Letters, Statements, and a Final Journal Entry
They'd been standing with their arms wrapped tightly around each other for several minutes before Hermione finally spoke, "What'll we do now, Harry?"
"Live, I suppose," he replied contentedly.
She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "Will you be all right? This has been a lot to take in," she said rubbing her hands up and down his sides.
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply before he spoke, "Yeah, I'll be all right, I've got you now," he said opening his eyes to look at her once again, "the stuff with my parents and Sirius has been an added bonus. As for Dumbledore, I know he'll always be with me, just like everyone else I've ever cared about is always with me. I'm always going to miss him, but he wouldn't want us to dwell too long on the fact that he's gone. He seemed happy to be going."
"Yeah, I'll always miss him too. I can't believe he's gone." She sighed heavily and reluctantly asked the question that had been weighing on her mind, "I don't mean to put a damper on what just happened, but what about the other stuff? Your Aunt and Uncle and cousin what about them?" she asked grudgingly.
"What about them?" he mumbled clearly not wanting to think about them.
"You know we'll have to face that part of your past sooner or later."
"They've never cared about me and I don't owe them anything, what more is there?" he asked tensely. She could feel his tension where his hands pressed against her hips.
"Harry," she said quietly.
He took in her pained expression and sighed, "I'm not going to lie to you and say that everything's all right where they're concerned, but I don't want to look back anymore. In fact, I really don't even think I can; I just want to look ahead toward our future. What happened with the Dursley's is part of who I was and I don't want any part of it to be who I am or who I become. When you were talking to Cho my mum actually apologized for the life I had growing up with them," he said, looking at her in disbelief, "as if it were her fault I was forced to live with them or something."
"I'm sorry, Harry," she said in a tightly controlled, quiet voice. Her eyes were cast downward, staring unseeingly at his chest as she began to feel guilty for bringing up the subject.
"She told me the best thing I could do is to let go of it and after everything that's happened recently, I have to agree … and that's what I'm going to try to do. There has always been a lot of emotional abuse, a lack of love and concern and affection, and even a little physical abuse, especially on the part of Dudly, but I want to work through it. I won't suddenly pretend that everything's okay, but I'm not going to let it ruin my life either." He moved his hands to her cheeks and raised her face so their eyes met. "I promise you now that I'm going to make every effort to not let it get in the way of us. With you by my side I know everything will be all right."
Hermione closed her eyes and nodded her head. "It will be all right," she whispered fervently, "together we'll make it all right."
She opened her eyes to find his silently pleading with her and she looked at him questioningly. "Can we leave it at that for now?" he asked hopefully. "I really don't want to think about them any more, okay?" He pulled her forward and kissed her forehead before moving his hands back to her hips.
"Yes Harry, we can leave it at that," she said pulling him closer, "I'm sorry I mentioned it, I was just hoping we could knock out all of the bad stuff at once, you know? I thought talking about it could make it magically disappear so we could focus on our future, but you're right, it won't go away all at once so we'll deal with it together," she pulled her head back to look at him, "no matter how long it takes. I will always be here for you…with you. I just hate that you have to think about them later, that's all."
"I know," he replied burying his head in her shoulder, "but just let me think about my parents and the gift we were given today." He raised his head and looked into her eyes with mixed emotions. She could see love, joy, and pain all clearly etched in the lines of his face and in his soul-baring eyes. He smiled tenderly and closed his eyes, reliving the memory … "She hugged me," he said softly. "I was a baby when she died and until today I never knew what it felt like to have her arms around me. Dumbledore gave me that gift."
Hermione placed her head under his chin and rested her forehead against his chest. "I know, Harry," she whispered, "I'm so happy for you. Your parents are remarkable people, Sirius too; I know they must be proud of you."
Harry nodded and bent down to kiss the top of her head. "Yeah," he said with noticeable sarcasm, "they must be."
Hermione raised her head to look at him through narrowed eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. "Why did you say it like that?"
"Because there's so little reason to be proud of me Hermione, you know that. I didn't do anything except manage somehow to survive, that doesn't make me a hero…it just makes me lucky. Are you proud of the guy who gambles away all but his last galleon then suddenly wins big? No! You're not proud of him…you consider him lucky. That's what happened to me. I may have been forced to gamble it all away but in the end all I managed to do was get lucky. Look at how much was taken from me," he paused when he felt her arms drop and she tried to pull away from him, "I know that I have so much more now, but think about it," he added quickly as he struggled to keep her in his arms, "my parents, Sirius, my sanity and peace of mind…even you for a little while. You already know so I'm not going into any more detail, but you have to admit that a lot was taken away. Someone else gambled with every aspect of my life until the day came that I finally got lucky."
"Are you saying that you feel sorry for yourself? Has this become an `oh-poor-me' moment Harry?"
"No," he stated firmly but with little conviction, "…maybe…I don't know."
"Harry, no one deserves a moment like that more than you do, but please, I'm begging you, let it only be a moment. You are a hero," she said grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her, "…you're my hero."
"What's all this nonsense about a hero?" Ron's voice boomed throughout the infirmary, shaking them out of their reverie.
"RON!" Hermione shouted. She kissed Harry quickly on the cheek then ran into Ron's arms. He picked her up easily and spun her around. "It's so great to see you," she said laughing. "What are you doing here?"
Ron stopped spinning her and still holding her with her legs dangling just above the floor, he squeezed her tight. "Man I missed you," he said sounding relieved.
"All right, all right, that's enough, unhand the girlfriend," Harry said trying to sound stern through the smile on his face.
Ron and Hermione laughed and rolled their eyes at each other before Ron put her down. Harry moved forward and grabbed hold of Ron, clinging to him in a way that he never thought he'd cling to another man. But Ron was his brother and they'd been to hell and back together more times than either of them cared to mention so it just felt right.
After a moment Hermione laughed. "All right, all right," she said, "unhand the boyfriend."
