•|Blood potion|• HP

Chapter 28: "I'm fine"

Song of this chapter: Feeling good by Michael Bublé
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The crowd was overwhelming. Hermione gave Ron a confused look. The connection between Harry, Hogsmeade and having fun was incomprehensible.

"Birds flying high
You know how I feel..."

It was the anniversary of their victory in the Hogwarts War.

2nd of May; 2005

The entire wizarding community was just as ecstatic as the situation.

"Sun in the sky
You know how I feel..."

Harry was still at the center of the crowd.
Unlike music, he was completely silent.
He was looking around. He probably didn't even know what he was looking for.

Lost.

Music also gave a pulse to the air.

"Breeze driftin' on by
You know how I feel..."

Successive streaks of magic passed in front of their eyes. With a strange seriousness, Ron was trying to cut the edge of the wooden table with his knife. It left a slight scratch.

"It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life..
For me"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. As if waiting for this look, Ron began with his words.

"At first I thought my sister had given my best friend a love potion, then I realized I never had a sister and the whole time she was the image of death in a crimson phoenix!" Ron nearly shouted but his voice got lost in the music. He said his last sentences with the most ridiculous tone possible.

Hermione slightly smiled. Did Ron really dare to mock death like this?

All of them experienced the most horrible things ever. Ron had the right to be angry. No one expected such an ending.

Hermione hugged Harry's invisibility cloak tighter. Ron managed to pry another piece off the table. Shards of wood flew towards Hermione.

"When are we going to the ministry?" Ron asked.

"Dumbledore said his time is determined by the phoenix. I am not a phoenix." Hermione said and shrugged.

Ron dropped the knife on the table and leaned back in his chair. He looked at Hermione.

"You're right. You're not a phoenix. Ginny was once my sister too."

Hermione noticed the jumbled sentences.
It was about death. No one could do anything.  She couldn't even comfort Ron.

"Fish in the sea
You know how I feel
River running free.."

Most of all, she was worried about Ginny.
The beautiful and pleasant personality that could not be understood if it disappeared or never existed. Ginny was always bolder than the pure existence of a human.

A unique witch.

Hermione's gaze turned to the crowd.
She found Harry easily. In his ministry uniform, he was shining among the crowd.

Harry laughed.
He laughed just like a normal person.
He had no resemblance to someone walking on the brink of death.

"....And I'm feeling good"

Maybe this was the property of death. Maybe Harry knew he was dying. Finally, he would be relieved from being torn apart. Harry had died a long time ago.

"Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know"

Hermione moved a little closer to Ron and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Look at him! He's really living..." She said and pointed at Harry.

"Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean"

Ron put on a disapproving look. "Then what the hell am I doing right now?" He said while trying to suppress his laughter.

"Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean."

Hermione couldn't stop laughing. Ron's laugh was contagious.

"And this old world is a new world.
And a bold world
For me
For me"

A little further, Draco was leaning against the wall of a house. He hated the crowd.  He wanted to return to the mansion as soon as possible.
Ron and Hermione weren't in his sight, but he could see Harry.

No invisibility cloak.

He could see that Harry was talking happily with every acquaintance he saw. Harry Potter was the star of this celebration.

Draco wondered for a moment whether Harry knew he was dying or not. At that moment, Harry turned to where Draco was standing.

He put his hand in his pants pocket and put a soft smile on his lips. He mumbled something as if he understood Draco's unsaid question.

"It's a new dawn"

Even if music wasn't playing, Draco wouldn't have been able to hear what Harry was whispering from that distance. But from reading Harry's words, he understood what he meant.

"I know," Harry had said.

Draco ran his hand over the golden spot on his neck. He wanted to make sure he was not hallucinating. He didn't feel the heat. That was real.

"It's a new life
It's a new dawn..."

"I know" Harry had really said this.

"It's a new day
It's a new life.."

Harry knew these were his last breaths. Draco's mind searched for words. He could not think of anything to say. Harry muttered something with a smile again. Draco read his lips' movements.

"I'm fine" Harry had said.

Draco laughed. He lowered his head.

"I'm fine" Harry had really said this.

Potter deserved a peace that wasn't in the world.
The peace that Ginny gave him breath by breath.
The same pink mist, the same Ginny Weasley that was the phoenix of death itself at this whole time. And Harry, with all his ignorance, called her "My Ginevra".

"And I'm feeling good"

Draco raised his head. Harry continued to smile at him. His smile was genuine.

"I'm feeling good"

Draco didn't notice when Harry disappeared in the crowd. Draco ran his hand over Ginny's charm once more to make sure the atmosphere around him was real.

It was real. 
Harry was still happy.
This time he saw Ron and Hermione too.

"I feel so good..."

Now that he couldn't go back to Malfoy's manor, he had to enjoy the Hogwarts victory party.
He picked up three bottles of butter bears and walked over to Ron and Hermione's table.

"...I feel so good"