NOTE: THIS TAKES PLACE 7th YEAR
Dumbledore and Hagrid looked at the letter that Hedwig had just brought them. On the front, it said nothing, and on the back was just a plain, red wax seal. He almost felt he knew what it would say; Harry had gone to fight Voldemort not more than a day ago, and there had been no word from him. Until now. Dumbledore shook his head and opened the letter.
//To Dumbledore,
I'm sure you already know this, but I found this out very recently. The only way I could kill Voldemort was to sacrifice myself. You also have undoubtedly guessed that I did sacrifice myself. I have a few things to put in order, and this letter is my way to order them. Please, before you read on, contact Sirius, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Draco Malfoy, and Remus.//
Albus looked up and immediately went down to Gryffindor common room. He paced along rather quickly, before finally reaching the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Snugwump," he said dully, as if he were extremely bored. The Fat Lady opened up obediently, and he stepped inside. Dumbledore spotted Ron and Hermione reading by the fire. He walked over to them in the same quick manner, and spoke softly.
"Ron, Hermione. I have a letter from Harry. He has requested your presence in my office." Ron and Hermione looked at each other, but said nothing. Now they all walked quickly, in the direction of Slytherin common room, but before they got there, they ran into Draco sitting in the Great Hall, looking at the dark twilight sky through the enchanted ceiling.
"Why're we picking this git up?" Ron whispered to Dumbledore, who answered quite calmly:
"Harry requested his presence as well." Ron thought this more than a little odd, but did not reply. Draco looked up.
"What d'you want?" He said, his drawl more apparent than it was in First Year. Dumbledore looked at him.
"Your presence has been requested in my office, Mister Malfoy," Albus spoke in that same calm way yet again. Draco furrowed his brow, and stood up. Still, no one said anything; a feeling of general dread seemed to hover around the four of them. They tromped up the staircase behind the gargoyle, and sat in armchairs in the round office. Hermione was the first to speak.
"What are we waiting for?" She said timidly. Dumbledore did not answer, but instead took a pinch of flew powder and threw into the fire.
"REMUS LUPIN'S HOUSE!" He said loudly and clearly, and the fire swallowed him up.
--------------------------------10 minutes later--------------------------------
Dumbledore returned with Sirius and Remus at his side. There were no happy greetings, because they all knew what was coming. Dumbledore cleared his throat, and spoke up.
"This is the letter from Mister Potter. He has instructed me to let each of you read a part that was specifically written for you. The first entry is for...Remus Lupin." Remus took the letter soberly. It read:
//Remus, you were the greatest teacher I ever had, and one of the greatest friends I ever had. I thank you for allowing me the pleasure of knowing you.//
Remus could not help but smile, and he wiped his eyes. The next entry was for Draco. Draco looked at it with a stone expression.
//Draco, in the beginning, you were one of my most hated enemies.In the end, you became a friend. I thank you for allowing me to see the real you.//
Draco shook his head slowly, and handed the letter to Hagrid, who took it quickly.
//Hagrid, you were my first friend in the wizarding world. You helped me with homework, conflicts in my friendship, and conflicts with myself. You and Sirius were the family I never had. I thank you for accepting me.//
Hagrid took a great sniff, rubbed his moist, beady eyes, and handed the letter to Sirius.
//Sirius, you were a godfather and so much more. I hated you so much when I found out you had betrayed my parents, and, less then two years letter, I nearly cried with joy when you caught Wormtail. You and Hagrid were the family I never had. I pray you live a long, free life.//
Sirius let a tear trickle out of the corner of his eye, and wiped it away before handing the letter to Dumbledore.
//Dumbledore, your were a headmaster, a mentor, and a friend. You taught me more than I could have imagined, and helped me through my struggles with Cedric. You are a great Wizard, and I hope many more have the fun I had with you as headmaster of Hogwarts.//
Dumbledore's expression did not change, and he handed the letter to Ron, who took it slowly, as if dreading its contents.
//Ron, you were the best friend I could have ever dreamt up, and then some. From the first day on the train to the last day of my life we were nearly inseparable. We saved lives together. We had adventures together that most never dream of. I thank the Gods every day that I lived for letting me meet you.//
Ron started hitching sobs as he handed the letter to Hermione.
//Hermione, you are the most incredible person I know. You were just the mousy little know-it-all in the beginning weeks of first year. You came out of your shell and turned into the fun loving witch I know today. You are not only the love of my life, but my friend. You are amazing, and I hope you never forget that.//
Hermione cried in earnest, not holding back, and gave the letter back to Dumbledore, who read the final parts aloud.
//All I want the wizarding world to know his this: I do not hate my life. This was not suicide. When I was ten, I had sincere thoughts of killing myself. I just couldn't stand my life much longer. And then Hagrid came to me and brought me to the wizarding world. I came to Platform 9 3/4 and found friends and adventures you only read about in fantasies. All thoughts of suicide left my mind immediately, purely because I no longer hated myself, thanks to the wizarding world. I did what I did not because I hate myself, but because I love the wizarding world too much to let Voldemort destroy it. Please make my funeral private, and if you wish to find my body, it is in the basement of Riddle Mansion. I do not regret the things I have done, only those I did not do.
Love from the bottom of my heart,
Harry James Potter//
Now everybody but Draco could not keep the tears away any longer. The seven of them made their way to Riddle House
___________________________________ much later _________________________________________
On the cold stone floor, Harry was sprawled face down. At the sight of this, Draco let a tear slip for the first time in his life. He took a step forward, and turned Harry over. Harry had a smile on his face, and the seven people who Harry Potter himself had requested to find his body, smiled as well, because everything would be okay now. On Harry's pale and dirty forehead, there was no scar.
