Rating: T, just to be safe for a tiny bit of course language.
Summary: The morning after the last battle, with flashbacks of the night before.
Title: Blood Red Sunrise
Author: Ashley Graham
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Blood Red Sunrise
-CHAPTER FOUR-
Harry walked with slow, deliberate steps towards his former school. Three agonizing months had passed since the final battle. It was now October 31st, but the grand feast that usually celebrated Halloween would be quite different this time around.
His past three months had went by very slow, it had taken a while for him to recover from all of his injuries, he had still been in great pain when he had attended the start of many funerals. Yet he still felt no closure as the coffins began their decent into the ground.
Today he would speak about the lives lost during Voldemorts reign; today he might get some closure at last.
Hogwarts still did not look the same as it did during his stay there. True, the castle looked magnificent again, the grounds were sweeping green, and the lake was still. There were no bodies strewn on the grounds, no blood, no screams or yells.
But there was a graveyard, a fairly large one at that. Marble stones, each carved with the name of the deceased, the tallest one stood in the centre; the grave of Albus Dumbledore.
Harry shook his head as he moved past the graveyard; he would pay his respects after his speech. Not far from here, was a large group of people, they all sat quite silent, waiting for him to step onto the stage.
The Order, Ministry officials, former students, both from the DA and not, plus all of the current students and teachers sat before him as he walked up the steps slowly.
Ron and Hermione sat with the remaining Weasley's, Charlie never made it past St. Mungo's, his injuries had been too much for him.
Not a single face wore a smile, but looked at him solemnly, waiting for him to speak.
"When I first started at Hogwarts many years ago, I never expected what I got. I knew almost instantly that magic was much harder then waving a wand and saying a few funny words," Harry began slowly, his voice building with confidence, "I was happier here than I had ever been, Hogwarts was my home, my sanctuary. Oddly enough, Tom Marvalo Riddle felt the exact same way. Tom feared love and death, which in the end, lead to his ultimate destruction. Voldemort had been born a human, an innocent baby just like all of us."
Some people shuddered at the name, but Harry continued to speak.
"Tom never experienced the feeling of love, his mother died at his birth and his father abandoned him. It was an emotion he did not understand. Whatever he could not understand, he feared. A wise man once told me that we all have a choice. The choice to decide between what it right and what is easy. Tom chose the easy path, and adopted his new name as Lord Voldemort. For you see, love was not something that Tom could learn with ease, he already had the brains to learn complicated spells, and he had had the experience when it came to hurting people, going as far back to when he was a small child. Tom felt indestructible when he held someone's life in his hands."
"You may wonder why I'm telling you this. The answer is simple; you always have a choice, no matter what the situation may be. If I had of chosen the easy path, Voldemort would still be alive, and I would be in hiding. Just remember, when choosing between what is right and what is easy, follow your heart. Voldemort took the easy path, and it ended in his soulless death, I chose the hard one, the one which I knew was right, and I killed him, even though I knew I would suffer the losses of the many people I loved."
Many people nodded their heads in silent agreement, and Ginny was looking at the emerald eyed boy with pride and love.
"Every single one of us here knew someone who died during Voldemorts second rising. There is not a soul in this room who has not felt the pain of loss, and that is where we are all connected as one. With the help of each other, we can overcome these sad times and move on with our lives just as our loved ones would have wanted us to. I am only nineteen years old, and I have lost my parents, my godfather, my mentor, and two members of a family that I am related to by everything but blood and name. Yet I still keep going, I still keep fighting, and I will assist in finding those dark wizards and witches whom escaped that final night. I will not do this because I am the 'Chosen One', or the Boy-Who-Lived, I will do it because I choose to."
And with that, Harry Potter stepped down from the podium, gave Ginny a light kiss on the cheek, and walked back to the graveyard, Hermione and Ron in his wake. Behind them they could hear McGonagall giving a speech about those lost on Hogwarts soil, starting with Dumbledore.
Upon reaching the graveyard, they walked up to Dumbledore's grave, and saw a man with blonde sleeked hair standing there, staring at the inscription.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Born 1850 Died 2005
Powerful and Most Dedicated Wizard Ever To Walk Earth
You Shall Never Truly Leave This School - For There Will Always Be One Person Who Remains Loyal To You
Rest in Peace
The man turned and looked at the trio. "I never thought it would end this way." He said softly.
