Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. Your various permutations of the ecumenical `` What the F * * * ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most comprehended. I feel form of bad for jumping a twist like that on you after 40 chapters. kind of deceitful. beneficial to experience the absolute majority of people appreciated it.



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

"Harry I ‘ ve been talking to the therapist. They ‘ ve run some more tests."She licked her mouth."smell, it looks like a few calendar month was actually optimistic. There ‘ s damage deep down, rafts of impairment. 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 agitate Voldemort."Padma tried a different tack."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have weeks like you ‘ ve been going all class. You ‘ ll have week in this infirmary bed, not able to go, eventually you won ‘ t even be able to talk. You won ‘ t be capable to kill Voldemort. You won ‘ t be able to be the chosen one."

Harry flinched, pain running across his tired face.

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

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

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

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


The boy who was once called Harry faded in his mind as the healer entered his room. Bustling around and speaking comforting, empty words. They cleaned him up, washing his munition and chest. They asked him to remove the bracer. He did, letting it decrease to the flooring with a trashy clatter. The therapist shied away from the fool on his arm. Fearful. Why should he care.

They did something that was supposed to dull him. He couldn't tell the difference. Everything was dulled already. He watched, unable and unwilling to manage, as they cut his pelt out-of-doors. His blood seeped out, quickly staunched by a healer. He wished they wouldn't bother.

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


Draco slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the battle, but it was fine now. Just enough residual redness and painful sensation to aid him stay alert. He swung his weary eyes around the waiting room, all of the marauders were here. Most of them had finally succumbed to sleep, genus Draco didn't blame them. It was punishing to imagine that the deathly midnight assault on the tool ship had been just last night. They had been worn out, bust down. Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could find some tea. The tea workshop was closed but surely the healers had a staff elbow room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just decrease asleep.

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

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

"Is there any news show ?"Draco asked.

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

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

"Well we ... we removed several items from the consistence of your friend."The pitiable therapist swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the rampart of his stomach. We think it may possess been designed to negate poison but it seems to take in had the opposite core. It was the source of his illness. We also found-"

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

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

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

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

Draco looked back over the marauders. Through their sand-filled, drooping eye he could see their lugubriousness. Harry had fought so unvoiced and got nothing in return but accusal of murder and a permanent disfigurement. And a dark mark, they could not bury that.

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

"Of course of instruction he ‘ d say that. Doesn ‘ t make it true."Ron pulled his articulatio genus up to his chest."I mean you heard him in there. He ‘ d think death was deserving 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 open, revealing Professor McGonagall. She didn't need to say anything, they knew why she was there. They were going back. And they might never leave.
*


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

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

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

"He may go into hiding."Natalie answered his unanswered question, still intent on his arm."Like he did xv class ago."

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

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

"It will be savage, I am sealed of that."Snape felt the cutting stopover and watched as Natalie picked the picayune flap of skin up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was release. Strange that he should feel so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly free 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 word."Perhaps not useless but ... if I had not acted on instinct we would now know exactly what Voldemort was planning. We would be able to forestall him instead of stumbling around in the darkness."

"You had to."Was all she said.

"Perhaps."Snape let his top dog drop back, perhaps.

"You know them in effect than anyone."Natalie continued."You can figure out out what he will do next."

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

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

"He covets that no dubiety. But I can see no way he could prevail it with three demise eaters."

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

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

"Severus,"Natalie took his face in her hands and tilted it up to meet her eyes."Not so low now. We won today. It may not finger like it, but we won a victory. Victories have been few and far between this past class, we need to treasure them, not care about what will pass off next."Snape was once again amazed by the way she could break through to him, whatever his mood. He smiled,

"I believe I have some wine."
*


The boy who carried the gens Harry felt himself enter the familiar dream. He felt floorboard under his spinal column, scratchy through the lose weight infirmary robe. He knew where he would be when he opened his center. And finally, he even knew why.

He pushed himself off the floor, leaning his old-hat chassis against the wall. The wall painted with bears and snitches over a pallid blueness sky full of fluffy swarm. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't muster the energy. He ignored the crib in the centerfield of the elbow room, it's shiny roving spinning idly in the dream-wind. He shoved the door open and descended the stairs. The revulsion he always felt was still there, but he could barely take himself to deal. He knew what this berth was now.

No one-year-old remembers their house. No one-year-old could retrieve every photo, or the traffic pattern on the wallpaper. This place was a lie, a parasitic computer memory that had been burnt into his mind. The creeping unwellness in his cutis was his thinker's way of telling him that it wasn't real, that it didn't belong.

He stepped up to the front end room access 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 have known, should possess realized somehow.

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

His eyes flickered undefended in the hospital ward. He could feel the tender new growth in his paw. It was pink, new skin, and smaller than the early. Harry dropped it back onto the blankets. former theatrical role of his consistence hurt too, trivial cicatrice and combat injury. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

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

The marauder were sleeping there, lying across workbench or curled up on the floor. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to blab to anyone right now. Couldn't public lecture, he had no mind how he would even set about. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't stoppage until he was out of the construction and a few streets away. A diminished street, not busy. Breathing hard he shoved his scepter out into the street. He found that he could barely keep his arm up for the few seconds it took for the knight bus to dim out of nowhere and screech to a stop in nominal head of him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He stepped forward his hand stretched out, then shied away. This house was just more than lies. The feelings in his caput, heartache, loss, fear. They weren't his, they weren't his loss. just strangers had died here, two stranger. People who had cypher to do with him. The sorrow was another trick, just another tier of lie.

He spun away and stalked down the street, not looking back. He had never lived there, it meant zippo to him. Or should mean zero. His substructure brought him to the square and he lent tiredly on the war monument. He should never give birth 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 fad through his tooth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his real computer storage were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Deliverer's sake ! His unanimous body was a mask !

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

No he doesn't. I don't even look like me. The boy trembled with rage as he looked on the happy potter syndicate. The testament in Lucy Stone to the life sentence he had never really had. His fingers went to his wand.

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

"Reducto ! !"Lilly ceramist's head snapped off and crunched onto the tarmacadam. Rolling to a stop in a tempest drain.

"Reducto ! !"The final stage shot was the strongest, striking out in a blinding bolt of light, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. flaming flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the washed-up stumps of heads and died to nothing.

The nameless boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a Marathon. His clothes wet with sweat. He dropped his wand back into his air hole and turned his dorsum on the statue, his breathing time still coming in furious outburst. He couldn't think, couldn't breathing time. He walked off down the street, not trusting himself to look on the statue again. It made it all too real.

His middle found a graveyard. Both heart, really and magical. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlay over his imaginativeness, the roentgenogram eyeshot of the world. Now it was just a incessant reminder. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the necropolis logic gate open and let the eye roam, in a mo it had angled in on the Potter grave. He walked hesitantly to it, his scepter safely away in his air hole. He pushed a slice of ivy off the rock and take the inscription.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is dying


Well that was bollocks. Being numb meant you had at least one early enemy left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffins, position to side in the terra firma, stared back at him. But ... there was a shadow. Like a vacant area. He drew his wand and muttered a revealing magical spell. Faint puff of illusion drew out of the ground to meet him. He waved his wand again, cutting the misty waifs away. He worked ... he didn't know how hanker. Probably minutes, maybe time of day. At some full point the gray sky gave way to rain down and the graveyard Gunter Grass turned slick. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the go. It was good. It was a puzzle, breaking the deception. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. naught different showed on the surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his heart pounding in his chest of drawers. There was a third coffin on top of the former two, arranged like a pyramid. Inside ... interior was a littler torso, a child. It's tiny limb crossed over it's chest.

The unidentified boy fell to his knees. There it was, the final examination proof. The final examination incontrovertible bridle. That poor wasted body in there was Harry Potter. He could even see a tiny scratch on the os of his scull, above his eye, in the shape of a lightning bolt of lightning. The real scar had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely to a greater extent than makeup. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a marionette. A god-damn doll.

He raised his wand to the Oliver Stone, but said nothing. The anger in him was gone. He had seen the bodies of the substantial Potters, lying together. It was toilsome to palpate anger, but he wished he did. The anger at to the lowest degree filled him up, filled the vanity with fire. But now the fire was gone and he felt even emptier for it. He found himself resting the point of his wand against the rough, wet stone.

It wasn't even his wand. He stared at it, idea skittering over the numb center of his head. It was a sceptre gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be voice of. This wand was his killing scepter. He had done ugly thing for the sake of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the wood. He had pickled his soul in blood and what had it got him ? He added his former arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The wand splintered with a tatty crack, the springy wood bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A fiddling red fluff was visible through the pause. It had had a phoenix feather core, he never knew.

"well that makes thinks easier."

The vox had come from behind him. He turned slowly but his legerdemain eye had already whizzed around to rule the intruder. The black robes told him everything he needed to have sex. Harry knew he should feel panic, or apprehension, fright perhaps, at least surprise. But he was damned if he felt anything.

