Dear Ginny,

By the time you read this, I will be dead. I am so sorry that I can't tell you this myself. I don't know if I can even write it. First, why? Well, when Voldemort tried to kill me when I was a baby and his spell rebounded, it knocked a bit of his soul loose, and it lodged itself in me. It made me a Horcrux. Get Hermione to explain. Ron, Hermione and I have been spending all year trying to find others Voldemort made and have destroyed all but three. One is the last bit in Voldemort, the second is in his snake, and I have just found out that the last bit is in me. The only way to destroy a Horcrux is to put it beyond magical repair, so that means Voldemort can't be destroyed while I live. I'm terrified. I know I have got to do this; there can be no going back, or everything else has been for nothing. And I am so sad about what I am never going to do. Like have a life without fear, get a job, have kids, anything.

I need to tell you that I am really sorry we broke up last summer. I didn't want to really, but I couldn't think past the danger you would be in if anyone found out we were together. I care too much about you, and you are too precious to me to risk. Those weeks we were going out were the best of my life. They kept me going all year, and gave me a reason to go on. A reason to keep fighting. I know it hurt you dreadfully though, and I am deeply sorry about that. I wouldn't want to hurt you on purpose, ever, and knowing how much hurt I put you through was like being stabbed with knives. It tore me apart, seeing you being so brave and smiling at the wedding, even though I knew you were screaming inside. I was screaming too. It was all I could do not to try to get back with you then, but I was so afraid of what might happen to you. Everyone else I ever cared about, or who cared about me, has been killed, one after the other. It's like I carry a touch of death.

While we have been away I have thought of you so very often, pleading in the night to be allowed to see you again, to talk to you or touch your hair. On guard, I spent a lot of time just watching your dot on the Marauder's Map, wondering what you were doing and hoping you were safe. I nearly lost it completely when your dot didn't appear after Easter. I was afraid you had been hurt, or died.

I haven't got a lot of time left now. I wanted so much to be able to tell you this myself, to ask you to forgive me and to give us another chance, but I will never be able to do that. I wanted to go places with you, share time with you, have fun and laughs and to kiss you, but all that has been taken away now. I will never be able to tell you how I really feel about you. Everything I ever wanted for us and for you has been stamped out. I don't even know if you hate me, if you would forgive me or even want me back. All I have left, all I can do for you now is die for you. Even if one life is saved it will be worth it and it puts Voldemort one step nearer to mortality. I just wish there was some way, ANY way out, but there isn't. There is no hope left. In a minute, I am going to give this letter to Kreacher to put under your pillow, walk out into the forest and let him kill me. I'm not even going to try to stop him. I hope it will be quick, that I will not whimper or cry, but I am terribly afraid and you are the only person I can tell. All I want to do is to run, or for someone to tell me it's all right, but I know that it's not like that. I have to do it.

Please try not to be too angry with me. And don't waste too much time after I am gone thinking about me. Look for someone who will care for you and you can care for too. I would be happier knowing that you had someone to care for you if I can't do it, even though the thought tears me in half.

Last thing – I am so sorry about Fred. He didn't deserve to die. Nobody did. I just wish I had been clever enough to work all this out sooner. Then it might have been different. If I find him where I am going, I will give him your love.

Right – this is it. I can't put it off any longer. I am going to seal this with a last kiss. Tell everyone goodbye for me. Remember that wherever I am I will always be yours.

Harry

PS With this letter is the key to my vault at Gringotts. Half of everything in it is for you. Half the rest is for your family, and what is left is to go to Ron and Hermione. Grimmauld place is for you and your family. Please look after Kreacher too.

Ginny finished reading and finally broke down. He had done that for her, deliberately, terrified, knowing that he had nothing left. No hope. No help. No comfort. No support. No one to hug him and tell him it would be okay. Nothing but his own strength. Not even a reason left to live for, only a reason to die. She was still sitting on the side of her bed sobbing when Hermione came in wearing her dressing gown and ready to get into bed.

"What is it, Ginny? Are you still thinking about Fred?" Hermione asked quietly.

Wordlessly, Ginny handed Hermione the letter without even looking up. Her words were muffled by her hands over her face.

"He did that for us. I never knew. No one was there for him, and he was afraid I hated him. I know I was furious with him to begin with, even though I understood why, but I hate it when everybody tries to protect me. After that, all I did was miss him. There was a hole in me because part of me went with him, and he never knew. I never could tell him. No wonder he didn't talk to me in the Great Hall."

Hermione quickly scanned through the letter, noting that the ink had run and dried in several places while it was being written. Now it was wet with Ginny's tears as well.

"Let's go up to him now," she said. "You need to sort this out with him."

"He must hate me. He won't…"

"He loves you. He has never had anyone to feel love for before, so he probably doesn't know that's what he has been feeling, but he does. He never knew, but I saw him night after night, crying over that map, holding it to his chest. I saw what missing you was doing to him."

Ginny got off the bed slowly, and put on her robe. Still sniffling, she let Hermione guide her out of the room, down to the landing and onto the boys' stairs. They went up and found Kreacher outside Harry's dormitory, hands on hips and a fierce expression on his face.

"You must not disturb Master Harry. He is needing his sleep. Master Harry is not even eating one sandwich before falling asleep. Kreacher will not let anyone harm Master Harry."

Hermione knelt down so that she was almost eye to eye with Kreacher. "Please, Kreacher, let us go in," she said. "Ginny missed Harry so badly while he was away. I promise we won't wake him. Ginny just wants to be there for him when he wakes up."

"You is Mistress Ginnywheezy that Master Harry sent the letter for?" Kreacher asked, looking surprised. He suddenly bowed deeply to Ginny. "Kreacher is honoured to meet Mistress Ginnywheezy. Master spoke of Mistress Ginnywheezy with great affection, and said how important she was."

Ginny also knelt down. "So please, may we go in?"

Kreacher snapped his fingers, and the door opened, slowly and silently. They went in and it closed gently behind them.

Quietly, Ginny looked at Harry. He was face down on his bed, hands hanging off the sides, each holding a wand. There was a third wand in his back jeans pocket. What she could see of his face was bruised and cut. The back of his shirt was ripped to shreds and bloody. There was even blood on the pillow. She had never seen anything so wonderful, or terrible.

In the next bed, Ron sat up suddenly and growled, "What are you doing here, Ginny? Don't wake him. He went out like a light as soon as he saw the bed."

"I'm not going to. I'm not leaving either, so don't get protective. I'm not leaving him."

"But you broke up. You know you could get hurt again, and I'm not having that."

"Don't try to tell me what to do or not do, Ron, unless you want me to hex you into the next century." Ginny's voice was rising and Harry stirred slightly in his sleep.

"Shh," hissed Hermione. "Ron, don't be such a git. You know how Harry feels about Ginny. Suppose Ginny feels the same? Give them the chance we have."

Ron's expression softened slightly. "Okay, but if he hurts her again I'll have to hex him, best mate or not. I don't know what Mum will think if she finds her here though."

"We'll worry about that later. Now move over and make room."

Ron's eyes widened and he spluttered, "But what… where…"

"Oh, for goodness' sake, Ron," sighed Hermione, rolling her eyes. "There's plenty of room in the bed for both of us to sleep."

"Oh. I just… okay then."

Hermione pulled the curtains closed around her and Ron. Ginny saw a wide armchair across the room from Harry's bed. She sat down, pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms round her shins. She could wait.