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The Prophecy of Absconditus	By : AndromedanQueen Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 1570 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Penname: Page of Cups

Email: AndromedanPrincess@hotmail.com

AOL Screen Name: AndromedanQueen

Title: The Prophecy of Absconditus

Pairing: Ron Weasley/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Blaise Zabini

Rating: R

Summary: Wherein Harry has breasts, and there is a serious showdown with the Death Eaters.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Gender Identity Crisis

Draco, Blaise, and the girl who answered to Harry tumbled out of the fountain and onto the cold, hard Absconditus ground. The girl rolled over, clutched her stomach, and mumbled something about not feeling well. The letters on the fountain glowed for a moment and then went grey again. Ron expected the Death Eaters to come through like before, but the fountain closed itself off once Draco and the rest passed through. He supposed it was part of that protection thing. This was a good thing. It gave them time to try and process what happened.

The girl crawled to the fountain, clutched the edge, and vomited. Blood and large chunks of tissue issued from her throat and washed away in the water. Ron had a sinking feeling that the tissue pieces and blood once belonged to Harry's heart. Mixed with the blood was a sick, gangrene sort of pus. Blaise wrapped his arm around the girl's chest, pulled back her hair, and held her while she convulsed.

"That's Voldemort coming out," said Leiss. "That's good. The faster he gets rid of the poison, the better."

"I don't get it," said Draco. "What happened?"

"My guess is as good as yours," said Leiss.

"I think they merged. When Harry died . . ."

"He was dead for seventeen minutes," said Leiss. "One minute for every year of his life."

"I didn't think he was coming back," said Draco.

"Me, either," said Ron.

"That makes three of us," said Leiss. "I didn't think it'd take so long."

Ron looked to Blaise as he held the girl. She'd stopped throwing up, turned in Blaise's arms, and they held each other, shaking. Her messy hair clung to her face and shadowed her eyes from Ron's sight. In the hysteria, Ron hadn't noticed, but Blaise had changed, too. His skin was darker, almost olive, and his once dark brown hair was now light, almost a chestnut ginger that mimicked Hermione's. The changes were subtle, so unlike the drastic one's that Harry experienced, but they were clear as Blaise held Harry to him.

"I'd say they merged," said Draco. "Zabini, you kind of look Greek."

Blaise's head snapped up and Harry pulled back, looking at Blaise. He brushed the hair from his face, still not noticing the drastic change in gender. Ron knew Harry could be oblivious, but this was a little much for someone to not notice.

"You look like Lorenzo," said Harry.

He fingered Blaise's face, the new, feminine fingers so much like the old. Memories as Ryan crashed down of Hero taking care of him, dressing him, serving his every need. Harry didn't deserve that, and neither had Hero.

"You think he looks like Lorenzo, Potter? You should see yourself."

"What?" said Harry. Blaise grabbed a lock of hair and swung it in Harry's face. "My hair grew?"

"So did your tits," said Draco. Harry looked down, gaped, and his head snapped back up. "How did you not notice? That's the first thing I'd have felt."

"I don't know," said Harry. "Shut up, Malfoy."

"You look pretty," said Ron. Harry scowled.

"I don't want to be a girl," said Harry. "I'm a boy! I was raised a boy! How am I supposed to be a girl? I don't even understand them! I'm a fuckwit!"

Draco snickered, hiding his face behind his hand.

"You know," said Draco, "after the last couple of years with Potter fighting off Voldemort all the time, I thought for sure that when he died, it would nticnticlimactic. I mean, after all the chaos, what could top that in a single moment? I was wrong."

"What happened?" said Harry. "After I died. The last thing I remember is thinking Blaise was dead."

"Sorry," said Blaise. "Didn't have time to fill you in."

"Doesn't matter now. Anyway, then the killing curse came at me, and everything went black. I don't know. What happened?"

"Well, Voldemort bled you, cut out your heart, ate it, and lit your body on fire," said Draco. Blaise's face scrunched up.

"Honestly?" said Blaise.

"What do you think Harry just threw up?" said Leiss.

"That was my heart?" said Harry. "He ate my heart?"

"Unfortunately," said Ron. "It was disgusting."

"No worse than what I've seen my parents do," said Draco. "Speaking of them, now that Voldemort's gone --"

"Is he really gone?" said Harry.

