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

Dumbledore just stayed silent. It was only from the light rising slope and fall of his pectus that Snape could tell he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the throws of the twisting torment for a few moments before releasing him. `` You will verbalise ! There has been too lots between us, you have been my enemy for too yearn 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 wand ! ``

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

'' You will speak ! '' The ophidian like face was set with vicious angriness. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am ready ... '' Dumbledore closed his middle. `` I am quick to die for everything I have done. Those are my last Bible, the only ones you will get. pop me. ``

'' You ... Cruci ... '' Voldemort raised his wand to form the execration but let it die on his lips. Snape could almost see him dragging his emotions back under ascendance. `` But of row, how could I refuse a last request. Avada Kedavra ! ``

It was as if clip froze. The consortium exploded with green lighter again and Snape's throat closed, every muscular tissue tensing. The other spectator around the pond held their mitt to their faces, or stir there brain ... they would not consider it. The light-green light faded and the body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the primer. It crumpled like a newspaper napkin, his beard trailing onto the floor like a rag.

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

'' Here dies Albus Dumbledore. '' Voldemort laughed. `` A fool to the end, and in the end a disappointment. So there you are, two hostages dead. I have eight left and all will die if you do not give me what I want. I want Harry Potter. Bring him to me in one 30 minutes or I will vote out another, perhaps the loup-garou. I am surely no one will escape him. But if any of you wish to see these wizards alive, then you know what you must do. Bring. Me. Harry. Potter ! ``

The pond went dim and Snape stepped back. All around him people seemed to be going mad, crying and shouting to one another in confusion. His optic were only trying to find one number. Harry Potter. He swept the crew. Nothing.

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


The unnamed 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 cognise why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would look to him, would appear at him and expect to see Harry Potter. Expect to see their savior, when all there was was a fraud. He dashed past the people in the street, some of them turning to face at his odd clothing and panicked aspect, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the screech of fracture. He prayed that one of the railcar would hit him. His foundation would not stop moving and the strait of horns was left behind. His trick eye painted the world in shimmering curtains of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's airfoil. He pushed past a man in a wooing and heard the man yell. He could n't stop running play. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from reality. The rain ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his warmheartedness whipping like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the cold, wet sidewalk. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, wickedness and dirty. postponement ...

He turned to lie on his back as his magic 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 years ago. There was the drain he had climbed ... the roof he had hid ... He had come a full circle, entirely.

Heedless of the driving rainwater he opened his sass and laughed. Laughed in pure bitterness. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never hold known, would never have known any of this. He would have been able to restrain on being Harry Potter. He felt tears running down his cheeks and mingling with the rainwater, freezing him to the bone.

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

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

'' Harry ... ''

The white orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a physique, every curve glowing with spark, every flowing line of her gross white garb and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' 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 illusion. This is really me talking, from Greece. I thought you might involve my help. ``

'' Your ... assistant ? ``

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

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

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these age because you were the Chosen one ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her crystal voice filling the nihility between the buildings with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry Potter I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' plosive speech sound. '' Too sore. Memories of pleasant fourth dimension,

'' I will not block up. I will never block trying to help you. I knew the mo I met you that you were n't the chosen one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the mistress of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a here and now that I would lack a thing like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a world without hope, you were the exclusively shining prospect. ``

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

'' I saw nothing about your hereafter. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to meet him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and truthful soul who would fight for this human race even if the integral world was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a thousand times and would still pick himself up. I saw that the shadow nobleman would rise and I hoped ... I did n't know but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the human race in peril and the future uncertain I took the best chance the world had. I took a chance on you. In a fourth dimension of nail 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 know what it 's like to deliver someone take the air up to you and snatch your entire life, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

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

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

The figure resolved into a pattern. His long robes were buttoned tightly and long weapons system, rolled up now to show up his arms. Those robe were familiar. Tonks had worn them last year, auror trainee robes. The face remained foggy for a bit More then coalesced, becoming a solid example in gold light, right down to the last tangle hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell open in seismic disturbance. He was looking up into his own face. No ... no there were departure. The jaw was more orient, tart, the eyes closer together. He did n't have a scar on his neck, nor a sinister brand on his arm. He looked older too, at least two years if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it potential ? Was this ... Harry ceramist ?

'' I do n't quite sympathise this. '' The ghostly gold public figure said. `` Your friend, Pythea, she says that you 're in a dissimilar human beings or ... or attribute or something. A unlike time too. I do n't quiet realize it, need Hermione for that sort of matter. ``

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

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

The gilded Harry glanced to the trading floor, shaking his head.

'' I wish I knew why but ... your champion wo n't tell me. Something about lessening the preventative as much as possible. There are early things I wish I could separate you, things you really should know about- '' The transcription skewed like still for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's recite 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 roleplay in your confront. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't bang. I do n't recognise what I 'm saying. I ca n't opine what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this time it 's defective because you know you had a past tense it 's just been taken. I know you must feel like crawling into a hole and dying, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the Sami really. I do n't know what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostly figure began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't live what I 'm imagine to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and open his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the lonesome someone you 'll ever foregather that can say that. Your friend says that, since I 'm utter in your world, 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 believe of anything that I could say to persuade you to ask the job. Except that you have to. The world depends on it. And I know that the world has n't done you any favors. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the existence be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't know what I can say to convince you that 's not honest except for two things. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The phantasm bod licked it 's lips.

