I was in the depressed/Harry Potter mode so I was like, Hey! Let's write a little one-shot story! You ever feel like you pour your feelings into your writings? Well I do.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't own the little philosphy skit.

Behind the Mask

A young man sat down on the park bench and pulled out a ball-point pen and a book. He had messy black hair that fell limping into his dull green eyes which hid behind thick black rimmed glasses. His face was thin and pale. He jaw clenched tightly together with barely suppressed fury. He was dressed in frayed jeans, a white t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Slowly, he opened the book and began writing.

Behind every villain . . .

There's a soul . . .

Behind every hero . . .

There's a choice . . .

Behind every battle . . .

There's a destiny . . .

A hero's epic journey is far from over . . .

Too true. Every villain starts with a soul, every hero is made with a choice, every battle has a destiny. Quite an interesting phrase. Most people would scoff at the first two lines, agree with the second two, puzzle over the third two, and dismiss the last line. That's were they make their mistakes.

Voldemort was Tom Riddle. He was a regular human being. Orphan at birth, wizard by blood. Okay, so he wasn't quite regular but my point is that he was innocent once. He didn't dream of conquering the world when he was six! He might've had dreams of becoming a Hollywood actor, I don't know, I'm not him. But he didn't think of becoming dark until he was a teenager!

Hero, boy do I hate this one. People out there actually believe that heroes wake up one morning and decide, 'I'm going to save the world!' Yeah right! Most heroes don't even know what they are until halfway through the savior crap or when someone points it out to them. Guess what? They are lucky! They get to choose between being a nobody or being famous. Hello! I didn't! I had the bloody choice made for me! But enough about me, let's get back to these lines.

This next one is confusing unless you take it head-on. Basically there's no point in having a battle that doesn't suit a person's destiny. I mean look at Voldemort. He's destined to be a Dark Lord, right? So every battle has to do with him being a Dark Lord. Dumbledore is destined to oppose Voldemort, so he battles him. The guy who just died because of the battle had no destiny, therefore, he dies. Simple as that.

Now we're back to the bloody hero. Their journey is never over. This is the truest statement ever made. Okay I wouldn't call it epic but look at it this way. A normal everyday civilian worships a hero. The hero does what they want him to do. Then, guess what happens? Oh you are going to love this. The civilian thanks the hero profusely and then pushes them in the dirty ditch 'because you aren't needed anymore.' The civilian would look at this statement and say 'nuh uh'. I look at this statement and say 'too right!' I mean I had just killed Voldemort. Everyone comes up to me and congratulates me. One week later, one freakin' week later, my job's gone, my friends have deserted me, my enemies ignore me, heck the whole bloody world ignores me! And why? Because I'm not needed! That's what they said! I save their worthless hides and they toss me aside like a broken toy!

Sorry, I'm ranting again. I do that a lot nowadays. But what else am I going to do? I'm alone in the world I just saved from eternal darkness, no one loves me, no one even hates me. I'm just not even there.

I met Hermione and Ron yesterday. You know what? They got married about a month ago and I didn't find out until I saw the rings on their fingers yesterday! I didn't even know they were dating! And you know where they're living? Why, in my house which Dumbledore conveniently thought I had given to them as a wedding present. Now let's think about that one for a second. My only house given to my two ex-best friends as a weddinggift that I didn't even know was taking place! Can we say this makes absolutely NO SENSE!!!

Oh, oh! You have to hear this one. Okay, Neville Longbottom, the kid that couldn't look after himself, he's now Minister of Magic! I was like, 'back up, rewind, when did this happen?!' Anyway, being the oh-so-nice-guy-that-I- am, I went to his new office to congratulate him. Guess what happened. You got it. As soon as he saw me I was grabbed by two Aurors and literally thrown out onto the street! And you know what I got in the mail the next day? A letter for my arrest for attacking the Minister! I was sentenced to a month in Azkaban! A freakin' month! A month of listening to my parents dieing. One has to wonder if they were alive, would they be treating me like the rest of the world? I know Sirius would, if Remus Lupin is anything to go by.

Remus Lupin, werewolf and my dad's best friend. You'd think that'd account to something! But no, if I so much as look at the beast he has me up in the air bruising my neck because 'I killed Sirius'. Now let's again look at the logic. Sixteen years old, I was beating myself up because I could've saved Sirius. What was it Lupin said? Oh yes: 'Harry, it's not your fault! You couldn't have prevented it! Sirius wouldn't want you to continue blaming yourself.' The hypocrite. Honestly, did everyone just get up and give up their common sense or something?!

Dumbledore, Dumbledore. I hate that man more than Voldemort himself! And that is definitely saying something. The man forced me to be a hero. He controlled my entire life! It takes everything I got not to Avada Kederva that bastard!

And let's not forget Snape and Malfoy! I could explode their own cauldron in front of there very noses and they wouldn't notice. They're working together as Potions Master and Apprentice. But I mean I'd at least expect a 'Well if it isn't the arrogant Potter brat, 200 points from Gryffindor!' or 'Hey Scarhead, the mudblood and weasel left you for someone better?' Nothing! I mean absolutely nothing!

So much for dreams . . . I think I'm going to go lose myself in America. Who knows, maybe I'm a natural at surfing!

-Harry James Potter

Boy-Who-Lived, Order of Merlin First Class, Savior of the Wizarding and Muggle Worlds, Defeater of Voldemort

Harry Potter stood up from the bench and quietly placed the book and pen back in the bag. The eighteen year old man hailed a taxi and told the driver to take him to London's airport.

Forty-five minutes later, Harry looked out the window and watched as his homeland disappeared into nothingness. A feeling of sadness washed over him. Slowly he turned his back on the land where he was born, the land where he had watched thousands die, the land where he had become a murderer, the land where his friends betrayed him, the land that had turned its back on him. He looked ahead to Los Angeles, California. His new home.

The Gryffindor Golden Boy was no more. He was now the Silver Slytherin Prince. The mask was off. The real man was revealed. There was no turning back.
Sorry if I made you depressed by reading this but I found it rather enjoyable to write. Try it sometime!

-Ja ne,

Oklina