Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from the Harry Potter universe. I've just borrowed them and will return them safely to where I've taken them from.
This is it... Harry's journey ends. Can you believe it? I fear you're scenting the truth behind everything already, sooo let's not stretch this endlessly.
Can't help feeling a little sad, though ^_^
Take a deep breath...
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Chapter 10 - The Final
The ceiling above looked unfinished and was not familiar. Also, it was strange to wake up on a hard, cold floor, when the last thing she remembered was sitting comfortably on her bed, chatting to Ginny and Luna.
No, that was not the last thing she remembered. There had been another dream. They had started on that day when she had entered the seemingly empty classroom, and a curious old man had suddenly appeared, a man with a white beard and twinkling eyes, curious, because he seemed to consist of yellow liquid. Yet, his face had been full of sadness and he had spoken to her in great urgency. The dreams had begun after that, had troubled her almost every night. Until today, she was not sure what he was trying to tell her. She was sure it must be important. She had to talk to Harry about it.
Harry!
Suddenly, she sat bolt upright. Tonight, Harry was probably going to the forest, and she was being stupid, lying around in strange rooms like this, when she needed to hurry.
She looked around for an exit. Upon encountering only a small door behind which an eerie light seemed to be dancing, panic broke out in her. What had happened? Where was she? And why?
"Are you awake, my darling? Come here", a soft voice called. Her insides froze.
I know that voice... Oh my God. Where's my wand?
She heard his steps approaching.
"My darling, everything is ready. Let us consume our love, and we shall never part again."
He was almost there.
***
They had walked around in the forest like what seemed for ages. The trees were whispering to each other, and the moving shadows in the bushes seemed to creep closer while the children were not looking. The air was chilly; however, even Ginny did not complain. It was as though they had left their voices somewhere at the edge of the forest. Neville's pale face shone in the darkness.
Harry led the way quickly, sometimes slowing down to examine a tree, or just to stare into the undergrowth. He must have swallowed some cold insect with a dozen legs and feelers; it was crawling around in his stomach. The more time they spent walking around in the forest, the more time was lost for Hermione...
Harry kicked a stone in frustration. It hit a nearby tree stump.
"Don't worry, Harry. The way's here somewhere", Ron said, although he, too, looked worried.
"Should have taken Emil with us", Harry muttered.
"Shall we go back and get him?" Ginny offered.
"No! I mean, there's no time for that." Pause. "Do you know the way back, anyway?"
Silence followed his words.
"I guess the alchemist doesn't want visitors tonight", Neville supplied.
"Wait!" said Ron excitedly. "You could use your wand!"
Hesitantly, Harry pulled it from his sleeve. "And what good'll it do?"
"You could send some light or, I don't know, something he'll notice."
Harry waved the wand. Nothing happened, except that it emitted a few sparks.
"Do something, Harry", Ron whispered urgently.
"The wizards in fairy tales use incantations, like Abra Kadabra", Luna said in her dreamy voice.
"Yeah, thanks", Harry grumbled.
An incantation, yeah, right...
Hang on... An incantation?
Wait! He had heard Gred and Forge yell something when they had cornered Emil... It was...
Harry whipped his wand. "Stupefy!"
A flash of blinding light cut through the woods. It was followed by a muffled yell. Something had fallen from a nearby tree.
The friends exchanged nervous looks. "Uh-oh."
Together, they went to invest the source of the yell. They did not have to walk far.
"Hey, Harry", Ron said cheerfully. "Looks like we've found your alchemist. And his henchmen." He pointed at a heap on the ground, then at two tall figures hovering in the bushes near them.
The alchemist was lying at their feet, immobilized, but fully awake, judging by his reproachful glare. Apart from his usual attire, he was wearing wings made of wood.
Gred and Forge emerged from the bushes.
"Well, hello", Harry said lightly. "Can you undo this?"
Grinning at their master as though they were enjoying the sight, they waved their wands in unison, and soon, the alchemist scrambled to his feet.
"Well, well. It's Mr Potter", he said in an oily voice and brushed dust from his sleeve. "I see you have learned at least something since the last time we met. I suggest you pick your - erm - targets better next time."