Harry and Ron started laughing. They clapped each other on the back before they separated and Harry moved to put his arm around Hermione's shoulders.
"So," Harry said, "not that we aren't happy to see you but what are you doing here?"
Ron looked at them as though wondering if they'd believe him. "It was the weirdest thing, really," he said thoughtfully, "I got a letter from Dumbledore telling me that it was important for me to get here today. Something about you guys needing me and stuff. I was supposed to be here a while ago but I got held up when I was leaving." His eyes were shining and Hermione noticed the tips of his ears had turned pink.
"Luna?" she teased.
Ron's ears were no longer pink; they were now a deep indescribable shade of red. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and began to laugh at his obvious discomfort. Harry stepped forward and chucked him on the arm. "It's all right, mate," he said turning briefly to smile at Hermione, "we understand."
"Yeah Ron," Hermione agreed, "we definitely understand. There's no reason to be embarrassed."
Ron nodded his head and looked from one to the other as his coloring slowly returned to normal. "Yeah, I s'pose you would, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah," Hermione said emphatically, "more so than you may ever know."
"I guess you'll understand that I can only stay for one night then, eh?" he said hesitantly.
"That's all right," Hermione answered grabbing hold of Harry's hand and pulling him closer to her, "I really want to get home to my parents. I haven't even told them we're coming! It should be a nice surprise for them."
"So much has happened that we haven't even had time to think about," Harry said with a sigh. "I hope they won't be too upset to have me there with you, think I should go to the Burrow for a couple of days first?" He looked at Ron before he spoke again, "I don't think Mrs. Weasley would mind?" he questioned.
Ron shook his head. "Are you kidding me? She's more anxious to see you than me! She'll probably kill me if she doesn't see you both soon," he half-joked.
Hermione looked at Ron with sympathy in her eyes. "Sorry, Ron," she said shaking her head, "but that's a chance we'll have to take because there's no way I'm going home without Harry. My parents will be elated to see us both, I'm sure of it. Maybe we can get together at the Burrow to celebrate Harry's birthday or something."
Ron nodded. "Yeah, that'll be great. Mum'll love that!" he said sounding more than a little relieved that it wouldn't be too much longer. "I know Luna would understand if I wanted to stay longer, but to be honest, I don't have much interest in hanging out here, you know?" he said looking around the infirmary with a look of apprehension.
"Yeah, we know," Harry exclaimed. "Getting together on my birthday sounds like a great idea, though. I can't believe it's coming so soon. I'd forgotten all about it to be honest."
"Well, I haven't," Hermione said pompously. She looked at Harry and rolled her eyes. "Well, not completely anyway…actually, I just remembered."
Harry laughed. "It's not like we haven't had a lot of other things our minds, you know," he said. He turned to look at Ron who appeared to thousands of miles away. Speaking of other things on the mind, he thought. "So…uh…hey…Ron," Harry said in a feeble attempt to get Ron's attention. When Ron didn't answer Harry reached out and smacked him on the arm. "You in love with her mate?"
"What…who?" Ron stammered as he tried to comprehend what Harry was asking.
"What do you mean, what…who?" Harry chuckled. "Luna, of course."
"Luna? What about Luna?" Ron asked, obviously still confused since his daydream had been rudely interrupted.
"Oh, Ronald," Hermione sighed, "will you be joining us mentally here at Hogwarts anytime soon or are we only going to be enjoying your physical appearance for the rest of this visit?"
Ron looked dumbfounded. "Now what are you two carrying on about? I'm here already. Where else would I be if I'm standing right here?"
"Ottery St. Catchpole, perhaps," Harry volunteered. "The residence of one Luna Lovegood even…maybe…by chance?"
Ron rolled his eyes and Harry and Hermione started to laugh. "All right," Harry said, "I already know the answer to my question let's just move on to why you're here."
"Did you get my letter?" Ron asked. "I told you that I started on our story and I think I done pretty good. I have it here, want to see?"
"Yeah," Harry nodded eagerly. "Come on over here," he said walking toward the beds and the chair so they could all sit down.
Hermione watched Ron with a little trepidation as he reached in his pocket to get the letter. She knew how Ron could be in school and she really didn't want to hurt his feelings about this statement. Her hopes were not high as he handed them the parchment…
The Truth
As told by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley
If there's one thing we've learned in the last seven years it's this…no one really wants to know the truth of what happened with the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends. Sometimes they say that `truth is stranger than fiction' and in this instance, they would be right. But the thing of it is, you all seem to enjoy your fiction and we've come to realize that we're not really interested in telling our story because it no longer matters in the overall scheme of things.
What we will tell you is this…
On Halloween night nearly seven years ago, two young boys saved a young girl from a troll (after they locked said troll in the bathroom with her…but that's another story). From that moment on the three became friends and at some point became known as `The Trio' because, for the most part, they'd become inseparable. Every year has brought with it one adventure or another…one test or another, and our friendship is what's kept us alive.
There have been fights and jealousy and pain throughout the years but through it our all friendship has only gotten stronger. We are family and we would die for each other if it ever came to that. That is why we were all together throughout the battle…and why we stood side-by-side. Harry Potter may have been the one destined to end Voldemort's reign of terror but it was with everyone's help that he was able to succeed. We're not talking about `everyone' as being us…`everyone' means every single one of you out there who chose to join in this war. Every one of you played a part in the victory and as such, our story means even less.
Here is our truth…
War…this war…any war…is pointless. Through fear Voldemort was given power greater than any one man should be allowed. He fed off the fear that each of us so willingly gave him…with the only exceptions appearing to be Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter. Maybe that makes you all think of Harry as a hero…the fact that he didn't fear Voldemort. Truth be told, he couldn't fear him because if he allowed himself to fear him then the wizarding world would have lost the battle long before it began; many of you had so willingly rested your lives in his hands that his greater fear became letting you down.
