Friendship
The Meeting (Part 3)
Friendships are made at the strangest time and with the strangest people and things. Harry/Tonks. Harry finds out some things about himself, and Tonks learns more about Harry. Post OoTP
SH-telepathy
Harry-telepathy
Dumbledore-telepathy
"MR. WEASLEY!" Dumbledore yelled.
It was too late...
Ron dashed into the dome's membrane. He found himself stuck, almost suspended in midair.
Let me go! I need to help Harry.
He struggled and struggled, and he opened his mouth and let loose a yell. It was bigger than a yell. It was a battle cry of his own, it blended with those of Harry, SH, and the snake, Seth.
Those inside the dome yelled for him to come back, or were completely stunned by the whole situation. The dome flashed a brilliant white color. Everyone shielded their eyes and ears as the light and Ron's battle cry suddenly hit them
Suddenly both were gone. They opened their eyes to see that Ron was no longer in the membrane of the dome. He was being catapulted from the dome's barrier and was running full speed towards the battle cry ringing loudly.
Mrs. Weasley gave a shriek. "Dumbledore! Bring him back!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "He's too young, he'll be killed!"
"There is nothing I can do yet," Dumbledore said softly, "we have not yet to figure out how to get out of the dome." He said touching the dome's barrier. It felt like a wall of light to him. Impenetrable. Several others touched the barrier as well; nothing should be able to get through it.
"It can't be that hard if Ron can do it!" She said desperately. Tears gushed out of her eyes. She banged on the dome causing it to barely undulate under her fists.
Dumbledore focused the dome's surveillance magic on Ron. He was shouting every curse, spell, and charm he knew, which was quite a few being around magic all of his life, at the nearest Death Eaters. They were now alerted of his presence.
As soon as the spells began to fly towards him, Mrs. Weasley began to bawl helplessly. Ron was hit with several curses before even having reached Harry's eyesight.
"Do something, Dumbledore!" Ginny whimpered. She was pale and shaking. She might have been angry with Ron but she would never wish death upon him, which was inevitable from the image.
"Where did that come from?" Dumbledore said suddenly. The magic of the dome was focused on an area a little way from Ron.
"Where did what com-."
Suddenly a snake, just as large as Seth, slithered on to the field. It headed straight for the battle. Its pattern glistened in the darkness. It seemed to be another Elemental Snake. It crossed the distance to the battle in no time. It gave a thunderous hiss that sent the hands of those in the dome over their ears.
The snake charged directly for Ron. There was a collective gasp as the snake coiled itself around Ron in the blink of an eye, effectively blocking him from the Death Eaters but most likely crushing him nonetheless. There was a loud scream from Ron and his battle cry was muffled.
Mrs. Weasley let loose another shriek of agony before collapsing in Charlie's arms in a fit of hysteria. Most seemed to have gone pale and turned away from the dome's image. It was just too much to see Ron crushed by the snake. Ginny rushed to her mother's side with tears in her eyes and immediately began pushing a potion down her throat.
Mrs. Weasley breathed calmly and more slowly, and she began to go limp in Charlie's arms. An Auror suddenly rushed from the other side of the dome and snatched the potion out of Ginny's hand. There was something amiss and all of the other Aurors tensed, . The Auror who had snatched the potion began to sniff it.
After a second, she looked at Ginny suspiciously, she seemed somewhat pleased with the results and yet disturbed by them at the same time. "A Soporific Potion, I know that smell anywhere." Ginny snatched the potion back before attempting to reapply it to her mother.
The Auror was shocked. She yanked Ginny away from her mother. Ginny pull out her wand, and the Aurors had their wands trained on her. "What do you think you're doing?" Ginny's jaw clenched tightly and she turned to Dumbledore.
"GINNY!" Hermione exclaimed angrily, the twins and Charlie were staring at Ginny with something akin to betrayal on their faces. Draco himself looked a bit stunned.
Dumbledore stepped forward, "Let her." He said gravely.
The female Auror was visibly taken aback. "But..."
