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crossoverficTitle: The Soul Has Bandaged Moments
Author: serendu
Summary: Harry Potter was 18 when he first stepped into Atlantis
Disclaimers: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing also Kawoosh! Productions and Gekko Film Corporation, and Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer Television. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Pairing: None
Notes: This chapter was hard to write. So… Chapter 29. Hold on to your hats kids. This is where it all ends… Or should that be – begins?
Previous parts can be found here at my journal: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28
***
‘What the heck is that?’ Harry demanded as he saw the being approach him, seemingly impervious to the bullets being fired at it.
‘Wraith!’ Colonel Sheppard cried. ‘Fall back to the Puddlejumper!’ He ordered his team. ‘Potter – its all yours.’
‘Great.’ Harry muttered, before pulling out a different gun to the one he had originally been firing. ‘Well, here goes nothing…’ He turned to face the wraith, aiming his weapon as he did so. The wraith grinned, believing it had found easy prey.
Harry fired.
The wraith fell down, dead.
‘Sweet.’ Jack muttered. ‘Looks like there was a reason to bring you here after stick-boy.’
Rodney McKay moved over to where Harry stood. ‘What is that? How did you do that? Where…’
‘Listen Doctor – this is highly classified, so I can’t really explain to you how it works. What I can tell you is that we’ve worked to modify the bullets to ensure that those things actually die when you hit them first time.’ Harry said, before adopting a more sheepish expression. ‘Actually – we weren’t sure it would work – but we needed to try it out before we told anyone that we had something that could kill a wraith with just one shot.’
‘And it works.’ Said Sheppard, who, Harry noted approvingly, has obviously read the report on a possible solution in the fight against the wraith, unlike Doctor McKay over here…
Rodney humphed. ‘I work on a highly classified project you…’
‘And if you’d read the report Rodney,’ Drawled Sheppard. ‘You would have known that the Asgard passed on the tech to Agent Potter here.’
Rodney humphed again and marched away in disgust, muttering about stupid, idiotic military procedures.
Harry grinned at Jack who was definitely smirking. Well, I suppose – it did come via the Asgard. After all – they beamed me up after the whole thing happened that day.
With that he turned and followed the rest of the team back to the puddlejumper, leaving the wraith to be examined by the science team who would return to the planet at a later time.
***
‘Are you sure its here?’
‘Yes – the message is that the ceremony will be held here.’ Remus replied, nodding to Tonks as she skipped around to the other side of the door.
Harry nodded, a grim mask descending on his features, he held his wand at the ready and stepped into the dark.
This is not going to be fun. I hope Smythe got my message. He thought as he followed Tonks through the corridors of the building. I wonder who found out that they would be here? Snape didn’t say anything about a resurrection of Voldemort in a derelict old Ministry building. He stumbled over something on the floor and steadied himself. Well, Remus said it was being held inside the Chamber. He nodded to Tonks who stood outside the doorway and glanced back at Remus who nodded at him.
Here goes nothing! He kicked the door open with his foot, waited a second before charging in.
The room was empty.
Well, that was an anticlimax. He thought, peering into the dim light of the old auditorium.
Suddenly he heard a voice scream out from the corridor behind him.
‘Tonks!’ Remus cried before he rushed into the room and slammed the door behind him. ‘Harry – it’s an ambush! They’ve got Tonks! We need to get out of here – NOW!’
‘Apparate?’ Harry said.
‘Yes – back to the Order headquarters.’
Both tried. Neither moved.
‘Anti-apparition wards.’ Remus cursed. ‘We’re stuck.’
‘We need to get out of here – we’re sitting ducks in this room.’ Harry said, taking in the wide open space in front of him, the evening light managing to break though the cracks in the ceiling. ‘No cover. Is there another exit?’
‘There should be.’ Remus said grimly as he started off into the gloom. ‘Follow me.’
And suddenly I’m really wishing I was back at the shops buying bread. Harry thought irreverently as he followed Remus across the room.
