Chapter 60 - The King's Voice
United behind the great shield they held over top of Harry Potter, they all saw the moment when Harry's spell utterly consumed the great creature that would destroy them all. The brilliant light shining from Harry's wand finally filled all the shadows shifting beneath the creature's skin, and the elder demon screamed in despair as the Earth itself denied its existence. One moment it was there, burning with light, and the next moment it was gone, banished from this world by magic itself.
Their shield dropped when the danger was gone, all of them drained beyond comprehension. For one still, quiet moment they all stared at the slender form of the Wizard who had saved them, wand still raised, his red and gold Gryffindor scarf blowing in the crisp breeze. He was shaking - Severus and the others could see that - trembling in shock. But so were they all. Every man, woman and child in the Quidditch Pitch was trapped in the same moment - blind terror giving way so swiftly to relief that all of them were unable to do anything more than simply stare. Despite the utter chaos that had reigned only moments before, the entire stadium seemed to be holding its breath.
Slowly, Harry lowered his arm, and then turned with cautious, deliberate movements as if in pain. Every eye in the stadium was upon him, every body poised in tense stillness. There was a look upon Harry's face that Severus had never seen before. Amid the exhaustion and overwhelming magical drain that was sending tremors through his body, there was a deep horror behind his eyes of someone who had looked into the darkness and found it staring back.
Harry tried to take a step toward them, but staggered under the strain. A collective gasp echoed through the pitch and everyone took a step forward as if to catch him as he dropped. But it was Severus and Sirius who actually reached him, both of them taking hold of one of his arms as his knees buckled beneath him. They caught him, held him between them, and for a brief moment Severus' eyes locked with Sirius' as they silently shared this burden between them. He could see the same emotion in the man's eyes that filled his own heart - fear, confusion, and an overwhelming need to protect Harry from what still lay ahead of him.
When Severus had first researched the King's Voice spell months ago, he had focused only on the research done over the years as leaders and military commanders had modified the spell for various applications until finally someone had invented the Imperious and brought a new Unforgivable to the world. He had utterly dismissed the original references to the spell as something Merlin himself had created for the sole use of King Arthur. After all, it was just a legend, as were the list of other spells mentioned in that grouping created by Merlin.
But one of those special spells of Merlin - The King's Banishment - had made its way into children's fairytales. Every Wizarding child heard the story about the great monster that threatened a village until it was banished by the King with a spell only the true King of the Wizarding World could utter. Harry had just pulled the proverbial sword from the stone, and he had no idea what it signified to all those looking on, what deep primordial emotion that gripped them all.
That singular gasp and the aborted movement of the crowd caught Harry's attention, and those bewildered, haunted green eyes sought out his, and then rose to sweep over the thousands of Wizards staring down at them.
For a moment, Harry did not react and then they all saw a wealth of emotions flashing through his eyes, horror and grief most clearly visible. He shook his head as if in denial of the total attention he commanded.
Using the strength of Severus' and Sirius' arms he pulled himself upright and turned to face the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the silent masses still watching him, waiting for something to snap them out of their shock. "Get up!" he shouted to all of them, his voice raw with emotion. "There are people injured, trapped! Help them! Help each other!" The young man who wanted no authority, no power, spoke a command and everyone in the stadium moved instantly to obey.
His words galvanized them all. Chaos surrounded them as rescue efforts began instantly, the Aurors along with Dumbledore moving to take charge. One set of stands had collapsed and people were trapped beneath the rubble - other people had jumped or fallen from the stands and were lying injured on the ground. Those the creature had devoured were gone and would never be recovered.
Severus and Sirius along with Remus and the others tried to maneuver Harry through the crowds, helping out where they could, but focused more on getting into Hogwarts. Time and time again people grabbed Harry's hand and kissed it, or tried to touch his face or his hair or the scar upon his forehead. Harry, too exhausted to do more than stagger forward with the aid of Severus and Sirius, seemed almost insensate to the touches. He smiled faintly at people, but Severus was fairly certain that the boy had little understanding of what was truly happening here.
