Harry Potter and the War of Souls

Chapter 33

Full Circle

There was singing somewhere. Not a human's voice, but it was a sound he had heard before. It was the voice of a phoenix. And the song wasn't sad, nor was it exactly celebratory. It was a song of peace.

"I think he's coming around." That was Ginny's voice, and he realized there was someone holding his hand. It must be her.

"Harry? Harry, wake up."

"Ron, don't push him. He'll wake up when he's ready." That was Hermione.

Harry made an attempt to open his eyes and felt them fluttering. But they were so heavy. It was easier to sleep.

"Back up everyone. Give him space." That was Lupin's voice. He sounded as weak as Harry felt.

He felt Ginny begin to let go of his hand, but he tightened his grip.

"He's waking up," Ginny said. "He knows I'm here."

Harry groaned and without opening his eyes, he whispered, "Is it over?"

"It's over," Ginny whispered. With her other hand, she combed fingers through his hair. "He's gone."

He finally opened his eyes, just long enough to see her looking down at him. She was all right. He'd forgotten who else was in the room, until he heard voices. There were several people in here.

"Tell me what happened."

Ron must have been sitting on the other side of him, or at least, that's where his voice was coming from. "Ginny saw it from the doorway. She got over the spell and was coming back just in time to see you take the killing curse."

"I was sure you were dead," Ginny said. "He shot you with that green light and hit you square in the chest. You rolled all the way down to the bottom of that platform and you just didn't move. Then I realized that wasn't the only thing that had happened. The green light that Voldemort shot into you rebounded. It hit him and he fell back, rolling down the steps the opposite way."

"Is He dead?" Harry asked, finally opening his eyes. "Are we sure?"

"Took 'im outta here myself," Hagrid said. Harry turned his head and saw Hagrid standing in the room with a heavily bandaged Lupin who was standing with the support of Tonks.

"His entire army is gone," Hermione said. She then launched into an explanation about Voldemort's Seizerum spell and life-forces and used a lot of long words that Harry couldn't make sense of. He got the gist of it, however, that when Voldemort died, everyone and everything that had come to fight for Him also died.

"What about us?" Harry asked.

"We should wait til you're stronger," Hermione said but Harry said loudly, "Just tell me who we lost!"

Ginny lowered her eyes. "Well they couldn't fight us very well in the end, because of what you did, and that probably saved a lot of lives."

"They got Bill," Ron said sadly. "He fought Greyback and might have made it but the other werewolves joined against him. There were too many."

Harry looked back at Ginny. "I'm so sorry. I tried-"

Her eyes were moist, but she brushed a tear off her cheek. "I know, Harry. It's okay."

"Moody died too," Hermione said. "But he somehow took out a whole bunch of Dementors with him. I didn't even know you could kill Dementors, but he had a way."

"The students fought amazingly well, though," Ginny said. "Luna held her own in a battle with Malfoy and for a long time, Neville was able to hold a lot of death eaters off from coming out of the Chamber. They continued fighting even after they escaped the Chamber, but I heard one of the Aurors say they're lucky to be alive."

"Other students weren't so lucky," Hermione said. "For the most part, those who'd been in the DA were able to take care of themselves. But they've opened the Great Hall as a hospital wing to care for everyone who was injured, and there are deaths."

"Why did everyone come back anyway?" Harry asked. He was stronger now and with Ginny's help, sat himself up. "They were supposed to be evacuating."

"Hermione and I were the first to realize what you'd done," Ron said. "Neville told us he saw you get out the Friend Finder and then we knew. We went and told McGonagall and Neville, Hermione, and I ran back up to the school to help you out. Word spread, and as everyone heard what was happening, they joined the battle."

Harry felt a heaviness in his heart. "I didn't want that."

"And they didn't want to live knowing that they walked away and did nothing," Hermione said. "Professor McGonagall is in the hospital wing right now. She was hit by a Petrification spell, but Professor Sprout is already working on something to help her. Professor Flitwick is helping in the hospital wing and will probably take over as Headmaster until McGonagall recovers."

"You should know that there was another loss," Ginny said. "We found Hedwig. She took the full force of some really nasty curse."

He looked up at the narrow window, feeling a profound sadness over that news. Hedwig had been as loyal a pet, and a friend, as he could have had. Then he saw Fawkes land on the ledge of the window and look down directly at him. Harry nodded at Fawkes and was sure Fawkes returned the gesture with understanding. They belonged to each other now.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked. "We weren't sure if we should be telling you all this."

