Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the band Cage the Elephant. Anything else you recognise I do not own. ^^

Hello! It feels like all I have out right now are sequels and it's kind of annoying. Also, I felt like I needed more pressure to get posting, so I decided another fanfic is just what I need to keep myself in shape! Because then I feel bad about abandoning stories and go and work harder!
The title of this story is "Cage the Elephant," which is a metaphor for society's attempt to control the wild and free spirit within us. It seemed fitting for this story, which I hope you enjoy! Cage the Elephant is also a really rad rock band, you should check them out. ^^

The spell cut through the air like lightening, crackling and splitting through the tension, the fear, the pure elation that came from such a fight. A green light struck the Dark Lord straight in the chest, right from his own wand. He stumbled back a foot or two, his eyes wide, shocked. The Dark Lord had met his end? Inconceivable! It must have been a lie.
But it wasn't, as those around could see. The Dark Lord crumbled into dust and bones. A great light split through his reformed body, and he was gone. Was it possible that he had simply perished rather than died? For, could one not fully human, with the tiniest scrap of soul left behind, truly die?
Nevertheless, he was gone. Harry lowered his wand and took in a breath, breathing a sigh of relief. The war was over. His friends were safe. He could rest easily knowing that the lives of the world weren't on his shoulders. He had won.
The cheer that had erupted around him soon faded, though, as tiny bursts of light spouted from the ground. Harry's wand rose once again. Danger was still here.
The fallen Death Eaters! They were rising from the dead, their wounds fully healed, their bodies like new. It was a sickening, horrifying sight, one that shocked the light side into complete, chilling silence. A wail rose up from amongst the crowd, and the laugh of Bellatrix was the only other sound to be heard.
"Ha! The Dark Lord never lies! 'If ever the Dark Lord shall fall, his followers will live on, and his purpose will die not!' These are the words he spoke to me not three nights ago! And the prophecy came true!"
Harry's jaw dropped in horror as he continued to watch the supposedly destroyed Death Eaters rise from the ground. Could it be true? Had destroying Voldemort caused all of his followers to return? This was quite possibly the worst news he had ever received.
"We'll give you time," said Bellatrix, looking directly at Harry, flanked on either side by a reluctant looking Lucius Malfoy and a sneering Rodolphus Lestrange. "But believe me when I say that this war is far from over. I will not rest until I see the end of the modern way, and the rule of the superior!" She laughed again, and stopped abruptly, turning about to look each Death Eater in the eye. And then they were all gone, apparating away, presumably to discuss the fall of the light side.
Mass chaos soon began. People fell to their knees and sobbed. Others comforted their friends. But Harry stood where he was, gazing around at all of the people.
Had he failed them? No, he had no way of knowing that killing Voldemort would lead to something like this. But was it his job to know?
He wanted to tear his hair out, break his wand, throw a tantrum. He hadn't wanted this to begin with!
"Harry!"
It was Hermione. She was running at a furious pace towards him, her face covered in dirt and blood, her clothes nearly destroyed.
She wrapped Harry in a strong embrace, which he returned.
She took his hand and began leading him through the fearful people. "Remus is going to make an announcement to everyone, try to calm them all down and get things sorted out, and then we're going to return to Number 12 and begin working on a game plan."
"Game plan?" Harry said, more of a statement than a question.
"Of course," Hermione replied. "We're not just going to let these guys win. We've been through far too much to simply let it go. They're not going to beat us. We're not giving up."
Harry smiled, despite their situation.
They weren't giving up. Those were the words he needed to hear to push himself back into action.
He nodded sharply.
"Right. Let's go on ahead to Number 12. We can start working on the plan there."
Behind them, they could hear Remus making his announcement. He basically old everyone that they weren't giving up, that they'd all be safe soon. He told them that the school would be closed for now, but they would sort everything out. Reassurances.
"Where's Ron?"
"With Fred and George and Ginny."
"Let's go and get them."
They found the Weasley family gathered around the place Bellatrix had risen, trying to understand how it had happened, though they most likely already knew. It was strong Black Magic at work.
"Let's get to Number 12," Harry said, talking to Ron, the twins and Ginny. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to stay behind to help.
Everyone nodded solemnly and followed Harry as he marched off to find a suitable location to disapparate from. Once he located such an area, Harry turned to his closest friends.
"Ready?"
They all agreed that they were ready in different forms. Ginny smiled and took Harry's hand softly. Harry returned the smile and gave her hand a soft squeeze, and the two disapparated together.

"Everyone, can I please have silence?"
It was Remus, talking loudly above everyone else, standing at the head of the table. He nodded once everyone granted him their attention. "Thank you. Now, I think I know of a way to reverse this black magic and return the formerly deceased Death Eaters to their rightful place, thus creating a more manageable number of Death Eaters to deal with. But it's going to take loads of time, dedication, and cooperation."
"What is it?" The twins asked, leaning forward intently.
Remus stared hard at Harry for a moment before sweeping his gaze across the few members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"There was once a book. This book was filled with a great number of curses and spells, all very dark, very evil, very black magic, along with their counter curses. It was passed along, person to person, eldest to eldest, in one of the noblest pureblooded families the Wizarding world had to offer. In this book might be the key to destroying the returned Death Eaters."
"Great," Harry said. "Where is this book?"
"That's the problem," Remus replied. "I don't know. But I do know someone who does."
"Who?" asked Harry.
"Sirius Black."
The room, previously atwitter with whispering Order members, quickly fell silent.
"But...Professor..." Hermione said, looking up from the table. "He's dead."
"Until quite recently, I myself believed that as well," Remus said. Despite the day's events, all of the deaths and the horrible occurrences, Remus began to smile. "But then I came upon an old colleague of mine. He had previously worked as an unspeakable, but was let go when the Death Eaters began wreaking havoc on the Ministry. He spoke of the Veil. And, my friends, it turns out that Sirius is retrievable."
Harry leapt to his feet so quickly that his chair tumbled over backwards.
"He is?" Harry replied eagerly. "Is he alright?"
Remus was still smiling, albeit softly. "He is very much okay. In fact, the Veil causes one to age backwards day by day. Sirius has lost three years of physical age. He should be rejuvenated and fresh when we get him back."
"Then let's go get him!"
Remus shook his head. "Patience, Harry. These things take time. First things first, we need to think of a way to get inside..."
The group plotted and planned until their planners were sore and they had to call it a night.
But Hermione Granger didn't want to go to sleep. Because sleeping meant she was allowing her mind to wander to whatever it felt like wandering to. And that could be very dangerous after what had happened that day. She didn't want to think of all of her friends who were now dead. All of those people, gone, and the ones who had done it allowed to come back to life and wreak more havoc on this chaos-filled planet...
But, more than anything, Hermione Granger didn't want her mind to wander to an even that had happened a few minutes before the Dark Lord breathed his last. To a small alcove just outside the great hall, where the battle was going on.
Because in that alcove, amidst a duel with the enemy, the enemy kissed her.