DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Potterverse, and I do not own the song used in
this songfic, which is "Fly to the Angels" by Slaughter.
A/N: I rewrote the end of HBP in order to make my story work. Also, the mature rating is more for the later chapters of the story.
Harry and Ginny stood together atop the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower, where they
quietly enjoyed the warm night and relished finally spending time alone together, even if it did involve slipping under Harry's Invisibility Cloak and sneaking out of the Gryffindor Common Room after hours!
"Wow, what a beautiful night," Ginny sighed as she rested her head on Harry's shoulder, making his heart flutter with elation.
Harry lovingly wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and inhaled a breath of fresh air. The sky was like a black velvet cloak, lavishly adorned with diamonds, enfolding the Hogwarts grounds in balmy twilight. The short stony walls and floor of the Astronomy Tower gleamed magically in the light of the full moon, as did Ginny's long red hair, which took on a silvery appearance. Ginny's charming face seemed to radiate its own light, taking Harry's breath away.
"Harry, I can't believe you were able to find all of the horcuxes before your seventh year." Ginny's tone was relaxed and casual as she looked up at the stars and enjoyed the gentle breeze that blew a stray hair off her face.
Ginny's comment brought Harry back to reality with a sickening thud. Although it was true that he'd found and destroyed the horcruxes, he still had to face the biggest challenge of all: vanquishing the Dark Lord himself. He was well aware that Voldemort and his Death Eaters could strike anytime, anywhere…and there was no guarantee that Harry would come out of this war alive. He glanced over at Ginny. She was so young and so beautiful, and it just didn't seem right for her to be tied down to someone who may not live to see tomorrow.
"Uh, Ginny?"
"Yes, Harry?" Her smile faltered as she looked up into those beautiful but sad green eyes. She knew something was bothering him.
Harry stared at his shoes for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Gin, you know how I feel about you, right?"
"Yeah," Ginny replied hesitantly.
"And you know I would do anything--anything--to keep you safe…"
Ginny's brow furrowed. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like what Harry was about to say. "Harry, what are you getting at?" she asked in a shaky voice.
Harry took her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. If Ginny hadn't been staring at the floor, she would've seen the tears in his eyes. "Ginny, these are dark times. Voldemort has killed just about everybody I've ever cared about. I need to know that you're going to stay out of harm's way…I can't bear the thought of losing you."
"But Harry--"
Harry placed a finger over her lips to silence her, then whispered, "Promise me."
Ginny sighed. She wanted to be with Harry regardless of where he was or whom he was fighting. She wanted to support him and protect him, and she'd be damned if she was going leave Harry's side--especially when he needed her the most.
When Harry looked at her expectantly, she knew it would be pointless to argue with him. Sighing, she muttered, "I promise," as she crossed her fingers behind her back.
Harry tenderly brushed a stray hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You know, Ginny, there's a chance that I might not survive this war." The tears in Ginny's eyes mirrored his own. He took a deep breath and continued, "If I die, I don't want you to mourn for me…I want you to live life to its fullest. Smile. Laugh...love."
Now the tears fell freely down Ginny's cheeks. "Harry, please don't--"
"--if I die, Gin, I want you to find someone who makes you happy. I want you to love again!" The urgency in Harry's voice was alarming, as was the desperate look in his eyes.
Ginny sobbed openly and shook her head.
Harry cupped his hand under her chin and tilted her face up so that she was looking him in the eyes again. "Promise me, Gin."
Before she could answer, Harry saw the Dark Mark appear in the distant sky above Hogsmeade. Ginny turned to see what Harry was staring at, then looked worriedly back at Harry. He didn't have time to think. After grabbing his Invisibility Cloak, he threw it swiftly over himself and Ginny.
"Come on, Gin. We have to get out of here!" He hurried Ginny back to Gryffindor Tower, where he gave her a quick good-bye kiss and said, "Gin, I want you to stay here with Ron and Hermione. I need to go get Dumbledore!"
Ginny gave the Fat Lady the password, then climbed through the portrait hole, feeling the twisting anxiety inside of her gut. Luckily Ron and Hermione, who were snogging on the couch, were the only students in the Common Room, as it was very late at night by this time. When they heard Ginny's footsteps they broke apart quickly, both blushing beet red.
Ron eyed Ginny suspiciously and said, "Hey--what are you doing out at this time of the night?"
Ginny frantically replied, "Never mind that! Harry and I saw the Dark Mark appear over Hogsmeade!"
Draco Malfoy laid on a hard, uncomfortable cot in St. Mungo's, weak and in a tremendous amount of pain, watching as his mother sat by his bed dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. He tried to speak to her, but found that he was too weak to even do so much as whisper.
Over the course of the past few days, Draco's mum had watched his health steadily decline before her very eyes. The worse Draco's condition became, the more bitter and resentful she felt towards Voldemort and especially his father, who was locked away in Azkaban. After all, if it weren't for Lucius Malfoy, Draco never would've become a Death Eater. If not for him, Draco would still be at Hogwarts and in perfect health.
