The Ending of Harry Potter

Prologue

I've read hundreds of articles about how the war ended. Everyone seems to have formed their own opinions of how the events came to be that night. Many say that it was a special kind of curse that killed every Death Eater in the world plus their ruthless leader, Voldemort. Many say it was some Divine Being that helped Harry that night. The light was seen all the way around the world, literally. But none of them really know how it came about. There were just a few people on that same battle field the night Harry killed Voldemort. Dumbledore, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Draco Malfoy, and myself, Hermione Potter; better known as Hermione Granger.

I feel, no, we feel that it's time that the story gets told the right way. A child has grown up without her father, even though the substitute father has done a marvelous job, as Harry told him that he would, Haley still needs the whole truth and nothing but the truth about her father. And the only place to start is at the beginning for I know that you know the end and if you don't you can probably make a safe bet as to the way it does.

Chapter 1

I had spent the last part of my summer at The Burrow with the Weasley's. Harry came to stay the last week before we started our 7^th year at Hogwarts. Everything was great considering Sirius' death was still on Harry mind a lot. Harry had calmed quite a bit since he told us the Prophecy and Dumbledore kept him informed on most of the happenings in the Order. He was quite pleasant to be around. Ron and I could actually have fun with our best friend again.

On the night before our return back to Hogwarts, Ron asked me outside. It seemed that my boyfriend of 9 months was jealous of something.

We took a seat in his parents' garden and looked up at the stars. Ron scooted away from me and looked me in my eye. "Hermione, why is that you always talk about Harry?"

His question took me off guard. I'd had this conversation before only it was with Victor Krum. I looked away and then back at Ron. "I don't know. He's my best friend." I knew the truth. I knew the truth before I started dating Ron. Hell, I knew it before I started to try to date Victor. I loved Harry Potter. I was in love with him completely but I didn't want to be the girl who was left behind if something were to happen to him. I know that's shitty but think about it...

Ron looked away from me. "You always brag about how well he plays Qudditch. You never brag about me Hermione." Ron looked at me with tears in his eyes. I loved Ron. But it was like a brother and kissing him was weird. But I couldn't just tell him that I loved someone else. And not just anyone, but the Boy Who Lived, our best friend. The boy that Ron was so jealous of. To Ron, Harry had it all. He had money, fame, good looks. Ron was a poor sidekick. He never understood that Harry was more jealous of Ron than Ron was him. Harry never had a family. He never knew about magic or love or anything Ron got to experience. He never knew.

"Ron I brag about you." What was I supposed to say? He was crying. I couldn't tell him and crush his spirits. Apparently I was one thing Ron had that Harry didn't. Ginny had told me this. She read Ron's journal and he wrote that. I was the one thing he had that Harry couldn't have. If I told him he would have blown up.

"To who?" Ron got defensive. I scooted closer to him. I rubbed my hand up and down his back, not like a girlfriend would but like a sister who was comforting her younger brother.

"Everyone. Who do I brag about Harry to?" Everyone. Anyone who would listen. And it wasn't always about Qudditch. I made him out to be the hero that he was...is. Ron shot up from the bench.

"Who!?" Ron had that look in his eye. I'd see this look a billion more times. He was furious. "Don't try to make me out to be some paranoid boyfriend, Hermione! Anyone that even mentions something remotely close to a topic that you can turn on to Harry, you do it!"

"So that means what Ron? That I'm proud of having a best friend? That I'm proud of him for doing the things that he has? You're going to get mad at me because of that?" I was thinking that maybe I could turn the tables on him. I'd done it before whenever I wanted to avoid an argument with him.

"It just gets annoying. I love you, Hermione!" He didn't have to say that...

"I love you too, Ron, but that doesn't mean that I can't talk about Harry when he comes up in conversation! You know if you'd notice a little closer, most of the time Harry gets brought up by other people!" By now I was standing. I don't remember when I stood but I was standing and hollering in Ron's face. His anger went away. It was replaced by a look I still don't understand. It was like he was figuring something out, like he was trying to remember all the times and he understood that I was lying. But what he said next is what makes that look so confusing. He took a step back and then looked to the ground.