Fear … Fear has been a part of our lives for so long. For so many of us, it has been passed down from our parents. Since when should fear take us to the point of not even being able to speak the name of the source? How could we allow it to go so far? Voldemort…Voldemort…Voldemort. We hope that as you are reading this, you are speaking the name out loud. For too long we have allowed the fear of that name to hold us down, to paralyze us. He is dead now and the very least we can do is find the courage to speak the name aloud without fear.
Fear is a terrible thing. It eats you up inside until you are left with nothing. Each of us has fears but they will never go away if we insist upon shutting the door on them or waiting for someone else to come along to take care of them for us…we must be willing to face them. Every person has the potential to be a hero…you just have to believe in yourself. For too long you have looked at Harry Potter as your `someday hero' and now quite possibly `your one true hero' but that is not a role he wants, it is not a role he's asked for, it is a role that's been forced upon him and it's not one that he finds himself comfortable in. All he asks now is that he be known as Harry Potter…just Harry Potter.
If you feel a need to look beyond yourself to find a hero then perhaps you need to take some time to discover what it is about you that's holding you back. We all must learn to face our fears and believe in ourselves before the next Tom Riddle/Voldemort wannabe comes around and tries to take away everything we're working so hard to rebuild.
That's it. That's all there is. There is no juicy gossip, no sordid love affairs, and no intimate details of our personal lives. We have given all we intend to give and now all we ask is that we be free to live our lives.
As the best friend and brother-by-choice of Harry Potter I have to say this…do you really know anyone more deserving of a life than him? Please, I am begging you to please…just let him live.
Thank you.
"Wow, Ron," Hermione said in amazement. "You really did do a great job."
"You sound surprised, Hermione," Ron said in amusement. He knew they'd be surprised, but it was something that he and Luna had been working on since they got back to Ottery St. Catchpole and he knew they'd like it.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and smiled at his bemused expression. "Well, I'm sure you can understand why, can't you?"
Ron laughed. "Yeah, Hermione, yeah I can," he replied.
Harry was still sitting quietly apparently reading and re-reading what Ron had written. Hermione put her hand on his leg and squeezed gently. "You all right?" she asked him quietly as Ron looked on.
Harry nodded but didn't speak. He raised his head and looked unseeingly at a far corner of the infirmary as he thought about what he'd read … and what they still needed to do.
"What's up mate?" Ron asked as his amusement at Hermione's reaction was quickly replaced by concern for Harry.
Harry turned his head in Ron's direction but his eyes remained unfocused when he spoke, "I was just thinking," he said distantly.
Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances and Hermione looked at Harry and grabbed his hand. "Harry, you're starting to scare us, what's going on?"
The tone in her voice shook him from his stupor and he looked at her apologetically. "Sorry guys," he replied in a much clearer tone. "I was just wondering if any of this is worth it. Do you really think it'll make a difference?" he asked looking from one to the other.
"What matters is that it makes a difference to us," Hermione replied. "To be honest, I really don't think it'll matter at all to those people out there but maybe if we say something, anything it'll at least get them off our backs faster. If we remain silent, they'll probably hound us forever."
"That's true," Harry replied half-heartedly. He looked at Hermione and said, "You know we have to add to this right?"
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I know," she sighed.
"What do you mean add to it?" Ron said somewhat defensively. "I thought it was bloody good if I may say so myself."
Harry looked at him in surprise, not realizing that he hadn't yet told him he was impressed. "It is good Ron," he said quickly. "What I meant was that we have to add something to it about Draco and Millicent."
"Oh…right," Ron said hesitantly, "the letters…`bout gave me a heart attack in them letters. You guys need to tell me all this stuff that's happened by the way."
"We will," Hermione said. "Why don't you guys go to the kitchen to get a basket of food from Dobby and I'll work on the last part? Then we'll have all night to talk about what's been going on around here."
"Food…" Ron said perking up. At the thought of food he realized that he hadn't eaten in over four hours and he was starving. "Come on Harry, let's go," he added quickly and before Harry could say anything Ron grabbed his arm and hauled him out of the infirmary and toward the kitchen.
"Guess that was a good idea," Hermione mused. "Now…" she said looking at the parchment, "Draco and Millicent."
She looked around for the quill and parchment that she and Harry had used for the list they'd made and when she finally found them she set about trying to write a short, respectable tribute to Draco and Millicent.
A Tribute
By Hermione Granger with Harry Potter
Sometimes something happens in life that takes you so much by surprise that you have trouble finding the words to describe it. That's what happened to me.
The final night of the battle, just before the defeat of Voldemort, I, Hermione Granger, was struck by a curse that left me lying in a coma. I have since learned many truths about the circumstances behind that curse. They have led me down paths that I thought I'd never have to follow. Until recently one person's heartache, pain, frustration, and anger had become a constant part of me and as a result, I had been forced to live under the control of another's emotions.
I tell you this, so you can know this…
If it weren't for Draco Malfoy and Millicent Bullstrode I probably wouldn't be alive today and it is my duty, my responsibility to them, to ensure that the wizarding world knows the tremendous sacrifice they made. I was cursed by one of our own (meaning one on the good side of the fight against Voldemort) and after witnessing it, Draco and Millicent attempted to stop the one who cursed me. Their combined efforts inadvertently killed my assailant. Their efforts were then witnessed by two of Voldemort's followers and without trial or consideration for who their families were, they became traitors to the dark side … their immediate sentence was death.
It is because of them that Harry Potter and I were able to find the answers we needed so I could be free from what possessed me before it consumed and eventually killed me.
There is no greater sacrifice in the world than to give your life for your sworn enemy and I am so sorry that it is only in their deaths that can I thank them. They gave their lives for mine and I am forever in their debt.
