Author note:

This was a fun idea that popped into my head. And while I'll continue to write it as a singular stand alone story, I believe there is enough here to write a series on. So if anyone who feels like it deserves justice of a longer epic, you have my permission to take the idea, story notes, history or anything else of this particular story and run with it. It has the potential to be a very good read.

With that said, on with the show.

1994 – Hogwarts Express heading into Hogwarts

Hermione watched Harry out of the corner of her eye as she pretended to read Hogwarts: A History to cover her thinking. Something was very very wrong with the wizarding world. Their first three years laid to claim what she had observed. Further, her research was, well, haunting.

Just who was Harry Potter?

Yes, everyone knew Harry was the Boy Who Lived. They knew of his exploits that happened in the first three years, yet despite overwhelming evidence, some people still questioned it. Normally that could be waved away as bullheadedness, but it was more than that. Denial was one thing, but this behavior of the wizarding world was bordering on… on… asininity.

It was like down to their very bones, they wanted, no, they needed to believe in the existence of the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, but somewhere deep in their psyche, they fought that belief tooth and nail. Almost like… like… they were charmed into believing it.

Hermione's small gasp and widening of eyes drew the attention of Ron and Harry. Ron who shook his head and Harry with a warm smile. Almost as if he knew what she was thinking and trusted her.

Ron spoke up "Oh come on Hermione, I just said putz, it's not like it's a bad word, especially when talking about those slimy Slytherins."

Hermione just huffed and buried her head more in her book, as if pretending to hide her annoyance, but in truth to hide her slightly blushing face on being caught out in her thoughts. She bit her lip. The thought she had was horrific. What if The Boy who Lived did not really exist. What if… dare she think it… what if Harry Potter did not exist.

A small pop of a static discharge danced in her peripheral vision, she glanced up, not seeing anything. Ron was still commenting away, not aware of anything around him. Hermione continued to look around, and met Harry's eyes. Harry's beautiful green eyes, which still had slight sparks dancing across them. And he met her eyes and smiled sadly, almost knowingly. Hermione swallowed hard. She had research to do.

It was a few months into the Hogwarts year and she was holed away in an unused classroom. She kept her documents she gathered in a charmed cubbyhole which she had laid out around her. The door to the classroom locked with various charms to alert her of anyone attempting to spy or gain entrance.

She had Hedwig travel continuously back and forth to her parents who scoured the libraries, official buildings, and public areas on Lily Evans. With their medical background, and some questionable ethics, which Hermione took weeks to convince of the necessity, they used their doctorate background to gather information which normally would not be accessible to standard citizens. Something they would most assuredly be fined for and potentially lose their license for if it ever got out what they did, but they were convinced, with the evidence, of the necessity for them to do this. Mr Granger, having worked for the British military in his youth, was the easier of the two to convince. War was coming between the wizards and the no-mags. It would be bloody, and as Mr Granger believed, the wizards would likely win the war, but at a pyrrhic victory.

Hermione convinced her parents. Wizarding runes defied physics. They could take energy of any form, strip it down regardless of the amount presented to it and convert it to any other energy form. As wards tended to be tied to the very planet to power it, it was a ratio of power above even nuclear weaponry.

There was a reason wizards enjoyed eating crumpets and sipping tea in the middle of the eruption of Pompeii and watched lava flow around their wards with barely a feeling of warmth.

An erupting volcano was magnitudes more powerful than even the most powerful no-mag nuclear weapons.

One thing Wizards could not deal with however, is nuclear fallout. That would poison, disrupt, and kill wizards like anyone else. And wizards were too stupid to see this.

They would threaten the no-mags until WMD's were the only solution and the world would end.

That was enough to get both of Hermione's parents on board. And they found information on Lily Evans. And funny enough James Potter. Most of the potters in fact. They had a lot of dealings with no-mags, and a lot of those dealings required medical procedures and tests. Which they had on file.

Hermione continued to gasp, tears going down her cheeks as she continued to read the documents.

James Potter and Lily Evans were sterile. And magic couldn't fix that.

Who was Harry Potter?

