Author's notes: right, it's about time I got this up. This is going to be the first story in a trilogy. I'm putting the eventual chapter count between 15 and 20 chapters but it could get longer or shorter. If character deaths upset you be forewarned, there are quite a few. Reviews are wondrous things and really make my day, if you read this and enjoy it, please tell me! Constructive criticism is naturally very welcome, I only ask that you be polite and considerate. All that remains is to thank my fantabulous beta Clarissa, who has given her time to help with grammar, spelling, plot holes, storyline, consistency and any other number of things without which this story wouldn't work. Also to the lovely Kelsey who helped with the first couple of chapters too.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prologue

The Boy Who Died

There are many ways to begin a story. This particular story begins with an ending. The ending of Harry Potter's life.

It was Snape who brought him back. He apparated into the front hall of number 12 Grimmauld Place carrying an unconscious Harry over his shoulder. The noise woke up the portrait of Mrs Black.

"Traitors to the dark lord, unworthy trespassers upon the house of black, filth, scum…"

Snape, clearly beyond caring, walked towards the stairway, staggering slightly under the teenage boy's weight.

Ginny had been pacing back and forth in front of the fire since the others left. First it was fury, mostly directed at Harry. She should have never told him about the baby. She should have known that he would use it as an excuse to make her stay behind, and she shouldn't have let him do that.

After a while the fury turned to worry and then became an odd numbness.

It had taken her three hours for her to finally settle into the chair in front of the fire and fall into a restless sleep.

She started, the sound of Mrs. Black's shrieks reaching her ears.

Hurrying from the kitchen into the hall, she felt like running but then thought better of it. She slowed a little, pulling her wand from her jacket pocket wand and holding it in front of her. Now the other portraits were screaming too. She froze a few of them as she went along. It didn't take her long to see the hunched figure by the stairs, conjuring a stretcher for the boy lying at his feet. She recognised him immediately.

It had been nearly six months since they had captured Snape and force fed him veritaserum. They had let Harry question him.



"You never cared about my parents. You hated my Father"

"Your father. No I didn't care about him, or you. But I cared about Lily."

"My mother?"

"How was I supposed to know that it would be her son that the prophecy spoke of. I didn't realise until it was too late. When I found out I begged Voldermort to spare her life. But he didn't, he killed her…I killed her. When I found out that she was dead I realised what a terrible mistake I had made….. I'd destroyed the only person I ever loved. After that I couldn't carry on any more. I went to Dumbledore and offered my services to him."

"You murdered Dumbledore."

"I wasn't going to. I made the unbreakable vow to buy us more time. They would have killed me anyway if I hadn't. I was going to let it destroy me and the Malfoy boy as well but Dumbledore had other plans. The night when the Death Eaters took Hogwarts I fully intended to fight on the side of the Order. I followed Draco outside and found Dumbledore lying on the grass-

"And you killed him!"

"HE MADE ME! He made me kill him. He said it wasn't worth mine and Draco's lives. He said when the time came, he would rather it was me and not a Death Eater who finished him. And then he made me promise to protect you."



"Snape, what happened?"

"Not now Miss Weasley"

"But-"

"Not now!"

It was another half hour before any of the others returned. First Lupin, looking pale and supported on one side by Tonks. Then Hermione and Ron, Bill and the rest of the Order. Ron and Hermione went straight upstairs to see Harry. He was lying on a bed in the room that he had once shared with Ron when they were fifteen. He had come round a little while before, and Ginny was talking to him. Hermione bit her lip, he looked so pale. He was breathing heavily, but he smiled as they entered the room.

"You two seem to have got out of this better than me."

Hermione sat down beside Ginny and put a hand on his arm.

"How did we do?" he asked trying to sit up. "Did we win?"

Ron stepped forward. "No, not this time, mate."

"You just concentrate on getting better, so that we can get him next time." interjected Hermione.

Harry smiled and nodded tiredly.

Snape came in an hour later to give Harry some more painkilling potion. Ginny ran after him as he left the room.

"He will be okay, won't he?"

Snape turned around so suddenly that Ginny nearly ran head first into him.

"Please tell me," she whispered. He didn't meet her eye.

"We have to know" said Hermione's voice from behind them.

Ginny turned around. Ron was there too, hanging slightly behind her.

Snape ran a hand through his greasy black hair. "The curse that hit him was a Killing Curse."

