Ft. Sirius' Death
Lily's POV
It felt as though my own heart had stopped beating, the laugh still upon his face as his eyes rolled in to the back of his head and his body slipped into the wraps of mist. Everyone seemed to stop in the room, allowing for Moody and Kingsley to round up the remaining Death Eaters, all but one. Remus wrapped his arms around Harry as he screamed, but I could not hear the heartbreaking sound. I slowly turned around, facing the shocked and waiting Order, all eyes on Harry and I.
Tonks nervously stood in front of me, blocking my path between murderous, Bellatrix Lestrange slinking away into the darkness. With a swipe of my hand, Tonks flew through the air, but I didn't care where she landed, whether she was hurt, all I cared about was the fact Bellatrix had murdered Sirius. Deflecting a few more people as they tried to grab me, I started running after her, sprinting after her through the long hallway and up the elevators into the main atrium that was the Ministry.
Multiple footsteps followed me as I walked into the foyer, many of them stopping but Harry was right behind me as we finally caught up with her retreating figure. She was cackling, fuelling our anger. "I killed Sirius Black! La, la-la, la-la." She sang. "Are you going to get me? Are you coming to get me?"
"Crucio." It didn't miss and she fell to the floor, though the curse didn't stick and she spun around onto her bottom to face us. She wasn't laughing anymore as a pout adjourned her face. "Laughing now, Lestrange? Crucio."
This one stuck and she writhed in pain, not quite reduced to screams. Harry looked at me appalled, but I ignored him, using the pent up anger that had build-up in me for the past year or so. I released the curse and she lay in front of us panting, looking up at me slightly impressed.
The atrium suddenly darkened, a coldness sweeping all around. "You have got to mean it twins." A voice hissed, sounding like it was coming from all around and Bellatrix's sadistic smile was back on as she saw us looking around. "She killed him, she deserves it. You both know the spell." Something unsettled the air behind me. "Do it."
I spun round, wand raised at Voldemort, but he flicked it away easily, doing the same with Harry's. I rolled my eyes. "Don't you know anything?" I smirked at Riddles shocked expression. "I don't need a wand."
Raising my hand, Voldemort was flung back, scraping harshly across the immaculately shiny tiled floor. "Besides, it's not her I'm angry at."
I advanced, curling my hand in on itself, raising it and him into the air. He clawed at his throat, shakily raising his wand in the air and I quickly broke the spell letting him slump back to the ground with a thud. He hesitantly rose, a shocked expression on his face. "You surprise me, Lily Potter."
"Like to keep you on your toes." I sassily replied and he revealed his pointed teeth.
"I see, too bad your brother doesn't have the same potential."
"Potential?" Now I was confused.
A fireplace crackled to our left and Dumbledore's formed stepped out, dressed in silvery robes. The collection of people gathering in the elevator cove gasped. The professor calmly pulled out his wand, walking over to me and patted me on the shoulder. "That will do Lily, that will do. It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way."
"By which time I shall be gone and you shall be dead." Riddle sneered, grinning confidently.
A killing curse was sent our way, but Dumbledore shielded us, who also knocked us off our feet, sliding to the side, out of the fight. Glancing round I watched as Bellatrix slid into a fireplace and green flames consumed her body, disappearing. From where we sat, the elevators were opposite us, behind Riddle and the others were gesturing for us to come to them.
The two streams of light, red from Voldemort and green from Dumbledore, clashed, exploding in the middle. It was clear that Dumbledore was stronger, as his stream steadily moved towards Riddle and it had almost defeated him when Riddle broke the duel, throwing jinxes and spells at us. I threw up my arms, bringing them together like a physical shield in front of me that created a shield to protect us against the oncoming hexes. Dumbledore was momentarily distracted glancing at us but quickly recovered, blocking a killing curse and sent a powerful spell towards Riddle.
A boom sounded as the spell hit Voldemort's shield and he smirked. "Not aiming to kill, Dumbledore? Above such brutality?"
"Death would be too easy, simple." Was the headmaster's reply.
Riddle snarled, lashing out at us again, but I deflected it above our heads, destroying the tiles above us. The golden statues within the fountain suddenly sprang to life, scaring me as the centaur galloped to stand in front of us, protecting us from Riddles onslaught, but also blocking our view. Crawling underneath its legs, I watched Riddle produce a flame from the tip of his wand, blowing on it as it reared up to the high ceiling, transforming into a snake. It's size filled the whole hall, coiling itself around the fountain, dangerously close to the water.
