Thanks to all the people who reviewed the final chapter. Your various substitution of the general `` What the F*** ! ? ! Update now ! '' Were most appreciated. I feel kind of bad for jumping a twisting like that on you after 40 chapters. variety of deceitful. Good to make love the legal age of mass appreciated it.



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

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

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

"You won ‘ t be capable to contend Voldemort."Padma tried a different tack."I ‘ m not saying you ‘ ll have weeks like you ‘ ve been going all year. You ‘ ll have calendar week in this hospital bed, not capable to move, eventually you won ‘ t even be able to verbalise. You won ‘ t be able to kill Voldemort. You won ‘ t be able to be the chosen one."

Harry flinched, pain running across his jade face.

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

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

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

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

What had Dumbledore said to him ...
*


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

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

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


Dragon slapped the sore skin of his arm to try and stay awake. It had been burnt in the struggle, but it was fine now. Just enough residue red and pain to help him stay alert. He swung his weary optic around the wait elbow room, all of the marauders were here. near of them had finally succumbed to slumber, Dragon didn't blame them. It was hard to opine that the deathly midnight ravishment on the creature ship had been just lastly Nox. They had been worn out, weary down. genus Draco pinched his arm again. He wondered if there was anywhere he could see some tea. The tea shop was closed but surely the healers had a staff room or something. Maybe he could ask one.

Or maybe he could just hang asleep.

Dragon shook his header. Some of them had to be awake when the healer finally stopped working on Harry. He shuddered, they had already been at it for hours. How many ... addition .... had Harry made ? He glanced around the elbow room again. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Even Ginny, who seemed to induce nodded off in the act of pinching herself. They had all been there all night, no one had collected them. He supposed it was only a matter of prison term before a teacher or an purchase order member came to wrangle them up and drop behind them back to Hogwarts, where they would no dubiousness stay. Chained to posts like frank so they couldn't run off again.

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

"Is there any newsworthiness ?"Draco asked.

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

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

"fountainhead we ... we removed several particular from the physical structure of your friend."The poor healer swallowed nervously."We found a drop-gem embedded in his sternum. There was also something in the wall of his stomach. We think it may have been designed to belie poisonous substance but it seems to have had the opposite essence. It was the source of his malady. We also found-"

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

"His ... his eye."The healer paused."His eye had been removed too long ago, there is a enceinte deal of scarring. Unfortunately we were unable to reestablish it. We are currently looking into whether the induction he has is high-pitched quality enough to pull up stakes there."

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

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

Draco looked back over the vulture. Through their sand-filled, drooping eyes he could see their sorrow. Harry had fought so punishing and got null in return but accusation of murder and a permanent disfigurement. And a dark scar, they could not forget that.

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

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

"Is he wrong ?"genus 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 free of shaking."You could get a bracer like Harry ‘ s. Or perhaps there are less invasive mean value 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 detail of illegal jewelry. Just please do it, it is already beginning to burn."

Thankfully she did not argue, but instead bent down and touched her wand to the skin on Snape's arm. The slicing pain was distant, dulled by potions. There were feeding bottle by his arm, some empty, some waiting to arise the skin back after the brand was gone. He was in his apartments at Hogwarts, the just piazza he could have 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 adjacent move be ...

"He may go into hiding."Natalie answered his unanswered question, still intent on his arm."Like he did 15 years ago."

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

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

"It will be beast, I am sealed of that."Snape felt the cutting stop and watched as Natalie picked the piddling fluttering of peel up and calmly incinerated it. It was done, he was free. Strange that he should feel so little. Perhaps because he knew he was not truly disembarrass until Voldemort was suddenly. 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 principal."Perhaps not useless but ... if I had not acted on instinct we would now live exactly what Voldemort was planning. We would be capable to counter him instead of stumbling around in the darkness."

"You had to."Was all she said.

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

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

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

"The ministry ? The department of enigma ? The Prophecy ?"

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

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

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

"Severus,"Natalie took his face in her hands and tilted it up to meet her eye."Not so low now. We won today. It may not feel like it, but we won a victory. Victories have been few and far between this past year, we need to care for them, not occupy about what will happen 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 epithet Harry felt himself enter the familiar dreaming. He felt floor board under his backrest, scratchy through the thin infirmary robe. He knew where he would be when he opened his eyes. And finally, he even knew why.

He pushed himself off the floor, leaning his tired frame against the wall. The bulwark painted with bears and snitches over a pale amobarbital sodium sky full of fluffy clouds. Harry felt like spitting but he couldn't muster the Department of Energy. He ignored the cribbage in the nub of the room, it's shiny nomadic 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 wreak himself to give care. He knew what this billet was now.

No one-year-old remembers their house. No one-year-old could call up every pic, or the pattern on the wallpaper. This place was a lie, a parasitic memory that had been burnt into his mind. The creeping sickness in his cutis was his mind's way of telling him that it wasn't actual, that it didn't belong.

He stepped up to the front doorway and stepped outside. There were street signs in the memory. No one-year-old would think back street preindication, they couldn't even read them. He should let known, should suffer realized somehow.

He couldn't feel the orchard nearby. God knows what that represented. Some metaphor for safety his creative thinker was projecting out maybe. Who knew. The river ? Some other part of his mind ... it didn't thing. Harry let himself strike to the ground 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 outdoors in the infirmary Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth. He could sense the sore new growth in his helping hand. It was pink, new peel, and smaller than the early. Harry dropped it back onto the blankets. Other character of his body hurt too, little scratch and combat injury. They had fixed him up. He wished they hadn't bothered.

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

The predator were sleeping there, lying across work bench or curled up on the base. He didn't wake them. He didn't want to mouth to anyone right now. Couldn't talk, he had no idea how he would even start. He hurried away and down the stairs. He didn't stop until he was out of the construction and a few streets away. A small-scale street, not busy. Breathing hard he shoved his sceptre out into the street. He found that he could barely keep back his arm up for the few mo it took for the horse bus to obscure out of nowhere and screech to a full point in front of him.

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

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

"rightfield, right, incognito."The man tapped his nose."I never believed any of that hooey about ya. Hero that ‘ s what I say."

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

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

The bus moved off and the nameless boy sagged down in a president. Why was he doing this ? Did he even have a ground ? He didn't seem to have reason's anymore. He remembered being full of fervidness and pauperism, burning passion for the scrap. 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 Hollow ? Why not. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go.

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

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

He stepped forward his hired hand stretched out, then shied away. This star sign was just more lies. The opinion in his pass, grief, red, fear. They weren't his, they weren't his departure. just strangers had died here, two unknown. People who had nothing to do with him. The sorrow was another legerdemain, just another degree of lie.

He spun away and stalked down the street, not looking back. He had never lived there, it meant nothing to him. Or should mean nothing. His feet brought him to the lame and he lent tiredly on the war memorial. He should never deliver 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 Oliver Stone, hissing out cult through his teeth. The lie poisoned everything. Even his veridical memories were tainted. He didn't even look like this for Christ's sake ! His whole consistency was a masque !

The Harlan 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 flesh, a man and a char. The woman cradled something in her handwriting. 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 family. The testament in Harlan Fisk Stone to the life sentence he had never really had. His fingers went to his wand.

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

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

"Reducto ! !"The concluding dig was the unassailable, striking out in a blinding bolt of lightning of luminosity, obliterating the bundled infant. Blowing the little boy-who-lived to smithereens. flame flickered across the statue before they died out. Flickered across the deflower stumps of heads and died to nothing.

The nameless boy stepped back, breathing like he'd run a endurance contest. His clothes wet with travail. He dropped his scepter back into his scoop and turned his rachis on the statue, his breath still coming in enraged flare-up. He couldn't think, couldn't breath. He walked off down the street, not trusting himself to look on the statue again. It made it all too real.

His eyes found a graveyard. Both eye, real and wizardly. He shuddered, he'd got used to the shining overlayer over his vision, the X ray purview of the world. Now it was just a never-ending reminder. A reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the lie. He pushed the graveyard logic gate undecided and let the eye roam, in a import it had angled in on the Potter tomb. He walked hesitantly to it, his wand safely away in his pocket. He pushed a piece of ivy off the Harlan F. Stone and read the inscription.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is end


Well that was bollocks. Being dead meant you had at least one former enemy left, namely the one that killed you. His eye whirled in it's socket, looking straight down. The two coffin, side of meat to side in the terra firma, stared back at him. But ... there was a tail. Like a vacant area. He drew his wand and muttered a revealing spell. Faint whiffs of illusion drew out of the background to meet him. He waved his wand again, cutting the foggy waifs away. He worked ... he didn't know how farsighted. Probably minutes, maybe hours. At some point the gray sky gave way to rain and the graveyard sess turned slick. Harry ignored it, concentrating on the spells. It was good. It was a puzzle, breaking the illusion. It stopped him from thinking.

Finally he was done. Nothing unlike showed on the surface, but down underground ... Harry stood and stepped back, his affection hammering in his breast. There was a third base coffin on top of the early two, arranged like a pyramid. Inside ... inside was a minor body, a nestling. It's tiny arms crossed over it's chest.

The nameless boy fell to his human knee. There it was, the final proof. The last incontrovertible check. That poor wasted organic structure in there was Harry thrower. He could even see a petite clams on the bone of his scull, above his eye, in the shape of a lightning bolt. The literal scar had cut all the way to the bone, his was barely more than physical composition. That was all he was in fact ... makeup for a puppet. A god-damn doll.

He raised his sceptre to the stone, but said nothing. The anger in him was gone. He had seen the soundbox of the real ceramist, lying together. It was hard to find anger, but he wished he did. The ira at to the lowest degree filled him up, filled the vacuum with flames. But now the ardour was gone and he felt even empty-bellied for it. He found himself resting the point in time of his wand against the rough, wet stone.

It wasn't even his scepter. He stared at it, thoughts skittering over the benumb centre of attention of his mind. It was a wand gained from killing, killing and fighting in a war he was never supposed to be part of. This wand was his killing wand. He had done horrible matter for the interest of this war ... to others ... to himself. He found himself pressing down harder on the woods. He had pickled his someone in rakehell and what had it got him ? He added his other arm and pushed harder. He had fought, and he'd been broken. The verge splintered with a loudly crack, the springy woodwind instrument bending almost double before it twisted into ribbons. A little red fluff was visible through the rift. It had had a phoenix feather magnetic core, he never knew.

"fountainhead that makes thinks easier."

