Oh my…I can't believe it. This is the end of the fifth book! How is this even possible? How? I'll tell you how, it's because of all the support, love and encouraging words from all of my wonderful, incredible readers! I mean it, you guys are the reason I keep going, because knowing how many people love my stories and ideas mean the world to me, more than you'll ever know. It's hard to imagine that when I started this series I as just a college freshman with a crazy common idea in her head for a fanfiction and just wanted to see if it was any good. Now, years later and after so much hard work and time put into this, I'm almost done with only two books left to go!

I just want to take a moment to thank you all again for your support, especially those who have been with me from the very beginning. I know my updates can be horrible most times, and lately I've been giving out more cliffhangers, haha. But through it all, you guys still favorite/follow/review, and that's amazing.

Now as I said, this is the last chapter for "You Were Always There: Part Five," I'm sorry if some of you guys find that this isn't a very good place to stop but it's good for me, and once you guys read the first chapter of the next book, you'll understand why. I don't know when exactly I'll have the first chapter of the next book up, but I'm going to do my new plan of writing out at least three or four chapters beforehand before I post the first one, and I'm not planning on starting it until after the holidays. I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long, but I honestly just need a little break and the holidays are a sad time for me, so I probably won't be up for writing much anyway. But I promise one New Year's come around I'll have started to first chapter, and hopefully it won't take me too long to type up enough chapters to start posting. In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and just keep an eye out for "You Were Always There: Part Six." Wow, part six…I'm still shocked, hahaha!

I really hope you guys like this chapter, and please review to tell me what you think! Love you guys, I'll see you in the next book! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are not mine.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Sun and the Mist

MiaPOV

The first thing that Mia registered in her mind was that she was warm. So very nice, and warm. It was enough to make her snuggle whatever she was lying on, which was very soft and she let out a soft sigh of content. She felt a gentle breeze ruffle her hair and despite her best efforts, she felt herself becoming more awake, and more aware. A low moan escaped her as she curled tighter into herself, not wanting to leave her peaceful slumber, no matter how good the breeze felt against her bare skin…

Wait…my bare skin? Mia's eyes slowly and reluctantly fluttered open and what she saw made them widen as big as saucers and become very still. Moving slowly, Mia sat up to see that she was laying down on luscious green grass that felt more like a comforting mattress than anything else, gently tickling her whenever she moved an inch. Also, to her great embarrassment, she realized that she had no clothes on whatsoever. Her face burning bright red, Mia used her arms to cover her chest, wishing that she had something to wear. Then, as if some unknown force heard her, a simple white dress along with matching robes appeared next to her, folded neatly on the grass. Mia wasted no time in taking the dress and slipping it over her head, the material like satin as it fell over her. Once she had it on, she pulled on the robes as well and then carefully stood to her feet, her legs feeling a little wobbly. When she was upright, she took a moment to stare around at her surroundings.

She was standing in the middle of a very familiar playground, complete with swings, a slide, monkey bars, tunnels, and benches along the sides. It is the same playground she and Harry would come to all the time during the summer holidays, only it was more kept up than normal, with beautiful flowers and bushes all around, with the soft grass in place of the dirt and wood chips, the equipment shining with fresh paint as though it had just been built, the slide gleaming silver in the light of the beaming sun, which was the source of the warmth Mia was feeling. Mia had never seen the playground look so beautiful and it made her smile. She turned her gaze upwards towards the sun and she closed her eyes for a minute, letting it shine upon her face, warming her up from her head to her toes. She didn't know what had happened to the playground, but she had never felt so at peace before. It was as though she didn't have a care in the world, and she could live out the rest of her life standing there, soaking up the beautiful rays of the sun. Opening her eyes, Mia looked ahead of her to see a nearby hill, where the light of the sun was at its brightest, glowing so wonderfully. Wanting to be where that marvelous light was, Mia took a couple steps towards it, wondering what could be on the other side.

"Not so fast, Sweets, you may not want to go there just yet."

