Even Heroes Bleed
Prt 3
Voldemort must have been having an off year; a slight attempt to capture and kill me at the end of sixth year was his only real attempt on my life. Hell he must have thought I was doing enough damage to my life for both of us, it was pitiful and I had Hermione by my side now, she loved me and I loved her and nothing else mattered, not even Ginny and Ron.
Yeah we still weren't speaking to each other, not that I care that much, that was Ron's last strike, I know you're supposed to get three, but shagging Lavender Brown then starting his crap in the great hall was enough, but If I thought about it. If he hadn't have been doing the you know what with you know who...ok no that just sounds so wrong even to me. Ok if he hadn't have been shagging Lavender in the Astronomy Tower then Hermione and I would never have found each other.
Thanks Ron...You're number one!
Luna and Neville were playing mediator, taking over Hermione's role in our little group, we were no longer the Trio, we were the Hogwarts Six, four and a half if you took into account the current Rift. The train ride back home was silent, Ron was still a prefect, though god knows how considering his actions or lack there of in his prefect duties, so he left with Hermione and that left me with Luna, Nev and Gorgon in training Ginny Weasely. She sat there for almost an hour glaring at me with the utmost loathing while I sat there staring out the window waiting for my girl...yeah I like that, MY GIRL to come back.
Now I'm not being an ego maniac here, but I love her, and she loves me so you might as well tattoo property of Hermione Granger on my ass cause I knew I would spend the rest of my life with her. Soon enough she returned Ron in tow glowering as she sat beside me and slipped her arms around my waist and got comfy for the rest of the very silent trip.
The start of that summer was hell for me, we stood at kings cross ignoring the Durseley's rants and raves, her parent while more understanding were getting impatient but we continued to stand there hands entwined, my forehead resting against hers my eyes closed savouring the feel of her. The memory of her scent burning into my brain before finally we pulled apart, tears in her eyes, my own burning as I walked away to the Dursely's and hell.
She called every day, we wrote every night, yeah sad I know but I don't care, I miss her terribly, I have to be honest, she is my life, without her I just don't care about living. Finally my jailbreak came in the form of Tonks with Vomit green hair and a ripped T-shirt proudly proclaiming she was Bitch #1 I was in hysterics my Aunt was having fits that this.... thing was standing on our doorstep and grabbed her arm and yanked her inside so fast Tonks ended up on her ass in the hallway.
Finally I calmed down and one portkey later followed by a random Floo connection I was spinning out of control and landing on my ass much like Tonk's did thirty minutes ago and was staring up at the ceiling. I didn't even get a chance to get my barings when something, well someone actually landed on my chest with a thud and started kissing me. Her mere presence and well admittedly her tongue in my mouth was all the reason my body needed to react and I was frog marching up to my room.
If I thought for once I'd get a normal vacation I was sadly mistaken, Dumbledore decided I needed to brush up on my combat skills and that Hermione who being so much smarter than myself would also get the same training. Gruelling drills, more intricate duels lessons upon lessons upon lessons swallowed up all our free time, but I can't complain because more than once I got to wake up in the morning with my love wrapped tightly in my arms snuggled against me. Ok we were still clothed but it was a start.
I don't think anyone would have believed that Ron and I could put our differences aside. I got the girl in their eyes and Ron the sidekick was punted from Sidekick to flunky with Hermione now as my partner, and most people would have been right, you need someone you trust as your partner, and Ron's proved time and again I can't trust him. But people forgot one key factor; they forgot Draco "I'm a ferret" Malfoy. He let Voldemort and hhis followers into the castle the little shit. The Teachers were missing; the school under attack and all that stood between the Darksides victory was myself and twenty-four members of Dumbledore's army. Yeah you guessed it we are so going to die. But then I looked at her, and while I saw the fear, I also saw the utmost confidence in her aimed at me, she BELIEVED I would not lose and it buoyed me.
Ron being the brilliant strategist that he is started a simple but effective place, staying behind with the Marauders map he would direct teams of five to key positions to head off and duel, defeat or simply slow down their progress till help arrived in the form of the order. I worked kinda, we lost a few people through injury or AK'ed but the very castle seemed to take offence at the presence of this malignant evil and it came to life. Stairways would misdirect, enchanted armour would come to life swing swords and axes and mace's till finally there was only one Dot unaccounted for.
Voldemort...
His dot stood in the great hall and I knew it was time. I grabbed Hermione and I kissed her soundly before pressing my wand tip against her and casting the body bind. I looked at a stunned Ron and smiled a half smile. "Keep her safe." Slowly I made my way to the great hall and my fate, destiny, whatever you would call it and faced my enemy.
God I wasn't sure how long the duel lasted, we blasted spells at each other, tables exploded into splinters, other caught fire, walls disintegrated till finally we stood in a three metre circle of clear space and the Great hall was a ruin. I was out of options, during the summer Dumbledore had explained something to me, a last ditched manoeuvre that was taught during the goblin rebellions, a magic user, if desperate enough, if they wanted it enough could over load his magic ability. He could turn himself into the magical equivalent of a bomb, it was a last chance manoeuvre and the cost great, and as I knelt on the ground gasping for breath while Voldemort did the same.
I realised my last chance moment was here, seizing my magic and seizing the link that bound the two of us. I began to build upon it forcing two magical essences to merge and grow till I was glowing like the sun screaming as though my whole bearing was being torn apart before suddenly I reversed the flow, sending the entire overloaded charge back to Voldemort. He screamed before it exploded, the light flashed through the great hall and I was blown off my feet slamming into the wall with a crack, feeling my body break under the impact, but I could see him. I watched as he lay face down, unmoving smouldering on the floor, but most importantly the link that bound us was gone, for the first time in nearly a decade I was alone in my own head.
I cold feel someone gather me up into their arms rocking me gently, casting medical spells trying to stabilize my failing body, I knew the scent, it was burned into my mind and I tried to smile. "M-mi-mione...." Every word hurt, I couldn't explain to her that she could fix this, that this wouldn't heal. "Is-is he dead?"
"Yes Harry, you did it, he is dead, you stopped him Harry." The pain in her voice was hurting more than the pain in my broken body. "Shh Harry rest it'll be ok."
I wish I could tell her but I went limp in her arms feeling so tired it was unreal but the pain was easing, maybe her medi charms had worked. "I'm g-glad.... C-can't h-hurt me anymore.... C-cant h-hurt you...s-so tired Mione..."
"Harry...Harry I love you, please, please don't leave me Harry"
I could feel the darkness encroaching on me and I smiled, or tried to I don't know if it worked or not. "L-love you -m-mion...." And as I lay there another conversation With Dumbledore intruded into my thoughts.
"Harry there is one thing you must understand, something I learned myself through much hardship, sometimes to be the hero we must give up the things we love most." And as I lay there in her arms I finally understood, to save her, I had to give her up, I had to choose to be the hero, because if I didn't, I wouldn't have been her Harry
Just Harry...
The End....
AN: There you go, I know it's probably not what people wanted me to post first in relation to all my other stories, but My entire house was being redecorated and I gotta admit I had broken my hand while I was being mugged and couldn't really type till it healed. But better late than never right?
Yours truly
The Evil known as Kai Lun Mau