The End…
Part One
~*~
"I'm sure Harry's fine, Ron. Don't worry about it." Hermione said softly as they walked into the Great Hall for the End of Year Feast, but she didn't sound so sure herself.
"Yeah. I'll bet he's fine." Ron said, his face conveying that he thought the exact opposite.
All of Hogwarts, save a few Slytherins, seemed worried that night as well. Harry had been missing for almost a week, the last week in his seventh year. He had been discovered gone Saturday, and it was now Friday, their next to last day at Hogwarts. No one had seen him leave, and he hadn't come back. Rumors were flying about him going to face Voldemort for a final showdown, and everyone seemed terrified that Hogwart's hero had been killed by the Dark Lord, who had never been more powerful.
Everyone filed into their seats, watching Dumbledore expectantly for any news. Dumbledore had a somber expression on his face as he stood.
"It is no use to hide the truth from you. We have discovered the fate of Harry Potter."
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, wide-eyed, as hushed whispers spread through the Hall.
"I know all of you have been extremely worried about what happened to Harry Potter when he disappeared a week ago. The truth has been discovered. Apparently, he did go to face Voldemort alone, to save us all. He succeeded one again. Voldemort has been destroyed, reduced to a powerless being that has been executed and will never be heard from again."
Cheers rang from the hall, so deafening that the walls almost shook.
"Harry Potter has saved us once again. But the cost of this victory was his life. Harry Potter is dead…sacrificed himself for all of us."
The cheers abruptly stopped. Everyone looked at Dumbledore in shock. Ginny Weasley was the first to react. She started sobbing, loud, horrible sobs that sounded almost painful. That seemed to jolt everyone to reality. Ron looked as though he couldn't quite manage crying. His whole face was deathly pale, and he was gripping the edge of the table so tight his knuckles went white. Silent tears streamed down Hermione's face as she still looked too shocked to really react.
"I'm so sorry to be that one who tells all of you of this. But know that our world is finally free from Voldemort's clutches only because of this sacrifice. So as you mourn his death, celebrate the bravery he exemplified even in his final moments."
Dumbledore sat down again, his light blue eyes clouded with grief. Professor McGonagall was outright sobbing, as was Hagrid. Professor Snape had an undeterminable expression on his cold face. Something close to grief but not quite reaching it.
"I-I don't believe it." Hermione choked out, getting up from her seat and racing out of the Hall.
Ron sat there for a moment, looking as if he couldn't quite focus on anything. He looked lost and terrified. Slowly he got up as well, and walked out of the Hall.
Everyone watched the two of them leave, and hushed whispers followed about how sorry everyone felt for them. Some students were crying, some looked confused about whether to be sad about Harry or happy about Voldemort's defeat.
Ginny was in hysterics, and had no brothers there to comfort her. Her friends looked as if they didn't quite know what to say. Draco Malfoy, who had been dating Ginny ever since his sixth year and her fifth, much to the bewilderment of everyone else at Hogwarts, walked over to the Gryffindor table.
"Come on, Gin. Let's go for a walk." He took her hand, leading a sobbing Ginny outside.
~*~
Hermione walked quickly up the hall to the Gryffindor common room, her mind racing. Harry can't be dead, it's not possible! Her mind screamed as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Absently wiping them away, she managed to say the password to the Fat Lady, and entered the otherwise empty common room.
It was dark in there. A thunderstorm was raging now outside, and the candles in the room cast an odd, eerie light. Standing alone, Hermione realized she was shaking like a leaf. Grasping the arm of a chair, she collapsed onto the couch, breathing shallowly.
"It can't be true." She said out loud, as a lightning flash illuminated the room.
Suddenly, the portrait hole swung open once again. Hermione unsteadily sat up, wishing that whoever it was would just leave her alone. But then she realized it was Ron, standing there, arms hanging limply at his sides. He looked like a child again, not a seventeen year old.
Ron suddenly seemed to realize she was there as well. He looked at her, his eyes glassy.
"Hermione, I--" He started to say, but then couldn't seem to finish. Words failed both of them, it was too awful to even talk about.
Hermione got up from the couch, quickly crossed the room and threw both arms around his neck in a tight hug. Ron put his arms around her as well, taking a deep, unsteady breath. And finally, Hermione let herself feel the whole impact of what happened. She broke down completely, crying like a little girl. The two best friends were all each other had left. They held onto each other as if they would never let go.
