The Hero and the Spy

Countdown to Hello

Summary: The plan has been set. Voldemort will be defeated in four days...at the expense of Harry.

Character(s): Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger

Relationship(s): Harry & Ron (canon); Harry & Hermione (canon); Harry & Dumbledore (canon); Harry & Severus (implied guardian/ward/adoption)

Setting: implied later Hogwarts years/Deathly Hallows

Warnings/Tags: implied major character death, AU, angst, hurt/comfort, friendship, family

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Countdown to Hello

4 Days Until the End

"This is really happening?" Harry asked, his voice small as he met Dumbledore's sad gaze across the table.

"Yes," the headmaster said, little emotion in his voice; it was all in his eyes. "The trap has been set. This will all be over in four days."

"Will I survive?"

There was no response for several long, silent, tense moments.

"Take the time to say your goodbyes."

There were few people he could think of to give his final days to and, in that moment, there was only one he desperately wanted to be with.

"Goodbye, Professor."

3 Days Until the End

"It's not fair! After all of this, all these years, everything you've been through, this is the best plan he could come up with?" Hermione cried, clearly outraged.

"It's guaranteed Voldemort will die," Harry told her, wishing it was the comfort he wanted it to be. "That's what we need."

"But...it's not fair," Hermione whispered, tears falling from her eyes.

"No, it's not," Harry said and pulled her into a tight hug, feeling her bury her face in his shoulder as she tried not to breakdown into sobs.

He was surprised he didn't have to fight the same fight.

"Goodbye, Hermione."

2 Days Until the End

"I can't believe this," Ron said, shaking his head in his disbelief. "He can't possibly think we'd willingly give you up just to end Voldemort."

"Except that's exactly what's happening," Harry told him. "It's the only thing there is."

"I refuse to accept that," Ron argued. "I'm not letting you do this."

"It's already set," Harry said. "This is happening. This is how it has to be."

The blue eyes turned red and watery with a mixture of angry despair, Ron fighting to hold them back. Again, Harry found himself with nothing to fight. He held Ron in the same tight hug in which he'd held Hermione.

"Goodbye, Ron."

1 Day Until the End

"Severus?"

The man looked up from the flickering fire, showing Harry his drawn face and haunted eyes that flashed with both pain and love as they found him. His own heart beat hard, echoing the pain he could see. He walked over and sat on the sofa next to Severus, immediately curling tightly into the man's side. His guardian's arms wrapped around him, pulling him as close as possible.

"I don't want to say goodbye...not to you."

A kiss was pressed to the top of his head and he felt the tremble in the man's body that Severus clearly tried to hold back. Harry wondered what emotion it was in response to; fear, sadness, pain, love...

"Then we won't say goodbye."

The tears he hadn't had to fight for the last four days appeared and appeared quickly, spilling over.

He turned into Severus' side, gripping his guardian's shirt and crying quietly as his final hours ticked by.

The End

Goodbye.

1 Day After the End

His eyes opened slowly, blinking against the light. As it all came into view, came back to his mind, he didn't need to be told.

It was all over.

And he was alive.

He turned his head to the presence he could feel next to him, his movement bringing a dip in his bed as the man came to sit beside him.

Harry smiled. "Hey, Dad."

Severus smiled back at him, cupping his cheek and stroking his thumb across the skin. "Hello, my son."

Fin