No Greater Love

There is no greater love than this

There is no greater gift that can ever be given

To be willing to die so another might live

There is no greater love than this

“Lily! Look at him!!! Isn’t he just a spitting image of me!”

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

“But he does have your eyes!” said James as Lily walked into the room. Their little boy, Harry, was one year old. They held each other as they looked fondly on their child as he slept peacefully in his crib.

“At least he has something like me! Let’s hope he’s like me in his classes!”

“Hey!!! I was head boy, you know!”

“Yeah, by pure dumb luck! But enough; Harry’s a darling, isn’t he?”

“Yep. He’s just as sweet as your are, Lily. Just as sweet as you are.”

“I can hardly remember not having him. I couldn’t imagine life without him.”

“Hey!!! What about me?” asked James, his voice showing a hint of mock-hurt.

“You, too, honey!” She snuggled up to him as she stared at their child. Their child. The child they’d sacrifice their lives for. He was so precious. So innocent. Too bad this perfect life couldn’t last forever...

There is no greater love than this...

“Lily!!! Go into the back room!!! Now!!! Take Harry with you!!! I’ll fend him off!!!”

“James!!! I can’t just leave you!”

“Go, Lily, for Harry’s sake! Just...” He didn’t say any more. The door in front of him had burst open. There, standing before him, was the Dark Lord in all his power.

There is no greater gift that can ever be given...

He battled with all of his strength. But his best just wasn’t enough. Not everything can go perfectly. He slid to the floor in a heap. The Dark Lord went further into the house, trying to find the baby’s room.

To be willing to die so another might live...

“Hush, Harry, shh...everything will be fine...shh...” She tried to soothe her baby, but it was useless. He just whimpered, as quietly as any baby can. “Hush little baby, don’t say a word...”

Suddenly, the door to the room crashed to the floor. There stood the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

“Stand aside, girl!”

“No! I will always stay with my child!”

“Move out of my way!” He was growing furious.

“You’ll have to kill me first!”

“If you insist.” Voldemort shrugged. “Avada kedavra!” Lily’s now-still body laid on the floor.

There is no greater love than this.

~*seventeen years later*~

Just eighteen years on this earth, and he had experienced so much pain. Too much for anyone to bear by themselves. But bear them he did. And alone, too. But he was going to live through it. He had to. He really had no other choice. Too many counted on him to make the world right again. To stop the Dark Lord and make everything better.

Broken hearted from all you have lost

How can you sing through your tears?

Some days, he felt like crawling up in bed and sleeping his life away. Maybe he’d have good dreams instead of nightmares...the nightmares that had haunted him...but they were gone now. He had accepted what had happened and lived with it. There was nothing else he could do. Anything else would have destroyed him long ago. He had learned that all the deaths around him were not really his fault. Well, actually they were, but not so that he ever meant it. Others had done the damage. He was just an abused instrument of their work. But he refused to now. He was stronger. He was a loner. How else could he survive? He couldn’t get anyone involved, lest they end up like his acquaintances that had died because it was a way at getting at him. Like Hermione and Lavender...but he put it behind him. Sure, he still felt guilty, but he couldn’t think of guilt right then. He had more things on his mind...

~*two years later*~

What is this music that can bear such a cost?

What is this fire that grows stronger against the wind?

What kind of flame can this be?

He had searched for the Dark Lord for three years. And now he had found him. It was time to make the fight happen. It was time to face his fears, his hurts, his mortal enemy. Wait, his enemy was hardly mortal; he bordered on immortal.

“Harry! Wait!” A voice called out behind him. It was a sweet voice: the voice of Ginny.

“Ginny! What are you doing here! Go! This is too dangerous for you! This is between Voldemort and myself. That is it!”

“No, Harry; I’m staying by you if it’s the last thing I do!” She ran up to him and clutched his left arm.

“Oh, how touching,” said Voldemort sarcastically. “Stand aside, girl!”

“No! Never!”

“Fine then,” said Voldemort. An evil smile appeared on his lips. “Well, then, Harry Potter; you will get to see your fiancee go before you!” With that, he killed her. She slumped onto Harry. He shouted in rage. This couldn’t be happening...this must be another nightmare...just wake yourself up, Harry...

But it wasn’t. He pinched himself. He wasn’t dreaming.

Anger boiled in his veins. The Dark Lord had just killed his fiancee. He was furious. More than furious.

They battled. Nobody interfered with them because no one else was around. The were alone on that ledge on the mountain. They battled long and hard. Harry almost lost himself when he tripped over Ginny’s body. But he regained his strength when he saw Voldemort lean against a wall of rock from exhaustion.

Suddenly, Harry yelled “Expelliarmus!” Voldemort had said it the same second. Both were pointed at their right wrists. Both of their wands flew into the air and off the edge of the cliff.

“Now what?” asked Harry.

“We fight the Muggle way.”

“You, fight the Muggle way?!”

“Well, we don’t seem to have any choice now, do we Potter?”

“Not really.”

“Ready?”

“When you are.”

They lunged at each other. It was a fierce battle. Harry had been working out, just in case something like this would happen. But the Dark Lord wasn’t totally out of shape himself. They battled long and hard, until they were rolling on the ground. Harry could see the edge right next to him.

“This...is...for...Ginny...“ He kicked hard against Voldemort’s stomach and hurled him off the edge of the cliff. But, Voldemort, seeing what was happening, grabbed the hem of Harry’s robe and hung on for dear life. Harry felt himself inch towards the edge. He tried to get Voldemort to get off him, but his grip was too strong. Harry willed his wand toward him.

He was beginning to slide off the edge of the cliff, too. If he lost hold of the edge, both he and the Dark Lord would topple over the edge to their deaths.

Suddenly, he realized that his wand had hit him over the head. He looked in front of him. There, right in front of his eyes, was his wand. He grabbed at it. But, unfortunately, he was too far away. He tried to grab at it, like grabbing at a life saver only inches away. But his arms were too short. He was starting to lose his grip. The Dark Lord was starting to lose his grip, too.

Again, Harry lurched his body forward, clawing at the ground, willing himself to inch closer to his wand. Finally, he felt the safe and secure feeling of smooth wood glide into his right hand. He twisted himself to look at Voldemort. He was holding on for dear life.

“Goodbye, forever,” said Harry. Then, he shouted “Expelliarmus!” one last time. He felt a weight lift from the hem of his robe. Voldemort was gone. He had gone off the cliff.

It was over. The battle was won. But not for Harry. His Ginny still was dead. She laid near the wall of the cliff, her body listless, her skin pale. Her muscles were beginning to stiffen. She was gone from his life. There would be no more soft kisses from her, no more loving glances, no more late-night hugs, no more. No more. Just memories. How bittersweet memories are! They make you happy, they make you sad. They make you angry, make you feel empty, hopeless, useless. But they can give hope, too. Though it may be faint, though it may be frail, they can give hope. Just a hint of hope, no more than an atom of hope. But it is still hope.

There is no greater love than this

There is no greater gift that can ever be given

To be willing to die so another might live

There is no greater love than this

And that is how Harry lived. In hope. It may have been just a hint of hope, no more than an atom of hope. But it was still hope. And that hope saved the world.