A/N: Hello, anyone out there? *Pulls head back quickly to avoid large objects flying at it* I guess so . . . Okay, okay, I surrender, I'm coming out unarmed. Here, this white flag I'm waving is the next chapter, so blow me up and it goes, too! Whew, that seems to have worked! Okay, I think I've made you wait long enough, so, without further ado . . . here it is! My favorite chapter so far! Oh, but first, to all of those that leave reviews, I do reply to them, you just don't check them! Click on the Review link next to my name, to see my responses. It kinda bothers me that after I spend all that time responding no-one reads em! Now I'm done!
Disclaimer: Same as before. Now on with the show!
Re-Awakening
"Harry?" Hermione was shocked. It seemed impossible. What could have happened to him in two weeks to change him like this? She could hardly recognize him. He was incredibly pale and dangerously thin, and obviously hadn't bathed in ages. There appeared to be a bad burn that hadn't quite healed on his left arm, and she swore that she saw several bruises and small scars. Looking up close, she saw that his left wrist had definitely been broken, and was in the process of mending again. His nose looked to be broken in at least three different places, and his glasses once more had been heavily wrapped in tape, and there were even several cracks and scratches on the lenses. However, the biggest difference between this Harry and the one she said goodbye to at Kings Cross Station was his eyes. Gone was any sign of life. Gone was the sparkle, the flash, the flare, the gleam, the shine; any and all emotion. What Hermione saw in his eyes could only be described as death. The one thing that proved that he was indeed Harry Potter was the scar on his forehead, the infamous relic of an infamous past.
Harry blinked. Then he blinked again. "No, not Harry. There is no Harry, only It." Suddenly the full meaning of his words sunk in, and Hermione felt tears well up. She blinked hard to keep them from falling. She was worried and incredibly distressed. What had happened? Why is he like this? What did the Dursleys do? The Dursleys!
"Harry, tell me, what happened? Who did this to you?" Hermione's voice was beginning to shake, both
from sadness and anger. Harry only shook his head.
"No, Master said no speaking. Must work. Am behind, terribly behind." Harry went to grab for his tools again,
but Hermione stopped him.
"Harry, please, tell me . . . what happened?"
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but then a car door slammed out in front, followed by a loud "Mutt! Where are you! You have better finished with the yard work! Get out here now! I've brought my new business partner over for dinner, and he needs help with his things!"
Without even so much as a glance at Hermione, Harry let go of his tools and began walking toward the front lawn. "Wait! Harry, wait!" Hermione was left holding on the tools Harry had been attempting to carry to his next worksite. Dropping them, she began to run after Harry, who at this point in time had already passed around the house and out of view. Hermione rounded the corner, and the sight in front of her made her stop in her tracks and pale considerably. Harry was bowing to his Uncle, and standing just behind and to the side of Vernon Dursley was . . . Lucius Malfoy!
"Mr. Malfoy here has made a generous offer for a partnership that will profit the both of us, so you better treat him with the utmost respect, hear me?" Vernon then noticed Hermione, who was standing stock-still. "Who's that? What did I tell you, mutt! You know the rules!" Vernon then rent Harry a sharp blow to the head that knocked him back and down. Malfoy then noticed Hermione and a huge, cruel smile appeared on his pale face.
"Granger," he hissed.
Vernon turned and looked at Hermione. "Granger . . . Granger . . . That's right, you're that bitch that's been sending all those bloody letters!" Vernon was clearly about to go on a rant, when he stopped suddenly and looked suspiciously at Malfoy. "How do you know her?" Vernon stopped short at the sight of Lucius Malfoy, wand out and pointed at Hermione. "You're one of those freaks, aren't you? What do you want!"
"I'm here for the boy. I'm to take him to my master, where he will be killed." Malfoy turned his wand to Harry and said, "So, Potter, ready to die?"
"Now wait just one moment! That thing there," Vernon pointed at Harry, "is my property, and I won't allow you to steal my property!"
"I never said you had a choice in the matter, now did I?" With that, Malfoy whipped his wand at Vernon and before anyone could do anything; "Avada Kedavra!" Vernon Dursley dropped to the ground, dead before he landed.
Next, he rounded on Hermione, who had just managed to get her wand out. But before she could do anything, Malfoy shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Hermione watched in horror as her wand flew through the air and was caught by Malfoy. "My, my, how the tables have turned!" With a wave of his wand, ropes sprang forth and bound Hermione tight. "Well, Potter, going to go quietly, or do I have to persuade you?"
Harry was still sprawled on the ground where his (late) uncle had knocked him down. His face was paler than before, and he was breathing quickly, almost in gasps.
"Harry! Run! Get help! Please!" Hermione was yelling, trying to get through, but Harry was still staring at the corpse of his uncle.
"Filthy Mudblood! Silence! I was going to let you live as a witness to the destruction of Potter, but now I think I'll kill you first. Hmm, or maybe I should just torture you to madness instead. How does that sound, Potter? Care to watch your precious Mudblood be tortured?" Harry turned his head sharply at this, and was now looking from Malfoy to Hermione, a look of disbelief and fear on his face. "Very well, then. Crucio!"
