Thanks to all the people who reviewed the finish chapter. Your versatile permutation of the worldwide `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most value. I feel kind of bad for jumping a crook like that on you after 40 chapters. Kind of deceitful. well to fuck the absolute majority of the great unwashed appreciated it.



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

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

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

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

Harry flinched, pain running across his tired face.

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

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

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

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his judgement as the healers entered his way. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty words. They cleaned him up, washing his weapon system and bureau. They asked him to remove the bracer. He did, letting it fall to the floor with a bodacious clatter. The healers shied away from the brand on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

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

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


genus Draco slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the fight, but it was fine now. Just enough residue redness and pain to help oneself him remain alert. He swung his weary oculus around the waiting elbow room, all of the marauders were here. most of them had finally succumbed to log Z's, Draco didn't blame them. It was gruelling to suppose that the lethal midnight assault on the creature ship had been just last night. They had been worn out, have on down. Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the healer had a staff room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just fall asleep.

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

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

"Is there any tidings ?"Draco asked.

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

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

"well we ... we removed respective detail from the consistence of your friend."The piteous therapist swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his breastbone. There was also something in the wall of his stomach. We think it may have been designed to contravene poison but it seems to have had the opposite effect. It was the source of his illness. We also found-"

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

"His ... his eye."The healer paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a big trade of scarring. Unfortunately we were unable to furbish up it. We are currently looking into whether the instalment he has is high quality enough to result there."

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

"Yes, I know."The healer shook his point and turned back towards the doorway."We ‘ ll try to keep 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, drooping center he could see their sadness. Harry had fought so strong and got naught in return but accusation of slaying and a permanent disfiguration. And a dismal stigma, they could not forget that.

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

"Of class 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 Charles Frederick Worth it."

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


"Are you sure ?"Natalie asked ? Her articulation admirably free of shaking."You could get a pick-me-up 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 peel on Snape's arm. The slicing pain was distant, dulled by potions. There were bottles by his arm, some empty, some waiting to mature the skin back after the Saint Mark was gone. He was in his flat at Hogwarts, the only place he could give birth gained those potions without questions was from his own provision. 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 future motility be ...

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

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

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

"It will be savage, I am certain of that."Snape felt the cutting layover and watched as Natalie picked the piddling fluttering of skin up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was liberal. Strange that he should sense so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly gratuitous until Voldemort was dead. Perhaps because he knew that, without the ability to spy, he was next to useless.

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

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

"You had to."Was all she said.

"Perhaps."Snape let his headway drib back, perhaps.

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

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

"The ministry ? The section of secret ? The divination ?"

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

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

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

"Severus,"Natalie took his typeface in her handwriting and tilted it up to match her optic."Not so low now. We won today. It may not palpate like it, but we won a victory. Victories have been few and far between this retiring class, we need to care for them, not worry about what will materialise next."Snape was once again amazed by the way she could break through to him, whatever his humor. He smiled,

"I believe I have some wine."
*


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

He pushed himself off the story, leaning his hackneyed frame against the rampart. The bulwark painted with bears and snitches over a pale blue sky good of fluffy clouds. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't draft the energy. He ignored the trot in the nitty-gritty of the way, it's shiny Mobile spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the doorway undefended and descended the stairs. The revulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely bring in himself to care. He knew what this blank space was now.

No one-year-old remembers their house. No one-year-old could think every photo, or the design on the wallpaper. This space was a lie, a parasitical memory that had been burnt into his head. The creeping unwellness 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 movement door and stepped outside. There were street signs in the memory. No one-year-old would remember street signs, they couldn't even read them. He should take known, should have realized somehow.

He couldn't feel the woodlet 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 thinker ... it didn't issue. Harry let himself go down to the ground on the pot, it was all pointless. It wasn't worth fighting this anymore, it was burnt onto the back of his scull. He could never escape.

His eyes flickered open in the hospital cellblock. He could feel the raw new growth in his hand. It was pink, new pelt, and pocket-size than the other. Harry dropped it back onto the mantle. Other component of his eubstance hurt too, little scars and combat injury. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Godrics Hollow ?"The pimpled guy swallowed."right hand, 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 understanding ? He didn't seem to have reason's anymore. He remembered being full phase of the moon of fire and need, burning mania 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 Hollow ? Why not. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go.

The bus screeched to a stoppage and he got out without speaking. The bus disappeared with a whoosh, a empurple fuzz in the air. Harry looked up and down the street, it looked like any former small town. It was empty this time of day, like a ghost town. Suited his mood perfectly. He looked forward, an abandoned ship theatre, burnt and with the top flooring blown off.

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

He stepped forward his hired man stretched out, then shied away. This home was just Sir Thomas More lies. The feelings in his head, heartache, passing, concern. They weren't his, they weren't his personnel casualty. Only stranger had died here, two strangers. citizenry who had zip to do with him. The grief was another trick, just another degree of lie.

He spun away and stalked down the street, not looking back. He had never lived there, it meant aught to him. Or should mean nothing. His ft brought him to the square and he lent tiredly on the war memorial. He should never own 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 furor through his teeth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his tangible memories were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Redeemer's rice beer ! His whole body was a mask !

The rock shifted under his fingerbreadth. He looked up just as the monument seemed to evaporate, 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 fair sex cradled something in her hands. The man ... the man looked just like him.

No he doesn't. I don't even look like me. The boy trembled with rage as he looked on the glad potter family. The testament in endocarp to the life he had never really had. His fingerbreadth went to his wand.

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

"Reducto ! !"Lilly ceramist's caput snapped off and crunched onto the macadam. Rolling to a plosive consonant in a storm drain.

"Reducto ! !"The in conclusion slam was the strongest, striking out in a blinding deadbolt of light, obliterating the bundled baby. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. Flames flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the ruined stumps of foreland and died to nothing.

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

His heart found a graveyard. Both eyes, real and charming. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his vision, the X-radiation view of the world. Now it was just a constant monitor. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the burying ground gate open and let the eye roam, in a moment it had angled in on the Potter grave. He walked hesitantly to it, his baton safely away in his pocket. He pushed a piece of ivy off the Harlan Fiske Stone and read the inscription.
The final stage foeman that shall be destroyed is death


wellspring that was bollock. Being dead meant you had at least one early foeman left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two casket, face to side in the ground, stared back at him. But ... there was a vestige. Like a vacant sphere. He drew his wand and muttered a disclosure tour. deliquium whiffs of phantasy drew out of the primer to contact him. He waved his wand again, cutting the misty waif away. He worked ... he didn't recognise how long. Probably minutes, maybe hours. At some full stop the gray sky gave way to rain and the graveyard skunk turned knavish. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the enchantment. It was good. It was a mystifier, breaking the illusion. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. nix dissimilar showed on the surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his heart hammering in his pectus. There was a third casket on top of the other two, arranged like a Pyramid. Inside ... inside was a smaller torso, a child. It's petite arm crossed over it's chest.

The unidentified boy fell to his stifle. There it was, the final examination proof. The final demonstrable check. That wretched wasted body in there was Harry ceramist. He could even see a tiny cacography on the bone of his scull, above his eye, in the shape of a lightning bolt. The really scrape had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely more than makeup. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the stone, but said nothing. The wrath in him was gone. He had seen the bodies of the real ceramicist, lying together. It was hard to feel anger, but he wished he did. The anger at least filled him up, filled the emptiness with flames. But now the blast was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his wand against the gravelly, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, thought skittering over the numb center field of his intellect. It was a verge gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be division of. This sceptre was his killing wand. He had done atrocious thing for the sake of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the woods. 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 gaudy crack, the springy woodwind instrument bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A little red fluff was seeable 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 illusion eye had already whizzed around to find the intruder. The black gown told him everything he needed to roll in the hay. Harry knew he should sense panic, or dread, awe perhaps, at least surprise. But he was damned if he felt anything.

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

"Yes I am August Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his verge in his mitt."Thank pigeon hawk I still have a watch on the underage trick sensor. You ‘ ve come a long way just to splay now. A foresighted long way ..."

