~* ~* ~* ~*
Harry woke up in the hospital wing again. But this time, he was relieved. He got up and walked to the mirror and stared at his reflection. He was startled by the reflection. In a year he hadnt realized how much he had changed. He wasn't one really for sentimental things- but he admitted he felt pretty good for a change.
Walking over to the bed he noticed a pile of clean black robes for him, a note on the top. He put the note on his bed for later and threw on the robes. Once properly dressed he picked up the note.
'Harry-
I realize you've had a rough time for the last couple of nights, but I would appreciate if you came into public again. Please come conference with me in my office. The password to get in is "Bertie Botts".
~ Albus Dumbledore ~'
Harry stared at the note. He supposed he had no choice other than to go.
~* ~* ~* ~*
He was nervous. He had no idea why he was nervous- but he certainly was. Before he knocked on Dumbledore's door he wiped his sweaty palms on the nice new robes.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Come in." Came the Headmaster's voice. Harry swallowed hard and entered. "Ah Harry. Nice to see you."
"Y- Yeah." Harry said.
"Sit down, dear boy."
Harry sat.
"How are you feeling?"
"Good." Harry said
"Good enough to answer some questions?"
"What kind of questions?"
"Serious questions."
"Like- questions that could throw me in Azkaban for life?"
"You won't be put in Azkaban anytime soon."
"Are you sure?" Harry said. "Because I would deserve it."
"Really?" Dumbledore said. "Tell me."
"I really don't want too." Harry said and wiped his palms oh his robes again.
"I hate to be blunt- but Harry you're either going to tell me on your own free will or I will force it out." Dumbledore said gravely.
"W-what do you mean?"
"We have an excellent potions teacher. She could whip up some Veritaserum in a blink."
"Excuse me? She?" Harry said.
"Yes. Snape was murdered." Dumbledore said. "Didn't you know?"
Harry sank down in his chair. "Oh I knew." He said meekly. " Must have…slipped my mind."
"Then you know who murdered him!" Dumbledore said. "Please tell me, Harry."
"I- I-" He choked.
"You what?"
"I- I- it- it was me." He forced out.
"WHAT?" Dumbledore roared. Harry had never seen that before.
"I didn't mean too professor! He had hold of me! I was his servant! His- assassin if you will…"
"Who else?" Dumbledore said quietly. "Who else did you kill?"
"I don't know all their names. I didn't have to kill very much I suppose. Only eleven or twelve."
"Only eleven or twelve people!" Dumbledore said lightly. "Tell me everything you remember about the people you killed."
"Well- there was a few people from the ministry."
"Who?"
"The minister's wife." Harry said. "And his secretary."
"Who else?"
"Some un-loyal death eaters. Ludo Bagman."
Dumbledore was beyond speechless.
"Then some Muggles. I don't know why he wanted them to die, but I killed them anyways. And…"
"There are more?" Dumbledore said.
"My last one was- earlier this year."
"Who?"
Harry suddenly went very pale- and then very green. "I- oh god."
"What is it? Are you okay?"
Harry shook his head. His throat got tight. "It just hit me. I- I killed Hagrid."
~* ~* ~* ~*
"Harry did you kill any students last night?"
"I didn't." Harry said. "I- I almost killed Ron though."
"I heard."
"What?"
"I'll tell you later Harry." Dumbledore said. "Tell me about the battle."
"You know what happened in the battle."
"I want to hear it from your point of view." Dumbledore said. "Every thing. Start from the beginning."
Harry thought for a moment.
"Well…" He said. "Voldemort gave us the orders and we surrounded the castle. There were Dementors, giants, hags, banshees, snakes and of course- us death eaters. I was in charge. I'm Voldemort's heir. I reckon he thinks I'm dead now. But I was waiting for everybody to get into position. The signal to start the attack was the dark mark going into the air."
"I thought so!" Dumbledore said. "Keep going."
"I was just about to give the incantation when the door opened."
"The door opened?"
"Yes." Harry said. "And Draco Malfoy was standing there. It all gets really hazy after that. He wanted to help. I told him to go away but he wouldn't leave. So I shot the curse in the air and we started attacking."
"Is that all you remember?"
"The Gryffindor's knocked me way out." Harry said. "I'm pretty lucky I don't have Amnesia."
"That you are." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Harry- I want you to know- that they cant put you away for what you've done. There are witnesses in your case. We all know what happened."
