Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did Harry and Ginny would have been together at the end of book 2 and the series wouldn't have ended at book 7 like it did.

Chapter 1: The split

Hogwarts was eerie and silent on the morning of May 2nd 1998. Why might you ask, I'll tell you why. A massive battle had taken place last night and into the wee hours of the morning, okay that's a small lie, it lasted until sunrise. What was this battle you might ask, it was the final battle for the wizarding world of Great Britain fought between the forces of good; Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix, and what few light sided auror's that remained; versus the forces of evil; Lord Voldimort, his death eaters, and all the dark creatures of the night and your worst nightmares. Of course the forces of good had been victorious in this struggle but not without its loses.

Unlike what he had told his best friends. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Harry Potter had not gone back to Gryffindor Tower to sleep. Instead he had started walking around the castle observing all the damage done to one of the only two places he'd ever called home. Scratch that he thought moodily I've destroyed the Weasley family by taking Fred from them. I hurt the only people I have as family. Oh Merlin I can never face them again.

So with those thoughts in mind Harry slipped on his invisibility cloak and headed down to the Great Hall to see everyone one last time. After about 10 minutes he made it to the hall. It didn't take to long to spot the Weasley family, their bright red hair making them easy to find in the packed hall that was pulling quadruple duty serving as not only a place for the survivors to rest, grief, and celebrate, Will I ever be able to celebrate after this, Harry thought, but the hall also had captured Death Eaters sitting at the Slytherin table in shackles, the injured where lined up in beds along one wall and the dead where lined against another wall behind the teachers table. Harry walked over to the Weasley's who were crowded around Fred. Hermione and Ron were wrapped around each other as tightly as they could be, Good they'll help each other through this very well. Mrs. Weasley and George were draped over Fred's body crying into his chest. Fleur was holding Bill while he cried. Charlie and Percy were sitting on the ground hugging each other. Ginny and Mr. Weasley sat nearby each holding the other as they silently cried, although Ginny would lift her head and look around as if looking for someone.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. Was it really just an hour ago that I gave up the chance to be with mum and dad again so I could have a future with her, Harry thought, well she'll have her family to help her through this and eventually she will forget about a prat like me and find someone who can make her happy without killing her family members or putting them in extreme danger. Harry had to turn away, he was finding it harder and harder to not rip off his cloak, run to Ginny, fall onto his knee's in front of her and beg for forgiveness. Instead he turned his attention towards the head table, there he saw his once boss and mentor Kingsley Shacklebolt. Knowing what he needed to do, Harry left the room to find some parchment, ink and a quill. After finding some he scribbled a note out.

Kingsley,

I need to talk to you away from the Hall. Please meet me as soon as you can outside the main entrance. My favorite Weasley's room as a very nice view and your pet turtle is named Shelly.

Harry

Rolling up his note and hiding under his cloak again Harry reentered the Great Hall and went directly to Kingsley. Checking quickly to make sure no one was watching Harry slid his note out into Kingsley's hand, quite a bit of luck that the man just happened to stretch at that moment, turned and left. Kingsley blinked in surprise, Were did this come from he wondered. Checking to see if he could find who gave it to him he found no one. After he performed all the checks for anything of dark intent, he wasn't an auror for nothing after all, he opened the note and read it quickly. Nodding his head in acceptance he quickly burned the note, stood and walked calmly out to the main courtyard.

Harry had only started to pace around wondering for about the hundredth time if this was a good ideal when Kingsley walked out the door. Without removing his cloak he crept over to Kingsley, moved around behind him and discreetly pushed his wand into Kingsley's back and whispered "What was the last thing Mad-eye ever said to us?" Feeling the wand Kingsley waited and actually had to chuckle a bit, "See you at the Burrow or in Hell to which we both responded Or both." Harry laughed a bit at that removed his wand only to find one pointed into his now visible face and a very grim looking Kingsley looking at him. "What were the last words Severus Snape said to you?" Thinking of Snape hurt, without real thought cause they we're still fresh in his mind, "Harry you are our only hope don't go looking for death."

Satisfied Kingsley lowered his wand and rushed to Harry. Harry removed his cloak and welcomed Kingsley's hug. After a couple minutes both men collected themselves enough to separate for longer than a few seconds. Kingsley held the young man he considered his son at arms length to look him over. There was no way to sugar coat it, he looked like a fucking wreck. He was covered in dirt and battle grime, blood, oh dear god he was caked in it. Kingsley seriously hoped it wasn't any of Harry's but knowing his luck most of it probably was. There were twigs in his hair, he was favoring his left leg, he had deep black bags under his eye's. But it was his eyes that said it all, the once bright exuberant emerald orbs were now dull and lifeless thanks to the stress and riggers of war. And probably a little bit of the training he was put through, dear god did we help make him into this, Kingsley thought bitterly.

While Kingsley was giving Harry a once over Harry was giving Kingsley the same. Harry noted that the only thing of significant difference was that his 3rd father figure looked a little thin and battle roughened and otherwise look no worse than usual. All of this took the span of maybe 15 seconds and immediately after Kingsley started trying to pull Harry towards Pomfrey to get him fixed saying, "Come on kid we are getting you fixed." Harry gave Kingsley a sharp tug and pulled him around, "Kingsley I appreciate what your trying to do but I can't go in there and pretend everything is okay knowing I caused all this," he finished sadly looking at the ground. Kingsley meanwhile was in shock, Wait he thinks all this is his fault, no way I refuse to let him believe that. "And why pray tell Harry makes you think this is all your fault," Kingsley said as gently as he could knowing Harry would start to scream if he tried anything else.

