“What you do

No one can decide it's up to you

And who you are is what you choose

These times when the world falls apart

Make us who we are�



-Lyrics from “The End Has Only Begun� by Lifehouse



Disclaimer: I own none of this world. It belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander...



Chapter One/Prologue: Loss of Hope





He was sitting in a hallway at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. He had destroyed all of the horcruxes and the Final Battle had just taken place. He looked horrible. He was bleeding badly and could not move at all. It was a wonder that he even reached the hospital at all. His breathing was deep and heavy. He would not and could not move from the spot where he was sitting. Harry Potter was just as stubborn as ever, even though he was so close to dying.



The last few hours had taken a great toll on him as he sat in disbelief. The story of what had happened was just playing repeatedly in his head. Harry had spent the last year looking and destroying the remaining horcruxes. During that time, he wasn’t sure when, he and Ginny had gotten back together. She gave him strength and hope. Their lives took a terrible turn, however, after Harry had finally destroyed the last horcrux. Harry’s greatest fear had come true. Voldemort discovered Harry’s feelings toward Ginny. Apparently, Voldemort was having difficulty finding Harry or capturing him. As a result, Voldemort kidnapped and tortured Ginny, instead. Voldemort hoped that Harry would come looking for her. He was right.



It took Harry about three days to find Ginny. It was no easy task and he had trouble concentrating. He had no idea how much Ginny had been tortured and he could not stop himself from worrying. When he found them, Ginny was barely conscious. Harry had found out that the Death Eaters had been using any curse necessary to try to get information out of her. All of their attempts failed because she did not speak to them. As soon as he helped her to safety, Harry went for revenge. In the process, he killed Voldemort. The Death Eaters fled the scene after seeing the fall of Lord Voldemort, their master. Harry Potter left with an unconscious Ginny and what was left of the Order of the Phoenix.



As these memories replayed in his head, Harry started to shake violently. He knew that the Healers were doing their best for Ginny, but Harry’s hope was fading. It felt like the first time in his life that he could not do anything to help. Then he remembered being frozen while he watched his headmaster die last year. Then came the memory of Sirius flowed back, followed by Cedric and then his parents. Tears were falling from his eyes now. There was no point in remembering these things at this moment. He knew why they happened. He knew that those things were all his fault. He knew that everything was always his fault and there was nothing that he could do.



All of these thoughts rushed through his mind. He didn’t even notice when someone had put a hand on his shoulder. He never looked up, not wanting to acknowledge anything at this point and he was on the verge of losing hope of anything. He did here her when she spoke and he came back to himself.



“Harry Potter! What are you doing?! Get up now and get some help! You are dying and you don’t even know it, do you? I cannot just stand here and watch you do nothing about your condition. Are you listening to me?� Hermione shouted loudly. Harry was absolutely sure that the whole hospital could hear her, but still chose to ignore her nonetheless. Where did she get off telling him what to do? At this point she attempted to pull him up to his feet, but he wouldn’t budge. He used all of his energy just trying to stay still.



Ginny was in lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life because of him and Hermione wanted him to leave his post? She actually thought that he would abandon his spot outside her door to help himself? As far as he was concerned, she was dreaming. There was no way that he was moving. Hermione just didn’t understand. That was all. Just then, he heard her start to cry. He finally spoke in a voice just louder than a whisper.



“Hermione, please don’t cry. The situation is already bad.� Harry told her this and Hermione stopped briefly. Then she sat down next to him and buried her face in her hands. She continued to cry softly.



Harry did not know how long they sat there for or how long it had been since he defeated Voldemort. His mind was racing. Hermione kept talking to him and trying to convince him to see a Healer, but Harry’s mind was somewhere else. His mind was constantly reminding himself about why Ginny was in a hospital bed. He couldn’t help but remember all of the things that she had done for him and then all of the horrible memories that he had kept.



He had little memory about what had been happening around him. Something told him that he should look up. He did so and saw that a Healer was walking their way. She looked somber and unfocused. She walked up to them and Harry found energy that he did not know he still possessed. He jumped up to meet her half way, without a doubt that she had news of Ginny. She looked at him and began to speak softly.

“I'm over this
I'm tired of living in the dark
Can anyone see me down here
The feeling's gone
There's nothing left to lift me up
Back into the world I've known�

Lyrics to “Away From the Sun� by 3 Doors Down

Disclaimer: I own none of this world. It belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander...

Chapter Two: Darkness

Harry listened closely to the words that were stabbing him like a knife. He was now aware of himself shaking and how hurt he was, how disturbed he was. He was sure that he had never felt pain like this before. He listened as she spoke.

“Sir? I am afraid that we weren’t able to save Ginny. She- she just wasn’t strong enough. She endured horrible torture and survived longer than most would have, but it was just too much. She was conscious for only a few moments. In those few moments she said ‘Tell Harry that I love him and not to lose faith in life. Tell him to live life to the fullest and never give up hope. Tell him goodbye.’ She never woke up again. I’m so sorry.�

The world was fading away around him. He felt his knees give away and fell to the floor. He heard a scream from somewhere that seemed like miles away. There was no hope. There was nothing left for him. Everyone that he had ever loved had now been ripped from him. He had fulfilled his destiny by killing Voldemort and saving the wizarding world, and this is what he had earned? Harry now felt excruciating pain in his head and an empty space that was filled just hours before. Before another thought could enter his mind, all the lights went out. There was nothing left.

* * *
The room was bright. He could feel the people watching him. Harry opened his eyes. Someone handed him his glasses. He looked around. Hermione was on his right, and Ron was on his left. Then, to his horror, he saw Aunt Petunia and Dudley sitting next to them. His mouth was half open in shock. The memories of what had happened came flooding back to him as if a switch had been flipped. He wasn’t sure how long he had been in the hospital or why he was in a bed, however.

“Harry, are you okay?� Hermione asked him and Harry could tell that there was hurt in her voice. He did not know what to say.

“I’m not okay, but I’ll survive,� he growled, and he noticed the same hurt in his own voice, although he did not want to show it. Not now, anyway. To his surprise, it was Aunt Petunia who spoke next. She even sounded sympathetic.

“Harry, I’m so sorry. If I had known, if I had bothered to pay attention, if I had even asked—� She couldn’t talk anymore because she was overwhelmed with tears. Harry didn’t understand it. It took her eighteen years to care. Eighteen years to give a damn about him. He could tell now, though, that she wasn’t proud of it. The truth was, though, she didn’t hate him like he though she did. It was her husband, Vernon, who made her treat him badly. It wasn’t her that Harry despised, it was his uncle. He still couldn’t forgive her fully for what she put him through, though. He looked at his aunt and frowned.

“If you had known, it would have been different? You did know. You heard me when I had nightmares about Sirius and Cedric! You knew when Dumbledore died and you still chose to ignore me! YOU NEVER EVEN THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT IT!� He started to cough and breathe heavily again. He gasped for air.

“Calm down, calm down, Harry. Don’t get yourself worked up like that! It’s dangerous!� Dudley croaked. Harry just looked at his cousin in disbelief. Clearly, if Dudley cared about him, the world had stopped spinning. There was a simple explanation for all of this. It was a dream, an alternate universe of some sort. He would wake up tomorrow morning and everything would be alright. None of this would have happened. How very wrong he was.

“How long has it been? Since—since, you know.� Harry stammered out quickly before anything else odd could happen. Ron answered him.

“It’s been three days. You have been out for three days, mate. I don’t blame you, I would have liked to been out myself. I don’t know how you’ve dealt with it Harry. It just won’t leave me alone.� Ron was somber. They all were. Harry knew exactly what he was talking about, but did not know the answer. All he knew was that this time was different. He would not be able to just deal with the pain this time. It was already eating him up inside. Harry turned away. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to leave, to be anywhere but here. He tried to sit up, but found that there was no point.

“What do you want me to say? It was not easy to let go. It was not easy to realize that everyone who I loved that had died was not coming back. I do not think that I will be able to let go this time. Not now, not ever.� Before he realized what he was saying, the words were already out. Everyone just looked at him and he felt the stares that they were giving him. Why wouldn’t they just leave him alone? He closed his eyes.

All night or day, he wasn’t quite sure, Harry drifted in and out of sleep. When he was finally wide awake, or as awake as he could have been, he noticed that everyone had gotten the hint. They had left. He was alone at last. The pain in his body had dissolved somewhat while he was sleeping. Harry sat up.

His robes were folded neatly on a chair next to a table. His wand lay on top of them. Harry had had his invisibility cloak with him that night, so he assumed that it was there, too. He stood up. It was painful to stand, but he walked over to his robes and quietly changed. He had a feeling that he could leave now without being stopped. Harry picked up his wand and the invisibility cloak that was also on the chair. He put the cloak on and headed toward the door. He would have Disapparated, but he was sure that they put anti-Apparation charms on the building for their safety.

The coast was clear, which Harry thought was very odd. Apparently, they weren’t expecting anyone to leave or enter his room. He walked down the hall slowly, so he wouldn’t make any noise. Just then, he heard someone. It was Dudley. He was walking toward Harry’s room. Harry was surprised that they had stayed this long, but walked faster toward the door. Dudley would soon find out that he was missing and tell someone. They would lock the doors and most definitely find him.

Harry reached the door and pulled it open. It took a lot of his strength, but he succeeded. He was free. He could Apparate now. He wasn’t sure where to go, however. He was not sure where he intended on going. Then he remembered some place that they had learned about in History of Magic class. It was in the United States. He would go there. No one would think to look for him there. Maybe he could hide from the inevitable darkness.

“A hundred days had made me older
since the last time that I've saw your pretty face
A thousand lies had made me colder and I don’t think I can look at this the same
But all the miles that separate
They disappear now when I’m dreaming of your face�

Lyrics from “Here Without You� by 3 Doors Down

Chapter 3- Trapped

Disclaimer: I own none of this world. It belongs to J.K. R.. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

He remembered the name of the state, but could not remember the name of the town at all. He hoped that he would not fail. After all, Massachusetts was not that big of a state, how bad could his aim be? He did not think twice about it, he just left. He thought that he would be leaving all of his pain behind. He thought that he would be starting a new life somewhere where no one would find him, where no one would know him. He would take his friends out of danger. Usually, Harry did not believe in running away, but this time was an exception. Without another thought, he was gone, Dissapparating right on the spot.

Harry hit the ground a couple seconds later to find himself alone. This is good, Harry thought, at least no one saw me. He examined his surroundings. He was standing in a fenced-in field shaped sort of like a diamond. Part of it was grass and the other part was dirt. There were four white plate things on the dirt. He had no idea where he was, but he limped on, stowing his wand in his pocket. He still ached so much from his injuries that were not quite healed yet. It was a good thing that it was cold because he still wore his wizard robes. They somewhat looked like a long coat, though.

He walked a little further and found himself in a park. There was a man up ahead. “Had he seen me Apparate?� Harry thought aloud. The man just looked up at him. Harry concluded that he hadn’t seen him before and walked cautiously over to him. The man stood up.

“Er, excuse me, but what state am I in?� Harry asked awkwardly. He knew that it sounded funny, but needed to know where he was.

“You’re not from around here, are you? I can tell from your accent. You are in Massachusetts, son. I’m guessing that it is a long way from your home?� The man looked deeply concerned.

“No, you're right, I am not from here. I am kind of starting over. I’m looking for something, but I don’t know what I’m looking for.� Harry stated.

“Well, in that case, maybe I could help. My name is Bob Pabden, by the way. And if you are looking for work, I run a small inn just down the street. I have been meaning to hire more help anyway. If you decide to take my offer, you could stay at the inn until you find somewhere else. It might take a while to find what you have lost.� He offered.

“Thank you. I think I will.� Harry said quickly. This might be his only opportunity, and he did not want to let it pass.

“Do you have a name? Or am I going to have to say ‘Hey you’ every time I want your attention?� Bob laughed. Harry thought hard on this question. He could not give his real name because someone might find him. He would also have to change his appearance slightly so he would not draw attention to himself.

“Right, sorry, I thought that I had already told you. My name is James Evans. Nice to meet you.� They shook hands. James and Evans were the first two names that came to his mind. Why not choose his father’s name and his mother’s maiden name?

“Great, well, my car is just over there. If you want, I can show you around a bit before we go to the inn and get all of your paperwork filled out. Um, do you have any luggage or anything that you want to pick up?�

“No, I don’t have anything else.� Harry looked up at him, trying not to show his sadness.

“Okay, well, if this is it? I am afraid that I might be judging, but are you running from anyone? Anything?� Bob questioned.

“Just my past. Don’t worry, I am not a criminal, or anything, if that’s what you are thinking. It’s just that I would prefer to leave it behind.� Harry explained as they walked toward the car.

“If you are running from your past, it will catch up with you someday. You do look like you have been through a war. I can see the pain on your face and feel it in your voice.� Bob murmured.

“You have no idea, but I don't wish to discuss it right now.� Harry sighed. He knew that he would have to tell someone eventually and Bob was right. His past would surely catch up with him. It was always catching up with him.

* * *
That night, Harry thought about everything that was happening to him. He realized that he had crossed a line and there was no going back. He had attempted to hide who he was that day. While he was out with Bob, they had stopped by an eye doctor and Harry bought some contact lenses that made his eyes brown instead of brilliant green. Of course, Bob did not understand why he would want to do this, but never questioned him. Harry liked this quality about him. It was as if he actually understood. He also got some new clothes, so he could actually look like a muggle and not draw too much attention to himself. Harry tried to conceal his scar, but, unfortunately, all of his attempts failed. They were not big changes, but at least now, people probably would not recongnize him.

The next day was Harry’s first day of work. He would be working outside cutting firewood for the fireplace inside the inn. He would be working without magic. Harry had sacrificed his magic along with his old life. From now on, he would live like a normal muggle. It would be hard to stay away from magic, but he would try. He still kept his wand on him at all times, but never used it. He had convinced himself that it was just in case he was discovered by anyone who had it in for him.

When he woke up that morning, his room was warm. The sun was shining through the windows and everything was quiet. This is exactly what he wanted. He had never really slept. His dreams were full of Ginny and everyone one else that he had left behind. He knew that he had been talking, even shouting, in his sleep. He just could not escape everything, not yet, at least. Pain had increased over night, he could tell. As he stood up, his body begged him to stop, but he pushed through it as he always did. He had promised that he would work today, and was not going to complain. He would work through the day and earn his stay.

When he went down for breakfast in the small restaurant, he noticed that there were other staff members sitting around a table. He ignored them. Harry was not in the mood for talking or making friends. As he took a seat at the other side of the room with his breakfast, he heard them whispering to each other. Again, he ignored them. By now, he was used to it because of his history at Hogwarts. There was just no escaping.

He looked up and realized that Bob was heading over to him. Now he would have to talk. He could not be rude to his new boss. Bob sat across from him at the table.

“Mornin’ James, mind if I sit with you?� Bob suggested.

“Not at all, Mr. Pabden," Harry answered, unsure that he wanted this. He would have rather been alone, but did not mind his company. The truth was that Harry was not sure what he wanted. If he were alone, he would continue to sulk in his own misery, but if he were not, he would still continue to be miserable. The only exception to the latter was that he would have to try hard not to show it.

“Please, call me Bob. You aren’t like my other employees. You are different. I don’t know why, but I think you and I could get along fine. I don’t exactly see why now, but I’m sure that time will tell us soon enough. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me,� Bob told him and then continued. “You know what? You should come over to my house for dinner tonight. My wife and I were not expecting anyone else, but I could call her now. I am sure that she’ll love to meet you. My daughter will be there, too. She will be home from college for the weekend. What do you say? I can drive you after work, if you want.� This was completely random in Harry’s opinion. He didn’t know what to do. Was it custom for ordinary muggles to accept dinner invites? He did not know. He was not about to make up any more excuses, however.

“I would love to, Bob. It sounds great. I am afraid that if I want to go, though, I have to get to work on cutting those logs. See you later and thank you.� Harry answered him. He stood up and walked toward the door. He was aware of what he was doing. He had done it before. He was denying his feelings. He was bottling himself up inside and he would soon overwork himself. He would soon be working himself to the point of breakdown. He was trapped and could not escape.

“Locked inside

The only place

where you feel sheltered,

where you feel safe.

You lost yourself

In your search to find

Something else to hide behind.�



Lyrics to “Simon� by Lifehouse



Disclaimer: I own none of this world. It belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…



Chapter 4- Fate



The next few hours of the workday went by slowly. Harry was not sure if he was looking forward to dinner or not. The thought weighed on his mind all day as he cut wood. It was cool outside, and it was a bit cloudy. It was funny how the weather reflected his mood. Finally, the end of the day was drawing near. He cleaned up the wood that he had cut, and brought some inside for the fire. He went up to his room to change for dinner and then met Bob at the front doors of the inn.



“Ah, James, good to see that you have decided to come. I was afraid that you might cancel on me, but it looks like you kept your promise. Shall we go then?� Bob seemed happy. Harry felt guilty about not telling Bob who he really was, but decided that it was for the best.



“Sure, I’m ready,� Harry answered. They made their way toward Bob’s car and got inside. Bob talked about his wife and daughter most of the time.



“My wife is great. Her name is Andrea and she loves to cook and help people…�



Sounds a lot like Mrs. Weasley… Harry thought.



“My daughter is the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. She has a great sense of humor and loves to talk. Her name is Sarah and she has the warmest smile…�



Oh, god, now he’s describing Ginny. I really do miss her. I shouldn’t have run away…



Bob went on and Harry’s thoughts were consuming him again. He felt a tear fall from his eye and wiped it away quickly. He wondered if Bob had noticed. Bob stopped the car and Harry figured that they had reached their destination. Bob turned to Harry with a concerned look in his eyes. Harry realized this and looked up.



“You sure you’re okay, James? You look a little glum and you haven’t said a word since we left. I understand that you want to keep me in the dark about your life, but wouldn’t you feel better if you talked about it? You can trust me.� Although the offer was kind, it was prying in Harry’s opinion. He wasn’t happy.



“No, I don’t believe that I would feel better. I also would like you to stop asking questions that I clearly do not want to answer. Besides, if I told you, you would look at me different. It would be as if I was someone else. It would be like… I don’t know, you just wouldn’t like it—don’t like it,� Harry told him. He realized what he had said, but continued anyway. “The life that I used to know is gone and it doesn’t matter how much you want to help. There is no hope for me, and all I want to do is start over. Is that too much to ask?�



“No, James, you’re right. I was wrong to keep asking questions, but I do still believe that you are wrong,� Bob stated. Then he added, “There is no need to get all defensive. Obviously, you’ve been hurt real bad, but I only wanted to help. Well, I guess we should go inside. Dinner’s waiting.�



“Hey, look, I’m sorry that I snapped at you. It’s just that too much has happened and I know that I won’t be able to, but I really just want to forget. I was just thinking about everything in the car again and I was a little caught up in my own thoughts. I really can’t wait to meet your family, they sound great.� Harry apologized because he felt guilty now. Bob was doing something nice and generous for him, and he was treating him horribly. This was not the person that he wanted to become. They got out of the car and went inside the house.



“Andrea, honey, I’m home!� Bob called out. Harry could see that they were standing in the kitchen. It was really quite nice. It had tile floor and granite counter tops. There was a stove, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a toaster, and a microwave. He saw things that he would not have seen if he had stayed in England with the Weasleys. Harry saw some other things, too. He looked up just as a woman walked into the room. She was older, and had short brown hair. She was about average height and was wearing an apron. The woman walked over to Harry and shook his hand.



“You must be James. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Andrea, as you’ve probably already heard. Bob has told me that you’re not from around here, so I’m curious, where did you used to live?� She definitely reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley. Her voice sounded so caring and motherly.



“Nice to meet you, too. I’m, er, from England. This is my first time in the United States and I think I’m going to like it here,� Harry mumbled. He really did not want to give too much information. Just then, another woman walked into the room. She was younger, about Harry’s age. She was about average height, also, and had long brown hair. She was very pretty. She smiled when she saw Harry and he found that Bob was right. She did have a warm, inviting smile. Bob turned to Harry.



“This is my daughter, Sarah,� he said, turning to Sarah to introduce Harry, “Sarah, this is James. He is working for me at the inn, and he will be joining us for dinner tonight.�



“That’s great!� She exclaimed, “When is dinner going to be ready, Mom?�



“It’s going to be about a half an hour. I was kind of told on short notice,� she looked at Bob as she said this. He shrugged his shoulders. “Why?�



“Good. I’ll take James and show him around a little bit before dinner. What do you think?� She directed her question at Harry who was just looking at her in disbelief. She reminded him so much of Ginny. He couldn’t understand why.



“Oh, um, sure. That would be great,� Harry responded absentmindedly. He followed Sarah out of the room. She gave him the tour of the house and then they went upstairs. He guessed that they ended up in her room.



“So, this is your room, I suppose?� Harry asked.



“Yup. I know, it’s very messy, but I like it that way. It’s a bit too unnatural to have an excessively clean room. Well? I’m not the best tour guide, but what did you think of the tour?� She asked laughing at herself. Harry chuckled.



“It was excellent. You give good tours.�



“You’re just saying that to make me feel better. So, I’m guessing that you are from England. That’s cool, I always wanted to go to England. Do you like it there?� Sarah questioned him. Harry hated questions, but had a feeling that Sarah was not trying to interrogate him. She just wanted to be friends.



“Well, I used to like it, but I don’t anymore. That’s why I came here. I’m trying to get away from it— I’m trying to escape something that will never leave me alone,� Harry sighed. She was going to ask him about it, he could tell. Harry wasn’t sure whether he would tell her or not. After all, he had just met her and she was a complete stranger to him. He wouldn’t tell her yet, but he knew that she was the person that he would tell. He knew that she was the person that he could trust with everything. At that moment, Sarah walked over to him and just looked at him understandingly. Then she spoke.



“I’m so sorry, that’s horrible. Do you think that you are going to be okay? Did you lose someone close to you?� At that point, Harry knew that she understood. She had guessed right, but he was not sure that he was going to be okay, or exactly how to answer her question. He looked into her eyes.



“I have lost… many things. I know that I can’t get them back, but I also cannot see how I’m going to recover from this. It’s like falling, falling through an endless abyss. My whole life has been the same, and I can’t seem to escape. I just needed to leave. I don’t know, but maybe in the process, I’ve only lost more,� Harry looked away. He didn’t want Sarah to see his sadness.



“Listen to me, James. You can lose everything in the world, but as long as you have one thing, other things won’t be as bad. As long as you have hope, things will be better. As long as you don’t lose hope, things will be fine. Tell me something, James, do you believe that everything happens for a reason? Do you believe in fate?� Sarah asked him. Harry just looked at her. He did not know what to say. He gave in. It had only been two days, but he needed to tell someone. He knew that he could trust Sarah and that she would understand. He didn’t know why.



“I don’t know anymore. I have a feeling that I can trust you and that you will understand everything and I want to tell you what happened. I want to tell you why I’ve lost hope and why I’m running. First, I need to know if you can handle it because it is a lot to take in. I also will need you to keep an open mind. Most importantly, you can’t tell anyone, you’ll see why. I’m not going to tell you now. We should have dinner first and then we can go somewhere where we won’t be overheard - somewhere safe. Okay?� Harry could not believe that he was telling her this.



“Of course, you can trust me. I will not tell anyone and I know the perfect place to go. We can tell my parent that we’re stopping for…um, I don’t know…coffee before I bring you back to the inn. That will give us some time so that I am not asked questions. I’ll just volunteer to drive you back. Don’t worry, I know that I will be able to handle it. I actually don’t think that you give me enough credit. I have regrets in my past, too,� Sarah told him this as she looked up into his now brown eyes. She wasn’t smiling anymore.



“You’re right, but I have been trying to hide my regrets for years. It’s not going to be easy for me to tell you, but I’ll try. Now, I think we should go down and help with dinner. It should be ready soon, shouldn’t it? What are we having, anyway?� Harry questioned her.



“Yes, it should. We’re having spaghetti, I think. You’re really going to like it; my mom’s an excellent cook. Oh, and James, I believe that there is a reason that your journey has brought you here. I believe that there is a reason that I have met you and you have met me. I believe that fate has brought us together to help each other. We just haven’t figured it out yet.�



Sarah left the room after she said this, and Harry followed. He was thinking about what she had just said. What if she was right?

“Would you catch me if I fall
Out of what I fell in
Don't be surprised if I collapse down at your feet again
I don't want to run away from this
I know that I just don't need this�

Lyrics to “Somewhere in Between� by Lifehouse

Disclaimer- I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter 5- Truth

Harry didn’t eat much. The food was delicious, but the weight of everything was becoming almost unbearable. He knew that some of it would be lifted in just a little while, but he was so close to his breaking point. How was he going to explain things to Sarah? She was a Muggle–clearly, she would not believe him. She would probably take him to the hospital and tell them that he was insane. He could always modify her memory, however, but he would hate to do that. He ate about half of his meal, and put his fork down. He looked at Andrea and thanked her.

“The spaghetti was great and you are a wonderful cook! It filled me right up. Thank you so much!� Harry lied. He had not had a real meal in days, but he had lost his appetite.

“You are very welcome, James. You can come over here any time you like–we’d love to have you.�

Andrea was pleased. Harry smiled at her and Sarah, picking up on the hint, decided that she had had enough, also.

“Mom, that was great! I’m full too. I think I’ll take James out for some coffee at that little shop down the street. They have good coffee there and then I’ll take him back to the inn, okay?� Sarah asked.

“That’s fine with me as long as it’s okay with James,� Bob replied.

“That’ll be fine, I’m a little tired anyway. I’ll go get my coat.�

Harry walked out of the room, and reappeared with his jacket in hand.

“Okay, well, we better get going, the coffee shop closes at nine. C’mon,� Sarah said.

“You’re right. Thanks for having me; I had a fantastic time. Nice meeting you, Andrea,� Harry stated as Sarah pulled him out the door.

“Not at all, James. You are welcome here any time. Have fun you two and don’t stay out too late,� Bob responded. Harry waved and then closed the door behind him.

Harry followed Sarah to her car and got inside. They drove in silence for a while and then he saw a lake. Sarah stopped the car and got out and Harry did the same. She started to walk for a while around the lake. Harry followed her wondering where they were going. A couple of big rocks came into view and Sarah headed toward them. Finally, she stopped. She turned around, as if to make sure that Harry was still there, and then sat down on one of the rocks. Harry sat on the other one. Sarah looked up at him and spoke for the first time since they left.

“This is my favorite spot to come to. It’s quiet and nobody ever comes here. I don’t think anyone appreciates its beauty. I assure you that it is very safe. You can trust me.�

She looked up at the sky and Harry did, too. There were more stars than he had ever seen. He looked out at the lake. It reminded him of the lake at Hogwarts. The only difference was that he was sure that this lake did not have many magical creatures living in it. He took a deep breath. Finally, he decided that it was time to tell her the truth.

“Okay, well, first of all, my name is not James Evans. My name is Harry Potter and I’m a bit, well, different than many people. I don’t normally look like this, either. I changed my appearance to blend in more—� Sarah interrupted Harry.

“Alright, so what do you look like and why did you change your name?�

“I’m getting there. I usually wear these,� he took out his glasses, then popped out his contact lenses and put his glasses on, “but my eyes made me stand out more, so I got brown tinted contact lenses. I grew my hair longer in order to hide this.�

He pulled up his hair to reveal his scar.

“I see. That’s an odd looking scar. Okay, continue,� Sarah looked at him with a questionable look in her eyes.

“This is going to be hard to explain, so please, no interruptions until after I finish telling you, and keep an open mind. I am a wizard. I went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and started going there when I was eleven years old. For seventeen long years, I lived with my aunt and uncle who treated me horribly. My parents died when I was a baby because they were murdered. They were murdered by the most feared and evil dark wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort. He tried to kill me after he murdered my parents, but failed. My mother had died to save me, and she left a protection on me that Voldemort hadn’t seen. He gave me this scar, and it connected us. He was believed to have died that night, but everyone was wrong. They were very wrong.

“Eleven years later, Voldemort started to come back. He was reduced down to something a little more than nothing, however. In my third year at Hogwarts, I met my godfather, Sirius Black. He was my father’s best friend. He was a convicted prisoner sent to the wizard’s prison, Azkaban, for murdering a crowd of people, but he was innocent. Another one of my father’s friends, Peter Pettigrew, framed him for the murders and also faked his own death. Pettigrew was a traitor. He had told Voldemort where my parents were hiding and he is the reason that they are dead. Sirius escaped from Azkaban, found me, and he and Remus Lupin, another one of my father’s friends, told me the truth. I helped Sirius elude a most unpleasant ordeal and was successful. Unfortunately, Pettigrew had escaped, too, and we had no way to prove Sirius innocent, so he was on the run.

“During this time, Voldemort was planning his return. In my fourth year at Hogwarts, I witnessed him come back. I got away again, but when I told everyone about Voldemort, no one believed me. The only people who believed me were my friends and my headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore started up an organization called The Order of the Phoenix, again. The Order had been around during the first war, and was set up to stop Voldemort and his followers, called Death Eaters. Voldemort had regained his powers again and was after me.�

Harry went on to explain everything about the Horcruxes and his love for Ginny Weasely. He told about how he didn’t go back to Hogwarts in his seventh year in order to track down the Horcruxes. He also explained how Dumbledore died. Finally, he got the end of his story and had a hard time finishing.

“After Dumbledore died, I told Ginny that I couldn’t see her anymore. If Voldemort found out, he would use her to get to me. I couldn’t let her die. After I had come back from destroying the Horcruxes, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I couldn’t stand to be away from Ginny any longer and she felt the same way, so we got back together. Two weeks later, she was kidnapped. Voldemort had finally caught on that I was stronger when she was with me. I went after her and discovered that Voldemort had tortured her. I found her lying on the ground in chains. It was horrible. I called to her, but she didn’t answer. I was more scared than any other time in my life.

“Just then, Voldemort appeared and started laughing at me. I stood up and faced him and for the first time, I didn’t run. I never even thought about getting away. He had taken so much from me and now he was mortal. I fought him and killed him for good. He wouldn’t leave without bringing more pain into my life, though. When the Order showed up, we brought Ginny to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I was in bad shape, but refused to see any healers until I found out if Ginny was all right. She died that night. When she died, a part of me died with her. I had lost everything. Now, an empty space has been growing inside of me. I died with Ginny that night and that’s why I left. I have lost hope of everything.� Harry had finished. He was starting to cry. He looked at Sarah and she had tears in her eyes, also. She broke the silence.

“I believe you. Harry, I want to help you regain hope. I now believe that this is why we met. I would like to help you live again. You have had a very hard life, and right now, I think that it is best that you have someone who understands you and will be there for you. I want to be that person. You can trust me.� Sarah whispered. His story had a great effect on her. She would look at life in a different way and do everything in her power to help him. She only hoped that she could help him more than he could help her.

“I know, but I don’t think this will ever leave me alone. I left everyone who I loved behind. They have no idea where I am and I feel like I’ve only hurt them more. There is no way things are going to get better. The Death Eaters are still out there, and there is no doubt that they’re looking for me. If I had stayed, my friends still would have been in danger. I couldn’t let that happen anymore,� Harry frowned. He was being honest and danger was definitely still out there.

“Sometimes, running away from who you are will just make things worse. You can’t expect to stay away forever. If your friends care enough about you, they will come looking for you. Someone will find you and your past will catch up with you. You can’t run forever. I hope that I can understand everything and help you have a break from your life. You really deserve it, Harry, it sounds to me like you’re a hero, but right now, you are blaming yourself for everything. You are in pain and trying to ignore it. That’s what is happening, Harry, you are hurting. You just need someone to bandage your wounds. I am going to help you, but I think we should go now, it is getting late. I’m going to give you my cell phone number so you can reach me at any time.�

She pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down something, then handed it to him. She continued, “I’m going back to college on Sunday night, but I’ll be home every weekend. If you need me, just call me. Okay, let’s get you back to the inn.�

She started to walk, but Harry held her back.

“Wait a minute; I need to tell you something. I think that I’m now starting to believe that there is a reason that we met. Thank you.�

That was all he said and he walked away leaving Sarah standing there, staring after him. She smiled and then ran to catch up with him. Harry was unlike anyone she had ever known.

“Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated
Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there�
--Lyrics to “Drops of Jupiter� by Train

Disclaimer- I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter 6- Unsafe

The seasons changed with the months. Fall turned into winter and winter faded to spring. Harry caught himself regretting his decisions everyday. His relationship with Sarah had grown. It seemed that Sarah was the only light thing among all of the darkness in Harry’s life. They had become great friends, and Harry looked forward to seeing her every weekend. She looked forward to seeing Harry as well. Work at the inn got busier during the spring because the weather turned warmer. There was always room for Harry to stay, though. He didn’t know why, but Harry felt better with Sarah. He did not feel so lonely when he was around her.

It was a Saturday in May and Harry was waiting for Sarah to pick him up. They were going to see a movie and Harry was excited as usual. They were going to some new horror flick because both of them liked scary movies. Sarah was great to Harry. After that night that he told her his story, she never asked any more questions. It was as if she had forgotten everything, but he knew she hadn’t. He knew that she just wanted him to feel better without bringing up bad memories. She did not know that he thought about the past every night because of the constant nightmares that he endured.

Harry saw Sarah’s car pull in the driveway and he met her at the door.

“Ready to go?� she asked.

“Of course I am. Well, c’mon, what are we standing around here for? We’ve got a movie to see. Or are you scared?� Harry said mockingly. They both laughed.

“Oh, yeah, I’m shaking in sneakers. But at least you’ll be there to protect me, James,� she chuckled. She could call him Harry, but decided that it would be dangerous; someone could overhear them. She walked off toward the car and Harry followed.

The drive was short because the movie theater was only fifteen minutes away. After they parked, they went inside and bought tickets. It was crowded, but they were able to find two good seats. As they waited for the movie to start, Harry and Sarah started chatting about whatever popped in their heads. They talked about news and the fire up north that happened last night. Sarah talked about college and how summer break was coming up soon. She was excited because she would be spending the summer at home. She would be able to spend more time with Harry. Then, finally, the movie started.

The movie startled Harry and Sarah a couple of times. Monsters would randomly show up out of nowhere. The hero of the movie got badly hurt at the end, but was still able to save the day. All in all, they enjoyed the movie and laughed about how they jumped at the silliest parts. When the movie ended, they waited until the crowd died down so they could leave easier.

Suddenly, they heard a scream from outside the doors. Harry jumped up and ran toward the source. Sarah followed. She heard Harry mumbling some things that scared her. Things were going so well. Why did they have to be ruined now?

“Not here, not now. Why don’t these things just leave me alone? I just want to live my life and forget…� Harry whispered.

People were running everywhere and Harry knew that it was not a good sign. At the front of the building, he saw a dark figure. He turned around to Sarah.

“Stop following me! Go, run, now! There’s a Death Eater up there and I don’t want to lose you, too!� Harry screamed at Sarah because it was so loud in the theater from the panicking voices of the people around them.

“Har—James, I don’t want to leave you. I don’t care if there’s a Death Eater up there, I want to help,� Sarah responded.

“No, there’s nothing you can do. I have to do this myself. Run to the car, and then drive as far away from here as possible. I’ll be okay. I’ll call you when it’s safe. Go!� Harry shouted to her. He truly hoped that she’d listen to him.

“Fine, I’ll leave, but you must promise me something. Be careful!� She ran up and hugged him as she said this in his ear.

“I always am. You should be careful, too.� And with that, he ran off toward the dark figure.

A woman ran into him and he caught her. She started crying at him, but he could barely make out what she was saying.

“My baby…he’s got my baby…just trying to leave…grabbed her…couldn’t get her back…don’t know what to do…please…please…you must help me…get Annie back…please…� After hearing this, Harry pushed her away.

“Go, run, I’ll get her back, I promise,� Harry said hastily. He grabbed his wand out of his pocket and headed toward the Death Eater.

He reached the Death Eater and saw that he was torturing the little girl called Annie. It was almost unbearable to watch. Who would be so evil to hurt a little Muggle girl who had no defense whatsoever? It’s just barbaric.

“Leave the girl alone! You have no business being here!� Harry bellowed as the Death Eater turned around startled.

“And who are you to be telling me this? You’re just a puny Muggle!� He lowered his wand for a moment as he looked at Harry. Harry saw that he was wearing a mask. Typical. The Death Eaters never showed their faces. In Harry’s opinion, this was cowardice, but Harry still recognized the voice.

“I have every right to be telling you this…Malfoy! Torturing little kids now? Well, I guess things haven’t changed. Still wearing the mask though? I would have thought your enlarged head would have outgrown it by now. But, then again, you were always a little slow, Malfoy.�

“Potter. The wizard world thinks you’ve died. Gone crazy and killed yourself, to be exact. You should talk about being slow. Wasn’t it you who took your sweet time finding Ginny? Ha, have I hit a nerve or are you just shuddering in fear?� Malfoy was taking this too far.

Harry forgot about his wand and lunged at him. Malfoy stopped him with a shield charm in mid air. He threw him across the room like it was nothing. Harry screamed out in pain, but stood up. If a battle was what Malfoy wanted, then Harry would give him one.

“You know, Potter? You really are pathetic. First, you run away from your problems and leave the wizarding world behind. Then, you decide to turn up here and tell me what to do? I don’t think I’m going to let you do that.� Malfoy laughed at him as Harry moved toward him.

“I’m afraid, Malfoy, that you have no choice. Leave the girl out of this; she didn’t do anything. You have no reason to hurt her. Let’s take this somewhere else. This is between you and me, no one else,� Harry tried to reason with him.

“Potter, always trying to be the hero. How can I get through to you? I wasn’t here to kill a little girl. I am here to find you and finish what you started. I just used the girl to get to you. Isn’t it funny how history can repeat itself? Even if it’s not intentional? Prepare to die, Potter.� Malfoy threw the girl against the far wall.

Harry stopped Annie from hitting the wall too hard and he ran over to her. She was injured, but not too badly. He put a shield charm around her, using advanced magic. As he was doing this, Malfoy was able to get an easy shot at him. Harry was knocked off his feet and he heard Annie scream. He turned around and stared into the eyes of Malfoy. His eyes darkened and Malfoy could see that Harry was extremely angry. Harry summoned his wand and walked toward Malfoy.

“What’s wrong Malfoy? Is that all you’ve got? Or are you scared because your mummy and daddy aren’t around to protect you? What about your pal Voldemort? Oh, yeah, I forgot, he’s dead! C’mon, Malfoy, coming to avenge his death, huh? Well, we’ll see. Expelliarmus!� Harry caught him off guard and Malfoy was pushed off his feet.

Harry threw a couple more spells at him and Malfoy did the same to Harry. There were a few Muggles watching them in awe as Harry and Malfoy continued to duel. Harry didn’t have time to care about them though, because Malfoy had gotten quicker in his spell casting. Harry was slowly wearing Malfoy down, but not without getting a few injuries himself. His left arm was hurt pretty badly. There was blood all over his clothes, but that didn’t stop him. Malfoy was suffering as well.

“Well, Potter, it seems that our little reunion is coming to an end. Don’t you worry; you haven’t seen the last of me yet. This time you got lucky, but I’ll be ready for you now. Wait till word gets out that Potter’s still alive,� Malfoy grinned at Harry and then quickly Disapparated.

Harry attempted to run, but was forced to limp a little, over to Annie and he removed the shield charm. Annie backed away from Harry, clearly scared of him. She started to scream. Harry could tell that Malfoy had done a lot of damage.

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared, I’m going to help you find your mother. Everything is going to be okay. You can trust me, I promise,� Harry emphasized.

Annie seemed to understand, because at that moment she ran to him and started crying uncontrollably. She couldn’t have been more than three years old. Harry picked her up with his uninjured arm and tried to calm her down. He walked slowly with her and was hoping that her mother wasn’t too far. He started to get tired as he limped around. Finally, he found her mother sitting, with her head down, at the end of a hallway in the theater.

“Ma’am?� Harry called. She looked up and immediately her face glowed. Harry handed Annie to her and he stepped back to the wall for support as he watched the reunion take place. He was in great pain and needed medical attention. Just then, Annie’s mother looked up at him and ran over. She gave him a great hug and then started talking.

“How can I ever repay you, sir? Without Annie, I don’t know what I would have done. And—oh my God, you’re hurt! What can I do? I’ll drive you to the hospital if you want,� Annie’s mother offered.

“No, it’s okay, I was happy to help. I just need one thing, though. Do you have a cell phone I could borrow?� Harry remembered Sarah.

“Yes, yes, of course. Here you go. You sure there isn’t anything else? You really should see a doctor.� Annie’s mother handed him the phone.

“I will, don’t worry. I just have to make this call,� Harry answered.

He dialed Sarah’s cell phone number hoping that she remembered to turn it on. Then he heard ringing and was glad. He heard a click and began to talk.

“Sarah? It’s Harry. Are you there? Are you okay?� Harry inquired. He hoped that she made it out safely and that she actually listened to his instructions.

He wasn’t sure if Malfoy was here alone or if he had brought reinforcements. Sarah was sure taking a long time to answer him, though, and Harry was getting worried. He was also losing a lot of blood from his injuries and was starting to shake, again. Just then, he heard something on the other line.

“Harry? Oh, thank God, you’re alright! Of course I’m okay, but I’ve run into a bit of a problem.� Sarah sounded a little worried as she spoke. Harry almost dropped the phone as she said this—he only thought of how he should have killed Malfoy when he had the chance last year.

“So when will this end it goes on and on
over and over and over again
keeps spinning around I know that it won't stop
till I step down from this for good�

Lyrics to “Sick Cycle Carousel� by Lifehouse

Disclaimer- I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter 7-Beginning

“You have a problem? Are you going to be alright? I can be there in seconds, just relax and don’t panic!� Honestly, however, Harry had no idea whether he could take much more. He was already worn down as it was.

“Harry, Harry, wait! It’s not a very big problem. I can fix it, relax, you’re the one who’s panicking I think.� Sarah was almost laughing through this because she found it funny how Harry jumped to conclusions so fast.

“What do you mean by not big? There’s probably Death Eaters running around and you say that your problem is not big?� Harry sounded angry, but tried to keep patient.

“Harry, I ran out of gas while I was speeding away from the scene. It’s not that big of a deal, but I’m just stuck. Did you think that I was in danger?� Sarah chuckled.

“You ran out of gas! Of course I thought you were in danger and I was scared! Jeez, Sarah, don’t frighten me like that ever again! I don’t find it very funny,� Harry groaned.

“Oh, well, I would have told you if I was in any big danger, but I really didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.� Sarah felt bad now because after all that Harry’s been through, she’s just made his life more difficult.

“It’s okay, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Right, I’ll come help you. Give me about five or ten minutes—I have to make sure everyone’s okay here,� Harry replied because he also felt ashamed for yelling at her.

“Alright, then, I’ll see you when you get here. Try to hurry up, though, I don’t like to be alone.� She hung up after she said this. Sarah turned the radio on to one of her favorite stations to make herself feel better.

Harry pressed the END button on the cell phone and handed it back to Annie’s mother. She looked at him in a motherly way and spoke to him again.

“Harry? Is that your name? Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. My name’s Kara, thank you so much for returning Annie to me. I know I’ve already said that, but I want you to know how grateful I truly am.� Kara gave him another hug and Harry winced in pain because his arm hurt so much.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry that I can’t stay longer, but I have to make sure everyone else is okay and then go and help my friend. I wish that you and Annie are able to find happiness beyond today.�

“Wait, you are going to help other people? Shouldn’t you help yourself first? You could die if you don’t get help soon!� Kara asked looking a little worried.

“Don’t worry about me, Kara; I have no fear of death. A great man once told me that ‘Death is but the next great adventure.’ Helping other people who cannot defend for themselves is more important to me right now.� Harry simply stated as he started to walk away, but again, Kara stopped him.

“Wait. I have questions for you. You said that these people cannot defend themselves. What makes you so different? How were you able defeat that evil man when others who tried just got thrown away from him? And how was he keeping everyone away from him?� Kara looked desperate for answers but Harry was shocked that she was able to observe all of this while being concerned for her daughter’s safety.

“It was magic. Goodbye Kara and Annie.� Harry plainly answered her and walked away. Kara was left standing confused, staring after him, with Annie in her arms.

As Harry walked, or tried to walk, around the building, he saw many people still running for the doors. He couldn’t help but think if there were more Death Eaters and if he could hold them off all by himself. He concluded, however, that everyone was still just panicking about Malfoy. People were looking at him strangely, too. Harry thought that maybe it was just because of how hurt he was, but that did not seem to be the case. He heard people whispering about how he could have been an alien from another planet and how Malfoy was his arch enemy from another world. Harry couldn’t help but laugh, which made the Muggles stare at him more.

Everything seemed to be okay and Ministry members would have probably been hearing about the disturbance soon. Harry thought that it would be best not to be caught hanging around the place. Something told him that the news wouldn’t go over well with the magical world, so he decided that he’d better Disapparate before anything else stops him.

* * *

When Harry arrived in Sarah’s car, she didn’t even notice him—she was too busy singing along with the song on the radio. The volume must have been up as high as it could go because Harry could barely hear himself think. He reached for the volume knob and turned it down. This must have startled Sarah because she jumped up and ran outside of the car. Harry thought of this as payback for scaring him earlier. He opened the door of the car, which wasn’t easy for him, and walked outside, also. He was laughing the whole time.

“Relax, Sarah, it’s just me. Did I scare you? I thought that it would be obvious that I’d be using this method of traveling, but I guess not. I’ll have to warn you next time.� He chortled. Sarah just looked a little confused, but it was understandable. Harry limped around the car toward her because he didn’t think that he had convinced her.

Sarah saw him and ran over to him. She looked at him and saw how badly injured he was. After all, Harry did look like he had been through a war. His arm was just hanging by his side bleeding and he looked like he would fall over any second. His right eye looked a little funny, as if he couldn’t focus it. Harry sounded okay on the phone, but he never said anything about being severely injured. Sarah didn’t know what to say—she felt so angry at herself for leaving him alone. What if she could’ve helped him somehow?

“Oh, my God, Harry! What happened; you’re a mess, you never told me about this on the phone! You have got to see a doctor right away! Why are you worrying about me? Come here, get in the car, and sit. I’ll call an ambulance and get you out of here. They’ll help me too, but you’re in a really bad condition and that’s more important right now!� Sarah was yelling at him, but he really wished that she wouldn’t. His head was starting to ache and everything was becoming more distant.

“Sarah, will you just stop yelling and calm down! I’ve had worse injuries before, I think I’ll live. I lost all of the bones in my arm before,� Harry tried to explain, then saw the look of confusion on Sarah’s face and decided against it, “Er, don’t ask, you really don’t want to know. Here, I’ll summon some gas for your car and you’ll be all set to drive home. Accio gasoline!� They saw a gas can come flying toward the car but Harry let it down gently so it didn’t spill all over the place.

“Thank you, but I’m not going home; we’re going to the hospital just as soon as I fill the tank up. You just stay in here and rest. Oh, and no more magic please, I think I’ve had enough for one day.� She went outside and started filling up the car with gas. It didn’t take too long and before Harry knew it, they were on they’re way to the hospital.

Sarah was talking to him and saying something about how careless he was and that he really should take care of himself more. Harry wasn’t really listening, though, because he was trying to stay conscious. As he looked out the window at the trees going by, the memories of the last time he’d been in a hospital ran through his head. Everything around him was becoming a blur, until he wasn’t sure of anything happening anymore. He felt the car speed up and then heard voices.

Harry felt the all too familiar feeling of losing consciousness, but this time was different. This time, he was able to see and what he saw amazed him. He was in a hallway and saw a figure at the end; a figure that he hadn’t seen in so long. His injuries were healed and he was able to walk without hurting himself. As a result, he ran to the person waiting for him. She was beautiful, just as he remembered. It was as if things were going to be okay again, but he knew that it wasn’t real. She started to speak.

“Harry, my love, it has been a long time. I’ve been watching you and I understand all of the decisions that you have made, but the Harry I knew wouldn’t run away. I’m giving you a chance to go back to life and go back to the people you love. They miss you as much as you miss them. I know that it’s hard, but please go back. If you don’t go back for yourself, will you go back for me?� She said to him. Harry watched her as she spoke. He was confused and could hardly believe what he was seeing.

“G-Ginny?� He asked.

“Yes, but only her spirit, Harry. I wish I could be with you again, but I cannot. I am here to guide you and help you. Now, you must promise me that you’ll go back to the wizard world. They need you, Harry, and you need them. You must stop blaming yourself for my death. It was never your fault, Harry, you must understand that. It’s no use hiding anymore; Malfoy knows where you are and will stop at nothing to destroy you and those that you love. He will go after Sarah, Harry. He will do the same thing that Voldemort did. He will do whatever it takes to destroy you again. You must not let that happen. Sarah plays a key part in all of this and for her safety, you must take her back with you. Harry, I just want you to be happy.�

“Ginny, I miss you so much. You made me so happy, just being with you. When you were taken, it was as if the world stopped spinning. It was as if I would never live again. I hate that feeling. I want to live again, I really do, but it’s just hard. I promise that I’ll go back and I’ll convince Sarah to come, too. Will I ever see you again, Ginny?� Harry wondered. He never wanted to leave her again, but knew that it was inevitable.

“I’m hoping that you won’t be seeing me again soon. I don’t want you to be hurt anymore, Harry, but yes, I suppose that it’s possible for you to see me again. For now, though, I think our reunion is coming to an end. If you’re out for too long, those Muggle doctors will think you’ve died or something and that wouldn’t be good. This has given us a chance for a proper goodbye and I think we should make the most of it. I will miss you, Harry Potter.� Ginny walked up to him and gave him the warmest hug ever. He held her in his arms stared down at her.

“I will miss you too. Goodbye, Ginny Weasley,� He whispered to her and they kissed for the last time. She disappeared from his arms and he found himself lying in a bed.

He heard hushed voices and decided that he should open his eyes. Harry looked up to see Sarah sitting by his bedside. She was holding his hand and mumbling something to her self. He squeezed her hand and she looked at him. Her eyes lit up when she saw that he was awake.

“Oh, Harry, thank God you’re still with us! You passed out just when we got to the hospital, and then when they hooked you up to the machines, they couldn’t find any vital signs. We all thought you were dead, but I thought no, Harry Potter would never leave without saying goodbye first. Oh, Harry, I should have never left you alone; I could have helped somehow. Don’t worry, I haven’t told the doctors anything about what happened, and I put you under the name of James Evans. Everything is going to be fine,� Sarah persisted until Harry stopped her. He smiled at her and spoke for the first time.

“I am not worrying, I am with you and I’ll stay this time. I think it may be time for me to change. I want to live again, Sarah, and nothing is going to keep me from that. Will you help me?� Harry asked her. He remembered his promise to Ginny and fully intended to keep it. Ginny hadn’t asked for much when she was on this Earth, but Harry wanted so much to make her happy even though he knows that she’s not with him anymore.

“Of course I’ll help you, Harry; you should know that you don’t even have to ask. I’ll do anything you want me to do and we’ll do it together this time.� Sarah didn’t even have to think about what she was saying. Finally, Harry was willing to step back down to Earth and move on with his life. He smiled at her and she returned the favor.

“Maybe,� Sarah thought, “Everything was going to be alright after all.�

Hello
To the world below
While I'm watching the world spinning
This night seems so unending
Well I'll follow
To a place I know
That's only the beginning
Start over after ending

Lyrics to “The Beginning� by Lifehouse

Disclaimer- I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter Eight- Departure

Harry hadn’t forgotten about his promise to Ginny; he was just waiting for the summer to go back to England. Sarah would be able to come with him during the summer because she wouldn’t have to worry about missing school, but Harry hadn’t told her yet. Tomorrow was the start of her vacation, so he was going to go up and visit her at school. That morning, he called and explained to her that he needed to tell her something. He told her that he’d be coming to visit her that night, so she wouldn’t be surprised. She sounded delighted that he’d be coming.

The day went by slowly, but finally it was time for Harry to leave. He built up the courage and then Disapparated. It was his first time visiting Sarah while she was at school and he was not sure where he was supposed to be going. When he got there, he found that he was standing inside a small room which must have been her dorm. He called for her.

“Just a sec!� Harry heard Sarah call to him. He was relieved that he had been right with his directions as he saw Sarah walk into the room with a couple drinks.

“Harry! It’s so good to see you! Please, sit, you said that you wanted to talk about something?� she asked him.

Sarah had been calling him “Harry� ever since he had gotten home from the hospital. She remembered that day clearly. When he had finally come to consciousness, Sarah noticed that he had changed. He was different somehow, but she couldn’t figure out the reason. She had stayed with him and took a few days off from school. It was weird how Harry seemed to have changed just like that. Harry left the hospital with a few scars and his arm in a sling. Sarah remembered that it had been about a month since that day and Harry’s arm still hadn’t healed fully. She figured that it was the magic that he had faced that was causing such a long recovery or maybe it was just the doctors. He still wore the sling that they gave him because he had difficulty using his arm. Harry had been different ever since.

“Yeah, I need to ask you to do something for me. That day, when I fought Malfoy and passed out, changed me a little. You’ve probably noticed. I can’t really explain it, but something tells me that I must go back to England. It was wrong for me to run away from everyone, and I know that now. I only made things worse for those who were close to me. I need to go back, and I would like you to come with me. I know that it’s asking a lot from you, but it’s very important to me.� Harry explained the situation carefully and watched her to try and guess what she was feeling.

“Wow, well, this explains a lot. You waited this long to tell me? Yeah, of course, I’ll go back with you. I just have one question though: why are you asking me to come with you?� Sarah looked at Harry thoughtfully.

“Because, you were there for me when I needed someone to be there. You’ve become my closest friend here. You were someone who listened to me and believed in me. You helped me. I’m afraid for you and what you don’t know about how much danger you’re in by just being my friend. I’m afraid that if you do not come with me, and learn, then we’ll both be taken off guard. And I don’t mean to scare you; I’m just telling you the truth. You mean so much to me and putting you in danger is not what I intended to do. For this, I’m truly sorry. That’s why I want you to come with me, not because you’re in danger, but because you are my friend,� Harry explained.

“Harry, I don’t think I’ve had a better friend my whole life. I’ll go with you and there is no need to apologize to me. You’ve been blaming yourself too much for things that you cannot control. You just need to let things happen as they’re meant to happen. So, when do we leave?� Sarah asked him because she admitted to herself that it would definitely be cool to see Harry’s world. She was actually very excited about the opportunity. Harry just laughed at her enthusiasm.

“Well, we can go tomorrow if you really want to or we can wait a few days.� Harry really was shocked that Sarah was so excited.

“Then what are we standing around here for? Help me get packed and then you can do your little disappearing act with me. Then we can go tell my parents that we’re going to visit your ‘family’ in England. C’mon, let’s go, move it, buddy! This is going to be wicked fun!� She jumped up and ran into another room. Harry was laughing so hard as he followed her. He thought of how interesting it was going to be introducing Sarah to all his old friends.

* * *
After they had finished packing, Harry Disapparated with Sarah back to his room at the Inn. Sarah had never done that with him before so Harry guessed that she must have been a little shaken up. Harry held her up as they hit the ground and then she walked over to a chair looking a little dizzy. Harry remembered his first time using that method of travel and fully understood what she was feeling. She looked up at him and he saw her face light up again.

“That was so cool! I can’t believe that we traveled here in just a couple seconds. Is this how we’re going to England, too? What if my parents ask about my car? What happens—� Harry cut her off.

“Relax, Sarah. I’ve already figured everything out. Yes, we are using Apparation to go to England and we’ll tell your parents that I picked you up from school using my car. If they ask why, we’ll just tell them that your car was too small to fit all of your luggage and you needed to use my pickup. Problem solved,� Harry explained clearly, and hoped that his plan would work. He wasn’t sure about how they would convince Sarah’s parents to let her go back to England with him, but he would try everything he could think of.

“Oh, good plan and I really need to calm down a little, huh? It’s just that I’m so excited that you’ve made the decision to go back and see the people that you care about. I’m also so honored that you want to take me along with you. Okay, I supposed that it’s time to go see my parents—this ought to be interesting,� she laughed.

“Alright, let’s go then because I’m already packed. Maybe I’ll take you and your parents out to dinner tonight and we can tell them then? I think that’s a good idea,� suggested Harry. Hopefully, a nice gesture would help to convince Sarah’s parents.

“That’s a great idea, Harry. I know the perfect place to go, too. There’s a little place just down the street that we used to go to all of the time when I was younger and the food and service is excellent. I’ll call my parents now and tell them to be ready by about seven o’clock. That gives them some time to get ready because it’s only five thirty now.�

Sarah ran over to the phone and Harry heard her talking to her parents about how the last week of school was and where they were going to eat tonight. Harry walked into his little kitchen and boiled some water. He would have tea and he knew that Sarah would want hot chocolate because whenever he offered tea to her, she always asked if he had any hot chocolate mix. Harry laughed at this thought as he searched around the kitchen for the cream and sugar. He had a long night ahead of him and didn’t even want to think about the Weasley’s reaction when he showed up on their doorstep tomorrow.

“Well, they said that they’d love to go out to dinner with us and will meet us at the front doors to the inn around quarter to seven. I can’t even imagine the looks on their faces when I tell them that I’m going to England. Oooh, are you boiling water?� Sarah asked Harry, eyeing the kettle on the stove, “Can I have some hot chocolate? I love hot chocolate.�

“Gee, how did I guess that you’d want that instead of tea? Of course, you can have some hot chocolate. I’ve already got a packet out for you and there are some marshmallows over in the cabinet by the toaster. Help yourself.� Harry chuckled because Sarah was so predictable sometimes.

They sat down and talked while they drank. Harry told Sarah about the Weasley’s and how he used to look forward to visiting them every year just to get away from his crazy aunt and uncle. Then he remembered how Aunt Petunia and Dudley actually visited him while he was in St. Mungo’s and he wondered why they actually cared for him after all those years of torturing him. Sarah suggested that they had finally discovered what a remarkable person Harry was and came their senses. After saying this, she had to wait a while for Harry to calm down from laughing so hard, but Sarah didn’t understand what was so funny. Harry specifically told Sarah about Ron and Hermione and joked about how they were probably married by now.

Sarah could tell that Harry cared about these people very much and considered herself lucky that he was sharing all of this with her. No one had ever done this for her and she decided that she would help Harry as much as she could to let him be happy again. Sarah looked around at her surroundings and found that Harry’s living area was quite normal. There weren’t really and magical things at all but then she noticed a couple pictures on the mantel in the other room. She got up and walked over to them and discovered that they were actually moving. The people in the pictures were in fact smiling and waving to her. She felt Harry’s hand on her shoulder and turned around.

“Who are these people? They all look so happy and look, that must be you when you were younger,� Sarah laughed. Harry pointed to the pictures and told her who they were.

“Yeah, that’s me, with Ron and Hermione. And that one there is my dad, his friend Remus Lupin, and my godfather Sirius. That one is my dad, and Sirius is holding me as a baby. The one next to that is the picture of my mother and father. And that one there,� he pointed to the one furthest from the rest of them, “is Ginny and I at Bill and Fleur’s wedding.� Harry looked at the pictures and wondered why they had brought him relief just looking at them.

“Wow, you look just like your father, but have your mother’s eyes,� Sarah pointed out.

“You are like the millionth person to say that, but I haven’t heard it in a while,� Harry chuckled.

“Oh, well, I just thought I’d say that because it’s true, you know. These moving pictures are really cool though,� Sarah stated still looking at them.

“Well, you know how I like to try and make my things ‘really cool,’� Harry mocked. Sarah took a pillow from the couch and hit him with it, being careful not to hit his injured arm.

“Hey, that’s not fair; I only have one arm to fight with!� Harry announced. He looked for a solution for his problem and finally pulled out his wand. He made another pillow hit her softly several times and she finally surrendered to him. They both collapsed on the couch laughing. Finally, Sarah stood up and put her hands on her hips as if she was about to act like a mother scolding her child.

“It’s getting close to 6:45 and we should be heading out. C’mon, stop fooling around you big kid and let’s go before I send you to bed without dinner,� Sarah commanded.

“Okay, Mommy, but you won’t get very far without me because I’m paying,� Harry replied. Sarah pretended to act irritated, but failed. She wasn’t a very good actress and couldn’t hide her amusement at Harry’s comeback. She took his hand and together they walked out the door toward the front doors to the inn.

* * *
They met Sarah’s parents at the doors and enjoyed a nice dinner at the restaurant. About halfway through the dinner Sarah told her parents that she had something important to tell them. Mr. Pabden’s reaction to Sarah saying this was priceless.

“You two aren’t getting married are you? Because you’ve been spending an awful lot of time with each other?� he asked. Harry actually choked a little on his food and Sarah was laughing so hard that everyone around them was now looking at them. Mrs. Pabden, however, seemed oddly excited.

“No, Dad, James and I are not even dating—we’re just friends. Jeesh, jump to conclusions next time why don’t you?� Sarah said sarcastically.

“Sorry, sorry, continue then I guess.� Bob turned red a little and stared down at his meal bracing himself for the “big� news.

“Well, James is going back to England for the summer and has invited me to go along with him. I told him that I would go because it’s really important to him and it’s a great opportunity for me. Now I’m going to go but I was hoping to get your permission because it would make me feel a lot better. I know that it’s not the best time to be traveling and everything, but I assure you that I will be with James and his family the whole time. I’ll call you all the time so you don’t have to worry about me. What do you think?� In Harry’s opinion she had done very well by making sure that they knew that she’d be safe. He only hoped that she would be successful in convincing them.

“Wow, um, okay then. When are you leaving?� Bob asked and turned to his wife for suggestions. She just shook her head as if to say that it was his decision. He looked back at Sarah looking for an answer.

“Well, we were hoping to leave tomorrow morning so we could get there at a reasonable time. James hasn’t seen his family and friends in a long time, so it will be good for him. I’ll call you when we get there to tell you that we had a safe trip. Please can I go?� Sarah looked to Harry for help but he just smiled because he knew that she had probably convinced them already. Reluctantly, she turned back to her parents and smiled at them brightly to show them how much she wanted to go. Surprisingly, it was her mother that spoke.

“Well, of course you can go, honey. It sounds like a fantastic time and if Bob and I weren’t so busy with the Inn, we’d probably go with you. Just tell us how you’re getting there and when you’re leaving.� Mrs. Pabden added. Sarah had no choice but to lie in order to protect Harry’s secret. She told her that they were traveling by airplane and leaving around 8:00 A.M. She would call them as soon as they reached where they were staying.

After dessert, Sarah and Harry said goodbye to her parents and went back to Harry’s room at the Inn. Harry didn’t sleep much that night because thoughts of the Weasley’s reactions when he showed up on their doorstep kept running through his mind. It had been about a year and a half since he had seen them and was nervous to return to the place where he had longed to go every summer.

When morning finally came, he was disturbed by the telephone ringing. He picked it up and found that it was only someone trying to sell him something. They said something about water resistant soap and he hung up after they said “lifetime guarantee.� A glance toward the clock told him that it was almost 7:30. He went into the other room to find that Sarah was already awake and sitting on the bed looking through a photo album. She quickly put it back in its spot when she saw Harry, but Harry didn’t mind. They finished up some last minute packing and then Harry shrunk the luggage so it could fit in his pocket. Then he changed his appearance back to normal so the Weasley’s could actually recognize him.

“Ready?� he asked Sarah.

“Ready if you are,� she responded.

“Okay, then let’s go!� He took her hand and she held onto him tightly. He turned on the spot and the next thing he knew, he was standing in a grassy area face to face with a tall young man with flaming red hair.

“‘Cause when I look to the sky
Something tells me you're here with me
And you make everything alright
And when I feel like I'm lost
Something tells me you're here with me
And I can always find my way when you are here�

Lyrics to "When I Look to the Sky" by Train

Disclaimer- I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter Nine- Home

At once, Harry recognized Ron, but Ron barely looked at Harry before he jumped back and pulled out his wand. He pointed his wand at Harry and was just about to attack him when he finally realized who he was. Ron lowered his wand and walked back toward Harry as if to get a better look at him.

“Ha…Harry? Is it really you?� Ron looked very confused.