The curse hit Hermione, and she felt as if she could die. So much pain! She bit her lip, trying not to scream out in pain as she jerked about, not wanting to give Malfoy the satisfaction. But, soon the pain overcame her, and she began screaming out. Once she started screaming, she felt as if she would never stop. Too much pain, there was just too much pain. She knew she couldn't last long.
Malfoy looked over at Harry as Hermione lay on the ground, convulsing more and more, to find that he had his head in his hands, as if he were the one in pain. Smiling even more, Malfoy turned his attention back to Hermione. He lifted the curse, and said, "Listen to her, Potter! Listen to her screams! Feel her pain! Hahahahaha! CRUCIO!"
Hermione's screams once again filled the air, and Harry's mind. Harry's head was throbbing horribly, almost as if there was something fighting to get out. Images and scenes flashed before him, memories he had not thought about in a long time. Something within Harry's mind was struggling to break free.
`I have to help her . . . must stop Malfoy . . . need my wand . . . wand? . . . I'm a wizard . . . I have a wand . . . Potter . . . my name is Harry Potter . . .' At that, the throb became a pain, and Harry had to clasp his head. He began to cry out in pain.
"Well, while this has been fun, I am running short on time. I will kill Granger now, then you will go with me to meet your death, Potter!"
`Granger . . . Granger . . . Herm . . . Hermi . . . Hermione! . . . NO! . . . HERMIONE!!!'
"HERMIONE!! AH!" Now, the pain had moved from his head and spread all over. He felt as if he was going to explode. Suddenly, with a loud, animalistic roar, Harry felt something inside snap.
"Avada Kedav-" Malfoy began, but stopped at the sight of Harry, who was no longer shouting. Instead, Harry was rising to his feet, and as he did so, the air around him began to shimmer, as if a great heat was coming from him. Malfoy could feel the magical energy washing over him. Not wanting to waste any time, he raised his wand again on Hermione again and shouted, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The green light rushed towards Hermione, and there was nothing that could stop it! Malfoy smiled at the thought of what was to happen next. The death of Hermione Granger would be a great honor and pleasure, and he would be rewarded for sure. The spell was closing in quickly; ten feet, five feet, two feet! But then, a semi-transparent blue dome appeared around her. The curse struck the dome, and for a moment looked as if it was fighting to pass through, before the curse shattered and sent bright green sparks flying. Malfoy looked, dumbstruck, from a barely-conscious Hermione surrounded in a blue aura, over to Potter. What he saw almost made him drop his wand. He did, however, drop Hermione's.
The shimmering air around Harry was no longer merely shimmering, it had turned a deep blue color, and it surrounded Harry in an aura at least a foot thick. From it radiated an incredible feeling of power that seemed to even dwarf that of Dumbledore. But that was not the most amazing part; the thing that truly scared Malfoy was that Harry was floating. Yes, floating, and a good three feet above the ground as well!
Quickly snapping back to action, Malfoy sent off a barrage of spells at Harry, including several stunners, impedimentas, reductos, a few cruciatus curses, as well as a barrage of other dark curses. However, all the spells seemed to stop as if they hit a solid wall, and eventually burst apart in a shower of colored sparks. Suddenly, Malfoy was flung through the air, hard. He landed several yards away, and had barely gotten up when he had to fling himself back down again as what appeared to be a dozen blue spherical projectiles flew at him. Looking behind him, Malfoy saw that wherever one happened to land, they exploded violently, leaving behind small craters. Whipping his head back to face Harry, Malfoy saw another batch heading for him.
Rolling to the side, Malfoy shot off several curses, but they had the same affect as before. Actually, they did seem to have one effect: Harry seemed to be getting angrier, and his aura changed from a blue color to a violent red one. Harry leaned forward in the air, as if he was getting ready to sprint. With a sudden jolt, he was flying towards Malfoy at an incredible speed. Malfoy didn't even have time to raise his wand in defense before Harry slammed into him. Harry stopped immediately, while Malfoy went flying down Privet Drive, almost as fast as Harry had. Before he landed, Harry appeared suddenly in front of him, caught him, them flung him up into the air. Harry extended his right arm, pointing his hand at Malfoy's tumbling form, and a red burst shot out towards him. But before the energy hit, Malfoy had apparated away. The red ball exploded where Malfoy had been seconds before, and the resulting shockwave shook the ground and blew out the glass of the house directly below the blast.
Instantly, Harry was kneeling beside Hermione, his aura now a soothing white. He touched her head with both hands, and the aura began to envelope Hermione too. Her eyes flickered open, and she stared, open-mouthed, as Harry once again began hovering in the air. His eyes were closed; he was breathing hard, and looked exhausted. Suddenly, the aura vanished, and Harry Potter collapsed on the ground, out cold.
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