Löng bið. Langur kafli :) Sorrý hvað þetta tók laaaaangan tíma. Ég komst einhvern veginn ekki í múidð fyrr en núna fyrir stuttu. En alla vega, þá vona ég að lengdin á kaflanum sé smá sárabót. :I
The occupants at Nr. four privet drive jumped in their seats when a man and a woman appeared in their living room, right in front of the telly. Dudley went deathly pale; there were wizards in the house, and as a result, Dudley ran out of the living room, his fat hands hugging his ass. Arthur Weasley took the liberty of taking Dudley’s place in the best chair of the room, Molly preferred standing.
“What the devil do you think you’re doing?! Get out of my house now!” Vernon Dursley seemed to finally have gotten over his shock. Arthur ignored him, and look Petunia in the eye.
“I’m afraid there’s no easy way of telling this, so I’ll just say it. Harry’s dead, Petunia.” There was no reaction from Petunia; she just stared into space, not seeing. Vernon, however was an entirely different matter.
“Hah! I knew it was only a matter of time, before he got himself killed, just like those good for nothing parents of his!” Molly Weasley had seen her husband take many, and perhaps even worse comments from Lucius Malfoy in stride, but she’d never, ever seen her husband go violent. At least not until now. As soon as Vernon finished his sentence, Arthur gave him a good punch on the jaw, sending Vernon stumbling back a few steps.
“You bastard! Have you no respect? Do you even know what Harry died doing? No? Of course you did not. I’m surprised you even remember his name!” Arthur took a threatening step towards Vernon, but felt his wife’s hand on his shoulder. He took a deep breath, then continued;
“He died trying to save both our worlds from being under the rule of a tyrant. I think you know who I mean, Petunia.”
“Voldemort?”
“Yes, of course. He didn’t kill Harry though. At least not in person. But I must get going. My wife and I wanted to be the ones to tell you, because Harry was like a son to us, and we are sorry for your loss.” Then they disappeared.
Harry’s body lay on a table in a windowless room. Madame Pomfrey stood over him. Frowning, her eyes puffy and red with tears. She had agreed to be Harry’s medical examiner at the request of the Weasley family. But when she entered the morgue, she almost regretted her decision. There he was; her most frequent visitor since James Potter. How ironic that she had also been his parents medical examiner. And Dumbledore’s. But they had been adults, Harry was just a kid.
“How could this happen?” She murmured to herself. She pulled the white cloth of his body, and what she saw took her breath away. The trainee healers had taken off his clothes, armor and everything associated with them, and only left the underpants. She had, of course seen Harry on his nickers before, but this was not the Harry she remembered. The old Harry had been a small, skinny little boy that always looked like he was underfed. The Harry lying on the table was the complete opposite. He was tall, and filled out, and all corded muscles. His looks gave him somewhat a feral look. The boy was all set with scars, all over his body, the most recent one on his upper left arm. That one had been a severe burn wound, and looked like it had been healed rather hastily. He’d probably done it himself. Two scars on his shoulders frightened her, because, evidently something had gone through there. But what scared her the most was the scar on his face, running down from his forehead, over his eye, and ended just short of his mouth. What happened to you, Harry? There was some strange symbol in his right palm, and a tattoo just below his right ear. She raised her wand and started the examination…
“Basilisk poison, minister,” Madame Pomfrey said gravely. “He was in terrible pain when he died. See the marks in his palms? He clutched his hand so hard, the nails bit into the flesh. His body has been through awfully many ordeals, you can judge by the scars. Some are almost two years old.” The minister was dumbfounded.
“Two years old? Really? And about the ones on his shoulders? How did those grow without healing charms? Without magic?”
“They didn’t. They were healed. Not with a wand, but still, they were healed with magic”
“How? There has been no recorded use of his wand in over two years. And no one has ever been able to heal wounds without the use of a a wand, they simply can’t focus hard enough…" How the hell am I going to break the news of his death?
“Well, he did. How, I cannot tell you. And then there was something in his blood. Something I can’t quite point my finger on. But I know he drank some kind of potion, and it nearly killed him. It most definitely had some part of his changed height, and it might possibly have had some effect on his muscles. But what truly amazed me were his eyes. Look!” Madame Pomfrey gently lifted Harry’s eyelids, opened them wide and revealed his eyes.
“Do you see anything strange, minister?” The man started to shake his head, then his eyes went wide with wonder. The boy had some purple rings around his eyes!
“What are those rings?” Madame Pomfrey released Harry’s eyelids, and threw the sheet back over Harry.
“I do not know, minister. Harry Potter has always been a slight mystery, and remains so.”
They walked together out of the room, overwhelmed, but for completely different reasons…
“What kind of burial do you think young Harry would have wanted?” The undertaker asked the gathered Weasley family. A week had passed since Harry’s death, and it was time to decide what to do.
“I think he would have wanted to be burned,” Ron said sadly.
“Burned?” The undertaker asked incredulously. That wasn’t customary. Those barbaric muggles did that in some cultures.
“Yes, I believe it to be so, sir,” Arthur Weasley said.
“He’d rather burn than be turned into an Inferi or some other wicked creation of Voldemort,” Ron said.
“Yes, he would,” Ginny piped up all of the sudden. Everyone turned around, but Ginny had fallen silent again.
“Then it is settled. Where will it take place?”
“Hogwarts, right outside Hagrid’s hut. He’d want that.”
“Fine,” the undertaker said and left abruptly.
The pire was huge, enormous, actually, and Harry lay atop of it, again dressed in his battle gear, the swords held in each hand, crossed over his chest. The bow and quiver at each side, and finally the shield rested under his head like a pillow. Hundreds of people were gathered onto the grounds, paying Harry their last respects. Hagrid, who hadn’t said a single word since he heard the news of Harry’s death staid inside his hut, looking at the proceedings from the window. Even Grawp was there, and he was peaceful. (Hagrid had, against the Firenze’s advice kept on “taming” his brother, and had somewhat succeeded). Harry’s former classmates had all gathered and most wept, boys and girls. In fact, most people were weeping, even Mad-Eye.
“Damn boy had to go getting himself killed. I was looking forward to trying myself against him!” Mundungus Fletcher stood at his side, and put a hand on his shoulder.
“I know, I know…” Kingsley Shacklebolt finally stepped into the podium he had had brought out there, and cleared his throat, asking for silence.