Never in our lives did Harry and I think we would have cause to say these words, "Thank you Draco Malfoy and Millicent Bullstrode, we will think about you always with great respect and admiration…as should the rest of the wizarding world."
I would also like to pass along my thanks to all of you out there who have contributed to our success in the last couple of days…you know who you are. And to you…the anonymous letter writer, to you we owe so much more.
Thank you.
"So," Ron's voice interrupted her thoughts, "did you get it done?"
"Yeah," she said nodding, "I think I did."
"Why don't you read it to us while we get the food unpacked?" Harry suggested.
Hermione agreed and proceeded to read her tribute. "Well, what do you think?" she asked when she finished.
Harry looked at her in amazement. "That's beautiful," he assured her, "I don't think you could have done any better than that." He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug, "I love you," he whispered in her ear.
Tears began to form in her eyes and she had a little trouble finding her voice. She sighed heavily trying to clear her throat of the lump that had formed. "I love you, too," she managed in a choked whisper.
Harry pulled away and kissed her cheek. "Why don't you take a walk?" he suggested lightly. "Maybe a little time alone is what you need, you haven't had much of that, what do you think?"
"Yeah," she said nodding, "I think that's a great idea." She slid off the bed and without a word started walking toward the exit. She could just hear Harry explaining her sudden departure to Ron but she didn't stop to listen, she just kept on walking.
She didn't have a particular destination in mind when she walked out of the infirmary so she allowed her legs to carry her without any conscience thought on her part. She'd been thinking about Draco, Millicent, and Trelawney when she looked down and discovered that she was standing about ten steps up on her way to Trelawney's classroom. "How did I…" she questioned aloud trying figure out first, why she'd even headed to Trelawney's classroom and second, how the heck she started climbing the steps without even noticing it.
Shrugging her shoulders she decided to keep moving forward. She wasn't in a hurry and with as tired as she'd been lately, it took her a few minutes longer than it might normally to get up the stairs and into the room. When she walked in it appeared as though the room hadn't changed at all and that any minute Trelawney would be entering from the side door. It was almost eerie in its normality.
She sat down at the same table she'd been sitting at when she'd walked out of Divination third year. She sat there quietly, not really thinking anything in particular when a feeling of anticipation swept through her causing her to shiver. What am I waiting for? She wondered.
She looked around the room and suddenly felt as though she weren't alone. "Hello," she said calmly as though nothing could surprise her anymore.
"Hello, Miss Granger."
"You called me here, didn't you?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, I wanted to see you."
"Can I see you?" Hermione asked.
"Of course," came the reply.
Hermione followed the sound of the voice and looked to where Professor Trelawney stood.
"Why did you want to see me?" she asked.
"First I want to congratulate you on all that you have accomplished," she replied. "Second, I sense there is something left unfinished. Do you want to tell me what it is?"
Hermione looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean `something left unfinished'?" she asked.
"I don't know. Just something," she replied looking at Hermione curiously.
Hermione looked down at the floor wondering if there was anything she'd been wanting to ask her and she came up empty.
"Sometimes it helps to just talk," Trelawney said, "why don't you try talking to me?"
"Why did she do it?" Hermione asked suddenly, surprising herself with the question.
"Love," Trelawney replied firmly.
"Love? How can love be responsible for such violence? She killed you," Hermione exclaimed.
"Love can cause people to act in the most unreasonable of ways, Hermione," she replied calmly. "You of all people should know that after what you've been through."
"But it's different," Hermione replied, "she did what she did to me because of Harry, because of her sick, twisted game…"
"I thought you'd forgiven her."
"I have," she replied indignantly, "…for what she's done to me. But…"
"There are no buts, Hermione," Trelawney interrupted, "what happened between myself and Miss Chang is simply that … between US. That has no bearing on what she's done to you. You can only forgive for what's been done to you and I sincerely hope you meant yours when you offered it."
"I did," Hermione sighed, "but can you honestly tell me that you've done the same?"
"Yes," Trelawney replied unquestioningly.
Hermione looked up in surprise and asked, "Why?"
"Because I wanted to," she replied. "Everything that has happened here has come as no surprise to me. Everything was pre-ordained. Do you really think that I would be foolish enough to take that tea if my death wasn't already written in the stars? Sacrifices were made on all sides and someday, far off into the future, you will understand why things had to happen the way they did."
"What if I can't wait that long?" Hermione asked, once again near tears. "What if I need to know the answers now?"
"Then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," she replied regretfully. "Let me just say this…you and Harry are meant for greater things. It was fate that brought you together nearly seven years ago and your destinies have yet to be fulfilled. Sacrifices were made so you and he could live. All of this was written long ago and we are powerless to stop or change it. Tell me what you have taken from this experience."
Hermione looked at her and sighed before she spoke, "I've learned to let go of my fear and that I have to appreciate every day, I've gained confidence in myself where I lacked it before, I've learned to trust myself, and most importantly, I've discovered how much I love Harry."
"And what has Harry taken from this?"
"He's learned to trust his own judgment, he's finally let go of his guilt, he believes in himself more than he ever has before, and, like me, he's discovered love," Hermione replied.
"Those are merely the foundation for all that you will learn and discover about each other and life. Don't ever forget the lessons you have learned. Take them with you and one day teach them to your own children, for they too, shall be great!" Trelawney exclaimed. "Let go of anger and resentment and go forth with love."
"Thank you," Hermione said in voice so soft that she wasn't sure she'd been heard.
"You're welcome," Trelawney replied, "and now it is nearly over. Surprises await you around the corner, Hermione. Enjoy them. One day I hope you look back on this and remember what I've told you. You are now prepared to face your future and from what I can see, your future looks very bright indeed."
"I will remem…" Hermione faltered, "…ber." She looked around the room and discovered that Trelawney had vanished. Where did she go? She wondered briefly.