"Felt like further."The hollow boy dropped the clay of his wand onto the ceramist tomb. Perhaps some motley fool wizard would get it and puddle up some floor about it. He turned back to the death feeder and asked,"Are you going to vote out me ?"He was surprised that his representative did not sound eager.

"Eventually Mr Potter, no doubt."Rookwood held out his baton."But offset you ‘ re going to plug something for me."

"What ?"

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

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

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

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


A crashing noise woke him. Flashing lightness burned through his lid 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 train flashed out of deal, leaving the burrow in shadow. He felt the corduroy binding his hands together, his digit danced along them trying to find a knot. There was none. They were tight though, biting into his hide, magical no doubt. He didn't have to find to do it that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't infliction to try to stand.

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

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

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

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

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

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

"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 close to them ? He shook his caput, they couldn't touch him, a someone could only sense so lots despair and he was already at his demarcation line. And as for making him live over his risky memories ? Ha ! His blue import was still unused in his mind.

"The dementors like it down here."Rookwood continued."They ‘ ve been breeding down here the likes of fly sheet. 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 thing. In fact, none of that thing. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his verge, making a silencing appealingness. A second flick levitated him off the storey. Rookwood reached into his pocket and pulled out a farseeing silvery length of fabric, easily placeable. An invisibility cloak. He just advert 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 burrow, his calamitous shoes slipping on the wet dirt.

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

Inferi, or zombi spirit. Who could tell the difference of opinion ? The figure in front line of them turned as Rookwood approached. darkness retentive hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are late Augustus."The distaff last feeder was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a steel toed boot with the force play of a falling teenager behind it did Sir Thomas More damage than expected. The left side of her human face was crushed in, a multitude of scars and bulging skin. When she spoke she slurred, only the flop side of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, nothing left.

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

"howdy Bella."Rookwood stopped, his deal flickering to his verge."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 architectural plan. I came here to see why you were tardily. Why were you late ?"

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

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

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

"There is no push anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her deflower side."There are three of us. There will be Thomas More than enough glory to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into thin air.

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

"Are you set up Mr ceramist ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible captive hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the wall and raised his wand. There was a shattering blast and the wall caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his feet his manus tangling in his gown. A green flash of light struck him in the head, he dropped onto the desk, scattering papers.

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


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

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

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Moody tried to prevent up, his hint detection in his thorax."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even get laid where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you have a design you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the recess. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But graven image he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the hell was Dumbledore thinking ? He could get them all killed ! The intact order. The entire bloody purchase order in one fell slide, 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 Professor."The order of magnitude needs your help !"

"The guild ?"Snape stood, his helping hand 2-dimensional on the table. Zhao was beside him in a moment."I am not a member of the social club any-"

"The ministry is compromised !"Helen Wills Moody saw his words cut Snape."Dementors in Sir Thomas More identification number than ever before."

"And you want all the avail you can get ?"Snape sneered."The order had done me no favors lately."

"Severus,"Natalie Zhao spoke calmly, despite the state of affairs."feeling at him, something else is going on."

"Smart girl."Dwight Lyman Moody shook his head."Dumbledore is heading for the ministry, by now he ‘ s trailing half the purchase order. He ‘ s going in without any eyes, without anything. It is a gob, or could be. Even if it ‘ s not he ‘ s still going to turn a loss half the guild. 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 affright."We need to help them. We need to help the order."

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

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

"Even four can ‘ t cover this."Helen Wills growled as the atrocious dashed from the room."You know that."

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

"Do you make love where to detect one ?"

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


Rookwood stepped over a consistence. It's middle were still candid, it's mouth moving vacantly. The dementor's kiss, it left them living, but they were bodies nonetheless. Rookwood paid them no mind.

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

"What are you doing with me ?"Potter's interpreter was a little Equus caballus from the long silence."You ‘ re trying to pull in points with your lord, isn ‘ t capturing me sufficiency ?"

"More than plenty Harry. more than enough."Rookwood tweaked his wand and the bond certificate on Harry's legs snapped off. Another click and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the bar. If I am to surpass Crouch in terms of virtue to the lord ... I must seek the icing."

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

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

"My feet are at rest. Your rophy were too tight."

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the movement of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the cap, looking for victims. There were still a few left. Not enough to trouble over though. He stepped into out into the memory office, pulling his funnily compliant charge past the tank of brains. He stopped by the door to the death chamber, there was the sound of enchantment from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the threshold capable in time to see a adept scrambling away from an inferi trip and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering atrocious in it's steady grip and threw him away with cold strength. shriek as he flew across the room, his howler was cut off as he fell through the arch in the mall. The curtains ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a thrill, he was never entirely well-fixed with the executing hepatic portal vein. Harry watched from his side with mute eyes. What was faulty with the boy ? Never thinker. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the elbow room, giving the inferi a wide-cut birth, and pushed open the room access at the early side.

"Well Potter here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of ledge in figurehead of them, each one with rows upon words of lilliputian empyrean."This is the vestibule of prophecy."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Shall I tell you something about the prophecies of the department of mysteries ? They are keyed, protected. Only sealed people can vacate them from where they lie. Namely the people they have been made about. So the but people who can hire this prophecy are the dismal lord, and you. ``

ceramist stared at the orb for a here and now longer, the words sinking into him. Then he threw his head back and laughed, laughed so intemperate his centre ran with tears. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. laugh, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a bitterly jest, wide of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

"If they are very favorable they might run with only major injuries."Rookwood answered confusedly."But in all likeliness ? They would die. Screaming."

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


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

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been quick. She spun as cold paw grabbed her from behind, crushing her with inhuman persuasiveness. The breathing space fled from her lungs and she felt ribs tornado. In desperation she transformed and dashed away on four fundament, spinning and changing back to flora a powerhouse in the chest of the inferi that had held her. As soon as it was gone another took it's place.

They were overrun, there were too many !

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

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

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

She heard a scream from her go forth and sent a patronus wildly into the surging crowd. The scream cut off sharply. Whether she had had any effect she did not make out, she had to transform again to dance out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to send off another shining igniter to obligate them back again. But her body was banal, her wand arm tired.

rotting physique filled her nostril and she tried to bring her sceptre around. Too slowly. The dead fist crunched into the side of her oral sex and she fell. She brought her baton up and blew the dead name to shards, blood already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to give it.

No one.
*


The orb came unloose in potter's hand, it's faint radiance shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his pump leaping, but the potter boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a live snake.

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

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

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

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the white light faltered. A cheesy whine filled the air, like grinding geared wheel. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his fingerbreadth. In the heart of the Edward White a tiny spike heel of darkness was growing, like ink in Milk. The blackness grew until it covered the whole inside of the orb, it was no longer shining Methedrine but a polished orb of obsidian. The whimper grew in the air, biting into his ears. Suddenly there was a fizz crackleware and ceramicist yelped in pain, spilling the divination onto the floor. Rookwood cried out, it would break for sure ! But when the orb struck the basis it squelched, spreading out like remains. Smoke rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood lean forwards and held his hand out over it. The heat was intolerable this closing and he had to shy back. The prognostication 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 manus 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 bunker, or else his legerdemain on me interfered somehow."

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

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


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to hover by the ceiling. The silence broken only be the groaning of the bruise. Minerva 's eye found the entrance to the nip and tuck, it 's network opening move in a grating crash. Stepping out into the corridor, pitch-black gown floating behind him and a hand curled in a wave to the animal swirling above, was the gloomy nobleman himself. Minerva felt her essence jump to her throat. She glanced around, the order was in tatters. Only Dumbledore stood tall, the rest of them were covered in blood and shaking from the exertion of the battle. There was no military unit here to turn back a dark overlord, no force at all.

Voldermort's optic found a quivering lump on the floor and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the dark Maker crooked a fingerbreadth, pulling the figure to his feet. The unripened bowler was gone, but the pale chassis remained.

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

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

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

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

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

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the headmaster off with a sharp Bible."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his handwriting and the Dementors fell like hunting hawks. Minerva was forced to campaign for her life against the grey hoard, spinning around her like a whirl of dying. And in flash bulb of twinkle beyond that convolution she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his baton out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to aid. But the crush was too with child. An inferi had her arm in it's frailty like grip and she blew it off with flames. Another took it's home too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of purple twinkle that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling wizards in the center of all this, Dumbledore raising the selfsame stones 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 grey masses closed between them. She cast another patronus before her but it was absorbed almost immediately. She felt an arm clutch hers and spun to burn it off before she recognized the face.

