I don't own HP or any of that junk. This is just a random one shot that popped into my head the other day when I re-read PoA. Enjoy.

Harry's P.O.V

I was rushing towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. I couldn't afford to be late yet again. This used to be my favorite class. That was, until Snape started teaching it. Still sometimes it was nice to show that greasy haired git that I was able to do something. Thanks to the Prince I was doing great in Potions class. I wonder if that was saying anything about Snape's teaching skills. Oh god, I hope so. I rushed into class to see that everyone was already in their seats. Thankfully though, Snape seemed absent from the room. I took my seat next to Hermione and waited along with everyone. We waited a few more minutes for him, but he still didn't show up.

"Where do you think Snape is?" I asked Ron who was on the other side of Hermione.

"Maybe he got attacked by something," Ron suggested to many people's amusement.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned to Hermione. We started a conversation about the book that she was reading. A few minutes later Snape walked through the door.

"We're going to be doing something different today," he told them in that dark tone of his. "I'm going to set each of you up against a series of dark creatures and see how you fair. Sixth years should have no trouble with these creatures." There was a sneer on his face. I couldn't wait to wipe it off.

We all followed him as he led us out of the castle and out into the grounds. We walked until we hit the edge of the forest. He turned around and showed a smile which told most of us we were in deep. However I wasn't worried. I was the best in DADA and Hermione was right behind me. Thanks to the DA last year, Ron was high up in our year as well.

"Well I wonder who should demonstrate for the class," Snape's eye drifted towards me. Not that I should be surprised. I knew that he was hoping that I would make a fool of myself or get hurt. I wasn't planning on either.

"Why don't I do it sir?" I asked sarcastically.

"Watch that tone Potter," he said curtly. "But seeing as your so eager to get yourself sent to the hospital wing, go right ahead."

Ron and Hermione gave me a grin that let me know they were thinking the same thing as me. I was going to breeze through this. I mean, I had faced a Basilisk, Dementors, Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself. What could Snape possibly throw at me?

I breezed through the first series of creatures without breaking a sweat. I moved my wand gracefully like it was just an extension of my arm. The spells flowed from my lips as soon as I thought them. I was almost home free. Then there was only one creature left. It was hiding it's self away in a trunk. I already knew what it was, a bogart. Simple enough. I prepared my wand and the trunk opened. It was a strange shape before it saw me, then it changed. Before I knew it, Lord Voldemort was standing in front of me. I ignored the screams from my peers behind me and focused on who was in front of me. I opened my mouth to utter the spell but there was something stopping me from saying it. There was something different about Voldemort that I had never seen before. I realized what it was. Blood. There was crimson trailing down his robes, and there were blood stains on his hands.

"Harry Potter," he said my name in a hiss.

My classmates shrieked from behind me. I expected that Snape might jump in and help, if only for this once. But I was mistaken. I was left here alone...to face my deepest darkest fear...

"I've finally done it," The bogart-Voldemort hissed, "I've destroyed everything that you've ever cared about. The prophecy was wrong, you weren't a savior to all these people. You were what brought about their deaths in the end."

I closed my eyes. This wasn't real. I hadn't done anything. My friends, the people I loved, they were all still here. They were watching me now, fearing for me. I opened my mouth to speak the spell, but once again words escaped me.

"You are nothing Harry Potter. I killed the blood traitor family you were so fond of. I had a very fun time killing the girl. See this," he held up his sleeve. "This is the blood of the boy you ran around with. Because he was your friend, he died the slowest death. You could have spared him, all you had to do was stay away."

My fists began to shake. Anger, fear, sadness, and agony all welled up inside me. I should be able to stop him, but right now my mind was blank.

"Soon I will have it all. I will conquer death Harry, and there is nothing that you will be able to do about any of it. You've failed!" He laughed a dark and cold laugh. "You have nothing at all left now."

Voldemort walked in a circle around me. "I've killed you're pathetic parents. I made you lead your godfather to his death. I must say though, you helped me a great deal in getting what I wanted. You led me to those pathetic friends of yours. You gave me exactly what I needed to defeat you. You seemed to gain strength from them didn't you Potter? So I took them away from you. I still have to say that the most enjoyable moment is when I got to kill that Mudblood you were always so fond of."