Hermione put down the documentation, slowly ordered it, put it in her protected nook, recast the protection spells, then pulled her knees up and rocked back and forth. And cried.

Who was Harry Potter?

A few weeks later, she sat at the Breakfast table with Harry and Ron. Both were laughing over something that occurred in the potion classroom earlier. She smiled at Ron and Harry, forced as it had been the past few weeks. Ron, as always, was oblivious, but Harry always met her eyes and smiled, that sad knowing smile. Always accepting, always loving, her Harry was always like that. Wait, her Harry? Well yes, why not. But even so, who was Harry?

Harry turned and continued to talk to Ron and Hermione started to notice the slight changes to Harry as she studied him. He seemed more drawn out, tired, his familiar vibrant green eyes a bit more dull. His hair not as wild as before, and he seemed more slumped than usual. Almost like he was just running out of energy. Maybe he wasn't getting enough sleep.

Hermione startled as if she was being watched. She glanced immediately to the Slytherin table, but didn't see anyone, and glanced around the room. She glanced slightly to the head table, all the professors were talking. All except Albus Dumbledore. Who bore with an uncommon serious look right into Hermione's eyes. Unblinking. Judging. Unwavering. And both immensely proud and profoundly sad.

While staring at Hermione, he leaned over to McGonagall and whispered something into her ear. She glanced first up to Albus, then glanced to Hermione and back and instantly grew ashen and then nodded her head.

Wiping her lips, she got up and started to walk over to the table Hermione sat. Upon reaching it she leaned in and whispered in a stilted nervous voice "After breakfast, you have been requested to go to the headmaster's office. I will take you there personally. There's something important you need to be told."

She stood back up and walked back toward the head table. Her gait slow, tired, almost as if something horrible had happened.

Albus, still staring at Hermione, had a look of of a proud parent, yet of absolute profound loss, as if the world had ended.

Hermione had no clue then, but it had.

The door opened, and McGonagall lead Hermione in the room. Professor Snape, as always, was loomed on a chair, but for once without his trade mark perpetual sneer. Surprisingly, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Flitwick and all the other professors were in the room as well, all sat around the headmaster's desk, and all drinking, from appearance, on their second or third glass, from a bottle of very old scotch.

Hermione blinked in shock when Snape got up slowly, gave what could almost pass as a sad smile, and handed Hermione a glass of scotch of her own.

She blinked, and immediately glanced to her head of house. She smiled sadly, a tear leaking down her cheek "Aye lass, drink it. It's going to be a long and sad evening."

She sipped the scotch, it's burning warmth comforting her on what she was sure now would be a story that would chill her to the bones. She spoke up "It's about Harry isn't it. There is no Harry Potter."

All the teachers flinched, and sighed. Snape was, again, one of the first to speak up "She always was as smart as Lily. I told you we should have included her Albus, but in your arrogance we're lost."

Hermione blinked 'Included in what?"

Albus Dumbledore rubbed his head and answered, both Snape and Hermione "It would not have mattered, Severus. Like Lily, her very mind would have rejected the belief required to make it happen, and charms would have been fought, as the geas and taboo obviously has. And even then, it'd only have bought us precious little time. Time which would have done no real good."

Hermione blinked "Wait… geas? Taboo? You mean like how Voldemort was used as a Taboo during the last war?"

Albus smiled sadly, yet warmly "Exactly so, Miss Granger. And just like then, the Taboo triggered something in anyone who heard or said it."

Albus sighed "Belief. Belief in Harry Potter. Belief in the Chosen One."

Hermione shook her head slowly "I get what you are saying, but why saddle another child with being Harry Potter? Who did you get to play the role? Lily and James are sterile. The child could not be theirs, even with magical help."

Filius started to laugh, even wiping tears from his eyes from his apparent sadness "Lily through and through, Albus. I would have loved to continued to teach her."

Hermione blinked and gasped "Wait, you're expelling me?!"

Albus belly laughed "No no, Hermione." Albus waved his hands attempting to put Hermione at ease "No, nothing so… innocent… will be happening." Albus waved his hand again "I'm not trying to make fun of you Miss Granger, no, I'm stating the seriousness. In a year's time, there will be no magical world left. There will be no world left at all."

