The End

    "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

    With those two final words, the fighting stops. Suddenly, there is no sound or movement. The world is a white void. Ronald Weasley reaches out, feeling nothing but numbness, and seeing nothing but the white space that seems to have filled him and everything around him.

    And suddenly the world is back. As soon as it had come, the whiteness had left, and now, the Death Eaters around him look lost and scared. Ron grips his wand a little tighter and turns toward where Harry should have been, triumphantly standing over Voldemort's fallen body, but instead ... there is neither Harry nor Voldemort, only the thick black glasses, taped together in the middle, dirty and broken, lying on the cold stone.

            ~~~~~~

    "The Death Eaters have turned themselves in," Hermione Granger says clearly into the microphone, her eyes downcast. "They have all been sentenced to death by the Demetor's Kiss. There will be no appeals."

    The clicking of wizard cameras fills the room for a moment, and eager hands shoot into the air.

    "Ms. Granger!"

    "Ms. Granger, over here!"

    "Yes, Miss ... Skeeter," Hermione says slowly, her eyes resting on the grinning Prophet reporter. Rita stands, glancing around and balancing a quill on her paper.

    "Ms. Granger, how do you feel about Mr. Potter's death? Do you have any comment?"

    Hermione's knuckles whiten, so hard are they gripping the podium. She swallows steadily, keeping her eyes on her shoes.

    "No, I'm afraid I don't have any comment, other than ... " Rita's eyes widen. Her quill quivers on the spot.

    "Yes?"

    "Knowing Harry, ... this is how he would have wanted it to end. He always was willing to die for our safety, and now ... he has." Her eyes brim with tears, and her manager takes her arm, trying to pull her offstage, but she wrenches out of his grasp.

    "No! Skeeter asked, and I'm going to let them know! I'm ... " she sobs, furiously wiping away tears, "I know some of you thought maybe all he wanted was attention, some of you thought he made up crazy stories and went off fighting the bad guys for popularity, but I knew him, and all he ever wanted was to stop the injustice. And trust me, ... " she takes a breath, steadying herself, " ... this is how he would have wanted it to end."

    In the audience, cameras click madly. Hermione Granger storms off stage, crying harder than she ever has before.

            ~~~~~~

    Ginny Weasley is sitting on a swing outside the Burrow. Her parents are inside, making dinner. Ginny is mourning Harry Potter.

    The day after Harry died, Ron and Hermione took Ginny to Harry's apartment, so they could help her sort through his things. In Harry's bedside drawer, they had found a small, black, velvet box, containing a beautiful gold ring with a bright red ruby on it. A note inside read, "For my red-haired beauty. I will always love you."

    The ring had since stayed firmly on Ginny's hand, as a promise that could never be made. Looking at it now, tears spilled out of her eyes. It had been three days since his death. Three days of crying and bitter feelings toward the world. Three days of pitying looks from friends and family members.

    She was sick of it.

    She missed him so much. They had been together, reading a book on the couch, when the call had come for Harry. She had begged him not to go, and when she did, he had almost cried.

    "Ginny, you know I have to go," Harry pleads, holding her head, and tears form in her eyes.

    "What if you don't come back, Harry? What if I never see you again?"

    "Shh, don't talk like that, you know I'd never leave you," he whispers, kissing her. She holds him tightly, then resolves the decision in her mind.

    "Then I'm coming with you."

    And there was no arguing about it. Harry tells her he'd never forgive himself if something happened to her because of him, but Ginny smiles.

    "I know you won't. And that's why I'm coming with you, Harry. I love you. I love you so much."

    Ginny's tears fall helplessly now, and she makes no move to stop them. She knows she could have done nothing to stop Harry from going.

    But maybe that's why her heart hurts so much.

            ~~~~~~

    Ron Weasley sits on the couch in his and Hermione's apartment. His hands fumble in the pocket of his robes. The small black box, holding the gold ring with the small diamond on it, lay there, and as he toys with it, he wonders when he'll ever do it.

    He and Harry were going to propose together.

    The radio is on, playing NPR like Hermione likes. He listens to the drone of a boring announcer's voice without really hearing it.

    His best friend. Never had he lost someone so close. He and Harry had done everything together, fought their battles, made their jokes, had their fun ... it wasn't right for Harry to die. Harry had done nothing worse than Ron had. Ron had never saved the world, he had never been the Boy-Who-Lived, had never taken the responsibility of everyone's lives into his hands. He should have died rather than Harry. Harry hadn't asked for any of this.

    All throughout school, Ron had envied Harry. Harry, who always got the girls. Harry, who was always Dumbledore's favorite. Harry, who couldn't go anywhere public without getting pictures taken of him and people shaking his hand.

    But what had he to envy? Harry paid for the publicity, even if he couldn't help it. Harry paid the price of coincidence more than anyone on this planet ever should have to.

    And when it came down to it, there had only been one girl for Harry, hadn't there? Ginny.

    Ron was suddenly overcome with guilt. How could he have been jealous of Harry? Harry, his best friend. Harry, who would have done anything for him. He had no right. He only wished he could apologize for it.

            ~~~~~~

    Years later, people would not remember him as the Boy-Who-Lived. The textbooks would not refer to him as You-Know-Who's destroyer. He was many things, but he was neither of those.

    He was Harry Potter, the man who died to save the world.