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Harry Potter and the Final Flame | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, General Warnings: Death Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 235 Summary: COMPLETED!!! Following the events Harry Potter is focused and determined to fulfill a destiny that only he can fulfill. Simple isn't it? Track down and destroy piece by piece the Darkest Wizard to ever live. If only things were that simple for Harry. Watch as the his best friends come closer together, the Order crumbles with a traitor in their midst, and the people he cares about the most suffer through heartache and trial. Can Harry succeed and if he does will there be anything for him to come home to? Hitcount: Story Total: 175392; Chapter Total: 5394 Author's Notes: |
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“Do you think that’s it, then?” Ron asked blankly as he, Harry and Hermione sat staring at the golden box. The two friends had rushed over to Harry when he’d called to them, but the reality of what was before them had the three somewhat awestruck. The golden box was beautiful. An intricately carved cup adorned the lid with half of a bleeding heart visible from the top of the cup. Around the perimeter of the container there were inverted triangles, end to end, colored in a darker gold. Below this were two crossed swords. To say that the thing was stunning would be an understatement, but the longer he sat staring at it, the more Harry longed to open the stunning box. Hermione’s soft voice barely registered in his mind as she performed several spell on it. “It must be protecting the cup, but I can’t sense any traps so… open it.” “‘Spose we have to,” Harry murmured and stood, backing away from it. When Ron and Hermione had done the same, he pointed his wand at the box and said, as he flicked his wand, “Cista Aperio.” For a moment the world stood still. Light seemed to be drawn quickly forward, into the abyss that was the emptiness of the box but just as Harry felt himself being sucked in, the world exploded in a shower of sparks and screams. He was blown backwards, landing flat and knocking his skull against the hard floor. He wasn’t given the chance to recover. Before he could even sit upwards, a blast of fire was shooting towards his face. “Aguamenti!” Harry bellowed as he watched the water barely hold back the barrage of fire. Steam was sizzling as the air filled with the swirling cloud of boiling water. He knew that he couldn’t hold on much longer, Harry rolled left and pushed himself to his feet. It was a futile attempt. With a resounding roar, a gigantic tail whipped through the air, crashing into his chest and slamming him back to the ground, dirt erupting everywhere. This time, Harry landed on something hard, coughing as the dust filled his lungs. Grabbing it without conscious thought, Harry realized the he was holding a sword. A very familiar looking sword. “Right,” he whispered and sprang to his feet, brandishing the wand and his new weapon. Looking up at his foe, he knew what he had to do. “Conjunctiva!” The dragon stumbled back, howling in agony as it tripped over a fallen log. Harry didn’t wait for the chance to pass. Running full tilt towards the scaly creature, Harry dodged the flailing tail and jumped onto its belly, plunging the sword up to the hilt into the under side of its neck. The dragon corkscrewed in pain, thrashing about in its pain, and nearly crushing Harry beneath its massive body. Harry kept a firm hold on the sword, ducking as it swatted at him with its small arms, but it was a feeble effort. The green blood that poured from the fatal wound told Harry that it wouldn’t be much longer. Finally, after one last shot at knocking him off, the dragon fell limp to the floor. It was done. Coated in sweat, blood and mud, Harry clambered to his feet and looked down at the dead beast. Can’t stop now… must go on… Looking around, Harry saw the trees thinned a bit and that a small footpath was laid through the underbrush. “There…” he muttered as he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. It wasn’t much, but he was thirsty and needed to get through this forest. Sprinting towards, the path, Harry continued his quest. He ran for nearly an hour, exhausted and hungry, but determined before finally reaching a fork in the road. The one path was less worn and looked as if a Giant had cleared it years before, cutting a jagged V through the trees but something wanted to draw him along the darker path, the one that was choked with cobwebs and low hanging vines but cleared as if many small animals traversed it often. Yes… a voice whispered in his ear. What you seek is that way… a warm bed with a warm body… plenty of food… your dream realized. “No.” Harry spoke out loud, not to anyone, just the wind. He knew he had to ignore the temptation of the flesh. Harry knew that he had to go towards the light. Slowing his pace, he set off down that path. He walked for the rest of the day, stopping only when he needed to conjure food or drink. When it fell too dark to see, he stopped and transfigured a leaf into a blanket. Harry curled up on the ground and dropped into a dreamless sleep. Waking hours later, Harry got slowly to his feet and stretched upwards, feeling a small ray on sunshine warming his face. It was time to go on. He walked at a fast clip down the path, wending between trees and large rocks. He didn’t know why, but he knew that he was getting closer to his goal. The trees were beginning to thin and the trail was widening. Almost there… Harry broke into a sprint after spotting the open meadow before him. He was going to make it! The open area was just steps ahead of him when Harry was knocked sideways from a massive blow to the chest. Wheezing slightly, he got up and turned to find a Giant wielding a large club. This time, he knew didn’t hesitate even a second. “Conjunctiva!” The giant stumbled backwards, much as the dragon