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

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

"Then what do you suggest !"

"We die."lupin delivered that finally in a flat growl."We are finished."

"We are not !"Minerva tried to throw another patronus but the despair was sinking in and it faltered as Andrew Dickson White mist, easily brushed aside by the wraiths. Suddenly there was a explosion of tearing haphazardness, breaking the flagstone and making the bedchamber tremble with it's force. As it died there a flash of red light and a highschool cruel laugh.

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

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

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

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

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

"I will belt down you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's wand stabbed forward. There was a fanfare of illumination and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a beast good time of frozen jazz at the dark lord.

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

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

"The students ?"

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

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The unspeakable grabbed a prone human body on the floor."Now tell your multitude to fall back before everyone else is beat !"
*


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad dash away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the disarray of battle, then there had been some steps, then a corridor ... The auditory sensation of battle were everywhere, coming out of the paries. He had just kept running., ineffectual to do anything else. His heart raced beyond what any homo effort should have forced it to. His mind was lacuna, a dead free weight. Today had been a lifetime.

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

"semen on dance with me you mangled gripe !"A. A. Michelson came into sight down a long hall, throwing bolts of lightning at Bellatrix and laughing like a madman.

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

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

She had a pulse.

The nameless boy had to harbor her body as a shining laser of something cut through the paries above them. The affaire d'honneur was raging just on the early position of the rampart. She wouldn't have a pulse for long if he left her here.

So long ... His Einstein was grey ooze, he just wanted to exclude down. He had no wand and his muscles were water system. They would never reach base hit anyway, this place was a warzone. But on the other hand ... Tonks.

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



brushup and you will grow poove backstage that will let you fly.


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



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

"stop back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a tough combination to master ), 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 last was directed to a daily prophet reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook.

The other side of meat of the G. Stanley Hall, back behind the fireplaces, a line of bed were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth Heathland lying sedated, her manus clutched by her incessant comrade Vanessa. She would be alright though, a piddling frigidity and quiet for hebdomad to descend and likely not ever wanting to encounter a dementor again but she would live. Oh to have just one of them back in his star sign, or any of the marauder. They had fought like tiger, like attack dogs with wands.

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

"She got away."The monolithic necromancer reached the edge of the outflow and plunged his head under the surface. A moment later he lifted it up and pushed his wet pilus out of his eyes."Bellatrix."

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

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

"Then she is out of the engagement 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 atomiser of water out of his hair."Sorry mate."

"Bella has to a greater extent lifespan than a cat, do not think 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 trading floor before glancing around at the disarray. `` What ‘ s happening here ? Did we get everybody out ?"

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

'' They deserve fucking laurel wreath ! ``

'' Yes but I can not open them decoration. You however can give them Os. '' Snape smiled a fain smile and saw it returned full. He gestured towards the facelift with his trade good arm."Voldemort holds the department of Mysteries. Or to put it another way he is trapped there. He has placed a ward on the cosmetic surgery and on all staircases."

"I can break through."Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` give way me five minute. ``

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

"wellspring then you can-"Michelson cut off as Snape pulled up his sleeve to unveil the newly cut peel."Oh."

"Yes, and it ‘ s spoiled than that."Snape bowed his forefront."He has hostages down there, parliamentary procedure members and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

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

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

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

'' What the ... '' Suddenly Michelson was on his feet, an expression of cushion on his face. `` Merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A minute later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone body weighing him down and his look a Second Earl Grey mask. He did n't take care up, did n't know anything, just stepped directly to the closest bed and lay his burden down bedside a shocked healer. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every turning point of the room, running towards the unexpected vision of their leader.

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

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

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

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

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

'' I said I 'm all right. Just ... go away. ``

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

'' Where 's your sceptre ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the marauders shied back there was a gust of heat from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the outpouring of magical chum go red hot and begin melt, dissolving into the water supply with a hiss. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water, mixing with the water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving ordering members, ministry prole and marauder surrounded the pond of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with yellow light up to the ceiling. As they watched it faded to silver, then to grey, then finally to pure Edward Douglas White Jr.. The white resolved into cast, colors bloomed out of the pure Light Within. As the cast coalesced Snape heard a shriek from individual on the early side of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

In the pool, rippling on the surface of the liquid, was an persona of lord Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the department of enigma. The wand in his hand was foresighted and pallid, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's wand. Behind the dark lord, lined up and chained together, were ten whizz. Though the picture was faded and the gloss ran together Snape could easily spot the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort persona turned towards them and spoke, his vocalism sounding deep and echoic like it was coming from the tooshie of a well.

'' good wizards of the ministry, '' The dark noble greeted amicably. `` appendage of the order of the genus Phoenix and the good tike. What you are seeing is the inside of the section of mystery story, where all the enceinte mystery are hidden. All the thick conjuring trick of the ministry is within these bulwark, all controlled by me. ``

'' He 's lying. '' Natalie assured the panicking champion around her. `` There 's nothing down there he could use. ``

'' And look at my friends 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 wands out of his scoop and hovered it into the air. With a gout of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the toll ... And appear who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a fingerbreadth and Fudge was dragged forward, his Bond separating from the others. He came to a full stop by the shadow Almighty 's foundation and looked up with pain eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to stamp out you you misfortunate petty man, whatever you say. ``

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

'' Yes ? ``

'' fountainhead I spat in your tea. '' Fudge shuddered out through gritted dentition. `` Every metre. Even back then you were a creepy-crawly little monstrosity. ``

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

super acid light filled the puddle of body of water and for a second none of them could see anything. Snape felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The visible light cleared in metre for them too see the iniquity Lord savagely kicking the diplomatic minister 's soundbox to the English and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The headmaster was thrown forward roughly.

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

'' Well old man ! '' Voldemort stabbed his verge down at Dumbledore, a thunderbolt of electrical energy charring a hole in the Headmaster 's robes. `` Do you not have something to say ? Some live on Scripture before I take your biography. ``

Dumbledore just stayed silent. It was only from the visible light ascending and fall of his chest that Snape could assure he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the master in the throws of the torture curse for a few bit before releasing him. `` You will verbalize ! There has been too a lot between us, you have been my foeman for too long for me to let you end it this way. You will acknowledge that I have won, you will say it ! You will acknowledge this triumph in some way before I kill you with your own wand ! ``

Dumbledore did n't even front at the night lord. In a madness Voldemort slashed his wand through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

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

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am fix ... '' Dumbledore closed his centre. `` I am ready to die for everything I have done. Those are my last word, the only unity you will get. Kill me. ``

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

It was as if time froze. The puddle exploded with William Green light again and Snape's pharynx closed, every sinew tensing. The other watchers around the pool held their deal to their faces, or agitate there pass ... they would not consider it. The fleeceable light faded and the consistency of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the ground. It crumpled like a paper nappy, his whiskers trailing onto the flooring like a rag.

So fell Albus Dumbledore. Snape felt a small hand worm into his. Natalie 's helping hand. He did n't know whether she was offering solace 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 perfectly. I have eight left and all will die if you do not hand me what I want. I want Harry ceramist. Bring him to me in one half-hour or I will kill another, perhaps the werewolf. I am certain no one will miss him. But if any of you wish to see these wizards alive, then you know what you must do. Bring. Me. Harry. Potter ! ``

The pool went black and Snape stepped back. All around him people seemed to be going mad, crying and shouting to one another in mental confusion. His eyes were only trying to rule one trope. Harry thrower. He swept the crew. Nothing.

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


The unidentified boy crashed out of the telephone box and dashed away, his feet slipping on the wet sidewalk. Rain splattered against his font as he ran out into the streets. He did n't even bang why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would see to him, would look at him and look to see Harry ceramist. gestate to see their Savior, when all there was was a pseud. He dashed past the people in the street, some of them turning to look at his odd article of clothing and panicked expression, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the screech of interruption. He prayed that one of the cars would hit him. His feet would not block up moving and the sound of horns was left behind. His charming eye painted the humanity in shimmering curtains of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's surface. He pushed past a man in a suit and heard the man yell. He could n't block up running. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from reality. The rain ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his heart beating like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the low temperature, wet paving. He lay there, his feet still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, shadow and dirty. waiting ...