Harry grinned. He pointed at the wings. "Why are you wearing these?"
"Because I have no broomstick to fly on, silly boy", the alchemist snapped. "And I needed to follow you around, didn't I?"
"You've been following -"
"Well, that's in the past. Come now, I see you have urgent business on your minds."
"Insane", Ron muttered, shaking his head and grinning as they set off into the darkness.
***
Once they were inside the hut and provided with steaming mugs whose contents had luckily not been poured from the bottles on the shelf, Harry related everything that had happened to the alchemist. He felt that they were running out of time; still, it seemed crucial to let the alchemist know all the details. He spoke, assisted by his friends, about Riddle and Sirius. He was reluctant to speak about Dumbledore; the memory still gave him a chilly feeling. However, the fight with Riddle was crucial, and thus, Harry heaved a deep breath and described how the yellow water had flooded the hall and Dumbledore's figure had appeared.
To his surprise, the alchemist was most interested in the latter part.
"Do you know that man?" the alchemist inquired, his face very white. Harry noticed he was gripping the back of the only chair in the room unnecessarily hard.
"I..." Harry gulped. "I have seen him in my dreams, and once on the beach. He told me to return somewhere, but I haven't a clue what he means."
Ron gasped.
"That was an old man with a long beard, right?" he asked Harry. "And half-moon shaped spectacles?"
"Yes..." Harry replied slowly. "Don't tell me you..."
"Yeah, that old guy spoke to me. Told me to return several times, but wouldn't say where. Completely nuts, if you ask me." Ron shook his head.
"I've had dreams about him ever since I arrived here", said a pale Neville.
"And I", added Ginny, "saw him recently in the classroom. I've been dreaming about him since then."
Harry nodded; he had, after all, seen her come out of the classroom, while he had stood hidden. And he had witnessed a similar situation once before, so he now realised Hermione must have met Dumbledore, too.
"Oh, by the way", he said, remembering. "What was it that you gave Riddle?"
Ginny looked down at the floor sadly. With a deep sigh, she spoke. "I told him to leave you alone, you know. I was doing it for your sake."
"Never mind that now", he said impatiently, "let's hear the truth."
"Well... his reply was that he might actually consider not attacking you anymore, unless you decided to be foolhardy," and she swiftly gave him a searching look as she said this. "In return, he wanted permission to enter my room."
"Why on earth would he want that?" Ron demanded.
"He said he could not gain entrance as easily as he had into your room, Harry", she said with an oddly twisted smile. "I did not realise at the time that his object was Hermione. I thought nothing of it, so I consented."
"Ah, indeed", the alchemist said gravely, "evil cannot go where it is not invited. I take it he has entered Hermione's dreams?" Harry nodded.
Ginny cast half a glance at Harry.
"I'm sorry, Harry. Ron was right; I did admire Riddle enough not to question his motives -"
"Do you realize you were his ally?" Ron asked sharply. "You fraternized with the enemy. You thought it might make you look good in Harry's eyes - maybe even remove your rival -"
"I never thought that far!" Ginny wept. "You know what Riddle's like when he wants others to like him -"
"Ginny, calm down", Harry said. "We can talk about it later. We don't have time."
"I hear that old man all the time", Luna said, as though the previous conversation had not ensued. "He's probably travelling around by heart-shaped clouds. I mean, they are invisible, after all."
Ron snorted into his mug.
"I see", the alchemist said, but did not elaborate.
"And now Riddle's taken Hermione and we need to rescue her." Harry had already mentioned this twice. Why they were not moving into action already...
Inexplicably, a grin spread over the alchemist's face. "Well, Mr Potter, for that allow me to say I have a solution at hand."
"You do?"
"Patience, Mr Potter..." And he strode over to the fire. There, he reached into a jar on top of the chimney, extracting green powder, which he threw into the flames. They turned a shade of sapphire. Harry had already witnessed this, but he was bewildered when the wizard stuck his head into the fire and yelled, "I order you, Hermione Granger, to come here immediately."
