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The Phoenix Rises	By : greenwizard11 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 44621 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
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
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Ron and Hermione came down to stay with Harry shortly after
Snape left. They told him everything that had happened while Harry was gone.
�Is everyone all right?� Harry asked. �Was anyone else killed?�

�Just a few Death Eaters,� Ron answered. �One of them got hit
with a Killing Curse thrown by another Death Eater. Bill was attacked by
Greyback; Madame Pomfrey is trying to bandage him up as best she can. We�re not
really sure what will happen since Greyback wasn�t transformed at the time. I�m
glad he�s dead. But did your dad really kill�?�

Harry nodded. �Yeah, Nott�s dead.� The words felt strange on
his tongue.

�Blimey, I never would have suspected�I mean ,a lot of
strange things have been going on, but no one ever thought it might be a
student behind it, you know?�

�Dumbledore thinks Voldemort was just using him to get into
the castle,� Harry explained. �This might have been just a scare tactic.�

�Well, it worked,� Hermione commented. �Parents were already
iffy about sending their kids here at the beginning of the year. The only thing
that made them feel safe was that the castle was supposed to be impenetrable.
Dumbledore assured the parents we�d all be safe, but he was proven wrong
tonight.�

�But we were safe,� Harry argued. �Draco was the only student
hurt, and the only fatalities were Death Eaters.�

�Nott was a student,� Hermione pointed out. �And if Voldemort
can use one student to infiltrate the castle, what�s to stop him from doing it
again?�

�But since we know it could happen now, we can be more
prepared for it. Hermione, you don�t sound like you want to come back.�

She frowned. �Harry, I do, it�s just that people will start
to talk and wonder. After tonight, I don�t feel as safe anymore. If Voldemort wants
to kill Dumbledore so badly, he�s not going to stop until he does. That means
everyone around him is in danger, too.�

Harry couldn�t argue with that. He felt the same way at
times. �Well, In any case, it�s up to the school Governors. Let�s just wait and
see what they decide.�

The adults were having a very similar conversation in the
Hospital Wing. As soon as Severus finished treating Dumbledore, the two of them
joined the rest of the Order. Molly and Arthur had just arrived to see Bill.
�Is he going to be all right?� Molly asked, unsuccessfully trying to hold back
her tears.

�I don�t know,� Madame Pomfrey answered honestly. �I don�t
think there�s ever been a case of someone being bitten by a werewolf in their
human form before.�

�I�m sure there will be at least a few effects,� Remus said
as he nursed a black eye. �He might start acting a bit wolfish.�

They all turned toward the door when Dumbledore entered. �Is
everyone all right?� the Headmaster asked.

�Bill was hurt pretty badly by Greyback,� Remus answered,
�but everyone else just has a few cuts and bruises, nothing serious.�

Dumbledore held onto Severus as he leaned over to take a look
at Bill. �I�ll have James take a look at that when he wakes. Right now I don�t
think even a roaring dragon right next his bed would disturb him.�

Sirius chuckled. �He always did sleep like the living dead
after a major battle. Are he and Harry all right?�

�Harry is a little shaken up, but I suspect he will be fine
by morning. James just needs to recharge himself.�

�What are we going to do now?� McGonagall asked. �What will
we tell the parents when they ask if the school is still safe?�

Dumbledore gave a weary sigh. �I don�t know, Minerva. I�m
fairly certain that, once again, Tom�s objective was to kill me. I think the only
thing that saved us was that he didn�t anticipate that I would have the castle
so well guarded. He knows better now. The decision on whether or not to close
the school lies with the Governors. I shall have to meet with them in the
morning, as well as the Minister. For now, I think we should all get some
rest.�

James was the only one who really got any sleep. Everyone
else was too shaken up. Dumbledore had to spend the next day dealing with
worried parents and the Ministry. He assured the parents he would do whatever
was in the best interest of the students. He even cancelled all remaining exams
and decided to send the students home early.

