To See You Through The Dark by Narwen3
Chapter Notes: Last Chapter!
At breakfast the following morning, Professor McGonagall rose from her new seat in the Headmistress' chair to address the students.
"I have a couple of announcements to make. Under the circumstances, it has been decided that the end of year exams are to be cancelled. The school is to be shut down a couple of weeks early. In two days, the train will be here to return you to your homes and families. We will be seeking out volunteers to help with the cleaning project on the Quidditch stadium and various buildings that have been destroyed, both here and in Hogsmeade. If you desire to assist with this effort, please inform one of the House Heads."
McGonagall cleared her throat. "Last, the funeral service for Professor Dumbledore and the others of the departed is to be held within the Great Hall at eleven o'clock sharp. I do not need to ask you to behave. I know you will all show the utmost respect for our loved ones."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they had finished eating, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all got up together and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Blimey, Harry," whispered Ron as many eyes followed them out the door. "Now we know what it feels like to be you."
"It'll die down," Harry assured him. "It always does. Soon they'll forget all about it and life will go back to normal."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Albus Dumbledore was quite possibly the world's greatest wizard," droned a tall wizened man with no hair. "He was a strong supporter in the fight against You-Know-Who. . ."
Supporter? Harry thought. Dumbledore was the leader in a war you all were ignoring.
". . .this dating back to his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945. At such time, he was awarded the Order of Merlin, 1st Class, the highest honor to be given to a wizard. . ."
Harry smiled, remembering how Dumbledore didn't care about being kicked out of the Wizengamot as long as he stayed on the Chocolate Frog cards.
". . .alerted the world to You-Know-Who's return with a bravery that. . ."
Harry was beginning to feel a little strange. A strong desire to laugh was overcoming him. As quietly as he could, he crept through the doors of the Great Hall. Once out of sight and earshot, he began to laugh outright until tears came to his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked concerned, coming out behind him.
Harry shook his head with a grin. "I was just picturing the look on Dumbledore's face, listening to that drivel." He smiled at Ginny.
"And it's great to know that I can still laugh."
"Voldemort couldn't take everything from you," Ginny said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
No, Harry thought. Not everything.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What's that Ron?" asked Ginny, watching him tie a letter to Pig's leg. They were sitting in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, trying to avoid the curious stares of their classmates.
"It's a letter for Mum," he explained, tossing Pig out the window. "Asking permission for us to stay behind this summer and help. I figured you'd want to."
"I do," Ginny said. "I mean, I guess we sort of got the school into this mess, we should try to get it out of it. What about you two?"
Hermione nodded. "My parents want me to come home first, but I'll be back."
"I'm going back as well," said Harry. His friends looked at him curiously and he shrugged. "I have some things that I've got to finish up with at the Dursley's before I leave them forever."
As he was talking, Neville had come up behind them.
"Luna's got the letter," he said excitedly. "In the Room of Requirement."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Death Eaters: Strongest of Voldemort's Circle Apprehended!
The following list of Death Eaters were apprehended in the battle at Hogwarts School earlier this week. (see cover story, page 20.)
Bellatrix Lestrange: executed
Lucius Malfoy: life sentence
Rodolphus Lestrange: life sentence
Rabastan Lestrange: life sentence
Peter Pettigrew: killed in battle
Draco Malfoy: 20 years
(For a more comprehensive list, see page 35.)
More Death Eaters are being found every day and the MInistry's Auror task force is hard at work, tracking down the last of Voldemort's supporters.
"I knew that Malfoy was a foul git," Ron said. "But convicted as a Death Eater?"
"He didn't necessarily have the mark," Hermione reminded him. "They were tracking down Voldemort's supporters. I mean, look on the other list here." She pointed. "Narcissa Malfoy. I don't think she was a Death Eater, but she was given a sentence too."
"Who's controlling Azkaban now that the dementors are gone?" Ginny asked quietly. "What's to stop another mass breakout?"
"They're training security guards," answered Neville, surprisingly. "When I went to the trial, they took me through Azkaban and showed me. They're these huge guys. They basically have permission to subdue the prisoners in any way, barring them actually killing one."
"That's horrible," Hermione said, shocked and Neville shrugged.
"Yeah, it is, but you'll be hard pressed to find anyone willing to defend the people in there."
"That's true," Harry said. "Maybe normal prisoners shouldn't be treated like that, but I'm past caring what they do to the Death Eaters."
"I can't believe you said that." Hermione looked shocked. "They're still people!"
"Barely," Ron said. "Harry's right. It's hard to feel pity for murderers."
Ginny stood up as Hermione was about to retort. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. Harry, would you like to join me?"
Seeing an easy escape from the fight, but also wanting to be alone with Ginny, Harry took her proferred hand and they bade farewell to Ron, Hermione, and Neville.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It's strange, isn't it?" Ginny picked up a handful of sand and let it sift through her fingers.
"What is?" Harry asked, leaning back with his eyes closed.
"Merely two days ago, I was positive that I was going to die. When Bellatrix had me, just over there." Ginny pointed.
"I knew that it was the end. And the odd thing was, I didn't care about that. All I cared about was never seeing you again. You would defeat them all, Bellatrix and Voldemort. You would once more be the hero and maybe you'd remember me for awhile but soon that would slip away as well."
"I would never forget you, Gin," said Harry seriously, grabbing hold of the hand that was still gripping sand.
"I know you wouldn't," replied Ginny. "But I vowed then and there that if I made it through, I would tell you something I've been wanting to say for several weeks now."
From her pocket, Ginny pulled out a long silver chain. Dangling at the end was a heart shaped crystal pendant.