The sudden voice made Mia stop right in her tracks, her whole body freezing where she stood. Shock and disbelief crashed through her as her mind registered why that voice sounded so familiar. It couldn't be…could it? She has not heard that voice in months, but she wouldn't forget it in a heartbeat. Not getting her hopes up, Mia rotated on the spot, moving her gaze away from the sun and to the person who had appeared out of thin air right behind her. A choked gasp left Mia's mouth and her eyes instantly began watering with tears as she looked upon the old woman who was standing there, wearing a lovely pink dress, her gray hair pulled back some and still framing her face perfectly, her matching eyes shining with tender care and standing up tall, not slightly hunched like the last time Mia had seen her. Her lips trembling, Mia started walking towards the woman, hardly daring to believe it.

"Aggie?" she whispered, a tear managing to make its way down her cheek. "Aggie!"

Without a second thought, Mia rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Mrs. Brugger, hiding her face in her shoulder and crying so hear tears were falling onto her dress. Mrs. Brugger chuckled lightly and returned Mia's hug, stroking her hair with one of her hands and holding her close.

"Oh, I've missed you, Mia," Mrs. Brugger murmured into her hair. "It's all right dear, there's no need to cry."

"Aggie," Mia whimpered. "I've missed you so much. I thought I'd never see you again."

"I never truly left you, Mia," Mrs. Brugger said to her. "I've been watching over you for quite some time."

The two of them spent another minute or so hugging each other before they slowly pulled apart, with Mrs. Brugger smiling kindly at Mia, placing her hand on her cheek to wipe away her tears. Mia just stared at her for a moment, thinking about what she had just said. Mia knew that Mrs. Brugger had passed away some time ago now. But, if that was the case, then why was Mia seeing her now?

"Aggie, where are we?" Mia asked. At this point Mrs. Brugger's smile faded a bit and her face took on a more solemn expression.

"What is the last thing you remember before you woke up, Mia?" she said. Mia went quiet as she tried to remember what had happened before she found herself in this place. A lot of it was a strange blur, but what she could remember was a battle in a weird place, with lots of lights flying this way and that. The more she thought about it, the more it came back to her, and a deep frown was set into her face.

"Sirius," she said. "Sirius was in trouble. We were all at the Department of Mysteries. They wanted the prophecy, and Bellatrix…Bellatrix was going to kill Sirius—"

Mia stopped herself short, her eyes going wide and her mouth dropping open as a horrible realization struck her in that instant, making her legs feel as if they were turning into jelly. Everything suddenly came back to her in a giant flood, filling her with so many memories and emotions she didn't think she could handle it all at once. She remembered everything…the trick Voldemort played on Harry, running from the Death Eaters who wanted to steal the prophecy for their master, the battle that took place between them and the Order, and seeing the look Bellatrix had given her when she stopped her from killing Sirius. Mia's face morphed into hopeless grief as she remembered all the curses Bellatrix had flung her way, one right after the other, leaving her no time to think, let alone try to defend herself against them. The terrible pain she had felt from those injuries were still so fresh in her mind and it made her body shake, recalling how broken and weak she had felt. She remembered the blood in her eyes, the ringing in her ears, and the sound of Harry's devastated cries as she faded out. After what seemed like forever lost in her own thoughts, Mia raised her eyes to Mrs. Brugger's, once again welling with tears.

"Aggie. Am…am I dead?" Mia asked in a quiet voice.

"No," Mrs. Brugger replied. "But you're not far from it, though, sweetheart."

"But…how…I don't understand," Mia said, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Come, let us take a seat so we can talk," Mrs. Brugger suggested, gesturing over to the closest bench. She led Mia over to it and had her sit down, with Mia's head still in a daze. Once the two of them were sitting, Mrs. Brugger turned towards Mia, taking her hand and placing it in her lap.

"Mia, right now we are in your place," she explained. "You obviously have a strong connection to this place, and right now it is your in-between."

"In-between?" Mia repeated.

"Yes," Mrs., Brugger said with a nod. "You see honey, at this point you have two choices. Either you can go over that hill towards the sun or you go back through the mist."

"What mist?" Mia asked. Mrs., Brugger pointed over Mia's shoulder and the young girl turned enough so she could see that further down that path that would normally lead back to Little Whining, there was a great thick mist that was gathering near the end of the slope, obscuring everything and anything from sight. Just looking at it made a cold shiver go down Mia's spine and for some reason the mist instilled a bit of fear within her. Absentmindedly, she moved closer to Mrs. Brugger, never taking her eyes off of it.

"What's in there?" she said.

"The path back to the world you knew," Mrs. Brugger told her. "It's not an easy one to take, and it would take all your courage to get through."