He had a few moments before his meeting with the Governors to
decide the fate of the school. He sent for Harry and asked him to bring the
locket. Lucius came up with him. �James awake yet?� Dumbledore asked as he
motioned for the two to be seated.

Lucius shook his head. �I�ve tried everything to wake him,
but nothing�s worked. I�m really starting to worry.�

�I wouldn�t worry,� Dumbledore tried to assure him. �Harry,
you have the locket?�

Harry nodded and pulled it out of his pocket. It felt cold
and strange in his hand. It was such a tiny thing, but it felt so heavy.
Dumbledore took the locket and examined it. �Oh yes, this is definitely one of
them.�

�May I?� Lucius asked and held out his hand.

�Certainly,� Dumbledore said, and he handed over the locket.

Lucius studied it closely for a moment, and then he pulled a
clear crystal from his robes. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he held the
crystal over the locket. He began to speak in a strange, harsh-sounding tongue.
Moments later tiny black tendrils emerged from the locket. The crystal that
Lucius held seemed to somehow suck them in until its center contained a
swirling black mass. Lucius up held the crystal and said a few more words, then
smashed it on the floor. There was a bright flash of light and an eerie breeze
blew through the office.

Dumbledore stared at Lucius in amazement. �How did you know
how to do that?�

Lucius shrugged. �No idea,� he admitted. �But it reminds me
of a very strange dream I had. In it I was a Dark elf, and I was with Merlin,
of all people. Even stranger was that I loved him. My heart was filled with
wondrous joy, but at the same time, soul-crushing sorrow. I was happy to be
with him, but I knew I would have to leave him. I lived in a cave and it wasn�t
fair to ask him to live in seclusion with me, but I hated being up on the
surface. It was like we were fated to be together, but couldn�t because we came
from two different worlds.�

Lucius let out a deep sigh and frowned. The look on his face
showed that he still felt some of the pain from the dream. �Anyway, we argued,
we made love, and then the dream ended. When I woke up I remembered things;
things like what I just did with that Horcrux.�

Dumbledore sat quietly and listened. �I see. I�ve had a few
dreams like that myself, except I wasn�t a Dark elf. I was a young man.�

�The veil is starting to lift,� a voice from the staircase
intoned enigmatically.

The three of them turned to see Hezekiah and Azriel coming
down the stairs from Dumbledore�s private chambers.

��What are you two
doing here?� Dumbledore asked.

�I heard what happened last night. I�m a little upset that I
didn�t hear it from you but from Sirius.�

Dumbledore blushed a little. �I�m sorry. I meant to tell you,
I�ve just been very busy.�

�Liar. You knew I�d worry.�

�Yes, well, that too,� Dumbledore said as he greeted both
elves with a warm embrace.

�So what were you saying about a veil lifting?� Lucius
interrupted.�

Hezekiah gave him a gentle smile. �I feel I�ve already
revealed too much. You�ll find out when the right time comes. Though I will say
that some things were always meant to be, and you and James would be one of
those things, but I suspect you both already know that.�

Lucius nodded in understanding. �Yes, well, I do need to get
back to my son. If you haven�t already received your invitations, you, your
father, and Azriel are all invited to the wedding this summer.�

�I wouldn�t miss it,� Hezekiah grinned. �I�ll see you then.�

Lucius hurried out, but Harry remained in his seat.
�Something wrong Harry?� Dumbledore asked.

