Travelin' Soldier Chapter 1: Travelin' Soldier, a harry potter fanfic

A/N: I never liked fanfics with songs in them, but here I am writing one. I was listening to the Dixie Chicks new album "Home" and bawled all through the song "Travelin' Soldier" about a young soldier and girl during the Vietnam War. I was reading Harry Potter fanfics at the same time here got the idea to combine the two. This story takes place during the Wizard War against Voldemort, from the time Harry joins to the end of the war.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. I do not own the song "Travelin' Soldier" by the Dixie Chicks or anything associate with Harry Potter.

Travelin' Soldier

Harry Potter was waiting on the platform for the train. Other wizards and witches were also waiting for the train to begin their first steps in the fight against Voldemort, whose reign of terror had spread over the wizarding world. Having just graduated from Hogwarts, Harry was to be trained as a special agent along with Ron and Hermione, much to Ron's displeasure. Hermione was adamant about not being left behind. As she told Ron during a heated argument, "You and Harry wouldn't have survived your first year at Hogwarts without me. How are you supposed to fight a war by leaving me behind."

So now Ron was sitting on the bench with Hermione's head resting on his shoulders, their hands intertwined. Molly and Ginny Weasley were the only Weasleys left not directly involved with the war. Arthur was a key player in the fight against Voldemort and therefore couldn't be there to see his last son go off to war. Molly had finally accepted the fact that all her children but her daughter, who had a year left at Hogwarts, was deeply involved in this horrendous conflict.

Harry glanced to the loving couple to his right. Two people he knew better than anyone else in this world. Their love was evident in the air around them. If all turned out well, they were planning to marry after this war was over. He was a little envious of that. Harry had dated throughout his years at Hogwarts, but he'd never found the one for whom the world revolved around. For being a famous wizard, Harry Potter felt lonely inside. Some people weren't destined for great loves.

Two days past eighteen

He was waitin' for the train in his army greens

Sat down on a bench, there were people everywhere

Started talking to a girl he knew with red hair

He's a little shy so she gave him a smile

So he said would you mind sittin' down for a while

And talkin' to me I'm feelin' a little low

He had an hour wait and she said I know where we can go

So they went down by the lake and sat on the pier

He said I know you've been dating someone but I don't care

I've got no one to send a letter to

Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?

Ron's little sister Ginny was slowly pacing to the side of the benches. It was her way to work off anxiety.

"Ginny, would you quit pacing and come sit down," Harry asked.

At the age of 17, Ginny was beginning her last year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Since the trouble with Voldemort began the numbers of students attending Hogwarts had diminished. Only devoted supporters of Albus Dumbledore allowed their children to remain at school. Which ironically was the safest place for them.

Ginny sat next to Harry, "I just can't seem to sit still."

"Its always harder on the families," Harry chortled causing Ginny to become upset.

"Oh my, here I am pacing and causing you worry about me when it's me who will be safest at Hogwarts."

Harry smiled sadly. "You have a right to be upset." No more words were needed to remind Ginny that all of her sibling were now gone—off to fight against some mad wizard out to destroy the world.

"Let get out of here for awhile. We've got an hour to wait. I can't stand sitting here any longer." Harry told Ginny while standing up. She followed.

"There's a path outside leading to the lake," Ginny replied.

As they walked along on their way to the lake, Harry was contemplating the long hours of boredom that generally accompanies warfare. He glanced quickly at Ginny walking beside him and returned his gaze to the path ahead. He acted like he was in the midst of some type of internal struggle.

"Ginny, I have a favor to ask you." He hesitated. "While I'm away, would you write to me." It took a lot for Harry to ask this request and quickly added, "Normally I'd write to Ron and Hermione, but you know…."

Ginny gave Harry a small smile. "Of course I would Harry." Her heart secretly soared. Once upon a time, Ginny Weasley thought the world rose and fell in Harry Potter's eyes. Harry knew it, her family knew it. All of Hogwarts knew it. Thinking back on her first years of Hogwarts, she chuckled. Harry never looked at her as more than Ron's little sister. During her fourth year she decided to get on with her life. She didn't want to waste it pining over someone who didn't even realize she existed as someone apart from being a Weasley. She finally got over her crush. No longer did she blush or stammer around Harry.

Everybody, especially Harry, was happy.

What everybody didn't know was that her crush had grown into a deep love. Spending so much time with her family, Ginny got to know the Harry Potter that most didn't. She'd known him since she was 10 years old. Everyone thought Harry lived a charmed life but few knew about his life with the Dursleys, his trials at Hogwarts with Voldemort, or how hard it was for him to become close to others. She felt privileged to know that she was one of few.

Oh, she hid her love well. Even sometimes from herself. Boys came and went. Some she dated longer than others, but nobody seriously. Ginny liked to joke that her barbarian brothers chased everyone away. But the real reason was that none of them made her forget the haunting green eyes of that one particular boy.