Draco closed his eyes wearily and remembered how his father had bullied him into joining Voldemort's inner circle; recalled the immense fear and hesitation he felt when Voldemort had ordered him to kill Professor Dumbledore. Draco simply couldn't bring himself to commit the murder. As Draco had feared, the Dark Lord was outraged at Draco's inability to complete the task; so outraged, in fact, that he decided to kill Draco--not with the Killing Curse, but with something much worse: Puter Pectus. Puter Pectus was an irreversible curse that would cause the victim's heart to gradually decay, resulting in a very slow and painful death. The Healer had said that Draco's life could only be saved by magically Apparating the healthy heart of a fresh corpse into Draco's body, thus replacing the decayed heart, before it was too late. Draco's mother spent every waking moment by his side, hoping to Merlin that Draco would have a second chance at life, but he was now very close to death, and there were still no heart donors. Draco wondered how much longer he'd have to live in pain when he heard the Healer enter the room.
"Excuse me--Mrs. Malfoy?"
His mum's voice shook as she replied, "Yes, Mr. O'Neill?"
"We found a new heart for your son." He gestured toward the empty cot next to Draco, where a fresh corpse materialized. Draco couldn't see who was lying under the bed sheet, but it appeared to be a female body. The Healer placed a Sleeping Charm on Draco before beginning the magical heart transplant, and Draco left his own physical body. He looked down at what the Dark Lord had done to him, and he suddenly found himself in Hogsmeade, where he saw a bloody war in progress. He saw Harry Potter and Voldemort in the distance, and felt the ardent desire to get back at Voldemort for nearly killing him. The Dark Lord aimed his wand at Potter and started to shout "Avada Kedavra," but before he could finish the Killing Curse, Draco pointed his wand at Voldemort's back and yelled, "Petrificus Totalis!"
The Dark Lord froze and fell to the ground. Potter gaped at Draco for a moment, then thrust his wand at the Dark Lord's face and screamed, "Avada Kedavra!"
Just as the blinding green light from Harry's wand killed Voldemort, Draco heard a distant voice uttering "Intro Pectus Novus," and felt a strange pulling sensation in the pit of his stomach, as if he was being sucked backwards.
He quickly returned to his physical body with a surprised gasp for air. He opened his eyes and looked up at his mum and the Healer in amazement. He felt healthy and strong again. The pain was gone!
Narcissa Malfoy embraced the Healer, crying tears of joy and profusely thanking him for saving her son's life. Then she hugged Draco with more love and affection than she had ever shown him his entire life as she sobbed, "Oh thank Merlin! Thank Merlin! My little dragon is well again!"
When his mum and the Healer had their backs turned again, Draco quietly got out of bed. He had to see the face of the person whose heart now kept him alive. He turned to the sheet-covered corpse and gingerly pulled back the sheet…
Harry Potter stared down at the headstone that marked Ginny Weasley's final resting place. After Ginny's heart was donated to a St. Mungo's patient who needed it, the Weasleys had chosen to lay her to rest in the woods just at the edge of their property, as she had always loved walking and playing there. An aching lump formed in his throat as his eyes stung with the tears he attempted to hold back. He couldn't believe that the only girl he'd ever loved was gone. Never again would he get to see her beautiful smile, or hear her laugh…or even tell her that he loved her.
Pictures of you
They're still on my mind
You had the smile
That could light up the world
Now it rains
It seems the sun never shines
So much had happened in the past few months; the war was now over, Harry had vanquished Voldemort, and his Death Eaters were officially a thing of the past. The recent events were all over The Daily Prophet, which declared Harry a hero. Harry had received tons of fan mail from many witches and wizards singing his praises and begging to hear his side of the story. However, none of this meant a damn thing to Harry. He didn't want the praise and glory; he just wanted his girlfriend back.
Now that the threat of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters was gone, Harry no longer needed to stay with the Dursleys. The Weasleys invited him to spend the summer with them, and what a sombre holiday it was. The Burrow--once so full of laughter and light-hearted banter--was heavily laden with grief and sorrow. Mrs. Weasley cried constantly and everyone was careful not to get in her way, lest she snap at them for no apparent reason. Mr. Weasley buried himself in his work, often spending long hours at the Department of Mysteries as if trying to keep his mind off what happened to Ginny. Ron and his brothers became unusually reclusive and sullen, not even wanting to play Quidditch or Exploding Snap. Harry didn't dare let himself cry in front of the Weasleys; he needed to be strong for them. It was during these daily visits to Ginny's grave when he would allow himself the luxury of openly expressing his grief.
This was a dismal, gloomy day--then again, all days seemed like this. The once-picturesque countryside seemed colorless and bland compared to before…before it happened. The ominously dark storm clouds above him rumbled threateningly, but Harry ignored their warning and allowed the unseasonably chilly August air to whip at his hair and face. He crouched down next to the
headstone and gently ran his fingers along the edge of the stone as if he were tenderly caressing Ginny's cheek. The stone was cold and rough to the touch. His fingers trembled as he closed his eyes and the painful memories of that fateful night replayed themselves in his mind.