“Yeah, it’s me. I…um…I guess I just had to have a little break for a while. I missed all of you so much, so I had to come back. I’m sorry for leaving like that. I won’t do it again, I promise,� Harry told him.

“Wow, just wow. We thought you died! Everyone is looking for you and there are rumors being spread about where you were and people are claiming to have seen you in places. Hermione! You have to come outside now!� Ron yelled. Harry waited with Ron and Sarah for Hermione to come out. Finally, he saw a young bushy haired woman run out into the yard.

“What is it, Ron? I was in the middle of doing someth…Harry? Oh my God, you…you’re alive?� She ran to him and hugged him. Then, as if a switch had been flicked, she randomly started hitting him. She was slapping him really hard and didn’t stop until Ron pulled her off of him, but Harry didn’t care. In his opinion, he had deserved every last hit she threw at him for leaving. Harry staggered back a little because he wasn’t expecting her to do that. Sarah supported him, and then turned to face Hermione and Ron. To his surprise, she started speaking to Hermione, who was still struggling to break free from Ron’s grip.

“Hey! What is your problem? It took a lot of courage for Harry to come back here. You have no idea what he’s been through since the last time you saw him. He’s injured, you know, pretty badly. He’s also a hero too. He got injured saving the life of a little girl; you should be ashamed of yourself. He’s had nothing but good things to say about you and I understand that it was wrong for him to leave, but, please, control yourself!� Sarah scolded.

Harry could see tears flowing from Hermione’s eyes as he held his arm carefully because she had punched him fairly hard a few times. He could see the hurt in her eyes. Ever since he had known her, Hermione had been like a sister to him. She had been there whenever he needed advice, and always tried to help him the best way that she could. Harry had not thought about the impact of his actions on Hermione before he left for Massachusetts. Now he understood and regretted that he had put her through so much pain. Harry was truly sorry for what he did and vowed to do anything to gain Hermione’s trust back. He went over to Hermione and hugged her and she cried softly into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Harry. It’s just, when you left, it hurt so much. So many things had happened and I guess it was just all too much.� She pushed Harry away, went back to Ron and he put his arm around her. Harry turned around and stared at something in the distance, hating himself for hurting his friends so much. Sarah glanced at Harry and then at Ron and Hermione.

“Okay, now c’mon. You guys were friends for years and yeah, Harry did mess up, but you know what? He realized that he made a mistake. Give him a break. And Harry, give yourself a break,� Sarah pleaded. Ron stepped forward, clearly confused again.

“I’m sorry, but who exactly are you?� he said rather rudely to Sarah. Harry turned around as soon as he remembered that he hadn’t introduced them.

“Ron, this is Sarah. She’s my friend who has helped me through a lot and has been there for me when I needed her. I asked her to come with me because she’s very special and a great person,� Harry explained, “I met her while I was in Massachusetts.�

“Massachusetts…isn’t that in the United States? Why on Earth would you go there of all places?� Hermione asked as she tried to flatten her brown bushy hair.

“I don’t know. It was just the first place I thought of. I remember reading about it in History of Magic class, I guess, because of the witch burnings. When I got there, I wasn’t sure where I was, so I asked a nice man who was sitting in the park. He was Sarah’s father and he offered me a job at his inn and a place to stay. I guess I just needed some time to think about some things. It hurt me so much to leave and I’ve been regretting it ever since. Everything just kept pulling me back here, so I finally gave in. I’m sorry for not giving you any warning.�

He hung his head and saw something just then that made him smile. Hermione had a diamond ring on her finger. He had joked about it with Sarah, but never actually thought Ron and Hermione would come to reality and realize that they cared very much for each other. At that moment, he couldn’t have been any happier for his two best friends.

“Well, I see that you two have been busy while I was gone. I guess congratulations are in order, then? It’s a relief to see that good things can happen in even the darkest of times. When did you have the wedding?� He took Hermione’s hand and looked at the beautiful ring. She blushed and Ron’s ears turned bright crimson.

“To tell you the truth, Harry, we haven’t had one yet. I wanted to wait a bit longer to see if you would come back, but now that you’re here, we’ll waste no more time. Ooh, I’m so excited!� Hermione jumped up with joy and gave Harry the warmest hug ever. Sarah smiled her brightest smile and Ron looked happier than ever.

“Harry, I was wondering if you would be my best man. There’s no one else who deserves the honor as much as you.� Ron took Harry’s hand and shook it.

“Ron, you don’t even have to ask.� He hugged him and whispered to him, “You’re getting married, man!�

“I know. I can’t wait! Jeez, Harry, you spend a year in America and already you’re starting to pick up their slang.� Ron laughed. Leave it to him to tease Harry the first day he comes back, but Harry expected nothing less from his comrade. Harry looked around and to his relief, saw Hermione and Sarah hugging. Harry thought he was witnessing the beginnings of a great friendship, as he listened to them talk.

“Sarah, I wonder…since I don’t really have a lot of choices and you seem very special to Harry, would you be my maid of honor at the wedding? I know that we don’t really know each other, but I think this could be a good chance. You must be a very special person if Harry brought you here, and I would love it if we became friends and I think you got the wrong impression of me earlier. What do you think?� Hermione looked hopeful. Sarah’s eyes were watering as if she was trying to hold back tears. Ron and Harry watched to two women in awe as they talked and they were both thinking the same thing. Will they ever understand what goes through their minds?

“Oh, wow, I don’t know what to say…�

“Just say yes,� added Hermione.

“I would be honored to be part of your wedding, Hermione,� Sarah agreed.

“That’s great! Well, we’ve got a wedding to plan. Let’s go inside, I’ve got to owl my parents, and Ron, yours are inside. I bet they’ll be so happy to see you, Harry!� Hermione said excitedly.

“Well, then, what are we waiting for? I can’t wait to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,� Harry exclaimed. Ron led the way into the house and then called for his parents rather loudly.

“Mum! Dad! You’re never going to believe this! Come quickly!�

“Ronald, enough, are you trying to alert the whole town?� Hermione laughed. It seemed that she had a severe case of the giggles. Just then, Harry saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley run into the room.

“Ron, for God’s sake, what is it? Are you…Harry?� Mrs. Weasley’s tone changed when she laid eyes on him. She gave him a great big hug and burst into tears.

“Hi, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, it’s nice to see you again.� Harry panted because Mrs. Weasley was squeezing him so tightly. Ron, suspecting that his mother had gone a little too far, pulled his mom off Harry, much to his relief. Mr. Weasley went up to Harry and firmly shook his hand.

An awkward silence filled the house as Harry stepped back toward Sarah. He looked around and found that the house hadn’t changed much. It was the same warm house that he had always remembered. Harry had both been excited about and dreading this moment, the moment when Ginny’s parents would have to face the reason for her death. This was, of course, purely Harry’s opinion and as far as he was concerned, he was absolutely right. Nothing was going to change his mind, not even Ginny herself. Ron spoke first.

“Mum, Dad, guess what? Now that Harry’s back home, we can finally set a date for the wedding!� Ron announced and he was Mrs. Weasley’s next victim for one of her big hugs as she started crying tears of joy.

“That’s wonderful, dear!� Mrs. Weasley sobbed. Next, she moved onto Hermione, then Harry again, and then to Sarah without even realizing it. She opened her eyes at last and looked at who she was hugging. She jumped back in surprise and asked, “Who are you?� This made everyone laugh, even Mr. Weasley, who did not have the slightest idea who she was either.

“I’m Harry’s friend Sarah. He asked me to come here with him and I am extremely honored to meet all of you. Harry speaks very highly of you, Mrs. Weasley. It’s nice to meet you and Mr. Weasley,� Sarah explained as she shook Mr. Weasley’s hand.

“Harry, if I could get a chance to say something, it’s very good to have you back. And it’s a pleasure meeting you, Sarah. Please, come inside, I’ll make some tea. Do you like tea Sarah?� Mr. Weasley asked, but Harry knew what she was going to say.

“Um…actually, you wouldn’t have any hot chocolate, would you? I’m not a big tea drinker.�

“Of course we have some hot chocolate, dear; I’ll go and help you Arthur,� Mrs. Weasley responded. Ron led everyone to the sitting room where he caught Harry up on the latest news in Quidditch.

“Honestly, Ron, Harry is gone for a year, and all you can talk about is Quidditch? Never mind him, Harry, I’ve been meaning to ask what happened to your arm. I’m sorry if I hurt it outside; I really don’t know what came over me,� Hermione questioned.

“Frankly, I’m surprised no one has heard yet. You see, Sarah and I went to the movies one day, and guess who also decided to go to the same theater? We were on our way out when we saw Malfoy torturing people. If I hadn’t gotten involved, he would have killed a little girl and I couldn’t let that happen. I really hadn’t used magic in a long time and when I got involved, we were both dueling pretty fiercely and both got wounded very badly. I sent Sarah away of course so she wouldn’t get hurt and when I turned up injured and a little dazed, she freaked out and brought me to the hospital right away.

“It was a Muggle hospital and they can’t heal magical injuries as well as St. Mungo’s can, so my arm is still badly injured. I’m thinking that I should probably take a trip to St. Mungo’s and get it looked at,� Harry clarified. Ron and Hermione looked speechless and surprised.

“Oh, Harry, can’t they just give you a break? Even when you’re in hiding, evil finds you. Voldemort’s dead, so why can’t the Death Eaters just come to reality and understand that? Why can’t they just leave you alone! It’s not fair! Oh, the nerve of Malfoy, strutting around acting like he owns everything. Does he think he can just walk in and control everyone’s lives? What makes him so special, anyway? Somebody really needs to teach him a lesson…� Hermione went on like this for several minutes while Harry, Ron, and Sarah watched in amazement. Harry remembered Hermione get this angry at Malfoy back in their third year at Hogwarts when she actually slapped him.

“Hermione, calm down, we’ll get Malfoy, I promise. I think that I hurt him pretty badly though, ‘cause he ran away halfway through the fight and I don’t think he would have checked himself into St. Mungo’s. Being a Death Eater may have wrecked his chances of getting in, which means that he’s probably still hurt like I am. He’s weak, oh yes; he’s definitely not as strong as he was, but he’s planning another attack and we have the upper hand this time. I’m not going to be taken by surprise again; this time I’ll be ready. Malfoy can do as he pleases to try and get to me, but I’m not going to let him hurt anyone else. I’ll make him see that taking Ginny away will be the last thing that he does to hurt me!� Harry said rather suspiciously and this both frightened and confused his friends a little while he was predicting Malfoy’s next move.

“Hold on, Harry, what exactly did Malfoy do to my sister? I thought it was Voldemort who killed her? What exactly happened that day?� Ron asked and Harry could see him fighting to hold back tears. Instantly, Harry knew he had said too much. He had not intended Ron to ever find out about Malfoy and Ginny. Harry sighed deeply because, to be honest, he still didn’t want to talk about that day. Sarah was also listening intently, but seemed a bit confused. Harry hadn’t really told her about that day in detail either. He hesitated for a moment, but was relieved when Hermione spoke instead.

“Oh Harry, we won’t make you tell us now. After all, isn’t that why you left? To escape what happened that day? It’s not fair that we ask you now; we’ll wait until you are ready to talk about it. So, what’s it like to live in Massachusetts?� Harry felt very relieved and very grateful toward Hermione. It was as if she could tell that he wasn’t ready to discuss that day yet. Sensing that Harry was lost in his own thoughts, Sarah responded to Hermione.

“Well, you know, I suspect it’s not much different from living here, minus the magic. It sure is different living without magic—� Sarah was interrupted.

“Sarah, you must know all about the non-magical world! Please, could you tell me one thing? Harry has never been able to answer this and neither has Hermione, but it has been bugging me for years. What, exactly, is the function of a rubber duck? It seems so unimportant, but yet, mysterious. Can you please enlighten me?� Mr. Weasley asked with a look of complete seriousness. Sarah looked as if she was going to explode with laughter and Ron turned bright red.

“Um, you’ll have to excuse my father; he’s always been a bit obsessed with Muggles like yourself,� Ron explained.

“No, no, it’s quite alright. I believe that the function of a rubber duck is to entertain Muggle children. You see, it’s a bath toy to make bath time more enjoyable for them. Sometimes rubber ducks can even double as squirt guns.� Sarah laughed at this and the rest of the group joined in. Mrs. Weasley walked in carrying a tray of drinks and they laughed their way through the rest of the afternoon as they caught up on time that was lost. Mrs. Weasley took pride in reminding Harry that he ought to eat more and as a result, Harry got the chance to enjoy some of her outstanding cooking.

Pretty soon, the afternoon was fading into night. Harry couldn’t help but notice how well Sarah fit in with his friends. They had dinner and Harry felt very sleepy. He was offered Fred and George’s old room and decided to turn in earlier than he would normally. On his way there, he couldn’t help but look at Ginny’s room. He stopped and stared for a few minutes wondering whether he should go inside. He put his hand on the doorknob, turned it, and pushed. Memories came flooding back to him and he found himself lost again within his own mind.

“And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am�

Lyrics to “Iris� by Goo Goo Dolls

Disclaimer- I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter 10- Trust

The next two weeks after Harry’s arrival went by quickly. Everyone at the Burrow could be found in a good mood and even Harry was happier than he had been in a long while. Harry, Sarah, Hermione, and Ron were lying in the grass in the backyard looking up at the clouds one day as Harry recalled the events of the past weeks. He had traveled to the Burrow. Ron and Hermione had planned their wedding and set the date in August. Hermione and Sarah had become very good friends. Harry and his friends had taken a trip to St. Mungo’s and a Healer had examined Harry’s arm. He found out that it would take a long time for his arm to heal because he had not seen magical medical attention right away. Harry was just glad to hear that it would eventually heal.

“Look! That cloud looks like a dog. It’s such a lovely day out,� Sarah stated.

“Yeah, it is. I missed days like this when we’re all here, just doing nothing. It’s nice,� replied Harry. He saw Ron and Hermione nod in agreement. They started having a conversation and Sarah decided that she wanted to read for a while. She got up and headed toward the house and upstairs to her suitcase.

On her way back, she glanced out the window and saw that the sky was getting dark. Wondering what was happening, she stepped out onto the front porch to get a better view. The air was getting cooler and the clouds blocked the sun from view. She saw a large dark figure on the horizon and it looked like it was hovering through the trees. Then it was joined by another figure and soon there were three of them.

Sarah stepped a little further away from the house to get a closer look and to try and distinguish what the figures were. They must have seen her because at that moment, they were advancing toward her. Sarah took a step back intending to retreat back to the safety of the house, but her curiosity wouldn’t let her. She decided to call them Shadows. The Shadows wore long, tattered, black cloaks. Their faces could not be seen because their hoods covered the place where their face would be. As the Shadows got closer to her, the air got colder. Then suddenly, they were feet away from her and she decided to run but realized this too late.

The Shadows swooped down and Sarah felt weird sensations running through her body. She felt as if she would never be happy again and that all cheer was being completely drained from her. She felt every hurtful and painful memory come back to her and they were so real. She felt herself collapse to her knees and felt the tears as they ran down her cheeks. Then she felt like she had to fight and so she pushed herself to stand up. Sarah sensed that her energy was draining and as a result, she used what she could spare to scream as loud as she could. Sarah found herself back on her knees and she looked up to see the most hideous sight that she had every seen. The Shadow had lowered its hood and where its eyes and nose should have been was just empty space. She heard a door open behind her and then heard the screeching of a car and the sound of a car’s horn. The world around her disappeared.

* * *

“Sarah…Sarah…Sarah…Can you hear me? It’s Harry; you’re safe now. Please wake up.� Someone held her hand tightly. Sarah couldn’t understand what was happening. The last thing that she remembered was that the Shadows were after her and weakening her. She struggled and thrashed in the bed where she found herself. Hands were restraining her and she calmed herself enough to look up and see Harry standing over her still holding her hand.

“Sarah, it’s alright, calm down. I understand; you’ve been through a terrible ordeal. Please, listen to me. What you faced out there were dementors. They are some of the foulest creatures on this Earth. dementors feed on happiness, leaving their victim cheerless. You have been forced to relive your worst memories. You were very strong, Sarah. You didn’t give up and didn’t give the dementors the chance to defeat you. You’ll want to take it slowly getting up because you’ll probably have a headache. When you’re ready, I’ll give you some chocolate. It really helps, trust me,� explained Harry.

Sarah rubbed her head and tried to remember what she could about the Sha—no, dementors. She had worked so hard to forget the memories that she relived that day, and now it seemed as if all of her efforts were lost. The visions just kept replaying through her mind. Then finally, she cautiously sat up and her head pounded viciously. Harry handed her the chocolate, and, not sure what it would do, she ate it. Moments later, Sarah felt about ten times better. She hugged Harry without a reason and took him by surprise.

“Oh, Harry, I don’t know where to start. It was terrible. I saw things that I had tried so hard to forget, and now, I can’t get them out of my mind,� Sarah sobbed. Harry’s eyes were filled with sorrow.

“I’m so sorry. I never meant to put you in danger. Would you like to talk about it? I’ve just never realized how much I don’t know about your past,� Harry noted. He saw the sadness in Sarah’s eyes and wished that she didn’t have to feel that way. She closed her eyes for a while and then sighed. He could tell that her story was going to be hard to tell and he was ready to comfort her whenever she needed it.

“This happened years ago. I think I was fourteen. You see, there are some things about me that you don’t know. I had a brother. At the time, he was seventeen; his name was Chris. My brother and I were very close because we didn’t really have anyone else left in our family. Bob and Andrea aren’t my real parents, but they were nice enough to care for my brother and me. I don’t remember a lot about my parents because they died when I very young, but Chris knew them. He never told me how they died though, but I only remember asking once. He told me never to talk about it again, so I didn’t.

“Anyway, Bob and Andrea have been very generous and I love them so much. My brother was driving us home from school one day and the strangest thing happened that would change my life forever. We never saw anything, but suddenly, the car was pushed off the road by some force. Investigators could never identify the source. Our car was forced off the road and hit a tree on the driver’s side. The next thing I remember is being out of the car and dragging my brother out too. I brought him away from the car onto the grass nearby and knelt down by him. I remember him telling me some things and how much I meant to him. I told him that everything was going to be okay and told him that I wasn’t hurt too badly because he kept asking me if I was alright.

“Chris looked up at me and smiled. I remember his exact words before he left this world forever. He told me to ‘Keep smiling and to always listen to your heart.’ He also said to ‘Never lose hope in people and remember that though times may be bad, always believe that things happen for a reason. Life is not random; believe that magic can happen. Goodbye, Sarah.’ That day, Chris died, but I always hope that his words will be able to live through me.

“I held my brother in my arms as he died and remember feeling very distant from the world. I didn’t even notice when the paramedics tore me away and brought me to the hospital. After that day, I went through a period of great depression, but then suddenly, I remembered what my brother had told me. I listened to my heart and started the process of living a normal life again.

“Years went by, but I always wondered what he meant by magic, and what the force was that pushed our car off the road. Then, you came along and I understood more than ever. Maybe, I’m more involved with magic than we realize. Maybe, something happened in my family all those years ago that makes my family more involved with your world than I ever knew. Besides, I never knew my parents, so every possibility is open to me right now. My brother never lied to me,� Sarah finished. She was now trying to hide her tears, and was clearly more upset than Harry had ever seen her before. She left Harry speechless. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. It was as if words could not explain how sorry he was feeling. Finally, sound came.

“Sarah…I’m so sorry. I had no idea how much pain you have been through. There I was, feeling sorry for myself and not even realizing your past. You can tell me anything, and if you ever need a shoulder to lean on, I’m always here. Sarah, maybe you and I aren’t that different. I will help you however I can,� Harry stated.

“Thank you so much. I know that I shouldn’t have kept this from you, but at the time, you needed me more than I needed you. I had learned how to deal with my problem and you were still in the process. I’m glad that I was able to finally share this with you. I think that from now on, there shouldn’t be any more secrets, unless we’re not ready to talk about it yet. You must know that I care very much about you. You are the best friend that I never had growing up. After my brother died, I was too scared to let anyone else in. Too scared to become close to anyone else and too scared to tell anyone about things that would show too much about me on the inside. All of my friends knew the Sarah on the outside but none of them knew who I truly was. You’re the first one, Harry, and I couldn’t be any happier that it’s you,� Sarah said. She closed her eyes for a minute and thought about what just happened. To Sarah, it felt as if a weight had finally been lifted after so many years of it pressing down on her.

“I understand now, more than I ever have. Any normal Muggle would never have believed my story in a million years, but you’re not normal. You and I are not so different, Sarah. In fact, we’re more alike than I ever thought possible. It could be that we met to help each other and that’s what I intend to do. We have a great connection, Sarah, and we could perhaps be used toward our advantage. I just don’t know what that is yet. Are you feeling better?� Harry asked.

“I’m feeling so much better. What’s in this chocolate? It works amazingly,� exclaimed Sarah. Harry laughed.

“It’s just regular chocolate, and we use it after dementor attacks because it makes you feel better. I don’t know why it works, but it’s the best tasting medicine that I’ve ever had.� He chuckled. Sarah finished her chocolate and then smiled at Harry. They were both thinking about how lucky they were to know each other.

Life could be hard sometimes, but at this very moment, nothing else mattered. The world stopped as Harry and Sarah looked into each other’s eyes. Harry’s eyes a striking green and Sarah’s were surprisingly two colors: green and brown. Harry couldn’t help but notice because he had never seen anyone with eyes like hers before. They were absolutely beautiful. He smiled brightly and squeezed her hand softly. Now he knew that he never had to face his problems alone again and that there was truly someone else in the world that shared his feelings. Although this wasn’t a good thing by any means, it still relieved Harry to know that Sarah was there to help him and could actually relate to his situation. For both Harry and Sarah, things were starting to look up. Sarah started to stand up and Harry helped her. She leaned on him for support as they left the room together, hand in hand.

Sarah took a seat in the kitchen as Harry conjured up two cups of hot chocolate. They sat and drank for a while as they talked. Hermione and Ron joined them a few minutes later and asked Sarah how she was doing. Sarah told them that she was fine and thanked all of them for helping her. Ron asked Harry why he thought the dementors were here and where they came from.

“I don’t really know, but I have a hunch. I think Malfoy may have sent them. He told me that he had been searching for me for a long time and he is the kind of person who would enlist the dementors to help. I just don’t know why the dementors would listen to a coward like Malfoy.� Harry reasoned.

Then he had another thought. What if Malfoy wasn’t after him, but after Sarah? What if Sarah’s destiny was greater than they all realized? Maybe Malfoy was just covering up for himself when he met Harry at the movie theater. It could not have been a coincidence that Malfoy was in the same country, state, and town as him because Harry had not told anyone where he was going. The only person that knew who he was, was Sarah. The thought that Sarah’s life was in danger bothered Harry and he forced himself to believe that it was himself that the dementors were after. He decided to express his suspicions to Sarah at a later time because Harry did not want to worry her now.

* * *

After finishing their drinks, Harry led Sarah back up to the room she was staying in. He waited for Sarah to fall asleep and then met Ron and Hermione in the kitchen again. They stopped talking when they noticed that Harry had reentered the room.

“How is she?� asked Ron as Harry took his seat at the table.

“Um, she’ll be okay, but she’s still a little shaken up. I don’t think she quite understands what happened to her, and frankly, I don’t blame her. I don’t even understand why the dementors would attack Sarah when they’re supposed to be guarding Azkaban. Am I missing something?� Harry wondered.

“Something’s not right,� Hermione added, “but there isn’t anything in the papers about the dementors leaving Azkaban, but I doubt they would put something like that in the papers anyway. You should see if you can find out anything about this, Ron. If anyone should know, the Aurors should, because someone may be trying to control the Dementors, like Voldemort did. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Malfoy.�

“You’re right; I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow. Don’t worry, Harry, we’ll figure this out. Besides, we’ve got the old team back together; nothing can stop us now,� reassured Ron.

“Right. Among the three of us, we should be able to stop this from happening again. And anyway, you know that I won’t rest right until we do figure it out. It’ll be just like our days at Hogwarts. Too bad we can’t pull all-nighters reading library books. I really missed that,� joked Harry.

“Yeah, too bad,� joined Ron and even Hermione laughed.

* * *

After inspecting the front and backyard for intruders, Harry went up to his bedroom. He checked on Sarah on his way up and she was still sleeping. He lied down on his bed and shut his eyes as he thought. He thought about the day’s events and their possible meanings and what he had learned about Sarah. He wondered why he had never sensed her story before.

He remembered talking to Ginny while he was passed out and made the connection that he was searching for. Ginny had told him that Sarah was in danger. Sarah’s brother never told her the truth about her parents. It’s possible that Ginny knew more than she let on. Just then a thought came to him that he had never considered before.

Harry rushed out of his bed and down the stairs to where Sarah was sleeping. He regretfully woke her up. She jumped.

It’s alright, it’s me, Harry. I’m sorry, but I just have to ask you a few questions. Do you think you can answer them tonight? I understand that you are tired,� Harry stated.

“Uh, yeah, sure. I’ll try,� answered Sarah.

“Okay, well, first of all, do you know what you last name is? Not Pabden, but the one from your birth parents?� questioned Harry.

“Well, Bob and Andrea told me that it was Stanley. My mother and father were Karen and Christopher Stanley. I don’t remember them that much, but my memories about them are all good,� explained Sarah.

“Do you know if your parents were from the United States?� asked Harry.

“Oh, they were definitely not from America and I wasn’t even born there. In fact, I was born right here, in England. Although I was very young, I remember moving, though because it was very rushed. My parents told my brother and me that we were leaving England because there were too many dangers there. We were gone the next day. We were only in America for about a month when my brother came home from school with the news that Mom and Dad had died. He gave no explanation and, although I did not understand, I didn’t ask any questions at the time. I’ve always wondered if the dangers that they had talked about in England had caught up with us in the States,� Sarah clarified.

Harry thought about what Sarah had said for a few minutes and came to one conclusion: her brother had definitely been hiding things from her.

“Listen, Sarah, I have a concern that I need to share with you. I think that you have a greater connection to the magical world than we realize. Have you ever made anything happen without an explanation? Is it possible that your parents were wizards?�

“There's another world inside of me
That you may never see
There're secrets in this life
That I can't hide
Somewhere in this darkness
There's a light that I can't find
Maybe it's too far away...
Or maybe I'm just blind...�

Lyrics to “When I’m Gone� by 3 Doors Down

Chapter 11-Revelation

Silence filled the room and Sarah just stared at Harry and thought for a moment. Is he crazy? My parents could not have possibly been wizards! No, I’ve thought of this before, but ruled it out immediately. Chris would have told me…He would certainly not have kept it a secret to me. After all, that’s a huge secret to keep! It would have changed my whole life…exactly! It would have probably put me in greater danger and revealed me to whatever danger Mom, Dad, and Chris had been killed by. Chris must have known and tried to protect me!

She blinked and then considered Harry’s theory further. She had made some things happen that were unexplainable. When Chris had told her that their parents had died, she found herself upstairs in her room, with the door locked, within a matter of seconds and she couldn’t remember how she got there. When she was younger, a bully was picking on one of her friends during recess and she thought about how funny it would be if the snow on the roof of the school would just fall down on top of him. Then, suddenly, the snow did fall, and she earned herself a time out for not being able to explain herself. One night, while doing her homework, she got angry because she couldn’t solve an extremely difficult math problem and the paper caught fire somehow. Andrea, dissatisfied with Sarah’s lack of explanation, sent her to her room for playing with matches. She could also recall many other instances that she never quite understood, but instead, blamed them on coincidences.

Harry looked at Sarah, wishing that he could know what was going through her mind. It had been a while since he’d asked her about her parents and he wondered if she was just pretending that he didn’t say that. She gave him a puzzling look and he waited for a response.

“Well, to tell you the truth, I had thought about that when you first told me that you were a wizard and then I put it to the back of my mind. I can’t explain some things that have happened to me, so being a witch is probably a logical theory. It would clarify my situation a lot. I still don’t understand why Chris would keep a secret like that from me.� Sarah sighed.

“Well, is it possible that he didn’t know either?� asked Harry.

“It’s possible, but highly unlikely. I always felt that he was keeping things from me and by things I don’t mean where he hid the television remote. I mean stuff like what my parents did for a living, or how dinner was always ready within a matter of seconds. He just told me that I was too young to understand and after a while, I stopped asking questions. Now, I regret not asking more, but usually my brother would get angry with me when I asked too many questions about our parents. It was always a very touchy subject,� explained Sarah.

“If you are a witch, then there must be a good reason why your brother never told you about it. I mean, my aunt and uncle thought that my parents were freaks. My parents were murdered by a very powerful dark wizard and I was told that they had died in a car crash. And I believed that for eleven years. What my aunt and uncle put me through when I was growing up was just terrible. You’re lucky that you found guardians who obviously care very much for you. However, you still have a right to learn about your past. I would like to help you, if you don’t mind,� Harry said.

Sarah just nodded. She had never heard Harry talk about his childhood before. She had asked him if he did have a good upbringing before. He simply replied “no� and then asked her how her classes were going. Sarah knew now that Harry was not happy growing up and she didn’t blame him for speaking ill of the people who were so cruel to him as a child. She could see in his eyes that Harry had faced many difficulties. Now,Sarah thought, it’s my turn to learn about my life. What has my family been hiding from me?

Sarah sighed again. Harry could see the obvious expression of sorrow on her usually joyful face. This saddened Harry. Her usually bright eyes seemed to have darkened. Her lips were turned slightly downward and the smile that had once lit up any room had faded. Harry, felling slightly responsible, took her warm hand in his and gave her a comforting squeeze. She looked up, smiled, and looked into his emerald eyes knowing that somehow, everything would be alright.

“Thank you, Harry,� she whispered. Harry stared at her.

“What for?� he queried.

“For just being here with me, helping me, and being the best friend that I never had. You know, the usual,� Sarah replied.

“Sarah, you know that I’ll always be here for you when you need me,� Harry reassured her.

“I know, but there’s just one thing that I don’t understand. How can so many horrible things happen to you, yet you still put others before yourself? How is it that when your own life is in danger, you always think of your own well being last. I mean, I love helping people, but you have risked you life time after time for some people that you don’t even know. I really admire that, Harry,� Sarah added. Harry blushed.

“Well, Hermione’s told me before that I have a ‘saving people thing’, but I just like to help people. Maybe it’s because I’ve been the victim so many times in my life that I just don’t want to see other people suffer, too. But, I really don’t know why I do it,� Harry explained.

Silence filled the room as Sarah and Harry thought. Sarah was thinking about her family and how calm Harry always was. Harry was in a regretful mood and kept thinking about all of the people who he couldn’t save. His mind flashed to Ginny, but he quickly pushed her memory to the back of his mind. Instead, Harry thought about Sarah and what dangers lay ahead for her. He found himself drifting between thoughts.

* * *

The next few days carried on slowly. Sarah felt that Harry was keeping an annoyingly close watch on her but said nothing about it. Ron did what he could to find information about Sarah’s family. As it turned out, Ron discovered that the Ministry did know that three Dementors had strayed from Azkaban. He was furious as he explained that his home had been attacked but all the Ministry could do was apologize profusely.

Hermione kept a close eye on the articles in the Daily Prophet, hoping to find news about any strange occurrences. However, she was unable to find anything out of the ordinary.

Harry showed Sarah a lot of his things from Hogwarts including his Firebolt, robes, and books. Sarah had been especially interested in the pictures that he showed her. She asked Harry was his favorite class was and naturally he told her how he excelled in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry explained the different exams that he took and how he had a different Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year. He told her about the castle, the lake, and the grounds. Harry also informed Sarah about the Forbidden Forest and what he had encountered on his journeys into it.

“I hope someday that you’ll be able to see Hogwarts for yourself. It really is a magnificent place. After all, Hogwarts was the first place where I felt as if I actually belonged. I think that you would love it,� Harry had said. Sarah had agreed with him. Then, since they were on the subject, he asked Sarah what it was like for her growing up.