“Harry Potter was a truly amazing young man. A man whose courage was an inspiration to all that came in contact with him. He was a source of strength, and of hope to many, a beacon of light in this dark road we are about to embark upon. His mind was quick, and he was extremely intelligent. And not to mention that his respect for rules, and the letter of the law was unquestionable,” he said sarcastically. That brought laughter from most of the student present.
“But of course that is a lie, as most of the younger folk here know! Harry, like his father before him had little use for rules. In fact, they shared the notion that rules were meant to be broken!” Laughter ensued. But this was just a momentary escape from reality. Despite the crowd’s laughter, the people devastated. Of course that in itself wasn’t surprising; the one who they thought was going to be their savior was no more.
“We shall all remember Harry for what he was to each and every one of us. But I am not a man of many words, and if no one wants to speak, let us ignite the pire…” The Weasley family, along with the Hogwarts staff, and many others took a torch and brought it to the pire, and stuck the end in it, and it instantly was alive with the flames. When the pire had changed into a huge ball of flames, the crowd dispersed, and eventually, every one except the staff, the Weasleys and a few aurors staid behind to watch the fire.
Later that night, Hagrid finally left his hut, going to Harry’s pire, saying good bye. He had been drinking, and was unsteady on his legs. When he was at the pire, he dropped to his knees, and cried, large tears flowing from his eyes. Fang was there, howling loudly. Then the dog stopped, and started sniffing around the ash, and started digging. Hagrid moved to pull his dog away from the remains, but froze when he saw what Fang had been looking for; an arm standing out of the ash. He grabbed the hand, and it was stiff, cold and lifeless. He felt for pulse, but of course there was none, Harry was quite dead. Then it finally registered in Hagrid’s drunken mind. The boy hadn't burned. He stared at the hand for a moment, then started sweeping the ash from the ground, revealing the body…
Madame Pomfrey woke up to the sound of someone knocking on her door hard enough to break it down. She got out of bed, into her robes, slippers, and opened the door revealing a very drunk Hagrid. She let out a heavy sigh.
“How many times have I asked you not to come here when you’re drunk?”
“I’m sorry Madame Pomfrey, but yeh must see this!”
“See what, Hagrid?”
“Harry’s body didn’t burn!” Poppy let out a strangled cry.
“What a horrible thing to say, Hagrid! You haven’t been drinking that dragon drink again, have you?” Hagrid gave a desperate shout, grabbed Madame Pomfrey, slung her over his shoulder, and made his way to the exit of the castle, and out onto the grounds.
“Hagrid, stop this nonsense. What do you think you’re doing?” Hagrid just strode on, not responding. When they were a few yards away from the remains, Hagrid let her down. Madame Pomfrey, who, mere seconds before had been scolding Hagrid was staring at the ground, awestruck. Harry’s body was intact, and the clothes had not a mark on them. Madame Pomfrey turned on her heel, raised her wand and shot her patronus in a general direction of the Headmaster’s office. Within minutes, Kingsley was out there, and he was just as struck as Madame Pomfrey.
“What! How can this be?” Poppy shook her head.
“I don’t know. This was magical fire that burns through just about everything it is meant to burn through. We must go talk with the Weasleys to find out what to do next.”
“I agree,” Shacklebolt said evenly. And they beckoned Hagrid to pick up the body, and walked up to the castle again…
It was a somber group that escorted Harry’s body to his marble tomb the next evening. There was no crowd there, no one except the staff, and the Weasleys. The incident with the magic fire had upset everyone, understandably. Ginny most of all. She had screamed, turned to her father, clutching his chest, shouting for them to make Harry go away. It had been hard enough for her to be there when he died, but all this mess was like an oil on the flame. They finally decided to place the body in a marble tomb next to Dumbledore’s. Hagrid lowered the body into the open tomb, and then the lid on top of it. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, their heads bowed. Before they departed, Ginny walked up to the marble chest, kissed it softly and whispered:
“Good bye, Harry Potter…”
Harry Potter woke up. He didn’t open his eyes, though, for he felt the sun shining hot onto the eyelids. He lay there for a few minutes, letting his mind wander. Gradually, he opened his eyes, and looked up into a clear sky. Clear sky? Where the hell am I? He looked to both sides, taking in the area around him, eyeing every spot carefully, and with practiced ease noting possible threats. Finding none, he relaxed his guard and truly noticing his location. He was lying in a thicket, heavily grown with trees and bushes. He got on his knees, his hands checking for his gear. Finding everything in place, his got onto his feet. He had no clue where he was, or how he got there. He had a cloudy memory of lying on his back somewhere, but he couldn’t quite place it. It was annoying as hell. He heard the tell-tale sound of waves splashing up on rocks, and stepped out of the thicket, finding himself near a beach. He knelt down, and grasped a handful of white sand, letting it fall through his open fingers. What is this place? He got up, raised his arms, letting the sun warm him. He smelled his armpits, and nearly fainted from the smell. I have got to take a shower, or at least clean myself. There’s got to be a pond here somewhere. He returned to the thicket, went through it, and found an old path there that seemed as if it hadn’t been used for many years. He followed it for a quarter mile, and stepped into a clearing, revealing a waterfall, and a lagoon. Perfect… He stripped and got into the water, which temperature was just right. He washed thoroughly, and studied his reflection in the water’s surface. I look like shit. I should do something about it. Shaving seemed to be a great idea, and he brought his knife from his boot, and severed the stubbies from his face. He washed his hair, and cut it short, he had looked quite stupid…) He swam around for a while, easing the tension in his muscles. Finally, after a little while, he got onto the bank, dressed and fell asleep in the shadows of a sloping tree…
Someone knocked on the door, ever so slightly. The man looked up from his studies. He glanced through the open window. Three a.m. Who could be interrupting him at this hour? He shrugged. He was up already, he could use the company…
“Enter.” The door opened, showing a phenomenally beautiful woman in her mid-thirties. She wore a thick travelling cloak, and looked a little scruffy, as if she had gone out in a hurry. She removed the hood, letting her slightly curly, raven black hair flow freely about her shoulders. She approached the table and embraced the man fondly.
“Ah, welcome, welcome, my old friend,” the man said kindly. The woman stepped back. The man studied her, and remarked:
“You look as stunning as ever, and yet there’s worry in your features. What worries you so, my dear?”
“I felt a man’s presence, my friend, more powerful than I have ever felt, it literally took my breath away, and woke me from my slumber. I got here as soon as could. It’s been ten hours.” A slight frown etched its way onto the man’s face.
