Chapter 95: You Are Home
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own only the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 95: You Are Home
The safehouse was a small, abandoned cabin in the middle of a dense forest, far from any magical or Muggle settlement. The walls were made of rough, unpainted wood, and the only furniture was a dusty couch, a rickety table, and a single chair that looked like it might collapse at any moment.
Harry laid Pansy gently on the couch, his hands trembling. She was still unconscious, her face almost looking peaceful. He brushed a strand of dark hair from her forehead, his fingers lingering on her cold skin.
"You're safe now," he whispered. "I've got you."
He stepped back, his eyes never leaving her face.
The cabin smelled of old wood and dust, but it was quiet and peaceful at least. A place where Pansy could rest for now.
Harry took a step back and called for his house-elf. "Dibble, please come here."
A moment later, the house-elf appeared with a soft pop. His large eyes widened when he saw Harry, and then they fell on Pansy.
"Master Harry!" Dibble exclaimed, his voice trembling with relief. "Dibble was so worried! And Miss Pansy... you found her! You actually found her!"
Harry nodded, a tired smile crossing his face. "I did. It was not easy, but we made it out of the Ministry."
Dibble hurried to his side. "Is Master Harry hurt? Does he need healing?"
"I'm fine," Harry said. "Just tired, and worried about the others."
"Dibble understands. Dibble will prepare a room for Miss Pansy at the castle. A nice, warm room with a soft bed and-"
"Not yet," Harry interrupted gently. "We need to wait for the others first."
They didn't have to wait long.
The fireplace flared green, and one by one, the members of the team stumbled through. Amycus Carrow came first, his face bruised and his robes torn. Rabastan Lestrange followed, supporting a limping Bellatrix, whose left arm hung at an awkward angle.
Harry rushed to help them. "You made it."
"Aye, we did," Rabastan confirmed, his voice rough with exhaustion. He helped Bellatrix to the chair, and she sank into it with a grimace of pain.
Bellatrix looked at Pansy, still sleeping on the couch. "She's still out?"
Harry nodded. "The sleeping charm is holding."
"Good." Bellatrix leaned back, closing her eyes. "We need to wait until we're back at the headquarters before we wake her. We don't know what they did to her. Her reaction can be... unpredictable."
Harry hesitated. "I was actually hoping to take her to the Potter Castle instead."
Bellatrix opened her eyes and looked at him. "The castle?"
"It's quiet there," Harry said. "No crowds. No noise. Just me, Dibble, and the portraits. I think... I think it would be better for her. A peaceful place to recover." The Headquarters of the order was always filled with people. Members walked around all over the place.
Also, Harry didn't want to say it, but the whole thing about the spy was still in his mind. He felt that right now, there was no safer place for his friend than his castle. And this is the least he owed her.
Bellatrix considered this for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly. "That might be wise. The headquarters can be overwhelming, especially for someone in her condition." She paused. "But Harry, if she starts acting strange...if she becomes erratic or violent, you must bring her to me immediately. We have no idea what they did to her in that place."
"I understand," Harry said.
Rabastan stepped forward and glanced at Pansy with a grave expression. "You need to understand something else, Harry. The purpose of the Re-Education Centre is to brainwash children. To break them down and rebuild them as loyal servants of the Ministry. That means the friend you once knew... she may no longer exist. What's sleeping on that couch might be a Ministry agent."
Harry's jaw tightened. "I know."
"Do you?" Rabastan pressed. "Because if she is, she could be dangerous. You need to be ready to make a hard decision if necessary."
Harry met his gaze without flinching. "I'm ready."
But deep down, he wasn't sure if that was true. He hoped, desperately, foolishly...that there was still something left of Pansy in there.
Something worth saving.
They waited in silence for several long minutes.
Harry sat beside Pansy. He watched her face, searching for any sign of the fierce, loyal girl he remembered. But her expression was empty, her breathing shallow.
'Please,' he thought. 'Please let there be something left of you.'
Then, a silvery shape burst through the window.
It was a Patronus in the shape of a great serpent. It coiled in the air there, and a voice emerged from its open mouth.
"The mission is complete. We are all safe. Return to the headquarters."
Tom Riddle's voice. Calm and measured, even in victory.
Bellatrix let out a breath of relief. "They made it."
"Thank Merlin..." Rabastan muttered.
Amycus didn't say anything, but his expression showed how relieved he felt after finding out that the mission had been a success.
Harry felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Tom, Fenrir and Alecto were safe.
"We should go then," Bellatrix said, pushing herself to her feet with a wince. "Tom's group won't be coming here. They'll be heading straight to the headquarters. We need to leave before the Ministry tracks us."
