One Hundred Years

The conference room where they gathered was unlike an ordinary conference room. The chairs were large, fluffy purple armchairs. Tables were non existent. The people who sat in these large chairs were a bit different from the norm as well. They each wore a set of robes and some still adorned cloaks, which had earlier protected them from the harsh winds of November. The reason this conference room was so different from most: the people who were in the room were wizards and witches, Aurors to be exact. They had just returned from battling a group of Death Eaters, or the followers of the darkest wizard ever known. Three had landed in the wizard's hospital, St. Mungo's.

But, one man in the room was thinking not of this but of a woman sitting a few seats down from him. The famous Harry Potter saw her long red waves flowing smoothly down her back. Because she was looking at their boss, Amelia Bones, he could not see her large brown eyes with the hint of gold but imagined them. Her smile radiated in his mind. But most of all, dreams were inside him. A week before, he had asked Ginevra Weasley on a date but to him, she was not 'Ginevra', she was Ginny, his best mate's sister and one of his good friends.

Out of the entire speech, all Harry Potter heard was, "All right, everyone, you did wonderfully in the battle today. Of course, you will all be on call in case there is another but hopefully, that will not come. You're excused." Harry rose at the same moment Ginny did. He casually walked over to her. She smiled brightly, the same smile he had just been thinking about, and said a greeting. She looked him over to make sure he had come out of the battle without a scratch, and he had.

"So, I better be getting home but I suppose I'll meet you at your flat around seven?" she said calmly. Harry was amazed. His stomach and heart were both doing flips inside and he felt sure his voice box had been removed. He opened his mouth and forced out the sounds.

"Definitely! I'll see you then, Gin," he replied, sounding like a child who had just received a new toy. Inside, he swore at himself for sounding like such a large git but she smiled again. "I'll walk with you to the Apparating Room," he added, sounding much smoother. She nodded and they headed to the open office to collect their things.

As they walked, Ginny felt like she was fifteen again. Every time her hand brushed against Harry's, her stomach flipped and butterflies flew through it. She could fell herself going a bit red. They chatted lightly as they walked, mostly about the battle. Ginny and Harry had arrived later, when most of the Death Eaters had either disappeared or been arrested. They captured a last one together before returning to the Ministry. Compared to previous events, this battle was rather small. Ginny guessed that the Death Eaters had been in their early stages of the Dark life, maybe just out of the Slytherin house at Hogwarts.

Ginny was twenty seven while Harry was twenty-eight. Both were Aurors, and it was their greatest passion. Ginny often worried about Harry; the battle between him and Voldemort had lasted seventeen years now. The war had lasted thirteen, far longer than the first war. Harry was often depressed. All the Weasleys tried to lift his spirits at every opportunity but the effect never lasted more than a few days. She knew he still felt guilty for the death of so many but never realized how many countless lives he had saved.

They finally arrived in the small room designated for Apparating. Harry said good-bye as he usually did but after an awkward moment, he extended it by kissing Ginny on the cheek. She did the same to him before Apparating away. Harry followed, but to his own flat.

Ginny took extra care in the way she prepared for this date. Many thought she had long since lost her crush on the famous Harry Potter but in all honesty, since she had gotten to know him, it had only grown. She pushed it down by reminding herself that they were just wonderful friends. This had worked for ten years now and finally, there wasn't a reason to suppress her crush on Harry, for he had asked her to come to his flat - for a date.

The grin did not come off her face as she prepared. She wore her favourite green skirt and matching blouse and did her make-up with a little more precision than she usually did while preparing for work, though usually that included no make-up at all since it was usually a spontaneous emergency.

She bit her lip in nervousness as the last seconds ticked by. Her fingers fiddled with themselves in her lap and her right foot was tapping the carpet impatiently. She took a deep breath. Why was she this nervous? It was only Harry! One of her good friends! But tonight, it was so much more than just being friends. This was the start of her dream, perhaps.

~*~

The moment Harry got home he started cleaning up the house, though it was already clean. He showered and put on a nicer pair of slacks and a nicer shirt. He tried to get his hair to lie flat after fixing pasta for dinner and putting a warming charm on it, but failed. He heard a crack outside his door and threw down his comb. The doorbell rang and he waited just a second to answer.

Ginny had pulled her hair up and curled it. She smiled at him and he returned the gesture. He took her cloak and hung it from the cloak rack in the entrance hall. He kissed Ginny's cheek as they greeted each other. Ginny's eyes widened a little when she saw the table. It was set for two with candles floating just above it.