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

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

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

His pendent. Pythea's pendent. Worn so long he had almost forgotten it was there. But now it was glowing like a maven, so bright beneath the gray sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both bridge player, staring at it in wonder as a argent mist swirled out from the point. It pooled in his deal, swirling and sifting. Slowly the scintillation liquid rose, shaped and colored and separated until two eyeball hung in the air by his men. One of burnished atomic number 79, the other pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The whitened orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a frame, every curve glowing with luminance, every flowing line of her everlasting Stanford White dress and her porcelain skin.

'' Theia ... '' He breathed.

'' Harry I wish I could have come sooner. '' Theia stepped forward and encased his bridge player in hers.

'' Another illusion- ''

'' No. '' Pythea shook her brain. `` This is no thaumaturgy. This is really me talking, from Hellenic Republic. I thought you might involve my help. ``

'' Your ... help ? ``

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

'' Thea, '' The boy ducked his head, his oculus squeezing shut. `` I 'm not who you think I am. I 'm not the one you were trying to aid, not the Chosen one. I 'm not- ''

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these years because you were the chosen one ? '' Thea laughed lightly, her vitreous silica part filling the vacancy between the buildings with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry Potter I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' full stop. '' Too painful. Memories of pleasant time,

'' I will not stop. I will never stop trying to help you. I knew the moment I met you that you were n't the chosen one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the mistress of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a moment that I would miss a affair like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a populace without hope, you were the entirely polishing probability. ``

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

'' I saw cypher about your future. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to fill him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true someone who would fight for this world even if the full reality was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a chiliad fourth dimension and would still peck himself up. I saw that the dark lord would rear and I hoped ... I did n't have it off but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the world in peril and the time to come changeable I took the easily chance the macrocosm had. I took a chance on you. In a time of finish 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 lie with what it 's like to have someone walk up to you and snap your entire life history, everything you believe, right out from under you. ``

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

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

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

The shape resolved into a image. His long gown were buttoned tightly and long arms, rolled up now to show his arms. Those robe were intimate. Tonks had worn them final stage class, auror trainee robes. The face remained foggy for a bit to a greater extent then coalesced, becoming a tauten model in favourable light, right down to the last frowzled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell open in shock. He was looking up into his own font. No ... no there were divergence. The jaw was more bespeak, precipitous, the eyes closer together. He did n't have a mark on his neck, nor a sullen chump on his arm. He looked older too, at least two years if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it possible ? Was this ... Harry ceramist ?

'' I do n't quite understand this. '' The ghostly favourable figure said. `` Your Friend, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different world or ... or property or something. A different clip too. I do n't quiet understand it, need Hermione for that sort of thing. ``

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

'' Your supporter says I wo n't call back recording this, wo n't remember any of it. '' The figure 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 world is very different from mine. For one affair ... I 'm not in it. I died. ``

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

'' I wish I knew why but ... your friend wo n't distinguish me. Something about lessening the interference as much as potential. There are other things I wish I could evidence you, things you really should love about- '' The recording skewed like static for a present moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's tell apart 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 times, to make for in your present. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't know. I do n't have it off what I 'm saying. I ca n't imagine what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this meter it 's tough because you know you had a retiring it 's just been taken. I know you must finger like crawling into a mess and demise, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the Saame really. I do n't know what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostly fig began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't know what I 'm supposititious to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and unfold his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the lonesome individual you 'll ever come across that can say that. Your champion says that, since I 'm dead in your world, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be slow, but you know that. In fact I ca n't cogitate of anything that I could say to persuade you to take the job. Except that you have to. The humanity depends on it. And I know that the human beings has n't done you any favors. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the public be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't make out what I can say to win over you that 's not on-key except for two things. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The shadower fig licked it 's lips.

'' Do you bed how many regulation are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional transit ? Certain area still have the death penalization for messing around in parallel worlds. Just getting here, the sweat it must induce taken. The risks your friend has taken just to get this substance to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire respite of the humans is hell right now you 've got one person who 's willing to risk everything for you. Risk her lifespan. So if nothing else ... fight for her. ``

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

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter edifice. His hands went to his tum as he threw his header back and laughed, the rainfall trickling down his face. That was Harry Potter was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the overly dramatic, hesitant bastard. If that childish gimboid can relieve the existence I sure as hell can.

He pushed his rain soaked whisker out of his center. It was like the vacancy was, somehow sort out. It was still there, the gaping void, it was just that all the important parts of him, the things that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the little cuticle necklace back around his neck. Just a shell 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 pluck the biggest scrap of his life.

He needed a plan though .... and if he was going to make it a fight with the greatest dark wizard in the globe it would require to be a bloody safe programme. Or a bloody insane one. Let's see, he had no vantage. Voldemort held all the card game. Voldemort could pop him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostages. On the other helping hand Voldemort was alone, he had no death eaters, no dark creature, no servants.

Whatever design he came up with it would arrive down to just the two of them. A bonny fight. Which he would lose.

So make it an unfair fight.

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

Smiling, he walked out of the alleyway. He picked up his pace and he reached the street, how a good deal of his half hour was gone ? He had lost all track of time. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would help no one if he was to tired to fight. It seemed an age until the earpiece box came into eyeshot, sticking up out of the street. Harry got in, then pressed the codification on the receiver.

"Welcome to the ministry of trick. Please United States Department of State your epithet and business."The phone said flatly.

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

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


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't botheration to pick it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na tell him. He dissilusioned himself before the doors slid open again and stepped out into the ministry foyer. There was a level of organized topsy-turvyness and another bigger level of disorganised chaos. Harry ignored it and his magic eye picked out the piranha. The were all clustered in one situation. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

"Don ‘ t motion. Don ‘ t give them and sign up 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 monumental fireplace. Once they were all behind Harry dropped his illusion and smiled at his friends.

"Hi Guy. I ‘ m back."

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

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

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

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

"V minutes."Dragon pointed at the clock.

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

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

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

"Do you recall how badly some of your early architectural plan have gone ?"Padma asked dryly.

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

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

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

A forest of hands were stretched out towards him. Every single verge. Harry picked one at random and tried a simple charm. It was stuttery and faint. No good. He picked another and almost set his tomentum on flaming. The third base the spell came out right but the wand felt weird. The one-fourth ... Harry did first one spell then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His eye came up to get together Malfoy's grayish ones.

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

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the scepter."The endorse thing I need is healing. Just a quick refresher. I ‘ m to tired and banged up to contend like this."

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

Harry took the nursing bottle with a grinning and tipped it back into his sassing. The warm chocolaty liquid seemed to drain into every aching brawn and ivory, making him feel like he was well rested and healthy rather than at the edge of weariness.

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


"Here ! smell !"Snape was shocked out of his intellection by the yell. His eyes found the origin in the untested Weasley small fry, crouched down by the jet. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the pool, waving him over. `` It 's going clean-cut again. I can see something ! '' Snape dashed over, staring down into the inky darkness. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the quoin. ``

'' I see zero. ``

'' Look. ``

'' young lady Weasley there is zilch there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's eyes flickered up to forgather those of his student. A flicker of memory twitched behind those eyes. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the nip and tuck, but the diffraction grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the ward. The magical barrier sparking against his tegument like still. 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, speaking, crying. All pressed up to one face of the barrier, and on the other ... just Harry.

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

'' Eight people. '' The kid shrugged. `` Ashcan School people or me. alternative is pretty obvious. ``

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

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

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


The lift grating slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of fight was everywhere, slap-up dent gone from the walls and threshold blown off their hinges. 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 door to the department came into view, a blank rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see cipher beyond the door, not even with his magic eye. Some kind of protection must extend around the department of mystery. For the interest of his architectural plan he hoped it did n't exsert inside the section too. Harry raised his scepter to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom Riddle ! '' Harry 's inflate voice shook the bricks in the walls. `` I 'm here. '' There was a moment 's delay, then.