As more Aurors and medical personnel from St. Mungo's began arriving via portkey it became apparent that they had to get Harry into the castle as his mere presence would soon begin hampering the recovery efforts as crowds gathered round him. The initial shock had worn off as well, and people were reacting now to the terror they had all endured, some sobbing uncontrollably, others calling out the names of loved ones as they tried to find each other in the chaos. It reminded Severus all too much of the chaos he had returned to at the end of last year when he'd arrived back at Hogwarts just at the end of the battle against Voldemort and the explosion of the Eye of Odin. The memory was likely not doing Harry any good either and he couldn't help wondering in despair if Harry was doomed to end every school year this way.
Of course the school year was not yet over, he reminded himself. And after these events, he knew that life for Harry had once again just changed irrevocably. Things that had only been whispered about, vague rumors, the garish headlines in the papers - they were nothing to what Harry would now face after this. He had no doubt that every pureblood in the stands that day, everyone raised as a child in the Wizarding World, would know the stories of The King's Banishment. The events of the day would spread across the planet within hours.
Severus' heart was pounding as these thoughts became clearer and clearer in his head. The entire world had wanted Harry prior to this day - how much worse would it be now? And how would Severus ever keep them away? He could not bear the thought of letting Harry go.
Between all of them they managed to get through the gates of Hogwarts - they were open now as people were being taken into the infirmary before being transferred to St. Mungo's. They hurried Harry through the halls, taking him to a private room near the main staff lounge, the very room Harry and Severus had been married in. Severus was worried now about the violent tremors racking Harry's body, and once he and Sirius had settled him upon a couch, Remus wrapped a cloak around his shoulders to stave off any chill that might accompany magical exhaustion.
The other's settled around the room, Ron and Hermione actually sitting on the floor at Harry's feet in an effort to stay close to him as Severus and Sirius took the spots on either side of him on the couch. The twins took up guard position at the door, and across the room Severus could see Charlie comforting a clearly upset Draco. That the Slytherin boy had joined them out on the field was amazing - Draco was not well known for his acts of bravery, and the action had left him shaken.
Near the door Dumbledore and McGonagall were conversing softly together in a rather urgent manner. They spoke briefly to Arthur, before finally turning toward Severus. "We'll be back as soon as possible," Albus told him, his worried gaze resting briefly on Harry. "We have to see to the students."
Severus nodded in understanding. In truth it was his responsibility to see to the Slytherins, but he could not imagine leaving Harry at this moment.
"We'll go," Bill and Percy both offered, seeing the dilemma. Severus nodded in relief. Both of them had in their time been head boys, and would know enough to deal properly with the Slytherin students. If he had to take a guess it be unlikely that any Slytherin student had been wounded. They would have done everything in their power to ensure their own safety - not one of them would have attempted to jump from the stands.
As Albus and the other's left the room, he found himself squeezing Harry's hand, not certain if he was trying to offer comfort or receive it himself. Unused to such a public display as even handholding, he was unable to even guess at his own motives for doing such a thing. It was odd really - but he could not bring himself to let go.
And then somewhere, far off in the distance, he heard a deep bell sounding. Frowning, Severus glanced around the room, checking the reactions of the Weasleys. He'd never heard such a sound in Hogwarts - it was not one of the castle's bells. But oddly enough no one else reacted to the sound.
Great, he thought. Now he was hearing things.
Harry desperately wanted to sleep. It wasn't just the exhaustion, it was the chaos in his mind, the horrible images that - thing- had left there in his head when it had touched his thoughts.
He was only marginally aware of what was going on around him, the journey back into Hogwarts passing in a bit of blur. He knew he was sitting on a couch, and that someone had draped a cloak or a blanket over his shoulders. Vaguely he was aware of people talking. Someone was holding his hand. And there were two ravens sitting on the mantle over the fireplace, watching him. When the chaos in his mind got too loud they would caw at him and the madness would move back into the darkness briefly.