“Where is this individual? Can you tell me?” The woman shook her head.
“That’s just it… I cant! I can feel him constantly, but I can’t place him. Every time I try to access his mind, it’s as if I’m trying to break down a brick wall with my bare hands. He won’t budge. But I didn’t feel any evil coming from him, but it is just as likely that he is trying to mislead me.”
“This might become a problem… Go and get some rest. We shall speak more of this in the morning.” The woman exited the room quickly. The man stood there for a while, going over this new information in his head…
Harry dressed quickly, having slept all through the day, and late into the night. The sun was rising, telling him that morning was upon him. Shouldn’t have wasted this long sleeping… I can get to that later… He stretched comfortably, and got onto that road again, going to the beach once more. The scenery was breathtaking, to say the least. Clear sky, waves splashing against the rocks, birds crying… This was an amazing place. He looked about and noticed another road, leading west. That one seemed to be in frequent use, so he decided to take his chances with that one.
Harry had been walking for about an hour before he came into contact with another human being. He rounded a bend in the road, which by now had reached the foothills of a great, rocky mountain. He came upon two people, one of whom was stuck under a great rock. The other man, tried to remove the boulder, but was too weak. But even the slightest shift of the rock brought a scream of terrible agony from the unfortunate man. Harry ran to them, but to his surprise, the man who’d been helping the stuck man, rounded on him, a sword in his hand. The other man got onto his feet as well, and suddenly had a sword in his hand. Harry stopped abruptly. What the hell?
“Well, well, Bo… What do we have here?” The other thug chuckled deviously.
“A young whelp, all alone. Quite stupid to be travelling alone, don’t you think?”
“Yes… Quite stupid.” The unknown men were circling Harry now, swords ready, their eyes alert, and wary. These men knew how to handle weapons, but they’d made a devastating mistake: they’d underestimated Harry. And to underestimate Harry Potter meant losing the fight… Harry eyed a movement in the trees. An archer. And a stealthy one at that. I don’t want this fight… He spoke his thoughts out loud.
“I don’t want this fight…” The man known as Bo laughed out loud at that.
“Oh, Lewis, he doesn’t want to fight. What can he do then?”
“Well, he can just give us his money, and belongings without the fight, and we’ll be on our way.” Three men… Shouldn’t take long… Harry kicked a little stone with all his might at the hidden archer, and got him in the head. The man fell from the tree. Bo the thug, and Lewis the thug both looked at Harry in awe before they both rushed him at the same time. Harry wasted not a moment, jumped up and kicked them both on the side of their heads, knocking them out. Bloody wankers… He bound them, and slapped Lewis, waking him up.
“How the hell did you do that?”
“Never you mind. Is there a town near here? And speak the truth, lying will only get you in deeper…” The man grumbled something incoherent, but told him anyway.
“Fine. There’s a town about ten miles up the road, Rolling hills village.”
“Thanks.” Harry awoke the other two, got them on their feet, and ushered them forward.
A few hours later, Harry came upon a closed gate, a guard tower on each side, a set of guard in each.
“Hold! Who goes there?” Demanded one of the guards.
“I’ve got men here who attacked me. Thought I’d take them to the nearest justicar!” The guard thought that over, then leaned over to examine the trio. His eyes widened, and he signaled the other guard, who left abruptly.
“What name do you go by?” Harry hesitated for a moment, then said;
“Call me James.” The guard signaled some one, and the gate was opened, and Harry led the men in. Harry was greeted by a man that, by Harry’s eyes was a bit too overzealous.
“Lewis, Bo and Peter Buckner finally caught! Fantastic! This is a joyous occasion!” The man went on for a moment longer, and every guard around the gate rolled his eyes. Harry got the feeling that this was not an isolated incident. Then the man turned to Harry, who, without noticing backed a step.
“Ah young man, you have done the village of Rolling Hills a great service. Great service indeed! We have been hunting these men for months, but always, they have eluded us. But, pray tell, where are the others of you troupe?” Harry was puzzled.
“Others? I was travelling alone.” This revelation brought gasps from most of the people present.
“Don’t you know the Laws of Fellowship?” Harry shook his head.
“No, I don’t. In fact, I don’t even know where the hell I am.” The man seemed to be catching on. He beckoned for the guards to take the prisoners away, and for Harry to follow him.
“My name is Charles DeFinnan, and I am the mayor of this village. There is a bounty on the heads of the men you brought in here, and to collect it, please go to Hillsfar castle. It is about six hours walk, but the road is good, and the weather is fine.” They had reached the northern gate of the town, and the guards opened it, letting them out.
“Follow the road towards the foothills of the mountains. You can’t see the castle, because the valley swerves to the east, hiding it, but you should reach it before sundown if you keep a good pace. Farewell…” Charles went back inside, and the guards closed the gate. Harry looked over his shoulders, and noted a peculiar look on the men’s faces. It was not an unfriendly look, but it wasn’t friendly either. It was kind of suspicious. Shrugging, Harry glanced up at the sky, noted the sun’s position, and trotted forward.
What was that? Did I offend someone? I hope not. But why the sudden hostility? And where the hell am I?! The sky was getting cloudy, storm clouds gathering, and Harry could see the rain in the distance. Wet, wet, wet… He picked up the pace. If Charles's words were true, he still had about an hour to go, so he started running at a quick pace, hoping to beat the rain. He didn’t. He’d been outside in some ghastly weather back at Hogwarts. He especially remembered the time he saw Sirius for the first time on the stands, the rain and thunder and lightening… That seemed like a tiny gale compared with this storm. Harry could barely stand upright. Finally, the castle came into view, a few hundred yards away. It stood on the shores of a great loch, even bigger than Hogwarts lake. Harry was exhausted. He had walked all day, and had run for a few hours in the cold, and finally in the storm. He was aching all over, trembling with the cold. His eyes were bleary, and he was getting weaker. At long last, though, he reached the gates of the courtyard. A small door was at its side, and Harry banged it with his fist.
“All right, all right, don’t come barging through the door.” An old man opened the door a little, eyeing Harry skeptically.
“Who might you be?”
“I’m James. Could you please let me in, I’m freezing to death out here!”
“Hold on, over there, young man. I’m not letting in some one whose purpose here is unknown…”
“I’m here to collect the bounty for some guys called Lewis, Bo and Peter. Ring any bells?”