"Harry, this looks really nice!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks. Here, why don't you sit down?" he replied, pulling out a chair. She sat and he sat as well. They started to eat and talk. Harry could barely take his eyes off the woman sitting before him. She complimented on his pasta and even helped to clear the table - with a simple spell her mother had taught her. They went to sit on the couch just as a large red and golden bird came flying in. They both recognized the bird and knew it was always a bearer of bad news. They were both sure it was from their old Headmaster but saw the handwriting to be the untidy scrawl of Hagrid.

Tears smudged the small page. Harry tried to hide the note from Ginny but she knew him all too well. Reluctantly, with tears in his eyes, he let it slip into her hand. She read it and was silent with confusion.

"I-I've got to find him, Ginny. I guess this ends our date. I'm really sorry!" Harry said. Ginny shook her head like he knew she would.

"No, you're not going alone again! I know now too and I'm not letting you go alone! You don't even know where he is! Dammit, Harry, you're not going through this alone, not this time," she told him. Just as she finished, his scar burned terribly and his hand flung up to his forehead. "Harry!" she exclaimed but she knew to let him see it through. If Occlumency wasn't working, then it must be something more important than some small feeling. She pulled him into her embrace and combed her fingers through his hair, still unsure of what to do.

~*~

"Mr. Riddle, I assure you that this was an incredibly dumb idea," said Albus Dumbledore. He was trying to reason with his former student. He had no access to his wand as the tall, cloaked figure held it tightly in his hand and Albus' were secured behind his back.

"For once, you are wrong, Dumbledore! With you away from your precious school, all the little mudbloods are unprotected! My plan will, of course, succeed!" replied the raspy voice. "You are away from the one place that keeps you so safe and I am in the place where I belong - my thirteen-greats of a grandfather's old house... ah, the aroma of evil does subdue me, Dumbledore, it does!"

Dumbledore stayed silent but his blue eyes never failed to twinkle. He knew this was not the end for him. No, this was far from the end.

~*~

Harry was shaking when the sharp pain finally ceased. He let down his hand and leaned back. He felt Ginny's comforting arm around him as he caught his breath. "Are you okay, Harry?" she asked. He nodded, rubbing his scar. "What happened?"

"Voldemort's gotten Dumbledore somehow. They're at some...great-great-great-grandfather's house, thirteen greats. That could be a thousand years ago!" he told her, infuriated. How was it even possible to track that? Ginny slid her fingers through his hair again, comforting him further. He finally opened his eyes to see her large brown eyes, compassionate as ever. He put his hand up to her face. Her skin was so smooth, so perfect. "How are we ever going to get him out?"

"A thousand years, Harry, think about it. Hogwarts was created just over a thousand years ago! Salazar Slytherin's old mansion! It's in Wales and it's been closed to tourists for years but it still stands. Some say it's haunted but its Voldemort!" she explained. He thought about it for a moment before agreeing. That would be the place!

They slipped on cloaks quickly. Ginny was preparing to Apparate when Harry took her hand. She looked at him and smiled and encouraging grin. Her heart was beating so hard, she was sure the neighbours would hear. He intertwined their fingers and kissed her hand before bringing her into his embrace.

"We can do this, right? I mean, we've fought him together before, right?" Harry told her, remembering the several times they had fought the evil wizard together.

There was, of course, the Chamber of Secrets. Harry was surprised she hadn't caught on then; it was so obvious. He went there to save her! He stood in the way when the Tom Riddle tried to kill her and why? Because he already had some strange feeling for her. He had stood between her and Death Eaters in his fifth year, willing to take a killing curse as long as she wasn't hurt, though he barely realized what he was doing then. He still denied his feelings. Since then, he had saved her from drowning in poisonous water filled with all sorts of strange sea animals. They, along with Ron and Hermione, had finally succeeded in capturing Peter Pettigrew after piercing Voldemort's stomach with Godric Gryffindor's sword. The last time had been just two years before, when he appeared in Godric's Hollow for the twenty-five year anniversary of killing Lily and James Potter. Two hundred people had been murdered that night, from small muggle babies to old pure-blood wizards who disagreed with Voldemort. Ginny and Harry had been the ones to battle him. Harry had fallen in taking a stunning curse before it hit Ginny. When he woke in the hospital a week later, he realized his true feelings, feelings denied for years.