"And where will the path over the hill take me?"

"On," Mrs. Brugger said simply. Mia brought her eyes back to her, the fear still clutching at her chest in an uncomfortable manner.

"It's all right to be scared, Mia. Going back can be a scary concept for anyone—why go back to uncertainty, pain, strife and endless questions when you have the sun shining so brightly down on you with the promise of carefree peace awaiting you? It takes a great deal of will and strength to choose either one. You have a choice Mia, which is more than most people have, and I would hate to see you lose out on the life you could have. Besides, I don't think that boy will be able to function properly without you."

"You know about us?" Mia said, the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly.

"Are you kidding me? I have been waiting to give you the biggest 'I told you so' of the century," Mrs. Brugger answered, a gleam in her eyes as she smirked at her. "And that's not the only thing I'm interested in. So…a witch, huh?"

Mia could feel her cheeks start to go red again and she bit her lip sheepishly.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked.

"Of course not! Goodness Mia, I could never be mad at you for being special like I always knew you were. I understand you had reason not to tell me, I might have thought you were even more batty than me, and that's saying something," Mrs. Brugger pointed out as she took hold of Mia's other hand as well. "But you could be the battiest hag the world has ever seen, and I would still love you dearly. I really have missed you so much dear, but I don't want you missing out on your life just so I can see you again. You have so much to give, and I know there's still so much you need to do. So many people love you, more than you know, and even though the choice is ultimately yours, I want it to be the choice you know is best for you."

Mia was silent as Mrs. Brugger spoke, absorbing her words carefully and mulling them over in her head. What can she do? Her life, her family, her friends were all through that mist, waiting for her, but…she was scared. She was scared of what she would have to face when she returned. So much pain, sorrow, and cruelty. Did she really want to keep going through it, when she could have a chance at peace? To never be hurt again? As she was mulling over her options, there was a sudden sound that reached her ears. Puzzled, Mia looked over her shoulder over at the mist again and she was surprised to hear a faint voice coming from it, barely more than a distant whisper, but she still managed to make it out. It was a voice she would know anywhere, a voice that she would never grow tired of hearing, a voice that always made her heart flutter and a smile to light up her face even in her darkest times.

"Mia…Mia…come back to me…"

"Harry," Mia whispered, her heart clenching at the sound of his voice, an aching longing building up inside her. She listened as he kept repeating her name and she eventually looked back at Mrs. Brugger, fresh tears in her eyes.

"I have to go back," she muttered. Mrs. Brugger only smiled at her before drawing her in for another hug.

"I wish our time together didn't have to be cut so short," the old woman said, her tone thick with emotion. "But keep faith, Sweets, no matter what. And don't forget that I will always be with you. All you have to do is think of me, and I'll be there beside you."

Mia sat there in Mrs. Brugger embrace for a long moment before they finally drew away from each other. Mrs. Brugger helped Mia to her feet and took her face in her hands, smiling with such care and adoration.

"I'll miss you Aggie," Mia said.

"So will I, dear," Mrs. Brugger said. "But Mia, before you go, there's one last thing. There are some people here that would really like to meet you."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked her. Mrs. Brugger just kept smiling at her as she took her hands away from Mia's face and moved over to the side, allowing Mia to look behind her. Indeed, there were more people in the playground now, two to be in fact. They seemed to have appeared in the shimmer of the light of the sun, and the second Mia set her eyes on them, she felt as though she had been struck by lightning and she was sure she was hit with the Full Body Bind. Her hand immediately began to sweat at the sudden appearance to the two newcomers and she was sure her heart was exhilarating inside her chest, while her brain was screaming at her that this just couldn't be happening. The couple was standing in a sort of radiant glow, smiling at her. She had seen them only once before, but that was years ago in an enchanted mirror although nothing about them has changed since then. Were it not for the different eye color, she could have sworn the man in front of her could be Harry, with the messy black hair, glasses, and facial features that were simply uncanny. He stood beside the woman, holding her slim hand as she beamed at Mia, her green eyes shining brilliantly and her dark red hair framing her fair, heart-shaped face in long tendrils. Oh dear God, this cannot be happening!

"Hello, Mia," the woman greeted kindly. "We've been waiting a long time to meet you."

Mia was face-to-face with James and Lily Potter.

