Disclaimer: For the 27th and last time, everything belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the plot.
A/N: Sorry for the long update, it took me forever, and then I figured it would just be cool to update on November 3rd, since that's the date I started this story on 2 years ago. Wow, can you believe that? TWO years. And now - I have actually completed a story. After canceled the music section of the site, I never had the heart to finish any of my NSYNC stories. So this is new to me, lol.
Enjoy the epilogue, and there will be a few individual A/N's at the end.
The Pain Within
Epilogue
May 31
It was one o'clock in the morning. The sky was pitch black and sprinkled with glittering stars. Gusts of wind swept through the shadowy trees of the forest and skimmed across the ebony surface of the lake, creating small ripples as it passed. It swirled anxiously around the somber stalwart stone walls of the colossal castle of Hogwarts before dying away into the night. No light appeared to be shining from any window of the building; it can be assumed that all occupants were asleep.
At least, that's the intended illusion. In reality, four teachers had just recently led their respective students to hidden, well-protected rooms within the castle, leaving certain students in charge and with instructions to be followed in case of an emergency evacuation. The majority of the student body was concealed in these rooms, but a few students were allowed to choose whether they stayed with their classmates or helped the cause. Three of these students slowly strode toward the Great Hall to join their fellow classmates and elders, their thoughts and destinies weighing heavily on their minds.
Who else chose not to stay?
Mostly people from the DA. They all left before.
The three turned down corridors and marched down staircases, winding their way toward the Great Hall in silence. They passed whispering paintings and suits of armor, and many empty classrooms that had, hours ago, been filled with dozens of students involved in various lectures and studies. Now most of those students were tucked away within the walls of the school while a better portion of Britain's wizarding defenders were stationed in and around the school awaiting the first major battle of the Second Wizarding War.
As they approached the doors to the dining hall, a new painting on the wall caught their attention. It was a landscape of their beloved school bathed in a glorious sunrise and surrounded by the glistening lake and lush greenery. Every stone of the building was clearly visible. Every shrub, every tree, and every flower was distinctly outlined. Even the tall gleaming Quidditch posts could be seen in the background. The emerald-eyed boy traced his fingers over the beautiful picture; looking at the angle, it seemed as if the artist had sat in the middle of the sky to paint the scene the trio beheld. The painting radiated hope, and the boy was grimly determined to make this the first and last battle his generation would ever see. Glancing at the plaque beneath the painting's frame, the boy arched an eyebrow at the artist. Harry shook his head angrily; there was so much they would never know about their former arch nemesis, all because of the strength of hatred.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled open the large doors of the Great Hall and entered, Hermione and Ron right beside him.
Hundreds of faces stared back at the three. The four House tables now held the various people willing to fight against Voldemort. They weren't all Aurors; many were just regular witches and wizards who wanted to do their share to help save the wizarding world in the brewing war. Harry recognized Order members, all seated at the teacher's table with Professor Dumbledore. The hall was, for the most part, very quiet; the congregated people talked in hushed tones amongst themselves about anything and nothing. The atmosphere reeked of tension and unspoken fears of the obscure future that lie ahead of them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved toward the Hufflepuff table where the Hogwarts students were huddled together, anxiety apparent on their faces. Harry was surprised to note that there were about eight or nine green cloaks amid the sea of red, blue and yellow ones. As he and his two best friends took seats on the bench, Dumbledore rose from his seat.
I do not believe I need to explain the risks we are each running here. Each one of you has realized the inevitable perils that are attached to a cause such as this. In that, you are not special. However, while the rest of wizarding society has come to accept what is happening, you are here - and that makes you different. By being in this room at this moment, you have demonstrated an extraordinary amount of courage. To be here, to be willing to sacrifice yourself for your fellow magickind and the muggle world, you have set a stone in the road. Our combined stones form a path toward a better, safer future.
He paused and smiled gravely at everyone.
As we step outside this building and cast the spells to protect our world, let us not forget those who started the path before us:
...Frank and Alice Longbottom, whose strength in the face of danger inspires us to stay strong despite the odds.
...Lily and James Potter, whose unselfish love should be remembered as we are forced to make difficult decisions.
...Harry Potter, the proclaimed hope of the wizarding world since he was a year old, whose bravery thus far can be the light to guide us in all our endeavors.
...Cedric Diggory, whose cooperation and teamwork encourages us to work together as one strong unit to accomplish our goals.
...Sirius Black, whose loyalty and determination should serve as a reassurance even in the most dire of situations.
And last, but certainly not least, let us commend Draco Malfoy. Not only did he show us the courage to stand up and fight for what we believe in, but he proved that a dragon's heart is a lot stronger than its fire.
Bruises fade, Father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so afraid
Strength is my mother for all the love she gave
Every morning that I wake, I look back at yesterday
And I'm okay
A/N: Well, there you have it. ::sniff:: I cannot believe I'm done...A few responses to your reviews:
Why? Why would I kill my main character off? Besides the fact that I can? In my eyes, I saw Draco as a tragic hero. He doesn't exactly fit the mold of the traditional Greek tragic hero, but I still saw him as one in my mind.
And Ariverrunsthroughphoenix picked up on the foreshadowing in Chapter 12: "It was of a dragon-slaying, the magnificent silver-gray beast laying in a pool of its own blood while its conqueror stood upon its back, shaking his crimson sword above his head and yelling victoriously." Although mickeylover303 had a good guess, but that wasn't specifically put in as foreshadowing. Good job guys, and thanks for the reviews!
samhaincat: If I was able to choose another category, believe me, I would choose Tragedy. You brought up valid points, and I'll keep them in mind for the future. I'm very sorry you were disappointed, but thank you for the compliments on my writing and the rest of the story, and for being honest in your review.
oasis: Nope, no sequel. Draco couldn't leave because he felt he had to say a few things before he broke all ties from his father's influence. And although Lucius did hate mostly everyone in this story, he specifically hates Narcissa because of her relationship with Draco. Don't like the idea of Tonks/Harry? lol Kinda intrigues me, actually, but I'll leave that to another story and plotline.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO CONTINUOUSLY REVIEWED AND SUPPORTED THIS STORY. I can't even begin to explain my appreciation for all of your thoughts and questions. Honestly, even after 25 chapters, I'm still amazed by the amount of and energy of your responses. You all ROCKED, and I am eternally grateful to every single one of you for taking the time out to review. THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!! MUAH!!!
Stay tuned for my next story, most likely a Draco/Hermione fic!!!