Crumple-Horned Plot Bunnies

By Andrew J. Talon

Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. It's owned by JK Rowling and Time Warner. Not me. Please don't sue.

The Ministry of Magic's Atrium was a ruin, the walls covered in deep gouges and long trenches from furious battle. The fountain statues were nearly all reduced to rubble, and water was spilling out onto the marbled floor. Amid this devastation, stood the three authors of the mayhem.

One, wizened, ancient and wearing long green robes underneath an impressive beard, stared through half-moon spectacles in surprise, something not seen on his old face in years. Another, clothed in black and with skin pale and reptilian, gaped in horror, previously cruel red eyes now wide in fear.

The third player stood, black school robe fluttering in a breeze, staring down at the ground as he struggled to catch his breath. In his hands, he held an ornate weapon, a chain at the ends of both rattling loudly in the stunned silence. It was a golden metallic sword with scarlet wings decorating the tip, giving it the basic outline of a key.

The boy looked up at the two other occupants of the room. His green eyes narrowed, scarred-brow furrowing. He held his weapon up, pointing it directly at the reptilian man, as magical power radiated from his body in all directions.

"What is that, Harry?" The bearded man asked in disbelief.

"This... IS FOR SIRIUS!" He bellowed, and leaped into the air.

Voldemort's presence felt like the scaly coils of a snake, constricting around him. He couldn't see them, he couldn't struggle but they just continued to tighten around him.

"Just give up and die, boy... You've lost," the Dark Lord hissed in his mind, and Harry was unable to fight back. The grief and despair left over from the rage dragged him down, and he felt as though he was sinking deeper, and deeper, and deeper into a dark sea.

I can't... Can't breath... Harry thought. Death seemed to be fast approaching, and he couldn't help but welcome it.

How long had he fought Voldemort? How many people had he lost to him? Would he continue until there was nothing left? If that was the case, then what was the point of beating him?

There wasn't... Not if he had no one left...

"Harry... Harry."

Harry opened his eyes. Before him stood his godfather, looking serious.

"I'm always Sirius... And I always will be," the man said with a small smirk, as though reading Harry's mind.

"Sirius...? Am I... Am I dead?" Harry asked. Sirius shook his head.

"No... Not yet..."

Harry smiled. "How long until I am?"

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "Not very long... But you shouldn't be looking forward to it."

"Why not? I've lost... I've lost you, I've lost everything, Sirius," Harry replied. "There's no one left... I'll never be happy...!"

"Yes you will! Have you forgotten everyone else?" Sirius demanded. The images of his friends' faces appeared in his mind's eye.

"Hermione... Ron... Neville... Ginny... Luna..." Sirius recited. "The Weasleys... All of them are counting on you, Harry!"

"So what?" Harry asked angrily. "What can I do?! I couldn't save you! I can't save anyone!"

"Yes you can! You can fight him!"

"WITH WHAT?!" Harry exploded. "He has all the power! All the followers! All the experience-I HAVE NOTHING!"

"That's not true, Harry!" Sirius growled. Everything seemed to be getting colder, darker, even Sirius was starting to fade. "You have never, ever given up when it counted! When lives were on the line! When your friends needed you!"

"So?!"

"So that's your power, Harry!" Sirius shouted. "You refuse to give up, not for anything! Because you know what it's like to lose everything... To have nothing... And you won't let that happen to you again! You love your friends, your family too much!"

Harry clenched his fists. "What good has it done them?! I got them hurt! I got them-!"

"THEY chose to come with you!" Sirius snarled. "You didn't force them, did you?"

"... No..."

"They care about you, Harry... They love you," Sirius said in a softer tone. "Just as your parents love you... And I love you."

"Sirius," Harry said, looking back up. His godfather smiled back, and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"I know... We haven't known eachother long, but... Even if I died trying to save you... As long as you went on, as long as you kept living... It was worth it. Because you are worth it, Harry..." He held Harry's shoulders and leaned down to eye-level.

"And you have the power within you to keep going... To win... To make sure that bastard doesn't take anything else of yours."

"... What do I do?" Harry asked.

"Harry... It's not going to be easy," Sirius hesitated. "It's not something to be taken lightly... It's going to bring a lot of trouble your way..."

"... But I'll be able to save my friends?" Harry asked. Sirius nodded.

Harry closed his eyes tightly, shook his head, and opened them again.

"... Then it doesn't matter what it brings... As long as I can do that..."

Sirius smiled. "All right Harry..."

"Will... Will I see you again?"

Sirius smiled. "Someday... But it had better not be soon, you hear me?"

Harry nodded.

"All right Harry... Good luck," Sirius said. In that moment, Sirius vanished, and Harry was falling again, further and further. It was actually getting brighter, and Harry saw a point of light at the bottom. At his back, he felt the darkness and cold closing in around him. Fear rose up-At his speed, whatever he hit... He'd die almost instantly. He felt himself slow.

Don't stop... Warned a voice that sounded almost like Sirius'. Harry took a deep breath, and held his arms as tightly against his body as he could, leaning forward to dive as he would with his broom.

Don't be afraid...

The wind rushed loudly past his ears-His eyes began to water, and the light grew stronger. Still Harry fell, that killing blackness no more than a split second behind him.

Don't stop for anything...

The light was blinding, Harry closed his eyes. He extended his hands, banishing every bit of fear doubt away-He couldn't afford it. He couldn't let it stop him.

And fly...

An object materialized in his hands, and Harry grasped it tightly. Abruptly he stopped, and the air was no longer rushing around him, but filled with an angry scream.

Harry opened his eyes. Voldemort had fallen back, holding his head as he roared in agony. Harry spared a second to glance at the object in his hands.

A gold and scarlet weapon had replaced his wand-Shaped like a giant key, with the teeth at the top represented by a pair of phoenix wings. The guard was circular and done in the same gold as a Snitch was-some of the metal finishing resembled that on his Firebolt. The blade of the weapon was black and textured like stone, perfectly smooth. From the pommel of the weapon hung a chain, and attached to it was a lightning-bolt-shaped charm.

Harry's eyes met Voldemort's. The Dark Lord's mind lashed out at Harry's, but was repelled. Harry tightened his grip on his new weapon.

"What is that, Harry?" Dumbledore asked. Harry held the weapon up.

"This... IS FOR SIRIUS!" He bellowed, and leaped into the air to strike down upon Voldemort with every ounce of his strength he could muster.

Well, given I've got a plot bunny collection for Naruto, Bleach and Eva, I might as well have one for one of my first major fandoms-Harry Potter. Which I did enjoy, even if Rowling seemed to have handed off the story to ghost writers for the last two books and came up with a lot of ridiculousness-Especially that epilogue, ugh. Anyway, this one was inspired by one of M2J MandalorianJedi's "Archive Rejects", which was in turn inspired by "Key Through the Heart" so really, this has come full circle. Any other random Harry Potter ideas I get, they'll show up here. If you wish to use one for your own story, just ask and then go for it.