The Last Goodbye

Harry's P.O.V

The once Great Hall was filled with sick and rubble, mourning and crying, living and dead. If a dementor came, he would no happiness to drink. The only person who could possibly fill their hunger: Luna. She was skipping around, trying to comfort everyone.

"At least you can see threstrals now," Luna explained soothingly to bawling girl, staring at the blank face of her best friend.

Hermione held Ron close as he cried silent tears. Every Weasley was like this, considering they just lost a member of the family. George hadn't said a word the whole time as he stared at his brother. His eyes seemed as empty and lifeless as Fred's. Molly's adrenaline rush from her encounter with Bellatrix had died down, leaving her a helpless wreck, weeping into her husband's shoulder.

Ginny, who had been walking with me, stopped in front of her family. My arm was around her waist as soon as her feet buckled. She had tried to be strong, but she couldn't take the pressure. She hugged me close, her tears streaking my grime covered shirt. Their trail in the dirt revealed the once blue fabric.

Neville bruised and bloody, stared down at his classmates who had been Crucioed. He closed his eyes sadly and shook his head. Luna returned from her walk around the Great Hall and sat down next to him. She gently placed her head on his shoulder. Neville winced slightly, but allowed Luna's golden-locked head to remain on his shoulder.

"Go," I whispered to my red-headed love.

She nodded once, and joined Hermione and Ron on the floor. Hermione had started to cry as well.

I walked over to the last bed in the Hall. On the small bed, lay a newly married couple, finally at peace.

"I'm a godfather," I whispered, staring at Lupin and Tonks' still forms.

Why them? They had done nothing wrong except loved in a time of despair. I gently lifted Tonks' hand and placed it in Lupin's.

"May they forever rest in peace," a voice whispered next to me.

"I…" I tried, but a lump in my throat stopped me.

"It's alright, Harry," answered Luna. "They're happy together. Teddy will be blessed to have a godfather like you."

I took a deep breath, allowing the growing lump to shrink.

"I'll leave you alone," Luna murmured, and gently kissed my cheek.

I smiled gratefully as she walked back to Neville. I evened my breath once more and said my goodbye to my dead friends. I walked outside into a rubble filled courtyard. Filch had a shovel in his hands and an enchanted broom by his side. They worked in vain to clean up the mess. I walk past them and down the path to Hagrid's house. Well, there really wasn't much to see. It was more of a charred circle. The Death Eaters must have gotten to it. Hagrid stood outside, staring sadly at his home.

Not wanting to interrupt, I head back to Hogwarts. I notice that the Gryffindor stands strong above the charring remains of the castle. Maybe all the common rooms are like that. Probably Hogwarts' last defense.

I climbed up the still stairs, none of them willing to do their duty. Some paintings were burned; other mourned the loss of their friends.

One of the paintings (I think the one with the poker table. I wasn't sure, considering half of it was burned) said "There goes a true hero," as I passed it.

I rolled my eyes as I walked up to the Fat Lady.

"Go right in Harry," she said, smiling at me.

Great, special treatment. Just what the doctor ordered. I walked up to my four-poster bed. It was unused, but clean. I noticed, under it; lay a trunk identical to mine. I kneeled down and pulled it out. As soon as I touched it, in swirling letters, it read 'You know my secret. I know yours. 'It was signed Severus Snape. Any other day, I would have rather drank an entire bottle of Skele-Grow, but I felt a different feeling. Almost as if I'd never known him. How did he know my secret?

Shaking off the uneasy feeling, I open the trunk to find a broomstick. As I picked it up, I noticed a small sheet of paper. On it was a picture of my mom, about 14 or 15 years of age. She was wearing a long, flowing purple dress that went to the ground. My mom was smiling wide as she spun for the camera and laughed. Her palms faced up. Underneath, in scrawny handwriting, was written 'I took your mom out for dinner at Hogsmeade on her 15th birthday. The next day she accused me of attacking James. She had never spoken to me again.' It continued on the back. 'James had nearly charmed me into giving her a love potion, until I used my spell. I loved her. Tell her.'

I held the picture for a minute, watching my mom twirl happily and laugh. I noticed, in the background, stood a pale boy. Tom Riddle. He had planned the whole time.

I gently slipped the picture into my pocket for further examination and grabbed the broom. On its curved, shiny head, in silver letters, it read 'Nimbus 5000.' I had heard that these were faster than the Firebolt. I sat down on it and it immediately lifted off the ground. I urged it forward, out an open window. I complied and zoomed out the window, towards the Forbidden Forest. I flew over the dark green trees, searching for a clearing. I found a nice, large one, but once I landed, I realized it was taken.

"Potter," growled Malfoy as he jumped off his spot on a rock.

I had my wand out at the same time he did.

"Aguamenti!" I yelled as Malfoy countered it with a "Protego!"

"Petrificus Totalus!" I replied, causing Malfoy to fall to the dirt.