…

HarryPOV

"Mrs. Darling screamed, and, as if in answer to a bell, the door opened, and Nana entered, returned from her evening out. She growled and sprang at the boy, who leapt lightly through the window. Again Mrs. Darling screamed, this time in distress for him, for she thought he was killed, and she ran down into the street to look for his little body, but it was not there; and she looked up, and in the black night she could see nothing but what she thought was a shooting star…"

Harry paused for a moment in his reading as he glanced over towards the bed for what must have been the hundredth time in the past fifteen minutes, but it was to no avail. Mia was as still and quiet as she had been fifteen minutes ago, not moving and inch except for the painfully slow, steadily rise and fall of her chest. She had been propped up against the pillows for some extra comfort, her pale face peaceful as she slept on, completely oblivious to the world around her, in what the Healer's Referred to as a "Magical Coma," so to speak. From what Harry had gathered, it was much like when Mia had been petrified along with Hermione in their second year, but this time it wasn't as if she was frozen. She had suffered severe injuries in the Department of Mysteries, including terrible burns and internal bruising that was going to take a while to heal, even by magical standards. Due to the impact of being hit with so many catastrophic curses one right after the other along with having an extremely bad blow to her head, Mia had been in her coma for the past week. The Healers say it's a miracle that she had survived and while they were doing all they could to make sure she's comfortable and give her potions that can make up the nutrients in food and drink, the rest would be up to her. Healer Bloom said she had to fight in order to wake up, although every day it was sure to be a struggle due to her condition.

Harry sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, as he had spent every day with Mia in St. Mango's since she was admitted. It saddened him beyond belief to see her like this, bruised up, wrapping in bandages and seeing all kinds of potions shoved down her throat while the matrons rubbed different balms on her skin to help with the burns. Harry remembered all too well the shock and dumbstruck feeling that had come over him when Kingsley had arrived at Hogwarts and told him that Mia was alive. At that point he didn't care what else Dumbledore had to say—he was up on his feet in the next instant and through the fireplace before anyone had the chance to stop him. Dumbledore had followed close behind him with Kingsley and it was because of his Headmaster that he was able to make it up to the fourth floor, although he was forced to stay in the waiting area where he had found Lupin pacing. All at once Harry had pelted him with questions, asking about Mia. Was she all right? How bad were her injuries? Was she awake? How were the Healers treating her? The frantic fear that overtook him made him restless and it took both Lupin and Dumbledore to calm him down enough to take a seat. Dumbledore himself had talked with the Healers, gathering all the updates he could about his young student, and the next few hours were nothing but waiting, setting Harry on edge even more.

Yet the very worst of it was when Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher arrived at the hospital. They had burst through the door to the waiting lounge, with Mrs. Thatcher as pale as death, her eyes horribly red and puffy, with a panicked look about her, wringing her hands together so much her knuckles were white. Mr. Thatcher, however, looked enraged, the blue eyes he shared with his daughter ablaze but glistening with unshed tears, his lips pressed into a thin line as he held his wife to him. He did not shout or yell, but asked what had happened to his daughter in a voice of deadly calm. Dumbledore had approached them to speak with them, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to even meet their eye. The shame and guilt he felt in that moment was unbearable, and he couldn't face the parents of the girl who was so very close to being on her deathbed because of him. The people who had cared for him since he was small, opened up their lives and arms to him the second he and Mia became friends, and was the closest thing to family he had trusted him with their daughter, and he failed. He didn't know exactly what Dumbledore said to them or how long it took, but he didn't care. Harry just sat there, his head down, his shaking hands on his knees, and his eyes burning. It seemed like eternity when Healer Bloom had entered the room, and nearly everyone looked at him with batted breath.

"Your daughter is stable, for now," he had said to them. "We were able to patch up her head and heal some of the damage inflicted from the Bombarda curse, but I'm afraid she still has a long way to go…"

Harry listened as Healer Bloom explained in detail of Mia's coma, and he didn't notice Mr. Thatcher come over to sit next to him until the man placed a firm hand on his shoulder, squeezing it tightly. No words were said between them, but nothing needed to be—or could be—said in that moment.