Seconds later the door behind them burst open; Harry glanced back and saw several Death Eaters enter the room.
‘Stupefy!’
‘Impedimenta!’
He ducked the first spell and then dived out of the way of the second. He turned over onto his back and faced the Death Eaters. He smirked and pointed his wand upwards at the ceiling. He murmured a blasting curse and then a shielding charm for himself and waited.
The roof exploded.
Harry wandlessly cancelled the shielding charms the Death Eaters cast to protect themselves before recasting his own shielding charm.
He grinned as he watched the rubble fall on their unprotected heads.
Then, after a few minutes the rubble settled. Harry rolled to his feet and turned to where Remus had been. He frowned noting the emptiness of the room, but then saw a small door in the far wall that was open.
Further down the rabbit hole we go. He thought as he headed off into it. I hope Remus is all right.
The door opened onto another corridor, he chose to go left, as he could make out the entrance to another room. I hope this is where Remus is. He thought as he cautiously stepped into the room, his eyes taking a moment to re-adjust to the gloom. Something Harry would later acknowledge as a moment too long.
‘Stupefy!’
He felt spell hit as it flung him into the wall. His head hit the wall with a crack and he felt himself slide down to the floor in a crumpled heap.
I will not loose consciousness. I will not loose consciousness. He thought as he tried to raise his head up to see his adversary.
He saw the multi-coloured print robe before he saw the man.
‘Hello Headmaster.’ He said, on meeting the old man’s eyes.
‘Ah Harry. My dear boy…’ The headmaster shook his head at him. ‘You could never do as I wanted would you?’
‘Let me guess.’ He coughed, noting the feeling of blood coming from his mouth. ‘You decided that now was the time to finish me off – and this is all a set up.’ He put his hand down onto the floor and pushed himself up, using the wall as extra balance. ‘But once again I fucked up your plans for poor old pathetic Harry Potter.’ He glared across at the headmaster. ‘Were they even real Death Eaters?’
Dumbledore smiled insincerely. ‘Oh yes they were. I didn’t want to take the risk with my own supporters you understand.’
‘And Remus? And Tonks?’
‘Are perfectly safe.’ He replied with a benign smile.
‘And me?’ Harry asked. ‘What will you do now headmaster? What do you want with me?’ He held his wand loosely in his right hand, as another cough wracked through his body.
‘I’m sorry my dear boy. But this… Must be the end.’
Harry raised an eyebrow and then burst out laughing, harsh barks of laughter that shook his body. ‘You robbed me of my life, my money and my home.’ He snorted. ‘You destroyed so many peoples’ lives. And now you want to end this?’ He shook his head, feeling the dizziness begin to fade. ‘This will never end. Not so long as you remain in charge of anything!’
‘I’m sorry my boy – it is for your own good…’
‘I am not and never will be – your boy – you evil man.’ Harry hissed, bringing his wand up to aim in the headmaster’s direction, his other hand reaching back to take out the still concealed gun.
‘Now my dear boy – there is no need to be rash…’ Dumbledore’s expression may have been its usual grandfatherly expression, but once again Harry could see the malevolent twinkle in them.
‘Give it up old man. You know I see through your harmless old man act. I know how you destroyed my life for your own ends. The only thing I don’t know is how the hell you justified it to everyone in your little vigilante group.’
‘Why my dear boy – I told them the truth.’ Dumbledore’s stance changed suddenly. ‘I told them it was for the greater good – Crucio!’
Harry dropped back down the wall out of the way of the curse. My body can’t take one of those. He rolled over and smirked at the fuming headmaster. ‘Unforgivables Headmaster?’ He mocked, as he stood out of the way of the headmaster’s next curse. ‘And you the leader of the light? Whatever will the Order say?’
