Harry
"Harry! Wake up! Oh, for goodness sake!"
Harry Potter was awoken by his friend Hermione Granger. Her shining eyes were the first thing he saw, she hovered over him delightedly.
"Hermione?" Harry mumbled groggily, "what are you doing?"
"Oh, Harry! It's wonderful!" Hermione beamed.
Despite everything, Hermione's delight was infectious, Harry felt himself smile too. "What's wonderful?"
"I know who can help!" She ploughed on without waiting for a response. "Dumbledore!"
Harry frowned in confusion, Dumbledore was dead, she knew that as well as anyone. "What?" He said weakly.
"Don't you see?" Hermione exclaimed joyfully, "Dumbledore!" She paused and looked at him, then a funny little smile spread across her face, "you still don't understand? Seriously? The portrait Dumbledore in McGonagall's office, I sent her an owl asking if we could speak to him and she said yes!"
Harry leapt out of bed and threw his arms around her, "you are brilliant, Hermione, truly!" He could feel Hermione smile against him. He released her with a smile and announced he was going to shower.
"Ok!" Hermione called after him, "but get ready because we're leaving at noon!"
Harry barely had time to inwardly marvel at his friend's efficiency before she appeared in the hallway and shooed him into the bathroom.
It was like stepping into the past. McGonagall's office was exactly how it had been when they left Hogwarts, only not as melancholy. In fact, the entire castle was the same. It was a powerful wave of emotion that hit Harry, as he flooed into the office.
"Do try not to get soot on the carpet, Potter," said McGonagall, without looking up.
Harry dusted himself off, managing to move out the way before Ron came spiralling down and tumbling out. Ginny followed and Hermione was last. Hermione vanished the dust and smiled at the lovely, clean carpet, Harry caught Ron's eye and both men had to smother their laughter.
"Hello," McGonagall said, "take a seat." She conjured three more chairs up, due to one already being there. "It's good to see you."
Harry smiled, "you too, professor."
McGonagall waved a dismissive hand, "no, we'll have none of that 'professor' none sense, I am no longer your teacher so you may call me Minerva."
Hermione cleared her throat, "OK, pr- Minerva, we needed to speak with Professor Dumbledore's portrait because of a certain recent event." Hermione begun her narrative, McGonagall looked horrified once it was over. She shook her head slightly and said, "I can see why you came now," she glanced up to the grand portrait of Albus Dumbledore, "what do you think, Albus?"
Dumbledore opened his eyes, the twinkling blue eyes staring right into Harry, giving him the feeling he was being X-rayed.
"He is connected to Voldemort now," Dumbledore said simply, "the blood binds him to Voldemort."
Shock and horror filled Harry up, after everything he had done to keep his family safe, it was all tainted. Everything he had worked for, washed away by a tsunami of devastation and evil. It wasn't fair, he had defeated Voldemort, why did he have to come back? Wasn't he told that destroying the horcruxes would destroy Voldemort?
Hermione seemed to voice his very last thought, "but, you said if we destroyed the horcruxes we would destroy Voldemort," she pointed out, with just a hint of accusation in her voice.
Dumbledore nodded sombrely, "I thought at the time it would, this is something completely unanticipated. They were living off hope and chance, this was no solid plan."
Harry pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes in frustration, "great, now Albus is going to suffer the same thing as me. Brilliant. So many people died to bring him down, and now he's back? This is great, just great. I really missed this." Harry put as much sarcasm as he could into his voice and Ginny rubbed his arm sympathetically.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "I know it must be hard for you, Harry, but I know how to stop it."
Hope glowed in the dark pits of horror, "how?" Asked Harry.
"Voldemort must have used someone's spirit to resurrect himself, he used Miss Wea- apologies- Mrs Potter's blood to transfer himself into a physical body, however, he needed Albus' blood to strengthen himself. Both Ginny and Albus are connected to him. I'm also assuming that you, Harry, will be connected to him. While you three are connected to him he can live, you can rid him of the spirit to weaken him first. I think it would be an idea to tell Albus when he is eleven."
"So, we rid Voldemort of the spirit and we're one step closer?" Hermione clarified.
"Yes."
The bushy-haired girl frowned, "how do we do that?"
Dumbledore shrugged, "no idea."
Ginny
"This is wonderful! Really wonderful!" Harry exclaimed furiously as the made tea.
"Harry, calm down!" Ginny cried.
"Calm down?!" Ginny had never seen Harry so worked up, he was usually cool and collected in predicaments, "you and Albus are connected to Voldemort! How am I supposed to calm down?!" He trailed off, took a deep breath and said, in a much quieter voice, "sorry...I just don want you to experience what I did."
Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, "I know, love, but we'll he through it. We always do."
"I suppose we do," Harry murmured, seeming slightly more relaxed. His arms went around her waist and they stood, locked in each other's embrace for a moment.
Dinner that night was a tense affair; Harry sat quietly and spoke only when he needed to, Hermione made a valiant effort to make conversation, Ginny pondered over what would happen to Albus, and Ron just looked vacant. Then, abruptly, Harry got to his feet and left. Ginny knew better than to follow him, despite the looks Hermione was giving her, she knew her husband needed space to think, so Ginny shook her head at Hermione and continued to shove her food around on the plate.
Later on, they checked on the children then went to bed. Ginny read for several minutes, while Harry sat up staring at the wall. Once she could not read anymore, Ginny curled down into the covers to sleep, while Harry had not moved from his position.
When Ginny woke the next morning, Harry was in the same position. His eyes ringed with purple shadows and his face pale.
"Did you sleep at all?" Ginny demanded, Harry shrugged and the redhead felt her temper rising, "you better not start this 'protecting me' rubbish again. Now I'm connected I need to know what's going on."
Harry was startled into silence, Ginny continued commandingly, "you get some sleep. Now."
She took James and Albus downstairs and, as she fed them breakfast, she knew the worst was yet to come.
Hello there! The last chapter for you, I'm working on the epilogue and it may come sooner than expected, as I have sprained my ankle! *Sarcastic applause* So, due to the fact that my school has soooo many stairs, I may have to take some time off, go to the doctors and confirm that my injury is a sprain. I promise the epilogue will be happy (well, happier) and I hope you lot loved this chapter. As always, do comment and feel free to vote ;) if the whim takes you. :)
