Thick Of It

The aftermath of the battle left the atmosphere thick with tension, relief, and disbelief. Harry stood frozen for a moment, his body trembling as the adrenaline wore off. Around him, the remnants of the fight were evident—burn marks, shattered stone, and the lingering smell of spells discharged in desperation. But his focus was on one figure emerging from the distance: Sirius Black.

Harry's heart lurched as if propelled by a force beyond his control. His legs moved before his brain could catch up, breaking into a full sprint.

Harry: [sobbing as he throws himself into Sirius's arms] "You're here! You're alive!"

Sirius, visibly emotional but holding back tears, engulfed Harry in a tight embrace. His rough voice cracked as he spoke.

Sirius: "I'm here, Harry. I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere ."

Harry's tears of relief streamed down his face, soaking into Sirius's robes. The weight of losing so many people he loved seemed to lift momentarily as he clung to his godfather.

Nearby, Hermione, noticing Jason limping towards the group, rushed over to offer her support.

Hermione: [placing an arm around him] "You're pushing yourself too hard again, aren't you?"

Jason: [managing a weak smirk] "Hey there, beautiful."

Hermione: [rolling her eyes but clearly concerned] "Don't 'beautiful' me. You're still not off the hook, Jason Bourne."

Jason: [raising a hand in mock surrender] "Alright, alright, madam. I'll tell you everything. Promise."

Hermione: [smiling slightly, but firm] "No 'sometime later.' You're going to tell me everything. Tonight."

Jason: [sighing dramatically] "Yes, ma'am. Can't argue with you."

As Harry pulled back from Sirius, his tear-streaked face turned toward Jason. His relief was quickly replaced by indignation.

Harry: [pointing a shaky finger] "Jason, YOU!"

Sirius: [placing a calming hand on Harry's shoulder] "Harry, easy now. He's the reason I'm standing here. He saved me."

Harry: [stammering, still angry] "He—what? But he—he betrayed us! He told Umbridge!"

Hermione, standing next to Jason, nodded in agreement with Sirius.

Hermione: "He did, and we are going to get answer for that. He… he brought Sirius back, Harry."

The tall, imposing figure of Dumbledore strode forward, his piercing blue eyes scanning the scene.

Dumbledore: [mildly amused] "It seems I've walked into the middle of a story. Care to fill me in, Moody?"

Moody, standing to the side with his arms crossed, snorted.

Moody: "Biggest discovery in bloody wizarding history, that's what. This boy figured out how to restore someone from Avada Kedavra."

Dumbledore's expression shifted, his usual calm demeanor giving way to visible astonishment.

Dumbledore: "The Killing Curse… countered? Truly?"

Jason: [leaning heavily on Hermione but managing a grin] "Not completely, Professor. It's not something anyone can do. I'll explain it… when I'm not about to collapse."

Hermione: [glaring at Jason] "You're not explaining anything until you rest. You look like you're about to keel over."

Ron, who had been standing silently in the background, finally stepped forward, his eyes wide.

Ron: "You mean to tell me you can stop the curse that… that's killed everyone Voldemort's gone after? Blimey, Jason, that's… that's massive!"

Ginny: [softly] "But why didn't you tell us?"

Jason: [shrugging] "Because if I failed, I didn't want anyone to hope for something that wasn't possible. It's still risky, and… it only worked this time , i still haven't perfected it ."

Sirius: [grinning] "perfect or not, Jason, you've done something incredible. And you saved me. I owe you one."

Jason: [with a tired laugh] "Add it to my tab, Black. This would be second "

Sirius : " second ? " 

Harry : " he was the one who caught pettigrew " 

Sirius : " oh so you are jason " 

Dumbledore: [softly, with reverence] "Jason, you've accomplished something extraordinary today. Rest now, and when you're ready, we'll need to understand everything."

Jason: [weakly] "I'd like that. But first… someone get me a proper meal. I've been living on potions and adrenaline for weeks."

The group erupted in a mix of relieved laughter .

The ward at St. Mungo's Hospital was tense, filled with a mix of awe, confusion, and simmering emotions as Jason leaned back against his pillows, clearly exhausted but still managing . The adults stood in a semi-circle, their expressions ranging from grim to astonished, while Hermione, Ron, and Harry sat nearby, each wearing a different version of disbelief.

The doctor adjusted his robes and addressed the group.

Doctor: "Well, they look alright now. As the boy said, Sirius should refrain from any magic for some time, and the boy here"— he motioned to Jason—"just overexerted himself. Rest is crucial."

Dumbledore: "Thank you, Doctor."