"That's done", the alchemist grinned as he re-emerged. "Shall we move on to more pressing matters now?"
"What are you talking -"
But Harry interrupted himself. The green flames were suddenly hissing and spitting, towering higher and higher. His heart beating very fast, Harry leapt forward, reaching into the flames with both hands - he heard Ron yell something -
And he pulled Hermione out of the fire.
For a split-second, they simply stared at each other. Then, she gave a cry and flung herself onto him. "Oh, Harry!"
Harry beamed at his friends, who looked stunned without exception. The alchemist chuckled to himself.
"This is a miracle", Hermione said finally, gasping for breath between tears. "Riddle was coming for me - I c-couldn't find my wand, Riddle must have taken it from me, I was so scared - and suddenly, there were flames everywhere, and I heard your voice, and -"
"Simple travelling magic", the alchemist smiled. Hermione gaped at him.
"Well, I suspect, Miss Granger, that Tom Riddle will have an inkling where you have gone to. He should be on his way already. I can delay him for a while, but as long as you're here, none of us is safe. You must leave immediately."
"You mean we're... running from him?" Harry asked in shock.
"Oh yes, exactly."
"We're not getting wands?" Ron looked scandalized.
"You won't need them. Gred! Forge!"
The two redheads had been sitting on the couch. Now, they stood up and walked over, flexing their muscles. They seemed eager to set out.
"Yes, master?"
"You will guide them. Make sure you cover their tracks. Riddle has no chance of finding me, but they are only children." His lips curled into a smile that caused Harry an unexpected surge of loathing. He thought he had seen it before...
The twins nodded excitedly.
The alchemist took a rag from his window and handed it to Harry. "Don't lose it. It's your greatest treasure."
Ron warily eyed the filthy cloth. "What do we need a dirty piece of veil for?"
"You'll see. And now - off you go. Good luck!"
***
Harry was amazed at the speed at which they had left the alchemist, given that they had tarried long enough in the beginning.
"Where did Riddle take you?" he asked Hermione, panting as he jogged to keep up with the twins' strides.
"To the attic, I believe. It was all wood and I didn't see a proper exit. I would have missed the trapdoor, of course."
"Riddle was there with you?" Ron inquired from behind.
"Oh, yes, he was already coming towards me when I left through the fire. He said -"
She choked and blushed.
"What did he say?" Ron asked.
"He said... 'Let us consume our love'", Hermione mumbled.
"I guess he wanted to be your first man", interjected Gred, who had obviously been listening, with a mischievous grin on his face. "It's a powerful spell that none can break. Even our master couldn't have taken you from him then."
Harry smiled and took Hermione's hand. "Well, he couldn't have been successful, then."
"Wait", Ron said, comprehension dawning on his face. "You two haven't -"
"Aren't we there yet?" Harry said loudly.
Ron whistled.
***
"We have arrived", the twins announced finally, coming to a halt in their furious sprint.
Harry looked around, feeling clueless. "What is this place?"
"A graveyard", whispered Hermione.
"This is where we leave you", Gred told them. "Good luck and a safe journey."
"What?"
"Wait -"
They were gone in a swish of their cloaks.
"And what do we do now?" Ron asked, looking puzzled.
Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. They jumped and moved together. Harry took out his wand.
A huge black dog emerged and settled down in silence, watching them.
"Where did that come from?" Ron asked in a shaky voice.
"It isn't dangerous, is it?" Hermione asked nervously.
Harry strode over towards the dog and extended a hand. The dog looked up at him.
There was something in his eyes that Harry knew...
The dog was wagging its tail. Harry scratched him behind the ears as everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"Is this really a graveyard?" Ginny asked, kneeling down. "There are only eight graves, after all..."
She blanched under her fiery hair.
"What's up?" Harry asked.
She pointed at the tombstone before her, apparently unable to speak.
Harry walked over and read the inscription.
It was like being whacked with something heavy around the head. Beside him, Hermione gasped.
"Those are our names", Luna said matter-of-factly. "And Sirius Black's..."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron said, nonplussed.
"It means that you have died here."