It was nice when they cawed - though really there shouldn't be words buried within the sound. Ravens weren't supposed to talk, but he supposed he could forgive them.
Harry frowned curiously down at his hand, noting the larger hand closed around his. It was a strong hand, though it held onto his gently but firmly. A well-formed, graceful looking hand, he decided, noting the faint yellow and purplish stains around the various fingertips. He could feel calluses along the palm, and found himself lightly running one finger over the callous on the inside edge of the thumb. He knew that callous was caused by holding a sword hilt - he had one of his own after all the sword lessons. All and all it was a very nice hand, Harry decided, and he rather liked the fact that it was holding onto his. It felt good, it felt strong, like he could draw energy from it if his own faltered. And like the cawing, it seemed to keep the darkness back as well. And thinking about that hand was much nicer than thinking about anything else.
He stared in bemusement at the stains upon those fingers, trying to figure out what might have caused them. Paint perhaps - he'd finger-painted in primary school and he remembered it staining his fingers interesting colors. But he was fairly certain finger-painting was not an adult pastime, and this was definitely a man's hand. No, the stains were most likely something else, like potion ingredients perhaps.
Amazement flooded through Harry. This was Severus' hand hold his own. Which meant that Severus was sitting beside him - as was someone else, for he could feel the warmth of an arm draped over his shoulders.
He found himself looking up - yes, that was Severus there beside him, holding his hand - in public no less- and staring down at the floor as if expecting it to do something. Turning his head he saw that it was Sirius on the other side him, and for some reason he thought that something about that fact should alarm him.
A quick glance around the room revealed other familiar faces, Ron and Hermione sitting on the floor at his feet. Why on earth they were on the floor, Harry did not understand. Wizards could conjure chairs after all - he'd seen Dumbledore do it often enough. Some of the other Weasleys were there as well - not Molly of course. Molly was pregnant. Harry smiled faintly at that. He clearly remembered Ron banging his head against a wall as he muttered over and over again that parents weren't supposed to do things like that.
Hidden in the shadows along the edge of the room were about a dozen house elves. He smiled at Dobby who seemed to be waiting patiently for someone to summon him. When the little elf saw him smile, he immediately vanished and then reappeared directly in front of him. With a snap of his fingers, a low table filled with chocolate and pastries as well as a full service of tea and pumpkin juice appeared nearby. A moment later the elf vanished only to reappear once again in the shadows along the edge of the room. How odd, Harry thought, that they were all just standing there waiting. Were they guarding something, he wondered.
And then far off in the distance, as if from deep under the earth, Harry heard a bell tolling, low and resonant. It was an odd sound, one he'd never heard before, and yet was somehow familiar. A quick glance up at the two ravens revealed expressions of curiosity as they both tilted their heads to the side as if listening. Harry thought they looked rather smug - if such things were possible for birds.
Someone pressed a piece of chocolate into his hand - not the hand that Severus was still holding. Automatically Harry raised it to his lips and took a bite. He liked chocolate. It always reminded him of Remus and he found himself looking around for the werewolf. Sure enough he found the man crouched beside Sirius, a large bar of chocolate in his hands as if he'd just broken off a piece to give to Harry. He wondered why the man looked so worried - he was cured after all. No more full moons.
The chocolate melted in his mouth and soothed some ache inside him - magical stuff, chocolate! Harry tried to shake the fuzziness from his brain. Severus was still holding his hand. That was good. And Sirius was still sitting beside him with his arm draped over his shoulder. That was good too, though. . .wasn't Sirius supposed to be a cat? Or a dog? Crookshanks! Sirius was supposed to be Crookshanks. . .because Hermione really liked her cat. . .
Harry glanced down at Hermione. She was eating a piece of chocolate as well, and looked worried - everyone looked so worried! That was odd. Had someone been screaming?
The ravens cawed at him again, and this time he definitely heard words, urging him to calm himself. He frowned at them. He was perfectly calm, he thought fiercely. He was just sitting there, eating his chocolate and holding hands with his Potions Master. Because Severus had really lovely hands now that he thought about it.