“Well… I suppose it does. Fine. I’ll take you to captain Olmos. Please, step inside.” The guard opened the gate and led Harry towards the castle. In the darkness, Harry could see little, but the castle was huge. They came upon a side entrance, a small door, that opened into a hallway. They went in, and at the end was a door, that stood slightly open. The guard knocked on it slightly.
“Come.” The man opened the door and Harry followed. Captain Olmos was sitting behind his modest, but beautiful desk, frowning over some papers. The old man excused himself, and left Harry alone in the room with Olmos. After a few minutes, the captain looked up, eyeing Harry carefully. Harry met his gaze head on, and they stood like that for a while. Captain Olmos was a man in his mid-fifties, his hair showed small wisps of grey, and small wrinkles were starting to form around the corners of his brown, insightful eyes. He was about 185 cm high, a little taller than Harry, but he was muscular, heavy muscled showed through his tunic. Harry broke eye contact first.
“Not many can match my gaze, young man. You can tell a lot from a man’s gaze, and yours tells me that you are a man of honor. Are you a man of honor?” Not accustomed to such greeting, Harry shrugged.
“I don’t know. I just try to follow my heart, hoping to help people in need. I’m not one to judge if it is an honorable thing or not. It’s just who I am…” The man smiled.
“Good answer. But why have you come here?”
“I captured three men named Lewis…”
…”Lewis, Bo and Peter? The Buckner gang? Well, this is a pleasant surprise. We have been after the for months, but as you may already know, they have eluded us.”
“They are skilled in woods lore, captain. I could tell that much.”
“So, I suppose you have come for the bounty.” Captain Olmos took a sack from a table by the wall, and handed it to Harry.
“Six hundred galleons. Not a small amount, even though I say so myself. Now, please, come with me. This calls for a celebration, and there just so happens to be a party here tonight.” Harry stared at the sack, then handed it over to the justicar. At least there are galleons. But is there any magic? Harry looked down on himself, noting that he was extremely dirty. Captain Olmos noted this as well.
“Ah, I am sorry… What’s your name?”
“James.”
“Well, James, I am sorry that I did not see to your clothing, please, allow me…” Olmos drew forth a wand, flicked it, and voilá, Harry was clean.
“Okay, this is it… Can you please tell me where the fuck I am? ‘Cause, I’m going insane here. I woke up this morning on the ground with no memory of how I got here. In fact, I can’t seem to remember anything that has happened to me for the last day, or so.” The captain gave Harry a strange look, and replied:
“You are in the land of Brittania, young man. Did you hit your head or something, because, a slight amnesia is not uncommon after a severe head trauma.”
“I don’t think so… I mean, I feel fine, except the memory loss. But take your gold, I don’t want it.” The shock on Olmos’s face was only visible for a second, but he managed to cover it up.
“But that’s why you came here, isn’t it?”
“Not really. The mayor of the village back there kicked me out. I can’t see why, but I hoped the residents of this castle could tell me where I was.” Captain Olmos thought on it for a moment, then laid his hand on Harry’s shoulder.
“Please, just come to the party, and this will be sorted out in the morning. You must be hungry and tired.” Harry was. He wanted to decline the offer, but thought better of it. Going hungry wouldn’t help him find out where he was, so he just accepted the offer.
“Excellent! Now, if you’d please leave your weapons and armor on the rack outside the door, we can be off.” Harry hesitated. He didn’t like the idea of being separated from his weapons, or the armor.
“Please. There are no weapons allowed inside the castle proper, and besides, do you feel threatened in any way?” Harry shook his head. The only thing he felt was the terrible hunger, and tiredness. He released his weapons, and took of his armor. He felt strangely naked without it, but some relief as well.
“But where is this Britania? I have never heard of this land…” Harry remarked as they made their way through the brightly it corridors.
“What do you mean, ‘where is it’? It’s in the world, of course. Where else would it be?” Harry shrugged. He was getting a headache, this shit was getting way too weird. He was beginning to think he was in a different world, but of course, that was ridiculous. Perhaps he was experiencing some strange effects of the last Horcrux? Some twisted designs of Voldemort? It had be…
They came into a great lobby, crossed it, and came upon a great two winged door, studded with golden engravings, and beautiful images of greek gods, and mythical beasts. Two servants pulled the door open, and Captain Olmos, and Harry walked inside. Harry had always thought Hogwart’s dining hall was something amazing, but next to this one, it seemed rather plain. The walls were lined with great tapestries, hanging from loft, to the floor, each one depicting some image. The sealing itself was reminiscent of the one in Hogwarts, but this one had creatures flying all about it. Dragons, Griffins, Gargoyles, you name it. Harry realised that they were for entertainment, seeing that the food was not on the tables yet.
“Come, James, let us find you a nice spot, somewhere close to the fire…”
“He’s here!” He leaned closer to her.
“I know.”
“You know?”
“Yes. I am looking at him now. There. Do you see? The one taking a seat next to Captain Olmos?”
“Ah, yes, I believe you are right. Can you feel it? The power radiating from him in smashing waves? It’s like trying to swim in the ocean in a middle of a storm. It’s overwhelming.” She regarded Harry long, her piercing gaze examining him well. There was some wild side to him, she was sure. She liked it… But then she noticed something, something revealing.
“Of whom does the newcomer remind you, my old friend!” The man looked at Harry and his eyes widened considerably.
“No! It cannot be!…”
Harry ate like some wild animal, tearing into his food like a half starved man. Which he was… He gulped down a whole cup of malt beer, and refilled it.
“Whoa young man, go easy on the ale. It’s quite strong. Olmos was chuckling slightly. Young men… Always the same. Harry nodded, and slowed a little, taking in the people next to him. They were all dressed in similar fashion, shirts with long sleeves, trousers in light colors, leather boots. This was getting more fucked up by the minute. But if this was some delusion of his, or Voldemort’s, then he might as well enjoy it while it lasted. So he tried to rid himself of his worries, but he always had this annoying feeling of something being not right about this place. Suddenly, Harry felt a little nausiated, and got a strange foreboding feeling. He got on his feet, turned, and walked straight into a woman that had been standing behind him. The man, who accompanied her caught her.
“Ow… Watch it, James! Wait, you’re not James…” Harry just stood there, open mouthed, looking at the woman, and the man before him. Then he got angry. OK… Enough is enough! Stop it! Stop it!
