Harry Potter and The Last Battle
Chapter One
Summering
" Why are we fighting to live if were living to die?
Why are we fighting for love if it only makes us cry?"
-Shontanette Brinson
Poem written for the Chicago Tribune.
As Harry rode back to Privet Drive from Hogwarts, Harry was filled with a sense of resentment. Again he was going back to a place that never had felt like home. And again he was going back to relatives that had never wanted him. And all because of some interfering old man. All because his beloved headmaster Professor Dumbledore had wanted it that way. It seemed that Albus Dumbledore still had the power to interfer evn after death.
The ride back to Privet Drive was like and other.
Uncle Vernon Ranted about the nerve of "those freaks" and how dared they threaten him with bodily harm if he hurt Harry. And how dared they tell him what to do in his own home.
Aunt Petunia nodded silently in agreement with every point her husband was making. Seeming to feel that she should be allowed to do whatsoever she felt like doing in her own home without someone interfering.
And Dudley? Dudley just stayed as far away from Harry as he could possible be.
As they got back, Harry thought that just maybe he could sneak up the stairs before he could be cornered by Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia. Or both.
But, as it turns out he was to have no such luck. As he tried in vain to sneak up the stairs, he was cornered by Uncle Vernon. Aunt Petunia stayed quietly in the back round like some silent minion waiting for a fight to break out, or trouble to start.
"Now look here boy! ", said Uncle Vernon, "I don't want anymore nonsense this! "
"And what kind of nonsense would that be, Uncle Vernon? ", said Harry.
" Don't get smart with me boy! You know what I mean! " , said Uncle Vernon," I want none of your "" friends"" or those with your abnormality to show up on my doorstep this year." At the word " friends" Uncle Vernon held his fingers in the air making air quotes. It would have been laughable to Harry if he weren't afraid of getting in trouble with his relatives.
As his uncle said these things, he started to get a little red in the face. Which was not a very good sign when it came to Uncle Vernon. "That is, unless... ", said Uncle Vernon after a moments silence from Harry.
"Unless what Uncle Vernon? ", Harry said boredly. But really, he was getting pretty tired of all this. First he needed to get upstairs and write letters to all his friends. Also, he needed to write one to Ginny explaining in full his reasons for breaking up with her. Explaining to her his need to keep her safe. Of course he wouldn't tell her about The Prophecy. Well, at least not in a letter.
"That is unless they're coming to take you away from here. Ohh I can't wait 'till you turn seventeen my boy! ", said Uncle Vernon, barely containing his glee at the thought of Harry turning seventeen and leaving them forever. Harry knew his uncle was happy. In fact, that was the first time his uncle had ever called him anything but "boy" , "you", or "potter". And this far out wade the fact that Harry was coming of age before their precious "Dudders".
Harry thought about all this as he trudged up the stairs hauling his trunk to his room. When he got in the threshold he practically threw his trunk into his room and flopped rather heavily onto his bed. He was feeling rather morose as he stared at his feet and the end of the bed frame. His feet were hanging ever so slightly off the bed. He thought how he was really getting to tall for this bed. It was made for someone smaller. Like a little kid.
Somehow losing Professor Dumbledore hurt more than losing Sirius had. Sure, losing Sirius had hurt. More than some would think. But Harry hadn't known Sirius that long. And he hadn't known Sirius that well.
He had known Professor Dumbledore very well. He had been Harry's last and greatest protection. And all though he had been an interfering old man he was still one of the most beloved adults in Harry's life.
In fact, the thing that really made Sirius' death sting more than anything was that Harry knew he could have prevented it. And that in the end, his death was in fact Harry's fault.
But he didn't want to think about that right now. He already had so much on his mind. Like his recent Breakup with Ginny. Harry wanted to be her boyfriend still but he knew he had to keep her safe. It was different with Ron and Hermione. They had already been through so much with him. Harry also knew that they could take a lot. He hadn't been through quite as much with her as he had Ron and Hermione. He didn't really know what Ginny's limitations were or what she could really do.
With this thought his mind was brought back to the reason he had broken up with Ginny.
The Prophecy.
Four more. He knew the locket was a fake. He also knew that Voldemort would use something from Salazzar Slytherin, and possibly something from Rowena Ravenclaw.
If only he could find a way to get to know Voldemort better! Harry knew somethings about him, but that just wasn't enough.
Grrrr! Why did he have to be the one to defeat Voldemort? Okay, so no one could force him to fight Voldemort. But really that wasn't much of a choice. What was he going to do? Say, "Sorry guys! I don't really feel like it! " ?
Harry started to unpack as he thought about all this. Really, there wasn't much of a point to it because he didn't intend to stay long. He only planned to stay at the Dursleys until the end of July. Only until he turned seventeen. Just like he promised Dumbledore.
Sitting back down on the bed a thought popped into his head. Something he had never thought of before.
"Why are we fighting to live if we're living to die ? "
What was the point of fighting it if they were all going to die anyway. And as he thought about it he started to laugh. Because it really was kinda funny when he thought about.
First of all,people worked all their lives to achieve success in whatever form the may see success. Whether it be financial, familial, or however they picture success. Only to end up rotting in a box somewhere in a graveyard underground. But if you're real lucky They take you and burn you and scatter your ashes somewhere. Harry had always wondered why anyone would cremate their loved one or want to be cremated. He guessed to conserve space or something.
Obviously by now Harry Potter was not someone that was afraid of dying. No, what Harry Potter feared the most in all the world was living. At least, living forever.
No, the thought that scared harry more than anything was the thought of living forever. He'd heard about heaven of course. Almost every religion had one. And most of them contained the idea of eternal life. But, who wanted to live forever? Harry had lived only about seventeen years. Not only was he already world weary but he was already bored. As much as that might amaze everyone. But it seemed like every year it was the same. Fighting, harry was always fighting. And so he hoped that if there was a god in heaven that he was merciful. Merciful enough that when Harry's life finally came to an end, it would end for good.
And if it weren't for the fact that he wanted everyone else in his life to have time to do something good and have long and happy lives for themselves, he would have ended it right then. But he knew that his fight was not over yet. That he could not give up on life until he had done what he had been born to do. Kill Voldemorte.
Just as he was thinking these morbid thoughts, there was a tapping at the window. It was Pig. Harry wasn't exactly pleased to see him. Normally a letter from Ron would be great, especially right then. But Harry wasn't sure what the letter would be about. He was afraid it was a letter blasting him for breaking up with Ginny. Harry didn't even know if she'd told them yet. But it was a possibility. And so, it was with great worry that Harry took the letter from the obviously excited Pig.
As he unhooked the letter from Pig's leg, the overly excited owl flew over to Hedwig empty cage.
And as Harry unfolded it, he heaved a sigh of relief. For the letter said only:
Dear Harry,
How are you? Are the muggles treating you okay? I'm hoping you'll be coming to stay with us soon. Mums pretty mad at you for deciding to go with them. Even if it is the last time and only for a little while. She says that what you need right now is some support from your loved ones. Whatever that means. Any way, Hermione's owl is sick so she won't be able to get letters to you as fast as she did before so I'll be waiting for her to send me her letters to you before I owl you. So you might get my letters later from now on. So, any way owl me and every one says Hi.
p.s. Hermione won't stop bugging me to tell you to write to her until you do. So for merlin's sake do it fast mate.
Your friend
Ron weasley.