Chapter 7

Harry lay awake in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Maladies, waiting for dawn to break. He was landed there after a feeble attempt to end his own life with the Avada Kedavra curse. As he came to, he noticed two slumped, snoring figures sitting on the sofa by his bed; these were Ron and Hermione. Harry didn't want to wake his friends, but he desperately needed someone to talk to. He made slight coughing noises, just enough to wake Ron and Hermione. They stirred. Hermione looked so peaceful, after a week of crying for the loss of her friends. Harry also felt horrible; he had no one: no Pavarti, no Ginny, no parents, even the Dursleys left Harry, after knowing that he would be living with Sirius.

Harry heard a soft tapping on the window. He looked around with great difficulty, as the medicine he was prescribed made his head fell like a cotton boll. He saw a great white something; it seemed to be-"Hedwig!" Harry hissed carefully, but then remembered that he wanted Ron and Hermione awake. "Hedwig, I can't get up, I'm chained here, tap on the window, very loudly." Whether Hedwig could hear Harry through the double-pane windows, or just understood, she tapped so loudly that Harry thought she would break the glass. Ron and Hermione bolted upright, Ron with his hair sticking up and Hermione pale with loss of sleep. They looked around as they saw Hedwig tapping on the glass.

"Hedwig, shut up!! You'll wake Harry!" Hermione said with a sob; the memory of Harry slumped against the wall, pale and white-ish-green, was painful.

"Don't worry, I'm up." Harry whispered, as Hermione let out a little squeak. She opened the window, as Hedwig glided ghost-like onto Harry's bed sheet. Ron got up, and opened the letter for Harry, with a quick, and quiet, "Good to see you, mate." Harry read the letter with difficulty, as he was still a bit ill.

"It's from Sirius, forwarded from the Dursleys. Voldemort"- There was no shudder at the word. Ron and Hermione realised that fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself, so they finally came around. "has struck again. 20 dead, including-Oh, God-Seamus and Neville." Hermione let out a strangled cry, and Harry and Ron went from white to green faster than the seasons. Harry just sat there, thinking, that this wouldn't be if he were dead, if Voldemort had killed him in the first place. But, then again, the world would be in greater peril than now. He was the bloody saviour. He had the lives of millions in his hands, and let down many already. Pavarti was one of them.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione's warm, caring face was filled with worry. She was also torn apart, her love's sister was dead. She would never be the same. Ron's blue eyes were just visible in the moonlight, and he seemed to be giving Harry the same patronising stare as Dumbledore did. He must be honest.

"No. I'm, not. In fact, I need to talk. I'm the bloody saviour of the Wizarding world, and I let you all down. I'm so sorry. I just can't bear it. I hate being 'The Famous Harry Potter'. Why can't I be normal? Ron, I know you feel the same way. Like you said last year: everything seems to happen to me; I have throngs of girls after me, I defeated Lord Voldemort four times, I'm rich. I'm so sorry." At this, Ron went as red as his hair, and muttered something that sounded a lot like "I never meant it, you know" Hermione seemed to be in too much pain to answer, so Ron did for her.

"Harry, you are destined to save the world. And we are destined to be at your side, throughout all turmoil, that's why we're Gryffindors. We are meant to help the oppressed, and to, dare I say it, be overshadowed by you." Ron was overly embarrassed, and Hermione just nodded. Harry felt a fresh wave of anger inside of him

"This is all His fault!! Why doesn't Dumbledore just wipe his out, huh? Why? He is the only one that Voldemort fears, so why not act on it? Oh, god!" Harry broke down into heavy, heaving sobs. He was scared, angry, and murderous, all at once. What's with me? I'm useless, pathetic, and helpless. This world's problems were his, Harry's fault. Now was the time to take drastic measure.

"Uh, Harry? What's going on? Have you a plan?" Ron and Hermione leaned forward to hear Harry's newest escapade for capturing, killing, and putting an end to Voldemort's reign of terror. They were finally going to be free.