“Had a little too much to drink here, James capt. Olmos said, chuckling. Harry ignored him completely. He stared at the couple before him. The woman had red hair, and emerald green eyes, and the man looked like Sirius.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Well, I’m Lily…” The woman started to reply, but Harry interrupted her:
“Do not say you are Lily Evans! Lily Evans died eighteen years ago. And you, you’re not Sirius Black! I saw him die not to long ago!” Sirius just stared. A man approached them, dark hair, messy at the back of his head caught Harry’s eye. James Potter was nearing them. No, no, no, NO! Harry’s hands started to glow dangerously… Sirius snapped out of his trance.
“Calm down Harry, calm down. There’s much to explain!”
“Harry?” Lily asked. “Our Harry?” Sirius nodded.
“No shit, Sirius, or whoever the fuck you are. You’re dead, you’re all supposed to be dead!” Harry grabbed his head, and cried:
“Stop, you mother fucker! You’ve had your laugh, now let me out. You win, this is it. Come and face me like a man! I’m here, Voldemort, fight me head on, you gutless bastard!”
“Do something, Godric!” Helga Hufflepuff shouted. Gryffindor nodded grimly, took his wand, aimed it at Harry, and whispered:
“Stupefy!” Harry slumped down lifelessly…
Six people were gathered around the bed, on which Harry lay. All were quite down.
“I can’t believe this is our son, James,” Lily said to her husband, who took her in his arms hugging her tight.
“I know, I know.” Both Sirius and Lupin were staring into space, eyes unfocused.
“I cannot believe Harry is dead,” Lupin remarked. “He came for me, into Greyback’s lair. I saw him fight. It was unbelievable.”
“I failed him,” Sirius sobbed quietly.
“We all failed, Sirius,” Dumbledore said. “We were not there when he needed us the most. I was not there. But I do believe it is time for us to revive him. We must find out what happened to him. Look at him. The last time I saw the him, he was a boy. The one lying here is no boy.” Gryffindor nodded.
“He has seen much fighting, and death. I am pretty sure he has been forced to kill at least once.” He flicked his wand, and Harry took a sharp breath, and his eyes flew open. Gryffindor put a full body binding on Harry just in case he’d go crazy again. Harry’s eyes were bulging. He was angry, that much was clear.
“All right, young Harry. I have awakened you, but I must be sure you will not lose you temper. Do I have you word? Blink once if I do. Harry did. Gryffindor released his spell, and Harry relaxed, and sat up, his eyes scanning the room, looking for exits, possible threats, and the most dangerous person in the room, which was Gryffindor, or perhaps Dumbledore…
“Where am I?”
“You are in the land of Britania. The land of the dead.” Gryffindor said. “Once wizards die, they come here, to this land. Why, I cannot tell you, but we came here, and have been here for a long time. A long time.”
“So… Are you saying that you die, and are reborn here?”
“Why… Yes.” Gryffindor said. Harry nodded, then erupted into a fit of laughter. He laughed so hard that tears fell from his eyes. The people gathered in the room exchanged glances, and Dumbledore leaned in close, and asked Harry:
“I’m sorry Harry, but what is so funny?” Harry, still laughing looked at his former mentor, and replied:
“I was just thinking how the wizarding world is doomed! How the hell are they going to survive without me? Hmmm? Who’s going to hunt down the last two Horcruxes, and then go after Voldemort himself? Who? No one, that’s who!” A dead silence followed Harry’s words that, even in that small room, seemed to echo back and forth between the walls. Dumbledore looked at Harry with his piercing gaze.
“Don’t you remember what we talked about? There are others that can kill Tom. You do not have to put it onto yourself.”
“I know that, Professor Dumbledore, but they don’t. They all thought that I was the only one who could do it. I did not tell them, and I haven’t seen any of my friends for a long time. At least two years.” Dumbledore seemed shocked by this.
“You’ve been alone for two years? How did you elude the ministry, or Voldemort’s followers for that matter?” Harry smiled, reached out his hand, and a candlestick flew of a table, into his hand. The eyes of the gathered people followed the candlestick’s course.
“I acquired a portion of Gryffindor’s powers when I touched a sphere inside his study. Nearly killed me… I haven’t been using my wand, so Voldemort can’t have his men in the ministry find me, and he’s too arrogant to keep an eye on his horcruxes. He probably thinks there’s no way a boy could find and destroy them.” An amused smirk found it’s way to Gryffidor’s face.
What do you mean ‘the last two Horcruxes’? Do you mean to tell me that you have gotten all the others?”
“Yeah. There’s only Nagini, and the bastard himself left. If you go downstairs, you will find Gryffindor’s shield and Hufflepuff’s cup. Look at my neck. I’ve got a mark there, the shape of a raven. You see it? Rawenclaw’s slough. The locket is destroyed. That leaves two.”
“Good work, Harry,” Dumbledore said excitedly. “But how did you find them?”
“Fawkes did. While he was out searching, I took care of other business.”
“Such as?” Sirius asked.
“For one, I killed Fenrir Greyback. The werewolves are on our side now. As well as the Centaurs. They guard Hogwart’s outer perimeter.” Servants came into the room now, carrying Harry’s things. Gryffindor at once noticed both his sword, and his shield. He took them up and said.
“It feels strangely reassuring to be holding these things again. I imagine you have had some use for them?”
“Only the sword. I found the shield two days ago. In Egypt, inside the Sphinx of Giza.” His father took up the other sword, examining it.
“Whose was this?” Harry got of the bed now, taking the sword.
“A vampire named Shadowstalker had this one. He and I battled each other in the Forbidden forest. I… He… Let’s just say that he became a little dusty.” Sirius, James and Lupin chuckled at that. But Harry had gotten quite serious again. He regarded Lupin sadly.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to rescue you.” Lupin smiled sadly.
“I am sorry that I haven’t been there for you. I should have been.
“Ah… To the hell with this. I’m dead, so there’s no use thinking about the past. I’m starving. Isn’t there any food in this place?” Lily rolled her eyes. Harry didn’t just look like his father; he was the same as his father. James, and Sirius were constantly hungry, always eating, but somehow, they always looked like they were in top shape.
“Come this way, Harry, we’ll get you something to eat.” Dumbledore put his arm over Harry’s shoulders and they made their way to the mess hall.