Looking around she shrugged her shoulders, and feeling better than she had in a while, she quickly made her way down the stairs and back to the infirmary. "Is there any food left?" she asked brightly, half expecting to hear a resounding `no' since Ron was present.
"Of course there is," Harry replied as he removed the invisibility spell he'd placed over a plate for her.
"Hey," Ron shouted, "I knew there was more food somewhere what's up with that?" He looked at Hermione then her plate, then back to her again.
She started to laugh. "No way, Ron…this is mine…I'm starving," she said between bites.
Ron rolled his eyes, "Women!" he huffed.
Harry laughed then turned his attention to Hermione, "So where'd you go?" he asked.
"Nowhere in particular," she replied half smiling at him.
He raised his eyebrows in question and she looked him, raised an eyebrow in return and shrugged her shoulder. He nodded his head.
"What the bloody hell is going on with you two?" Ron exclaimed.
Harry laughed again. "Nothing, she was just telling me that we'd talk about it later, that's all."
"She didn't say that," Ron said defiantly. "I didn't hear her say anything."
"That's all right," Harry said laughing, "I know what she said and that's really all that matters."
"You two have gone nutters, that's what I'm saying," Ron replied though they could now hear the humor in voice.
"So what have my boys been talking about?" Hermione said in an obvious attempt to change the subject.
"I was just telling him what's been going on around here," Harry replied.
"Yeah," Ron said in disbelief, "that Cho stuff is bizarre. Glad you finally got rid of her." Hermione saw him shiver as though he'd been the one Cho had invaded and she laughed at him.
"Me too," she replied, "even more so then you, I'd imagine. There's no need to panic anymore."
"I imagine so," Ron said before her words registered and he looked at her in confusion, "whaddya mean by that anyway?"
"I just saw you shiver like there was a chance she'd be getting you next or something," she said laughing, "I'm just trying to reassure you, that's all."
"Oh yeah, very funny, Hermione," he joked although she could see in his eyes that the thought still hadn't completely left his mind.
"Hey," Harry replied as though he suddenly remembered something, "I was going to show Ron the journal do you know where we put it?"
"I don't remember Harry," she replied trying to remember what they might've done with it. "Weren't we reading a few entries the last time we had it?" she wondered out loud.
"Yeah," Harry said flinching as he remembered having to make her throw the book from her hands. He walked over to the side of the bed and looked around. He found it under the curtain that separated their beds from the one next to it. He watched Hermione to gauge her reaction as he handed the book to Ron. He was elated to discover there was no change whatsoever in her demeanor, she wasn't affected at all by the thought of someone else handling the book. As Ron began to skim through the pages Harry joined her on the bed and pulled her close.
"You want to tell me where you went?" he asked quietly.
"Trelawney's classroom," she answered just as quietly, "she was there and we talked."
"Really?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yeah," Hermione said eyeballing Ron and silently urging Harry to keep it down. "Let's talk about it later, okay? It's not that I don't want him know, it's just that I want to talk with you about it first, all right?"
Harry nodded, "All right," he said, "sounds fine by me."
"Thanks," she replied. She looked at Ron and found that his attention was solely on the journal so she turned back to Harry and kissed his cheek. He looked at her and smiled just before he captured her lips in a long, lazy kiss.
"Hey!" Ron called out to them, "Don't you guys need to come up for air or something? Yeesh!"
Hermione blushed and Harry just turned to him and smiled, raising his eyebrows he said, "Who needs air?" Then he turned to her and kissed her again.
"Okay…all right…can't you just give a guy a break then?"
This time they broke apart and laughed at him. "What's the matter Ron? Are we making you miss Luna even more now?" Hermione teased.
"Shut it, Granger," Ron snapped.
"Soft spot," she mumbled to Harry who nodded in reply.
"I heard that," Ron muttered back. He looked up at their amused expressions and started to laugh. "All right…yeah, I do miss her," he replied, "and I don't need the two of you reminding me of it all the time," he added quickly.
"All right, Ron," Harry said looking at Hermione and grinning, "we'll try not to make you miss her anymore than you already do."
"And let me just add this," Hermione said, "it's a good thing we're all leaving tomorrow because I won't wait any longer to kiss him like that again."
Ron's ears turned pink and he shook his head, "Prat!" he muttered.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked at him through narrowed eyes, "I heard that Ronald Weasley," she berated, "you better be careful or I'll do it again right now."
She slowly started to turn toward Harry and Ron put his hands up in the air in mock surrender, "No…no…no…don't…I'm done…I promise…just…don't…" he stammered.
She gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek and then smiled at Ron, "Well…since you promised," she smirked.
"All right, all right," Ron said laughing, "can we get back to this now?" he asked holding up the journal.
"Yeah, sure, what about it?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know, I just can't believe she let things go so far, like this one here, listen to this," he said then he began to read…
Journal Entry
I don't know…I have a feeling this may be my last entry especially since I still haven't figured out who the `two' are. Someone may be watching me.
This has to be it. I'm so tired of feeling this way. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has made himself scarce so far and this battle has been raging for a week. I just can't wait any longer. What will it matter if I destroy Harry in the middle of it and You-Know-Who wins? My life is a living hell anyway, how much worse could it possibly get? If I'm lucky maybe they'll find out what I've done and then kill me. Sometimes I wish I could just do it myself but I can't until I get my revenge.
We've been fighting on the same field for a few days now and I've wandered all around it. I know what I have to do and I'm ready. Harry is always right in the middle of the fighting, all I have to do is get to the clearing near where You-Know-Who's supporters are and curse Hermione straight into hell. They'll just think the spell came from someone else and I will sit back and watch everything unfold…no one will be the wiser. (Is that really a good thing? I just want to die when it's over)…
There's nothing more to say right now. Tonight I will kill Hermione and Harry will pay for what he did to my Cedric. I will write again when my mission is complete. I'm sure I will once again find some joy while I watch Harry suffer…Avada Kedavra can be a beautiful thing………ha, ha!