'' Welcome Mr Potter. '' A similarly boom out voice sounded down the hallway. `` I was not sure enough you would fall. ``

'' Why would I continue away Tommy boy. We 're like old Friend. '' Harry was poised to run at any bit if this went wrong. `` You 've got eight people in there. Those masses deserve to get out, so lets make a deal, valet de chambre 's agreement between acquaintance. I go in. All of them go out. ``

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

Harry waited in secrecy for a moment ... then the door at the end of the corridor swung open. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The setting was just as it had been reflected in the pool, the line of captives, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the center. The bodies of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the circle elbow room, the spinning room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the doors had been knocked off their 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 captive. ``

'' Of track. '' Voldemort gestured mildly. The chain of mountains on the prisoners crashed to the ground.

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

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

"In only turn back multitude from entering, not from leaving."

'' Ok, mulct. delay ! '' Harry held up a hand, then pointed to lupin and a brawny looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, contain them up with you. ``

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

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

As the last man trouped out Harry pushed the door shut and locked it. The sound thunderbolt sliding into seat sounded like a hammer.

'' Well Mr Potter. '' Voldemort smiled like a snake. `` It is down to just you and me. The kings in our little chess plot. The pawn are gone, the rook are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

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

"I was being metaphorical."

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

'' Calx. '' A Methedrine line appeared on the floor. Harry drew his scepter around in a raspy rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy give me your feeling. Does that depend like fourteen pes to you ? ``

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Of form. ``

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

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

'' We parting as friends. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's deal in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the scandalize dark lord. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom Riddle it 's been a delight, and an purity. ``

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his sceptre. The tour flared across the room. Just before it hit the dark lord seemed to waver and fade into mist. The spell passed right through his backrest and exploded in discharge against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his cheek,

'' Jumping the tally Mr Potter ? That was your consummate plan ? ``

'' Worth a shot. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his wand. `` Goodbye Mr ceramist. I wish you all the best in the adjacent human race. Avada Kedavra ! ``

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



Review or the evil crybaby with the DEAD eyes that only I can see will down me.


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





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

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

The chicken managed to free itself and dropped to the floor. It took a look at the two wizards on either position of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an opened door.

"Was it, meant to turn into a Gallus gallus ?"Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully."Is this some poultry variant of the killing curse I was not previously aware of ? Is that a chicken of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's bridge player dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's eyes went wide.

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

The dark lord's paw twitched to his pocket.

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

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

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

"Potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his scepter forward, keeping the other two dependable in his allow mitt."Shut your ugly murdering face. Happy, polite, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the time for the other thing. The flaming hate filled fight that culminates with the putting to death of you."

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

"Evens the playacting airfield a bit though doesn ‘ t it."Harry cracked his neck opening first to one side, then another."So come on ophidian face. Hit me. Hit me with your intimately shot."

The dark lord hissed, his fingers clenching into claw. Then a moment later he exploded into grass, whisking away through an open door. What the ? Harry 's magic eye focused through the wall, onto the floor in the next room. On the story next to a prone body was-

WAND !

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

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

He rolled as it passed command processing overhead time and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as breaking wind lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the floor and snapped the scepter up from beside the sheaf of robe that was all that was left of the victim of an inferi. He skidded to a stoppage, his eye dancing madly to recover any remaining wands ... zip in the prophecy room ...

The swarm circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost sense Voldemort doing the Saami check that he was, using sour legerdemain to find any remaining weapon. The cloud contracted then shot away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a second, a second more and his eye had found it's objective. The death chamber, a wand rolled into a quip in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the black smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too quick !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up shards of rubble but the here and now it reached the swarm it was squashed like a toad frog. The wind going flatcar in mid air. The smoke disappeared under a room access and Harry crashed through it a here and now later. The wand ! right field there ! Voldemort reappeared with a thunderclap and jabbed his deal forward. The sceptre leapt from the floor and spun towards the wickedness nobleman. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and matchwood clattered on the base. The nighttime lord's hand snapped back like he'd been stung.

"That ‘ s the in conclusion of them snake-face."Harry panted. Keeping his wand trained on the dark lord he stepped down the steps till he was next to the fluttering archway. He picked the three scepter he'd acquired out of his scoop and chucked them through the veil. The colored cloth fluttered for a moment, then went still."All wand ‘ s out of child's play, except for my one. And the only way you ‘ re getting that is to pry it from my insensate dead hands."

"What an excellent hypnotism Mr Potter."

Harry had just a moments warning before the orb of darkness flew from the nighttime lord's hand. Harry spun behind the archway and ducked down.

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

"Garta !"

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

"Hammus Missus !"Chain 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 luminosity. As he shot from the flat coat like a bullet a Lucille Ball of darkness flew towards him.

someone not expecting it would have been hit. Someone without a magic eye.

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

"Avada Kedavra !"The super acid visible radiation left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the side of the stepped arena. The killing curse blew a hole in the wall but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a doorway."ejaculate back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the tangle of mansion house. Harry dashed back through the entering mansion house and guesswork into a long elbow room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing shadow was just seeable at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The nightmare curse sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The explosion filled the air with emerald electric arc. Three dash 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 in the ass. A immobilize charm numbed the burnt flesh as Harry furiously dashed after the dark overlord. As he skidded to a halt in the hall of vaticination the shadow lord disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could blame up a shadow. A wisp of radius curled around one of the shelf, only to disappear a bit later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so in force for incorporeal things. He slowly turned, letting his eyes sweep through the gaps between the shelf. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious bunker on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able-bodied to break it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy Charles Francis Hall. The ice spheres had not escaped the carnage of the struggle, many were left in glittering fragment on the marble floor. The trivial snapshot of glass cracked under his charge. Was that smoke ? Harry 's heart hammered in his pectus. Was that a-

FIREBALL ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of fire, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a ledge. The wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a deal of burning splinters. There was an ominous creaking speech sound and Harry had to shinny to get out of the way of the collapsing shelves. Orbs of shining pot bounced off his articulatio humeri and shattered on the floor, their T. H. White smoke spilling out and going inky black like convolution of midnight.

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

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his spell. The shelves crashed together as if drawn by attractive feature. The dark master 's shadowy variety was trapped between them. Before Harry could purge another spell the shelf exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in fire. He raised his hands, about to suit roll of tobacco again. Harry stabbed his sceptre out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a fantastic pang in the dark. The charm was used to make liquidity into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his shape blurring a minute but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the combustion apparition but his polishing sword slipped through it like weewee, leaving not a scratch. The snake struck forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the base, his eyebrows charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the fire freezing charm and leapt up into the red region freak. He stabbed his wand at the shadow beyond the inferno and yelled the killing curse again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the dark God Almighty 's shocked expression as he had to dodge a go from within his own creation.

Harry did n't afford him an inch, he threw himself forward, shot another nemesis at his off counterweight enemy and found a swarm of black knives flying in his face. He dropped to the level and heard them brattle behind him. He threw himself to the side but the knives jerked to follow him. He grabbed a board of ledge from the floor and spun it in strawman of him, hearing the great thunk of the sword impacting the Wood. Harry spun to face the dark lord and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his hand distastefully and the knives melted into smoke.

The dark God Almighty was panting, breathing space hiss in and out through his lipless mouth.

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

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

'' You are just extending your distress ! ``

'' Is n't that what life-time is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The spell caught the dark Lord by surprise, smacking into his shoulder joint with a os splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his feet buckle and rumble. He flipped backwards as the terra firma where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, ready to soak up him down into it 's astuteness. Harry danced backwards as gemstone upon stone became sucking last. His feet hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The shelf lurched as it began to slide down into the gemstone. Harry spun, holding on with one hand and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a swarm of glum lightning.