Dumbledore spun to face where Harry now was. ‘I imagine I shall tell them what I’ve told them all along – I had no choice with you.’ He wordlessly cast another spell that had Harry moving as fast as he could out of the way again, diving behind an old table for cover. Dumbledore cast another wordless spell and smiled as he noticed that this one had hit the table, split and then a strand of the spell had hit Harry. ‘Especially as you are a danger to us all – as you ran away to follow Voldemort.’
‘Voldemort is dead.’ Harry muttered as he rolled over onto his back, wincing at the pain in his leg as he did so, realising his wand had fallen to the side, out of his reach. ‘It may have taken more than one attempt…’
‘Ah yes. A muggle gun.’ Dumbledore said, obviously unaware of the more extreme lengths Harry had followed to kill Voldemort. He moved the table out of his way for a clear shot at Harry. ‘How poetic for Tom. I did wonder whether you had another.’ He pointed his wand at Harry. ‘Accio Potter’s gun!’
Harry felt his gun fly out of his hand and watched as it flew towards the Headmaster. And there goes that plan. Wand it is then, he thought, noticing the tapestry to the side of where Dumbledore was now standing and suddenly he rolled toward where the wand had landed. Grabbing it he spun around. ‘Stupefy! Incendio!’ He gestured at Dumbledore, blowing the headmaster back into the tapestry and then set the tapestry alight.
The tapestry tore off its fixtures and landed in a burning pile on top of the headmaster, who collapsed under the weight of it, screaming as he tried to cast a spell to put out the flames.
‘How apt.’ Harry muttered, getting up and stumbling over to where the headmaster lay under the now smoking ruins of the tapestry. ‘Looks like I still don’t do what you want does it headmaster?’
‘Harry!’
Harry spun around. ‘Remus?’ He said on seeing a figure approach through the now smoky room.
‘Yes – its me.’ He looked at Harry and them at the tapestry, seemingly unaware that underneath lay Dumbledore. ‘What happened?’ He looked at Harry’s face. He moved over to the tapestry and pulled it back. ‘Dumbledore? What? How? Did he do this to you?’ He leant down and checked Dumbledore’s breathing. 'He’s still alive.’ He shook his head in disbelief. ‘I’ll take care of everything.’
Harry smiled gratefully. Thank every deity ever. I didn’t really want to deal with clean up.
Remus raised his wand.
Harry gasped and stumbled.
A shot rang out.
‘Avada Kedavra.’
Harry and Remus crumpled to the floor as a panting Snape came running in, gun in hand.
He pulled out his wand and muttered a spell to put Dumbledore in stasis, then cast another spell at the injured Lupin to tie him up, before moving over to Harry to help him up off the floor.
‘Don’t touch me! Traitor! I guess we all know where your loyalties really lie – with Dumbledore.’ Harry snarled as Snape leant down to help him up, before limping over to where Remus lay. ‘Don’t worry Remus – I’ll get help, you’ll be fine. Just take deep breaths okay…’
Professor Severus Snape walked over to where Remus lay, in a rapidly growing pool of blood, lifting the gun once more.
‘No!’ Harry cried, pushing Snape’s arm. ‘What are you doing?’
Snape turned and sneered at Harry. ‘Didn’t you notice where he was aiming the wand Potter?’
‘But he was… The headmaster… but…’ The truth dawned on him and his exhausted expression swiftly gave way to horror.
Remus gave a hate filled smile in Harry’s direction.
Harry moved away from Remus and then stood, stumbling back. ‘You were aiming at me.’ He said, suddenly, replaying how he had seen the green light flash out of the corner of his eye as he had fallen once more from the earlier curse Dumbledore had cast, affecting his leg. ‘Snape saved my life.’ He folded his arms across his chest as though to keep the pain of this final betrayal away from him. ‘Why?’
‘He’s the spy.’ Snape answered coldly, standing shoulder to shoulder with Harry to steady him. ‘The one no one knew about. The reason Alan died. The reason Hermione’s family died…’ Snape paused. ‘And I believe the recruiter of one Peter Pettigrew.’