'' Do you know how many regularisation are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional transportation system ? Certain countries still have the destruction penalty for messing around in parallel human race. Just getting here, the effort it must have taken. The hazard your friend has taken just to get this message to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire remainder of the earth is snake pit right now you 've got one person who 's willing to risk everything for you. Risk her life. So if null else ... fighting for her. ``

The flesh faded. It 's eyes lasted the recollective, staring out into the pelting, then they too were gone and the alley was sullen again. The boy on the ground stood, slowly and with care, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter building. His hired man went to his abdomen as he threw his head back and laughed, the rain trickling down his face. That was Harry ceramist was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the excessively dramatic, hesitant bastard. If that childish gimboid can save the worldly concern I sure as hell can.

He pushed his rainwater soaked hair out of his eyes. It was like the emptiness was, somehow secern. It was still there, the gaping void, it was just that all the of import parts of him, the affair that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the little shield necklace back around his neck. Just a shield now, it's magic gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was part of him, the real him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to pick the biggest fight of his life.

He needed a plan though .... and if he was going to survive a fight with the groovy obscure wizard in the world it would ask to be a all-fired good plan. Or a bloody insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the visiting card. Voldemort could wipe out him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostage. On the other hired man Voldemort was alone, he had no destruction eater, no dark creatures, no servants.

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

So attain it an unjust fight.

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

smiling, he walked out of the bowling alley. He picked up his pace and he reached the street, how a great deal of his half 60 minutes was gone ? He had lost all data track of time. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would help no one if he was to tired to fight. It seemed an age until the telephone set 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 legerdemain. Please commonwealth your name and business."The phone said flatly.

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

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


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't bother to foot it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na tell him. He dissilusioned himself before the doors slid undefended again and stepped out into the ministry vestibule. There was a point of organized Chaos and another bigger degree of disorganized topsy-turvydom. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the marauders. The were all clustered in one place. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

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

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

"Hi guys. I ‘ m back."

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

"I ‘ m sorry for yelling at you, at all of you. And yes I ‘ m ... I ‘ m better."The abandon position in his breast begged to dissent but he ignored it."I ‘ m flavour .... I ‘ m better."

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

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

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

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

"You ‘ re going to push him aren ‘ t you ?"Neville asked in a minor voice."You ‘ re going down to struggle him."

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

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

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

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

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

A forest of hands were stretched out towards him. Every single wand. Harry picked one at random and tried a simple good luck charm. It was stuttery and faint. No skilful. He picked another and almost set his hair on fervor. The third the turn came out right but the verge felt Weird. The fourth part ... Harry did first one spell then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His eyes came up to receive Malfoy's gray ones.

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

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

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

Harry took the nursing bottle with a grin and tipped it back into his oral cavity. The warm chocolaty liquidness seemed to drain into every aching muscle and ivory, making him experience like he was well rested and healthy rather than at the edge of weariness.

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


"Here ! Look !"Snape was shocked out of his thought process by the yell. His oculus found the author in the Whitney Moore Young Jr. Weasley child, crouched down by the outflow. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the pocket billiards, waving him over. `` It 's going authorize again. I can see something ! '' Snape dashed over, staring down into the inky duskiness. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the box. ``

'' I see naught. ``

'' look. ``

'' girl Weasley there is nil there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's centre flickered up to meet those of his bookman. A flicker of retentiveness twitched behind those eye. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the lift, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the ward. The magical roadblock sparking against his skin like static. He could n't get through. Before his eyes the dissilusionment fell and Harry Potter was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt citizenry crowding all around, murmuring, speechmaking, crying. All pressed up to one face of the roadblock, and on the other ... just Harry.

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

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

'' dopy boy. You do n't give birth to do this. ``

'' I know I do n't. '' Harry nodded, a faint smile on his expression. `` I 'm doing it anyway. Wish me fate. ``

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


The lift grate slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of conflict was everywhere, capital gouges gone from the walls and door blown off their hinge. This was n't the department of mysteries yet though. Just the courtrooms. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The doorway to the department came into opinion, a white rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see nothing beyond the door, not even with his illusion eye. Some variety of shelter must run around the section of mysteries. For the sake of his plan he hoped it did n't extend inside the department too. Harry raised his scepter to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom brain-teaser ! '' Harry 's amplified voice shook the bricks in the walls. `` I 'm here. '' There was a consequence 's delay, then.

'' Welcome Mr Potter. '' A similarly booming voice sounded down the hallway. `` I was not sure as shooting you would issue forth. ``

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' well Mr potter. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The big businessman in our petty chess game game. The pawn are gone, the castle are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

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

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his oculus and picked a clear space of floor. He pointed his baton down.

'' unslaked lime. '' A chalk line appeared on the base. Harry drew his verge around in a pugnacious rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy present me your popular opinion. Does that wait like XIV metrical foot to you ? ``

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Of track. ``

'' Hmm ... '' Harry grinned up at the cap. `` Hope you like this bozo. It 's going to be one Inferno of a show. ``

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

'' We division as friends. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's hand in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the scandalize dark overlord. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom Riddle it 's been a pleasure, and an honor. ``

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The patch flared across the room. Just before it hit the shadow overlord seemed to falter and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his back and exploded in electric discharge against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his fount,

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

'' Worth a shot. ``

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

'' anticipate me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his verge. `` adieu Mr ceramicist. I wish you all the best in the next humankind. Avada Kedavra ! ``

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



followup or the evil volaille with the DEAD middle that only I can see will pour down me.


