A/N: Slight Half Blood Prince spoiler...oh, come on...don't hate me! I didn't mean to spoil the book for you, it's a good book, go read it...if you've read it, well done hugs. Nothing more to say...read and review...

The Start of a New Beginning


2nd March 2005

Harry Potter

"I don't want you to go," Claire said in a determined tone.

"But Claire, you don't understand," I said, trailing behind her.

"What I don't understand is why you want to help the Ministry so much! The same Ministry who said that you were a scummy liar! Who disgraced you! What are you thinking?" Claire shouted.

"I'm not doing this for me! I'm doing this for future generations! I don't want my children to grow up without a chance to know me! I was only one when my parents were taken away from me. I know how it feels to lose your family members," I defended.

"And I don't know?" Claire screamed.

"Claire, please," I begged.

"The answer is no," Claire replied in deadly tone.

I took a deep breath and let register what Claire had just said. She'd just forbade me from going to war with the Dark Side. I don't understand why. I know for certain Ron was going, Colin too. I stared at Claire as if she was mad. Claire took a deep breath and explained, "I lost my whole family. Did you not think that I know what it feels like? I've lost them. I cannot lose you."

Claire was almost in tears. I pulled her into a hug and soothed her, "You won't."

"Claire, I want you to see a Mind Healer," I said.

"What?"

"She can help you. You might be able to stop all these visions."

"You think that I'm crazy?" Claire said in a teary voice.

"Just do it for me, okay?" I asked.

"If you promise not to go to war," Claire bargained.

"No. I will go, no matter what you say. We can't be that selfish," I told her.

"Harry, no!" Claire exclaimed, but it was no use.

I had apparated away. Reappearing in my office, I found McKay already outside, gathering all the people for war.

"Hey, Harry," McKay greeted briskly.

"I'm in," I told him and went off to find Ron.

"Harry!" a voice called behind me.

"Hi, Ginny," I said.

"Harry, you're going too?" Ginny asked.

"Yes."

"Take care of Ron, and Bill, and Charlie, and Fred, and George," Ginny said, close to tears as she named her family members as if placing their heads on a chopping board.

Ginny burst into tears and I pulled her into a hug. "Ginny, I'll take care of them, don't worry. Nothing's going to happen, everything's fine."

"Don't lie to me, Harry! Everyone's been lying to me, please don't lie to me," Ginny said in tears.

"We'll win; you'll see. Take care of Claire for me, alright?" I said to her before kissing her forehead and went back to find Ron.

Ron stumbled upon me as I was looking for him.

"I've been looking for you, mate," Ron said and without a word, we pulled into a brotherly hug.

"I'm going to miss you, mate," I told Ron.

Everyone was wishing their last goodbyes to their loved ones.

"Me too. Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Not yet," I replied.

"I just talked to her. She's crying her head off. Imagine having all your best friends in this war…" Ron said and he walked away.

I tried to search for Hermione. Everyone was in a line to use the Portkey to the place where Voldemort was supposed to be.

"Harry! Harry!" I heard Hermione call from behind.

I got out of line and ran in her direction.

"Harry! Claire's pregnant! She just told me!" Hermione said urgently.

"Really? That's wonderful. Tell her I love her, won't you? And that I'm sorry I couldn't bid her goodbye properly," I said mournfully.

"She says that she respects your decision and she admits that she was being rather selfish. She says she and the baby will pray for you nightly," Hermione said with a sad smile.

"Wait, weren't you on vacation with Draco?"

"I pretended to be sick and Draco pretended to be accompanying me. The truth is, we wanted to bid our best friends goodbye," Hermione said.

I saw Draco a short distance away taking turns with a girl Harry knew as Colin's wife to hug Colin. He saw a small tear slip down Draco's cheek and it occurred to Harry at that moment that Draco actually had sentimental feelings. No wonder Hermione fell for him!

"Goodbye, Hermione. I'll miss you," Harry said as he kissed Hermione on the cheek.

He walked towards the Portkey with Colin Street. Draco locked his arms around Hermione's shoulder and waved them both goodbyes. Harry was happy to see his best friend happy. Harry waved back and touched the Portkey, the last one remaining. At exactly noon, the Portkey was activated and Harry felt the familiar jerk of the Portkey, thrown instantly to a place he didn't know.