Remus showed his teeth in a revolting mockery of a smile. ‘Your parents got what they deserved Potter. I celebrated the day they died. My only regret was that you survived.’ He chuckled and then hacked up some blood. ‘What? Did ickle Potter never wonder why your parents suspected me? You didn’t? What a pity…’
‘But… No… You…’ He broke off, taking a breath. ‘All this time…’ Harry said, looking at the figure lying on the floor with revulsion. ‘You betrayed everyone. For that alone – I should kill you. But you are already dying…’ He trailed off as Remus hacked up yet more blood. ‘I could of course make this quick for you… But I think instead I’m going to stand and watch you suffer.’ He stood and watched Remus until he had almost breathed his last before finally speaking again. ‘I do hope my parents; Sirius and Alan give you the welcome you deserve when you finally die. Good bye you murdering bastard.’
As Remus struggled to breath Snape lashed out and kicked him, making the blood pour out of the dying man’s mouth.
Harry grimaced and turned to Snape as Remus finally stopped breathing. ‘Was that really necessary?’
Snape smirked. ‘No – but it felt good.’ He moved over to where Dumbledore lay unconscious. ‘I’ll clean up here Potter. If Dumbledore survives this – he’ll be coming for you. Go back to the flat and I’ll contact you as soon as I am able.’ He glanced back over to Harry, ‘I believe your friend Jack will be waiting for you there.’ He held his gun for a moment, emptied out the remaining bullets and muttered a quick ‘Portus’ as he tapped it with his wand. ‘This will take you to outside your flat.’ He held it up and smiled before he threw it. ‘Good luck Mr Potter.’ He drawled, his school persona edging out. ‘I do hope you will manage to keep out of trouble in the future.’
He threw the gun at Harry who caught it and vanished, leaving Snape alone with a severely injured Dumbledore, a very dead Remus Lupin.
****
One more chapter after this to tie up some loose ends. Thoughts, comments, queries?
Author: serendu
Summary: Harry Potter was 18 when he first stepped into Atlantis
Disclaimers: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing also Kawoosh! Productions and Gekko Film Corporation, and Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer Television. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Pairing: None
Notes: This chapter was hard to write. So… Chapter 29. Hold on to your hats kids. This is where it all ends… Or should that be – begins?
Previous parts can be found here at my journal: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28
***
‘What the heck is that?’ Harry demanded as he saw the being approach him, seemingly impervious to the bullets being fired at it.
‘Wraith!’ Colonel Sheppard cried. ‘Fall back to the Puddlejumper!’ He ordered his team. ‘Potter – its all yours.’
‘Great.’ Harry muttered, before pulling out a different gun to the one he had originally been firing. ‘Well, here goes nothing…’ He turned to face the wraith, aiming his weapon as he did so. The wraith grinned, believing it had found easy prey.
Harry fired.
The wraith fell down, dead.
‘Sweet.’ Jack muttered. ‘Looks like there was a reason to bring you here after stick-boy.’
Rodney McKay moved over to where Harry stood. ‘What is that? How did you do that? Where…’
‘Listen Doctor – this is highly classified, so I can’t really explain to you how it works. What I can tell you is that we’ve worked to modify the bullets to ensure that those things actually die when you hit them first time.’ Harry said, before adopting a more sheepish expression. ‘Actually – we weren’t sure it would work – but we needed to try it out before we told anyone that we had something that could kill a wraith with just one shot.’
‘And it works.’ Said Sheppard, who, Harry noted approvingly, has obviously read the report on a possible solution in the fight against the wraith, unlike Doctor McKay over here…
Rodney humphed. ‘I work on a highly classified project you…’
‘And if you’d read the report Rodney,’ Drawled Sheppard. ‘You would have known that the Asgard passed on the tech to Agent Potter here.’
Rodney humphed again and marched away in disgust, muttering about stupid, idiotic military procedures.
