Chapter 59

It was silent. Nobody said a word, still in shock of what had happened.

The true Dark Lord was dead. The war was over now.

Alex quietly walked over. Eric was frozen with his wand still raised. His eyes were wide in horror, tears streaming down his cheek. Alex walked up to Eric and rested a hand on Eric's hand.

"Eric, it's over," Alex said softly. "You can put your arm down now."

Eric looked at him.

"A-Alex?" he choked out.

Alex pushed Eric's arm down. He knelt down to the still body of his twin. Glassy green eyes stared up at the gloomy sky, lifeless yet peaceful. Alex gently closed his twin's eyes before dropped his hand to cover a slightly smaller hand. His twin's skin had always been cool to the touch, but now it felt ice cold. Alex rested the cold hand on his twin's stomach.

"A-Alex, I'm so sorry," Eric cried, falling to his knees.

"Don't...don't say anything," Alex said softly. "This was Harry's choice. There was no way I could've stopped him."

Hermione took a step forward.

"What are you going to do now, Alex?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?" Alex fixed unreadable ice blue eyes on her.

Hermione sighed, wringing her hands nervously.

"You could stay," she said almost shyly. "We never did finish our last year of school."

Alex cracked a humorless smile.

"No, I can't stay, Hermione," he said. "You know who I am. You know the crimes I've committed. I'll go to Azkaban if I stay here, possibly even get the Kiss."

"I still had to try," Hermione said.

"Then what are you going to do?" Ron asked, walking up from behind Hermione.

"The Ministry will be hunting me," Alex said. "They won't stop until I'm captured. After all, I am a Death Eater...or I was. But I'm also a murderer through and through."

Alex looked at them.

"I guess I'll travel the world," he said. "I've always wanted to see the world, kill two birds with one stone. See the world, avoid the Ministry and everyone else after me...although I always thought Harry would be with me. He would've enjoyed it."

Alex pulled out the dark brown wand.

"Don't know why he kept this thing," he said softly. "He never used it, never had to. He always used wandless magic and he claimed using a wand felt wrong. But I guess in a way, he'll be with me through his own wand."

Alex huffed humorlessly as he tucked the wand into his pocket.

"I must be delusional," he said. "You probably all think I'm ridiculous."

"No, nothing of the sort," Hermione said. "He gave you that wand for a reason, Alex."

Alex sighed.

"I should go now," he said. "Before the Aurors appear to arrest me."

He looked at them.

"Will you try to stop me?"

"Go," Dumbledore said.

Alex looked surprised before nodding gratefully.

"Thank you...headmaster," he said.

"I wish you luck on your journey," Dumbledore said. "You are a good young man, Mr. Riddle."

"No, I'm not a Riddle anymore," Alex said. "That's the name of my father. I don't any affiliation with him, not anymore."

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Mr. Evans, then?"

"That was only a disguise," Alex said. "It's just Alex now."

"What about Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I want to bury him myself, in a place he can rest in peace. Nobody will be able to find him," Alex said.

"Alex...if you will let me...I would like to visit Harry's resting place every once in a while," Hermione said.

Alex nodded once.

"That's fine," he said.

Hermione walked forward and hugged Alex. Alex stiffened before hesitantly hugging her back.

"You better keep in touch," Hermione muttered.

"It's dangerous," Alex said quietly.

Hermione pulled back and looked at him sternly.

"I expect you to keep in touch, even if it is just one letter years from now," she said. "I want to know you're okay, all right? That's all I ask for."

Alex's lips curled up into an amused smirk.

"Sure."

Hermione nodded and stepped back, satisfied. Alex picked up his twin's body.

"Hermione," he said. "You were a good friend and I admit...I enjoyed our friendship. I just wish we became friends in better circumstances, not because of a war, not because I was ordered to gather information about the Light Side."

Hermione smiled.

"We're still friends, Alex," she said. "You'll always be one of my bestest friends."

Alex gave a tiny smile.

"Goodbye, all of you," he said. "Perhaps one day, we'll meet again."

"Perhaps we will," Hermione said.

Alex turned on his heel and disappeared with a crack.

"I hope he'll be okay," Lily said.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Alex is a very capable young man. He'll be fine."

Alex gazed at the headstone that bore his twin's name. He stood up and touched the stone. Then, he turned and disappeared in another crack.

Alex appeared at the entrance of Riddle Manor. He walked through the manor. It was empty, having been abandoned after the war ended. He walked through the halls, not caring to look around for one last look. He didn't need to.

Alex stopped in front of the familiar lab. He took a deep breath and opened the door, walking in. He looked around. He could feel Harry's presence everywhere, even if it was faint now. He walked over to the shelves of books. He flicked his hand and shrunk all the books. He placed them into his pocket. He did the same with the books in Harry's room. He saw two familiar black books. He picked them up and brought them over to the table.

Alex flipped through the smaller of the two books, looking at the sketches and neat spidery scrawl handwriting he easily recognized as Harry's handwriting. He set the small book and touched the cover of the second book. After a second, he shrunk the book and tucked it into his pocket with the rest of the shrunken books. He then turned to the potions shelf. He easily tore through the wards still protecting the vials of the vivid red healing potion. He grabbed two vials and stored them in his other pocket before destroying the rest.

He heard a meow in the corner. Alex turned to see Hedwig staring up at him. Alex knelt down and Hedwig walked towards him. He picked her up, cradling the black cat in his arms. He noticed something around her neck. He set Hedwig down on the table and undid the item from around her neck. It was a keychain, one Alex recognized easily. He huffed in amusement.

"You've thought of everything, didn't you?" he muttered.

Hedwig meowed again. Alex picked her up again. Golden eyes speckled with green gazed up at him.

"You ready?" Alex asked softly.

Hedwig meowed in reply. Alex smiled.

"Let's go then; we have a long journey ahead of us."