When he woke up the next morning, he found a brilliant sun sending beams telling of the dawn through his drab navy curtains. He grumbled wordlessly as he shifted to keep that blasted sun out of his eyes. It was so damn cheery. How could the sun rise and set each day for the past three years, not knowing that the world's savior was grieving as though he had destroyed Voldemort yesterday?

Harry Potter happened to have the day off, so he could sulk to his heart's content in bed. If he had a choice, he'd never leave it, always drifting from reality to dreamland peacefully. Well, as peacefully as he could, anyway. He knew he had had the same dream for the past three years, but every once and awhile, he would forget that particular one, and remember a different one. This dream is most of the time very pleasant. But it was this dream Harry hated most. For when he awoke, he realized more fully what could have been, had he not been so stupid as not to notice Dumbledore's sadness and Elizabeth's distance.

Oh, now he knew that Elizabeth had known about her death beforehand, but he didn't blame her for not telling him. No, he blamed Dumbledore. Dumbledore was really becoming quite aggravating. He had caused two deaths that needn't have happened. Harry shook his head as a lump caught in his throat at the thought of Sirius.

He pictured them both in heaven. Both smiling. Both happy. They were waving at him, laughing as though a joke was told before Harry saw them. Sirius had a hair cut and Elizabeth was looking radiant. Then this picture would vanish, and be replaced by a picture of a depressed Sirius, and Elizabeth trying to comfort him with tears in her own eyes. Either way Harry thought about it would still make him feel very alone. Ron and Hermione were still there, but they were so wrapped up in each other, there was no room for Harry left. Or maybe Harry didn't want them to make room for him. He was satisfied with his solitary life. Sure, girls had tried to get him to open up, but only after they opened up to him. Not meaning about their lives, either.

'I need a drink,' Harry thought as he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. He got up and walked to his kitchen. Alcohol had become his best friend. He didn't notice how close he was to becoming an alcoholic. He normally didn't drink enough to get stupid, but just enough to feel the pain slip away to the netherworld.

Reflecting back on all the memories, he took out a bottle of fire whiskey. He sat down on his couch and opened the bottle. 'Here's to the Man-Who-Fucking-Killed-Everyone-He-Loved,' he thought sarcastically as he swigged straight from the bottle. And he drank until he passed out on his couch.

Ron Weasley opened Harry's door and saw him lying on the couch in his living room. Shock stunned him for a minute. Harry never left his door unlocked. He rushed to his best friend. "Harry?" he called quietly, walking right by him. When Harry didn't stir, Ron called louder. He continued until Harry woke up.

"What do you want?" Harry asked shortly. He didn't have a headache, but his eyes burned. As always, he felt hollow, like he was not a whole person.

"I've got a letter from Professor Dumbledore. Seems Death Eaters are still roaming the wizarding world," Ron explained.

"Great. What do I care about this for?" Harry asked, exasperated.

"He wants us to work together to find the Death Eater that was sighted at Diagon Alley. He specifically asked for you and me. You, because of your Auror training, and me, because I know what the inmates would look like—"

"What makes you think that I'd want to go looking for this Death Eater?" What was making him so difficult, today? Maybe the fact that he was supposed to be relaxing and then Ron comes into his flat, uninvited, and tells him of this mission Dumbledore wants them to do out of the blue.

"It's not just one, Harry. Azkaban had a major breakout. How the older ones got out is beyond me, but I think it has something to do with the Anhelo Potion."

"And my department is alright with this?" Harry asked languidly. He wanted them not to be okay with it. He was part of the big picture in the fight between good and evil, but not anymore. He didn't want anything to do with the rest of the world, now. He deliberately went into a division that had very little legwork and dueling. Though thousands were disappointed, the division of Tracking and Location were thrilled to have him be part of their team.

"Dumbledore has set it all up. We have a year to find all the Death Eaters and their new recruits."

"How can they have new recruits? Voldemort's been gone…" Harry's eyes glazed over as he stopped speaking. Pain in his chest felt like it would explode. Talking about it is so much harder than just thinking. When one thought, one could tell oneself anything, and believe it. But when one spoke, it would become set in stone. It was not able to be taken back.

Ron, seeing Harry's unease, sighed as he thought about what he could do for him. "Think about it. You need to do something else besides mope and do paper work, Harry. Getting moving is something that might just help you out of this stage of chronic depression you've sunk into."

Harry looked at Ron with a kind of dead stare. "Chronic Depression? What do you know about chronic depression? Unless I'm mistaken, Hermione's not dead, so you can't begin to feel what I feel—"

It was so much scarier because he was saying this without feeling. Ron suppressed a shudder. "Look, mate, it's been three years. You've got to have made some progress with getting over her. I know you're still mad and hurt and all those things, but the world moved on. It's time you have, too." Ron shot Harry one last glance before walking out the door.

(A/N: I wonder if my title works...This was supposed to be called Harry Potter and the Rest of His Adult Life, but I guess the little monkeys that operate don't like having the word Adult in the title....but that's my thought on why it didn't work. Ummm...Told you this chapter would be up soon. And it's a tad longer! -big grin-. I have two reviewers! yay! Go me!!

Elusive Critic:Review boxes are retards! They don't allow repeated characters. So I didn't see your exact marks -cries-. Thank you for reviewing! Yay! I got someone who knows what they're doing reviewing, again! Ummm...I hope that you do know that this is a sequel, and that there are two stories before this. If you don't want to read them, that's fine, but just be prepared to be very confused!

Tekvah Ariel: Welcome back! I explain my title dilemma above. Much gratitude for you for leaving a review! That chapter was supposed to be odd, but I bet you'll think this one is more odd. -big grin- you rock!

If you're wondering why the heck Harry's feeling like this, read Harry Potter and Secrets Untold, and then Harry Potter and the Falling Stars. Then you can review them! I like reviews! -lopsided grin as walking away-)