"It will protect her from the battle. Do you really think she will be able to sit by and let us fight? Any of us, adults included? Her mothering instincts override her judgment some times. She is likely to get cursed from a Death Eater by protecting us, and it would break her heart-." The Auror, while handing the potion back to Ginny, interrupted Ginny's explanation of her actions.
"We get the picture." She said apologetically before turning back to the dome's wall. She glanced at it briefly at first, and then she began to gaze at it intently as if studying the very threads of magic that made the image. She took a step forward as if to confirm something she saw. "Well, I'll be damned!"
"What!" Ginny said frightfully as she finished administering the potion to her mother. She turned and looked at the image, her eyes went large and she immediately paled. "Merlin's shit!" She whispered furiously, everyone heard her but no one corrected her language as most of them were thinking along the same lines.
The snake had not crushed Ron into a bloody stain on the grass, as they had expected. Quite the contrary, from the dome they saw Ron, still alive, riding on the back of the snake.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day when Ron would associate with a snake." Hermione whispered in disbelief.
"It's Elemental, it must have talked some sense into him." Draco reasoned.
Suddenly the snake gave a loud hiss and Ron brought forth his battle cry, and together they struck the Death Eaters with unadulterated rage. Harry and SH seemed to be strengthened by the support and began to fight harder. Seth slithered into the mass of Death Eaters and-.
Draco leaned against the side of the dome watching the action take place. I wish I was out there, I could be helping. It just feels so right, that I should be out there. Suddenly, he saw lightening in the image and it appeared to be coming from Seth's tail, he stood up straight. "Is that lightening coming out of his tail?" Draco asked loudly, he was completed astounded. No one answered his question. He looked around him. Everyone was staring at him in awe. "What?"
No one spoke. He turned slowly to where their eyesight was focused, to where his hand met the dome. There was nothing there! With a gasp, he pulled his hand away and the area that had disappeared a second ago was back to the original structure as a barrier of the dome.
He swiped his hand at the dome's barrier where the phenomena had occurred. It felt like a wall again. But-. He pressed against the barrier. What happened next happened so fast that Draco was not sure it really happened at all. There was a blinding white light, a scream from behind him, and a force that pushed and tugged at him at the same time.
Draco's POV
It took a moment for his mind to register that he had gotten out of the dome. How though? He looked at his hand; there was nothing special about this hand. His ring, the one that Harry had given to him, was on his other hand. That ring had been the first thing that came to his mind as a reason for his departure, but it-.
A loud hiss made him look up. He jumped from the closeness of his face to that of Seth's. The snake was hissing something but Draco could not comprehend. Why is the snake here? Shouldn't he be protecting Harry and SH! And he told that to Seth.
The snake hissed angrily. It turned and gave Draco a good view of its body. There were indents and marks from cursed that the Death Eaters had sent at him. But what is the snake trying to say?
The snake gave a hiss that almost sounded human. It sounded like 'ready'. Draco assumed that the snake wanted him to get on his back. He stood up, shaking slightly, and tried to get on Seth's back.
The snake suddenly pulled away. Draco stumbled forward a few steps. He turned to the snake, furious. "What are you playing at!" The snake hissed what seemed to be a sigh. It swung its head in an arc motion toward the dome and gestured to it with his tail. 'ready', he hissed again, 'isss read-.'
A spell came spinning out of nowhere. It zoomed and struck the dome behind Draco before bouncing back at the one who sent it. It had hit so close to Draco's head that he felt the anger from the caster and the power from the dome as it rebounded it. He quickly looked in the direction from whence the spell came.
"Oh, it's my treacherous, no good, traitor of a son!" Draco pale; his father was approaching his with several of his Death Eater buddies. Seth reared up his tail viciously and prepared to strike. The Death Eaters put up corporeal shields.
Seth's tail lashed at the ground a few meters away from the Death Eaters with no effect on them, they began to laugh darkly. Draco pressed himself up against the dome, which seemed very welcoming at the time. Seth looked at him sharply; his slanted, green eyes were piercing right through Draco. Without warning, Seth's tail launched towards him, it wrapped itself around his waist and yanked him away from the dome.