~*~
Ginny and Draco walked across the vast Hogwarts grounds in silence. Ginny was absently wiping away the tears that kept spilling from her eyes, trying to regain control of herself.
"I know how you must be feeling, Gin." Draco said quietly.
"How could you? You've always hated Harry." She said angrily.
"I know he meant a lot to you." Draco replied.
"He did. I mean, I know he never loved me like I used to want him too, and I got over my crush on him ages ago, but…he was still really important to me. I don't really know why."
"I know, Gin."
There was a moment of silence.
"Draco…are you happy he's gone?" Ginny asked softly.
"No! Ginny, how can you even say that?"
"Well, the whole mortal enemy thing confused me a little." She said sardonically.
"I know you think I hate Harry, but things are different than how they used to be. Harry stood for everything I was raised to hate. My whole childhood, my father taught me to loathe everything good. But I've changed, Ginny. I don't want that for myself. You know back in sixth year when Harry and I had to work together to destroy those Death Eaters? We learned a lot from each other. And dating you has changed me a lot too. I don't want what my father wanted for me. I'd rather work against Voldemort than for him. And Harry was one of the main reasons I changed. He's a great guy, Gin. I can finally admit that. A better man than I could ever be. So no, I'm not happy he's gone."
Ginny looked at him thoughtfully.
"Harry Potter was one of the best people I've ever met. But so are you, Draco. Even though I never would have thought that a couple years ago."
"I know. I remember our relationship was so scandalous when it started last year."
"All the Gryffindors made me feel like I was betraying the house or something." Ginny grinned.
"Same with the Slytherins."
"Yeah. Harry was the only one who even tried to understand." Ginny said sadly.
Draco stopped, looking at her seriously.
"It's terrible he's dead, Gin. But at least he sacrificed himself for something worth dying for. Because of him, Voldemort's gone."
"I know. I hope he's happy…maybe he's finally with his parents."
"Yeah, maybe so."
They walked in silence for awhile, stopping at the edge of the lake. The blue waters sparkled softly under the stars, casting strange, watery reflections on their faces.
"Isn't it strange how you can just wake up one morning, and someone you've always thought would be there is gone?" Ginny said softly.
"Guess we shouldn't take anything for granted. One moment with someone might be your last." Draco turned to look at her.
She turned to face him as well.
"Yeah…like the giant squid could suddenly leap out of the water right now and eat me alive." She said solemnly.
Draco laughed as Ginny grinned mischievously.
"Well, in case that happens, I have something to tell you." Draco sounded serious again.
"What?" Ginny asked, still grinning, thinking he was joking too.
"I love you."
Ginny stopped grinning. She looked up at him, dumbfounded.
"I realized that I'd never told you that. I've never told anyone that. You're the only person in my whole life that I've ever actually truly cared about. My family doesn't give a damn about me, I don't have any real friends in Slytherin, but you actually do care about me. And you make me happier than anyone ever has. You're everything to me, Gin. And I'm leaving Hogwarts tomorrow, and I don't want to waste another day without telling you that."
Ginny looked up at him, shocked. Draco never even touched on the subject of his feelings. And now he had just poured out his heart to her.
"That's the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me." She finally managed to choke out.
"It's all the truth." Draco said, putting a cold hand on her cheek.
"I love you, Draco." She said, starting to cry.
Their lips met in the longest, most meaningful kiss they had ever shared.
~*~
Ron looked down at Hermione as she finally stepped away from him, wiping the tears from her swollen eyes.
"Harry's supposed to be the one who survives anything. Harry's supposed to win against Voldemort." Hermione said, her voice cracking.
"He did win, Hermione. He just had to die to do it." Ron finally spoke.
"Why, though?"
"Maybe the only way to truly defeat Voldemort. Maybe without him dying, Voldemort couldn't be defeated for good."
"There must have been some other way!" Hermione shouted, starting to cry again.
"There wasn't. And Harry knew that."
"So Harry dies because we couldn't figure out any other way to defeat Voldemort in time!"
"This isn't our fault, Hermione! This isn't anyone's fault! Harry did what he had to do!"
"And you can just accept that? Accept that he's dead?" She shot back, tears still streaming down her face.
"Hermione, you don't think this is killing me? He was my best friend too! I hate that he's dead, I hate that he had to die to kill Voldemort! But he did! And we can't change that! Nothing either of us did caused it and nothing either us can do could bring him back!" Ron shouted back.