“Well,� Sarah hesitated, “I went to a public school and it wasn’t too bad. I enjoyed school but I was always teased when I raised my hand to answer every question. I had a few good friends but over the years we drifted apart and I went through many different groups of friends. I don’t think that I told them that Bob and Andrea were my adopted parents because I didn’t want them to feel sorry for me. I figured that I’d rather have friends that liked me for who I was instead of people who just felt sorry for me. I think that I may have intimidated them, too, but it wasn’t my fault. And I’m not trying to boast but I was very smart and a lot of the boys thought that I was very pretty, also.� Harry laughed at this and Sarah, who was now a pleasant shade of pink, threw a pillow at him.

“What? I’m laughing because it’s true. Those boys weren’t stupid,� Harry chuckled. Sarah flushed again.

“Anyway,� she emphasized, “I was never very popular at school but to me it didn’t matter. I had a family that loved me and I constantly reminded myself that that’s what mattered. Nothing really exciting ever happened to me at school,� Sarah finished.

“Alright then, let’s go back to these boys who liked you. Did you ever go out with any of them?� Harry asked smiling. Sarah was taking off-guard but laughed lightly.

“Well, of course I did. I went out with two of them. The first one, John, took me to the sophomore semi formal dance in high school. He was very nice and when he asked me to go with him, I said that I would. A few months later as I learned more about him, I saw that he wasn’t the type of person that I like after all. Just between you and me, he was a bit of a geek,� Sarah laughed as she wondered why she ever went out with him in the first place. She decided that she was too young to know better. Harry laughed at her description and asked her about the second boy.

“Oh, well, you know, I did really like my second boyfriend, Daniel. He was the school heartthrob. You must know the type. Daniel was handsome, smart, funny, and athletic. We went out for about a year and then to my horror, I saw him flirting with a girl who I knew as Mandy. She was a cheerleader and when I saw his arm around her, I marched right up to him and slapped him right in the face. Then, I walked away and of course, he had to run after me. After some yelling about how much of a loser he was, I slapped him once more and vowed never to talk to him again. Then I told him to have a happy life with Mandy and hurried off to my next class. That day, the whole school watched as they discovered how bad my temper was. No one bothered me again and I was just fine with that,� Sarah reflected as she pictured the look on Daniel’s face that day in the hallway after lunch.

“So, what about you, Harry? I can only imagine how many girls would be attracted to your hero complex.� Sarah giggled. Harry thought and wasn’t sure why they were having this conversation. Perhaps just to pass the time as they waited for Ron to come home with any news that he could find about Sarah’s family. He shrugged and then told Sarah about Cho Chang.

“Cho was always, er, dramatic. Remember that I told you about the Triwizard Tournament? Well, Cedric, the boy who died, was her boyfriend at the time. When we went out the year after, all Cho wanted to do was talk about Cedric and every time I’d see her, she was always crying. Of course, after watching him die the previous year, the last thing that I wanted to do was talk about Cedric. So, Cho and I had some fights and then when I saw her with another guy, I was absolutely fine with it. After that, I went out with Ginny, and well you know that story,� Harry mumbled. Then he smiled.

“Why are you smiling?� Sarah queried.

“Oh, nothing really. I just pictured you slapping someone across the face. I can imagine that it would be quite funny to see,� he replied, laughing through his teeth.

“Well, if it really is that funny, I could let you experience it firsthand if you would like,� Sarah grinned. She rubbed her hands together as if she was bracing herself. Harry stood up and backed away from her with his hands blocking his face.

“Um, I don’t think that will be necessary but thanks for the generous offer. Maybe some other time…please?� Harry said as he backed into the corner. Sarah was still coming at him. Harry, feeling as if he had better do something fast, approached her quickly and started tickling her. She tried to run away, but Harry wouldn’t let her.

They fell to the ground with Sarah on top, gasping for breath as she laughed. Harry laughed with her and soon he became the target of the tickling. He thought about using a tickling charm on her but figured that would be cheating and she wouldn’t like that. The battle went on for a few minutes, and before too long, they tired out. Sarah lay down on the floor next to Harry and stared at the ceiling for a while. Harry looked at Sarah and wondered how she was so unpredictable. Harry always had no idea what she was thinking and couldn’t even begin to understand most of her actions. Then Sarah turned her head and looked at Harry.

“What are you looking at?� she giggled.

“You,� Harry replied simply. Sarah blushed and then Harry added, “Duh!�

This made both of them laugh out loud and Sarah looked into Harry’s eyes not understanding her feelings. Then they heard the door creak open but neither Harry nor Sarah turned to look at their visitor. They heard footsteps and then Ron spoke to them.

“Um, am I interrupting something?� He grinned at the sight of his best friend lying on the floor next to Sarah. Harry stood up immediately.

“No…nothing. We were just, um…well Sarah and I were just…� He looked to Sarah for help. She laughed at him.

“Harry and I were just playing. It was quite funny, actually,� Sarah explained, and then continued, “So, Ron, do you have any news?�

“Oh, right. Okay, well come on down to the kitchen and I can show you what I found. I think that you’ll find this very interesting,� Ron said. Harry and Sarah followed him to the kitchen and sat around the table. Sarah felt her heart begin to beat faster. Ron broke the uncomfortable silence.

“I’ve been doing some digging, Sarah, and today, I was finally successful. Would you like to see what I found?� Ron asked.

Sarah thought about it for a moment. Whatever Ron had found could easily change her life, but would also clear up some of the questions that she had. Then she realized that if she didn’t discover the truth now, she would most likely live the rest of her life regretting her decision. There are some things that are worth risking, and this, she decided, was one of them.

“I’ve waited my whole life to learn about what my brother had kept from me, and I’m not about to turn back now. Go ahead, Ron. Show us,� Sarah answered.

Ron nodded and opened a large envelope that he had been carrying to reveal several newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and an Internet article. Sarah, Harry, and Hermione looked through the papers. Sarah recognized the people in the photographs as the parents that she once knew. Ron started talking again.

“Sarah, I’ll tell you what I think is the truth that I’ve gathered from these articles. Your parents were powerful Aurors, or Dark wizard catchers. They aided the Ministry by catching many powerful Dark wizards. They started tracking Voldemort as he was gaining power. Unfortunately, Voldemort learned of their plans and immediately turned his attention to finding them. Your parents, fearing for you and your brother’s safety, went to the United States to hide. They tried to blend in with the Muggles, but Voldemort found them. At the time, Voldemort lacked the knowledge that Karen and Christopher Stanley had a son and a daughter,� Ron explained as he reached across the table and handed Sarah her parents’ obituary. Ron, obviously not finished with his story, started talking again.

“You see, Sarah, Voldemort never discovered that you and your brother existed until his return. Although his main focus was killing Harry, he murdered your brother about two months after he came back into power. Voldemort assumed that you had also died in the car crash with Chris, so he never came back for you. The Ministry is partly at fault for this, too, because they thought that you and Chris died along with your parents. Read toward the bottom of that obituary and you’ll see your name. You see, Sarah, the wizard world believes that you died along with your parents sixteen years ago. You were supposed to go to Hogwarts and your name was on the list since your birth. However, when the school had learned of your apparent death, they didn’t bother to send an invitation when you turned eleven. Sarah, you’re not a Muggle. You are truly a witch,� Ron finished.

Sarah stared at Ron in total disbelief. My parents? Dark wizard catchers? Murdered by Voldemort? I’m not supposed to be alive? This isn’t happening! Sarah thought. She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to take in this revelation. She tried not to panic but almost burst when Ron started talking again, to her horror.

“There’s one more thing, Sarah…and Harry. Sarah, your parents were also very good friends with James and Lily Potter. They all went to school together. In fact, Karen was Lily’s Maid of Honor at her wedding. Harry, you could have pictures of your parents with Christopher and Karen and Sarah, if you have any old pictures of your parents, then odds are the Potters make an appearance once or twice. And that’s all I could find, but I think that this clears up a lot of the questions that you had,� Ron informed.

Harry just stared at Ron and was uncertain of what to say. His mouth was half open and a look of complete shock filled his eyes. Now he was sure that it wasn’t just a coincidence that he and Sarah had met. Harry looked across the table to see that Sarah held relatively the same expression. She handed Harry one of the articles that she had been reading. Harry noticed that it was the obituary.

As Harry read, he got to the last few sentences on the page. “Beloved son, Christopher, and daughter, Sarah, suffered the most tragic deaths for their bodies were never found. It is truly sad that these two promising young children met their fate at the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.�

Harry wondered what was going through Sarah’s mind at that moment. He knew that Sarah was strong, but this was a lot to take in. There were several times in his own life that he had doubted his ability to deal with news and events. Harry found it hard to believe that a little more than a half an hour ago he and Sarah had been laughing so hard that they couldn’t breathe. Suddenly, Sarah pushed herself away from the table and left the room. Harry hesitated for a moment but then decided to follow her.

Sarah went outside to the backyard and sat against a tree. Harry followed her and sat on the opposite side of the tree. Although Sarah had undoubtedly seen him come, she didn’t acknowledge him for a while. Harry respected the silence, but when she finally did speak, he could sense her voice shaking.

“Did you know, Harry? Did you know that our parents were friends?� Sarah asked.

“Of course I didn’t know. If I did, I would have told you. I’m just as surprised as you are,� Harry responded. He tilted his head back against the tree and waited.

“Harry, I just don’t know what to make of this. I’ve gone through my whole life as a Muggle, thinking that my family died in accidents. Then, I find out that they were murdered by some guy who had the nerve to think that he could control everything. And if that’s not enough, I’m a witch, too! Is there anything else, Harry? Anything at all about my own life that I don’t know? Because if there is, feel free to enlighten me at any time!� Sarah snapped. Then she stood up and ran quickly back to the house, slamming the door on her way in.

This time, however, Harry didn’t follow. He fully understood what Sarah was feeling now. He had felt the same way in his fifth year at Hogwarts while he destroyed Dumbledore’s possessions. Harry just closed his eyes and wondered if Sarah would be all right. Somehow he knew that she would be. After all, he had turned out all right for the most part.

“I'm getting on, what's the use
You know how I get
I can't decide which is the truth
At least not yet
I got the feeling, it's you
What can be said, alone in this room
No...�

Lyrics to “Goodbye Again� by Vertical Horizon

Chapter Twelve- Dancing

Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Harry awoke the next morning with a terrible headache. The weather outside seemed to imitate how he felt. Ominous clouds floated over the Burrow and the ground looked as though it had rained fairly recently. Harry stood up groggily and held his head. He got dressed and then brushed his teeth. Feeling the pounding pain behind his eyes, he wished that he had stayed in bed a little longer. He swayed as he made to leave the room. Reluctantly, he headed downstairs for breakfast, vaguely remembering the events from the night before…

Harry went inside to find Hermione and Ron still sitting at the kitchen table. Then, he decided to check on Sarah, so he went up the stairs to where she was staying. Harry saw that her door was half open so he politely knocked on the door frame.

“Harry, please. I don’t feel like talking right now. Just go away!� he heard Sarah say. Harry leaned against the wall debating about whether to just do ask she asked. Deciding against her wishes, he knocked again.

“Sarah,� he hesitated, not sure whether he should persist, but he started to speak again, “I’m coming in. I need to see if you’re alright.�

Harry headed for the door and spotted Sarah sitting in a chair facing the window as he stood in the doorway. Suddenly, he heard a loud bang and felt a sharp pain in his face. Harry stumbled backwards into the opposite wall. Sarah had caused the door to slam on him because she was angry. This was the first time that he had witnessed her temper. Harry headed to his room after finding out the hard way that Sarah obviously was not in the mood for talking.

Harry’s head still ached from the night before as he walked into the kitchen. Hermione and Mr. Weasley were sitting around the table and Mrs. Weasley was at the sink washing some dishes. Harry grabbed a piece of toast and then went outside. He didn’t care if it was raining or not. No one questioned him as he left.

It was cool outside and by the looks of the clouds, rain was on its way. Harry found the tree that he had used the night before and sat against it. Although the ground was wet, he was relatively comfortable as he ate his piece of toast. He hoped that the food and the fresh air would clear his headache.

* * *

Sarah suddenly opened her eyes and quickly sat upright. She had been having the same nightmare that she had been getting for years. She would witness a car crash and then discover that her brother was behind the wheel. In the background, she always noticed that an evil looking man was laughing and enjoying himself. Next, she saw herself struggling to pull her brother out of the fiery mess as the man’s horrendous cackling grew louder.

Sarah would then find herself in a cloud of silvery mist. When she spotted Chris a good distance away, she always attempted to reach out to him. Whenever she got close, however, Chris would always be pulled further away or Sarah would wake up. She hated that dream.

Sarah looked at the clock. It was around nine thirty. On the previous night, she had gone through most of the articles that Ron had brought home. Sarah learned that her parents were good people. They were always willing to help if they were needed. Most of the articles were about how her parents contributed to the wizard community. They had saved numerous families from Death Eater attacks. Death Eaters, Sarah had learned, were Voldemort’s followers. As she read through more of the articles, she found herself longing to see her parents again.

Sarah stood up and then got dressed, but didn’t go downstairs. She walked over to the window and sat down in front of it again. The window overlooked the backyard. She could see the gardens and the trees. Then, she caught sight of Harry, sitting against the tree that she had used last night.

Harry looked tired and hurt. Sarah remembered slamming the door on him last night and she felt ashamed. All she wanted was to be alone, but she probably could have let Harry have five minutes to say what he needed to say to her. Harry held his head carefully and was looking down. He looked like he had a headache and Sarah felt that she knew the reason. She turned her gaze away from Harry and looked at the trees.

Sarah couldn’t help but think that something was out of place or intruding in the backyard. Although it looked the same as it had the previous night, she felt as though something was wrong. She scanned the yard over and over again but couldn’t put her finger on the problem. Maybe it was just because things were just too weird for her at the moment. Maybe she wasn’t thinking straight. She decided to tell Hermione about it later.

Sarah looked towards the cloud covered sky and wondered if Harry was thinking about the same things as she was. She wondered what would happen next and how her life would change. She had a very promising life at home. She had a wonderful family and was studying biology school. Sarah dreamed of becoming a marine biologist and traveling the world someday. Would her dreams change? She wasn’t sure of much anymore. Sarah was confused about her feelings. On one hand, Sarah was angry and sad for being denied the truth for her whole life. But yet, she was happy that her parents were good people and to be with such great company. She noticed that it had started to rain outside.

Sarah returned her gaze to Harry, who seemed not to be affected by the weather. Sarah quickly stood up, went downstairs, and grabbed an umbrella. She made her way outside. Harry never looked up as she strode towards him with her umbrella opened and held over her head.

Sarah took a seat next to Harry and shared her umbrella with him. He finally looked up at her with a quizzical expression on his face. She smiled softly and took his hand gently. Harry gave her a weak smile and looked into her eyes in an attempt to learn of her motives. He knew, however, that this was completely pointless because Sarah never wore her feelings on her sleeve. She wasn’t an open book that anyone could just read at any given time. Harry knew better than that, but yet he still tried. Then, Sarah opened her mouth to speak.

“Hi,� she whispered. That was all she said.

“Hi,� Harry responded and then another horrible silenced followed. The rain pitter-pattered against the umbrella. Sarah felt Harry’s eyes on her, waiting for an explanation, but he was being patient. She searched his eyes and found years of pain and hardships within them. She also saw whispers of love and happiness hidden within his eyes. For this, she was grateful because Harry deserved this. She knew that Harry had gone through the same things that she is now experiencing and if anyone were to understand, he would be that person. Tears started to swell in her eyes and she was very surprised. She turned away, too ashamed to look at Harry; Sarah hadn’t cried in years. She wiped away the tears with her sleeve and looked back at Harry.

“Oh! Harry, I’m so sorry! I’m just really confused. I’m not mad at you, I swear! Can you forgive me?� Sarah pleaded. Harry smiled. He gently brushed away one of her tears with his hand and nodded eagerly. Sarah grinned, then dropped the umbrella and threw her arms around him. Unexpectedly, the rain stopped and as Harry and Sarah looked up, they saw the sun through the thinning clouds.

Sarah released Harry and ran towards the house laughing. Harry followed, mysteriously cured of his headache, but now soaking wet. Sarah led him to the kitchen, although Harry knew that Mrs. Weasley would scold them for coming in soaked. When he finally caught up with Sarah, he found her standing in the doorway of the kitchen, staring at something. He followed her gaze and quickly understood. His smile quickly vanished as he discovered the source of Sarah’s confusion.

“You,� Harry spat. He was staring at someone who had brought misery into his life for years. What else was he supposed to say to his Aunt Petunia? Harry glared at this woman. Sarah, sensing his anger, quickly grabbed his arm, hoping that he’d calm down. Aunt Petunia stood up from the chair that she had been occupying and walked toward him. Harry made an attempt to leave, but Sarah firmly held him in his spot. He looked down into her eyes, pleading her to just let him go and that no good could come from this reunion, but she shook her head. Harry sighed. He held his hand up to Aunt Petunia, signaling her to stop, and to his surprise, she did.

“Harry…it’s been so long—,� Aunt Petunia began, but was interrupted by Harry.

“Save it. It doesn’t exactly take a genius to know that you don’t care anyway. It was that way for seventeen years, so why change now? When I disappeared, you, Dudley, and Uncle Vernon probably threw a party celebrating the departure of the freak. My invitation must have been lost in the mail. After all, I was just a burden that brought misery and shame into your life. Is there something that you wanted, other than to give me a headache?� Harry bellowed.

Sarah still held onto Harry, fearing that he might do something rash. His eyes were dark and his cheeks were red. Sarah could not recall ever seeing Harry this angry before. Sarah thought that whoever this woman was, she must have done something to hurt Harry. Then Sarah realized that by witnessing his tempter now, that she’d never want to be on the receiving side. She looked at the tall, skinny, pale woman who stood before her and almost felt a pang of pity toward her. Then she caught herself and the feeling faded quickly. She gripped Harry tighter. Aunt Petunia looked like she was on the verge of breaking into tears.

“Harry, dear, now I don’t think that it’s very nice to talk to her like that. Yes, she has been a little cruel in the past, but I swear that she’s not like that anymore. She’s actually turned into a very pleasant person once Vernon was out of her life. I mean, well, that doesn’t forgive her, but please just give Petunia a moment to explain,� Mrs. Weasley insisted. Harry was now very confused and turned to face Mrs. Weasley, who backed up a step. Harry could be very frightening when he was angry.

“You have something to do with this, don’t you?� Harry accused. Mrs. Weasley was just about to respond when Aunt Petunia finally mustered the strength to speak.

“Listen to me, Harry. I realize that you have a perfectly good reason to be upset and you are well within your rights to never even so much as look at me again. I would completely understand if you threw me out right now and I would never bother you again, but listen to what I must say first. To start with, I have not come her unannounced. Arthur and Molly have me over every couple of months for the day and I like to talk to them about things. Obviously, you had not known this because if you had, you wouldn’t be taken off guard like you are now. I had not been informed about your return, so I, too, am quite surprised. I have reflected on the seventeen years that you were under my watch, and I am embarrassed to say the least. I realize now that I have brought unneeded disturbances into your life, which was already difficult enough. I know that I can do nothing to change the way that I have acted and that I have made a grave mistake.

“You were a boy, not a slave put on this earth to serve the Dursley family. You have experienced true horrors that I cannot even begin to imagine and it was not right for me to add to them. I hope that someday, as far away as it may be, that you can find it in yourself to forgive me. I will, however, understand if you cannot, as I know that I probably don’t deserve it,� sobbed Aunt Petunia.

Harry was completely dumbfounded and he backed up against the wall for support. Then he shook Sarah off of him and started toward Aunt Petunia. A startled Aunt Petunia carefully backed away as if she had just seen a bear. Harry rolled his eyes.

“So, you expect me to believe that you suddenly like me? You expect me to believe that the only reason why you’re here is to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? You really think that I’d be fooled by that story? And then you have the nerve to ask me to forgive you for all the crap that you’ve given me? I’m not buying into any of this. You really must think that I’m stupid,� Harry shouted.

He had successfully backed Aunt Petunia into the corner now. To Harry, her eyes looked tired, old, and full of fear. Unknown to everyone else, Ron had actually intended to enter the room and eat his breakfast when he heard Harry’s shouting outside of the room. Ron had quickly decided that another hour’s sleep wouldn’t hurt him and he disappeared up the stairs again. Sarah was beside herself on what she should do and decided that it would be best if she did not interfere; she didn’t need Harry to be mad at her, too. Hermione, who was still at the table, looked about as disgusted as Harry, and if not for Mr. Weasley sitting right next to her, she would probably be next to Harry dishing out accusations of her own in Harry’s defense. Aunt Petunia again found the strength to talk.

“I know Harry, believe me, I know! When I saw you, lying there on that hospital bed last year, I felt very sick. At that moment, when the Healer told us that it was questionable that you would survive, I felt years of regret flowing through me. I thought that I’d never get the chance to apologize, not just to you, but for how I treated your mother and father. I was fiercely jealous of Lily. She always got the attention. Oh, my parents would notice me while she was away at school, but during the summers, they would always say how Lily was the model child and how successful Lily would be. I became mad at Lily and not my parents, who I should have been angry with. And then you showed up and I became angry at you for being Lily’s child. I know that it was wrong, and I know that I have been very selfish, but I intend to do anything to right it!

“Well, when I started feeling all of this, I knew that Vernon would never understand in a million years, so I left him and to my surprise, Dudley has never spoken to his father since then. Harry, you must believe me! I love you, Harry! I understand now, that I always have,� begged Aunt Petunia.

Harry, who had gradually been walking toward her, stopped. He shrugged his shoulders and stepped back. Then he turned to leave the room, but before he left he took another look at his terrified aunt. She looked different to him, but he couldn’t understand why. Then he stopped again and faced her completely.

“I’m sorry,� he mumbled. Aunt Petunia’s mouth fell open in shock.

“What are you talking about?� Aunt Petunia asked.

“I don’t feel the same way,� Harry replied quietly and then turned to leave for a second time. No one stopped him or followed him. He heard Aunt Petunia cry out and then he heard the noise of chairs moving. Then, came Hermione’s voice over everything else, and Harry knew that she was angry, also. He didn’t know what to think and felt that he should just not think about what just happened at all. He decided that things would be better that way. He headed upstairs to Ron’s room. It was about time that he got up, but Harry knew that he had just not wanted to get involved. He opened the door to Ron’s room and found him sitting up on his bed reading a piece of parchment.

“It’s alright, the fight’s over, you can stop hiding now,� Harry announced as he entered the room.

“Really? Uh…I mean, what fight? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t left my room all morning. I’m not very hungry,� Ron said.

“You can quit pretending, I know that I was probably heard throughout England . It’s usually that way, right?� Harry laughed.

“You bet you were loud. Harry, you have to believe me that I had no idea that she was coming; I would have warned you, I swear. Mum and Dad never told me about her,� Ron insisted.

“I believe you, and by the look on Hermione’s face, she didn’t know either. I suppose that it’s safe to go down and eat now if you’d like,� Harry responded.

“Really? It better be, because I’m starving!� Ron blurted out, “but, you know if you want to talk about anything, I guess I’ll have to wait…�

“No, it’s alright, you go down and eat, and then come back here and tell me if the coast is clear,� Harry urged.

“I’ll do that! See you in a while, Harry!�

* * *

Harry waited in Ron’s room for a while. He was looking at the old Quidditch posters on his walls when he heard a soft knock on the door. Figuring that Ron wouldn’t knock on the door to his own room, Harry was skeptical. He didn’t say anything, but waited for whoever it was to speak first.

“Harry…I know you’re in there, Ron told me that you were. Now are you going to let me in come in?� It was Hermione. Harry let out a sigh of relief and immediately went to the door. He let Hermione in, and closed the door again to keep out any unwanted visitors.

“Sorry, Hermione, I didn’t know who it was,� Harry explained.

“That’s alright, Harry, I understand. I wanted to talk to you about what just happened downstairs. I don’t think that you handled it quite right,� she said. Harry gave her an incredulous look, but then she quickly added, “Wait, Harry, before you get mad. I wanted to tell you that I don’t think I handled it well either.�

This confused Harry. He didn’t know what she had done, but yet, he hadn’t seen what happened after he left. He had heard Hermione yell, but he wasn’t able to understand what she said. He glanced at Hermione. She was obviously upset, although her face showed no emotion.

“What did you do?� Harry inquired.

“Well, you see, I didn’t know that she had been coming to visit because it seems that every time she did, Mrs. Weasley would make an excuse for Ron and me to leave the house. I am so mad that she’s been coming, especially when you’re here. I sort of lost my temper and well…� Hermione hesitated.

“Hermione…what have you done?� Harry urged.

“When you left, she tried to follow, but Sarah blocked her. She started to push Sarah out of the way, but Sarah wouldn’t budge. So then she tried harder and Sarah lost her grip. That woman started to leave but I—I jinxed her. I didn’t want to…but I didn’t want her to go after you either. I’m sorry,� Hermione explained. She looked at Harry’s astonished face and almost laughed at his surprise.

“Well, I’m glad somebody gave her what she deserves. Is she alright?� Harry mumbled.

“She’ll be fine, but Mrs. Weasley took her back to her apartment, I guess. She didn’t look happy,� said Hermione. They were both quiet for a few minutes and then Harry looked at Hermione, wondering what she was thinking. He turned to look out the window and didn’t see anything interesting. Then he looked back at Hermione again.

“I really didn’t want to see her again, Hermione. She brought back so many memories that I thought that I had finally moved past. It isn’t fair,� Harry sighed.

“I know, Harry. Believe me, I know.�

Hermione moved across the room swiftly and hugged Harry in a sisterly way. Harry patted her on the back awkwardly. Then the door opened and Ron and Sarah stepped inside. Hermione let go of Harry and ran to greet Ron. Ron laughed.

“You know, Harry, that’s my fiancé that you were just hugging. It’s a good thing I trust you,� Ron chuckled. Hermione hit Ron’s arm playfully and he acted like it had hurt.

“Well, this has been an exciting day, and it’s not even noon yet. How about we just forget that Harry’s aunt showed up and let’s enjoy the rest of the day. We don’t need to let one dark cloud spoil our sunny day,� announced Sarah. Harry smiled at her enthusiasm and was glad that she was able to be so lighthearted at times like this. He got a wonderful urge to hug her and he did just that. When they broke apart, Sarah looked bemused.

“What did I do to deserve that?� she asked.

“You just amaze me sometimes. Did you know that?�

“I had a feeling,� Sarah replied. Then she laughed and took Harry’s hand. She led all of them outside where they sat underneath a tree and talked for a while.

“How are you doing, Harry?� Sarah finally asked.

“I’ve never been better,� replied Harry, a smile playing on his lips. Sarah beamed and took Harry’s hand once again. Then, she stood up and Harry imitated her. After that, they danced without any music. They danced like no one was watching. They laughed like it was going out of style. And for just that moment, nothing else mattered.

“It ain't fair: you died too young,
Like the story that had just begun,
But death tore the pages all away.
God knows how I miss you,
All the hell that I've been through,
Just knowin' no one could take your place.
An' sometimes I wonder,
Who you'd be today?�

Lyrics to “Who You’d Be Today� by Kenny Chesney

Chapter Thirteen- Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

The next few days went by without any hint of trouble. Mrs. Weasley had tried to explain Aunt Petunia’s visits to Harry, but all she received in response was a shrug from him. Then she would sigh as someone changed the subject. The owls flew in regarding Ron and Hermione’s recent engagement and conversations often included the flavor of cake at the reception or how many people could fit in the Weasley’s backyard. The wedding would take place in just three weeks time on a Sunday and everyone hoped that nothing would go wrong.

Harry gave Sarah some of his old school books to read. Harry had disguised himself once again and took Sarah to Diagon Alley so she could get a wand. She would be learning a lot this summer. Harry would be teaching her Defense Against the Dark Arts while Hermione would help her with Charms and Transfiguration. Then Ron, Harry, and Hermione would work together to teach her the basics of everything else.

Things were going well, everyone had to agree. Sarah was able to do some basic magic after just a couple of days. Harry's mood had lightened up significantly. Hermione and Ron were acting as two almost newlyweds should act. They were nervous but at the same time, they were also exuberant. Everyone was also happy because family and friends would be coming back because of the upcoming wedding. Harry, however, was nervous because he hadn't seen most of these people in over a year and they still didn’t know of his return.

Just two weeks before the wedding, Sarah had been reflecting on a few things. Her thoughts were about her parents, her brother, and the many changes that had happened to her over the past couple of weeks. One day, when she and Harry were outside, Sarah was reading one of the books that Harry had given her. She had closed her eyes and was concentrating on her late brother. Harry noticed this and asked her what she had been thinking about.

"Oh, I was just thinking about Chris. I was wondering what he'd being doing today if he was still around. He always talked about leaving someday and how he'd go out and really do something. You know? I was thinking about how he never got that chance," Sarah replied.

"I'm sure that he would be doing something really great. He already did something amazing, though," Harry said.

"What's that?" asked Sarah.

"He took care of his little sister and helped her to be the great person that she is today," explained Harry.

"Of course, how could I forget? But still, I wish he could have met you. You guys would have been best friends," Sarah reflected.

They were quiet for a while after that. Harry understood what Sarah had said completely. He just nodded his head and she smiled. Sarah decided the change the subject.

“So, Mr. Potter, would you like to be my date to the wedding?" She beamed.

"Well...I don't know. There was this other girl..." Harry started, half laughing, but trying really hard to keep a poker face.

"Okay, fine. Be that way. Ron's got five brothers; I'll just ask one of them. Hmph," pouted Sarah.

"Good luck. Bill's married. Percy disowned his family. Fred and George are both have girlfriends, I think. That leaves Charlie and he's at least eight years older than you," Harry replied.

"That's okay, I like older men. But I'd rather go with you. I don't like blind dates too much," she teased.

"If I must," Harry replied almost sarcastically.

"I knew you would. You just can't resist my dazzling charm," Sarah grinned.

"You've caught me," he admitted.

"Ah, so I've found your Kryptonite, eh Clark ?"

"What?� Harry asked incredulously.

"Never mind," Sarah responded. Harry gave her a confusing look, but decided not to question further. She laughed at his ignorance but didn't explain. Sarah stuck her nose back into her text book and began reading again.

* * *
And so the days passed by with everyone in a joyful mood. The atmosphere at the Burrow was stressed because of the upcoming wedding, but it was a good kind of stress. Finally, a week and a half before the wedding, the rest of the Weasley family was expected to be coming at any moment. Fred and George were to be arriving around noon on that day and Charlie’s arrival was likely to occur later in the evening. Bill and Fleur would be coming on the next morning.

Everyone was doing what they usually do on any normal day. Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen making lunch. Mr. Weasley and Ron were at work. Hermione and Harry were helping Sarah with her lessons. Then Harry heard a slight rapping on the door and the sound of the door opening.

“Mum! We’re home!� Fred and George announced simultaneously.

Mrs. Weasley rushed out to greet them and Hermione followed suit. After hesitating, Harry went also along with Sarah. As he reached the front door, they saw Mrs. Weasley frantically hugging both men and Hermione also hugged them. Fred was telling his mother about their trip when he stopped mid sentence after catching sight of Harry.

“Is that you…Harry?� George blurted out.

“Yep, good to see you guys again,� said Harry.

“Well, gosh, Harry. What a pleasant surprise!� exclaimed Fred and then he and George started to finish each other’s sentences just like Harry had remembered that they used to do.

“We thought that you had died,�

“No offense,�

“But we’re glad you aren’t.�

“Dead, we mean,�

“Because that would be awful.�

“Terribly dreadful,�

“And horribly out of mood for a wedding.�

“So, when did you come back?� Fred asked.

“A little more than a month ago,� Harry said. He approached them both and shook their hands.

“Really? How come we didn’t know?� George queried.

“Er, no one else does either, so don’t feel left out,� Harry explained.

“Oh. And who is this lovely lady?� Fred inquired.

“This is Sarah. She’s a friend. Sarah, this is Fred,� he said pointing to the one on the left and then pointing to the red head on the right, he continued, “and this is George.�

“Charmed,� Fred said as he took her hand and kissed it in a very formal manner. George did the same. Sarah laughed quietly. George looked at Hermione.

“Unfortunately, our dates could not attend the celebration because they’re on holiday in the Caribbean, but they send their good intentions,� George informed.

“Well, that was very sweet of them. Tell them that I thank them,� replied Hermione.

