The New Me

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and caracters belong to JK Rowling. The Divine Guardians belong to Jennifer Rardin.

Warnings: OOC behavior, emotions running high and someone is going to die.

A/N: I know. Ridiculusly late. I apologise.

~*~

Chapter 19

Magic crackled around his body as he stalked through the gates of Hogwarts. Harry was well and truly pissed at the old man who had the nerve to threaten his friends with expulsion or termination from their jobs if they did not follow his crazy whims.
And the sickest part of it all was that no one in the general public had any idea whatsoever what Albus Dumbledore, wizard and Headmaster extraordinaire, was like in reality. They all had this image of him being the all-knowing do-gooder that saved them all from Grindewald.

“Ah, Harry, my boy. Have a nice day in London? I don’t believe that I gave you permission to leave school premises today?” Harry’s attention snapped to the right where Dumbledore had appeared. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Dumbledore. Don’t think you have me fooled, old man. I know exactly what you’re up to and I’m going to stop you. Have no doubt in that. And as for giving me permission – I had already obtained it from my Head of House.” Harry hissed through clenched teeth. The Headmaster smirked.

“Ah, but had you been here, you would have known that you have a visitor this evening. A visitor that is…quite eager to see you again. And I don’t think you’ll be stopping me any time soon Harry, wouldn’t you say so, Mr Dursley?”

A movement behind Dumbledore caught Harry’s attention, and the entire world seemed to grind to a halt as the gleeful smirk of his uncle met his sight.

“Oh, no doubt about that, Mr Dumbledore, I’ll have him sorted out in no time. Hello, freak. I owe you for your going away present. Let’s say we go take care of that now, hm? Come here!”

Against his will, Harry could feel his body moving towards Vernon Dursley, all the while screaming inside his head to run away from the man that had made his life a living Hell. Vernon clamped one of his meaty fists around Harry’s right arm, dragging him closer to his face. Harry could feel the stink of his uncle’s breath on his face, and knew that he was going to be in a world of pain in a little while.

Suddenly Harry was curled up on the floor with a sharp pain in his left side, with no recollection of how he ended up on the floor. He gasped for breath, cataloguing the pain as a cracked rib, while the two men talked snidely to one another.

“I must say that I admire your technique, Mr Dursley. You’ve broken him completely, I see.” Dumbledore said with a smirk.

“Oh, yes. I’ve trained him quite well, if I do say so myself.” Vernon answered smugly. A spark of defiance lit in Harry from all the talks that he had had with Snape over the past few months, and he stood up on shaky legs, his jaw set and shoulders squared.

“I am NOT an animal to be housebroken. That is the last time you ever lay a hand on me, you bastard.” He gritted through clenched teeth, focussing on bringing a powerful Stunning Hex to his hand so he could escape. Vernon turned purple in the face from rage and he moved in on Harry.

“Now you listen here, boy. You’ll be exactly what I tell you to be, or do we need to go over that lesson again? I thought I broke you out of this nonsense when you were six years old, but I see I was mistaken.” Vernon swung his fist at Harry’s face, catching him square in the jaw, making him fall to the floor. As Harry lay gasping in pain, Vernon drew back his leg and aimed a kick at the ribs he had already cracked, making Harry whimper in pain. He had forgotten how painful it was to have broken ribs.

“Are you going to do as you’re told, freak? Or do we need to continue the lesson?”
Harry coughed from lack of air, and Vernon took this as a sign that he had not learnt his lesson and was in fact in need of another reminder.

He swung his leg back once more, and just as his foot landed in Harry’s ribs, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Pansy Parkinson and Remus Lupin rounded the corner.

Time seemed to stop as both the abusers and the witnesses stared at each other, taking in the situation.

Draco reacted first.

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing to Harry?! Get away from him!” He sprang forward, drawing his wand to send a Stunner at the obnoxious man hurting his love. He didn’t see the Headmaster raise his own wand.

“Stupefy.”

Draco crumpled to the floor, knocked out before he had the chance to stop Vernon Dursley.

“Stupefy! Stupefy! Incarcerous!” Snape shouted making twin red beams hit the Headmaster and the abusing Muggle, knocking them out and tying them up.

“Enervate. Draco, are you alright?” Pansy said worriedly as Hermione, Remus and Severus rushed to Harry’s side.

“I’m fine. What about Harry? Is he okay?” He asked as he stood up and made his way over to the fallen boy.