Draco saw an opening appear in the dome's barrier, where he had just been. His eyes went wide, his breathing was becoming shallow. Everything was getting too complicated to him. Just as the thought went through him, the ground rumbled. Draco could see the stones on the ground around them jumping. The Death Eaters were suddenly picked up and catapulted off their feet. With disturbing crunches, they hit the ground a long way from where Draco and the dome were.
Seth sat him back down. With his tail he pointed to the dome, the scars on his scales, and to the Death Eaters. 'isss ready' 'isss ready'. He repeated. Is what ready? Draco thought to himself.
He shook his head from left to right showing confusion, "I don't understand you." He said a little frustration showing in his voice. The snake hissed angrily again, causing Draco to scoot back a bit. It struck its tail to the ground heavily like a human thumps his fingers against something when thinking hard. He looked towards the battle.
Draco stood up slowly. 'humansss', Seth hissed. He paused, thought hard again. He wrapped his tail around Draco's midsection. 'isss humansss ready', he turned Draco facing the dome and then the battle. What he was trying to say finally hit Draco, were those inside the dome ready to fight. Draco nodded vigorously; he soon got a headache.
He was dropped without care to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and Seth pointed his tail at the catapulted Death Eaters. Understanding his meaning, Draco grabbed his wand tightly and marched over to the fallen Death Eaters.
Third Person POV
Those inside the dome were looking at the side that made up a screen. They were not able to focus on Draco completely. Fawkes could not come too close to, or even look at, the Elemental Snake. Dumbledore had said something about interfering pride.
They saw the catapulted Death Eaters hit the ground, some of those in the dome cheered, and a few moments later they saw Draco approaching the Death Eaters. Suddenly the image went dead. Dumbledore's eyes glazed over. He collapsed to the ground much to the shock of everyone. There were a few shouts and screams of surprise but suddenly the dome collapsed as well.
They all stood still, rooted to the ground, well-shocked and not knowing whether to run and fight, run and hide, or stay with Dumbledore. Ginny rushed forward and began checking Dumbledore. Several approached her for an explanation when she stood up and conjured a stretcher.
"Magical Exhaustion. He should be fine in a few hours." She breathe a sigh of relief.
"WHAT!" Several yelled. Fear was making itself known in their eyes.
"Hours! We need him now!" Remus protested. Others nodded and voice in their agreement.
Ginny scowled. "I can't believe you people. You're afraid to fight not that Dumbledore's not leading. You were just complaining about how you wanted to fight, but couldn't. Look at you all, shaking and pale! How on earth are we supposed to win with attitudes like this?" She yelled. "If only I didn't have an obligation to these patients, I'd be out there fighting." Seth gave a loud hiss causing several people to jump.
Moody walked forward and charged off towards the battle, faster than they expected one with a wooden leg. Several others rushed off as well, but most lingered, looking at Dumbledore.
"GO!" Ginny yelled, startling them all. The look in her eyes sent more off. "Dumbledore will be fine."
Seth reared up; he gave a startling battle cry and slithered off towards the battle, reaching it in less than a minute. Others gave to leave.
"Wait!" Ginny said, stopping them. "Everyone can't leave!" She pointed to the stretchers with the Death Eaters on them, whom she had yet to even look at. "Someone has to watch them and hold down the fort." The Aurors that had originally guarded the Death Eaters promised to guard them once more. Snipe, however reluctant to leave the Death Eaters that Harry promised protection for, ran off into the battle.
He stopped halfway there. The catapulted Death Eaters were surrounding Draco. He rushed to them sending spells in quick succession, but he only took down two or three of the eightish group. Some turned to him and threw spells at him. He countered them effortlessly.
"The second traitor had finally shown his tail. And here I was thinking that we would be going back to the Dark Lord with only one traitor, he will be pleased." Said one of them. They were by no means playing nice with there spell work. Some were using spells that made even Snape's eyebrows rise.
