Say Goodbye

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, however much I wish I did, the simplest fact on Earth is that I do not. Neither do I own the song, Say Goodbye.

Chapter 3 - Say goodbye

Harry wasted no time; he glanced up at the open window in Elizabeth's room, and heard Ginny speaking softly to her. They would not be finished for a while, without a second thought, Harry apparated straight to the forbidden forest, and then he walked hastily to Dumbledore's office, in Hogwarts.

Harry had not been properly sure if Ellen had said she would dispose of Voldemort at the very moment he agreed with her, or after the two hours were up. He pondered this for a moment, and then rested his eyes upon Dumbledore's beautiful pet phoenix, Fawkes. Dumbledore himself, appeared not to be in, Harry stamped his foot impatiently, and looked at the silver clock with growing dread in his heart. What if he didn't have enough time to get back to Ginny?

However, Dumbledore and a group of very old wizards soon entered; they looked as though they had something important to discuss

"Harry?" Dumbledore cocked his eye at him, the other wizards, who hadn't noticed, were babbling to each other in foreign languages before one of them seemed to take control, and spoke for them all in English.

"You-Know--" he began, but changed his series of words after a swift look from Dumbledore. "Lord Voldemort," he and the other wizards shuddered. "Has disappeared from any charts or maps we may have of his locations, it is possible he has used powerful dark magic to hide himself, it is also possible, a slim chance I know, he has, well, gone."

All the wizards started babbling once more in each of their languages to each other, some with frightened eyes, a few with more relaxed ones. Dumbledore rose his arms to quieten them down.

"I feel Harry here has something to say that we do not yet understand," Dumbledore said loudly, eyeing Harry with interest on the subject.

At first, Harry felt his insides were turning to jelly as he thought of telling Dumbledore and a bunch of foreign wizards what seemed completely insane and ridiculous. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out, then he opened it again, feeling braver and spoke.

"Voldemort is gone," Harry said loudly, clearing his throat, clearly aware of the wizards looking at him like he was insane, "I know he is, something unexplainable happened today, which resulted in the end of the Dark Lord's reign." Harry felt like he was going to blush or something, Dumbledore nodded slowly, but confusion twinkled in his blue eyes. The group of wizards jabbered away again, Harry suspected some of them didn't understand English, soon enough though, their faces shared the same look of confusion. Harry felt he had a frustrated, impatient look on his face. He quickly asked if he could have a quiet word with Dumbledore, and soon enough he was speaking everything Ellen had told him to Dumbledore, of course, in a much shorter version.

At the end of it all, Dumbledore nodded with complex understanding. Harry sighed with relief, at least now one person didn't think he was mad, not two people, because Harry had spent the last few minutes wondering if he was insane.

"I see you are eager to speak to some other people before you leave this world, before you leave, however, I ask you to return to Hogwarts the night you come back, where all of us will be waiting," Dumbledore said, lowering his half-moon-spectacles, whilst looking at Harry. Harry nodded anxiously, and looked swiftly to the little silver clock, he'd already spent three quarters of an hour of his valuable time.

Dumbledore nodded goodbye, he and Harry exchanged a manly handshake.

"Farewell, Harry," he said quietly, before Harry disapparated out of Dumbledore's office to a rather abandoned looking landing. There were a child's toys thrown everywhere, in what looked like it must have been some kind of great game.

Harry walked down the staircase slowly; he could hear a television now, and a rather loud argument. Harry smiled to himself, he guessed his friends would always be the same.

"Gimme that!" came a man's voice, from the same room the echoing noises of a television were protruding from.

"Oh, stop being such a baby, Ron, it's a remote control, you'll give Haile a bad impression," said a strong female voice, and in return, there was a small baby's giggle.

"She's giggling at us now," said Ron, in a moaning kind of voice, "just because you won't give me that thing." Once again there was a loud baby's laugh, Harry couldn't help but smile himself.

Quickly he pushed open the living room door. The first thing he saw was Ron reaching over for a remote control, which Hermione was holding far away from him, then of course there was their daughter, Haile, laughing at the two whilst playing with a few baby toys.

