A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.
This is in loving memory of Anna Meyer, who died 31 December 2011. She had multiple accounts cancer, and somewhere along the line it caused blood poisoning. Rest in peace, Aunt Anna.
I'll always remember you
The war was over. Many had lost their lives – at least it wasn't in vain. Hogwarts school lay in ruins. The statues crumbled, limbs dislodged, faces disfigured... and that was just the statues. Not to speak of the corpses that lay in the Great Hall. Harry knew he had to face the families soon, but he just didn't have the courage. Ironic, isn't it? His Gryffindor courage had forsaken him. It was the next morning, and he had slept peacefully – there was no reason to run anymore. He had allowed himself a moment of bliss before having to deal with the mourning families.
I'll always remember you.
He stood up from his old four-poster bed and covered himself in his Invisibility Cloak. Leaving behind his sleeping mates, he left the dorm quietly and trooped down to the Great Hall. He had to see them for himself to ascertain the memory was not a dream.
Fred – his brother in a way, was gone. Gone forever. Never again would he look into the blue eyes of his best friend's older brother and see the humor, the guilt... never would Fred pretend to be George again, and vice versa, because Harry knew it would cause George only heartache. Maybe he'd do it in later years, but not now.
Remus... he was like a father figure to Harry. The last true marauder. Screw Pettigrew. He'd never see his son grow into a striking resemblance of himself. Brave, yet sweet. Caring, kind, supportive. But he would, of course, inherit his mother's chronic clumsiness, and her hot temper.
I'll always remember you...
Many names, many faces... eyes that would never see again, ears that would never hear the pleas of loved ones to return, to not be gone, to please, please, please return! Their senses would never pick up the tears falling onto their faces, their chests, their hands... Never would they know the truth about each other. Never...
But they all had known the day would come, where they would stand together and fight. Yes, some lives would have been lost – always. In the eyes of some, humans were expendable. But, to the ones left behind, the ones gone had had ideals, dreams, lives that could still be lived... there was Colin, Lavender, Fred, Tonks, Remus... they were all so young! Why did they have to die? It just wasn't fair! They had their whole lives ahead of them! Why was life such a bitch?
It will become better. One day. They'd look back, and perhaps share a laugh about the dearly departed ones' antics, their smiles, laughs... the moments Harry spent with every person. Those precious moments... He'd forever regret thinking of Colin as annoying for wanting his photograph. He'd cherish the boy with the camera, who idolized him, Harry. And Fred – he'd never forget the twin's face when Harry just gave them the gold he'd won from the Triwizard Tournament, or when he'd awarded Harry the Marauder's map – and back in first year when they'd helped him load his trunk onto the train... Lavender? The way she embarrassed Ron always made him laugh, though he'd never have admitted it to Ron. Remus... there were too many to mention. He'd been the one to teach Harry to cast a patronus, and taught Harry that chocolate could fix anything, and that a book should not be judged by its cover, and, above all, that loves knows no boundaries. Tonks taught him that clumsiness can be a virtue, that love hates numbers – which explains why Harry was so rotten at math.
Above all, he hated no being given the chance to know the real Severus Snape. They could've been, well not friends, but at least some sort of agreement could've been drawn up, and they'd get together and just talk. About Lily, James, the marauders... even if all he would do was smear their names, at least Harry would've been closer to them.
Yes, indeed, someday they would look back and laugh. But not now. Now laughter had ceased to exist. Who knew you could feel both happiness and pain at the same moment? He was happy that the war was over, Voldemort was gone! Gone forever! It was cause for joy! Cause for celebration!
But the time to celebrate would come later. Now there were tears. He'd keep those precious memories close to his heart; their smiles, their laughs... Wizarding photographs forever etched into his heart. Both good, and bad. They touched his life, every single one of them. He wished them love and luck in death. They were still with them, of course, in their hearts. He was thankful to have known them.
We're here... Sirius had said, pointing to Harry's heart.
Does it hurt?
Quicker and easier than falling asleep.
It was easier to think that they were all sleeping. That meant they would see one another one day. In heaven, paradise... wherever. In a dream...
The fact was that this was a chapter closing, and they were on every single page. There was no chance of going back, but you could always flip through the pages and remember who they were. Yesterday was gone, and today was a new day. No one knew what the day of tomorrow might bring – but they had to keep moving on!
It was just so hard so hard to say goodbye! It made it all so hard. The idea of never speaking to Sirius again, or Remus...
I'll always remember you.
The unspoken promise.
Yesterday's gone, and moving on was essential.
Now the future lurked. Dark, yet exceedingly bright. There was opportunity. There was liberty.
A new page, a new chapter – new memories. Their names would now be immortalized in the hearts of the survivors and into the spirit of Hogwarts. Making it tougher, braver, loyal... and a tad more sneaky, too, what with Fred...
Harry smiled a teary smile. He'd make sure they didn't die in vain.
I'll always remember you.
. . .
A/N: Just Harry's thoughts after the battle. If this made you bawl, let me know. If it didn't, let me know anyways.
To all cancer patients: My aunt had been fighting for years, you can too. Don't give up! Never, never give up! Fight until the very end!