"He exploded," said Leiss. "I mean, I guess it's good he ate your heart. You wouldn't have had a body to come back in otherwise. Probably would have been a ghost or a shadow. By him eating your heart, I think you took over his body, and it merged into Hero."

"That's why I'm a girl? You know, I don't even like this Hero girl all that much. I don't want to be her."

"You'll get used to it," said Leiss.

"You still have me," said Blaise. He nuzzled his face into the curve between Harry's neck and shoulder. "I will admit, though, I am going to miss you as a boy. You were the most gorgeous creature to ever walk the planet. Still, this version of you gave that one quite a competition."

"Oh, Merlin, don't make me throw up, too," said Draco.

"I love you," said Harry. He turned his head into Blaise and captured his lips.

"I love you, too," said Blaise.

"If we're declaring our love and being all mushy . . ." said Ron. He stood, crossed the space, and sunk into Draco's lap, pulling their bodies together. Ron hooked his arms around Draco's back, spread his fingers flat against the skin. Burying his face into Draco's shoulder, he pushed back the torn, dirty robes, and pressed his lips against the pale skin.

"Do I need to give you time for a moment?" said Leiss.

"We'll be good in a moment," said Draco.

He cupped Ron's face, and Ron turned into the touch. Guiding Ron's face to his own, Draco pressed his lips to Ron's. He sucRonRon's lower lip into his mouth, nibbled on the flesh. Running his tongue over the swollen flesh, Draco soothed away the sting. Leiss coughed and turned from them, shielding her eyes. Draco smiled against Ron's lips, stared at her from the side of his vision, and kissed Ron once more before pulling away.

"I don't care what anyone says, I'm buggering your arse tonight."

"Such sweet pillow talk," said Harry. He arched one of those thin, female eyebrows. The smile was Harry, but the face was foreign and familiar. Hero stared at them through Harry's eyes. Or was it Harry that stared at them through Hero's eyes? "Oh, come off it. If you keep staring at me, I'm going to get self-conscious. So I'm a girl. What's the big deal?"

"Honestly. People at Hogwarts are going to stare enough. We don't need it from you, too," said Blaise.

"Hogwarts?" said Harry. "We have to go back to Hogwarts? But . . ."

"I was going to get there before you two started your mini snogging session," said Draco. "Just because Voldemort's dead, oesnoesn't mean that the Death Eaters are. You know what happened the last time the world thought he was dead."

"The Longbottoms ended up in St. Mungo's," said Harry. His (her?) eyebrows furrowed, full lips sneering. "Malfoy's right. Hogwarts is still run-over by Death Eaters. They aren't going to give up without a fight. They'll try to carry on ieir eir Master's name."

"Or my mother will try to take over. Whichever suits her fancy at this particular moment."

"I say we need to go back to Hideout B," said Leiss. "The point of getting away was to fight for the school. We've been practicing combat and working out battle tactics while you four were running around, merging and falling for each other."

"Don't forget reading Latin and growing breasts," said Harry. He grinned. "I think I'm already getting used to being a girl."

"Well you were one before," said Draco. "And now you can say you're straight again. How many people get to do that?"

"Not you."

Draco twitched and wrapped his arms around Ron, who settled between his legs. Ron leaned against Dracohesthest, placed his hands over Draco's arms, and turned his head into Draco.

"Love you," said Ron.

"Yeah, yeah. Love you, too."

"That didn't sound very convincing," said Blaise.

"Say it with zest, Malfoy," said Harry.

"Would you two monkeys sod off and let Rebekah talk?"

"Monkeys," said Harry. Blaise laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm glad you aren't brooding," said Leiss.

"I brood too much," said Harry. "I choose to not brood. If I brood, I'll go crazy. I learned that the summer affiftfifth year when my godfather died. It does best to deal with the pain as it comes and not let it get to you until it has to."

"With that being said, I suggest we leave before Potter decides that being a girl is a thing worth brooding over," said Draco.

"I don't know," said Ron. "Shouldn't we be celebrating? You -- er -- Voldemort, he's gone, now."

"We have Death Eaters to face," said Draco. "After that, we can celebrate all night."

