The Embrace

It was done. It was over. Voldemort, after 17 long years, was finally dead. Harry stood where he had faced Voldemort a few minutes before. Shouldn't he feel relieved? The weight on his shoulders gone? Strangely enough, he felt no better. In a way, he felt worse. His school, his home, was now nothing but a few towers and rubble. Some of his friends, dead. Some of his teachers, dead. His mentor, the one whom he thought was invincible, was now dead as well. Being honest with himself, Harry stood in thought. Did he even have anything to look forward to? Not that he had ever had much of that anyway.
Little did he know, the embrace he was about to receive would change his life forever.