Chapter Five

Hannah Abbot

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04:03 a.m.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Scotland

Great Hall

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Harry sat still in his seat at the head table playing the last four hours over and over in his mind. Nothing that he and Tonks had done had made any difference and the students – his friends were quickly dying one after the other. Nothing mattered: his accomplishments in killing Bellatrix Lestrange, facing off Voldemort, or even the death of Wormtail made any difference to the people sitting and standing, trembling in fear of their turn on the wheel of death this night.   

He looked over at the pasty white skin of Hannah Abbot, pale with terror knowing she was next, and not even arguably the smartest person in the room knew what to do.

His eyes found Dumbledore next. His head was in his hands as he sat impotent at the foot of the Gryffindor table. Occasionally he would look at the parchment in front of him. Harry could only guess what he was thinking about when he read over the list of names …

"Bugger me," Harry whispered to himself.

He stood up so fast that the chair he was sitting in dropped backward to the floor making enough noise to attract the attention of everyone.

Harry rounded the end of the table and walked with determination to where the headmaster sat.

Dumbledore steeled his eyes on the young man before him and dropped his hands to the table.

"What are you thinking, Harry."

Without pause he began. "I'm thinking that I remembered something else Voldemort said right before I killed Lestrange."

Dumbledore blinked as he remembered. "The insurance policy?"

"Right," Harry acknowledged. "He said something about me holding it in trust for him."

Dumbledore's eyes widened at the implication and then he turned to the parchment on the table as he raised his wand and slashed the air above the list. A moment later his eyes almost sparkled when once invisible ruins revealed themselves. He scanned the ruins briefly and then pointed his wand once more.

"Incendio!" Dumbledore spoke with conviction and the parchment lit afire and consumed itself to a few remaining specks of ash on the table.

"That was it this time?" Harry asked with a little hope in his voice?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I am as certain as I can be without further study. However, the night is not over as of yet."

Harry nodded in understanding. "He can make another."

The headmaster shrugged slightly. "True, but that battle is for another day. Castings of this magnitude require a great amount of energy. I cannot foresee Voldemort being able to perform at this degree for another fortnight at least."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "Then what…"

"There will be a residual effect long after the ruins have been destroyed. We are not entirely safe at the moment."

Harry shook his head in further confusion. "I don't understand."

"Nor should you," Dumbledore replied. "Ruins such as these, once incanted, prevent any further magic to interfere with its intended outcome. For example when Mr. Boot cast his Shield Charm nothing we could do would break through until the curse had run its course."

"So everyone's going to keep dying?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Not at all. The brighter side of this conundrum is that now we have a fighting chance. The castings will be unable to hold in their current power and the more we are able to interfere, as each hour goes by, the less power they will have to work with."

A small amount of positive energy flowed through Harry at that moment. "So we can fight this thing."

"Yes," Dumbledore said with a certain amount of delight. "In addition I think I have another theory that might weaken the castings by an order of magnitude."

"What?"

Dumbledore stood. "First we must evacuate the Great Hall. Arthur, Alastor, Molly, if I might have your assistance?"

The three adults left their charges and approached the table in worried curiosity.

"Harry and I have found and destroyed the list."

Molly let out a heavy breath she had been holding in case of bad news and Arthur whooped. "I knew you'd get it!"

The children's ears perked at the sound of the joyful bellow from Mr. Weasley and they started toward the table as well. Dumbledore stood and addressed the small crowed.

"We have good news," he started. "Harry was able to determine exactly what we needed to do in order to survive the coming day."

Harry looked at the headmaster. Both of his eyebrows rose slightly.

"The greatest danger has passed, however we still need to be on our guard until midnight tonight when the last of us were to have … expired."

Some of those in attendance starting looking at one another with concern.

"What we will be doing forthwith is reducing the odds of anything occurring beyond our control. Namely we will be leaving Hogwarts and entering the Muggle world."

Now confusion was settling in.

"Professor, wouldn't being here be safer?" Molly asked.

"On the contrary. We need to be as far away from large concentrations of magic as we can. It is what is fueling the remainder of the castings that is causing our dilemma."

Harry scanned the group of faces seeing a small amount of hope in their eyes of escaping their impending doom. Hannah was breathing easier, Hermione's sparked with determination, Ron's face slacked in trepidation of going some place that he was not familiar, and the adults surrounding them stood curious about the headmaster's new plan.