Draco stood, offered his grip to Ron, and pulled him to his feet. Harry, Blaise, and Leiss followed. They set out of Absconditus through the palace, came out in Weasley Manor, and were off again for Hideout B. Ron got the feeling this happened too much in a day. They just left this morning (or was it last night), and he couldn't wait until this was all over. Ron hadn't had a proper sleep in months. He missed the good old days where he could sleep until eight on a school day, noon on the weekend.
*

Back at Hideout B, Professor Leiss told the story of what happened with a detached eye. When they arrived, everyone asked who the new girl was, and wanted to know what happened to Harry. They came back with Blaise but seemingly without Harry, and caused confusion that rivaled the one with the Death Eaters at Slytherin Manor. Once Leiss explained, however, they couldn't tear their eyes off Harry, and Ginny couldn't stop laughing.

Members of the Order and the students from Hideout A congregated at Hideout B. Once they left to embark on The Plan, Snape and Phoenix prepared backup. Now that The Plan was successful (or as successful as it could be when Harry returned sans penis), Snape and Phoenix described their battle tactics. It was nice to sit back and listen to what other people would do without having to be the leader. As muchRon Ron got used to giving orders, he didn't like it, and didn't want to be the center of any sort of battle again.

With Voldemort gone, Snape hypothesized that the Death Eaters would congregate at Hogwarts. It was the next logical step in the tactics. News of Voldemort's death wouldn't reach the Ministry until someone wanted it to, and they'd be able to relocate with ease. That left the path to Hogwarts open, but there were wards around it, and they needed to get in. Thas whs where the first years came in.

Draco told them about Crabbe and Goyle complaining about how the first years often tried to escape. All they needed to do was wait for one. They couldn't pass over the boundaries from either side, but it was easy to talk through the wards, and a first year could tell the rest of the captive students what waited outside Hogwarts grounds. It wouldn't take much to set off mass hysteria. All they had to do was trip the alarm around the wards, warn the students what was to come, and the Death Eaters would let them in. They wanted a battle. They needed to avenge their Dark Lord.

Execution of the beginning plan was easy enough. Phoenix mapped out the battle tactic before they returned from The Plan. This was good as it left Ron, Harry, Blaise, and Draco with little to do other than fight when the time came. Ron felt this was good for his mental health as he didn't want to be a part of another major battle plot for at least six months. If life was fair (which it never was, but that was a topic to brew about at another time), Ron would never have to be part of a major battle plot again.

Kerry Daubert went ahead of the group with Phoenix. Snape thought this a bad idea but Professor Marcositi insisted that they give him a chance. Despite his abysmal potion abilities, Kerry proved to be excellent in making deals, and hung around by the wards for fifteen minutes until he caught sight of a younger student walking around the grounds. ugh ugh not attempting to escape, this particular student (a second year Ravenclaw) seemed to have lost it inside, and needed an escape.

How it went after Kerry returned to the group and the second year went back inside, Ron couldn't be sure. There was no Absconditus fountain to play out the scene for him. They allowed the students remaining in Hogwarts to think over the new development for the night. Ron havehave lost track of his days and nights, but now outside, Ron knew it was time for bed. They bunked for the night back in the underground rooms of Hideout B after Kerry returned.

The rooms were crowded and Ron slipped away with Draco after lights out. They walked into the infirmary and chose the bed Ron occupied only two weeks ago. Draco drew the curtains around the bed and slid under the starchy sheets next to Ron.

"Harry's a woman," said Ron. "I mean, not a woman like he was before, but he's actually a woman. He sits down to piss and has tits."

"I know. It's weird. Can I still not make fun of him?"

"Let him get comfortable with it. Once that happens, I'll be making fun of him. You'll have to get in line."

"I don't know, Weasel, that sister of yours is already making fun."

"She does find it hysterically funny."

Draco wrapped an arm around Ron's waist and set a hand against the small of Ron's back. He pushed their pelvises together, bent forward, aippeipped at Ron's throat. He kissed the skin, wrapped his lips around the Adam's apple, and sucked. Soft moans were lost in Draco's hair as Ron buried his face in the dark strands. Draco shivered underneath the vibrations.

"I thought I was never going to see you again," said Ron. "When Vol -- er -- Voldemort pulled the bandage off your wrist? I thought my heart stopped. You scared the piss out of me, Malfoy."

"An easy task for a Weasley." Draco kissed his way around Ron's throat and set on the crook of his neck. "You aren't going to get rid of me that easily. Fifteen-hundred years couldn't stop me from loving you. Nothing ever will."

"It was more like sixteen-hundred years."

"Well, you know. Give or take."