Hermione blinked as she sat rooted and whispered "The war."

Albus sighed sadly "Yes Miss Granger. The war. And despite your best intentions, you are, the cause of that war. But it was a long shot, and if not you, someone else would have eventually, likely, have figured it out and we'd be in the same position. In truth, I was trying to buy time. We…" as he waved around the room including everyone ".. were trying to buy time. And we got far more than we expected, and to be honest likely far more than we deserved. We did dark, horrible things to get where we were, so maybe this is Lady Magic taking her due. In any regard, do not take responsibility for this. It was a long shot anyway."

Hermione's mind took in what was going on and blinked "Wait… the Taboo…" Hermione grew green and leaned over. McGonagall conjured a bucket just in time as Hermione emptied her stomach of what she just ate.

"Oh Merlin. I all but admitted it. Harry Potter doesn't exist. He's not another child. He doesn't even exist. He's a concept, empowered by magic, by belief, enforced by falsehood of the geas and the taboo. It is only the belief of the wizards who allowed Harry to live as long as he has."

Albus smiled sadly and a cough from Snape, with a comment nearly too quiet to hear "2000 points to Gryffindor."

Albus leaned in and sighed "Absolutely correct, Miss Granger."

Beside Hermione, she felt a hand join hers. She glanced up into the slightly glowing and fading appearance of Harry Potter who smiled that sad smile at her, in triumph, in joy, in sadness. So much expressions as he spoke up softly "I existed out of fear. Out of love. Out of friendship. Out of hate. The emotions and thoughts of the wizarding world gave me life. Just like the doubt and denial has caused my death."

Hermione shook her said and buried her head into Harry's shoulder "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Oh Harry!" and he just took her in his arms, gave light kisses to her temple and whispered in her ear "I was loved by the world, envied, hated, but it was only one person who I truly loved above all else. But I also knew you could never love something that wasn't true. It was bound to failure, but I loved you anyway."

Hermione cried as she hugged Harry "I love you too, Harry. I don't care if you don't exist." Harry was fading more as he smiled and gave Hermione one, gentle, slow kiss on the lips. A final farewell, a quiet somber retreat into what existed after. "Yes, Hermione, you do. And it matters to me too. I don't know why, but I think when it's all over, we'll have another chance. At least I hope so. While all the wizards of the world gave me existence, it was a single witch that gave me life. Thank you, Hermione."

With his hand on Hermione's cheek, Harry slowly faded away, sparkles of imprinting sparkling in the air as he faded to non-existence.

Hermione continued to stare, holding her cheek where the warmth of Harry's touch was last in fond remembrance. Tears still streaking down her cheeks, then anger. Anger set in and she glanced up to Albus, who smiled, and took that as well, in calm acceptance.

Albus spoke up "You have every right to hate me. Harry was intended as an icon, a focus, a simple existence only. It was only after meeting you on the train, that August 1991, that Harry Potter first lived. No, don't be angry, be joyful! 3 years, Hermione. 3 years you did what in magic was impossible. You created life, a soul. I know it does no good now, and gives you no peace. But know this, in our last year of existence, that you, Hermione Granger, truly met and loved one Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter. For those three years, it was real. So take that to heart."

Hermione had a confused look on her face, battling between bitter love, hate, joy, remorse, then she closed up and defaulted to what she always did "Albus, and I refuse to honor you. To be fair, I think we're past that point in this room. Tell me about Harry. Who was Harry Potter."

Albus leaned over and poured another splash into Hermione's glass, emptying the bottle of scotch, which Severus reached behind and pulled out a second one, opening it with practiced ease, and rumbled in his deep quiet voice "There's a few more bottles after this one. I dare say before the story is over we'll have finished them all.

Everyone settled back as Albus started his story. For this was a story none of them heard in completion. Each was told their part and no more. It was time for the full story. And time to approach the ending days with eyes open.

Albus begin his story.

