Harry suspected it was the end of the world, everyone knew Voldemort was coming to Hogwarts in only a matter of time and the tension between students was overwhelming. That's why Harry had left the common room, to get away from everyone questioning him about the upcoming war. They all had been acting quite strangely around him, anyone in their right minds could see that. He wished everyone wouldn't depend on him to fight the whole war, he was only capable of so much. But they didn't understand that, they only saw the Boy-Who-Lived, not Harry Potter. Did they care about him? Nope, they only cared about who was going to save them from being blown into oblivion.
Harry sulked up the Astronomy Tower stairs, toward the roof. Once he reached the peak of the Tower, he sat on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling down the incredible drop. "If I jumped there'd be no more Golden Boy for them to depend on." he said quietly.
'I should.'
"I don't think that's a very good idea, Harry." spoke a voice from the doorway. Harry turned.
"Professor Dumbledore!"
"Harry, tell me why you would want to end your life."
"I'm not sure. It's just everyone depending on me, with no help whatsoever, they just want me to save all their lives and then they'll leave me to rot, alone. It's like that's all I'm good for. They don't realize that I have feelings and a life too, either that or they just don't want to know that. It hurts me to think they don't care about me, that I'm just something to be used then be thrown away." Harry finished, sighing. "You know all that isn't true, Harry. We all care about you, even Draco Malfoy, I daresay. We would not want to use you. But if you still want to cease your existence, then don't let me stop you. If it's what your heart wants you to do, it's what you should do." With that the Headmaster disappeared to let Harry think over what the elder had just said.
Harry thought over everything for well over an hour, sitting there, feet dangling over the edge where his life was also hanging, near the end. Whichever path he decided to take, it would effect the Wizarding World greatly. If he decided to live he would have to have a heavy burden resting on his shoulders until he fulfilled the prophecy that was bound to him even before he was born. But, if he jumped, Voldemort would have full control of the world, free to do what he'd like but Harry would be able to see Sirius again and meet his parents. Finally, Harry made his decision. He stood up, looked down at the long drop and took a deep breath...
The next day in the Gryffindor common room Ron ran to Hermione, "'Mione, Harry didn't come back last night! He left the common room and didn't come back at all. Do you think we should look for him?" Hermione looked at him, concern written across her face, "Of course we should Ron. Do you think we're just going to forget about him? What kind of friends would we be then?" She grabbed Ron's hand and dragged him out of the common room.
Hermione ran along the all the corridors looking in every place she suspected Harry would be. She asked everybody if they knew where Harry was but they all shook their heads. She finally gave up looking for him after she reached the 2nd floor after circling the castle three times. Ron finally caught up to her, "What about the Astronomy Tower? He could be up there."
"Ron, why in the world would he be there, of all places?"
"Perhaps to kill himself." drawled a familiar voice. They both turned harshly.
"Malfoy, what do you mean by that?" Hermione demanded, sternly, reminding both boys of Professor McGonagall.
"What do you think I mean by that? What with all you Gryffindors following him around the castle, questioning him about the war, I'd want to kill myself too. Not that I'm complaining or anything." Draco commented as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, while examining his nails. He looked up at their confused faces before shaking his head and sauntering down the other side of the corridor and out of sight. "Maybe he's right, for once." Hermione muttered before taking off towards the top floor with Ron trailing along behind her.
Once they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower they began searching for their best friend. Soon, Hermione became discouraged and was about to give up searching when she heard Ron's voice from quite a distance, "Hermione, over here!" She ran quickly, scared of what she might find of her friend. She finally saw Ron's silhouette leaning over what looked like the edge of the roof,
'What if he had jumped?' She asked herself as she froze and gasped. "'Mione, come here." Ron said impatiently. He didn't sound sad or worried, maybe Harry was alive. Everything seemed to light up at that moment as Hermione walked over to where Ron stood and saw Harry with his head bent. She kneeled down just as a tear fell onto his invisibility cloak he was sitting on.
The war came and went, claiming many lives including Voldemort. Soon after, the trio graduated from Hogwarts, as happy as you could be. Everyone who lived through the war kept in touch with Harry, or at least everyone of his friends. Ron and Hermione were married after they graduated and Harry and Ginny began dating after Ginny finished at Hogwarts. Even though Dumbledore had sacrificed himself for Harry, the boy would go visit Dumbledore every month and speak to him as if he were still alive. Each time before he left he would thank Dumbledore for keeping him from killing himself that night in his seventh year. Harry also wondered almost everyday what would have happened if he had jumped off the roof of that tall castle he once called home. The thought for him was too horrible so one day he decided that the outcome would be much worse than even The Apocolypse...
