All right, here's the part that a few people aren't gonna like. I'm not talking about the story, I'm talking about this A/N. After going through my notes and doing some quick math in my head, the end of this chapter will roughly mark the halfway point of this story. I know, this story is shaping up to be a lot shorter than TPA, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. I'm not about to start adding pointless material like I did for the previous story just to make it longer. Sorry.
On another note, this chapter is where you start to see some pieces of the puzzle come together. Major pieces. I'm won't say anything else, you'll just have to read on.
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Chapter 9: Battle at the Burrow
Harry arrived in the backyard of the Burrow to see flashes of light emanating from within the house, accompanied with the sounds of numerous spells being shouted out. Not wasting any time, Harry barreled headlong through the back door into the kitchen to find Molly Weasley in close combat with a masked death eater.
"Stupefy!" he bellowed. The spell caught the death eater in the chest, and he slumped to the floor unconscious.
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "What are you doing here?"
"Ginny flooed in to let us know you were under attack," he responded, grabbing the fallen attacker's wand. "Who else is here?"
"Ginny's upstairs, Arthur's battling out in the sitting room I think," Molly replied. Nodding, Harry tore through the house until he encountered Arthur, who was backed into a corner, blood dripping from a corner of his mouth, two death eaters advancing on him.
"Stupefy!" he bellowed again, hitting one of them in the back. The other turned around, taken by surprise, and Arthur promptly stunned him with the wand hidden behind his back.
"Where's Ginny?!" Harry yelled as Molly came rushing into the room.
"Upstairs," Arthur said in a hoarse voice. "Attic." Leaving Molly to attend to her husband, Harry tore up the stairs two at a time. Upon finally reaching the top, he burst through the door to the top of the Burrow and was greeted by the sight of Ginny kneeling on the ground, blood running freely from many cuts on her face and arms. Standing above her was none other than Rodolphus Lestrange. Not missing a beat, he quickly pulled Ginny to her feet and wrapped his arm around her neck, so as to hold her in a position so she would be a human shield.
"Potter," he spat. "How lovely to see you again."
"Let her go, Lestrange," Harry said, staring the man down. "It's over."
"Hardly," the man replied. "Now, throw down your wand or I kill her."
"Don't do it, Harry," Ginny replied through gritted teeth. Harry's gaze flitted back and forth between Ginny and Rodolphus.
"I know you may not care for this one like you do the mudblood," Lestrange growled. "But if you don't do as I say, you'll have her death on your conscience. Just like your dear godfather's."
"Don't you dare talk about Sirius," Harry growled back.
"Still a tender topic after all these years?" Rodolphus asked, with a hint of a smile. "I should think that you'd have gotten over it after you killed my wife." Harry heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and a moment later Hermione burst through the door. "Which reminds me, I need to return the favor."
"Fred and George just got -" Hermione began but Rodolphus raised his wand and cut her off.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he bellowed, leveling the tip of the shaft at Hermione. The spell caught both her and Harry off guard. She was still standing near the door, a good ten feet from Harry, and he couldn't have pushed her out of the way if he wanted to. The spell struck her squarely in the chest. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath as the curse hit her torso, before slumping to the ground.
Harry stood dumbfounded at what had just happened. Losing all his resolve, he crumpled to the floor and crawled over next to her, desperately not wanting to believe that she was dead.
"Hmm...that was easier than it should've been," Lestrange commented still holding onto a now gaping Ginny. "My master will be pleased. Now give me your wand, Potter."
Harry didn't hear him. His soul suddenly felt empty and barren, a wasteland that the sun no longer shown down upon. Silent tears flowing from his face, he put his hand on her cheek.
"I SAID, GIVE ME YOUR WAND POTTER!" Rodolphus bellowed.
"No." Harry replied. An unearthly red aura took form around his body, and started to pulsate, as if to be a warning siren for the anger and hatred building up in his body.
"I'll kill her!" Rodolphus yelled, tightening his grip on Ginny. Harry turned his head to look at him.