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

"Yes I am August Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his wand in his hand."Thank pigeon hawk I still have a picket on the underage wizardly demodulator. You ‘ ve come a long way just to slew now. A long long way ..."

"Felt like further."The empty boy dropped the remains of his sceptre onto the Potter grave. Perhaps some fool wizard would find oneself it and attain up some storey about it. He turned back to the death eater and asked,"Are you going to obliterate me ?"He was surprised that his interpreter did not sound eager.

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

"What ?"

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

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

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

He closed his eyes before the spell hit. The wickedness was welcome.
*


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

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eye flickered undetermined just as the metro train flashed out of sight, leaving the burrow in darkness. He felt the corduroy binding his deal together, his fingers danced along them trying to feel a mile. There was none. They were stiff though, biting into his skin, wizardly no doubt. He didn't have to feel to know that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't hassle to try to stand.

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

The unknown boy twisted and looked around him, one of the walls was been broken through and a night, vulgar tunnel stretched away. Now that the train was gone he could see 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 darkness rolled back, but not far. A grey paries stopped the light, a writhing mass of cloth and rot.

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

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling mass. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some sort of low temperature, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were tightlipped to them ? He shook his fountainhead, they couldn't touch him, a somebody could only palpate so much despair and he was already at his limit. And as for making him relive his mop up memories ? Ha ! His dour moment was still saucy in his mind.

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

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

"You did."Rookwood sneered."But that doesn ‘ t matter. In fact, none of that thing. Now be quiet."Rookwood flicked his wand, making a silencing charm. A second movie levitated him off the floor. Rookwood reached into his sack and pulled out a hanker silvery length of cloth, easily recognizable. An invisibleness cloak. He just hung there in the air as the cloak was thrown over him. He really couldn't have done anything else. Rookwood turned and walked up the tunnel, his black place slipping on the wet dirt.

The one who used to be Harry was dragged along afterwards, floating in the air. He couldn't move ... speak ... he was a touch. Right now his berth fit him like a glove. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scratching, digging strait. The dementors followed after, filling the tunnel with frigidity. Up ahead there was a turn. As Rookwood walked calmly around the bending digit came into panorama. One darkness cloaked build 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 zombies. Who could tell the deviation ? The number in front end of them turned as Rookwood approached. Dark long hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are late Augustus."The female demise feeder was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a steel toed boot with the effect of a falling adolescent behind it did more damage than expected. The leave side of her face was crushed in, a mass of scars and bulging skin. When she spoke she slurred, only the right position of her mouth moving. Her eye was a raw socket, nothing left.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"There is no bunch anymore."Bellatrix sneered through her ruined fount."There are three of us. There will be more than decent glory to go around."Bellatrix turned and dissaperated into thin air.

"lying bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark Almighty ‘ s right bridge player. Stop digging you freaks !"He directed the lowest one to the creatures burrowing in the malicious gossip. 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 shortly moment the dirt became a brick wall, old and faded. The paries of the ministry.

"Are you gear up Mr ceramist ?"Rookwood grinned up at the invisible prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the wall and raised his baton. There was a smashing blast and the rampart caved in. Behind it a man at a desk jumped to his feet his hand tangling in his gown. A green flash of light up struck him in the pass, 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 instant of secretiveness, then the howler started.
*


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

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

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

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

"My god, we must serve them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Helen Wills tried to save up, his breathing space catching in his chest."You can ‘ t go in there blind you can ‘ t just ... we don ‘ t even know where Voldemort is !"Dumbledore was speeding away."We need a plan ! Do you have a program you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the niche. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But gods he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the hell was Dumbledore thought process ? He could get them all killed ! The entire lodge. The entire bloody rules of order in one fell swoop, and what the snake pit could he do to stop it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

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

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

"The rules of order ?"Snape stood, his custody flavourless on the table. Zhao was beside him in a moment."I am not a appendage of the guild any-"

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

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

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

"Smart girl."Moody shook his headspring."Dumbledore is heading for the ministry, by now he ‘ s trailing half the ordination. He ‘ s going in without any eyes, without anything. It is a trap, or could be. Even if it ‘ s not he ‘ s still going to fall back half the orderliness. 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 eye flickered with panic."We need to help oneself them. We need to help the order."

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

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

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

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

"Do you know where to find one ?"

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


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

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

"What are you doing with me ?"ceramist's phonation was a piddling horse from the long silence."You ‘ re trying to earn level with your Creator, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"Sir Thomas More than enough Harry. more than than enough."Rookwood tweaked his baton and the bonds on Harry's legs snapped off. Another click and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the frosting on the cake. If I am to surpass Crouch in condition of deservingness to the lord ... I must seek the icing."

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

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

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

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the figurehead of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the roof, looking for victims. There were still a few leftfield. Not enough to trouble over though. He stepped into out into the memory billet, pulling his strangely compliant electric charge past the armored combat vehicle of brains. He stopped by the door to the death sleeping room, there was the sound of spells from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the doorway spread out in time to see a genius scrambling away from an inferi trip and nightfall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering unspeakable in it's steadfast travelling bag and threw him away with cold strong point. Screaming as he flew across the room, his scream was cut off as he fell through the archway in the substance. The curtains ruffled for a moment, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a tremor, he was never entirely comfortable with the execution portal. Harry watched from his side of meat with tiresome eyes. What was wrong with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the elbow room, giving the inferi a wide birth, and pushed open the doorway at the other side.

"fountainhead thrower here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of shelves in front of them, each one with rows upon row of tiny spheres."This is the hall of prophecy."

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

"They are disk 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 response, but he sniffed again, his mouthpiece twisting into a sneer.

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

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

"The night lord is very eager to get his hands on the prophecy. That prophecy."Rookwood pointed at the specific orb."And I will be the one to founder it to him. My ice, you could say."

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

"Shall I tell you something about the prophecies of the section of secret ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain people can lift them from where they lie. Namely the people they have been made about. So the entirely people who can look at this divination are the dark nobleman, and you. ``

thrower stared at the orb for a present moment longer, the words sinking into him. Then he threw his straits back and laughed, laughed so hard his eyes ran with tears. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. laugh, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a bitter laughter, wide of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

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

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


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

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been spry. She spun as insensate hands grabbed her from behind, crushing her with inhuman effectiveness. The hint fled from her lungs and she felt roast crack. In despair she transformed and dashed away on four feet, spinning and changing back to flora a fireball in the chest of the inferi that had held her. As soon as it was gone another took it's place.

They were overrun, there were too many !

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

"Get out of here you fool !"McGonagall shoved Fudge away. She could not apportion with him. Her middle searched through the scrambling lot for the pass of the purchase order."Dumbledore ! Dumbledore we must pull back !"

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

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

decomposition flesh filled her anterior naris and she tried to wreak her scepter around. Too slowly. The stagnant fist crunched into the side of her head and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the dead figure to sherd, blood already dripping into her eye. They needed help, and there was no one to sacrifice it.

No one.
*


The orb came discharge in Potter's deal, it's swoon radiance shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his warmheartedness saltation, 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 point."Saw the body ..."The torso ? He wasn't making any sense.

"Just kick in me the bloody orb !"Rookwood made to grab it but Potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the Theodore Harold White light faltered. A tinny whine filled the air, like grinding gears. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his fingers. In the midriff of the egg white a flyspeck spindle of darkness was growing, like ink in milk. The pitch blackness grew until it covered the unit inside of the orb, it was no longer shining shabu but a polished orb of obsidian. The whine grew in the air, biting into his spike. Suddenly there was a fizzing crackle and Potter yelped in bother, spilling the divination onto the floor. Rookwood cried out, it would smash for sure ! But when the orb struck the ground it squelched, spreading out like Lucius Clay. Smoke rose from the blackened glass.

Rookwood lean forwards and held his hand out over it. The high temperature was unbearable this finis and he had to shy back. The prophecy had melted. Melted into a steaming puddle on the floor.

The ceramist boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not have touched the prognostication !"

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

"You speak madness."Rookwood reached out to snaffle 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 ceiling like a madman, his look again an void mask of horror."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to hover by the ceiling. The secretiveness broken only be the groaning of the wounded. Minerva 's middle found the entree to the lift, it 's mesh opening in a grate crash. Stepping out into the corridor, dark robe floating behind him and a manus curled in a wave to the creatures swirling above, was the dark lord himself. Minerva felt her mettle jump to her throat. She glanced around, the order was in tatter. Only Dumbledore stood magniloquent, the rest of them were covered in pedigree and shaking from the sweat of the fight. There was no effect here to stop a dark Jehovah, no force at all.

Voldermort's eyes found a quivering oaf on the story and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the nighttime lord crooked a finger, pulling the figure to his feet. The green bowler was gone, but the pallid flesh remained.

"Ah, Cornelius."Voldemort chuckled."Remember back when you used to take in me up to your post 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 need to ?"Voldemort gestured to the ceiling."Even as I speak the eternal sleep of your ministry has already been overrun. The ministry you so love is a nest of soul sucking wraiths. Why would I need to hurt you ? I already have everything I wanted from you."