had, and dropped his club as he patted his face desperately. Harry walked silently towards it, until he was within striking distance and yelled, “Reducto!” The Giant howled in pain and fell to the ground, covered in blood now. Harry didn’t stop, though. He climbed up the Giant’s side and plunged the sword into the underside of his neck. It was done without thought or reason. It just was and when it was over, Harry cleaned himself off and went back to the path, finally exiting the forest. He was not prepared for the sight that greeted him. A large hut stood before him with the door wide open and the most beautiful sight in the world standing in the frame. Ginny… He didn’t wait another second, but ran straight to her, pulling her into his arms and smothering her face with kisses; reveling in the lush feeling of her body pressed against his. Harry picked her up, and backing into the small house, he twirled her around once, laughing along with her. Her warm brown eyes met his, her love for him shining brightly from the depths of her soul. “I have missed you, so! Harry… you have been gone too long.” “I know, my love,” Harry whispered as he cupped her cheek and kissed her deeply. He slid his arm from her shoulder, down to her waist and pulled her in as close as the baby would allow. Grinning stupidly, he kissed her cheek and then her neck before dropping to his knees to kiss her belly. “Hello baby,” he told his child and felt the baby within jump under his tender touch. Ginny’s fingers threaded through his messy hair, lovingly caressing his face with her other hand. “Harry… I need you.” Looking up at his wife, he nodded and stood. Harry scooped her up into his arms and went in search of their bed. When he awoke again, the sun was high in the sky and his Ginny was sleeping on his shoulder, her long hair fanned out around her. Her arm tightened on his waist as she shifted in her sleep. They were both unclothed, and it tightened something in his chest to remember how much he had missed this. He wanted to enjoy every second that he could with her. Harry realized quickly, however, that their baby was what woke him and that sleep would not be possible for Ginny much longer. The baby was shifting around against his side and would soon rouse her. Carefully covering the rounded mound, he whispered, “Be still, little one. Your mother needs her sleep.” The baby quieted but Ginny’s eyes had popped open. “I was wondering when you would get back, and then I knew that it would be today.” When she raised her hand to push her hair from her face, the gold of her wedding band flashed, blinding him for a second. “I wasn’t sure how much longer the baby would wait.” He nodded slowly, feeling a few licks of nervousness at the prospect of birthing the baby, but Hermione would be there to help. Before he could say more, Ginny’s stomach let out a great rumble and she giggled. “Will you make something for me?” “Of course,” he assured her as he kissed her soundly and slipped from their bed. Donning his trousers, and nothing else, he padded silently over to the stove and got a pot to begin to boil. “Harry… can you help me up?” Ginny called to him and he obliged, aiding her into sitting up. The baby was weighing on her heavily now, and he knew her time would be soon. Guiding her to her feet, he watched her as she walked to the back of the hut, towards the small loo. Her body had rounded out since they had married, and especially since she had conceived their child, but she was all the more beautiful for it. It wasn’t as if he, himself, hadn’t changed quite a bit, growing a bit more and building up a fine body with all of the work he and Ron did, making the farm around them grow. “Harry?” His wife’s tone told him a lot. She was worried and he spared no time in sprinting back to her. Ginny was standing, staring down at a growing puddle on the floor. “My water broke,” she told him nervously, but he knew that there was something else behind it… excitement. “Should I get Hermione?” Harry asked her as he took her arm and helped her step around the wet floor. He led her slowly back to their bed, and stripped the blankets down before helping her into bed. “Yes,” Ginny told him. “Please also start a pot of water boiling.” Running a hand over her brow, he gave her a reassuring smile. “I already have one. Are you still hungry?” “Not really, no,” she replied and then shoed him from the room. Harry hurried from the hut and around the back of the small house, towards an identical structure that stood behind their place. Hermione was on her knees in her small vegetable garden, weeding, but she looked up when she heard Harry’s fast approach. Her face was a soft, golden brown and her cheeks were full and rosy. She was about a month away from delivering herself, but she and Ron already had a three-year-old son named Arthur. “Is it time?” She queried when he was at her side. “It is,” Harry replied and helped her to rise. “Are Ron and Arthur in the fields?” “Yes,” Hermione answered, her expression peaceful. “Let me wash and I will be ready.” An hour later, Harry held his brand new son. He grinned down at his baby, who was so beautiful that words could not even describe it. “Hello, Thomas.” “Here,” Hermione commanded gently, “Ginny’s ready to hold him.” Harry handed his son to her and went to the door, needing to compose himself in the night air. What he saw stopped his heart. Ron was running flat out towards him, his small son in his arms. “Snake! Harry, it’s an attack!” “Get Arthur inside!” Harry commanded as he reached for his sword and drew his wand. Swinging around, he watched in horror as the woods near his house exploded and a massive snake burst through. He stood his ground, ready to kill the blood-red beast. “Go back into the forest!” His foe stopped and Harry sensed Ron at his back now, moving to help him. “No, Ron, let me try first.” Looking to his best friend, he saw him nod. Harry took a step towards the writhing snake. In