Behind Emerald Eyes

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter and never will.

Summery- The days of Hogwarts are over, as is the reign of Voldemort. Harry Potter is just another name to be found under 'hero'. But things are not right. The legendary trio has parted and made their own paths in the world. It is up to them to stop the rising terror and to mend the breaks between the once-in-a-lifetime friendship.

This chapter is a bit angsty.

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"Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave

Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;

Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.

I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned."

- Edna St. Vincent Millay

The Death that Follows

The night was cold and dark, but covered in a thick layer of smoke. The retched fumes were pouring from a building in the middle of London; a building once tall and grand that stood high and full of life. Flames now licked the apartment block; they reached out from glassless windows and wall less rooms. Debris rained down from the collapsing rooms above, to the deserted and damp streets below. Onlookers stood far away, in fear of being hit by a flaming piece of wood or cement.

One figure stood apart from the others and closer to the fire-racked building. He stood still with terror while his face was blank and expressionless. The flames were reflected in his emerald eyes covering the pain and endless sadness residing in their green depths. He stood watching the place he had called home for five years, be destroyed by flickering flames and uncontrollable heat. He ignored the people surrounding him and the muggle fire – fighters telling him to move back to safety. He just watched the fire destroy his home and he knew no amount of water could extinguish the magic – induced flames.

By the time, the crowd had cleared and the fire had burnt itself out, the Fresh Snow Apartments were nothing more than a smoking pile of rubble. The Firemen and Police Officers had been searching through the destruction for the last two hours and found nothing but a few burnt chairs and melted photographs. Harry was standing on the brown front grass, staring at the destruction he caused.

There was so much damage and so many lives lost. He had overheard a couple of Police Officers discussing the event and they had said twenty-one people had been killed. Twenty-one lives had been lost because Harry had lived in the same building that they had. They had yet to find the cause of the fire and said it had originated from the third floor.

Of course, Harry had already known that as that had been the floor where his room was situated. Just thinking about his room made him think of his lost friend.

"Oh, Dave, I'm so sorry…" Harry murmured as he placed a shaking hand over his eyes. Ever since he had heard the news from Draco Malfoy, Harry had known it was He that had done it. That copycat killer who was intent on destroying Harry's life like Voldemort had done so many years ago. But the question still hung as to why he wanted Harry dead. He was sure he hadn't done anything and positive there were no more prophecies relating to him.

But this was because of him. Dave and so many other innocent people were dead because of him. Because Harry had been their neighbours for five years. If he had known, a new Dark Lord would take Voldemort's place, than Harry would have moved to a remote island on the other side of the world and stayed isolated from all man – kind.

Harry swore loudly and ignored the cautious stares he received from a nearby Fireman. The charcoaled wood beneath his feet collapsed as he walked across it. Remnants of humanity stood out from the charred pieces of furniture and bricks. The muggle officials had long gone and morning was slowly opening up. The sun was rising above the horizon, red with the lives lost the night before.

Harry picked up a warped photograph and felt his heart clench at the smiling figures of a small family. His eyes were stinging and quilt was coursing through his body as he stared at the devastation surrounding him. So many families destroyed and friends lost. So many precious memories and unforgettable times were lost because of him.

A hand was placed on his shoulder and he turned dejectedly to face Ginny. Her eyes were red and puffy, and fresh tears were running down her cheeks. Her lip trembled as she pulled Harry into a tight hug. He didn't return it but stood still and stiffly in her embrace. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. Harry felt so miserable and guilty that he was sure those feelings were clearly visible in his god-forsaken eyes. He looked past Ginny to see a group of others standing on the roadside, staring at the destruction with pale faces.

Harry handed Ginny the photograph and looked to the horizon, where a red sun was rising. Then he turned his eyes to the remains of the Fresh Snow Apartments, remembering Dave and how his family was yet to know of what happened. Harry thought he should be the one to tell them, as they all liked him and knew him best.

"I'm sorry, Ginny." He said blankly before Disapparating away, the lonely crack echoing around the ruin of good times.

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It had been hard talking to the Ream Family. When he had knocked on their door in the early hours of the morning, they knew something had happened. It still brought tears to his eyes when he told them they had better sit down. At that moment, Diana Ream had known something had happened to Dave. She was already crying when her husband took her hand and helped her to the couch, his own face pale and eyes shining.

He would always remember the screams of pain and cries of disbelief as the two had mourned for their dear son lost. They had been the easiest of the family to tell. Harry had waited in the house for a few hours until Sophie Ream had arrived home. Her face had lit up when she found Harry sitting on the couch, but then her eyes had fallen on her crying parents and she had derived a conclusion.

Harry's heart had broken when the young girl had broken into uncontrollable sobs and ran into Harry's chest. She had cried for hours into his shoulder; not just tears but heart – wrenching sobs that brought Harry to tears also. She had been so young to lose someone close to her and too young to have to suffer through the pain.

When Harry had left, the Ream family told him to keep in touch and they would always be there. He told them he would be there for them. And if they needed anything to call him on his cell phone. It had torn him up inside watching the family grieve for Dave and it totally destroyed him knowing it was he who caused their pain.