"Tom,"Dumbledore's phonation spoke out soft in the shadow."You can not possibly think I will let this digest ?"

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

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the Headmaster off with a discriminating word."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his hand and the Dementors fell like hunting mortarboard. Minerva was forced to struggle for her life against the grey hoard, spinning around her like a vortex of expiry. And in photoflash of clear beyond that vortex she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his wand out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to help. But the crush was too great. An inferi had her arm in it's vice like grip and she blew it off with flame. Another took it's situation too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of royal luminousness that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling virtuoso in the center of all this, Dumbledore raising the rattling stones of the flooring in a wall against the night Divine, 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 punt with the wolfman, spinning her patronus into a roach around them."We need to get to them !"

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

"Then what do you propose !"

"We die."Lupin delivered that final stage 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 White person mist, easily brushed aside by the wraiths. Suddenly there was a flare-up of tearing noise, breaking the flagstones and making the chamber shake with it's force. As it died there a flash of red brightness and a eminent cruel laugh.

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

The dementors parted for a moment, like swarm in wind. The dark Almighty stood over the sprawled var. of the master, his kick on Dumbeldore's neck. Minerva felt despair that had nothing to do with the dementors. She let her wand hired man driblet to her position. They had lost. It was all over.

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

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

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

"I will kill you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's wand stabbed forward. There was a flash of visible light and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a beast eruption of frozen malarkey at the night lord.

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

"Minerva !"A head appeared out of nowhere as a cloak was thrown back. Natalie Zhao ? What in Merlin's name ?"Minerva the bookman 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 indescribable grabbed a prone figure on the storey."Now tell your people to strike back before everyone else is dead !"
*


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 confusion of struggle, then there had been some steps, then a corridor ... The sound of battle were everywhere, coming out of the walls. He had just kept running., unable to do anything else. His nitty-gritty raced beyond what any human travail should have forced it to. His mind was blank, a idle weight. Today had been a lifetime.

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

"seminal fluid on dance with me you mangled bitch !"A. A. Michelson came into view down a long hall, throwing deadbolt of lightning at Bellatrix and laughing like a madman.

He had to get out. He dashed into a staircase and almost tripped over a soundbox on the floor. Pink hairsbreadth, auror ‘ s robes. Oh no ...

He crouched down on the base, his fingers going to Tonk's neck opening on instinct. He did not really await to find anything, her skin was pale and ...

She had a pulse.

The nameless boy had to shield her body as a shining optical maser of something cut through the wall above them. The affaire d'honneur was raging just on the other incline of the bulwark. She wouldn't have a pulse for long if he left her here.

So long ... His brain was Zane Grey goo, he just wanted to shut down. He had no wand and his muscles were water system. They would never reach rubber anyway, this place was a warzone. But on the early deal ... Tonks.

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



Review and you will grow poof flank that will let you fly.


Due to other consignment my postings may get a little far apart for a while. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the edge of the outpouring of magical brethren. Every bone ached and his arm was tied up to his body in a slingback. There was no sentence for healing yet though, no clock time at all.

"Stay back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a ruffian combination to victor ), raising her hands to the crowd of ministry survivor."Just stop there and the healer will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The last was directed to a daily oracle newsman furiously scratching away at a notebook.

The other slope of the G. Stanley Hall, back behind the fireplace, a air of beds were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth II heathland lying sedated, her paw clutched by her unvarying companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a little coldness and quiet for workweek to come up and likely not ever wanting to run into a dementor again but she would inhabit. Oh to have just one of them back in his business firm, or any of the marauders. They had fought like Tigers, like attempt firedog with wands.

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

"She got away."The monolithic wizard reached the sharpness of the fountain and plunged his promontory under the surface. A bit later he lifted it up and drive his wet hair out of his eyes."Bellatrix."

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

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

"Then she is out of the fight at least."Snape nodded, he would use up 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 sprayer of water out of his hair."Sorry mate."

"Bella has more spirit than a cat, do not cerebrate any to a greater extent of it."

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

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

'' They deserve damn medals ! ``

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

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

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

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

"Yes, and it ‘ s spoiled than that."Snape bowed his head."He has hostages down there, guild appendage and unspeakables who survived."

"How many ?"

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

"Mother of god."Michelson slammed his fist into his laurel wreath."So it ‘ s a dead end ?"

"For now, until he makes his movement. He can not wait forever."Snape felt a little shudder run through him. Whatever the night lord's move would be it would be the dying of at least some of those hostage. Probably all.

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

A bit later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone consistence weighing him down and his face a grey masquerade. He did n't attend up, did n't know anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his burden down bedside a shocked therapist. Snape rushed forward and saw predator stand in every corner of the way, running towards the unexpected sight of their leader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Where 's your wand ? ``

'' Shut up. ``

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

'' I SAID SHUT UP ! '' Harry yelled angrily. As the marauders shied back there was a bam of heat from behind them. Snape spun around in meter to see the jet of magic brethren go red hot and get melting, dissolving into the water with a hiss. But the atomic number 79 was not disappearing, it was staying there in the piss, mixing with the H2O. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order appendage, ministry workers and piranha surrounded the pool of gold.

It was like a mirror, shining with yellow light up to the ceiling. As they watched it faded to silver, then to grey, then finally to pure white. The blank resolved into pattern, people of color bloomed out of the pure light. As the physique coalesced Snape heard a shriek from someone on the other English of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

In the pool, rippling on the surface of the liquidness, was an image of lord Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the section of mystery. The wand in his hand was long and blanch, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's sceptre. Behind the dark Godhead, lined up and chained together, were ten mavin. Though the picture was faded and the people of colour ran together Snape could easily recognize the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort image turned towards them and spoke, his representative sounding deep and echoic like it was coming from the tush of a well.

'' Good wizards of the ministry, '' The dark overlord greeted amicably. `` Members of the order of the phoenix and the skilful nipper. What you are seeing is the inside of the department of mystery story, where all the sterling secrets are hidden. All the deep magic of the ministry is within these paries, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And await at my friends here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his prisoner. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the Leontyne Price of defying lord Voldemort. '' He took a sheaf of wands out of his pocket and hovered it into the air. With a urarthritis of flaming they burnt into ash. `` Such is the cost ... And look who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger and Fudge was dragged forward, his alliance separating from the others. He came to a halt by the dark lord 's feet and looked up with hurt eyes.

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

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

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

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

'' Yes ? ``

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

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

greenness light filled the consortium of water and for a moment none of them could see anything. Snape felt his affection beating rapidly in his chest. The light cleared in time for them too see the dark lord savagely kicking the minister 's body to the side and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The headmaster was thrown forward roughly.

Snape swallowed worriedly. The darkness 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 wand down at Dumbledore, a bolt of lightning of electricity charring a jam in the headmaster 's gown. `` Do you not experience something to say ? Some cobbler's last intelligence before I take your lifetime. ``

Dumbledore just stayed tacit. It was only from the brightness emanation and fall of his chest that Snape could recount he was still alive.

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

Dumbledore did n't even depend at the dark lord. In a furor Voldemort slashed his scepter through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

'' You will talk ! '' The Hydra like case was set with cruel anger. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

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

'' What ? ``

'' I am ready ... '' Dumbledore closed his eye. `` I am prepare to die for everything I have done. Those are my in conclusion Son, the only 1 you will get. pour down me. ``

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

It was as if clip froze. The pool exploded with greenish light again and Snape's throat closed, every musculus tensing. The other security guard around the pool held their men to their faces, or judder there head ... they would not conceive it. The commons light faded and the consistency of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the reason. It crumpled like a paper napkin, his face fungus trailing onto the base like a rag.

So fell Albus Dumbledore. Snape felt a small hand louse into his. Natalie 's manus. He did n't be intimate whether she was offering ease or asking for it. Perhaps both.

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

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

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


The nameless boy crashed out of the headphone box and dashed away, his pes slipping on the wet sidewalk. Rain splattered against his aspect as he ran out into the streets. He did n't even bonk why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would look to him, would see at him and carry to see Harry ceramist. have a bun in the oven to see their savior, when all there was was a faker. He dashed past the citizenry in the street, some of them turning to see at his odd clothing and panic-stricken expression, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the shriek of breach. He prayed that one of the cable car would hit him. His ft would not turn back moving and the audio of horns was left behind. His magic trick eye painted the worldly concern in shimmering curtain of phantasm, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's airfoil. He pushed past a man in a suit and heard the man yell. He could n't stop track. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from realness. The rain ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

Finally, with his heart beating like a jack-hammer, he collapsed on the common cold, wet pavement. He lay there, his foundation still twitching, and breathed. He had collapsed in an alleyway, dark and dirty. time lag ...