Hermione fell silent for a moment.
"You're right, Ron. I'm sorry. It's just…this is all…I just keep thinking I'm going to wake up from this nightmare and see Harry again."
"Me too."
"But at least we've still got each other, Ron." Hermione said softly.
Ron hugged her again instead of replying.
"I will never let anything happen to you, Hermione." He said into her hair.
"We've got to be strong through this Ron…take care of each other."
"That's what Harry would have wanted." Ron replied.
"I know. Through all of this, we--" Hermione stopped talking simply because she couldn't continue. Ron's lips were suddenly and roughly on hers.
They broke apart after a moment, looking at each other, stunned. Ron and Hermione's relationship had always been strictly platonic. They had both buried any feelings for each other that were otherwise. But in this moment, sharing this kind of anguish, those feelings suddenly seemed to break the surface. They kissed again, longer this time. Somehow, they found solace in each other, in that moment.
The portrait hole opened again, revealing Ginny Weasley, who looked lost in her own thoughts. She saw the two of them, and stopped short.
"Ron? Hermione?" She said, surprised.
They broke away from each other, turning to face Ginny.
"Sorry, it's just I didn't know that you two were--"
"It's all right, Gin. We're still kind of figuring that out ourselves." Ron looked nervously at Hermione, who looked confused and slightly flustered.
"I'll see you two in the morning." She said softly, walking off to the girl's dorms.
Neither Ron or Hermione said anything.
"I-I need to be alone for a bit, Ron." Hermione finally said, getting up and leaving.
Ron walked off to his dormitory, extremely confused. As he walked in, he saw a picture of the three of them on his bedside table, Harry in the middle, grinning widely. For a moment, with Hermione, Ron had almost forgotten what had happened. But now it came rushing back in full force. His best friend of seven years was dead. Harry was gone. Picking up the framed photograph, he watched as they magically moved around in the frame, all three of them laughing and smiling happily. And despite himself, Ron let out a choked cry of agony, breaking down completely. He fell onto his bed, his head in his hands.
~*~
All the seventh years woke up to their last day at Hogwarts. Voldemort's defeat should have been cause for celebration. But everyone felt so conflicted about being happy with Harry dead.
Ron woke up, after only a few hours of dreamless sleep. Neville, Dean, and Seamus were all very upset about Harry as well, and didn't talk much as they all got dressed that morning.
I look awful, Ron thought as he looked in the mirror. His eyes had huge, blue-ish circles underneath them, and his red hair stuck up wildly. But he didn't really care. Still wearing his robes from last night (he had just slept in them), he trudged down to the common room. He stopped when he saw Hermione sitting on the couch, looking just about as much of a state as he did. Her robes were wrinkled, she had apparently slept in them as well. Her curly hair had reached its bushy stage again, and she had just left it like that. She sat on the couch, staring out the window.
Ron slowly walked over.
"Hey." He said, sitting down beside her.
"Hey." She replied listlessly.
"Sleep at all?" He asked.
"Off and on. No…actually, not really. Everytime I tried to fall asleep, I…" She stopped talking, her eyes clouding with tears again.
"Let's go down to the Great Hall, Hermione. This is our last meal at Hogwarts, you know." Ron said, getting up.
After breakfast, the seventh years were supposed to get together their things one last time, and board the Hogwarts Express for one final ride home.
Ron and Hermione left the grieving Gryffindor common room, which had been magically decorated in black, to go down to the Great Hall, which was also draped in black. They slowly walked to the Gryffindor table and sat down, picking through a delicious breakfast. It didn't really seem to taste like anything.
Dumbledore rose again.
"Seventh years…your last day with us. It has been such a pleasure having all of you here, you've all brought so much to the school and will be missed. Thank you for all the happy memories that you have brought me and many others here. I've gotten to know many of you very well, and sincerely enjoyed it. Whatever you endeavor to do with the rest of your life, always remember that Hogwart's doors will always be open to you. And now you are all free to live in this world on your own with no fear of Voldemort. He is no longer a threat to any of us, because of the passing on of the bravest man I've ever had the pleasure of saying I knew. Let us all raise our goblets in remembrance of Harry Potter."
Everyone got to their feet, raising their goblets. But before the words could even leave their lips, the doors at the back of the Great Hall flew open with a resounding bang. And there, bloody and bruised, Harry Potter himself stood before them.
to be continued…
Part One
~*~
"I'm sure Harry's fine, Ron. Don't worry about it." Hermione said softly as they walked into the Great Hall for the End of Year Feast, but she didn't sound so sure herself.
