Harry blinked slowly as the bright, white light blinded him. One minute he'd been at Hogwarts, facing off against Voldemort, and the next second he was standing in the middle of a bright, white light with no clue as to where he was or how he had gotten there. Gingerly cracking open his eyes, Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the light began to fade and his surroundings came into focus. Only rather confusingly he seemed to be standing on a deserted train platform with a train that looked similar to the Hogwarts Express, but wasn't bright red, standing on the tracks.
"Hello, mate," a familiar voice called from behind him.
Harry whirled around at the voice and gasped as he came face to face with Ron. His best friend looked as though nothing had happened to him, and Harry began to get a sinking feeling about where he was.
"Ron," Harry whispered, reaching out and touching Ron to prove he was really standing in front of him.
"It's me," Ron said with a smile.
"Am I dead?" Harry asked.
"Not quite," Ron answered.
"Then where am I?" Harry asked, looking around for some clues and finding nothing that could help. It seemed as though it was just him, Ron and a train.
"That's hard to explain," Ron admitted. "To put it as simply as I can, you're currently between realms. You're not quite dead, but nor or you really alive."
"I'm confused," Harry muttered. "Did this happen to you?"
"No, I'm dead and there's no coming back for me," Ron said. "You're a unique case, Harry."
"Why? Because I'm 'The Boy Who Lived'?" Harry questioned.
"Sort of," Ron replied with a chuckle. "When Voldemort tried to kill you as a baby, he created a Horcrux he knew nothing about. That Horcrux was you, Harry. When Voldemort killed you, he destroyed the final piece of his soul."
"But now I'm dead, will anyone else be able to kill him?" Harry asked worriedly as he thought of everyone else left behind.
"No Harry, you're the only one who can kill him," Ron answered quietly.
"But I can't, I'm dead," Harry cried.
"As I said, you're not quite dead," Ron corrected. "This choice of what happens next is yours. You can come with me and be reunited with everyone you've lost, or you can stay here and go back and finish what you started."
"When you say I'll be reunited with everyone I've lost, does that mean you and my parents?" Harry asked, his breath quacking at the thought of being reunited with the parents he'd never really known.
"Yes, your Mum and Dad are waiting for you," Ron said, giving Harry a smile.
Harry briefly closed his eyes as he imagined what it would be like to be reunited with his parents. It was all he'd wanted for so long and the thought of just seeing them again made him want to snap up Ron's offer of joining him in the next life. However, there was also a part of him that was still rooted in the real world, and even with Ron and his parents gone, there was still people he loved in the real world.
"If I go back, will I definitely defeat Voldemort?" Harry asked.
"There are no guarantee's in life, Harry," Ron said with a shake of his head. "You could go back and triumph, or you could go back and get killed again. Only next time you won't have the protection of Voldemort's Horcrux. Next time you're killed, it'll be for real and there'll be no going back."
"What happens if I don't go back?" Harry questioned. "What happens to the rest of your family? To Hermione and Lyra? And everyone else? Will they survive?"
"I don't know what will happen," Ron said with a shrug of his shoulders. "No-one can predict the future."
"But I'm there best chance," Harry whispered. "They need me."
"It's your choice, Harry," Ron said, walking past him and hopping onto the waiting train. "But I have to go now."
"Wait, you can't leave yet," Harry cried. "I need to know something. Are you happy?"
"I'm at peace, we all are," Ron replied with a serene smile. "Come with me and see for yourself. You can finally be with your Mum and Dad."
"I want that more than anything, but I can't leave yet," Harry said as tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of saying goodbye to Ron again. "I have to go back and try again. I have to save the people I love. I'm just sorry I couldn't save you, Ron."
"Don't be, it was my time to go," Ron said. "If you're not coming with me, tell my family I love them. And tell Hermione the same. I don't regret saving Malfoy, tell them that. Tell them all I want is for them to be happy with Lyra."
"Things are never going to be the same without you, Ron," Harry whispered, his tears starting to fall as the train ever so slowly began to move. "I love you."
"I love you too, mate. But it's not too late, you can still come with me," Ron said, holding his hand out for Harry to grab onto.