Both ravens laughed at that, and Harry gripped Severus' hand tighter, offended. He did have lovely hands, even if they were stained with potion ingredients! And he also had a lovely voice, just like melting chocolate, which he really liked. And he had beautiful eyes - when they weren't angry - though even then, they were interesting. And his nose - he glared at the two ravens. They should talk! Big ol' beaks on both of them.
Severus had a really lovely body, though he'd only seen part of it very briefly while he was changing into his nightclothes. One of the ravens cawed again and Harry thought about that for a moment. Yes, he supposed he could ask Severus to remove all his clothing so that he could see the rest of him. That was bound to be interesting. Of course, all those buttons would probably take a long time to undo - Severus seemed very fond of buttons! And he might ask Harry to return the favor, and Harry wasn't at all certain he wanted to take his clothes off in front of anyone. The few times he could remember his Aunt begrudgingly scrubbing him as a child in the bathtub, he remembered her very clearly telling him what an ugly little creature he was. He doubted he'd improved much with age.
The bell sounded again and Harry sighed. Such a strange sound, so deep and powerful - he was fairly certain that the bell was very far away.
The sound of a door slamming open startled him, and he frowned when his hand was released and the arm around his shoulder was removed. How sad, he thought. He'd been rather enjoying the moment, drifting in warm comfort. He could hear someone shouting - lots of shouting actually, but he was far more interested in the fact that Ron and Hermione got up from the floor and took Sirius' and Severus' place beside him. Both of them reached out to take one of his hands and Harry squeezed them both tightly. That was better. People really seemed to want to hold his hands today, and he couldn't remember a time when that had ever happened before. Maybe it was his birthday? Or Christmas? He really liked Christmas, and last Christmas had been the best ever.
Both ravens cawed at him, and Harry grimaced. But he didn't want to come back just yet, he protested. But they were insistent and Harry felt the fuzziness fading away from his mind.
Minister Fudge was in the room, and with him were a large group of Aurors, all their wands out. Severus and Arthur Weasley were shouting at Fudge, caught up in some heated argument. But Harry found his eyes traveling to where those drawn wands were pointing. Sirius! Sirius was standing in the center of the room staring at all of them, Remus standing protectively in front of him, and Harry could see by the wild look in the werewolf's eyes that he was nearly panic stricken.
Sirius! Harry's thoughts cleared in an instant as he remembered the events of the day. He forced all thoughts of the creature to the back of his mind, knowing if he focused on that he'd simply drift away again. Instead he focused on what the others had done - they had shielded him. All of them. They had stood beside him on that field in front of the entire Wizarding World and had protected him. Which of course meant that Sirius Black had revealed himself to the public.
"You think I'm going to take the blame for this!" Fudge was yelling at Severus, all but spitting in his rage. "I won't go down for this! This wasn't my fault! Arrest him!" He was pointing his finger at Sirius and Harry understood in that instant exactly what the man intended. He would arrest the notorious murderer Sirius Black, and he would blame the events of the day on him.
One of the ravens whispered and Harry understood that the man would also do everything in his power to blame all of them - Dumbledore included - for harboring a criminal. To save himself, Fudge would destroy all of them.
"He risked his life to protect Harry," Severus shouted back at the man, defending Sirius. "You arrest him, you do anything to hurt Harry, and the crowds out there will tear you apart!"
"No!" Fudge snarled back. "I won't take the blame! Arrest him! Arrest them all!" He was shouting at the Aurors now who were looking more and more uncertain by the moment. Harry looked for Shaklebolt, but did not see him in the group. Stark was there, however, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He did not know whose side Stark was on, but the man had always been honorable.
"I doubt Mr. Potter wants us-" Stark began, only to be cut off by Fudge.
"You work for me! Not Potter!" Fudge snapped. "I am the Minister of Magic."
"But that spell he used," Stark protested. "They're saying that he's-"
"I don't care who he is!" Fudge exploded. "He's still subjected to the law!" As he continued to shout, several others moved in front of Sirius, while Ginny and Draco took up position near Harry. Harry could also see all those house elves around the edge of the room, poised and waiting, their tiny hands closed into fists.