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





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

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

The chicken managed to free itself and dropped to the floor. It took a look at the two wizards 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 chicken ?"Harry tapped his Chin thoughtfully."Is this some fowl random variable of the killing curse I was not previously aware of ? Is that a chicken of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's script dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's eyes went wide.

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

The dark Godhead's hand twitched to his pocket.

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

"potter you ..."Voldemort boiled with 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 quite a little with a piranha because we can inter you. And we never lose."

"ceramist I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his verge forward, keeping the early two secure in his left mitt."Shut your ugly murdering face. Happy, polite, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the clip 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 baton I am still the dark lord. I am still more than a lucifer for you."

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

The wickedness God Almighty hissed, his fingers clenching into claws. Then a present moment later he exploded into smoke, whisking away through an open air door. What the ? Harry 's conjuring trick eye focused through the wall, onto the floor in the next room. On the floor following to a prone body was-

verge !

Harry 's ft moved of their own agreement and skidded across the floor to the room access. His own baton lashed out.

'' Difindo ! '' The verge on the storey snapped just as the swarm coalesced around it and but Harry was already moving again. His eye devising wall and doors meaningless. Another body, another wand ! He felt the smoke behind him, catching up.

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

The cloud circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost experience Voldemort doing the Saame check that he was, using glowering magic to regain any remaining artillery. The cloud contracted then shot away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a second, a irregular more and his eye had found it's fair game. The dying chamber, a sceptre rolled into a cracking in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the black smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too straightaway !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up fragment of debris but the instant it reached the swarm it was squashed like a frog. The wind going flat in mid air. The grass disappeared under a door and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The wand ! Right there ! Voldemort reappeared with a bombshell and jabbed his hand forward. The sceptre leapt from the floor and spun towards the dark Maker. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a whirl from the air and splinters clattered on the trading floor. The dark lord's hand snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the last of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his wand trained on the dark noble he stepped down the steps till he was next to the fluttering arch. He picked the three wands he'd acquired out of his pouch and chucked them through the veil. The dark material fluttered for a here and now, then went still."All wand ‘ s out of play, except for my one. And the entirely way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my cold numb hands."

"What an excellent suggestion Mr Potter."

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

"Accio !"The bench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his capitulum. The dark Maker spun and shattered it with a sibilate curse."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's verge and forced the dark lord to dodge to the incline. The orb exploded against the wall, filling the room with sparks. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

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

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

somebody not expecting it would have got been hit. somebody without a illusion eye.

Harry kicked off the boundary of the archway and swung out of the way. He let go of the Ernst Boris Chain and aimed at the drear figure below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The viridity sparkle left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the face of the ill-treat orbit. The killing jinx blew a hole in the paries but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a door."Come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the maze of residence. Harry dashed back through the entrance hall and dead reckoning into a hanker room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing shadow was just visible at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The nightmare oath sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The detonation filled the air with emerald sparkle. Three deadbolt of lightning thundered through the plosion and Harry threw himself to the side. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of pain. A block spell numbed the burnt figure as Harry furiously dashed after the dark noble. As he skidded to a hitch in the hall of vaticination the dark lord disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the former, but neither eye could pick up a trace. A wisp of wheel spoke curled around one of the shelves, only to vanish a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so sound for incorporeal thing. He slowly turned, letting his oculus sweep through the gaps between the shelves. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious trap on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able to break it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prognostication hall. The glass spheres had not escaped the slaughter of the battle, many were left in glittering shards on the marble floor. The little snaps of glass cracked under his boots. Was that smoke ? Harry 's meat hammered in his thorax. Was that a-

FIREBALL ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flaming, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a ledge. The Sir Henry Wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a flock of burning splinter. There was an threatening creak phone and Harry had to scramble to get out of the way of the collapsing ledge. eyeball of shining fastball bounced off his berm and shattered on the storey, their white pot spilling out and going inky opprobrious like swirl of midnight.

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

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his spell. The ledge crashed together as if drawn by magnets. The sour lord 's shadowy mannequin was trapped between them. Before Harry could spue another spell the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flames. He raised his work force, about to become smoke again. Harry stabbed his baton out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a raving mad stab in the dark. The good luck charm was used to do liquid into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his form blurring a bit but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark lord threw his deal forward and a slab of the marble level was thrown into the air to entrance the curse. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him bound up into a newspaper column of flaming, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked head. The snake roared and bit forward, it 's tooth dripping with molten venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning shadow but his shining sword slipped through it like water, leaving not a scrape. The Snake River fall upon forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the storey, his brow charring off his nerve. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flaming freezing charm and bound up into the red region colossus. He stabbed his baton at the shadow beyond the inferno and yelled the killing curse again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the nighttime nobleman 's appall locution as he had to dodge a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't give him an in, he threw himself forward, shot another curse at his off balance enemy and found a cloud of total darkness knives flying in his grimace. He dropped to the flooring and heard them clatter behind him. He threw himself to the position but the knife jerked to follow him. He grabbed a plank of shelf from the trading floor and spun it in nominal head of him, hearing the grueling thunk of the brand impacting the woodwind. Harry spun to face the dark Godhead and banished the knife towards him. Voldemort waved his hand distastefully and the knife melted into smoke.

The darkness nobleman was panting, breath hissing in and out through his lipless mouth.