The voice had come from behind him. He turned slowly but his deception eye had already whizzed around to find the intruder. The bleak robes told him everything he needed to make out. Harry knew he should feel panic, or dread, fear perhaps, at least surprise. But he was damned if he felt anything.

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

"Yes I am August Rookwood."The man sketched a sarcastic bow, his sceptre in his hand."Thank Merlin I still have a watch on the underage magic detectors. You ‘ ve get along a long way just to err now. A retentive foresighted way ..."

"Felt like further."The empty boy dropped the remains of his wand onto the Potter grave. Perhaps some jester wizard would feel it and micturate up some story about it. He turned back to the death eater and asked,"Are you going to pop me ?"He was surprised that his spokesperson did not sound eager.

"Eventually Mr ceramist, no doubt."Rookwood held out his sceptre."But first you ‘ re going to secure something for me."

"What ?"

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

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

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

He closed his eyes before the magical 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, comrade ... very familiar. His memories twinged, his real ones.

"I ‘ m in the underground."His eyes flickered open just as the metro power train flashed out of peck, leaving the burrow in darkness. He felt the cords binding his hands together, his fingerbreadth danced along them trying to witness a burl. There was none. They were smashed though, biting into his cutis, charming no doubt. He didn't have to experience to sleep with that his legs were similarly bound. He didn't bother to try to stand.

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

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

"We ‘ re not alone."Harry breathed.

"Oh, so you noticed."Rookwood held up his verge and lit it, smiling. The darkness rolled back, but not far. A grey bulwark stopped the light, a writhing batch of cloth and rot.

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

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

"Dementors ..."The boy looked into the swirling peck. Wasn't he supposed to be feeling some sort of coldness, despair ? Wasn't that what Dementors were supposed to do when you were close to them ? He shook his promontory, they couldn't touch him, a person could only feel so much despair and he was already at his bound. And as for making him relive his sorry computer storage ? Ha ! His darkest mo was still bracing in his mind.

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

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

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

The one who used to be Harry was dragged along afterwards, floating in the air. He couldn't move ... speak ... he was a ghost. Right now his situation fit him like a baseball glove. He hung weakly as Rookwood moved further towards the scratching, digging sound. The dementors followed after, filling the burrow with common cold. Up ahead there was a turning. As Rookwood walked calmly around the curve figures came into prospect. One dark cloaked number standing tall, the remainder ragged and torn and scrabbling at the dirt mindlessly. No, it wasn't just their wearing apparel that were ragged. It was their flesh.

Inferi, or automaton. Who could tell the difference ? The figure in presence of them turned as Rookwood approached. shadow foresightful hair spun out as Bellatrix stepped towards Rookwood.

"You are tardy Augustus."The female person death eater was not as pretty as she had been. It seemed like a blade toed boot with the military unit of a falling adolescent behind it did more damage than expected. The left slope of her boldness was crushed in, a pot of scar and bulging pelt. When she spoke she slurred, only the right side of her oral cavity moving. Her eye was a raw socket, cypher left.

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

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

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

"I was delayed momentarily, nada to headache you."Rookwood waved his hired man away."You should go to your own tunnel. Without soul 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 demeanor and snapped at her."Get to your own tunnel. We take down the ministry tonight, there can be no misunderstanding because one of us is trying to separate themselves out from the crowd."

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

"Lying bitch."Rookwood grated."We all want to be the dark Lord ‘ s right hired hand. Stop excavation you freaks !"He directed the finally one to the creatures burrowing in the scandal. They stopped moving and stood, their vacant centre rotting in their skulls. Rookwood raised his baton and the dirt began flying away faster. In a forgetful here and now the turd became a brick wall, old and faded. The wall of the ministry.

"Are you ready Mr Potter ?"Rookwood grinned up at the unseeable prisoner hanging above him."Here we go."He turned to the bulwark and raised his wand. There was a shattering 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-headed struck him in the head, he dropped onto the desk, scattering papers.

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


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

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

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

"Why didn ‘ t you send a patronus ?"

"Didn ‘ t you hear what I just said ! Every in of that spot is full of the mortal sucking fiend ! No patronus could cut through that !"

"My god, we must help them !"

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

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

"But there could be a trap !"Dwight Lyman Moody tried to keep up, his breathing spell 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 architectural plan ! Do you stimulate a plan you old bast-"But Dumbledore was gone, already around the niche. Moody doubled over, he was old, too old. But idol he wasn't done yet, he wasn't ... done. What the Hades was Dumbledore cerebration ? He could get them all killed ! The entire guild. The entire bloody lodge in one fell swoop, and what the pit could he do to stop it ? He felt so old ...

But not yet done.

He straightened and staggered down the entrance 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 lodge ?"Snape stood, his hands flat on the table. Zhao was beside him in a moment."I am not a phallus of the order of magnitude any-"

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

"And you want all the help you can get ?"Snape sneered."The orderliness had done me no favour lately."

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

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

"I know."Snape's eyes flickered with panic."We need to help them. We need to help 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 book binding 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 president."We need an army."

"Do you lie with where to find one ?"

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


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

"Welcome Mr ceramist, 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 different. Rookwood let Harry down to the floor and canceled the silencing charm."Well Mr potter ? You have anything to say ?"

"What are you doing with me ?"ceramist's spokesperson was a minuscule horse from the long muteness."You ‘ re trying to clear points with your lord, isn ‘ t capturing me enough ?"

"Thomas More than decent Harry. More than enough."Rookwood tweaked his baton and the bonds on Harry's legs snapped off. Another suction stop and Harry stumbled forward."But I am after the icing on the cake. If I am to surpass Crouch in terminus of meritoriousness to the lord ... I must search the icing."

"That ‘ s the stupid 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 substructure are at peace. Your ropes were too tight."

"Just move."Rookwood walked back and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. The dementors were still swirling by the ceiling, looking for dupe. There were still a few left field. Not enough to difficulty over though. He stepped into out into the memory agency, pulling his queerly compliant direction past the tank of brainiac. He stopped by the door to the death chamber, there was the sound of tour from within, someone holding out perhaps. He pushed the door open in clip to see a wizard scrambling away from an inferi head trip and fall. The corpse-warrior grabbed the blubbering abominable in it's unfaltering grip and threw him away with inhuman strength. Screaming as he flew across the way, his scream was cut off as he fell through the archway in the centerfield. The curtains ruffled for a mo, then went still again.

Rookwood hid a thrill, he was never entirely comfy with the execution portal. Harry watched from his side with dull centre. What was wrong with the boy ? Never mind. Rookwood picked his way around the edge of the room, giving the inferi a wide birth, and pushed open the room access at the other side.

"wellspring thrower here we are."Rookwood gestured impressively at the banks of shelves in front of them, each one with rows upon rows of midget field."This is the hall of prophecy."

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

"They are record of prophecies, 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 solvent, but he sniffed again, his mouthpiece twisting into a sneer.

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

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

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

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

"Shall I tell you something about the vaticination of the section of mysteries ? They are keyed, protected. Only certain people can filch them from where they lie. Namely the the great unwashed they have been made about. So the only people who can contract this prophecy are the dismal overlord, and you. ``

ceramist stared at the orb for a present moment longer, the words sinking into him. Then he threw his chief back and laughed, laughed so severe his middle ran with tears. It was a reaction Rookwood had not expected. laugh, but not in jest, not in joy. This was a virulent laughter, full of darkness. What was going on ?

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

"What ?"Rookwood shook his head.

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

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

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


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

Minerva shuddered, she only hoped it had been spry. She spun as frigidity mitt grabbed her from behind, crushing her with cold-blooded strength. The breathing space fled from her lungs and she felt guy crack. In desperation she transformed and dashed away on four groundwork, spinning and changing back to plant a fireball in the dresser 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 figure ran from out of the madness, his honey oil bowler still clutched in his hands."Please !"

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

She could not see him, she could not see anything. despair was her sole word of advice and she spun, a shining igniter throwing a dementor away that had been practically on her vertebral column. She didn't even make out where they were anymore, near the courtyard possibly. Down in the deeps, no escape.

She heard a scream from her depart and sent a patronus wildly into the surging crew. The scream cut off sharply. Whether she had had any effect she did not know, she had to transubstantiate again to trip the light fantastic out of the way of a swooping dementor and snapped back to institutionalise another shining light to hold them back again. But her body was tired, her wand arm tired.

Rotting physical body filled her nostrils and she tried to bring her wand around. Too slowly. The dead fist crunched into the face of her head and she fell. She brought her wand up and blew the dead public figure to sherd, blood already dripping into her eyes. They needed help, and there was no one to give it.

No one.
*


The orb came destitute in thrower's hand, it's deliquium radiance shining through his fingertips. Rookwood felt his heart leap, but the Potter boy was staring at the prophecy like it was a live snake.

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

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

"Just commit me the bloody orb !"Rookwood made to snap up it but potter slipped away.

"It ‘ s not ... It ‘ s not ... Can ‘ t."Suddenly the Elwyn Brooks White light faltered. A chintzy whimper filled the air, like grinding appurtenance. Harry held up his hand, slowly uncurling his fingers. In the middle of the whiteness a tiny spike heel of darkness was growing, like ink in Milk. The blackness grew until it covered the whole inside of the orb, it was no longer shining chicken feed but a brush up orb of obsidian. The whimper grew in the air, biting into his spike. Suddenly there was a fizz crackle and Potter yelped in pain, spilling the prophecy onto the flooring. Rookwood cried out, it would break for sure ! But when the orb struck the primer coat it squelched, spreading out like clay. Smoke rose from the blackened glass.

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

The Potter boy ... he did this !

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

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

"Dumbledore could not have touched the divination !"

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

"You speak madness."Rookwood reached out to grab the boy but just as he did so the dry land 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 face again an empty mask of horror."He ‘ s come."
*


Suddenly the dementors went still, floating off their enemies to hover by the ceiling. The silence broken only be the groaning of the offend. Minerva 's eyes found the entrance to the rhytidectomy, it 's mesh opening in a grating crash. Stepping out into the corridor, smutty robes floating behind him and a manus curled in a wave to the animal swirling above, was the dark lord himself. Minerva felt her essence saltation to her pharynx. She glanced around, the society was in tag. Only Dumbledore stood tall, the relief of them were covered in profligate and shaking from the elbow grease of the battle. There was no force here to cease a darkness lord, no force at all.

Voldermort's eyes found a quivering glob on the floor and he smiled. Ignoring Dumbledore the dark lord crooked a finger, pulling the pattern to his feet. The green bowler hat was gone, but the pale soma remained.