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

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's tornado sprung out of nowhere, drawing sand from the floor and filling the air with yellow-white caryopsis. Harry called another twister, and another. The night lord disappeared in the dust storm. Disappeared to normal eyes that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murk 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 dark overlord could not see him in all this but he could see where his go were coming from. Only a saphead attacked and stayed in the same seat ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the painfulness fizgig, flashing out in their boring fan. He twisted them in the air like a serpent to mint the wickedness master from both sides. He was rewarded with a howl of bother as one of the shining bolts struck home. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a silver buckler. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even have to believe. He just struck out and made the dread orb vibrate with intolerable stochasticity. He twisted to find the sonorousness but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the nighttime overlord was nimble and lightning caught his arm, burning like blaze. Harry lost his terms and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his tornado and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the duster until his finger's breadth caught the boundary of a shelf and he held on for earnest life. He pulled himself up and tried to stand, his eye spinning to detect the dark lord. There he was, but what-

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

The George Sand vanished like mist but Harry had handsome problem. He leapt into the air as rock candy the size of elevator car obliterated the shelves behind him. His feet hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's scepter whipped out and a come-on impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the surface area of malarkey. A boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The wind instrument pulled him out of the path of the shooting star with a whisk broom of his wand and he let go of the chain, catapulting himself onto a standing ledge. He leapt again and saw two boulders hurtling towards him. His wand flashed out again and one rock music veered into the way of life of the other, shattering them both to fragments. Harry felt the wood beneath him shift again and this time let it stock him down a moment before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing ledge, his eye found firm footing and he jumped again as the death ledge collapsed into splinters.

Harry dropped to the top of a pile of wreckage. A stack three times as tall as he was and total of broken Natalie Wood, shattered glass and the smouldering remains of spent boulder. Harry waited while the live of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

Voldemort was hovering in the air horizontal surface with Harry. The sinister God Almighty slowly floated down to the trading floor ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his infantry. Harry watched with a crooked eyebrow. Voldemort 's teeth clenched in furore as he stared up at Harry standing on his pedestal of ruin.

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

'' But you make it so well-to-do ! '' Harry put his hands on his articulatio coxae. `` Anyway, it 's hard not to bemock 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 surrender. ``

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

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

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

'' Me ? I 'm the moon-curser of the ceiling at night. '' Harry laughed. `` The wedge of the blood war. The only survivor of the torrent of ages and the Hogwarts triwizard champion. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't weigh because I 'm also a piranha ! invincible cutthroat asshole and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. Potter ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the darkness Jehovah, his face set in unshakable resolve. `` That is why you should surrender. Right now. Or I swear on this pile of prophecy that I will cut you from this creation. ``

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

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

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

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that pillow slip ... suck it bitch ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all guidance, the wood becoming pestilent splinter and the rock singing out in razor sharp shards. The dark lord threw up a silver shield but Harry was already on the soil. 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 evade a spray of black eyeball and threw his baton up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

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

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

'' Confringo ! '' The lump of plasm exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing charm and pushed off Saturn directly into the hell on earth. From behind the cover of flame Harry shot a killing expletive at the dark lord but had to twist in the air to give up his head being taken off by a dark sword flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover trick one too many times. well lets try another.

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

Voldemort swung a clod of major planet into the track 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 level again and raced through, skidding to a period when he saw where he was.

In add contrast to the rest of the department this way was a sorting of zoo. Cage wax of creatures filled the room up to the roof and were stacked in a pile in the middle. Some looked normal, some ... not so much. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of shape with what he sincerely hoped was not a human arm coming out of it. His magic eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life and apparent movement in the way made it tricky.

Harry tried to trace out the room. Long, not so astray ... The threshold at the early end was closed. That meant that Voldemort was either at the paries behind one of the coop at the side or crouched down behind one of the 1 in the midriff. Harry grinned,

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the pile of John Milton Cage Jr. in the center and all their saloon sprung open. puppet scattered in every direction. Something that looked like a mutant wolf made a starved leap at the cages to the left hand and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's wand was trained there in a moment. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's Zane Grey cutis. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to bring out off the expletive to duck behind a desk as more globe of swarthiness rained through the air. Harry heard a room access slam assailable and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the room access and swung through, his wand out.

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

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the former doors too. In a moment he had his baton trained back on the darkness lord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other side of the vast room, his lips contoured into a leer. He clearly knew he could relegate the poxy locking patch, but doing so would give Harry the import he needed to kill him. Harry tried to go on his breather even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running. ``

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

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

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

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

'' nada would please me Thomas More Mr thrower ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the room. Harry was just a pace behind him. They stared at each former from opposite sides of the pedestal that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my sceptre you would give died long ago. ``

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

The dark God Almighty dropped to the base, letting the spell pass over his school principal and jabbed his arm up at the roof. The fantasm above them became alive, a writhing cauldron of darkness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to wrap itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to roll as dash of roaring slammed into the flagstones where he had been lying. A ball of blackness caught the side of his leg, simply obliterating anatomy and skin. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his feet, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that thing ! He could n't fight it and the wickedness lord at the same time ! But how to kill something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his sceptre at the roof. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The green while impacted the dark creature and it wailed in pain, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to side Voldemort just in clock time for an disgraceful orb to get hold of a chunk out of his shoulder. He was bleeding too very much. Had to end this ! The darkness lord raised his hand for another bolt of lightning. Harry tore two flagstone from the land and hurled them in the route of the trance, one after the former. The first was blown to splinters but the second, hidden by the cloud of rubble, guess through like a marble discus and crashed with a hideous crunch into Voldemort 's ribcage.

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

'' Avada Ke- ''

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

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the tongue clattered against his feeble carapace. Harry let it go and mistreat forward, only to receive his genu buckle and drop him on the level. What the ? Harry tried to stand but his legs would n't move. Was this some kind of scourge ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

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

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's arms dropped down, suddenly too weak. His sceptre rolled away on the dark pit. He had n't felt the knifes go in, adrenalin perhaps, but he felt it now. pain in the neck and fire raging out from the gob in his abdomen. `` Bloody ... buckler .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could have beaten you ya cognise. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of descent spray from his rima oris. `` The very first spell I threw. Back when I jumped the count. Back when you had the phony scepter. If you 'd let just tried to shield like any normal wizard ... I could have won on the first spell. That was ... that was the plan. ``

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

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his helping hand to diffuse his fingers around the knife leaf blade in his stomach, but he could n't discontinue the blood. His life was draining out onto the floor. The ones in his leg would maim him. The one in his stomach meant he was dead.

'' Do you make any go words my dearest foeman ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not hear any satisfactory ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't think of anything ... '' wickedness battery-acid swam before Harry 's oculus. He had failed. `` Are my admirer still watching ? ``

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

'' Then my stopping point words are ... hold on fighting. '' Harry raised his oculus to run into Voldemort 's. `` Keep fight him. ``

'' Not very pilot. '' The dark lord shrugged. `` But in effect than Dumbledore 's. ``

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

'' An admirable sentiment. ``

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

'' Very well. '' Voldemort raised his hired man. `` I shall miss you. My ... interesting adversary. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to verbalize the last words Harry would ever hear.

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

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

'' The one with the index to beat the dark master will be born as the seventh calendar month dies. '' Harry 's whispered words rang out in the placid room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

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

'' Thrice defied him. '' Harry licked his lip, his representative was barely coming out now. `` And the iniquity lord will mark ... will brand him ... ''

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

'' Mark him as his equal ... '' Harry 's lips were barely moving, his give-and-take just disturbance in the air. `` But the shadow ... the darkness ... ''

'' Yes ... '' Voldemort put his hands on Harry 's articulatio humeri, steadying him. `` Please terminate it ! ``

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

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

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

'' What did you say ? ``

'' I said you never bloody pick up ! '' Harry 's center flicked open. `` Do you ? ``

Powered by the finish gasp of dying furore Harry pulled the knife from his human body and drove it into Voldemort 's neck opening. Harry fell backwards as blood fountained from his stomach and his center clouded contraband. As he slipped away and his heart stopped beating all he could pick up was the rustling of the veil.




Cliff. Hanging. Again. I know. Sorry. Review anyway.


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

Reviews seem to be mixed as to whether people think Harry 's really dead or not and whether the serial publication is over or not. It 's prissy to suffer created such take issue thought. : )




The foremost matter Harry sensed was the scent of apple blossoms. It was a olfactory perception he knew very well. His eye flickered give and looked up onto the familiar cloud leaves of the woodlet in his dreaming. It was exactly as it had always been, unripened and full of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' anatomy, not field glass. Harry shook his read/write head, realizing what must cause happened. Eye 's did not rise back, woodlet did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm dead. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a long sigh of sadness. He had done his outflank, his very, very best. He had tried to survive. He had tried to not leave the world of the living, had tried not to leave his friends.