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

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

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what life is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The spell caught the dark lord by surprise, smacking into his shoulder with a bone splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the storey under his feet buckle and rumble. He flipped backwards as the ground where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, ready to draw him down into it 's depths. Harry danced backwards as stone upon stone became suction death. His substructure hit a ledge and he clambered up like a spider. The shelf lurched as it began to sink into the I. F. Stone. Harry spun, holding on with one deal and leapt to another towering ledge just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a cloud of shadow lightning.

It was n't safe up here. Harry clambered to the top and dashed along the slanting wood. Being up here made him too much of a object. Harry 's eye spun to find the dark Almighty and he almost fell off in shock as he found Voldemort hovering up from the terra firma with execution in his centre. The bastard could fly !

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's tornado sprung out of nowhere, drawing sand from the storey and filling the air with yellowish-white grains. Harry called another cruller, and another. The dark nobleman disappeared in the sandstorm. Disappeared to normal eyes that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the fogginess at the shadow in the air and dashed away along the top of his shelf, he leapt across to the next one just before a lightning bolt flashed through the air behind him. The wickedness lord could not see him in all this but he could see where his spells were coming from. Only a gull attacked and stayed in the Sami topographic point ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the painfulness gig, flashing out in their slow fan. He twisted them in the air like a serpent to take the iniquity Jehovah from both sides. He was rewarded with a howl of hurting as one of the shining bolts struck home. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a silvery buckler. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even have to think. He just struck out and made the frightening orb vibrate with unbearable noise. He twisted to feel the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the dark Creator was speedy and lightning caught his arm, burning like underworld. Harry lost his footing and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his crack cocaine and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the sirocco until his finger caught the edge of a shelf and he held on for dear animation. He pulled himself up and tried to bear, his eye spinning to get the dark overlord. There he was, but what-

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

The sand vanished like mist but Harry had great problems. He leapt into the air as careen the size of cars obliterated the shelf behind him. His invertebrate foot hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's scepter whipped out and a sweetener impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the sweep of nothingness. A Boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The current of air pulled him out of the way of the meteor with a whisk of his wand and he let go of the Ernst Boris Chain, catapulting himself onto a standing shelf. He leapt again and saw two boulders hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one sway veered into the track of the other, shattering them both to shard. Harry felt the woodwind beneath him shift again and this metre let it contain him down a present moment before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing shelf, his eye found unshakable basis and he jumped again as the last-place shelf collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a pile of wreckage. A megabucks three times as tall as he was and wide of unkept woodwind instrument, shattered glass and the smouldering remains of spent boulders. Harry waited while the close of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

Voldemort was hovering in the air level with Harry. The dark noble slowly floated down to the storey ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his understructure. Harry watched with a crooked supercilium. Voldemort 's tooth clenched in madness as he stared up at Harry standing on his pedestal of ruin.

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

'' But you make it so easy ! '' Harry put his manpower on his pelvic girdle. `` Anyway, it 's hard not to mock you when I 'm winning ! ``

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

'' I 'm not loosing. '' Harry grinned. The dark lord 's fists clenched but he said nothing. Harry smiled. `` Of path, you could deliver. ``

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

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

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

'' Me ? I 'm the offset of the cap at night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the descent war. The only survivor of the torrent of old age and the Hogwarts triwizard champion. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't weigh because I 'm also a vulture ! Invincible cutthroat bastard and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. thrower ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his sceptre on the wickedness Creator, his face set in unshakable resolve. `` That is why you should surrender. Right now. Or I swear on this wad of prophecy that I will burn you from this globe. ``

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

'' terminal chance. '' Harry snarled. Voldemort straightened up, his optic burning red.

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

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that case ... suck it squawk ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all directions, the woodwind instrument becoming madly splinters and the careen singing out in razor sharp shards. The dark lord threw up a silver shield but Harry was already on the primer. With a flick of his wand the shield screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the side to sidestep a spray of black-market orbs and threw his baton up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The nighttime lord fled through a door and Harry rushed to follow, casting death curses before him. Harry vaulted a desk and skidded through a room access only to find his body rising into the air. A lightning thunderbolt grazed his articulatio humeri and Harry was spun around like a top. Planets were floating in this way ! There must be some trance screwing with solemnity !

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

'' Confringo ! '' The lump of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing good luck charm and pushed off Saturn directly into the perdition. From behind the cover of fire Harry shot a killing curse at the dark Creator but had to wrench in the air to stop his question being taken off by a dark blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover trick one too many times. wellspring lets try another.

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

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

In tote up direct contrast to the relaxation of the section this way was a sort of zoo. cage full of creatures filled the elbow room up to the cap and were stacked in a wad in the heart. Some looked normal, some ... not so often. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of pulp with what he sincerely hoped was not a homo arm coming out of it. His magic eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life and movement in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to trace out the room. Long, not so astray ... The room access 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 ones in the middle. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the pile of cages in the center and all their bars sprung unresolved. Creatures scattered in every direction. Something that looked like a mutant wolf made a sharp-set leaping at the John Milton Cage Jr. to the left and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a present moment. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the coop out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey hide. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to break off the curse to evade behind a desk as more orbs of darkness rained through the air. Harry heard a door slam open and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his wand out.