"No, I can't," Harry said sadly. "Bye Ron."
"Bye Harry," Ron whispered as he and the train slowly pulled out of Harry's sight.
As his best friend disappeared, tears blurred Harry's vision as the bright, white light returned. Closing his eyes to the light, Harry felt his surroundings shift and when a light breeze ruffled his hair he realised he was lying on the ground, his body aching. Still coming back to his senses, Harry slowly and carefully moved his hand and wrapped his fingers around his wand that was lying beside him. He was back, and it was time to end Voldemort once and for all.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Harry's death had shaken everyone present and Hermione wasn't the only one who collapsed in tears as his body hit the floor. Ginny and Molly threw their arms around each other, while Sirius had to be kept on his feet by Remus supporting him. The other Weasleys, Neville, Dean, Seamus and McGonagall were all openly crying and even Blaise and Theo had tears in their eyes. Even Snape was affected by Harry's death and looked devastated by his loss.
Dumbledore was also clearly devastated by losing Harry, but he quickly took on the mantle of being the one to bring Voldemort down. While Voldemort's Death Eaters were whooping in glee and celebrating their victory, Dumbledore surged forward to take Harry's place in the battle. Unfortunately, Voldemort was waiting for him and he blasted the old man off his feet before erecting an invisible barrier between the two sides.
"Now, now Dumbledore, at least let's mourn your fallen hero," Voldemort scoffed as Snape and McGonagall helped the headmaster back to his feet.
"You care nothing for our mourning," Dumbledore spat. "Let's just get this over with."
"Get what over with?" Voldemort cackled. "I've won old man. Your saviour is dead, and no-one can defeat me."
"Our cause doesn't end with Harry," McGonagall shouted. "We're all here to stand against you, and his death doesn't change that."
"You haven't won yet," Remus added. "Before you can claim victory you have to kill us all."
"And that my furry friend, is exactly what I plan on doing," Voldemort cackled. "But before that, I'm giving everyone one final chance. Come over to my side and escape death. Anyone standing against me in five minutes, is a dead witch or wizard."
There was a silence in the courtyard as Voldemort's offer was digested by the Order. However, no-one made any move to join Voldemort. They would all rather fight and die, than betray their friends and switch sides at the last moment.
"No takers?" Voldemort questioned with a mock pout. "How about you, Draco? After all, you can't escape me."
"Do what you will to me, but I won't stand by your side ever again," Draco spat. He was currently kneeling on the floor beside a devastated Hermione, and no matter what happened, he wasn't going to leave her side unless someone killed him.
"Harry," Hermione whispered in Draco's ear as Voldemort turned his attention to Snape.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, he's gone," Draco said, squeezing Hermione tightly.
"No, he's moving," Hermione whispered, subtly inclining her head in Harry's direction.
Draco didn't turn his head, but he did let his eyes drift over to where Harry lay and he had to bite his lip from gasping out loud as he spotted Harry's fingers close around his wand. As he watched, Harry pulled his wand closer to him, and even though he remained still on the floor, there was an energy crackling about him and Draco suspected he was ready to pounce at any minute.
"Get up," Draco urged his girlfriend as he tore his eyes away from Harry. "And be ready for anything," he whispered in her ear.
"Changing your mind, Draco?" Voldemort sneered as he caught sight of the two teenagers rising to their feet.
"Never," Hermione spat in response, her fight returning now she knew Harry wasn't dead. "He was never loyal to you, he was merely doing what he could to save our daughter."
"Fat lot of good that did him, your precious little daughter is as dead as Potter," Voldemort laughed.
"Care to think again, Tom?" Harry called as he swiftly jumped to his feet.
Cries of shock echoed around the courtyard, and poor Molly was so taken aback by events that she fainted into Bill and Charlie's arms. While the Death Eaters were stunned into silence, the Order and their supporters were whooping and cheering. As for Voldemort himself, he was so taken aback by the sight of Harry Potter alive and well that all he could do was stare at his enemy with an open mouth.