"This wouldn't be a bad time to intrude?" Harry said, Ron and Hermione looked up at the sound of their friend's voice, Haile's eyes moved from her parents to the TV.

Hermione looked a bit shocked to see Harry at the present, but nevertheless, she asked if he'd want tea or something, before scuttling out of the room to find her wand.

Ron, of course, was more relaxed about the whole thing, he picked Haile off the floor, Haile wore a confused expression and didn't appear to want to be pulled back from the TV. Harry chortled at the confused look on the father and daughter's faces, for different reasons, but they did look like quite a pair with the same red hair and freckles, except Haile's hair was pretty curly.

"So what's up Harry? Why are you here? Where's Ginny?" Ron asked as soon as Hermione had returned, with a few cups of tea floating by her side, which soon made their way towards the table near the left side of the room.

Harry explained everything to his best friends, and, although Haile wasn't exactly quiet through the whole thing, they understood, or at least Hermione might of, Harry wasn't so sure about Ron, but Hermione would explain it quicker to him. They both nodded, now their attention had been diverted from the TV, the remote control was left abandoned. Haile managed to wiggle her way out of Ron's long arms and grabbed the control and began to press all the buttons, giggling hysterically.

Harry shook his head while Hermione used the summoning charm to regain the control; Haile tried to grab it again as it flew out of her clenched hands.

"Sometimes I wonder what you've been feeding her," Harry said, they all laughed, although Ron and Hermione turned slightly pink. Haile, of course, sat in confusion through all the laughing, before falling asleep on the couch.

Harry suddenly remembered about the time, he grabbed the clock out his pocket quickly, he'd been half an hour, which gave him three quarters of an hour to be back with Ginny. He quickly said his goodbyes to Ron and Hermione before hastily apparating back home.

He apparated straight in front of a very worried and panic-struck Ginny, the moment she saw him a look of relief filled her face.

"Harry, where were you? I thought something had happened…" she trailed off, Harry kissed her on the cheek.

"Sorry," he murmured, Ginny nodded, her eyes filled with happiness to be back with Harry, and that was when Harry felt guilty for having to leave her so suddenly. It was then he didn't want to tell Ginny anything, he wanted to still be with her, always. But time was ticking, Harry knew. And Ginny had every right to know.

"Gin, why don't we sit down?" Harry said, indicating the sofa, Ginny looked confused but nodded. They sat down on the sofa as soon as Ginny had rearranged the cushions.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked, gazing into Harry's bright green eyes, they were riddled with an expression she couldn't read.

"Ginny," Harry began, Ginny's warm smile was fading, "I want you to know that this isn't your fault," Ginny opened her mouth and closed it again in confusion. But Harry knew Ginny too well to not expect her to find a way to blame herself for the whole incident.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked again, anymore tension might kill her, thought Harry.

"When I went outside earlier," Harry began, Ginny was nodding, " there was this star, and, I thought I was being stupid at the time, but I wished for a world without Voldemort… . and it came true." Harry finished, Ginny cocked her head, things like that didn't just happen out of the blue.

"But…" Ginny said, Harry waited for her to finish, "what's the catch?" Harry knew it. Ginny had seen there was no way to get tremendous evil like that of Voldemort wished away without some kind of price. Her brown eyes were wide and it looked like she didn't want to hear what was coming next, the way she knew she was about to.

"To prevent five years of further war, I have to give up five years of my life," Harry said, tears were swelling in Ginny's eyes.

"You're joking, right?" Ginny choked out, but they both knew Harry wasn't, she fastened her arms around Harry tightly, normally Harry would've made fake choking noises, but this wasn't the time.

"Ginny…" Harry trailed off, he hugged her back, he noticed he was crying too, and rubbed his eyes with a sleeve.

She kissed him, and he kissed back, for a long time, Harry sat there comforting Ginny.

In the years to come

Will you think about these moments that we shared?

