Harry, Hermione and Ron whipped around to see what it was though they already knew. It was Voldemort. He was incredibly tall in real life, with black hair, a flat snake-like nose and poisonous red eyes. An amused look on his face appeared when he saw how much pain Harry was in.
"So Potter, we meet again," Voldemort said, a grin tugging at his mouth. Harry said nothing, he couldn't. The pain in his head was spreading and worsening. "Come Harry, speak to me. I don't bite." Harry found his voice.
"Yes but you kill." Harry winced.
"Manners Potter." Voldemort snapped. "I failed in teaching you them when we last had a duel."
"I don't want to duel Voldemort."
"Me neither." Voldemort said thoughtfully. Harry stood up shakily. Ron and Hermione were standing stiff as boards. Maybe they thought that if they didn't move, Voldemort wouldn't be able to see them, Harry never knew.
"Why are you here then?" Harry asked slowly.
"To get rid of you." Voldemort replied.
"And does Snape know anything about your being here?" Harry asked.
"No. I left all of my Death Eaters out of this. You seem to know all about our meetings already. I couldn't afford to let you hear this to."
"How do you know I didn't know about this?" Harry asked. Voldemort laughed.
"It would be impossible." Voldemort said wickedly. "Since I haven't told anybody, you couldn't have overseen the conversation in a dream."
"How do you know I can't see the future then?" Harry asked.
"Seriously boy! You're making a jackass of yourself! I came here to murder a wizard, not a toddler." Voldemort said and laughed at his cruel joke.
"Oh very funny." Harry said sarcastically. "I knew it. I knew something was going to happen today."
"How could you? You're bluffing. It's written all over your face." Voldemort said and chuckled again. A new spurt of pain came with every cackle of his cold laugh.
"Call it a premonition." Harry said casually, somehow talking through the swearing pain in his forehead.
"Liar." Hissed Voldemort.
"I'm not lying." Harry said. Voldemort didn't seem to hear him.
"You are just as worthless as you parents. Stupid, conceited people. They always had to be better than everybody else was. Your father was a disgrace to the Wizarding nations. Marring mud-blood scum like your mother."
"Take that back." Harry hissed. Voldemort laughed again.
"Your father would have been very good on our side. He was a very powerful wizard, not unlike you. But that would never do. You have stupidity in your blood, from your mother. She was very pretty and dumb. She died just for you. Little old you."
"Voldemort, give me one good reason why I shouldn't burn you." Harry said wickedly. Voldemort smiled wider.
"It's raining." Voldemort pointed out. Hermione squeaked something to Harry that sounded like 'not a good idea' but Harry ignored her.
"Not good enough." Harry concentrated hard. Burn that horrible man. Burn him for my parents' sake, for my sake. Voldemort's hair burst into flames. Voldemort cursed and put it out. His hair was now half burned off, smoking and smelled something horrible. Harry would have found this very funny except the look on Voldemort's face was murder.
"You'll pay for that Potter! Every inch of you body deserves to be in pain. You've caused more trouble to me than your sorry soul will ever know. I have every right to kill you, Potter, but not just yet. You deserve to be in pain, I'll say it again. You should die for my sake." Voldemort said
"I should die! Ha! You are the one who should die. You're the one that screwed up everything for me! You killed my parents! You deserve to die Voldemort. You deserve to be ripped apart, limb from limb, slowly. Killed for all the people you have murdered, tortured. You, Voldemort, or should I say Tom, deserve to wallow in freakish misery." Harry didn't know what he was saying; it was just coming out. Voldemort laughed.
"You could have been good Potter if you were on our side. But since you're not you will still be punished. Crucio!" He yelled and pointed his wand at Harry. Harry dodged it. Hermione and Ron screamed. "CRUCIO!" Harry didn't have time to dodge this one. He fell to the ground again in pain. His back arched up and he started shaking. Not a single peep left his mouth. He bit his lip so he wouldn't scream. His lip started to bleed.
"Harry!" Hermione cried, shaking herself. Harry looked at her, his eyes tense with pain. She was crying uncontrollably and Ron was quivering to.
"Not going to scream are you Harry?" Voldemort said, looking at Harry with the same amused smile. Harry shook his head. "CRUCIO! CRUCIO! CRUCIO!" The pain tripled. Harry couldn't control his screams of pain. Voldemort was laughing. The rain felt like acid burning into his skin. His legs felt like they were being broken in nineteen places. It felt like knives were stabbing him all over his body. His head was surely splitting along his scar.
Voldemort lifted his wand from Harry. Harry collapsed on the ground panting.
"Have you learned you lesson, Harry? Or should I demonstrate my point again?" Voldemort said. Harry didn't say anything. "Was that a yes? Oh good! I love doing this! Crucio!" Harry couldn't move. He wanted to, but he was shaking with the pain of the Cruciatus Curse.
Voldemort lifted his nose to the air and sniffed it. "I smell a Mudblood and a Muggle-lover," Voldemort said. His gaze fell on Hermione and Ron. "Look! There they are! Oh my! I only came to do one murder, but I might leave with three. Potter, you are starting to come in very handy at times. Wherever you are there is a murder. In this case three. You, your Mudblood friend, and the Weasley kid. Yes, this should be good fun shouldn't it Harry?" Voldemort laughed wickedly and bent down until he was level with Harry. He took one of his long fingers and ran it down his cheek slowly to punish Harry more. Harry's scar hurt so much he was crying. Who should go first? Not Potter, he will see his friends die, as a punishment. I should punish the muggle-lover to. That leaves the Mudblood to go first, the Muggle-lover second and last and the least, Potter the pain in the ass." Voldemort laughed. Ron was looking more terrified than ever. Harry stood up shakily. Voldemort took no notice.
