“It all comes down to this...” Harry thought. All the years of struggle, pain, and loss... all of it was leading up to this single moment. He stared into the cruel, pitiless red eyes of the broken wizard lying at his feet and slowly raised his wand. As he began speaking the incantation, Harry thought of his parents, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Dumbledore... and Ginny. “It’s the only way.” Without a trace of fear or hesitation, he whispered, “Avada Kedavra!” And with a flash of green light, Harry Potter quietly fell to the ground.
****
“NOOOOO!” Ron, Hermione, and Ginny rushed towards Harry’s lifeless form. Ginny reached him first and immediately flung herself to the ground, wrapping her arms around him. “GET UP!” she begged. “Don’t you DARE make me ask again, Potter!” Ron and Hermione were so profoundly unnerved by these words (and by Harry’s clouded green eyes staring blankly upward) they failed to notice the blood curdling scream that pierced the night air. Next to Harry and Ginny, a shrieking Lord Voldemort writhed in pain, his body being contorted by some unseen force. A jet of red light suddenly burst from his chest, illuminating the dark sky with a bloody glow. And then, just as suddenly, all was silent and still once again. Ron and Hermione stared at Voldemort's pale body and realized with hollow satisfaction that the Dark Lord was defeated at last.
A strangled cry turned their attention back to Ginny, who was half sobbing, half convulsing in grief. She was still cradling Harry’s head, crying into his rumpled black hair, holding his limp hand to her heart. Hermione couldn’t stand to watch and buried her watery eyes into Ron’s shoulder (though it was several minutes before he realized why his shoulder was wet). Ron was numb; a heavy sadness had settled deep within his chest, constricting his lungs and crushing his heart. He watched his baby sister, hysterically weeping over the body of his best mate; he didn’t know whether he wanted to weep next to her, pick her up and comfort her, or simply run away from it all.
Finally, Ron could stand it no longer. Giving Hermione a quick, reassuring hug, he let go of her and walked resolutely towards Ginny. He didn’t want to do this... With each heavy step, Ron asked himself "How could this be happening?" He stood over Ginny and Harry’s body for one bitter moment, then bent down and gently took hold of Ginny’s arm. She resisted, struggling beneath his firm grip. Ron tried to pull his thrashing sister from Harry, tearfully whispering, “He’s gone, Gin. Let him go.” Through her tears she screamed, “I WON’T! I’M NOT LETTING GO ‘CAUSE HE’S NOT... HE’S NOT!” Refusing to accept what she knew simply couldn’t be true, Ginny gripped Harry’s hand tighter. Harry squeezed back
Ginny’s heart leapt. Wriggling free from Ron’s grasp, she knelt down beside Harry and gently touched his face. Had she really felt what she thought she’d felt? She stared desperately into his eyes, willing them to connect with hers. Suddenly, Harry gave a great shudder; his now brilliant emerald eyes darting around wildly before finally settling on Ginny. They stared at each other for what seemed a lifetime before Harry wordlessly pulled her toward him, their faces inching closer. When their lips touched, the world melted away, and they sank into each other...
When they broke apart, Harry just stared at Ginny, never wanting to look away. She was so beautiful in the moonlight... She smiled shyly back at him, cheeks flushed, her eyes brimming with tears. And then she punched him hard in the arm. “Harry James Potter, what the hell were you thinking?!” she roared, a fiery expression on her face. “Performing a Killing Curse on yourself, I ask you...” Harry hugged her closer to him and sighed. “I had to,” he said simply. “I was the seventh Horcrux.”
****
The next week was a blur. While the wizarding world celebrated, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny enjoyed the seclusion of The Burrow. Harry could not remember feeling so happy, so complete. That night, as they had every night since their return, the friends fell asleep in front of the fire in the Weaslys’ living room--except for Harry. He preferred to watch Ginny sleeping peacefully in his arms. He never wanted to let her go. Yet something was still gnawing at Harry... He carefully unfolded Ginny from his grasp and”after taking a moment to watch her breathe in and out”quietly snuck outside.
He wandered around the garden, thinking. Why was he alive? All the Horcruxes had to be destroyed”or rather, all the pieces of Voldemort’s soul had to be destroyed”in order for Voldemort to die, really die. If I’m alive, does that mean Voldemo” Harry was interrupted by Hermione before he could finish the ghastly thought. She smiled at him. “I thought I heard you leave.” He looked sheepishly at her. Before he could offer an explanation, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back inside the house, steering him towards the kitchen.
“Lumos!” she whispered. Sitting on the kitchen table was a very old, very dusty, book. “I know you’ve been wondering, Harry. I wondered, too! But he’s not coming back,” Hermione explained. Harry looked at her incredulously; he wanted to believe her, but... “Oh, honestly, Harry. You’re worse than Ron!” she sighed, reading the look on his face. “Now read!” she commanded. Harry didn’t argue, and looked at the paragraph illuminated by the light of Hermione’s wand.
Adamoculume. When a lover gives of his body, mind, and soul, the soul resides in his beloved’s heart, ever living, never leaving. The lovers’ souls are bound by eternity, inextricably joined, never to be separated.
Harry stopped breathing, his heart swelled with hope. He could feel Hermione gazing warmly at him, but couldn’t quite meet her eye. He finally managed to croak, “So you’re saying Ginny is, er... like my sort of Horcrux in reverse? So you’re saying that she... er, that I...” Hermione laughed. “Oh, come off it, Harry! Don’t you see? True love never dies...” Harry didn’t know what to say. He had to ask. “Er, do you think Ginny, you know... I mean, has she told you... does she?” He stared at Hermione with pleading eyes, begging her, praying that he’d understood her correctly. With a mischievous wink, Hermione replied, “Only one way to find out!” And with a toss of her bushy hair, she skipped merrily back to the living room, leaving a dumbfounded (and thoroughly blushing) Harry standing in the dark.
Love Never Dies by LittleDarlin909
Chapter Notes: This is my first fan-fic; actually, this is my first fiction piece period! Be nice!
The characters and world are (of course) the creation of the great J.K. Rowling... wish I'd thought of them first ;-)