�I�I guess I�m just having trouble making sense of it all,�
Harry confessed.� �How can Lucius
suddenly remember things from a strange dream? How is it that I know the
storeroom on the second floor was once a throne room? How can my dad do things
that only Merlin could?�

Dumbledore gazed at Harry for a moment. �Harry, what do you
think happens to our souls when we die?�

Harry shrugged. �I don�t know. We either stay here as ghosts
or move on and�.�

�And what? Do you think we just hang around for all
eternity?�

Harry didn�t know how to answer. �I�ve never really thought
about it. I guess just hanging around would get pretty boring, though.�

Dumbledore nodded. �That it would. I�m not exactly sure
myself, but I too have had strange memories that that didn�t seem to be my own.
Back when I was teaching. I insisted on having my rooms in the dungeons. I
couldn�t explain why, I just felt more at home there. They made me move when I
became Headmaster, and Professor Snape now has my old rooms. But even when I
was here as a student I felt very much at home within these walls. I always
hated to leave.�

�Sir, are you talking about past lives?� Harry asked in
bewilderment.

�Indeed I am. I know it sounds strange, but it makes the most
sense of anything I�ve considered. I only wish I could remember more. Though I
don�t think all of us being here while Tom threatens the world is a
coincidence. But look at the time. I need to go meet with the Governors.�

�And I promised Draco I�d walk him back to Gryffindor Tower
when he was discharged from the Hospital Wing,� Harry said as he got up to
leave.

James woke shortly before dinner. Lucius was violently
shaking him again, trying to get him to wake up. �Go away,� James mumbled and
rolled over. �Class hasn�t started yet.�

�James! Wake up! You don�t go to class, remember?� Lucius
prodded him again. �You�ve been sleeping all day.�

�What time is it?� James asked as he reluctantly opened his
eyes and rubbed the sleep from them.

�It�s nearly four in the afternoon,� Lucius answered.

�Tea,� James said, taking a deep breath and stretching.

Lucius understood the request and called for a house-elf to
bring them a pot of tea, chiding himself for not having done so earlier. James
never could function in the morning until he�d had his tea.

James maneuvered himself into a sitting position, propping
himself up with pillows. �My head,� he whined. �So, what�d I miss?�

�Not much,� Lucius said as he climbed into bed to sit beside
his fianc�. �Dumbledore is meeting with the school Governors as we speak. They
might decide to close the school. Last night proved that the school isn�t as
safe as we once thought. Oh, and I�ve suddenly developed an affinity for black
magic.�

�Is that so?� James said, not sounding all that surprised.

Lucius frowned. �I�m a little hurt that you aren�t more
surprised about that last part.�

James only shrugged. �I don�t know why. I know you well. I
haven�t called off the wedding, have I?�

�Well, no, but you�ve only been awake a few minutes. I�m
supposed to be an ex-Death Eater, and yet I�ve discovered that I can siphon a
piece of a soul out of an object.�

James chuckled and reached up to mess up Lucius� hair. �I
wouldn�t worry. That skill could come in handy. I�ve said it before, and I�ll
say it again; it�s not our abilities that define us, but how we use them.�

�Yes, but the strange part is how I learned it. It was a
dream. I was a��

��Dark elf.� James finished his sentence.

�How did you know?� Lucius asked, his shock written plainly
on his features.

James flashed a wicked grin. �Now, what fun would there be in
telling you?�

Lucius grumbled. �It�s like you, Dumbledore, and Hezekiah are
all in on some big secret that you keep dangling over our heads.�

James laughed. �Yes, I suppose you could put it that
way.� Hezekiah knows more than the rest
of us, but I have to admit to having some idea what�s going on.�

�Then why don�t you just tell me?�

James sighed. �Because you�ll figure it out when you�re
ready. Until then you wouldn�t believe me anyway.�

Lucius grumbled but didn�t press James any more. The tea
finally arrived and the two of them sat in silence. Lucius couldn�t help but
wonder what was going on, but it was clear he wasn�t going to get any answers
out of James.

Dumbledore called everyone to his office when the meeting
with the Governors was over. He didn�t look pleased. �Please tell me the school
isn�t closing,� McGonagall said.

Dumbledore let out a deep sigh. �No, Minerva, but I�m going
to have to leave.�

Several stunned faces stared at him waiting for an
explanation. �Albus, you can�t be serious,� McGonagall frowned.

