Hi everyone. This is going to be a different kind of story. I don't usually write the sad ones. But the idea popped in my head today, so I said why not. I hope you enjoy. Yes I killed off some characters and made some wibbly wobbly stuff and such, bear with me it was all for the sadness and fluf.
P.S: This is dedicated to my best friend. Who represents all the best in me. And who will never know of all the things I really mean to say.
-oOoOo-
The Best of Me
The world stood silent for what seemed like an eternity. And it also stood still. Every minute in history, ever moment in time, every single thing surrounding her life lead up to this point. And she had no idea what to do.
Hermione Jane Granger of Gryffindor house stood motionless and speechless and thoughtless for what seemed like the first time in her short life. The battle raged around her, but it wouldn't be long before it stopped. She could always see better than everyone else. She could always sense when something was amiss. And sense she did. She saw her best friend of years fall to the green light leaving the wand of the most evil wizard of all time. She also saw the light bounce back, just like many had speculated it had happened seventeen years ago in Godric's Hollow. But she knew it was different this time. All of Voldemort's anchors were gone. He was mortal...but that meant that Harry was as good as gone as well.
The war had ended at a higher cost than expected. And no one knew this better than one Hermione Granger.
-oOoOo-
A week had passed since the legendary battle of Hogwarts. And their world was still mourning their losses.
The Weasley family had lost two of its members. Fred and Arthur Weasley would always be remembered for what they were. Brave men who fought till the end to protect the people they loved. Percy would never walk again. Bellatrix had taken care of that. But he had come back home, and his father had died a proud man, knowing all his sons and his daughter had been by his side, fighting for everything that was good and pure in the wizarding world.
Parvati Patil had stood with George, understanding the pain of losing a half of one self. Her twin sister, Padma, had sacrificed herself to protect a convoy of first years who had been slow to be evacuated once the battle began. She took 5 of the death eater bastards with her. She would be hailed as one of the many fallen heroes.
Remus Lupin had fought and killed the man who had scarred him and broken him as a child. Frenrir Greyback would never inflict pain upon another wizard. Not while Remus was there to prevent it. A solid capsule of conjured silver had taken Frenrir and Remus to the next great adventure. Frenrir to pay for his crimes, and Remus to reunite with his long lost family, while he took care of little Teddy and Tonks from wherever he ended at.
The dead, far too many to count. The living, far too pained to care. Their world crippled and in shambles. And no one knew this as well as Hermione. Because her best friend had gone fighting. He had taken Death Eater after Death Eater and won. He had avenged the death of Arthur, and Fred, and Padma, Remus and many others. He had been a true hero when it mattered. And he had gone fighting.
And now she stood at the edge of a cliff she could not get away from. More importantly she stood next to her best friend. His black marble headstone proclaimed:
Harry James Potter Evans
Born July 31st 1980
Died May 2nd 1998
Beloved son, friend, hero
Loved by so many and so much.
"Our world owes you their gratitude. Our families owe you their happiness. You deserved more than what you received. May you find the happiness we wish for you in your next great adventure"
And while sadness overwhelmed her and threatened to take all that was her essence, she remained strong for him, because she was happy. He would have never been happy here, not after the battle. The journalists and fans would follow him to the ends of the earth when all he would have wanted was to be left alone. She was happy because he was with his family. With James, Lily, Sirius and Remus. And all those who like him had fought for a better world and conquered evil.
He obtained all that he deserved. He got peace. Tranquility with his future, happiness in knowing the world he died protecting was truly free from the evil that had plagued his life, he comforted in the knowledge that he had saved what mattered most to him; the family that had taken him under their roof despite all their hardships, the castle that had been his true home for years, the girl who had become his confidant and most trusted friend.
Harry Potter died with a smile on his face, knowing he had created a safe world for her and his family. And all that remained was letting her know how much he had done for her.
"He did this for you, you know" whispered someone behind Hermione. She didn't bother to turn around. She only had so much time with Harry, he deserved her undivided attention. "He didn't save the world for any of us. I mean, we are all benefitting from his sacrifice. But he did it for you. He wanted you to be able to not limit yourself, to live as you pleased without fear" Ginny moved up to kneel next to Hermione and leave a single white rose in his final resting place
"He was always a noble one"
"Indeed" responded Ginny with a small smile. "I think he deserves to know you're happy. I think he is. He's with his parents and his family"
The redhead Gryffindor took a deep breathe before showing Hermione an envelope. It was impossible for Hermione not to know who it came from. Harry's messy handwriting was unmistakable.