"Yeah. I'll bet he's fine." Ron said, his face conveying that he thought the exact opposite.
All of Hogwarts, save a few Slytherins, seemed worried that night as well. Harry had been missing for almost a week, the last week in his seventh year. He had been discovered gone Saturday, and it was now Friday, their next to last day at Hogwarts. No one had seen him leave, and he hadn't come back. Rumors were flying about him going to face Voldemort for a final showdown, and everyone seemed terrified that Hogwart's hero had been killed by the Dark Lord, who had never been more powerful.
Everyone filed into their seats, watching Dumbledore expectantly for any news. Dumbledore had a somber expression on his face as he stood.
"It is no use to hide the truth from you. We have discovered the fate of Harry Potter."
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, wide-eyed, as hushed whispers spread through the Hall.
"I know all of you have been extremely worried about what happened to Harry Potter when he disappeared a week ago. The truth has been discovered. Apparently, he did go to face Voldemort alone, to save us all. He succeeded one again. Voldemort has been destroyed, reduced to a powerless being that has been executed and will never be heard from again."
Cheers rang from the hall, so deafening that the walls almost shook.
"Harry Potter has saved us once again. But the cost of this victory was his life. Harry Potter is dead…sacrificed himself for all of us."
The cheers abruptly stopped. Everyone looked at Dumbledore in shock. Ginny Weasley was the first to react. She started sobbing, loud, horrible sobs that sounded almost painful. That seemed to jolt everyone to reality. Ron looked as though he couldn't quite manage crying. His whole face was deathly pale, and he was gripping the edge of the table so tight his knuckles went white. Silent tears streamed down Hermione's face as she still looked too shocked to really react.
"I'm so sorry to be that one who tells all of you of this. But know that our world is finally free from Voldemort's clutches only because of this sacrifice. So as you mourn his death, celebrate the bravery he exemplified even in his final moments."
Dumbledore sat down again, his light blue eyes clouded with grief. Professor McGonagall was outright sobbing, as was Hagrid. Professor Snape had an undeterminable expression on his cold face. Something close to grief but not quite reaching it.
"I-I don't believe it." Hermione choked out, getting up from her seat and racing out of the Hall.
Ron sat there for a moment, looking as if he couldn't quite focus on anything. He looked lost and terrified. Slowly he got up as well, and walked out of the Hall.
Everyone watched the two of them leave, and hushed whispers followed about how sorry everyone felt for them. Some students were crying, some looked confused about whether to be sad about Harry or happy about Voldemort's defeat.
Ginny was in hysterics, and had no brothers there to comfort her. Her friends looked as if they didn't quite know what to say. Draco Malfoy, who had been dating Ginny ever since his sixth year and her fifth, much to the bewilderment of everyone else at Hogwarts, walked over to the Gryffindor table.
"Come on, Gin. Let's go for a walk." He took her hand, leading a sobbing Ginny outside.
~*~
Hermione walked quickly up the hall to the Gryffindor common room, her mind racing. Harry can't be dead, it's not possible! Her mind screamed as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Absently wiping them away, she managed to say the password to the Fat Lady, and entered the otherwise empty common room.
It was dark in there. A thunderstorm was raging now outside, and the candles in the room cast an odd, eerie light. Standing alone, Hermione realized she was shaking like a leaf. Grasping the arm of a chair, she collapsed onto the couch, breathing shallowly.
"It can't be true." She said out loud, as a lightning flash illuminated the room.
Suddenly, the portrait hole swung open once again. Hermione unsteadily sat up, wishing that whoever it was would just leave her alone. But then she realized it was Ron, standing there, arms hanging limply at his sides. He looked like a child again, not a seventeen year old.
Ron suddenly seemed to realize she was there as well. He looked at her, his eyes glassy.
"Hermione, I--" He started to say, but then couldn't seem to finish. Words failed both of them, it was too awful to even talk about.
Hermione got up from the couch, quickly crossed the room and threw both arms around his neck in a tight hug. Ron put his arms around her as well, taking a deep, unsteady breath. And finally, Hermione let herself feel the whole impact of what happened. She broke down completely, crying like a little girl. The two best friends were all each other had left. They held onto each other as if they would never let go.