Flicking my hand palm-up and lifting it into the air, the water rose at my command, to the height of the fiery snake and I dowsed it, it gave a hiss and dissolved into steam. as I let go of the remaining water, Dumbledore used it to capture an angry Riddle in a tight ball, swirling it around and we caught glimpses of Voldemort trying to escape its force. Letting the waterfall to the floor, Riddle caught himself and flung a curse at the professor who easily dodged it. Letting out a powerful burst of magic, the glass fragments shattered and using his wand he sucked them all to him, before sending them pelting our way. Dumbledore put up a shield and when the glass hit, it turned it to sand. Covering my eyes from the stray grains, I glanced back to see Riddle standing there breathing heavily and finally showing signs of weakness. Then, a wicked smile crept across his face and he disappeared.
Harry and I crawled underneath the golden centaur, that trotted over to its fountain and took its rightful place in it. Dumbledore was looking around the room, looking slightly frightening at where Riddle would appear next and Hermione was leading the others towards us.
Behind me, Harry started gasping and collapsed to the ground. "Harry!" I rushed to his side, trying to figure out what was wrong with him, but his body was spasming.
"You've lost, old man." Came a distinct voice from Harry's mouth and I jumped back, Harry screaming in agony, his eyes bloodshot.
Dumbledore was kneeling beside him know and he grabbed my hand, drawing me down beside him and I placed my hands on his sweaty shoulders. Images raced through Harry's head. The deaths of our mother, Cedric and Sirius. The horrible image of Mr Weasley being attacked and only moments before when I was cursing Bellatrix with Voldemort standing behind us.
"So weak, Harry." Riddle's voice echoed. "So vulnerable compared to your sister."
Harry screamed, struggling against the possession.
Harry stood in front of a mirror, me only in the reflection of him, but when Harry looked away then back it was Voldemort and I in the reflection.
"Harry." My soft voice broke through the veil. "Harry, it isn't how you two are alike, it isn't about you and I being compared, it's about how you and I and him are different.
Images of Hermione and Ron upon their first meeting Harry, mum and dad smiling at him from a mirror, seeing me on the doorstep of the Dursley's, Emmaline grinning due to her name being Harriet, Sirius hugging us first met, mum and dad smiling at him in a mirror, when he first met me, Sirius hugging us, when we were sitting in front of the fire laughing about Cho and Harry's kiss.
"Harry! Harry, listen to me." My hands had moved to stroke his face. "He's the weak one and he'll never know love, never the way we do and you almost feel sorry for him. Now, don't stop fighting, never give up, because you and I can't afford to do that. I love you, Harry, I love you."
Harry struggled in my hands, rebelling against Riddle and I say him in Harry's head. "Riddle!" I called, gripping Harry's head trying to draw him out with my magic. "Get, out!" I screamed with the effort and then Harry was released.
Floating above us, Riddle looked down upon us. "You're both fools and you'll lose this fight, you'll lose everything."
Coming from someone who has nothing to lose but his life, I thought. The fireplaces crackled and Aurors, Percy Weasley and Fudge stepped out, still in pyjamas. Riddle frowned, his cover blown, looking at the stunned Ministry, before disappearing. The three of us on the floor glanced at Fudge who finally gasped and it clicked. "He's back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
All the students were transported back to Hogwarts via a portkey and Dolores Umbridge was removed from Hogwarts grounds after she had been rescued from the centaurs, that is. Unfortunately she wasn't too badly injured, more shocked than anything, but hopefully, it was an eye-opener for her. Doubt it. Fudge had managed to make the morning edition and the entire paper was made up of articles like 'HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS', 'Revolt of Azkaban Dementors', 'Minister Resigns', 'Umbridge Suspended, Pending Investigation', 'Hogwarts Headmaster Reinstated'.
Harry and I had been checked over by Madame Pomfrey, then once cleared sent up to Dumbledore's office. He sat behind his desk with sad, tired eyes and the extending silence was unbelievable. "Where is Emmaline?" I asked.
Em was the only person who hadn't returned with us and I desperately wanted to be there for her, she wouldn't know what had happened yet.
"She has been sent to St. Mungo's, just wanted to make sure she was alright after that stunning spell hit her in the chest at close range. Mr. Weasley is with her, so she won't be alone when she wakes."
We sighed in relief and Harry placed his hand over mine supportively, but neither of us made any attempt of conversation. "I know how you feel, twins." He said finally.
"No, you don't." Harry clearly wasn't worried about being rude.
"Twins, there's no shame in what you're feeling, in fact, that pain is probably your greatest strength because it means you care."
"I'm sorry professor, but we don't really want to talk about our feeling right now, alright?" I snapped.
"But–"
"I DON'T CARE!" Harry burst. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!"
"You do care, yes you do. You have now lost your mother, your father and the closest thing to a parent you have ever known, of course, you care."
Harry rose, storming towards the door, which he desperately tried to open like his life depended on it but it wouldn't budge. "Let me out." His voice was deadly calm.
"Not until I have had my say." The man stated.
"I don't want to hear anything you've got to say!"
I pursed my lips together, meeting the eyes of the professor. "And frankly, I don't care what you have to say."
"You will, Lily." He assured. "Because you aren't nearly as angry with me as you ought to be."