Harry was now sitting beneath the tree beside the stream at the back of the Burrow. He was staring at the running water, with the light sparkling from the surface. He was staring at it but not really seeing it. His mind was elsewhere, on the war he thought was over and the people he thought would be safe. He unknowingly held the key, which was still around his neck, in his fist. The soft metal somehow comforted him but fuelled the guilt building inside him.

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"Harry is stronger than you, Tom, and you know it," spoke Albus Dumbledore to the monster Voldemort. Harry stood by the old man's side, starting hatefully at the creature in front of him. People were fighting around them; spells and weapons struck their opponents, as students and Death Eaters fell. Harry almost shouted in anger as a masked Death Eater shot down a third year boy who he had been duelling.

"Don't speak such lies to fuel the boy's arrogance, Dumbledore, you know as well as I that Potter is no much against me!" said Voldemort in a loud voice filled with malice and conceit. Harry turned his attention back to the towering figure of Tom Riddle, deformed and demon-like surrounded by the death caused by his army.

"I am stronger than the last time I faced you, Tom!" Harry said loudly and powerfully, keeping his wand level in front of him. On the outside, he was a face of bravery and defiance; but on the inside, he was terrified that he would die that day. Not because he was afraid of dying, he welcomed it, but because of the people, he would leave behind and what his death would mean. It would mean that Voldemort would win. And that was something he could not or would not let happen.

"Such big words for a person in your position, boy. If I was you and faced one of great power like myself, I would watch what came out of my mouth!" said the Dark Lord, smirking with his lipless mouth.

"If you were me, I would kill myself!" Harry snarled menacingly. Voldemort sneered at him and quickly shot the Cruciatus Curse at him. Harry deflected it easily and quickly retorted with a Blasting Curse. The Dark Lord blocked it easily and the duel continued. Soon, Dumbledore joined in and the three of them fought with such speed and excellence that their moves were that of a blur.

"Is that all you've got, Riddle!" Harry shouted, dodging a Killing Curse while sending a curse back at the red-eyed monster. The Sword of Gryffindor was hanging at his belt, light as a feather but strong as can be. Harry could hardly feel it as he dodged the spells quickly. Dumbledore was just as quick for someone his age and he would disappear one second to reappear the next in a completely different position.

"Stupid boy, you will die!" Tom Riddle snarled in outrage, vanishing in a swirl of his cloak. Harry whipped around to face Voldemort who had reappeared behind him. But it was too late by the time he had turned. The jet of green light was shooting towards him. Harry briefly wondered if this what his parents saw before he readied himself to die. But he was pushed aside and he stumbled slightly, before righting his footing to see the green light strike Albus Dumbledore in the chest.

The old man had faced him before the bolt of electricity struck him, and he smiled at Harry proudly. And time seemed to freeze as the old man slowly stumbled backwards, his face still supporting the calm smile but his eyes no longer twinkling. Harry watched as Albus Dumbledore fell gracefully to the blood stained grass, his face vacant and eyes never again to twinkle. Harry froze in place, his heart stopping and blood running cold. All sounds were drowned out except that of Lord Voldemort laughing.

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The key grew hot in his hand as Harry swore and quickly dropped the small piece of metal. A red outline of the small key was placed on his hand as he sighed in anguish, ignoring the tears spilling from his eyes. His memories were so painful and so real that he was scared they would once again come alive, but this time, one of his friends would die at the hand of Voldemort. The demon that had destroyed so many families and taken so many lives was once again plaguing his dreams. Ever since his leave of Hogwarts on that fateful day, five years ago, the Dark Lord had played another part in his life. Once more terrorizing him in his dreams and haunting him beyond the grave.

"Won't my life ever be free of death?" Harry said softly and painfully into the clearing. "It wont as long as it's so full of life," said Ginny as she appeared to his left. Her eyes were still red and she looked incredibly pale and tired. Harry sighed as she sat down beside him and took his hand.

"Every time something looks like it will be fine, something happens that turns everything around. Like, when I was just enjoying being back and I thought everything would go back to normal, this new Riddle character has to go and kill the only friend I had made in five years!" Harry said angrily, wiping the tears away furiously. Ginny sighed and squeezed his hand tighter, kissing it lightly.

"I know, but everything will be better –" she said but Harry cut her off. "How do you know? How do you know that the Third War won't break out? That this new Dark Lord won't kill us all in our sleep?" he said painfully. Ginny placed an arm around his waist while Harry put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to him. She sat her head on his shoulder and he put his on hers.

"I don't. All I have is hope." So there they stayed, with the stream trickling unawares and the sun setting on another day.

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Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter is late and really short but I thought that was a good spot to leave it. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out because I have my School Certificate Exams next week which is like the OWLs. And I have to STUDY! Ahhhh!

Heaps of people thought that Dave was the new Dark Lord, sorry about the confusion, but no, he isn't. But Dave is dead and never to return, sadly. I liked Dave. But it had to be done! Well, umm, please review! Please?

Bye

DW