"Your Valentine's Day gift," she explained. "The one that would show you my feelings."
"I remember," Harry said softly. "I wondered why you never wore it but I didn't want to ask."
"I was afraid," Ginny said simply. "I figured that it would show you a truth that I wasn't ready for."
She handed him a little card.
"It describes what each color means. I haven't even worn it yet, but I'm positive of what it'll show."
She slipped the chain around her neck and Harry caught his breath as it began to glow with a brilliant white. Ginny smiled, regretfully.
"I've known that I love you, ever since that day you called Dumbledore's Army to fight. But you were so driven, I didn't want to-"
Harry cut her off by kissing her softly. "I love you too," he whispered.
"I'm sorry that I made you wait so long, but I wanted to be sure."
Harry shook his head. "Loving you was like. . .was like trying to touch a star. Even if I couldn't reach it, I had to keep trying. Ginny, you are worth waiting for."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a subdued train ride home. As they pulled away from the station it finally seemed real to the students that many of their friends would never go home.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny sat with Neville and Luna in their compartment. They spent much of the trip, just being with each other in comfortable silence. On Harry's lap sat several of his mother's journals, the only luggage he was taking back. Only in the last few minutes did they say anything at all.
"How long until you come back?" Neville asked.
"A week," Ron replied. "Harry's coming back to the Burrow with us. I expect Mum wants to make sure that we're all truly safe. She's sent poor Errol out twice a day for a week, checking up on us. I didn't have the heart to make him fly home." He patted the ancient owl's head.
"I've got a week, too," Hermione said. "What about you?"
"Two weeks," Neville replied. "My gran hasn't been feeling too well and she's been rather shaken since the trial."
"My father and I will be in London to spend time with Neville and his gran," added Luna. "I'll go back at the same time he does."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As the train lurched to a stop, the students disembarked. Harry fought his way through the somber crowd, still clutching the precious journals. Ginny at his side, he walked through the barrier leading to the Muggle world.
To the left and back stood the Dursley's and on the right were the Weasley's. Sensing Harry's anxiety, Ginny softly kissed his cheek, then joined her family.
With determination, he approached the Dursley's. Standing in front of Petunia, he held the journals out to her.
"These were my Mum's," he explained. "I think you should have them."
He cleared his throat, then said the one thing that he had been dying to say for six years.
"I'm not coming back with you."
Vernon and Dudley's faces registered their surprise.
"There's a note in there explaining," he told his aunt. "I'm going to my friend's house, and then back to Hogwarts." Then, looking at his uncle and cousin, "And you'll probably never see me again."
Without any words, he left them, joining the Weasley's. He never saw Petunia clutch the journals to herself and the tears in her eyes.
Mrs. Weasley gathered him into a vice-like hug and Harry sighed. He was finally home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry had never experienced the utter chaos that occured when the Weasley's came back from school. Mrs. Weasley scurried through the house, collecting robes and socks, lamenting the state of the boy's laundry, scolding Ron for the mess of old Potions papers stuffed into his trunk, and hugging Harry everytime she walked past. Astoundingly, even with all this activity, she still managed to concoct a fantastic barbecue dinner and late that night, the picnic tables were pulled out and the family gathered around them.
This is what it's about, Harry thought as he held Ginny's hand underneath the table. Everything we work and fight for is just so we can sit down at the end of the day in peace.
It was a comforting thought, and one that Harry would carry with him for all time.
Now however, it was just a passing fancy as Harry dug into the treacle tart.
"Where did you get that necklace, Ginny?" asked her mum when dessert had almost finished, indicating the heart shaped crystal.
"It was a Valentine's gift," Ginny explained.
Mrs. Weasley smiled. "It's beautiful, dear. I love it."
Ginny glanced at Harry. "I do too."
THE END
*exhales enormous sigh of relief* I can't believe it ended, can you? It's been a long road, lasting a year and a half. I've filled up 4+ notebooks with this story and procrastinated a lot of schoolwork to finish it.
This marks the first story that I've ever completed and at 48 chapters, I don't think that's a small feat. One of the things that kept me going was the readers and especially the reviewers. You gave me encouragement, inspiration, and even a good laugh. I've read some of your stories as you've read mine and I've been in awe at your prowess at writing.
I've tried to respond to all of my reviews. At the beginning and middle, I know I missed a few, but for the most part, I responded to your feedback which I sometimes didn't want to hear (because it was exactly what I needed to hear.) You touched base with me and I could write on a more personal level because I knew who the audience was.
I wish I could list you all by name but there are so many I want to thank and I know I would miss someone.
You've been with me through the short chapters and the long, the trauma and the drama, comedy and (especially) the corny-ness. I even put a healthy dose of it in the last chapter. You lamented when I killed people, rejoiced when I took my revenge on Malfoy. You have been perfect readers and I wish that every writer could get as devoted a group as you are.
For my last plea, if you've gone the entire way with me, take a moment to review now. Let me know what you thought, the good and the bad. I promise a response to each one. Even if you've never reviewed a single story in your life, start now. And if you don't have a MNFF account, you can contact me through my penname.
Is this a plea to get more reviews? Partially, of course, but I do really want to know your opinion.
Special thanks go to the readers, of course, and my brother Josh who came in every so often to either review or call me "freak." And finally, to my mod Danielle who always had good things to say and was more than willing to answer my questions.
To prove my love for you, I will now give you a spoiler from Chapter One of the sequel, "True Love Waits."
"I can't marry a little boy."
So does "To See You Through The Dark," end. I hope to see you back for "True Love Waits."