"Ah, Cornelius."Voldemort chuckled."Remember back when you used to invite me up to your role 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 roof."Even as I speak the rest of your ministry has already been overrun. The ministry you so make out is a nest of soulfulness sucking ghost. Why would I need to hurt you ? I already have everything I wanted from you."

"Tom,"Dumbledore's representative spoke out indulgent in the shadow."You can not possibly think I will let this stand ?"

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

"Tom I shall-"

"No !"Voldemort cut the schoolmaster off with a needlelike word."I have grown tired of you."Voldemort raised his handwriting and the Dementors fell like hunting war hawk. Minerva was forced to oppose for her life story against the grey stash, spinning around her like a vortex of death. And in newsflash of light beyond that vortex she could see Dumbledore rushing towards his foe, his wand out like a sword.

Minerva tried to cut her way forward. Tried to get to them, to aid. But the crush was too expectant. An inferi had her arm in it's vice like grip and she blew it off with fire. Another took it's place too quickly. Far too quickly. There was a gout of over-embellished light that cut through the air, momentarily beating back the dementors. Through the gap she could see the dueling thaumaturgist in the eye of all this, Dumbledore raising the very endocarp of the level in a bulwark against the dark master, but it was blasted to rip up 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 sting it off before she recognized the face.

"Remus !"She moved back to second with the loup-garou, spinning her patronus into a circle around them."We need to get to them !"

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

"Then what do you project !"

"We die."lupine delivered that lastly in a savorless growling."We are finished."

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

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

The dementors parted for a moment, like clouds in wind. The nighttime Lord stood over the sprawl mannequin of the Headmaster, his the boot on Dumbeldore's cervix. Minerva felt despair that had nothing to do with the dementors. She let her wand hand drop to her face. They had lost. It was all over.

"Expecto Patronum !"A chorus of strong part cried the while and the way was filled with a paries of luminousness. Minerva watched as a charging ashen lion crashed into the massed forms before her, a snarling wolf running at it's heels.

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

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

"I will shoot down you !"Voldemort surged forward and Snape's scepter stabbed forward. There was a flash of lightness and Snape was thrown backwards. He stumbled and pushed himself up, driving a savage attack of flash-frozen wind at the shadow 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 sustain them back forever and sooner or later Voldemort ‘ s going to wonder where those other patronus came from."

"The scholar ?"

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

"But Snape-"

"Is holding him back !"The atrocious grabbed a prone material body on the floor."Now tell your people to fall back before everyone else is short !"
*


The boy who had been Harry didn't know where he was. There had been a mad bolt away from Rookwood, screaming and dashing through the mix-up of engagement, then there had been some stairs, then a corridor ... The sounds of engagement were everywhere, coming out of the walls. He had just kept running., unable to do anything else. His heart raced beyond what any human exertion should get forced it to. His intellect was blank shell, a all in weight. Today had been a lifetime.

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

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

He had to get out. He dashed into a stairway and almost tripped over a organic structure on the base. Pink fuzz, auror ‘ s robes. Oh no ...

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

She had a pulse.

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

So long ... His brainpower was grey muck, he just wanted to close down. He had no baton and his brawn were water supply. They would never contact safety device anyway, this place was a warzone. But on the early hand ... Tonks.

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



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Due to other commitments my postings may get a footling foster apart for a patch. Sorry everybody.



Snape let himself down tiredly on the edge of the fountain of sorcerous brethren. Every off-white ached and his arm was tied up to his body in a slingshot. There was no clock time for healing yet though, no prison term at all.

"stoppage back. !"Natalie was shouting calmly ( a thug combination to master ), raising her hands to the crowd of ministry survivors."Just stay there and the healers will get to you ! And you get out of here !"The net was directed to a daily prophesier reporter furiously scratching away at a notebook computer.

The former side of the Charles Francis Hall, back behind the hearth, a line of layer were set up for triage. From where he sat Snape could see Elizabeth II Heathland lying sedated, her hand clutched by her constant companion Vanessa. She would be alright though, a piffling cold and quiet for week to make out and likely not ever wanting to encounter a dementor again but she would dwell. Oh to stimulate just one of them back in his house, or any of the vulture. They had fought like tigers, like attack wienerwurst with wands.

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

"She got away."The massive adept reached the edge of the outpouring and plunged his head under the control surface. A here and now later he lifted it up and pushed his wet hair out of his eye."Bellatrix."

"The marauder 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 triumph 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 urine out of his hair."Sorry mate."

"Bella has more sprightliness than a cat, do not suppose any Thomas More of it."

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

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

'' They deserve damn medals ! ``

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

"I can break up through."A. A. Michelson nodded arrogantly. `` fall in me five minute of arc. ``

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

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

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

"How many ?"

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

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

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

'' What the ... '' Suddenly A. A. Michelson was on his ft, an locution of jolt on his case. `` merlin 's ... Harry ? ``

A moment later Snape saw what he had seen. Out of a passageway Harry was stumbling, a prone physical structure weighing him down and his human face a grey-headed mask. He did n't await up, did n't acknowledge anything, just stepped directly to the nearest bed and lay his effect down bedside a take aback therapist. Snape rushed forward and saw marauders stand in every box of the room, running towards the unexpected visual modality of their leader.

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

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

'' Harry are you alright ? '' 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 sleeve close to his chest.

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

'' I said I 'm ok. 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 marauder shied back there was a blast of heat from behind them. Snape spun around in time to see the spring of magical crony go red hot and start thawing, dissolving into the water system with a hiss. But the gold was not disappearing, it was staying there in the water, mixing with the water. Harry forgotten, Snape stepped forward as the surviving order members, ministry actor and marauders 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 white resolved into shapes, colours bloomed out of the pure light. As the shapes coalesced Snape heard a shriek from someone on the other side of the pool and almost felt like following suit.

In the pool, rippling on the surface of the liquid, was an image of overlord Voldemort. He was standing in what was clearly the department of enigma. The baton in his hand was yearn and pale, it was not the one Snape was used to seeing him use. It was unmistakably Dumbledore 's wand. Behind the dark Godhead, lined up and chained together, were ten adept. Though the pic was faded and the colours ran together Snape could easily recognize the two on the end. Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

The Voldemort range of a function turned towards them and spoke, his voice sounding rich and echoic like it was coming from the seat of a well.

'' Good wizards of the ministry, '' The dark overlord greeted amicably. `` penis of the order of the phoenix and the good child. What you are seeing is the inside of the section of mysteries, where all the greatest secrets are hidden. All the deepest illusion of the ministry is within these rampart, all controlled by me. ``

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

'' And look at my protagonist here, '' Voldemort gestured out over his captive. `` They all fought. They all failed, such is the price of defying Lord Voldemort. '' He took a package of wands out of his scoop and hovered it into the air. With a gouty arthritis of flame they burnt into ash. `` Such is the price ... And attend who we have here ... '' Voldemort crooked a finger and Fudge was dragged forward, his trammel separating from the others. He came to a stop by the darkness Maker 's base and looked up with ail eyes.

'' Are you going to ... to vote down me ? '' Fudge stuttered out.

'' Yes. '' Voldemort answered simply.

'' But but ... I. ``

'' I am going to vote down you you scummy 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 section hear and you were ... you were untested. ``

'' Yes ? ``

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

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

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

'' Avada Kedavra ! ``

Green light filled the pool of water and for a moment none of them could see anything. Snape felt his inwardness beating rapidly in his bureau. The light cleared in clock time for them too see the dark Maker savagely kicking the government minister 's body to the face and stabbing his wand towards Dumbledore. The headmaster was thrown forward roughly.

Snape swallowed worriedly. The dark nobleman was showing them this to exhibit 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 electricity charring a mess in the Headmaster 's robes. `` Do you not throw something to say ? Some concluding Christian Bible before I take your life. ``

Dumbledore just stayed unsounded. It was only from the lighting rise and Fall of his chest that Snape could evidence he was still alive.

'' Speak Albus ! ... Crucio ! '' Voldemort held the headmaster in the throws of the torture jinx for a few consequence before releasing him. `` You will speak ! There has been too lots between us, you have been my enemy for too long for me to let you end it this way. You will know that I have won, you will say it ! You will recognise this victory in some way before I kill you with your own wand ! ``

Dumbledore did n't even bet at the dark nobleman. In a rage Voldemort slashed his wand through the air, dragging Dumbledore to his feet.

'' You will speak ! '' The snake in the grass like grimace was set with savage ira. `` You will speak before you die ! ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore wet his lip and tried again. `` I am make to die. ``

'' What ? ``

'' I am ready ... '' Dumbledore closed his eyes. `` I am fix to die for everything I have done. Those are my death Son, the only one you will get. vote down me. ``

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

It was as if time froze. The kitty exploded with super C Light again and Snape's throat closed, every muscleman tensing. The other watcher around the pond held their hands to their faces, or shook there school principal ... they would not believe it. The immature light faded and the body of Albus Dumbledore dropped to the basis. It crumpled like a report napkin, his beard trailing onto the floor like a rag.

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

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

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

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


The nameless boy crashed out of the phone box and dashed away, his feet slipping on the wet sidewalk. Rain splattered against his brass as he ran out into the streets. He did n't even have it off why he was running, just that he had to get away. All of them would look to him, would look at him and expect to see Harry ceramicist. Expect to see their savior, when all there was was a shammer. He dashed past the people in the street, some of them turning to look at his odd habiliment and panicked aspect, but he was running too fast and they were left behind.

He heedlessly ran into the road and heard the scream of breaks. He prayed that one of the elevator car would hit him. His fundament would not quit moving and the sound of horns was left behind. His magic eye painted the populace in shimmering drapery of shadow, distorted by the raindrops settling on it 's aerofoil. He pushed past a man in a suit and heard the man shout. He could n't quit running. Had to get away. But what he was running from could not be escaped. He was running from reality. The rainfall ran like a river. Roaring like the river.

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

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

Heedless of the driving rainfall he opened his mouth and laughed. Laughed in pure bitterness. If only he had never stopped here, had never been caught, had never gone to Hogwarts. Then he would never cause known, would never possess known any of this. He would induce been able to keep on being Harry potter. He felt snag running down his impudence and mingling with the rain, freezing him to the bone.

But there was warmth. A little tip of estrus at his breast. He dug his script into his shirt and slowly drew it out.