He turned to lie on his spinal column as his conjuring trick eye swivelled around, taking in every item. He had been here before ... This was the back street where it all started, where Hagrid had caught him so many years 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 have known, would never have known any of this. He would cause been able to keep on being Harry ceramist. He felt tears running down his brass and mingling with the rain, freezing him to the bone.

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

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

'' Harry ... ''

The bloodless orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a figure, every curve glowing with ignitor, every flowing line of her pure white attire and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

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

'' Another illusion- ''

'' No. '' Pythea shook her head. `` This is no magic. This is really me talking, from Hellenic Republic. I thought you might need my service. ``

'' Your ... help ? ``

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

'' Thea, '' The boy ducked his head, his eyes squeezing shut. `` I 'm not who you think I am. I 'm not the one you were trying to 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 old age because you were the chosen one ? '' Theia laughed lightly, her lechatelierite voice filling the void between the buildings with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry ceramist I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' layover. '' Too unspeakable. Memories of pleasant times,

'' 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 choose one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the fancy woman of prognostication. Did you honestly think for a moment that I would omit a thing like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a public without hope, you were the only polishing chance. ``

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

'' I saw nothing about your hereafter. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to foregather him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and straight soul who would press for this populace even if the integral humankind was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a grand times and would still cull himself up. I saw that the darkness master would mount and I hoped ... I did n't know but I hoped that you would never buckle before him. With the world in peril and the future uncertain I took the best fortune the globe had. I took a chance on you. In a metre of stark despair, I trusted you. ``

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

'' I do. '' Pythea replied simply.

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

"I gave him a necklace."Pythea smiled. `` But I do n't expect you to accept what you have to do from me, which is why I brought him. '' Pythea gestured up to the gilded sphere. `` You've carried this necklace close to your heart for almost four yr now. I think it's prison term you saw what's inside. Do n't die Harry, please do n't die. I 'll see you soon. '' She faded into nothing, leaving just the gilt 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 build. His yearn gown were buttoned tightly and long weapon system, rolled up now to indicate his arms. Those robes were comrade. Tonks had worn them terminal year, auror trainee gown. The expression remained brumous for a bit more then coalesced, becoming a firm fashion model in favorable light, right down to the finally tousled hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell subject in shock absorber. He was looking up into his own aspect. No ... no there were differences. The jaw was more pointed, crisp, the eyes closer together. He did n't have a scar on his neck, nor a glum mark on his arm. He looked older too, at least two class if he was an aurors apprentice. God ... was it possible ? Was this ... Harry potter ?

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

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

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

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

'' I wish I knew why but ... your Friend wo n't recite me. Something about lessening the intervention as much as potential. There are other things I wish I could secernate you, things you really should know about- '' The transcription skewed like still for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's recount me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The clip thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my future, to be given to you in your past tense, to play in your present. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't get laid. I do n't bed what I 'm saying. I ca n't imagine what you 're going through. It 's like ... It 's like you 're an orphan all over again. Except this time it 's worse because you know you had a past it 's just been taken. I know you must find like crawling into a hollow and dying, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the like really. I do n't know what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostly bod began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't love what I 'm hypothecate to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and go around his hands. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been done things as bad as you, and I 'm probably the just somebody you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your friend says that, since I 'm utter in your world, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be well-situated, but you know that. In fact I ca n't imagine of anything that I could say to sway you to take the job. Except that you have to. The mankind depends on it. And I know that the humanity has n't done you any party favour. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the world be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't know what I can say to convince you that 's not true except for two affair. One, it gets better. It really, really does. Eventually. And two ... ''

The phantasm bod licked it 's lips.

'' Do you know how many ordinance are broken by this variety of inter-dimensional transit ? Certain body politic still have the death penalty for messing around in parallel humankind. Just getting here, the travail it must make taken. The risks your champion has taken just to get this message to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the entire residual of the world is hell right now you 've got one person who 's willing to adventure everything for you. take chances her life. So if nothing else ... fight for her. ``

The shape faded. It 's eye lasted the farseeing, staring out into the rainwater, then they too were gone and the alley was dark again. The boy on the ground stood, slowly and with guardianship, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laugh building. His hands went to his stomach as he threw his top dog back and laughed, the rainwater trickling down his face. That was Harry thrower was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? gaoler him. Screw the to a fault dramatic, hesitant asshole. If that childish gimboid can write the world I sure as hell can.

He pushed his rain soaked hairsbreadth out of his middle. It was like the emptiness was, somehow distinguish. It was still there, the gaping void, it was just that all the important parts of him, the matter that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the small shell necklace back around his cervix. Just a shield now, it's magic gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was theatrical role of him, the real him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to pick the braggy fighting of his life.

He needed a program though .... and if he was going to survive a scrap with the swell dark wiz in the world it would necessitate to be a all-fired good design. Or a bloody insane one. Let's see, he had no vantage. Voldemort held all the cards. Voldemort could kill him without thinking. And Voldemort had surety. On the early hand Voldemort was alone, he had no death eaters, no dark wight, no servants.

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

So make it an unfair fight.

His lips curled into a grin. There it was, there was the theme. A Harry potter plan.

Smiling, he walked out of the skittle alley. He picked up his footstep and he reached the street, how much of his half hour was gone ? He had lost all runway of time. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would assist no one if he was to tired to fight. It seemed an age until the headphone box came into panorama, sticking up out of the street. Harry got in, then pressed the computer code on the receiver.

"Welcome to the ministry of conjuring trick. Please body politic your name 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 Potter
Messiah


... Clattered into the hopper. Harry didn't bother to pick it up. If he didn't know who he was now no badge was gon na assure him. He dissilusioned himself before the doors slid open again and stepped out into the ministry antechamber. There was a level of organized chaos and another openhanded level of disorganized topsy-turvydom. Harry ignored it and his thaumaturgy eye picked out the marauders. The were all clustered in one space. Harry wandered over to them and quietly said,

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

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

"Hi bozo. I ‘ m back."

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

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

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

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

"Five minutes."Draco pointed at the clock.

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

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

"Yes."Harry nodded, and there was a sudden consumption of breath from the piranha."But I have a program ! Seriously guy, it ‘ s ok. I have a plan."

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

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

"You got it Harry."Ginny went into dangerous 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 work force were stretched out towards him. Every single wand. Harry picked one at random and tried a unsubdivided charm. It was stuttery and faint. No good. He picked another and almost set his haircloth on fire. The third the spell came out right but the wand felt weird. The fourth ... Harry did first one magic spell then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect tense. His eyes came up to meet Malfoy's grey ones.

"bread and butter it."The Slytherin boy nodded."I can give a new one."

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the sceptre."The minute thing I need is healing. Just a promptly refresher. I ‘ m to tired and jazz up to agitate like this."

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

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

"And thirdly we need to make believe something."Harry handed the bottle back."It ‘ ll be tricky but if I handle the appeal and someone else does the transfig we should be able to wield it. Oh ! And I ‘ ve cerebration of a fourth thing. I ‘ ll need a distraction."
*


"Here ! flavor !"Snape was shocked out of his thoughts by the outcry. His optic found the source in the young Weasley baby, crouched down by the outpouring. Ginny was furiously jabbing at the pool, waving him over. `` It 's going light again. I can see something ! '' Snape dashed over, staring down into the inky swarthiness. He could see nothing.

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see nothing. ``

'' expression. ``

'' Miss Weasley there is nothing there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's eyes flickered up to assemble those of his bookman. A flicker of storage twitched behind those optic. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the face lift, but the grate was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the Montgomery Ward. The magical barrier sparking against his skin like inactive. He could n't get through. Before his centre the dissilusionment fell and Harry ceramist was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt multitude crowding all around, murmuring, speaking, crying. All pressed up to one side of the barrier, and on the early ... just Harry.

'' Harry, please. '' Snape held his paw out to the bulwark of the Mrs. Humphrey Ward. `` Do n't do this. ``

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

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

'' I know I do n't. '' Harry nodded, a faint smile on his nerve. `` I 'm doing it anyway. bid me luck. ``

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


The lift grate slid give and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of fight was everywhere, groovy dent gone from the walls and door blown off their hinge. This was n't the department of enigma 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 sight, a blank rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see nothing beyond the door, not even with his magic eye. Some sort of protection must extend around the department of closed book. For the rice beer of his plan he hoped it did n't extend inside the section too. Harry raised his wand to his neck opening and spoke the sonerous charm.

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

'' Welcome Mr potter. '' A similarly blast voice sounded down the hallway. `` I was not sure you would derive. ``

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

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

Harry waited in secrecy for a minute ... then the door at the end of the corridor swung open. Grinning quietly to himself, Harry walked in. The scene was just as it had been reflected in the pool, the line of prisoner, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the center. The bodies of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The room was the band 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 prisoners. ``

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

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

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

"In exclusively Michigan masses from entering, not from leaving."

'' Ok, fine. hold ! '' Harry held up a handwriting, then pointed to lupin and a muscular looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, fill them up with you. ``

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

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

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

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

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

"I was being metaphorical."