“Something puzzles me, professor,” Harry said. “Why do you all look so young?” Harry had noticed that Dumbledore looked like he had been spit out of Tom Riddle’s diary, and his parents and Sirius and Lupin all looked like they were thirty something.“Ah, you see Harry, when we come here after dying, we change. Your parents for example now look like they did when they were in their prime. As do I, even though I say so myself.” Harry shrugged, then looked down on himself, and looked questioningly at Dumbledore.
“What about those who die young, like me? Am I in my prime, because I didn’t change one bit. I hope not. I mean, I´m only like 19 years old!”
“I am afraid that I cannot answer that question, Harry. For, alas, I do not know.”
“Oh, well. No use pondering too much on that is there?” Dumbledore smiled.
“Indeed there is not.”
Harry woke the following morning well rested. Something that had not happened in a long while. Harry jumped out of bed and noticed new clothes on a chair by the desk. He put on the new trousers and shirt, but disregarded the shoes, and put on his old, worn out leather boots. He wasn’t thrilled by the idea of having to spend days breaking the new ones in. He left his room and headed towards the exit of the castle.
“Tuck in that shirt, you slab!” Harry turned on his heel, and noticed a painting of an old countess, scowling at him.
“Go on, tuck it in. Can’t have you running around here looking like a beggar. No, that will not do.” Amused, Harry did as the portrait commanded.
“Now this is better young man. And this is no laughing matter, mind you!” Harry performed a mock bow, and replied;
“But of course not, m’lady. I shall indeed keep my shirt in my pants from here on now.” The old lady gave curt nod, and turned away. Lost in thought, he rounded a corner, and walked straight into someone.
“I am terribly sorry, I…” He then saw who it was, and dropped to one knee.
“Madame Ravenclaw, I am utterly sorry for this, please accept my humble apology.” The Hogwart’s founder merely chuckled at that.
“Oh what nonsense. Get up. There’s no need for this. Please, get up young man.” Harry did, and his breath was taken away from him by the beauty of the woman. Her long, curly hair, tanned flawless skin, and dark, bottomless eyes. Harry didn’t seem to be able to tear his eyes from hers.
“Are you all right, young Harry?”
“What? Oh, yes, quite. I have yet to thank you for saving my life. If I had not had your slough, I would surely have perished on at least one occasion.”
“Oh there’s no need for such formalities. I’m happy I was able to help one that had a cause so noble. Now on you go.”
“Yes ma’m.” As Harry made his way down the corridor, he could not shake the feeling that Ravenclaw was watching him…
The castle was huge. It had the conventional four towers on each corner. But halfway up another four curved out all four, and extended high up into the sky. And if that wasn’t enough, there were four still, floating in circles around the ones sticking out of the ones attached to the castle, a large platform running back and forth between them, and the castle proper. Harry just stood there, watching in awe. This castle was a sight for the centuries, there was not doubt. His eyes wandered towards the loch, which extended to west and east as far as the eye could see, and he could barely make out the foothills on the other side. Damn. And I thought the Black Lake was big. Looking around himself, Harry decided to go for a little run. He ran towards a high cliff, that extended far into the sky, and overhang the lake. Once he was up there, he walked over to the edge, embracing the view, which was breathtaking. He spotted towns here and there, birds were chirping, and every now and then, a fish jumped from the lake, catching a fly, or some other insect. The land and people prospered. There was peace. This Ron and Hermione, Ginny, and all the others might never experience, at least not yet. Not for another eighty years, or something. He failed. Peoples faith in him had been unjustified; he was not worthy of any praise. He heard someone coming. He turned, and noticed his father, Sirius, Lupin, Lily, and Dumbledore coming onto the “platform”.
“Morning.”
“Ah good day, my boy,” Dumbledore. Harry’s mother approached him, hugged him, and gave him a little peck on the cheek. Harry returned the hug, then turned away once more. He didn’t deserve any of their love. He failed them.
“I know what you are thinking, Harry, I have been there, you know,” Sirius said.
“You are thinking that you are a worthless piece of shit that no one should take a second look at, that you failed everybody.” Harry nodded. Sirius continued:
“I felt very much the same when I came here. Life isn’t fair, but you know that, don’t you?” Harry made no response.
“Harry,” Dumbledore supplied “there’s nothing you can do about it now. What is done is done, and we must learn to live with it. However we might dislike it. One must let go of the past, and learn to embrace the future.” Dumbledore lay his hand onto Harry’s shoulder.
“Just let go, Harry.” Harry turned towards them, his face blank.
“I am afraid I cannot do that. I will find a way back, even if it kills me. Again. I must get back. I’m not done. I have work to do.” He then turned and Jumped off the cliff.
“Harry!” Lily shouted. They all ran towards the edge, and watched as Harry fell through the air, towards the water. Then, just before Harry hit the water’s surface, he turned into a raven, and flew towards the other side of the lake.
“Sirius… My son is fucking nuts! OW!” James turned to Lily, eho was frowning.
“Don’t talk about Harry like that!” James merely shrugged. And the Marauders laughed heartily. Lily walked away, muttering something under her breath that sounded a lot like: “boys”.
Harry flew swiftly across the air, enjoying the freedom it brought him. All day, he flew, and let his mind wander. He thought of Ginny, Ron Hermione. And of Neville, Dean, Seamus. What were they doing, was Voldemort getting stronger now that he, Harry was no longer a threat to him? His thoughts were getting steadily darker, and by nightfall, he was starting to get a headache, and his shoulders were aching. He touched down in a forest that was so thick, that the moonlight hardly penetrated the treetops. He stretched, and yawned deeply, noting for the first time just how tired he was. He walked through the forest at a leisurely pace, nothing to be scared of here. When he had been walking for almost an hour, raindrops began to fall. Great. Within minutes, he was soaking, the drops falling of the leaves in little streams. He stopped suddenly, thinking he had glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye, a light of some sort. Must be the moonlight, reflecting in the raindrops. Yeah that’s it… Then he saw it to his left, a yellowish light, shooting back and forth, like a bumblebee. What the hell is that? He took a step towards it, and the tiny thing darted back a few meters. Again, Harry took a little step, and the “bee” repeated it’s response. Then, Harry was chasing it, not running, but still making his way swiftly, and silently after it. He tried his wand.