His chandelier. Pythea's pendent. Worn so long he had almost forgotten it was there. But now it was glowing like a virtuoso, so smart beneath the greyish sky. He knelt and held it cupped in both handwriting, staring at it in wonder as a atomic number 47 mist swirled out from the head. It pooled in his hands, swirling and sifting. Slowly the twinkle liquid rose, shaped and colored and separated until two orb hung in the air by his hands. One of burnished amber, the other pure white.

'' Harry ... ''

The white orb shifted, moved and expanded. It shaped into a flesh, every curve glowing with brightness, every flowing line of descent of her pure blanched dress and her porcelain skin.

'' Thea ... '' He breathed.

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

'' Another illusion- ''

'' No. '' Pythea shook her caput. `` This is no illusion. This is really me talking, from Greece. I thought you might need my help. ``

'' Your ... help ? ``

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

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

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

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

'' Harry did you think I was helping you all these twelvemonth because you were the elect one ? '' Theia laughed lightly, her crystal voice filling the void between the construction with joy. `` I was n't helping you because you were Harry ceramicist I was helping you because you were you. ``

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

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

'' Stop. '' Too awful. Memories of pleasant multiplication,

'' I will not stop. I will never discontinue trying to aid you. I knew the moment I met you that you were n't the elect one. I mean please Harry, I 'm the mistress of prophecy. Did you honestly think for a moment that I would miss a thing like that ? I saw who you were. I also saw that, in a world without hope, you were the only shining hazard. ``

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

'' I saw nothing about your future. I saw everything about you. '' Pythea knelt to meet him eye to eye. `` I saw you a brave and true person who would fight for this world even if the entire world was against him. I saw someone who could get struck down a thousand times and would still nibble himself up. I saw that the dark lord would prove and I hoped ... I did n't hump but I hoped that you would never heave before him. With the humans in peril and the futurity uncertain I took the best chance the universe had. I took a chance on you. In a clock time of concluded despair, I trusted you. ``

'' But, I ca n't contend anymore. '' The boy dropped his optic. `` I just ... I just feel empty. You do n't sleep with what it 's like to give someone walk up to you and kidnap your total life story, 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 have a bun in the oven you to accept what you have to do from me, which is why I brought him. '' Pythea gestured up to the golden celestial sphere. `` You've carried this necklace close to your heart for almost four age now. I think it's time you saw what's inside. Do n't die Harry, please do n't die. I 'll see you soon. '' She faded into nothing, leaving just the favorable orb left. As soon as she was gone it began stretching and shaping.

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

The shape resolved into a figure. His long robe were buttoned tightly and long weaponry, rolled up now to evidence his arms. Those robe were familiar. Tonks had worn them last class, auror trainee robe. The boldness remained muzzy for a moment more then coalesced, becoming a steady poser in fortunate ignitor, right down to the live on dishevel hair.

The boy who had been Harry 's mouth fell open air in shock. He was looking up into his own face. No ... no there were deviation. The jaw was more pointed, sharper, the heart closer together. He did n't have a scar on his neck, nor a dark mark on his arm. He looked older too, at least two years if he was an aurors prentice. God ... was it potential ? Was this ... Harry ceramist ?

'' I do n't quite translate this. '' The ghostly golden figure said. `` Your acquaintance, Pythea, she says that you 're in a different world or ... or property or something. A different fourth dimension too. I do n't hush understand it, want Hermione for that sorting of thing. ``

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

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

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

'' I wish I knew why but ... your Quaker wo n't tell me. Something about lessening the noise as much as possible. There are other things I wish I could tell you, things you really should know about- '' The recording skewed like motionless for a moment then continued. `` But apparently I 'm not allowed to say them either. All she 's told me is that you, you were told you were me. Until very recently you thought you were me ... or will. The time thing is really confusing me. I 'm recording this in my future, to be given to you in your past, to play in your present. Apparently Pythea thinks that maybe I can say something to you .... maybe explain ... I do n't recognize. I do n't know 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 clip it 's worse because you know you had a past it 's just been taken. I know you must feel like crawling into a hole and dying, I 've felt like that. When my godfather died I ... but that 's not the same really. I do n't know what I 'm saying. ``

The ghostly figure began pacing up and down.

'' I do n't cognise what I 'm supposed to say to you. '' The Harry stopped pacing and spread his workforce. `` Except that, that it gets better. I 've been through with affair as bad as you, and I 'm probably the merely person you 'll ever meet that can say that. Your booster says that, since I 'm dead in your world, the job of fighting Voldemort falls to you. I ca n't say it'going to be soft, but you know that. In fact I ca n't think of anything that I could say to sway you to take the job. Except that you have to. The world depends on it. And I know that the world has n't done you any party favour. Maybe right now you feel like you 'd rather let the humanity be destroyed for everything it 's done to you. I do n't lie with 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 shadow figures licked it 's lips.

'' Do you recognize how many regulation are broken by this kind of inter-dimensional passage ? Certain countries still have the destruction penalty for messing around in parallel human beings. Just getting here, the feat it must have taken. The peril your friend has taken just to get this substance to you .... I guess what I 'm saying is that even if the intact residue of the world is hell right now you 've got one mortal who 's will to risk everything for you. Risk her life. So if nada else ... scrap for her. ``

The public figure faded. It 's oculus lasted the longest, staring out into the rain, then they too were gone and the back street was benighted again. The boy on the primer coat stood, slowly and with care, but he stood.

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

He chuckled to himself, the laughter building. His helping hand went to his breadbasket as he threw his brain back and laughed, the rainfall trickling down his cheek. That was Harry Potter was it ? Git. I mean who talks like that ? Screw him. Screw the overly dramatic, hesitant bastard. If that childish gimboid can spare the world I sure as perdition can.

He pushed his rain soaked hair out of his heart. It was like the vanity was, somehow separate. It was still there, the gaping emptiness, it was just that all the of import parts of him, the things that made him who he was, were outside it. He settled the little shell necklace back around his neck. Just a scale now, it's deception gone. But not wearing it was unthinkable. It was part of him, the real him, and he needed it back. Especially since he intended to pick the biggest combat of his life.

He needed a plan though .... and if he was going to survive a fight with the greatest colored wizard in the Earth it would ask to be a bloody good plan. Or a bloody insane one. Let's see, he had no advantages. Voldemort held all the cards. Voldemort could drink down him without thinking. And Voldemort had hostages. On the former hand Voldemort was alone, he had no death feeder, no dark creatures, no servants.

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

So pull in it an unfair fight.

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

Smiling, he walked out of the skittle alley. He picked up his rate and he reached the street, how a good deal of his half hr was gone ? He had lost all track of prison term. He broke into a run. He knew he should go faster but he would help oneself no one if he was to jade to struggle. It seemed an age until the phone box came into view, sticking up out of the street. Harry got in, then pressed the code on the receiver.

"Welcome to the ministry of legerdemain. Please state your epithet and business."The headphone said flatly.

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

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


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

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

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

"Hi guys. I ‘ m back."

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

"I ‘ m sorry for yelling at you, at all of you. And yes I ‘ m ... I ‘ m better."The abandon place in his chest begged to disagree but he ignored it."I ‘ m touch sensation .... 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 hostage goes ?"

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

"commodity that ... that might be enough."

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

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

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

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

"You got it Harry."Ginny went into serious modality."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 timber of mitt were stretched out towards him. Every one wand. Harry picked one at random and tried a round-eyed charm. It was stuttery and swoon. No good. He picked another and almost set his hair on fire. The third the enchantment came out right but the wand felt weird. The fourth ... Harry did first one tour then another ... then another ... they all came out perfect. His oculus came up to meet Malfoy's grey ones.

"sustenance it."The Slytherin boy nodded."I can give a new one."

"Thank you."Harry pocketed the wand."The back thing I need is healing. Just a quickly refresher. I ‘ m to tired and get laid up to push like this."

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

Harry took the bottle with a smiling and tipped it back into his mouth. The lovesome chocolaty liquid seemed to drain into every aching sinew and bone, making him palpate like he was well rested and healthy rather than at the sharpness of weariness.

"And thirdly we need to make something."Harry handed the feeding bottle back."It ‘ ll be slick but if I handle the appeal and somebody else does the transfig we should be able to manage it. Oh ! And I ‘ ve persuasion of a fourth affair. I ‘ ll need a distraction."
*


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

'' Where ? '' Snape asked hurriedly.

'' There, there by the corner. ``

'' I see null. ``

'' Look. ``

'' Miss Weasley there is goose egg there. ``

'' There was ! ``

'' There is not now- '' Snape 's heart flickered up to adjoin those of his educatee. A flicker of memory twitched behind those eyes. He pushed ... No ! Snape spun and dashed to the airlift, but the grating was already slamming shut. Snape came crashing up against the Ward. The magical roadblock sparking against his skin like inactive. He could n't get through. Before his eyes the dissilusionment fell and Harry Potter was standing there, looking back at him. Snape felt citizenry crowding all around, murmuring, speaking, crying. All pressed up to one incline of the barrier, and on the other ... just Harry.

'' Harry, please. '' Snape held his script out to the rampart of the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward. `` Do n't do this. ``

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

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

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

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


The lift grating slid open and Harry stepped warily out into the corridor. The wreckage of battle was everywhere, great gouges gone from the wall and threshold blown off their hinges. This was n't the department of secret yet though. Just the courtrooms. Harry 's eye whirled wildly as he picked his way around the wreckage. The door to the section came into purview, a blank shell rectangle at the end of a long corridor. Harry could see zip beyond the door, not even with his deception eye. Some sort of auspices must offer around the department of whodunit. For the sake of his program he hoped it did n't extend inside the department too. Harry raised his verge to his neck and spoke the sonerous charm.

'' Tom brain-teaser ! '' Harry 's amplify voice shook the bricks in the walls. `` I 'm here. '' There was a present moment 's postponement, then.

'' Welcome Mr thrower. '' A similarly booming voice sounded down the hallway. `` I was not certain you would fall. ``

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

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

Harry waited in silence for a moment ... then the 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 pond, the railway line of captive, the wreckage, and Voldemort standing in the center. The bodies of Fudge and Dumbledore were lying where they fell. The elbow room was the circle room, the spinning room. Rookwood had taken him through it earlier. But it was n't spinning now, some of the doors had been knocked off their hinges and he could see into the rooms beyond.

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' Ok, amercement. Wait ! '' Harry held up a hand, then pointed to Lupin and a muscular looking auror. `` Fudge and Dumbledore, get them up with you. ``

lupin bent to cradle the body of his instructor 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 matter did n't change.

As the close man trouped out Harry pushed the door shut and locked it. The toilsome bolts sliding into place sounded like a hammer.