"It started at the high point of the last war. Voldemort was winning. He was unkillable. He had done horrible things, done horrible rituals, engraved horrible runes on his body. He couldn't be killed by no-mag or magic means. Even nuclear fire would only make him stronger. Fiend-fire? An annoyance. Killing curse? A warm breeze on a summer day. "

Albus poured himself another finger full and continued, "No, what we needed was an ace in the hole. We needed a way to kill Voldemort that everyone believed was possible. That everyone believed happened. That everyone could put their faith in."

Albus took a sip in pause and Hermione answered in a small voice "You needed Harry Potter."

Albus nodded his head slowly "We needed Harry Potter. Everyone in this room discussed ahead of time who would be best for the Chosen One. We picked Lily and James Potter. They were our best friends, amazingly powerful, and without the extremes Voldemort went through would have likely defeated him in that last battle. They had him down." and Albus chuckled "Three times. But he kept getting up after the fatal blow, and with his strength overpowered James and Lily at the end and killed them, but not without over-extending his reserves and going into a short coma. We took advantage of this and applied every spell we knew to capture him and put him in stasis, but even then his overwhelming power started to break it apart and absorb it. It only bought us time, maybe a week, maybe two. So we decided on a plan. A horrible, necessary, despicable plan."

Hermione whispered, repeating what she stated "You created Harry Potter."

Albus smiled again, sadly, almost in resignation "Yes. We created Harry Potter. We initially bound his essence to James and Lily's corpses. We required blood, bone, and flesh, and the ritual destroyed their bodies, entirely, to create Harry Potter. The graves of James and Lily are truly empty. Nothing exists in them, they're markers only. The epitaph is truly meaningful. 'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.'"

Albus took another sip and continued "So, Harry Potter was born, but he needed to be believed in. The ritual would only have enough power to last a few days, and we needed several months. Impossibly, even years. So we weaved a taboo and geas on Harry Potter. All who saw Harry Potter would instantly link it to an extreme emotion. Love, hate, anger, jealousy, but it would be enough to link the image of Harry Potter with the emotion in their head. The Taboo would allow this link to pass on and spread, almost like a virus, to more and more around the world. To our surprise, in just under a month, the entire world had heard of and believed in one Harry Potter. And the legend was born. And with this belief, Voldemort was exiled from his body. But with his power, still with the overwhelming belief, he did not die. That should tell you how dangerous Voldemort truly is."

Here Snape took over "But like any belief, there are flaws, discord, disbelief, arguments. In society, it's impossible to get someone to believe the truth all the time. You can show them overwhelming evidence of something and they'll still deny it even at the sake of their own life or those around them. Consider the times of the Spanish Flu and the Plagues. They had proven methods to avoid being sick, and people willingly, knowingly, ignored those because they didn't believe the people who told them to do it. Or believed it was a conspiracy. Or believed they knew better. It was chaos."

Snape took a sip as Albus nodded and continued "And this… disjointed belief… was causing corruption in the belief of Harry Potter. I think when Harry Potter gained true sentience he realized the flaw in his existence and was happy to have it end. And never doubt, Miss Granger, Harry Potter loved you dearly. I think in all the emotions, feelings, and existence of Harry Potter, the love you two shared was the only thing that had meaning. And that is both a wonderful and horrifying thing."

Hermione, tears still rolling down her cheeks spoke up "Horrifying how?"

Albus put his head in his hands and moaned his answer "Horrifying that the only meaningful emotion in a world of wizards, is the beginning love of a pair of 14 year old children."

Albus looked up into Hermione's eyes, tears wet on his beard "Harry, upon gaining sentience saw this for what it is. We don't deserve life. None of us do. Except maybe you, Hermione, for being able to take a single moment of time and look past what we, as wizards, as people, can do. Love, unconditionally, unquestionably, without requirement, without need, without worry of acceptance, just love for the sake of loving. It's what this world has lost, and why we are doomed, I think."

Albus drained his glass, which was refilled by Snape "So, Harry Potter's existence started to waver, long before you met him Miss Granger. It's why we don't hold you to fault. If anything, you gave it three more years that we didn't have before. So I guess I should take this time now and say 'Thank You'. You did us service when we truly didn't deserve it."