Snape focused on Draco intently, causing him to fall victim to a spell or two. The Death Eaters, who he recognized as members of the Inner Circle, blocked his view of Draco. Draco was fighting the best he could, but he was not up to their level. And almost seconds later, green light flashed from within their blockade. Snape's heart sunk.
Ron's POV
Whether he should be disgusted at the thought of riding on the back of a slithering, slimy snake, or rejoicing that he had gotten out of the dome, Ron was not sure. All in all, they both puzzled him. Then the snake bellowed. Ron felt a chill run straight through his bones. There was such passion, such feeling, such loyalty in the bellow, that it almost hurt Ron.
He felt the tension inside of him growing. He saw Harry and SH fighting the Death Eaters, and they were weakening by each spell they used. He made up his mind then and there; he opened his mouth and let loose a bellow of his own.
He raised his wand over his head and shouted, lights burst forth from his wand with no incantation or order. He did not feel the snake beneath him shiver at the power that he was showing, he did not see the Death Eaters back away from him, and he only saw Harry. Harry looked at him, brief shock crossed his features then he nodded. He and SH fought with newfound vigor and Ron ceased his battle cry, his throat a little sore, but his message had been delivered.
SH's POV
It is times like these that I realize the deepness in which friendship and loyalty goes, SH thought as he studied Harry's friend's demeanor. Harry, who, through their telepathic connection, was sending waves of relief and happiness, was fighting with new strength. A morsel of which was transferred to SH.
He was rejuvenated immediately; it had been all he needed.
The Death Eaters had been terribly underestimated by Harry and himself, and he was sure that Voldemort was not even halfway finished with them. It was a battle whose ending was blatantly obvious to him. Still, if he could be anywhere else at the moment, he would still not leave Harry's side.
Third Person POV
The Aurors attacked the back lines of the Death Eaters. They did not have the maneuvers that SH and Harry had. Since there were no Death Eaters behind them, they could not hope the Death Eaters would take caution with their spells as not to hit one of their own. But the Aurors were arranged like sitting ducks, and even though they fought valiantly, one after one they fell victim to the barrage of spells sent at them.
The Order followed the snake, Seth, penetrating as far as they could into the battle, taking no prisoners, unlike the Aurors. They had the security of the maneuver that was denied to the Aurors, but that did not make them any luckier. They had infiltrated a part of the Masses that was occupied by the more senior and experienced Death Eaters.
They fought for their lives, the Wizard World, and everything else that was on the line, yet, though many of them fell, the Dark Masses never receded. Those who fell were not picked up or cared for in the Dark Masses. Soon dents in the Masses began appearing around the remaining Auror's, the Order members, and Ron. But even that was not enough, the future looked bleak.
Harry was watching a speck in the sky, a reddish, golden speck. He willed for it to come closer. Within it seemed to be relief and alleviation, Harry begged for that, for it to come closer. He was not sure how much more he would be able to take. Suddenly, the speck was gone. He looked around in shock, ignoring the taunts and provoking of the Death Eaters. Still, no speck was in the sky.
One of his arms felt like lead; he had been hit by two spells while looking for the speck. There was a flash of light, then an explosion of flames where he and SH had just been. Harry felt tremendous heat from the inferno in which he and SH was standing. Soon there was heat, yet there were no pains, burns, or combustions, which Harry had expected to happen to someone in such a hellish condition.
Flames as tall as street lamps, Harry was sure that they were not on the field anymore. He voiced that to SH. The flames licked at Harry softly soon afterwards, the heat died away but the flames did not. He looked to his right and saw SH gasping for air. He soon realized that he was too. What's happening?
"Breathe, young humans, we do not have much time." A soft, yet strong and sagacious voice said from within the inferno vicinity. He and SH looked around, both pairs of eyes landed on the figure of Fawkes at the same time.
"You can spe-."
"Where are we?" SH asked rudely, cutting Harry off. "Whatever it is, it can wait, we have to get back and win th-."
The heat was felt strongly, it scorched so quickly Harry's clothes melted away into nothing, his hair burned away and his skin blackened in a second. He screamed, he looked to SH, he was experiencing similar problems. Fawkes waved a wing and their hairs, skin, and clothes were back to normal.