~*~
Ginny and Draco walked across the vast Hogwarts grounds in silence. Ginny was absently wiping away the tears that kept spilling from her eyes, trying to regain control of herself.
"I know how you must be feeling, Gin." Draco said quietly.
"How could you? You've always hated Harry." She said angrily.
"I know he meant a lot to you." Draco replied.
"He did. I mean, I know he never loved me like I used to want him too, and I got over my crush on him ages ago, but…he was still really important to me. I don't really know why."
"I know, Gin."
There was a moment of silence.
"Draco…are you happy he's gone?" Ginny asked softly.
"No! Ginny, how can you even say that?"
"Well, the whole mortal enemy thing confused me a little." She said sardonically.
"I know you think I hate Harry, but things are different than how they used to be. Harry stood for everything I was raised to hate. My whole childhood, my father taught me to loathe everything good. But I've changed, Ginny. I don't want that for myself. You know back in sixth year when Harry and I had to work together to destroy those Death Eaters? We learned a lot from each other. And dating you has changed me a lot too. I don't want what my father wanted for me. I'd rather work against Voldemort than for him. And Harry was one of the main reasons I changed. He's a great guy, Gin. I can finally admit that. A better man than I could ever be. So no, I'm not happy he's gone."
Ginny looked at him thoughtfully.
"Harry Potter was one of the best people I've ever met. But so are you, Draco. Even though I never would have thought that a couple years ago."
"I know. I remember our relationship was so scandalous when it started last year."
"All the Gryffindors made me feel like I was betraying the house or something." Ginny grinned.
"Same with the Slytherins."
"Yeah. Harry was the only one who even tried to understand." Ginny said sadly.
Draco stopped, looking at her seriously.
"It's terrible he's dead, Gin. But at least he sacrificed himself for something worth dying for. Because of him, Voldemort's gone."
"I know. I hope he's happy…maybe he's finally with his parents."
"Yeah, maybe so."
They walked in silence for awhile, stopping at the edge of the lake. The blue waters sparkled softly under the stars, casting strange, watery reflections on their faces.
"Isn't it strange how you can just wake up one morning, and someone you've always thought would be there is gone?" Ginny said softly.
"Guess we shouldn't take anything for granted. One moment with someone might be your last." Draco turned to look at her.
She turned to face him as well.
"Yeah…like the giant squid could suddenly leap out of the water right now and eat me alive." She said solemnly.
Draco laughed as Ginny grinned mischievously.
"Well, in case that happens, I have something to tell you." Draco sounded serious again.
"What?" Ginny asked, still grinning, thinking he was joking too.
"I love you."
Ginny stopped grinning. She looked up at him, dumbfounded.
"I realized that I'd never told you that. I've never told anyone that. You're the only person in my whole life that I've ever actually truly cared about. My family doesn't give a damn about me, I don't have any real friends in Slytherin, but you actually do care about me. And you make me happier than anyone ever has. You're everything to me, Gin. And I'm leaving Hogwarts tomorrow, and I don't want to waste another day without telling you that."
Ginny looked up at him, shocked. Draco never even touched on the subject of his feelings. And now he had just poured out his heart to her.
"That's the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me." She finally managed to choke out.
"It's all the truth." Draco said, putting a cold hand on her cheek.
"I love you, Draco." She said, starting to cry.
Their lips met in the longest, most meaningful kiss they had ever shared.
~*~
Ron looked down at Hermione as she finally stepped away from him, wiping the tears from her swollen eyes.
"Harry's supposed to be the one who survives anything. Harry's supposed to win against Voldemort." Hermione said, her voice cracking.
"He did win, Hermione. He just had to die to do it." Ron finally spoke.
"Why, though?"
"Maybe the only way to truly defeat Voldemort. Maybe without him dying, Voldemort couldn't be defeated for good."
"There must have been some other way!" Hermione shouted, starting to cry again.
"There wasn't. And Harry knew that."
"So Harry dies because we couldn't figure out any other way to defeat Voldemort in time!"
"This isn't our fault, Hermione! This isn't anyone's fault! Harry did what he had to do!"
"And you can just accept that? Accept that he's dead?" She shot back, tears still streaming down her face.
"Hermione, you don't think this is killing me? He was my best friend too! I hate that he's dead, I hate that he had to die to kill Voldemort! But he did! And we can't change that! Nothing either of us did caused it and nothing either us can do could bring him back!" Ron shouted back.
