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The Call: Back To The Beginning | ||||
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Category: Post-OotP, Alternate Universe Characters:Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Nymphadora Tonks, Other, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape, Sirius Black Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, General, Humor, Romance Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 11 Summary: At 27 and after almost ten years of fighting, Harry Potter emerges from the war victorious, only to realize there's no one but his dying wife to celebrate with him. In an instant, the two are whisked away into a whirlwind adventure of another life. After all, all the great heros deserve a second chance. After a horrific death in the Chamber of Secrets at the end of everything, Harry and Ginny are transported into the after-life. However, not all things are as black and white as they seem. Instead of staying to live forever with their family and friends, they are sent back to live again - and live well. Dangerous tasks lay ahead of them, and even greater dangers than they had previously faced. But admist fufilling requests from above, strange dreams of the Founders, and a funny little bond they like to call "Us", they find the time to simply live again. Hitcount: Story Total: 4979 Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work. Author's Notes: I've been meaning to write this for a long time, but my computer broke down. SO I borrowed my sister's and pounded this out quickly while she was gone. So here it is - The Call, starring Harry and Ginny as they travel together on an adventure that spans life. |
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by: Amour Which then grew into a hope Which then turned into a quiet though Which then turned into a quiet word - The Call (Regina Spektor) Harry Potter fell to his knees, the murky water splashing up around him as he dropped. The stone beneath his hands was cold and slippery, almost slimy. He grimaced at the rush of memories the feeling invoked, some pleasant and others not as much. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment, sighing as the weight of the world suddenly lifted from his shoulders. Then he was up again, sloshing his way up the Chamber onto higher ground, toward the statue at the far end. And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-clad figure with flaming-red hair. He sank unwillingly to the floor again, his joints protesting violently. But he turned the figure over tenderly, pulling his wife into his arms. Ginny Potter smiled tiredly up at him. “You’ve done it,” she breathed out in a small voice, reaching up to touch his face with bloody fingers. “You’ve finished it.” “For you,” he answered quietly, a strange lump appearing in his throat. “All for you, my dear.” She hummed In pleased for a moment, burying her face into ripped and soiled robes. “And I lived for you,” she replied slowly, hands grasping onto his forearms. “I held on for you.” He was crying, he realized, as he kissed her hair and stroked her face. “You can still hold on, can’t you?” he wept. “For me?” “No.” She lifted a portion of her robe to display the open wound, the blood spilling from her side. The red was spreading more quickly than he though possible. “This… this is the end of me, Harry.” She smiled bitterly. “And after everything I’ve survived, a stupid little boy took me down.” She was, Harry remembered much later, referring to Tom Riddle, the sixteen year old boy who had nearly killed her fourteen years earlier. He smiled tenderly at her through the tears. “You’ve been so brave,” he said thickly, and then buried his face into the crook of her neck. And then he lifted his head and kissed her sweetly. “I’m glad to be with you - here at the end of all things.” She laughed, albeit painfully. “You’ve been reading Tolkein again, haven’t you?” she asked, pulling herself closer to him as there was a rumble above them, and a shower of dust fell from the ceiling. “Dumbledore always said he was a good man.” “I’m sure he was,” Harry said with a muffled laugh of his own. “His stories entertained us in the darkest of times, made us feel better about life.” Ginny surveyed the pillars at the far end of the Chamber that had begun to crumble. “That, and researching,” she said quietly. “The things we learned.” She gave him a calm look. “It should be enough to get you out of here.” “I’m not leaving you here,” Harry said fiercely, pulling her closer to him. “I won’t let you die here alone.” “And risk your own life in the process?” He didn’t hesitate to kiss her again. “What’s left to live for?” he asked sadly. “You’re the only one left, and I -” He covered the both of them as the pillar nearest to them toppled down, sending a cloud of dust up that left them both coughing. “Please,” she gasped when she could breath again, and he could hear the strain in her voice. “You made it through to see the end! You can live now - truly live!” The statue above them was now shaking violently, sending more debris down on them. He had mere minutes left, perhaps even less - But he gathered her gently in his arms and braced himself for the destruction soon to come down upon them. “A life without you isn’t worth living,” he whispered, and she sighed in defeat. Together they cried in a falling world. Their tears were for many things - for those they had lost, for their stolen childhoods and lives, those that had turned from the right path into the easy. More than these, however, they cried for joy. They wept in gladness that they had completed their mission, that they would not die in regret and fear, but in a victorious death, and