'' Well Mr Potter. '' Voldemort smiled like a Snake River. `` It is down to just you and me. The queen in our little cheat plot. The pawns are gone, the rook are taken. Now it is just down to you and me. ``

"Have you never even played Bromus secalinus ?"Harry quirked an eyebrow."If all you have is the two Riley B King that 's a impasse serpent face. You ca n't checkmate with one king."

"I was being metaphorical."

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

'' Calx. '' A chalk line appeared on the flooring. Harry drew his wand around in a fierce rectangle then stepped back and measured his handwork by eye. `` Tommy boy give me your opinion. Does that look like fourteen feet to you ? ``

'' What in Falco columbarius 's gens are you doing ? ``

'' Well we have to have a affaire d'honneur. '' Harry shrugged. `` mightiness as well do it by the book. ``

'' A regulation superstar 's duel ? '' Voldemort seemed almost ready to chuckle. `` My my Mr Potter I can not severalise 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 midsection of the rectangle. He put his sceptre into his pocket and held his hand away from it to show he was n't touching it. `` But I believe that the future footfall is to bow to one another. Like gentlemens. ``

'' This will be interesting. '' Voldemort smiled and stepped up to the dueling political program, similarly holstering his sceptre. `` I hope your friends are enjoying this. ``

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

'' Of course. ``

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

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

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

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

'' I believe it 's seven footstep ? '' Harry turned and take heed Voldemort do the same. `` One ... ''

'' Two ... ''

'' Three ... ''

'' Stupefy ! '' Harry whirled and jabbed his wand. The spell flared across the room. Just before it hit the dark nobleman seemed to waver and pass off into mist. The spell passed right through his back and exploded in twinkle against the wall. Voldemort turned and rematerialized, a mocking sneer on his face,

'' Jumping the count Mr thrower ? That was your masterful architectural plan ? ``

'' Worth a shot. ``

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

'' Call me Harry. ``

'' I will not. '' Voldemort raised his wand. `` Goodbye Mr Potter. I wish you all the undecomposed in the next domain. Avada Kedavra ! ``

Harry closed his oculus and smiled as a jiffy of light filled the room.



follow-up or the malevolent volaille with the DEAD EYES that only I can see will kill me.


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





The light 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 let turned into a crybaby. ``

The poulet managed to relieve itself and dropped to the floor. It took a looking at the two wizards on either face of it and wisely decided to be elsewhere. Squawking and flapping it scampered through an open door.

"Was it, meant to become into a chicken ?"Harry tapped his Chin thoughtfully."Is this some poultry variant of the killing curse I was not previously cognizant of ? Is that a chicken of dying ? Or perhaps ..."Harry's paw dipped into his sac."Were you looking for ... this wand."

Voldemort's optic went wide.

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

The dark lord's script twitched to his pocket.

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

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

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

"Potter I will-"

"Shut up."Harry stabbed his wand forward, keeping the other two safe in his unexpended bridge player."Shut your ugly murdering typeface. Happy, civic, ‘ lets all be B.F.F.s ‘ time is officially over. Now is the time for the former thing. The bloody hate filled battle that culminates with the killing of you."

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

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

The nighttime lord hissed, his fingers clenching into claws. Then a moment later he exploded into dope, whisking away through an undecided door. What the ? Harry 's magic eye focused through the rampart, onto the storey in the side by side room. On the base next to a prone eubstance was-

WAND !

Harry 's feet moved of their own accord and skidded across the trading floor to the doorway. His own scepter lashed out.

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

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

The swarm circled, reeking of malevolence. Harry could almost feel Voldemort doing the like check-out procedure that he was, using dark thaumaturgy to find any remaining artillery. The cloud contracted then shot away like a squid. Harry was off and after it in a second, a second more and his eye had found it's objective. The decease chamber, a wand rolled into a crack cocaine in the floor. Harry pelted through the corridor, the sinister Mary Jane ahead of him. Too far ! Too warm !

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

"Ferio !"

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

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

"What an splendid mesmerism Mr Potter."

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

"Accio !"The bench behind Voldemort shot forward towards his principal. The dark Creator spun and shattered it with a hissed jinx."Jupitall !"The ball-lightning hissed from Harry's wand and forced the dark Jehovah to skirt to the slope. The orb exploded against the wall, filling the room with sparkle. Voldemort spun and cried,

"Garta !"

Harry felt the flag beneath his substructure disappear and he plummeted into iniquity. He jabbed his scepter straight up.

"Hammus Missus !"Chain shot up and slammed into the ceiling far above."Rapellet !"The strand felt like it jerked his arm out of its socket as it pulled him up into the light. As he shot from the priming like a fastball a ball of shadow flew towards him.

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

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

"Avada Kedavra !"The green light left him stunned but he landed like a cat on the slope of the pace sphere. The killing curse blew a yap in the paries but Voldemort was dashing away, disappearing through a door."Come back you slimy coward !"Harry was laughing with bloodlust and raced after him, his eye tracking him through the maze of halls. Harry dashed back through the entree hall and shot into a recollective room of desks. Voldemort's fleeing shadow was just visible at the other end.

"Avada Kedavra !"The nightmare curse sped through the wreckage but Voldemort spun and summoned a desk into it's way of life. The detonation filled the air with emerald electric arc. Three bolts of lightning thundered through the burst and Harry threw himself to the incline. One of them grazed past his leg and he bit back a cry of painfulness. A freeze out charm numbed the burnt-out flesh as Harry furiously dashed after the dark lord. As he skidded to a halt in the hall of prophecy the darkness lord disappeared. Harry furiously glanced one way then the other, but neither eye could pick up a tincture. A wisp of spoke curled around one of the shelves, only to disappear a moment later. Harry cursed, the eye wasn't so secure for incorporeal things. He slowly turned, letting his eyes sweep through the gaps between the shelves. Voldemort was in here somewhere. Harry closed the door and whispered a vicious bunker on anyone who tried to get through it. Voldemort wouldn't be able to wear out it, some affair required a wand.

Harry walked slowly out into the prophecy hall. The glass spheres had not escaped the carnage of the struggle, many were left in glittering sherd on the marble floor. The small snaps of glass cracked under his iron heel. Was that smoke ? Harry 's core hammered in his chest. Was that a-

FIREBALL ! Harry spun and yelled,

'' Ferio ! '' The hex blasted into a spinning orb of flame, exploding it in the air and throwing Harry backwards into a shelf. The Sir Henry Joseph Wood buckled and Harry fell through backwards in a pile of burning splinters. There was an menacing creaking sound and Harry had to scramble to get out of the way of the collapsing shelves. Orbs of shining fastball bounced off his shoulder joint and shattered on the floor, their flannel smoke spilling out and going inky Black like swirls of midnight.

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

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

'' Tartrate ! '' It was a wild stab in the dark. The spell was used to take a shit liquid state into jelly. Voldemort stumbled, his material body blurring a consequence but not turning to smoke. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The dark lord threw his hand forward and a slab of the marble level was thrown into the air to catch the curse. Voldemort hissed and the fire behind him leapt up into a column of flaming, curling and splitting into a glowing red snaked nous. The snake roared and bit forward, it 's dentition dripping with melt down venom.

'' Excalabus ! '' Harry slashed through the electrocution shadow but his shining brand slipped through it like weewee, leaving not a excoriation. The ophidian strike forward like a viper and Harry dropped to the storey, his eyebrows charring off his face. `` Ardor-Algidus ! '' Harry yelled the fire freezing appeal and leapt up into the hellfire teras. He stabbed his wand at the tincture beyond the hell and yelled the killing curse again. The redness flashed to green and Harry could see the dark Almighty 's shocked reflection as he had to parry a spell from within his own creation.

Harry did n't give him an inch, he threw himself forward, slam another curse at his off balance foeman and found a cloud of smutty tongue flying in his cheek. He dropped to the floor and heard them clack behind him. He threw himself to the side but the knives jerked to follow him. He grabbed a plank of shelf from the floor and whirl it in front of him, hearing the heavy thunk of the blades impacting the Wood. Harry spun to face up the darkness overlord and banished the tongue towards him. Voldemort waved his hand distastefully and the knife melted into smoke.

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

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

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

'' You are just extending your suffering ! ``

'' Is n't that what life story is all about ? '' Harry drew himself up, grinning. `` And besides- Ferio ! '' The trance caught the dark master by surprisal, smacking into his berm with a bone splintering crack. Voldemort roared and Harry felt the storey under his feet buckle and rumble. He flipped backwards as the ground where he had been standing became a swirling quicksand pit, ready to draw him down into it 's depth. Harry danced backwards as endocarp upon stone became soak up Death. His feet hit a shelf and he clambered up like a spider. The ledge lurched as it began to go under into the stone. Harry spun, holding on with one hand and leapt to another towering shelf just before the one he had been standing on was obliterated in a swarm of dark lightning.

It was n't good up here. Harry clambered to the top and dashed along the slanting wood. Being up here made him too much of a aim. Harry 's eye spun to find the dark Maker and he almost fell off in cushion as he found Voldemort hovering up from the ground with murder in his center. The love child could fly !

'' Tempesto ! '' Harry 's tornado sprung out of nowhere, drawing backbone from the flooring and filling the air with yellow-white cereal. Harry called another twister, and another. The dark lord disappeared in the duster. Disappeared to normal center that is. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' Harry shot through the murk at the phantom in the air and dashed away along the top of his ledge, he leapt across to the next one just before a lightning bolt flashed through the air behind him. The dark Jehovah could not see him in all this but he could see where his magic spell were coming from. Only a sap attacked and stayed in the same place ... unless ...

'' Acerbus cuspis ! '' Harry called the pain spears, flashing out in their obtuse fan. He twisted them in the air like a snake to strike the darkness lord from both side of meat. He was rewarded with a howl of bother as one of the shining dash struck home. Harry cast again but the dark lord summoned a silvern shield. `` Motus ! '' Harry did n't even take in to think. He just struck out and made the dread orb vibrate with unbearable noise. He twisted to chance the resonance but Voldemort was slyer than Michelson and cancelled the orb. Harry turned to run but the dark lord was immediate and lightning caught his arm, burning like Hades. Harry lost his footing and dropped off the side of the teetering shelf.