"Cornelius!" Dumbledore's voice broke through the shouting as he and McGonagall re-entered the room. "What is the meaning of this?" His quick glance around the room no doubt answered the question for him.
Fudge glared at the old Wizard. "I'm here to arrest Sirius Black. You've been harboring a known criminal within the walls of Hogwarts - "
"You're here to try and foist the blame for today's fiasco off on someone else!" one of the twins interrupted, which only riled up Fudge further, and he began shouting again, demanding Sirius' arrest despite the protests of Dumbledore and the others. The Aurors looked truly uncertain about what action to take, looking from Fudge to Dumbledore to Harry for answers as if no longer certain who they should listen to.
"We have to do something!" Harry hissed to Ron and Hermione. "We have to get Sirius out of here." He wondered if the house elves would help?
"The other spells, Harry," Hermione whispered back to him, catching his attention as he tried to understand what she was saying. She had a focused, intent look in her eyes as she stared at him. "The King's Voice, the King's Banishment. Do you remember the other spells in that grouping? The Aurors are just looking for one excuse not to do this, one legal impediment to disobey Fudge."
A legal impediment? Immediately Harry understood which spell Hermione was referring to - the King's Law. But that spell was supposed to change entire laws. Why on earth would she think he'd have the ability to cast such a thing?
"Harry," Hermione whispered. "If the other spells worked for you, so will this. Why wouldn't it? They didn't work for me; they didn't work for Ron. They only worked for you."
He had to try of course. Sirius' life was in danger. Though surely it wasn't enough - surely it would not stop the Aurors, a simple law?
Surprisingly as he stood, Draco reached out and gripped his wrist. He stared at the blond in surprise. "If you do this, Potter," the Slytherin said quietly. "It will confirm what they only now suspect. You understand that, don't you?"
He didn't really understand. He brain was not working right at the moment. But he did know one thing. "I have to save Sirius," he said simply. Truthfully he wasn't certain if he was even capable of throwing another spell at the moment - his body hurt as if he'd run a marathon. When the cloak fell from around his shoulders and he started shivering, he suspected he was in much worse shape than he truly understood. Nonetheless, Draco released him, moving to stand behind him with Ron, Hermione and Ginny as they faced Fudge and the others.
Harry raised his wand, and despite his exhaustion felt the magic rising inside him. And when he spoke, his voice was heard over the shouting as if amplified. "Lex Legis Regalis!" he stated and the others all turned swiftly toward him in shock.
Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw a fiery scroll appear in midair, but he kept his eyes focused instead upon Sirius, who stood in the center of the room pale and trembling. "Sirius Black is an innocent man. The crimes he was accused of and sent to Azkaban for were committed by Peter Pettigrew, who is still alive and at large in the Wizarding World. The Ministry will no longer pursue Sirius Black, or press charges against anyone who aided him. So shall it be!"
His words as he spoke were written in fiery letters upon that burning scroll. And when at last he released the power of the spell, that scroll duplicated itself numerous times, most copies instantly vanishing to some unknown location. One copy alone remained, and dropped down out of the air, only to be caught neatly by Auror Stark. Harry, on the other hand, locked his knees beneath him, knowing that if he tried to move, either to step forward or back to his seat, he would collapse. The distant, tolling bell was louder now.
Even Fudge waited in silence as Stark examined the scroll in his hand. The Minister looked horrified, the expression on his face one Harry had never seen before. All the other Aurors were watching Stark, waiting for some response from him to determine how to react.
There was something almost gleeful in Stark's eyes when he finally looked up. He passed the scroll to Dumbledore. "It bears the seal of the white stag and the triple crown. You're the senior member of the Wizengamot, Headmaster. Execution of the law is ultimately your responsibility. But neither I nor my men will cross the orders of that seal."
"What!" Fudge shrieked in outrage. "You can't do this! I'm the Minister of Magic!"
Stark just glared at him. "You have no authority in this matter."
