The Boys Nobody Loved

a Harry Potter fanfiction (disclaimer: not mine, no money, don't sue)

August 5th, 2011

warning: Tearjerker. Seriously, I cried the whole time while writing it.

an AU interpretation of the prophecy

"Sir... would you ask... Severus and the M-(cough)-Malfoys to c-come... and see me? It's... almost time..."

"Very well."

"Ahhhh... you c-came... after... all."

arrogant "Mr. Potter, I understand that you asked for our presence this evening. May I ask why we were so preemptorily summoned to your side?"

"Ahh... Mr. Malf-f- (cough, hack up blood into a handerchief) ... Mr. Malfoy. I... am sorry... but I wanted to m-make ssssure... (Stop to gasp for breath) To make sure that I had a chance... to tell you all something... before it is too late..."

impatient "Too late, Potter? What are you talking about? Too late for what?"

"Uhhhh... Prof-f-fessssor... Sir. You know that I... I am not... going to re...cover... My m-mag-gic is almosssst... gone... alre-ady... Soon it will be time for me... to go home."

discomfited "Go home, what do you mean go home? Where are you going, Potty?"

silence

(hacking coughs) "Mis-ter Malf-foy... Missus Malf-foy... I was... I wanted to asssssk (harsh gasp) for a f-f-favor."

softly "And what can we do for you, Harry?"

"Sssave... the children... The ones... like me... who no-bod-y l-l-loves... Give th-them a p-place... to be safe... home. Find... the or-orph- (hacking coughs) the orphans... the lost ones... in our world and... the normal world... and br-bring them h-home. Don't let them... be h-h-h-Hurt any...more. I asssssk thisss of you... in my...name. Save the chil-dren. (harsh breathing) Th-thank you. I need to speak to Draco... privately... for a moment... now."

"We're alone, Potty."

"I kn-know. I can still f-feel you... your m-magic..."

"You can feel my magic? Can you do that with everyone?"

"N...no. Just... you. Alw-ways... on-ly... you..."

"P-Potty..."

silence

"Dr...Draco... I w-wanted to ssssay... I'm ssssorry I did... didn't take your h-hand when it was offered. I wanted to- (bloody cough, followed by harsh breathing) Th-the truth... isssss... th-at I was sssssca-red. I l-learned... as a ch-child... that I w-was a use-less, d-dirty f-fr-eak. I was not w-worthy to be within the... (harsh, deep, even breaths) the pressssence... of my... betters. I felt you... when we first met. In M-M-Mad-dam Mal-kinssssss'. Your... brightness. Your... light... inside. I knew th-at you were... (cough) you were... better... too good... for me. I didn't w-want to dissssapp-oint you... when you re-ali-zed... that I was a f-f-freak... I didn't want you... to hate me... like that."

frightened "P-Potty... H-Harry... you..."

"You... were... al-wayssss... on m-y m-mind."

crying "Harry... I just wanted..."

"You were the... only one... I could have... ev-ver r-r-really... loved... Dra-co."

sobbing "Harry... I wish..."

"W...will you... m-make... me a promisssssse, Dra-co?"

"Anything, Harry."

"Will y-you... ssssome-times... will you th-ink... offff me...?"

"I won't ever forget you Harry!"

"Th-thank y-you. Dra-co... will you send... (Hack, gasp) ssssend the Proffff... Prof-fes-ssssor... in n-n-now...?"

"Sure, Harry. Any... anything you want."

quietly "Child, I'm here."

"...Thank you.. for coming... to see me... Prof-fes-sor Ssssna-ape."

"Of course."

"Prof... Sir... I want... to ask... you a qu-essss-tion..."

"You may."

"I know... that you l-loved my m-mother. Just on-ce... did you ever look at me... as h-her ssssson... as Harry... and not j-just... Ja-mes ju-ni-or...?"

"...Oh, child. Yes, I loved your ... I loved Lily. And I always knew that you were... her son as well as... Potter's."

"I jus-sst.. wan-ted to be... Harry... not the Boy-Who-Lived... or the Cho-sen One... or the Gol-den B-boy... I on-ly ev-ver wan-ted to be H-H-Harry..."

regretful "I know that ... now, Harry. I... regret... that I did not... Forgive me for my blindness, Mr. Potter."

"Y-you w-were the... only ad-ult... who ev-er saw m-me as any-thing... but the B-boy Who... Lived. I w-wish I c-could have b-been... better... for y-you. I am s-sor-ry I dis-sappoin-ted yo-u. I on-ly ev-ver wan-ted you... to be pr-proud of me... Sir."

"...I am proud, Harry, I am so proud of you. You were the best... son... any man... could have ever wanted."

"Ahhhh... (deep shuddering sigh) I ... it's... nearly time... now... will you call... him b-back n-now?"

"As you wish... my son."

"I'm here, Potter."

"Y-yes..."

"... Boy, what did you want to say to me?"

"...D-do you... know... What y-your n-name means... Tom? It means... 'twin'..."

"I was an only child, though."

"Y-you... wo-uld have had... a t-win bro-ther... Tom. B-but y-your mo-ther... was ill... and c-could not... support... both. He ...died... before you... were born."

silence

"I... never... knew... until... I started... to see... beyond... the Veil. I am... sorry... Tom... That I c-came back for you... too late. Y-you were... nev-ver sup-pos-ed to spend y-your life... alone. I kn-ow the s...secret name... you ga-ve your-self... Tom... you should not have been... the Boy Nobody Loved... We both... were not... supposed... to be... the Boys... Nobody... Loved."

uncertain "...Boy?"

"...It will be t-time soon... to go home... Tom... for us... both."

disbelief "What...?"

"Our s-souls... Tom... were... always... entwined. It was never ... because... of the s-scar. That... is... why... the prophecy... 'neither can live while the other survives.' It's not... what... Dum-ble-dore... th-thought... I did-n't have to... d-die... in order... to k-kill you. Killing you... would always have meant... that I died, as well. Twin souls cannot survive... alone. I on-ly w-wish... that I c-could have... been str-on-ger... f-f-for yo-u. I am... sssssorry... bro-ther..."

reluctant acceptance "It ... is not... your fault... boy..."

"Wh-en... I g-go... home... You will f-fol-low me... Tom..."

"... I know."

"I w-ish..."

"Harry."

"T-tom... c-call them... back... once more."

"It is... time..."

"Harry!" "Potter?" "Child!" "Boy?"

"D-do... you th-think... there... will be... any...one... wai-ting... there... for... meee...?"

echoing silence

"He died, then. And the Dark Lord fell, seconds after. And we were left to go on. In memory of the Boys Nobody Loved."