Harry grinned at Jack who was definitely smirking. Well, I suppose – it did come via the Asgard. After all – they beamed me up after the whole thing happened that day.
With that he turned and followed the rest of the team back to the puddlejumper, leaving the wraith to be examined by the science team who would return to the planet at a later time.
***
‘Are you sure its here?’
‘Yes – the message is that the ceremony will be held here.’ Remus replied, nodding to Tonks as she skipped around to the other side of the door.
Harry nodded, a grim mask descending on his features, he held his wand at the ready and stepped into the dark.
This is not going to be fun. I hope Smythe got my message. He thought as he followed Tonks through the corridors of the building. I wonder who found out that they would be here? Snape didn’t say anything about a resurrection of Voldemort in a derelict old Ministry building. He stumbled over something on the floor and steadied himself. Well, Remus said it was being held inside the Chamber. He nodded to Tonks who stood outside the doorway and glanced back at Remus who nodded at him.
Here goes nothing! He kicked the door open with his foot, waited a second before charging in.
The room was empty.
Well, that was an anticlimax. He thought, peering into the dim light of the old auditorium.
Suddenly he heard a voice scream out from the corridor behind him.
‘Tonks!’ Remus cried before he rushed into the room and slammed the door behind him. ‘Harry – it’s an ambush! They’ve got Tonks! We need to get out of here – NOW!’
‘Apparate?’ Harry said.
‘Yes – back to the Order headquarters.’
Both tried. Neither moved.
‘Anti-apparition wards.’ Remus cursed. ‘We’re stuck.’
‘We need to get out of here – we’re sitting ducks in this room.’ Harry said, taking in the wide open space in front of him, the evening light managing to break though the cracks in the ceiling. ‘No cover. Is there another exit?’
‘There should be.’ Remus said grimly as he started off into the gloom. ‘Follow me.’
And suddenly I’m really wishing I was back at the shops buying bread. Harry thought irreverently as he followed Remus across the room.
Seconds later the door behind them burst open; Harry glanced back and saw several Death Eaters enter the room.
‘Stupefy!’
‘Impedimenta!’
He ducked the first spell and then dived out of the way of the second. He turned over onto his back and faced the Death Eaters. He smirked and pointed his wand upwards at the ceiling. He murmured a blasting curse and then a shielding charm for himself and waited.
The roof exploded.
Harry wandlessly cancelled the shielding charms the Death Eaters cast to protect themselves before recasting his own shielding charm.
He grinned as he watched the rubble fall on their unprotected heads.
Then, after a few minutes the rubble settled. Harry rolled to his feet and turned to where Remus had been. He frowned noting the emptiness of the room, but then saw a small door in the far wall that was open.
Further down the rabbit hole we go. He thought as he headed off into it. I hope Remus is all right.
The door opened onto another corridor, he chose to go left, as he could make out the entrance to another room. I hope this is where Remus is. He thought as he cautiously stepped into the room, his eyes taking a moment to re-adjust to the gloom. Something Harry would later acknowledge as a moment too long.
‘Stupefy!’
He felt spell hit as it flung him into the wall. His head hit the wall with a crack and he felt himself slide down to the floor in a crumpled heap.
I will not loose consciousness. I will not loose consciousness. He thought as he tried to raise his head up to see his adversary.
He saw the multi-coloured print robe before he saw the man.
‘Hello Headmaster.’ He said, on meeting the old man’s eyes.
‘Ah Harry. My dear boy…’ The headmaster shook his head at him. ‘You could never do as I wanted would you?’
‘Let me guess.’ He coughed, noting the feeling of blood coming from his mouth. ‘You decided that now was the time to finish me off – and this is all a set up.’ He put his hand down onto the floor and pushed himself up, using the wall as extra balance. ‘But once again I fucked up your plans for poor old pathetic Harry Potter.’ He glared across at the headmaster. ‘Were they even real Death Eaters?’