My insides squeezed together and for a moment I could hardly breathe. I had tears streaming down my face. Somewhere in the back of my head I was telling myself that all of this was fake, but those words made no sense to me. All I knew was that I was stuck in my own personal hell.

"She put up a good fight," Voldemort continued. "A very bright witch indeed. If she wasn't a Mudblood I might have been more impressed with her skills." He put a finger under my chin and I flinched away. "You were quite taken with her weren't you dear boy? You used to watch her from the corner of your eye as she would read those books she loved so much, wishing that there could more between the two of you. I suppose like father like son. Maybe you were always destined to fall in love with a Mudblood."

Everything I knew was out the window as Hermione's face filled my mind. She was smiling that bright smile she always seemed to wear around me, but in the next instant, she was on the ground with a blood soaked face, screaming for the pain to end. She was begging for death.

"My Death Eater's had quite fun torturing her. She was hard to break. But in the end she begged for death, and so I gave it to her. You Harry Potter, and you alone are responsible for the death of your friends. You alone as responsible for the death of the girl that you loved..."

"NO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Forgetting that this was all just another lesson, forgetting that this wasn't really Voldemort, I screamed the only spell that came to my mind. "Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of green light and the bogart in front of me exploded in a shower of sparks.

There were more screams from behind me but I didn't care. Suddenly I was grabbed by the shoulders. Someone was leading me away from the trunk and away from my friends and Snape. All of my peers were looking at me, most with tears running down their faces. Other's, some Slytherin's included, were looking at me with fear in their eyes. Snape opened his mouth to say something but someone beat him to it.

"Potter has been through enough Severus," McGonagall's voice came from beside me.

Snape ground his teeth together but was wise enough not to go against her words. She led me up to the castle and to Gryffindor tower. Once we were in the common room she spoke.

"Potter, I think that you should get some rest. You're excused from all of your other lessons for the rest of the day."

I looked up at her and saw that she had tears brimming on the edge of her eyes. She looked at me with pity and sorrow.

"Thanks Professor," I said and walked towards my dorm in an attempt to make her leave faster.

Once she left, I turned right back around and went out of the portrait hole. I walked aimlessly across the grounds for the remainder of the day. Voldemort's voice replayed over and over again in my mind. His words plagued my conscience. I avoided any crowds there were which were very few. It was dark and cloudy out. I expected that it would start to storm any minute now. It seemed that as soon as I thought it, it began to rain. I walked back up to the school. Once inside I walked past the Great Hall which was bustling with students and staff, and walked towards Gryffindor tower. I was hungry, but there was nothing that could make me go into that hall right now. Anyways, if I got too hungry, I could always have Dobby bring me some food.

The common room was empty just as I expected it to be. Thunder bellowed over head and lightening lit up the dark sky. Rain pounded against the window. As the storm raged on outside, the one inside me began to swell as well. There were voices coming from outside the portrait hole now. I rushed up the stairs so no one would see me. Once inside my dorm I grabbed my Firebolt and walked over to the window. The door opened behind me as I opened the window. I turned to see that Ron had walked in. He looked at me with apprehension. Then he smiled.

"Harry mate! Me and Hermione have been looking for you all over the place! Where've you been?"

The rain was coming in from the window reminding me of why I came up here in the first place. "I've been off thinking about some things Ron. And I still think that I need some more time. So cover for me will ya?"

Ron looked at me uncertainly but shook his head none the less. "Ok sure mate whatever you say. Where are you goin'?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Dunno. Astronomy Tower maybe." Before he could say anything else I jumped out the window.

I enjoyed the sensation of free-falling for a moment before sliding my Firebolt underneath me and fly high up into the night. The rain hit me hard, stinging me. The cold wind bit at me but I could have cared less. I was free for the moment. Free of it all. I could fly away if I wanted. I could leave everyone and everything and never return again. The possibility made my heart feel lighter. I zoomed around the castle a few times. If this had been any other night, I might have taken into account that someone might look outside and see me. But even if I did care, there was no way that anyone was going to see me tonight in this storm.