"You're right, Hermione." And then he just walked away. It was then that I knew something was going to happen between Ron and Harry. And it actually scared me.

I still don't know where Ron had went that night but no one saw him come into the house. I sat in front of the fire alone for most of the night. I was knitting hats for the elves when he came down, when Harry walked downstairs. He sat beside me and rubbed my back, not like I did Ron, like a boyfriend would rub his girlfriend's back. I leaned into his hand and he pulled me into his arm for a semi-hug. He laid his head on mine and asked, "What's wrong, Hermione?"

I think that was when I began to cry. I looked at Harry and he looked back at me with those amazing green eyes. There was only one thing to say, so I said it, "I love you, Harry." These words didn't faze him the way I was sure they would. I was for certain that he would look at me and say, "But Hermione you're my best friend and Ron's girlfriend...we can't be together." But just like always, he surprised me.

"I love you too, Hermione." And he leaned into me and kissed me so softly that I'm not quite sure we even kissed. He pulled back and looked into my eyes. I could hear the wheels in his head turning, contemplating on kissing me again. He put one hand on my neck resting his thumb on my jaw and pulled me to him with the arm he had around me. It was like we floated towards each other and this time we kissed. Our first kiss. It was amazing to say the least. There really aren't any words to describe it to you, so I'll do my best. The kiss was like water after you ran a 100-meter marathon. It was like watching lightning shot across the sky at dawn. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff, 1000 feet high, from the earth and the wind blowing at your back. It was amazing, but short lived.

We heard a noise outside and Harry eased away from me. He looked towards the window and seen something. He wasn't sure if it was a face or what it was. "Where's Ron?" I closed my eyes and looked away. I knew that what he saw at that window was Ron. I knew that Ron caught me kissing Harry. "Where's Ron, Hermione?"

"I don't know. After our conversation he left me standing in the garden." I wiped the tears from my face. I knew that I was the reason if Ron and Harry weren't friends in the morning. I knew that it was all because of me. I should have realized that before I began to date Ron. Clever Witch, my ass.

"What did you two talk about?" I looked at Harry. His arm was still around me. His eyes looked concerned about so many things. It was like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and all he cared about at that moment was what Ron and mines' conversation was about. How could you not be in love with someone like that?

"You. It was about you, about how I brag about how wonderful you are and I don't brag about how wonderful he is. I tried to convince him that I was your best friend and that I didn't love you as more than that. I was trying to convince myself too." At some point in my answer I had started to cry again.

"Hermione, don't ever try to convince yourself that you don't love me as more than a friend. I don't want you to stop loving me, ever." How could you not love him? How could anyone NOT want to be with someone who says those things? It was like he was reading a script. He was saying everything that I had wanted him to say.

"But what about Ron? Harry I love you more than anything but if I break up with Ron to be with you, he'll be more than furious. He'll want to kill you and me. Look Ginny told me that he wrote something in his journal - ..." Harry held up a hand. He always wants details, can't just settle on the facts.

"Why is Ginny reading Ron's journal?"

"Why does it matter? She's his little sister; younger siblings do that. But anyway, she told me that I'm one thing that Ron can have and you can't. You know Ron's always been jealous of you. He's always wanted your fame and money and I know that you'd give it to him in a heartbeat Harry but for some reason that's not enough. He wants to have something that you can't." Harry looked angry. He thought that Ron and him had settled this. He thought that they were clear on this topic.

"Well, I guess he was wrong." Harry took his arm from around me. I felt weird. It was like someone took the breath from my chest. He noticed me go rigid. He smiled sweetly and kissed me below my ear. He did it like it was a natural thing, as if he kissed me there everyday. "Hermione, I don't want to put this all on your shoulders but it's up to you with what you do. You know that I love you. And know also that you're the reason that I can't be with anyone else. That's why it's never worked out with anyone. I always compare everyone to you."