"Wait- are you planning on telling somebody what I've done?"
"Well- for some time now, James has been trying to clear Sirius's name." Dumbledore said. "And since you are back now- I thought you might be able to help. But you can't just show up in a courtroom after you've been dead for a year. It wouldn't go over well."
"I see." Harry said.
There was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Dumbledore asked.
"The Gryffindor Prefects, Sir. We wanted to talk to you about something."
"Can it wait?"
"Well, we'd rather if it didn't." Came a slightly wavering voice.
"I see." Dumbledore said. He looked at Harry and said very quietly, "Harry go over to that window and look out it. I don't want anybody to see you yet."
"Yes, sir." Harry did as he was told almost mechanically. The door opened and Harry heard people shuffle inside.
"Well what would you like to ask me?" Dumbledore said.
"We were wondering what happened to the Death Eater." Came Hermione's voice. "Did you kill him?"
"You certainly get to the point, don't you?" Dumbledore said. "No, I didn't kill him."
"Well- he's gone at least- isn't he?" Came a boy's voice. It was Ron.
"No he's still here."
"Knocked out of course?" Came Lavender's voice. "He almost killed me! I don't feel safe anymore!"
"He's been revived." Dumbledore said.
"ARE YOU MAD? THAT'S A KILLING MACHENE!"
"Oh hardly." Harry muttered.
"Oh hello Professor Potter." One said, seeing him.
"Now Gryffindors, as much as I'd like to keep talking- I'm afraid you'll have to wait with the rest of the school for news."
"Okay." Harry heard Ginny sigh. "It was worth a shot at least."
"Good day to you all." The door shut. Harry turned around.
"Hermione brought us to you last night." Dumbledore said.
"When will I see them again?"
"Soon, Harry. Soon."
~* ~* ~* ~*
The first person Harry went to see after that was Sirius. It was just his luck that James was with him as well. They were all sitting in James's office, reclining in his chairs.
"So let me get this strait." Sirius said after Harry had explained everything. "You're more of a dangerous criminal than I am- and I get life in prison?"
"Hey. Shut up." Harry said. "I didn't really have a choice but to kill them. I wasn't exactly willing."
"I know." Sirius said. "I just find it funny."
"I don't think it's funny at all." James and Harry said in perfect unison.
"Well, well, well!" Sirius said. "Don't get all uppity with me!"
"I am not uppity with you." Harry said. "I just don't find it funny that I killed two Hogwarts teachers."
"You didn't mention that!" Sirius said. "You did?"
"You just heard me." Harry said. "Now, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Tell me what I've missed around here. I want all the local gossip."
"Not much is happening that you haven't been a part of." James said. "Unless you want to know the little things like Ron and Hermione are dating."
"Go figure." Harry said. "Anything else?"
"Not anything you would care about." James said and leaned back in his chair.
"Oh." Harry said. "Try me. I'm pretty bored. I would care about anything just about-"
The door swung open. "Professor Potter!"
James jumped. "Christ Hermione! Haven't you heard of knocking?"
"Yes professor- but I needed to talk to you now!" She said, and then noticed the other two bodies in the room. "Unless you're busy?"
"IS your problem urgent?" James said. He looked around him. Harry had quickly turned around to face the wall and Sirius looked like a living statue.
"Sorry to have frightened you all." Hermione said before continuing. "But about your test today. I was thinking about it- and I think I got 14 b wrong."
"How typical." Harry said a little louder than planned.
"What was that?" Hermione said.
"Nice one, Einstein." Sirius muttered and kicked Harry lightly.
"Hermione, I assure you that you got an 106 on your exam." James said. "Now I really am in the middle of something-"
Harry coughed.
"Bless you." Hermione said.
"Thank you." Harry said.
"Professor, I didn't know you had a brother." Hermione said.
Harry coughed again.
"I don't have a brother."
"Well your friend sounds exactly like you then." Hermione said. "Really, you do."
"He's not my friend really."
"Hey!" Harry said. "I can accept you get mad at me, but that burns Krikor."
"Call me by my real name!"
"Rather not, makes me want to throttle you."
"This from the person who got mad at me for not calling him my friend."
"Am I missing something here?" Hermione said.
"No." Harry snapped.
"Harry here is just being stupid."
"I am not stupid, you - you-"
"Go ahead. Call me a name."