"You must listen, I can not keep you here for long and there are things that are needed to be said. The battle had turned, the mighty have fallen, there is only one way to ensure balance."
Harry took notice of the fact that Fawkes said balance and not victory, but he was resolved to think about that at the moment. Fawkes eyes were suddenly on his and the phoenix was hovering in front of him within a second's time.
"You see, Master Harry, what the heart denies. Look into the eyes of your enemy and make the choice that will save the world." Then there was a flash of light, the inferno disappeared. They were no longer in the battle either.
To everyone else, this took place in the time span of a few minutes, rather than seconds. It appeared to be that Harry and SH combusted and took out a large number of Death Eaters around them. There was a complete standstill in the battle. A great gapping whole stood where Harry and SH once stood.
Remus roared with the might of the werewolf within him, he lashed out at the immobilized Death Eaters in fury and in the guilt of his treatment of Harry. The Order and the Aurors followed suit, the Death Eaters were driven into a state of frenzy.
Seth and the other snake lifted up their tails from the ground, with a burst of red light, great lines of lava and lightening shot forth and reaped terror upon the Death Eaters.
Draco's POV
"NO!" He yelled as the green light flashed towards his closest companion. Draco watched as Snape fell victim to the Killing Curse. He, in a fit of rage, yelled the exact same curse at the one who killing his mentor, his father.
There was no movement, then his father pointed his wand at one of the other Death Eaters and the person was thrown in front of him as the curse was nearly upon him. The person fell dead to the ground with a 'thud'. Draco instantly recognized the beautiful features of his mother underneath the mask.
Draco raised his wand shakily against his father. Suddenly two of the five remaining Death Eaters facing him dropped to the ground, dead, before they had even reached it. They had surprised looks on their faces. Another Death Eater turned to stare at something behind Draco, he dropped dead too. Draco saw his father and his Aunt Bellatrix turn away quickly. They ran towards the battle and away from Draco with unimaginable speed.
Draco took them both down with the Killing Curse; the feeling of unimaginable delight that washed through him was ignored. He slowly turned to see what had literally scared the Death Eaters to death. With eyes opened wide, he threw away his caution and found himself staring at...
An enormous snake with closed eye!,He was startled out of his wits when one of the Aurors who remained behind began yelling and running towards them. "Basilisk, BASILISK!"
Draco saw the snake's head snap in the Auror's direction. The eyelids began to slowly open.
"NO!" Draco yelled. He conjured up a shield around them, tall enough to hide all of the King of Snakes' height therefore his gaze, but not the width. A spell from the Auror grazed the great beast, the eyelids opened up a little more. Draco saw a bit of the eye, but not much. His body still seized up. "NO! Don't open your eyes, he's just scared!" He shouted at the snake in desperation.
The snake's eyes snapped shut. Draco was released from his seizure and he immediately confronted the idiot Auror. After explaining that it meant them no harm and that the snake had just saved his life, the Auror relented. He gave Draco a disgusted look and stood there, as if wanting to be sure of it and to catch Draco if he were to turncoats.
"Harry has snakes too." Draco said, noticing the basilisk's erecting when he claimed possession of it. Draco was, too, surprised himself by his possessive attitude towards the snake.
The Auror looked resolute, "Potter is special and is light all the way through." Draco did not respond to that, he did not know how to respond.
The snake wrapped his tail around Draco, tossed him onto his back and, with his eyes supposedly closed, for Draco could not see from his position, headed towards the battle.
Omniscient POV
The irony of it all! Snakes fighting against the very people who claim to the followers of "The Snake". Voldemort may, in his disfigurement and intensive dark transformations, assumed the likeness of a snake, and may even have one in his possession, but he did not have the respect of all the snakes.
The Death Eaters, at the arrival of the Basilisk, were quickly dissipated as was their rage and spirits; they turned and ran to the safety of their shocked leader. But the damaged had been done, of the mass of the congregation that had assembled there hours before, only a little more than a third survived.