“Alright, well enough talk. Lunch is almost ready. Come on everyone, into the kitchen. Get washed up,� Mrs. Weasley announced.

They all hurried into the kitchen for lunch. The conversation was light. Fred and George told everyone about the latest news at the joke shop. Harry informed the twins about where he had gone and realized the fact that he would have to tell his story about fifty other times over the course of the next two weeks. After lunch, they all went outside to play Quidditch, except Mrs. Weasley.

Sarah didn’t know how to ride a broom, so she just watched them. Hermione still played, although she didn’t like it. She was on Harry’s team and they played against Fred and George. Sarah watched in awe and realized that Harry was clearly the best flier out of the four. However, Harry’s abilities couldn’t match Fred and George’s outstanding teamwork and so he and Hermione lost. Hermione, who obviously was not a flier, took the blame. Harry assured her that he was just rusty and they’d get them next time. He could have sworn that he heard her say, “Yeah, when you’ve got Ron on your team.� Harry laughed at this.

Hermione, Fred, and George then went inside, but Harry and Sarah stayed out. Harry knew that Sarah would want to learn how to fly and he was right.

“Wow! That looked really fun! Can you show me how to fly? Please?� Sarah pleaded.

“Sure, let me just go and grab another broom out of the shed. Be right back!� Harry called as he ran to the shed.

Sarah looked around her. She couldn’t believe that she was going to learn how to fly. The entire situation seemed a bit surreal to her. Witches and wizards. Flying brooms and spells. She should have been used to it by now considering she herself was a witch, but the idea still astonished her. What surprised her the most was finally discovering a real and true friend, but she wasn’t quite sure about her feelings for Harry. It was in this contemplating state that Harry found her in when he returned. She was staring at the landscape around them and then she heard Harry approach. She turned and smiled at him.

“What?� Harry asked puzzled.

“Oh, nothing. I’m in a good mood,� responded Sarah.

“That’s good. Okay, so this is a broom,� Harry said as he held up an old Cleansweep.

“Really? I would have never guessed!� Sarah exclaimed sarcastically. Harry stuck out his tongue at her and she laughed. Harry put the broom on the ground next to Sarah.

“Okay, now I’ll teach you the way I was taught…er…actually that’s not a very good way to start off. Let’s try something easy. Put your hand over the broom and say UP!� Harry explained, remembering that he had to chase Malfoy in the air before he had even learned how to fly.

“UP!� Sarah cried and the broom rose into her hand at once. She grinned.

“Excellent! Now get on it and hover for a bit, like this,� he said as he pushed off from the ground on his Firebolt, hovered, and then came back down. Nervously, Sarah gently pushed herself from the ground.

“Look! I’m doing it! I’m doing it!� Sarah yelled, mocking a five-year old’s voice. Harry chuckled and signaled for her to come down.

“Okay, are you ready for something more challenging? If you can do this, you can have a cookie after dinner!� Harry teased back. Sarah nodded her head and Harry told her to follow his lead. They both pushed off the ground and Harry led the way. Sarah was doing very well and it was almost as if she had been flying for her whole life.

“Is this the best you can do, Superman? I thought that he was faster than a speeding bullet?� she shouted. They picked up the pace a bit and Sarah was gaining on Harry. Finally, she passed him and waved on her way by. Harry shook his head and added a bit more speed. He zoomed past Sarah and she muttered “show off.� They finally landed on the ground again.

“So, how did I do, Mr. Potter? Did I pass?� Sarah inquired.

“Pass? You’re a natural! Are you sure that you’ve never ridden a broom before?� Harry asked.

“I’m positive and thank you so much! I had so much fun! All of this is amazing,� Sarah remarked.

“All of what is ‘amazing’?� Harry asked curiously. Sarah smiled.

“Everything! All of the magic and flying and…� she broke off for a moment, flushed, and then she whispered, “and you.�

Harry blushed furiously; he didn’t know what to say. He stared at her with his mouth half open. The truth was that he didn’t know how he felt about Sarah. Was she just a friend? Or did he have hope for something more? And if he did have other feelings, would he want to risk their friendship? Then the hardest question of them all hit him—what about Ginny? In the end, he concluded, as harsh as it may seem that Ginny was dead and she was never coming back. She had told him so herself. He smiled down at Sarah, who was a couple inches shorter than him.

“Sarah, you are incredible, too.� Sarah beamed up at him. They were now very close to each other. Sarah could feel Harry moving even closer to her. She was as unsure as Harry was about her feelings, but she was scared that she’d mess things up between them.

“Harry! Sarah! Dinner!� called Mrs. Weasley suddenly. Sarah, who was quite frightened from the sudden shout, stumbled forward into Harry’s arms. Harry, who was unprepared to catch Sarah, fell backwards onto the grass. They were both laughing so hard that they forgot what had happened. Before they knew it, ten minutes had gone by. They were on the ground, lying next to each other, laughing, when Ron had run out to them.

“Are you guys mad? Mum’s about to send out a search party for you! Dinner’s been ready for fifteen minutes!� Ron bellowed from the other side of the clearing. Then Harry yelled back to him.

“Sorry, mate! We lost track of time! We’ll be right behind you!�

Still chuckling, Sarah and Harry followed Ron back to the Burrow where they had a lovely dinner in the backyard. After dinner, Charlie arrived and greeted everyone. Charlie was also surprised when he saw Harry standing behind Ron. He did a double take and then glided over to Harry to shake his hand.

“Harry! It’s so great to see you again! Alive and well I gather?�

“Of course. How are you doing?� Harry replied.

“Oh, me? I’m great!� responded Charlie. Then Harry introduced him to Sarah and they all went into the sitting room to chat. Sarah could feel her eyelids becoming heavier and heavier and she finally decided that it was time for bed. She headed upstairs, but what greeted her at the top of the stairs aroused her senses immediately.

There was something standing down the hall, but she couldn’t distinguish what that ‘something’ was from where she was standing. She moved a bit closer, carefully trying not to make any noises. She could now tell that the dark figure was in fact a man. Not sure what to do, Sarah grabbed her wand and was just about to speak when the floorboard creaked under her step. She stopped dead in her tracks and the man turned around quickly.

Sarah didn’t recognize him. He was somewhat tall, very pale, and had white blonde hair. He was dressed in all black robes and his wand was held out in front of him. Sarah didn’t know what to do; she could yell for help, but what if this man was someone that everyone knew? Then she would just look stupid. And so she just stood in front of the man, waiting. He wasn’t doing anything so she decided to find out who he was.

“This is stupid. Who are you? What are you doing here?� she asked.

“I could ask you the same questions,� he replied coldly.

“I asked first. Now go on, tell me who you are and what your business is in this house,� she demanded.

“Who I am is not important. What is important is if you know Potter and how you know him,� he said.

“Okay, if you’re here for Harry, I’ll go and get him then,� Sarah muttered. As she turned to go, the man grabbed her arm so tight that she could feel her circulation being cut off. “Get off of me!� she screamed. The man’s hand closed over her mouth and she struggled to break free.

“You’re not getting Potter. You’re not going anywhere,� he hissed. Sarah struggled frantically to loosen the man’s grip but her attempts were futile; he was stronger than her. She did, however, manage to knock over a vase in her efforts. The vase fell to the floor with a great crash and then Sarah heard the rustle of chairs moving from downstairs. The man held her tighter and then let her go with one of his hands. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, but then she learned why he had let go. He promptly struck her hard in the face and she fell down to the floor in a heap.

“You stupid girl! I’ll be back for you!� he spat at her. And then turned and vanished with a pop. Sarah stayed on the floor as she heard people running up the stairs. She heard someone call her name, but she didn’t want to look up in case it was him again.

“Sarah? Sarah, are you alright? Can you hear me? Say something!� It was Harry. Slowly, Sarah started to pick herself up. She felt Harry supporting her as she stood. Though there was nothing wrong with her legs, she was still a bit shaken up.

“I—I’m okay,� she murmured. Harry put his arm around her reassuringly.

“Sarah, what happened?� Harry asked.

“There was a man and…and he attacked me! He said something about you and then I told him that I’d go get you, but he grabbed me. I can’t remember what happened after,� Sarah explained. A strange expression crossed Harry’s face after she said this. His eyes narrowed and hardened in concentration. Then he started to give orders.

“Hermione and Mrs. Weasley, help Sarah. Fred and George search upstairs for this man. Charlie and Mr. Weasley, you search downstairs. Ron and I will go outside. He’s probably long gone by now, but we can try finding him. What are you all waiting for? Go!� Harry ordered. He handed Sarah over to Hermione and ran down the stairs with Ron.

* * *

It was dark outside and there was a strange fog settling over the land. Harry could barely see three feet in front of him. They searched for about twenty minutes and then Ron told Harry that it was useless and that they should go back inside. When they arrived inside the house, they discovered that no one else had had any luck either. Harry was furious, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he headed upstairs to check on Sarah.

He found her in her bedroom talking to Hermione. He leaned against the door frame and looked at Sarah. She was holding a damp cloth to her face, but he could see her smile slightly as he walked into the room. Hermione hadn’t noticed; she was still talking.

“…he’s been through some rough times and he doesn’t want to go through it again. That’s all,� said Hermione. Hermione turned around to see what Sarah was looking at. “Oh, hi, Harry. Did you find anything?� she asked.

“No. There was no one. They must have Disapparated. Sarah, do you remember what the man looked like?�

“Um…well…he was dressed in black and he had very blonde hair. He was extremely pale, kind of thin, too. He was very interested in whom I was and he wanted to know if I knew you. But when I tried to get you, he wouldn’t let me,� she recollected. Harry thought for a moment.

“Harry…you don’t think it was Malfoy? It couldn’t be. Do you think?� Hermione wondered.

“I don’t think we should rule him out. After all, he does know that I haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth. We should look into it. Next time I get my hands on him, I’ll…� Harry started to say but then looked at Sarah and Hermione’s horrified expressions and stopped. Hermione made up an excuse to leave to give Harry and Sarah some time together.

Harry went over and sat next to Sarah on her bed. He reached up to her face and pulled her hand and the damp cloth away so he could see what she was hiding. A large black and blue bruise had formed on her cheek. Harry also saw that there were bruises on her arms from where the man had seized her. He looked into her eyes which still looked scared. He touched her face gently and held her hand to comfort her.

“Don’t worry, Sarah. I’ll get this guy. I swear,� Harry promised. Sarah looked up at him. She bit her lip and sighed.

“I just hope he doesn’t get you first,� she whispered not nearly loud enough for Harry to hear. Then she hugged him and knew that Harry understood her fear.

“Inside, I built the walls
So high around my heart, I thought I'd never fall
One touch, you brought it down
The bricks of my defenses scattered on the ground
And I swore to me I wasn't gonna love again
The last time was the last time, I let someone in�

Lyrics to “You Had Me From Hello� by Kenny Chesney

Chapter Fourteen- Vows

Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

The days prior to the upcoming wedding rolled by quickly and before anybody knew it, the wedding was only three days away. Life in the Burrow was crazy. Everyone was fussing about this and worrying about that. Harry was so busy helping Ron that he barely got any chance to see Sarah during the day. Mrs. Weasley could be found in the house throughout the day muttering things to herself that sounded like “my little boy…� or “seems like just yesterday…� Hermione’s parents had come to stay at the Burrow and they were getting along very well with everyone. Everyone was pitching in to help get ready for the affair. Harry was doing his best to calm Ron’s nerves.

“How are you doing, Ron?� asked Harry.

“Um…well…I dunno,� he replied. Harry smiled.

“Relax, will you? Do you love Hermione?�

“Of course I do! I’ve never loved anyone more than her,� Ron said. Harry grinned again.

“Do you love her enough to spend the rest of your life with her?�

“Yes! You know that,� answered Ron.

“Then what’s the problem?�

“Yeah…you’re right! Thanks, Harry!� Ron exclaimed. Harry laughed.

“Anytime,� Harry assured.

Ron’s mood lightened up quite a bit after that. Harry hadn’t seen Hermione too much so he wouldn’t know what her mood was like, but he was sure that she was feeling some of the same feelings as Ron.

* * *

It was just an hour before the wedding was to be held and Sarah was with Hermione, helping her to get ready. Hermione’s dress was beautiful. It was long, white, and flowing with just the right amount of lace. She had straightened her hair with Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and it had a wonderful effect. Sarah was humming a little tune to herself as she straightened Hermione’s veil. However, she noticed that Hermione was having a tough time putting her eye make-up on because she was slightly shaking. Sarah walked around to face her.

“Hermione, are you alright? You seem a bit…edgy…� Sarah indicated. Hermione sighed heavily and looked at Sarah.

“I’m just a bit nervous, I guess. This is a really big step. I mean what if this is the wrong decision?� said Hermione. Sarah looked at her friend warmly and smiled slightly.

“It’s not the wrong decision; trust me,� assured Sarah.

“But how do you know that?� Hermione pushed the matter.

“It’s hard not to see that you and Ron are perfect for each other. You two complete each other. Although I haven’t known both of you for a very long time, it’s easy to see that without Ron, you’d be very unhappy and if Ron wasn’t with you, then he’d be sorely misguided. Hermione, you and Ron are the picture of the perfect couple, no matter how often you bicker with one another. Today is going to be the happiest day of your life! Don’t worry so much, just sit back and enjoy it!� Sarah reassured.

“You’re right. I’ve never been so sure of anything else in my whole life! Thank you so much!� Hermione exclaimed. Then she hugged Sarah and started laughing at herself for ever having doubts. The rest of the hour went by without any more problems.

* * *

Harry was standing next to Ron on the newly built altar in the Weasley’s backyard. The scene was beautiful. Rows of chairs were set up before the altar laced with exquisite white ribbon. Harry caught sight of many people in the crowd that he knew and many whom he didn’t know. Next to Harry, who was the Best Man, stood the other groomsmen Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George. Across from them stood Sarah, who was the Maid of Honor, and the other bridesmaids Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour. Harry couldn’t help but become speechless after first seeing Sarah.

She was dressed beautifully in her sky blue bridesmaid dress. Her usually straight brown hair that was often just pulled back hastily was tied back elegantly and slightly curled. The dress she wore hugged her every curve displaying her thin figure which was usually hidden underneath baggy clothing. The color, although blue, brought out the spot of brown in her deep green eyes. Harry stared at Sarah awestruck for a few moments and he was only more entranced when she smiled warmly at him. Then the music started playing and everyone stood up to face the entering bride. Hermione was walking down the aisle escorted by her father.

As Hermione reached the altar, Harry could see that she was also very pretty. Her father after hugging her released her hand to Ron’s and walked away from the altar. Everyone sat down and turned their attention to the minister performing the ceremony.

“Friends and loved ones, join with me in the celebration of the union between Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger as their lives’ paths now merge to become a singular road paved with love. You are aware of the reality of the vows you are about to speak to one another; of the responsibility that comes when a partnership is created. If there is any reason within your hearts that this ceremony should not continue at this time, I charge you to voice it now, for marriage is based in honesty and trust, and only with those things can you successfully create a partnership,� the minister began. There were no objections and so the ceremony proceeded.

“Ronald, will you have this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, until death do you part?�

“I will,� answered Ron smiling. The minister turned to Hermione.

“Hermione, will you have this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, until death do you part?�

“I will,� Hermione replied.

“Please speak your vows,� said the minister. Ron spoke first.

“I, Ronald Weasley, do take you, Hermione Granger, as my wife. I vow to you, my love and partner, to be honest, understanding, compassionate, loving, and supportive, even as I ask these things of you. May this be granted to us as long as our love shall last.�

Harry could see Hermione’s eyes start to water as she started to speak her vows.

“I, Hermione Granger, do take you, Ronald Weasley, as my husband. I vow to you, my love and partner, to be honest, understanding, compassionate, loving, and supportive, even as I ask these things of you. May this be granted to us as long as our love shall last.�

Then the minister signaled for the rings and Harry gave them to Ron and Hermione.

“These rings are a token of your love for one another. May these rings always serve as a reminder of the truest of love you hold for each other,� explained the minister. Ron, still facing Hermione, held up the ring in his hand.

“This ring is a symbol of our love. As it encircles your finger, you will remember the vows that I have made to you today,� Ron announced. Then he took Hermione’s hand and placed the ring on her slender finger. Hermione then held up the ring that she was holding and said the same promise to Ron. She then placed the ring on his finger. The minister smiled.

“May the love which has brought us together on this day last throughout eternity. By the power of love, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!� the minister finished. As Ron lifted Hermione’s veil to kiss her, everyone burst into applause and cheers. Harry was overwhelmed with joy for his two best friends. Then the wedding bells chimed and Hermione and Ron started to walk joyously down the aisle.

Harry escorted Sarah down the aisle behind the newlyweds. She took his arm and walked happily with him back toward the house. When they arrived inside, they congratulated Ron and Hermione. Harry embraced Hermione in a warm brotherly hug.

“Harry, you’ve always been there for us no matter how much you had on your own mind or how much we bickered. You’re such a great friend,� Hermione whispered to him.

“Well, I try. But I’ve learned only from the best,� Harry replied. She laughed at him and kissed him on the cheek. Then she moved on to hug her mother, Sarah, Mrs. Weasley, and whoever else happened to be in the kitchen at the time. Afterwards, they all headed to the front yard for pictures. Then Hermione asked Sarah and her mother to help her change into a smaller dress for the reception.

When Harry looked at the backyard next, he saw that it was completely changed. There were now several small decorated circular tables with chairs and a dance floor. Everyone was bustling around to find where they were supposed to be sitting. Harry decided to go outside and mingle. He said goodbye to Ron and headed for the door.

Soon he caught sight of Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody and so he glided over to greet them. Lupin and Moody stopped talking as soon as they saw Harry. Lupin grinned.

“Harry! It’s great to see you again!� Lupin exclaimed. Then he hugged Harry like a father would a son. To Harry, it was one of the greatest feelings in the world at that moment.

“Hi, Potter. Glad you’re back,� Moody said as he stretched his hand toward Harry. Harry shook it.

“It’s excellent see you again, too, Professors!� Harry replied.

“Harry, we’re not your teachers anymore; you don’t have to call us ‘professors’ anymore,� Lupin suggested.

“I know, but you will always be my teachers to me,� he responded. Lupin and Moody shrugged and smiled. Harry talked to them for a while longer, mostly just small talk, but they did have some questions for him about where he had gone. Then Harry excused himself to go and find his seat. When he started to leave, Lupin called out to him once more.

“And, Harry, next time you decide to leave for a year, drop by and say farewell! Will you?�

“I’ll do that!� Harry shouted back. Then he started off toward the head table which was rectangular instead of circular. Ron and Hermione weren’t there yet, but Sarah was there along with Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Granger. Harry took his seat next to Sarah immediately glad that he was finally able to see her. It wasn’t long, however, until Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Granger appeared and they all sat down to eat an extraordinary feast. The food was delicious and the drinks were quenching. After dinner, Harry stood up to make his toast as he was the best man. The soft music that was playing in the background after dinner stopped. Everyone quieted down to listen intently to his speech.

“First of all, I would like to thank Ron and Hermione for including myself and all the other groomsmen in their wedding. It is an honor to take part in a ceremony so special. You both look incredible. Hermione, you’re beautiful as always and becoming more and more so every time I see you. I look at Ron and I see someone who doesn’t believe his own luck. He’s married one of the prettiest, smartest, and bravest women that I’ve ever known.

“A lot of you probably wouldn’t believe this, but when I first met Ron and Hermione on the Hogwarts Express eight years ago, I believed that they were going to be mortal enemies—always bickering about something. But somewhere down the line, we all became the best of friends. We must have been the biggest bunch of misfits to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts. Ron: the tall, freckle faced red head. Hermione: the smartest girl in our year. And of course me: the kid who wasn’t being thick, but just showing ‘moral fiber.’ However, there was a turning point somewhere and that’s when I knew that Ron and Hermione would end up together someday. And look at where they are today—the depiction of the perfect couple.

“Ron and Hermione were always my best friends and will remain to be. And so, I would like to offer them my best wishes for their happiness and future together. So here’s to true love and may you always share it together forever!� Harry finished as he raised his glass to Ron and Hermione as did everyone else. Everyone clapped as Harry took his seat after introducing the next speech giver, Sarah. She stood up and everyone waited patiently for what she had to say.

“To start off, I would like to introduce myself to the many people sitting in the audience who have no idea who I am. My name is Sarah and I came here with Harry. That’s a long story though so we won’t get into that right now. When I first met Hermione about a month and a half ago, I was not very impressed honestly. Now wait, before you jump at me, let me tell you why. It’s not everyday that you get to meet someone who hits your best friend, then cries, and then asks you to be her Maid of Honor,� Sarah said. Hermione chuckled and the rest of the crowd gave a soft laugh, too.

“But that’s when I learned that Hermione is no everyday girl that you pass on the street. She’s amazing in every way that a person can be so. Soon I learned that she overwhelms her friends and family with love and care. No one else can be compared to Hermione’s brilliance and charm. She is lucky to have found Ron who is also a great person. Their love is the strongest bond that they share and it will not and cannot be broken. So I would just like to praise Hermione and Ron for allowing us to witness and take part in such a special ceremony. I wish them much joy in the future and may they forever share their love. Here’s to Hermione and Ron!� Sarah concluded. Then she raised up her glass along with everyone else.

Finally everyone applauded and Sarah couldn’t have felt any more gratified. She walked over to Hermione and hugged her and then she hugged Ron, too. After she took her seat again, the lead singer of the band announced that Ron and Hermione would now share their first dance. As soon as the tables were cleared away from the dance floor, Ron and Hermione started to walk out to it. Once the music started, the couple began to dance.

Harry looked at his two best friends in awe. Although envious, he couldn’t have been any happier for them. He watched Ron and Hermione spin around carelessly and wondered if he would ever be out there doing the same. They were whispering to each other, smiling, and laughing. Nothing in the world seemed to matter to them. The thought made Harry grin. When the song ended, more people filed onto the dance floor and Harry looked around for Sarah. Finally, he spotted her talking to Mrs. Weasley and he walked over to her. He bowed and took her hand.

“May I have this dance, miss?�

“Why, yes, you may,� Sarah beamed and then curtsied. They both laughed as Harry led her toward the dance floor.

He took her waist and her right hand in his as she placed her left hand on his shoulder. Then they spun around and danced. Neither Harry nor Sarah were spectacular dancers, but Sarah was worse by far. She had a habit of tripping or stepping on his feet, but he didn’t mind—she wasn’t hurting him.

“Oh! I’m so sorry! I’ve never been very coordinated; I even tripped over bases in softball! I’m a horrible dancer,� Sarah frowned.

“You aren’t that bad… Did I tell you that you look absolutely beautiful tonight?� Harry changed the subject. Sarah’s eyes brightened.

“No, but thank you! You look very handsome, too,� she complimented. They continued to dance along to the songs that were being played. When a slow song came on, Sarah rested her head gently on Harry’s shoulder. After the song was over, they decided to take a break. Harry spotted Charlie sitting at one of the tables tapping his foot to the beat. They glided over to keep him company.

“Are you having fun?� Harry asked him.

“Just between us, not really. Dancing isn’t any fun when you’re by yourself,� Charlie said gloomily. Then Sarah stood up and pulled on his arm.

“Then c’mon. Let’s dance! You don’t mind, do you Harry?�

“Not at all; you two go ahead,� Harry replied. Charlie looked a little nervous.

“I dunno…I’m not really a big dancer,� Charlie admitted. But Sarah just pulled his arm harder.

“But Sarah’s a great dancer so she should help you a lot. Just have some fun!� Harry reassured him sarcastically. Sarah slapped him playfully and then led Charlie to the dance floor. Harry sat back, watching the two dancing and cringing every time she stepped on him or tripped over her own feet. He was lost in his own thoughts when he felt someone grab his hand and drag him to his feet.

“Come on, Harry! Dance with me for a minute!� It was Hermione and she was laughing for no reason at all.

“Alright, okay, I’m coming!� he answered. When they reached the dance floor, Hermione started to thank him for his speech and for being a great friend throughout the years. Harry thanked her back and he understood that she was probably the happiest woman alive at that moment. Harry couldn’t remember ever seeing her so carefree and cheerful. He caught sight of Sarah and Charlie laughing and then saw Ron and his mother dancing joyously. Everyone seemed to be happy and it was contagious. A couple of songs went by and he was still dancing with Hermione and having a great time. Then he saw Sarah approach.

“May I cut in?� she asked Hermione.

“Of course! I should go thank other people, anyway! Oh, and Harry, you should go and talk to Hagrid, he’s been trying to find you!� Hermione then hurried off in the other direction after she waved to them. Harry truthfully had not seen Hagrid, but yet he wasn’t really looking for him either. He resolved to go and find him after the next song. Sarah decided to go along with him because she was interested in meeting Hagrid after Harry had told her about him. He looked around for Hagrid and saw that he was standing near the house talking with Mr. Weasley. Harry and Sarah pushed their way through the crowd of people.

“Hey, Hagrid,� Harry said to him.

“Harry! I’ve been lookin’ for yeh all night! I heard you had come back. Great to see yeh!� Hagrid exclaimed and then he hugged Harry tightly. Hagrid embraced him so hard that the wind was knocked out of him. He couldn’t help but smile was he remembered this familiar feeling.

“I—I can’t breathe, Hagrid!� Harry grunted and Hagrid released him immediately.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Harry. I’m just glad to see yeh again. How have yeh been?� asked Hagrid.

“I’m fine, you?�

“Never better. Still teachin’ at Hogwarts, though it ain’t the same without Dumbledore and you, Ron, and Hermione. Yeh know?� said Hagrid.

“Yeah, I do. We all miss you, too, Hagrid. I’ll come visit during the school year. Okay?� suggested Harry.

“That’d be great!� Hagrid agreed. After he had mingled with Hagrid for a while longer, Harry and Sarah excused themselves and went to get some drinks. It wasn’t long when Harry spotted two familiar faces. Sitting at a table not too far from them, was Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Harry introduced them to Sarah and they all started talking. Harry asked Neville what he was doing now that he was out of school.

“Well, did you know that Professor Sprout retired? I’m now teaching Herbology! It’s great!� Neville said proudly.

“That’s wonderful, Neville. You were always good with plants,� Harry praised. Luna’s spirits were as high as ever and she was just as eccentric as Harry remembered. She asked Sarah whether she had spotted any strange creatures while she was living in Massachusetts. When Sarah looked to Harry for help, he returned an expression that meant “just go with it.� After a while, Sarah and Harry left Neville and Luna.

After another dance, Sarah asked Harry if they could go somewhere quieter to talk. They walked around the house and into the front yard where Harry knew there was a small bench for them to sit on. They sat down and Sarah let out a deep sigh. She was nervous and a bit confused. She still wasn’t completely sure of her feelings for Harry, but she felt happiest when she was with him. He made her feel wanted and appreciated. He recognized her for whom she was and understood her deepest thoughts even if she didn’t express them. Nothing in the world had ever made her happier than just being with him, but she didn’t want to mess that up. But, she would rather take the risk than going on without ever knowing what could have been.

“Harry…� she began, but hesitated. Sarah didn’t know it, but Harry was feeling the same things toward her as she was toward him. He, however, did not hesitate as he gently brushed away a lock of her hair that had fallen over her eyes. He grasped her chin softly with one hand and pulled her face gently toward his. He kissed her lips tenderly for a moment and then pulled away slightly to see her reaction. Her eyes were closed and a look of tranquility crossed her face. She opened her eyes abruptly as if to ask the question “why did you stop?� Then she pulled Harry back to her and continued to kiss him warmly. When they finally pulled apart, both of them were a bit surprised.

“That was…� Harry started to say.

“Amazing,� Sarah finished. Harry nodded.

“Maybe we should get back to the party?� Sarah suggested but not really wanting to go back; she was content where she was.

“Yeah, probably. One thing though. Let’s not tell anyone about us yet. Today is Ron and Hermione’s day,� Harry said.

“You’re right. And one last thing,� she added. Then she kissed Harry once more and together they walked back to the party hand-in-hand.

---

A/N: I'm so sorry! Life has been really busy! I've actually had this chapter written for a long time, but I just needed to get around to editing and submitting it. There was lots of fluff in this chapter so if you like that I hope you enjoyed it! Also, a little side note on the chapters to come: a good amount of action coming up so that's something to look foward to. I already have chapters 15, 16, and half of 17 written so hopefully the wait won't be quite as long.

Please leave me a review! What do you like? What do you not like? What do you think will happen next? I'd love to know everyone's thoughts! Thanks!

Finally, special thanks to my friend Sean for editing this for me. For previous chapters, thanks to SnufflesIsMyIdol and AurorGirl101 for being amazing betas!

"I'm gonna smile my best smile
And I'm gonna laugh like it's going out of style
Look into her eyes and pray that she don't see
That learning to live again is killing me."

Lyrics to "Learning to Live Again" by Garth Brooks

Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter 15- Perils

After returning to the party, Harry and Sarah put forth their best efforts to ensure that they would not reveal their new found interest in each other to anyone. Every time Harry caught sight of Sarah, she was either smiling or laughing. He too was in a very happy mood, but no one knew about the internal battle playing inside of Harry's head. And so far, neither side of the feud was winning. He tried to paste on a smile, but he was better off not even trying. He shook his head.

"Sarah, excuse me for a moment," Harry muttered and then made his way toward the house and to the bathroom. When he arrived, he discovered that it was occupied, so he waited patiently. When the door opened, Ron appeared. He smiled at Harry.

"Having a good time? I certainly am!"

"Oh, yes! I'm having the time of my life. You Weasleys sure know how to throw a party!" Harry replied. Ron laughed and unexpectedly gave Harry a hug. Then he skipped back toward the backyard.

Harry entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He immediately went to the sink and turned on the faucet. He splashed cold water in his face and looked up into the mirror above the sink. Staring back at him were his own deep emerald eyes. He studied his reflection and noticed the changes that had occurred over the past year. His cheeks although pink now, were hollowed. Faint dark circles had appeared under his eyes which showed years of worn. His hair had grown longer but it still was just as unruly as ever. He closed his eyes as he leaned over the sink. He started mumbling to himself.

"I shouldn't do this. It's too dangerous. It won't end well." Then he shook his head. "But Voldemort's dead. Everything will go back to normal now." Again, he shook his head. "Normal? When have things ever been normal around me? And what about Ginny? I can't just forget her. She was everything to me."

Indeed, it all came back to Ginny and he knew that. Harry sighed heavily; he still hadn't come to a decision, but he needed one fast. If he told himself that dating Sarah wouldn't be dangerous, then he'd be lying to himself. A knock on the door brought Harry back to reality.

"Just a minute," Harry said. Then he dried his face, fixed his robes, and left the room. Before going outside, he put on a smile and grabbed two drinks. He caught sight of Sarah's warm eyes and immediately forgot his recent worries for the moment.

* * *

Miles away from the Burrow, Draco Malfoy addressed his minions. Fear could be felt throughout the crowd as his voice rang over the room.

"Comrades! I have found the mighty Harry Potter. Vengeance shall be ours. Soon he will regret taking the Dark Lord from us. We shall have the final word, not him! Cheer my fellow Death Eaters for soon we will be feared once again!" The dark crowd applauded and screamed in joy. Malfoy bowed and an evil grin crossed his face as a shadow fell over him.

"Yes, we will have our day. We only wait until the blood traitor and his filthy Mudblood wife leave first. They leave tomorrow at noon. Then, we shall strike. We will make the Dark Lord proud. Potter will soon join his dead family and friends when we are victorious," Malfoy finished. He raised his hands and the people cheered again. Malfoy stepped forward and took the hand of Pansy Parkinson.

* * *

It was nearing midnight at the Burrow and the last of the guests had finally left. Only Ron, Hermione, Sarah, Harry, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were left in the house. Everyone else had gone home already. Harry and Sarah had collapsed on the couch; they were exhausted like everybody else. Ron and Hermione were upstairs packing for their honeymoon to Italy. Everyone else was cleaning up around the yard and the house. Harry put his arm around Sarah's shoulders hesitantly and she leaned against him. Harry breathed heavily.

"Well, it sure has been an interesting night," Sarah suggested. Harry's eyes met hers.