The healer nodded and left, the door clicking softly shut. Silence hung for a moment before Hermione broke it, her tone sharp and demanding.

Hermione: "Alright, Jason. Speak."

Jason: [raising his hands defensively] "Hey, I'm a patient here. Show a little compassion!"

Ron: "Mate, you've had more 'compassion' today than I've had pudding in my life. Spill it."

Hermione: [grabbing his arm and pinching him ] "Don't push your luck."

Moody: [gruffly, crossing his arms] "Enough stalling, boy. Start talking before I die of old age."

Jason: "Alright, alright! What do you want to know first?"

Dumbledore: [his tone calm but firm] "Miss Granger, if I may, I would first like to hear about the spell."

Jason glanced at Hermione, who gave him a sharp nod. He sighed, clearly aware he was cornered.

Jason: "Okay, it's not as big of a deal as you're all making it out to be."

Ron: "Oh, here we go. Drama queen."

Jason: [grinning] "Chill, Ron. It's not like I'm the center of attention all the time. Let me have this moment."

Harry: "You are always the center of attention."

Jason: "Pot, meet kettle. You don't get to talk."

Moody: "For Merlin's sake, boy, if you don't start explaining, I'll hex you myself."

Jason: "Fine, fine! The spells I used were Visio Mortis and Vitae Reclamare."

Sirius: "And those are?"

Jason: "Just listen, or better yet, you can buy my book—'How to Recover from Avada Kedavra by Jason Bourne'—coming this summer."

Hermione: [horrified] "Jason!"

Jason: "Alright, no jokes. Vitae Reclamare is the main spell. It works on time intervals—3, 7, and 13 minutes. The longer you wait, the more resources and energy it requires."

Lupin: "Like me losing 50% of my life force?"

Jason: "Exactly and technically you loose around 33%. And yes, I rounded up because I needed you to decide quickly. It might have taken more if things went south."

Kingsley: "So, why you said only you could do it?"

Jason: "No, no. The tricky part is the soul."

Everyone leaned in, their expressions tense.

Jason: "Avada Kedavra expels the soul from the body unnaturally. Wizards don't really know how to return a soul to its vessel. That's where Visio Mortis comes in—it lets me see recently departed souls. From there, I tether the soul back to the body."

Sirius: "Fascinating. But why would it be difficult?"

Jason: "Because most souls don't linger. Avada Kedavra is unnatural, and some souls hang around, but only for a short time. Finding and binding them is the hard part."

Moody: "And you did this on your first try?"

Jason: "I had help."

Sirius: "What kind of help?"

Jason reached into his coat and pulled out the diadem.

Tonks: "Not judging your taste in accessories, but seriously?"

Jason: "Professor Dumbledore, you might know what this is."

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he stepped forward.

Dumbledore: "Jason, my boy… is that really what I think it is?"

Jason: "Yep. Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem."

Everyone collectively sucked in a breath.

Moody: "The one lost centuries ago?"

Dumbledore: "The same."

Jason: "It was also a horcrux."

The adults froze, their faces a mixture of shock and horror.

Ron: "A what-now?"

Moody: "A piece of a dark wizard's soul. Foul, twisted magic."

Sirius: "On a Hogwarts treasure? Who could be that evil?"

Dumbledore: "Jason, are you alright? Prolonged contact with such an object is… dangerous."

Jason: "I'm fine now. I separated the soul fragment."

He pulled a gem from his pocket and tossed it to Dumbledore.

Jason: "Don't destroy it yet. I might be able to use it to find others."

Moody: "Others? Merlin's beard, how many do you think he made?"

Jason: "That's what I'm trying to figure out. But yes, the diadem affected me. That's why I acted… weird this year."

Ron: "Weird? You betrayed us!"

Dumbledore: [gently] "Mr. Weasley, horcruxes corrupt even the strongest of wills. Jason has done remarkably well."

Moody: "And what exactly did the boy do to earn the 'traitor' title?"

Jason: "Told Umbridge to interrogate Edgecombe to find the Room of Requirement."

Dumbledore: "I see. But I would urge you all to forgive Jason. Horcruxes change you in ways you can't imagine."

Harry: "He saved Sirius. I've already forgiven him."

Ron: [grumbling] "Well, if you put it like that…"*

Hermione: [sternly] "Jason, I don't like secrets. You should have told me."*

Jason: "I promise, Hermione. No more secrets. Ever."

Hermione: [softening] "Good. Because next time, I'm hexing you."

Jason: "Noted. Now, can someone get me food? I'm starving."