Hermione gasped.

"I don't know how he's still alive, but I doubt he will be for much longer"

Hermione burst into tears. "Oh no, oh no."

Ron staggered backwards, knocking into the wall. Ginny didn't do anything. She just stared at Snape, waiting for him to say that he was wrong, that it was a lie. Harry couldn't die. He couldn't because he was Harry, the chosen one, and if he died then there was no hope. It just couldn't happen. She loved him. But seconds turned into minutes, and Snape didn't change his grim outlook. Finally Ginny said it for him.

"You're wrong."

"I'm not wrong Miss Weasley"

"Then you're lying!"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Because you hate Harry. You've always hated Harry, and you…you want him to die!"

"MISS WEASLEY!"

"AND IT'S NOT MISS WEASLEY IT'S MRS. POTTER!"

"Ginevra…I'm sorry," He spun around and walked off down the corridor.

Ginny collapsed onto the floor. Ron knelt down next to her and enfolded her in his arms. Hermione joined them, and Ron moved to put one arm around her as well. And they sat there together and cried.

"We h-have to go b-back to Harry," Hermione said after what seemed like hours. "W-we c-can't leave him alone."

"We can't go back like this," whispered Ron "He'll know."

Hermione stood up, and wiped her eyes. "He'll k-know s-sooner or later anyway. We can't h-hide it from him. Someone will have to tell the others. Your mum will want to know, and so will Lupin."

"I'll tell them," said Ron getting up slowly.

Hermione and Ginny stood outside the bedroom door, neither wanting to go in. Finally Hermione pushed it open and stepped inside. Harry was still awake, and he looked up at their faces as they came in.

"I'm dying aren't I?"

Fresh tears spilled down Hermione's cheeks. She ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh, Harry."

Harry winced but didn't push her away.

"Can I speak to Ginny alone for a bit?" He asked after she'd let go.

Hermione nodded, bending over to kiss his cheek before she left the room.

Ginny sat down on the bed. "Please don't go; please don't leave me."

Harry brushed her cheek. "I don't think I have much choice, love."

"Harry you can't die. I need you.…we both need you." She took his hand and placed it down on her stomach. She had discovered just two weeks ago that she was pregnant, and since then, ideas of family holidays and houses in the countryside had been running through her head. Ideas which were now shattering one by one.

Harry sighed. He suddenly looked a lot younger, like the little boy she'd first met at King's Cross. All big green eyes and scruffy black hair.

"Are you scared?"

"No. But I don't want to leave you. Any of you. I feel like I've just started my life, and now I'm having to leave it."

Reached forward he brushed his fingers over her hair. He had lost so much of his childhood to this war, and now he would lose his life as well. The very thought was painful and she did not dwell on it.

"What should we call it? The baby I mean," Ginny whispered, leaning back to put her head on his chest.

"I think Lily, after my mother."

"What if it's a boy?"

"No. It's a girl, I'm sure of it," said Harry stroking her hair.

"Harry, you failed Divination."

"I know."

Ginny yawned.

" Are you tired?" he asked.

"Yeah. I haven't had much rest recently."

"Then why don't you go to sleep?"

"What if you're not here when I wake up?"

"I will be. I promise."

Ginny blinked. It must have been very early. The first rays of sunlight were just beginning to creep through the window. Ron had fallen asleep in a sitting position on the bed next to her, Hermione lay with her head resting on his lap. The only other person in the room was Lupin who was asleep on the floor, his back resting against the wall.

There was someone sleeping beside her. Harry. And then she remembered. Harry!

His hand was resting on her stomach. She took it. It was stiff and cold. She sat up and regarded his face. He looked like someone asleep after a hard day. Very peaceful. But his skin was parchment white in the morning light, and it contrasted oddly with his black hair. She put her hand in front of his mouth. Not the slightest breath. Finally she shook him, screaming and crying as she begged. "Harry! Harry wake up. You said you'd be here when I woke up. You promised. Please, Harry. HARRY!"

She must have woken the others with her screams because a moment later Ron was cradling her in his arms and Hermione was sobbing in the background and Lupin was staring at them blankly, tears washing over his face.

They buried Harry next to his parents. They had to cremate the body to stop it from being used as an Inferi. His death seemed to mark the end. Their last hope gone, murdered like so many others before him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next chapter. Find out what happens to our heroes after the battles been lost.