“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.”