Draco curled his fingers around Ron's hip with one hand and pushed the hem of Ron's too-small pajama top up with the other. His fingers danced around the muscles and Ron moaned, arching his neck back. They were sore from being on the constant go that those small circles Draco rubbed were little slices of heaven. The pleasure was more from the knotted muscles loosening than anything sexual, but that didn't discourage Draco. He ducked his head forward and grabbed Ron's pajama top with his teeth, jerking it up to his chin.

Soft, wet lips touched to Ron's chest and pillowed down to his nipple. Taking a nub between his teeth, Draco nibbled, sucked, and licked as it grew hard beneath his mouth. Ron's fingers lay limp on Draco's back, the other hand lost in his thick, black hair. From the merger, Draco gained a slight bit of height, hardly noticeable unless the body was pressed against your own. The muscles felt a little longer than last time, a little harder, and Ron dropped his hand to the back of Draco's neck.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Draco whispered against Ron's stomach, causing the muscles to clench under his words. Draco watched as the muscles in Ron's stomach tightened. They weren't so well-defined as one might think from looking at him clothed, but he was perfect and sexy, and Draco dragged his tongue around the navel. Tiny, delicate blond (red before the merger) hairs that trailed from Ron's navel to his penis lay soaked and flat against his skin. Draco probed his tongue into Ron's navel, dropped his hands to Ron's thighs, and scratched his nails down the innengthngth. Ron's legs twitched.

It had been too long since he felt their hips meet in awkward spasms. It was the second time that they managed a shag, but the emotions were well-known. Ron took Draco, cupped the back of his head, and rocked against him to his orgasm. His thighs shook as he thrust; Draco's legs rested on Ron's hunched and heaving shoulders. With a hand fisted in the sheets by Draco's shoulder, Ron propped up his torso, and tried not to collapse whencamecame.

Sticky cum dried on the sheets and flushed, sweaty skin. Draco lay wrapped around Ron, their limbs crossed over each other in the silence that filled the infirmary. Echoes of their cries seemed to radiate around Ron's mind, and he fell asleep with them singing in his head.

*

The looks Ron and Draco received the next morning from Hermione, Ginny, and the rest of the present Weasleys were enough to confirm that maybe Ron and Draco should have used a silencing charm. Harry, snickering, asked how they slept, and Snape made a comment about cleaning up the infirmary. Draco glared, pushed away the runny porridge (Ron had almost forgotten the days when it was all he had to eat), and refused to comment on anything further. Ginny laughed every time she looked at either Ron or Harry, and Ron hoped she laughed herself into a catatonic state, the stupid little bint.

Ron forgave them. They could have a good laugh at any and all sexual excursions between himself and Draco. They all needed the release. After eating, they packed up, got dressed, and headed back to Hogwarts. The walk wasn't long, and when they arrived and tripped off the alarm, they weren't surprised to see the Death Eaters lined up, arranged, and waiting for them. Phoenix wasn't the only one who labored over battle plans. This was inevitable since the day of the siege. Somehow, Ron thought it would take longer.

The wards no longer blocked off entrance onto Hogwarts grounds. They crossed onto the grounds, walking into battle. Curses flew around them and Phoenix called out formations. Students that looked far too young for such combat took their places along members of the Order. Dark fought against light, and Draco grabbed Ron by the wrists, pulled him away from the battle outside Hogwarts. He rounded the scene, and Draco pulled Ron to the ground to send a curse at an approaching Death Eater.

By the double doors that led to the Entrance Hall, Draco pulled Ron behind a high set of hedges. Harry and Blaise entered from the other side, and they huddled between the school and the grounds. Pulling the long mane out of his eyes, Harry wrapped his hair into a big, messy ponytail.

"I've never had to deal with so much hair before," said Harry. Draco snickered, earning a glare from Blaise and an elbow in the ribs from Ron. Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, Malfoy, because me being a girl is so very funny."

"Ginny Weasley thinks it's funny. Why can't I?"

Harry glared, pulled his wand out from a pocket of his torn robes (Absconditus did a number on everyone's attire), and looked at the school.

"You ready for this?" said Harry.

"Take back Hogwarts? Fight my mother?" Draco scoffed, pulling out his own wand. "Sure, I'm ready. As ready as I'm every going to be, anyway."

Harry crawled past Draco and Ron, stuck his head out of the bushes, and looked around. Nodding, he motioned for the others to follow. They pressed against the wall of the school and moved toward the doors. Once there, Harry pulled a door open and slipped inside.

