A New Hope

A New Hope

by, Caliente

"I really like that one scene in Star Wars." It's barely a whisper as it floats to her ears. Breaking the stillness of the night. Shattering the silence between them. "Heh, you probably don't even know what Star Wars is." She feels him shaking his head beside her. In her mind, she can even imagine his exact expression. "It's a Muggle thing..."

She rolls over finally, cupping the side of his face. "Tell me about it," she encourages quietly. There was a time when she wouldn't have said a word. That time had long since passed.

He runs a hand through her hair. "It's at the end of the film. The hero--Luke Skywalker--he's celebrating their victory with his friends. And... three ghosts--characters from the movie who died--they appear to him. Well, actually, I'm can't remember if he can see them but..." his voice trails off again, like he's lost the words in his throat.

"But?" she prompts, curling closer to him. He needs to feel her there, she's sure of it.

A small sigh escapes his lips. "But they're there. Whether he knows it or not, they're with him. Even though they're dead, they're still watching over him."

She hasn't moved her hand from his face. "And these ghosts?" she questions patiently. "Who are they?"

"They're his... his father figures. His teachers. They're the people who helped him become a better hero." She feels him rest his cheek on her forehead. "He was always heroic. He had it inside of him. But they--they taught him how to... to use it."

"Dumbledore," she whispers. "Dumbledore and Sirius."

He stiffens and she's sure he's remembering. "And Riddle," he says it like the name tastes badly in his mouth.

It's her turn to stiffen and his hand moves to rub comforting circles on her back. "Why him? Why V-Voldemort?"

"Not Voldemort," he corrects. "See, in Star Wars there's a bad guy--Darth Vader. But, in the end, he saves the hero Luke from the real bad guy. Because... because he's Luke's father. And before he was this big evil guy, he was Anakin Skywalker. A good guy."

She gapes at him. "But Riddle--"

"I know." He interrupts her in that same calm sort of whisper and she can feel a blossom of irritation inside of her. "But Darth Vader did things, horrible things. Like Voldemort. He still held some good in his heart, though."

The irritation is growing into anger. "And you think that Voldemort had this good in him too?"

He waits a moment before responding. "I'm not sure," he says slowly. "All I know is... Dumbledore was my Yoda and Sirius was my Obi-Wan... or was Dumbledore my Obi-Wan? Well, they were my teachers. My father figures."

She can't help but furrow her brows together, feeling more than a little lost. That he never answered her question doesn't escape her, however. "And Voldemort was like your actual father?" she questions, voice alarmed despite the rather strong feelings of contempt she's harboring at that moment.

"No!" His voice is aghast and the loudest it's been during their conversation. She lets out a small sigh of relief. "No," he repeats, "but Tom Riddle... he was my Anakin Skywalker. A piece of him is in me. He might not be my father, but he's the reason I'm the Luke to his Darth Vader."

That makes sense. It does. But she's not quite sure she's ready to let him off the hook. "I suppose I see your point..." she agrees hesitantly, her words clipped by reluctance.

That concession is apparently enough encouragement for him to finish his sentiment. "And... for all his evil, maybe a tiny part of him was still human. I like to think there was."

There's something decidedly hopeful in the way he says it--something that reminds her of the young Boy Who Lived and she feels the remainder of her anger dissipating. He still has hope. Even with all the memories, the battles fought, the lives lost. Even with everything Riddle was inside and out. She's sure that's why he won. "You know, so do I." And she's vaguely confident she doesn't even say it with the hope that that would somehow make him suffer more.

She thinks he's probably smiling as he kisses her forehead. "Still, I think I'd prefer my real dad watching. Mum, too."

"They are," she tells him as she snuggles against him. "I'm sure of it." She likes to think he's sure, too. Just before they both drift off, she tilts her head up again. "Hey, Harry?"

His chest rumbles as he speaks. "Yeah, Ginny?"

She rests her head again. "Let's watch your Star Wars tomorrow."

"Sure, Ginny." He's smiling now, she's certain. "Just wait until you see who they've got for Hermione and Ron..."