Coming with you

*Coming with you*

By Eric

Harry Potter looked toward the great castle that had been his home for seven years of his life. Seven glorious years that had made him happier than he could’ve ever had imagined. Those days were over now. Graduation had taken place just hours ago, and Harry was now officially an adult wizard.


Harry stared at the school with tears glistening in his eyes. Only days before, Harry had his final showdown with the evil Lord Voldemort and had finally triumphed once and for all. Voldemort was vanquished but at a terrible cost. Albus Dumbledore had been killed in the final duel, becoming the last of Voldemort’s victims whom included Rubeus Hagrid, Cedric Diggory, and Harry’s own parents Lily and James Potter.


A silent tear slipped down Harry’s face. It was all over, not just in terms of Harry’s enmity with Voldemort, or Harry’s magical education. Harry’s life in the magical society, or perhaps in any society was over. He was leaving, and intended to never come back. He was going to disappear off the face of the Earth, and not even say goodbye to his loved ones. Harry’s fame had been multiplied by his defeat of the Dark Lord and that along with his personal grievances had become too much to bear. He was leaving it all behind.


Another tear fell as Harry mounted his broomstick. He had shrunk all of his belongs into a portable mode and had also transferred his Gringotts account into a muggle. He had even picked out a place to stay, somewhere secluded. There was nothing left but to leave.


"Harry!"


What’s that? He wondered. Harry thought he had just heard the voice of his best friend, Hermione. But he decided to ignore it.


"Harry!"


There it is again, he thought. He shook his head. This was his mind playing tricks on him, trying to change his mind about leaving everything, especially Hermione behind. He was just about to take off...


"Harry James Potter! Don’t even think about moving a muscle!"


This isn’t a trick, thought Harry. Indeed, Hermione Granger was right behind Harry, her frizzy brown hair in disarray and her breath short, clearly indicating that she had run all the way there.


"How did you know?" asked Harry.


"Harry, we’ve been best friends for seven years. I could see what you were thinking."


Don’t look back now! Harry refused to look at Hermione and simply said, "I’m leaving Hermione. You can’t stop me!"


"I’m not here to stop you, Harry." Harry made a double take. Those were not the words that he had expected to hear. But what was even more shocking were her next words: "I’m coming with you."


"What!" Harry made the mistake of turning around and looking at Hermione’s face. Her beautiful brown eyes had tears rolling out of them but she had a light smile on her lips as she once again said:


"I’m coming with you."


"Hermione, no! I can’t let you throw your life away for me. You’ve got the highest grades in the whole school. Every company and industry has a position ready for you. You’ve got a bright future ahead, don’t throw it away!"


Hermione smiled again, tears still falling. "All of that means nothing, Harry. My parents were killed a year ago. Ron and I have drifted two far apart after our disastrous relationship back in fifth year. You’re all I have left Harry."


"Hermione, I..."


"You’re all I have left, Harry!" said Hermione with strong determination. "There is no way that I’m losing the one person I love more than anything, my best friend. There is no way I’m letting you abandon me and leave me alone! We’re too much a part of each other now, Harry! You are not leaving me!"


Harry stared at Hermione for a minute, a look of determination on her face. Finally, Harry broke down and started to cry. Hermione also started crying and they pulled each other into a strong hug.


"I have never been more luckier," said Harry between tears, "to have a best friend like you. The one person who I love more than anybody. My one best friend who stuck with me, even when the world collapsed around me."


Hermione said nothing. She simply cried more there in Harry’s arms. Wordlessly, she mounted the broomstick behind Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist. Harry took off and they flew away.


Meanwhile, at the castle, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were hurrying through the corridors, hoping to get to Harry in time and convince him to stay. They caught sight of him flying away with Hermione.


"Hurry," said Sirius. "We can still catch up if we get some broomsticks."


They tried to run over to the broom shed but were stopped by Ron Weasley. "Ron, what are you doing?" asked Remus.


Ron looked up toward the speck that was his two best friends. He said in a grave voice so different from his usual tone, "Harry and Hermione are going down their own path now. What right do we have to stop them?"


They were simple words, but enough to make the point.


* * *


15 years later


It was the start of a new term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The new first years were just filing into Great Hall, looking very nervous and scared. Auror Ron Weasley was visiting the school that day. He was chatting with his old friend, Herbology Professor Neville Longbottom when he caught he sight of one of the first years, a young boy with messy brown hair and emerald green eyes. The boy looked vaguely familiar to Ron but he couldn’t remember why.


Deputy Headmaster Severus Snape was doing the roll call, while frightening the first years out of their wits. The first years all sat under the Sorting Hat and were sorted into their houses.


When he gotten down to the P’s, Snape abruptly stopped as he stared down at the next name with a look that could only be called disdain. He took a breath and said, "Potter, Jason."


The Great Hall immediately quieted down as the brown haired, green-eyed boy strolled up to the Sorting Hat and put in on. It had been the first time anybody had heard of the Potters ever since Harry Potter had left the wizarding world straight after his graduation, 15 years ago. Ron realized with a pang that Jason Potter looked just like a brown haired Harry without the glasses and scar as the Hat shouted, "Gryffindor!" Jason smiled as he went to sit with the cheering Gryffindors.


After the feast had begun, Ron went up to the Gryffindor table. Jason caught sight of him and said, "You’re Ron Weasley, right?"


When Ron nodded, Jason pulled out a letter and said, "My Mum and Dad wanted me to give this to you."


Ron took the letter and started to read it:


Dear Ron,


I just wanted to say that we’re doing fine and are quite well. For the fifteen years, we’ve been living as muggles in a place that I’m reluctant to tell. Its out in the country: very beautiful here. Although we weren’t intending to ever come back to the magical world, Jason’s acceptance to Hogwarts changed that and since we weren’t willing to deny him the joys of the school we called home for such a long time. Therefore, we’re entering the society again only briefly to introduce him to magic. You should’ve seen his face when we told him his parents were wizards.


We’re sorry that we didn’t invite you to our wedding. It was a very beautiful affair, small and simple, just the two of us. We’re also very sorry for not telling you about Jason’s birth, or not telling anybody about anything. I simply ask that you don’t resent us for our decision to leave and hope that we can at least correspond with each other again with owl post.


Love, Your best friends,

Harry and Hermione Potter


Ron smiled as he finished reading before he looked at Jason again. Jason was amicably talking with his friends and laughing at the antics of a couple of Gryffindor pranksters who were carrying on the tradition. Here was a little boy who had grown up in a completely different circumstance from his father. Here was little boy with no scar.


Fin

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This is the way I envision the series to end.