And I can promise you that when he told me that, I was the reason he couldn't be with anyone else, that's when I began to cry again. He had a way with words didn't he? I placed my hand on his cheek and kissed him again. Our foreheads touched and we stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity. "I know what I have to do and it's the same thing as what I want to do but you know the consequences of our actions if we do this, don't you?"

Harry took his head from mine. Again it felt like someone took away my air. "Hermione, Draco and I are friends. Once Ron finds out -..." Yes, Draco Malfoy.

"Draco?! Since when did you become friends?" I was shocked. But if you look at it, they're both handsome, intelligent, and charming individuals it seems only right that they be enemies to the death or best friends for life and really either could have been possible at any time.

"He came to Privet Drive. We talked for quite some time about everything. It seems that he wants to help the Order. He's spoken to Dumbledore and, yes, I've asked Dumbledore about it afterwards and it's true. Dumbledore thinks it's a great idea. He's going to be a spy like Snape."

"Was that his only visit?"

"No, he came back several more times after that. We're quite different now. I do believe most of Hogwarts will be in an uproar once they've learned their entertainment has been canceled do to major problems with the performers." Harry sighed. It was a sigh that told me that he didn't want to say what he was about to. He lowered his voice. "It's like he's replaced Ron in a way. Once Ron finds out about Draco...he's going to go off the handles. He's going to go completely mad when you break-up with him." Harry looked away from me. "That's if you break-up with him."

"Harry..." I felt really shitty for saying this. "Can I give him my bad news first?"

All Harry did was laugh. That chuckle that said he just heard the funniest thing to date. "Of course, Hermione. I wouldn't want it any other way. I will always follow you." What was it with him and the things he said to me??!?? His words were perfect. All I could do was kiss him. It was either that or cry like a baby at the beauty in the moment. You know I really hate being a girl.

He pulled away and kissed my forehead. "We need to get to bed. If Ron sees us - ..."

"He more than likely already has. But you're right; we need to go to bed. We have to go to school in the morning."

Harry laughed at my enthusiasm for school and helped me to my feet. He walked me to my room, hugged me, kissed me, and told me that he loved me. I went to bed with the BIGGEST smile on my face that I've ever had. He told me a few years later that he didn't sleep that night. He told me that he stayed up writing my name on a piece of paper a billion times. Apparently he did this often, because there were many times I found him doing this once we left Hogwarts.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning the house was in an uproar. True only 4 of us were on our way to Hogwarts but Mr. Weasley was on his way to work, Bill and Charlie, who had stayed that summer, were leaving to go back to their homes, and Fred and George had spent the last few weeks there at the Burrow in honor of our last year at Hogwarts and they were pulling more pranks and jokes than Mrs. Weasley's nerves could handle. And through it all Ron said nothing to anyone except if asked and those answers where only one word answers. Harry and I were extremely nervous. We couldn't help but look at each other with looks of concern regarding last night and what was to come.

Ginny had cornered me before we left. I always stayed in her room when I stayed at the Burrow so that's where she trapped me. She had a look of mischievous happiness on her face. It was a little odd.

"I saw you and Harry kiss last night." I was for certain that she'd told Ron about it or one of the twins. "Don't worry I haven't told anyone. I'm rather happy that the two of you finally hooked up. Ron is just so...jealous of anyone who comes around you that it's rather sick and I think that you could do so much better than my brother and, well, Harry is definitely better." I was a little shocked that she was talking about her brother in this manner but she talked this way often. She always thought that I could do better and that Ron wasn't made to be in a relationship with anyone let alone someone like me. She always was a sweetheart.

"I don't know what to do Ginny. I mean I love Harry to death but if I break up with Ron - ..." Ginny looked at the door.

"Hermione, he already knows." I think my heart stopped beating for about 10 seconds. I KNOW I stopped breathing, because Ginny sat me down on her bed and asked me if I was all right. The only thing that I could say was, "How do you know?"

