The Life and Death of Harry James:

The Hero Returns

A/N: Goodness you guys. I can't say how sorry I am for not getting this up sooner, to be completely honest, time has just gone waaay too fast and my computer had a little crash. O.O But everything's all better now hopefully! Lemme know how you like this long-awaited chapter! ^_^

As soon as I had entered the grounds of Hogwarts I felt sick to my stomach, already the ground had bodies strewn on the damp grass. They were bodies of people I knew, students I had passed on the way to another class. Once people who laughed and spoke now lay dead to never have their voice carry on the air again. What had these people done to deserve to die?

Nothing, absolutely nothing. They were all dying for one thing…me. Or at least this was how I saw it. I entered the battlefield, my wand drawn and prepared to fight. I couldn't think about everything I had left behind, right now all I could do was help in the fight against the Death Eaters. I pushed the thoughts of running around to make sure everyone I loved was alright away, I pushed the thoughts of her out of my mind. If I was fighting I was fighting for her, whether it was to defend her or avenge her I wouldn't know until the war was over. Until I stared into the faces of the dead and awaited to see if the woman I loved was among them.

"Stupefy!" I shouted at a Death Eater, causing them to fall to the ground before two more people ran to take the job off my hands. I turned my head to search for another place to help when I noticed someone trip, a Death Eater pursuing them. I had to help, I would need to find Voldemort, I would need to finish it off. Quickly, I ran towards the figure, only as I came closer I noticed it was her. An emotion came over so strong I can only describe it as hate as I stared at the figure moving to attack her. It wouldn't touch her.

I cast my curse then, watching as their body now fell to the ground, lifeless. While part of me took in the fact that I had killed a being, the other was only filled with relief that I had saved her.

"You alright?" I asked gruffly, turning my eyes from the body to her. She looked shaken, and a bit surprised. If I had been in her place I would have been angry, hell, I was angry with myself for leaving. If I thought hard about it, I left for good reason, I had learned things and I knew the key to destroying Voldemort once and for all. To give piece back to the Wizarding world.

It was funny, how once upon a time ago, I was just a boy who lived with his aunt and uncle under a set of stairs. I had no friends and I was known as a freak, or "boy". Then suddenly, my world changed, everyone knew who I was and I had the two best friends anyone could have asked for. Or at least I had. I knew the key to destroy Voldemort, the other "keys" were out of the way now. The horcruxes had been destroyed.

Hermione continued to stare dumbly at me. Hermione. It felt so nice to think her name again, to see her again. I offered my hand out and she took it, standing up. I noticed she seemed to wince when she stood on her left leg, it must have been where she tripped.

"You look fine." I said, turning to leave and get back into the war. I needed to get to Voldemort before more lives were ended. My shoulders were grabbed and I was facing Hermione once again, she was squinting at me, as if trying to figure out if it was truly me. I knew it was her, even in the dim moonlight. I started to speak again when her lips crashed against mine, fireworks erupting in my head.

I wrapped my arms around her and returned her kiss. Was it wrong that the first kiss we shared together was in the middle of a war with people falling every which way? Hermione pulled away from me and I blinked behind my glasses, before a smile inched its way onto my face.

"That was for coming back." she whispered, "And this-" Hermione rose her hand and slapped me. Hard. "is for leaving in the first place!"

"Oi!" I hissed, rubbing my cheek. "I missed you too." My cheek stung, even when I barely touched it it only seemed to add to the fire. She had a strong arm, Hermione could have tried out to be a Beater on the Quidditch team if she knew how to fly. "You have to understand, I was confused and there were things I needed to find out. Hermione, you have to understand." I told her in a quiet tone

"I have a school to defend." she told me, spotting something on the grass and picking it up. Her wand. Hermione began to walk away from me and back into the battle. I quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to me.

"Be safe." I told her quietly, staring into her dark brown eyes, "And if I don't see you again-"

"Don't." she snapped, covering my mouth with her hand. "We'll see each other after, once we win."

"But if we don't-"

"We. Will." she hissed

I sighed heavily, Hermione would always be stubborn. But that was what drew me to her so much. Although, sometimes I wished she would allow me to speak. Without trying to finish my sentence, I pulled her to me once again and kissed her. "If we don't see each other after, I want you to know I love you." I whispered against her lips.

Hermione turned away from me before looking at me once more, "I love you too, Harry." I smiled once more at her before jogging back into the battle, Hermione needed to know before the end. I needed to let her know. And if I never saw her again, it would mean I saved them all. All the ones who have died for me wouldn't have died in vain. I would have avenged them all because…

I was the last horcrux.