A Long Way Back ~ Editing

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 23 ~ The Resurrection

Severus watched as the ashes began to shift and undulate, taking on the familiar golden glow…but something was wrong. The edges of the glow were a sickly green fading to black.

"Something's wrong, Hermione," the wizard said as the ashes began to spin, forming the funnel. There was a scent of burning.

Hermione watched the funnel grow larger as more ash was added.

"It's…it's just different…this is a human being. The process is probably slightly different," she said uncertainly. "Besides, we can't stop it."

Everything in the lab began to shudder.

"Shit," Hermione breathed, pulling out her wand, "Severus, help me lock everything in place so it doesn't go flying."

Severus pulled out his wand and together they magicked everything in place.

The funnel grew larger and the wind picked up, a loud roar filling the lab, and not only the lab but also the entire mansion. The house elves all fled for the guesthouse gibbering with terror. They could feel something not right happening, something intrinsically wrong. Ying and Yang were on their heels, darting into the guesthouse behind them, the door heavily warded against the wind picking up outside.

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A frantic Ron appeared in the lobby of St. Mungo's and rushed up to the check-in desk.

"I need a healer immediately!" he screamed at the clerk, who looked at him with a rather bored expression.

"Everyone who comes here needs a healer. Now what is the problem, Mr….?" she asked him, pulling out a form.

Ron looked at her wildly.

"My son is dying! I need a healer now!" he exclaimed, looking around the lobby desperately.

"How do you know he's dying? You're not a healer are you?" the witch replied coldly.

That was it.

"You fucking idiot…I don't have time for this!" Ron seethed rushing through the double doors.

The witch turned red. "Come back here! You're not allowed back there without authorization!" she shouted after him. "Security!"

Ron didn't give a fuck about authorization.

He ran down the hallway.

A wizard in a white coat looking at a clipboard emerged from a room. Ron ran up to him. Security burst through the door behind him, led by the clerk. They were big, burly wizards.

"There he is!" the clerk cried pointing at the red-haired wizard who desperately turned to the white-coated man.

Security charged, ugly looks on their faces and wands drawn.

"Are you a healer?" he asked the wizard breathlessly.

"Why, yes I am," the healer replied, craning his neck to see the approaching security.

"You're coming with me. My son needs you. Now," Ron said, wrapping his arms around the healer and disapparating.

They arrived directly in the bathroom. The healer took one look at the pale, spasming little boy and dropped to his side.

"I'll do what I can," he said, drawing his wand.

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The shaman suddenly stiffened, then stood up before the fire. Yes, it was happening now, and it was wrong…all wrong. The little Kogi stretched his staff over the fire, shaking it and chanting, a blue glow surrounding him. He could feel them…find them now. He shouted the word of power and was gone.

Severus and Hermione were hanging on to the counter, the wind threatening to whip them around the room now. It was like a hurricane as the funnel turned on its side and lengthened, forming what looked like a stick figure. It was a dark, dirty golden color as if tainted.

"It's happening!" Hermione shouted to Severus over the noise.

The wizard's heart was in his throat. This was all wrong…so wrong.

The stick figure began to take shape, thickening, definition appearing as it lightened, a male human body forming, black hair sprouting from the head. It began to take on features…recognizable features as it lightly drifted down to the sheet.

"Harry," Hermione breathed as she looked on the naked form of her best friend, tears forming in her eyes. He lay there, pale and still, waiting for life to enter him.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione urged, "Take a breath. Come back to us."

Severus looked on, hoping that the wizard would not revive. He felt something was happening that was terrible.

Suddenly there was a blue flash beside him. A small, almost naked and rather wizened brown man stood next to him, a pointed cone on his penis, a red cloth wrapped around his waist, streaks of paint on his body and holding a long staff with gourds and feathers tied on the end. The little man looked at him, his black eyes hard. Severus recognized his dress. He was a shaman of the Kogi tribe.

Hermione stared at the little man who held up both his hands and made a motion. A small white cloud appeared before them, then the image of little Harry seizuring, a healer bent over him, casting spells that were having no effect as Susan and Ron clung to each other, tears rolling down their faces.

"You would take a new life for an old one past its time?" the shaman asked Hermione, who stared at the image.

"What is happening to Harry?" she cried, staring at the convulsing little boy, her face pale.

"You are taking his life," the shaman said.

"No, I am trying to resurrect my friend!" she claimed, looking at Harry's body.

"That little one was your friend. He has a new life now. A happy one, and you are stealing it away," the shaman said accusingly.

Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at the dying little boy.

"You mean that's Harry? My Harry?" the witch said, horrified.

"Yes. And you are killing him," the shaman replied, his eyes hard.