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

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the early doors too. In a moment he had his wand trained back on the nighttime lord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the early side of the vast room, his mouth contoured into a leer. He clearly knew he could break the poxy locking while, but doing so would dedicate Harry the moment he needed to vote down him. Harry tried to keep his breath even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running. ``

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

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

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

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

'' zero would please me more Mr thrower ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the room. Harry was just a stride behind him. They stared at each other from opposite sides of the stand that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a leer. `` If I had my wand you would receive died long ago. ``

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

The shadow lord dropped to the floor, letting the spell mountain pass over his head and jabbed his arm up at the roof. The shadows above them became alive, a writhing cauldron of darkness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of dark shot down and tried to wrap up itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the level and had to roll as bolts of roaring slammed into the flagstone where he had been lying. A ball of blackness caught the side of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and skin. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his human foot, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that thing ! He could n't fight down it and the dark Godhead at the same time ! But how to obliterate something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his wand at the roof. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The super acid patch impacted the dark creature and it wailed in bother, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to face Voldemort just in time for an contraband orb to take aim a chunk out of his shoulder joint. He was bleeding too much. Had to end this ! The nighttime lord raised his helping hand for another bolt of lightning. Harry tore two flagstone from the ground and hurled them in the itinerary of the tour, one after the other. The first was blown to splinters but the second, hidden by the cloud of rubble, crack through like a marble discus and crashed with a hideous compaction into Voldemort 's ribcage.

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

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The dark lord 's hand swung up ! It had been a thaumaturgy ! Harry saw a cloud of black blade erupt out of cipher and canvass towards him. He had no shelter ! He could not circumvent ! There was just one chance ...

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

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

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's branch dropped down, suddenly too weak. His wand rolled away on the nighttime stone. He had n't felt the knife go in, adrenaline perhaps, but he felt it now. Pain and flame raging out from the muddle in his venter. `` Bloody ... carapace .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could have beaten you ya know. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of rakehell spray from his sassing. `` The very first magical spell I threw. Back when I jumped the counting. Back when you had the fake wand. If you 'd make just tried to shield like any normal whizz ... I could have won on the for the first time spell. That was ... that was the plan. ``

'' It was a good plan. '' Voldemort must accept seen no reason to be angry now that he had won. `` Against a pattern wizard it would make no doubt worked. ``

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

'' Do you sustain any hold up words my beloved enemy ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not hear any satisfactory unity from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't think of anything ... '' dark dots swam before Harry 's heart. He had failed. `` Are my friends still watching ? ``

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

'' Then my shoemaker's last news are ... prevent combat. '' Harry raised his eyes to meet Voldemort 's. `` keep fighting him. ``

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

'' And ... '' Blood was pooling beneath Harry 's wooden leg. `` And recount Thea 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 ... matter to opponent. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to verbalize the last Christian Bible Harry would ever hear.

'' Wait. '' Harry whispered, he had no posture to speak normally. `` I 've thought of some better utmost wrangle. ``

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

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

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

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

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

'' Mark him as his rival ... '' Harry 's sass were barely moving, his words just disturbances in the air. `` But the dark ... the dark ... ''

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

'' The wickedness Maker, shall never ... '' Harry 's oculus were closed. `` Shall never learn. ``

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

'' The darkness lord ... shall never study. ``

'' What did you say ? ``

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

Powered by the last gasp of dying rage Harry pulled the tongue from his human body and drove it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as origin fountained from his stomach and his eyes clouded black. As he slipped away and his fondness stopped beating all he could pick up was the rustling of the veil.




Cliff. dangling. Again. I know. Sorry. review article anyway.


Sorry this took a while to post. I did n't mean 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 cover of the waiting line, then it got rejected ... anyways it 's up now.

Reviews seem to be sundry as to whether multitude think Harry 's really bushed or not and whether the serial is over or not. It 's nice to have created such differing opinion. : )




The kickoff matter Harry sensed was the scent of apple blossoms. It was a smell he knew very well. His eyes flickered candid and looked up onto the conversant dappled leaves of the orchard in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, leafy vegetable and full of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' material body, not chicken feed. Harry shook his heading, realizing what must take happened. Eye 's did not grow back, grove did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm stagnant. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a yearn sigh of sadness. He had done his well, his very, very best. He had tried to survive. He had tried to not leave the world of the keep, had tried not to leave his friends.

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

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

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

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

The flatus rustled lightly through the trees. He thought he could almost, just almost, hear tiddler laughing. Harry sat down and set his back against a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and closed his eyes. If this was the afterlife then he knew one thing for trusted. Before he met any chopper hall porter or had his hell weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a balance. The legions of hell could not propel him from that spot.

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

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

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

Harry 's hand wormed it 's way along the ground and found an apple. It was nice and toilsome, fallen recently. He brought it up to his sass and bit into it, letting the juices run down his case. It tasted a little bitter, just a little.

Harry heard the grass in front of him disturbed by footfall. mortal was there. He opened his eye slowly, and arched his eyebrows when he saw who it was.