Harry and I glanced at each other in surprise, him slowly making his way back to his seat. "Sir, what are you talking about?" I asked.
"It's my fault that Sirius died. If I had just been open with you, you wouldn't have thought it necessary to go to the Department of Mysteries tonight. If I had been open with you about Voldemort maybe trying to lure you to the Department of Mysteries, you would never have been tricked and Sirius wouldn't have come after you. It's my fault.
Twins, I owe you an explanation. Fifteen years ago, when I saw the scars on your foreheads, I guessed it would mean there would be a connection between you two and Voldemort, and this became apparent with you Harry shortly after you joined the wizarding world. Now, while Lily has only been exposed to Voldemort twice in the last couple of years, you have not produced signs, which is how I knew you'd inherited your mother's powers. as for Harry, your scar gives you warnings when Voldemort is close or how he's feeling. It's become more pronounced now he's regained full strength."
"Sir, we know this already." Harry interrupted bluntly and I didn't have the heart to scold him for being rude.
"However, more recently I worried Voldemort might realise there's a connection between you and would attempt to force his way into your mind. There's a stronger connection between you and him, Harry, because Wormtail used your blood, not Lily's. He may well have tired with you, Lily, but fortunately he can't succeed, I believe you're magic, that you demonstrated tonight, is too strong. I thought by distancing myself from you, as I have done all year, he'd be less tempted to possess you, and therefore you might be more protected.
However possessing you, as he showed tonight, wouldn't have been my demise, but your's, Harry. He'd hoped I'd sacrifice you in an attempt to kill him, but he miscalculated, left something out. Any idea what that might be? Lily?"
I thought back to last night, or early this morning, however, you want to put it and how I had rid Voldemort's possession. "Love."
The old man nodded. "I cared for you too much, which was what saved your life tonight. So you see my point, that being about to feel and love, is what stops you from being like him."
"If I had only taken the time and patience to learn Occlumency like I was supposed to, then..."
"Harry." I gently warned him.
"Then this wouldn't have happened!"
"Harry, no!" I argued, taking his hand. "Snape stopped giving you lessons, he kicked you out you could have learnt."
"Yes." Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I was most disappointed in him, but Harry it is not your fault, you aren't to blame and you behaved very heroically by rushing to Sirius aid."
"It got him killed and Em put in the hospital, and orphaned!" Harry was making it worse for himself.
"Harry, stop! None of this is your fault! It's crazy and doesn't make sense! It's not your fault Voldemort wants to destroy us, okay?" Then something clicked in my head and I turned on Dumbledore. "Why is he after us?"
The headmaster pressed his pale lips together and sighed. "I think it's finally time I tell you everything if you give me a little patience. I knew the second I decided to split you at birth, that one of you would suffer and the other wouldn't, but it had to be done. Lily you were much too powerful to grow up in the muggle world, bizarre things would be happening everywhere, so you stayed hidden from the world. But Harry was accepted into the Dursley's home."
"Accepted?!" He spluttered, but Dumbledore raised a hand for silence.
"My simple answer for this is I wanted to keep you alive, I let slip a rumour Lily was dead but Voldemort's supporters were violent and desperate so I had to protect you by sending you to your last true relative." Again he raised a hand as we went to ask questions, so we waited. "Your mother sacrificed herself to save you both, an ancient magic performed by Mage's, giving you a lingering protection, he never expected love. So I delivered you to her only remaining true relative and she took you in, sealing the protection spell and that's why in her presence, you can never be harmed or touched by Voldemort."
"But this wouldn't apply to me." I shrugged.
"Ah," Dumbledore grinned happily. "Where was the first place I sent you when you were to be revealed to the world?"
I thought for a moment, before Harry and I both replied. "The Dursley's."
"And Petunia took you in too, though it had been twelve years, the protection charm was still there. But not that any of that matters now you've moved out, but it protected Harry for eleven years."
"So, that's why you split us up, but...why did Voldemort come after us?" Harry asked.
"Sybil Trelawney made her first and only real prophecy the day I interviewed her for the Divination post, stating The–"
"Yeah, we heard it." I rushed him, ready to get answers.
"That describes you two, but what Voldemort's informant forgot to mention was that he shouldn't attack you, and here we are today."
We slipped into silence all this information possibly oozing out of our heads. Dumbledore calmly sat there and allowed us to think. "Sir," Harry spoke. "The prophecy said: Neither side can live while the other survives and they shall have power the Dark Lord knows not. The first part means that one of us has to eventually kill him or he us, in the end." Dumbledore nodded in confirmation, hands clasped together. "The second part means...what does that mean exactly?"
"That there's a power you have that will need to be used to kill Voldemort."
"You mean, Lily's power, I don't have any special Mage qualities."
Dumbledore smiled. "It's not that common in males, I'm afraid. But you have power to, a strong will, it will definitely be needed to defeat him."
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