Dumbledore and Hagrid looked at the letter that Hedwig had just brought them. On the front, it said nothing, and on the back was just a plain, red wax seal. He almost felt he knew what it would say; Harry had gone to fight Voldemort not more than a day ago, and there had been no word from him. Until now. Dumbledore shook his head and opened the letter.
//To Dumbledore,
I'm sure you already know this, but I found this out very recently. The only way I could kill Voldemort was to sacrifice myself. You also have undoubtedly guessed that I did sacrifice myself. I have a few things to put in order, and this letter is my way to order them. Please, before you read on, contact Sirius, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Draco Malfoy, and Remus.//
Albus looked up and immediately went down to Gryffindor common room. He paced along rather quickly, before finally reaching the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Snugwump," he said dully, as if he were extremely bored. The Fat Lady opened up obediently, and he stepped inside. Dumbledore spotted Ron and Hermione reading by the fire. He walked over to them in the same quick manner, and spoke softly.
"Ron, Hermione. I have a letter from Harry. He has requested your presence in my office." Ron and Hermione looked at each other, but said nothing. Now they all walked quickly, in the direction of Slytherin common room, but before they got there, they ran into Draco sitting in the Great Hall, looking at the dark twilight sky through the enchanted ceiling.
"Why're we picking this git up?" Ron whispered to Dumbledore, who answered quite calmly:
"Harry requested his presence as well." Ron thought this more than a little odd, but did not reply. Draco looked up.
"What d'you want?" He said, his drawl more apparent than it was in First Year. Dumbledore looked at him.
"Your presence has been requested in my office, Mister Malfoy," Albus spoke in that same calm way yet again. Draco furrowed his brow, and stood up. Still, no one said anything; a feeling of general dread seemed to hover around the four of them. They tromped up the staircase behind the gargoyle, and sat in armchairs in the round office. Hermione was the first to speak.
"What are we waiting for?" She said timidly. Dumbledore did not answer, but instead took a pinch of flew powder and threw into the fire.
"REMUS LUPIN'S HOUSE!" He said loudly and clearly, and the fire swallowed him up.
--------------------------------10 minutes later--------------------------------
Dumbledore returned with Sirius and Remus at his side. There were no happy greetings, because they all knew what was coming. Dumbledore cleared his throat, and spoke up.
"This is the letter from Mister Potter. He has instructed me to let each of you read a part that was specifically written for you. The first entry is for...Remus Lupin." Remus took the letter soberly. It read:
//Remus, you were the greatest teacher I ever had, and one of the greatest friends I ever had. I thank you for allowing me the pleasure of knowing you.//
Remus could not help but smile, and he wiped his eyes. The next entry was for Draco. Draco looked at it with a stone expression.
//Draco, in the beginning, you were one of my most hated enemies.In the end, you became a friend. I thank you for allowing me to see the real you.//
Draco shook his head slowly, and handed the letter to Hagrid, who took it quickly.
//Hagrid, you were my first friend in the wizarding world. You helped me with homework, conflicts in my friendship, and conflicts with myself. You and Sirius were the family I never had. I thank you for accepting me.//
Hagrid took a great sniff, rubbed his moist, beady eyes, and handed the letter to Sirius.
//Sirius, you were a godfather and so much more. I hated you so much when I found out you had betrayed my parents, and, less then two years letter, I nearly cried with joy when you caught Wormtail. You and Hagrid were the family I never had. I pray you live a long, free life.//
Sirius let a tear trickle out of the corner of his eye, and wiped it away before handing the letter to Dumbledore.
//Dumbledore, your were a headmaster, a mentor, and a friend. You taught me more than I could have imagined, and helped me through my struggles with Cedric. You are a great Wizard, and I hope many more have the fun I had with you as headmaster of Hogwarts.//
Dumbledore's expression did not change, and he handed the letter to Ron, who took it slowly, as if dreading its contents.
//Ron, you were the best friend I could have ever dreamt up, and then some. From the first day on the train to the last day of my life we were nearly inseparable. We saved lives together. We had adventures together that most never dream of. I thank the Gods every day that I lived for letting me meet you.//
Ron started hitching sobs as he handed the letter to Hermione.
//Hermione, you are the most incredible person I know. You were just the mousy little know-it-all in the beginning weeks of first year. You came out of your shell and turned into the fun loving witch I know today. You are not only the love of my life, but my friend. You are amazing, and I hope you never forget that.//
Hermione cried in earnest, not holding back, and gave the letter back to Dumbledore, who read the final parts aloud.
//All I want the wizarding world to know his this: I do not hate my life. This was not suicide. When I was ten, I had sincere thoughts of killing myself. I just couldn't stand my life much longer. And then Hagrid came to me and brought me to the wizarding world. I came to Platform 9 3/4 and found friends and adventures you only read about in fantasies. All thoughts of suicide left my mind immediately, purely because I no longer hated myself, thanks to the wizarding world. I did what I did not because I hate myself, but because I love the wizarding world too much to let Voldemort destroy it. Please make my funeral private, and if you wish to find my body, it is in the basement of Riddle Mansion. I do not regret the things I have done, only those I did not do.
Love from the bottom of my heart,
Harry James Potter//
Now everybody but Draco could not keep the tears away any longer. The seven of them made their way to Riddle House
___________________________________ much later _________________________________________
On the cold stone floor, Harry was sprawled face down. At the sight of this, Draco let a tear slip for the first time in his life. He took a step forward, and turned Harry over. Harry had a smile on his face, and the seven people who Harry Potter himself had requested to find his body, smiled as well, because everything would be okay now. On Harry's pale and dirty forehead, there was no scar.