AN: Thank you folks, for keeping up with me! This is the second last chapter, and after this, though it might seem that the story has ended, still, as I promised, there would be the last one chapter to wrap up the entire story.
Read on to find more!
The wind blew over the messy-haired man sitting on the cliff, and staring out at the sea underneath him. The rhythmic rise and fall of the waves gave his ears a soothing sensation as he looked up, and surveyed with startling, haunting, emerald green eyes, the distant lights popping into existence at the French coast in the distance.
Harry Potter was sitting on the cliff overhanging the Dover Beach, which looked out onto the small channel of water that separated England from the European landmass.
A year of constantly being on the run, hounded by a Dark Lord, had changed the boy; he was now a man on whose weary shoulders the entire hope of the Light rested. His hair had grown out and had grown more and more matted, and his face was gaunt-in which his emerald eyes were alit like fire. Because, after Ron had deserted him and Hermione, he was the one to call for their move to Dover Beach-Hermione had agreed, but on one condition: that they would make camp for an extended period over there, to which Harry had agreed readily.
He was waiting here for someone; someone who he had managed to make contact with, after a long, long time. Someone who would be here to make sure that his message went across to the entire British Wizarding World.
And with a pop, Fred Weasley appeared besides Harry Potter, and immediately pointed his wand at the messy-haired man. "What did me and George give you in your third year?"
Harry Potter turned and surveyed him with expressionless eyes; Fred's grip on his wand tightened. Harry turned his head back to the coast, and then sat silent. An oppressive silence grew, as beads of sweat appeared at Fred's forehead. Finally, Harry got up, turned to him, and then moved towards him. Fred's wand immediately shot a stunner at him, but deftly dodging it, he reached Fred. Just as Fred Weasley gave all hopes of life up, sure that the impostor would ram in and send an avada kedavra to his chest-
But Fred was embraced in return. Skinny hands reached around him and held him to the impostor's body with a strange longing, as if the hands feared that if they released him, he would vanish like a dream. "The Marauder's Map, Fred, that which my father and his friends made." A voice rasped in Fred's ears.
"Oh God! It's you Harry, it's you! How are you? Where were you? Where is Hermione? Ron's at Bill's place, don't worry, we all chewed him out, he's pretty regretful of his decisions by the way-"
"Calm down, Fred." The voice again rasped tiredly. "There is a reason I only called you and none else."
"And that is?"
"I know you talk in Potterwatch, Fred." Harry said calmly.
"Was good, wasn't I?" Fred said with a mock-high air. Then, they both broke into laughs, and enquired about each other.
After some time, as they sat side by side, quiet, Harry said, "Bring out the radio, Fred. Let the world hear me today."
Fiddling around with the radio controls, Fred said, "Ready to give the world a go-fight speech, Harry?"
"There has been enough of fighting." Harry said with a tired smile. "No, Fred." He turned to look at the French coast, the midnight stars shining their light on the sea. "Today, I shall not talk of hate."
"Then?"
"There is more to life than only hate, Fred. Start the program."
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She was sitting in the Room of Requirement, and looking impatiently at the radio on the table beside the fireplace. There had been problems with Longbottom, Weasley and Lovegood, about a sword in the Headmaster's office.
But that was not Daphne Greengrass's problems. She had, up till now, managed to stay out of the fight that the Wizarding world had embroiled itself in, and had managed to stay neutral in the snake pit, an impressive performance, but nothing without the help of her godfather who had explicitly ordered for her to be left alone and not to be pestered by anyone. And when somebody who was both the Headmaster of Hogwarts as well as the right-hand man of Lord Voldemort ordered something, it had to be followed.
Then also, she was not under any illusions; she knew very well the resentment in the air, and the brewing anger that could burst out any time. At the rate the things were going and at the rate the people were getting trampled on, things would surely deteriorate into a standstill. And there would be a breaking point, after which there would be War. And she knew well that the Light would fight only when their prophesied Saviour returned from where he had been hiding.
She didn't care about the War; she didn't care about the Saviour; she cared only about the man she loved, the man she had dared to open her heart to, and the man who was currently on the run throughout the entirety of Britain, and who was hounded by the very Dark Lord himself.
Thoughts of him continuously attacked her every waking and sleeping moment; she would dream at nights of those secluded, stolen white nights they had spent up on the Astronomy Tower. Those were magical; now, reality was all she had left.
She kept news of what was happening; the DA had been restarted by Longbottom, she knew, and she also knew that she would be never accepted into its folds. She would never, ever, be trusted. Slytherin was ruling the school now, but Slytherin was more alone than ever. The only slytherins who seemed to be aware of this seemed to be her and curiously, Draco Malfoy. She knew that he had a part to play in Dumbledore's murder, but did not know how much and did not subscribe to rumours; but Draco Malfoy had one day sent her a look that told her he knew exactly where she was going every night. She did not know how possibly could he know about the Room of Requirement; but he knew, and astoundingly, respected her privacy and did not snoop, nor did he ever made a move to report it. In fact, he looked like he understood whatever he thought was going on, and tried as best as he could to pretend to himself that he never knew where she went.