It was foreign and far away to be at Hogwarts. Only three weeks passed since they first left, but so much had changed since then. Every day that passed felt like a year, and though the school looked the same as it had when he was last heron gon got the feeling that it went through just as much. Low light dulled their vision but was enough for them to make out their surroundings. Harry moved past the doors to the Great Hall and pulled a rough, worn piece of parchment from his pocket.

"What are you doing, Potter?" said Draco.

"Marauder's Map," said Harry. "Grabbed it from my bag before we left."

"That should make things easier," said Ron. "What have you got?"

Harry tapped the parchment, said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" (Draco snorted), and then spidery ink marks spread across the page. He looked it over, chewed on his thumbnail, and looked toward the dungeon entrance.

"McGonagall and the students are down in the dungeons. It looks like they're being held there by Death Eaters. Guess they don't want our side getting any more help."

"Not a problem," said Draco. "We can take care of them.�

"Your mother is with them."

Draco shrugged, looked away, and hung his head.

"Still not a problem. If I have to kill her, so be it."

"You don't mean that," said Ron.

"Yes, I do. I already killed one person. May as well kill another."

"Who did you kill?" said Harry.

"Don't worry about it," said Ron.

Harry shook his head and they walked on in the direction of the dungeons. It was strange, like going to Potions, only Snape would not be waiting for them. Instead, Snape was out on the grounds battling against Death Eaters. Still, it was a bizarre combination of Gryffindor and Slytherin, and it was a kind of torture, Ron presumed. He tried not to laugh at this discovery and Draco looked at him, eyebrow cocked. Ron shrugged.

With the Marauder's Map, they wound down to a blank stone wall. o swo swallowed.

"It's the Slytherin common room. They've been keeping them in the Slytherin common room."

"How do we get in?" said Blaise. "It isn't like we have the password."

"I don't know. If I were a Death Eater, what would my password be?" said Harry. "Die, Potter, die."

Nothing happened. Harry shrugged.

"It was worth a try."

"It wouldn't be anything stupid like that," said Draco.

"Well what do you propose? Voldemort is king; rest in peace?"

The stone slab slid back and Harry gaped. He opened his mouth, about to speak, but then they saw Goyle standing in the doorway, and any looks of surprise fell.

"You talk so loud out here that had you managed to formulate a plan, we'd have known it before you could put it into action."

"Still alive, Goyle?" said Draco. "I thought my mother would kill you soon as she got word you knew Potter and I were on our way to kill your precious Dark Lord. Shame he's dead now, isn't it?"

"I had nothing to do with that. It was Crabbe who took you, not that he made it back alive."

Draco's face faltered.

"Crabbe's dead?"

"The other Death Eaters killed him. Couldn't have him around after what he did."

Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at Goyle.

"You were always a coward. Never owned up to anything you did."

"Sounds like someone I know. Tell me, Draco, what is it like to not have Crabbe or me to hide behind?"

"Petrificus totalus," cried Harry. He rolled his eyes and pulled his wand into his sleeve. "Honestly, Draco, how long were you going to let him stand there before you did something? We're here to take back Hogwarts, not have a reunion with old friends."

Blaise smirked, shrugged, and followed Harry into the common room. Draco followed, but blinked, and looked back to Ron.

"Did Potter just call me Draco?"

Ron shrugged. "Maybe he's warming up to you."

"Maybe it has something to do with being a woman."

"Maybe."

The Slytherin common room looked just as Ron remembered it. Against the far wall, Hogwarts students and professors, some he recognized and some he did not, sat bound in groups, gagged. Several Death Eaters stood around the room, but the ratio of students to Death Eaters was far in favor of Ron's side. He moved closed to Draco and Narcissa stood, walking before them.

"Where's Goyle?" she asked.

"Laying in the doorway. You ought to teach him about the body-bind. Bad at avoiding it, that one," said Harry.

Narcissa's lips curled into the sort of annoying smirk that Draco had. These days, when Draco smirked, Ron found it cute, but it was still as irritating and hideous on Narcissa. She looked over the four, one at a time, and came to rest her eyes on Harry. Sighing, Narcissa shook her head and crossed her arms.

"You know, I heard from Hephastus that this happened, but I didn't believe it until now. Nice look, Potter. Female works on you."