Fudge turned to stare at Dumbledore in disbelief as if willing the man to say something different. Dumbledore just shrugged. "This is old magic, Cornelius. The oldest we have. I would suggest you focus your efforts on repairing the damage out in the pitch rather than casting the blame on someone else. They say the consequence for any who cross this seal are dire."
"But, but, but!" Fudge protested.
But Stark caught hold of his arm. "Come, Minister. We are needed elsewhere. Let us leave these people in peace." The Aurors all inclined their heads to Harry before escorting the protesting Minister out of the room. The moment the door shut behind them, Harry's legs collapsed beneath him.
Ron and Hermione caught him this time, the others all rushing forward to help him up. In moments he found himself back on the couch, his two friends beside him, the others gathered around him as they tried to make sense of the events. Dumbledore still clutched the scroll in his hands.
"Albus?" Sirius asked weakly. He too was standing near Harry, but his arms were wrapped rather tightly around Remus. Both men looked uncertain and confused.
"It would seem, Sirius, that you have been cleared of all charges," Dumbledore said gently to the man. "You are once again a free man." His words overwhelmed the two men, and beneath all the cheers from the Weasleys, they just held onto each other for a long moment.
Numb, Harry could only smile faintly at the two of them when they turned and thanked him in unison. He honestly had no idea who was more confused by these turns of events. Things were moving so fast he could not keep up. He found his gaze drifting instead toward the ravens as the bell sounded again.
Everyone was talking all at once - each speculating about what was happening. More than one person mentioned some child's story, and the king of Wizarding World. Harry only vaguely listened as Hermione explained the list of spells she, Harry and Ron had learned last year.
"But the story says that the King can banish anything!" Ron exclaimed suddenly. "That means Harry can banish You-Know-Who! One spell and he's gone!"
That caught Harry's attention at last and he refocused his mind. The two ravens grew agitated and began cawing loudly, hopping around on the mantle and flapping their large black wings.
"Headmaster," he said softly. Immediately Dumbledore came closer, pulling up a chair so that he could sit down directly in front of Harry. He reached out and took hold of one of his hands, and Harry was grateful for the warmth. "Can I banish him?"
Dumbledore's blue eyes held his, and Harry was intimately aware of the power and wisdom contained within this man. "That demon did not belong to this world, and had no defense against your spell. And yet even still, it fought you and resisted. Voldemort, for all his evil, is still a Wizard, and like it or not, he does belong here. His resistance will be far greater."
He had not answered Harry's question. Even as fuzzy as his thoughts now were he understood that. "Can I banish him?" he asked again.
Something flickered in Dumbledore's eyes. "You understand how powerful you are?" he asked softly.
"I'm beginning to," Harry admitted reluctantly. He did not want to think about the implications of all that power, or the fact that he could do these spells when no one else could.
Dumbledore nodded. "But I don't think you truly understand how powerful Voldemort is," the old man informed him. That was still not an answer but Harry could infer something from it. Voldemort would be able to resist his spell, and Voldemort was at least as powerful as Harry. But still, if there was a chance. . .
It is not time, the ravens cawed urgently. Not time!
"Not time for what?" Harry asked them, glaring hard at the mantle where they were huddled together. "Not time for me to die? That he would kill me if I tried, or that I would succeed but die anyway? Is that what I'm supposed to do? Die to stop him?"
He could hear gasps and cries of protest around him, but it was Dumbledore who pulled his attention back, squeezing his hands tightly between his own. "Harry, who are you talking to?" the old man demanded.
"The ravens," Harry explained, ignoring the look of alarm in Dumbledore's eyes. "They say it is not time. Is that what I'm supposed to do? Die banishing him?"
"No!" Dumbledore shouted, startling him. "I do not believe that! That is not why you exist. You are too important to this world. You have too many things to do. Your power is growing. It is not time. . .for you to face him. Not now, not until you are ready."