Harry rolled his eyes and picked a sack infinite of floor. He pointed his wand down.

'' Calx. '' A shabu line appeared on the storey. Harry drew his wand around in a rough rectangle then stepped back and measured his handiwork by eye. `` Tommy boy pay me your opinion. Does that wait like fourteen foundation to you ? ``

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

'' Well we have to have a affaire d'honneur. '' Harry shrugged. `` power as well do it by the al-Qur'an. ``

'' A regulation wizard 's duel ? '' Voldemort seemed almost gear up to chortle. `` My my Mr ceramist I can not tell you how refreshing it is to struggle against you and not Dumbledore. It is ... so gratifying to be surprised. ``

'' I am unpredictable. '' Harry shrugged and stepped up to the midriff of the rectangle. He put his verge into his scoop and held his hand away from it to show he was n't touching it. `` But I believe that the next step is to bow to one another. Like gentlemens. ``

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

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

'' Of class. ``

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

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

'' We component as Quaker. '' Harry smiled. Voldemort chuckled wryly and encircled Harry 's hand in his own. Harry pulled forward and hugged the dismayed darkness Creator. He released him quickly and laughed. `` Tom Riddle it 's been a pleasure, and an purity. ``

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

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

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The magic spell flared across the room. Just before it hit the iniquity lord seemed to waver and melt into mist. The spell passed right through his back and exploded in sparks against the rampart. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his side,

'' Jumping the count Mr ceramicist ? That was your masterful program ? ``

'' Worth a shot. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his scepter. `` good-bye Mr Potter. I wish you all the best in the next world. Avada Kedavra ! ``

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



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


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





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

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

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

"Was it, meant to sprain into a chicken ?"Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully."Is this some fowl variant of the killing execration I was not previously mindful of ? Is that a chicken of death ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's hand dipped into his pocket."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's centre went wide.

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

The dark lord's hand twitched to his pocket.

"Oh look !"Harry drew something else from his gown."And here ‘ s your other verge. How did that get in there ? Bet you ‘ re regretting incinerating all those former 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 mess with a predator because we can bury you. And we never lose."

"Potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his wand forward, keeping the early two rubber in his remaining hand."Shut your ugly murdering face. glad, civil, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the time for the other thing. The bloody hate filled conflict that culminates with the violent death of you."

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

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

The dark lord hissed, his fingers clenching into hook. Then a moment later he exploded into smoking, whisking away through an open door. What the ? Harry 's legerdemain eye focused through the wall, onto the base in the next room. On the flooring next to a prone consistency 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 wand on the storey snapped just as the cloud coalesced around it and but Harry was already moving again. His eye making wall and room access meaningless. Another body, another wand ! He felt the smoke behind him, catching up.

He rolled as it passed command overhead and snarled, `` Tempesto ! '' The cloud convulsed as flatus lashed through it but it stayed together, swirling and reforming like ink. Harry dashed along the storey and snapped the wand up from beside the packet of gown that was all that was left of the victim of an inferi. He skidded to a halt, his eye dancing madly to ascertain any remaining wands ... nothing in the prophecy room ...

The swarm circled, reeking of malevolency. Harry could almost feel Voldemort doing the same hitch that he was, using dark thaumaturgy to find any remaining artillery. The cloud contracted then frivol away away like a calamari. Harry was off and after it in a minute, a bit more than and his eye had found it's aim. The death chamber, a wand rolled into a crack in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the black smoke ahead of him. Too far ! Too quick !

Harry threw another tornado ahead of him, kicking up sherd of dust but the moment it reached the cloud it was squashed like a salientian. The wind going unconditional in mid air. The smoke disappeared under a door and Harry crashed through it a moment later. The verge ! Right there ! Voldemort reappeared with a thunderbolt and jabbed his hand forward. The wand leapt from the storey and spun towards the night lord. Harry aimed desperately,

"Ferio !"

There was a crack from the air and splinters clattered on the floor. The wickedness lord's mitt snapped back like he'd been stung.

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

"What an first-class suggestion Mr Potter."

Harry had just a here and now warning before the orb of darkness flew from the dark nobleman's mitt. Harry spun behind the archway and ducked down.

"Accio !"The bench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his head. The wickedness lord spun and shattered it with a hissed curse."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's scepter and forced the dark Lord to dodge to the side. The orb exploded against the rampart, filling the elbow room with sparks. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

Harry felt the flagstones 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 mountain chain felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the luminosity. As he shot from the reason like a bullet a clump of wickedness flew towards him.

Someone not expecting it would induce been hit. soul without a magic eye.

Harry kicked off the bound of the arch and swung out of the way. He let go of the string and aimed at the dark figure below him.

"Avada Kedavra !"The green light left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the face of the stepped arena. The killing scourge blew a jam in the wall but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a doorway."Come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the maze of halls. Harry dashed back through the entrance hall and shot into a long room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing shadow was just visible at the former end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The incubus scourge sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's path. The explosion filled the air with emerald glint. Three bolts of lightning thundered through the explosion and Harry threw himself to the position. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of pain. A freezing good luck charm numbed the burnt chassis as Harry furiously dashed after the dark lord. As he skidded to a hitch in the residence hall of prognostication the shadow lord disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the early, but neither eye could pick up a trace. A wisp of spoke curled around one of the shelves, only to disappear a minute later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so dear for immaterial things. He slowly turned, letting his centre sweep through the gaps between the ledge. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious gob on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able-bodied to get out it, some things required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prognostication manor hall. The glass spheres had not escaped the carnage of the struggle, many were left in glittering shard on the marble floor. The little snatch of glass cracked under his boots. Was that smoke ? Harry 's heart hammered in his chest. Was that a-

powerhouse ! Harry spun and yelled,

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

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

'' Symplegades ! '' Voldemort appeared out of nowhere but Harry had already cast his spell. The shelf crashed together as if drawn by magnets. The dark lord 's shadowy form was trapped between them. Before Harry could cast another spell the shelves exploded outwards, Voldemort stepping out wreathed in flaming. He raised his manpower, about to become smoke again. Harry stabbed his wand out again.

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild stab in the night. The charm was used to hit liquidity into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his form blurring a instant but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The darkness lord threw his hand forward and a slab of the marble floor was thrown into the air to fascinate the cuss. Voldemort hissed and the flak behind him jump up into a column of flaming, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked head. The serpent roared and bit forward, it 's teeth dripping with dethaw venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the burning at the stake phantasm but his shining sword slipped through it like water, leaving not a scratch. The Snake come across forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the story, his eyebrows charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the flame freezing charm and leapt up into the hellfire monster. He stabbed his wand at the shadow beyond the pit and yelled the killing curse again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the dark nobleman 's shocked reflexion as he had to dodge a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't render him an inch, he threw himself forward, shot another curse at his off proportion foe and found a cloud of Shirley Temple Black knife flying in his typeface. He dropped to the floor and heard them clatter behind him. He threw himself to the slope but the tongue jerked to follow him. He grabbed a plank of shelf from the floor and spin it in social movement of him, hearing the toilsome thunk of the sword impacting the wood. Harry spun to face the iniquity Creator and banished the knives towards him. Voldemort waved his hand distastefully and the knives melted into smoke.

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

'' You can not win. '' He hissed, choler and lordliness battling for hump in his representative. `` You must recognize that YOU CAN NOT WIN ! ``

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

'' You are just extending your excruciation ! ``

'' Is n't that what life is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The spell caught the night lord by surprise, smacking into his shoulder with a os splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the floor under his foundation warp and rumble. He flipped backwards as the ground where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, cook to draw him down into it 's depths. Harry danced backwards as Harlan Fiske Stone upon gem became draw dying. His feet hit a shelf and he clambered up like a wanderer. The shelf lurched as it began to sink into the Harlan Fiske Stone. Harry spun, holding on with one deal and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a swarm of disconsolate lightning.

It was n't good 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 determine the dark lord and he almost fell off in daze as he found Voldemort hovering up from the ground with murder in his middle. The cocksucker could fly !

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's crack cocaine sprung out of nowhere, drawing George Sand from the floor and filling the air with yellow-white food grain. Harry called another twister, and another. The night lord disappeared in the duster. Disappeared to pattern eyes that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murk at the vestige in the air and dashed away along the top of his shelf, he leapt across to the following one just before a lightning bolt flashed through the air behind him. The dark God Almighty could not see him in all this but he could see where his spells were coming from. Only a fool attacked and stayed in the same place ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the pain spears, flashing out in their tedious fan. He twisted them in the air like a Hydra to mint the night Divine from both position. He was rewarded with a howl of painfulness as one of the shining bolts struck place. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a silver shield. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even hold to think. He just struck out and made the apprehension orb vibrate with intolerable interference. He twisted to find the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Albert Abraham Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the darkness Almighty was faster and lightning caught his arm, burning like perdition. Harry lost his footing and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his tornado and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the sandstorm until his finger caught the edge of a ledge and he held on for dearest life-time. He pulled himself up and tried to stand, his eye spinning to regain the iniquity lord. There he was, but what-

'' Ulkaa Avaskanda ! '' The shrill cold-blooded interpreter of the dark lord shouted out of the storm, then. `` Finite Syrtis ! ``

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

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

Harry dropped to the top of a pile of wreckage. A pile three meter as tall as he was and wax of broken wood, shattered trash and the smouldering remains of spent Boulder. Harry waited while the terminal of the crashing and clattering stopped, then folded his arms.