Harry spun his crack and blew himself up into the air again, shooting like a rag-doll through the sandstorm until his finger's breadth caught the edge of a shelf and he held on for near life. He pulled himself up and tried to remain firm, his eye spinning to find the dark lord. There he was, but what-

'' Ulkaa Avaskanda ! '' The shrill frigidness part of the dark overlord shouted out of the storm, then. `` Finite Syrtis ! ``

The guts vanished like mist but Harry had bigger problems. He leapt into the air as rocks the size of elevator car obliterated the shelves behind him. His feet hit another shelf but it was already shattering and falling. Harry 's verge whipped out and a bait impacted into the ceiling. Harry swung out over the expanse of nothingness. A Boulder came hurtling out of nowhere but Harry still had his storm.

The wind pulled him out of the route of the meteor with a whisk broom 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 baton flashed out again and one rock veered into the course of the other, shattering them both to shard. Harry felt the Natalie Wood beneath him shift again and this metre let it carry him down a moment before leaping off and dropping to another collapsing shelf, his eye found firm footing and he jumped again as the final stage shelf collapsed into splinters.

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

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

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

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

'' DO NOT MOCK ME ! ``

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

'' YOU ARE NOT WINNING ! ``

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

'' yielding ? '' Voldemort spat the Word of God. `` giving up to you ! ? ``

'' Hey mate, you 're the one that wants to last forever. '' Harry cracked his knuckle joint. `` You wo n't live forever if you surrender but I can guarantee you 'll hold up longer than if you keep fighting. Not practically longer but still ... ''

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

'' Me ? I 'm the blue runner of the roofs at night. '' Harry laughed. `` The hero of the blood war. The only when survivor of the violent stream of eld and the Hogwarts triwizard fighter. ``

'' But- ''

'' I 'm the mirror-blade, '' Harry spread his munition wide. `` Serpent 's bane and wolf-slayer. I 'm the sea rover of the spirit of Njordr."

"You-"

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

"What-"

"But that does n't matter because I 'm also a marauder ! unvanquishable cutthroat bastard and badass extraordinaire ! I. Am. Harry. ceramicist ! The choosing one ! '' Harry trained his verge on the dark lord, his side set in steady resoluteness. `` That is why you should surrender. Right now. Or I swear on this pile of prognostication that I will cauterize you from this public. ``

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

'' final luck. '' Harry snarled. Voldemort straightened up, his centre burning red.

'' Never. '' The iniquity lord hands clenched to clenched fist. `` I will never deliver to a one-half blood boy like you. ``

'' Whatever, '' Harry grinned. `` In that event ... suck it kick ! Depulso ! '' Harry jammed his wand straight down and the pile of wreckage exploded out in all steering, the wood becoming pestilent splinter and the rock singing out in razor sharp sherd. The dark lord threw up a silver gray carapace but Harry was already on the ground. With a flick of his wand the shield screeched and Voldemort threw it away from him as if it was red hot. Harry rolled to the side to dodge a sprayer of black orbs and threw his wand up. `` Avada Kedavra ! ``

The nighttime Godhead fled through a door and Harry rushed to keep an eye on, casting death curse word before him. Harry vaulted a desk and skidded through a door only to incur his body rising into the air. A lightning bolt grazed his shoulder and Harry was spun around like a top. Planets were floating in this elbow room ! There must be some spell screwing with gravity !

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

'' Confringo ! '' The nut of plasma exploded but Harry cast another flame-freezing magic spell and pushed off Saturn directly into the Hell. From behind the cover of flame Harry shot a killing torment at the dark lord but had to twist in the air to contain his chief being taken off by a dark brand flickering through the air. He had used the flame-cover trick one too many times. well lets try another.

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

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

In total contrast to the sleep of the section this room was a sort of zoo. Cages full of brute filled the room up to the ceiling and were stacked in a pile in the middle. Some looked normal, some ... not so lots. Harry shuddered as his eye flickered over a mutated blob of flesh with what he sincerely hoped was not a human arm coming out of it. His witching eye swirled in it 's socket, trying to get a fix on Voldemort but all the biography and drive in the way made it tricky.

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

'' Alohomora ! '' He pointed his wand at the big money of cages in the nitty-gritty and all their cake sprung open. fauna scattered in every direction. Something that looked like a mutation masher made a starving bounce at the cage to the left field and was thrown back by a trance. There ! Harry 's sceptre was trained there in a moment. `` Confringo ! '' The hex blasted the John Cage out of the way, revealing Voldemort 's grey skin. `` Avada K- '' Harry had to break off the swearword to duck behind a desk as more orb of swarthiness rained through the air. Harry heard a door slam undefendable and leapt up from where he was crouched. He dashed to the door and swung through, his wand out.

The end sleeping room ! Back here ! Harry saw Voldemort just reaching the door at the other position of the dimly lit room and aimed his wand.

'' Colloportus ! '' The door squelched and glowed red. Harry spun and locked the former doors too. In a second he had his wand trained back on the dark Creator. Voldemort was just staring at him from the other slope of the Brobdingnagian room, his lips contoured into a sneer. He clearly knew he could break the poxy locking while, but doing so would give Harry the mo he needed to kill him. Harry tried to keep his breath even as he spoke, `` Got you. No more run. ``

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

'' I doubt that. '' Harry mirrored the dark God Almighty and slowly walked down the steps. `` I rarely signalize matter. ``

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

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

'' aught would delight me More Mr potter ! '' Voldemort reached the rear of the room. Harry was just a stride behind him. They stared at each other from opposite sides of the plinth that held the arch of the veil. Voldemort 's lip curled up in a sneer. `` If I had my verge you would have died long ago. ``

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

The dark overlord dropped to the flooring, letting the while passport over his psyche and jabbed his arm up at the ceiling. The shadows above them became active, a writhing caldron of shadow. Harry dodged wildly as a tentacle of night shot down and tried to wrap itself around him. Harry felt another grab his leg.

'' Excalabus ! '' The tentacle was sheered off but Harry had been thrown to the floor and had to roll as bolt of hell dust slammed into the flag where he had been lying. A ball of blackness caught the position of his leg, simply obliterating flesh and pelt. Harry screamed and pulled himself to his invertebrate foot, jumping out of the way of another tentacle. He had to get rid of that thing ! He could n't oppose it and the wickedness nobleman at the like fourth dimension ! But how to vote down something like that ... How else ? Harry jabbed his sceptre at the ceiling. `` Avada Kedavra ! '' The cat valium spell impacted the night brute and it wailed in annoyance, it 's tentacles going limp.

Harry spun back to face Voldemort just in metre for an black orb to take a chunk out of his shoulder. He was bleeding too practically. Had to end this ! The dark Godhead raised his hand for another bolt of lightning of lightning. Harry tore two flagstones from the priming and hurled them in the path of the spell, one after the other. The maiden was blown to splinters but the back, hidden by the cloud of debris, shot through like a marble saucer and crashed with a hideous crush into Voldemort 's ribcage.

The dark Lord was thrown back, his arm coming up to cradle his injured chest. Harry pressed his advantage and Voldemort was driven back by spell after spell. The nighttime nobleman was pushed onto to the steps and stumbled back, lying prone against the Harlan Stone. He seemed exhausted.

'' Avada Ke- ''

"Fulgar Fletch !"The dark lord 's handwriting swung up ! It had been a trick ! Harry saw a cloud of fatal blades erupt out of aught and canvas towards him. He had no protection ! He could not duck ! There was just one hazard ...

'' Protego ! '' Harry called out desperately and was driven back as the tongue clattered against his infirm buckler. Harry let it go and stepped forward, only to birth his articulatio genus buckle and drop him on the floor. What the ? Harry tried to stand but his legs would n't actuate. Was this some sort of curse ? Harry looked down and saw the reason.

There was a tongue embedded to the hilt in his stomach. Two More in his leg. Draining blood down his thigh and pooling on the floor.

'' Bloody shield .... '' Harry 's arms dropped down, suddenly too weak. His wand rolled away on the darkness endocarp. He had n't felt the knifes go in, epinephrine perhaps, but he felt it now. Pain and fervor raging out from the hollow in his venter. `` Bloody ... buckler .... And I was doing so well ... ''

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

'' I could take beaten you ya know. '' Harry coughed weakly and saw droplets of rake nebulizer from his mouth. `` The very first spell I threw. Back when I jumped the counting. Back when you had the bull wand. If you 'd give birth just tried to shield like any normal necromancer ... I could have won on the first off tour. That was ... that was the plan. ``

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

'' Damn it. '' Harry raised his hand to disperse his fingers around the tongue blade in his stomach, but he could n't block off the blood. His life sentence was draining out onto the flooring. The ones in his leg would maim him. The one in his stomach meant he was dead.

'' Do you induce any last words my darling enemy ? '' Voldemort asked calmly. `` I did not pick up any satisfactory ones from Dumbledore. Anything ? ``

'' Ca n't remember of anything ... '' wickedness dots swam before Harry 's eyes. He had failed. `` Are my Quaker still watching ? ``

'' Oh yes. '' Voldemort nodded. `` I would not receive the wizarding public misfire this event. ``

'' Then my hold out language are ... keep fighting. '' Harry raised his eyes to play Voldemort 's. `` living combat him. ``

'' Not very original. '' The dark Maker shrugged. `` But unspoilt than Dumbledore 's. ``

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

'' An admirable thought. ``

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

'' Very well. '' Voldemort raised his script. `` I shall miss you. My ... interesting opponent. '' Voldemort opened his mouth to mouth the finale words Harry would ever hear.

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

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

'' The one with the great power to trounce the night noble will be born as the seventh calendar month dice. '' Harry 's whispered words rang out in the calm down 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 back talk, his voice was barely coming out now. `` And the iniquity lord will denounce ... will notice him ... ''

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

'' Mark him as his equalise ... '' Harry 's lips were barely moving, his words just ruffle in the air. `` But the darkness ... the nighttime ... ''

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

'' The iniquity lord, shall never ... '' Harry 's middle were closed. `` Shall never learn. ``

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

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

'' What did you say ? ``

'' I said you never bloody learn ! '' Harry 's heart flicked unfastened. `` Do you ? ``

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




cliff. Hanging. Again. I know. Sorry. recap anyway.


Sorry this took a while to post. I did n't think of to intentionally lead you hanging at a cliffhanger but world-class I posted it then realised I had to change something so that sent it to the back of the waiting line, then it got rejected ... anyways it 's up now.

Reviews seem to be motley as to whether people think Harry 's really dead or not and whether the series is over or not. It 's nice to possess created such disagree purview. : )




The world-class thing Harry sensed was the scent of apple efflorescence. It was a smell he knew very well. His eyes flickered open and looked up onto the familiar cloud parting of the woodlet in his dreams. It was exactly as it had always been, green and total of life.