"Not if I kill you first," he replied. Not giving time for anyone to react, the red glow erupted from his body in a tremendous explosion. Before Rodolphus could blink, the red light was upon him and vaporized his body, though it left Ginny unharmed. The tremor blasted the walls and ceiling clear off of the attic, leaving a hole in the floor where the stairs came up, and revealing a clouded gray sky.
Tears in her eyes, Ginny crawled forward to where Harry was laying in a sobbing mess over Hermione's body.
"She...she can't be..." Ginny whispered, as it started to rain. Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps on the stairs and the twins along with Molly and Arthur came flying up through the open gap where the door used to stand.
"Dear lord," Arthur said in a awestruck whisper. "What happened up....here...?" He saw Harry's sobbing figure hunched over Hermione's body and quietly walked towards her, bending down beside him.
"Hermione..." Harry whispered, cradling her head, tears falling onto her soft, brown hair.
"Harry...come on," Arthur said, trying to get him to step away from her body. Harry didn't hear him though, and continued to rock back and forth while holding her. Seeing that he wasn't moving, Arthur reached out to touch Hermione's wrist. The twins and Molly just continued to look on in horror. Arthur took her wrist and gently pressed his index and middle fingers to it, hoping...praying for anything. Nothing came.
"Harry...I'm sorry," he said, not letting go of her wrist. "She's -"
He was about to say, 'she's gone,' but was cut off by the faintest of pulses in Hermione's wrist.
"She's alive!" he yelled. Harry's head immediately snapped up. "We have to get her to St. Mungo's quick!" Before anyone could say or do anything else, Harry scooped Hermione up in his arms and disapparated.
"What in the bloody hell happened?" Fred asked, looking around at the destroyed attic.
"She...she was hit with an Avada Kedavra," Ginny said, slightly pale. "How...how can she be alive?"
The Weasleys could do nothing but stand there in disbelief as Tonks arrived on the scene with several Order members and aurors.
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Upon seeing who it was carrying a limp and barely-alive body into the main ward, many professional healers and assistants rushed to Harry's aid, quickly conjuring a stretcher and helping to lower Hermione on it.
"What happened to her?" one of them asked as they ran through the hospital.
"She got hit with the Avada Kedavra," Harry replied. "She's alive, but only just." The healer looked at Harry skeptically. "Look, she's alive!" he bellowed. "Just run a quick check on her or something if you don't believe me!"
The healer ran his wand over Hermione's body quickly, and the number '8' floated out from the tip of it.
"Well, I'll be damned," he said, before starting to bark orders at other healers.
"What does that mean?" Harry asked, referring to the number that had just been produced by the healer's wand.
"That was her heart rate," the healer said. "It's a miracle she's still alive. We're bringing her in there." They rushed Hermione into an examination room, Harry close behind them. He was stopped, however, at the doors through which the team of healers and Hermione had just passed.
"I'm sorry, sir, you can't come back here," a different healer said, blocking Harry's way.
"That is my fianceé," he growled through gritted teeth. "And if you don't let me back there -"
"Mr. Potter, I understand your distress," the healer said, visibly nervous at the prospect of turning down Harry Potter. "But the healers will do a better job if there are no distractions." Harry's fists clenched, but he understood the purpose of not being allowed back there.
"Fine," he replied. "But I want to know the moment I can see her. And I want to hear it from you, in person."
"Of course, Mr. Potter," the healer replied. "Why don't you have a seat in the waiting room?" Nodding grimly, Harry walked over to the rows of chairs lining the wall and slumped down in one, the healer leaving Harry alone. He was only alone for about three minutes though, as he was quickly joined by the Weasleys, Tonks, and Moody.
"How's she doing?" George asked tentatively, sitting down next to Harry.
"Alive for the moment," he replied, burying his face in his palms.
"That's amazing," Ginny said. "I saw her take that curse right in the chest. How could anyone live through that?"
"I don't know," Harry mumbled.