It felt like Harry was seeing this all in slow motion. Voldemort turned to Hermione and said, "Goodbye Mudblood scum and good riddance!" Voldemort laughed again and said with force, "Avada Kedavra!" Harry felt as if he was seeing this all in slow motion. Hermione and Ron were screaming as Voldemort rounded on Hermione This couldn't happen, Hermione didn't deserve to die, Harry thought quickly. She had a great future ahead of her, he had to stop this.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Harry yelled and jumped in front blast of rushing green death. It was a pain Harry had never experienced before. It felt like his heart was being ripped out of his body. Images started flashing before him. He heard his mother's lullaby and saw his father and his mother waving at him. He saw Cho kissing him for the first time, Hermione and Ron smiling at him. He saw Hagrid barging through the door at the hut on the rock, he saw Dudley with a pigs tail and then Dudley again with a four-foot long tongue. Harry saw Mrs. Weasley and Professor Dumbledore. He saw Hermione's tear stained face and Ron's terrified white face. It was all gone in a flash of green light.
The limp body of Harry Potter fell to ground spread-eagled. Voldemort laughed.
"My work here is done. " He disapparated after another mirthless laugh. Hermione fell to the ground sobbing on Harry's body.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" She screamed trough her tears. "No!" She pounded a fist on his chest. Ron fell to the ground next to her and looked at the body of his best friend. Tears were now forming behind his eyes too.
Harry had a strange expression on his face. It was not of surprise or shock like all the other Avada Kedavra murder victims, but it was almost amused. Like he knew something the others didn't. His eyes were wide open and glowing in the moonlight. Or was it really the moonlight that made them glow like that?
"Hermione, he's gone." Ron said gently, tears running down his cheeks as well. Hermione stood up. Ron hugged her and their tears mingled.
"He saved my life, Ron, and now he's dead. He's dead. HE'S DEAD!" She howled and started shaking more violently.
Dumbledore and Sirius were running towards them. Dumbledore looked a mess. He kneeled down by Harry and examined him.
"He's gone, Sirius." Dumbledore said sadly. Sirius transformed and shook Harry's limp body.
"No! He's just faking it. Always knew he was a great actor. Common Harry! Snap-snap out of it!" Sirius sobbed. He shook him harder. "Harry! Wake up. Wake up. Wake up."
"Sirius, it's to late, he's gone." Dumbledore said heavily, the sparkles in his eyes were gone. Dumbledore shut Harry's eyes. "We should bring him up to the hospital wing for the time being until the funeral is arranged. He can be buried here, by the forest. Mobilicorpus." The sad group walked back up the hill with Harry's body floating behind them.
Harry Potter is dead. The story flew through the school and the press like a wild fire. The entire Wizarding world was in complete disarray. If Harry Potter was dead, then Voldemort truly had his power back. The darkness was being released.
Harry's funeral was held the following week. They had him dressed in his bottle green dress robes and his wand was in his right hand, which was folded across his chest. The large photo album of his parents was tucked under his left arm. The coffin had a glass top so people could see him. A few bouquets of roses were inside the coffin as well.
The funeral was held in the great hall on a Saturday and everybody was welcome. Thousands of people flocked to his funeral. Personal friends were let in first and then students and all others later. The entire Weasley family showed up, even Percy. So had Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, Professor Delacour, Krum, and even Rita Skeeter. The Dursleys had declined the invitation to the funeral immediately.
When everybody was seated and it was as quiet as possible, Dumbledore stood up to address the sobbing school and guests.
"Harry Potter's death is the reason we are gathered here today. He died a true hero's death. Harry Potter died to save his close friend, Hermione Granger." At this Hermione and Mrs. Weasley started crying harder. "Harry Potter will be honored for this noble deed. We have arranged a painting of him to be hung in the castle. Miss Granger, if you would like to say some words?"
Hermione nodded, stood up, wiped her eyes and headed for the podium in front of Harry's coffin. She cast a look at him and the tears started flowing again.
"When I remember Harry Potter, I remember strong, brave boy. I also remember a loyal friend with a pure heart. Harry Potter was one of the nicest people I have ever known. He was charming and funny and was always looking out for others. Harry was one of my best friends, and I miss him already. He is a loss in our society that will never be forgotten. May his soul rest in peace." Hermione walked away from the podium and collapsed on the bench in the front row next to Ron and sobbed into his chest the rest of the funeral. Many people got up to speak in behalf of Harry including Hagrid and Ron.
When the funeral was done they floated his coffin outside and the crowd left the school grounds. The only people that stayed were Dumbledore, the Weasleys, Hagrid, Hermione and Sirius who transformed back into a man when they were out of sight. Dumbledore said a few more words and they let the coffin sink into the ground.
Dirt was instantly added back to the ground and grass sprouted up from nowhere. A headstone also appeared out of nowhere bearing Harry's full name and the time of birth and death. A single rose was engraved on the head of the grave. The little group walked back through the snow sadly.
Over the next three months new roses and other flowers kept being added to the monstrous pile on Harry's grave. You couldn't even tell that it was a grave there were so many flowers. Hermione and Ron visited the grave daily, and sometimes stood by it an entire day.
Harry's presence was definitely not forgotten. Not only was his grave covered in flowers and toys, his old bed was too. Roses and teddy bears were overflowing off the bed. Hermione and Ron had the rights to all off his things, but they didn't have the hearts to go through it just yet, even three months later. It was just too hard.
Everybody everywhere thought Harry was dead, but something strange was happening from inside the grave, inside the coffin.