Title: Harry Potter and the Making of a Legend

Category: General

Sub Category: Romance

Spoiler: SS, Cos, PoA, GoF, O o t P, and HFP

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended

Chapter 1: Not a celebrity anymore, just a hero

Harry Potter could do no more than just lay in St. Mungo's hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was surrounded by gifts, get- well card and flowers. He asked to not be visited by anyone but the Wealsey's and Hermione, his best friend Ron Weasley's death clearly on his mind.

It had only been a week and his grief had not subsided one bit. That meant it had been a week sense Voldemort was killed. Ya Voldemort and every last Horcrux were gone, but there was little to no satisfaction without his best friend there to enjoy it. Harry had lost many people he cared for, but he could live with that as long as Ron, Hermione and Ginny lived.

"I can't believe I'm thinking like this." Harry said with mixture of sadness and anger.

"Thinking like what?" Ginny said walking in to the room with a small veil, which was a healing potion for the large gash across his abdomen courtesy of Voldemort.

Ginny was still as distraught over Ron's death as Harry was. She hadn't slept much and she had huge black bags underneath her eyes. She had put in charge of Harry's care by the Head Healer to help get her mind off of things. She didn't say any else as she slowly lifted up Harry shirt and began to run her fingers over one of the many scars on Harry's chest and stomach, seeming lost in her own thought.

After a couple moments, she gave a sad smile knowing it was going to hurt a bit. Harry sank forever in to his bed, as she poured the healing potions on the large that was scabbing up, which was a gel like substance, and slowly began to rub it in.

"Healer McKinsey said you can leave tomorrow." Ginny said as Harry just closed his eyes from the pain of the healing potion and nodded, "I'm sorry babe, I know the potion hurts more than the actually gash. It's going to be hell of a scar." She said finishing up as Harry just nodded.

"About time she let me go." Harry said darkly as the pain began to subside a bit.

"She only kept you this because you left to go to Ron's funeral without telling her. She wanted..." Ginny began but Harry cut her off.

"Ya I know, 'One of the healers should have gone with.' I heard her, but come on it's been a week. She's almost as bad as Madam Pomfrey and that's saying something." Harry said as Ginny cracked a smile, a truth smile that Harry had felt truly blessed every time he saw it now.

"She is like Madam Pomfrey, but it's only because she cares. Besides, she's worried you wouldn't rest if she let you go and it wouldn't heal properly. And don't let her hear you comparing her to Madam Pomfrey, especially around me, she's going to be my boss now." She said with a bright smile, although it didn't reach her eyes.

"So you took the job?" Harry said asking the obvious, as she just nodded.

"I'll e her apprentice for as long as I need to be, which probably won't be very long sense I know so much already and then I'll be able to go in to any department here I choose." Ginny said proudly as Harry beamed proudly back.

Harry sat up slowly and Ginny sat down on the bed next to him, leaning against his legs. Harry placed a hand on Ginny's lower back and she gave him a small smile, a true smile. Harry and Ginny had never really ended there relationship, even after Harry had broken up with her. There hormones had run rapid over the last two years, where they snog each other senseless when no one else was around.

"Gin what do I do now?" Harry asked looking truly lost as Ginny gave him another sad look that was starting to frustrate Harry a bit and put a hand on his cheek.

"Whatever you want Harry, but there is no getting rid of me now, I'll be here no matter what, you're stuck with me as long as you'll have." Ginny said with a smile as Harry just shook his head with a smirk when Ginny kissed him.

Harry and Ginny continued what they were doing for quite sometime, talking about their future and snogging at periodic times, not noticed a smiling healer, who had overheard the whole conversation. Deciding to leave the couple to themselves for a while before coming back and having some fun, she smirked and turned to leave, 'Madam Pomfrey would never do that.'

"It is a pleasure and an honor to be here tonight accepting the Order of Merlin First Class. Our world has gone through a terrible struggle over the last three years with Lord Voldemort on his second rise to power. Do not fear his name," Harry paused at the filches throughout the room, "For Voldemort is gone and he is never coming back. While Voldemort might have been the most feared Dark Lord of this time, we stand here tonight united, here to honor me for being able to do what no thought was possible.

Yet here I stand, feeling no honor in what I did to receive this great award. I won't argue with the fact that Voldemort needed to stopped, but to take some's life, no matter who that person is, this is no honor in that, self defense or not. I t was done because it had to be done. It was not done because I wanted to do it. It wasn't even done because I was prophesied as a baby to be the one to do it. I did it because I had and pray for anyone ever put in the same situation.

A great man once told me, 'Sometimes you have to choose between what is right and what is easy.' I have taken those words to heart and it is now what I live by. Everyone who has fought into his war for our side, it doesn't matter how little impact it had on the outcome, made a choice and did what they believed was right, rather than what they thought would have been easy and for that I'm here to honor you."

There was a standing ovation al through the Great Hall of Hogwarts with Hermione and the Weasley's leading the charge, but Harry raised his hand to silence them because he wasn't finish.

"A different person once told me, 'There is no good or evil, there is only power.' I always thought he was wrong. Well I've come to find out in a sense he was right, yet still completely wrong. There is good and evil, but there is also shades of gray where you can't rationally place them in either category without questioning yourself. Power is everything in this world, yet Voldemort, the most powerful wizard on earth, is now dead because the power of love holds no limitations.

It was my love for everyone who died: My parents first and foremost, Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Molly and Charlie Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Rebeus Hagrid, my best friend Ronald Weasley and every else who died fighting for our cause or the innocent that died having no choice, gave me the strength to defeat VOldemort, yet it was my love for everyone living and everything in this Wizarding World that gave me the purpose. I accept this in honor to them and all of you. Thank you."

The ovation began again and Harry was surprised that some people were moved to tears. His speech wasn't practiced and it had came from the heart. He meant everything he said. The last two years sense Dumbledore's death had been rough on Harry mentally but the Ministry and the whole Wizarding World as a whole stuck by him, and it had allowed him to persevere in to what he was now. He had now finally fallen in love with the Wizarding World. He was apart of it. It was his home, his only home.

What Harry didn't know is that his speech had been broadcasted over the Wizarding wireless, not just in Great Britain, but every where and many more people had been moved tears, but just at Hogwarts, but everyone in the world now had a new found respect for the boy, no, the man that had given there world hope for so long, the man who made it possible to live again without fear.

A/N: New story, glad to be back. Read and review thank you