(A/N updated on the 1st August 2007):

First of all, can anyone draw parallels between this story and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', especially when it was written three years ago?

I've noticed that despite the fact that I completed this fanfic a long time ago, I still get a lot of page hits. So if you are reading this story, liked/disliked it and would like to comment on it, then plz don't hesitate. Because I just love reading reviews of what the readers think of my story! Thank you and enjoy!)

PROLOGUE: The Funeral

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…"

Harry Potter closed his eyes tightly, he was in great pain. Rains drops wet his face, mixing with the salty tears in his eyes.

The priest concluded the prayer, "May Ginevra Molly Weasley's soul rest in peace… Amen."

'Amen…' Harry Potter silently whispered to himself, his eyes still shut. But that didn't help him from blocking Mrs. Weasley's piercing screams through the rain. "Not my angel! Not my Ginny!" Nor it helped him to barricade his best friend's Ron Weasley's almost silent but painful cries.

Harry was terrified to open his eyes again and face reality around him once more. Instead, he began to wonder what it was like to die. Death was the simplest of answers. And perhaps it was the only a passage, a flight to the next world.

But his heart still could not accept the death of little Ginny Weasley. Not truly death, but a brutal and grotesque murder by same the monster who had slaughtered Harry's very own parents fifteen years ago, Lord Voldemort. Poor Ginny was just another lifeless victim of Lord Voldemort's malevolent plans, just like so many others. Indeed, Harry himself had been on the death list when he was barely a child, but miraculously had escaped Voldemort's Avada Kedavra curse with nothing more than a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry's mind tried to imagine an abstract world in which his parents and Ginny had never died… but such a world was too thorny and difficult to conceive. This fact however remained unchanged, that reality, so plainly was placed before his very eyes and no matter how hard he tried he could not change it. At that precise moment, it seemed to him that Lord Voldemort had suddenly gone too far. However, it was too late to do anything. His parents were gone forever, and he could not bring Ginny back to the Weasleys.

"Come now, Molly dear…" Harry heard a hesitant and plaintive Arthur Weasley trying to console his wife. "It was her time to go. There's nothing we could have done to avoid this…"

Harry Potter dared to peek. As the rain splattered around the cemetery, with no more than a dozen people around, Harry eyed Ginny's parents. Molly Weasley was still lamenting, as her husband put his arms around her in comfort. Arthur Weasley, like the rest, also had distressing tears in his eyes.

Slowly, Harry turned to face the rest of Ginny's older brothers. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George… they were all distraught, and it was unable to determine which one was more hurt. After all, they all loved Ginny, just the same.

Percy Weasley, the third eldest son, strode towards his mother and said, "Mother, we should go home…"

Molly looked at her son, weary eyed and exclaimed, "But we can't leave Ginny here!" She turned to her husband for support. "Arthur... Percy's gone mad! I am her mother and I shan't leave her alone, not for a second."

Arthur carefully observed his wife, and spoke in a calm tone, "No, he is right. We should head for home. Rain is terrible and we'll get pneumonia if we don't warm up soon."

"But…" Mrs. Weasley started.

"Ginny's home is here now." Arthur was being realistic. "Molly, we shall visit her again as soon as we can. I promise you that."

That seemed to calm Mrs. Weasley down a bit, enough for her husband to take her arm and lead her away from the cemetery. Almost everyone who had attended the funeral followed them.

Harry's other best friend Hermione Granger came up to him. There were no words as Hermione put her arms around him and burst into tears. Ginny Weasley had been her good friend, and Harry could tell that Hermione was very much suffering. After a few minutes of comforting, they let go of each other and Hermione slowly walked off in the direction where Ron was standing.

Viewing the casket where Ginny Weasley lay, Harry unhurriedly advanced towards it. The casket was half open, and Ginny lay peacefully in it, wearing a lovely white dress. Harry could not help noticing the peaceful, almost divine smile on her face. He knew he was going to miss that smile, terribly.

Harry closed his eyes once more and let all the waves of those wonderful memories splash his mind. He had first seen Ginny at King's Cross Station, near platform 9 ¾ when he was about to start Hogwarts. One year later, when Harry had been visiting the Weasleys, he had a suspicious feeling that Ginny liked him. There were many signs and those usually involved blushing and dropping various objects in his presence. And the first time she had spoken in front of him, it was to stand up against the archenemy of good, Draco Malfoy.

She had been a wonderful person. A person full of courage, strength and sense of humour, which was usually somewhat limited in front of Harry. Nevertheless, he could tell that Ginny Weasley was very much alive inside.

As much as Harry wanted to deny it, he always knew that Ginny was very fond of him. He was not exactly sure to what extent, but it had been there. Maybe it was even love, but Harry couldn't tell. How he wished now, to ask her this. Behind all this façade of shyness, Ginny had shown great integrity. Harry remembered how she kept her word and went to the Yule Ball two years ago with clumsy old Neville Longbottom, turning down the opportunity to go with Harry.

How ironic life was! Harry had saved Ginny from the clutches of Lord Voldemort once before. Why did he fail to save her life again? Why? Harry still could not understand. He had let down everybody down, including himself. In fact, it was probably entirely his fault that Ginny Weasley was lying in this casket right this moment. Lord Voldemort wanted Harry dead, and in the process, countless innocent people were killed. The Weasleys were never going to forgive him and he was never going to forgive himself.

Hot tears spurted from his eyes as he gazed at Ginny. She had been so strong from inside. She hadn't died the first time round from the Lord Voldemort's diary incident, which had clearly proved that her soul had been stronger than the evil of Voldemort's. And most importantly, she had learned to live with herself long after facing Voldemort alone.

How would Harry live without her? How could he survive knowing she was dead and buried?

Harry Potter cared so much about her. All of a sudden, a new wave of a wonderful emotion flew inside of him. It was so powerful that Harry was almost elevated to the heavens, as a smile formed on his face. He had loved Ginny Weasley, for the person she was.

He was going to miss her. Harry closed eyes yet again and began to cry silently. Why did he fail to acknowledge this feeling of love? And why couldn't he have rescued her and saved everyone from all this heartrending torment?

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he slowly turned only to face his best friend. Ron Weasley had puffed eyes and his nose was scarlet as his hair.

"It's time to go, Harry." Ron informed in a sober tone.

"I'm so sorry!" Harry exclaimed as Ron embraced him like a brother. "I'm so sorry!"

"No, Harry! It was never your fault." Ron was speaking the truth. "It was Voldemort who murdered her! I swear, someday I will have his blood on my hands, like he had Ginny's blood on his."

The rain was suddenly stopping as the sun's intense rays started to steal through the gloominess over the sparkling green grass. A delicious breeze, brimmed with colourful flower petals soared from the west towards Ron and Harry and seemed to hover gently around them in perfect spirals. For a split moment, everything seemed to be so wonderfully peaceful and serene, and even euphoric.

It was after a while before the blossomed wind lifted and Harry silently watched it flutter away, strangely feeling as if that mysterious breeze took away some his grief with it.

"Let's go." Ron was saying. "And leave what needs to be left behind."

Harry Potter glanced one last time at Ginny. He felt his heart crush when he finally realized that he would never be able see this beautiful Ginny Weasley alive again. And Harry never did.