"I must ask all of you to put your trust in me from now until this threat has passed." Dumbledore relaxed his shoulders. "I know I have not earned your trust this evening, but Harry has. With the help of Miss Tonks he has done that which I could not and that is to give us all a fighting chance to survive that which I regrettably thought was the end."

He looked to his side and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "That is why I am asking that you continue to trust him to lead you the rest of the way this day."

Harry's eyes widened and he tried to step away but failed under the strong grip of the headmaster. Scatterings of confusion made themselves known among the voices of almost everyone there, but Dumbledore raised his free hand and quieted the protest.

"Harry and I will be retiring to my office and upon his return he will lead you and insure your safety."

The headmaster turned and faced Tonks. "Nymphadora, if you would be so good as to retrieve Harry's axe and meet us I would be in your debt."

"Come Harry."

-

04:17 a.m.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Scotland

Headmaster's Office

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Dumbledore approached his bookshelf and waved his wand over the front releasing whatever kept his hidden alcove where he stored his pensive secure. Harry sat numbly in the chair he always occupied at the end of every year as Dumbledore did something behind the cover of half of the bookshelf. When he stepped backward he was holding a black metal box of sorts the length of his forearm and half of that length in width.

He took a seat next to Harry which the young man was curious as to why he didn't take his normal seat behind the desk. Setting the box on the desk he held his hand over the top and closed his eyes for a moment. The top of the box shimmered and faded away. Inside the box, Harry noted, were two vials of clear liquid with gold flakes floating slowly.

"Professor…"

Dumbledore held his hand up. "Harry, do you trust me?"

"What does that have to…"

"Harry, it is most important. Please answer the question."

The young man relaxed back in his chair. "I – I know you mean well, Professor. I've never questioned your intent, but some of the decisions you've made over that last couple of years …"

Dumbledore nodded. "I understand," he sighed. "It is the one of the failings of age that we forget what it is like to be youthful and independent."

He sat for another moment. "It will be enough."

Tonks chose that moment to enter the office.

"Ah, Nymphadora, just in time," the headmaster said in greeting. "If you would be seated you will be witness to the proceedings."

"What's going on, Professor?" Tonks inquired with a small amount of trepidation.

Dumbledore smiled slightly but ignored her question. "Acting in my role as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot let it be known that Harry Potter is innocent of all future actions of this the 23rd day of December in the 1147th year of Merlin. It is of my will alone which the aforementioned Harry Potter possesses no knowledge that I set forth this ritual."

Harry looked back at Tonks; trepidation knitted his brow.

"Harry," the Headmaster said.

His head swiveled back to the professor. "What's happening?"

Dumbledore selected one of the glass vials and handed it to Harry the other he selected for himself. "Drink, Harry and all will be explained."

Dumbledore unsealed his vial and tilted the vial to his own mouth as Harry watched the contents empty into the professor's mouth. He looked down at his vial and twisted the top free mimicking his elder's actions.

The tart oily fluid tingled on his tongue as he swallowed and watched as the headmaster took Harry's hand in his own interlacing the fingers and grasping tightly with much more strength than he though the old man possessed.

"Thusly we begin."

~0~

The light and office shifted to a large blur before righting itself with only Harry and Dumbledore sitting by themselves except the headmaster was sitting in his traditional seat behind the desk. Harry pulled forward to the edge of his chair.

"What just happened?"

Dumbledore just smiled. "Harry it has come time for you to fulfill your destiny, and I will do anything to make sure that you survive along with those people you hold most dear."

Harry cocked his head slightly. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

The headmaster interlaced his fingers and leaned forward on the desk. "Currently I am passing on something that was previously passed on to me by my mentor who in turn received … lets just say generations of wizards have acquired an affinity for magic and I am passing that on to you."

"An affinity?"

"Indeed."

"Right."

Seeing his pupil waiting for an explanation Dumbledore continued. "You have shown a predisposition, Harry, in being able to perform great magic, your Patronus for example. However wonderful creating a corporeal Patronus at thirteen years of age will not in turn guarantee that you will be powerful enough to defeat Lord Voldemort.

"You will have to hone this skill over the years with study, but I am quite certain that you will achieve acclaim along with the greatest wizards in history of which I am honored to be a part of."

Finally losing patience Harry shook his head and stood. "What in the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"I cannot say anything more definite on the matter, Harry. I am truly sorry. I can say that the affinity has a different effect on each wizard that it is passed to. You will have to explore to find its effect on you for I will not be around to help you."

