Before the times of change, still is it so:
By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust
Ensuing dangers; as by proof, we see
The waters swell before a boisterous storm.

—William Shakespeare, Richard III

Chapter Eleven

The sunlight was bright on her face. Even with her eyes closed, Holly could feel its warmth and strength. There was a warm breeze on the air that foretold of new summer, chasing away the cool winds of spring. She wanted to be part of it. It felt as though if she just let go, she would float, up, up, up…to where the clouds kissed the sky.

It took her a long while to realize she wasn't floating away, but in fact still connected to the earth. Holly was resting on something very soft, and it felt cool against her skin. If this was what dying felt like, it wasn't so bad, though she could have done without the lingering aches along her left arm. Holly frowned. That wasn't right.

Struggling, she managed to blink open her lashes, frowning at the sight of Professor Dumbledore standing before her. After a long moment, she realized that if this was heaven, it looked a lot like Hogwarts' infirmary.

"I'm not dead?" she asked the headmaster.

He chuckled, "Indeed, you are not. Good morning, Holly."

She looked down, and saw for the first time that she was lying on a bed. The white linen sheets were familiar enough. Holly seemed to have been placed in the bed that Arcturus Black once lied in. Her head began to spin, then and she wondered what had happened when she passed out. "Voldemort? I mean, You-Know-Who?"

"Call him Voldemort, Holly," Dumbledore said. "Always use the proper name for things. Otherwise it is ever so confusing, and whenever someone says 'You-Know-Who' I always have the rather puckish impulse to reply, 'No, I don't know who.'"

"Is he gone? Him and Quirrell?"

"He is for now," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Though there are other, darker ways for him to return. Not truly being alive, he can't be killed. He left Quirrell to die, of course, as is his nature. He has no use for those that fail him, nor mercy for his followers. While you may have delayed his return to power, it will only take one servant, just one, prepared to fight a losing battle to see him returned to glory. But, of course, if he is delayed again, and then again—why he may never return to power."

"Are the others all right?" Holly asked.

"Just fine, dear child. It was you who concerned us. What you did, what it cost you—the effort nearly killed you. Your heart simply couldn't take the stress of it. You have been in here for two days."

She sobered at that, and began trying to sit up. Dumbledore assisted her, and once she was reclined against her pillows, she said, "I don't understand, sir. What happened? Quirrell was trying, but he couldn't find the Philosopher's Stone."

Dumbledore chuckled. "My, you did do the thing properly. Or, Miss Granger did, at any rate. As for the Stone, that was one of my more clever ideas, actually. Did you see the inscription above the mirror, Holly?"

"Yes."

"When properly viewed, it would read: I show not your face, but your heart's desire. The Mirror of Erised; a powerful object. It shows us no more and no less than the deepest desire of our hearts. When Quirrell looked into it, all he saw was his success, and you, you saw your parents with you, alive and well. You see, Holly, only a person who wanted to find the Stone—find it, not use it, would have been able to get it. My brain surprises even me sometimes. One of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something."

Holly looked down at her lap. Now was the time to correct the headmaster for his erroneous presumption, but she said nothing. She didn't know why she hadn't corrected Professor about what she saw in the mirror. The thought of speaking of it made Holly feel as though she was standing before him naked. Though, Holly wondered, why it was that she hadn't seen her parents? What was that stranger in the mirror to her? Shaking her head, she looked up. She still had more questions, and they wouldn't ask themselves. Holly knew she would think more on this later, and maybe then it would make sense to her.

"About Quirrell, sir. Why couldn't he touch me?"

"Your mother died to save you, something Voldemort could never understand, for he does not understand love. What your mother did that night, it leaves its own mark on you, Holly. Not a scar, but to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loves us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. By sharing his soul with Lord Voldemort, Quirrell could not touch someone marked by something so good."

"It's like the protection you used to keep me safe from the Death Eaters," Holly realized. "Isn't it?"

"Yes, my dear," Dumbledore said, nodding. "What your mother did for you protects you, and will continue to protect you every day of your life."

Holly nodded, she didn't think she had any more questions.

"You have not yet asked after Mr. Urquart, which is surprising because he has been asking about you every day."

She jumped as though she had been shocked. "Phin is alive?" Holly nearly yelled.

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore said. "Alive and well, so long as he stays in St. Mungo's for the next two months."

"But, Professor Snape…he said…"

"Yes," the Headmaster frowned. "Well, he should not have allowed you to form an incorrect assumption. The Venomous Tentacula that bit Elphinstone was quite immature, and Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout were able to manage the situation."

Joy and relief warred for supremacy in her heart. Holly felt herself truly begin to relax for the first time since Hermione had told her about what happened in the Forbidden Forest. She couldn't even stop the grin that spread across her face. Nor did she want to.

