CHAPTER ONE
The world was lost in stillness and silence.
Harry Potter stood, frozen, his emerald green eyes transfixed on Tom Riddle's limp and lifeless body that lay crumpled amidst the myriads of rubble, wreckage and debris. For a moment, nothing happened. No one moved, no one spoke, and Harry continued to stand there, two wands clasped tightly in his hand, staring at Voldemort without really seeing him.
And then, the silence was sliced by a cacophony of shouts and cheering; the stillness was shaken by racing figures and pumping fists; and colour flooded back into the world as Harry swivelled to face the people flooding out into the courtyard.
Ron and Hermione reached him first, and all of a sudden the three of them were hugging, Ron's arm wrapped around Harry's neck, and Hermione pressed between the two of them, sobbing into Harry's chest. And then people were tugging Harry, away from his best friends, and he turned to see Ginny before him, her fiery red mane flying in the breeze and a blazing look in her eye as she clasped the front of his shirt and tugged his lips down to hers. The moment was pure bliss despite their chapped lips, muddy faces and grazed skin, and Harry thought he could never get enough. But then more people arrived and he was pushed deeper into the crowd. The rest of the Weasleys were there, and Neville and Luna too. Tears were tumbling down Hagrid's big face and trickling into his beard, and Mcgonagall was comforting him with a smile of sadness and joy on her face. There was Oliver Wood, and Dean and Seamus… Fleur, Aberforth, Professor Flitwick. Everyone was there, cheering and smiling, each one of them trying to touch Harry, to clasp his arm. And Harry was happy that they were all happy, but he couldn't ignore the crushing guilt, grief and exhaustion. He tried to push it from his mind while he just willed himself into this moment, into the ecstatic celebration before the reality of all that had happened truly hit home.
A couple of hours later, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat together in the Gryffindor common room, all huddled together on the same sofa, snuggled under a big blanket.
"I can't quite believe it's over," Hermione murmured. "Voldemort's dead." She said, the chilling and staggering words hanging in the air. "It seems like it was mere moments ago that you were…" She glanced at Harry. "That you were…" Her eyes filled with tears.
Earlier, when the three of them had gone to Dumbledore's old office and Harry had broken the Elder Wand, Harry had explained to his two best friends about him being the final horcrux, and about how he had learnt he had to die. None of them had addressed it quite yet.
"Hermione," he started to say, but she cut him off.
"You know I would have gone with you, don't you?" She said, her voice quivering. "I would have wanted to. The thought of you going alone…" She gulped. "You didn't even say goodbye."
"I couldn't," Harry said, his eyes switching to the floor. "If I had, I never would have gone. You two would have stopped me, or you would have insisted on coming, and I couldn't let that happen." He glanced back up. "Besides, I wasn't alone. You two were with me, your presences were there. And…" He trailed off, and then caught Ron's gaze.
"Your parents were with you, weren't they?" Ron said suddenly.
"What?" Hermione's eyes widened.
Harry nodded. "It was the Resurrection Stone – that's what was in the snitch. It opened for me, just before."
"'I open at the close,'" Hermione whispered, and Harry nodded.
"My parents appeared," Harry said. "And Sirius and Lupin too. They stayed with me. All the way – until the end."
Ron couldn't help asking. "And what was it like? The end…"
Harry considered this. "Quick," he said. "Painless. Peaceful."
Ron's features relaxed, and Harry knew that he was thinking of Fred.
Hermione, who sat in the middle of the two, reached her arms up and wrapped one each around Harry and Ron, and then pulled them both closer into a tight embrace.
"Blimey, Hermione," Ron said. "We just survived a bloody war. Don't squeeze us to death now."
"That would be a heroic end," Harry joked, and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Why do you two have to ruin the moment?" She said. "You're both unbelievable."
Ron grinned. "I seem to be making a habit of that today," he remarked. "You should have seem Voldemort's face when I shouted over the top of his lies…"
Hermione glanced up. "You just said his name… Voldemort."
Ron contemplated this for a moment, and then offered a stiff nod. "Huh," he said. "I guess I did. Well, it's better late than never."
Harry glanced at him, thinking back to the moment Ron had just referenced. "Thank you," he said. "For what you both said back then. And thank you for all you did. You two were heroes, truly. And Neville too."
Hermione touched his arm. "You're a hero, too, Harry." She told him, and then studied his face. And I need you to stop feeling guilty this instant."
Harry glanced at her. "I can't help it," he murmured. "If I had done something earlier, if I had-"
She cut him off. "Harry," she said. "You risked everything. And the Wizarding World will be eternally grateful."
Harry felt tears blurring his vision at her words. He didn't believe her and he still felt guilty, but he was so moved by her sentiment that he simply nodded.
Before long, the three of them drifted into sleep. There were many restless nights to come for them all, but for now, they slept in peace, tangled in each other, nestled on the sofa together.