"What do you mean?" Harry said with concern. "Are you abandoning me?"    

Dumbledore sighed. "In a way, Harry, I will always be with you through the affinity, though I will not be with you in body."

Harry finally made the connection. "You're dying?"

"I am dead already, Harry," Dumbledore said flatly. "The potion I drank passed on the affinity to you through the contact we have made with our hands. The potion you drank prepared your body for acceptance of the affinity."

Harry turned around and stalked behind the chair. "You're using me again! Dammit!"

"I am sorry you feel this way. However, you must understand that it was necessary in order for the rest of you to have a chance in survival. I do not believe you possessed the skills to survive … possibly, but I could not take that chance." He paused and watched as Harry kick at the table full of silvery instruments that he had only repaired five months previous and once again knocked them to the floor.

"Additionally I have disrupted the curse, hopefully enough to drain enough power out of the castings to give you and the others an edge in the coming hours."

Harry spun about again facing his mentor. "What?"

Dumbledore smiled once again which was beginning to infuriate Harry to no end. "I've taken myself out of the equation, Harry.   I was meant to die much later than the others and now the castings are having difficulty adjusting. If it has no other effect than in stopping the continuation of the list after me then at least I will have saved you, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley.

"I have spent the last hour reviewing what I knew about this type of casting and the only remedy I would result in was that a single person would have to die out of turn in order weaken the resulting curse."

Harry leaned into the desk, anger etched on his face. "Do I look like I have a clue as to what the hell you are saying?"

Dumbledore blinked a few times and decided on another explanation.

"I shall put this in as simplest terms as possible then, Harry." He paused while he watched the young man ease backward. "The casting was made to, for lack of a better word, execute certain actions at certain times; for each hour a different person would die."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"By taking myself out of the equation I have disrupted the original casting and the magic will try to sort itself out, but in doing so will it will use up a portion of the existing power that has been used to set the original list resulting in a less efficient spell overall."

The headmaster fisted his hand and shook it out. "Our time is limited," he continued in haste. "Inside the black box you will find instructions on creating the potion that was in the vials when it comes time for you to pass on the affinity to another."

Dumbledore stood and walked around to the front of the desk. "Harry."

The furious young man turned but said nothing.

"I am sorry that it has to be this way, but this is the greatest gift that I could possibly give you under the circumstances, and the only action I could take to give a fighting chance to the others. In time I hope you understand."

Harry crossed his arms and clenched his teeth. "I understand that you just took the coward's way out, Professor, and laid everyone's life in my hands."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "And that itself will probably be my wisest contribution to the world, Harry." He took a step backward. "Forgive me."

The office blurred once more and Harry closed his eyes and shook the image out then opened them noticing immediately that he was back in his chair and Dumbledore was sitting across from him. Their hands were still locked together but the headmaster's fell limp in his own.

He pulled his hand back letting the dead arm drop and the body slump to the back and to the side of the chair.

"Stupid, stupid …"

He heard more than saw Tonks get up quickly from her chair and move to check the condition of the headmaster. She placed two fingers against Dumbledore's pulse point on his neck and then gasped.

"He's dead."

"He killed himself, Tonks."

Before he could say anything more Tonks enveloped him with her arms from behind. Setting her chin on his shoulders she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Harry shrugged away after a moment. "He took the easy way out, the coward." And with that Harry dashed out of the office and ran most of the way to the Great Hall.

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04:30 a.m.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Scotland

The Great Hall

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When he arrived at the door Moody met him and pushed him out into the hall.

"What happened, Potter?" he almost growled. One minute Dumbledore's there," he pointed at the map, "and then the next he's gone. Did he Portkey somewhere?"

Harry face was flushed and his breath rapid. He looked behind Moody to make sure nobody was listening. "He's dead. He drank this stupid potion and killed himself leaving me, of all people, in charge."

Moody's magical eye stopped swiveling and centered on him making Harry wonder briefly whether or not it was some sort of lie detector. It was creepy enough to make someone want to tell him the truth just so he'd stop staring at them with the bug-eyed thing.

"It's true," Tonks said after arriving only seconds previous.

Moody's eye spun toward the Great Hall and his face took on a constipated look. "Not a word to anyone in here. There's enough panic as it is. Make something up if anyone asks."

Harry rolled his eyes in frustration. "Great, well why not. I'm in charge that means I get to manipulate people. Come with the job description or something?"

