Life Must Go On

    Harry sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, staring moodily into the fire. He was drinking Firewhiskey out of a Butterbeer bottle because the Head Boy couldn't be seen drinking hard liquor could he? Since this was his last official day at Hogwarts, he'd decided to celebrate. He laughed bitterly at the thought. Two months ago he and Ron had been planning a graduation party with the twins. Since the twins had been unable to attend their own graduation, they wanted to make their little brother’s the best graduation ever. Harry smiled as he remembered the treats the twins had suggested and the jokes they had shown the boys. That was before Snape had informed Dumbledore of Voldemort's plans to attack the Ministry. Their world had been turned upside down in only eight weeks.

    Dumbledore had planned, down to the very last detail, their counterattack. They watched the Ministry and Snape kept them informed of Voldemort's plans. Harry sipped the whiskey and slumped farther into the chair. He barely noticed the Seventh Years who were dragging their trunks down the stairs. Hermione had helped him drag his own trunk to the Entrance Hall after breakfast. Neither of them had spoken on the way down or on the way back up. It took too much effort for either of them to speak. There were too many memories between them that reminded them too painfully of people they had lost. They'd separated when they reached the Tower, she went to pack and he went to deal with his memories.

    Dumbledore hadn't wanted them to fight. He'd said that they were too young. Now, Harry realized that he was right. But the four Gryffindors had argued and won the right to fight for their side. They were seventeen, young and feeling invincible. Neville had wanted revenge for his parents, Ron wanted to outshine Harry for once. Hermione wanted to release the Wizarding world from the bonds of its fear and Harry wanted to do what he was born to do. Harry gave a chuckle that quickly turned to a half-sob. He and the others had been so naive, so stupid. they'd realized how desperate the situation was but not how dangerous. Now they did and Harry would have given anything to go back to the naive boy he used to be.

    Guilt surged through Harry as he remembered Ron's death. His first friend, and how did he repay him? By casting the curse that ended his young life. His mind drifted to the others who had fallen. no other family had suffered like the Weasleys. Ron had been killed by his best friend, Harry took a long gulp at that thought. Percy had been revealed as a minor Death Eater. He had been drawn to the power and had been seduced by a beautiful woman in Voldemort’s circle. Bill had been killed by Percy when he had discovered what his brother had become and Arthur couldn't walk without a cane. Harry felt a tear run down his cheek and angrily swiped at it. He stood and threw the bottle into the fire. The flames roared, licking hungrily at the sides of the fireplace searching for more. Harry sighed and turned, he had to get ready for the feast. Life must go on, he thought sardonically.