that soon they would be surrounded by those they loved. At the end of all things, they died together. Amid the collapse of their final evil, love died together. But it that, dear readers, was the end of our story, it wouldn’t be a very good one. In fact, you probably wouldn’t be able to read this story if that was the end. No - our story takes a turn after our hero and heroine entered the Shadow World, and took up a new adventure… The destruction faded away, and when Harry heard the sounds of laughter he knew they were finally home. They raised their heads together, marveling over the new skin that had appeared over Ginny’s wound, over their various cuts that had marked their bodies, and smiled, for all around them stood those they loved the most. There was a multitude of people that they had come across in their lives, from Dedalus Diggle to Hestia Jones, their professors at Hogwarts, classmates that had given their lives in service to the Light. There was Moody, Kinsley, Tonks; McGonagall and Dumbledore, shaking both their hands with tears of joy streaming down their faces. Ginny’s brothers - Bill, Fleur, and little Guinevere; Charlie and Percy waving gaily; Fred and George shaking both of their hands together. Remus and Sirius came bounding up together, dancing a circle around them as making slightly racy comments that made them both blush. And then Molly and Arthur, nearly crushing the both of them as Ginny wept in joy at seeing them again. “Ron. Hermione.” The two friends shuffled forwards, smiling brightly at the pair. “We’re so proud of you,” Hermione said tearfully, and hugged Ginny tightly. “Thank you so much for being there for him.” Ron, meanwhile, shrugged at Harry in amusement. “Our girls,” he said fondly. “You have to love them.” Harry laughed and embraced his best friend. “Harry.” And then they were there, looking pleased and sad and afraid all at the same time. But their expressions were changed as soon as he stepped into their waiting arms, the arms he had waited twenty-six years to be held in again. The Potters laughed together, cried together, and the elder Potter finally started to bicker in a playful manner that made the whole crowd laugh loudly. Harry reached for Ginny again and brushed a kiss against her hair as he introduced her to his parents. Lily took one look at the two of them and burst out crying, throwing her arms around Ginny. “You’ve reminded me of myself all these years,” she explained to the younger red haired witch tearfully. “Always willing to do what you thought was right, even if you got others mad because of it. Ginny laughed and hugged her mother-in-law back. The Potter men only shook their heads and looked bewildered. They were moving now, toward the glorious castle up the hill, whole and complete and wonderfully beautiful in their eyes. But there was something different here then the Hogwarts they had just left. Perhaps it was the way the grass seemed greener here, or the sky bluer than it ever had been. The gold hoops of the Quidditch pitch shone brighter than they ever had, the windows of the castle cleaner than Filch had ever scrubbed them. Or perhaps it was the four figures that stood upon the front steps of Hogwarts, solemn and still in the sunlight. The crowd stopped before the steps, and Harry and Ginny were pulled to the front with whispered encouragement and tender words. The pair only gave each other a unsure look before turning to the figures upon the stairs. “Welcome to Hogwarts, Harry and Ginevra,” the tallest of them said, his voice surprisingly gentle for the size of man he was. “Come and walk with us.” They descended the steps as one and moved toward the Lake. Ginny and Harry exchanged a glance and stole after them, leaving the others far behind. They stopped under the large willow tree near the Lake, and Harry had to resist a smile. Everyone at Hogwarts had known that this was Harry and Ginny’s tree in his sixth year. This single tree had produced some of his most precious memories - Ginny looked up at him shyly with a coy smile tugging at her lips. “You seem to be a bit flustered there, Potter,” she said with her tinkling laughter, and sat up. “I could go back inside the castle and let you have a moment -” “No!” he laughed, pulling her back into arms and kissing her once again - They sat against the trunk of the tree as the four stood silently, and then the tall man stepped forward again. “It is so good to finally meet you,” he said kindly. “We have been watching you for quite some time now.” “You make it sound so intimidating, Godric,” said the dark haired woman to their right. “Honestly, get on with it.” “Don’t be rude, Rowena,” said the honey blonde women next to her with a tiny laugh. “He’ll get on with it soon enough.” “The Founders,” Ginny breathed into Harry’s ear as the two women exchanged long looks with each other. “Mum always told me that they guarded the entrance to the after life, that they decided the fate of those who died. I never believed it until now.” “Very good, Ginevra,” said Salazar Slytherin, the thin man furthest from them said with a smirk. “You have been a very sneaky young lady in life - you would have been a great addition to my House.” He grimaced. “Rephrase that - you would have been if it hadn’t been corrupted the way it has been today.” His smirk returned. “Although, I think we may be able to solve that problem, don’t you?” “Precisely,” agreed Gryffindor. “But we’ll get into that later.” He fixed the pair of lovers with a calculating stare that looked out of place on him. “You, Harry Potter, have never known completeness that comes from having a real family. Ginevra, you also have been missing something in your life since you escaped from the