So now they were here, a week later, and while Mia' injuries were improving, she still showed no signs of waking up. Mia had been placed in a private room along a more calmer ward in the hospital, and Harry strongly suspected that Dumbledore had something to do with it. The only ones who were allowed in there besides very close friends and family were Healer Bloom, who was in charge of Mia's care, and Matron Sienna, who tended to Mia for however long she would be here for. Everyone preferred Mia's condition and precise location to be kept on the low for a while, so the less people who knew, the better. The most frequent visitors had been Harry, of course, the Thatchers, Hermione and the Weasleys. Both Hermione and Ron had been driven into a panic when they had gotten wind of what had happened to Mia in the Ministry, and from what Harry had been told, they both tried sneaking out of the hospital wing at Hogwarts where they had been recovering since their injuries weren't nearly as bad. Unfortunately Madame Pomfrey caught them and forced them back into their beds. When they were finally well enough to come over to St. Mungo's, Hermione was in tears while Ron refused to leave Mia's side and even went as far as to adjust Mia's blankets and pillows every once in a while.

"It's a bit cold in here," Ron had mumbled to them in a slightly quivering voice, hiding his face from them. "Have to make sure she's warm and comfy. That's what my mum always does."

From this point on it was just a terrible waiting game that was pulling on everyone's nerves. Right now Harry was alone in the room with Mia, as Mrs. Thatcher had gone to get a cup of tea while Mr. Thatcher was at home getting some sleep with Brian, as the man had also been over every day to see Mia. He had spent the first couple of nights at the hospital, always by his daughter's side, and he probably would have stayed if Mrs. Thatcher hadn't firmly told him to go home and rest. Healer Bloom had suggested talking to Mia, even though she couldn't hear them. He had had experiences in the past where it actually helped the patient. Harry honestly didn't know what to say, so he had settled for the next best thing and asked Hermione to bring Mia's old copy of Peter Pan that she had kept in the dorm room at Hogwarts with her the next time she came back. It was Mia's favorite childhood story, and many fond memories were associated with the book. Therefore Harry started reading to her, just as they used to do when they were little, glancing up every once in a while hoping to see her make some sort of movement, no matter how small. Were it not for the physical marks of her injuries, she could have appeared to be only sleeping. Sometimes when he was alone with her, Harry could feel his eyes burn a little, just when he thought he didn't have any more tears to shed. Closing the book, Harry placed it beside him as he reached forward and took hold of Mia's hand, gently tracing the back of it with his thumb.

"Mia," he whispered softly. "Mia, I know you're hurting right now, and I know what the Healers say. They say…they say there's a chance you won't wake up. But I can't believe that. I won't. I need you to fight Mia, we all need you to fight. Please don't give up. We all need you…I need you. Please, Mia. Mia, come back to me. You promised me you wouldn't leave me, remember? You promised me, and I don't care how selfish I sound right now. I need you to keep that promise because I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you. I don't think I could bear it."

Harry squeezed Mia's hand tighter and stared fiercely into her face, willing her to open her eyes and look at him, to listen to him.

"I can't lose you too. Come back to me, Mia…please…"

…..

MiaPOV

"I think we might have broken her, Lils…"

"James, you're not helping."

Mia could do nothing but stand there open mouthed and wide eyed as she stared at her boyfriend's parents, her muscles completely frozen and her expression dumbstruck. Mr. Potter came forward and waved his hand over her face before turning back to his wife, looking very concerned and worried.

"This is bad," he said. "Am I really that ugly?"

"Honestly, James!" Lily said in an exasperated tone. Their tiny banter seemed to snap Mia out of her daze and she gave her head a fierce shake as well as pinching her arm to make sure she really wasn't dreaming.

"Wha…h-how…" she stuttered. "M-Mr. and Mrs. Potter…"

"Oh good, she can still talk," Mr. Potter said cheerfully, a relieved smile on his face. "I knew my handsome face couldn't have scared her off."

"You're impossible," Mrs. Potter stated with a fond eye roll.

"Yet you still love me," Mr. Potter reminded with a wink. Mrs. Potter shook her own head as she came forward towards Mia, offering a warm smile.

"I'm sorry Mia, sometimes I'm worried my husband's head isn't screwed on just right," she said. "But anyway, it truly is our pleasure to finally meet you, we've been waiting for quite some time now."

"Tell me about it, and before anything else is said, I have to say bravo on knocking out that greasy-haired git in third year, he really had it coming—"

"James!"

"Okay, I'm done love, I swear!"

Despite the situation, Mia was able to let out a breathless chuckle, a weak smile forming on her lips.