"I would, but I don't want you to cry while there is a girl in the room…Sirius I'm afraid you're going to have to leave."
Hermione blinked. Had she heard the word Harry, or was she just going crazy? "Why wont he face us?" She asked slowly.
"He- um isn't supposed to be here." Sirius said.
"Terrible acid burns. He doesn't like to be seen in public." James said at the same time.
"We should work on that." Sirius said, biting his lip.
"Yeah you should." Harry said. "James, you really know how to botch something."
"Shut up."
"No, no." Harry said. "I don't think I will."
"You should though."
"The more you say that, the more I'm going to talk. You realize that, right?"
James made a noise in his throat.
"Are you two related?" Hermione said. "In the least?"
"Ha! I wish we weren't." Harry said.
"We are."
"Shut up!" Harry said.
"Only if you do." James said.
"You are becoming very redundant, both of you." Sirius said.
"Professor- I'll just get back to you later." Hermione said. "You seem to be- busy."
"HE STARTED IT!" James and Harry cried in unison.
And then there was silence. Dead, utter and complete silence. Hermione had left. Harry quickly turned around.
"What were you thinking, you idiot? Just give away my identity to her?" Harry nearly yelled. "You are such an idiot. Really, do you have a brain in there at all?"
James took a deep breath and pointed past Harry's shoulder. Harry looked over. Hermione was standing there still- her mouth moving up and down like a very old woman, pointing.
"Aw shit."
~* ~* ~* ~*
Hermione stared for a few seconds before turning around slowly on her heels and then ran down the hall as fast as she could. She reached the fat lady and began screaming, "RON! RON, RON! COME HERE QUICK!"
Ron, who was playing chess with Seamus, looked up. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah." Seamus said. "Sounds like there's a Rhino on the lose."
"Shaddup." Ron said and got up to go find her. HE left the common room and jumped out of the portrait hole. "Who died Hermione? You scared the crap out of me."
"No!" Hermione panted. "Not dead! Who LIVED!"
~* ~* ~* ~*
When Hermione had returned with Ron the two men had left and Harry was sitting on the desk waiting for them. He didn't tell them all off what he did, but he did tell them what had happened to him. At first there was complete silence in which everybody just stared at each other. And then Hermione gave him a very bracing, long hug.
"Don't ever leave us again." She whispered.
~* ~* ~* ~*
The days danced by and it seemed like no time when the last week of school dawned on them. Everybody was ready to leave school this year- for good reasons. It had been quite an experience. Teachers had died; students had died- and come back from the grave.
Exams were handed back and students spent their days on the Hogwart's lawn, lying about, talking and playing games.
Harry, Ron, Hermione (and sometimes Lavender) were often to be found by Hagrid's old hut. Fang was now being taken care of by Dumbledore, but on days like this the Headmaster would let him out and he would romp around the grounds, startling resting students and scaring the birds away.
Today, Harry was stretched out on the lawn alone, basking in the sunlight. He was thinking, and he was happy to be doing so. The last few months had been so busy, he barely remembered them at all. So now, as he lay, he began to work out the little problems in his life, that so needed to be worked out.
There was the question of Lavender. He liked her. But did she like him?
There was the question of Ron and Hermione. They were dating. Was he a third wheel now?
There was so much to ponder for Harry, for his head hadnt been clear for quite some time now. He gazed down the sloping lawn to see the squid basking in the sun, like him. He smiled thinking how everything was alike in some way.
His peaceful silence was interrupted when Hermione appeared out of nowhere. "Harry." She said, leaning over him from the side. "Your dad is looking for you."
"So?"
"You should go talk to him."
"Oh, Hermione, let me be." Harry said. "I don't want to talk to him."
"It could be important." Hermione said.
"Are you hinting at something." Harry said.
"No, I'm just saying." She said. "It could be important."
"But it probably isn't, knowing him." Harry said.
"Fine." She said. "I'll leave you then. But if I run into him, I'm telling him where you are."
"You do that!" Harry called after her retreating back. "What a person does for privacy these days!" He closed his eyes and began to think again. He knew what James wanted to talk about. He wanted to talk about Harry's living arrangements for the summer. And Harry wasn't ready to make that decision.
~* ~* ~* ~*
School had been out for twenty whole minutes. Ron and Hermione were waiting for the train in Hogsmeade. Harry was waiting for somebody else however. He looked a little nervous, Hermione thought, looking him over.