“He’s got some cracked ribs and a split lip, we should get him to Pomfrey right away.” Snape replied, casting Mobilicorpus on Harry as to not disturb his injuries.

“Who is that, and why was he kicking Harry?” Draco asked as he cast a spell at Dumbledore and Vernon that would ensure that they wouldn’t wake until a potion was administered to them.

Remus practically growled his reply.

“That is Harry’s bastard of an uncle, Vernon Dursley, and as to why he was kicking my cub…well, apparently that’s what he does with the blessing of Albus Dumbledore.”

~*~

The five quickly made their way up to the Infirmary, all the while casting nervous glances at Harry, who was laying silent and with his eyes closed.

“Poppy! Come quickly, it’s Harry!” Remus shouted as soon as he was inside the doors.

“Dear gods, not again! What has happened to him?” Pomfrey asked as she made her way over to the bed where they had placed Harry.

“We found Harry on the floor with his bastard of an uncle and Dumbledore standing over him. We walked in just as the Muggle was kicking Harry in the ribs.” Remus answered, almost growling again. Hermione and Pansy were hugging each other for comfort, Hermione crying silently as she watched her brother lie still on the bed, his face pale and drawn.

Madam Pomfrey quickly cast diagnostic spells at her patient, her mouth setting in a grim line when she saw that Harry’s ribs had indeed been broken again.

“Well, that does it! No longer am I going to tolerate that this goes on. Severus, go fire-call the Aurors at once – tell them that I want to report a case of serious child abuse. Remus, you go get me that pain reducing potion over there. Girls; go guard the Headmaster and the Muggle until the Aurors get here. Mr Malfoy…just stay out of my way, and you can stay. Well, what are you waiting for? Get to it!” At Madam Pomfrey’s sharp command everybody sprung into action to do as she had bid. She turned back to her patient, casting a bone-knitting spell on the affected ribs and a mid-level healing charm on the bruises and split lip.

“Madam? Is he going to be okay?” Draco asked with a small voice from where he sat next to Harry’s bed, his hand clutched protectively around Harry’s right one.

“Physically, yes. But he will have so much to work through mentally…he will need his friends more than ever, I think.” She answered sadly. Draco sighed and said without taking his eyes off Harry’s face;

“I love him, you know.”

A crash was heard from the potions cabinet, followed by a muted curse as a certain werewolf finally discovered Draco’s true feelings for his Godson.

~*~
Madam Pomfrey was not sure that she had ever been as surprised before.

Draco Malfoy confessing his love to Harry Potter of all people? Unheard of!

“Well, that’s nice dear.” She said carefully, scepticism evident in her voice. Draco turned his head and gave her an annoyed look.

“I do love him, I’m serious about that. My only wish is that Harry could feel the same about me some day, but he thinks it’s unnatural to be gay, so I know it will never happen. I just hope that he will get better and that he can find someone that he loves; even if it isn’t me.”

“That…is very mature of you, Mr Malfoy.” Madam Pomfrey said. Draco was hindered from replying when Remus came back into the room, vial of potion in hand.

“You’re in love with my Godson?! What the hell are you thinking?!”

“What do you mean? It’s not like we can help or control who we fall in love with, and since I’ve gotten to know him I found myself just falling deeper and deeper in love with him. I mean, there was always an attraction of some sort between us, otherwise we wouldn’t have fought so viciously, but those feelings have grown in to something else on my part; and I think Harry views me as a friend at least.” Draco said, feeling slightly annoyed with the older man. Remus sighed deeply and rubbed his hands over his face before turning to face Harry.

“I do know that, Mr Malfoy. It’s just that, well, no one can really blame me for being surprised and a bit shocked at this, can they? It’s not the most usual set of circumstances we find ourselves in, is it?” He said quietly, gazing sorrowfully at his Godson. Turning to Madam Pomfrey he asked her the question they had been longing to know the answer to;

“When is he going to wake up?” Madam Pomfrey gently placed her hand on his shoulder and said in a kind voice;

“He should wake up sometime this evening, maybe tomorrow morning at the latest.”

~*~

Severus Snape was quite annoyed at having to wait to see an Auror, having been put on hold via the floo call the minute he stated his name.

What would it take for these people to realise that he wasn’t a Death Eater, and never really had been in the first place?

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, Severus. Things are a little out of control here right now – seems there was an attempt on the Minister’s life about three hours ago. What can I do for you?” Kingsley Shacklebolt said as he appeared in front of Severus.

