Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters or situations mentioned within. JKR has that happy honour.

I sincerely hope that you never read this. If you do, it means that I had to leave you behind, that I died without ever telling you how I felt. If you read this, it means that all of my dreams of holding you close, stroking your hair and telling you that I love you will never come true. But if you are reading this, I want you to know that I love you. I think I've always loved you, from that very first day on the Hogwarts Express.

You were my first friend, you know. Everyone else always shunned me, not wanting to get beaten up by my whale of a cousin. I think at first you might have been in awe, and that may be why you even bothered talking to me. After all, you would have grown up hearing stories about me, just like every other child in the wizarding world. But I know it went deeper than that. By the time that train pulled into the station, you were my best friend, and my very first. I know you thought I was crazy, buying all those sweets from the trolley. I had never had anything to share with anyone before, and I wanted to share everything I had with you.

I think it really sank in that you were my true friend and weren't going anywhere that night that you, Hermione, and me went past Fluffy underneath that trap door and you sacrificed yourself so that I could move ahead to save the Sorcerer's Stone. You were willing to sacrifice your life at the age of eleven for me. I think it was then that my feelings for you changed, although I was too young to realize it.

I'll always remember when we flew your dad's Anglia into the Whomping Willow. Although it was terrifying, the look on your face when we realize that the bloody tree was about to kill us… I was scared, then. Scared that we would really be hurt, that you would really be hurt. And then you followed me into the Forest, and we narrowly escaped the Acromantulas. You were so brave, then, a true credit to Gryffindor.

You were always there for me, and I regret that I'll never truly be able to tell you how much that meant to me. I hate that I died without telling you how much it meant to me that you stood up to me when everyone else was trashing my name in Fourth Year. Even though we had that falling out, I never stopped loving you. I realized in fourth year, when you wouldn't talk to me, that I actually loved you as more than a friend. But I couldn't tell you. You were so angry, and then, after we made up, I didn't want to hurt our friendship. I wish I had told you.

I should have told you after the Department of Mysteries. I should have taken you into my arms then and told you everything. But I was so glad that we all came out alive, and so heartbroken at Sirius' death that I just couldn't.

You never once left my side. Not even in sixth year, when I couldn't stop obsessing about Malfoy. You left school to come with me to track down the horcruxes, even though Molly screamed and yelled and threatened until she was blue in the face. You didn't leave my side then either. You single-handedly discovered the locations of two horcruxes, and insured that we wouldn't kill ourselves by stopping me from rushing madly after them, instead formulating plans and strategy. You strategized the final battle between Voldemort. You healed my wounds there on the battlefield when Nott stabbed me through the shoulder with Slytherin's dagger. It was my love for you that allowed me to finally kill Voldemort. I'll never forget seeing you spit on the dead body of Voldemort.

I should have told you after that. I should have told you the day that we all found out the dagger Nott stabbed me with had been coated with a poison that was slowly killing me. But I didn't. And I don't think I've ever regretted anything more. I shouldn't have died without you knowing. It's not fair to you. I only hope that you can forgive me for not telling you.

I want you to know that you are the only one I ever loved. That fiasco with Cho, even my short relationship with Ginny, none of the feelings I had then ever compared to the love I felt for you. You were my first friend, my best mate, and my only true love. Never doubt that. I hope that someday you can find love, and that you will marry and have a family. I sincerely hope you will. I will be watching, always, with a smile on my face. I only wish I could have called you mine. I will never stop loving you and I hope that you will be able to move on and be happy.

Love,

Harry James Potter