"Alright, this is where Voldemort is rumoured to be. Everybody, wands at the ready and stay alert. Anything can be anything here. Now, when we enter the house," I said pointing to an old house up the hill, "you will attack in groups. Your group members were given to you yesterday. Remember, we're down to three Ministry Members to one Death Eater. You may use the Killing Curse only when in a life threatening situation. The Imperious Curse is allowed and so is the Cruciatus Curse. Be alert. There're predicted to be fifty Death Eaters in there," Harry concluded his briefing.

Harry teamed up with Ron and Colin. Both were silent and the intensity was running very high.

"If anything happens to me, Harry, tell Mum and Dad and the rest of them that I love them, alright?" Ron whispered to me.

"Same goes for me. Tell Claire I love her, and remember to tell my baby about his or her father," I whispered back.

To our great surprise, Colin also spoke. "Tell Chris I love her."

We fell silent for a while, winding our way closer to the target location. Suddenly Ron turned and flashed his infamous Weasley grin, looking more like the twins than he would ever willingly admit, nudged me in the ribs and whispered.

"Hey mate, have you thought of baby names?" Ron asked.

"If it's a boy, it will be Ares; if it's a girl, it's Athena. Their middle names must be Phoenix," I whispered, not believing that I actually had this figured out.

"Blimey –"

"Would you two shut it? Now's not the time to think of baby names! Colin snapped.

"Sorry mate, we're just trying to ease the tension," I apologised.

"What would you name your son?" Ron asked.

"Odysseus," Colin answered simply.

"And for a daughter?" I piped in.

"Clymnestra," Colin answered, then shushed us as we approached the house.

"He's a fan of Greek Mythology too," Ron whispered to me.

On my signal, we burst into the house. Being in the lead, I tried to brace myself. Storming the house caught most of the Death Eaters by surprise, giving our people an edge. Curses filled the air as Ministry Members fought their way in, one room at a time. Room by room, the Dark wizards retreated, yielding ground at a heavy cost. Dark and Light fell as the battle raged.

Harry had little time to note the faces of the fallen as he fought his way deep inside the enemy's nest, drawn to the lower levels by the pull of a Dark presence. After what seemed like an age, Harry reached a hidden chamber. Several Death Eaters had barricaded themselves in a desperate last stand against the invading force. Whatever lay beyond those doors was crucial.

Minutes later, the room was in ruins. The bodies of Death Eaters littered the floor. One final burst of power from my wand blasted the doors clean off their hinges. Only a handful of Dark followers crouched behind debris in the cavernous room beyond the shattered door. As everyone started to charge in, I picked a Death Eater to battle. Bellatrix Lestrange. Right now, I have two things on my mind - avenge Sirius' death and my baby.

"Potty Potter… we finally meet again," Bellatrix said in her stupid baby voice I remembered so well.

"Of course, you don't think I'd let Sirius die unavenged at your filthy hands – hands which were touched by Voldemort!" I practically had to yell over all the commotion and shouting.

"You dare say –"

"Crucio!" Colin shouted.

It worked! Bellatrix was screaming and howling in pain. She twitched and turned around. I turned to look at Colin and understood the look on his face. Colin was avenging every Death Eater for his wife.

"Accio wand!" Ron cried and Bellatrix's wand went flying towards him. Ron caught it with ease.

"Good one, Ron!" I cried as I watched Ron snap Bellatrix's wand in two. .

My eyes widened as a flash of green light went shooting towards him. I turned around, not being able to witness the scene unfolding. I saw Voldemort laughing menacingly as he randomly cast the Killing Curse. Anger boiled up from inside me. He was the cause of all this. He had to pay.

I started towards him.

"Harry Potter, we meet again," Voldemort hissed.

"You are the cause, you have to pay!"

Voldemort cackled with laughter.

"Did you not know I created the Horcruxes to ensure that I remain undefeated? I am not that easy to kill, Potter," Voldemort said icily.

"In fact, I do! And I also happen to know, you are the last Horcrux and the weakest one!" I shouted as I sent a Killing Curse.

Voldemort started to look worried now. He dodged my curses easily. I needed speed, I needed backup. Just at that moment, Colin appeared beside me, casting curses that showered Voldemort in green fire.

"Harry, you have to do it! I can give you time, but you have to kill him!" Colin shouted.

"What d'you think I'm doing?" I shouted back.

"Try harder!"

Ron's lifeless image passed through my mind. Claire's face, Claire's growing stomach… Hermione's face… Ginny's… I had the strength now!

"Avada Kedavra!" I shouted with all my might.