"Listen, Sarah... I'm not so sure of all of this. It might be dangerous..."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I'm talking about us. What if it doesn't work out? Could our friendship survive that? And what about your safety? Danger seems to follow me wherever I go and it's not fair to you. Are you sure you're willing to risk all of that? Because I'm not sure that I am..." Harry admitted. Sarah's smile faded when she realized Harry's reluctance. She put both of her hands on Harry's face and pulled his gaze to hers. He tried his hardest to look away from her, but he was trapped in her deep warm stare.

"You listen to me, Harry. I've made my decision already and there's nothing that you can do to change that. I've made up my mind and I’ve already come this far with you. I'm willing to deal with any danger that comes our way. The only question left is whether you want this enough to commit. Now I know what you're going through is rough and it probably has something to do with Ginny, but you need to decide whether this is a chance that you want to pass up. I know that I don't want to," Sarah explained. Then she got up and headed toward the stairs. Harry sat for a few minutes lost in thought.

When he heard a door close, he abruptly stood up. He raced up the stairs and toward Sarah's room. He didn't bother knocking and he found her sitting on the bed smiling. Harry stopped for a brief moment, closed the door behind him, and then glided over to Sarah. She stood up.

"Somehow, I had a feeling that you would come," she smiled.

Then Harry swept her up off her feet and she threw her arms around his neck. Harry bent his head down and softly kissed her lips. She moved her hands through his thick hair. Harry moved back and found the bed where he gently let her down. Then he pulled away from the embrace, but bent down to kiss her once more.

"Good night," he whispered in her ear. She kissed his cheek.

"G'night," she said back. Then he slowly left the room and headed toward his own. He found his bed in the dark and collapsed onto it. Immediately he fell into deep, happy sleep.

* * *

Harry woke up late at around ten thirty the next morning feeling fully replenished and awake. He got up and walked downstairs where he found everyone sitting around the table eating breakfast.

"Hey you. You're finally awake," Sarah observed in a cheerful tone. She picked up her mug and took a large sip of the hot chocolate. "Want some?"

Harry nodded and took a seat next to her at the table. "Good morning everyone," he said happily. Ron raised an eyebrow at his best friend.

"You're unusually optimistic, Harry. What happened? Did you hit your head or something?" Ron teased. Harry smiled.

"Nope. I'm just in a good mood. What do I have to be unhappy about right now?"

"That's great, Harry," Hermione stated. They continued to eat breakfast and talk about things like last night's wedding and the details Ron and Hermione's upcoming trip. They would be leaving at around noon and wouldn't be back until next week.

After they finished eating, Harry went upstairs with Ron to help him finish his packing. Harry realized that he hadn't spent a lot of time with Ron since his return. With the wedding and all, both of them had been too busy to share more than just a simple conversation.

"Well, I think that's everything. Thanks for everything, Harry," Ron said.

"No problem. Hey, want to play a game a Wizard's Chess before you leave? I mean, if you have the time," Harry suggested.

"That sounds great! It's been a while since I've played. Hermione doesn't like to play it too much. It'll be just like old times," Ron responded. Harry looked at his best friend solemnly. He knew that Ron was beginning his new life with Hermione and that things were going to be very different. He missed Hogwarts and those lazy nights in front of the fireplace with his two best friends. Most of all, he wished that he could miss just being a kid because he never really had the chance.

But as he looked at the smile on Ron's face and remembered the joyous tears in Hermione's eyes, he realized that right now, everything was right. Right now, everything was okay and he didn't have to worry about anything. So with that last thought, he raced Ron down the stairs to the living room where they set up the game and started playing.

He looked across the board at Ron who no longer looked nineteen, but he looked eleven again. His hair was messy and freckles covered his young face. He hadn't grown into his feet yet and a nervous smile played on his lips. Ron was now wearing the sweater that his mother had made him for Christmas. Harry wondered if eleven year old Ronald would have ever guessed where he'd end up in the future. Harry grinned when Hermione entered the room as he heard the sound of one of his chess pieces being destroyed.

She, too, had taken her eleven year old form in Harry's eyes. She was shorter and her hair was bushier than ever. A book was in her hand titled Hogwarts: A History and she also wore a crooked smile.

"Checkmate!" Ron exclaimed and this brought Harry out of his daydream. Harry frowned as he tried to see his error. Hermione laughed at the two of them.

"You know, Harry, someday you'll beat him and he won't know what hit him," she encouraged. Harry helped Ron clean up the game and then glanced at his watch. It was quarter to twelve.

"Well, I guess you two better get ready to go," suggested Harry.

"You're right. Come on, Ronald," Hermione muttered. Harry went upstairs to help them with the luggage. Luckily, Hermione knew a shrinking charm which allowed them to make their bags small enough to store in their pockets. Then they all went downstairs to the kitchen to say goodbye.

After everyone had said their farewells, Harry walked Ron and Hermione outside where they would be Apparating to their destination. Hermione hugged Harry.

"Bye, Harry! Stay out of trouble while we're gone! We know that it's hard to do, but please try for us," Hermione whispered to him during their embrace. Harry nodded. They let go and Ron approached Harry. They shook hands.

"Thanks for everything, Harry. You better be here when we get back or I'll hunt you down myself this time," Ron teased. Then, he awkwardly gave Harry a brotherly hug. Hermione stared at the two men in amazement and felt a single tear fall from her eye. Then, Ron walked toward her and took her hand. After waving Harry a final goodbye, they Apparated together.

Harry walked back to the house and Sarah was waiting at the doorway. She smiled as he approached.

"Okay, Harry, now that they’re gone, what do you say we do a little exploring? Let's go for a walk. It'll be fun," she suggested. Harry took her hand and led her down the path.

Truthfully, he had never really strayed too far from the Burrow before; he was never allowed to. So he was curious as well. The path wandered through trees and bushes. They walked together hand in hand not really talking but just enjoying each other's company. About a half an hour later, they seemed to reach the end of the small winding path. There was a little house which looked as if it had been abandoned long ago.

Harry approached the front of it cautiously with Sarah right behind him. He grabbed the doorknob and turned. It was unlocked. The door creaked as it opened to reveal darkness.

"Hello?" Harry called. There was no answer so he pulled out his wand and muttered "Lumos." The tip of his wand produced light and he entered the small shack pulling Sarah's hand. There was a small desk on the far wall which had a candle on top of it. Surprisingly, the desk looked as though it had indeed been used not recently but not in the distant past. Harry focused the light on the desk. There was an envelope lying on the surface. He looked closer at it and gasped when he saw that it said Harry on the front. By now Sarah had lost interest in the desk and had gone on her own to search the rest of the room so Harry sat down in the chair near the desk and opened the letter. It said:

My Dearest Harry,
If you are reading this letter right now, it probably means that I did not survive the war and you have found my secret hiding place. I knew you would as I have mentioned it once before to you. Please forgive me for leaving you during such a grave time, but I hope that I did not go down without a fight. I hope that you made Voldemort suffer greatly for what he has done to you and I hope that you will live your life to the fullest extent. Give my best to my family and Hermione, will you? And please, Harry, for my sake, do not blame yourself for this. Everything will be okay someday. Although I may be gone, my love for you will never die.

Love forever,
Ginny

Reading the letter brought back some of the pain of losing Ginny, but he did not cry. Instead he only allowed a single tear to escape, which he brushed away automatically. Then he folded up the letter and placed it in his pocket. He opened the drawers of the desk and found diaries dating back to years before Ginny entered Hogwarts. On the floor, he noticed another diary. It was the most recent as far as he could tell. He picked it up and opened it to the last written page where he read the entry:

Harry's off fighting the War right now. I'm so worried, but I understand that this must be done. I hope that all of this ends soon so we can finally settle down to a quieter life. I'm going to marry that man. I've never been so sure of anything else before. He may be stubborn and a bit over protective, but he’s the one. I can feel it.

I hear a noise, but it’s probably just an animal or something. It’s getting closer and I think that maybe I should go now. I think I hear voices. Nobody knows about this place or at least nobody that I know knows. Maybe I’m just hearing things. I’m hiding under the desk now because I don’t want them to see me if I leave and I hear the doorknob turning. This isn’t good. There’s a man wearing a long black cloak. I can’t believe it. I hope he doesn’t see me. He’s going through my things! That git! He’ll find me, so it looks like I’ll have to do something. I’m going to fight him. Harry if you’re reading this, I love you.

Ginny

Harry stared in disbelief at the letter. He had never known how Ginny had been captured but now he knew that she fought to stay. He was sad and proud at the same time. He felt Sarah’s hand on his shoulder. She had been reading with him the entire time. Sadness was in her eyes.

“Are you alright?� asked Sarah. Harry smiled. Sarah wasn’t jealous at all and in fact she showed great understanding in the matter. Harry was happy.

“I’m great. Just remind me to kill Malfoy the next time I see him. That’s all,� Harry replied. Sarah grinned. The moment didn’t last too long, however. In fact it ended quite quickly when they heard a familiar snarl from across the room.

“Well, Potter, here’s your chance,� the voice said. Harry spun around to face Draco Malfoy. Malfoy laughed at him. Harry stepped in front of Sarah protectively.

“Malfoy, I thought I made it clear the last time that I never wanted to see your face again. You can’t win,� retorted Harry. He was pulling his wand out now. Malfoy just grinned again.

“But you see, Potter, that this time I have the upper hand. I brought a couple of my pals with me. They’ve got this shack surrounded so there’s nowhere for you to run. Ah, it looks like you’ve got a friend. I think we’ve met before. You’ll be coming with me of course,� Malfoy said, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. Sarah gritted her teeth. She leaned into Harry.

“That’s him. He was the one who attacked me,� she whispered in his ear. Harry growled.

“Take out your wand. We’re gonna have to fight until I can Apparate us out,� Harry mumbled. He felt Sarah let go of him and get ready for action. Harry kept talking to Malfoy.

“I think that it’s time that you stop bothering me, Malfoy,� suggested Harry.

“Au contraire, some things will never change. But if you come quietly, we might not torture the girl before we kill her. Your choice. You’ll both die either way,� Malfoy explained. Harry crouched slightly as he readied himself for the duel that was inevitably coming.

“Sarah, stay close to me,� he warned as he began to start the attack.

“Expelliarmus!� he shouted. Malfoy ducked and it missed him by a hair.

Malfoy fired a Confundus Curse at Harry which he avoided easily. However, while Harry was preoccupied, Malfoy took the advantage.

“Crucio!� Malfoy shouted. Harry’s eyes widened with horror. He wasn’t so lucky this time. Falling to the floor, Harry endured the terrible pain that spread throughout his entire body. He heard Sarah scream and finally the curse lifted. Malfoy was on the ground, apparently unable to move. Harry stood up slowly. He was very sore.

Sarah was proud of herself. She had performed a successful Petrificus Totalus and was enjoying the effects. Harry jumped over to Malfoy. He kicked him in the side to make sure he couldn’t move. Then thinking of a better idea, he kicked him in the nose. He heard it break.

“That’s for what you did to me in sixth year,� Harry told him. Just then, the door burst open. Inside, came four more Death Eaters.

“Damn!� Harry swore. He hated Death Eaters. He ran over to Sarah and grabbed her arm. Harry took advantage of the distracted Death Eaters. Without telling her, he turned on his heel and Apparated as far away as he could think of. When they landed, Harry and Sarah found themselves standing in the park that Harry had been almost a year before. They were back in Massachusetts. Harry took Sarah’s hand and ran. He wasn’t sure where he was running to, but they ran for several minutes. Then Sarah stopped, and pulled Harry back to her.

“Harry! Why are we running? Those guys are all the way back in England. I think we’re safe. Are you okay?� she asked. Harry slowed down and caught his breath.

“I’m fine. How about you? Are you hurt?� Harry inquired concerned. Sarah nodded. She had not been hit. She was more worried about Harry because he had been struck with the Cruciatus Curse, although she did not know what that curse was or did.

“Don’t worry, Sarah. I’ve had much worse, believe me. I was once poisoned by a Basilisk and then healed by a Phoenix,� Harry explained.

“Harry Potter, you have more stories. You never cease to amaze me, you know that?� Sarah said. Harry grinned. In spite of what just happened to them, he was glad that the conversation was staying light.

“I know,� he replied.

“So what are we going to do now that we’re back in the States?� Sarah asked him. Harry shook his head. Truthfully, he didn’t know. He did know that they couldn’t stay long because Mrs. Weasley would start to worry. Harry didn’t want her to think that he had left them again.

“Do you want to visit Bob and Andrea while we’re here?� Harry asked her, but frankly he didn’t want to do that. Sarah thought for a moment.

“No, I don’t think that would be such a great plan. They would ask too many questions. Maybe we shouldn’t stay. The Weasleys might be in trouble. Malfoy probably went to the house to check to see if we were there. We should see if they’re alright,� she suggested. Harry swore under his breath—he had been so concerned with his and Sarah’s safety that he forgot all about the Burrow.

“Sarah…I think you should stay here, out of danger. Malfoy seems to be after you for some reason. When I see that the area is clear, I’ll come back for you,� Harry explained. Sarah just shook her head. She was not going to let him fight her battles.

“No, Harry. I’m coming. I’m not going to run away and let you do this alone. Don’t even think of leaving me behind, Potter,� she stated. Harry shrugged. It was against his better judgment, but he knew that she wasn’t changing her mind. She held onto his arm and he Apparated them back to the outside of the Burrow. Sure enough, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were outside dueling with the Death Eaters. It didn’t look like they were winning. Harry’s eyes darkened as he saw Malfoy up and fighting again. He was giving the orders. Harry pulled Sarah away for a moment.

“Okay, this isn’t good,� he observed. Sarah had to stop herself from saying ‘duh’ to him. Harry thought for a plan but nothing was coming to him. His eyes pleaded Sarah for help.

“Well, I see four of them over there, including Malfoy. So that means that one of them is somewhere else. We could just jump into the fight and surprise them?� she proposed. Harry shook his head.

“You’re not trained well enough to fight a fully trained Death Eater,� Harry stated.

“I’ll do just fine. C’mon, it looks like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley can’t take a lot more. Hurry!� Sarah whispered as she ran away almost into the midst of the battle. Harry was taken by surprise and he started to run after her.

“Sarah! No!� he screamed, but she didn’t listen. Instead, she cupped her hands around her mouth and started shouting.

“Hey! Leave them alone! I’m over here!� she yelled. The battle stopped momentarily as Harry had finally caught up with her. He grabbed her arm and hissed in her ear.

“Are you bloody mad?�

“No, I’m just trying to save lives here!� she snapped.

“Stay here! I’ll take care of Potter and company!� They heard Malfoy order his minions. They heard a rough chorus of “Yes, Master� and then they caught sight of Malfoy marching toward them. Harry unceremoniously pushed Sarah out of the way in order to get the upper hand on Malfoy.

“Come back for more, have we Potter?� Malfoy smirked.

“No, just coming back to finish what I started. Sectumsempra!� Harry shouted. He didn’t care anymore about the effects of that particular curse. He wanted to finish Malfoy once and for all. Malfoy seemed to know what was coming, though, and he blocked it easily.

“You’re going to have to be quicker than that, Potter,� Malfoy spat as he fired a disarming charm at Harry. Harry dodged it. He laughed.

“Is that all you’ve got? Impedimenta!� he cried. This time, it hit Malfoy square on the chest. Harry had a moment and he noticed that Sarah was no longer behind him. She was running toward the Weasleys. Harry let her go; she could take care of herself. Again, he fired Sectumsempra at Malfoy. He was successful this time. Deep cuts immediately appeared on Malfoy and he screamed in agony. Satisfied with this, Harry called after Sarah. It was too late; she was already in battle with none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry couldn’t believe it. He ran as fast as he could because he knew that Bellatrix would fight dirty.

Sarah grinned as she found that she was able to keep up with the vile woman.

“I don’t think we’ve met, my name’s Bellatrix Lestrange. And you are?� Bellatrix said as she fired another curse at Sarah who dodged it.

“You’re the bitch that killed Harry’s godfather!� Sarah shouted.

“I know, pretty good, huh?� growled Bellatrix. This made Sarah even angrier. She fired curse after curse, but nothing seemed to hurt the woman. A jet of light ran right toward her. However, at the last second, it was deflected away. Sarah turned and faced Harry. He ran in front of her.

“You don’t want to be here right now. Go help Mrs. Weasley!� he shouted to her. She nodded and ran over to see what help she could give elsewhere. Harry entered the duel with Bellatrix. Meanwhile, Sarah spotted something moving on the other side of the yard. She approached it and found that it was Malfoy. He had gashes across his body and he could barely move. Sarah was about to leave when he heard his pleading voice.

“Help…me…please…� Malfoy said barely whispering. Sarah looked into his eyes and then turned to walk away again when she felt his grip on her ankle.

“If you…help me I’ll…help you,� Malfoy bargained. Sarah started listening, but then she thought better of it. She just couldn’t trust him. After all, he had already threatened her life.

“Sorry, it’s your problem. Not mine,� she replied. Walking away she could have sworn that she heard him say “your funeral.� She shuddered at the thought. Scanning the yard for Mrs. Weasley, she saw Harry busy fighting and he seemed to be winning. She saw a shadow near the corner of the house. Sarah headed over toward it but the shadow moved. Nothing was there.

“That’s odd,� she muttered aloud to herself. Sarah heard movement behind her and she started to run now back toward Harry. Sensing the presence of another Death Eater frightened Sarah. She felt the Death Eater gaining ground on her and she wished desperately that her legs could move faster. Suddenly the ground fell out from underneath her and she felt herself hit the ground in a heap.

“Harry—� she shrieked when she felt someone’s hand cover her mouth. She bit it and tasted the blood from the flesh. A moment of freedom found Sarah struggling to stand up. She wasn’t fast enough because she felt the hard impact of a shoe with her back. She was down in the dirt again. She screamed once more.

“Silencio! Crucio!� the voice barked. Sarah only had a second to realize that this was the same curse used on Harry earlier. In the next moment she felt the tremors of pain flow throughout her entire body. When she screamed, no sound came out. The horrific pain continued. Finally, the curse lifted after what seemed like ages. She collapsed onto the muddy ground and just lay there, trembling and unable to move. Not really knowing if she had the energy to move, she painfully looked up to see Harry still dueling with Bellatrix. He hadn’t even noticed her because he couldn’t hear her. She tried to scream again but still heard silence. A laugh erupted from behind her.

“Sorry, I had to catch you somehow. Don’t you remember me?� snarled the voice. Wondering what sort of Death Eater apologizes to its victims, Sarah continued to struggle to get up. She felt some sort of spell hit her face and then Sarah felt hands on her wrists pulling her up onto her feet. She tried to flail her arms but it was no use, he was too strong. Her feet were free, though, and she kicked the man’s shins weakly. Then she kneed him between the legs and he repaid her by punching her hard in the face. She fell backwards but didn’t quite fall over. He could no longer control her. Sarah did what she could. She bit him in the arm and he let go of her right hand. That’s just what she needed.

Pulling her wand out of her pocket, she quickly realized that she couldn’t speak the incantations. Angrily, she stuffed the wand back into her pocket and then tripped the man. He let go of her left wrist and she was free. Before leaving, Sarah kicked him in the face and heard the snap of his nose breaking. Pleased, Sarah kicked him in the side once more for good measure and then ran toward Harry. He was just finishing up Bellatrix when she arrived. Bellatrix was trapped by the ropes which came from the tip of Harry’s wand. When he finished, Sarah ran into his arms.

“What happened? You were fine when I left you!� Harry questioned. Sarah opened her mouth but realized that nothing was coming out. She tried to scream at the top of her lungs. Harry quickly understood and said the counter curse. Her scream filled the air.

“Oh! Finally! I thought I’d never be able to talk again! Harry, it hurts so much,� she blurted out. Harry brushed the hair out of her eyes and quickly became outraged. Her face was covered in blood and her eye was black. She collapsed in his arms. The Cruciatus Curse had really taken its toll on her. Harry supported her and they walked over to the porch where he set her down on one of the lawn chairs. When Sarah felt her face, she felt hot blood pouring out of the wound on her cheek.

“Sarah, where did you get hurt? Is the Death Eater still there?� Harry asked.

“I think so. I left him over there,� she replied as she pointed over to the other side of the yard. Harry ran over there and he found no one. Malfoy was still where he left him and thankfully, Bellatrix was still tied up. He heard Mrs. Weasley call his name.

“Harry! Arthur’s out front with two other Death Eaters. We tied them up. Are you okay?� she asked him clearly very concerned. Harry hurried toward her.

“I’m fine. Just a few gashes and minor cuts and bruises. That’s all. I’m worried about Sarah. You should go and see how she’s doing over there,� Harry assured her as he pointed to the lawn chair that he had left Sarah in. However, when he turned to get a good look at why Mrs. Weasley wasn’t moving, he already knew the answer. Harry cursed just quietly enough so that Mrs. Weasley could not hear him. Sarah wasn’t there anymore. A quick glance in the other direction confirmed that Malfoy and Bellatrix had vanished as well.

---

A/N: Alright, I hope you enjoyed that bit of action in this chapter. As always, I love reviews and getting to see what my readers think! I really like the next chapter, so I'm going to get it up as quickly as possible. Thanks for reading!

“I'm here, wide awake again
This fear is something I call a friend
Hello again
It's been a while since I saw you here
I don't remember you saying goodbye�

Lyrics to “It’s Over� by Vertical Horizon

Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter 16- Chris

Sarah was standing on the line between consciousness and darkness. She didn’t know where she was or how she got there. She didn’t even know how long she had been there. Had it been a few minutes, hours, or even days? The last thing she remembered was Harry setting her down into the lawn chair. Struggling to stay awake, Sarah observed her surroundings. The cell she was in was dark. Her hands were chained up above her head and she was kneeling on the damp concrete floor. She felt her head ache terribly, but she couldn’t do anything about it. All of the strength in her body had left her and she fought to remain awake.

Suddenly the door to her cell opened. A man in long flowing robes glided in through the gate. Sarah recognized him as the man who had apologized to her for hurting her. She gritted her teeth. There was no way she was going to tell him anything. The man pulled a chair up in front of her so that she had no choice but to look at him.

“Well, Sarah, it has been a very long time. How have you been?� the man asked her. Sarah closed her eyes, defiant to respond.

“No, I didn’t think you’d recognize me. Maybe you will now,� he said as he took down his hood and lit a torch in the room. Sarah reluctantly looked up at him. She didn’t say anything, but she had the odd feeling that she did know him from a distant time. Shaking his head, the man sat for a moment staring at her.

“‘Keep smiling and always listen to your heart. Never lose hope in people and remember that though times may be bad, always believe that things happen for a reason. Life isn’t random; believe that magic can happen.’ Does that ring a bell, Sarah?� Sarah’s eyes shot up immediately.

“Ah, now I seem to have caught your attention. I guess the heart never forgets. Isn’t that right, my sister?� the man grinned. Fully awake now, Sarah pulled at the chains. She wanted to leave; this whole thing was a trick. A test of some sort. She was sure of it. She looked away from the imposter in front of her.

“You haven’t changed at all. You’re just as stubborn as I remember. I knew you would take a while to get you to talk to me. So for now, just listen,� he said as he pulled Sarah’s face around to meet his. “Whatever that man told you about our parents is wrong. The Dark Lord told me that he did not kill them. They were murdered by those who you call ‘good.’ I’ve joined the Death Eaters to get revenge on those who killed Mum and Dad. Now it’s time that you join us.�

Sarah couldn’t take it any longer. She lost all of her patience with this person claiming to be her brother, Chris.

“Liar! My parents were murdered at the hands of Lord Voldemort! My brother died in my arms! I felt his soul leave his body! Everyday I have lived my life with that scene playing over and over in my head, wondering how I could have stopped it. How it could have been different. How dare you claim to be Christopher! You are lower than any scum living on this Earth!� she shouted at him.

“No, Sarah! I may not have died, but I gave my life so that you could live yours! We were never in a car crash. I modified your memory to think that we were so that I could leave. No questions asked. It was easy. The Ministry already thought we were dead. All I had to do was convince you, Bob, and Andrea. I said those words about hope to give you something to live for. I gave my life to Voldemort so that he wouldn’t take you. I made a deal with him, Sarah. I’d join the Death Eaters and in return, I’d get revenge on my dead parents and you would be able to live a normal life until you were of age. Then you would be given the choice of joining us. Once you turned seventeen, however, Voldemort was busy trying to catch Potter so he didn’t think twice about you. Of course, I never said anything and so when Voldemort died, you were still a normal girl.

“But then Malfoy found out somehow. He wanted to ‘fulfill the Dark Lord’s wishes’, so he went looking for you. Still I protected you. I told him that I didn’t know where you were, when in fact I knew exactly where you had been living for the last nineteen years. Naturally, when he found you, I volunteered to go and get you. This brings us back to the present. Now what is your choice?� Chris asked. There was no question in Sarah’s mind that he was in fact Chris. A tear fell from her eye. She cursed at her sudden bout of weakness.

“You are an idiot,� she stated simply. Taken aback, Chris stared at her. He expected many responses from her, but this one never crossed his mind.

“Care to enlighten me?� he prodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Chris, you have everything wrong. I’m not going to join the Death Eaters. And you’re going to come with me. Mum and Dad were killed by Voldemort. I have the evidence to prove it. They were friends with the Potters. Both our parents and the Potters were against Voldemort. Both were killed by Voldemort. You’re very mistaken,� Sarah tried to explain. Chris shook his head impatiently.

“You’re wrong. I don’t have much time with you. Just tell me that you’ll join. I don’t wish to kill my sister, Sarah,� Chris pleaded.

“Who are you going to believe? Some dead guy who tried to take over the world and who killed people for fun? Or are you going to believe your own sister?� Sarah begged him. He jumped up, away from her imploring gaze. He drew back his hand and punched her in the side with a closed fist. She screamed out in pain but felt his face draw close to her ear.

“Forgive me, I had to do that for both our lives,� he whispered before hurrying from the room. Sarah couldn’t do anything but put her head down and close her eyes.

* * *

Harry paced the kitchen of the Burrow repeatedly trying to digest the events of the day. All he could picture in his mind was Sarah dying just like Ginny had. He was alone in the room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were trying to contact all the old Order of the Phoenix members, especially Ron and Hermione. Meanwhile, Harry raised his hands up to the ceiling and shouted:

“What do you want from me? Have I not already given enough? Just take me instead!�

He collapsed into one of the chairs. Concentrating as hard as he possibly could, Harry couldn’t help but wonder what Sarah was thinking right at that moment or if she was even thinking at all. He hated himself for that thought.

* * *

Sarah awoke about an hour later to another man sitting in front of her. It wasn’t Chris this time. He was leaning next to the cell gate. Harry had called this man Malfoy.

“Glad that you’re with us again, Sarah. Chris has told me of your…reluctance to join my little cause. I think I can make you agree. Crucio!� Malfoy bellowed in a bored voice. Again, Sarah felt the horrible sensation of pain spreading throughout her entire body. She didn’t scream. What was the point? Finally the pain stopped.

“You bitch,� Sarah spat. Her language surprised her; she didn’t use profanity very often.

“How dare you! Chris, tighten the chains. I want her to suffer,� he ordered as he swept out of the room. Chris approached Sarah and she glared at him. As he reached up to pull the chains tighter, he gave her an apologizing look. When he started to leave Sarah could have sworn that she heard him say, “I’ll fix this.� She didn’t know what he meant. Her shoulders began to ache.

Through her little cell window, she watched the light dim. Soon it would be nighttime and she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, yet. The minutes went by slowly and they did nothing to help feed her hunger or quench her thirst. Once the sun had set, she sat in the dark, but she couldn’t let herself fall asleep. Her attention was caught by the quiet opening and closing of her cell gate. She was no longer alone. Sarah felt a hand cover her mouth. She didn’t try to scream; nothing surprised her anymore.

“Shh…We’re getting out of here. I’ve been thinking about it. I believe you now,� she heard Chris tell her. “I’m going take the chains off, so I’m going to have to move my hand. Can you promise that you won’t say anything?�

Sarah nodded. He took his hand down and she felt the chains fall off. Rubbing her wrists, Sarah stood up. She didn’t have much time to gain her bearings, however, because Chris already was grabbing her arm and leading her out the gate. She followed him down the hallway and outside. It surprised her that there were no guards at the doors. Chris must have taken care of that already. He noticed her concern.

“I made sure that everyone had drank too much Firewhiskey at dinner tonight,� he whispered proudly. Sarah nodded.

“There are anti-Apparation charms around the proximity of the building. We’re going to have to go on about a ten minute hike. That okay with you?� asked Chris. Sarah nodded once more. They went through the trees at a fast pace. Finally, Sarah breathed a sigh of relief when Chris stopped.

“Take my arm, I know you can’t Apparate. Ready?� Chris said.

“Let’s go,� Sarah replied, having taken hold of his arm. She felt herself being pulled and then her feet touched the ground again. A familiar sight greeted her: the Burrow. She started toward the front door, but noticed that Chris wasn’t following. She turned around.

“What are you doing? Come on!� she urged.

“Are you kidding? Potter will kill me on the spot,� he answered.

“I won’t let him. Now come in.�

She dragged him inside. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. She smiled as she cleared her throat loudly. Harry’s head shot up and he seemed to jump to her in one leap. Throwing his arms around Sarah, Harry tenderly kissed her lips, thanking God that she was alive. However, he quickly pulled her behind him when he saw Chris standing in the doorway watching Sarah.

“Sarah, did you know that a Death Eater followed you here?� Harry mumbled.

“Of course I did,� she responded. Harry charged at Chris, pinning him against the wall. Chris fought him back. Immediately, Sarah found herself between the two men, trying to break up the fight.

“Harry! Stop! You don’t understand. You’re trying to kill my brother!� Harry let go of Chris at once. Chris smiled.

“So…what are your intentions with my sister?� he joked. Sarah stifled a laugh, but apparently Harry wasn’t amused. In fact, he looked angry.

“What do you think you’re doing? Sarah told me that you were dead,� Harry roared.

“Look, Harry, I’ll explain,� Sarah suggested. Harry shook his head.

“No, I want him to tell me. Now you better have a good story. And be warned that I’m only listening to you right now because Sarah seems to trust you,� he growled. Chris sat down at the table and started to tell Harry everything. When he reached the part of Sarah’s capture, he added special detail.

“I volunteered to get her because I knew that I’d go easy on her. Everyone else would have tortured her so much that she’d be an inch from death. I made sure that didn’t happen. If I’d had the choice, no one would have gone to get her. But we both would have been killed if I’d resisted. I figured that this was the best way.�

“You should have never joined the Death Eaters in the first place,� Harry retorted. Chris jumped up.

“Hasn’t the great Harry Potter ever made a damned mistake before? Or is Harry Potter above mistakes?� Chris shouted as he inched closer to Harry. Harry’s temper was rising fast and his eyes darkened. Chris’ dull green eyes narrowed as he felt the anger flow.

“I’ve made several mistakes. My most recent one being granting you entrance into this house. I want you out. Now!� Harry barked pointing toward the door. Defiantly, Chris stood still in front of him. Just then they heard the screeching of a chair as it was pushed across the floor. Sarah had been leaning against it, but now she was in heap on the floor. Harry had completely forgotten about her. Pushing Chris out of his way, he ran over to Sarah and kneeled next to her.

“Get me some water,� he ordered Chris, who didn’t have to be told twice. Running over to the sink, Chris grabbed the nearest cup, almost spilling it on his way over to his sister. Harry took hold of the cup and splashed some in Sarah’s face, hoping that it would wake her from her stupor. The door slammed open as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came running into the room.

“We heard shouting. What’s going on in here?� Mr. Weasley demanded. Harry wasn’t listening and neither was Chris.

“Oh my! Watch out, dear. Let me help,� Mrs. Weasley pushed her way through the two young men. She held her wand out over Sarah and whispered a few things. Sarah’s eyes snapped open and her breathing was heavy. Harry worriedly looked at Mrs. Weasley.

“Do we have to go to St. Mungo’s?� he asked.

“Maybe just to make sure she’s okay. Sarah, honey, do you think you can side-along Apparate?� Mrs. Weasley asked gently. Sarah nodded. Harry jumped to his feet and faced Chris.