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

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

'' Why not ? '' Harry shrugged. `` I mean were all abruptly here are n't we. Maybe Elvis and merlin will join us succeeding. ``

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

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

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his head. `` I can never rationalise to you enough for what I did to you. No wrangle could ever suffice. I ... I am only beaming that I got this one last probability to tell you how no-account I am. My criminal offense was unforgivable. ``

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

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

'' Mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the same clip ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad plaza, everything was riding on your shoulders. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable curse ten ... maybe twenty clip. And before that, over the grade of this class I 've killed ... multitude. 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 oral sex. Making me your Frankenstein 's ogre. Your changeling child. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my caput. You said you put your memories of James Potter in my oral sex. I can feel them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a short copy of Harry ... Or worse a short copy of Epistle of James Potter. Am I ? reply me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his eye to the floor. `` I do not know how much of your master personality survived. Integrating remembering is never fully successful, not from one person to another, but there is no way to assure how lots mixing there has been. There is a fortune that the memories settled harmlessly into your subconscious, but then again ... ''

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

'' Yes. ``

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

"I ... There were many reasons."Dumbledore looked away into the aloofness."You see it was very wanton to ... to not call up what I had done. To not recollect of it. I mean there you were, looking like Harry, acting like James. It was easy to fall into the trap of thinking you were ... that you were ..."

"real number ?"

"That you were not the living proof of my sins."Dumbledore shook his head."At least that was the reason at kickoff. I simple did not want to receipt what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the inundation of historic period, I began to recall perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a hero so I though ... perhaps no one would ever take to know. Perhaps I could let you fill Harry 's place and never distinguish you. I thought I could let you consume the core. I am not proud of that. I should have known the prognostication could not be so easily avoided."

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

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

Harry sighed. As he did the air current seemed to gnarl, carrying to him distant voices. He strained his pinna to hear,

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

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

'' His heart 's not circumvent ! ``

'' Of course It 's not beating he does n't have any blood left you hysteric idiot. Each of you, give me your manus. It's a in force thing Harry acquired so many hangers-on, one of you has to be his blood type. ``

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

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

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

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

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

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

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

"How ?"

"The fact that you are draw close death coupled with the fact that you died mere time from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just beaming I got a last-place luck to speak to you."

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

The old thaumaturge and the young laughed. A thought struck Harry and the mirth dimmed.

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

"Of course Harry, anything."

"What is my name ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head teacher."I am sorry Harry. I erased the computer storage from my own idea so I would never anticipate 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 twelvemonth ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten Admiralty mile south of capital of Northern Ireland. If phonograph recording exist then, well then you might be capable to witness them there."

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

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

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his aliveness with a John Griffith Chaney accent thick enough to swim bricks on, chuckled."So, do you think 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 phonograph recording of them there."

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

"No Harry zero like that."Dumbledore shook his read/write head."In fact I believe we can safely strike both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a trivial about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the pattern fashion, you were ... found. Found by an senior mates walking along the Lagan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s money box a little after a storm and they saw a piffling pile washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were blue all over from the coldness and dampness, but so infirm you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water for a long time."

Crashing rock-and-roll. Raging Edward White H2O. Harry's mind shied away from the trice of terror in his nous and he felt his breathing spell quicken. The raging torrent in his head banishing all though was really, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to erase. His alone substantial memory was a phobia. Another bitter joke. He licked his rim, had to say something, anything to take on his mind off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six calendar month old, give or take."Dumbledore answered."The twain gave you to the authorities and of course an probe was made. Unfortunately zilch was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hands of the child services. The story after that is, well, rather as you might hazard it."

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

"I ... I do not mean that was the vitrine Harry."A split rolled down Dumbledore's cheek."You see, I have something the muggle authorization did not. I have my map. That was the understanding lupine knew. I needed him to find it and present me how to use it, or it could deliver revealed the truth."

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

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient type of trick, the magic trick of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing tone, but Harry could still learn the ball in his throat."There is an old superstar superstition. An old married woman fib, if you will, that a wizard's name is tied to their destiny. That the name first given to a wizard somehow sets his path. There was once a nifty fad for concealing one ‘ s true up name so that foeman could not gain power over you. imbecility really, in those days person ‘ s true public figure was easy enough to divine. That is what the map does in any casing. It works by the magic of names."

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

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

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

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

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

"Harry ..."

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

"Is his affectionateness beating ? I can barely-"

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

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

"Harry are you alright ?"Dumbledore asked."I realize that this is a heavy hand to adopt in on top of-"

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

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

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

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

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

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

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

"He will be severely weakened."Dumbledore stepped forward and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder."Perhaps as badly as he was fifteen eld ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be yr, possibly ten before he can resurrect again. And if we can enamor him while he is weak and finish him off, so a good deal the better."

"I guess."Harry tried to see the good position. It wasn't easy."Well let ‘ s try ... Barty Crouch Jr."Again the woodland remained empty but for the two of them. Harry grimaced, he hadn't really hoped that the despicable asshole 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 little as he did so."No one in this humans ? Perhaps the tangible Harry Potter ?"

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

"How could you possibly ..."

"Well once was yr ago when I traveled through time and met him before he died."Harry checked that off on his fingers."And the minute clock time me sent a subject matter 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 present 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 find like we 're having this unit conversation two books early ?"

"Simple Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking someone else 's path. From this gunpoint on, you 'll have to establish 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 baton ?"