The field was blanketed with the bodies of Death Eaters, eyes open and mouths agape. And several of the Order and even more of the Aurors went down with the lengthy gaze of the King of Snakes.
The battle seemed to be in withdrawal. The Aurors and the Order members were regrouping at the end of the field; opposite to where the Death Eaters were regrouping. From their end, the Order and the Aurors were approached by the Basilisk and the two Elemental Snakes. Draco calmed their nerves to the best of his ability and dismounted from the Basilisk, whose eyes were focused in the opposite direction, Ron did the likewise with the Elemental Snake. The three snakes, one with its eyes turned away from the Order and Aurors, conversed in their language while everyone else was speaking in theirs.
"It's about time for the change of tides." Ron said breathlessly, with sweat and blood glistening on his brow. Draco nodded stiffly to him
"The snakes..." Inquired the Minister, who had exceeded all reclusive expectation of himself by fighting with and like the best of them, he look weary and a little skittish.
"The snakes are on Harry's side." Draco said with a sigh. His heart was racing with maximized passion as were the rest of them.
Charlie, who was sporting a hideous scar on his left cheek, looked amongst them with surprise. "Speaking of which, where is Harry?"
"And SH?" Said Draco, imitating Charlie's inquisitive demeanor. "They were just there-."
"Then they were swallowed up by the fire-explosion." The Minister said shakily. All eyes snapped to him, even those of two of the snakes. "Wha-."
"What are-." Ron started.
"Where did this happen?" Draco asked with haste. The Minister pointed to an area of the field that had a large gaping hole in it.
"They disappeared with in an explosion of fire, Dumbledore's bird as well." An Auror said. "Come to think of it, the Dementors disappeared as well."
It was obvious to them now that some of them had seen the combustion, mostly those facing that direction and those in the vicinity of the explosion. Those who fit into the genre gave more insight into the matter. They discussed amongst themselves what had happened and the fate of their two saviors.
They were almost upturned by a great quake. Heads, of both humans and snakes, snapped to the area where the Death Eaters had assembled around their leader. Once more the gaze of the Basilisk felled several of the Death Eaters. Voldemort could be heard screaming. The tremors then stopped.
BOOM
There was a great upheaval of earth and rocks and an explosion of fire within the midst of the Death Eater forces. The ground oscillated beneath their feet in the aftershock of the upheaval and explosion.
The Order members and the Aurors withheld their breath, what concoction had Voldemort unearthed now!
Suddenly Seth hissed deeply within his body, there was suddenly a vibration that struck those nearest to him. 'Harry', he had hissed in a very humanoid accent. He took off in the direction, slithering over the bodies of the fallen without care of any respect. The other two snakes waited for Draco and Ron, who jumped on their back immediately. With their passengers on board, they slithered off at a speed unmatched by Seth.
The Aurors and the Order stood shell-shocked. Suddenly, Minister Fudge puffed up and gave an order. "Deitris, take a team into the field and pick up any fallen allies. Everyone else, let's go." He dashed off with an uncharacteristic passion. The battle had moved the man in a manner that had everyone incredulous.
No one had moved. The Aurors soon dispersed and followed the Minister. Once they were off, others followed.
Harry's POV
The battle had moved about them before he and SH knew what was going on. The end was near, Harry could smell it. The fierceness, and the desperation that emanated from the moves of the Death Eaters, was evidence of a conclusion to the battle.
Harry looked at the Order members that were fighting and noticed immediately Dumbledore's absence, but he could not find the strength to ask any of them the question. But the waned light in the eyes of the Order members was evident that something of a bad nature had occurred.
"So, Potter, you do not fight a battle that you swore your life to." The voice that caused a chill to go down Harry's spine. SH grabbed Harry protectively and Harry watched in horror, but unable to do anything from the stupor that had seized him, as SH fell victim to a spell that made him fall bonelessly to the ground.
Harry turned to meet the face of the one whose very existence ruined his own. The one who ruined every opportunity of happiness that could have befell Harry. They very pinprick of his essence. The one who took his parents away from him. The bastard who took my godfather away from me.