Harry for his part was trying to gather his scattered thoughts so he could answer but just couldn't. "BECAUSE IT JUST IS GOD DAMNIT," Harry screamed finally breaking down and crying, "IF I HADN'T OF BEEN BORN MUM AND DAD WOULDN'T BE DEAD. DUMBLEDORE, CEDRIC, HEDWIG, SIRIUS, REMUS, COLIN, AND TONK WOULDN'T BE DEAD." Harry fell to the ground crying his eye's out, Kingsley quickly ran over and wrapped Harry up in a hug. "Harry none of that was your fault it was all You-Know-Wh," "Tom Riddle," Harry interrupted. "What?" Kingsley asked very confused. "Voldimorts real name was Tom Riddle," Harry said sniffing and whipping his face, "if you can't call him Voldimort than call him by his real name."

Kingsley sat in silent contemplation mewling over this new fact. "Okay then its all Tom's fault not yours Harry." Harry snorted at that, "Don't you think I don't know that I still feel a bit guilty." "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this am I," Kingsley asked. "No you won't," Harry chuckled a bit, "what I really want is to take my job back." Kingsley was shocked by this simple statement, "I thought you said once all this was over you were going back to Ginny and quitting completely?" Kingsley asked. Harry sniffled again, "Yeah I did but she'll be better off without me." Kingsley sighed sadly and said, "Okay I really wish I could talk you out of this and get you to go talk to them but that won't work will it?" "Nope," Harry said popping his p. Kingsley stood back up and ran his hand over his face tiredly. "Well then stay here please let me at least go get Pomfrey and get her to look you over please?" Kingsley was getting ready to beg when Harry sighed, dropped his head in defeat and slowly nodded.

Kingsley charged back into the Entrance Hall and just happened to see Madame Pomfrey walking out of the Great Hall. Walking over to her Kingsley tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to follow him outside discreetly as she could. After getting a skeptical look from her Kingsley looked around for eaves droppers and whispered in her ear the situation. Poppy's eye's nearly popped out of her head, she nodded quickly and quietly slipped into the hall unnoticed and slipped back out and hurried after Kingsley back outside.

Once she reached Harry Poppy couldn't help but hit him with every cleaning spell she could. Once clean it was easier to see what she had to work with, The poor boy she thought sadly at least only a little of that blood was his thank god. Giving Harry a small smile she began to cast diagnosis charms at him. She gasped at what she found, 4 broken ribs, his right ankle was twisted and sprained, he'd been hit with another killing curse, his kidney, spleen, colon, and stomach were all bruised, and he was extremely fatigued. "Mr. Potter would you care to explain to me how all this happened to you," Poppy asked?

Harry drew in a deep breath and reluctantly began his tale. He began with his lessons from Dumbledore, telling them about learning about Tom and all about his horcruxes. Then he told them about the horrors of the past nine months, learning of the death hallows. Returning to the school beginning the final battle, facing Tom in the forest, dieing and coming back. By the time he was finished both had tears streaming down their faces and Harry was completely healed. After hearing the tale all Kingsley could do was silently hand Harry both his Auror and Unspeakable badges back and give him back his Battle Auror trench coat back.

After putting on the coat and repining his two badges Harry looked to Kingsley for instructions on what to go do. "There were death eaters and people of evil intentions who escaped last night and this morning. Find them and bring them to justice," Kingsley ordered Harry. Harry nodded his head hugged both Poppy and Kingsley and started to walk towards the gates to apparate away. He was almost out of the courtyard when he heard a voice call out to him. Turning around he found the voice to have belonged to Poppy who said, "Please be careful and come back safe and sound." Harry smiled at her concern and said, "No promises." Both Kingsley and Poppy gave watery chuckles at that and smiled a bit. Turning away Harry kept walking until he reached the gates, once there he turned and looked back one last time, he gave one more sniffle, turned and opened the gate pushed his way out and with a pop was gone.

Back up in the court yard Poppy and Kingsley slowly packed up all the medical supplies and tried to gather their scattered thoughts. Poppy turned to Kingsley and said, "Do you think we did the right thing?" "Truthfully?" Kingsley asked her. At her nod he told her "No I don't but what else could we have done? Keeping him here would have only made things worse." Sadly Poppy agreed knowing the Weasley's and Granger wouldn't have given the boy the space he needed to grieve properly, but instead would have insisted that it wasn't his fault and always would have been pushing him to talk. It still hurt to know she hadn't pushed for him to stay there where she could have got him the help he desperately needed. Sighing she and Kingsley turned and slowly walked back up to the castle, both knowing when everyone found out they knew Harry was leaving they would have to deal with a hailstorm of owls and hatred for not stopping him.

AN: Would like 5 reviews, good or bad, before I post the next chapter. Coming up will be a flashback chapter covering everything that has lead up to this point. Please Review