ADVERTENCIAS: los personajes son marca registrada de Warner Brothers y JK Rowling

ADVERTENCIAS: los personajes son marca registrada de Warner Brothers y JK Rowling. NO ME PERTENECEN. Este fan fic está en inglés porque los libros los leí en ese idioma y no quiero arriesgarme a traducir los nombres mal.

These characters are a registered trademark of Warner Brothers and JK Rowling; they do not belong to me. This fan fic is written in the English Language because I read the books in that language and I don't want to risk mistranslating any name or spell.

PERDÓN SI ENCUENTRAN ALGÚN ERROR YA SEA DE ORTOGRAFÍA COMO DE GRAMÁTICA.

I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY MISTAKE YOU MAY FIND.

A/N: This is my first fic in 3 years (I think) so please review and tell me if it's good!! The previous ones were written before HBP was released, this one, however, takes into account the events portrayed in DH, and what happened in that 19-year gap between the last chapter and the epilogue. Reviews are more than welcome the good and the bad ones. Feel free to comment on content, and if you have any suggestions for the plot they'll be gratefully accepted with a mention of your name, of course and remember… except for some parts of the plot (i.e. the ones not referring to the books) I do NOT own any of the characters, names, spells, etc etc etc…

Chapter 1: The aftermath

Death could be smelled, touched and seen on every corner of this now silent castle where a few hours ago an epic battle had taken place. A battle for freedom, for hope that there would someday be a tomorrow without fear, without death breathing down their necks. And there he stood all alone, looking out of the window of his room, the boy who lived, the chosen one, but most of all, he thought, undesirable number one. HE had been marked, and yet, there he was, alive to tell the tale, while so many of those who had stuck with him all along were in the Great Hall, dead.

"I should be there, my empty eyes drained from the life that once filled them. I should be the one dead! Not them!" Harry thought with remorse. "If only had I got to him earlier… I was being so stupid! How didn't I realize earlier?!"

"WHY DIDN'T HE TELL ME!?" He shouted turning around to find a very startled Mrs. Weasley at the door. He just couldn't look at her right now. He lowered his eyes to find a very interesting spot of blood on his left arm. "God… the woman has just lost a child to MY cause…it's not just THE cause… it was MY cause… I should have known about me being a Horcrux all along… but I was too daft to realize… too blind… and now it's too late, now Fred's dead, and if she shouts at me, slaps me, kills me, or torture me, I deserve it…" Something very odd interrupted Harry's thoughts. Mrs. Weasley was hugging him so hard he could barely breathe, and all he could do was saying "I'm sorry, I truly am… I should be the…"

"Don't!" She cried, pulling away from him just a few inches. "Don't even dare say that Harry! You are just a boy! Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened tonight!"

Harry was so startled by this outburst that all he could do was just stare at her, hoping to find an explanation in her eyes. However, all he found was sorrow. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman and even guiltier than he felt before she came.

"Molly, I really am sorry… I never thought it would end up like this…" He said, kicking himself mentally for sounding so lame. "Of course it was going to end up like this you git! What did you think?! That we would all suddenly sing a song and get through with it?! Of course there'd be casualties! Too bad I wasn't one of them…"

"Harry, listen to me…" She said, her voice cracking at the sudden thought of her son lying downstairs, with a smile still etched in his still face. "This is not your fault. I have already lost too many people to this cause."

"This is not a cause! It was my cause! People died because of ME! I shouldn't have got you into this…"

"Damn it Harry!" Mrs. Weasley shouted surprising him, as he'd never heard her curse before, least of all, him. "You didn't get us into this! As a matter of fact, you were actually drawn into this battle before you could even say your own name!" After saying this, she spun around and said, "Harry, I just want you to know you can live with us at Burrow for the summer… and I just wanted to check up on you… please don't blame yourself for what happened, I don't blame you…" She turned around to face him obviously hiding away fresh tears, "You're like a son to me, and I truly don't blame you." This sudden change in attitude and in topic most of all, startled Harry to the point of questioning the woman's sanity. (A/N: I know the Burrow thing came out of nowhere, but I pictured her as if she were in a sort of denial state…)

This time it was Harry who hugged her as if there was no tomorrow, he truly loved her like a mother and couldn't see her like this. No matter how many times she said it, he still felt guilty for the death of her son.

"Now, Harry" she said regaining her composure, "I think you should sleep a bit, and if you like I can tell the house elves to bring you something to eat before you get thinner."

"It's all right, you don't have to… really, I'll just call Kreacher" He answered, looking at the floor, he just couldn't bear the look of sorrow in her eyes.

"All right Harry dear, I'll get to it" She smiled and left the room.

Harry sat there for what it seemed like the longest time until he heard the unmistakable crack sound of an elf apparating outside his door.

"Master Harry! You're alive!" Kreacher squealed as Harry opened the door and took the sandwich the creature was holding.

"Yeah, it seems so… thanks for the food… anyway… I umm… I'll just sleep now…"

"Yes, Master Harry. Kreacher reckons Master Harry must rest for he has avenged the death of Master Remulus, rest Master Harry, Kreacher will always serve you…"

"Yeah, thanks… well… bye"

"Goodbye Master Harry" Kreacher said bowing as he walked out the door, only to reveal a mass of red hair that blinded Harry for a second.

He suddenly felt guiltier than he had ever felt… for it was not any Weasley standing on his doorstep, it was Ginny. She awkwardly smiled at him, though Harry noticed the same sorrow he had noticed in Mrs. Weasley's in her eyes. After a fleeting hug and whispering "I'm glad you're not dead" in his ear and mentally kicking herself for sounding so childish, she spun around and left the room. Harry was left there to his own thoughts and decided it was best to just sleep for a while… though he didn't think he'd be able to, after all that had happened, sleeping seemed something other people did, people with no worries… unmarked people.

A/N: Pleassseeee review… lol I know it's not quite good, as it's the first chapter, but please tell me what you think, any suggestions as to changes that could be made to this chapter are more than welcome!! If you read this, THANK YOUUUUU!!