"Is that the last entry?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I don't see anything else," Ron replied flipping through the pages. "Isn't that bizarre? What the hell is up with that?"
"So that's it," Harry said to no one in particular, "I can give it to Mr. Diggory now."
"What are you talking about Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry looked at her, trying to focus on what she'd asked though not quite able to. "Ironic, isn't it?" he said.
"What is?" Hermione asked, her concern growing.
Harry shook his head and smiled at her, "It's just ironic that she wanted to wait until I knew I was in love with you before she cursed you and yet…" he pulled her closer and smiled wider, "it was her curse that made me realize I was in love with you."
Hermione half chuckled, "Ironic," she repeated in confirmation.
Harry took the journal from Ron and looked at it briefly before he offered it to Hermione. "Want to see it?" he asked casually although he almost feared her answer.
"No," Hermione said shaking her head, "not really. Did you say something about giving it to Mr. Diggory?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah," he replied, "Mr. Diggory asked if he could have it. I hope you don't mind but I told him he could after we read the last entry."
"Nope, I don't mind. Maybe you can use one of the school owls to send it to him," she said.
"What's wrong with sending Hedwig?" he asked curiously.
"Hedwig's going home to take a well-deserved break," she replied.
"Yeah," Harry said softly, "home."
"Home," she confirmed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The three of them talked for a few more hours until all of them were ready to pass out from exhaustion. They'd caught Ron up on what had happened and Ron caught them up on what was going on at the Burrow. There was only one thing left to tell and Harry didn't want to do it.
"We have to tell you one more thing," Harry said reluctantly.
"What's that?" Ron asked forgetting how tired he was when he heard the tone in Harry's voice.
Harry looked at Hermione for reassurance before he continued, "Dumbledore's gone," he said softly.
"Gone? Whaddya mean gone?" Ron asked weakly.
"Just before you got here my parents, Sirius, and a bunch of others came for him. He walked away and vanished," Harry replied in the same soft voice Ron had already found disconcerting.
"He…vanished?" Ron said in wonder.
"Yeah, it's hard to say he died really, because we watched him walk away and just disappear. He knew it was coming, I bet that's why he told you to be here today," Harry said, he was grateful that Ron seemed to be preoccupied to the point that he didn't ask questions about his parents and Sirius, that was something he wanted to keep between him and Hermione for a while.
"Oh man," Ron said trying to fight back his tears, "and I came late. I was supposed to have been here a long time before I actually got here. I missed him. But he didn't say…I mean…his letter…I had no idea…"
"It's all right," Harry interrupted, "if there's something he needs you to know, I'm sure he'll find a way to tell you," he said. "If anyone can do it, Dumbledore can."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Ron replied heavily as he continued his fight to hold back his tears.
Hermione separated herself from Harry and jumped off the bed to put her arms around him, "He was happy to go," she said, "I know you'll miss him…we all will…but he'll always be a part of us. You'll get your chance to say goodbye, just wait."
Hermione thought about Dumbledore's final words to her and she gestured for Harry to follow her. "Ron, we'll be right back, okay?"
Ron just nodded as she turned and led the way out of the infirmary.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"Nothing. I just remember Dumbledore saying something about the spell for the chairs being on his desk. Maybe he left something else there, too. Come on," she said pulling him faster along the corridor until they were facing the gargoyle's that protected the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Sherbet lemon," Harry said hoping the password hadn't suddenly changed when Dumbledore left. He released a heavy sigh of relief when he saw the staircase moving. "Come on." He pulled her quickly forward and they jumped on the steps as they rose upward.
Hermione pushed open the door and rushed forward to Dumbledore's desk. Just like he said, a spell book lay open on his desk and she saw the spell for conjuring the chairs. There was a note attached to it with her name on it. Slowly she opened it.
My Dear Miss Granger,
Words cannot express just how proud I am of you. I hope you will never tire of hearing the words, `you certainly are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met'. No truer words have ever been spoken.
I wish you a long, happy, prosperous life filled with love and family and friends. Remember that the ones who love us never truly leave us. We will all be watching over you. You and Harry (and even Mr. Weasley and Miss Lovegood) are destined for greater things than you can ever imagine.
I left you today but I will be with you forever. My knowledge I leave to you, I know I don't have to tell you to use it wisely!
Take this book. I know that you will love the spell to conjure the chair. It's always been one of my favorites.
Thank you, Hermione Granger, for all you have done and all that you will do.
Take care.
Albus Dumbledore
Hermione's eyes were watery as she finished reading the letter and she hadn't noticed that Harry was standing behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she jumped, "Oh!" she exclaimed turning around to face him.
"I'm sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said unconcernedly, looking at her curiously, "What's wrong? What happened?"
"It's this," she said handing him the letter. As he read it she turned to the desk to look some more and she found three more letters, one for Harry, one for Ron, and one for Luna.
"Harry look," she said turning around and interrupting his reading. She held the letters out to him.
"Luna?" Harry looked at her questioningly. "What's that about?"
Hermione shrugged, "I don't know," she said just as surprised as he was. She noticed her letter in his hand and remembered that Dumbledore had mentioned Luna in it, "My letter mentions her too," she said.
Harry looked at Hermione's letter again and quickly skimmed through it looking for Luna's name, "Ron and Luna and me and you?" he asked in astonishment. "I don't know if I want Ron to see this or not."
"Why not?"
"Can you imagine how he'd feel if he's not sure about his feelings for her? He didn't sound too sure Hermione."
"True," she agreed, "but he's a big boy, Harry. Maybe this'll be his catalyst. Let's get this stuff and go."
"Hang on," he said moving toward the desk and looking around. "There's something else here…somewhere…"
Hermione picked up the spell book that Dumbledore said she could keep and another letter, addressed to both her and Harry, fell out of it.