Knowing that Voldemort would soon recover, and knowing that a second death wouldn't be reversible, Harry leapt into action. Running towards Voldemort he let out a loud battle cry as he summoned every bit of courage he possessed. When the time was right, and he knew he could deliver the spell with the full intention it needed, he screamed out the words he'd never thought he'd ever hear himself utter.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The bright jot of green light shot from the tip of Harry's wand and hit Voldemort squarely in the chest. Voldemort looked stunned by the spell and as if he was in slow motion he slowly toppled to the floor. The second his body hit the cold ground it broke into dust and every single person in the courtyard with a dark mark burned into their skin fell to their knees in agony.
"Draco!" Hermione cried, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. "What's happening to him?" she asked Dumbledore was who looking between Draco, Snape and the other Death Eaters.
"My mark," Draco gasped, holding out his arm. "It's burning."
Hermione rolled up Draco's sleeve and saw that his ugly Dark Mark was burning jet black and almost seemed to be bursting out of his skin. As she watched the Dark Mark separated itself from Draco's skin and swirling in front of him for a moment, it then disappeared in a puff of ink. Looking back down at Draco's arm, Hermione could see it was red, but there was no sign of the Dark Mark that had previously marred his pale skin.
"I think that is proof, as if we needed it, that Voldemort is gone for good this time," Dumbledore said with a wide grin. "Without him being alive, all his magic is dying."
"Lyra," Draco gasped.
"Does that mean she's awake?" Hermione questioned.
"No, we'll have to wake her ourselves, but she's out of danger," Dumbledore reassured the couple. "But for now, let's focus on securing the Death Eaters."
"Why are they still here?" Hermione asked, looking up and finding that most of the Death Eater were still huddled on the floor in obvious pain.
"Not all of us have lost our marks yet," Snape hissed through clenched teeth. His Dark Mark was now bulging out of his arm, but it had yet to disentangle itself as Draco's had done.
"Interesting, it seems the longer the magic has been in place, the longer it takes to die," Dumbledore mused.
"Which means we should get on with securing the Death Eaters," Harry called from where he was being embraced by Sirius.
Despite everyone wanting to know what had happened with Harry, they all knew the danger wasn't yet over and they set out to secure the Death Eaters that were still around. However, once the Death Eaters realised what was going on many of them tried to flee, despite the pain they were feeling as their Dark Mark's disappeared. That of course resulted in more fighting, but the Order were clearly in charge and they were quickly getting the better of the Death Eaters.
One of those that chose to run was Lucius. Once he realised what was happening and his mark was vanishing, he knew he had to escape. Even without the mark, he was a known Death Eater and he knew that if he was captured, he would end up dead, or worse in Azkaban for the rest of his life. Unfortunately for Lucius, Severus spotted him trying to run and despite his own pain, he set off in pursuit of the blond wizard.
"You're not getting away that easily, Lucius," Snape growled as he closed the gap between himself and Lucius. Lucius was almost out of the school grounds and Severus knew that once he was free of the grounds he could apparate away and then he might never be caught again. "Stupefy!"
Mere inches from escape, Lucius went tumbling to the floor as Snape's spell hit him squarely in the back. Before he had a chance to even try and remove the spell, Snape was on top of him and had pulled his wand out of his hands. Snape then restrained him securely before releasing the spell that was keeping Lucius stunned.
"Go on then, get on with it," Lucius sneered as Snape spun him around so they were facing each other. "Kill me."
"Killing you would be merciful," Snape spat. "I am going to make sure you suffer for everything you've put Draco, Narcissa and Hermione through. You're going to stay alive Lucius, and you're going to sit rotting in Azkaban knowing that you failed."
"Ah, but I didn't," Lucius crowed. "That awful half-breed brat of Draco's is gone. Sure the mudblood might be standing by him now, but she'll walk away once the dust is settled. She'll never be able to forgive Draco for being responsible for her daughter's death. I've ruined everything for Draco."
"Bastard," Snape growled as he pulled back his fist and slammed it straight into Lucius's face.
The impact knocked Lucius out, so Snape hauled him back towards the castle using magic. He then left him with the other captured Death Eaters and took a moment to digest everything that had happened. Despite the odds, the light had won. Harry had returned from the dead to kill Voldemort, and now the wizarding world was safe to rebuild and start again.