"Of course we can, Harry. You've done it eight times now, including when you were one. Another won't be too hard!" she encouraged. But somehow, she wasn't sure it would be so easy this time. Both of them feared this more than ever.

"But he is stronger now."

"So are we."

"And no matter what happens, I want you to remember something, Ginny." Harry couldn't believe these words were coming out of his mouth.

"Hmm?" Ginny replied, still clinging to him. She felt him kiss the top of her head and then pull away. They stared at each other for a moment before slowly pulling together. Their lips touched and they kissed.

"Remember that I love you," Harry told her as soon as they parted. Ginny pulled him into a hug again. She listened to his heart for a moment before replying.

"I love you too, Harry."

With that, they separated and Apparated to the ancient mansion in Wales.

~*~

They arrived with a loud crack and immediately pulled out their wands. It was raining, the perfect weather for such an occasion. They ran up to the large doors. The knockers were in the shape of serpents and moved when someone approached. After breaking the complicated spell that protected the place, they entered. It was cold and dark inside.

"Where did you see them?" Ginny asked.

"Erm...a basement, I think," Harry answered. She nodded and they headed to find a basement. They tiptoed through the ground floor before finally finding a door that led down. As they went deeper into the earth, they heard a faint voice.

"My Lord, all is protected. No one has noticed Dumbledore's disappearance yet, we believe," said the voice. Harry and Ginny stopped short. They recognized that voice!

"Michael Corner?" Ginny hissed. Harry nodded, dumbfounded. Her face was shocked. They regained composure and continued deeper still. The stairs wound down and ended in the entrance to a cave. Gripping their wands tighter than ever, they walked forward. The voices were so close now.

"What about the half-breed, Hagrid? Has he noticed?" demanded a raspy voice.

"No, My Lord, when we checked, he was asleep with the smell of Fire Whiskey coming from him," replied the deep voice.

"I assure you, Hagrid should be no worry. He has been quite unwell recently," Dumbledore said, very convincingly. His wise voice did not even stumble.

"Shut up, you old man!" ordered the raspy voice. Ginny and Harry were almost there. They could see the torch in the chamber. Flipping his wand around, he managed to grab Dumbledore's glance. Dumbledore's face did look scared but calm. They all waited in silence for a moment, while Voldemort went on. "Oh, that little half-blood has it coming to him! Does that little brainless dim wit actually think he can defeat me?" A booming laugh came from the chamber. "I am Lord Voldemort! No one can defeat me!" His crackled voice rang out with laughter. Dumbledore's head jerked a nod and Ginny and Harry raced in, causing the eyes behind the cloak of the smaller man to grow wide.

"My Lord! Intruders!" he yelled. "Stupefy!"

Ginny dodged the curse by inches. "Expelliarmus!" Ginny retorted, somewhat childishly. Nonetheless, the wand flew out of the Death Eater, Michael Corner's, hand and into Ginny's she pocketed it quickly before yelling, "Contendo Flamen!" It was the Blasting Curse. Michael Corner flew into a wall and passed out.

All the while, Harry had been trying to fight Voldemort. He had succeeded in the Blasting Curse as well but on the powerful creature before him, it wasn't nearly as strong. Voldemort had tried the Impedimenta Curse but it had hit the wall and backfired, nearly hitting Voldemort. This had given Harry enough time to flee from Voldemort's line of fire and shoot a few more curses.

Ginny released Dumbledore and he called for his wand, apparently able to do at least a little wandless magic. It came from Voldemort's heavy robes. Harry had just been stunned by a re-awakened Michael Corner and now, Voldemort was preparing to use the Avada Kedavra curse.

"Ennervate!" shouted Dumbledore, reawakening Harry. He tried to run to protect Ginny himself but his old age and long robes slowed him. Harry forced himself up just as the words spilled from Voldemort's mouth. He ran and shoved Ginny out of the way. The curse narrowly missed them both but hit Michael Corner in the heart with a bolt of green light, killing him instantly. Voldemort's grey, cold face looked confused.

"Ginny, run at him and touch him!" Harry hissed.

"What? Are you crazy?" she asked. Voldemort was coming back into reality.

"Stupefy!" he yelled at Dumbledore. Dumbledore collapsed as Ginny gasped.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted. This did not knock the cloaked beast unconscious but he did fall to the ground with a loud thud and put him in a state of confusion.

"Just do it! It's love! He can't stand it!" Harry told her.

"Your mother died for you, though! You should be doing this!"

