A/N:

This is it folks. The last chapter of Book One. I'm crying right now. (Really, not really)

Black Frost Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The End of the Beginning Part 2

"A beginning is the end of something, always."

Delirium.

Hogwarts

The Next Day

Harry awoke to the grumbling of his stomach, feeling both saddened and irritated at what the day would bring.

She was leaving…

But she'll come back. I mean, you did.

Shut up Death, the boy halfheartedly mumbled, quietly rolling out of bed in order to face a day filled with pain and misery.

Awwww 'I'm Harry, and my girlfriend dumped me. Boo hoo, I have a horrible past.' Dude, you shut up! You're being a fuckin' whiny bitch right now.

Death, you have no idea what you're talking about. So just shut up and go lick your wounds. Or would you like me to stab you again?

The red-eyed menace had grown silent, leading Harry to think that he had won before he heard the crazed boy give a mad cackle.

You really think that means something? Okay boy. We'll see what happens next time, and with that, Death receded from the boy's mind, going off to wherever his world was.

Harry was so focused on what today would mean for him and Daphne that he didn't even realize the repercussions of giving Death the cold shoulder.

This would surely bite him in the arse later.

xxxXXXxxx

Slytherin Common Room

As soon as Harry had prepared for the day (and by this, the boy simply cleansed himself and put on his favorite cloak), and entered the Common Room, he was assaulted with pleas of forgiveness from his fellow first years.

It seems as though after his spectacle last night (to which the boy had still received no punishment!), many of the Slytherins who had insulted and abused his two friends had had a change of heart and wanted his forgiveness.

Spineless cowards, the lot of them…

"Harry I'm so sor-"

"-dn't mean it-"

"-ust playing arou-"

"Enough," Harry softly commanded, instantly silencing the group of first years.

"I don't want apologies. You are all worthless, disgraceful pieces of filth. Do not even speak to me. Just stay out of my way, and leave my friends alone."

The children flinched with each word, seemingly looking as if they had been struck by every one, until they only nodded dumbly at the boy when he had finished.

"Good, now leave," Harry finished, causing every single offender to high-tail it away from the elemental.

"Friends huh? Who woulda thunk it?" Tracey mocked, earning a simple rolling of the eyes from the boy.

"I'm not going to repeat it. And I'm not going to think about it. It is the way it is, and there's no way to change it."

"You think you went too far with Malfoy yesterday? It was a bit… much," Daphne asked, finding herself to become a bit sick at the mere thought of Malfoy's amputated fingers.

What was I thinking yesterday? the girl privately thought, cursing herself for her lack of stomach, but also for her need to prove herself to Harry.

"I protect my friends," was all Harry gave in reply, before he headed out of the Common Room, leaving the two girls to quickly catch up to him.

xxxXXXxxx

Hogwarts Express

As Harry made his way to the famed train, the other students of Hogwarts gave the young elemental a wide berth.

Some stared at him with awe.

Others… not so much.

Apparently, many people, typically the Hufflepuffs, thought that Malfoy did deserve punishment for what he did, but they also thought that what Harry had done was too far.

Then there was the portion of the school who actually backed Harry, this group being comprised of namely Ravenclaws, as they realized that the blonde would be able to get his fingers reattached with ease.

And then, there were the people, namely the Gryffindors, who were almost unanimously against Harry.

But it wasn't because of what he did to Malfoy.

No, it was what he would do to the first year Gryffindors, as they too had joined in by tormenting the girls.

What was interesting was that the Lions were not mad at them for bullying other students.

They were onlySnakes after all.

This was all of course having to deal with the older students in each of their houses. The younger ones were simply scarred for life and avoided Harry like the plague.

You could be sure that this story would create massive headlines.

I swear… this school is full of imbeciles, the young elemental cursed, staring at the receding back of a shock-shelled Draco and the rest of his "loyal" supporters.

Which is to say, just Draco.

After the incident, the Malfoy scion had found himself friendless and left to rot, something that both pleased and disgusted Harry.

If you're going to make friends, at least stick by them. Even if they're occasionally wrong, that doesn't mean that you have to get rid of them at the drop of a hat…

As the boy reflected on his own personal message, he shrank back in shock, thinking, That was way too Hufflepuff for me. I feel like I'm going to be sick.

By the time Harry had come out of this self-realization, he was already sitting in a compartment with Daphne and Tracey, both of whom were giving the boy odd looks.

"Yes?" he sighed.

"Nothing. It's just that you looked a bit sick for a moment," Tracey replied, giving the boy an inquisitive look.

"You know, I just realized something."

"And what would that be oh wise one?" Daphne smirked, causing her friend to swat her arm in protest.

"No I'm serious! This is totally critical to our friendship," Tracey chided, causing the other two to go silent with her serious expression.

"What is it Tracey?" Harry asked, finding himself to be slightly curious to what the girl would say.

"I just realized that… Harry only hangs out with girls!" Tracey excitedly explained, earning two blank faces.