"Oh my gods…stop it! Stop it!" the witch screamed, "I didn't know. Please…please help him!"

The shaman nodded, and stepped over to Harry's prone body. He extended his staff over the unconscious form and began to chant. Presently a golden light began to form around the naked pale body. Suddenly it fell to black ash. The wind stopped.

Hermione and Severus stared at the image as little Harry fell still. He wasn't breathing.

Susan ran forward, pushing the healer aside. The wizard was shaking his head.

"Noooo!" she screamed, falling to her knees and gathering her son into her arms, rocking him wildly. "Wake up, Harry…please…my baby! Wake up! Wake up!"

Ron looked on, his lip trembling as tears fell freely from his blue eyes.

"Noooooooo," Susan howled, looking down at Harry's pale face and caressing his tousled red hair. "Nooooo!"

Hermione stood there, tears streaming down her face.

"What have I done? Oh gods, what have I done…" she sobbed as Severus looked on the scene somberly. He wasn't an emotional man, but the death of an innocent child because of he and Hermione stung him, and he was full of guilt and remorse.

"I'm going to have to tell Ron it was me," Hermione said, shuddering. "Tell him I murdered his son…killed Harry…again."

The shaman looked from Hermione to Severus with sober eyes.

"Everything in the world has a season. Our lives are seasons. The Spring of Youth, the Summer of Adulthood, the Autumn of Age and the Winter of Death. Men are like trees. They shed their lives like leaves only to rise up again larger and stronger in spirit, with new life. Your friend was reborn into the life he longed for with family and love. The elixir can only be used on those who have died within a week, and even then they only live for a short time. Once they are removed from the world they cannot return for long. The universe removes them because they have no place and must move on to the next incarnation. But look," he said, pointing to the image.

Suddenly color returned to little Harry and he gasped, breathing again.

"He was not ready to give up his new life," the shaman said smiling, as Susan screamed again and held her son tightly as he struggled to get away. She was crushing him.

Ron ran forward and fell to his knees, wrapping his long arms around both wife and son, sobbing with relief as the healer looked on, trying to get his wand close enough to check the boy's vitals.

Hermione slumped with relief. Thank the gods. Her amber eyes flickered toward the remaining elixir.

"You were right, Severus. This is too dangerous for anyone to have," she said, then she looked at the shaman, "anyone in our world at least."

The shaman nodded and looked at Severus.

"You are quite the patient thief," the shaman said to the tall pale wizard, who stiffened, prepared to draw his wand to defend himself. The shaman smiled.

"You have nothing to fear from me, younger brother. I am not as vengeful as my tribesmen. Shamans do not punish or take lives. The universe takes care of the wrongs men commit…in good time…over many lives. I have only come to take our potion before something else terrible happens. It is my hope you will not make more."

"No, we won't," Hermione said, picking up the large jug and handing it to the small brown man. "Never again."

"That is good," the shaman said, then he looked at Severus.

"Goodbye, thief," he said, "There is a place in the world for even those like you. I imagine this will not be the last time arrows whiz by your ears."

The shaman shook his head ruefully at the wizard, then suddenly disappeared without a sound. It was as if he had never been there. The floating image of Susan kissing a struggling, complaining little Harry all over his face disappeared.

Hermione looked down at the ashes of the man she once knew as Harry Potter.

"It think it's time to let Harry go," she said softly.

Severus nodded.

"Yes, it is witch," he responded quietly.

He watched as Hermione pointed her wand at the ashes. They whirled together and soared back into the urn, which capped itself.

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The next day, both Severus and Hermione stood on a high cliff overlooking the sea, the witch clutching the urn in her arms, the wind whipping her hair lightly around her face. She looked down at the crashing surf and up at the brilliant blue sky…which was rare in England. It was usually overcast. She took the clear day as a sign that it was time to let Harry go. She blinked up at Severus, who looked at her soberly.

"Release him, Hermione," he said to her softly.

The wizard felt a tightness in his chest despite himself. He had never really cared for Harry, but Hermione had loved him deeply and now had to face the fact that the Harry she knew was gone. He couldn't help but feel for the witch.

Hermione opened the urn and stared down at its contents.

"Goodbye, Harry," she said softly, then shook out the ashes into the wind, which carried them high over the sea where they swirled almost joyfully…then vanished from sight.

It was over.

Hermione and Severus walked away from the blue sky, the blue water, and the young man she had loved for more than half her life, the Potions Master slipping his arm over the witch's shoulder to comfort her.

Together, they disapparated.

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A/N: Man, I am all tearing up here. I'm such a freaking cream puff sometimes. lol. Anyway, please review.