Harry picked it up quickly. Harry tried to place the writing. He'd seen it many times before on letters he'd gotten from…
"Sirius?" Hermione said from behind him. "The letter came from Sirius?"
"How do you know that?" he asked in surprise, it'd taken him a whole minute to figure it out and she knew in a matter of seconds.
Ignoring him she asked, "Why would a letter from Sirius be addressed to the two of us? He's been gone for two years."
Harry looked at her in surprise and then shifted his gaze back to the letter, "Huh," he said thoughtfully, "good question." He quickly tore open the letter and read it out loud…
Dear Harry and Hermione,
If you're reading this letter than I can presume a couple of things…first, I am no longer with you, and second you are, at last, together. Congratulations! That is most welcome news.
Since those two things had to occur before this letter could be given to you then I'll skip the formalities and get straight to the point.
I don't know if you are married yet but I want you to know that Grimmauld Place and all of the Black family money is yours. I realize there is a lot to do there to make it livable, but if you'd like it, it is yours to do with as you see fit. My hope is that Voldemort has been defeated and all of the dark magic that lives within that house was defeated right along with him (I have no idea how that would work but it would certainly make things easier for you, wouldn't it?) Perhaps now you can get that nasty old hag of a mother off the wall. If you can't, might I suggest burning it? It certainly can't hurt to try. (Burn the painting, not the house)!
Once Voldemort and his minions are defeated the charms will be removed from the house and it will once again be visible for all to see. I know you've watched it squeeze its way between the other houses, but never fear, once the charms are removed it should fit in quite nicely with the others. If you wish to re-employ the charms, they can be found in the book where you got this letter. If anyone can figure it all out, our Hermione can so I will not go into the details.
Since I am obviously gone I want you to know that wherever I am, I am enjoying life. With any luck I have been reunited with James and Lily and together we will be over watching you. You know me, I'll be having a good time no matter where I am! (Just so long as Snivellus hasn't somehow managed to find his way there).
I will stop this now. I just need for you to know that regardless of how long it's been, I have not forgotten you…I highly doubt that's possible. I love you both. You are my family and I have cherished the time we had together no matter how short it may have been. My greatest joy in life came from being your godfather, Harry. I couldn't possibly be more proud.
You might wonder why this is addressed to both of you…well (ha, ha), I'm confident in my belief that one day you will realize that you're in love. Am I right or am I right? (It took Lily a long time too…).
Anyway, know that wherever I am, I'm not far. I'll always be in your heart just as you've always been in mine.
Take care of each other. Great, marvelous, wonderful things lie ahead for both of you. Until we meet again…………….
Love,
Sirius
"Wow," he said gruffly, the ever-present tears slowly gliding down his cheeks, "what else could there possibly be today?"
"Open Dumbledore's," Hermione said in reply feeling as though she'd never stop crying.
Harry looked at it and nodded, "Okay, here goes…"
Dear Harry,
So this is it? I must say it's been harder then I ever thought it would be. You have been through so much and you are a tough man to say goodbye to.
Please know that I am looking forward to this journey. It has been a long time coming. I have seen so much in my years and while I may appear to be fairly young by wizarding standards, my soul is very old.
To you Harry, I leave my wisdom. While wisdom often comes with age, through me you will find that certain truths and insights come easier. As will Occlumency and Legilimens.
I am sure that throughout the years you have wondered how it is that I know so much about you. It is a subject that I have avoided until now. Since I have obviously gone, you may have already guessed much of it when you met my welcoming party.
It is hard to go through life knowing your destiny as I have mine. My mentor told me what I would someday be required to do…I will not do that to you Harry, it is my belief that it makes life so much harder to live when you know what's coming. You take fewer chances and you lock a part of yourself away in anticipation of the day you know will inevitably come.
By now you have learned that there are greater things in store for you than you could ever imagine. Which brings me to my point…my mentor advised me of my destiny and when he passed on, I was given the ability to communicate with all those who were destined to play a part in it. This includes your mother and father, Sirius, Sybill Trelawney, Cedric, and even Cho…along with so many others.
It is most unfortunate, Harry, that you never knew your mother's true capacity for love. It is through her that I know when you first began to feel love for Miss Granger, it is through your father that I know your fear, and it is through Sirius that I know your anger…it goes on and on. Each person who has passed through your life brings a little something back to you through me. Someday you will know it through Hermione and your own heart. One day you will teach yourself to listen and you will feel us just as I have felt them for so long.
Additionally, if it is quite all right with Miss Granger, you may take Dobby home with you when you are ready to do so. I have already spoken with him and he is excited to work for you…tell her he'll accept no less than the current working wage! (Like that one? I do so love S.P.E.W.!)
Take care, Harry and know that I will always be a part of you. I have loved you like a son.
Thank you for being you. Playing a part in your life is by far the greatest gift I have ever known.
Albus Dumbledore
P.S. In the event I failed to mention it, the protective spell I placed on you will not go away until you are ready. If you do not wish to be disturbed when you arrive at Miss Granger's residence then you should wait until you are ready before you tell your story. I would not let that be more than a couple more days, however, you may not be disturbed personally, but others around you most certainly are.
Harry had begun to cry before he'd started reading the letter and now the tears were falling faster. Hermione stood beside him and rested her head against his arm and cried with him.
After a minute she wiped her tears, and sniffled. "Come on, Harry, Ron's going to wonder where we went," she said softly.
Harry nodded and wiped his eyes, "Yeah, come on," he said trying to pull himself together.
They made sure they had all of the letters and the book before they walked out of Dumbledore's office for the last time. They walked slowly, both caught up in their own thoughts.
"Isn't it strange," Hermione said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Harry shook his head and laughed at her vagueness, "What?" he asked curiously.
"I don't feel any smarter," she said matter-of-factly.
Harry laughed again, "Are you supposed to? I mean, how much smarter can you get?"