"He left this with me before the battle started. He said 'hear me now Ginny I need you to do me one last favor'" she imitated with her best Harry voice "'If anything happens out there. I need you to give this to Hermione. She needs to know'"
"Know what?" The brunette took the envelope with shaking hands, slowly looking back at the headstone as she did.
"You'll only know when you open it" murmured The youngest Weasley "I've got to go. Mum says we're going to be home if you need anything. I hope whatever he said will make you see how worthwhile his sacrifice was" with one last touch Ginny began the long walk down the hill to the Hogwarts gate where she would find her grief stricken family who had finished saying their goodbyes to Fred and her father. Both of whom rested in the newly formed 'cemetery of fallen heroes' right outside Hogsmade.
Don't let it be believed that just because she was mourning her best friend, Hermione Granger was anything less than eager to open her letter. She took a seat behind the marble headstone, overlooking the black lake, and began reading Harry's heartfelt chicken scratch.
"My dearest Hermione
If you're reading this, it can only mean one thing. I took that bastard and his army of minions with me, and believe me when I say I am proud of that. Please, I beg you, do not feel sad for me. I am going to the next great adventure, to live for eternity with the parents that were taken from me, and the family that never was.
I do feel for you love. Please don't be alone in this time of grief. I know that the war has taken a lot from us. I do not know who has moved on to eternity with me, but I do hope you are not amongst them.
Hermione, this is my legacy. This is what I leave you. Not the Ministry, they can go rot, not the world, this is what I leave you. A world were you no longer have to fear people who claim they're better because of what flows through their veins. Where you can lead them to a new golden age, in which they will realize how brilliant and absolutely wonderful you are. Where you can show them what I admired of you.
I don't believe I was ever able to convey exactly what I thought of you, my unconditional best friend, my one and only rock and pillar. I don't want to say it all outright, so I will discuss everything we had to face so you might understand.
In our first year you stood by me even after me and Ron treated you in the rudest manner. You almost died because of his offhanded comments and my inability to stop him. And yet I was brave for you. I ran to the girl's lavatory with Ron following and took on a fully grown mountain troll. With a month of magical training under our belts and the guts to do what was right. I braved him for you. And I braved Quirrel because he might hurt you if Voldemort got what he wanted.
In our second year, I learned what it meant to use my brains and brawl to avenge you. Following the spiders, deducing who was killed, and what it might mean for me. You gave me the power to use my brain before jumping into a situation, making you proud, keeping you safe and stopping the monster that had taken you from me allowed me to beat all odds and save the school.
Following this line of thought, I would not have been able to save Sirius without your help. I would have never thought of using a time turner, didn't even know what it was, and thanks to you my godfather enjoyed two years of liberty. Your caring for others inspired me to be better.
You stood by me when no one else believed me in our forth year. Through thick and thin you helped me, learning new spells, staying up to make sure I finished my preparations, protecting me from everyone who called me a liar and a cheat. Ronald Weasley may have come back eventually, but my Hermione never failed me.
Against all my own guesses and speculations, you remained by my side during our fifth year. Thanks to you we trained so many good people to fight for what they believed was right, because you believed in me I continued with the DA despite what I thought, and it payed off. And in the hardest way I learned to listen to you. I lost my godfather but I gained a new level of respect for you. Because despite knowing we were walking into a trap you still went with me, and almost got killed for it. And I learned that listening to Hermione Granger would save my neck one day.
Who else, but you, would have stayed up with me every night to decipher the gibberish Dumbledore talked for hours to come up with a game plan for our Horocrux hunting. That year I learned that Hermione Granger was and will always be a fantastic human being, but even you have your flaws. On my shoulder you cried about Ron hurting you, over and over breaking my heart. Seeing you cry over someone who did not deserve you hardened my resolve to make the world a better place for you. I learned to be smart, but to have heart from you. That crying is not for the weak, that falling in love, and falling hard, was worth every moment, every tear and every heartbreak, because it makes us human, and that is more than perfect.
And finally, you showed me what it really means to be a friend, and to tough life out. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" is a quote that I will always relate to our camping year. Ron once again left us to our own devices after seeing this was not going to be another easy adventure, but you stayed. Despite the fact I had nothing to offer you, or that the love of your life had left you with me, you stayed. We took down the remaining horocruxes out in the wilderness and made our way to Hogwarts. Because our story began there, and that's where it had to end.
