A/N: Hello, people!

This is very sad. Warning, character death.

I don't own Harry Potter.

I have no beta.

Enjoy! Name of the story inspired by the song, 'The Lonely' by Christina Perri. You guys should check it out.

"Can I have a word?"

Harry Potter, boy who lived, defeater of the Dark Lord and suspect entry in the TriWizard Tournament, was standing before his fellow Hogwarts Champion.

Walking through the halls just to find the older teen had been hell. Everyone was wearing these garish badges that would support the Hufflepuff Champion one moment and transform to insult Harry the next. He lost count of how many had been shoved in his face just that day alone!

However, he had to tell Cedric Diggory something important. And in order to do so, he had to bear the snickers and dirty looks. Had to subject himself to the torture of his fellow students in order to even the playing field, so to speak.

His vast sense of justice wouldn't let him sit in his dorm and avoid everyone. He had to tell Cedric! It was the right thing to do.

More hurtful words were thrown his way by Cedric's own friends. Whatever.

The school had turned on him again. Except this time, his friends had abandoned him as well. He was alone. Alone as his once friends insulted him. As even the Hufflepuffs hounded him. No one was on his side. No one seemed to care.

He had three professors, but that didn't mean anything because the professors couldn't play favorites.

He was all alone. Though it shouldn't have been such a new thing to him. He had been alone all the time as a child. But he had gotten used to having people around. People who wanted him. Who wanted to be near him. And now that he was alone again, it hurt worse than before.

And even through the pain of the loneliness, he had pushed himself to face the day. And in doing so, he hunted the grounds for Cedric Diggory, and finally found him.

The teen sat up, from his friend's lap, having been using said lap as a pillow.

With a strange look, he gave a nod and followed Harry to a small tree several yards away. Harry ignored the taunts and jeering of the seventh years behind them.

Turning to face he Hufflepuff, he said, "Dragons."

Cedric looked confused, so he expounded.

"That's the first task. They have one for each of us. A Swedish Short-Snout, a Norwegian Ridgeback, a Chinese Fireball and a Hungarian Horntail. Whatever we're doing, has to do with Dragons."

Cedric looked like someone had just killed his puppy. The horror that entered those eyes, was nearly palpable.

"A-are you serious?" he asked, voice an octave higher than before.

Harry nodded.

"And Fleur and Krum, they….."

"Yes."

Cedric floundered for a moment, before shaking himself off. "Wow, I did not expect that for the tasks. So then this really is dangerous," he mumbled to himself.

Harry nodded and turned to leave. Cedric caught his arm, "Look, Harry, about the badges, I asked them not to wear them."

Harry shrugged it off, like it was nothing. There was no way he would let Cedric know how hurt he really was.

"Don't worry about it."

"Hello!"

Harry and Cedric both froze and turned to the side, to see a blonde haired girl, with a dreamy look on her face. She was smiling at Harry.

"Hi?" the boys answered uncertainly.

"I wanted to talk to you, Harry Potter."

Harry pulled away from Cedric, putting a few feet distance between them. He didn't notice Cedric's confused look when he did so. He was too busy focusing on the girl.

"Well, have at it," Harry said, opening his arms wide.

"Huh?" she mumbled, looking lost.

"Look, if you aren't going to say anything, you should go away before they decide to ostracize you as well."

"Oh, well, I wanted to tell you that your friend Ron, has…"

"Stop right there! Ron is not my friend. I do not have any friends. So whatever you are going to say, save your breath. Have a nice evening."

He turned and walked away, leaving two stunned people in his wake.

Harry had a plan. He knew exactly what he was going to do when facing the dragon.

After learning a few things about dragon fire and dragon anatomy, he was positive that his plan would work!

So, on the day of the First Task, Harry was calm and collected, while he noticed the other Champions looked like hell. They probably hadn't even thought of a strategy to incapacitate their dragon. Probably didn't even know what they were going to do.

That was fine, Harry was prepared and in his book, that was all that mattered.

The time of the task drew near and each Champion was to wait in the tent as each went to face their dragon in order.

Having each gotten to chose their dragon from a small bag, they were told to wait. Harry as going last and he was facing a Horntail. Great. That one was particularly vicious.

He still wasn't worried. Fingering the potion in his pocket, he smiled. It was all going to work out just fine.

The canon blew and he sighed, knowing that it was finally his turn.

He stepped out into the light of the stadium after walking down the long corridor to get there.

It was deadly silent as he looked around, surveying the area.

Pulling the potion from his pocket, he pulled the stopper off and slugged it all back. A very high, almost lethal dose of Numbing Draught.

He had five minutes before it began working.

A loud wail cracked through the air and a crashing sound was heard from his left. He turned to face the large beast that was growling at him, crouched over her eggs. He could see the golden egg that he was supposed to fetch. See it gleaming brightly. But he wasn't here for that.

Not at all.

The dragon growled even louder and let loose a wild roar that shook the very ground Harry stood upon. He did not flinch like most in the crowd did. He didn't even bat a lash.

The beast seemed to notice this and the strangest thing happened.

A series of hisses flowed from its' mouth.

"A sssstrange flesssshling you are, to not fear my magnificsssence."

He did a double take. Did the dragon just speak Parseltongue? How did it do that?!

Well, dragon were considered to be winged serpents, so maybe that was the reason.

"Great Horntail, I already know you are going to kill me, and that issss why I do not fear," he answered certainly.

The dragon reeled back, much like the audience did when they all heard the Parseltongue slipping past his lips.

