Him - A Harry Potter Love Story

Chapter Sixty-Seven

I walked into the Room of Requirement, a hand over my mouth as I shook with silent sobs. Mum, who was sitting on a chair by the bassinets, immediately stood and ran over to me, pulling me into her arms.

"What is it, sweetie?" she whispered in my ear. Not able to get any words out without crying out, I shook my head, burying my face in her shoulder. Slowly, we both sunk to the ground, after I found it harder to stay up without feeling dizzy.

The pain was worse than I thought possible.

I just was praying that whatever happened would work.

After a while of sitting in my mother's arms, I piled away, wiping my face and standing up to go to the twins. I looked at their sleeping faces, trying not to think about the fact that Harry never even held them. These babies would never have a father.

"He went to the forest," I told Mum softly, my back to her.

"Oh...wow."

"He has to," I said, mainly to myself. I needed to convince myself this, not her. "It's the only way to defeat Voldemort."

"I'm so sorry, dear," she sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I didn't answer. I just watched my children. Our children.

Harry's POV

As I approached the forest, I stopped, suddenly feeling the weight of the golden snitch in my pocket. I took it out, and after a short hesitation, pressed it against my lips for a moment. When I pulled it away, the normal words, "I open at the close" appeared.

I held it close to my mouth, and whispered, "I am ready to die." A moment after, I pressed it against my lips once again.

I watched as it opened up, revealing a ring with the resurrection stone on it.

I carefully picked the stone up out of the snitch, closing and putting the golden ball back into my pocket. I closed my eyes, thinking of those who I had lost.

When my eyes opened, the first person I saw was my mother.

"You've been so brave, Harry," she whispered to me. "We're proud of you."

I looked around at all the faces; Mum, Dad, Sirius, Lupin...

I turned to Sirius. "Does it hurt? Dying?"

He smiled at me. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, looking around at them all. "I didn't want any of you to die. Not for me. And Lupin, your son..."

"My son will hear from others what we died for," Lupin told me. "And he'll understand, when he's old enough, that this was to ensure that he could live a happier life."

"Just like you're doing for your children, Harry," Dad said. "We've always been here for you, and you'll be there for them."

"Will you stay with me?" I asked them.

"Until the very end," Sirius confirmed.

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready."

I dropped the stone to the forest floor and began to walk.

A few minutes later, I stood in front of Voldemort as his lips curled into a smile.

"Harry Potter," he murmured, taking a step forward. "Come to die."

I barely processed what he had said. All I could think about was Cassie...Cassie and our twins.

"How is the girl?" he asked with a smirk.

"Safe," was all I said.

"Safe with the kids?" he chuckled. I narrowed my eyes.

"Yes."

"Too bad they'll be taken away as soon as we get to her," he said with a laugh. I clenched my fists together, glaring daggers at him.

"Don't hurt them!" I snapped. "Isn't this enough for you? Do you have to continue hurting those around me when I'm gone?"

He didn't answer. He only lifted his wand; his lips moved, there was a flash of green light, and then everything was gone.

••••••••••

I opened my eyes, and the first thing that ran through my mind was Cassie.

I pushed myself to my feet, touching my face to find that I didn't have glasses; however, I could see perfectly. I looked around, my eyes catching sight of a bench. I winced at the body underneath it, small, skinny, and covered in what had to be blood.

"Hello, Harry."

I whipped around to find myself staring at Dumbledore.

"Sir, what happened?" I asked, frowning. "Where am I? Am I dead?"

"Well, to answer your first question, you were just killed by Voldemort," he responded calmly. "That creature under the bench, that is the part of his soul that resided in you. Well done, Harry."

"Um...thank you?"

"As for where you are, where do you think?" he asked. "Look around a little."

I turned my head, examining the space. "It's like Kong's Cross...but cleaner. And without the trains."

"Then that's your answer."

"And...am I dead?"

"Depends," he said, and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"So am I alive?"

"Still depends."

"On what?"

"On what you choose to be," he told me. "Come. Walk with me."

I walked through the place with the old headmaster, my head swimming with thoughts on what this could possibly be. Eventually, they made their way back to Cassie.

"Is she okay?" I asked him. "Cassie?"

"Yes. And I see that she was able to do what she needed to," he responded.

"Why did you tell her that she had to help me?" I asked. "That there was a prophecy?"

"Well, for one thing, she did need to help," he sighed. "Without her accepting your death, you could not die. Love is powerful, far more powerful than magic. It kept you from dying seventeen years ago, and it could have kept you from dying just a few minutes ago."

"And...the other...thing?"

"I wanted her to see all that Voldemort had done," he continued. "I wanted her to understand that there are things that must be done, and although they aren't always easy, they will make things better."

"So that's why you made sure she stayed with me as much as possible?" I confirmed.

"Yes. And...well, she is the reason you're still here," he added.

I frowned a little. "What do you mean?"

"She's the reason that you have a choice," he explained, smiling softly at me. "If your love for each other wasn't as strong as it is, then you would already be dead."

"So...her accepting my death lets me decide whether to live or not?"

"That is correct."

I hesitated before asking him, "Is this real? Or is it all in my head?"

Dumbledore simply smiled.

"Of course it's all in your head, Harry," he laughed. "But why should that mean it's not real?"

He walked away, fading into nothing.

"Professor," I called out. "Professor!"

I looked around helplessly. Cassie. I needed to get back to Cassie. To Albus, to Ingrid. To Hermione and Ron. To the Weasleys. To the teachers who taught me all I know.

To those who helped me throughout this all.