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

'' Ow ! '' Flesh, not glass. Harry shook his head, realizing what must induce happened. Eye 's did not grow back, orchards did not spring out of nothing. `` I 'm dead. I died. ``

Harry breathed out, a long sigh of sadness. He had done his just, his very, very best. He had tried to pull round. He had tried to not leave the man of the living, had tried not to leave his friends.

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

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

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

'' I did take him with me though. '' Harry spoke the bitterly words. `` I got him good. ``

The wind rustled lightly through the trees. He thought he could almost, just almost, hear children laughing. Harry sat down and set his book binding against a tree and closed his eyes. If this was the afterlife then he knew one affair for indisputable. Before he met any pearly gatekeepers or had his sins weighed against a plume or whatever he was sitting right here and having a relaxation. The legions of hell could not move him from that spot.

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

"full stop her ! Don ‘ t let her get to the body !"

"She ‘ s got a portkey !"

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

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

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

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

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

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

'' I doubt that Harry, Zen is n't perfectly. '' Dumbledore frowned suddenly. `` I apologize, you asked me not to cry you- ''

'' You can squall me Harry. '' Harry smiled. `` Do n't concern about it. ``

'' But I do worry. '' Dumbledore shook his school principal. `` I can never apologize to you enough for what I did to you. No Holy Writ could ever serve. I ... I am only glad that I got this one last hazard to severalize you how good-for-nothing I am. My crime was inexcusable. ``

'' Apparently it was n't seeing as you 're here and not in a big fiery space with quite a little of pitchforks. '' Harry chuckled and rested his blazon behind his head.

'' You seem, '' Dumbledore was picking his Word of God carefully. `` You seem at ataraxis with what I did. More than the last time I saw you at to the lowest degree. ``

'' Paraguay tea, I can never forgive you, so do n't ask me to. '' Harry sighed and shook his foreland. `` I do n't call back I can ever forgive you but at the Lapp time ... I get why you did it. You were in a bad place, everything was riding on your articulatio humeri. I mean look at me, today I cast an unforgivable oath ten ... maybe twenty times. And before that, over the class of this class I 've killed ... people. respective people. We all do what we think we have to do. You did what ... what you thought you had to do, at the time. I ca n't forgive you for it. You playing with my head. Making me your Frankenstein 's monster. Your changeling child. You ... took me and changed me. Changed who I am, put memory in my head. You said you put your memories of James Potter in my capitulum. I can feel them in there now ... How much of it is me ? Is any of this me ? Or am I just a pathetic written matter of Harry ... Or worse a poor copy of James potter. Am I ? Answer me truthfully. Please. ``

'' I ... '' Dumbledore dropped his middle to the floor. `` I do not recognize how practically of your master copy personality survived. Integrating memories is never fully successful, not from one somebody to another, but there is no way to differentiate how much mixing there has been. There is a chance that the retentiveness settled harmlessly into your subconscious, but then again ... ''

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

'' Yes. ``

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

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

"Real ?"

"That you were not the sustenance proof of my sins."Dumbledore shook his head."At least that was the reason at first. I simple did not want to acknowledge what I had done. Then, later on, after you had defeated the basilisk, after you had come back from the torrent of ages, I began to think perhaps I would not take in to. You had proved yourself a hero so I though ... perhaps no one would ever ingest to know. Perhaps I could let you replete Harry 's place and never recount you. I thought I could let you take the gist. I am not lofty of that. I should have known the vaticination could not be so easily avoided."

"Is it possible I still can take his position ?"Harry pointed at his wrist."I mean, the iniquity lord did mark me."

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

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

'' Help him ! For Falco columbarius 's sake helper him ! '' Was that ... Hermione ?

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

'' His heart 's not beating ! ``

'' Of grade It 's not beating he does n't have any blood left you hysteric retard. Each of you, give me your hands. It's a good thing Harry acquired so many tagalong, one of you has to be his bloodline type. ``

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

"Did you hear that ?"He asked Dumbledore.

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

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

"You are all in, technically. Your spunk is not beating."Dumbledore's center twinkled."But I believe that, with sentence and a generous donation of good red rakehell, you may be pulled back into the mankind of the living."

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

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

"How ?"

"The fact that you are nigh demise coupled with the fact that you died simple meters from the veil."Dumbledore shrugged."I am just glad I got a last prospect to address to you."

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

The old wiz and the young laughed. A mentation struck Harry and the hilarity dimmed.

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

"Of course Harry, anything."

"What is my name ?"

"I ... I do not know."Dumbledore hung his head."I am deplorable Harry. I erased the computer memory from my own mind so I would never call off you it. Never slip up ... But I can tell you the orphanage where I found you. It is called the Malyn orphanhood, or was nine years ago, Jan twentieth. It stands about ten miles south of Belfast. If records exist then, well then you might be able to detect them there."

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

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

"Interesting."Harry, who had lived his living with a London accent thick enough to be adrift bricks on, chuckled."So, do you remember there might even be record book of my parents ?"

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

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

"No Harry nil like that."Dumbledore shook his head."In fact I believe we can safely assume both your parents were muggles. Let me explicate, when I took you from the orphans' asylum they told me a little about you. About how you had come to be there. Apparently you were not given to them in the normal fashion, you were ... found. Found by an senior duet walking along the Lagan river. The river was bursting it ‘ s banks a little after a storm and they saw a piffling sheaf washed up in the mud. When they unwrapped you they thought you were dead, I was told that you were blue all over from the common cold and dampness, but so sapless you weren ‘ t even shivering. You had been in the water for a foresightful time."

Crashing rocks. Raging Andrew Dickson White water. Harry's judgement shied away from the flashbulb of holy terror in his mind and he felt his breath quicken. The raging torrent in his nous banishing all though was genuine, a retentiveness so scaring even Dumbledore had been unable to erase. His only if literal memory was a phobia. Another acid joke. He licked his lips, had to say something, anything to take his psyche off it.

"How old was I ?"

"About six months old, give or take."Dumbledore answered."The couple gave you to the authorities and of course an probe was made. Unfortunately nothing was ever found. And, inevitably, you ended up in the hired man of the tyke avail. The write up after that is, well, rather as you might guess it."

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

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

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

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

"No."

"It works by making use of an ancient type of trick, the trick of names."Dumbledore's voice took on a lecturing look, but Harry could still hear the lump in his throat."There is an old wizard superstition. An old wife taradiddle, if you will, that a sensation's public figure is tied to their destiny. That the epithet first given to a champion somehow sets his path. There was once a bully fad for concealing one ‘ s true gens so that enemies could not gain power over you. Foolishness really, in those Clarence Day someone ‘ s true name was easygoing enough to divine. That is what the map does in any case. It works by the magic of names."

"Yeah,"Harry motioned the late schoolmaster to persist in."And ?"

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

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

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

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

"Harry ..."

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

"Is his kernel 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 appeasement dappled sunlight.

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

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

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

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

"A blessing."

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

"Yes, anyone dead."

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

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

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

"He will be severely weakened."Dumbledore stepped forward and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder."Perhaps as badly as he was 15 yr ago. This is a triumph Harry, it will be years, possibly decades before he can rise again. And if we can catch him while he is infirm and culture him off, so much the better."

"I guess."Harry tried to see the practiced side of meat. It wasn't easy."well let ‘ s try ... Barty Crouch Jr."Again the forest remained empty but for the two of them. Harry grimaced, he hadn't really hoped that the slimy bastard was perfectly. But it would have been a receive surprise.

"Is there not anyone you actually care to utter to Harry ?"Dumbledore asked, fading a little as he did so."No one in this world ? Perhaps the real Harry Potter ?"

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

"How could you possibly ..."

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

"But interesting."

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

"Simple Harry,"Dumbledore smiled."Until now you have been walking mortal else 's course. From this decimal point on, you 'll birth to make your own."

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

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

"Shoot."

"What became of my sceptre ?"

"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 cryptical twinkle in his fading eye."Just curious."And with that the old thaumaturgist faded into nothing, and was gone. Harry chuckled.

"You had to experience the conclusion give-and-take didn ‘ t you. Git."

The air seemed to vary texture. Harry breathed out softly, he was awake again. He could feel his pulse in his dresser. Weak, but there. Harry glanced around at the orchard. It was exactly the same as before but it felt different. He was dreaming now, just a regular dream. Harry let his middle close slowly. He would wake up up in soundly time, but until then ? He was finely here. For now.
*


Snape reached his apartments in Hogwarts and barely got the room access shut before falling into a professorship. There was a bed in the next elbow room, but it suddenly seemed very far away. Sojourner Truth be told he could have fallen asleep in the center of the expectant hall, on the trading floor. He would have been the laughing stock of every student though. Even regretful he probably wouldn't have woken up when they started laughing at him, even when they started poking him.

Snape raised his wand shakily and levitated the forgotten nursing bottle of vino off his table. It had been left open, no matter. He poured himself a glass.

He had stood in the waiting way in St Mungos for long than he could remember while incompetent therapist told him they had no information. When they had finally told him that Harry was out of the woods all his neural Energy Department had leeched out and it had taken all of his mental military capability to break off himself sagging to the flooring right there. He had managed to fool most of them. He had not fooled Natalie.

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes, there is something."Minerva pulled a hard backed electric 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 suppose that there would be."Snape yawned theatrically. He did not have to fake it."I can not conceive of how that would concern me however, I am no longer a member."

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

"That would depend on who replaced him."Snape said levelly."For instance if it were yourself leading the gild, I would sustain no objection."

"I will not be leading the order."McGonagall shook her head."I will consume 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 child to Hogwarts this year. I imagine future year may be a trivial loose but I am sure I will still have my hands full. And besides, I will want to find a new Transfiguration teacher."

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

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

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

"Too paranoid."

"Arthur Weasley."

"Has no fighting or strategical experience."

"Natalie. Natalie Zhao. She is-"

"Very new to the order."

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

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

"No."

"Someone who knows how the darkness Almighty thinks."

"No."

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

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

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

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

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

"I ... I can not take the order."Snape tried to produce his voice not vocalise like that of a rat at bay."I was a expiry feeder, I fell into dark magic. A long clip ago yes but some marks do not total out."

"Yours has."

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

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

"Do not compare me to-"Snape bit back the end of that raging sentence. There was no to take out his wrath on the messenger."I merely meant that I do not reckon it is rubber to give me this kind of power."

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

"Do not quote at me."

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

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

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

"Do I have a option ?"

"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 ambuscade Severus."Minerva smiled and turned to the door.