“You’re going to want to change your clothes if you’re coming. I can’t stop you, but this isn’t over,� he hissed. Chris nodded and Harry pointed him in the direction of his room. He would have to borrow some inconspicuous clothing for a while. When Chris came downstairs again, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Everyone was still in the kitchen preparing to Apparate. Harry had of course volunteered to take Sarah with him. No one argued. As soon as Chris appeared to be ready, they all vanished from the kitchen. Mr. Weasley guided Chris since he had never visited St. Mungo’s before.

Arriving at the hospital, Harry scooped Sarah up into his arms and rushed her to the front desk. Unsure what exactly was wrong with her, the receptionist sent them to the Fourth Floor: Spell Damage. There, they waited patiently for the Healer to come back and tell them what the harm was. Harry briefly explained to the Weasleys that Chris was Sarah’s brother. Harry told them that he’d tell them more later when they were not at the hospital. Chris paced the hallway as they waited. When he sat down, it was only for a minute and then he was back up again. Harry sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair begrudgingly.

The minutes passed by without any sign of Sarah’s Healer and Harry started getting restless. How Sarah managed to get hurt all of the time was a complete mystery to him and not one of her better traits in his opinion. He wished that Hermione was with him like the last time he was waiting for a Healer. As much as he pushed her away, deep down Harry knew that Hermione’s presence had kept him strong. Chris was still pacing and it was driving Harry crazy. He jumped up to his feet intending to tell Chris to sit, but instead he changed direction and headed toward the double doors at the end of the hallway. He needed to find Sarah. Harry couldn’t wait like he did for Ginny because if something was wrong, he needed to know now.

Passing through the doors, Harry found himself in another long hallway. He wondered where Sarah was. Above one door on the right, a sign said “EMERGENCY.� Harry had a feeling that he would find Sarah in there so he headed toward the door. When he opened the door and let himself in, a Healer ran over to him.

“Sorry, sir, authorized personnel only, please. You’re going to have to sit in the family area until we come to get you,� she said. Her name tag told Harry that her name was Michelle and she was head of her department.

“No, Michelle, I’m sorry. I need to see Sarah. Please don’t do this to me again. I’ll give you anything you want,� Harry pleaded. Michelle thought for a moment, her eyes glancing to the faded scar on his forehead.

“You’re Harry Potter,� she stated surprisingly. Harry rolled his eyes.

“Unfortunately,� he replied. Michelle laughed.

“I know your story. I guess I can make an exception this one time; you may come in if you wish. Sarah is barely conscious. You may hold her hand but I advise you not to get in our way or else I’ll have to ask you to leave. Okay?�

“Great! Thank you so much.� Harry followed Michelle into the room. She talked while they approached the group of Healers.

“She’s been put under some sort of spell which we’ve never encountered before. It’s very strange because sometimes she’s very lively and conscious. However, other times, Sarah can be quite unresponsive and comatose. We fear that she won’t be strong enough to continue these bouts much longer. Do you have any recollection about what might have caused her current state, Mr. Potter?�

Harry thought for a moment and he mind flashed to Christopher. He was suddenly very angry.

“No, but somebody else might. Excuse me, I’ll be right back,� he responded as he ran out the door before Michelle could reply. He ran full speed down the hallway and through the double doors. Just as he figured, Chris was still pacing. For the second time that night, Harry found himself attacking Chris. Only this time, he used his wand to throw him against the wall. Chris looked up, dazed. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ran over to Harry, yelling at him.

“What do you think you’re doing!� Mrs. Weasley bellowed, “This isn’t the time or the place for that kind of behavior!�

Harry pushed through her, focused on Chris.

“What spell did you use on Sarah?� Harry intimidated.

“I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.�

“You know damned well what I’m referring to. Now tell me what spell is on Sarah,� Harry shouted.

“Harry, I really don’t know what you’re getting at,� Chris tried, but Harry rounded on him again.

“It is in your best interest to tell me, Christopher, or your sister will die,� Harry cried. He didn’t even want to think about that possibility. Chris was speechless so Mr. Weasley stepped in between the young men.

“Harry, slow down. Tell me what you’ve found out.�

Harry told them about the unknown spell as they listened closely. He didn’t want to believe that Chris didn’t know what the spell was. If he knew, Sarah could be saved. However, things could become complicated if he didn’t know.

“Harry, if I knew I would tell you to save my sister’s life. I really feel helpless right now. Tell me what I can do,� Chris muttered. He really couldn’t remember when someone had had a chance to place a spell on her without his knowing. Harry pulled Chris away from the Weasleys.

“Right, fine, I’m going to have to trust you. I need you to go back to the Death Eaters. Find out what the spell is. Then come back and tell me. You must be fast,� Harry explained. Chris’ jaw dropped.

“Are you kidding? Harry, they’ll kill me,� Chris argued. Harry shook his head.

“No, they won’t. Voldemort’s not there anymore; the Death Eaters have gotten softer. Tell them that I came and helped Sarah escape and you chased after us unsuccessfully. Then suggest that you go to check St. Mungo’s for Sarah, but you need to know which spells she’s under so that you can locate her. Reassure them that you’ll be careful and then come back here. I’ll contact some Aurors to come here in case your ‘friends’ decide to follow. Now go and it’s vital to be quick,� Harry finished. Chris shook his head uncertainly but then he ran toward the elevator. Harry had the feeling that he would be successful. It wasn’t an option—he had to be.

Harry raced back toward Sarah’s room and he found the Healer Michelle again.

“I’ve sent someone to find out what the spell is. They should be back soon,� Harry said.

“For Sarah’s sake, I hope you’re right,� Michelle whispered. Harry took Sarah’s hand in his and did the only thing which he could do: he waited.

* * *

Chris half-ran toward the doors to the outside of the hospital; it was hard to avoid the people who were slowing him down. He couldn’t believe that he was going back to the Death Eaters. He considered that it was like traveling toward his own death. He now hated Harry Potter. Why did he always have to be so right? As soon as he was ten paces away from the building, Chris Apparated with a ‘pop.’

After running for a few minutes, he immediately saw the familiar sight of the Death Eaters’ hideout appear in front of him. Sighing, Chris wondered one more time why he was doing this.

“It’s for Sarah,� he muttered to himself. “It’s always for Sarah.�

He turned the doorknob to the front door and let himself inside. They really need better security, he thought. Remembering that he had changed his clothes earlier, Chris looked around near the front door for something he could wear. He successfully found one of his own black cloaks that he left there the night before because he was in such a hurry to leave. Wrapping the cloak around him, Chris took the familiar route to the meeting room down the hallway on the left. It was unusually quiet in the building which made Chris feel uneasy.

“Boo!� a voice said from behind him. He jumped frightened, but he knew that voice. Smiling, he turned around to face Kelly Reagan, a medium height young woman with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She grinned at his sudden bout of fear and she greeted him with a peck on the cheek. Chris and Kelly had been a couple for almost a year now. Chris wondered what Kelly would do when he told her that he was leaving the Death Eaters.

“Hey, Beautiful,� Chris greeted her. Kelly’s face turned serious as she stared at him.

“Don’t ‘hey, beautiful� me, Mr. Where were you last night? I was worried,� she inquired. He ignored the question, pulled her up into a warm hug, and tickled her. She squirmed a bit and laughed.

“Don’t worry about that now. Where is everyone?� Chris asked.

“They’re in the meeting room discussing how they’ll kill you when you show up. I’m scared for you, but you better have a good story for why your sister is now free. Also, you need to tell me how you got that black eye and those gashes,� Kelly demanded. Chris smirked.

“You should see the other guy,� he commented as he glided into the meeting the room ready to face what he had come here to do. With Kelly at his side, Chris felt his confidence level soar. Kelly was right; everyone was in the room and they were all reading a handout. He noticed the small stack of papers on the shelf to his right and he took one silently. Malfoy was at the head of the table. Why Malfoy was head of the Death Eaters was beyond Chris. In his opinion, he himself was the better wizard. Regardless, Chris looked at the handout which detailed the amount of ‘treachery’ that he was accused of for helping Sarah escape. Of course, they had no real proof that he did what he did, so Chris cleared his throat loudly. Malfoy stood up as soon as he caught sight of him and was about to shout an order when Chris raised his hand up to him.

“Shut up, Malfoy,� he said simply. Murmuring filled the room as everyone wondered what Malfoy would do. Truth be told, they all had wanted to say that to Malfoy at some point, but none of them had the audacity to do it. Kelly stepped away from Chris and she took her seat at the table. Chris was usually Malfoy’s right-hand-man and everyone knew that he would overtake Malfoy one day and frankly, they wished it would happen soon. Chris had the support of the people in the room and Malfoy didn’t. That was just the way it was and Malfoy knew it. He slowly sat back down.

“Thank you, Draco. Now, I see that someone has been spreading false propaganda about me. Although I am flattered to see that you are thinking about me when I’m not here, I would just like all of you to forget what is on the piece of paper before you. It’s completely untrue. Please let me explain to you where my midnight travels brought me last night,� Chris began. He started to tell story that Harry had suggested he share with the group. He had repeated the tale in his head the whole way over here and he was telling it perfectly. His audience seemed convinced and they asked him what his next plan of action was.

“Actually, I did have an idea about that,� he announced. “I want to go to St. Mungo’s. It would be the first place that Potter would take her—I’m sure of it. However, I would need to know which spells were placed on her so I can find her properly. Malfoy?�

Malfoy looked up when he realized that Chris was addressing him.

“I don’t know, it sounds dangerous. Potter will kill you before you even get near the girl,� Malfoy pointed out. Chris shook his head.

“I’ll wear a disguise; he won’t even know. I was planning on dressing like a Healer. Clever, huh?� he explained proudly.

“Although he may seem like it, Potter’s not stupid; you’ll have to be discreet.�

“I won’t fail. I just need to know the spells,� he insisted. Malfoy shrugged his shoulders.

“Fine, I put her under a Slow Death curse. That’s all. If Potter’s figured out how to counteract the curse, the incantation is Lentenescio*. Use it on her again if you must,� Malfoy said in a bored voice. Mentally, Chris was kicking himself. He knew that spell because Voldemort himself had taught it to him. It slowly killed a person within twenty-four hours. It was supposed to bring excruciating pain, too, causing the victim to sometimes fall unconscious. Chris honestly didn’t know why he hadn’t seen it before. Of course, he already new the counter curse: Vivamrevenio**. They were created by Voldemort a very long time ago when he was bored one day.

“Great. So I’ll get ready and see what I can do. I’d like to do this job alone because it would be easier with just one person. Thank you for your help. Kelly, a word outside please?� Chris quickly said as he swept out of the room. Kelly hastily followed him wondering what he wanted.

“Kelly, this is very dangerous for me,� he lied. “I don’t know if I’ll see you again. If I’m caught, it’s likely that I’ll never see you another time.�

Chris hated to see her worry, but he wasn’t coming back unless he absolutely had to which meant that it was highly probable that this would be the last time he would see Kelly. He wanted so badly to take her with him, but it would compromise his mission. She had also been recruited at a young age and was as vulnerable and impressionable as he was. Chris was sure that like him, she wasn’t really a Death Eater at heart, but he didn’t want to risk it. She was tough, but at that moment, he saw tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“Then don’t go,� she begged. Chris shook his head.

“I have to. Maybe with time you’ll understand.�

“You don’t have to, Christopher. At least let me come with you. Or we could run away together,� she suggested.

“It’s tempting, but you know we can’t do that. I promise that I’ll find you again if I get caught,� he assured. It killed Chris to lie to her. A tear ran down her cheek and he wiped it away, lingering for a moment on her face. Then he pulled her up into a warm kiss, fully knowing that it would probably be the last one that they had together. He knew he didn’t have much time now. Sarah’s life depended on him and he couldn’t waste anymore time. Kelly clung to him now.

“I love you,� she whispered. Chris felt his face grow hot. He was about to lose it and he had to get out of there fast.

“I love you, too, Kelly,� he muttered in her ear. Then he let go and turned to depart, leaving Kelly standing in the hallway, crying softly. He ran out across the front yard and as soon as he knew he was far enough away, he Apparated. Chris prayed to God that he had made it in time to save his sister’s life.

---

* Lentenescio: In Latin, lente means slow and nescio means I kill. So literally, Lentenescio means I kill slowly.

** Vivamrevenio: Again in Latin, vivam means life and revenio means I bring back or I return. Literally, this incantation means I bring back life.

“I never had no one
I could count on
I've been let down so many times
I was tired of hurtin'
So tired of searchin'
'Til you walked into my life�

Lyrics to “My Best Friend� by Tim McGraw

Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter 17- Love

Harry was in the emergency room with Sarah when Chris swiftly pushed through the doors. Harry’s head shot up and his eyes landed on Chris talking to the Healer. As soon as he could, he arrived next to Michelle’s side and listened closely to their conversation.

“…used a Slow Death Curse. I should have seen the signs before. You need to let me perform the counter-curse,� Chris begged. At this point, Harry entered the discussion.

“Absolutely not. I’m still not sure if I trust you. How do I know that you aren’t just going to kill her? No, tell us what it is and Michelle will do it.�

“Harry, I don’t think you understand how vital this is. I don’t know when Malfoy put that curse on her and it only lasts for twenty-four hours,� Chris explained.

“What happens after the time’s up?�

“Sarah dies. Game over. Now the counter-curse takes a while to learn and I already know it. So please, for Sarah’s sake, let me help. I’m begging you to trust me a little here.�

Harry considered him for a minute. Was he willing to risk Sarah’s life trusting him? But, he had no other solutions or plans which made Chris’ counter-curse the only answer. Harry sighed.

“Fine. Go ahead, but if she is harmed in any way, you’ll have me to answer to. Is that clear?� Harry almost shouted. A smile appeared on Chris’ face.

“Crystal clear, my friend.�

Walking quickly over to Sarah’s side, Harry felt Chris at his heels. Chris pushed up his sleeves on the cloak which he had forgotten to take off and pulled out his wand. It was the first time that Harry had actually seen him with it out. He approximated that it was about fourteen inches and it had a small inscription at the tip which Harry couldn’t read. Chris pointed his wand at Sarah’s heart and started muttering under his breath. Then he closed his eyes and said the only word that Harry could clearly understand.

“Vivamrevenio! � A faint blue glow escaped the tip of Chris’ wand and started to cover Sarah’s body quickly. Harry couldn’t remember ever seeing magic of this kind before. It completely consumed Sarah in its midst. Glancing at Chris, Harry noticed that he was in complete concentration now as if he knew that if he even for a second thought of anything else but the spell, something would go wrong. Harry stepped away so that he wouldn’t be in the way. Michelle grabbed his arm.

“Who is this guy?� she asked worriedly. Staring at Chris, Harry shook his head.

“I wish I knew.�

Harry watched the scene before him unfold. Michelle stood by him in awe and the other Healers had also stopped what they were doing to watch Chris. The glow started to turn white before their eyes and Harry suddenly felt sick.

The realization that Dumbledore was dead hit him. The locket was clutched in his hand. Ginny was crying next to him. A little man in black was speaking in front of the crowd. Then he heard screams.

The place where Dumbledore's body had been placed suddenly erupted into bright white flames. White smoke smothered his view and then they were gone as soon as they had come. In the place of the body was a brilliant white, marble tomb.

"Mr. Potter?" A distant voice was calling him. Harry blinked once remembering where he was. The flashback triggered by the white glow of Chris' spell had taken over his mind. Michelle had grabbed onto his arm and was shaking him.

"What?" Harry replied quickly. Michelle pointed over to Sarah and Harry smiled. Sarah was holding onto Chris' arm and her eyes finally showed signs of life. Harry glided over to her and held onto her other hand. Chris looked tired and worn out. The Healers rushed over to Sarah's side and started to check her for a normal pulse and heartbeat.

"Good morning, sunshine," Sarah croaked as she looked up at Harry. Harry grinned and pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. Happy to see that Sarah was alright, he looked up at Chris intending to thank him. However, Chris wasn't standing across from him anymore. Harry looked around the room, but Chris was nowhere to be found.

Turning to Michelle, Harry asked, "Where did Chris go? He was just standing there." Michelle shrugged--she was too busy to worry about where Chris was.

"Mr. Potter, would you mind stepping out of the room for a while? We have to run some tests." Michelle said distractedly.

"Okay."

Harry walked through the door to the hallway with his hands in his pockets and his head down. Since the flashback, he couldn't get the image of Dumbledore's tomb out of his head. Hearing footsteps at the other end of the hallway, Harry turned around. It was Chris. Harry changed directions and tried to catch up with him. Chris must have sensed his presence because he turned around abruptly as Harry approached.

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Er, I just wanted to thank you, I guess," Harry replied.

"That's nice. Are you done?" Chris spat. Harry didn't know what to say; he thought that he was doing the right thing by thanking him. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Look, I know that you don't like me so why don't you just leave me alone?" Chris looked horrible. The spell that he had just completed must have drained most of his energy because years of hardships and pain showed on his face at the moment. Harry wondered if he would see a similar picture of himself if he looked in the mirror at that minute.

"Fine," he shot back at him as he turned on his heel and headed toward the other end of the hallway leaving Chris in his dust. He entered the waiting room through the double doors and immediately his mood lifted when he saw his two best friends talking to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Hermione ran up to him and hugged him fiercely.

"How is she, Harry?" she asked him when she released him from her grip.

"Sarah's going to be just fine," Harry reassured them.

"That's great! Mum told me something about Sarah's brother. What's the story behind that?" Ron queried.

"We shouldn't talk about that here. I'll explain everything when we get back to the Burrow, I promise."

Hermione nodded and she placed her head on Ron's shoulder. Harry sat down in one of the chairs and tilted his head back in hopes that he could rest his eyes for a few minutes.

* * *

Chris slammed down the coffee pot, frustrated that there wasn't any left. He leaned on the counter of the hospital's break room to which he had ignored the "Employees Only" sign. He wandered out of the room and down the hallway where he spotted an empty gurney. Looking around, he saw no one so he decided to lie down for a while on the gurney. He had forgotten how much energy that particular spell would consume. After all, he was restoring Sarah's life.

It felt like seconds after he closed his eyes that he felt himself being shaken awake.

"Just five more minutes, Kelly," he moaned, but the person didn't stop. Finally, he reluctantly opened his eyes and found himself staring into the eyes of Sarah. He jumped up and hugged her, grateful that she was walking again. Then Chris suddenly pushed her to arm's length to get a better look at her.

"Wait...what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in bed or something?"

"Probably, but I needed to get out of that room. It was boring me."

"Oh, so much for Potter's 'security' he told me he was going to put near your room before I left," Chris sighed. He thought that nobody would be allowed to go in or out of the room without special permission.

"What security?" asked Sarah incredulously.

"Exactly," Chris said. Sarah laughed at him. Chris looked away from her as if in deep thought. Sarah knew better that they were both thinking the same thing.

"What happened?" she inquired. Chris turned around, perplexed by her question.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happened to us? We're not kids anymore, Chris. When did that happen?" she observed as she sat down next to him on the gurney.

"I think right about the time you stopped needing your big brother to protect you and when I started needing my little sister to be there for me. Sound good?"

"That's about right. Although from what the Healers have told me, you did some protecting tonight. Is that true?" Sarah asked.

"That's what I hear," he replied. Sarah smiled widely.

"Well, I thank you, kind sir," she giggled. Then, Sarah rested her head on his shoulder and they just sat there. The picture they created was perfect: a long awaited reunion of brother and sister.

* * *

After talking to Ron and Hermione for a while, Harry decided that he wanted to go and check on Sarah. However, when he reached her room, Sarah wasn't there. He saw Michelle in the hallway and asked her where Sarah went. She told him that Sarah asked to go for a walk down the hallway. Harry thanked her and headed toward the direction in which Michelle had pointed.

Halfway down the hallway, he found Sarah sitting with Chris on a hospital gurney.

"Sarah, shouldn't you be resting?" Harry asked. Sarah's eyes shot up to him.

"Nice to see you, too."

"That's not what I meant. You were nearly dead an hour ago. I just want you to get better," Harry said sharply.

"Harry, it's fine. I'm fine," she reassured.

"Did Chris drag you out of there?" Harry accused.

Sarah glared at him and then said, "No, Harry, I came out her so I could get out of there. Do you know how dull that room can be?"

"I think I have an idea."

"C'mon man what's your problem?" Chris added.

"What's my problem?" Harry exploded.

"Well that seems to be the question of the moment." Sarah stepped between them again after Chris said this. She didn't have a good feeling about what would come next.

"Look, Harry, just lay off of him, alright? We're all tired. Now, Chris and I decided that we're going to go back to Massachusetts for a while to settle things with Bob and Andrea. Also, I need to decide whether I'm going back to college. Do you want to come with us?" Sarah explained. Harry was surprised by her current decision. Of course he knew that she would have to go back some time but he never guessed that it would be so soon. He was already in a bad mood and this just made it worse. He would have been glad to go if it were only he and Sarah going. Harry glared at Chris.

“Is this just a sudden decision? ‘Oh, I’m awake now, let’s go to Massachusetts!’� Harry mocked. Sarah frowned.

“No…well, yes. Chris mentioned that he wanted to tell Bob and Andrea that he was alright. So I thought that it would be a good opportunity to tell them that I’m a witch and that I doubt that I’ll be going back to school. If you come, we could take a ride to Old Orchard Beach in Maine. It’s really nice there in the summer.�

Chris added, “Yeah Harry, you could really use a tan.� Then Sarah shot him a look that Chris read very clearly as “not helping.� He stayed quiet for a while after that. Harry had no idea why he was so upset by this trip. Maybe it was because Sarah was just severely injured or that she had said it without a second thought like she was telling him what the weather would be like tomorrow. Perhaps the most likely reason why he was angry was that she was going with Chris, a man he clearly didn’t trust and who he disliked with a passion.

“Sarah, I don’t think that it’s a good time to go now. I think it would be better if you just stayed here,� he suggested and then added, “for the time being.�

“Why did I know that you’d have a problem with me going?� Sarah said, getting angry now.

“It’s not that I have a problem with you going. It’s that I have a problem with who you’re going with,� Harry clarified matter-of-factly. Chris sat back down on the gurney apparently amused with the fight that he was witnessing before his eyes.

“Well is that all?� she said sarcastically. “If you don’t like my brother then why don’t you just say so next time, Harry?�

Harry shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. He replied, “Okay then. I really don’t like your brother. Happy now?�

“You don’t even know him,� Sarah argued.

“Neither do you.�

“Give me one reason not to like my brother. God, why am I even having this stupid conversation?�

“You see, Sarah, I have this philosophy about trusting Death Eaters. I don’t do it,� Harry explained. Sarah put her hands on her hips and gritted her teeth.

“He’s not a Death Eater, Harry. He’s my brother and I’m going with him because that’s what sisters do. Now are you coming with us or not?�

“No, but don’t expect me to be here when you get back either,� Harry spat. A tear fell from Sarah’s eye and she swatted it away as quickly as it had come.

“Don’t expect me to come back then,� she said and with that she turned on her heel and walked back toward her room. Chris got up quickly and pulled the collar of Harry’s shirt toward him so that they saw each other eye to eye.

“She might not come back, but I will. I’ll teach you something about hurting my sister, Potter,� he muttered.

“I’m so scared,� Harry retorted sarcastically as he pushed Chris away from him. Chris let go finally and chased after his sister. Harry stomped toward the door to the waiting room. Nineteen years of hate, misfortune, and grief were weighing down his mind as he pushed through the double doors. It was hopeless to try and change his feelings which were threatening to burst through his skull at any moment now.

Sarah was going to be on her way to her home and he wasn’t going to stop her. If he had ever really loved her, he sure didn’t know now. If the gaping hole in his heart had ever been repaired, he already felt the stitches holding on the patch being torn out one by one. Why Sarah finds the need to trust Chris, Harry didn’t know. However, he didn’t care at the moment because his anger had once again got the best of him. He trudged over to Ron and Hermione. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley must have been elsewhere.

“I’m going away for a while,� he announced. He had told Sarah that he wouldn’t be here and he was determined to keep his promise. Hermione looked up for the magazine she was reading.

“Where are you going?� she asked worriedly.

“I don’t know yet,� he answered.

“Well, how long are you going to be gone?� Ron questioned.

“I don’t know that either. I’ll owl you when I get there and tell you everything,� Harry replied. Hermione shook her head disapprovingly but she sat down. She knew that something had happened yet she didn’t say anything. Harry remembered that this was why he loved her. Ron, however, didn’t just let it go.

“You can’t do this again, Harry. I swear I’ll find you this time and then kill you myself. And if you’re already dead, I’ll kill your ghost,� Ron threatened, but Harry seemed not to hear him. He gave Hermione a hug and then shook Ron’s hand impatiently trying to get away.

“I won’t be away long, trust me. Send my best wishes to your parents, Ron.� And with that, Harry made his way to the elevator so he could go to the exit. When he got outside, Harry Apparated to the Burrow to gather his things. When he approached the house, though, he felt that something was out of place. The door was ajar and he heard the sound of humming coming from the living room. Pulling his wand out, Harry snuck into the house and peeked around the wall to where the noise was coming from. On the couch sat a young woman with blonde curls who was dressed in a bright blue blouse and jeans. She was singing to herself and looked like she was having a good time. Harry raised his wand and showed himself.

“Who are you?� he asked loudly. The woman looked up startled and she stood up quickly. She didn’t look dangerous, but Harry knew all too well that looks can be deceiving.

“Who are you?� she pointed to him.

“I’m—hey, wait, I asked you first,� Harry demanded. The woman giggled.

“I’m Kelly. And you’re Harry Potter. There, now we know each other. Do you know where Chris is? Because if you hurt him, I’ll hurt you,� Kelly said getting right down to business. Harry knew that she was a Death Eater at this point. However, he didn’t think she was here to hurt him.

“Why are you asking me? I could care less. You should be asking Sarah,� Harry stated.

“I don’t like her. We don’t get along well,� she informed Harry.

“You don’t even know her,� Harry shot back. Kelly shrugged.

“You don’t know Chris either, yet you still seem to hate him. I guess we’ve got something in common then don’t we? Now tell me where he is.�

“Did you know that he claims not to be a Death Eater anymore? He says that he’s good now and that he doesn’t need you all anymore. He doesn’t want to go back,� Harry explained, hoping that Kelly would just leave after she heard this. She didn’t budge, though.

“You’re a liar. Chris would never leave us. He’d never leave me. He told me that he loved me and that he was coming back no matter what. He told me so this morning, but when I offered to go with him, he refused. Chris always did try to play the hero act. That’s why he left though isn’t it? He figured out what the Death Eaters were all about and now he didn’t want any part of it,� Kelly thought out loud. Harry listened to her as she went on and he truly didn’t know what to say.

“What did you mean when you said ‘the hero act’?� Harry asked incredulously.

“Didn’t Chris tell you why he joined the stupid Death Eaters in the first place?� Kelly wondered. Harry thought for a moment.

“No, I don’t recall him telling me that…�

“He joined to protect Sarah from the same fate. So he would have time to figure something out to save her from becoming a Death Eater herself. I remember Chris trying everything in his power to convince Voldemort that she would be useless to him, but the Dark Lord wanted his revenge on their parents for not joining him. Chris made a deal with him that he would join at an early age if only he would wait until Sarah was seventeen. Then Sarah would have to either join or be killed. Voldemort agreed of course and he waited. Well then you know the rest of the story about how you killed him and he never got the chance to enlist Sarah. So, Harry, you see Chris was only trying to play the hero and I hated that. He was too worried about Sarah to be concerned with me. That’s why Sarah is nothing to me.�

Harry was lost in his own thoughts, confused and alone. Kelly stared at him waiting for a response which Harry was reluctant to give. He had no idea what Chris had done for Sarah and now he didn’t know what to think.

“I’m such an idiot,� he said finally. Kelly laughed, but when Harry looked at her, he could see that the smile didn’t reach her eyes. He knew where she was coming from all too well.

“Do you have any idea where we can find those two gits that we’re hopelessly in love with?� Kelly made Harry laugh at last. Harry didn’t know if it was love that he felt with Sarah, but it sure was something strong. He knew that he’d be making a huge mistake if he didn’t go after her and Harry was done with making foolish mistakes. He was sure of it. He had let Ginny get away, but he wasn’t going to let Sarah go without a fight. The thought that he was having a conversation with a Death Eater didn’t even occur to him in his haste.

“I might have an idea. They could still be at the hospital. We might catch them if we hurry. Let’s go!� Harry ran out the front door with Kelly at his heels and he Apparated to St. Mungo’s with a “crack!� When he arrived in front of the hospital, he was relieved to see Kelly appear within a few seconds after him. Taking her hand, Harry led Kelly into the hospital and toward the room in which Sarah was staying in. Harry remembered the feelings of hate that he felt on his way out of the building earlier and suddenly realized that he felt entirely different. His mind was filled with hope and desire instead of angst and despair. Nothing could stop him now, except of course Sarah being gone already, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

As he peeked into Sarah’s temporary room, Harry saw Chris in the chair next to her bed dozing off to sleep. Sarah was awake and she was reading a book. Harry opened the door and pulled Kelly in behind him. Chris’ head shot up the moment the door creaked rather loudly. Sarah raised an eyebrow at Kelly.

“Well, Harry I see you’ve replaced me rather quickly. Come to show her off, have you?� Sarah snarled. Chris laughed at her when he realized who the woman with Harry was. He jumped up to meet her. Weaving his fingers into hers, he softly kissed the lips of the blonde-haired witch. By this point, Sarah was completely confused.

“She’s his girlfriend, not mine,� Harry said. Sarah mouthed an “oh� and then she went back to her reading. Harry glanced at Chris and Kelly only to see them whispering excitedly to each other. He then crossed the room and took the book out of Sarah’s hands.

“Hey! I was reading that, sir!� she protested.

“Ouch. Now you’re calling me ‘sir?’�

“I thought you weren’t ever coming after me? Do you think that you can just walk in and out and expect me to drop everything to be with you? Like my book for example. I was at a very good part. The prince was just about to sweep in at the very last moment…�

“Not the point, Sarah,� Harry said to stop her before she forgot what she was going to say.

“Yes, I know that. Harry, I like you a lot but I also love Christopher. Now, why did you come back?�

“I came back because I can’t lose you, too. You mean too much to me, Sarah,� Harry replied hesitantly. Again, Sarah shook her head.

“Harry, what are you trying to tell me?� she prompted already thinking that she knew what Harry was going to say. Nothing could have prepared her for what Harry said next. He showed a side that Sarah had never seen before. An emotional side, an open Harry.

“Sarah, you mean the world to me. You’re funny, quirky, and clumsy sometimes but I can’t take my eyes off of you even when you think you look your worst. And I think I love you.�

“Oh, and he really, really missed you!� Kelly added from across the room as she gave Harry a thumb’s up. Harry smiled at her and then looked back to Sarah, who had tears in her eyes.

“What’s wrong? Is it something I said?� Harry asked anxiously.

“It was everything you said! I love you, too, Harry!� Sarah said and it caused Harry to blush furiously. He was very aware of Chris’ and Kelly’s presence in the room and he wanted so much to scoop Sarah up in his arms. However, not only was her brother there, but she was also lying in a hospital bed. It was not one of his better ideas so he decided against it. Instead he just leaned down to her level and they shared a quick, but passionate kiss. It was enough; they were together again and that’s all that mattered. Sarah pulled away and looked up to Harry with wide eyes.

“Harry, can you do something for me?� she asked.

“Anything.�

“Just don’t leave me like that again. I don’t think I could bear it.�

“I’ll always be here, Sarah. Always,� he said. “So, when do we leave for Massachusetts?� Harry put on his best smile for her.

“Um…the day after tomorrow. What do you think Chris?� she asked her brother.

“Sounds good to me! Kelly’s coming, too, alright?�

“Great! We’re going to have so much fun!� Sarah exclaimed.

“Don’t I get to go, too, Christopher?� a voice snarled from across the room. Harry’s head snapped around to glare at the face and twisted smile of none other than Draco Malfoy.

“But I'm feeling right where I belong
With you tonight
Like being in love
Can feel for the first time�

Lyrics to “First Time� by Lifehouse

Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Chapter Eighteen- Sacrifice

Harry stuffed his hand in his pocket to pull out his wand, but Chris was faster as his wand was on Malfoy before Harry had even registered what was happening. Malfoy seemed to be amused.