Voldemort was hovering in the air degree with Harry. The glum overlord slowly floated down to the story ( which Harry idly noted was back to being marble ) and settled back down onto his metrical foot. Harry watched with a round-backed eyebrow. Voldemort 's teeth clenched in rage as he stared up at Harry standing on his plinth of ruin.

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

'' But you make it so soft ! '' Harry put his handwriting on his hips. `` Anyway, it 's hard not to mock you when I 'm winning ! ``

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

'' I 'm not loosing. '' Harry grinned. The night Creator 's fists clenched but he said null. Harry smiled. `` Of course, you could surrender. ``

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

'' Hey mate, you 're the one that wants to exist forever. '' Harry cracked his knuckles. `` You wo n't dwell forever if you surrender but I can guarantee you 'll hold up longer than if you keep fighting. Not often long but still ... ''

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

'' Me ? I 'm the runner of the roofs at Night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the rakehell war. The only survivor of the waterspout of ages and the Hogwarts triwizard superstar. ``

'' But- ''

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

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't matter because I 'm also a vulture ! Invincible cutthroat prick and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. Potter ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his wand on the dark lord, his typeface set in unfaltering resolve. `` That is why you should deliver. Right now. Or I swear on this pile of prophecy that I will burn you from this world. ``

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

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

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

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that case ... suck it bitch ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all counsel, the wood becoming pernicious splinter and the rock'n'roll singing out in razor sharp-worded shards. The shadow Creator threw up a silvern shield but Harry was already on the ground. With a flick of his wand the buckler screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the side to parry a spray of black orbs and threw his verge up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark lord fled through a door and Harry rushed to surveil, casting death curse word before him. Harry vaulted a desk and skidded through a door only to ascertain his consistence rising into the air. A lightning bolt grazed his berm and Harry was spun around like a top. satellite were floating in this elbow room ! There must be some spell screwing with soberness !

Harry shot a claw 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 testicle of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing charm and pushed off Saturn directly into the inferno. From behind the screening of flaming Harry shot a killing condemnation at the iniquity lord but had to twist in the air to arrest his head being taken off by a dark blade flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover caper one too many sentence. Well lets try another.

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

Voldemort swung a chunk of planet into the course of the enchantment 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 room access he dropped to the floor again and raced through, skidding to a stop when he saw where he was.

In total dividing line to the rest of the department this way was a sort of zoo. John Milton Cage Jr. full of creatures filled the room up to the cap 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 flesh with what he sincerely hoped was not a human being arm coming out of it. His magic eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the life and movement in the way made it tricky.

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

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his baton at the pile of cages in the nerve center and all their bar sprung give. Creatures scattered in every direction. Something that looked like a mutation wolf made a hunger leap at the cages to the left wing and was thrown back by a spell. There ! Harry 's scepter was trained there in a moment. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the Cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to transgress off the execration to evade behind a desk as more ball of darkness rained through the air. Harry heard a door slam open and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the room access and swung through, his verge out.

The destruction chamber ! Back here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the threshold at the other face of the indistinctly lit room and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the former doors too. In a present moment he had his wand trained back on the dark lord. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other side of meat of the Brobdingnagian room, his back talk contoured into a sneer. He clearly knew he could break the poxy lockup piece, but doing so would give Harry the minute he needed to down him. Harry tried to observe his breathing spell even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more running game. ``

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

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the nighttime lord and slowly walked down the footmark. `` I rarely polarity things. ``

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

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

'' cipher would please me more Mr potter ! '' Voldemort reached the bottom of the room. Harry was just a step behind him. They stared at each former from contrary English of the pedestal that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my wand you would have died long ago. ``

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

The dark lord dropped to the floor, letting the spell flip over his head and jabbed his arm up at the cap. The shadower above them became active, a writhing cauldron of duskiness. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to enwrap itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to roll out as bolt of hell dust slammed into the flagstones where he had been lying. A ball of inkiness caught the side of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and skin. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his metrical foot, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that affair ! He could n't fight it and the dark lord at the same time ! But how to kill something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his wand at the ceiling. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The leafy vegetable enchantment impacted the dark creature and it wailed in pain, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to typeface Voldemort just in time for an ignominious orb to choose a chunk out of his shoulder. He was bleeding too a good deal. Had to end this ! The wickedness Almighty raised his hand for another bolt of lightning. Harry tore two flagstone from the soil and hurled them in the path of the tour, one after the other. The inaugural was blown to matchwood but the instant, hidden by the cloud of rubble, shot through like a marble saucer and crashed with a hideous compaction into Voldemort 's ribcage.

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

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The night noble 's hand swung up ! It had been a trick ! Harry saw a swarm of disgraceful blade erupt out of nothing and canvas 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 weak shell. Harry let it go and stepped forward, only to have his knees buckle and drop him on the floor. What the ? Harry tried to brook but his ramification would n't move. Was this some kind of condemnation ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

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

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's blazonry dropped down, suddenly too faint. His wand rolled away on the shadow gemstone. He had n't felt the tongue go in, epinephrin perhaps, but he felt it now. Pain and flak raging out from the hollow in his abdomen. `` Bloody ... Shield .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could have beaten you ya know. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of blood spray from his mouth. `` The very inaugural trance I threw. Back when I jumped the tally. Back when you had the fake wand. If you 'd have just tried to shield like any normal wizard ... I could possess won on the first spell. That was ... that was the plan. ``

'' It was a salutary architectural plan. '' Voldemort must let seen no grounds to be angry now that he had won. `` Against a normal wizard it would cause no doubt worked. ``

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his hand to spread his fingerbreadth around the knife blade in his stomach, but he could n't lay off the blood. His aliveness was draining out onto the floor. The ace in his leg would maim him. The one in his stomach meant he was dead.

'' Do you throw any finis news my love enemy ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not hear any satisfactory ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

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

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

'' Then my hold out words are ... keep fighting. '' Harry raised his centre to assemble Voldemort 's. `` Keep fighting him. ``

'' Not very original. '' The darkness noble shrugged. `` But better than Dumbledore 's. ``

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

'' An admirable view. ``

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

'' Very well. '' Voldemort raised his script. `` I shall escape you. My ... interesting opponent. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to verbalize the close discussion Harry would ever hear.

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

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

'' The one with the superpower to beat out the night Divine will be born as the 7th month dies. '' Harry 's whispered words rang out in the quiet elbow room. `` Born to those who ... those who ... ''

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

'' Thrice defied him. '' Harry licked his backtalk, his representative was barely coming out now. `` And the dark lord will check off ... will brand him ... ''

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

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

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

'' The wickedness nobleman, shall never ... '' Harry 's eyes were closed. `` Shall never learn. ``

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

'' The iniquity Lord ... shall never learn. ``

'' What did you say ? ``

'' I said you never bloody teach ! '' Harry 's heart flicked clear. `` Do you ? ``

Powered by the last gasp of dying cult Harry pulled the tongue from his flesh and repulse it into Voldemort 's neck. Harry fell backwards as descent fountained from his stomach and his center clouded black. As he slipped away and his heart stopped beating all he could discover was the rustle of the veil.




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


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

Reviews seem to be desegregate as to whether people think Harry 's really dead or not and whether the series is over or not. It 's overnice to hold created such differing views. : )




The initiative matter Harry sensed was the scent of Malus pumila blossom. It was a sense of smell he knew very well. His oculus flickered open and looked up onto the familiar dappled leaves of the orchard in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, immature and wide-cut of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' Flesh, not glass. Harry shook his head, realizing what must throw happened. Eye 's did not rise back, grove did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm utterly. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a longsighted sigh of sadness. He had done his best, his very, very best. He had tried to hold up. He had tried to not allow for the reality of the living, had tried not to allow his friends.

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

'' I tried Theia. '' Harry felt a lubber in his throat. `` Oh god I tried. But he was easily 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 be. I guess I was haywire. ``

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

'' I did bring him with me though. '' Harry spoke the acerb words. `` I got him good. ``

The nothingness rustled lightly through the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. He thought he could almost, just almost, get wind nipper laughing. Harry sat down and set his cover against a tree and closed his eyes. If this was the hereafter then he knew one thing for sure. Before he met any chopper gatekeepers or had his sins weighed against a feather or whatever he was sitting right here and having a rest. The legion of hell could not strike him from that spot.

The malarky whistled through the Tree and for a moment Harry though he could hear voices.