The radio crackled, and Daphne sat up straight. Potterwatch was her only companion which could give her solace in these troubled times and assure her that Harry Potter was indeed, still on the run, and was still, yet, safe, however problems might he had passed through. She wondered who would be today's special guest, and what would he say. The familiar voice of Rodent, which she knew as one of the Weasleys, for she knew well their often high-pitched voices, spoke over the waves.
"Hello, this is Potterwatch, and good to see you again, guys. We are now reporting from a wonderful location which has hitherto been unspoiled by the likes of an albino Dark Lord who does not even possess a nose and still pretend to rule Wizarding Britain, and we have, for the first time on Potterwatch, a very, very special guest with us who you would love to hear after so long after so much time, and without further ado, let us greet our guest as he will introduce himself-"
Who was the person to deserve all this splendid accolades that Weasley showered so much upon him/her? Daphne wondered, and then leaned on to listen to the voice of the new speaker and try to identify him, as a male voice, deep yet a little raspy, travelled across the waves to form the words-
"Hello, wizards and witches of Britain."
Daphne reared back in shock. No, NO, NO! She thought. It can't be. How could the Weasley possibly-but her thoughts were interrupted, as her suspicions were confirmed.
"I am, Harry Potter speaking."
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Severus Snape nodded grimly as he too looked at the radio and whispered, "Merlin, Potter. You have become a leader."
Behind him, Albus Dumbledore smiled.
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"Friends and all my well-wishers." Harry whispered in the transmitting device.
"I have not been able to be there for you all in these dark times, and I am on a run for my own life."
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"It's Potter! It's Potter! On Potterwatch!" Seamus Finnigan ran into the Gryffindor common room as people there suddenly looked up and turned to the people who had the radios.
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"I do not fear of death, never had." Harry said in a monotonous voice. "I had been sent out to lead so many times that I had forgot times when I had gladly someone that I could follow. However, leadership skills are not what I want to say to you tonight."
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"Damn, Potter's finally addressing the nation." Ernie Macmillan adjusted his glasses and leaned towards the radio eagerly as Potterwatch continued.
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"There has been so much of hate, destruction, desolation all around us. All my life I had seen strife and hate, people fighting other people. Today is not different. But then, how can we call these days dark if they are no different than the days we had?" Harry questioned into the transmitter as Fred looked at him curiously.
(line break)
The Ravenclaw and Slytherin common rooms were in a flurry of activity. The little slytherins were excitedly listening to the voice on the radio when a hand delicately took up the radio. As they looked at him, Draco Malfoy's grey eyes burned in the firelight with a strange fire, and he eerily commanded, "Into your dormitories. All of you."
Having no choice but to obey the Death Eater Head Boy, the juniors, as well as his peers, left, the latter sending him disgusted looks.
Draco Malfoy pushed a chair in front of the fire, and deposited the radio on the table beside, and turned the volume up. Firelight reflected itself in his eyes as he leaned in to listen to the radio intently, an unfathomable expression on his face.
(line break)
"These are dark days, because these are the days when we have only fear, and despair with us, as I would have had." Harry said. "But no. I do not fear. Neither do I despair. For as there is a silver lining in every cloud, likewise, as long as there is love, there is life. There is hope. And I want to talk of my hope tonight. Hope that I hope I can share with you all."
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Miles away, in the Room of Requirement, Daphne Greengrass's heart constricted painfully.
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"Yes, my friends, I too had a love story." Harry said, as the raspy tinge left his voice.
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"Oh, Harry!" were the words that reverberated throughout the Room of Requirement, as rain broke over the eyes of Daphne Greengrass.
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"Yes, you heard correct." Harry nodded to Fred, whose jaws were hanging open. He looked out at the moon high on the sky, and took a deep breath.
"I too was once somebody who was entirely alone, isolated; I had lost all who were my relatives, I had just lost my godfather. I would use to go sit at the Astronomy Tower and enjoy the white nights when they would happen and try to forget myself in the silent dejection of the moon, and the night. There, I met her one night, as the shadow covered my moon."
(line break)
Eyebrows were in danger of being lost in the hairlines in all the households Harry was being listened to.
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"I wondered, "Who is this girl who comes up to the Astronomy Tower like me on white nights?" and behold, it was someone who, as circumstances demanded, I was to loath. But I had lost much of my pride of being a Gryffindor when I was reminded time and again by life that we are all humans; and that sorrow hurts the same for a Gryffindor as it does for a Slytherin, or a Hufflepuff, or a Ravenclaw. So as my pride went, so did my prejudice." There was a small smile in his voice.
"Time went by; we talked, I taught her a patronus, and she taught me to hope again, and I loved her more, more, than anything I could have ever loved. Those times were also troubled times; but she taught me to look past the clouds, and see that there's always a shining sun behind the clouds, and that it would break through eventually. Destiny, as well as life, as it so happens, has separated me from You."
