Dark Prince Rises by Ronin2106

Chapter 24

It was painless, just as everyone had said it would be, absolutely nothing to feel in the physical plan, but on spiritual it was completely different story. Nobody thought of that one, and to feel the soul being literally ripped out of the body and sent into a plane of a completely different existence… That is no simple pain, but something completely else and unimaginably different and it was definitely not pleasing and beyond simple conventions of pain. That is what Harry had thought of first, when he suddenly felt his being still present, with all of his senses, feelings and bearings being connected to him.

He opened up his eyes, finding himself in a completely white and pure space, staring at what he considered to be one of the castle's passages. He blinked a couple of times, before rising up from the ground, if it was one, and taking a look of his surroundings. It all was white, pure and completely spotless, bland as well in his own opinion, and the passage seemed to go on forever. No paintings, no windows, yet everything is as bright and illuminates the place so well, that Henry can see himself clearly. He didn't understand what had happened to him, and was he dead or something had happened. There were far too many questions in his head, questions concerning Rose, Dumbledore, the castles and everyone else…

"I had hoped that you would never you would never find your way in here, Harry." A calm, caring and warm voice spoke to Harry, making him turn its source.

He didn't widen his eyes at the sight of her, though he wanted to weep and embrace her after all those years of separation. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her, and her voice was just as sweet and caring as he had always been for him. Harry looked at a tall, beautiful woman with long light brown hair, where grey was already setting in, and the warmest set of green eyes that looked at him with warmth and love. She was dressed in black and red robes, as she walked towards him with a sad smile on her face. Harry gave his own smile to her, before he finally spoke up.

"Hello, Mom." Harry addressed Dorea Potter, his grandmother and a woman that was his real mom. "It is good to see you."

"And I am happy to see you again, my son." She said with a sad smile, as she went on to hug him, with Harry returning the affection. "But as much as I am happy to see you again, I had hoped that this day wouldn't come."

"I know, and I hoped that I would win and see the happy ending for me and everyone, but it doesn't seem to be my destiny." Harry said with a sad chuckle, as he disconnected from Dorea. "Where are we exactly? Purgatory, or something like a sorting place for sinners and saints?"

"No, nothing of that sort." Dorea said to him. "You are not dead yet, Harry, not completely, nor are you alive."

"I don't understand what you mean." Harry said to her in a confused tone. "Dumbledore had hit me with Avada Kedavra, the killing curse that he sent towards Rose. It hit me and with it I am supposed to be dead."

"Yes, but Albus have never factored in the sacrifice I've made to protect you from Voldemort." She told him, with Harry looking at her questioningly. "I don't know what Dumbledore was planning, nor do I wish to know, but what I do know, is that they were in some ways right about a Boy-Who-Lived. Only that they weren't right in who that boy was."

"Who that boy… Voldemort had come after me that night?" Harry asked of her, with Dorea nodding to him. "But you've stopped him, you've managed to block and deflect his curse back at him."

"Yes, in the moment the curse hit him, it split his soul once more and one of them latched right on to you, trying to take over your body." Dorea stated him. "The possession would've gone through and you would've died and Voldemort would've lived, if I hadn't done what I did. I've made a magical pact: my life in exchange for my powers and soul to protect you for the rest of your life. The magic accepted it and I've became your guardian, one that destroyed the shard of Voldemort in you, and kept you alive in Azkaban. And now, after your sacrifice… That pact has come to an end."