"Tonks, watch the door," Moody said without turning his head. The next moment Harry found himself slammed up against the wall. "Now listen here you ungrateful whelp. Dumbledore told me it might come down to this and made me promise to follow your lead and advise you as the case may be, but if you think for one moment that I am going to stand by and take orders from a sixteen year old brat with a complex then I'll stun you here, and you can take your chances alone while I do my best out there for these people in the Muggle world.

"I'd much rather have you along seeing as you're supposed to be some sort of 'chosen one' or something. It's good for morale and all of that crap." Moody backed off a little but continued. "You've done good tonight, Potter. You did the things that needed to be done and didn't cry because it got a little messy at times. Now these people need a positive and reassuring leader. Can you do the job or are you going to stamp your foot and cry about all the unfairness in the world?"

Condescension was not one of Harry's favorite ways to be spoken to. "Well actually …"

"Harry," Tonks snapped.

"Fine," he said in response.

He didn't wait for Mad Eye to let go and stepped to the side while pushing him away. He took a breath and strode into the Great Hall.

"Who can do a Portkey?"

In answer to his question a brown owl landed on his shoulder dropping a letter into his hands and then it proceeded to rapidly peck at him. Harry swatted the angry bird away.

"Get off, you barmy bird!"

It fluttered around him and Harry's temper was exceeding extreme when he swatted his hand at the owl. It stalled in the air for a moment and then exploded in a burst of feathers.

Tonks was standing closest him. "What is it with you and birds, Harry?"

Hermione rushed him and stopped inches away looking down at the blood and brown feathers still falling around him. "How did you do that without a wand?"

Harry shrugged. "Accidental magic? It happens when I get mad."

He tore at the envelope and withdrew the parchment inside.

Harry Potter,

With blatant disregard to the Restriction of Underage Sorcery on this date you have been monitored casting the Killing Curse at the Silver Stag Hotel, London. You will cease and desist any magic whatsoever and wait for the Aurors which have been dispatched to snap your wand and bring you to Azkaban to await trial.

Yours respectfully,

Mafalda Hopkirk

"I love my life," Harry said with bitter sarcasm.

Moody grunted from behind me.

"Destination Potter?"

I crumbled the parchment into a small ball and tossed it to the side. "Huh?"

"The Portkey?"

"Oh, right," he said as he pondered where they would be safest for the moment. "How about a nice pub? Maybe one that's closed?"

Moody stared at Harry to see if he was serious. "Uh huh," he blandly said. "Right, well, grab a hold."

He held out a fist sized black ring of metal for Harry to grab and then stepped back pulling it along with him as everyone watched it expanding in size a couple of feet in diameter. Tapping his wand on the ring and saying the incantation the ring glowed blue for a moment.

"Everyone grab on," Moody announced. "Thirty seconds and we're leaving."

04:37 a.m.

The Hole in the Wall - Belfast, Ireland

The Dance Floor

The hopeful but timid crowd landed in a bunch as most of the teens had never experienced Portkey travel. Murmurs of curiosity as to their location were squelched by Moody a moment later.

 "We're in a pub in Belfast not too far from the local ministry in case we need backup."

Harry shook his head and stood from his position on his knees next to Tonks. "I don't think I'll be calling on the Ministry that wants to put me in Azkaban for trying to kill Voldemort."

Moody's mad eye centered on Harry a second later. "Then I suggest that you be more specific about where you want to hide out next time."

Harry brushed himself off and looked around the room. The only light in the pub came from the neon lighting that was traditionally left on twenty-four hours a day. It was enough that they wouldn't trip over anything and still maintain their privacy from inquiring eyes from the street, though who would be on the streets at four-thirty in the morning was another question.

"Right, well I'm hungry," Harry stated as he made his way to the bar off center of the back wall.

Hermione rushed up behind him. "Harry don't you think we should set up a guard, or prepare for what's going to happen next."

He made his way behind the bar and spotted a refrigerator next to the cash register which he opened and after a moment pulled out a tray of decretive fruit used for poofy drinks.

"And exactly what would you suggest we do, Hermione?"

He popped a maraschino cherry in his mouth and held it still with his teeth as he pulled off the step and tossed it on the floor before he continued.

"I mean the whole reason we're here is that it's a purely Muggle place. No magic. Nothing to feed the castings is what Dumbledore wanted. Now we wait."