"Is there something you're not telling us Harry?" the girl then joked, thinking that she could return the favor for last night.

"Oh? Well yes, there is," Harry agreed, before he leaned in to the girl's ear, whispering, "It's that I'm madly in love with you."

Tracey's face instantly went scarlet red, as Harry went back into his seat and gave the girl a smug smile.

Dammit! That was supposed to be my job.

She has no idea who she's playing against.

What am I going to do with these two? Daphne thought, slightly jealous at the fact that Harry always teases Tracey.

"Say Harry, where are you going after this?" Tracey asked the boy, feeling very foolish as she didn't fully know his situation outside of school.

"Oh me? I'm staying at Hogwarts," the boy nonchalantly replied, earning two gob smacked expressions.

"What?"

"You get to stay at Hogwarts… and practice magic over the summer," the blonde reiterated, simply getting a shrug from the boy.

"That's so awesome!" Tracey exclaimed, causing a small smile to grace the boy's lips.

"I suppose."

The train ride continued with small talk, something that Harry found to be both a chore and a comfort.

He hated discussing little things. They made him feel like his brain was frying.

But he enjoyed being with these two. He really did. So he would endure it.

For them.

xxxXXXxxx

Platform 9 ¾

"Well, this is it," Daphne sighed as the train pulled in to the station, slightly worried about her friend being by himself in that castle of nightmares.

I mean seriously, Harry has almost died twice in that castle. Twice!

Seeing that the blonde looked upset, Harry decided to show them another one of his changes and pulled her into a hug, something that surprised the other two girls immensely.

"I know you don't like it. But I will do everything in my power to see you this summer. If you haven't noticed already, I'm a pretty fantastic wizard," the boy joked, earning a tear-filled chuckle from his best friends.

"I will see you again. Don't worry," Harry smirked, as he gently wiped a tear from Daphne's cheek as they disengaged.

The girl's face slowly reddened, and she gave him one last hug before she exited the compartment, not willing to prove to Harry that he had gotten to her.

"She hasn't been that emotional in a long time," Tracey commented, hinting at something that the boy easily picked up.

"I know," he responded to her unasked question, receiving a nod and a smile from the girl.

"So you're sure you can't come out with us?" she questioned.

"Yeah. Crowds aren't really my thing," Harry responded, as Tracey chuckled at his odd behavior.

"So how are you gunna get back to Hogwarts? The train?"

"Ehhh no," he dodged, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

"Too many secrets mister," she playfully chided, before she too gave him a hug and exited the compartment, catching up to Daphne in mere moments.

Harry made eye contact with the two girls through the window, and after making sure that no one else was watching, gave them a wink before he Disapparated from the platform, giving the two one last surprise for the year.

"I swear, it's like he wants us to have heart attacks," Tracey mumbled, verbally mentioning what Daphne thought internally.

He really is a special one though…

xxxXXXxxx

Hogwarts

Dumbledore's Office

"Knock, kno~ck," Harry sang with a fake smile plastered on his face, before he entered the Headmaster's Office without verbal permission.

"Sit," Dumbledore sighed, feeling immensely tired whenever he thought or looked at the boy.

He will be the end of me, the old man mumbled.

"Okay, sure," Harry replied, his smile now disregarded for a blank expression, "What was the reason as to why Voldemort came after me in the first place."

Dumbledore went silent for a minute or two, which didn't seem to bother the boy, as he too knew how difficult today would be.

Finally, the man put his hands together, leaned forward in his seat and explained, "A prophecy."

Now, it was Harry's turn to be silent, as the boy slowly contemplated the man's answer.

"A prophecy… that you knew about. And somehow, Voldemort found out about?" Harry questioned, earning a reluctant nod of confirmation from the man.

"What does this prophecy say?"

Dumbledore cleared his voice before he recited, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

When the man was done, an oppressive tension filled the air, as Harry's anger began to slowly swell within him.

"You do realize, that that prophecy is vague as all hell, right?" the boy sighed, earning a perplexed response from the Headmaster.

"I felt as though it was pretty straight-forward as prophecies go. The prophecy is either about you or Mr. Longbottom, as you both are born at the end of July. But I'm sure you have no idea about the boy," and here he received a nod from the young elemental, "And the Dark Lord is Voldemort. Your parents, as well as his, met with the monster in combat three times, and survived to tell the tale."

"And this 'power the Dark Lord knows not?' bullcrap?" the boy questioned, not believing the man's analysis of the prophecy for a second.

"Love," Dumbledore stated.

Harry sat in silence for a few moments before he burst out laughing, causing the old man to grow even more irritated with the boy.

"Are you serious? Are you freaking serious? Love? You really think love is what can bring down the Dark Idiot?" Harry chuckled, finding his opinion of Dumbledore to once again be lowered.

"You're insane!" the boy finished.

"Perhaps. What is your interpretation?" the older man inquired.