She stopped and looked at him, "I'm talking about Dumbledore's letter. He said he was passing his knowledge on to me but I don't feel any smarter."
Harry thought about it for a minute before he spoke, "Yeah, I don't feel any wiser either, now that you mention it."
"Hmm…" she said thoughtfully as she started to walk again.
Once again they walked in silence as they contemplated what Dumbledore had meant by the words, `I leave to you…'.
"There you are where've you been?" Ron asked when they finally returned to the infirmary. "I went out looking but couldn't find you anywhere."
"We went to Dumbledore's office, here you go," Harry said handing Ron the letters addressed to him and Luna.
"What's this?"
"It's a letter from Dumbledore," Hermione replied. "We've already opened ours. Go ahead," she urged nodding her head toward his letter.
Ron looked at the two of them curiously then slowly opened up his letter…
Dear Mr. Weasley,
Somehow I feel this will be my only chance to say goodbye so I feel I must make it special.
First and foremost I must thank you for being such a loyal friend to Harry. I realize you had your moments but that did nothing more than keep you from taking each other for granted.
As you may have already heard my destiny has now been fulfilled and the time has come for me to step into that great unknown where finally I may get some rest! I am terribly sorry if I never made it apparent that you were appreciated throughout the years. I must admit that my focus has always been Harry and his well-being…seeing as how his survival was linked with my destiny, you must forgive an old man his oversights.
To you, Mr. Weasley, I leave my wit. Though you are, without a doubt, a very witty young man in your own right, I humbly ask your acceptance of this gift. After all, a little boost couldn't possibly hurt now, could it?
You are a courageous young man and you have proven yourself against the mightiest of foes. You no longer need live in the shadows…be sure to keep yourself always in the light.
Please ensure that Miss Lovegood gets her letter. While I have been assured that things are as they should be, I can only hope that you have not received this letter too soon. There are great things in store for you and Miss Lovegood…great things!
I wish you the very best of everything. Take care of yourself and take care of Miss Lovegood. Take your time with her, it is written in the stars.
Albus Dumbledore
"What's he mean `it is written in the stars'?" Ron asked abruptly. "What's written in the stars?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and silently agreed that it was something he needed to figure out on his own.
Harry shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know Ron," he lied.
"I think I need to go," Ron said suddenly as if awakening from a dream. He was looking at the letter for Luna. "I think I need to get this to her soon. Do you guys mind if I…"
"Nope," Harry interrupted. "Let us know what he says to her, or at least what he's given her, we're really curious to know what's up with that."
"Yeah," Ron said distractedly. "About that…how come I don't feel any wittier? Is that even a word?"
"Apparently not feeling smarter either, I see," Harry replied laughing. "Neither of us feel anything either. Maybe we'll feel it when Luna reads her letter."
"Yeah, I'm gonna take off through the tunnel and apparate home from Hogsmeade. I'll send a letter to Hermione's as soon as Luna's done with her letter."
Harry winked at Ron and raised his eyebrows, "Or, a little later than that maybe?"
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed smacking him on the shoulder. "Leave him alone."
Ron's telltale ears turned pink again but this time they quickly returned to normal, "Well, now you mention it," he retorted raising his eyebrows back at Harry.
They all started laughing and Hermione stepped up to give Ron a hug. "Thank you so much for writing that statement for the paper, I have to admit I'm impressed. Oh yeah," she said suddenly pulling away from him and looking at Harry, "I just remembered that Harry's letter from Dumbledore said something about the protective spell he placed on us being broken when we make our story known. Can you wait just a couple of days before you give it to Luna? I just want to get home first and have a decent conversation with my parents before the doorbell starts ringing."
"Sure I can do that," he replied pulling her in for another hug. "Don't worry about it. I'll send you a copy of the paper as soon as it comes out. I'll probably get an advanced copy."
"Yeah, I bet you will mate, come here you two," Harry said as he stepped forward and put his arms around both of them. "All right, you better get going. Honeydukes will probably be closed by now. You don't want to get caught sneaking around in there so don't go grabbing any sweets to take home to Luna."
Ron was thinking about Luna with a faraway look in his eyes, "Man I can't wait until she graduates next year. The four of us are gonna have to take a trip to celebrate," he said picturing life twelve months from now.
"It's a deal," Harry and Hermione said together. "Now get out of here," Harry added with a chuckle.
Ron looked at him suspiciously, "Do you want me to go because you want Luna to get this letter or because you want to be alone?" he asked as he checked to make sure he had both pieces of parchment…their story and Hermione's tribute, and both letters.
Harry laughed, "Does it matter?" he asked.
"Nope," Ron replied. "See ya!"
"Bye Ron, see you soon," Hermione called out to his retreating form. He lifted his arm in the air and waved goodbye without turning around, they weren't surprised when they heard the sound of running the second he rounded the corner.
"Man what a day," Harry said tiredly.
"Yeah, alone at last," Hermione replied as she put her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest.
"That's not what I said, but I certainly like the sound of it better," he said laughing. "We really need to get some rest because we'll need to pack in a few hours so we can finally go home." He felt his heart swell at the sound of those words…Hogwarts had been the only home he'd ever known and now he was finally going to know what a real home felt like. He put his arms around her and pulled her in a little tighter.
"Home, I like the sound of that," she whispered.
"Let's go to bed," Harry replied softly.
Hermione nodded and moved just far enough away from him so they could walk to their beds. She kicked off her shoes and crawled in to wait for him to do the same. When he finally lay down beside her she kissed him, not in a passionate, romantic way, it was a kiss that held a lifetime of promise. "I love you, Harry," she said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"I love you too, Hermione," he replied rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "Will we lose this when we get to your parents house?" he asked sleepily.
"I hope not…" she replied as she drifted off to dreamland.
"That's goo…" Harry's words were lost on both of them as he too fell fast asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: YAY! For fluff…I'm excited about what's coming.
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