She had a high-pitched, wailing sort of laugh that reminded Ron of really annoying animals like fwoopers, augreys, or Professor Umbridge. Ron winced, looked at Harry, and noticed the twitching under the sleeve which sheathed Harry's wand.

"Is that it?" said Harry. "All you have are jokes about my gender?"

"Potter, I don't know what you think you're here to accomplish."

"Yes, I know. You're very upset and are going to destroy me for killing your master. I killed Voldemort. I can kill you, too."

"He won't be alone," said Draco. "We're here for our school, and we're just as determined as you are."

"Still haven't realized how worthless you are?" said Narcissa, drawing her wand. "You�ve beaten the Dark Lord, but we will avenge him. Make no mistake about that."

"Stupefy," said Harry. He pulled his wand loose from the sleeve and attacked. Narcissa avoided the spell but it hit another Death Eaters.

As soon as the first fell, the Death Eaters attacked. Curses of bright blues, dark greens, and fluorescent yellows flew around the room. While Draco, Harry, and Blaise fought, Ron escaped under the fight and ran to the captive students and professors. Touching his wand to the binds, he worked his way down the wall.

"They took our wands," said Seamus once Ron released the binds. "I don't know where they took them."

Ron looked around, helpless.

"Accio," said Harry. He sent a spell at Narcissa, who was trying to hex Draco, and then at a man wearing a Death Eater mask. "Use Accio, idiot."

"Don't need to be so nasty," said Ron. He screwed up his face, took a deep breath, and said, "Accio wands."

Ron didn't think they'd come, but then a high, whizzing echoed through the corridors and into the Slytherin common room. A fleet of wands flew into the room, found their owners hands as Ron directed them. Once everyone was armed, the Death Eaters fell fast. Curses hit Draco without relent, but they did not slow him. That immortal thing was helpful in times like these, Ron thought, as he avoided the curses. A stunning spell hit Narcissa in the chest and she fell.

McGonagall took charge, gave Harry a hard, long look, and then they left the room. Ron held back, fell into stride beside Draco. It was nice to let someone else take charge. Last night it was Phoenix, and today it was McGonag Du Dumbledore, however, was nowhere to be found among the freed. When Ron mentioned this, Harry checked the Marauder's Map, but was unable to locate him.

When they got back to the Entrance Hall, Ron saw that the doors to the Great Hall stood open. Inside, another battle raged. People fell from both sides, and they ran in to help. It was confusion, and Ron didn't know how to keep hold of himself. He sent stunning spells, avoided anything that looked hazardous as it flew in his direction. He watched as McGonagall directed the younger students; she must have been the only source of stability and rationality in the last three weeks for them. It must have been nice to have any sort of rationality.

Just as their brigade arrived, Narcissa was back. By her side was the other blonde girl, her face set hard as they walked into the room. A wand twitched at her side and she roved her eyes across the room. Phoenix and Narcissa ordered people to positions; the battle never stopped, only escalated, no matter how slow things seemed to move in Ron's brain. Narcissa turned to Phoenix and Leiss, who stood by his side.

"Phoenix," said Narcissa. She raised her wand, swung it over her head, and Phoenix ran into her, knocking her to the ground. A jet of light emerged from the end of her wand, grazed past Phoenix, and ricocheted toward the enchanted ceiling.

Leiss frowned, walked over the blonde girl.

"You," she said. "It was you all along."

"Was there ever any doubt?" said the blonde girl.

"But what does it matter? What do you have to do with anything?"

"I have everything to do with it! None of this could have been done without me! Who do you think took precious Dumbledore away from them? Who do you think killed Lucius?"

"But -- Narcissa --"

"Isn't capable of switching." She raised an eyebrow. "But I am."

"Why?"

"Isn't that obvious? Someone had to set up the whole murder from the beginning. Someone had to set up Jude Dante's death. Someone had to bind Larrissa and Lynx to return together against the Mages. I couldn't just let you get on with your prophecy. How do you think everyone knew Lynx and Bade's father were related, anyway?"

"You've been behind this from the beginning," said Leiss.

"No one ever thought that blame might partly lay in me. I was a Keeper, and what do we do? Nothing! Our whole lives are wasted taking care of other people. There's a reason so many of us take a clue and off ourselves. We're pointless, but I refused to live a pointless existence."

"You killed them," said Leiss.

"Well, not alone. Don't be stupid."

"You've been against us since the beginning."