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him they told her

Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone

When the letter says a soldier's coming home

They talked of insignificant things, trying to lighten the darkness that was pervading everyone now that they were at war. Harry glanced down at his wristwatch as he heard someone calling their names from the distance.

"Almost time to go," Ron shouted down to them, "better come up and say your good-byes." He walked away, Harry and Ginny trailing behind.

Hogwarts seemed empty. The students were quiet and withdrawn, the professors solemn. For Ginny, it was especially hard. There had not been just one Weasley attending Hogwarts for about 20 years—since Bill was First Year—as Peeves was helpful to point out on day as he looked at her with wild eyes and cackled "And then there was one."

Quidditch were still scheduled to add a degree of normalcy to the otherwise bleak, endless days. The stands were filled with a fraction of what they used to be, remembering fondly the days when her brothers and Harry played. Those days were gone. Now classes occupied most of Ginny's time. She chucked to herself thinking how proud Hermione would be of her. Of course, the only places it seems they could go were the library, the common room, or the Great Hall. At least she could do something productive in the library to take her mind off what was happening in the real world.

But the real world often intruded into Ginny Weasley's thoughts. Her heart stopped every time an owl swooped into the Great Hall expecting news. Her mother owled her weekly to keep track of her baby. But it was the letters from Harry that she lived for.

So the letters came by an owl snow white

From all over England both day and night

And he told her of his heart, it might be love

And all of the things he was so scared of

He said when it's gettin kinda rough over here

I think about that day sittin' down at the pier

And close my eyes and see your pretty smile

Now don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while

Ginny Weasly wouldn't trade her correspondences with Harry Potter for anything in the world. The only thing better would be if he were there in flesh and blood. But he had more important tasks. Harry never told her what he actually did, and she never asked. The less anyone knew the better. Instead they wrote about their days at Hogwarts, how the Weasleys were doing, and anything else to take their mind off their troubles. Ginny cried with joy when she found out that Ron and Hermione secretly got married. Harry and the minister's wife acted as witnesses. Nobody else knew, including their parents. She guessed they figured life is short. Who knew what was in their future? They were planning on having another ceremony after the war for their family.

In mid January Ginny's heart felt heavy. She had just received an owl from Harry. She wept at the last paragraph while clutching a locket she held in her hands.

Ginny, you must know by now how much I love you. I feel horrible about taking you for granted when I was younger. You were Ron's little sister. Who would have thought that I'd fall in love with someone who ran away from me the first time I met them? I hope you like the present I got you. It has a picture in it, but you can change it if you want. I wanted to tell you that you might not receive some owls for awhile. Don't worry. I can't tell you what's going on, but I wanted to let you know how I feel.

With all my love,

Harry Potter

P.S. Lets hope your brothers don't kill me

Ginny chuckled while tears were freely flowing down her cheeks. She set the letter aside and opened the locket that she held. On the left was a picture of herself at age 15 laughing at something the twins were doing in the background. The right side held what looked like a current picture of Harry smiling and waving back to her.

Spring was in full bloom. The grass was green, the flowers looked like a rainbow painted the gardens, and the giant squid was lazy floating on his back in the lake. The last Quidditch game of the year was about to start. Every student at Hogwarts was in attendance. There was a buzz going around the stands. Some ministry officials were about to make an announcement. Everyone quieted down.

"Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to make an important announcement. As of 3:30 a.m. this morning, the war is over," announced the Ministry official. Was it true? They'd thought he was defeated one before. Could it be real?

"The specific detailed are not known at this time but it has been reported that along with You-Know-Who, Harry Potter was reported deceased." The stunned crowd didn't know how to react. Ginny Weasley rushed away from the crowd. Her friends yelled her name, but her legs would not stop.

One Saturday at a Quidditch game

The players assembled and the Hogwarts anthem sang

A man said folks would you bow your heads

For the list of local Wizard War dead

Cryin' all alone under the stands

Was a seventh year witch, his biggest fan

And the one name read, the most famous of all

A brown-haired boy they thought would never fall.

Ginny Weasly grasped a locket she wore to her chest and wept with all her heart and soul. It couldn't be true. He couldn't be dead. It had to be a mistake. She knew this was a possibility but thought it would never happen to them. After all they went through to find each other, to be ripped away from him before they could even start.

"Damn you!" She cursed the heavens above. "He was good and pure and honest. How could you take him from me!" Ginny lay curled on the damp ground sobbing. Two girls rushed over and held her while she cried.

"Go ahead, Ginny," her friend Mandy said soothingly while another stroked her hair, "Get it all out." They stayed that way for a long time.

A/N: There are two alternate epilogues for this story. When I first conceived the idea for this fic I really wanted it to have a sad ending with Harry being killed like the soldier in the song. However, when I reached the end and started to write the epilogue I was crying my eyes out and my friend (who is a big Harry/Ginny fan) complained about Harry dying. I couldn't handle it either. So there are two choices. If you like angsty, depressing stories pick Epilogue 1. Pick Epilogue 2 if you like happy endings.