“Madam Pomfrey has asked that you come to Hogwarts immediately, she wishes to report a case of severe child abuse, and we have the perpetrators in custody at the castle.” Severus responded coolly. Kingsley’s eyebrows went up a notch.

“Who’s the victim?”

“Harry Potter, and the perpetrators are his muggle uncle and Headmaster Dumbledore.”

~*~

Both Hermione and Pansy had a hard time keeping the disgust off their faces when they walked in to the small room where Vernon Dursley and Dumbledore were being held.

“I can’t fathom that this, this, pig is responsible for hurting Harry. Did you see his face when we came in? He was enjoying it! He ought to be flayed alive and then have boiling oil poured over him agonizingly slow, just so he doesn’t die as fast.” Pansy muttered darkly as they conjured up two chairs to sit on.

“They will get what they have coming to them, Pansy. Don’t doubt that. And if the Ministry won’t do anything, I’ll do it myself. They’ll never find the bodies, one of my uncles owns an alligator farm in Florida, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind some extra meat being delivered.” Hermione said coldly, a dark smirk spreading over her face at the thought.

“I like the way you think, Hermione.” Pansy said, smiling brightly at her friend.

“I’m so glad Harry convinced the Sorting Hat to put me in Slytherin with him, I never realised there were people who thought so alike me before.” Hermione said softly, catching a movement in the corner of her eye. Turning her head towards where Dumbledore and Dursley were laying, Hermione was stunned to meet the hard blue eyes of her Headmaster.

~*~

Harry focused all of his abilities to laying as still as possible, so that no one would notice he was awake, and had been for some time. His mind was reeling with what he had just heard.

Draco loved him?!

How is that possible? It can’t be true, it has to not be true! It’s wrong! It’s, it’s not right, he was supposed to be his friend!

Harry could feel himself starting to hyperventilate with the panic that was setting in. He had to get out of here, right now!

Snapping his eyes wide open, Harry sat up with a jerk, startling the people surrounding his bed.

“Harry! You’re awake!” Draco said, happiness in his voice. Harry snapped his eyes to meet grey ones and ground out;

“Get away from me.” Hurt flashed for a moment across Draco’s face, before the infamous Malfoy-mask-of-absolutely-no-expression snapped into place and it was blank once again.

“Mr Potter! Mr Malfoy has been very worried about you, there is no reason to snap at him like that! Now, let me find out how you’re doing, and then we’re waiting for the Aurors to get here to take your statement.” Madam Pomfrey said to Harry, causing his gaze to swing towards hers.

“Aurors? Why?”

“I am filing a complaint of severe child abuse against your uncle, Mr Potter, and that is why.” Panic flashed over Harry’s face before his magic lashed out, knocking Madam Pomfrey, Draco and Remus away from the bed, and he vanished from the Infirmary.

~*~

Hermione stared in surprise at Dumbledore, shocked that he had managed to break through the curse that Draco had placed on him and Vernon. She barley had time to react before a red light sprang forward from him, knocking both her and Pansy unconscious.

Dumbledore quickly vanished the ropes around him, standing up and grabbing his wand that someone had foolishly left in the room. It was because of this that he had managed to break free from the curse and knock his two students out – he could use his wand to focus his magic even if it was a small distance from him.
Sneering down at the still knocked out muggle beside him, Dumbledore decided to leave the man where he lay. The stupid creature had definitely served his purpose, but he wasn’t going to drag it with him when escaped to find Potter and destroy him once and for all.

He opened the door carefully and peered out before making his way towards the Entrance Hall, following the tracking spell that he had placed on Harry when he left him at the Dursleys sixteen years ago.
Rounding the corner he came face to face with Snape and several Aurors, who seemed quite stunned to see him.

Quickly raising his wand, Dumbledore fired off a spell that Grindewald had created that would temporarily blind his opponents, giving him ample time to escape. As the men tried to get the spots of light from their vision, Dumbledore hurried passed them, heading in the direction the tracking spell was leading him – right to the very centre of the Forbidden Forest.

~*~

As Harry looked up he realised that he was probably somewhere in the Forbidden Forest.

Which, when you’re panicking and are about to have flashbacks of your abusive childhood, isn’t the best place to be. Especially at the end of December when all you’re wearing is trousers and a shirt and it’s about 10 degrees below freezing outside.

All of these facts managed to snap Harry out of his panic long enough to calm down a bit and come to the conclusion that knocking Madam Pomfrey, Draco and Remus away from him and then Apparating away, probably wasn’t the best plan he’d ever had.