The moment seemed to last forever as brillant green light flew towards Voldemort's chest. He'd just sent a spell I did not know towards Colin and Colin dropped. Voldemort fell to the ground an instant later, still and lifeless. I stood frozen in shock, the reality barely sinking in. It was finally all over… no more suffering. I wandered back to Ron's body and knelt beside him. The moment seemed to last forever. It wasn't until several Ministry Members came and comforted me that I walked away, passing by a lifeless Charlie Weasley and several schoolmates from Hogwarts. McKay was also numbered among the dead. I felt as if I'd traded my life in return for the lives of all the others. If it wasn't for a stupid prophecy, this would not have happened. But it was finally over. Time seemed to drag as the wounded were collected and taken to safety. The house was set in flames once all the bodies of fallen Ministry Members were finally taken away.

"Harry, your friend, Street... he's still alive," Bill told me.

"Thanks. Bill, I'm sorry. If there's anything you need –"

"Harry, you don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault," Bill said.

"It was," I said in a voice that was close to tears.

"There was nothing you could do to save him. At least you ended everything or there'd have been even more deaths. We were there for almost a whole day," Bill said sadly.

"And Charlie? Who did it?"

"Rookwood," Fred answered from behind me.

"I'm really sorry," I said again.

"No need to be. Can't win a war without losing one of our own, can we?" George said.

"It's just Mum, Dad and Ginny that we're worried about," Bill said.

"C'mon, let's get going. It's late, your families will be worried," I said as I ushered them to the nearest Portkey.

I glanced behind me and sighed. It was finally over. I imagined Ginny's reaction when she hears the news. I don't have the heart to be the one to break it to her.

They were back at the Ministry Station where family members were worriedly waiting for their relatives. Some were crying for lost ones, some were overjoyed that their loved ones were safe. Fred spotted Mr and Mrs Weasley along with Ginny. I approached them and Ginny immediately pulled me into a hug.

"Thank goodness you're alive. Claire's gone to buy some food," Ginny sniffed. "Wait, where's Ron?" Everyone's face fell immediately. "And Charlie?" Ginny asked again as tears were welling in her eyes. The reality hit her and I suddenly wished it hadn't for Ginny had started wailing and dropping on her knees.

"You promised to take care of him!" Ginny sobbed on my shoulder, pounding on my chest.

"I'm sorry…" I kept repeating.

Bill hurriedly pulled Ginny away from me. A gasp behind me made me turn around. Claire was looking at my as if she had been crying.

"Harry, you're alive," Claire said, kissing Harry on the lips.

Harry could hear Bill trying to console a wailing Ginny.

"Harry, I'm sorry I got mad at you. I know and I understand that I was selfish and – and – I promise –"

"Shush… you don't have to be sorry. You were just thinking of me," I silenced her.

Claire burst out in tears and said, "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too…" I replied.

I looked at my surroundings. So many emotions were being played out around the room. Some sad, some happy. Ministry Wizards were running everywhere, trying to console those who had lost their family members. I smiled at several people I recognised. We all went back to the Burrow. I glanced at the famous Weasley clock and realised that Ron and Charlie's name had been dashed out. I sat on the floor with Claire right next to me. Ginny hadn't stopped crying since she found out the news although her crying had subsided a little. I walked towards the kitchen to see Mrs Weasley preparing dinner through sniffles and tears.

"Mrs Weasley?" I asked tentatively.

"Oh, Harry," Mrs Weasley said as she pulled me into a hug.

"I just want to say I'm sorry that I couldn't save Ron or Charlie," I apologised.

"Oh dear, there was nothing more you could have done, Harry. You've done all you could and Ron would be proud to have a friend like you," Mrs Weasley sniffed.

"I have a favour to ask."

"Name it. I'll do my best to help you."

"Since now it's you and Mr Weasley left in the Burrow, I want you to accept my late father's house in Godric's Hollow as a token of appreciation from me," I said.

"I can't accept it, Harry dear. It's too much…"

"You helped me a lot when I was growing up. I spent a lot of my summers here and I appreciated your hospitality. Accept this gift from me. Besides, no one's been living there for a long time. You would be doing me a favour to maintain it," I offered.

"What can I say? Thank you very much, Harry," Mrs Weasley said, giving Harry another bone squashing hug.

A/N: Sobbing yet? No? Oh well... just make sure you review alright! And the start of my band: RESET! Yay! No, it had nothing to do with the story, I'm just over-reacting...like I always do...Just REVIEW!