“Accio thing!” Nothing happened. In fact, it seemed as if his wand was dead. Not even the smallest tingle of magic could be felt from the wand. Strange. Then Harry stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of singing. A woman’s voice. A voice so pure, and clear that it was surely otherworldly. No human woman could sing such pure notes. Harry sneaked towards the sound; noting the steam flowing from the direction of the noise. After a while, he came upon a small clearing, a hot pool in the middle of it, the stars glistening on the surface of the water, the moonlight illuminating the area, and in the middle of the pool, a female creature was standing, bathing, and singing as she washed herself. Harry felt a slight touch on his hand. A unicorn was picking at his fingers. Harry slowly, ever so slowly stroked its muzzle, and it pressed against him, and made a low noise in its throat. The woman suddenly turned about, the surprise on her face was absolute. Harry could not help marveling her beauty; Her dark hair extending to her waist, dark, wide eyes, her breasts curved beautifully on her chest, and her slender build fit her perfectly.
Their eyes met, and Harry felt a presence against his mind, trying to get inside his head. He had thought Snape forceful, but she… She was a brute compared to Severus Snape. She pounded his mind, as if hitting his barriers with a club. Flashes of his memory were dancing before his eyes, shifting from one to the other. Harry frantically thought of a dark pit, completely dark, and bottomless pit of nothing. But she was not about to let him off that easily. Memories of his torture at the hands of Voldemort in his fourth year at Hogwarts, Sirius dying, Dumbledore dying, and then, an image of Malfoy manor. No. Enough is enough. This, you will not see. This no one sees. OUT! Harry’s vision returned to normal, and he saw the female thrown backwards, forcefully, away from him.
“No one invades my mind, woman, no one! You get that?” She nodded, donning on a semi-transparent ropes.
“Quite. I feel as if though I must congratulate you for repelling me from your mind. Not many can. Even among my own kind.” Only then, Harry noticed the pointed ears. Shit. A fay.
“You are a fay. A faerie.” A look of the utmost disgust clouded her delicate features.
“We prefer to be called the Sidhe.”
“Aw shit, I’ll just refer to you all as The Unseelie. I thought you were wiped out thousands of years ago.” A sly smile found it’s way to her lovely mouth.
“That’s what we wanted you wizards to believe. Instead we went here, to live in prosperity, away from all. But when we came here, we opened a way through, somehow, and now, all the dead little wizards come here. And some of their pets as well.” She made a irritated sound and took a step closer to Harry.
“Woah, lady, keep your distance.” She did.
“What, in The old land has made a young man such as yourself so cautious? There’s no danger here. Not unless you brought it with you.” She took another step.
“Then why did you try to invade my mind?” Harry backed, and hit the tree behind him. She was intrigued by this young man, standing in front of her. He was unsure what to do. He was too proud to run away, and yet wise enough to realise that she might be a possible threat to him. But she wanted to know more about him, his memories. That house was apparently of some importance to him. But she was also feeling a little tingling sensation in her belly; a building excitement. She took another small step.
“One can’t be too careful. We generally do not allow wizards in our woods. But we” she took another step “have been known to make exceptions. And you intrigue me.” And that’s a good thing? Harry thought. She was only three steps away from him now. She reached for the thin bands that held the robes closed, pulled them free, and the robes crumbled to the ground, leaving her utterly naked. OK. If I want out, now is the time. But somehow Harry could not make his feet move. She was standing mere inches from him. She went up on her toes and kissed Harry lightly on his lips, biting his lower lip as she pulled away. This sent a tingling sensation through Harry’s body. She kissed him again, more intensively this time around, and Harry kissed her back. She unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled it of him, and they sank to the ground…
Harry woke up the following morning. He lifted his head slightly, and noticed he was lying in the grass, next to a pool, the morning’s sun rays shining through the treetops, bathing him in a soft light. His memory from the night before was somewhat fuzzy. Then he felt a hand move. And it came back to him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. No wait… Scratch that. Damnit! Harry jumped up, and backed away a few steps. The faerie eyed him.
“Hmmm. You look even better in the sunlight. She smiled wickedly. Harry looked down on himself and noticed he was in the nude.
“Shit! Where are my pants?” Harry frantically looked around for his clothes, his hands hiding his, until last night, private parts. Now fully dressed, Harry calmed a little. The woman was now resting on her elbow, not in the least concerned about the fact that she was completely naked and made no move to cover herself.
“Who is Voldemort, Harry Potter?” Harry stopped dead in his tracks.
“Who?” She gave a small, mocking laugh.
“Don’t try it, you silly boy. I saw everything I wanted to see from your mind last night. Men tend to let their guard down when in the presence of… pleasurable company. Even a strong one like yourself. Now if you are done playing games, would you please answer the question!” Oh, fuck it. Might as well.
“I’d like to know you name, first.” She nodded.
“Fair enough. It’s Auriel.”Harry sat down, and spilled the beans on all his life, answering her questions. He avoided the most sensitive topics, and Auriel did not press the matter. After quite a while, she sat up, and stretched comfortably, still naked.
“You mind covering yourself up? You’re making me uncomfortable.” She smiled.
“You were not so uncomfortable last night. You were quite the animal.” Harry’s eyes widened.
“Oh don’t be silly. It was the potion. The animalistic side of it finally breaking through.” Harry shrugged. Wait. If they came here, they might be able to send me back! Worth a shot.
“Listen. There’s something I wanted to ask you. Since you came here via magic, can’t you send me back?” Auriel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why would you go back? There’s nothing for you there but more danger, and possible death.”
“But you might be able to?”
“Perhaps. I must confess that I do not like the idea of sending you back there. You amuse me. You’re different.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Can you do this for me? I must get back there, to finish what I started. I must kill Voldemort. I must save my world from tyranny.” She pondered on it for a while and simply replied: “No.” Harry threw up his hands in defeat. Sensing her mind was set. But as he sat down, he remembered a line in the good book: Faeries are fleeting creatures that like to play games, and make deals. We pray you do not make deals with the fay, unless you have examined all angles. But they will make a deal if you propose one, they can’t help it; it’s their nature. Harry cleared his throat, and said loudly:
“I’ll make you a deal…” Auriel, who was dressed at this point, turned to look at Harry.
“I’ll make you a deal. What will it cost me for you to send me back?” Auriel eyed him intensely, then said:
“Someone you love. Ten years of servitude. And I’ll send you back. Harry’s shoulders sank. He couldn’t do that, not to anyone. But they’d understand.
“Done. Do I have to name the person now, or can I do it when I come back?” Auriel shrugged.
“Fine. When will you do it?”