I know how smart you are my love, but I know how much you can overthink everything. So here's why I wanted to go through our life together before facing what is most certainly the end of my story.
I know I have to die, that does not mean I have to die alone. Hermione Granger, the smartest girl of her generation, my best friend. However dark it got, I'd turn around and there you'd be for me. "If it's time to go, remember what you're leaving. Remember the best". Hermione Granger you are the best of me. You represent everything in me that grew to be what I am proud of. You made of me the person I wanted to be. You made me brave, you made me smart. You gave me the courage to say no, to not let things happen. To take a stand and say no! To have the guts to do what's right instead of what's easy, even when everyone else just runs away.
Harry Potter may be remembered as the hero of the wizarding world, but behind every successful man there is a strong woman who inspired him. You are the true savior of this world.
I leave you with the knowledge that not only did I do what I had to for you. I did it thanks to you. Enjoy the world that stays with you. Show them what it means to be brave, caring, smart, and wonderful. What it means to be human. Lead them like you did me. Don't let them slip back to the old ways, make me a martyr worth my while and my death. But more importantly, make your teachings and your personality what pushes this world into its new millennia.
Thank you. Thank you for being the best of me Hermione, my Hermione.
Leaving you with my eternal love and devotion. And hoping to not see you for another hundred years while you enjoy your life
Harry James Potter Evans.
P.S: Enjoy the gift our small window of happiness left you. Live well, be happy."
Hermione curled her knees into her chest and sobbed for the boy who deserved so much better. She cried her eyes out about the man who had given so much and lost so much more. But for the most part she cried because she never knew. Never knew that Harry admired her this way. How many ways he had loved her with all his heart, and how many times he had learned from what she tried to teach him.
In his own way, Harry Potter had shown how smart and courageous he was. He took a stand and did it for her, and she was determined to make his death something to be remembered for all the good reasons.
"See you in our next great adventure my love" she whispered to his headstone, leaving the only red rose that would grace all the flowers left on his last resting place.
Hermione Granger went on to be a force to be admired. She became head of the Wizengamot, after being regent of the noble house of Potter until the heir turned of age. Just like Harry asked of her, she took the wizarding world by the hand and dragged them to their golden age. She retired at age 149, after being the most successful minster of magic to ever grace the halls of the ministry, having freed house elves, acquired rights for Goblins, centaurs, Giants, and werewolves, and carried out countless other deeds and passed many more laws.
On her one 199th birthday she visited the resting place of her long lost love. Her inspiration and the man who deserved so much more.
"Hello again my love. I did it. Britain is on its new golden age. I'm sure James Longbottom, our current minister will take care of them like they deserve. And they know oh so well who built this world for them. My Harry, you touched the lives of so many. You pushed so many changes, you made the world so much better" Hermione took a letter out of her pocket "It all began here. And just like you said, here it must end" Hermione took out a red rose and laid it down on the ground before taking a seat behind his headstone.
"But before. I want to tell you that our small window of happiness grew to be everything we wanted them to. Harry James and Lilian Jane Potter are just like you my love. They're brave and courageous, wonderful and simply human, perfect as that is, just like you would have wanted them to be. Harry is simply handsome, looks a lot like his father. He married Samantha Weasley, Ron's daughter. He's head auror now, to make his dad proud he says, he says he's got another 50 years before he retires and will make it worth his dad's sacrifice...if George's son doesn't convince him to retire early that is.
Lily heads the Wizengamot just like I did a long time ago, unfortunately she inherited our unruly hair. She's absolutely beautiful. Married Neville's son, He's minister of magic as I told you. They have their own children as well. Absolutely gorgeous kids who admire their grandfather for securing this world for them, and their children always ask me for stories on my one and only love who sacrificed everything for us.
I have done all of this in your name my Harry. To honor your sacrifice. If I must go I'll remember all that is good in me, all that I'm leaving behind. My friends are and always will be my best. You Harry were the best of me. You showed me that being smart is not obnoxious, and that I have much to show the world. That a muggle born like me could take the wizarding world in her hands and show them the path her beloved died fighting for. My best friend, my one and only Harry. I hope I have relayed you for what you did for me. And I hope to see you soon"
Exactly a year later Hermione Granger died with a smile on her face. Surrounded by her children, and their children, and even some of their children. Happy because Harry Potter had come to take her into their eternity, to live their forever together. And to learn of each other, to continue being the best of each other's lives.