Harry Potter's Final Fate

Harry Potter's Final Fate

When they all appeared in the room, it seemed so strange. It was just like that fateful night so long ago. The room looked just the same. It was just as large, dimly lit, and rectangular. The sunken center still looked ominous.

Harry's friends had come full circle. They had appeared exactly where his other friends had appeared on that other memorable night. Luna had appeared in the same spot Remus Lupin had once stood. Neville stood in Kingsley's spot, and Ginny was standing where Sirius had once been. Ron was exactly where Moody had jumped into the fray, and Hermione stood where Tonks had stood, hoping for a better outcome than Tonks had suffered that night. They all looked down over the stone stone steps, toward the stone archway on the dais, where Harry was dueling furiously with Voldemort.

The tattered black veil was fluttering and swaying, as though unseen hands were moving it. Luna heard the faint whispering that had sealed her faith so long ago, but now she felt nothing but cold, hard fear. Harry hit Voldemort with a blinding flash of light, and gave a cry of triumph. Harry saw the same look of mingled fear and surprise on his enemy's face that his godfather had displayed.

Voldemort, unfortunately, though, fell just as slowly as Sirius had. He was not beaten yet. Voldemort was dying, but he was not dead. He cast a spell, and Harry's eyes widened as he recognized it. He had seen Dumbledore cast that same spell, long ago. Voldemort hooked Harry with an invisible line, pulling him to his knees, dragging him across the floor.

As Voldemort fell through the veil pulling Harry after him, Ginny and Luna both screamed. Their cries of anguish were heartbreaking as Harry was swept away.

Luna sank to her knees on one of the stone seats, a look of unbelievable sadness on her face.

Ginny continued to scream, and Neville sank down beside her. He remembered the night he had fought to protect her from the Inquisitorial squad. He had failed then, and he was going to fail now. How could he ever soothe such pain? But he tried. Gentle-hearted Neville did try. Sinking beside her, he gathered her into his arms as she rocked back and forth, sobbing.

Hermione sobbed as well, and she turned to Ron, who was white-faced and stunned. Wordlessly he gathered her into a tight embrace. No one moved until Dumbledore appeared, the one fixed point in their universe, and finally managed to guide them all away.

Back at Hogwarts, in Dumbledore's office, the teenagers were all limp and shaking. They had been through so much for their ages, but now they were truly broken. Only one thing would heal them. There was only one thing they all desired more than anything else, and that would be to learn Harry's fate. They had all loved him so much, in so many very ways.

Dumbledore made his decision.

"Come."

The followed him listlessly, listening to the sounds in the castle, of people rising, going to breakfast, living their normal lives, totally unaware of what had happened, unaware that one of the greatest wizarding events of all time had occurred as they had slept peacefully in their beds.

Dumbledore led them into a small room, and to their surprise, a great mirror stood there, with an ornate golden frame. Ron recognized it at once, and Luna, the best of them all at Ancient Runes, read the words carved across the top softly.

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."

Unafraid, she walked forward, looked into the mirror and smiled through her tears.

"Come and look," Luna said dreamily.

One by one the others came to stand beside her. They crowded together, with their arms around each other for support, and looked into the reflective surface. They all saw what they had wanted so desperately to see. Harry Potter, looking close enough to touch, was waving and smiling. On his right side stood a woman, with her arm wrapped protectively around Harry. She was a pretty woman with dark red hair, and familiar, green, almond-shaped eyes. On his left side there was a man. He was tall, and thin, with very untidy black hair. He wore glasses, and also had an arm around Harry.

Harry was home, and his friends were comforted.

The end.