"He came in early this morning. I had gone to the bathroom and heard him. He was saying some strange things Hermione. He's really upset."

"What was he saying?" I still couldn't look at her. I was scared and didn't want her to notice. She stood up and leaned against her dresser. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her look out her window. She had a scared look on her face too.

"Something about 'he has everything in the world, why does he have to be here?' and then he hit the wall. He said something else that kinda worries me." She paused for too long. "He said that he was going to make Harry pay." I shot off the bed and went for the door. "Wait, Hermione, let me help. Before you go down there and say something you regret let me help you. I can spy on Ron and see what he's up too and if he does plan on doing anything, I can warn you two." Ginny was standing in between the door and me. She had a look of concern just like her mother wore. "I'll go and tell Harry about this. He needs to know. I'm sorry this is going to happen, but look at the bright side; you got to spend 6 wonderful years with the two best friends you'll ever have. It was bound to happen Hermione...I'm sorry."

Ginny gave me a sympathetic smile and turned and left. She walked out leaving the door open. Bill walked by the door and saw my look of fear and knocked on the door lightly. I jumped when I looked up and saw him standing there. "You okay Hermione?" Bill was a very nice guy. He had talked to me quite a bit over the summer about my relationship with Ron and helped me understand Weasley men. "To an extent." Bill came and sat beside me on the bed. He faced me and gently put his hand on my shoulder. "Is there something going on with you and Ron?" All I could do was nod my head. I didn't want to tell him but I knew that if he kept asking I would spill the Bertie Botts Every Flavor beans and tell him everything! "Well, I think you know what needs to be done Hermione. Denying the way you feel about your best friend is one thing but lying to your boyfriend in the process is another. Whether or not you like the consequences doesn't matter now. The right thing is all you need to think about." I looked up at Bill in utter disbelief. He knew everything I didn't have to say a word. I didn't have to say anything. It was like he knew all along. It makes me wonder exactly how many people knew. "Are you telling me to dump your brother?" "Yes."

Bill smiled and stood up. He walked to the door and looked at me. "Hermione you need to look out for yourself. You should be more important to you then anyone else." He winked and smiled and walked out. Bill was right. I had to do the right thing. I had to break up with Ron whether or not I wanted to be with Harry. I didn't love Ron the way he loved me and staying in this relationship was nothing but taxing to the both of us. Wasting our time on something that was going nowhere fast.

I went on back down the stairs with my trunk and looked at Ron. He gave me a forced smile and kissed my temple. I had never felt that unsafe in his presence before. "Let me help you with that. Those trunks can get heavy especially with all your books." I gave him a fake smile as he had done me and said, "Thank you." He took my trunk and walked past Harry and Ginny coming in the front door. Harry had a very angry look on his face. I was certain something was about to blow up. He lightly brushed my hand as he walked by me. I could hear him inhale and knew that he liked my shampoo. And I felt so girly at that moment...which I hate to feel, but for Harry, it's okay.

~*~*~*~*~*~

About 2 ½ hours later we were on Platform 9 ¾ loading everything onto the train. The train ride was not how I wanted my last train ride to Hogwarts to go. Harry and I wanted to wait until we were in the safety of Hogwarts before we decided to tell Ron about Draco and us. But sometimes things don't work out the way you want them too, and this was DEFINITELY one of those times. Ron led us to an empty compartment and we took our seats after we loaded our things in the overhead storage. Harry sat beside Ron and I sat across from them. Ron sat staring out the window. Harry sat staring at the floor and the occasional glances at me. Ron finally spoke, "So are the two of you going to tell me that you kissed or are you just going to have a relationship behind my back?"