"You're a sssspeaker! How can you talk sssso eassssily of death, young flesssshling?"

Harry shrugged and said, "You were brought here to take part in a game for wizardssss. A fake egg was placsssed among your clutch and it wassss my turn to get it from you. However, I did not want to be a part of thissss game. But when they were choossssing namessss, mine came up. There were rulessss that no one under the age of sssseventeen ssssummerssss could compete, but I've jusssst reached my fourteenth ssssummer thissss year. Everyone thought I cheated and now everyone hatessss me and my friendssss have betrayed me. Someone entered me into thissss game, againsssst the rulessss, in order to try and get me killed. Ssssince I have nothing elsssse to live for, I figured I'd jusssst let you kill me and be done with everything."

"You wissssh to die, young hatchling?"

"Yessss. I have already taken a potion to enssssure that I will feel no pain. It'ssss sssstarting to work and ssssoon you'll be able to finish thissss."

"Dissssgussssting humanssss, abandoning their clutchmatessss for ridiculoussss reassssonssss. I will do you thissss favor, sssseeing assss you have not attempted to harm my eggssss."

Harry bowed lowly, "Thank you, great lady."

Was it pathetic that he was discussing his death with a dragon? Not to him it wasn't. He had already worked out that he was be reunited with his parents when he died. That thought eased his fear and made him accept. He was ready to die and nothing about that concept worried him in the least.

Suddenly, he couldn't feel his face. Or his hands or arms. His legs were barely keeping him upright, since he could no longer feel that he was standing. His tongue and throat were also numb and he shook himself off, not feeling the movement at all.

He swayed slightly, "You can do it now. I don't feel anything," he mumbled.

There was a shifting movement before him and his eyes closed.

He heard a loud scream, but still felt nothing. He didn't know what the dragon had done. He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't feel his eyelids.

He could hear his heart though and slowly, he listened as it slowed. Inwardly, he smiled. Even with the intervention of a Parseltongue speaking dragon, his plan had worked.

Good.

The entirety of Hogwarts, was shocked at what they just witnessed. Though it was strange to see Potter speaking Parseltongue again, it was strange to see the dragon answering him back! They were talking, casually it looked like.

Potter finally nodded and slumped over slightly. What happened next, shocked and terrified everyone in attendance.

Potter's eyes closed and the dragon impaled him with a large claw, right through his midsection and part of his torso.

The screams from several people echoed and yet, nothing came from Potter. He laid on the stone, with a large claw penetrating his body, giving no reaction. His eyes were closed and he looked like a limp doll.

As the dragon tamers tried to get near, the Horntail began to shoot fire, refusing to pull away from the body of the Boy-Who-Lived.

After several moments of fighting, the great dragon looked down and dipped its' head. It then pulled its' claw free and backed away a safe distance.

The tamers were on it immediately and Madam Pomfrey along with Dumbledore and several professors rushed over to Potter, who was just lying there.

The old woman ran her wand over him several time, before lowering her head.

McGonagall let out a cry and was surprised to have Snape wrap his arms around her in comfort.

Pomfrey looked ready to keel over herself and Dumbledore had to wipe a few tears from his eyes.

Looking at the boy, he shook his head. Why hadn't he fought back? Why did he just stand there?

Another look and he saw a piece of white sticking out from the boy's it, he unfolded a note and gasped at what was written within.

I want Professor Dumbledore to give all of my possessions to my godfather. Everything I own is piled on my fourposter in the Gryffindor boys dorm. They are under a spell that only a certain phrase known well by Moony and Padfoot, will unlock them.

Good luck for when Voldemort returns. I will not be there to be the hero like everyone assumed I'd be.

Reason being, is that no one was there for me when I really needed them. So why should I be there for you? -Harry James Potter.

Crumpling the note in his hand, Dumbledore waved his wand, lifting the body up.

In the stands, everyone was in shock. Harry Potter had just been killed. Something that many had speculated was impossible to do.

And he had just stood there and let it happen! He never fought back!

The Gryffindors were feeling guilty, since some of them had made comments about the boy possibly dying. None of them had suspected that it would actually happen! They were just...messing around.

Dumbledore led the way back to the castle, ordering the students to go and ait in the Great Hall while he deposited Harry on a bed in the Hospital Wing.

It was sad, to see such a pure, young flame willingly die out.

And it was even worse, because the entire school was the reason for it. Not just the Slytherins, but the other Houses as well. Such a disappointment.

Wiping another few tears from his eyes, he straightened. He had to go speak to the school as a whole. And berate them for such behaviour.

Placing a stasis charm on the boy, he heaved a sigh and left the room. He'd visit later, when he could grieve in peace.

Avada green eyes snapped open to see a pair of dark eyes hovering only inches away. And connected to those eyes, was a skeletal face.

"Bloody hell!"

A/N: So, I had this idea and I wanted to do it. I may continue, since I have an idea on how to take this, but I want to see your reactions.

How was it? Should I continue? Let me know in a constructive, respectful manner, please?

Check out my other Harry potter stories. Surge de Hydra(SLASH, complete, creature fic) Tom/Harry. It's Okay Now(SLASH, just updated, creature fic) Tom/Harry/Draco. Friend or More?(SLASH, just updated) Tom/Harry. Her Eyes(updated recently, creature fic) femHarry/Snape. Careful What you Wish For(SLASH, in progress) Draco/Harry. What's in a Name?(just updated.) femHarry/Tom. Harry Potter and the Vampire's Ring(just updated, SLASH, creature fic) Severus/Harry.

See ya! :D