"Two hours?" Ginny asked when they finally broke apart, "and you've already used most of it? That's too short," she said, tears falling down her face. Harry nodded, and she cried upon his shoulder again, giving Harry both a wet shoulder and an even more upset feeling.

In years to come

Are you gonna think it's over?

And how we lived each day with no regrets?

Ginny clenched Harry's hand firmly.

"Harry," she said, "When you come back, we'll be waiting for you, everyone."

Nothing lasts forever though we want it to

The road ahead holds different dreams for me and you

"Well, then," Ginny sniffled, Harry pulled out the small silver clock and showed it to her.

Sometimes goodbye, though it hurts in your heart,

is the only way for destiny

"Destiny, leaves us two minutes, together and alone," Harry told her, Ginny nodded, she found his lips and kissed with a very true love.

Sometimes goodbye, though it hurts,

is the only way now for you and me

"The only way," Ginny mumbled, "Thank you, Harry."

Though it's the hardest thing to say

I'll miss your love in every way

"I'll miss you," Harry and Ginny both said at the same, time, and broke into the same sort of smile.

So say goodbye

But don't you cry

Cos true love never dies

But then Ginny burst into tears again, Harry rubbed his finger on her tears.

"Don't cry, please don't cry," he said, she looked up into his eyes, brown met green.

In a year from now

Maybe there'll be things we'll wish we'd never done

"I think we should go outside," Harry said, "It's a beautiful night.." Ginny nodded.

In five years from now

Then we'll see each other

Standing on the same street corner though it rains

"I would like that," Ginny smiled, the couple made their way to the door, which Harry opened, they went outside, the clouds unveiled the perfect half moon, although it was drizzling, the night was amazing and very soothing.

Each and every end is always written in the stars

If only I could stop the world

I'd make this last

"I can't wait for five years to pass," Ginny smiled, rain was all over her face and hair, and Harry doubted he had even a minute to remain with her, in her arms as she was in his.

Sometimes goodbye, so it hurts in your heart,

is the only way for destiny

"It won't be long, you're strong Ginny, you can handle it," Harry said to her, she nodded and bit her lip.

"I guess."

Sometimes goodbye, so it hurts,

is the only way now for you and me

"I guess we should say our…" Ginny started.

Though it's the hardest thing to say

I'll miss your love in every way

"Goodbyes," Harry finished.

I'll miss your love in every way

So say goodbye (so say goodbye)

"Goodbye Harry, I'll miss you," Ginny said softly, gazing into Harry's eyes.

"Goodbye, Ginny, I'll miss you too, in every way, even if you do steal the covers at night," Harry told her, Ginny blushed, but she was crying nevertheless. Her hair was plastered to her face, the rain had got worse, and lightning was striking close to them. But that all seemed so far away.

But don't you cry

Cos true love never dies

Harry could feel himself slowly disappearing into the night, it was a new experience, even for him, (who'd had most things happen to him at one point or another,) he called his final goodbyes to a Ginny who refused to let go.

"Goodbye, for now, Ginny, and goodbye to Lizzie, up there," he said, indicating Elizabeth's room. Ginny smiled.

"I love you, Harry, goodbye," she said, wiping her tears away from her completely wet face. And Harry disappeared into the night.

And when you need my arms to run into

I'll come for you

Nothing will ever change the way I feel

"Harry!" Ginny cried into the empty night, the moon seemed not so bright and beautiful, the rain had drenched her, and she had just begun to realise the danger of the lightning she was so near to.

"Harry! I'll love you forever!" she screamed, with no-one to hear her.

Sometimes goodbye, so it hurts in your heart,

is the only way for destiny

Sometimes goodbye, so it hurts,

is the only way now for you and me

Though it's the hardest thing to say

I'll miss your love in every way

So say goodbye

But don't you cry

Because a true love never dies

"A true love never dies," Ginny said to herself, and then there was only the rain ferociously hitting her face and body, the lightning striking down in some places she knew of, and of course, Elizabeth's wails from the open window in her bedroom.

THE END

There will indeed be a sequel.

Thanks again for beta-ing, Hermione 'DB' Granger

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