"I don't think any of us did." Hermione spoke, clutching Ron's hand.
"I never wanted him to die, you know. I always let on that I hated him, but I didn't…I respected him from a distance," Draco muttered, "When he begged for his life, I didn't know what to think anymore. Then Snape…he just, disappeared after we left Hogwarts that night, I never saw him again."
Harry traced the phoenix that was carved into the marble and replied quietly, "I saw him during my travels for the Horcruxes, before I could kill him, he explained everything…"
"You killed him you bastard! You killed the only man who gave a damn about you! Rot in fucking HELL Snape!" Harry roared, raising his wand at his former teacher, who stood with his wand at his side.
Snape did not flinch but replied savagely, "I did what I had to do."
"He pleaded with you to spare him!" Harry continued mutinously.
"Do you really think that he would beg for his life Potter?! You are so naïve! That potion he drank was poison, a slow poison through which he would suffer a long, slow, and painful death! He wanted me to kill him!"
"LIAR!" Harry roared.
"You can believe whatever you wish, but I will take the truth to the grave." Snape growled.
Harry bit his tongue as he thought this new bit of information over. One part was telling him that Snape was a dirty liar, but the other part was reminding him what he had thought all along. Dumbledore had never shown any fear towards death in all the time he had known him, and Voldemort would have been wicked enough to slowly kill someone, instead of finishing them off quickly.
"Why did you run then? Why didn't you tell people what really happened?" He asked quietly, lowering his wand slightly.
"Look what happened to Black when Pettigrew set him up! You yourself chased me all the way out of Hogwarts, trying to hurt me as much as possible! I would have been murdered before I had a chance to explain my story to anybody. I got Draco out of there, took him to his mother, and went into hiding. Voldemort has tried endlessly to find me. In fact, you're the first person that has managed to do so. Congratulations Potter, you are no longer a dunderhead. Fifty points to Gryffindor."
"I never was one. After you left I received top potion marks, Hermione was the only one who beat me out last June for top NEWTS." Harry replied tensely, still trying to decide what he should do here.
Snape threw his wand on the ground. "Kill me; I have lived with his blood on my hands for too long." His voice was very low and his black eyes were glittering.
It was then that Harry made his decision. He walked forwards and picked up the wand. Looking straight at the man he had loathed for seven years, he handed it back to him. "I want you to disappear forever. I want you to live with the fact that you sold out my parents; my mother, who was the only one who stood up for you. I want you to live with the fact that you killed the man who gave you a second chance, and a new life. Goodbye, professor."
"Kill him Harry; help rid us of lies, suffering and deceit." With that Snape apparated without another word.
"I never saw him again." Harry finished.
"Do you think he was really innocent?" Hermione asked.
"Honestly I don't know, but he said the curse, and used the wand. That's good enough for me." Harry replied slowly.
"I'm sorry for all the shit I put you three through. Ron, your mum is actually nice; she brought me food when I was in St. Mungo's and she isn't dumpy, Hermione I'm sorry for all the stuff I called you, I've changed my ways," Draco began awkwardly before turning to Harry. "Thanks for giving me a second chance, you are a good man." He clapped his hand on the black haired mans shoulder, nodded at Ron and Hermione and left without a word. The trio watched until his back had disappeared from sight, beyond the entrance gates.
Harry looked up briefly at the red streaked sky before turning to his two best friends. He had never felt more close to them, ever. He cracked the first smile he had worn in ages, and pulled the two of them into a group hug. They broke apart and looked at each other intently.
"Thanks for never leaving my side, even when I tried to make you." Harry said.
"We made the choice to stick with you when we were eleven years old, we'll always be here, no matter what happens." Ron said firmly, Hermione nodded in silent agreement.
Harry's green eyes sparkled like they had years ago, when he was an innocent boy. Maybe something good came out of all of this, he thought as he left the cemetery, both Hermione and Ron by his side.
Fin
08/25/05
Well there you have it! I went through and edited most of this just for you guys. :)