Harry looked around the cabin. "What about this house?"
"We will have to burn it," Rabastan said flatly. "Erase any evidence of our presence. The Ministry will try to trace us through the Floo Network, and that will eventually lead them here, but if there's nothing left to trace, they'll have nothing to investigate."
Harry nodded. He understood the necessity, even if it felt wasteful. This is why the Knights had many safe houses spread all over Britain.
"You should leave first, Harry," Bellatrix said. "Leave the rest to us."
He turned to Dibble. "Take us to the castle, Dibble."
Dibble nodded. "Of course, Master Harry."
Harry lifted Pansy carefully into his arms. She was still so light, so fragile. He could feel every bone through her thin robes.
"I'll see you later," he said to Bellatrix.
She nodded. "Be careful, Harry. And remember what I said."
"I will."
"I'll send you an owl once I have some update," Bellatrix told him.
Dibble extended his hand, and Harry took it. The world twisted around them, and a moment later, they were gone.
The Potter Castle was quiet and still.
Harry carried Pansy through the entrance hall, past the portraits of his ancestors, up the stairs to the guest bedroom Dibble had prepared.
It was a large, comfortable room with a four-poster bed, a crackling fireplace, and a window that overlooked the moonlit garden.
He laid Pansy gently on the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She looked small and pale against the white pillows, like a doll that had been left out in the rain.
Harry stood there for a long moment, watching her sleep. Then he turned and walked to the adjoining bathroom.
He washed his face, changed his robes, and tried to compose himself.
The adrenaline of the mission had faded, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion.
<><>
An hour later, he returned to the bedroom where he left his friend to rest.
There was no point in delaying any longer. He needed to wake her, even if that scared her.
How will she react?.
He returned to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Dibble appeared beside him, his large eyes filled with concern.
"Master Harry is going to wake Miss Pansy?"
"Yes," Harry said. "I need to know if... if she's still in there."
Dibble nodded. "Dibble will stay with Master Harry. Just in case."
Harry took a deep breath. He raised his wand and pointed it at Pansy.
"Finite Incantatem."
The sleeping charm dissolved.
Pansy's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she stared at the ceiling, her expression blank and confused. Then she turned her head and looked at Harry.
"Who are you?" she asked.
The words cut through him like a knife. But he forced himself to smile, to keep his voice steady.
"I'm Harry," he said. "Harry Potter. We were friends. We went to Hogwarts together."
Pansy blinked. Her brow furrowed, as if she was trying to remember something that was just out of reach.
"Harry...Potter," she repeated slowly. "I... I don't..."
"It's okay," Harry said gently. "You've been through a lot. But you're safe now."
She looked around the room, at the warm fire, at the soft bed, at Dibble standing beside Harry.
"Where am I?" she asked.
Harry smiled, though his eyes were bright with unshed tears.
"You are home," he said.
Pansy was silent for a long moment. Her eyes moved slowly around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. There was no recognition in her gaze. No spark of the fierce, defiant girl Harry remembered.
"Home?" she asked. "This is home?"
The question was so simple, so childlike, that it made Harry's heart hurt.
"Yes, it is," he said. "This is my home. And now it's yours too, for as long as you need it."
Pansy's brow furrowed. "I don't... I don't understand."
Harry leaned forward, his voice gentle. "You were taken from Hogwarts. Do you remember Hogwarts?"
She was silent for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. "Hogwarts. Yes. I remember... a castle. A large castle. And... and a lake."
"That's right," Harry said, encouraged. "The Black Lake. You used to sit by the shore and read."
Pansy's expression flickered. For just a moment, something passed through her eyes. Like faint, distant light.
"The lake," she whispered. "It was... cold."
"Yes," Harry said. "It was always very cold."
She looked at him again. "But I don't remember you."
"I know," Harry said, his voice soft. "But I remember you. And I'm going to help you remember too. I promise."
Pansy was silent for a long moment. Then she spoke again.
"What... what was I like? Before?"
Harry thought about it. He thought about the fierce, loyal girl who had stood up to Ron Weasley on the train. The girl who had clutched her brother's tie like a lifeline. The girl who had been willing to risk everything to uncover the truth.
"You were brave," he said. "You were loyal. You were... you were one of the best friends I ever had."
"I...dont remember that," Pansy responded.
Harry reached out and took her hand. It was cold, but he held it tightly.
"That's okay," he said. "You don't have to do anything right now. Just rest. You're safe here. No one is going to hurt you."
Pansy looked at him. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Okay," she said.
Harry tried to smile. 'She's still in there,' he told himself. 'She has to be.'
He would help her find her way back. No matter how long it took.
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