Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 14

By Songbird21

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The quartet turned to leave the clearing. "Harry, wait," Wendy said. "You almost forgot the crystal," she said as she bent over to pick it up.

"Wendy NO!" Ron yelled as her grabbed her arm. "Are you stupid or something?"

"What?" Wendy replied, rubbing her arm.

"You can't touch that thing remember?" Ron said in disbelief.

Wendy turned red. "Oh yeah.........um......thank you, Ron," she said as she made an embarrassed smile.

Ron shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Harry sighed. He picked up the crystal and stared at. It glinted as he held it up in the light from the brightspots.

Hermione walked up to Harry. "So what are you going to do with it?"

Harry looked thoughtful. "It's amazing that this little thing caused so much suffering," he said. He looked around till he found a large rock and began to lift it.

"You're just gonna smash it?" Wendy asked.

Harry shrugged. "Only thing I can think of." He dropped the crystal on the ground, raised the rock over his head and threw it down as hard as he could. No one could have expected the result of this.

The Soul Crystal shattered with a blinding flash of light. After that, nearly a hundred balls of light, like tiny comets, began to float out of it towards the sky. It was the souls of the slain. The four friends just watched in wonder until they noticed that two of the lights were moving towards them instead of following the rest.

"Harry look," Hermione said quietly.

The two souls, one red, one green, stopped about two feet away. They began to take human form and turned into none other than Lily and James Potter. Lily blinked like she had just woken from sleeping. She stared at Harry. "Who are you?" Everyone was too stunned to answer her question. Her eyes fell on Harry's scar and she gasped as tears filled her eyes. She knew what caused that kind of scar and she knew there was only one person who could have it.

James put a hand on Lily's shoulder. "What is it?"

Lily didn't look at James. "Harry?"

Harry, who was awestruck, managed the will-power to nod.

"My God. Oh Son. My little boy," James said through tears that had just begun to form.

Harry reached out and tried to touch his mother. His hand passed right through her. This caused his eyes to mist over. "You're here. You're actually here and I can't even touch you. It's not fair." He dug his nails into the top of his head in frustration. "I've wanted to meet you so much." He cried harder.

Lily moved her hand over her son's forehead. She knew it was futile, but even making the gesture made her feel a little better. "Believe me honey. I'd love to wrap you up in a great big hug. Look how you've grown. You've gotten so big," she sniffed. "And so handsome. I'm just glad you survived."

James seemed to notice everyone else for the first time. "Who are your friends Harry?"

Harry straightened and wiped his eyes. "This is Ron. This is Hermione....my girlfriend." He blushed.

"Well well," James said with a lop-sided grin. "I'm very glad to meet you Hermione. Be careful with this one. If he's anything like me he's going to be a handful."

"Dad!" Harry complained. Hermione giggled. Lily gave James a look. "And this is Wendy."

Lily and James froze. "It's not possible," Lily said.

"Harry, is that your sister?" James asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied with a smile.

Wendy shifted uncomfortably. "Hi."

"We thought we'd lost you. How? How are you here?" Lily asked.

"Professor McGonagall found her," Harry said.

James smiled. "That blessed woman."

"We love you both so much," Lily said. She bit her lower lip. "It's going to be so hard leaving you again."

"What!?" Harry shouted. His eyes were wide with panic. "But why!? You....you could stay at the castle. Please," he pleaded, the tears starting to flow again.

"Oh Harry. We don't have a choice," Lily said. Her face was full of sorrow and regret.

"Why?" Wendy asked.

"Because we don't have enough magic left to stay," James said. He knelt down in front of his son. "A human spirit can only stay on Earth for more than a few moments if they have magic in them. That's why muggles don't become ghosts. Voldemort stole our magic when we were put into the crystal."

Harry sighed heavily through his sobs. "I love you."

"We know honey," Lily said as she placed ghostly kisses on her children's heads. She looked at her hand. It was becoming more transparent. "It's starting. Oh my babies. I want to hold you so much," she said as she broke down into tears.

James hugged his wife. "Oh Lily." He sighed. "At least we know they're all right."

Lily nodded, sniffed and wiped her eyes. "You be good."

"We will," Harry replied. "Dad?" he said suddenly.

"Yes Harry?"

"There's something you have to know. Sirius didn't betray you. It was Peter," Harry said with a bit of venom in his voice.

"We know. I never believed it was Sirius. Peter is more the type. I should've known that when I made him our secret keeper." James' brow knitted together in anger.

"Dad? What am I?" Harry asked.

James was surprised by this. "What do you mean?"

Harry scowled. "This is what I mean." He made a large fireball and hurled it at a nearby tree. The tree cracked in half and erupted in flame.

James and Lily looked at each-other, wide-eyed. "Well I'll be damned. I thought the blood was dead," James said. Just then the couple flickered.

"Mum? Dad?"

"I'm sorry Harry. It looks like our time is up," Lily said.

"No," Harry protested.

"Goodbye. We'll miss you," James said. Their bodies began to reform into the lights they had been earlier.

"Wait!" Harry cried, hand outstretched. "WAIT!" Lily and James' lights floated up and out of sight. "NO! You can't! Don't leave me again!!!!" Harry sank to the ground crying. Hermione knelt down and held him close.

"Shhhhh," Hermione said as she rocked Harry back and forth.

Ron looked at Wendy. "You okay?"

"Oddly enough...yes. For some reason, I just don't feel sad," Wendy said. She looked grim. "I'm more worried about Harry."

Ron looked down at Harry and Hermione. "Let's give them a few minutes."