Looking to the side, Holly noticed for the first time that the bedside table was piled high with candy and flowers.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," Dumbledore told her when he saw the direction of her gaze. "What happened with Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. Now, I should be taking my leave. I am certain Madam Pomfrey will want to keep you for another day, but I see no reason you could not have visitors. I believe Miss Granger, Miss Patil, and Miss Brown are waiting outside. Shall I send them in?"

Holly nodded. Dumbledore began to walk towards the door when Holly realized she had one more question. "But, sir—what will happen to the Stone now?"

"Ah, well, Nicolas and I did have a chat," Dumbledore said, looking at her. "And with his permission, I destroyed the Stone."

"Destroyed it? But doesn't that mean they will…?"

"Die?" the Headmaster finished for her. "Yes, my dear, it does. To one as young as you, I am certain it is hard to understand, but for Nicolas and his wife—it is much like resting one's head down after a long journey. The world holds little joy for either of them anymore. All their children are dead, and their children, and their children—they raised rather wise offspring, you see. Not one of them wanted to live forever, much to the grief of the Flamels. It took both of them a long time, but eventually Nicolas and Perenelle realized that there was no point in living forever and having all the gold one could want…if you lost everything else in the process."

Holly was reminded sharply of Mr. Black, and felt a deep sense of pity for him, and for the Flamels.

"Now, I believe some young Gryffindors have been waiting patiently." With that, Dumbledore stepped out of the Hospital Wing, and soon after he departed, Lavender, Hermione, and Parvati came running in.

"Holly!"

They jumped onto her bed, each taking positions flanking her. They all hugged her, and began speaking over each other, asking after her health. Eventually, Holly began to laugh. "Speak one at a time," she said. "I can't understand you otherwise."

"We were so worried," Lavender said, looking at her with wet eyes. "I thought you were going to die."

Holly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I'm fine, it was you and Parvati I was worried about. You two both seemed so still when you fell."

"You did," Hermione said to both of them, her face paling. "You were both so still."

"We're fine," Lavender said.

"Holly," Parvati put in, making a distressed sound like a cat. "What happened? Dumbledore wouldn't tell us anything."

Holly began to speak in a halting voice, telling them everything. She spoke of Quirrell, of the mirror, of the stone, and finally…of Voldemort. The only thing she didn't tell them of was the man in the mirror, but there was enough else that none of them even thought to inquire as to what it was she saw in Erised. Holly finished her tale with the Stone's destruction.

"I couldn't have done it without you all," she told them.

"Well, maybe without me," Lavender said, grinning a bit. "I did get knocked out, and I don't even have the same excuse as some." Here she bumped shoulders with Parvati.

"You knew about the Devil's Snare," Parvati protested.

"And you caught the key," Hermione put in.

"And Parvati sacrificed herself," Holly said, "and Hermione solved the Potion's puzzle. I needed all of you with me."

"We're with you, Holly," Lavender said, face solemn. "Until the end."

"Until the end," Parvati repeated.

"Until the end," Hermione echoed, looking ferociously protective.

"Well," Holly said lightly, blinking back tears. "You know what this means? It means we will all simply have to be best friends forever."

"I agree," Lavender said, grinning at Holly. She then unbuckled her woven bracelet from her wrist, and took Hermione's hand, fastening it on the other girl's arm. "There, now you have to be best friends with us."

Hermione began to cry. "Really and truly?"

"Really and truly," Parvati said, pulling Hermione into a hug. "Gryffindor girls, now and always."

Holly grinned at Hermione, who happily smiled back through her tears.

From that moment on, Hermione Granger was their best friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up best friends forever, and helping to prevent the rise of a dark lord seemed to be one of them.

After three days and nights of rest, Holly felt fine. Her chest no longer hurt, and her scar didn't throb at all. Madam Pomfrey was dithering about whether to let her out, and Holly didn't see what it mattered at this point if she stayed in hospital until the end of term or not. She had already missed the feast, though she had been reliably informed by Parvati about the large upset with the House Cup and how Gryffindor had won out of nowhere. Hermione had come in one day, rather pleased to inform Holly that they had tied for first in class standings. It seemed that now that she had friends, much of Hermione's competiveness and aversion to breaking the rules had faded.

One thing that haunted Holly was the fact that Phin had been attacked to get to her, and remove the professors from the castle. Part of her wondered if McGonagall didn't hate her now. She said as much to her Transfiguration professor when she came to see Holly on the third day.