"Do you believe that?" Harry asked. "That I still have a place in this world?" He was not certain of that any longer - certainly did not currently feel fully connected to it. And he feared that once his mind did clear completely, the sheer freakishness of all he'd just done would overwhelm him.
There was a strange gleam in the old man's eyes as he cocked his head to one side as if listening to something far off. "Harry," he asked. "Do you hear the bell?"
Startled, Harry frowned. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw both Sirius and Severus react oddly to that question. He slowly nodded his head. "Yes," he admitted. "What is it?" The ravens had grown calm again.
"That is the Calling, Harry," Dumbledore explained. "I hear it too. So will many Wizards throughout the world this night. It started just after you used the spell on the Pitch. It's summoning us."
"Summoning us where?" Harry asked.
But Dumbledore just shrugged. "I don't know yet. We'll know when it's time. And when we do answer that Call, you'll learn the answer to your own question. You'll learn where your place in this world truly is."
Harry sighed heavily, realizing that this was the only answer he was going to get. And perhaps it was because there was no answer. For all his wisdom, Dumbledore did not know everything.
He found himself looking around the room at the worried faces of all the Weasleys, and at Hermione who had tears in her eyes but was smiling bravely at him. Remus looked calm and resolutely, and there was a fierce contentment in Sirius' eyes as if he knew somehow that things would be okay. And Severus - he was standing just to the left of Dumbledore, and there was such emotion in his eyes that Harry thought he must be in physical pain. It would be nice, Harry thought, to sit beside him once again and hold his hand.
"I'm tired," he whispered.
Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder. "I imagine you are, my boy," he agreed as he stood up. The old man took a quick look at the others in the room as if weighing his next decision. "Let us move Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny up to my tower. There are too many strangers in the castle at the moment. And Draco, you had best go as well. I've heard rumors that your parents have arrived, and I don't think it would be wise to meet them unescorted. We still don't know the full meaning of today's attack."
His words gave them all something to do and despite Harry's exhaustion he did not protest when Sirius and Severus pulled him to his feet, all but carrying him from the room. He stumbled along between them, not paying much attention to where they were going, only vaguely aware that they were moving upstairs. When he did not think he could go another step, Remus, still impossibly strong, picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. It was testament to his exhaustion that he did not protest the indignity.
Eventually he found himself seated on a long couch in Dumbledore's office. "Charlie," Dumbledore said. "You stay with them. The rest of us are needed elsewhere."
Both Severus and Sirius protested immediately, each once again sitting beside Harry. He tried to remain focused on what Dumbledore was saying. The old man was frowning thoughtfully as if weighing their request.
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "The workmen who built the Quidditch stands put all sorts of spells on the structure to prevent them from collapsing due to spell damage. They are nearly impervious to magic. It never occurred to anyone to make them impervious to physical damage. There are still people trapped beneath the section of stands that collapsed, and they're having a hard time using magic to find them. They could use your noses, Sirius and Remus. Apparently the only available rescue dogs belong to the Muggles and are currently involved in some other disaster. And Severus, there are a lot of people injured, and Poppy is running out of potions to give them. She could use your help."
"Go," Harry urged all three of them, knowing they did not want to leave him. They turned toward him uncertainly, but he just shook his head. "All I want to do is sleep," he replied. "There's no point in staying here and watching that. Not when there are people who need you."
Reluctantly they agreed, standing to leave with the others. "Summon that elf of yours to retrieve your potion," Severus ordered him sternly. "Take it before you fall asleep."
But he had no sooner spoken when Dobby appeared beside him, holding the potion in question in his hands. "Dobby is here! Dobby is bringing dear Master Harry's potion! Dobby is a good elf!"
Smiling faintly, Harry took the potion from Dobby's hands. "See," he said softly to Severus as he took off the stopper and swallowed the potion down. "Now, go help everyone," he urged.
Reluctantly, the man nodded and followed the others from the tower as Harry stretched out on the couch. He was vaguely aware of Hermione draping a cloak over his body, and of the faint sound of Fawkes singing in the background. The phoenix song washed over him, blending in with the tolling of that distant bell. Harry drifted away.