The Other Side: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Epilogue

October 31st

 

            The air was cool and crisp as a gentle breeze blew eighteen year-old Lana Herondale’s curly black hair away from her face. She stood on the cobblestone road of the center of Godric’s Hollow, facing a small church. Behind it was the graveyard she’d been instructed to go to, mere weeks ago.

            In her hands, a bouquet of pure, white lilies; in her pocket, a twelve and a half inch yew wand with dragon heartstring core and a few Galleons.

            Three weeks earlier, she’d reached her eighteenth birthday. Her parents gave her money—she didn’t ask for anything else—and she set off to discover the wizarding world. She made her way to Diagon Alley, got a vault at Gringotts, and bought a wand at Ollivander’s. She learned of the death of the Dark Lord Voldemort, and that Harry Potter, the boy who everyone in the other world had depended on, the boy who’d died, was the Boy Who Lived.

            Shaking slightly, she moved past the church, to the gates beside it which led into the graveyard.

            The gate squealed loudly as she pushed it open. Peering around, she noticed a name she recognized on two gravestones; Dumbledore.

            She moved closer and saw, not Albus’s name carved into the stone, but the names KENDRA DUMBLEDORE and ARIANA DUMBLEDORE.

            Must be related, she thought, How many Dumbledores can there be in the world?

            Slowly and carefully, she pulled two lilies from the bouquet, and placed one before each grave. Then she turned away and continued her search for the graves she’d really come to find.

            Feeling as though time was moving too slowly, Lana finally found it.

                                                            In loving memory of

                                                James Potter               Lily Potter

                                                1960-1981                  1960-1981

                                 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

            Lana kneeled down and sat on her feet, placing the bouquet of lilies before the white marble gravestone. “I don’t really know what to say, so I guess I’ll just go with it.

            “I considered going to the others’ graves. I thought, maybe that’d give me a sense of closure. But I know that if I’d gone there, I wouldn’t have had that feeling. I mean, I didn’t really know them. Not in this world, anyway. What business does a girl who’s never even met them have at their graves?

            “Deciding not to go to Cedric’s was hard. I really cared about him in the other world. But he died in this world, just like he died in the other world, and that wouldn’t change anything. He didn’t know me here. Maybe he knows me now, though. Maybe when you die, you go to a place where you understand. Maybe, even though he didn’t know me in this world, he knows me there. Maybe he’s watching me right now. Maybe he’s sitting beside me.”

            As if in response, a breeze blew the leaves on the ground beside her away. “I don’t really know what to think. I hope he remembers me. I hope, wherever he is, he’s happy. And at peace.

            “Even after all that, I really wanted to see Sirius’s grave. But… I found out he doesn’t exactly have a grave. They never found his body. What’s worse, he died a criminal. He was never free. I know it isn’t the same as the other world, but I can’t decide which is worse. In the other world, he was wanted because he was good, but he was haunted by the loss of you two, and Harry. He blamed himself. In this world, he was sent to prison. He didn’t even do what they said he did, and he went to prison for it. He wasn’t able to leave his house without someone aiming to capture him. He died the same way in both worlds; fighting for what he believed in and for the people he loved. But neither life did him justice. It makes me sad to think he couldn’t even be happy in the good world.

            “I couldn’t stop myself from coming here, though. It doesn’t make sense, but in a way it does. I mean, I didn’t know you in the other world. I didn’t know you in this world. You both died before I was even born. And yet, I feel like it’s you two I needed to see, to talk to.

            “I can never thank you enough, James, for lending me your wand. I know you really didn’t, but I’m still grateful. Because of you, I was able to fix everything. If I didn’t have your wand, I wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t even be a witch.

            “I don’t know what else to say,” Lana said quietly, “I’ve sort of just rambled on for the past five minutes. I wish I could’ve met you. I wish—”

            “Excuse me?”

            Lana gasped and swung around, standing.

            Four people stood there, two men, two women. Two of them she recognized.

            Ron and Ginny Weasley.

            She tried to hide her pleasure at seeing them, alive, in this world. The girl standing next to Ron was very pretty, with brown eyes and hair pulled back. The man next to Ginny had vivid green eyes hidden behind round glasses and messy black hair.

            The boy looked at her, then the grave, and the flowers. “Did you know them?”

            “No,” Lana replied, “They died before I was even born—I just felt like I had to be here. To say thank you, I guess.” She brushed off her pants and grinned awkwardly. “I know, it sounds weird.”

            “Not at all, actually,” said the boy, and he looked at her peculiarly. “Who are you?”

            “Eliana Herondale,” she replied, “But most people just call me Lana.”

            “You look oddly familiar,” Ron said, cocking his head slightly. “Did you go to Hogwarts?”

            “Um, no,” she said, “I was homeschooled… by a great teacher.”

            “Really?” the girl beside Ron asked, “Who?”

            Lana hesitated slightly before whispering, “An old friend.”

            The four stared at her curiously for a moment, before the girl said, “I’m sorry, we’ve been so rude. I’m Hermione Granger.” She reached out a hand for Lana, smiling kindly.

            Lana shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

            Ron followed Hermione’s example. “Ron Weasley. And that’s my sister, Ginny.” He motioned towards her with his head.

            “I can introduce myself,” Ginny said crossly. She turned to Lana and held out her hand. “Ginny Weasley. Have we met before?”

            “Possibly,” Lana replied with a sly smile. “If so, it’s good to see you again.”

            Ginny grinned.

            “That just leaves me,” said the boy beside her, and he stepped forward and held his hand towards her. “Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Harry. Harry Potter.”

                                                                          The End