Most of the teens made their way to the bar. Some of them pulled stools down and made a place to sit while others huddled around the adults for comfort. Harry pulled an inverted glass from a large stack in front of him and set it upright.

Hermione followed him with nervous eyes. "Harry, you're not going to get drunk are you?"

He noticed a stainless steel flex hose with a dispenser at the tip decorated with several buttons and then he gave Hermione a crooked eyebrow.

"Um, actually I was going to grab a Coke. Want one?"

She gave him a nervous giggle in relief. "Diet please."

Harry scoffed. "We all might die tonight, Hermione. Live a little."

Her face cringed a little in response. "Sprite then. I don't think I should have the caffeine as nervous as I already am."

He experimented a few times to find out which button dispensed which soda and then he filled each glass after Hermione had found the ice. They each took a drink while the rest of the teens watched on.

A few minutes later after everyone that wanted a drink had received one a bright light came from Moody and he turned and sent one back. He limped to the bar with an echoing clomp.

"They've found the Abbot girl. I sent McGonagall a message telling her where we're at."

Harry nodded and looked around until he found a clock above the bar noting that they still had five minutes until the hour closed. He made his way out from behind the bar and to the dance floor where they had arrived and waited.

Everyone stood in silence except for a couple of small hushed voices from the bar. The sound of the conventional heater kicked on and startled Susan Bones with a small yelp. Arthur Weasley wrapped an arm around her in shared comfort. Harry smiled grimly and was about to turn back to the dance floor when one of the neon lights sparked and the light it emitted went out.

Fred Weasley looked above him and noticed the light as well as a small flame shooting out the back end from the metal box at its base.

"Bloody hell," he said.

Hermione saw the flame and made her way quickly to the portable fire extinguisher hanging from one of the four columns at each corner of the bar. "I'll get it," she said hurriedly.

"No magic," Harry responded to everyone else.

Fred looked down in his hand at the glass of soda he had only taken a sip from. He looked to the side and grabbed his brother's as well and flung them both up in the air slinging the drinks at the small fire.

"I've got it," he yelled with confidence.

Harry saw what he was doing a moment too late. "Fred, NO!"

The soda hit the metal case in the back of the neon light, what Harry knew was a small electric transformer, and a crackling sound of electricity arced.

"MOVE!"

Screams rent the air right after the transformer exploded sending sparks every which way. The remainder of the soda from Fred's attempt landed on the floor subsequently making several of the teens that were trying to get away slip and fall.

The sound of a rushing wind sounded from behind Harry on the dance floor as he watched a lone glass of soda fly past him and hit the floor spilling its contents haphazardly around.

The arriving Portkey holding Professor McGonagall and Hannah Abbot arrived a second later. Harry dove after her when he saw where she was landing. Her foot hit a wet spot and she slipped but before she had even rocked back enough to fall Harry had tackled her to the floor twisting his body around to use as cushion for her fall.

The two of them slid to a stop after only a couple of feet.

"Hannah," yelped Harry. "Are you okay?"

She was shocked into silence and only nodded.

Another explosion sounded from the transformer and it fell from its hanging from the acoustic ceiling. Its long power cord was still attached when it hit the floor and the acuminated soda of the surrounding area lighting it in brilliant blue arcs of electricity. Fred was scrambling away from it when his body froze up with 220 volts coursing through.

Hermione swung the fire extinguisher in a wide arc passing where the cord hung from the ceiling and disconnected it ending the unnatural dancing lights across the teen's body. Fred collapsed a second later.

Harry took to his feet and dashed to the fallen body of Fred Weasley with Hermione close by.

He pressed his fingers against the seeming inert body's neck and couldn't find a pulse.

"Hermione, CPR!"

Harry inched over and laid his hands, one atop the other, over where Fred's heart should be and pumped while Hermione tilted his head back and blew a breath into his mouth.

"What are they doing?" screamed Molly Weasley. "Fred! My baby!"

Arthur struggled against her superior weight but managed to hold her back.

"Check," Harry yelled and Hermione stopped her last breath.

He checked for a pulse and still found nothing.

"Again!"

They both resumed pumping and breathing for Fred trying at a task that seemed in vain until a few seconds later when Fred gave a lurch and coughed into Hermione's face.

Harry fell back on his butt and looked around to see marveled looks directed toward him.

"Attention in the back, all wizards and witches. Electricity and water don't mix!"

He collapsed to his back and closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them he found the clock above the bar.

05:03 a.m.