Without answering her, Harry lowered his eyes and saw for the first time that he had been laying on the circular platform that had first carried he and Voldemort up to the window in the turret. He was killed on the square and rose on the circle, just as Trelawney had predicted.

"He killed me," Harry mumbled, almost to himself. "I heard the words. Why didn't I die?"

"Your mother said you had to understand the full circle of the power her sacrifice gave you," Ginny said.

Harry nodded absently. If that meant something, he was too tired to understand it now. He wanted to sleep, to sleep without dreams.

"Don't be sad, Harry," Ginny said, reaching for him. "At least it's over now. We won."

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The last week at Hogwarts was the most unusual ever on record for the school. All final testing was cancelled, and classes were nothing more than an excuse for students to publicly exchange their favorite war stories.

Harry kept himself apart from most everyone then. He didn't want to hear the stories and particularly didn't want to tell them.

"I had a dream last night," he told Ginny one evening as they cuddled on the couch. She began to gasp but he shook his head. "No, it was great. I mean, it was just a dream. The connection is gone and for the first time in my life I feel completely free."

Ginny sat up slightly. "Free for what?"

"For the life I want to have with you." He paused as she settled back into his arms. "I'm thinking I won't be an Auror, at least right now. What would you think if I tried out for Quidditch - professionally I mean? Oliver Wood is still with the Puddlemere Uniteds. He could recommend me."

She smiled. "I think I'd like that." She played with his fingers a moment. "Did Ron and Hermione tell you their news?"

"Yeah. Have they decided on a date?"

"I'm sure they'll be married before the end of the summer. Hermione can't stop talking about it."

"Nor can Ron."

As if on cue, Ron and Hermione entered the room together and sat down across from Harry and Ginny.

"So tell them and see what they think," Ron said to Hermione.

"All right." She sat up straight and said, "The Ministry has offered me a job as an Unspeakable. I can't tell you exactly what I'd be doing there, but I want to further the research Harry's mother was working on. I think that'd be important."

"I think it's a bad idea," Ron said.

"You only think it's a bad idea because I'll be making more galleons than you. But becoming an Auror takes a long time. We need something to live on."

Ron shrugged. "At least Harry and I will train together. That'll pass the time, right mate?"

Harry shook his head. "I'd rather catch snitches than wizards right now. I hope you understand."

Ron stared at Harry for a moment, then nodded meaningfully. "Well sure. Besides, they'll let you in as soon as there's trouble again. I heard Scrimgeour told you he'd admit you as an Auror straight away if you wanted it."

"I'll make it there eventually. But I've had enough of fighting for now."

Harry turned to Hermione. "If you're working on my mum's research, I ought to tell you that I think I know now what she meant by my understanding the full circle of its power. I think her protection was with me all this time, since that night in Godric's Hollow, and that to complete the spell, I had to be willing to sacrifice my life, just as she did for me."

"So the full circle meant you had to be willing to sacrifice your life, just as she did for you," Hermione mused. "Your mother's spell saved you in that tower with Voldemort, not because she was there to die for you, but because you were willing to die for Ginny."

Harry felt Ginny's hand squeeze his arm a little tighter. She loved him. He could feel that from her.

"So is your mother's protection still with you?" Ginny asked.

"Dunno. But I'm not planning to get hit with any more killing curses. I don't want to find out."

"Forget the curses," Ginny said, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Did you ever show them, by the way?"

"Show us what?" Ron asked.

"Never mind," Harry said. "It's a great day. Let's go outside."

"We'll go out afterwards. Harry, they ought to see it."

Harry groaned but he knew there was no point in fighting. He unfastened the top three buttons of his shirt then pulled it apart to reveal a new scar running across his chest. It was a larger shape of lightning, looking almost like a reddish-brown tattoo.

"Wicked!" Ron said admirably. "I didn't even think to ask about a scar."

"Where the curse exited," Hermione said. She turned to Ron. "You want something like that?"

"No. But you have to admit, it's pretty cool."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "Let's do go outside. I want to find someplace private and sunny and do a careful check for any scars you might have."

Harry and Ginny followed, but before they left, he caught her hand and pulled her back. "I'm a bit bruised up," he said to her. "You understand that, right? I love you, and in time the bruises and wounds will heal. But there will always be scars."

She smiled and kissed him warmly before pulling away. "It's Harry I love, bruises, wounds, scars and all."

They ran outside and were soon joined by a circle of friends who wanted to do nothing more than laugh and dream of the future. Harry lay back on the grass, stared at the bright blue sky, and smiled. His entire life was ahead of him and he planned to make it a great one. He was the Boy Who Lived, and that was exactly what he planned to do. He would live.