"I want you to know, you did a hell of a job over there by yourself, Potter," Moody said, a small frown on his face.
"It wasn't exactly good enough, now was it?" Harry asked shortly. "We'll be lucky if Hermione makes it through this."
"Yeah, you will," Moody replied. "But you saved the lives of three other people. That's got to count for something."
"Of course it does," Harry said, finally looking up. "But....it's just....Hermione is a little more important to me, no offense to any of you, of course."
"None taken, dear," Molly said with a sad smile. "We owe you our lives as it is."
"I just don't know what I'd do if I lost her..." Harry whispered.
"You'd be hurt," Tonks said. "And your grief would probably kill you in the end. But we'd all make sure to give You-Know-Who one hell of an arse-kicking before it did."
"Thanks," Harry said sadly.
"Mr. Potter?" a voice asked. Harry looked up and saw the healer who had denied him entrance to the examining room before standing there holding a clipboard.
"Yes?" Harry asked, albeit nervously.
"We've managed to stabilize her heart rate and blood pressure through the use of various potions," he said. "She's going to pull through, though it was a very close call."
Harry felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off his chest at hearing these words. A fresh stream of tears came to him, though they were tears of joy. Wiping them away with the sleeve of his cloak he stood up.
"Can I see her now?" he asked. Smiling, the healer nodded. He turned to face the other seven people there and sighed. "I'll be back in a few."
"Take as much time as you need, dear," Molly said. Nodding, Harry turned and followed the healer into the examination room. Hermione was lying peacefully in a bed, a potion drip hooked up to her left arm, her chest rising and falling with her breathing. The few healers who were in the room left when they saw Harry enter.
"I'll give you two some time," the healer said. Harry nodded his thanks and the man left, closing the door behind him. A lone tear running down his face, Harry pulled a chair over to Hermione's bedside and took her hand in his.
"Harry?" she asked, although it was in a very faint and weak voice.
"Shh...." he said. "I'm here. You're okay."
"What happened?" she asked, cracking an eye open.
"You got hit by an Avada Kedavra," he replied. Immediately her eyes opened all the way.
"Are...are we dead?" she asked, though it was still in a weak voice.
"No," Harry replied with a smile. "You lived through it."
"But....that's not possible," Hermione said. "How could that have happened?"
"I believe I may be able to answer that question," a familiar voice said coming from the doorway. Harry turned around and saw none other than Dumbledore standing in the room.
"Sir," Harry said in acknowledgement. "Shouldn't you be with Ron?"
"Fortunately the meetings had just ended when we received word of the attack," Dumbledore replied. "You'll find him outside, waiting with the rest of his family, Tonks, and Alastor."
"You said you could explain how Hermione lived," Harry said.
"I did," Dumbledore replied. "But I think it might be prudent for the Weasley family to be present for the explanation, as it directly affects them too."
"Okay..." Harry said curiously. The headmaster left the room to go and fetch the Weasley clan, and when the door closed, Harry bent over Hermione's bed and kissed her on the lips.
"You have no idea how scared I was that I'd lost you," he breathed, looking into her face.
"I felt so cold," she whispered softly. "Like everything I've ever felt for anything or anyone just disappeared and left me empty."
"I felt the same way..." Harry replied. "I thought I'd never get to hear your voice again."
"Well, I've got news for you," she said with a smile, struggling to sit up in bed. "You're stuck with me."
"And I hope it stays that way forever," Harry replied, kissing her again. They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"I don't wish to intrude," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling in their usual manner. "But I believe you wanted to know how Hermione's survival was possible."
Harry turned around to look at him and saw all the Weasleys were standing nervously behind the headmaster.
"Well, don't be strangers," he said brightly. "Come in."
All six of the Weasley clan relaxed visibly at this and sat down in chairs scattered about the room (or in Ron's case, floated).
"It's good to have you back, mate," Harry said to Ron, taking a seat in between Hermione's bed and the chair Ron was in.
