An; this idea took inspiration from a Red Dwarf episode, the idea being that your life could be a simulation and that if you don't play life right it could be more costly than death. Basically when Harry goes to Voldemort to die he doesn't go to bright and heavenly King's Cross. Instead he awakens in an unusual place where the events of the Harry Potter books never took place. A place with no magic, where his friends in the series are not his friends, just classmates that don't talk to him. In some ways its paradise, no danger or fame, but in other ways its hell.

Also the pairing considered canon (as in the 'simulation' pairing) is Harry/Hermione.

Enjoy!

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Harry was scared. Not of dying particulary, but because he chose to. Yes, Harry had to die, it was the only way to defeat Voldemort. It wasn't really surrender, it was sacrifice. A certainty of death for a chance at victory.

But it felt like surrender to Harry. Harry had many opportunities to die that he fought against, that he survived. He knew the world needed him. But apparently, now it needs him to die. Had he been offered this before Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Mad-eye, Dobby, Remus, Tonks and Fred were killed, Harry would've done the same then.

So he had to suffer the guilt and mourn for them, just to die anyway. Harry should have been angry really, because Harry had been toying with death too much to fear it. But it was the fear of knowing he would die, scared of what people would think of him. Sure Hermione and Ron knew the truth, but Harry himself wasn't convinced this wasn't giving up. How would they be able to convince anyone else of the same thing?

But most of all, Harry was afraid of what happened after he was gone. Was this the right time to give himself up? Should he keep fighting until Nagini was killed, leaving only Voldemort himself to destroy after Harry was gone?

No, it had to be now. This could end tonight. Right here, right now. The thing that scared Harry most was soon to be found out. But Harry had to die first.

Harry saw a clearing, crowded by black cloaked figures. As he saw sight of them, they saw the sight of him and a low hum was the reaction. Stepping fully into the clearing he saw Voldemort at the front, slowly turning round to regard him.

Harry got to a good few metres ahead of him before stopping. The yells of disbelief from Hagrid was strangely muffled as the two icons stared down each other.

Voldemort was emotionless, not even evil could be seen in his expression. Both him and Harry recognised it as the end. It was the closest to an understanding that the both of them have had.

"The-Boy-Who-Lived..." he spoke slowly and deliberately "...come to die."

And then Harry closed his eyes and saw everything he was leaving behind.

He saw himself and his broom surging through the sky. Dipping, diving and gracefully hovering. The wind sweeping his hair across his face and brow, smiling all the way.

He saw his holly wand with phoenix feather core the day it and he were introduced. He remembered how it felt to use it. The joy it and he shared when they produced a patronus together. The way he mourned for it like a living thing when it broke a few months ago.

He thought of magic in general. The day Hagrid visited him and changed his life. The happiness and wonder of true magic was a powerful thing.

He thought of his friends. Dumbledore's army that would fight long after Harry was gone. The people who chose to risk their lives for him. The people who protected him, from himself sometimes.

Ron. His closest friend he'd had his entire life. The guy he laughed with, argued with, supported and owed his life to for so long. The guy who forgave him and stayed loyal to him, even when he had felt Harry had taken something dear from him. True friend.

Hermione. The girl who stole Harry's heart and protected it fiercely ever since. The girl who would do literally anything for him, and tell him he's an idiot all the while. The girl who could make-up for what Harry failed to do, and still put him on a pedestal for being the greatest wizard she'd ever known.

He'd see them all again one day, and remember what they did for him always.

With kind words floating in his ears from all those that adored him, and the warm feeling on his shoulder that was Ron's supportive hand, and the lingering tingle on his lips that he knew was Hermione. Harry waited for the end.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"