Harry Potter: Surviving the End

Harry Potter After the War

Chapter 1

Harry Potter woke up in his old school dormitories with a searing pain in his chest. He decided he was just sore from the battle yesterday and went downstairs to the common room. Harry sat down in front of the fire place. He started into the flames as he considered how he could possibly explain all that he had gone through. Could anyone understand what he had done? He left his friends behind, but he did it to keep from hurting them. He had gone through so much and couldn't imagine a life any different. And Ginny! What would she think? Would she be able to understand and love him once again?

Just then, he heard a door open upstairs and light footsteps on the stairs. That beautiful red hair Harry had missed so much appeared. His eyes moved down and he looked into those wide bright eyes and knew as long as she was there, everything would be all right.

"Harry?" Her soft voice brought him out of his thoughts and back into reality. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked stiffly.

"Ginny" He whispered to himself.

Ginny had made it down the stairs and went to sit on the couch across from Harry. She hugged her legs to her chest and stared at him intensely. After a few minutes of awkward silence for Harry, he cleared his throat. She still just stared at him. 

"What are you looking at?" he said suddenly.

She kept staring and simply said, "What, am I not allowed to look at you?"

"No, I like you looking at me, but don't you want to talk? We haven't really seen each other in a long time and I'm sure you have some questions."

"Not now Harry, let's just enjoy being together and we can talk later."

So they stayed there sitting in silence, just thinking to themselves about all that had happened.

Harry considered what he would have to say to Ginny. So many things had changed since they had last seen each other. Now that the war was over, would she want to pick things back up where they left off? Would she be willing to have a relationship with him now? There were so many questions, but for the moment he was happy to keep them to himself and enjoy finally being with the girl he loved. He knew exactly how he felt about her and he would just have to hope she felt the same way.

There was a noise upstairs and Harry glanced up to see his best friends, Ron and Hermione start down the stairs hand in hand. They both had wide smiles plastered on their faces and Harry could see they were truly in love. Just as they made it down the stairs, Harry doubled over in pain clutching his chest.

"Harry?" Ginny said with a worried voice. "What's wrong?"

"Let me see it Harry" Hermione said as she hurried over.

She pulled his shirt up to see a burn spot in the middle of his chest. Harry screamed in pain as the cold air hit it and he immediately blacked out. When he woke up, he felt terrible. He looked around and saw that he was in a room in St. Mungo's. His throat was sore and his chest still hurt badly. He saw Ron and Ginny's dad, Mr. Weasley, rush out of the room and come back a minute later with a healer who later introduced himself as Will. He looked at Harry and said "Well Mr. Potter, it's good to see you awake. You seem to have a fairly serious injury on your chest, could you tell me what happened there?"

"I got hit in the chest by a killing curse" Harry replied carefully.

Will just shook his head knowing he shouldn't ask too many questions while Harry was still recovering. Over the next few days the healers tried a variety of different potions and spells to heal Harry. Everyone was getting discouraged with every failed attempt. Harry was quiet most of the time thinking about that last day of the war and trying to decide if he should tell them all what happened. He had decided not to even tell Ron and Hermione about what happened in the forest. Now however he was rethinking that decision. If he told them, maybe they could heal him. He was constantly having arguments with himself in his head. Will came into the room and asked to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"What is it Will?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"We have tried everything we can think of, but I think his injury may be permanent. The curse is contained in his body, right there in his chest. It is right next to his heart, and none of us can figure out how he survived it to begin with." 

When Harry heard that, his heart sunk. He had just wanted to move on with his life, here was this one thing that he would never be able to get rid of. Hermione gave him a hug and told him everything would be alright, she and Ron would be with him every step of the way. Ginny just stood in the corner looking at him with pitying eyes. After a few more days of tests, Harry was discharged and was sent home with the Weasleys.