Quickly casting a warming charm on himself, he decided to gather his thoughts for a while, before making his way back to the castle.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to steady himself and let his shoulders relax.

“Hello, Harry.”

~*~

Harry quickly spun around to face his Headmaster.

“Dumbledore.”

“Well, my boy, I’m afraid we’ve come to the end of the line here – I’m going to have to get rid of you once and for all.” Dumbledore said, a manic light shining in his eyes. Harry quirked an eyebrow at him.

“And you think I’m just going to let you? Please, don’t make me laugh, old man.” Rage crossed Dumbledore’s face and he sneered at Harry.

“You leave me no choice then – die!” A sickly yellow light left Dumbledore’s wand and struck Harry square in the chest, making his vision go black from the pain it caused.

When his vision returned, Harry noticed that they were no longer surrounded by the Forbidden Forest. They were in fact standing in something that appeared to be an empty void, stretching on infinitely.

“What the hell did you do, old man?!” Harry shouted at his opponent, getting a cruel smirk in return.

“It’s quite simple, my boy, I’ve transported both our souls to what you might call a mid-way station. This is where souls come before they either go to Heaven or one of the Hell dimensions when you die. There is no way for you to escape from here, there is only one way to return from here, and I happen to be the only person alive who knows how. Enjoy your eternal torment, Harry. Good bye.” Before Harry could reply to this information, or Dumbledore could make good on his statement and leaving Harry there, they were suddenly surrounded by the sound of big leathery wings coming towards them.

Appearing before them was a creature so hideous it could not be described, other than the fact that it was over seven feet tall, had grey skin, a lot of sharp pointed teeth and large bat wings. A guttural voice came from It’s deformed mouth, making both men shiver with fear.

“Albus Dumbledore, your time has come! Judgement has been passed, and you have been condemned to the deepest pits of Hell!” The creature launched towards Dumbledore, who in vain tried to shoot it down with Avada Kedavra only to have it bounce harmlessly off It.

“Foolish mortal! You think your lowly human magic would have an effect on one of Hell’s soldiers?” The Hell soldier sunk impressive talons through Dumbledore’s shoulders and lifted him off the ground, spreading It’s wings again to take off with the Headmaster’s soul.

“Wait! What of the boy? Shouldn’t you take him as well?!” Dumbledore shouted, desperately trying to distract It long enough that he could perform the spell to get out of there. It’s mouth stretched into something that was supposed to be a grin, but only managed to freeze the recipients with fear.

“The boy is innocent, and it is not yet his time to die. The Powers have plans for him.”

“Which is where we come in.” A new voice added from behind them.

~*~

The voice turned out to belong to something that could only be described to be the Hell soldier’s complete opposite; a woman with unearthly beauty, shining red hair and bright emerald green eyes, almost six feet tall and large feathery wings on her back.

“Take your soul and be gone, Soldier, his punishments are long overdue. We will take care of the young one.” As she spoke, Harry could see another Angel, for what else could they be, appear behind the woman. This one was male with dark hair and eyes, a head taller than his companion, also dressed in a blue tunic and black breeches and boots.

The Soldier nodded It’s head at them once and then spread his wings once again and took off, dragging Dumbledore’s soul beneath him. Harry turned back to the two Angels and said;

“What’s going to happen to him? And to me?” The woman smiled before answering.

“He will be taken to Hell, where he will be subjected to every evil deed he has ever committed or condoned, for eternity. As for you, you will be going back. It is not your time to die yet, Harry. But, before we send you back, there are some things that needs to be done.”

“Oh? Like what?” Harry asked sceptically. This time it was the man that answered him.

“There are things you need to know, and then we are going to heal your soul of all the harm that it has had to suffer.”

“What do you mean, you’re going to ‘heal’ it?”

“You were never supposed to have to go through the things that you have, Voldemort was supposed to be your only struggle. We are going to take away all the pain that is etched in your soul. It won’t mean you’ll forget what has happened, but you’ll be at peace with it.” The man said, giving him a small smile. They both raised their hands towards Harry, and he could feel the warmth wash over him right away. The years of abuse and torture lost its importance to him, he still knew what he had been through, but it didn’t bother him anymore, it didn’t feel like the feelings of shame and self-hate were overwhelming any longer and he understood that this must be what being at peace felt like.

“Thank you.”

~*~


A/N2: Well, there it is. Please review and let me know what you think!
//LoveGD