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

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

Harry looked up at the trees, bearing flower 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 get him with me though. '' Harry spoke the bitter words. `` I got him honorable. ``

The wind rustled lightly through the trees. He thought he could almost, just almost, hear youngster laughing. Harry sat down and set his back against a tree and closed his eyes. If this was the hereafter then he knew one thing for sure. Before he met any pearly hall porter or had his sins weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a relaxation. The legion of hell could not propel him from that spot.

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

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

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

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

Harry heard the pot in straw man of him disturbed by footstep. Someone was there. He opened his eyes slowly, and arched his eyebrows when he saw who it was.

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

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

'' Why not ? '' Harry shrugged. `` I mean were all dead here are n't we. Maybe superman and pigeon hawk will join us next. ``

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

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

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his forefront. `` I can never rationalize to you enough for what I did to you. No words could ever serve. I ... I am only gladiolus that I got this one last hazard to tell you how drab I am. My crime was inexcusable. ``

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

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

'' better half, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head. `` I do n't call up I can ever forgive you but at the same clip ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad place, everything was riding on your shoulders. I mean looking at me, today I cast an unforgivable curse ten ... maybe XX metre. And before that, over the trend of this class I 've killed ... people. several the great unwashed. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the time. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein's monster 's monster. Your changeling youngster. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my question. You said you put your memories of James Potter in my point. I can sense them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a wretched copy of Harry ... Or worse a poor people written matter of James Potter. Am I ? Answer me truthfully. Please. ``

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

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

'' Yes. ``

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

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

"real ?"

"That you were not the living validation of my sins."Dumbledore shook his drumhead."At to the lowest degree that was the reason at first. I simple did not desire to acknowledge what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the torrent of old age, I began to guess perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a hero so I though ... perhaps no one would ever have to know. Perhaps I could let you fill Harry 's place and never tell you. I thought I could let you consider the burden. I am not majestic of that. I should have known the prophecy could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can take his shoes ?"Harry pointed at his wrist."I mean, the night Almighty did mark me."

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

Harry sighed. As he did the wind seemed to murmur, carrying to him distant spokesperson. He strained his auricle to hear,

'' helper him ! For Merlin 's rice beer avail him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His heart 's not beat out ! ``

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

The vox faded into the gentle wind. Harry's brow furrowed.

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

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

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

"You are beat, technically. Your middle is not beating."Dumbledore's eyes twinkled."But I believe that, with clip and a generous contribution of well red ancestry, you may be pulled back into the mankind of the living."

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

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

"How ?"

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

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

The old adept and the young laughed. A thought struck Harry and the mirthfulness dimmed.

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

"Of row Harry, anything."

"What is my figure ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am grim Harry. I erased the storage from my own creative thinker so I would never call you it. Never slip up ... But I can distinguish you the orphanage where I found you. It is called the Malyn orphanage, or was nine years ago, January twentieth. It stands about ten miles south of Belfast. If phonograph record exist then, well then you might be able to bump them there."

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

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

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his life with a London idiom thick enough to drift bricks on, chuckled."So, do you reckon there might even be record of my parents ?"

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

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

"No Harry nil like that."Dumbledore shook his oral sex."In fact I believe we can safely sham both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a lilliputian 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 elderly couple walking along the ligan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s banks a little after a storm and they saw a little bundle washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were blue all over from the cold and damp, but so decrepit you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water system for a tenacious time."

Crashing rocks. Raging snowy body of water. Harry's mind shied away from the flashes of terror in his head and he felt his hint quicken. The raging pelter in his mind banishing all though was real number, a computer storage so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to rub out. His only real retention was a phobia. Another sulphurous joke. He licked his sass, had to say something, anything to train his mind off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six months old, give or take."Dumbledore answered."The mates gave you to the authority and of course an investigation was made. Unfortunately nothing was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the manus of the tiddler services. The story after that is, well, rather as you might infer 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 occur that way. Maybe I was swept away from my family. You said there were floods."

"I ... I do not mean that was the eccentric Harry."A snag rolled down Dumbledore's cheek."You see, I have something the muggle authorities did not. I have my map. That was the reason lupine knew. I needed him to find it and show me how to use it, or it could consume revealed the truth."

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

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an antediluvian case of magic trick, the magic of names."Dumbledore's phonation took on a lecturing feel, but Harry could still find out the lump in his throat."There is an old wiz superstition. An old wife narration, if you will, that a wizard's name is tied to their destiny. That the name first given to a wizard somehow sets his track. There was once a bully fad for concealing one ‘ s admittedly name so that enemies could not gain power over you. foolishness really, in those daylight individual ‘ s truthful name was easy enough to divine. That is what the map does in any case. It works by the conjuration of names."

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

"And for you it displays nothing Harry."Dumbledore closed his center sadly."On the map your name is clean. Just a set of step and an empty-bellied scroll."

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

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

"Is his heart trouncing ? I can barely-"

"Is that a heartbeat ... 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 great mickle to take 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 differentiate. I ‘ ll be right. I mean after all the other thunderbolt this doesn ‘ t really tip the shell that much does it. Like a molehill beside a smoking volcano."

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

"I ... I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his head."well-nigh of my Friend are still alive."

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

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

"No,"Dumbledore shook his head."I believe you have Bella to give thanks for that again. She snuck in when the Barbara Ward came down and spirited his consistence away right under your booster'noses using an emergency 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 years ago. This is a victory Harry, it will be class, possibly decennium before he can rise again. And if we can catch him while he is weak and finish him off, so much the better."

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

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

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

"How could you possibly ..."

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

"But interesting."

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

"I hope so Harry."

"This is weird."Harry chuckled and looked around."Why does it finger like we 're having this unscathed conversation two volume early ?"

"simpleton Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking someone else 's way. From this point on, you 'll induce to take a shit your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

"Your scepter ..."Harry thought back."Oh ... I threw it through the head covering 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 sorcerer faded into goose egg, and was gone. Harry chuckled.

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

The air seemed to interchange grain. Harry breathed out softly, he was alive again. He could palpate his beat in his chest. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the plantation. It was exactly the same as before but it felt dissimilar. He was dreaming now, just a regular dream. Harry let his eyes close slowly. He would wake up in upright prison term, but until then ? He was fine here. For now.
*


Snape reached his apartments in Hogwarts and barely got the door shut before falling into a chair. There was a bed in the following way, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the midsection of the great residence hall, on the floor. He would have been the laughing parentage of every educatee though. Even spoiled he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

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

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

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

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

"Minerva."Snape tried to sit a trivial less like he was falling asleep."It is right to see you safe, in all the mental confusion in the ministry I lost course. seminal fluid in. Would you like some wine-coloured ?"

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

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

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

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

"That is partially what we were discussing."Minerva cocked her head to one side."Voldemort is weakened but not dead. The fiat's job is far from done and we could more than use your expertise. Your primary reason for leaving was Albus. I will not presume to ask the details of that discrepancy, it was between the two of you. But do you not mean 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 model if it were yourself leading the parliamentary procedure, I would have no objection."

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her headland."I will have quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is decent for me. It has been hard enough to persuade parents to commit their children to Hogwarts this year. I imagine next class may be a footling promiscuous but I am sure I will still have my workforce fully. And besides, I will need to find a new transfiguration teacher."

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"Arthur Weasley."

"Has no fighting or strategical experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

"Remus has grown unpredictable recently. Especially where Harry is concerned."Minerva fixed Snape with a point stare."I believe we can agree that whoever should head the edict should be someone Harry trusts. somebody like you."

"No."

"mortal who knows how the iniquity Jehovah thinks."

"No."

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

"If I had been there I would birth had a few affair to say !"

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

Snape stayed silent. Not at his trump was a terrible understatement if ever he heard one but there was no penury to say so.

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

"I ... I can not direct the order."Snape tried to make his vocalism not vocalize like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into benighted legerdemain. A long time ago yes but some marks do not come out."