James arrived on the scene. "Ready for summer?" He asked. Ron and Hermione nodded. James spotted Harry, cowering behind them. "There you are." He said.
"Here I am." Harry repeated.
"I've been wanting to talk with you." He said. "About where you're going this summer. I guess I've just assumed that you would come home with me- I have a home in Greece, you know?"
Harry stared at him.
"Well, what do you say? I swear I don't bite."
Harry kept staring.
"Please answer me Harry." James said. " You're making me unnerved."
"No." Harry said quietly.
"Well then, we should be- what do you mean no?" James said, realizing that Harry hadnt said the expected answer.
"I mean, I've gone through a lot with you this year." Harry said. "But I don't think I could live with you. Not now. I'll be spending the summer with Ron this year."
The train had pulled into the station. Ron and Hermione were hesitating by the door.
"Goodbye then." Harry said going into the train, pulling his things behind him. They took their seats on the train, Harry by the window. He was looking at James, who was standing there still, stunned.
The train pulled away from the station. Harry kept his eyes out the window, staring at his father until he was just a black dot on the horizon.
"Harry, don't you think that was a bit harsh?" Hermione said finally, breaking the awkward silence.
"No." Harry said. "I do not."
"But you just left him there."
"He's left me alone before." Harry said. "He had this coming."
"But don't you feel bad?" Ron said. "I feel awful. He probably hates me now."
Harry looked out the window, saying nothing
Harry wasn't good at Divination. Everybody knew it. He didn't know what would happen between him and his father. He didn't know what his future held, or what tomorrow would bring. Heck, he didn't even know if he would live to see tomorrow. But he was sure of one thing; tomorrow would come, with or without him.
~* ~* ~* ~*
A/N: The end folks. Draw your own conclusions; however strange, sappy, or frightening they may be. Please don't ask for a sequel, for I have no intention of writing one. Thank you for sticking through the story with me. I really love you all.
Now- I have one more thing to say. This chapter took 5 hours to write- at least. Please take 40 seconds to review it?
Thanks again,
Tadariada
(Have anything else you want to tell me? E-mail me at [email protected])
Harry woke up in the hospital wing again. But this time, he was relieved. He got up and walked to the mirror and stared at his reflection. He was startled by the reflection. In a year he hadnt realized how much he had changed. He wasn't one really for sentimental things- but he admitted he felt pretty good for a change.
Walking over to the bed he noticed a pile of clean black robes for him, a note on the top. He put the note on his bed for later and threw on the robes. Once properly dressed he picked up the note.
'Harry-
I realize you've had a rough time for the last couple of nights, but I would appreciate if you came into public again. Please come conference with me in my office. The password to get in is "Bertie Botts".
~ Albus Dumbledore ~'
Harry stared at the note. He supposed he had no choice other than to go.
~* ~* ~* ~*
He was nervous. He had no idea why he was nervous- but he certainly was. Before he knocked on Dumbledore's door he wiped his sweaty palms on the nice new robes.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Come in." Came the Headmaster's voice. Harry swallowed hard and entered. "Ah Harry. Nice to see you."
"Y- Yeah." Harry said.
"Sit down, dear boy."
Harry sat.
"How are you feeling?"
"Good." Harry said
"Good enough to answer some questions?"
"What kind of questions?"
"Serious questions."
"Like- questions that could throw me in Azkaban for life?"
"You won't be put in Azkaban anytime soon."
"Are you sure?" Harry said. "Because I would deserve it."
"Really?" Dumbledore said. "Tell me."
"I really don't want too." Harry said and wiped his palms oh his robes again.
"I hate to be blunt- but Harry you're either going to tell me on your own free will or I will force it out." Dumbledore said gravely.
"W-what do you mean?"
"We have an excellent potions teacher. She could whip up some Veritaserum in a blink."
"Excuse me? She?" Harry said.
"Yes. Snape was murdered." Dumbledore said. "Didn't you know?"
Harry sank down in his chair. "Oh I knew." He said meekly. " Must have…slipped my mind."
"Then you know who murdered him!" Dumbledore said. "Please tell me, Harry."
"I- I-" He choked.
"You what?"
"I- I- it- it was me." He forced out.
"WHAT?" Dumbledore roared. Harry had never seen that before.