Dumbledore smiled insincerely. ‘Oh yes they were. I didn’t want to take the risk with my own supporters you understand.’
‘And Remus? And Tonks?’
‘Are perfectly safe.’ He replied with a benign smile.
‘And me?’ Harry asked. ‘What will you do now headmaster? What do you want with me?’ He held his wand loosely in his right hand, as another cough wracked through his body.
‘I’m sorry my dear boy. But this… Must be the end.’
Harry raised an eyebrow and then burst out laughing, harsh barks of laughter that shook his body. ‘You robbed me of my life, my money and my home.’ He snorted. ‘You destroyed so many peoples’ lives. And now you want to end this?’ He shook his head, feeling the dizziness begin to fade. ‘This will never end. Not so long as you remain in charge of anything!’
‘I’m sorry my boy – it is for your own good…’
‘I am not and never will be – your boy – you evil man.’ Harry hissed, bringing his wand up to aim in the headmaster’s direction, his other hand reaching back to take out the still concealed gun.
‘Now my dear boy – there is no need to be rash…’ Dumbledore’s expression may have been its usual grandfatherly expression, but once again Harry could see the malevolent twinkle in them.
‘Give it up old man. You know I see through your harmless old man act. I know how you destroyed my life for your own ends. The only thing I don’t know is how the hell you justified it to everyone in your little vigilante group.’
‘Why my dear boy – I told them the truth.’ Dumbledore’s stance changed suddenly. ‘I told them it was for the greater good – Crucio!’
Harry dropped back down the wall out of the way of the curse. My body can’t take one of those. He rolled over and smirked at the fuming headmaster. ‘Unforgivables Headmaster?’ He mocked, as he stood out of the way of the headmaster’s next curse. ‘And you the leader of the light? Whatever will the Order say?’
Dumbledore spun to face where Harry now was. ‘I imagine I shall tell them what I’ve told them all along – I had no choice with you.’ He wordlessly cast another spell that had Harry moving as fast as he could out of the way again, diving behind an old table for cover. Dumbledore cast another wordless spell and smiled as he noticed that this one had hit the table, split and then a strand of the spell had hit Harry. ‘Especially as you are a danger to us all – as you ran away to follow Voldemort.’
‘Voldemort is dead.’ Harry muttered as he rolled over onto his back, wincing at the pain in his leg as he did so, realising his wand had fallen to the side, out of his reach. ‘It may have taken more than one attempt…’
‘Ah yes. A muggle gun.’ Dumbledore said, obviously unaware of the more extreme lengths Harry had followed to kill Voldemort. He moved the table out of his way for a clear shot at Harry. ‘How poetic for Tom. I did wonder whether you had another.’ He pointed his wand at Harry. ‘Accio Potter’s gun!’
Harry felt his gun fly out of his hand and watched as it flew towards the Headmaster. And there goes that plan. Wand it is then, he thought, noticing the tapestry to the side of where Dumbledore was now standing and suddenly he rolled toward where the wand had landed. Grabbing it he spun around. ‘Stupefy! Incendio!’ He gestured at Dumbledore, blowing the headmaster back into the tapestry and then set the tapestry alight.
The tapestry tore off its fixtures and landed in a burning pile on top of the headmaster, who collapsed under the weight of it, screaming as he tried to cast a spell to put out the flames.
‘How apt.’ Harry muttered, getting up and stumbling over to where the headmaster lay under the now smoking ruins of the tapestry. ‘Looks like I still don’t do what you want does it headmaster?’
‘Harry!’
Harry spun around. ‘Remus?’ He said on seeing a figure approach through the now smoky room.
‘Yes – its me.’ He looked at Harry and them at the tapestry, seemingly unaware that underneath lay Dumbledore. ‘What happened?’ He looked at Harry’s face. He moved over to the tapestry and pulled it back. ‘Dumbledore? What? How? Did he do this to you?’ He leant down and checked Dumbledore’s breathing. 'He’s still alive.’ He shook his head in disbelief. ‘I’ll take care of everything.’