Wendy nodded and sat down on a tree root. Ron sat next to her. His heart felt heavy as he watched his best friend. He knew how much his parents meant to him. "I wish I knew what to say."

"So do I. This has got to be just one huge kick in the teeth," Wendy said. Ron Nodded. "I'll probably cry later. I usually tend to go into shock over things like this," she added. She looked at her watch. "We should go. It'll be sunrise soon."

Everyone was in pain of some sort. Hermione leaned on Harry for support. Her ribs were hurting even more now and this had caused Harry to insist that she take it easy. Wendy was annoying everyone by saying 'ow' every other step. Not only did she have a sore head but her hip hurt from falling off the log. Ron's wrist was twice the size it should have been. Harry was the only one who seemed to be undamaged, save for a few nasty scratches.

They reached the trapdoor for the secret passage and carefully lowered themselves in. As they walked the passage Harry's stomach was turning at the thought of what would happen when they got back. Snape's office was no problem. He wouldn't be up yet and Hermione had assured everyone that the magic lock only worked from the outside. So they wouldn't be trapped but explaining their wounds would be next to impossible.

They opened the wall and limped out into Snape's office. As soon as it clicked into place behind them they saw Snape and Dumbledore standing next to Snape's desk. The potions professor had a smirk on his face. Dumbledore looked absolutely furious.

"After all my warnings. I can't believe you didn't listen to me. I am VERY disappointed in you Hermione," he said. Hermione shrank against Harry. "All of you will report to the infirmary at once. I will deal with you later."

Harry laid on his back in the bed Madam Pomfrey had designated as his while she examined him. He felt sick. All the times he'd done dangerous things he had never managed to make Dumbledore angry before. "You're free to go Harry. Everyone else must stay a bit longer, however," Madam Pomfrey said.

The infirmary door opened and Dumbledore stepped through. He cleared his throat. "All of you have detention for the remainder of the school year. Harry," he made a 'come here' motion with his index finger, "come with me please." Harry gulped and followed Dumbledore out into the hallway. "Where do I start?" Dumbledore mused.

"I had to do it," Harry said suddenly.

Dumbledore sighed. "No Harry, you didn't. I was planning on doing it myself."

Harry stopped walking. "You were?"

"Yes. I had hoped the aurors would have been enough." Dumbledore began to walk again. "When Professor McGonagall told me you were gone from your beds I went to Professor Snape's office to enlist his aid in your rescue. That's when the four of you came out from the wall."

"I'm sorry."

"You could have been killed. Not only that, but you put everyone else's lives in danger as well," Dumbledore scolded. Harry looked down. "I just thank Merlin you're safe." He began to walk down a flight of stairs. "I assume the crystal has been destroyed."

"Yes."

"And your parents?"

Harry flinched and the sick feeling of sadness returned to his stomach. "Free."

"It must have been difficult. Speaking to them for so brief a time."

"Yeah. It was," Harry said. He paused. "Professor. I....killed the Soul Beast."

Dumbledore looked at Harry in surprise then went back to looking straight ahead. "I see."

"That's it? I tell you I killed it and you say 'I see' ?" Harry said with minor annoyance.

"I am surprised Harry. Just not overly so. You see, I knew you had that kind of power."

"A woman in the forest told me to ask you about it," Harry said as he picked a piece of lint off of his robe.

"Selene," Dumbledore replied with mild distaste.

"She said you weren't on good terms."

"To put it mildly. What did she tell you?"

"That I was her blood. What did she mean by that?"

Dumbledore opened the door to the teachers lounge and stepped inside. "Harry, sit down."

Harry did as he was told. "Ow!" He jumped up and looked down at the seat. The was a paper clip sticking out from the couch cushion, shining in the sunlight from the window. He removed the clip and sat down again.

Dumbledore smiled and pushed his glasses up a bit. "I didn't think I would be telling you about your father's family so soon." He paused. "Selene is your great Grandmother."

"What!?" Harry nearly yelled. "Just how many people are related to me? he thought.

"Yes. And she is a child of Oberon. Which actually makes you only three quarters human," Dumbledore said carefully.

Harry's eyes widened at this news. "I'm...not...completely human?" he said with a bit of fear in his voice.

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "It's not a bad thing Harry. Oberon's children have great power. It will be interresting to see how you continue to develope. For some reason, Oberon's blood has passed over everyone in your family...until now."

"So that's why I have these powers showing up?" Harry said, taking off his glasses. He set them down on the arm of the couch and rubbed his weary eyes.

"Yes. And we have no idea how powerful you will become. Moreover, you may wind up having a longer lifespan than even the average wizard. You see, children of Oberon are immortal. They never die unless they are killed. This may pass down to you as long life."

"This is a lot to take in," Harry said. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked down. "What if I wind up loosing control of my powers and hurt somebody?" he said quietly.

Dumbledore put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry was relieved to see the usual kind twinkle was back in his mentor's eyes. "I have the strictest confidence that you will control these powers well. I have already seen your ability to do so." Harry looked up, confused. "Miss Granger was not the only one who saw you that day by the lake," he explained.

"Oh." Harry said as he yawned through his expression of surprise.

Dumbledore smiled. "Go to bed. You will need your rest for the dance tonight."

"I can still go?" Harry said, surprised.

"Yes. I think you have been through enough," Dumbledore answered, smiling warmly.

Harry grinned. "Thank you Professor. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Harry."

Harry went to the boys dorm in Gryffindor tower. As he headed toward his bed he noticed Ron had already returned from the infirmary and was sound asleep.

Harry shuffled across the floor to his trunk, pulled his pajamas out, put them on and crawled into his bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow....

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Next is the epilogue people. Hope you like. Laters, Songbird21