*small time skip*
Returning to Hogwarts in its current state was a lot for the Golden Trio to take in.
Harry blamed himself for all of the destruction done, though Ron quickly shut him down by calling him an idiot, which didn't really help Harry in feeling any better, though it had lightened the mood.
"I'm going off into the Dark Forest." Harry said to Hermione once they had made it to the bottom of the grand stair case-what was left of it anyways.
"What do you mean? Why are you telling me this? You're not seriously planning on leaving me behind are you?" She said in her typical assertive tone, though it was clear she was putting on a brave front.
"Hermione, you need to stay here and kill the snake, okay?" Harry said "Kill the snake, and then it's just him--"
"What do you mean Harry? There's still another horcrux to find, you know that." she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I love you so much Hermione Granger." he said, wiping away her tears with his thumbs and then giving her a light kiss on her forehead. "Remember that."
"I won't need to remember. You'll tell me everyday once the war is over, won't you?" she said in false hope, as she already knew that Harry himself was the last horcrux, she just couldn't gather the Gryffindor courage to admit it to herself.
Harry looked up at Ron, who was standing behind Hermione, and Ron nodded knowing what his friend was silently asking of him.
"Come on, Hermione." he said, taking her arm.
"No." she yelled trying to shove him off of her but failed, and now he had grabbed her other arm to put her in full restraint.
"I love so much, Hermione." Harry said "I've put my best memories I've shared with you in a vial so you can re watch them over and over again in a pensieve. Everytime you fixed my glasses. Every time you hugged me. Every time you made me laugh. It's all there."
"Harry, please don't go." Hermione pleaded
"I'm the only one who can stop all of this, Hermione. I have to do this." he said and walked over to her and gave her one last kiss. "I love you so much and nothing can take that away."
"Harry, I love you too. So much." she said in tears
He nodded, before looking up at Ron. "Ron, I wanted to say--"
"Don't." he finished for him "If you say anything then I'll just become a mess. Besides, anything you say now, I'm sure you've said to me at some point in the past. I mean, it's not like this is your first near-death experience, right?"
Harry laughed. "Thanks, Ron." he said and then turned away and started to walk towards the huge black doors of Hogwarts that had once welcomed him 7 years ago.
"Harry!" Hermione was hysterical in Ron's hold, trying her best to get free and run after him. "Harry, please don't do this!"
And even though it nearly killed him inside, Harry kept on walking.