I flew up to the Astronomy tower and dismounted from my broom. I propped the Firebolt up against the wall to where it was out of the rain and then I walked over to the ledge. The storm whipped around me and I felt as if I was in the middle of a hurricane. I looked down to see the ground far below me. So many thoughts whirled inside my head.

Today all my fears had been laid out in front of me. I realized that bogart-Voldemort could have been right about a few things. Could I really be leading all of them to their deaths because I'm close to them? I knew that they would all be targets because if it, but what if I was making them bigger targets than what I thought? Was I instilling a false hope in people across the country? What if I could never defeat Voldemort? Dumbledore said that prophecies can be changed. What if I'm not the one that's supposed to do it? I mean what was so special about me in the first place? Who was I to play hero to the wizarding world? Would it be better if I just left them all? I mean, what would be the point in going after them all if I wasn't around?

Before I could think anymore, the door behind me crashed open. "Harry! What are you doing?"

I turned to see Hermione standing there with a frantic look. Okay, so I guess given certain circumstances, me standing on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower in the dead of night, might not be the best idea. I quickly turned away from the edge and faced the person I was most afraid to see right now. Voldemort could kill me, but Hermione had my heart in her hands. Now it was up to her to decide what to do with it.

"Seriously what's gotten into you? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She rushed forward and hugged me tightly. My stomach did flips. Though all too soon she let go of me. "Seriously you've been gone from every class and no matter where I looked today I couldn't find you!"

"I just needed some time to think about things Hermione."

"Things that you don't need to be thinking about," she muttered.

I cocked my head with interest. "What are you talking about?"

"You're such a prat Harry Potter!" She exclaimed. "Do you really worry about getting us all killed?"

I looked down at the ground unable to look into her eyes. "Look at what I've already gotten you into Mione."

"Harry," she said lightly this time. "I wouldn't trade you for anything, can't you see that? If I was worried about my safety, I would have ever stuck with you this far." She grabbed my hand and held it to her cheek. "You're what I care about. I don't even want to think about where I would be if I had never met you. Sure I'd be safer, but I wouldn't be happy."

"Mione," I said tears stinging in my eyes. "What if I can't do it? What if I can't kill him?"

"You will," she said with confidence.

"How can you be so sure?"

She pushed my head up to where I was looking into her eyes. "Because I will make sure that you do." She smiled. "But what I want to know is about that girl." I froze, and I felt horror creep into my eyes. Her smile faded away. "Harry I'm sorry, I just..."

"Hermione don't please. It's already bad enough that everyone knows that I..." I stopped. I just couldn't say it.

"That you what Harry." I shook my head. "Say it, please?"

"I can't."

"Why not?" She asked clearly confused.

"Because I can't do it. I can't be with anyone. I can't drag anyone further into all of this mess. And if Voldemort ever found out...I couldn't live with myself if something ever, happened."

She stepped closer to me and I think I stopped breathing. "What if that person didn't care? What if they said that time was too short to stay on the safe side?"

"I would have to say that person was pretty stupid," I retorted.

"No she's not. Haven't you heard?" She said with a wide smile on her face. "She's the brightest witch of her time."

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "I'm scared Hermione," I admitted

She leaned her soaking wet forehead against mine. "Like I said, our time just may be too short to play it safe. We have to take advantage of this now, because we might not have the chance to do so later."

I nodded and looked at her, really looked at her. I saw that she was dead set in this. "I just hope we know what we're doing."

"I'm sure that we get the general idea," she said.

Then all the sudden my lips were crashing against hers. The storm was still raging around us, though we barely took notice. All my fears were still there of course, and they weren't going anywhere. Hermione was right, just like she always was. I had to trust that everything would be okay for us. I had to try at the very least. We broke apart and I tucked her wet locks behind her ear. I should have been growing numb from the storm, yet I had never felt so warm.

So I haven't exactly faced my bogart, but I think that I'm finally ready to do so. So many things could go wrong, but as Hermione liked to point out to me, so many things could go right. As I felt her fingers interlace with mine, I knew of something that had already gone right for me. We were as happy as we had ever felt before. And not even Snape taking fifty points from Gryffindor for being out so late, couldn't wipe the smile's off our faces.