"Not the beginning, Becky. Don't think that badly of me. There were a few hundred years when I was on your side before I turned. What could I do?"

"You were against us in the Keeper Civil War. That's why we were almost completely wiped out. You were against us. You turned me over to Lucius."

"I was five. I couldn't have turned you over."

"Not the first time. The second."

"Well, okay, yeah, that was me. I've got to thank you, though. You've done us a great favor. We've been trying to get Lynx out of the picture for ages."

"You wanted us to kill Voldemort?"

"When are you going to learn, Becky? Not everything is about good and evil. It'out out doing what's best for you."

"You mean doing what's selfish."

The girl shrugged.

"To each her own. I'm sorry that it had to come to this. Really, I am. It wasn't supposed to go like this, but then again, we didn't expect Dumbledore to cave so quickly. I thought he'd last at least two weeks before dying."

Leiss pulled out her wand and moved to attack, but the blonde girl was quicker. Leiss howled in pain, doubled over, and sent a curse back at the blonde.

Ron fought off the Death Eaters around him. Curses and jets of light flew around the Great Hall; people falling all around him. Narcissa orchestrated the Death Eaters; the second blonde girl faced off with Professor Leiss. Hex after hex hit Draco, and his body absorbed them without any distinguishable effect. Harry and Blaise fought, back to back, against Rabid and Brown Eyes. Phoenix seemed to have gone off somewhere; Ron couldn't place him in the room.

*

The battle seemed to stretch forever. They lost some of their number, but far many more Death Eaters fell. When it seemed that the Death Eaters, too, noticed this, they retreated out of the school and back into Scotland's hills. Not long after, Aurors arrived, and took away the captive, stunned Death Eaters. Phoenix slipped off sometime during the battle and went to the Ministry.

One week later, Hogwarts started to settle in again. Most of the damage done to the school was in the Great Hall and the Slytherin common room. Both problems were taken care of by the Ministry within days of the attack. Professor Flitwick repaired all other damage, and the students that escaped moved in again.

Some of the Death Eaters that had gotten away were captured before December, but most were not. Now that they had been revealed, however, a lot of the older Slytherin students who bore the Mark were on the run. Captured professors and students testified to seeing the likes of Goyle, Crabbe, and Theodore Nott among others. Draco gave them the location of Slytherin Manor.

The Daily Prophet reported the Death Eater capture and return of Hogwarts the next day. Along with it, they reported Voldemort's demise, and announced the deaths of Professor Dumbledore, Professor Vector, Professor Marcositi, Kerry Daubert, Lisa Turpin, and other students who fell at the battle. It put a bad taste in Ron's mouth, and he threw the paper away almost as soon as he saw the article. Though it was nice to remember them, honor them, they never should have died and Ron couldn't help but feel responsible.

McGonagall took over as headmistress of Hogwarts, and continued with Transfiguration lessons until a new professor could be found. Leiss stayed at the school and recovered in the hospital wing. Ron visited her once a day, and when Madam Pomfrey released her, she went back to teaching Prognostics. By this time, Ron didn't think he really needed it, and they spent much of the lessons talking about what happened in Absconditus, then and now. It served a good springboard for almost all of the assignments she gave thereafter.

Snape was given the Defense Against the Dark Arts job now that Marcositi was gone. In his place, Phoenix switched from Pureblood Ancestry and Mlogylogy to Potions. Snape often said that they couldn't have found a worse successor, but now that he taught Defense, Snape was in a more amiable mood. Of course, the sudden good disposition could also be attributed to the death of Voldemort.

As for Pureblood Ancestry and Mythology, after much begging on both Ron's and Phoenix's part, Maddock Weasley came back to the school. Lessons were louder and more interesting than Ron was accustomed to, but he knew what he was talking about. Besides, most of the students wanted to talk about Absconditus more than anything, and Maddock was fifth on the list of those who knew most about the subject; Draco demoted him after the four mergers.

Harry got more stares than ever. It took a long time for everyone to get that the new girl on Blaise Zabini's arm was Harry, but it eventually sunk in. As much as Harry complained about Hero, and whined about being a girl, Ron thought he was taking to it well. He seemed happy, anyway, after Draco stopped calling him Hero. He may be dealing with a gender identity crisis, but he wasn't going to deal with a new name. Harry was Harry, and that was all there ever could be.
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The Prophecy of Absconditus