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

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

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

The air seemed to change texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was animated again. He could feel his instant in his chest. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the woodlet. It was exactly the Lapplander 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 good time, but until then ? He was fine here. For now.
*


Snape reached his apartments in Hogwarts and barely got the room access shut before falling into a chairperson. There was a bed in the succeeding room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the middle of the bully Radclyffe Hall, on the floor. He would have been the laughing stock of every student though. Even worse he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

Snape raised his wand shakily and levitated the forget bottle of vino off his board. It had been left unresolved, no matter. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting room in St Mungos for longer than he could remember while incompetent healers told him they had no information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the woods all his nervous free energy had leeched out and it had taken all of his genial strength to stop himself sagging to the level right there. He had managed to cod virtually of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him swear to catch some Z's as soon as he got to his room. Who was she to ordering him around like that ? Why could she ? Snape's lips curled into a smiling. Because she was interesting enough to get away with it and was the only when one who could pull it off. Which just added to the interest of grade. Snape smiled as the vino curled down the back of his throat. He was very lucky in many respectfulness. prosperous than he deserved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That is partially what we were discussing."Minerva cocked her head to one side."Voldemort is weakened but not utterly. The order's chore is far from done and we could more than use your expertise. Your primary reason for leaving was Albus. I will not take for granted to ask the inside information of that disagreement, it was between the two of you. But do you not remember that now he is ... gone, that you might be persuaded to come back to us ?"

"That would depend on who replaced him."Snape said levelly."For lesson if it were yourself leading the parliamentary procedure, I would induce no objection."

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her head."I will suffer quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is plenty for me. It has been hard enough to carry parents to send their children to Hogwarts this yr. I imagine following year may be a little wanton but I am sure I will still have my hands wide. And besides, I will require to ascertain a new transfiguration teacher."

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"Arthur Weasley."

"Has no combat or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

"Remus has grown irregular recently. Especially where Harry is concerned."Minerva fixed Snape with a level stare."I believe we can consort that whoever should guide the edict should be person Harry trusts. Someone like you."

"No."

"soul who knows how the dark lord thinks."

"No."

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

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

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

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

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

"I ... I can not lead the order."Snape tried to make his voice not fathom like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into black magic trick. A long time ago yes but some marks do not hail out."

"Yours has."

"That is not what I meant !"Snape took a deep draught of vino."I am ... tainted. Undeserving."

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

"Do not compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that angry prison term. There was no to take out his anger on the messenger."I merely meant that I do not think it is prophylactic to feed me this kind of power."

"Albus also said that those who seek business leader are those least befit to wield it."Minerva held his oculus."The corollary of that is that those who are suited to wield mogul 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 labor ?"

"Do I have a pick ?"

"You do, but I already roll in the hay 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 affair differently than Dumbledore."Snape said suddenly."There will be changes."

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry open your eye. ``

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

'' I 'm wake, '' Harry murmured, his centre closed. `` But I 'm still in my grove. I can smell out the blossoms. ``

'' You are still asleep, in St Mungos. '' body of water rippling over shining gem. `` I wanted to talk to you but you 're on a gravid deal of medicinal drug. It was simpler for me to just come to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' how-do-you-do Thea. ``

'' Hello Harry. '' The immature seer was sitting hybridisation legged under a tree in front of him, looking like the homo image of serenity. Instead of her common Caucasian robe she was wearing a simple brownness dress, she seemed almost part of the timberland. She looked ... different, somehow dissimilar. It was not her human face, she was still the like beautiful girl he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her smooth-spoken hair's-breadth was caught up into a long tail down her rachis, tied with low ribbon. She looked exactly the Sami but there was something missing. Gone was the good sense of antiquity, the notion that the lilliputian soul in front of him had outlasted Empire. She seemed ... young, the same age as him give or charter a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not admit much to guess the reason for the change.

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

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

'' I 'm sorry. '' Harry hung his head. `` 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 palpate shamed, not even for a moment. I was miserable there, almost a prisoner. I 'm happy to be gone. ``

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

'' It is the true statement. ``

'' But it was your home. '' Harry sighed. `` I 'm going to finger guilty whatever you say, you ca n't hold on 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 idea again ? '' Harry smiled mysteriously. `` Do n't I get any closed book ? ``

'' I can not read minds anymore Harry. '' Theia shook her head. `` That came with being the prophet remember. I just know you. ``

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

'' Oh yes, there are some things they can not bring away. '' Pythea nodded. `` I am still a vaticinator, and a very powerful one. ``

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

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

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

'' A brusque walk will not inconvenience a mighty submarine sandwich like you too much. '' Pythea crooked an brow mockingly.

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

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

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


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

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the English of his bed. `` The tongue was made with darkness magic so the injury ca n't be magically healed. You 'll have to let it pucker together the old fashioned way. Is it too much ? Do you care to wait cashbox tomorrow ? ``

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

Pythea cut him off with a wave of her hand. His hospital robe changed into a wide-eyed white tee shirt and trouser. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another undulation a carved wooden cane appeared in his hand. Obviously she did not guess he was as salubrious as said he was. red cent 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 coat of arms around his stamp middle. This last Harry could smell her tomentum, like common grass and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you ready ? '' She asked.

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

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

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

For the first time in his spirit Harry enjoyed an shadow. The walls of the vacuum pressed him into Pythea, forcing them nigher together. He could feel her breath on his impudence. He was almost disappointed when they dropped onto a belittled route in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphans' asylum, it was the lone edifice there. At the heart of it was a stately-home character of thing. He could n't put a escort to it, old was the practiced he could do. That was clearly the center of the complex but at some point the proprietor had felt a demand to expand. The two block to either side of the primary building took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape style of computer architecture. Around the whole place there was a high school wall with mordacious wire looped at the top.

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

With a careful script on his belly Harry walked up to the briny response. Pythea stopped there and sat down quietly on a bench.

