Harry Potter and the Secret Nurse

Chapter Four
The Death of Voldemort

Harry scrambled around for his shirt, but he realized it was left upstairs. Before he could find cover Professor McGonagall walked right in on them. She looked at Harry and Hermione as two who were caught. Harry crossed his arms over his naked chest in shame.

"I figured as much," said the Professor.

Trying for a distraction, Harry asked, "Professor, how goes the war?"

"The war goes badly, Mr. Potter," said Professor McGonagall, "That is until this morning, when something inexplicable happened to You Know Who."

"What happened?" asked Hermione.

"He was nearly killed, by an unperceivable spell," said McGonagall, "No one had the slightest clue as to what it was, but I had an idea. Mr. Potter, would you step closer, please?"

Timidly Harry approached the Professor, who was still taller than he was, and intimidating. The Professor held his chin and examined his face, then, to Hermione's great discomfort, right away noticed the bite marks on Harry's neck.

"I was using the Deleo Inflecto spell, Professor," Hermione said to hopefully dist Mct McGonagallo tro treat some scars on Harry's back."

"An OWL level spell as an under-aged wizard?" asked McGonagall, "A violation of wizarding law, Mrs. Granger."

"Harry was hurt," said Hermione.

"Mortal peril?" asked McGonagall, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione didn't answer, but looked uncomfortably at Professor McGonagall as she glanced at Harry.

"Mr. Potter," asked McGonagall, "Could you leave us for a moment? Ms. Granger and I need to spea mat matters most important."

Hermione jumped in, "No wait, that's not what I-"

"No, that's okay, Hermione," said Harry as he trotted up the stairs, "I'm used to being left in the dark."

As Harry climbed the stairs he muttered to himself of why should he be informed of anything, after all, it was he who solely confronted and defeated the greatest threats to the wizarding world again and again.

"That wasn't fair," said Hermione.

"No, it wasn't," said McGonagall.

"Professor, about the spell," said Hermione, "Harry is not well. He really needed-"

Hermione trailed off, then she took a deep breath.

"I was afraid he was suicidal," said Hermione, "I just couldn't leave him alone."

"How long have you been with him?" asked McGonagall.

"Three days," said Hermione.

"Three days," said McGonagall as she thought to herself, "That must be it."

"What is it you're talking about?" asked Hermione.

"I saw the scars on Harry's arms," said McGonagall, "The one's you were trying to erase?"

"Harry's... oh God, Harry was a cutter," said Hermione, "But he's MUCH better now, if you just let me-"

"Harry was never a cutter," said McGonagall, "Did Harry ever tell you he had memories of cutting himself?"

"No he said those were blanked out," said Hermione.

"Harry is more sensitive to You Know Who than ever before," said McGonagall, "Picking up his thoughts and actions. Harry is not the cutter, You Know Who is. Or at least he's making Harry one."

"Oh my God," said Hermione, "I should have known. It's just like Ginny's experience when she was possessed."

Professor McGonagall held Hermione's shoulders and spoke most seriously, "Ms. Granger this may be personal, but you need to answer this question, the whole war hinges on it. When you got close to Harry, when you touched him, did he feel better? No pain from his scar or anything like that?"

"No," said Hermione, "He felt better instantly. It was like..."

"Magic?" asked McGonagall.

Hermione nodded.

"You must understand this," said McGonagall, "Harry's connection to You Know Who is like a two way radio. Harry picks up on him, and he in turn picks up on Harry. But being close to Harry the way you were is like death to You Know Who. He can not bear those kinds of feelings. You... Voldemort can not exist in the same place where love exists. It literally kills him."

Hermione let that sink in.

"We knew it," said the portrait of Sirius.

"Yes, we figured it out yesterday," said Benjy Fenwick.

"The spell could not work unless they were in love," said Gideon Prewett, "Truly in love, oh, such a rare thing. And at their age too."

"That's enough you lot," McGonagall said to the portraits.

Hermione said it was okay, she knew for a while about how they felt for each other.