They whirled round in a simultaneous movement. It was not Riddle who had spoken to them. And yet, they all knew the voice, having been haunted by him in their dreams and in broad daylight.
"Dumbledore!" Harry gasped.
The old wizard inclined his yellowish head slightly. "I am glad that you know my name by now, Harry. However, I have one slight correction to make. Sadly, this tells me that you have not figured out the whole truth by now. It is Professor Dumbledore."
"Professor?" Harry replied incredulously.
"Oh yes. But let us not tarry, lest Riddle finds you. I am told by my dear friend, Professor Snape, that you have visited his hut -"
"The mad alchemist is a Professor?"
"Oh, he is not as mad as you might think him to be", Dumbledore said, smiling feebly. "You will find him perfectly as you have always known him once you have returned."
"Returned where?" Ron demanded.
"To your true selves, of course."
"What are you talking about?" Harry inquired urgently. He could not rid himself of the feeling that he had forgotten something, and it was crucial that he remember...
"You will understand in time. Do you have the veil?"
Harry pulled the ragged cloth from his pocket.
"Excellent. Now, I shall teach you an incantation that will take you back."
"Hang on", Harry interjected. "I am not going anywhere. I mean, you yourself told me to kill Riddle!"
Dumbledore smiled benignly. "Forgive an old man's mistake. Destroying Riddle would have taken you back to your world immediately. I believed this was your only way of returning. It took me a long time to find Professor Snape; otherwise, I would have instructed him properly earlier. The poor man has, like you, forgotten everything."
"Forgotten what?"
Dumbledore's next words betrayed a slight trace of impatience. "Enough of that! You will see. Riddle is on his way here. You should hurry."
"Professor?" Hermione asked timidly. "Erm, may I ask one question?"
"Of course you may, Miss Granger."
"When we, as you say, return, what will happen to our lives here?"
"They will end", Dumbledore said simply. Ginny gasped; Neville's eyes widened in shock. "This is why the tombstones are placed here. This is nothing but a dream. You will wake up from it and return to your true lives with no memory of what has happened."
"I don't want that!" Harry yelled. "Our lives here haven't been for nothing! We've become such great friends... And Hermione and I..."
"I am pleased to hear that. But stay calm, please. Your true lives are not that different. You return together because you entered together. You are great friends already. And as for the love you have found, well, I can tell you that it cannot have been born from nothing in this existence. It is inside you. All you need to do is rediscover it.
"Quick now, Riddle is coming. He knows a great deal about this existence. He should be aware that it will end once you leave, and I do not believe he is very willing to die."
"How does he know?" Harry asked.
"He knows", Dumbledore said, "because he shares a bond with you from your early childhood days. You could not travel to this place without encountering him once more. He is carrying the memories you have forgotten. You should have noticed that he acts upon them. He approached Miss Weasley because of something that has happened to her with his diary. And he tried to take the girl you cared most about."
Hermione gave Harry a fleeting look that made his bowels lurch.
"You must either destroy him", Dumbledore continued calmly, "which is something you have been unable to do so far, or return and end this dream."
"I'm not leaving this place", Harry said stubbornly.
Hermione put her hand into his.
Dumbledore regarded them with a very sad look.
"I would hate having to force you. Let me tell you something. The Tom Riddle you know has in reality grown up to become a very powerful magician, his wretched life dedicated to evil. Harry, it is your destiny to vanquish him. Nobody else can. This is the bond you share with him."
"Well, I guess I'll just take your word for it", Harry replied sarcastically.
Dumbledore sighed.
"There is more. Your bodies in the other world are fading. If you do not return, they will die, and that will be the end of your existence here, too."
"I don't believe you", Harry tried to say, but there was a lump in his throat, obstructing the words. He quickly covered his forehead with his hands.
Hermione's eyes were on him, full of concern.
"I know it is a hard choice I am placing before you", Dumbledore said cautiously. "Miss Weasley - Miss Lovegood - Mr Longbottom - Mr Weasley - what do you say?"
"Did you just call me 'Mr Weasley'?" Ron asked, looking startled.
