Epilogue: Tears

Nimi sat in the kitchen, poking the scrambled eggs around on her plate. It was raining outside, and the day was so similar to that day that now seemed so long ago, the day when they had gone to Hogwarts…

She idly wondered who would take over as the Lord Azkaban with Harry… indisposed. He wasn't dead. He was just gone. He would come back. It had only been a day since he had gone, but already she was losing hope…

"I can't sense him! He isn't there! He's gone!"

She remembered shrieking at her father, shaking him by the shoulders. He had resigned himself, she knew. Harry was… he was dead. She had to accept it. She had to. But somehow, she just couldn't… Couldn't imagine life without Harry there. She no longer knew how she had ever lived without him, and had no desire to remember. But she was going to have to.

She pushed her chair out from the table and went out onto the balcony. It was three in the morning. No one else was awake, unless someone was crying in their rooms. It wouldn't surprise her.

She stood out in the rain. It was her favorite weather, it always had been. She remembered Harry telling her about being told that it was lost loved ones crying. Harry… She spun around in the rain, staring up at the sky, the tears on her face mingling with the rain, the tears of lost loved ones… of Harry…

"Why?" she whimpered, no longer spinning, just stairng at the sky. "Why did you have to leave me, Harry? I need you, damnit!"

And as she collapsed on the balcony in a sobbing heap, as loved ones continued shed their own tears, she was unable to shake the image of a grinning, messy-black haired boy after kissing her on the cheek.

The End… Perhaps…

A/N: Well, there are several goodies below; the title of the sequel for those who didn't hear it before, what I currently have as the summary of the sequel, a teaser, main characters, things cut from the original version, and a few tidbits.

Title:

Subject, Ruler, Finder, Wanderer

Current Summary:

At the end of the Final Battle, Harry finds himself in another world… a world where he died as a baby, where werewolves are locked away in silver cages, where Azkaban has been without a leader for four generations, and there is no Heir of the Six... he finds that he must fight Voldemort once again, unless he truly wishes to lose all he holds dear…

Teaser:

She is walking down a corridor of the Castle Azkaban, the one leading to the Throne Room by the looks of it. She is wearing her white robes, which is all she really wears now, her hair loose behind her and a tad longer than it is now, about ¾ of the way to her elbows. It is slightly curlier too; then again, it does always get curlier when it's longer, so it makes sense. She adjusts the circlet on her head and continues on her way, her feet in elegant white slippers pit-pattering on the floor.

Suddenly, she collapses, clutching her head.

The scene changes. She's wearing her Primary Advisor uniform, her hair a bit shorter and straighter than it is now, the circlet gone and a Death Eater. She's battling him and watching Harry duel Voldemort out of the corner of her eye at the same time, ready to jump in the moment he needs help. She turns her head back to the Death Eater for a brief second, and there is a terrible scream…

The scene changes again.

She now finds herself back in the Death Chamber, chanting the ritual to get out the man she doesn't know is her father. She realizes, suddenly, that the last two have been memories, not dreams… and suddenly it switches from what she knows. Her father looks up from where he lies on the floor.

"You are a fool," he hisses. "You couldn't save him. It's your fault. You said you would back him up, jump in if he needed help…"

"No," she murmurs, falling to the ground and holding her hands over her ears. "No… you're wrong…" But she knows that he isn't. The scene changes once more, and she's sitting with Luna in the carriage on the way back from shopping. The girl slowly stops laughing and looks at her.

"It's all your fault. Your fault. He should still be alive. Your fault. Your fault…"

Her ears are covered once more as she blocks out the horrible mantra with one of her own. "No, no, no no no no no nonononono…" The scenes are going by quicker now; they almost flash like scenes in a theater, as though she isn't a part of them, they exist outside of her. Nikolai, her mother, Remus, Ari… they all accuse her, and she drowns them out, until it gets to the wors part of all.

She's dueling the Death Eater again, and she whirls at the scream. Voldemort is gone in a flash of white, and a golden light is surrounding Harry. "HARRY!" she cries, running to him, reaching out. He reaches back to her, but he's fading, falling… she can't reach him…

And then, all she can see is his face. "I should be there," he snarls at her. "I'm supposed to be alive. I don't know how I could have ever cared about an idiot like you. You ruined everything. Your fault. All your fault. Your fault…"

"No," she sobs, as he continues to accuse her. "No, no… no…please… no…"

Main Characters:

Our Heroine: Nimi Stardreamer-Black, the former-Lieutenant-turned High War Admiral and Primary Advisor.

Our Hero; Lord Harry James Potter of Caer Azkaban and the Druis Isles, the once abused child, now one of the most powerful men in the world.

Other Primary Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Meliara Fillibuster, Auriga Sinistra, Severus Snape, and Albusw Dumbledore.

Secondary Characters: Arianrhod Lupin, Meliara Black, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Filius Flitwick, Luna Lovegood, and Nikolai Nadreski.

Cut From the Original:

In the first version, Draco ended up turning down the Dark Lord's offer to being a Death Eater and joining Mel and Ari in the family cell and being rescued by Harry, Sirius, and Remus.

In the original, Nimi wasn't going to be Sirius and Mel's daughter or adopted, just a citizen of Azkaban.

In my original draft, Mel and Ari escaped on their own… but then there wasn't the cool scene with Harry yelling at Dumbledore and Remus freaking out…

At first, I had Snape marked as a bad guy, but I lost all control of his character… he's a wily one. :)

At one point in time, the story was going to be longer and have no sequel… I like this way better though.

Tidbits:

Warning: Some minor spoilers for the sequel!

Nimi is named as Harry's succesor; the Lady Azkaban.

Remus is, indeed, one of the werewolves locked in silver cages.

Harry and Nimi have more fluffy moments.

More Harry/Voldie banter.

Mel is listed as a Fillibuster in the main characters as in the other world, she and Sirius are not married; Sirius and Remus are listed twice as they appear both in the other world and "back home".

A/N: Well, that will hopefully be out soon, but first… must finish next chapter of AV before I am strangled… yes. Thank you to everyone who supported this fic or gave me constructive criticism! I really appreciate it, especially to Surrarin, who has gotten me off my ass and bacfk typing many times. Thank you all! It's been an amazing journey; this is Aerin Jadestar, signing off.

Aerin