The final battle against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters turned everybody's favorite Wizarding village into a bloody battlefield that night. The members of the Order were doing everything in their power to defeat the Death Eaters, but the war proved to be physically and magically taxing for them.
As Harry fought for his life, he wondered if he would live to see tomorrow. Suddenly, Harry heard a loud crack then someone yelling, "Don't take him, take me!"
Harry turned and saw that it was Ginny who had just Apparated and now stood by his side, wand in hand and ready to fight. He felt He felt angry at Ginny for not staying out of danger, and fearful that something might happen to her. "Damn it Ginny! What are you doing here?"
"I can't let you die, Harry!" She replied defiantly and stepped in front of him to face the Dark Lord.
"Stupid, stupid girl," Voldemort cackled evilly.
Frantic to get Ginny out of the way of danger, Harry pushed her away. "Go, Ginny! Get out of here now!"
Right then, Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"
Ginny, who stubbornly refused to leave Harry's side, knocked Harry to the ground so that the blinding green light took her life instead.
Harry looked over at Ginny's lifeless body and felt as though his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Just as he reached out for her body, it vanished before his eyes. This confused him.
Why the hell was her body gone? The Dark Lord took advantage of Harry's temporarily distracted state and pointed his wand at Harry, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Now let's finish this once and for all, Harry Potter. I'm sure your mum and dad will be delighted to see you again. Avada--"
"Petrificus Totalis!" A voice cried from behind the Dark Lord.
Voldemort froze in place then fell to the ground. When Voldemort's immobile body fell, Harry was shocked to see that the caster of the Charm was none other than Draco Malfoy, who for some odd reason was as transparent as Nearly Headless Nick. This perplexed Harry. He'd heard that Malfoy was in St. Mungo's after the Dark Lord tried to kill him. Had Malfoy died? Why was the spirit of his archenemy suddenly trying to help him? There wasn't time to ask questions at this point. Harry pointed his wand menacingly at Voldemort's ugly, snakelike face and felt all of his pent up anger and hate surface as he yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" The blinding green light ended the Dark Lord's life once and for all. Malfoy had disappeared so quickly, that Harry wondered if he had only imagined it…
"Harry?" A female voice spoke gently from behind him. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
Harry turned, half expecting to see Ginny standing before him--which was silly because he needed to accept that she was…he didn't even want to think the word; it was too painful. He reluctantly stood up and turned to face Hermione, who was hugging herself for warmth. Her eyes were red and swollen from mourning the passing of her dear friend, and she had telltale circles
under her eyes from getting very little sleep.
You know it hurts me
Way deep inside
When I turn and look
And find that you're not there
I try to convince myself
That the pain, the pain
It's still not gone
"I'm sorry, Harry, but it's time to go to the train station."
Harry stared silently at Ginny's headstone for a moment, trying not to cry, then finally nodded and followed Hermione back to The Burrow. Why did Ginny have to push me out of the way? Harry thought miserably, It's not fair, damn it!
The new term proved to be very unnerving for Harry, who just wanted to be left alone. Blatant stares and whispers followed him wherever he went, and some of the more courageous students even ventured to ask him to recount how he conquered the Dark Lord. This pissed him off; didn't anybody care that the kindest, most beautiful creature on the planet was gone?
I'll drive down During those first two weeks, Harry couldn't eat or sleep, and even with Hermione pushing him to study and do his homework, he still had trouble concentrating. Everywhere he looked he saw something that reminded him of Ginny: the Quidditch field, the lake where they had experienced their first snog session, the Gryffindor Common Room. He soon came to the realization that he didn't want to live in a world that didn't have Ginny in it.
This lonely lonely road
Ooh I got this feelin'
Girl, I gotta let you go
'Cause now you've got to fly
Fly to the angels
Heavens awaits your heart
And flowers bloom in your name
You've got to fly
Fly to the angels
All the stars in the night
Shine in your name
He found the boys' lavatory completely and conveniently empty one evening, and decided to take matters into his own hands. Harry stood facing the mirrors, his reflected face red and tear-stained with dark circles under his once vibrant green eyes. With jagged breath he drew his wand from the inside pocket of his robes. I can't go on like this , Harry thought to himself. I should be the one six feet under, not Ginny.
I got this feelin'
I can't let you go With a quiet determination, Harry looked down at his wand, then back at his own reflection. He knew what he had to do. He couldn't bring back the dead, but he could join them. Yes, death would most definitely be preferable to life; after all, most of the people he loved were there on the Other Side.
"I'm coming, Ginny," he whispered between sobs. "We're going to be together again--and this time, nothing will be able to keep us apart."
A/N: Special thanks to my betas, JessiRose and busybusybeta.