Hermione fell silent for a moment.
"You're right, Ron. I'm sorry. It's just…this is all…I just keep thinking I'm going to wake up from this nightmare and see Harry again."
"Me too."
"But at least we've still got each other, Ron." Hermione said softly.
Ron hugged her again instead of replying.
"I will never let anything happen to you, Hermione." He said into her hair.
"We've got to be strong through this Ron…take care of each other."
"That's what Harry would have wanted." Ron replied.
"I know. Through all of this, we--" Hermione stopped talking simply because she couldn't continue. Ron's lips were suddenly and roughly on hers.
They broke apart after a moment, looking at each other, stunned. Ron and Hermione's relationship had always been strictly platonic. They had both buried any feelings for each other that were otherwise. But in this moment, sharing this kind of anguish, those feelings suddenly seemed to break the surface. They kissed again, longer this time. Somehow, they found solace in each other, in that moment.
The portrait hole opened again, revealing Ginny Weasley, who looked lost in her own thoughts. She saw the two of them, and stopped short.
"Ron? Hermione?" She said, surprised.
They broke away from each other, turning to face Ginny.
"Sorry, it's just I didn't know that you two were--"
"It's all right, Gin. We're still kind of figuring that out ourselves." Ron looked nervously at Hermione, who looked confused and slightly flustered.
"I'll see you two in the morning." She said softly, walking off to the girl's dorms.
Neither Ron or Hermione said anything.
"I-I need to be alone for a bit, Ron." Hermione finally said, getting up and leaving.
Ron walked off to his dormitory, extremely confused. As he walked in, he saw a picture of the three of them on his bedside table, Harry in the middle, grinning widely. For a moment, with Hermione, Ron had almost forgotten what had happened. But now it came rushing back in full force. His best friend of seven years was dead. Harry was gone. Picking up the framed photograph, he watched as they magically moved around in the frame, all three of them laughing and smiling happily. And despite himself, Ron let out a choked cry of agony, breaking down completely. He fell onto his bed, his head in his hands.
~*~
All the seventh years woke up to their last day at Hogwarts. Voldemort's defeat should have been cause for celebration. But everyone felt so conflicted about being happy with Harry dead.
Ron woke up, after only a few hours of dreamless sleep. Neville, Dean, and Seamus were all very upset about Harry as well, and didn't talk much as they all got dressed that morning.
I look awful, Ron thought as he looked in the mirror. His eyes had huge, blue-ish circles underneath them, and his red hair stuck up wildly. But he didn't really care. Still wearing his robes from last night (he had just slept in them), he trudged down to the common room. He stopped when he saw Hermione sitting on the couch, looking just about as much of a state as he did. Her robes were wrinkled, she had apparently slept in them as well. Her curly hair had reached its bushy stage again, and she had just left it like that. She sat on the couch, staring out the window.
Ron slowly walked over.
"Hey." He said, sitting down beside her.
"Hey." She replied listlessly.
"Sleep at all?" He asked.
"Off and on. No…actually, not really. Everytime I tried to fall asleep, I…" She stopped talking, her eyes clouding with tears again.
"Let's go down to the Great Hall, Hermione. This is our last meal at Hogwarts, you know." Ron said, getting up.
After breakfast, the seventh years were supposed to get together their things one last time, and board the Hogwarts Express for one final ride home.
Ron and Hermione left the grieving Gryffindor common room, which had been magically decorated in black, to go down to the Great Hall, which was also draped in black. They slowly walked to the Gryffindor table and sat down, picking through a delicious breakfast. It didn't really seem to taste like anything.
Dumbledore rose again.
"Seventh years…your last day with us. It has been such a pleasure having all of you here, you've all brought so much to the school and will be missed. Thank you for all the happy memories that you have brought me and many others here. I've gotten to know many of you very well, and sincerely enjoyed it. Whatever you endeavor to do with the rest of your life, always remember that Hogwart's doors will always be open to you. And now you are all free to live in this world on your own with no fear of Voldemort. He is no longer a threat to any of us, because of the passing on of the bravest man I've ever had the pleasure of saying I knew. Let us all raise our goblets in remembrance of Harry Potter."
Everyone got to their feet, raising their goblets. But before the words could even leave their lips, the doors at the back of the Great Hall flew open with a resounding bang. And there, bloody and bruised, Harry Potter himself stood before them.
to be continued…