Breath of Life

CHAPTER 1: Reawaken

Summary: The Wizarding World is at War and in these perilous times the once and future king is once more. The future of the Wizarding and Muggle world is in the hands of six young heroes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Merlin.

Authors Note: This story takes places during the Deathly Hallows after their visit to Godrics Hollow. Some certain quotes from the Deathly Hallows book/movie have been inserted in this chapter because I felt they were iconic moments I couldn't remove for the sake of this story. Furthermore, I will take creative liberties with the Arthurian Legend as well as Harry Potter in this story.

Her parents had brought her here once while on a holiday camping trip. She could remember her father starting the fire with great difficulty, the humored chuckles of her mother at each failed attempt. The way her mother kissed her dad with a proud smile as he finally managed to start the fire. It was the summer before she'd find out she was a witch, before she knew what magic was. The summer before her whole mundane life would change.

As she lay in the worn tent that night she could hear the sudden gusts of winds beating violently against the fabric. The crackling of dead leaves in the distance would even set her nerves on edge, constant vigilance, she recited over and over. She'd begged Harry to take the rest of the watch that night, knowing that sleep wouldn't come easily. The eerie silence and darkness of the forest invoked inexplicable fear down her spine. Ron was no longer with them; she and Harry were sharing a single wand. It was just the two of them from now on.

"Constant vigilance, constant vigilance, constant vigil–"she chanted quietly over and over.

As she stared into the blue flames she succumbed to the sleep her body was so greatly begging. The last image in her mind, the Forest of Dean, as a raven-haired boy clutched onto the body of a fallen knight.

Harry sat at the mouth of the tent, drifting in and out of sleep. After a decent amount of arguing he'd finally convinced Hermione to let him keep watch; she deserved a few hours of peace. Her usual calm exterior had been non-existent since the night Ron had left them. There were nights where he could hear her crying silently as she tried to hide her emotions from him. They were best friends; he knew when she was hurting. The golden trio was no more, it was Hermione and himself, and they only had each other to rely on now.

Harry clutched onto Hermione's wand for reassurance, the impenetrable darkness before him made him a little weary. There was something different about this night. He could sense it. As his eyes drooped shut once more he caught site of a shining light. Being caught off guard he jerked forward clumsily; He was sure they'd been caught. As the light got closer he noticed the silvery doe staring at him, beckoning him forward. Harry followed with great interest; she led him deep into the Forest of Dean. His scar wasn't burning, this couldn't be dark magic, and he would know if it was, he was sure of it. This magical doe could not be a force of evil; it was too pure. As he continued the walk through the forest of dean the silvery doe came to a sudden halt, slowly vanishing without a trace.

"Lumos," whispered Harry nervously.

There was a small frozen lake in the middle of the forest. He took a few careful steps forward looking around the whole area making sure no death eaters or snatchers were in the area. As he continued to look around the light from his wand caused something in the depths of the frozen lake to gleam brightly. He dropped to his knees and brushed some of the snow blocking his view. There in the depths of this lake of frozen water lay the sword of Gryffindor.

"Accio Sword," Whispered Harry. But nothing happened. "Accio sword!" He tried once more.

Harry knew what he had to do. There was only one possible way to defeat Voldemort and that involved destroying the horcrux that was around his neck. The sword of Gryffindor had the power to destroy the horcrux. They'd tried a countless number of spells trying to destroy the locket but none had worked as of yet.

"Diffindo!" He screamed, the ice giving a loud crack as the spell made contact with the ice. As the ice parted slowly Harry began to strip off his clothes braving the chilly winter air. He had to get back to Hermione before she came looking for him, alone and without a wand to protect herself with.

With a large intake of air he plunged into the depths of the lake. It was coder than he'd expected; it was as if needles were stabbing every inch of his body the sudden plunge almost knocking the air out of his lungs entirely. As Harry dived further down he came face to face with a lifeless body gripping the sword of Gryffindor. How could someone just appear out of thin air? He removed the sword from the clutches of the man and held onto the sword tightly starting to swim upwards. He looked back at the man laying lifeless on what seemed like a decayed raft; He was pale, unconscious and wearing heavy chain mail.

As he continued swimming upward towards the lakes surface he felt a strong tug around his neck. He looked around frantically for water weeds or grindylows but saw nothing. The tugging turned into an intense strangling his hands let go of the sword as he gripped at the locket around his neck. The surface seemed so far away as he clawed away at his neck, everything was going black. He was suffocating to death, he was going to die here, he was sure of it.

Before his eyes closed completely however, he saw a blur of orange pass him and arms enclosing around his chest. Whoever it was was helping him to the surface of the lake. Hermione, she'd noticed he was missing and had come to save him.

He landed on the cold snow covered ground in pain and breathless, heaving tons of lake water.

"Bloody hell Harry! Why didn't you take that thing off before you jumped in?"

That voice he'd recognize it anywhere. "Ron?" He asked his voice cracking and throat burning in pain as he rolled over onto his back.

"Who else?" He smiled crookedly and held up the sword of Gryffindor.

"You've got it!" exclaimed Harry as he stood up and began to get dressed once more. "Ron there's someone down there. Something isn't right. He wasn't there when I first looked down; he appeared the moment I jumped into the lake."

"He's dead Harry. Been there for ages I reckon."

"His hands were gripping onto the sword of Gryffindor, it has to mean something or that patronus wouldn't have brought me here. How did you find me anyway?"