“Well, thank you, Kelly. You have been so helpful to me.� Harry’s jaw dropped in realization. Everything had been an elaborate ruse all along. Kelly’s wand was now pointed at Chris, whose wand was fixed on Malfoy, who was curiously deciding where he wanted to point his own. Making up his mind, Malfoy directed his wand in the path of Sarah, who still sat on her bed. Harry had now decided to join the fight and he pointed his at Kelly. Sarah looked around in amazement. She thought it looked like something out of a bad movie that she had seen when she was younger. Nevertheless, fear tightened its grip around her and she didn’t dare speak a word.

Chris’ eyes softened, but his focus remained on Malfoy. Utterly shocked at Kelly’s deception, he shook his head in shame.

“How could you do this to us?� he said, barely above a whisper. It was not meant for others to hear, but Harry sensed a hint of hurt in his voice.

“I didn’t want to, Chris. I swear,� Kelly replied.

“Aw, isn’t this a touching scene?� Malfoy added maliciously.

“What do you want, Malfoy?� Harry demanded and Malfoy grinned a horrible smirk.

“Potter, it’s obvious what I want. I want my servants back.�

“Sarah was never a Death Eater!�

“Ah, yes, well, I’m sure we could change that,� Malfoy said. Then, addressing Sarah, he added, “Join me, Sarah, and we won’t go after Potter anymore.�

“Don’t listen to him, he’s lying,� Harry pleaded.

“I’m not lying, right Kelly?� Hearing her name, Kelly looked at Malfoy. She and Chris were clearly arguing, despite the situation unfolding around them.

“No, he’s telling the truth. I promise,� Kelly agreed. Chris glared at her.

“A likely story from a Death Eater who doesn’t even know where her own allegiances lie. Make up your mind, Kelly. You either tell the truth or you deceive. There’s no middle,� Chris spat.

“But, I have duties toward both sides!�

“Kelly, why did you become a Death Eater?� Harry asked, hoping to distract everyone until he came up with a plan. A tear fell from Kelly’s eye and she turned her head in shame.

“I—I guess I just fell into darkness years ago. I sought revenge on the Ministry. My family was starving—� she choked at this point and then continued, “my youngest sister died from a terrible sickness. My mother was suffering and when my father begged for help, the Ministry turned their heads the other way, acting as if nothing was happening. I ran off and joined Voldemort, despairing for my family. I know they’re all long dead now. I’ve always regretted leaving and joining. My darkest hour…�

“Okay, thanks for that distraction, Potter. Now I must punish Christopher for his insubordination,� Malfoy sneered and he pointed his wand away from Sarah and at Christopher, who in spite of himself had lowered his own during Kelly’s story.

“Sectumsempra!� Malfoy shouted. Everything happened very quickly after that. Sarah screamed and Harry shot off a disarming spell at Malfoy. Kelly, filled with the sorrow of her pitiful life and her betrayal toward the man who she loved, pushed Chris out of the way at the last second. The spell hit her directly on her stomach, pushing her to the hospital floor. Chris and Harry rounded on Malfoy, blind with fury as Sarah scrambled up and over to Kelly. She was writhing in pain and Sarah could see deep lacerations forming all over the woman’s body. Blood was everywhere.

Meanwhile, Malfoy was being pressed into the corner of the room by a furious Chris and an equally livid Harry. Malfoy pressed his luck more.

“Next time tell your girlfriend to stay out of the way, and maybe she won’t get hurt. You two have more in common than you thought. Isn’t that right, Potter?� Harry ignored him, but it became harder and harder. “Did you know that I actually felt the life leaving her as I was beating her, Potter? The feeling was great—�

Malfoy never got to finish his sentence because a fist collided with his face, hard. His lips twitched into a smile and Harry hit him again. He knew that Ginny had been beaten and tortured. He knew that Malfoy had been the main force behind it. He hadn’t told anyone before that Malfoy had been the one to ultimately kill Ginny. Even her family didn’t know because he had refused to give details to anyone. He punched Malfoy a third time.

“Those were for Ginny,� he spat and then punched him again. “That was for Ginny’s death.� Again he punched him as Chris watched Harry release his anger. “For the Weasleys and this one’s for Dumbledore.� Harry’s knuckles began to bleed fiercely, but he forced one more punch on the vile creature. “And that was for the thought of harming Sarah.�

Harry stepped back and looked at what he had done. Malfoy still wore a stupid grin on his bloody face. Harry then said, “Incarcerous!� Ropes flowed out of Harry wand and bound Malfoy. Amazingly, Harry looked around and saw that throughout all the commotion, there were no Healers in the room. He caught sight of Kelly and swore. One look at Sarah told him that she was not holding up well with all the blood. Immediately he sent Sarah to get a Healer and he knelt next to Kelly, on the other side of Chris. Having only seen the effects of this spell once before, Harry searched his mind for solutions. Kelly had lost so much blood already and Harry worried for her life.

Chris’ face was pale and he took Kelly’s hand, leaning down close to her face. Her breathing was slight and the light was leaving her eyes. Thankfully, the Healer Michelle burst into the room followed closely by Sarah. Michelle took one sight of Kelly in and shouted for help instantly. As more Healers entered, Harry was pushed away while they worked. He ran a hand through his hair.

“Sarah, are you alright?� He asked, turning around. His eyes flooded with horror for the second time that hour when he saw Malfoy’s bloody face next to hers. His left arm was wrapped around her and something in his right hand glinted near her throat. Recognition found its way onto Harry’s face. Malfoy was holding a knife to Sarah’s throat and it was obviously also used to cut through the ropes that had restrained him. Harry was almost shaking with anger.

“Potter, you will pay,� Malfoy panted. He was badly hurt and Harry guessed that it was taking most of his energy to hold Sarah like he was. Harry took a second to look at Sarah and he noticed that her eyes were closed and he saw the slightest signs of serenity in her expression. She was not afraid.

Malfoy was inching his way toward the door very slowly. Harry was quite aware of Malfoy’s need for open space when he was fighting. He had learned this through the years of dueling with him and found that Malfoy weakened much faster in enclosed spaces. No, he was determined not to give Malfoy the upper hand. Harry soon found that he couldn’t get a clear shot at Malfoy, however, while Sarah remained his shield. All of a sudden, Sarah opened her eyes and winked at a very confused Harry. Quickly, Sarah picked up her foot and smashed down hard on an unsuspecting Malfoy’s. In his surprise, Malfoy’s grip must have loosened on Sarah and she escaped to the comfort of Harry’s open arms. The reunion was brief because Malfoy had run out through the door, and Harry followed at his heels. Harry caught up with him just as he reached the stairway.

“Running away as always, Malfoy? Things never change,� Harry stated as Malfoy opened the door. They ran through the doorway and finally, Harry lunged forward and knocked Malfoy off his feet. There was a scuffle for a few moments and then unexpectedly they both found themselves falling over the short railing of the stairway. Harry grabbed the ledge of the stairs by the fingertips of his right hand. Malfoy had managed to hold onto Harry’s left arm.

“Harry! Don’t let go of me!� Malfoy’s frantic voice filled the hallways of stairs. Sweat broke out over Harry’s brow as he concentrated fiercely. Malfoy had sounded like a small child who had just gotten into deep trouble. Harry fought the feeling of physical pain.

“Malfoy…I can’t pull both of us up…I’m slipping…� Harry muttered down to Malfoy. He chanced a glance down to him and saw a look on Malfoy’s bloody face that he had never seen before. Malfoy was frightened and helpless.

“Can you swing onto the ledge below?� Harry gasped desperately.

“I don’t think I could make it…it’s too far!�

Harry swore loudly. He knew that he couldn’t hold up much longer although he had gotten a better grip on the ledge. His shoulders were aching terribly from the weight he was holding.

“Harry?� Malfoy said hesitantly. Harry nodded his head and Malfoy continued. “Could you tell Kelly that I didn’t mean to hurt her? And…and apologize to everyone else as well?�

“I—I don’t understand…�

“Just do it! And I’m also sorry for what I did to you, too, and for Ginny…�

“What are you talking about? I still don’t…� Harry tried to comprehend what Malfoy was doing, but between his concentration and his own fear, his brain seemed to be working slower.

“Harry, I’m letting go. I don’t deserve to be saved.�

Very quickly, Malfoy released his grip of Harry’s arm and started to fall. Harry was faster, though, and he grabbed Malfoy’s hand in a final attempt to save the man who had brought him so much pain. He wasn’t sure why he did it, but Harry knew somehow that this was not the way that a person should die. He felt a sharp pain explode in his left shoulder, as if someone had stabbed him with a knife. With sudden realization, Harry remembered that this was the shoulder that he had injured previously and now it probably would never heal completely.

“Let me go. I don’t want to live,� Malfoy whispered as he pulled Harry’s hand off his own. Harry couldn’t hold him any longer, anyway. The pain in his shoulder was too great and he felt Malfoy let go completely. He closed his eyes as Malfoy fell down the height of four stories. At last, a terrible sound drifted up the stairwell that filled Harry’s ears. He tried to block it out but he knew that he would always remember the dull thud of Malfoy’s body hitting the ground. With his left arm hanging uselessly by his side, Harry searched for a way up. Then he heard shouting; someone must have noticed the fallen body of the Death Eater. Footsteps were drawing closer to him and then hands were pulling him up. He cringed when someone pulled on his shoulder, but he was finally pulled over the railing and onto the stairs again.

“Sir, are you alright?�

Harry didn’t recognize the man as he sped by him down to the ground floor, where Malfoy’s body was positioned strangely. Pushing the gathering crowd of people out of the way, Harry knelt next to the motionless body of his recent enemy. Checking for vital signs, he found none and realized that Malfoy was dead. The thought that he wouldn’t have to worry anymore about the threat that Malfoy imposed never crossed his mind. It was true that they had never been friends, but Harry had still known him for a very long time. And Malfoy had sacrificed himself for Harry after all. Malfoy’s death did mean that Ginny’s memory could finally rest well in Harry’s mind, knowing that Malfoy deserved every bit of the death he received. Yet, Harry felt a slight pang of pity for the blond-haired man before him. He sighed heavily and closed Malfoy’s eyes which looked mysteriously peaceful as if thankful that the end had come.

Standing up, he addressed the crowd, “Someone, go upstairs to the Fourth Floor and find a man named Christopher Stanley. Someone else, find a Healer and contact the Ministry’s Auror’s Office. Everyone else, please clear the scene.�

Harry spotted two people moving in different directions quickly and then the rest of the crowd dispersing. Mutterings like “That’s a Death Eater, that is� or “Harry Potter’s done it again� reached Harry’s ears and he just shook his head. It wasn’t long before he saw Chris sprinting down the stairs toward him. Chris was covered in Kelly’s blood and Harry had the inkling that she wasn’t doing so well. Harry moved swiftly to meet up with him.

“Harry, what the hell is going on?� Chris demanded.

“Malfoy’s dead,� said Harry.

“Oh…wait, what?�

“He…fell over the railing. I couldn’t…I tried to stop him.�

“Well, at least we won’t have to worry about him anymore. Although I would have liked to kill him myself, but it looks like you’ve saved me a lot of work. Is it inappropriate to say ‘good work?’�

“Maybe just a little,� Harry replied. “How’s Kelly?� Chris’ face became grim.

“She’s not doing so good, Harry. That spell was really strong. I’ve never seen it before, have you?� Chris asked. Harry was surprised that he hadn’t seen it because Chris was a Death Eater and ‘Sectumsempra’ is definitely Dark Magic.

“I’ve seen it once,� he muttered, not wanting to get into the story.

“Do you know the counter curse?�

“No…I don’t remember hearing it,� answered Harry, wishing for the first time in his life that he had paid more attention to Snape in his sixth year at Hogwarts.

“Hopefully, the Healers will think of something. Hermione’s in there now seeing if she can remember anything helpful. She remembers that curse from a while ago she said.�

“I’m sure they’ll find something, Chris. It didn’t look that difficult to heal when I saw it. She might have some slight scarring, but if they move quickly enough, it shouldn’t be bad,� said Harry.

“I hope so. Anyway, Sarah’s doing okay. She’s a little shaken up, but nothing major. You should probably find her so that she’ll stop worrying about you. You know how women can be—they never quit thinking about almost everything.�

Harry laughed and he walked with Chris back up to the Fourth Floor. He would let the Aurors deal with Malfoy and he knew that the lightness in his heart was from the death of his old foe. Ginny’s death was finally avenged, Sarah didn’t have to worry anymore, and Chris could be free from Malfoy’s wrath. He wasn’t sure what it was, but Harry felt more of a connection with Chris now. They made their way to Sarah’s room and found her sitting up on the bed, reading the same book as she was earlier. When Harry walked in, she jumped up and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Oh, Harry! I was so worried!� she exclaimed. Harry embraced her with his right arm, wincing as he tried to move his left one. He kissed her forehead and then pulled away. He asked her where they took Kelly.

“They went down the hall I think, maybe to the emergency room.�

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes,� he said as he walked swiftly out the door and down the hallway. First he needed to find Kelly and see if he could help in any way and then he needed to find a Healer for himself. He wasn’t paying attention to where he was going when he bumped into Hermione.

“Harry! Are you alright?� Hermione asked him.

“I’ll be fine. Is Kelly okay?�

“I think she’s going to make it. We’ve stopped the bleeding and the lacerations seem to be mending now. You look absolutely horrible, Harry. What happened?�

“Malfoy’s dead. I’ve just got something wrong with my shoulder that needs to be looked at. Could you help me find a Healer?� Harry explained.

“That won’t be necessary. I found you,� a voice that Harry recognized to be the Healer Michelle’s said. She led Harry and Hermione to an empty room where she told him to sit on the bed. He did so and she inspected his shoulder. She gripped it firmly and then started talking to him.

“You and your friends have habits of getting hurt a lot, huh?�

“Well, yeah, I guess trouble follows us. You know how—ouch!� Harry cried. As he was speaking, a sharp pain had exploded in his shoulder. A grin spread across Michelle’s face at his reaction. She peeled off her gloves and Harry realized that he gained mobility back in his arm.

“You dislocated your shoulder. I used to have a habit of doing that when I was younger so I recognized it immediately. It was easily fixed as long as you were distracted. That didn’t hurt much, now did it?�

“You’re kidding, it hurt like hell! Warn a person next time you do that!� Harry hissed, still rubbing his shoulder. “Thanks, though,� he then added sheepishly.

“You’re welcome. Please try to stay healthy for a while, Mr. Potter.�

“Call me Harry,� he said.

“Alright, then, Harry. I need to go. You know how it is being busy and such,� Michelle stated as she waved goodbye to Harry and Hermione. Ron entered the room and he asked Harry how he was doing. Harry explained what had happened between he and Malfoy on the stairs and realized that he had forgotten to pass Malfoy’s message on to Sarah and Chris.

“Well, at least he can’t hurt anyone anymore,� Hermione said. Ron nodded.

“Ridding the world of evil one Death Eater at a time. Good work, mate.�

“Yeah, I guess so. It would be easier, though, if he was evil right up to the end. He didn’t have to apologize for everything. I guess he deserved what he got, but I still can’t shake the feeling that he was just poorly influenced, not purely evil like Voldemort.�

“Harry, are you feeling sorry for Malfoy?� Ron asked incredulously.

“No, we should be happy. Come on, let’s go check on Kelly. I need to ask her about where her loyalties lie, but she did save Chris so I think I’ll give her a chance. Maybe she’s misunderstood.�

Ron and Hermione didn’t know what to think; Harry never trusted Death Eaters, but maybe Malfoy’s death changed him a little. They didn’t question him as they followed. Hermione pointed the way to her room and when they arrived, they found that Chris and Sarah were already there.

“How is she?� Harry asked.

“She’s doing better. The Healers are fairly certain that she’ll live but there’s still a chance that she may not,� Sarah explained. Harry walked over to the side of the bed and saw that Kelly was covered in bandages. She looked peaceful as she slept and Harry was startled when her eyes opened. She smiled and looked around. Then, after spotting Chris, she asked him if he was okay. Chris laughed and told her that he was fine and that all she had to was worry about herself at the moment.

“Oh, I’m a mess!� Kelly exclaimed. Harry gave her a hard look.

“Kelly, did you lead Malfoy here?�

“I swear I didn’t want to! But he already knew where Sarah was anyway and I think he probably followed me when I left. I suspected and I didn’t say anything because I thought it might be good to have back up, you know, in case I was attacked. You caught him, I’m sure. And I’ll probably end up in Azkaban for helping on the attack…�

“Actually, Malfoy’s dead and you might even avoid prison. We’ll see,� said Harry. Then the six of them started chatting amicably about the day’s events. After a while, Michelle came in and told Kelly that she was going to be alright, but that she might suffer from some scarring.

They talked about what they would do now that Malfoy was no longer a threat and Harry suggested that they all go to Massachusetts for a nice vacation. Ron and Hermione, however, wanted to go back to enjoying their honeymoon and they would be Apparating back in just a few hours. As soon as Kelly and Sarah recovered, they would go with Chris and Harry back to Massachusetts to settle affairs and to catch up on some long overdue rest and relaxation. Everyone, even Harry was looking forward to going back to the States. Of course, they would have to take some time to straighten everything out with the Ministry before leaving but Harry doubted that they would look lightly on his influence. After all, he had saved the world and he was usually right when it came to matters of good and evil. Looking at the friends gathered around her, Sarah suddenly felt that she and Harry needed to be alone for a while and talk about recent events in their relationship. She pulled him out of the room and back into hers which was two doors down the hallway. They both sat on the bed and Sarah took Harry’s hands in her smaller ones.

“We should talk,� she said.

“I know.�

“Our argument earlier was…well…less than desirable. If Kelly hadn’t shown up, I don’t think I could have tolerated the consequences. You know I haven’t had many friends so I’m not really good at this. And maybe it’s because I don’t know how to deal with confrontation but I don’t think we handled that too well.�

“I know what you mean. I overreacted a little and maybe in the future I’ll learn how to be better,� Harry promised.

“Me too, but until then I think we should make up,� she suggested and winked. Harry, catching the hint, leaned in to share a kiss. It was sure nice, Sarah thought, not to worry about anything. To be held in safe and loving arms, she knew, was a feeling that couldn’t be beaten and she wanted nothing more than to be where she was at that moment.

“I love you, Harry,� she whispered to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

“I love you more,� he said surely and Sarah’s heart melted with joy.

“And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain,
But I'd have had to miss the dance.�

Lyrics to “The Dance� by Garth Brooks

Disclaimer: I own none of this world. It belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander...

Epilogue

A week later everyone was healthy again. Kelly, although the scars on her face remained a reminder of that terrible day, had apologized to everyone at least twice a day since the incident. Sarah, who was back to her cheerful self, was busy making plans for the four of them in Massachusetts, a trip that Harry had to admit that he was looking forward to. Of course the first thing that they would do is visit Bob and Andrea Pabden and then if all goes right, they’ll be on their way to enjoy a nice vacation on Cape Cod, a tourist spot that Sarah said she had gone to quite often as a kid. Chris remembered it and said that he would love to go again and see how it had changed. Kelly and Harry of course were up to anything and they agreed enthusiastically.

As Harry walked into Kelly’s hospital room, he saw her packing her duffel bag to leave. He had already packed his and shrunk it to fit in his pocket.

“Where’s Sarah and Chris?� he asked.

“Oh, I was supposed to tell you that they went on ahead to the States to tell Bob and Andrea everything so we wouldn’t have to deal with it when we got there. Sarah wanted to let you sleep and they said it would be a family matter anyway. She said not to worry.�

“Okay, that’s fine. We’ll just meet up with them in a few minutes then after you’re ready. When did they leave?�

“About an hour and a half ago,� she replied and then she stopped packing for a moment, a serious expression spreading across her face. “Harry, I wanted to thank you for helping me.�

Harry smiled knowingly. He had gotten her out of trouble by telling Aurors how she risked her life for Chris, someone who up until very recently the world thought was dead. Harry explained that Kelly was confused and that the death of her entire family had driven her to the wrong side. Now, having redeemed herself and found her way to the right side again, Harry argued, was the Ministry going to convict her of being misguided and saving a life? Had not Harry himself been led down the wrong road once or twice? Yes, he had a point, the Aurors agreed, and they let Kelly go on the condition that she would never dabble in the Dark Arts again. She had agreed fully and passionately, hugging each of the three Aurors twice.

“No problem, Kelly. Just don’t let me down, okay?� Harry said to her.

“Don’t worry, I won’t!� she assured, hugging Harry fiercely. If Harry had learned one thing about Kelly in the last week, it was that she was the type of person who loved to give out hugs. He wondered how she had ever been a Death Eater but he didn’t ask.

“I think we’d better get going. Are you almost ready?� Harry asked, as Kelly ran back over to finish putting the last couple things in her duffel bag. Then she ran over to the mirror, checking her reflection and obsessing over her scarred face. But there was nothing that she could do and she sighed heavily, touching her cheek lightly with her fingertips. Harry, having dealt with his own lightning bolt scar for years could relate to her.

“Chris will still think you’re beautiful no matter how many scars you have. Trust me, Kelly.�

“You really think so?� she said, tracing the line of one particular scar across her cheek.

“Of course, I know so,� he reassured. Kelly finally smiled and dropped her hand from her face. Disfigured as she was, Harry couldn’t help but notice that she was still very pretty. Kelly walked across the room and shrunk her duffel bag quickly. Stuffing it in her pocket, she and Harry walked down the stairs so that she could check herself out of the hospital. Then they walked out of the building and Kelly grabbed tightly onto Harry’s arm. She had never been to Massachusetts before and didn’t want to get lost so she settled for Side-Along Apparition. Together, they left London behind and found themselves back in the apartment that Harry had lived in two months before.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Harry and Kelly met up with Sarah and Chris again. They had already straightened everything out and Bob and Andrea were ecstatic to have Christopher back with them. It had been quite a shock for them to hear that after so many years, both of them had magical abilities and when they had finished learning the whole story, Sarah said that Bob looked like he had just seen a ghost. Never had he imagined that his adoptive son and daughter had been sought out by the most fearsome Dark Wizard in the world, granted that he had only known about the existence of wizards for a short time beforehand.

Very glad to welcome Sarah and Chris back into their home, it had come as quite a shock to them when Sarah explained her plans of not returning to college. They must have seen it coming however because they agreed without argument that it was probably for the best and she should get involved in the magical realm again, like her parents had intended before they were murdered. Chris apologized wholeheartedly for putting his family through great hardship when they believed him to be dead. Bob and Andrea assured him that they were just happy to have him back. Maybe too soon, the Pabdens learned that Chris and Sarah would not be staying long, but that they would be taking Harry and Kelly to visit Cape Cod, that they had been through a great deal in the prior weeks, and that they needed to do something fun. Bob and Andrea, although sad to have their two kids leaving again so soon, bid them farewell and a happy trip and convinced Sarah to bring Harry by the house when they got back. She agreed, knowing that Bob and Andrea both wanted to see how Harry was doing and knew that they would be surprised to meet a very different Harry, for he was now happy, not depressed like he had been for so long.

The four agreed to take a very Muggle-like vacation. They drove down to Cape Cod and stayed in a very nice hotel overlooking the beach. Harry found himself enjoying the change of scenery and he adapted very well. It seemed like nothing could stop them from having a good time and they kept it that way. They enjoyed such things as the lovely beach weather, the excellent seafood, and the many tourist attractions. Perhaps it was the salt air that drove all of the worries from Harry’s mind about the previous weeks. But from where he was sitting on the sand, he couldn’t understand why there was so much worry in the world. In fact, he was so far removed from the world by this point that nothing else mattered but the sand, the waves, and his friends. Chris was right, he had decided: all Harry really needed was a good tan.

“Let’s go for a walk down the beach,� Sarah suggested. A walk sounded like an absolutely splendid idea to Harry so he agreed eagerly and found himself being led toward the jetty at the end of the long beach. The sun was setting now and the picture painted by this phenomenon was exceedingly beautiful.

“Harry, what are you thinking about?� asked Sarah. It was true, Harry’s mind was very hard to read sometimes and he knew that. His mind had been wandering all day, but somehow, he couldn’t help but think about the one thing that he had forgotten about in the midst of the action over the preceding weeks.

“Sarah, do you remember what you said to me when we first met?�

“Um… I think I said something about what we were having for dinner that night. And then I showed you my room and of course you told me that I’m a great tour guide…er…but of course you were referring to something else, right?� Sarah asked doubtfully. Harry couldn’t help himself, he just laughed. Sarah was the type of person who would remember pointless conversations about small things such as dinners and tours.

“Yes, I was actually. Remember when you told me that you thought we didn’t meet by chance? I believe you called it fate.�

“Oh, right, of course,� Sarah said.

“Well, I was just thinking that you were very right. How did you know at the time, though? I can’t get it. We had just met and…�

“Harry, you know how I knew. It was the same way that you knew that you could trust me with your true identity. I just had this feeling, one that I can’t explain, but I’m glad I did. I haven’t been happier in my whole life than I am now. You know how difficult my life has been and now I wouldn’t change a thing. I have you, Chris, two of the greatest parents, and more friends that I have ever had before. I think…well, I think my parents would have been proud. Yours, too.�

This answer was good enough for Harry and he took her hand in his as they walked peacefully across the sand. The waves from the ocean were rolling onto the beach lazily. Everything, it seemed, was finally right with the world. Wishing that this day could go on for eternity, Harry and Sarah both talked for ages after they reached the rocks at the opposite end of the beach from where Chris and Kelly were. The sun was almost behind the horizon now and Harry was mystified by Sarah completely.

“Did you know that you’re beautiful?� Harry said, admiring her current appearance.

“You might have mentioned that before but it’s always good to hear,� Sarah replied, her eyes gleaming with pleasure.

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to forget,� he grinned. She beamed at him and then leaned in to give him a gentle kiss, which he gladly returned. It seemed like nothing could go wrong today and in fact nothing had except Chris forgetting to pack their lunches. They had to settle for ice creams from the Snack Shack in the parking lot instead. Strangely, nobody had any complaints.

After a while, Harry and Sarah decided to walk back. They found that Chris and Kelly were sitting together on a blanket with sodas in their hands. Kelly smiled when she caught sight of them coming down the beach.

“Chris wants to see if we can rent a boat tomorrow. We could do something swimming and fishing. It sounds fun, want to do that?� Kelly asked. The last time Harry had been on a boat was in a cave with his headmaster Dumbledore searching for a Horcrux. It had been a horrible experience, one that he would rather forget. No, he told himself, that was ages ago and it would not ruin his trip.

“I’m game!� Sarah exclaimed. “C’mon, Harry, it’ll be fun!�

“Alright, I’m in,� he agreed. The four of them sat for a while enjoying the silence and the clear night sky before they made small talk again.

“This sure is nice, but what do you reckon you all will do after this?� Chris asked nobody in particular. Harry thought about this and if he was being completely honest with himself, he knew that this question had been on his mind for quite a while now. Sure, he had always considered being an Auror when he was in school, but he wasn’t so sure that he wanted to do that anymore. He didn’t know why but perhaps his priorities were elsewhere now. It occurred to him that maybe he would like a quieter life and then he thought about where he would go. The truth was that he really did not have a home to go to. Hogwarts was the only true home that he had growing up and then he had an idea.

“Maybe there’s a position at Hogwarts that I can take. I’ll talk to Professor McGonagall and see if they need a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I’d like to do that,� Harry proposed.

“Well, I know that I’d like to learn more about magic,� Sarah said.

“We could help you with that, Sarah,� Kelly offered.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun and we have a lot of time to make up, sis. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be taught by me?� Chris said and Harry laughed.

“I know one…�

“Oh, shut up, Harry. If I had the chance to be taught by me I would be very willing…�

“Do you want to deflate his head, or shall I?� Harry asked Sarah in an undertone that Chris couldn’t hear. Laughing, Sarah mimed what she would do, while Kelly tried to keep a straight face.

“Alright, alright…that’s enough. I’m sitting right here you know!� Chris announced very seriously which made the other three chortle even harder. The night progressed more or less in this same manner until it was time to head back toward the car and to the hotel.

* * *

The days went on much the same during their small vacation and it didn’t much matter what else was happening in the world. For that time, all Harry worried about was whether he had remembered to put sunscreen on, if on the beach he would be sneak attacked by Sarah or Chris wielding a bucket of sea water, and how late he slept. Never in his life had he felt so carefree and just purely happy. For once in his life, Harry didn’t worry about his or his friends’ safety and he loved the feeling.

Looking back at the last year, Harry couldn’t help but think that he had been through many difficult times. His emotional breakdown the previous summer had been one of the darkest moments in his life and then strangely, light had found him again. And looking out at the water from the beach that he sat on today, he watched Sarah playing with her brother and Kelly. He remembered Ginny’s reassurance while he was unconscious and wondered if he had imagined it. Then he saw Aunt Petunia’s face begging for his forgiveness and he considered now that maybe he had been a bit unreasonable, but fair. Ron and Hermione’s smiles on their wedding day floated into his mind next and he wondered what they were doing now. Out in the water, Sarah and Kelly were ganging up on Chris now and attacking him with the water.

Harry knew that if he had told himself a year ago that he would be enjoying himself in the company of two former Death Eaters, he would have never believed it, yet here he was. And then he thought of Malfoy and the more he thought of what had happened between them, the more he didn’t understand. Finally, Sarah’s appearance in his life seemed to have made the most sense for without her, he may not have recovered from Ginny’s death. Without her, he could have spent the rest of his life in despair. He was grateful to have such great friends with him now.

It was amazing, Harry thought, that even when it seemed like everything was lost and broken, there was still hope. The world had kept spinning and life had gone on. Perhaps, he knew all along that everything would be okay and maybe fate did play a small part in his life.

“Harry! Are you coming?� Sarah shouted from the water to the beach where Harry sat. Harry looked up, suddenly distracted from his thoughts, and he beamed back at her. At that moment he felt sure that if he had looked in the Mirror of Erised, like he had done so many years before, he would see himself, exactly the way he appeared. And that, Harry knew, as he was running toward Sarah and his friends, was one of the best feelings in the world.

---

A/N: Two years ago, this story was just an idea that I had. I hadn’t worked out all the details or how long I wanted to make it, but I just started writing. And here it is, the end product: two years worth of writing and a very happy author at how it all turned out.

I know some of you are probably wondering about such things like what will happen to the characters now that Malfoy is out of the picture. Well, I figure that I did give some hints in this chapter about what would happen if I were to write a sequel. But, I am sorry to report that there will not be a sequel even though I did think about writing one. The truth is that as much as I love Harry Potter I think I’d like to try my pen at something original. And I hope you all like this ending as much I do.

I must also explain why the thought of the Mirror of Erised appeared at the conclusion of the story. I’ve always liked the Mirror but more than that I found that it was very important to Harry. I’m sure that Harry has never forgotten throughout the course of the books that the Mirror showed him his first glimpses of his parents and that although things were improving for him, that he was still quite unhappy. The Mirror truly showed the reality to the readers that Harry needed love most of all to be happy. So as I was thinking of a way to end his story to show how truly happy he was, I knew that I should conclude it with something that appeared when readers first met Harry Potter and I immediately thought of the Mirror of Erised. There you go.

On a completely different note, I know that I must thank all of my betas for their supreme work editing the chapters of this story. I could not have done it without them. So thank you Snufflesismyidol, AurorGirl101, and Sean! Thanks for putting up with my horrible typing errors and for helping me through some severe cases of writers block! You guys are all awesome!

Finally, and most importantly, I wish to send a huge thank you to all of my readers and reviewers! You guys are what kept this story going up until the very end. And if ever I thought about whether the story would be able to be finished or not, all I had to do was read some of the brilliant reviews left for me and I would be right back on the computer typing my heart out. I really, really appreciate every word in those reviews and I can’t say it enough! Thank you all so much!

And now I promise that this is the end of this huge author’s note. Please, give me any advice or comments about the story. I would love to hear from all of you! And again, one more huge thank you to everyone out there reading, my wonderful betas, and also especially to J.K. Rowling, because without her, I never would have began writing in the first place!

Wishing you all the very best,
KateH =D