"I could never hate you," McGonagall said firmly. Stress seemed to have aged her overnight, for there were deep brackets around her eyes and mouth. "This was not your doing, child. There is no one to blame but You-Know-Who, and it seems fruitless to even do that much. Phin is a good man who believes in fighting for what is right. Had he indeed died, knowing that his death would, in a roundabout way, prevent the rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named once more…well, then I know that he would have gone to his death, happily."

The pair of them had cried in each other's arms after that, and Holly had listened as McGonagall told her of Phin's recovery process and how bad a patient he was being.

After the older witch left, Holly had tried to distract herself by going through her fan mail. Most of it was just well wishing, though the Weasley twins did leave a note saying how they were so glad not to be the cause of her near death experience this time. Padma had left her lilies, and Victoria and Sally-Anne had sent her a teddy-bear. Candy had been left by students from every house, and even more flowers from the Hufflepuffs. Neville had sent her a bright pink card that sang a lullaby when she opened it. But, the thing that had made Holly smile the most was the note she received from Arcturus Black.

Dear Miss Potter, it began, I was rather surprised to hear about your incident. I have a friend on the Board of Governors for the school who was impressed by your exploits, and sent me a letter about them, not knowing that I was already personally acquainted with you. It seems that heroism on your part is not limited to rescuing grumpy old men, though it is pleasing to know that I was preserved by such an able heroine. I wish to extend my best wishes for your speedy recovery, and hope that when you return to the Wizarding World again in the autumn, our correspondence might resume. Until then, I remain—Arcturus Black.

Madam Pomfrey finally let Holly out the day before the term ended. All of Gryffindor house spent that last day packing everything up, while Holly arranged for her painting to stay with Professor Dumbledore for the summer. After that, it was simply a matter of dumping everything else back into her trunk (including her cloak which Hermione had been guarding for her), and then drifting off to sleep in her first year bed one last time. The next morning, she walked down to the little fleet of boats with all the rest of the first years, and sailed back across the Black Lake to the train station.

Holly waved farewell to Hagrid, who sniffed happily into a handkerchief the size of a circus tent at the sight of her alive and well. The foursome of Parvati, Holly, Lavender, and Hermione claimed a compartment on the red train, and soon they were off. The girls spent the rest of the train ride playing cards and promising to write to each other, though Hermione and Holly also exchanged phone numbers. Hermione got a chance to enjoy her newfound popularity as Holly introduced her to all the well-wishers who stopped by their compartment. After that, in no time at all, the train pulled into King's Cross.

It took them a while to get off the platform, as they had to exit in small groups so as not to confuse the Muggles on the other side.

"You have to come and stay later this summer," Lavender was saying to Holly and Hermione. Parvati's parents didn't let her spend the night, though she promised to visit during the day sometimes. "My Mummy, my Grand-mère, and my brother and I all live on this big farm," Lavender said. "You'd love it, Hermione. And there is plenty of room to fly, Holly," she said slyly.

Holly laughed. "No, thank you. If I see a broom again before next term, I shall scream."

As people departed, some of them called out:

"Bye, Holly!"

"See you, Potter!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Holly's well-wishers. "They talk like they know you."

"They don't," Holly assured her. "Only my three best friends do."

Hermione grinned, getting teary-eyed again.

The four girls passed through the gateway together, and they were immediately greeted with a squeal of delight from a little girl. "Look, Mum! There she is! There she is!"

Holly saw Ron Weasley had already come through the barrier, and was standing next to the little girl, his face was turning bright red. "Shut up, Ginny!" he hissed.

"Ron!" a woman who could only be their mother said sharply. "And it is very rude to point, Ginny. Hush now."

Holly waved to Ron, feeling a little awkward, and felt gratified when he waved back and gave her a big grin.

"Ready, are you?" Holly turned to see Uncle Vernon standing there, looking purple in the face and deeply annoyed. He was wearing a suit and his most boring tie, so he had to have just come from work. He looked rather furious that Holly had returned, and she wondered what color he would turn if she told him she almost died. Though, on second thought, that was rather cruel. His heart probably couldn't take the happiness and then the disappointment of nearly having her gone from his life for forever. "Hurry up, girl," he said with impatience. "I haven't got all day."

Holly rolled her eyes and turned back to her friends. "All right, see you lot later this summer."

"Hope you have—er—a good holiday," Hermione said, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

"Just ring me…frequently," Holly told her, causing Hermione to beam.

"Bye, Holly," Lavender said.

"See you soon," Parvati added.

Holly hugged each of them, and then turned to follow after her uncle, pulling along her trunk and Artemis's cage. They wove through the crowds, passing Muggles who looked so incredibly normal that it was almost a shock to Holly's senses. The magic of Hogwarts was passing away, and now all she had was the faithful expectation of its return.

When they got to the door of the station, Holly took a deep breath and stepped out into the open air.