"Yours has."

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

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

"Do not compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that wild sentence. There was no to take out his anger on the courier."I merely meant that I do not cerebrate it is safety to return me this variety of power."

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

"Do not cite at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a alternative ?"

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

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

"Only by your own trap 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 middle. ``

Harry woke from cryptical dreaming, the sparkling atomic number 47 voice in his ears.

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

'' You are still at peace, in St Mungos. '' pee rippling over shining Harlan Stone. `` I wanted to sing to you but you 're on a bang-up wad of medication. It was simpler for me to just come to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' hullo Theia. ``

'' hello Harry. '' The Cy Young seer was sitting cross legged under a Tree in front of him, looking like the human image of serenity. Instead of her usual T. H. White robe she was wearing a simple-minded embrown wearing apparel, she seemed almost part of the woods. She looked ... dissimilar, somehow dissimilar. It was not her face, she was still the same beautiful girl he had always known, or her eyes, mismatched as they were. Her silver hair was caught up into a longsighted tail down her back, tied with blue air medallion. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the sense of ancientness, the feeling that the piffling individual in front of him had outlasted empires. She seemed ... Brigham Young, the same age as him give or take a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not fill often to imagine the reasonableness for the change.

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

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

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

'' Yes, they finally caught on. '' Pythea reached forward and tilted Harry 's Kuki up. `` Do n't palpate guilty, not even for a moment. I was low-down there, almost a prisoner. I 'm happy to be gone. ``

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

'' It is the trueness. ``

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

'' Stubborn. ``

'' little terror. ``

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

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

'' The orphanage ? ``

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' A short-circuit walking ? We have to get to Hibernia ya know. ``

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

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


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

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the position of his bed. `` The knife was made with dark magic so the wound ca n't be magically healed. You 'll cause to let it entwine together the old fashioned way. Is it too much ? Do you care to wait till tomorrow ? ``

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

Pythea cut him off with a wave of her hand. His hospital gown changed into a simple white t-shirt and trouser. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another Wave a carved wooden cane appeared in his paw. Obviously she did not think he was as levelheaded as said he was. Damn her for being right.

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

Pythea stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his tender middle. This close Harry could sense her pilus, like super C skunk 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 incline. `` Is there a trouble ? ``

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

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

For the initiatory time in his life Harry enjoyed an apparition. The wall of the void pressed him into Pythea, forcing them closer together. He could feel her breathing spell on his impertinence. He was almost let down when they dropped onto a minor road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanage, it was the only if construction there. At the substance of it was a stately-home eccentric of thing. He could n't put a escort to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the center of the complex but at some point the owners had felt a want to expand. The two blocks to either side of the main 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 bulwark with prickly conducting wire looped at the top.

Harry tried not to believe that made it take care like a prison. All schooling had that these days.

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

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

Harry grinned and turned towards the door. He took a deep hint, then winced at what that did to his stomach. He tried to calm the raging butterfly stroke inside but could n't. The but thing that gave him the will to tug open the door was marauder rules. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

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

Up the stairs. Of course. Harry labored up the whole step, having to rest more than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the playground, full of children running about wildly. From inside the bulwark the place looked a lot nicer. All around the edge of the wall there were a series of baby 's picture. Long running murals and swirls of color. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to get hold of the firstly floor and took a few tired breaths. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to extend me up the bloody dance step. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a edifice full of children could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the first room access, his walking marijuana cigarette clattering against the floor. He knocked, politely.

'' Come in. ``

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

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

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

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

"Do you have any identification ?"

"Eh ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"How could I leave ?"She turned to him with a motherly smile."Everyone here has a invariant reminder of your arrest with us."

"Wh ... what ?"

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

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

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

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

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

Harry's mettle broke and he fell into his helping hand. He felt tears blooming in his eyes. He hadn't known what to look when he'd cum here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected substantiation. test copy that he wasn't some Frankenstein's monster lusus naturae, cogent evidence that he wasn't a bad written matter of James Potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of agency and filled with wanderlust. He. Was. Him.

"dear are you alright ?"The old woman sounded touch on."Do you want a tissue ?"

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

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

Jack-tar ...

Jack Match.

mariner Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

old salt Caiman.

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

His never-ending alias. The name that had always come to his brim when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory, a memory board of the get-go actual epithet he had. Not given to him by his parents sure enough, and apparently not magically binding. But a name. He still felt more like Harry, it was still the name that came first to his back talk but ... it was like that hollow core inside him was filling. Filling with part of a lifespan he had though he had no computer storage of. It felt so good.

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

"See it ?"

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

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

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

"My delight Jack."

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

"star the way."

Harry set off, taking them rhythm to the back of the edifice. 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 shade of the Malus pumila trees. The little attack orchard of apple trees.

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

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

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

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

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

Harry didn't trust himself to address. Couldn't speak. There were no discussion. They sat there for the longsighted fourth dimension, the utmost summer breeze filling running past them and rustling the leave-taking above their head teacher. Eventually, after who knew how long, Harry spoke.

"Theia ?"

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

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

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you know how they choose the next prophesier Harry ? They go around to all the wizardly home in Ellas, looking for tike with the inner eye. If they find one with adequate baron, with big businessman enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a choice of course, but who would dare say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's side."I was three, but I remember it well, another oath my gift gives me. My name wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old name, never speak it ever again. One day in art class I signed one of my picture with the old name, just a picayune mistake. The fury they had at me that day ... they burnt my picture, in presence of my eyes. I never used the old name again. After I finished my breeding I was allowed to go back and visit my parents. I went back to my old house. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would await someone to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their daughter, they looked at me like I had done something awry. 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 have been heart-wrenching. I can ‘ t imagine-"

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

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

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

"I found out a name."Harry shrugged."But I think I ‘ ll go along 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 script against Pythea's font."They can ‘ t occupy away who we are. The names don ‘ t matter so much, you can call me Harry or Jack-tar or Bob it doesn't thing. I know who I am."

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, little glistening binge in the corner of her oculus, and kissed him lightly on the cheek."Thank you."

Harry didn't really cognize what to do, other than to blush. A present moment later Pythea seemed to agnize something.

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

"Had to happen eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you next time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

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

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin next week if I remember correctly."

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

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

"Dunno ... Stay in the country probably. I could do with a squeamish peaceful holiday."

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

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

Crystal laughter filled the woodlet, and lit up the folio with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master's bed and cried, heedless of her split staining the flat solid. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His skin was dead bloodless and only the dark 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, terrible to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could have risen up again in halo. Instead he was trapped in this prison of frame. Better dead than to lie on this narrow cot in a tiny room, not even fit for a concealment place. But she had to do what she could. She was the last, the finish loyal decease eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

"I did not give up him."The unflustered boy stepped from the shadows, carrying a software package under his arm."I was doing our lords good work."

"For a full year ?"

"It did take longer than forestall ... but it has been done. And in the nick of clip too."The pale wizard strode over to the dark lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, passkey, and I have done your bidding. Do not worry noble, I can fix you strong again. Stronger than ever. With this ... we can climb up again, the Death eaters can rise again. The Earth will tremble master, shake in fear."

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

"We can be unassailable than ever master."Barty's face in the phantasma was terrifying."warm than ever."





Ye gods that was hard to indite right. Or ... right write. Write write ... some combination of those Christian Bible anyway. It 's been a hair curler coaster I think you 'll agree, and the unity most monolithic twist of the entire fic was finally revealed. Hope you liked it. people who were waiting to the end of this account book to refresh ... your time has come.

I 've already started writing the next Book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual thing of writing myself into a corner. Instead I plotted the Good Book out in advance and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The game made lucid sense and all, no plot-holes, there was nix tripping me up, no author block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ countersign I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. confident event : The narration is a lot substantial now I think. Negative upshot : I have to confound away a significant persona of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the next story is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own route. Too bad that path is as deadly as the last. A new enemy ascent, an old one lingers and a orphic assassin is out for Harry 's blood. With Harry still injured from his face-off in the section of closed book he ca n't confront these challenges head on. He may even cause to start using his mind ...

Mysteries abound in the succeeding book of the series Harry ceramicist, The gemstone and The Scorpion !