Chamber of Secrets. You have lived your whole life without fully realizing what lay within the two of you.” “Okay,” Harry said slowly. “What does this have to do with solving a House problem in Slytherin.” He gestured to himself and Ginny. “If you haven’t noticed, we’re dead.” This made the four Founders laugh. “Not quite,” Rowena said with a smile. “Your bodies are dead, yes - but you have not fully made the trip to the after-life.” “Not to rain on your parade,” Ginny interrupted, “but we’ve just met Harry’s parents. “They’re dead. They were murdered by Tom Riddle nearly twenty-six years ago.” Helga shook her head. “They are allowed to cross between the grounds and the waiting world,” she said. “You were outside the gates when you appeared, and they were allowed to bring you here. Until you set foot in the castle, you cannot join them in true death.” Godric interrupted Harry’s protests. “You have a special mission that you need to complete before you can join them.” “I’ve already completed it!” cried Harry, jumping up in outrage. “I’ve finished my bloody task - all I want is some peace!” “Which you’ll get,” Salazar said cooly, eyeing Harry speculatively. “But we’re giving you a chance to enjoy your life together - your whole life, a life with your friends and family beside you again.” “Essentially,” Rowena continued, “you’d appear in the Chamber of Secrets, directly after Tom Marvalo Riddle’s diary was destroyed. “From there, you will live, exactly as you did before.” “But you will have knowledge,” Helga said eagerly, stepping forward to grasp Ginny’s hands to pull her up and twirl her around. “You’ll have this life’s memories, everything, to help you preserve the life that you so dearly want for.” Harry stepped back sharply. “All we want is peace.” “And you’ll have it,” said Godric quietly. “If you are willing to work for it again.” He turned to the castle. “But if you never want to experience the joy of living - really living - feel free to go the castle.” They parted to allow the pair access to their family. But Ginny hesitated. “Would a family be possible here?” she asked in a very small voice, almost too quietly for Harry to hear. At Rowena’s slow shake of her head, Ginny turned pleading eyes to Harry. “We’ve worked so hard - we’ve worked so hard at keeping ourselves together that we never once thought about a family. And -” She paused and blinked away the tears that had suddenly formed in her eyes. “I do want a family, Harry. With you.” And so it was a long time before they began to walk back toward the group on the lawn. There had been many tears, many laughs, raised voices, and broken hearts. But they were ready for their decision. “We’ve decided to do it again,” Harry announced to the group, and a still hush feel over them all. “We never really got a chance for anything but a war, and Ginny and I -” He smiled at his wife tenderly. “Well, we want that. We want a chance to have our own life together.” And then there were more tears, hushed conversations, and urgent instructions. “Don’t let me run away from Dora,” Remus said sternly. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and I couldn’t bear to lose her again.” “Get me out of Azkaban,” came Sirius’ plea. “Catch that rat and come live with me.” Ron stepped forward, Hermione not far behind. “Could you maybe prod us together a little quicker?” he asked in a rush, and then turned red. “It’s just - we never got to spend time together, and I feel rather guilty about it - we could have had years, you see -” There were other requests, some silly and some serious, but then Lily and James came forward. “Get control of your vault at Gringotts,” James said sternly. “If your very soul goes back, Gringotts will recognize you as over age - it judges on soul age, not physical age. Take control of the properties - set one up as a safe house - and get some emergency Portkeys made. They’ll come in handy.” But Lily, she only smiled at them and touched their cheeks tenderly. “Be good to one another,” she whispered, and then gave Harry a stern look. “Don’t go pushing her before she’s ready, you hear me? She’ll come to you when she is, and then you can enjoy your children together.” The two only shared a secretive smile with each other and kissed the Potters goodbye. They walked back down the path again, out past the gates and into a cool, gray place where the mist was so thick that they hardly could find each other. But the mist cleared again, and they stood in a sunny circle with the Founders. “We told you that you have been missing a part of yourselves your whole life,” Rowena said gently, and then pulled out identical silver chains and looped them around the lovers’ necks, letting the pendants hand past their ribs. “You’ll share a special connection when you return, one that the Wizarding world has not seen since our time.” She smiled. “These pendants will keep you safe, and will also allow you to use magic when you wish - with these, you will be considered full adults until you are both seventeen or married again.” Then she stepped back and allowed Godric to speak. “We will be with you,” he assured them. “We will come to you in strange ways at times, but we will always be there when you need us the most.” “Keep your friends close,” Helga warned. “They will be your biggest strength when your own will fail you.” Salazar reached forward and tapped their pendants three times each, and they glowed white for a moment before fading. “Play some pranks while you’re there,” he chuckled. “Merlin knows that you two need the fun.” And while they twisted out of existence, they laughed, hands clasped tightly between them, ready to face their adventure. |
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