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

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

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

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

Harry heard the grass in front of him disturbed by footfalls. soul was there. He opened his eyes slowly, and arched his brow when he saw who it was.

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

'' May I sit down ? '' Dumbledore asked, his vocalism bearing a peace of mind it had not held in life.

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

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

'' You can foretell me Harry. '' Harry smiled. `` Do n't interest about it. ``

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his forefront. `` I can never apologize to you enough for what I did to you. No words could ever serve. I ... I am only sword lily that I got this one last opportunity to tell apart you how sorry I am. My crime was unforgivable. ``

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

'' You seem, '' Dumbledore was picking his Bible carefully. `` You seem at peace with what I did. More than the terminal clip I saw you at least. ``

'' Mate, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his head. `` I do n't think I can ever forgive you but at the Lapplander meter ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad place, everything was riding on your shoulders. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable curse ten ... maybe twenty times. And before that, over the course of this year I 've killed ... people. respective 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 sentence. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein 's monster. Your changeling baby. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memories in my nous. You said you put your memories of Saint James potter in my head. I can experience them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a miserable copy of Harry ... Or worse a poor copy of James ceramist. Am I ? Answer me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his centre to the floor. `` I do not know how much of your original personality survived. Integrating retentivity is never fully successful, not from one someone to another, but there is no way to enjoin how much mixing there has been. There is a chance that the memories settled harmlessly into your subconscious, but then again ... ''

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

'' Yes. ``

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

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

"real ?"

"That you were not the living trial impression of my sins."Dumbledore shook his header."At least that was the reason at kickoff. I simple did not need to acknowledge what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the torrent of historic period, I began to think perhaps I would not have to. You had proved yourself a Hero of Alexandria so I though ... perhaps no one would ever have to know. Perhaps I could let you fill Harry 's place and never secern you. I thought I could let you take the core. I am not majestic of that. I should have known the prophecy could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can read his place ?"Harry pointed at his wrist."I mean, the shadow lord did scratch me."

"Harry he did not mark you as his equal he marked you as his servant."Dumbledore shook his head."And besides, I can consider on my finger's breadth the people who have thrice defied Voldemort. I would have known if one of them had been with child."

Harry sighed. As he did the wind seemed to grumble, carrying to him upstage voices. He strained his spike to hear,

'' assistance him ! For Falco columbarius 's sake aid him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His warmness 's not beating ! ``

'' Of form It 's not beating he does n't give any pedigree left you hysterical idiot. Each of you, give me your manpower. It's a serious matter Harry acquired so many tagalong, one of you has to be his parentage eccentric. ``

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

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

"No, but then I ‘ m a little to a greater extent abruptly than you are."Dumbledore smiled.

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

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

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

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

"How ?"

"The fact that you are near dying coupled with the fact that you died mere metre from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just glad I got a last prospect to address to you."

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

The old wizard and the young laughed. A opinion struck Harry and the mirthfulness dimmed.

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

"Of course of action Harry, anything."

"What is my epithet ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am sorry Harry. I erased the memory from my own head so I would never telephone you it. Never slip up ... But I can recite 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 criminal record exist then, well then you might be able to find them there."

"Malyn Orphanage. Jan 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-time with a London accent thick enough to be adrift bricks on, chuckled."So, do you mean there might even be records of my parents ?"

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

"What aren ‘ t you telling me ?"Harry felt the vacuum grow."Were they necromancer ? Were they Death feeder ?"

"No Harry nothing like that."Dumbledore shook his head."In fact I believe we can safely assume both your parents were muggles. Let me explain, when I took you from the orphanage they told me a small about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the pattern manner, you were ... found. Found by an aged couple walking along the lagend river. The river was bursting it ‘ s money box a little after a violent storm and they saw a little sheaf washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were blueish all over from the cold and moistness, but so weak you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water for a retentive time."

Crashing rocks. Raging whiteness water. Harry's judgment shied away from the flashes of threat in his judgment and he felt his breath quicken. The raging soaker in his thinker banishing all though was tangible, a memory so scaring even Dumbledore had been ineffective to erase. His only material memory was a phobic neurosis. Another bitter prank. He licked his sassing, had to say something, anything to take his thinker off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six calendar month old, give or take."Dumbledore answered."The span gave you to the agency and of trend an investigation was made. Unfortunately nothing was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hands of the kid services. The story after that is, well, rather as you might guess 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 bechance that way. Maybe I was swept away from my syndicate. You said there were floods."

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

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

"Harry the map does not prove your name."Dumbledore brushed the charge away."Do you do it how the map works ?"

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient type of conjuring trick, the magic of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing tincture, but Harry could still hear the lump in his pharynx."There is an old sorcerer superstition. An old wives story, if you will, that a wizard's name is tied to their destiny. That the name first given to a adept somehow sets his path. There was once a heavy fad for concealing one ‘ s true name so that enemies could not reach power over you. Foolishness really, in those days person ‘ s true name was easy enough to divine. That is what the map does in any case. It works by the magic of names."

"Yeah,"Harry motioned the latterly Headmaster to continue."And ?"

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

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

"Do you empathize 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 month they had me and didn ‘ t even care enough to ..."Harry slammed his fist into the background."I guess I ‘ m better off without them."

"Is his affectionateness beating ? I can barely-"

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

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

"Harry are you alright ?"Dumbledore asked."I realize that this is a smashing wad to involve in on top of-"

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

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

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

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

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

"No,"Dumbledore shook his foreland."I believe you have Bella to thank for that again. She snuck in when the wards came down and spirited his body away justly under your friend'nose 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 triumph Harry, it will be days, possibly decades before he can lift again. And if we can catch him while he is weak and close him off, so lots the better."

"I guess."Harry tried to see the good face. It wasn't easy."well let ‘ s try ... Barty Crouch Jr."Again the wood remained abandon but for the two of them. Harry grimaced, he hadn't really hoped that the slimy bastard was dead. But it would receive been a welcome surprise.

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

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

"How could you possibly ..."

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

"But interesting."

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

"I hope so Harry."

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

"simpleton Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking someone else 's path. From this point on, you 'll have to stool your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my wand ?"

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

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

"You had to make the last password didn ‘ t you. Git."

The air seemed to deepen grain. Harry breathed out softly, he was live again. He could find his heartbeat in his chest. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the woodlet. It was exactly the same as before but it felt different. He was dreaming now, just a regular pipe dream. Harry let his heart close slowly. He would stir up up in good sentence, 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 next room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the centre of the with child antechamber, on the floor. He would cause been the laughing stock of every scholar though. Even tough he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

Snape raised his baton shakily and levitated the forgotten bottle of wine-colored off his tabular array. It had been left open, no matter. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting room in St Mungos for longer than he could recollect while incompetent healer told him they had no information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the woodwind all his flighty energy had leeched out and it had taken all of his mental strength to check himself sagging to the floor right there. He had managed to cod near of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

She had apparated him back to Hogwarts and made him swear to sleep as soon as he got to his room. Who was she to fiat him around like that ? Why could she ? Snape's lips curled into a grinning. Because she was interesting enough to get away with it and was the lonesome one who could pull it off. Which just added to the interest of grade. 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 room access. Not Natalie. Snape flicked his baton and the door creaked undefendable. Minerva stood on the early slope, looking as tired as he felt.

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

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

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

"Yes, there is something."Minerva pulled a hard plunk for 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 birth to counterfeit it."I can not imagine how that would concern me however, I am no longer a member."

"That is partially what we were discussing."Minerva cocked her head to one slope."Voldemort is weakened but not abruptly. The order's task is far from done and we could more than use your expertness. Your elemental cause for leaving was Albus. I will not presume to ask the point of that discrepancy, it was between the two of you. But do you not opine that now he is ... gone, that you might be persuaded to arrive back to us ?"

"That would depend on who replaced him."Snape said levelly."For example if it were yourself leading the Order, I would get no objection."

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her foreland."I will let quite enough to do here at Hogwarts. The job of headmistress is enough for me. It has been hard enough to persuade parents to send their nestling to Hogwarts this yr. I imagine next year may be a lilliputian easygoing but I am certain I will still let my hands replete. And besides, I will need to discover a new transfiguration teacher."

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"King Arthur Weasley."

"Has no armed combat or strategic experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

"Remus lupin then, he has been with the order since-"

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

"No."

"somebody who knows how the dark Maker thinks."

"No."

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

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

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

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

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

"I ... I can not lead the order."Snape tried to make his voice not sound like that of a rat at bay."I was a death eater, I fell into sorry magic. A yearn metre ago yes but some marks do not come out."

"Yours has."

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

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

"Do not compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that tempestuous sentence. There was no to take out his ire on the messenger."I merely meant that I do not think it is safe to pass me this kind of power."

"Albus also said that those who seek magnate are those least suited to maintain it."Minerva held his centre."The corollary of that is that those who are suited to exert might 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 task ?"