"How are you here?" Mia asked in an almost awed voice.

"Well, we know what happened to you, and we really wanted to make sure you were all right," Mrs. Potter replied, a worried crease on her forehead. "Whether you had the chance to go back or move forward."

"And more importantly, we wanted to say thank you," Mr. Potter said, taking on a more serious expression and his words sincere.

"Thank me? For what?" Mia said.

"For being there for our son," Mr. Potter answered. "Mia, when we died, we were inconstant worry for Harry. We understand why he had to go to Surrey, but we couldn't bear the thought of him being all alone. Without Remus…or Sirius…"

Mr. Potter's voice trailed off a bit at the mention of Sirius, and it seemed as though the words were caught in his throat as he tried to keep his composure. Mia suddenly realized that if they were able to somehow see her and Harry, then James Potter would have seen the fate of his best friend. She couldn't even begin to imagine the horrible feeling of watching someone you consider a brother be locked away in hell on earth because you had put your faith in the wrong person. Mr. Potter's hazel eyes seemed a little brighter and he took a deep breath through his nose as his wife placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But when you came along, we were able to have some real hope again for the first time in so long," Mrs. Potter continued. "You were our angel Mia, and nothing we can say could ever express our gratitude for you for being there for Harry for all these years. You were the friend he desperately needed in his life, and you always made sure that he was never alone. Because of you, we knew that he would be all right, even when he would go to Hogwarts for the first time."

"And now it's even better because he finally got the courage to ask you out," Mr. Potter said with a smug look towards Mrs. Potter. "I called it, of course. We Potter men are irresistible."

"I managed to avoid you for a while," Mrs. Potter pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"But in the end, you couldn't resist the charms. Seriously Mia, you are the best thing that could have ever happened to him, and besides that fact that you always helped him, defended him and stood by him…we can't thank you enough for just loving him."

To empathize his point, Mr. Potter came over to her and shocked Mia by giving her a gentle hug, his arms engulfing her for a moment before he pulled back with a beaming grin, ruffling her hair a little.

"You really are great for him," the older man noted. "I really wish we could have been there for the two of you growing up together. I would have teased Harry mercilessly about it, because I know that kid has fancied you for years. And thanks for being there for Padfoot for me, too, that old dog is more trouble than he's worth."

"He misses you," Mia said softly. "Him and Remus both do, so much. I just hope they both made it through okay at the Ministry."

"Oh they did. Trust me Mia, it takes a lot to bring a Marauder down," Mr. Potter told her. "Just keep an eye on those old coots for me, okay?"

Mia nodded as Mrs. Potter came over and also enveloped her in a tender embrace, reminding Mia of the ones her own mother would give her. She closed her eyes as she hugged the woman back, wishing more than ever that Harry could have had the chance to be with them. They had only just met and Mia could already tell how much they loved their son and even in death, they were still watching over him. When she and Mrs. Potter separated, the woman placed her hand on Mia's cheek as she leaned forward and kissed the top of her head, staring at her gently.

"I'm so happy we finally got to see you," she said. "You have to go now, Mia. Everyone's waiting for you."

"Okay," Mia said. "It was an honor to meet the both of you…I see Harry in you so much. I'll tell him you said hello, I promise."

"No, you won't, dear," Mrs. Potter countered, her smile turning sad. "Because you won't remember this."

"What? I—I won't?"

"It's better this way, Mia," Mr. Potter said. "You shouldn't dwell on what awaits you in the end. You need to focus on the life you will live until then. Go on now, you should get going."

"Come, Mia," Mrs. Brugger said as she came to stand next to Mia, who jumped at the sound of her voice. For a while she had forgotten that Mrs. Brugger was still there. The old woman took Mia's hand and started to lead her away from the Potters and the sun towards the swirling mist down below. Mia gave a small wave to the Potters over her shoulder, trying to plant their smiling faces into her memory, not wanting to forget them, or Mrs. Brugger. Once Mia and Mrs. Brugger came to the edge of the slope that would lead down into the mist, Mia felt the familiar fear nip at her and she turned to look at Mrs. Brugger, her eyes starting to well with tears again.

"I don't want to say goodbye, Aggie," Mia muttered. "Not again."

"I love you, Sweets," Mrs. Brugger said, tucking Mia's hair behind her ear and tracing her cheek. "I will always be with you. Always."