Parseltongue he ordered, again, “Go back into the forest!” Its white eyes met his as it stooped its body to look straight into Harry’s eyes. Its warm breath flitted across his face as it spoke. “You sssspeake to me… you underssstand?” “I do,” he answered. “Why are you here?” “Blood,” was the short answer. “I will not leave without blood!” Harry shook his head as his entire body went cold. “I can kill you.” “Noooo,” the snake hissed. “You can’t. I will eat one tonight.” “Harry,” Ron interrupted. “What is he saying?” Harry did not look back at his friend. He needed to act before he thought about it. “Tell Ginny and Thomas that I love them… take care of them, Ron.” “What?!” Ignoring Ron, Harry said to the snake, “You may eat me if you leave my family alone.” The snake nodded once and opened its mouth wide, but instead of eating him, it spit out a golden cup, which landed on the grass at Harry’s feet. “My job is done, Massster.” “Explain!” Harry instructed, staring down at the cup, not understanding what he was here to do. It spoke flatly, as if reciting, “Only the one who commands me in my own tongue and will stand before me, ready to die without fear shall have the cup. All others I will kill without mercy.” “The cup…” Harry said blankly, bending to pick the cup up. The second his fingers connected to the warm, slimy metal, the world began to swirl. He felt his body sucked through the air, as everything around him went black. His return to consciousness was a painful climb back to the light. “Harry? Are you alright?” “Blimey! He’s got the cup!” Noise floated into his psyche, but little registered with Harry. His head was spinning badly as he tried to regain his equilibrium. “Where’s-” his throat was dry and it was a struggle to speak every syllable. “Ginny… baby… safe?” “Harry… what are you talking about? Ginny’s not here, she’s with that git Nott, OW! Damn it! Why’d ya hit me?” He curled into a tight ball as the tendrils of reality began to seep into his befuddled mind. What he had just experienced… it had been so real that he hadn’t questioned what he was going through. He had been with Ginny, made love to her, helped to deliver their baby… he’d not once thought that it was an odd thing and he would have happily lived in that world for the rest of his existence. Even now, a big part of him wanted to go back to the box and try to get back into it. Feeling desperate, he struggled to open his eyes. What he saw nearly crushed him. Hermione was her normal self, not pregnant, and Ron was still the gangly teenager that he remembered, not the work toughened man that Harry had met in the fake world. “Don’t know… got cup.” “Right, well let’s destroy it then,” Hermione said as she took it from his hands. Ron helped him to his feet and waving a bit, Harry watched as she placed it on top of the box. He wanted to stop her, but he knew that it was important to get it over with. What he’d just experienced hadn’t been real…. “We have to drink something from the cup, according to what Bill told us, and then destroy it. The spell he used was Confervefacio,” Hermione reminded them. Harry shook his head. “That isn’t how we destroy this one.” “But…” Hermione let her words drift off. “Okay, Harry. How do we destroy this one?” “Blood.” Conjuring a knife, Harry held it to his hand but Ron grasped his wrist. “Let me.” As weak as he was, Harry couldn’t even fight him off as Ron took the knife and sliced open his hand. Hermione gasped but simply grabbed Harry’s arm as Ron let the blood drop into the cup. The first drop began to sizzle. The second produced smoke. The third drop fell slowly, as if time were standing still; when it connected with the cup, nothing happened for a split second. Then the cup exploded. “Oh good! You’re awake!” Harry blinked and shifted in the comfortable bed. He squinted into the bright lights above him. “Yeah… I’m awake. What happened?” “Well,” Hermione began quietly, keeping her voice low. “You were sucked into a box, and before Ron or I could even react, you reappeared with the cup, asking about Ginny. Then we destroyed the cup, which exploded in our faces and now we’re in the hospital wing.” Harry turned his head to the right, feeling the dressing on his cheek rub against the pillow. He met her concerned eyes and saw that she was bruised and bandaged up. “Ron?” “He’s okay, just passed out,” she explained as her eyes softened. “Harry… what did you see in the box?” He closed his eyes and slowly, painfully, recounted most of what he’d experienced. At the end of his tale, he opened his eyes to find the normal skin of Hermione’s cheeks was pink. “So… well… that sounds like an interesting quest,” she said breathlessly. Her lips trembled a bit. “I am glad the snake told you how to destroy the cup.” “It wasn’t all that imaginative, really, but this time I just knew that blood would do it.” Harry readjusted in his bed until he was staring comfortably up at the ceiling. “It was the blood of someone whose heart isn’t as black as Voldemort’s. We filled the cup with something pure and uncontaminated by evil.” “I suppose… I don’t really understand it.” He could tell that it irked Hermione to not know exactly what had happened but magic was a complicated thing, and blood was a powerful tool. Blood… Harry closed his eyes again, trying to block out the longing that was flooding through him. He wanted to be back in that box so much that it was as if his body was being pulled to it. Clenching his fists tightly, he fought to remain still in the bed, knowing that Madam Pomfrey would be on him instantly if he tried to get up. She’d been his wife… she’d been having his baby… Rather than feeling overwhelmed and terrified, as Harry had before when these thoughts had infiltrated his daydreams, he felt a longing that was so great it stole his breath. He wanted it. Badly. All he had to do now was to kill Voldemort, and hope that this was what Ginny wanted too. |
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