"It's good to be back," he replied. "Though I wish we could've come back for a brighter reason."
"Can't disagree with that," Harry replied grimly.
"Now then," Dumbledore said, once he had conjured a nice armchair for himself and popped a sherbet lemon into his mouth. "As I've already told Harry and Hermione, I believe her survival is directly related to you all."
"In what way?" Arthur asked. "We didn't put up any shield charms on her, if that's what you're implying."
"There is no shield charm that can block the Avada Kedavra," Dumbledore said. "Except for the one Tom used in battle at the end of Harry's 6th year. But that requires all of one's magical aptitude to use, and is still difficult to control. In other words, it's not very reliable."
"So what happened then?" George asked.
"You may or may not recall my reasons for sending Harry to live at the Dursleys for the majority of his life," Dumbledore said. "For those of you who don't know, I'll tell you. When Lily Potter sacrificed her life to protect Harry's, a blood protection was formed that keeps him safe from all evils when at his home."
"We know that," Ron said. "But the Burrow isn't Harry's home. Grimmauld Place is."
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "What does my protection have to do with the Weasleys?"
"Everything," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "You may remember, that right before you and I left for the mainland to meet with the masses of ghosts, Ron, some very intelligent students decided to make a spell that would reverse the effects of a memory charm. However, they had training the next day, and couldn't make the spell themselves, for it would knock the creator out for several days. There was also another downside, it being that the potion takes two to three weeks to brew. Luckily, there were answers for both problems. Fred volunteered to create the spell for them, eliminating that complication. As for the potion, Hermione wisely created more than enough the last time she and Harry decided to make a spell, knowing it doesn't spoil. Therefore there was a ready amount for Fred to take in order to make their new charm."
"I still don't get it," Fred said after Dumbledore didn't go on. "Did my creating the spell do something to protect Hermione?"
"No," Dumbledore said. When everyone looked confused, he turned to Hermione. "Hermione, perhaps you could tell us exactly what the ingredients of the Spellmaking Potion are?"
"Uhm....well there's hot water, Rootmanga leaves, a phoenix tail-string, and...OH!"
Dumbledore's smile widened as Hermione's face lit up like it always did whenever she was the first to figure out a problem.
"Blood!" she exclaimed. "Harry's blood was in the potion!"
"Quite right," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair. "By drinking a potion containing Harry's blood, Fred, you were awarded the same protections that he has. And although Harry may not call the Burrow home, you do."
"But Hermione doesn't share Harry's blood," Ron said confusedly. All the heads in the room turned to face him and gave him idiotic looks. "What? I don't......oh. Right. Never mind, then. Don't listen to me."
"So you see it was really rather simple," Dumbledore resumed with a smile. "Fortunate, but simple."
"So what happens now?" Harry asked.
"Hold on!" Ginny interrupted. "I want to know what the hell happened that caused Lestrange's body to vaporize without even scratching me."
"Hmm...I wasn't told of this," Dumbledore said. "What happened, exactly?"
"When I thought Hermione had been killed..." Harry said hesitantly. Hermione, sensing this, reaching over and grabbed his hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Smiling, he resumed. "When that happened, I became overcome with anger. It felt like a fire burning within my body, but it didn't hurt. When Rodolphus threatened to kill Ginny, I told him 'not if I kill you first'. Then the fire burst from me and turned him into a pile of ash."
"That's about what happened," Ginny agreed. "When the light hit me, though, it just felt like a warm breeze." Dumbledore considered this carefully.
"How interesting," the headmaster said after a moment of thought. "Harry, if I asked you to tell me exactly what you were thinking about when this happened, could you accurately tell me?"
"Yes," he replied confidently. "I was thinking about how I was going to get revenge on Voldemort and every single one of his death eaters."
"Ah, well that explains it then," Dumbledore said. "When Lord Voldemort places the dark mark on the left arm of his faithful, a mental link is forged between said Dark Lord and his death eater. It's how he can contact all of them so quickly, simply by touching the mark on the arm of another. The link that you and Tom Riddle share through your scar, Harry, is much more pronounced. By wishing for the death of him and all of his servants, you effectively targeted them all individually."