�I�m afraid I am. The cursed necklace, the poisoned brandy,
the attack�they were all attempts on my life. They were poorly planned out
attacks carried out by a child whose heart wasn�t in it, but they were attacks
nonetheless. This means that Tom wants me dead in the worst way. I don�t wish
to leave, but as long as I am in this school Tom will continue to try to find
ways into it.�

�What about Harry and me?� James pointed out. �He wants us
dead just as badly.�

�True,� Dumbledore conceded. �But I was the target this time.
He�s gotten the best of you once before, and he believes Harry�s triumphs have
all been flukes. He thinks the first step is to get rid of me. The Governors
agree.�

�So, then, who will be Headmaster?� Sirius asked.

�I�m glad you asked that. James, you�ve grown up watching me
run the school. I can think of no better person.�

James was speechless for a moment. �But�I�You can�t�.�

�Have you lost your mind?� McGonagall cried. �No offense,
James, you know I�ve always cared for you, but�.�

�I have to agree with Minerva,� Snape chimed in. �He�s
unstable at best.�

�Thanks for your votes of confidence,� James frowned. �But I
kind of have to agree. Minerva is your Deputy Headmistress.�

Dumbledore shook his head. �I have full confidence in
you.� Sometimes people think I�m off my
rocker, too, but they also think I�ve been a good Headmaster. And like I said,
you grew up watching me do it. You know everything I know plus a bit more, I�d
be willing to bet. My decision is final. You�re the new Headmaster, whether you
like it or not.�

Everyone stared at James, not knowing what to say. �Thanks, I
think�� James sighed.

Harry spent the evening catching up with Draco. He told the
blond everything that had happened on their trip to the cave and everything
afterward, including Lucius� new-found talents. �Merlin!� Draco�s eyes went
wide. �And he said this all came from a dream?�

Harry nodded. �Strange, isn�t it? Your dad isn�t the only one
having strange dreams lately, either. At dinner, before I went up to the
Hospital Wing to meet you, I was talking to Ron and Hermione. Hermione said she
had a dream where she soared through the skies and then joined a battle. Ron
said he dreamt of riding into battle. Me, I dreamt about sitting on a throne.
The throne room looked remarkably like that storage room on the second floor.�

Draco actually looked a little jealous. �Last night I dreamt
I was chasing butterflies through a field.��

Harry smiled softly and leaned in to kiss Draco on the
forehead. �I guess that means you�ve always been a pacifist at heart. You never
belonged in Slytherin.�

Draco sighed. �You�re probably right. But�as much as I�d love
to hold you and kiss you all night long, you need to go pack. The train leaves
in the morning.�

Harry was confused. �But I thought I was staying here with
everyone else.�

Draco shook his head. �I guess in all the excitement they
forgot to tell you. Last night it was decided that you were going to go back to
the Dursleys�.�

�What?� Harry cried. �Why?�

�Because you�ll be safe there,� Draco answered. �It�s not a
permanent stay. It�s just that after what happened, no one is sure what�s going
to happen next. Our dads have to find safe places for us to stay, and Father
said he�d rather you be somewhere that�s proven to be safe until we get
wherever we�re going good and secured. I�m sure it�ll only be for a week or
so.�

Harry suddenly had the urge to hit something. He had a family
now, but he was still getting shipped off to relatives who hated him. �What did
my dad have to say about it?�

�I don�t know, he slept all day. But I know he wants you to
be safe, too. So do I. I love you, Harry, and I don�t know what I�d do if
anything ever happened to you.�

�I love you, too, Draco,� Harry said as he pulled the blond
into a deep kiss. �I just wish people would stop treating me like I�m made of
glass. Well, I guess I�d better go pack, then.�

He kissed Draco again and then got up off the common room
floor to go join Ron in packing up to leave school. The upside of all of this
was that soon he would be seventeen, and after that he would never have to see
the Dursleys again.
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The Phoenix Rises