"Ms. Granger, I must press," said McGonagall, "Do you remember exactly what you were doing today from 10 am until around lunchtime?"

"Yes."

"There are informants who say that at this moment Voldemort is at death's door," said McGonagall, "Another round like that, for say, several hours, will certainly finish him off for good."

Hermione understood, and shook her head. Then she turned to go upstairs.

"Ms Granger?" McGonagall hesitated, "When the death blow comes, and they're separated, it is possible Harry might be crippled."

"Then we're going to take good care of him, aren't we, Professor?" Hermione asked seriously.

McGonagall shook her head said, "Damn right we are."

"Will you watch the door?" asked Hermione.

McGonagall nodded and wished Hermione luck. Like a woman on a mission Hermione marched up the stairs and to the room where Harry sat on the bed. She was so focused she saw nothing until she saw Harry. With a bit of a frightened look, Harry saw Hermione's face and backed away from her.

"What is it?" asked Harry, "Hermione, you're scaring me."

"You're not the one who's really afraid," said Hermione, "He knows it's coming, he can feel it. He sees me now through your eyes, and he knows I have come for him."

Hermione took Harry's hand and pulled him to stand up in front of her and embraced him, Harry thought Hermione's touch would make the fear go away but it didn't.

"There's no need for you to be a party to this Harry," said Hermione, "You've been through too much already. Far too much."

"What are you talking about" asked Harry as he trembled in Hermione's arms, "What are you doing?"

Hermione spun Harry around and embraced him again from behind. Her left arm held his head and the right around his torso as she put her lips to the right side of Harry's neck.

Hermione put her lips close to Harry's ear and said, "I'm going to kill Voldemort."

Harry felt a panic run through him he couldn't do anything about. Hermione was stronger than him, he just couldn't break her grip. She was going feral again, and glided her fangs against his neck. The pressure of her chest against his back felt like it was causing bones to pop, he was losing his ability to stand.

Then she bit him.

It was violent, it was hard, and it took all will out of his legs. With a strength much greater than his, Hermione held Harry up causing the weight of his body to press even harder against his back. The fangs were in Harry's neck, and they weren't going anywhere. Harry felt his scar twitch again, but it wasn't pain this time, it was like energy going through it. He went utterly helpless, but his body seemed to pick up a fight on its own. He saw his arms move and his legs kick slightly, but didn't know what was making it happen. Then he heard his own voice speak.

"Silly girl, do you think you could finish me? I am... the... greatest wizard... I..."

They fell forward, but instead of crashing onto the floor, Hermione put Harry gently down and laid with the whole weight of her body on Harry's back. It crushed him, it crushed all resistance from him, but still he saw his elbows move to pry himself up. Like a valiant fight, Harry's arms struggled to pull them forward along the floor. The tension in his muscles only intensified the feeling of Hermione's weight crushing into his back. As the arms pulled over and over, inching forward, Harry could feel his back muscles spasm and squirm their squashed way around bone.

Hermione stopped and taunted him, "Where are you going? Are you going somewhere, Voldemort?"

Harry kept inching towards the luggage.

"The travel kit bag," asked Hermione, "You want Harry's wand and curse me off of you? Sorry Voldmort, the wands are downstairs, I left them with McGonagall. There's nothing more magical in there than my hair styler."

Hermione reached out for the travel kit bag, clutched it and tossed it away to the far end of the room to prevent Harry from grabbing it. Defiantly Hermione put her teeth back into Harry's neck. Harry let out a helpless yelp, and attempted a verbal curse. He sat there and just breathed, then the arms tried moving again, dragging them forward until the were so spent they could hardly keep his upper torso up. The arms trembled and threatened to collapse his head right down to the floor at any moment.

"I'm in trouble," Harry heard himself say.

Damn right you are, thought Hermione. There were cricking sounds in Harry's back, like a chopped tree, he was due to go down at any moment.

"Dammit girl, YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

Hermione ignored it. Harry's voice pleaded in death throes.