"I didn't mean too professor! He had hold of me! I was his servant! His- assassin if you will…"
"Who else?" Dumbledore said quietly. "Who else did you kill?"
"I don't know all their names. I didn't have to kill very much I suppose. Only eleven or twelve."
"Only eleven or twelve people!" Dumbledore said lightly. "Tell me everything you remember about the people you killed."
"Well- there was a few people from the ministry."
"Who?"
"The minister's wife." Harry said. "And his secretary."
"Who else?"
"Some un-loyal death eaters. Ludo Bagman."
Dumbledore was beyond speechless.
"Then some Muggles. I don't know why he wanted them to die, but I killed them anyways. And…"
"There are more?" Dumbledore said.
"My last one was- earlier this year."
"Who?"
Harry suddenly went very pale- and then very green. "I- oh god."
"What is it? Are you okay?"
Harry shook his head. His throat got tight. "It just hit me. I- I killed Hagrid."
~* ~* ~* ~*
"Harry did you kill any students last night?"
"I didn't." Harry said. "I- I almost killed Ron though."
"I heard."
"What?"
"I'll tell you later Harry." Dumbledore said. "Tell me about the battle."
"You know what happened in the battle."
"I want to hear it from your point of view." Dumbledore said. "Every thing. Start from the beginning."
Harry thought for a moment.
"Well…" He said. "Voldemort gave us the orders and we surrounded the castle. There were Dementors, giants, hags, banshees, snakes and of course- us death eaters. I was in charge. I'm Voldemort's heir. I reckon he thinks I'm dead now. But I was waiting for everybody to get into position. The signal to start the attack was the dark mark going into the air."
"I thought so!" Dumbledore said. "Keep going."
"I was just about to give the incantation when the door opened."
"The door opened?"
"Yes." Harry said. "And Draco Malfoy was standing there. It all gets really hazy after that. He wanted to help. I told him to go away but he wouldn't leave. So I shot the curse in the air and we started attacking."
"Is that all you remember?"
"The Gryffindor's knocked me way out." Harry said. "I'm pretty lucky I don't have Amnesia."
"That you are." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Harry- I want you to know- that they cant put you away for what you've done. There are witnesses in your case. We all know what happened."
"Wait- are you planning on telling somebody what I've done?"
"Well- for some time now, James has been trying to clear Sirius's name." Dumbledore said. "And since you are back now- I thought you might be able to help. But you can't just show up in a courtroom after you've been dead for a year. It wouldn't go over well."
"I see." Harry said.
There was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Dumbledore asked.
"The Gryffindor Prefects, Sir. We wanted to talk to you about something."
"Can it wait?"
"Well, we'd rather if it didn't." Came a slightly wavering voice.
"I see." Dumbledore said. He looked at Harry and said very quietly, "Harry go over to that window and look out it. I don't want anybody to see you yet."
"Yes, sir." Harry did as he was told almost mechanically. The door opened and Harry heard people shuffle inside.
"Well what would you like to ask me?" Dumbledore said.
"We were wondering what happened to the Death Eater." Came Hermione's voice. "Did you kill him?"
"You certainly get to the point, don't you?" Dumbledore said. "No, I didn't kill him."
"Well- he's gone at least- isn't he?" Came a boy's voice. It was Ron.
"No he's still here."
"Knocked out of course?" Came Lavender's voice. "He almost killed me! I don't feel safe anymore!"
"He's been revived." Dumbledore said.
"ARE YOU MAD? THAT'S A KILLING MACHENE!"
"Oh hardly." Harry muttered.
"Oh hello Professor Potter." One said, seeing him.
"Now Gryffindors, as much as I'd like to keep talking- I'm afraid you'll have to wait with the rest of the school for news."
"Okay." Harry heard Ginny sigh. "It was worth a shot at least."
"Good day to you all." The door shut. Harry turned around.
"Hermione brought us to you last night." Dumbledore said.
"When will I see them again?"
"Soon, Harry. Soon."
~* ~* ~* ~*
The first person Harry went to see after that was Sirius. It was just his luck that James was with him as well. They were all sitting in James's office, reclining in his chairs.
"So let me get this strait." Sirius said after Harry had explained everything. "You're more of a dangerous criminal than I am- and I get life in prison?"
"Hey. Shut up." Harry said. "I didn't really have a choice but to kill them. I wasn't exactly willing."
