REPOST - Betrayed by Weasleys, Manipulated by Dumbledore, Saved by Snape. All to win a war, only to lose the battle and die. So Fate steps in and sends them back to try again. Soul bond Harry/Hermione, soulbound Neville/Luna. Starts back in year one. Mix of movieverse and bookverse.

Story is mine, created in the world belonging to J.K. Rowling.

Came out of the Darkness – prologue

By Jen S. – jcswriter

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. - Ambrose Redmoon

*x*x*x*x*x*

The battle raged all around them. Flashes of sparks lit up the darkened sky. But for them, it was over. It was all over. So many had already fallen.

Dumbledore.

Dobby

Hedwig

Draco at his master's hand, punishment for failure.

Severus Snape.

He'd seen Fred Weasley fall a short while ago. And he didn't get up.

He didn't know who else, there were so many bodies littering the ground. And now them. He and Hermione, Neville and Luna. Surrounded by Death Eaters. Neville and Luna were crouched behind him. Harry had his arm around Hermione. But his eyes were on Ron. His friend. Best and true. Lies. All lies.

"Remember Lord, you promised. I get her. She was supposed to be my reward to do with what I wanted. I get her." Ron was leering at Hermione.

"I remember," hissed the snake man. "Now, don't you have something to tell them?"

Ron smirked. Now that they were on the edge of the veil, Ron had no trouble boasting how their entire friendship was built on lies.

Harry closed his eyes. Trying to block out the words. They hadn't seen him since he stormed from the tent earlier that year. After he'd left, they'd spent days grieving. Until the spells and potions began to wear off. Molly and Ginny Weasley's potent love potions. Dumbledore's spells. So powerful they even survived his death.

They'd talked. Truly talked for the first time in a long time. Recovering memories. Remembering feelings. Feeling feelings.

Then they'd kissed.

And the world exploded. Taking the tent with it.

So they ran. And ran. They stopped. Rested. Ran. Searched. Found. Destroyed. Rested. Loved. Ran.

Conceived a child.

Ran.

And now kneeling on the ground, surrounded by Death Eaters, he held her. His wife, if only in his heart. The mother of his child who would never be born. He turned his back to their enemies to stare into her eyes.

"I love you," he whispered. "More than life itself. I will love you forever and for always." He heard Neville and Luna whispering their own words. Then hers.

"I love you. I will love you forever and for always."

He was vaguely aware of the Malfoys dropping to their knees, wands falling from their hands. Lucius grabbing Narcissa close. Of Ron protesting again that he'd been promised. Of the Snake man's hiss "I lied."

Then she kissed him and everything else disappeared.

Avada Kedavra

The curses hit them from all sides, ripping apart both young couples, then rippling out, tearing the fabric of existence and vaporizing everything within a thousand mile radius. Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales. Gone. The resulting seismic rift tore apart the very Earth itself.

No one. No thing survived.

X * X * X

Fate scowled. "Well fuck a duck, that's not right."

X * X * X

"Fuck a DUCK!?" Harry sat up, still holding Hermione. They were in a large white space. Not even a room; nothing could be seen but white light.

"Whoops, you could hear that couldn't you?" A section of white in front of them shimmered and turned. A figure resembling a Dementor only in a shimmering silvery blue.

"Is this Heaven?" Hermione said. "Because we just died, right?"

"No and sort of."

"How do you sort of die?" Harry asked the form.

"You should know, you've done it multiple times now." The form waved a hand. "Try again."

"Try what?" Harry asked.

Then they were falling. He held on to Hermione as long as he could, then she was ripped from his hands. He fell forward with a scream of rage and loss.

"BOY" bang-bang-bang "Shut up Boy!"

Harry blinked around at the room. Dudley's second bedroom. Hedwig sat in a cage on top of the battered dresser. He approached slowly and caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. His eleven year old reflection which according to the calendar on the wall, was two weeks away from traveling to Hogwarts for the first time.

"Fuck a DUCK!"

*x*x*x*x*x*
I came out of the darkness with a bullet in my hand
I got one more shot at living, I'm lucky that I can
'Cause I got a little roughed up, I really kinda fucked up
I came out of the darkness with a bullet in my hand - Bullet in my Hand – Redlight King – Something for the Pain

*x*x*x*x*x*

Yes this is a repost. Yes I am back. I'll post a handful of chapters every day or so until I catch up to the new stuff.

I neglected the story then took it down after a year of no updates. I started writing again, then hit a wall of self doubt over my writing thanks to several anonymous reviews (TWD fans can be really angry when you 'pick the wrong couple') and took down a bunch more stories I thought weren't worth reading.

I've found my courage again, and my muses, so let's try again. I've edited this story, took out a few things that didn't really work, and condensed a few of the shorter chapters. Hope I caught everything but let me know if I didn't (Alix you still out there?), I am amazed at the number of things Microsoft insists are wrong yet misses things that are very wrong (your vs you're, and past vs passed).

Thanks for your attention. Hope you enjoy the journey!