"I CAN GIVE YOU RICHES! I CAN MAKE YOU THE MOST POWERFUL WITCH ON THE PLANET! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE THROWING AWAY, I KNOW YOU! YOU HAVE TALENT! YOU CAN MASTER ANY CURSE IN THE WORLD! I KNOW CURSES THAT WILL GIVE YOU POWER. CURSES YOU WILL NEVER FIND ON YOUR OWN. DON'T RUIN THIS GIRL! DON'T BE A FOOL. DON'T.... don't..... help.....help me. Mother, help me, please I'm..."

Harry's body collapsed. After it did, he felt the control of him being able to breathe again. He could control his own breathing. Crushed onto the wooden floor he just lay there and breathed.

"Hermione, I think he's gone," said Harry.

Hermione found a lipstick that fell from her travel kit bag and with her teeth still in him scribbled onto the floor in front of Harry.

HE'S NOT DEAD YET.

"Don't stop," said Harry.

WHEN HE GOES YOU MIGHT BE HURT.

"Hermione... KILL HIM," said Harry.

Hermione bit, it overwhelmed Harry, like before, slipping his consciousness away. Hours later, when he came to, he was laying on his back on the bed with Hermione on top of him, her teeth still inside him. He couldn't lift his arms. Then a great energy built up inside him, and Harry knew what it was. The release of Voldemort exploded from him. Light screamed from his eyes, mouth, and scar. A horrible green light filled the room, then it broke apart like shattered glass and died.

Carefully Professor McGonagall opened the door to the room, and saw Hermione on one of the beds holding Harry in her arms as he lay next to her.

"Harry says he can't move," said Hermione.

"He can speak?" asked McGonagall.

Hermione nodded, biting back tears.

"He can feel everything," said Hermione, "He just can't move."

"He can feel, that's good," said McGonagall, "He might... well... he'll get better. Eventually."

"Is it over?" asked Hermione.

"It's over for Voldemort," said McGonagall, "But the war goes on. We'll have to protect Harry. Care for him. Treat him until he's on his feet. I promise you, you'll have a part in this, Hermione, he needs-"

"He needs to be held," said Hermione, "Badly."

"Aye, he does," said McGonagall as she regarded Harry with sorrow, "Harry has had his part in this war. Maybe, when he regains his formidable power as a wizard, he will fight again for the side of good. But for now, it's his turn to know what love is. Until the school year starts, that is all he will know."

That was nearly six weeks away. McGonagall found the medical book Hermione brought from the Black library.

"This is where you learned the Deleo Inflecto spell?" asked McGonagall.

"Yes."

"Good, this is an excellent book," said McGonagall, "For the rest of the summer, you have clearance to use magic spells on your own. I will teach you spells, an hour a day from this book to help Harry Potter, and maybe get him back on his feet by September."

"Thank you, Professor," said Hermione.

McGonagall laid the book down and said, "But for now, just hold him. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Professor," said Hermione.

McGonagall shut the door to the room, and turned to see Dumbledore standing outside waiting for her in the hall.
at wat was an incredible stroke of luck," said McGonagall.

"Luck?" said Dumbledore, "In matters of love, true love, I tend to think of as more like a miracle."

"What if this gets out?" asked McGonagall, "There won't be a person in the wizarding world that won't know Hermione's name."

"I have no doubts that Hermione Granger will one day make a great mark in the wizarding world," said Dumbledore, "But not for being a murderer. I have spoken to the portraits. All who know about this incident are here, and there is no reason for it to leave this house."

"If the Death Eaters ever find out, Hermione will become a target-"

"We are all targets, my dear," said Dumbledore, "But as far as the Death Eaters are concerned, it is I that is solely responsible for the demise of their Lord."

"The spell Voldemort used that bonded him to Harry," said McGonagall, "You knew it would destroy him. But that would only be possible if Harry ever came in contact with true love. How did you know?"

"Ah well," said Dumbledore, "You can always count on love. It has a way of showing up where it is truly needed most."