Ron sighed and tiredly looking away from Harry towards the lake. "It's a long story but the moment I showed up I saw a light from afar and followed it. I figured it was your patronus.

"My patronus is a stag Ron," said Harry.

"Right, antlers." There was a long moment of silence the only sound were Harry's labored breaths.

"Get him out," said Harry.

"You're bloody joking right? That water is freezing! I could hardly manage bringing you to the surface."

"Why'd you come back then? You knew that coming back wasn't going to be easy," said Harry angrily as he remembered why Ron had left in the first place. "You won't have a comfy bed, your mum or her cooking, Ginny, Fred or George, and don't count on having Hermione's forgiveness that easily. She's just as stubborn as you are. You hurt her." He finished breathlessly relieved at finally releasing all the anger that had been bottled in.

"Harry…" spoke Ron quietly shuffling his feet nervously.

"Help me get him out of there. Please."

"Okay, but help me once I reach the surface. That bloke looks pretty heavy to me."

Harry nodded in approval. "Okay."

Ron walked over to the lakes icy surface gulping loudly at what was about to come. "You're mental Harry…Oh bloody hell, here I go," he dove forward and disappeared underwater.

Harry looked down searching for Ron in the depths of the freezing lake. He could hardly make out any movement underneath the waters surface. The wait seemed to take ages but Ron finally emerged at last, struggling to push the man towards the lakes surface. Harry grabbed the man's upper arms and helped Ron pull him out of the water. Ron kneeled down on the frozen ground breathing heavily, his face almost blue.

"We need to get back to camp, but first…" said Harry.

"But first what?" asked Ron breathlessly.

"We have to destroy this damn thing," he spat angrily.

The locket hanging from Harry's hand twitched violently in his grasp as if sensing its eminent doom. Ron was staring at the locket with concern knowing this was the moment they'd been waiting for. There was no time to lose; they had lost enough time as it was.

"Are you sure this is truly the sword of Gryffindor? What would happen if it wasn't?" asked Ron.

"We'll never know unless we try, it's a risk I'm willing to take," said Harry.

Harry walked over to a rock nearby and placed the locket down, which was still twitching violently.

"I am going to open it and when I do I want you to swing at whatever comes out," said Harry as he handed the sword of Gryffindor over to Ron.

"I can't Harry…I just can't," said Ron as he tried to hand the sword back to Harry.

"Why?"

"That thing…it affects me more than you or Hermione. My thoughts …they were dark. I wasn't myself Harry. I wanted to kill you at one point. I just…I saw the way you looked at her and it killed me. I know now that it was friendship but when I wore it, nothing else mattered. I hated her." Ron looked pained as he remembered all the thoughts the locket had caused him. He could never hate Hermione. How could a mere locket cause such dark thoughts, Voldemort.

"I know you can do it Ron. You wouldn't be here otherwise."

"I can. Yeah, I can," said Ron trying to be brave. "How do you plan on opening the damn thing, Harry?"

"Parseltongue. Ron, on the count of three swing quickly; Swing as if your life depends on it. It will fight back.

"Open!" yelled out Harry in the serpentine language that was parseltongue.

The moment the word escaped his lips the locket swung open, a thick dark fog emanating rapidly from the golden locket, taking a form before their very eyes. As the fog continued to change a hissed voice rang out from the horcrux. Harry knew that voice, that cold, lifeless, uncompassionate voice, Voldemort. Ron stood motionless as he stared at the darkness before him, the voice sending chills down his very soul, stilling him at once.

"Ronald Weasley, I have seen your heart, your fears," hissed the voice. "Least loved by your mother, who craved a daughter…least loved by the girl who prefers your friend. Always overshadowed by others triumphs." Ron looked over at Harry as Voldemort's words hurt him.

"Swing Ron! Kill it!" yelled Harry Frantically.

Ron raised the sword about to lunge forward towards the locket. Tom Riddle's eyes stared back at him angrily, almost gleaming a bright red color. As Ron began to run forward the dark fog took the form of Hermione and Harry. Their bodies took on an uncanny resemblance yet somehow making them too perfect to actually be them, but to Ron's eyes it was them; to him it felt like witnessing a memory in a pensieve. Ron took a few unsteady steps backward, tripping over the lifeless man's body.

"We were better without you. Happier without you," spoke Harry's reanimation.

"Who could look at you compared toHarry Potter," spoke Hermione, mockingly floating towards Ron. "What are you compared with the chosen one?"

"Your mother confessed she would have preferred me as a son," continued Harry.

"What woman would take you? You are nothing…nothing…nothing…compared to him."

Ron continued to push his body backwards angry and scared at the same time. The body of the lifeless man rolled onto his back staring at the darkness in front of and then looked back at Ron.

"She is meant to be with the chosen one, not you." hissed Voldemort's voice once more. Harry and Hermione's bodies reformed once more, this time nude, engaging in an intense snog as their limbs tangled together, unrecognizable. "Kill it!" yelled out Harry, almost inaudible throughout the commotion.

The blond man stared at Harry as he heard his yells, meeting his eyes; Harry looked back at him in astonishment, he was alive. "He has reawaken," hissed Voldemort.

"It is dark magic!" yelled out the man, bringing Ron back to reality.

With renewed intensity Ron took hold of the sword of Gryffindor and stood up as he lunged towards the locket, destroying at once. The dark fog along with Harry and Hermione's bodies vanished into thin air.

A/N: Should I continue? Give up? Improve? Leave a review and let me know.