Trio

By: epiphanies AKA MarkEvans formerly known as Emma

A one-shot. Not my best, by far. But hey, I can post it without it being up to my usual standard, can't I? LoL. It's kinda sad. Very friendshippy.







"No, Harry, you can't-"

"We won't let you-"

"It's not up to you!" said Harry, his eyes a tranquil sea of green.

"Nobody can kill him, Harry-"

"Don't risk this-"

"You have so much to live for-"

"We love you, Harry, we really do, we can't-"

"One person," he said, silencing his stricken friends, "One person has the power to end him."

"Dumbledore, Harry, we know-"

"No."

Ron and Hermione blinked, "What?"

"No," Harry repeated, passionately looking between them but with no tears shining in his eyes, "I do. -I- have the power to end him. And I will."

"Harry, no!"

"You're lying!"

"-delusional-"

"-exhausted-"

"No, guys, I'm not. I'm seeing everything clearly, for the first time since Dumbledore told me..."

"Told you what, Harry?" said Hermione, her voice shaking tentatively.

"That my life would include murder. That I would have to kill or be killed by Voldemort."

"WHAT?"

"-joking-"

"-you would have told us-"

"Would I?" said Harry fiercely, as the realization of the truth dawned on his friends' faces.

"It's my destiny," he said simply, then reached forward and clasped both by a shaking shoulder.

"I don't know if I'll make it back," he said honestly, wiping a tear from Hermione's cheek, "So you can't come. I don't want you to see..."

"Of course we'll come!" cried Hermione, throwing her arms around Harry, "We'll be at your side, fighting off the Death Eaters-"

"No," said Harry firmly, "They may use you as bait, or they may hurt you while trying to kill me. You cannot come."

"Harry!" Ron exploded, "We're willing to risk it, don't you understand? If you go, we go! If you die, we die! You've known it for years, and it's not changing now!"

Harry half-grinned at his red-faced best friends and did something he'd never done before. He pulled them both to him in a tight hug.

"We won't leave you Harry. Ever." whispered Hermione, and Harry kissed her cheek and pulled away.

"That's right. You won't leave me. You'll never leave me. And I'll never truly leave either of you, but this is something that only I can do. No matter how brave and great and valiant you are...this fight's been fixed."

"Fixed?"

"Predetermined. It won't matter if you're there or not. And what if I make it through, but one of you doesn't? I'm already responsible for my parents and Cedric, and Sirius-"

"Those aren't your fault, Harry!" shouted Hermione, "NOT your fault! You don't understand! You don't have a choice! That's final! But, if you feel better about it, you can lead the way, but there is NO WAY we're sitting here like useless lumps while you risk your life AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

Harry blinked at her.

"No matter what," Ron trembled, "No matter what, Harry. Whether it be giant trolls or spiders, or snakes or Voldemort."

Harry stared at his best friend, who had just proven something far more important than anything Harry had ever known before.

Harry noticed that Hermione was also staring, astonished, at Ron.

"You did it," said Hermione faintly, "You, Ron Weasley-"

"Yeah. I said it. You heard me," said Ron roughly, "I'm going to go out fighting with Harry. And I'm not going to go out still terrified of some stupid name like Voldemort."

Harry watched his friends in admiration, and sighed.

"There really is no way that you'll reconsider?"

"No way."

"Fine then," he stole a look back up at Hogwarts, probably a final look, and said "Shall we?"

They grinned at him.

Hermione clasped her hand with each Ron and Harry, Ron's face going slightly red.

"Lead the way, Harry."

With that, the Trio marched on. To what, they didn't know. But whatever it was, they would be forever and always...together.





FIN