Harry and I both gasped silently. This was happening now whether we liked it or not. I scooted to where I was sitting square in front of Ron, "We were going to wait until we got to Hogwarts, and really it wasn't going to be a 'we' thing, I was just going to tell you myself - ..." Ron huffed, "Spare me the details." He looked me in my eyes. His eyes were cold and empty. The one thing Harry could never have, he finally got. "So are you going to make it official? Are you going to break up with me or not?" "Well, I was hoping to do this in private - ..." "Oh, please! Whatever happens your going to go back and tell him! Why don't you just save your breath and do it in front of him!?" Ron was furious. His face was as red as his hair but his eyes never changed. They would forever be that cold and empty. "Yes, Ron I'm breaking up with you. I can't give you the love you want and - ..." "Of course you can't give me the love I wanted! You can't give something to someone when it belongs to someone else! Face it Hermione, you never loved me or anyone! The only person you love is Harry and I wish you would have figured that out sooner." Ron stood up and grabbed his things. "I hope the two of you have a great life saving the world!" He slammed the compartment door. I was too astonished to say anything. I looked up at Harry and he had tears in his emerald eyes.

I stood up and sat beside him. "There's no getting him back Hermione, he's gone." I comforted Harry. He was my boyfriend and as his girlfriend this was part of the job and I loved every second of it. He cried for a long time in my arms. I think he cried about a lot of things. Things that he didn't like to talk about; his parents, Voldemort, Sirius, all the things that he couldn't say came out of him in tears that evening and he let me be there to see it. He let me hold him and comfort him.

We were about 45 minutes to an hour from Hogwarts; Harry had fallen asleep in my lap. There was a light knock on the door and Draco walked in. He gave me a smile and sat in front of me. He looked very different. With his father in Azkaban and his mother in St. Mungo's because of her mental state, you would think an only child would not have such a glow about him, but Draco Malfoy was one for surprises. He looked at Harry with a look of content. He was happy that the boy was sleeping so soundly. "Good evening, Hermione."

It was rather odd hearing him say my first name. I don't really ever remember him saying it. It still brings a smile to my face when he calls me that. "How are you, Draco?"

Draco nodded his head and put a smile on his lips that said exactly what came out of them, "Not bad, not bad at all. So I do hope that Harry lying on your lap means that you've finally decided to dump Ron and be with him."

I nodded my head. "Ron left us both after I told him. Harry was pretty upset about it." I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Harry had a small sense that he'd lose Ron this year one way or another. Of course, he figured that he'd lose him because of me. Thanks for taking that off my back Hermione."

His dry humor was something that would never change. I gave him a little smile and looked back out the window. "So where are Crabbe and Goyle?" I looked at Draco and that glow faded a little.

"They aren't returning to Hogwarts this year. They got the Mark at the end of last year and have decided they'd rather become full time Death Eaters." Draco scratched his forearm.

"Do you have it?" Draco looked at me with a very serious Malfoy look. I had a small feeling that he'd had the Mark put on him a long time ago.

"Yes, I got it at the end of 5^th year. I wasn't supposed to return for my 6^th year but since my father was thrown into Azkaban I decided to take care of my mother, but we all know how that went." Draco's glow still didn't fade completely. Maybe it was because he was good at hiding his emotions but people's eyes never lie about the way they feel. I once read somewhere that eyes were portals into the human soul. Whatever you felt really never was masked by the way your eyes looked. And Draco's eyes looked like Harry's eyes; sad and happy, hopeful and hopeless, wanting and needing something to fight for, something to live for and finally finding it. But Draco's eyes were a little different; besides the color of course. Draco's eyes looked like he found something to fight for but that said something was something he could never have, it was out of his reach.

Draco pulled the sleeve of his robe up and stared at it. "It's something of the past. It's making me able to help the Order so I suppose it isn't all that bad. Once the war is over it'll fade but I'll know it's there." I wanted to reach out and touch him. I wanted to tell him that everything would work out but I didn't want to wake Harry.

"What made you come to our side?" I never thought that I would feel sorry for Draco but here I was and sympathy was all over my face.