"Oh, yes. You and Miss Weasley are brother and sister. What is more, you have a huge family waiting for you. Indeed, all of you should bear in mind that if you choose to remain here, a lot of people will soon be heartbroken."
"Right", Harry said angrily, and feeling very sad at the same time for no reason, "and who says you're not sending us to a place worse than this, or directly into Riddle's arms?"
"You know I would not do that, Harry." Dumbledore shook his head gravely. "Well, of course, you are not aware of it now, but" and he lowered his voice, "the knowledge is inside you. You and I, we have known each other for a long time. In fact, I have known you since birth. I also knew your parents -"
"You knew?"
"Yes, they are dead", Dumbledore said in a voice full of sadness. "You see - I do not want to hide this from you. You are living with your mother's sister and her family. You detest each other, I am grieved to say. And you, Mr Longbottom -" his sorrowful eyes fell on Neville, who jumped, "your parents were tortured into insanity by the grown Riddle's followers." Neville's eyes widened with shock.
"Still", Dumbledore pressed on gently, "horrible though these revelations might be to you, these are your lives and they are too precious to throw them away."
Words failed Harry. It was outrageous - it must be a lie - and yet, a small voice in his head had awoken, whispering to him, telling him to remember...
"Very well", he said finally, gulping to erase the lump in his throat and feeling as though he was suffering his worst defeat in his life, "I understand."
Dumbledore's face lit up.
"Are you sure, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly.
He squeezed her hand.
"No matter what happens", he said earnestly, "I'll find you. I promise."
She nodded. Ignoring the hollow feeling in his stomach, he turned to face his friends. "What about you?"
"I'm going", Ginny said. "Sounds like there's a Riddle to hunt us in both worlds, but at least, we'll have our families." She smiled at Ron, who nodded.
"I'm coming, too", Neville said quietly, his face not disclosing what he felt. Harry's heart weighed down with pity for him.
"Are there green heart-shaped clouds in our real lives?" Luna inquired.
Dumbledore smiled.
"Well, the world is full of mysteries. It is up to you to unravel them."
He suddenly looked anxious. "We are running out of time, I am afraid. Place the veil in your midst - very well - I will now teach you the incantation - and remember, you have five minutes to return to your bodies - take the dog, too -" The dog had already appeared on Harry's side, who looked down at him in amazement.
"Ah, I forget -"
And Dumbledore conjured a fire from which, to Harry's bewilderment, Helen emerged.
"Our mad alchemist, Gred and Forge have returned by now - quick, quick -"
"Gred and Forge?"
"They are Weasleys", Dumbledore smiled.
"We do not have any more time, Riddle is coming -"
***
They were falling, falling - around them was blackness. Dumbledore had been right - the moment their feet had left the ground he had caught a glimpse of Riddle bursting into the graveyard, his face contorted with fury. He had brandished his wand at them, and then let out an anguished yell that was still echoing in Harry's ears.
In the black surrounding them, Harry could not even see his own hand - but he felt Hermione's firmly placed in his. Her fingertips were burning his skin.
"It's a promise", he called out.
"I know, Harry", her soft voice replied from somewhere at level with his shoulder.
The veil was fluttering somewhere below them, glowing eerily. All of a sudden, it grew very large, enveloping them -
And they burst through it.
There was no need to shield their eyes from dazzling light. They were in a large, dim hall, right in the centre of it. The veil was now fluttering innocently from a large stone arch. Harry thought he heard voices behind it - but there was no time.
"Quick", he urged his friends on, "we've only got five minutes!"
He looked around for the dog and Helen, but they were gone. Instead, he saw a female stranger with dark, long hair who had an oddly bitter and worn look to her youthful face. She looked like a younger version of Helen, but with deliberate mistakes. And he saw - his heart skipped a beat - Sirius.
"Hey, Harry", Sirius smiled.
"You were the dog?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Course I was."
He just had to ask, even if it had only been a dream.
"You did that to Amy?"
"You know I didn't. Riddle attacked me to place me in the infirmary and -"
Harry nodded. "Great to see you, anyway."