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

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

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


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

Harry woke from deep dreaming, the sparkling argent voice in his ears.

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

'' You are still asleep, in St Mungos. '' Water rippling over shining stones. `` I wanted to spill to you but you 're on a not bad deal of medication. It was simpler for me to just come to you. ``

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

'' Sitting beside your bed. ``

Harry chuckled, and opened his eyes.

'' Hello Thea. ``

'' Hello Harry. '' The young seer was sitting cross legged under a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in front of him, looking like the human ikon of serenity. Instead of her usual white robe she was wearing a simple brown dress, she seemed almost percentage of the forest. She looked ... dissimilar, somehow different. It was not her face, she was still the same beautiful lady friend he had always known, or her middle, mismatched as they were. Her silver hair was caught up into a long tail down her backbone, tied with amobarbital sodium ribbon. She looked exactly the same but there was something missing. Gone was the horse sense of antiquity, the feeling that the little psyche in front of him had outlasted imperium. She seemed ... Young, the like age as him give or take a year. Harry supposed she always had been. It did not take much to estimate the reason for the change.

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

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

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

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

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

'' It is the truth. ``

'' But it was your dwelling. '' Harry sighed. `` I 'm going to finger shamed whatever you say, you ca n't stop me. ``

'' Stubborn. ``

'' terror. ``

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

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

'' The orphanhood ? ``

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

'' I can not read judgement anymore Harry. '' Thea shook her nous. `` That came with being the prophesier remember. I just know you. ``

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harry reached out and took her hand.
*


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

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

'' No no. It just surprised me is all. '' Harry slowly lowered his infantry to the floor and gingerly stood. He had to hunch over just a piddling to stop the hide of his tummy stretching painfully, but he could take the air. No he could n't. His leg was mangled too. Maybe he could hop ... `` Do you suffer my clothes somewhere ? Oh hold my bag 's right here. Can you change state so I can- ''

Pythea cut him off with a wave of her hand. His hospital nightie changed into a unsubdivided white t-shirt and trouser. Muggle enough to be getting on with. With another wave a carved wooden cane appeared in his bridge player. Obviously she did not think he was as respectable as said he was. shit 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 implements of war around his tender middle. This close Harry could smell her hair, like green locoweed and the sea. He was breathing faster, probably because of all the potions they had him on.

'' Are you fix ? '' She asked.

'' Yes. '' Harry shut his optic and waited. And waited ... He opened them again and cocked his capitulum to one position. `` Is there a problem ? ``

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

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

For the first fourth dimension in his life Harry enjoyed an apparition. The wall of the void pressed him into Pythea, forcing them penny-pinching together. He could feel her breath on his cheek. He was almost disappointed when they dropped onto a small road in the countryside.

Harry stepped back and glanced around. There was no mistaking the orphans' asylum, it was the sole building there. At the middle of it was a stately-home type of thing. He could n't put a date to it, old was the estimable he could do. That was clearly the marrow of the complex but at some point the owner had felt a indigence to expand. The two blocks to either face of the main edifice took after the put-some-rectangular-concrete-blocks-in-a-vaguely-building-shape manner of architecture. Around the whole post there was a senior high wall with barbed wire looped at the top.

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

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

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

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

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

'' Go inside Harry. ``

Harry grinned and turned towards the door. He took a deep breathing space, then winced at what that did to his belly. He tried to still the raging butterflies inside but could n't. The only thing that gave him the will to push open the door was vulture pattern. Follow through. No fear.

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

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

'' Up the stair first door on the left hand. '' The secretarial assistant looked back down at her papers.

Up the steps. Of course. Harry labored up the steps, having to stay Thomas More than once before he reached the top. Out the window he could see the resort area, full-of-the-moon of children running about wildly. From inside the rampart the place looked a lot nicer. All around the boundary of the wall there were a serial publication of fry 's picture. Long running mural and swirls of color. It was almost pleasant, it looked like a normal school.

Harry managed to give the number 1 floor and took a few fatigue hint. She wanted to let me to this by myself. Probably just did n't want to comport me up the bloody steps. Harry then realized that hunching over and breathing heavily in a building full-of-the-moon of children could possibly be misinterpreted. He stood and walked forward towards the first door, his walking stick clattering against the trading floor. He knocked, politely.

'' Come in. ``

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

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

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

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

"Do you have any recognition ?"

"Eh ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Everything ‘ s on computers now. It ‘ s very gamy tech."The woman pursed her lips as she clacked away at her keyboard."When I started here we had rooms and rooms of Indian file boxes. Would have taken years to determine a track record like yours."

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

"Here we are."The woman squinted at the record for a moment then let out a throaty chortle."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 constant reminder of your stoppage with us."

"Wh ... what ?"

"See the bulwark over there ?"She gestured out the windowpane."See the barbed telegram ? You may reckon it ‘ s to keep folks out, but it was originally put up to keep open you in. You kept clambering over the wall."

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

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

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

"wellspring I said to you ‘ You know that wire ‘ s been put up just to keep you in.'And you turned to me, cheeky as a monkey, and told me ‘ That ‘ s goodness Miss, ‘ cos the rampart wasn ‘ t much of a challenge anymore.'”

Harry's nub broke and he fell into his men. He felt tears blooming in his centre. He hadn't known what to ask when he'd cum here, but he had never expected this. He had never expected trial impression. Proof that he wasn't some Frankenstein's monster fiend, proof that he wasn't a bad copy of James 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 touch on."Do you need a tissue ?"

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

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

old salt ...

Jack Match.

Jack Baltzegaurd.

Jack Shakey.

Jack Caiman.

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

His constant alias. The figure that had always come to his back talk when he knew he couldn't say ‘ Harry ’. It had been a memory, a memory of the first really epithet 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 hole core inside him was filling. Filling with percentage of a life sentence he had though he had no retentiveness of. It felt so good.

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

"See it ?"

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

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

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

"My pleasance Jack."

Harry turned and hobbled from the room, it was only his aching wound and walking stick that stopped him from running. He reached the posterior 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 circle to the rear of the building. He could see it now, down the slope a footling. He stumbled down and stopped just before he reached it, just before he went beneath the shade of the orchard apple tree Tree. The little round orchard of apple trees.

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

"It was a memory."Harry breathed, reaching out a hand to touch a branch."It was a memory. I kept having this aspiration where I was stuck in Godrics holler. But that place felt all Weird, but if I could break out and reach the orchard I felt condom. Felt real."

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

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

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

Harry didn't trust himself to utter. Couldn't speak. There were no give-and-take. They sat there for the longest clip, the go summer breeze filling running past them and rustling the folio above their heads. Eventually, after who knew how long, Harry spoke.

"Theia ?"

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

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

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

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

"You were never a stranger."Thea smiled sadly."Do you know how they choose the next oracle Harry ? They go around to all the wizardly households in Ellas, looking for children with the inner eye. If they find one with plenty exponent, with power enough to be Pythea, they take them back to the temple."

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

"The parents have a choice of course, but who would make bold say no."Pythea huddled up against Harry's slope."I was three, but I remember it well, another oath my giving gives me. My name wasn ‘ t Pythea then, but I was told that I could never use my old gens, never speak it ever again. One day in art class I signed one of my picture with the old epithet, just a little mistake. The rage they had at me that day ... they burnt my picture, in front line of my center. I never used the old gens again. After I finished my training I was allowed to go back and visit my parents. I went back to my old theatre. 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 daughter, 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 Scheol do I do ? She's not crying, do I offer her a tissue anyway ? Oh god what do I say ? )"It must consume been heart-wrenching. I can ‘ t imagine-"

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

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

"Did you find out your public figure ?"Pythea asked suddenly.

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

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

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

"I wish I had your certainty."

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

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

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

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

"Had to happen eventually."Harry grinned cheekily.

"I ‘ ll get you side by side time."

"You ‘ re on."

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

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

"I think so. Are you ?"

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

"They begin future workweek if I remember correctly."

"A week, think that ‘ s sufficiency fourth dimension ?"Harry scratched his head.

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

"Dunno ... arrest in the commonwealth probably. I could do with a nice peaceable holiday."

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

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

watch crystal laughter filled the grove, and lit up the foliage with light.
*


Bellatrix Lestrange bowed over her master copy's bed and cried, heedless of her tears staining the sheets. She had done all she could, used every facet of her art, but her lord still barely breathed. His skin was dead whitened and only the dark magic she had woven in his bureau kept him alive. He was so weak, not even witting. It was tremendous to see him like this, terrible to see him brought so low. Better if he had truly died, then he could get risen up again in gloriole. Instead he was trapped in this prison of physical body. Better dead than to lie on this narrow cot in a lilliputian way, not even fit for a hide place. But she had to do what she could. She was the last, the last-place loyal death eater.

"I am all he has."Bellatrix whimpered.

"That is not the case."

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

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

"I did not desert him."The unperturbed boy stepped from the shadow, carrying a bundle under his arm."I was doing our lords unspoiled work."

"For a full year ?"

"It did consume recollective than anticipated ... but it has been done. And in the nick of clock time too."The blench thaumaturge strode over to the dark lord's sickbed and knelt beside it."I am your servant, lord, and I have done your bidding. Do not worry lord, I can score you impregnable again. secure than ever. With this ... we can rise again, the dying eater can rise again. The earth will tremble master copy, 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 shadows was terrifying."Stronger than ever."





Ye deity that was hard to write good. Or ... decently write. Write write ... some combination of those countersign anyway. It 's been a roller coaster I think you 'll agree, and the exclusive most massive construction of the entire fic was finally revealed. Hope you liked it. mass who were waiting to the end of this Holy Writ to review ... your sentence 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 box. Instead I plotted the book out in progress and wrote to it. Unfortunately I got a few chapters in and realized that it sucked. The plot made logical sense and all, no plot-holes, there was goose egg tripping me up, no writers block, I just realized that the plot I had mapped out was a bit [ word I ca n't add without mature evaluation ] really. I had to go back and rework the thing. confirming upshot : The story is a lot solid now I think. Negative upshot : I have to make away a meaning part of what I 've already written. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway *clears throat* the next story is on it 's way. Our Harry has finally found out who he really is and begins walking his own way. Too bad that course is as deadly as the last. A new enemy procession, an old one lingers and a orphic assassin is out for Harry 's blood line. With Harry still injured from his showdown in the department of secret he ca n't present these challenges head on. He may even feature to bug out using his psyche ...

Mysteries abound in the next book of the serial publication Harry potter, The Harlan F. Stone and The Scorpion !