"Harry did. I realized that what he was doing was right. Muggles aren't all that bad. I've been thick. I've listened to my father for the longest and with him gone I could be myself. I could do almost as I pleased. One night I was sitting in my room and I noticed just how much Muggle stuff I had. Muggles thought up my favorite clothes, played my favorite music and acted in my favorite movies. It's just that my father always taught me that they weren't worth anything because they couldn't do magic and really there's been several nights were I wish that I didn't know how either. Harry made me realize that. We had gotten into an argument in the middle of 6^th year. He pointed out the clothes thing. And I came to understand that he's been right all along...I mean sure there's a few of them that should be killed off just to clean up the gene pool but I've learned that several Muggles think the same thing, so I figure it's an all right thought to have."

I laughed at the last part. I'd heard my parents say it many of times and have caught myself saying it as well. "Well, I'm glad to see that you've changed your ways." Draco smiled at me for a second but his expression changed drastically. His look was one of someone about to grovel.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry for all those things that I've said to you. I always envied you! You were brilliant and not a pureblood and here I am a pureblood and not so brilliant. I hated you for that and I could've been your friend but instead I called you names and I was so ignorant for doing that - ..." He's cute when he grovels and extremely funny. But I bit my tongue because this was a very precious moment.

"It's okay Draco. All that matters now is that you're going to fight with us and help us when we need it. I don't care about all these years we've let pass us by." I paused for a second and contemplated what I was about to say to him. "You know, since Ron left there's in opening in our trio...and I wanted you to think about joining us. Harry and I are Head Boy and Girl so we have our own rooms, so that means that you wouldn't have to up with Gryffindors and - ..." Draco held up his hand. I knew I shouldn't have asked him.

"I'd love to Hermione. I was going to take the position whether you were letting it stay open or not." Draco smiled really big. Harry snored a little louder than before and stirred a little. Draco's smile changed when he looked at Harry. His smile went from one of honor to one of adoration. But the look was replaced with a fake expression of excitement.

"I'm going to go so you and your boyfriend can change into school robes, we should be getting there soon." He stood up and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you guys at the Sorting Ceremony." Draco walked out and shut the door quietly.

I shook Harry. He woke up and sat up. He gave me a small smile. "Draco came by. We talked and he's going to take Ron's spot. It seems we have no choice in the matter." Harry smiled. "Yeah, Draco still hasn't changed from what he was from before. He's just gotten a little better at being more civil about it."

Harry looked towards the door. He looked a little upset that Draco had been there and he wasn't awake to see him. He looked back at me and smiled again. "So, what do you think Ron is going to do? What Ginny said is more than unnerving." Harry had scooted closer to me was holding my hand in his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder. I cuddled up to him like I was cold and he put his arm around my shoulders to pull me as close as humanly possible. "I don't know. Maybe he'll just embarrass us or something." I didn't want to really tell him what I thought he was going to do. It would have sparked a huge conversation and more worry than necessary. So I left the conversation there. There was a little silence while we just held each other.

I pulled away from Harry a little to look into his eyes. "Harry why did it take you so long to tell me that you loved me?" He smiled an innocent schoolboy smile. "Well I didn't know that you loved me. Seamus had told that it was rather obvious but I wasn't going to go out on a limb and risk getting rejected from you Hermione. And besides I really didn't think that you wanted to be the girl who got left behind when the battle was over. I really didn't want to let you be that girl if you did. I want to make you happy Hermione and I want to be with you forever, but my forever is really short and - ..."

I put my fingers to his lips to stop him from talking. "Harry I'd rather be that girl to be left behind then to be that girl who never got to be with you." Amazing how your thoughts can go from one extreme to the next with a little influence from the right person, isn't it? He leaned down and kissed me.

I can't believe I had wasted all this time not being with him. I still don't forgive myself for all the moments we missed and the things that we could've shared. My life is worth a trillion galleons more than it would have been if he weren't in it.

After we got to Hogwarts, we saw Ron. Harry and I were holding hands and Ron gave us that furious look, with those cold empty eyes. I knew that my worst fear of what Ron was going to do was going to happen.