They grinned at each other until Harry directed his attention towards the woman.
"Then you must be Helen -"
The woman simply stared at him, loathing and confusion in her face.
"Harry, we don't have time!" Hermione said. Neville, Ron, Luna and Ginny were already on a huge staircase that led out of the hall. "Our bodies aren't here."
They ran up the staircase, pelting through several rooms with weird contents - but there was no time to look -
And finally, they saw it.
***
They all stopped short.
"Awesome", Hermione breathed.
They were standing at the entrance to a wrecked room - and they were lying, face-down, in a vast pool of yellow liquid that was still leaking out a smashed... time-turner.
Harry recognised it now.
Wondering how he could possibly have forgotten any of this, he leapt over the pool and sought out his own body.
"Look, Hermione, you're lying next to me", he grinned.
"We don't have time!" Hermione said, smiling in spite of herself. "The incantation -"
Once again, they gathered in a circle and spoke softly at the same time.
Everything dissolved around Harry. He kept his eyes fixed onto Hermione until she was gone.
Promise.
***
Harry Potter awoke because his scar was throbbing painfully. His eyes were glued shut, and he could feel a sticky substance all over his body.
He wrenched his eyes open. They immediately fell on the smashed time turner. Ah, yes. They were lucky to merely have been knocked out for a while.
He got up with difficulty, his body protesting as though he had travelled a long way, and looked around.
Next to him, Hermione was scrambling to her feet. She was, he noticed, looking as exhausted as he felt. Still, she gave him a feeble smile, which he returned.
Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny were standing up. "Whassup?" Ron asked, shaking his head as though fighting back dizziness.
"The time turner smashed", Hermione explained. "It must have knocked us unconscious."
"Where have the Death Eaters gone to?" Ginny asked.
That very moment, they heard a yell.
"Let's go", Harry said firmly, so they darted off to where they had heard the shout.
It had come from the room with the crumbling archway. The rugged veil was swinging violently. Sirius was battling Bellatrix right next to it, dancing, taunting her...
Death Eaters were closing in on them. Harry squinted through the dark - someone with violently pink hair was lying near the wall - Tonks - and an unconscious Lupin was sitting to her right. Mad-Eye Moody was on the floor, spread-eagled and unmoving.
"Come on", Sirius barked, dodging her spells. "You can do better than that!"
Harry brandished his wand - but that very moment, Bellatrix' spell hit Sirius squarely in the chest.
Harry saw his godfather's eyes widen in astonishment.
The door behind the children burst open as Harry dashed forward - it surely had not been a killing spell - Sirius toppled over, his handsome face still amazed rather than distorted with pain, and fell straight through the veil.
"Noooooo!"
Somebody grabbed Harry's arm. He looked around wildly - it was Dumbledore.
"You cannot do anything for him now, Harry", the old wizard said quietly. "He is d-"
"He's not dead!" bellowed Harry.
Without removing his eyes from Harry, Dumbledore waved his wand in a sad gesture, trapping the Death Eaters in a rope.
"Let's go", Dumbledore suggested quietly.
Harry furiously wrenched his arm out of his headmaster's grip and ran down the stairs.
His friends hovered awkwardly behind him as he circled the archway, looking frantically for a sign of Sirius.
Hermione took a step closer towards him. "Harry - let's leave this place", she said, her voice full of tears.
Bellatrix chose that moment to push past them violently. Dumbledore's magical rope had apparently missed her.
"COME BACK!" Harry yelled.
"No, Harry -"
"She's killed Sirius! I'll - I'll kill her!"
And with that, Harry flew up the stairs after his godfather's cousin, leaving Hermione to stand by the veil all alone.
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So... there we are. This is the end. Whew. I do hope you enjoyed reading my little fic. ^-^
Ohh, I can feel your accusatory glares! Don't look at me like that. It was done this way on purpose. Heh. Make me change my mind.
Comments are, as always, welcome.
And no, I'm kidding. We still have something on our plates, don't we?
Well, at least, I have. Here you are:
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Coming up: "The end of the dream"
In which Harry rediscovers.