Rage poured forth from his very pores. There were red spots before his eyes. If he had looked up, he would have seen clouds gathering there with bolts of white lightening flashing. There was a large boom that uprooted trees in the vicinity and caused those around Harry to topple to the ground.
There was a rush of activity around him, after that point, yet he paid no attention whatsoever to it. His focus was on Voldemort. The man, if he may be called that, was looking at Harry with a look full of malice so tangible that Harry felt it strangling him. It was scary and comforting at the same time that another was matching his anger.
"Remember, young human, young Chosen One, look into the eyes of the enemy, see what the heart and world deems impossible." The voice vibrated from within him.
SH gave a stir from his side on the ground. Harry tried to block out his anger; he tried to put aside his feelings. It was just too much, he could not do it. He could not listen to what he believed Fawkes to be saying to him. He could not let this bastard live and reign and terrorize anyone. His wand hand rose, his mind shifted, the end of the life of the 'man' in front of him was the only thing on his mind.
"Remember..." The voice dimmed slightly. Harry could feel the tension building in his heart. He fought his desire for the death of the tormentor of his very soul. He could feel the gazes of the others upon him. Lightening flashed in his vision, and he was seeing it for the first time. Not the lightening, not the fear he saw in the eyes of his enemy, to only thing he saw was the flame above the head of Voldemort and forced himself to look the man in the eye.
Images flashed through his mind. He had seen most of them before; they were the same as those he had seen with the exorcism of SH. But the most reoccurring image, the only reoccurring image, was that of Tom Riddle's sister. The split of darkness and light was strong whenever the image was produced. With a sigh, a sigh that was out of place in the situation, Harry murmured a spell.
"Extromnea Extracta." The wind picked up; lightening struck the earth around them. Voldemort conjured up several shields and each one failed to save him. They crumbled as lightening struck and dispelled them.
The power behind the spell was painful. Harry felt as if he were dying. He hit the ground next to SH and clamored over to his knees. A scream pierced the air and rain began to fall like hail. Harry covered SH's now shivering body with his own as the pain began to make him seize up. He collapsed with the last of his strength as another body, hit the ground beside him.
? I wanted to stop here but I couldn't leave you guys hanging ?
Blinding white light. Why the light, is this heaven? Harry closed his eyes as soon as they were opened. His body was numb from the neck down, he was afraid to even try to move. He tried once more to open his eyes; this time he kept them open regardless of the sting that was felt with them.
He was beginning to get frustrated; he now began to try to move his body with no avail. He worked futilely. His agitation increased as his tries increased, and failed.
"You did well young savior." He heard the voice. He gave a sigh and relaxed.
Thank you. Said a voice that Harry knew well.
I don't think he was talking to you, SH! Harry said with a humorless laugh.
Exactly, Mr. Potter! I do believe he was speaking to both of you.
Dumbledore! Harry's eyes searched in the white brightness for the man, or any others. Where am I?
Mr. Potter, I dare say, you do amaze me sometimes! Dumbledore gave a laugh.
"You of all people should be very used to and immune to these surroundings." Dumbledore said looming into view over him. Harry saw him with some haze in his eyes. Dumbledore moved out of his line of vision and reappeared soon afterwards.
He placed something on Harry's face, over his eyes. With his glasses on, Harry saw Dumbledore more clearly. "Why-."
"Your magic, which healed your eyesight this summer, is recuperating from the mass amounts of magic that were applied to the-."
"Albus!" Came a cry from behind Dumbledore. "I told you to tell me once to boy had awakened!" Dumbledore gave an innocent smile.
It must have slipped my mind! Harry and SH shared a laugh.
Harry was administered a potion. The numbness in his body, which had been caused by his magic and his body recuperating. He tried to sit up immediately, Madam Pomfrey, instead of yelling at him, assisted him, much to his surprise.
Once he was in a propped-up position, she leaned over and gave him a soft hug and a bit of appraisal. "Good job."
Harry turned to Dumbledore, "Does this mean-."
"Yes, Mr. otter, Lord Voldemort is no more." Harry knew something was up as soon as the words left the man's mouth.