“Tonight. Be here at eight o’clock, and be on time.” She turned on her heel, and swept into the woods, leaving Harry behind. Just as Harry was about to leave, the little buzzing thingy sat on his shoulder. As it turned out, the thing was actually a tiny little faerie.
“Wat’s up Tinkerbell?” The tiny guy hit Harry in the neck. It hurt about as much as a snowflake landing on one’s palm. But Harry said “ow” just to please the little guy. Apparently pleased with himself, Tiny cleared his throat, and folded his arms over his chest.
“My name is Jarru, thank you very much. I could not but over hear your conversation before, and I think that mistress Auriel is being a little unfair, seeing how noble your cause is. So I’ll try and help you without betraying her. Listen closely. She did not say who you should hand over to her. Remember this.” Harry rolled his eyes. Yet another, seemingly useless, cryptic message. Seemed every-one's suffering from Dumbledore’s syndrome. First Diggory and now Tiny here.
“Gee, thanks, Tiny, I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry said sarcastically.
“I try to help you, and this is the thanks I get. I told you, my name is Jarru.” The tiny guy fluttered his wings angrily, and bit Harry in the arm, and flew away. And the bite did hurt. Well as much as a sewing needle would, at any rate.
By the time Harry got home, it was already four o’clock in the afternoon. He was getting late. He rushed to the kitchens, ate and went to his room, and dressed in his gear. He sat down at his desk, and wrote a long letter, explaining what he was about to do, sealed it and left it at his desk, before flying out the window, leaving the castle behind.
Auriel was standing in the middle of the clearing where the pool was, wearing a bit more concealing outfit than the night before.
“Come over here, Harry.” But as he got nearer, she seemed to grow nauseated. Ignoring it, Harry came closer to her. She was forced back a few steps.
“Conceal your weapons, and armor, you fool! Don’t you know that the Sidhe cannot be around cold iron?”
“Oops, must’ve forgotten about it, “ Harry said sarcastically. He hadn’t. He just wanted to get back at Auriel somehow. Anyway, he donned on some heavy robes, and waited for her to back to him.
“Lay down on the ground, hands crossed on top of your chest.” Harry was beginning to feel a little uneasy, but knowing the fay, he knew they could not lie, so she was going to do as she had said. Try, at least. Harry did as Auriel offered, and as he was lying on the ground, Auriel sat down next to him. She the tips of her thumbs againts Harry’s eyes, mumbling something. Then, Harry started to lose conscience, his hands and feet going numb.
“Now, remember, Harry. Take the dark tunnel to the right. This will be hard, for one is not supposed to go back. This is, in theory a one way passage. Whatever you do, do not stop. This is crucial. Good luck!”
And Harry was thrown into a wide hallway, the Hallway of souls. He started walking forwards, angling to the right. There was the dark tunnel. People were getting thrown through it, some went flying, others went slowly, as if life was leaving them slowly. And some just fluttered into view, and then back. Probably those who doctors managed to save. Then, when Harry got closer, it became harder, and harder to walk towards the dark passage. It was as if there was some invisible force pulling him back to where he came from. Pulling against it with all his might, he took measured steps forward. Then came the shock. When he was but six or seven meters from the passage, nine people came rushing through the portal. They had red hair. And they went flying towards the passage to Brittania. Harry reached out, and grabbed Ginny’s hand. She wasn’t conscious. Then Harry felt his body being dragged back. Auriel had warned him of this, of the dangers of stopping. Harry’s mind was racing with choices, and he made his choice; he let her go, and jumped into the passageway, head first, and Ginny flew away from him again…
Harry opened his eyes, and sat up. THUD. Ow. Fucking hell. What the… Harry was rubbing his forehead frantically. He had hit his head against the ceiling of his tomb. He examined his surroundings quickly. He was in a long, square box, made of marble. He lay there for a moment, wondering why he was in there. Well. Best find out if it worked. He put his hands against the lid, and pushed it open, with the help of a levitating spell. He jumped out of his coffin, and onto the ground. He looked around, and noticed Dumbledore’s tomb next to his, and walked over to it. I’ll make you proud. He put on his gear, and stretched painfully. It felt as if he had been lying on a rocky bed for quite some time. Which he, of course had. He turned towards the castle, and it looked kind of small. Never thought I’d see the day… He walked towards Hagrid’s hut, the candle lights fluttering in the window. As he got nearer, Fang started barking frantically.
“Stop that infernal noise, ye dozy dog!” Harry chuckled. Good ol’ Hagrid. He rammed the door with his fists. He heard the tell-tale click of a crossbow.
“Who goes there?”
“Open up, Hagrid. It’s me!” A long moment of silence followed. Then the door was opened, revealing Hagrid’s unruly mane of hair.
“Who are yeh? Harry Potter died three months ago.” Harry looked shocked.
“Three months? No way. It’s been more like three days, Hagrid. And would you please point that thing somewhere else. I don’t like it when people point weapons at my face.” Hagrid didn’t budge.
“Oh all right, Hagrid. You told me on the way to London, when you came to get me from that rock on my eleventh birthday that you had always wanted a dragon. And the night before, you created a little pig’s tail on my cousin’s Dudley’s arse. Remember?” A huge noise erupted from the forest. And the sound of a tree being ripped up from the ground filled the night.
“Grawp still picking up trees, is he? How’s the english coming?” That did it. Hagrid threw the crossbow away, and embraced Harry with such force that Harry was afraid that he might fall apart. Finally, Hagrid let go of him, and showed him to the table.
“What the ruddy hell happened to you, Harry? Where’ve you been?”
“Well, I was dead, as you may know, but I was sent back to finish Voldemort off.” Hagrid flinched at the mere mentioning of Voldemort’s name. They talked for hours, Harry telling his oldest friend about his exploits over the last two years. The sound of footsteps, interrupted them. Someone started pounding on the door, shouting.
“Hagrid! Hagrid! Some one's broken into Harry’s tomb, and removed the body!” Harry chuckled at the sound of Neville Longbottom’s frantic voice.
“I’ll get it, Hagrid.” Harry walked over to the door, and opened it, standing behind it. Neville rushed in, babling something in comprehensive.
“Woah, Neville. Calm down. Tell us what happened.” Harry said. Neville turned.
“Ok, Harry. I was walking to your tomb, as I do every Sunday, we all do, but then it was open…” Then it got through to Neville.
“Hey, Neville. Good to see you again.” Neville’s mouth opened, and closed a few times, before he fell to the nearest chair, his eyes never leaving Harry.
“How?”