"Listen, here Malfoy. I save your bloody life and you better be grateful for it!" I yelled. "Now stop attacking me and let us talk."

I unbinded him and watched quitly as he stretched him muscles.

"I do owe you," Malfoy whispered after a long, awkward silence.

"Yes, yes you do," I answered simply

. "I believe we can restart our friendship," Malfoy commented I nod and hold out my hand. Wasn't a handshake the downfall of our relationship? Well this one would be the start. Malfoy reluctantly shakes it. We shake for a minute, then drop our hands to our sides. "Potter," Malfoy mumbled.

"How about we call each other by our first names?" I offered.

"Fine. Harry…" Malfoy began, straining my first name. "I have things to be done."

"As do I, Draco."

With those words, we part. Draco heads off back into the direction of the castle as I mount my broom. As soon as Draco leaves the clearing, I kick off and head for the skies. I wanted a clearing farther away from the students. After a minutes of tedious searching, I find a nice clearing, conveniently in the middle of nowhere. I fly around it, making sure there were no peeping people. It seemed like it had may have been used as a camp site. It had logs bunched around in a circle and a small place for a tent or two. Maybe Muggles had gotten just outside our barrier.

I land in my little haven, leaving my broom hidden behind a tree. If Muggles can wander into this clearing, I wouldn't want to expose magic to them.

I sit down on one of the logs and take out the Deathly Hallow out of my pocket. The black stone felt cold in my hand, but within the ice cold black shell, I could feel warmth at its core. The warmth that had blackened Dumbledore's hand.

My mind wandered to Dumbledore's kind, twinkling, blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles. I'm still not sure what to make of the man. His brother thought of him evil, and his past does suggest that, yet the actions he does in the future seem to counter the bad ones. I shook him out of mind and returned to the task at hand. I flipped the black Resurrection Stone over three times. Just like that, all my dead loved ones appeared in front of me, including the ones that helped me die. Well that's something you don't hear everyday. They all stared at me in shock for a few moments, their wispy forms floating in front of me. Finally, they started to speak.

"Harry…" whispered Tonks as she floated towards me.

"You have done us all proud," Lupin finished for his wife as he placed his hand on Tonks' shoulder.

It looked so weird to see them semi-alive when only minutes before I had been staring at their corpses.

"I am the luckiest godfather in the world," Sirius added.

"You definitely got you'self a keeper, Sirius," Mad-Eye pointed out.

They all made their comments about me. Fred's, as usual, made the crack up, Dobby's left everyone speechless, and my parents' compliments nearly brought tears to my eyes.

"I believe it is time for our goodbyes to start," my dad broke through our conversation.

I stared sadly at my friends, all smiling down at me. Dobby kept looking at the ground and Lupin nodded as he kept his hand around Tonks' waist.

"Goodbye," I answered, breaking the silence.

"Harry, you will be fine," my godfather said, his wispy hand on my back cold.

I nod as one by one, they all start to disappear, until the only one left was my mom. I had asked her to stay back.

"Harry, you'll…" she started but I apologetically cut her off.

"One second," I asked.

She nodded as I stared at the stone in my hand. I flipped it three times more and next to my mom, popped a former enemy.

"Severus," my mother growled under her breath.

"Lily," was all he could manage.

They stared at each other as I stared at them. Notice that every time something important happens in my life, there's an awkward silence?

"Mom, Snape is a great man and…" I struggled to say the next part. "and he deserves you as much as my dad."

Snape looked at me and for the first time in the seven years that I have known him, he smiled at me. A warm, open smile. "Why would you think that?" my mother demanded. "He showed me his suffering. I guess he deserves some break."

Lily looked at Snape, thought hard about something, then smiled.

"You're right, Harry."

How can you describe this moment? Maybe getting your old, broken toy fixed for five minutes, then you are forced to burn it? No, that sounds childish. But that was what I felt as Lily gently kissed Snape as they began disappearing into the mist. My mom would watch over me, but I wouldn't get to see her. I waved slightly before they fully gone. When they were gone, I sat on the log and almost never felt like leaving, until Ron and Hermione came into the clearing.

"'arry, what are you doing here mate? It's bloody freezing!" Ron exclaimed.

His mood was up, it seemed from their last encounter. Hermione's too.

"Oh, just thinking."

"May we join you?" Hermione asked.

I nod and quickly slip the stone into my pocket. They slip in, one on each side. Ron pats me on the back while Hermione puts her head on my shoulder.

"Where'd you get the broomstick," Ron finally commented.

"A friend," I answered simply.

"Can we ever meet that friend?" Hermione said, nudging me.

"I'll see if he's available any time soon."

I won't post for a while, so I put this up. Go on my poll and vote! I don't know whats going on, but the last few paragraphs may be in Bold, but I can't change it. Thanks! I hope you like my first one-shot and if you did... theres a button down there...

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