After one final hug between the two of them, Mia faced the mist and with a deep, shuddering breath, she started making her way down the slope, her hand slipping from Mrs. Brugger's as she went. Forcing herself not to look back, Mia was soon enveloped in the mist and her bare feet moved across the grass while she traveled further into it. The whispered voices she had heard earlier started out as faint, but the deeper she traversed through the mist and away from the sun, the louder they became. Before she knew it, the mist was very thick on all sides, trapping her and causing the fear to escalate. The only thing that kept her moving was the voices, calling to her and whispering to her. With her face set, she continued heading towards them, feeling a little cold and certain areas of her body were becoming sore. Knowing what this meant, Mia broke out into a jog, her heart beating faster as the soreness got worse and her body started shivering. Up ahead, she could her one of the voices, so clear in her ears and make her legs move faster.

"You promised me you wouldn't leave me, remember? You promised me…"

"Harry," Mia said, the silver color of the mist starting to fade away into black, quickly engulfing her in shadows. "Harry, I'm coming!"

"I need you to keep that promise…I can't lose you too…come back to me Mia, please…"

"I'm here, Harry," Mia whispered, her eyes suddenly feeling so heavy as she started to slip away. "I'm here."

"I love you."

…..

Pain. That was the first thing that came to Mia's mind as she found herself slowly coming out of the frightening darkness that surrounded her. There was so much pain and aching in her body it almost made her way to cry. Her senses became more alert and aware, and while she could tell that her eyes were closed, she could still hear what was going on around her. There was silence except for the shuffled movements of something next to her and from what she could feel, her body was laying on something relatively soft. As the feeling started coming back to her, she started moving the fingers on her left hand with great difficulty, as they felt very heavy, and she thought she felt the material of bed sheets beneath her skin. Also, there was something latched onto her right hand, something warm. While her mind started to regain its consciousness, Mia tried moving the fingers on her right hand, with little success. However, it seemed to stir whatever it was that was holding it, because she heard the shuffled movements again and a loud gasp. She suddenly felt something stir beside her and something warm pressed against her face.

"Mia? Princess, can you hear me? Mia, open your eyes baby, open them for me."

Dad? Mia used all the strength she had and after what felt like forever, her heavy eyelids began opening and she was tempted to shut them again due to the fierce light that was somewhere above her. She wasn't sure exactly how long it took but she was finally able to get her eyes open at least halfway and from a brief glance, she could make out that she was in a small room that was lit by the sunlight coming in through the small window off to the left and the warm object pressed against her face was actually hand. Slowly and painfully, she moved her head over until she caught sight of a pair of bright blue eyes that matched her own. An overwhelming feeling swelled up inside of her and she could feel her eyes start to water instantly.

"Mia!" the owner of the blue eyes cried out, leaning forward to press multiple kisses on her head and cheeks. "Oh thank God, thank God!"

"D—Da…" Mia tried to say, but her throat was so terribly dry and hoarse, making her wince in pain and a couple tears to slide down her face.

"Shhh, shhh, don't talk princess, save your strength. You're going to be all right sweetheart, I promise. Molly! MOLLY! Get the Healer, quick! She's awake!"

"Oh!" exclaimed another voice that Mia knew all too well. "Oh thank the stars, Mia! I'll get Healer Bloom here right away!"

Mia turned her head over to where Mrs. Weasley's voice was, wanting to see the Weasley matriarch, but she was only able to catch a glance of the woman running out of the room with her bright red hair whipping behind her. However, there was someone else entering the room as she was exiting. It was a rather tall man, with white hair and beard that was so long he could tuck it snugly into his belt, wearing bright yellow robes with a matching wizard's hat on top of his head. Twinkling blue eyes shone behind half-moon glasses and he gazed at Mia with the outmost joy and relief, his wrinkled face pulled into a smile and looking very close to crying.

"Welcome back, Mia," Professor Dumbledore said quietly. "Welcome back."

Well, what did you guys think? I know this chapter was a little shorter than the ones I usually do, so I apologize for that. And I'm sorry if it seems a little rushed towards the end, it's getting late and I'm very tired right now, I just wanted to make sure this was done so I can give you guys something good to wake up to. Don't forget, I'm taking a short break for the holidays, and I'm going to write out three or four chapters for the next book before I start posting them. I'll see you guys soon!