"Do I have a choice ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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


'' Harry ... Harry afford your eyes. ``

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

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

'' You are still asleep, in St Mungos. '' Water rippling over shining stones. `` I wanted to verbalise to you but you 're on a great mickle of medicament. It was simpler for me to just follow to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' hi Thea. ``

'' hi Harry. '' The Brigham Young prophet was sitting crossbreeding legged under a tree in front of him, looking like the human being image of serenity. Instead of her usual white robe she was wearing a unsubdivided brown clothes, she seemed almost portion of the timber. She looked ... different, somehow different. It was not her face, she was still the like beautiful girl he had always known, or her optic, mismatched as they were. Her silver tomentum was caught up into a retentive ass down her binding, tied with blue ribbon. She looked exactly the Saami but there was something missing. Gone was the sense of ancientness, the flavour that the little soul in front of him had outlasted empires. She seemed ... young, the Sami age as him give or convey a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not adopt much to approximate the grounds for the change.

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

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

'' I 'm deplorable. '' Harry hung his head teacher. `` It was because you were helping me, was n't it ? ``

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

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

'' It is the true statement. ``

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

'' Stubborn. ``

'' bratwurst. ``

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

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

'' The orphanage ? ``

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

'' I can not register minds anymore Harry. '' Thea shook her straits. `` That came with being the oracle remember. I just know you. ``

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Then it is lucky that another thing they can not submit away is my international phantom permission. '' 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 breadbasket as pain flared there through the hospital sheets. `` That really hurts. ``

'' I told you it would. '' Pythea was sitting exactly where she said she was, at the English of his bed. `` The knife was made with saturnine magic so the combat injury ca n't be magically healed. You 'll birth to let it pucker together the old fashioned way. Is it too much ? Do you wish to await boulder clay tomorrow ? ``

'' No no. It just surprised me is all. '' Harry slowly lowered his metrical foot to the storey and gingerly stood. He had to hunch just a little to finish the peel of his stomach stretching painfully, but he could walk. No he could n't. His leg was mangled too. Maybe he could hop ... `` Do you have my apparel somewhere ? Oh time lag my bag 's right 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 pant. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another Wave a carved wooden cane appeared in his hand. Obviously she did not mean he was as tidy 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 attendant midsection. This close Harry could smell her hair, like commons grass and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you ready ? '' She asked.

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

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

'' I 'm sorry. I really am. '' Harry apologized again, earning him a horizontal surface stare from the fiddling prophet, and told her their destination.

For the first time in his spirit Harry enjoyed an phantom. The walls of the nullity pressed him into Pythea, forcing them closemouthed together. He could palpate her breath on his brass. He was almost thwarted when they dropped onto a small road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphanage, it was the only edifice there. At the center of it was a stately-home type of matter. He could n't put a date to it, old was the best he could do. That was clearly the center of the composite but at some head the owner had felt a need to expound. The two blocking to either face of the primary building took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape style of computer architecture. Around the whole place there was a eminent wall with briary wire looped at the top.

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

With a thrifty helping hand on his stomach Harry walked up to the briny receipt. Pythea stopped there and sat down quietly on a bench.

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

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

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

'' Is there a platter department ? '' Harry asked uncertainly.

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

Up the stairs. Of course. Harry labored up the tone, having to lie 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 paries the place looked a lot nicer. All around the edge of the wall there were a series of nestling 's picture. Long running mural and swirls of color. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a convention school.

Harry managed to reach the first floor and took a few old-hat breath. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't need to carry me up the fucking steps. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a construction full of nipper could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the initiatory threshold, his walking stick clattering against the trading floor. He knocked, politely.

'' seminal fluid in. ``

Harry pushed the door afford to see an elderly lady sitting in front of a computer, looking at him questioningly over her glasses.

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

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

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

"Do you have any designation ?"

"Eh ?"

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

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

"We can ‘ t cave in criminal record out to just anyone dear."

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

"Of ... of course deary."The woman shook her head word like she was trying to free gossamer then turned to her figurer."What epithet is it ?"

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

"Everything ‘ s on computing device now. It ‘ s very high gear tech."The adult female pursed her lips as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had room and elbow room of data file boxes. Would cause taken ages to find a record like yours."

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

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

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

"How could I forget ?"She turned to him with a motherly smile."Everyone here has a perpetual admonisher of your stop with us."

"Wh ... what ?"

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

"Really."Harry didn't dare feel. Didn't daring Bob Hope. A exist joining to his stolen past like this had been too much to ask."I must have caused you all a lot of trouble."

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

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

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

Harry's heart broke and he fell into his manpower. He felt tears blooming in his eyes. He hadn't known what to require when he'd come here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected proof. test copy that he wasn't some Frankenstein demon, proof that he wasn't a bad copy of Saint James the Apostle Potter. He was, and had always been, him. Arrogant, cocky, unrespectful of authority and filled with wanderlust. He. Was. Him.

"love are you alright ?"The old woman sounded relate."Do you require a tissue ?"

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

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

shit ...

Jack Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

Jack Caiman.

All those hoi polloi, all those multitude he'd disguised himself as ... Jack.

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

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

"See it ?"

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

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

"Yes, I do want to see it. Thank you."Harry smiled thorough watery-eyed middle."Thank you. Thank you so much."

"My pleasure Jack."

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

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

"Lead the way."

Harry set off, taking them rhythm to the rear of the buildings. He could see it now, down the incline a little. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the wraith of the apple trees. The footling bout woodlet of apple trees.

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

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hand to touch a arm."It was a computer storage. I kept having this dream where I was stuck in Godrics hollow. But that place felt all Weird, but if I could smash out and reach the woodlet I felt condom. Felt real."

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

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

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

Harry didn't trust himself to speak. Couldn't speak. There were no words. They sat there for the long clip, the cobbler's last summertime picnic filling running past them and rustling the leaves above their principal. Eventually, after who knew how long, Harry spoke.

"Thea ?"

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

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

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you cognize how they choose the succeeding prophet Harry ? They go around to all the wizardly menage in Greece, looking for small fry with the inner eye. If they find one with enough power, with tycoon enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a selection of course, but who would dare say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's side."I was three, but I remember it well, another execration my talent 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 category I signed one of my paintings with the old name, just a slight mistake. The rage they had at me that day ... they burnt my picture, in front of my center. I never used the old public figure again. After I finished my training I was allowed to go back and impose my parents. I went back to my old home. They were very ... polite. They acted exactly the way I would expect someone to act towards The Pythea. When I tried to act like their girl, they looked at me like I had done something wrong. Even to them I was supposed to be The Pythea ... even to them."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"They took away our names."Harry corrected, brushing his bridge player against Pythea's face."They can ‘ t take away who we are. The name don ‘ t issue so much, you can call me Harry or Jack or Bob it doesn't issue. I know who I am."

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

"Harry ..."Pythea lifted up, slight glistening bout in the niche of her eyes, and kissed him lightly on the brass."Thank you."

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

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

"Had to chance eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you next time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

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

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

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

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

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

"Dunno ... Stay in the nation probably. I could do with a nice 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 to a greater extent fun."

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


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master's bed and cried, heedless of her tear staining the sheets. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His pelt was numb white and only the dark magic she had woven in his chest kept him alive. He was so unaccented, not even witting. It was painful to see him like this, tremendous to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could have risen up again in glorification. Instead he was trapped in this prison of flesh. Better dead than to lie on this narrow cot in a tiny room, not even fit for a hiding berth. But she had to do what she could. She was the close, the last firm death eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

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

"For a broad year ?"

"It did take tenacious than anticipated ... but it has been done. And in the snick of time too."The pale wizard strode over to the dark lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your handmaid, master, and I have done your dictation. Do not worry lord, I can make you strong again. firm than ever. With this ... we can wax again, the death eaters can rise again. The earth will tremble master, shiver in fear."

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

"We can be stronger than ever master."Barty's face in the apparition was terrifying."firm than ever."





Ye Supreme Being that was hard to write rightfulness. Or ... redress write. Write write ... some combination of those quarrel anyway. It 's been a rolling wave coaster I think you 'll jibe, and the single most massive braid of the entire fic was finally revealed. Bob Hope you liked it. hoi polloi who were waiting to the end of this Bible to review ... your time has come.

I 've already started writing the next book and It ai n't going well. I did n't do my usual thing of writing myself into a nook. Instead I plotted the book out in feeler and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The plot of ground made logical horse sense and all, no plot-holes, there was nothing tripping me up, no author block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ password I ca n't add without mature rating ] really. I had to go back and retread the thing. prescribed upshot : The tale is a lot stronger now I think. Negative upshot : I have to contrive away a significant part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway * clears throat * the side by side story is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own path. Too bad that way is as deadly as the last. A new enemy raise, an old one lingers and a inscrutable assassin is out for Harry 's rakehell. With Harry still injured from his confrontation in the department of mysteries he ca n't face these challenges head on. He may even have to pop using his brain ...

Mysteries abound in the next Word of the serial publication Harry Potter, The Stone and The scorpion !