Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix [191]
“Colin Creevey?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my… oh my….”
Just then, the pig flashed a bright white, and Mrs. Figg was standing right in front of Harry, just as she had appeared before, not a hoof in sight.
“Mrs. Figg!” said Harry. “You’re back!”
“Harry,” she said, “you didn’t think I’d stay that way forever now did you?”
“Err… I guess not…” said Harry, not really knowing what he thought. Whether or not she was going to transform back was really one of the last things on his mind. All he wanted to deal with now was Hermione, Lupin, and Colin… but what could he do for them? Nothing… he had already used his Order and- but wait!
“Mrs. Figg!” yelled Harry excitedly. “I remember, just before Voldemort was about to kill me, that Golden Phoenix who started the Order appeared, and he took him away! Then, he told me that I could have my Order back since I didn’t get to use it on who I wanted to!” Mrs. Figg’s eyes widened.
“So… that means you can rescue either Hermione or Lupin!” she said.
“Yes! And-” Harry stopped being excited. Mrs. Figg’s last statement hit him like a rock, only much, much more painful.
He was going to have to choose whether to bring back Hermione or Lupin.
“What is it Harry?” asked Ron, looking excited.
“I can only bring one of them back,” said Harry in a monotone voice, and not blinking. “I have to choose which one to bring back…”
“And you’re going to have to choose quickly,” said Mrs. Figg, looking at her watch. “There’s a very small window of a little less than two hours to revive someone that’s died by using an Order. From my estimates, you have only a few minutes.”
Harry’s mind was racing. He had a few minutes to choose which life was more valuable: one of his best and smartest friends, or a fully trained and invincible werewolf. How could he be expected to make this difficult of a choice?
“Arabella…” said Harry, “I think you need to decide for me… I… I… can’t.”
“Harry,” she whispered, “this is something that you have to do.”
Harry turned back to the two bodies of Hermione and Lupin, laying side by side from when he and Ron were beginning to bury them. He tried to imagine an invisible numerical rating above each corpse, giving him the value of their life….
No! That was wrong! How could he rate someone’s life? Who was he to make this type of decision? Who was he to play god? No matter which choice he made, it would be right… and yet it would be wrong.
“Harry…” Ron whispered into his ear. Harry could tell, from not even looking at him that he was on the verge of crying. “Harry… I did love her…”
Harry closed his eyes tight, to try and not burst into tears. That settled it… he had to choose her.
“Liberate Hermione ex inferis!” Harry yelled. He throw his arms out toward her body, and felt the phoenix soar past him, and begin to fly over her body. Another phoenix quickly appeared out of nowhere, and joined Fawkes in circling her.
“Liberate Hermione ex inferis!” he yelled again. The white energy flowed from his palms to Hermione’s corpse, and the phoenixes were flying madly, just like before. Harry could feel the life force flowing through him, it made him feel alive all over, like he was being born again.
Hermione’s limp body began to hover into the air, in the middle of the circle the soaring phoenixes were making in the air. She began to rotate, and give off a bright, white glow. The phoenixes stopped flying around her, and instantly froze where it was. But, Hermione kept on spinning, faster and faster, the light she gave off became brighter and brighter until…. It all went away.
Instantly, all of it, the white light, the energy, everything, it all went away. Hermione fell to the ground.
“Ouch!” she moaned when her body came into contact with the earth. She rubbed her forehead and slowly opened her eyes. “Wh- where am I?” Ron went running over to her and immediately embraced her in a massive hug.
Harry couldn’t help but smile, he felt as though he had made the right choice… but Lupin was still dead.
“Oh, Remus…” cried