"It doesn't work like that anymore, fourth year killed that chance for me but not you now hurry before he gets back up!"

Ginny rose and ran toward the soulless creature that wanted them all dead so badly. She looked at Harry for reassurance as he rose. She placed her hand on Voldemort's cold arm and he screamed out in pain. She smiled and put the other on his neck. His scream echoed through the entire mansion above. Harry ran, hoping that even if he alone could not kill Voldemort with love, maybe he could help Ginny. He put his hand on the man's eyes while taking Ginny's wrist gently and placing it over his chest.

Slowly, Voldemort burned beneath them, screaming all the while. He tried to yell curses but missed every time. He was slowly shrinking as he shouted, "Crucio!" pointing his wand straight up. The bolt of black spilled from his wand and hit the ceiling, only returning to its caster. As the black bolt hit Voldemort's chest, he wriggled and screamed, knowing he was no longer going to live; he had just killed himself.

It took another moment for him to finally burn to nothing but a pair of black robes. No one spoke but both Ginny and Harry were breathing hard, trying to take in what they had just done. Ginny finally moved, the first to do so, and cast the counter spell of the stunning curse that had hit Dumbledore. Harry went to his side with Ginny and they helped him up.

"Harry, Ginny, is he really gone?" he asked, bewildered. They both nodded as they started to head through the passage from the cave to the stairs leading up to the mansion. "You did it! Congratulations!" he beamed. Ginny and Harry muttered their thanks. They couldn't believe Voldemort was dead and literally at their hands. Of course, defeat against Voldemort was what they had always wanted but that way was unthinkable.

The rest of the walk to the ground level was silent. They let Dumbledore Apparate himself back to Hogsmeade, after making him promise he would see Madam Pomphrey. He seemed to be a little weak but perfectly fine otherwise.

It was Ginny that Harry was worried about. All the colour had drained from her face. He found a shattered piece of glass and made it a portkey to take her home. She clung to Harry's arm with every ounce of strength she had. By the time they were in her flat, she couldn't even stand. Harry understood. He had collapsed after doing that the first time in his first year. He carried her into her bedroom and slipped her under the covers after removing her cloak and shoes. She tried to force her eyes to remain open. Harry sat next to her and took her hand.

"It's all right, go to sleep. It's all over now," he reassured, forcing a smile.

"What about Michael?" she asked. Perhaps she clung to hope that he had not been killed but merely knocked unconscious.

"I'm sorry Ginny. But he was a Death Eater. Don't worry about it now; just go to sleep," he replied in a comforting voice. She reached out her hand and took his, pulling it to her lips and kissing it before turning onto her side and falling asleep.

~*~

Harry stayed with her for half an hour. Finally, he left to think. He had killed Voldemort but found no joy. He had killed someone! Even if that man had killed so many that he loved, he had killed him with his bare hands and with Ginny watching. By making sure Ginny was not killed by the killing curse, another was dead. He doubted Michael Corner had gone to Voldemort on his own accord. Harry felt he was guilty for the death of someone perhaps innocent. He felt responsible for everything, even Dumbledore. If he hadn't been so concerned with a date, he would have kept better guard and maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe a possibly innocent person would still be alive!

As he thought about all this, the sun began to rise. The blood red over the eastern horizon reminded him of the deaths he had just caused. Everything reminded him of that now. And Ginny. He was a murderer, even if he would never be charged. He couldn't let Ginny be with someone like that.

He went to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.

Dear Ginny,

I know you will be the one to find this so I am writing to you. I want you to know that what I said tonight was true and I meant it with all of me. But I cannot stay here. It's my fault Michael Corner, who may have been another of Voldemort's victims under the Imperius Curse, is dead.

You deserve someone so much better than me. You deserve someone normal and loving, not me.

I only ask one thing of you: to go and live your life to the absolute fullest. Do whatever you want to do, whatever you have ever wanted to do. Forget about me and all of this. Just live.

Love,

Harry

He inserted the letter inside an envelope and sealed it. Quickly, he threw his most precious belongings into his old trunk, making it expand a little. He cast a weightless charm on it and Apparated with it to the front of Gringotts. After casting another charm to make the trunk float behind him, he went inside and took out all his money from his vault. He converted it to pounds and walked out of Diagon Alley. He carried is trunk, which was still weightless, the two blocks to the nearest airport. He booked the next flight to America, which landed in Newark, New Jersey. Two hours later, he was on board the airplane and it was taking off.

He was flying away from it all.