"Mine? If you wanna start with the dates, there are some cultures that have completely different calendars than us, and those can just as easily be implemented in this situation. No names are mentioned, which means that this prophecy could literally be about any Dark Lord in the future and his opposed savior. I could continue, but I think you get my point," Harry explained to a crestfallen Dumbledore.

"But it must be you! All of the pieces fit!"

"To you!" Harry retorted, "They all apply to you. In that silly little brain of yours, all of this makes perfect sense. But for once Dumbledore, think rationally. It makes no sense," the boy argued.

"You are the Chosen One! You will be the one to lead the Light when I am gone!" the old man roared, as his power began to swirl around him.

"Fat chance! I don't want nor need to be a part of your Light!" Harry spat back, causing the Headmaster and his familiar to shrink back as his they had been struck.

"How dare you?! The Light will be your salvation!"

"I don't need salvation old man! And frankly, I don't want it," the young elemental scoffed, before he left the place in a fit of rage.

As soon as the boy slammed the door closed, a backlash of accidental magic went through his hand and into the door, causing Dumbledore's entire office to be ruined by a wave of icy blue/midnight black energy.

Papers were thrown in the air, magical instruments were knocked to the ground, and an old man with a weary heart was now left with nothing.

Every fuckin' time I go in there, it always ends on some stupid shit! What the hell?!

xxxXXXxxx

Astronomy Tower

After yet another failed 'negotiation' with Dumbledore, Harry decided to go to the first place that he felt truly happy at Hogwarts; the Astronomy Tower.

This is where my life with you started… the boy reminisced.

And it's also where my life with her began to end…

As the boy continued to swing his feet over the edge of the incredibly tall building, he looked towards the sky for some sort of answer.

Will this ever get easy? he silently questioned.

Of course not. But, that doesn't mean that it won't get better,a feminine voice responded, giving the boy a slight start.

The other Death, right? Why are you in my head?

Because I'm your link to this dimension's Harry Potter. You could say that I am the link to all of them, but you two are the ones who are most compatible with me.

Really? And he believes that?

Of course he doesn't. But it's nice to dream.

I suppose, Harry replied, as he slowly began to remove his necklace from his neck and his statue from his pocket.

What're you going to do with those young one?

I was thinking about throwing them away… I don't need them anymore. That part of my life is over.

Interesting idea… but faulty. Those experiences are what make you you. Without them, you are nothing.

And if I wish to become someone else?

You can try… but I like the way you are now. It's kinda cute, and with that, Lady Death left the boy.

Kinda cute huh? Since when is depression and PTSD cute?

As the night passed on, Harry found that every time that he tried to get rid of the necklace, he just simply couldn't.

"What is wrong with me? Why can't I do this?" Harry cried aloud.

"Because, that part of you needs to stay a part of you," a voice responded, causing the boy to go rigid with shock.

"It's okay Harry," Madam Pomfrey assured, causing the boy to only slightly relax, "I understand what you're going through."

All the boy could do was scoffed before he retorted, "How could you possibly know that?"

The woman only gave the boy a small smile before she sat beside him; albeit a bit slowly.

"I have lived for a very long time. You learn a few things," she chuckled, puzzling Harry at her unusually friendly attitude.

Where was the stern woman that he had known since last summer?

"She's still here," Pomfrey reassured, giving Harry a start, as he quickly checked his mind's defenses for any intrusion, but found none.

"Oh yes, you won't find any. I have a… special talent for reading people's emotions. Comes with the job," she supplied, giving the now wary boy a warm smile.

"Who are you?" the boy questioned, feeling as if he didn't know this woman at all.

And perhaps he never knew her to begin with.

"Who, me? Why, I'm just your everyday school nurse," the woman expertly dodged, giving the boy a wink as she stood to leave.

Harry could only stare dumbfounded at the woman as she slowly walked away without another word, before she once again left the boy alone.

What. The. Hell? the young elemental asked himself, deeply confused about what had just happened.

The boy was so confused in fact, that he never noticed that both his necklace and Amarok statue were back in their respective spots.

Nor did he notice the slip of paper within his pocket that someone had left him.

No, Harry didn't notice a thing, as he continued to stare up into the beautiful night sky in vain; searching for answers that would never be found in the stars.

They would be found within himself.

Author's Note:

That's the end (of Book One) folks! That was a fun ride. A bit disappointing towards the end, but fun nonetheless.

Thank you all for reading! Getting 1k+ followers was an amazing feeling, and I hope to replicate it with Book Two.

Now, as I'm sure that many of you have questions (idk, maybe?) write a review and ask me! I will answer and give away spoilers if asked.

Book Two will still be on this story, so you don't have to worry about me creating an entirely new one in order to read it. It will take me a while to come up with everything, as I have to focus on school and College Admissions and stuff. But I will continue this… eventually. The next chapter should come in October ish? Maybe.

Again, thank you for reading! See you guys in a couple of weeks!

One last thing. I don't hate you. I hate myself for what I did to you.