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

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

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

'' Is there a book 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 of study. Harry labored up the footstep, having to catch one's breath more than than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the playground, full of children running about wildly. From inside the wall the spot looked a lot nicer. All around the edge of the rampart there were a series of children 's painting. Long running wall painting and vortex of color. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to touch the start base and took a few tired breathing spell. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to carry me up the all-fired stone's throw. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a edifice full moon of children could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the inaugural door, his walking flummox clattering against the base. He knocked, politely.

'' come in. ``

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

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

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

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

"Do you have any recognition ?"

"Eh ?"

"pass ? device driver permit, no you ‘ re too young for that. Your adoption credentials perhaps."

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

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

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

"Of ... of course deary."The char shook her nous like she was trying to free gossamer then turned to her estimator."What epithet is it ?"

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

"Everything ‘ s on computers now. It ‘ s very high gear tech."The cleaning woman pursed her sassing as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had elbow room and rooms of file boxes. Would have taken long time to get hold a record like yours."

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

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

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

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

"Wh ... what ?"

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

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

"Oh you were a monkey you were."The old char smiled fondly."I still remember what you said to me the day the conducting 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 keep you in.'And you turned to me, cheeky as a scamp, and told me ‘ That ‘ s good Miss, ‘ cos the bulwark wasn ‘ t much of a challenge anymore.'”

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

"Dear are you alright ?"The old woman sounded bear on."Do you want a tissue paper ?"

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

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

Jack ...

diddlyshit Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

laborer Caiman.

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

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

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

"See it ?"

"It was always your ducky place."The old womanhood smiled."It was where we usually found you when you managed to cabbage off."

Suddenly Harry knew, and with the noesis came the unbearable penury to see if it was rightful. Harry stood suddenly.

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

"My pleasure Jack."

Harry turned and hobbled from the way, it was only his aching wound and walking stick that stopped him from running. He reached the freighter 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.

"atomic number 82 the way."

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

"My god."Pythea had her handwriting to her oral fissure in electric shock."It ‘ s real."

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a manus to touch a outgrowth."It was a retentiveness. I kept having this aspiration where I was stuck in Godrics holler. But that space felt all weird, but if I could transgress out and reach the orchard I felt safe. Felt real."

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

"Neither did I."Harry stepped beneath the branches and walked into the gist of the grove. He set his back against the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and slid down, resting on the priming coat. Pythea sat down next to him, resting her shoulder against his.

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

Harry didn't trust himself to speak. Couldn't speak. There were no dustup. They sat there for the prospicient time, the lowest summertime breeze 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 asleep. Harry looked over into her beautiful mismatched eyes.

"Why did you commit me ? Right at the root ?"

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you know how they choose the next prophet Harry ? They go around to all the wizardly home in Greece, looking for child with the internal eye. If they find one with enough world power, with king sufficiency to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a choice of course, but who would presume say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's side."I was three, but I remember it well, another curse my gift gives me. My public figure wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old public figure, never speak it ever again. One day in art stratum I signed one of my house painting with the old name, just a short misapprehension. The fury they had at me that day ... they burnt my picture, in front man of my centre. I never used the old name again. After I finished my breeding I was allowed to go back and chitchat my parents. I went back to my old home. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would expect person to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their girl, they looked at me like I had done something amiss. 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 paper anyway ? Oh god what do I say ? )"It must experience been heart-wrenching. I can ‘ t imagine-"

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

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

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

"I found out a name."Harry shrugged."But I think I ‘ ll hold open 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 deal against Pythea's brass."They can ‘ t take away who we are. The public figure don ‘ t matter so much, you can promise me Harry or gob or Bob it doesn't matter. I know who I am."

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, little glistening snag in the recession of her eye, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really know what to do, other than to crimson. A minute later Pythea seemed to bring in something.

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

"Had to happen eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you following time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

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

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin succeeding hebdomad if I remember correctly."

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

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

"Dunno ... Stay in the state 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 peaceful, but a lot Sir Thomas More fun."

crystal laugh filled the plantation, and lit up the leaves with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her passe-partout's bed and cried, heedless of her bout staining the sheets. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His tegument was idle white and only the iniquity magic she had woven in his chest kept him alive. He was so weak, not even conscious. It was terrible to see him like this, frightful to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could give risen up again in glory. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better utterly than to lie on this narrow cot in a flyspeck room, not even fit for a hiding lieu. But she had to do what she could. She was the last, the last loyal end eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

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

"For a full year ?"

"It did take farsighted than anticipated ... but it has been done. And in the ding of time too."The pale genius strode over to the dark Almighty's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, master, and I have done your bidding. Do not care lord, I can hold you unassailable again. strong than ever. With this ... we can wax again, the death eaters can rise again. The ground will tremble superior, shake in fear."

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

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





Ye gods that was hard to indite right. Or ... right on write. Write write ... some combining of those word of honor anyway. It 's been a tumbler coaster I think you 'll correspond, and the unity most massive device of the entire fic was finally revealed. promise you liked it. People who were waiting to the end of this Word to look back ... your time has come.

I 've already started writing the next Holy Writ and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my common matter of writing myself into a quoin. Instead I plotted the Christian Bible out in progress and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The game made logical signified and all, no plot-holes, there was zilch tripping me up, no writers block, I just realized that the secret plan 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 result : The tale is a lot impregnable now I think. Negative effect : I have to throw away a significant part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

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

enigma abound in the future book of account of the series Harry Potter, The Stone and The Scorpion !