"So what you're saying is, that if I had done...whatever I did on a more powerful level, I could've theoretically wiped out all the death eaters everywhere?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up with hope.
"Theoretically, yes," Dumbledore replied. "But the amount of magical energy and power required for such a thing would simply be too great for any person to be able to control. Probably ten times the strength of all those gathered in this room, combined." Harry's face fell a little at this. "Now, I've talked to the healers and they want Hermione to stay here for a couple of days, just to make sure that her body remains in stable condition." Harry's face fell the rest of the way. "So why don't we all give her and Harry some privacy before we're kicked out by the healers."
Nodding, the Weasleys stood and exited through the door, though not before expressing their relief to Hermione that she was okay. Finally, when Dumbledore was the only one left, he walked over and put his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said consolingly. "There are other ways of bringing him down."
"I know," Harry replied. "But it seemed like such a good idea."
"As good as an idea that it may have seemed, the only way to replicate that kind of magic would be for you to think Hermione had died again," Dumbledore said in a soft voice, though it was filled with seriousness. "I don't think you would wish to repeat that experience."
"Never in a million years," Harry replied nodding.
"Good. Well, I'll leave you two to it then," the headmaster said. "I would also like to express my utmost relief at seeing you alive and well, Hermione. Perhaps it would be best, though, if Alastor didn't hear all the details of what happened. I doubt that he won't push you two even harder now."
"Yes, sir," Hermione replied with a smile. "And thank you."
"You're very welcome," Dumbledore replied. "Visiting hours close in twenty minutes. I'll see you outside, Harry." Nodding, Harry watched as Dumbledore turned and left the room.
"Well..." he said once the door had closed. "At least you'll be out in time for Sirius' commemoration."
"Yeah," Hermione replied as Harry climbed into the bed with her.
"I'm not going to get to hold you like this for a few days," he said, answering her inquisitive look. "I want my fill of you first."
"I'm not sure we could do that in twenty minutes," she replied with a grin.
"Well, a half tank then," Harry said with a smile. She returned the smile as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Their kiss grew to be more passionate, and Harry softly slipped his hand up Hermione's shirt. He quickly drew away, though, when he reached the bottom of her ribs and she let out a sharp hiss of pain.
"What is it?" he asked quickly. "Do you want me to call the healers?"
"No," Hermione replied. "I'm just a little sore from where I got hit."
"Can I check it out?" Harry asked. "Just to make sure you aren't bleeding internally and everything?"
"I would think the healers already checked that, but if it makes you feel better, then by all means," Hermione replied. Harry pushed her shirt up as gently as he could to get a view of where she had been struck by the spell, and his eyes widened when he saw the result.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, slightly nervous.
"Erm...let's just say we've been saved the trouble of having to get matching tattoos," Harry said with an appraising look. Hermione's brow furrowed and she pulled up her shirt as far as she could to look at where the pain was.
Placed about six inches above her belly button, right in the middle of her body, was a thin, lighting-bolt shaped cut, roughly three inches long. Her jaw dropped.
"Well," Harry said with a sigh. "At least people won't be able to stare at yours whenever you meet them."
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And there you have it. I bet a lot of you thought that I actually killed Hermione, didn't you? Nope, I'm not that mean to Harry. But that doesn't mean that no one's going to die. I'm actually deciding who to have die right now...I've got it narrowed down to two characters. I think I'll just flip a coin. Lol, only joking. I know who's dying in this story, and I actually have pretty much most of the rest planned out already.
As for the chapter, I know this one's pretty short too, but it was either this or write a thirty pages. And since I
have to work all day Friday and post this on Thursday (a day earlier than I usually do), I didn't have time for 30
pages. Next chapter will also reveal a lot of information, so I suggest you stay tuned for that one too. Ciao!