Harry smiled gratefully. Thank every deity ever. I didn’t really want to deal with clean up.
Remus raised his wand.
Harry gasped and stumbled.
A shot rang out.
‘Avada Kedavra.’
Harry and Remus crumpled to the floor as a panting Snape came running in, gun in hand.
He pulled out his wand and muttered a spell to put Dumbledore in stasis, then cast another spell at the injured Lupin to tie him up, before moving over to Harry to help him up off the floor.
‘Don’t touch me! Traitor! I guess we all know where your loyalties really lie – with Dumbledore.’ Harry snarled as Snape leant down to help him up, before limping over to where Remus lay. ‘Don’t worry Remus – I’ll get help, you’ll be fine. Just take deep breaths okay…’
Professor Severus Snape walked over to where Remus lay, in a rapidly growing pool of blood, lifting the gun once more.
‘No!’ Harry cried, pushing Snape’s arm. ‘What are you doing?’
Snape turned and sneered at Harry. ‘Didn’t you notice where he was aiming the wand Potter?’
‘But he was… The headmaster… but…’ The truth dawned on him and his exhausted expression swiftly gave way to horror.
Remus gave a hate filled smile in Harry’s direction.
Harry moved away from Remus and then stood, stumbling back. ‘You were aiming at me.’ He said, suddenly, replaying how he had seen the green light flash out of the corner of his eye as he had fallen once more from the earlier curse Dumbledore had cast, affecting his leg. ‘Snape saved my life.’ He folded his arms across his chest as though to keep the pain of this final betrayal away from him. ‘Why?’
‘He’s the spy.’ Snape answered coldly, standing shoulder to shoulder with Harry to steady him. ‘The one no one knew about. The reason Alan died. The reason Hermione’s family died…’ Snape paused. ‘And I believe the recruiter of one Peter Pettigrew.’
Remus showed his teeth in a revolting mockery of a smile. ‘Your parents got what they deserved Potter. I celebrated the day they died. My only regret was that you survived.’ He chuckled and then hacked up some blood. ‘What? Did ickle Potter never wonder why your parents suspected me? You didn’t? What a pity…’
‘But… No… You…’ He broke off, taking a breath. ‘All this time…’ Harry said, looking at the figure lying on the floor with revulsion. ‘You betrayed everyone. For that alone – I should kill you. But you are already dying…’ He trailed off as Remus hacked up yet more blood. ‘I could of course make this quick for you… But I think instead I’m going to stand and watch you suffer.’ He stood and watched Remus until he had almost breathed his last before finally speaking again. ‘I do hope my parents; Sirius and Alan give you the welcome you deserve when you finally die. Good bye you murdering bastard.’
As Remus struggled to breath Snape lashed out and kicked him, making the blood pour out of the dying man’s mouth.
Harry grimaced and turned to Snape as Remus finally stopped breathing. ‘Was that really necessary?’
Snape smirked. ‘No – but it felt good.’ He moved over to where Dumbledore lay unconscious. ‘I’ll clean up here Potter. If Dumbledore survives this – he’ll be coming for you. Go back to the flat and I’ll contact you as soon as I am able.’ He glanced back over to Harry, ‘I believe your friend Jack will be waiting for you there.’ He held his gun for a moment, emptied out the remaining bullets and muttered a quick ‘Portus’ as he tapped it with his wand. ‘This will take you to outside your flat.’ He held it up and smiled before he threw it. ‘Good luck Mr Potter.’ He drawled, his school persona edging out. ‘I do hope you will manage to keep out of trouble in the future.’
He threw the gun at Harry who caught it and vanished, leaving Snape alone with a severely injured Dumbledore, a very dead Remus Lupin.
****
One more chapter after this to tie up some loose ends. Thoughts, comments, queries?
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