"What's wrong, what ha-."
It's best if I tell you, Harry. SH said from the recessed of his mind.
Tell me what! What is going on? Harry was scared out of his wits.
Well... I'm no longer a person, not physically anyway.
Huh?
Your magic needed to recuperate, and me being partially apart of your magic, went with it as it recovered. Don't worry, we can perform the exorcist ritual again. Something was wrong with how he said that...
You're hiding something. Harry was getting more and more anxious and mad, by the word.
Once we do this again, we will not be parts of a whole; we will be even more separate, more individual.
What's wrong with that?
Nothing, that's not the problem. The problem is that I can't have another body, your magic can't make another one, and the body that we made together is pretty damaged from the fighting and from Voldemort's spells, so if we do the ritual, there is the possibility that I might...
Harry felt his heart constrict. But, surely, there has to be something that you- that we-.
Don't worry Mr. Potter, everything that can be done is being done. I assure you. That is not the main issues at hand, Mr. Potters.
That's all I had to say. SH said with surprise and a little apprehension.
When there's more, there's more trouble. Harry said with a mental shudder at the memory of the Trelawney prophecy in Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore sighed mentally. Mr. Potters - Harry and SH - I would like for you to meet Tom Riddle.
Hi. A voice Harry remembered vaguely from the Chamber of Secrets said tentatively.
There was silence before SH shouted in outrage, WHAT! WE JUST GOT THROUGH DESTROYING THE BASTARD, HOW-.
You helped? Harry asked suddenly.
SH sounded a bit hurt. Of course I did, before you went unconscious, I finished the curse that you started.
Sorry, I just didn-.
SH interrupted him. Back to the Voldemort thing, Dumbledore, what kind of joke it this!
"No joke, young savior. The ritual that you preformed was thought through correctly by your counterpart. Master Harry, you chose the right decision." Fawkes said from his position on Dumbledore's shoulders.
So what you were trying to tell us was that there was some good in Voldemort, his younger self- that's why he had the black flame with some white in it!
I-I-. SH was stunned.
Not that there was some good in him, Mr. Potter, that there was a time when he had feeling and emotion that are associated with someone "good", I speak of his care of his sister. You awoke the old feelings and exorcised the person, the Tom Riddle, before the evil manifestation.
So we have a 'good Voldemort' on our hands now, does anyone besides me see that potential danger in this!
I would prefer if you did not call me 'Voldemort. I am not my future self.
You will be though... In the future.
SO... Dumbledore, what's happening in the outside world? Harry asked, mentally while Madam Pomfrey fretted over him and the other two bodies in the room. One being SH and a spitting image of the boy he had witnessed in the memory. He was a fourteen year-old.
The Minister has proclaimed the death of Voldemort. Only those in this room know of Tom, I would like to keep it that way.
How many did we lose? Harry's tone was morose, duplicated by Dumbledore.
Many died in the battle, all of which received the Order of Merlin Second Class. The ceremony was two weeks ago.
How long have I been out? Harry asked.
We. SH corrected.
Two months.
Two months! Harry and SH said at the same time.
Yes, and you two were awarded the Order of Merlin First Class; there is still an argument on which of the two of you were the youngest to receive the award. Dumbledore said happily, it was easy to tell who started the debate.
Harry resumed on a melancholy note. Did we lose anyone I know?
I wish not to ruin your reunion.
Is Tonks okay-. Harry's mind teemed with all of the possible maladies that could have befallen Tonks and the baby.
He spoke before Dumbledore could answer Harry. What about my Death Eater, Joshua What's-his-face?
All fine-. Harry interrupted Dumbledore.
And Draco, Ginny, and-.
All fine. Dumbledore said too quickly for Harry's liking.
Well, they aren't truly fine; they just fought a war. SH said with malice oozing out of every word.
I'm sorry for what my future, evil, self did, I wish I could have-.
Helped him! I'm sure you would have, if you could. SH finished angrily.
This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. SH and Tom continued to bicker in the background. Dumbledore snorted.
Fin, or maybe not!