"I know." Sirius said. "I just find it funny."
"I don't think it's funny at all." James and Harry said in perfect unison.
"Well, well, well!" Sirius said. "Don't get all uppity with me!"
"I am not uppity with you." Harry said. "I just don't find it funny that I killed two Hogwarts teachers."
"You didn't mention that!" Sirius said. "You did?"
"You just heard me." Harry said. "Now, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Tell me what I've missed around here. I want all the local gossip."
"Not much is happening that you haven't been a part of." James said. "Unless you want to know the little things like Ron and Hermione are dating."
"Go figure." Harry said. "Anything else?"
"Not anything you would care about." James said and leaned back in his chair.
"Oh." Harry said. "Try me. I'm pretty bored. I would care about anything just about-"
The door swung open. "Professor Potter!"
James jumped. "Christ Hermione! Haven't you heard of knocking?"
"Yes professor- but I needed to talk to you now!" She said, and then noticed the other two bodies in the room. "Unless you're busy?"
"IS your problem urgent?" James said. He looked around him. Harry had quickly turned around to face the wall and Sirius looked like a living statue.
"Sorry to have frightened you all." Hermione said before continuing. "But about your test today. I was thinking about it- and I think I got 14 b wrong."
"How typical." Harry said a little louder than planned.
"What was that?" Hermione said.
"Nice one, Einstein." Sirius muttered and kicked Harry lightly.
"Hermione, I assure you that you got an 106 on your exam." James said. "Now I really am in the middle of something-"
Harry coughed.
"Bless you." Hermione said.
"Thank you." Harry said.
"Professor, I didn't know you had a brother." Hermione said.
Harry coughed again.
"I don't have a brother."
"Well your friend sounds exactly like you then." Hermione said. "Really, you do."
"He's not my friend really."
"Hey!" Harry said. "I can accept you get mad at me, but that burns Krikor."
"Call me by my real name!"
"Rather not, makes me want to throttle you."
"This from the person who got mad at me for not calling him my friend."
"Am I missing something here?" Hermione said.
"No." Harry snapped.
"Harry here is just being stupid."
"I am not stupid, you - you-"
"Go ahead. Call me a name."
"I would, but I don't want you to cry while there is a girl in the room…Sirius I'm afraid you're going to have to leave."
Hermione blinked. Had she heard the word Harry, or was she just going crazy? "Why wont he face us?" She asked slowly.
"He- um isn't supposed to be here." Sirius said.
"Terrible acid burns. He doesn't like to be seen in public." James said at the same time.
"We should work on that." Sirius said, biting his lip.
"Yeah you should." Harry said. "James, you really know how to botch something."
"Shut up."
"No, no." Harry said. "I don't think I will."
"You should though."
"The more you say that, the more I'm going to talk. You realize that, right?"
James made a noise in his throat.
"Are you two related?" Hermione said. "In the least?"
"Ha! I wish we weren't." Harry said.
"We are."
"Shut up!" Harry said.
"Only if you do." James said.
"You are becoming very redundant, both of you." Sirius said.
"Professor- I'll just get back to you later." Hermione said. "You seem to be- busy."
"HE STARTED IT!" James and Harry cried in unison.
And then there was silence. Dead, utter and complete silence. Hermione had left. Harry quickly turned around.
"What were you thinking, you idiot? Just give away my identity to her?" Harry nearly yelled. "You are such an idiot. Really, do you have a brain in there at all?"
James took a deep breath and pointed past Harry's shoulder. Harry looked over. Hermione was standing there still- her mouth moving up and down like a very old woman, pointing.
"Aw shit."
~* ~* ~* ~*
Hermione stared for a few seconds before turning around slowly on her heels and then ran down the hall as fast as she could. She reached the fat lady and began screaming, "RON! RON, RON! COME HERE QUICK!"
Ron, who was playing chess with Seamus, looked up. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah." Seamus said. "Sounds like there's a Rhino on the lose."
"Shaddup." Ron said and got up to go find her. HE left the common room and jumped out of the portrait hole. "Who died Hermione? You scared the crap out of me."
"No!" Hermione panted. "Not dead! Who LIVED!"
~* ~* ~* ~*
When Hermione had returned with Ron the two men had left and Harry was sitting on the desk waiting for them. He didn't tell them all off what he did, but he did tell them what had happened to him. At first there was complete silence in which everybody just stared at each other. And then Hermione gave him a very bracing, long hug.