"Yes, I address you, My Love- for yes, I have not talked to you, but you have always been in my dreams, my hopes, my sweat, my blood, my thoughts and my memories. Today I sit here and stare out at the sea-and the shining moon gives me hope again-for it is again a White Night, when even darkness becomes light. Let me make a pledge today: the clouds may be darker than ever, but I will come back to you, and nothing can keep us apart, I promise. For you are the only reason for which I fight, now. For you, are the only reason I can try living. You are my life, my dream of a better world."
"The ebb and flow of the tide reminds me of you. Did you know, after infiltrating the Ministry, I almost got caught once? I know I have been through trials and tribulations, but I assure you, I am safe. And now, how are you? Is all going well for you? You know, I still believe hopelessly that there would once again be a world free of prejudice just as I am now, a world that shall learn to look past your colours and see your true self. For deeds, are momentary, fleeting in the ocean of time; but the soul? It is the one thing that shall ever define as we are-and you saw that in me, and you saved me."
"Friends, do forgive me if I appear selfish and do not offer any words of inspiration to you all. Albus Dumbledore once told me that love was the most powerful element in the world; and I see that it is true now. Do not despair, friends. Remember, light shall always shine through darkness, as love shines through hate. Do not hate, but pity the ones who hate: for it is they who do not know the beauty of the world that they could have if they just forsook hate. I was as ignorant, frustrated, angry, helpless, confused as you are all now; and we are all confused in the dark. But I implore you, my friends and countrymen, just look around you: each one of you can find anything that you love. Love it, cherish it, protect it, give all that is in your heart to it, be it a human, a creature, an ideal. Do not fight with hate. Do not fight for hate. Do not fight with hate. For hate in response to hate will only darken the world as we know, and we shall die without seeing the light."
"Yes, the time has come for our last, ultimate fight- I call it a War for Hope, for I do not fight for victory, for I have no pride left-but only hope. Hope that there could be something better out there yet. Hope that we may not be immortal, but hope that our love for that something or someone could give us a millisecond of immortality."
"Yes, I do not want to die without uttering your name out from the very mountain tops in my ecstasy of belief that yes, I do love you-as far as eternity would allow me to utter! Yes, my Love, do not worry, for the truth has to shine through sometime or the other, and this I say, and let this be immortal as you and I may never be-
"Daphne Greengrass, I loved you, love you, and will, for ever, continue to love you."
(line break)
"Wait, what?!"
"WHAT! WHAT!"
"WHAT THE HELL!"
"MERLIN'S SOGGY Y-FRONTS!"
(line break)
Draco Malfoy sighed, and kicked the radio into the fire, and left the Slytherin common room, sealing the doorway.
(line break)
Daphne Greengrass was thunderstruck at the range of emotions that Harry's voice had scaled throughout the transmission, which had just gone dead. She couldn't believe he still loved her so intensely, just like the day they had kissed after Dumbledore's fall from the Tower.
She thought of him as he thought of her.
There was a banging at the door of the Room, and as if in a trance, she whirled around as the door broke, and a silver-haired man broke into the room and eyed her emotionlessly. It was just then she thought that her life was now forfeit; for Harry had no provisions to save her from what she had just said; and his archenemy at school had found her out, and she couldn't read him well.
"So what I thought was true indeed." Draco said in an expressionless voice.
"Yes. It was something true. Indeed, it was truth itself. Hard to think you're telling this. And it was something you'd never have." Daphne shouted at him. "A frustrated, spoilt man-what have you done with your life, Draco? And to think of the marriage contract that your father offered mine? What do you know of life, Draco? What demons have you had, that you could ever expect to understand what was true or what was not?"
Draco shut his eyes, and exhaled. Daphne waited for the curse that she thought would come, for she knew she would lose to him in a duel; he was a much better duelist after joining the Death Eaters. When Draco opened his eyes again, Daphne was shocked. They were an eerie grey, devoid of the spark of anger that she had seen during her outburst.
"Leave." He said.
"What?!" A flabbergasted Daphne asked.
"Before they get to you, leave. There is a secret passageway from this room, I do not know where it leads to. Come with me."
(line break)
As Daphne prepared to disapparate, she looked back at Malfoy. "Flee, Malfoy, for the Dark Lord may not leave you alive." She said.
Draco looked up at the moon. Following his gaze, Daphne noticed his eyes shift towards the Astronomy Tower.
"Tell Potter that my debts to him are paid, and my debts to all persons I've wronged…shall be paid soon. Goodbye. Go, the Death Eaters might be here any moment."
"But-come with me! You can ally with us, Draco! Save yourself!" Daphne cried urgently.
"No." Malfoy's gaze softened. "Some roads can't be gone back." He stated emotionlessly, and then walked back. "There are some who would have to remain among the defeated in the battlefield and try and save all that should not have been destroyed. I cannot leave Hogwarts. I have much to pay for." And he turned back and strode off towards the hidden passageway in the Hog's Head.