Hermione bit her lip "You think Voldemort knew about Harry's existence and the Taboo?"

Albus smiled "I'm sure he did, but even Voldemort can't change the minds of the world, even with time. His trying to make people forget Harry would only have drove them to think of him more. No, Tom knew he was outplayed, but he also knew it was a stalling action, and would not defeat him. And sadly, the 14 years we had, only granted us a reprieve. We have no solution, and Tom knows this. Tom, with his rituals, stripped himself of everything that made Harry what he was. The 'Power he knows not.'.

Hermione spoke up "Couldn't Harry have defeated him?"

Albus smiled "Maybe. But the catch is since Harry was a construct in the belief of the world, his defeating Voldemort would have ended belief. And that, in turn would have ended those who believed. We'd end up where we are now."

Hermione snorted into her tears "Except without the nuclear fallout."

Filius spoke up "Now now Miss Granger. You should know better. The no-mags if nothing else are most excellent at killing. It'd happen, just take longer to do so. And even then maybe not as long as any of us consider."

Snape rolled his scotch in his glass and drunk it in one gulp "No-mags if nothing else are efficient at being destructive to everything around them."

Hermione sighed and looked down "It's something my dad once said. War never changes."

The silence was stifling for a few minutes then Hermione spoke up again, tired, in acceptance of what was to come.

Hermione asked, "How long do you think we have until we're all dead? I want to spend time with my family, maybe go on vacation."

Albus leaned back in thought "I think 6 months, outwards to a year. It'll take Tom a bit of time to gather his forces, then a bit more time to train them on what to do. Then time for the no-mags to contribute their destructive stupidity into the mix. So yes, I say we have about a year. Oh, and Miss Granger, thank you for taking the year off to do research for me. And give your parents our best regards, and thank them for having a loving and understanding daughter. You do your parents, and magicals proud, Miss Granger. When the end comes, hold your head high, and remember that."

Albus salutes everyone in the room and they all pour back the final shots of scotch.

All four bottles are empty.

It's about 13 and ½ months as Hermione sat on her father's yacht, out at sea, watching the mushroom clouds brighten the distance with her special magic glasses. Her parents are behind her, sitting in the shade, and drinking pina coladas, because why not. They were all snuggled together watching the end of the world, as the world burned, fish floating on top of the ocean from the poisoned sea, wizard cities long destroyed by the thousands of pounds of fallout suffocating all life within.

The magic wards on the ship would hold out the radiation, but eventually they'll take the poison and die in their sleep. Food was currently scarce, and would eventually be non-existent. Water was still possible with magic, but food was never possible to create. Hermione guessed they had a week, maybe two left of being able to survive. She sipped her pina colada. She'd enjoy the time she had left.

This was it, the final day. Hermione looked back at her life, thinking of all the times with her friends and family and spoke out loud "It was a good life. What do you think, Mom? Dad?"

She heard a gasp behind her, and turned looking at her Mom and Dad, they were shocked, a bit pale, and looking over Hermione's shoulder.

She froze up, feeling a hand gently take hers, solid, warm, loving.

She turned and smiled into beautiful green eyes, glowing slightly with sparkles.

Harry gently kissed her on the lips "You don't think I'd leave you on your final day, do you?"

Hermione snuggled into Harry's arms, still glowing and slightly insubstantial, but warm all the same. Her parents, surprised, accepting, with warm smiles, settling back with pina coladas. One being passed into Harry's waiting hands as he chuckled "This is the first time I had an alcoholic drink."

Hermione lightly punches his arm "Well, it's about time. Hold me."

And Harry did, sipping his drink, watching the fires in the distance burn out as the sun fell, on life, on existence, on a world too concerned about self importance and greed over what was better for the common good.

As Mr. and Mrs. Granger closed their eyes for the final time, with a whispered 'I love you' to both Harry and Hermione, Hermione snuggled deeper into Harry's embrace, her breathing slowing, her body chilling, and the poison in her pina colada did its magic, easing her into oblivion. Harry whispered into her hair, kissing her ear and whispered "I'll see you soon, beloved."

And the world died.