"Don't ever leave us again." She whispered.
~* ~* ~* ~*
The days danced by and it seemed like no time when the last week of school dawned on them. Everybody was ready to leave school this year- for good reasons. It had been quite an experience. Teachers had died; students had died- and come back from the grave.
Exams were handed back and students spent their days on the Hogwart's lawn, lying about, talking and playing games.
Harry, Ron, Hermione (and sometimes Lavender) were often to be found by Hagrid's old hut. Fang was now being taken care of by Dumbledore, but on days like this the Headmaster would let him out and he would romp around the grounds, startling resting students and scaring the birds away.
Today, Harry was stretched out on the lawn alone, basking in the sunlight. He was thinking, and he was happy to be doing so. The last few months had been so busy, he barely remembered them at all. So now, as he lay, he began to work out the little problems in his life, that so needed to be worked out.
There was the question of Lavender. He liked her. But did she like him?
There was the question of Ron and Hermione. They were dating. Was he a third wheel now?
There was so much to ponder for Harry, for his head hadnt been clear for quite some time now. He gazed down the sloping lawn to see the squid basking in the sun, like him. He smiled thinking how everything was alike in some way.
His peaceful silence was interrupted when Hermione appeared out of nowhere. "Harry." She said, leaning over him from the side. "Your dad is looking for you."
"So?"
"You should go talk to him."
"Oh, Hermione, let me be." Harry said. "I don't want to talk to him."
"It could be important." Hermione said.
"Are you hinting at something." Harry said.
"No, I'm just saying." She said. "It could be important."
"But it probably isn't, knowing him." Harry said.
"Fine." She said. "I'll leave you then. But if I run into him, I'm telling him where you are."
"You do that!" Harry called after her retreating back. "What a person does for privacy these days!" He closed his eyes and began to think again. He knew what James wanted to talk about. He wanted to talk about Harry's living arrangements for the summer. And Harry wasn't ready to make that decision.
~* ~* ~* ~*
School had been out for twenty whole minutes. Ron and Hermione were waiting for the train in Hogsmeade. Harry was waiting for somebody else however. He looked a little nervous, Hermione thought, looking him over.
James arrived on the scene. "Ready for summer?" He asked. Ron and Hermione nodded. James spotted Harry, cowering behind them. "There you are." He said.
"Here I am." Harry repeated.
"I've been wanting to talk with you." He said. "About where you're going this summer. I guess I've just assumed that you would come home with me- I have a home in Greece, you know?"
Harry stared at him.
"Well, what do you say? I swear I don't bite."
Harry kept staring.
"Please answer me Harry." James said. " You're making me unnerved."
"No." Harry said quietly.
"Well then, we should be- what do you mean no?" James said, realizing that Harry hadnt said the expected answer.
"I mean, I've gone through a lot with you this year." Harry said. "But I don't think I could live with you. Not now. I'll be spending the summer with Ron this year."
The train had pulled into the station. Ron and Hermione were hesitating by the door.
"Goodbye then." Harry said going into the train, pulling his things behind him. They took their seats on the train, Harry by the window. He was looking at James, who was standing there still, stunned.
The train pulled away from the station. Harry kept his eyes out the window, staring at his father until he was just a black dot on the horizon.
"Harry, don't you think that was a bit harsh?" Hermione said finally, breaking the awkward silence.
"No." Harry said. "I do not."
"But you just left him there."
"He's left me alone before." Harry said. "He had this coming."
"But don't you feel bad?" Ron said. "I feel awful. He probably hates me now."
Harry looked out the window, saying nothing
Harry wasn't good at Divination. Everybody knew it. He didn't know what would happen between him and his father. He didn't know what his future held, or what tomorrow would bring. Heck, he didn't even know if he would live to see tomorrow. But he was sure of one thing; tomorrow would come, with or without him.
~* ~* ~* ~*
A/N: The end folks. Draw your own conclusions; however strange, sappy, or frightening they may be. Please don't ask for a sequel, for I have no intention of writing one. Thank you for sticking through the story with me. I really love you all.
Now- I have one more thing to say. This chapter took 5 hours to write- at least. Please take 40 seconds to review it?
Thanks again,
Tadariada
(Have anything else you want to tell me? E-mail me at [email protected])