| The Last Goodbye By Stacey Forbes |
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| Author's Note: Hey everybody! I was just messing around on my p.c. and I thought I'd have a go at writing a HP story. It's the first time I've tried so if you like my story and would like me to write on, please email me at: hermioney2k1@harrypotterpost.zzn.com Thanks! Yours sincerely, Stacey Forbes (world's biggest HP fan!) P.S. Please excuse any spelling mistakes as I'm not the world's best speller! Harry hurried quickly along the second floor corridor, up a flight of stairs and through the tapestry on the third floor and along to the eigth door on the left. He knew what was in there. He had watched Filch clean the office the morning before, and, after a lot of thinking and planning, he had decided what he was going to do. He had promised Ron and Hermione that he wouldn't do it. Hermione had begged him not to put himself in danger and Ron had told him not to be a prat, and that he couldnt' possibly carry out his plan and survive. But they didn't understand like Harry did. He had been thinking about it for four years. He had to do it. Tonight. It had to be tonight. It was essential that he got the date just right. He reached the door. From under his invisability cloak, he took out his wand and the Mauraders Map. He scanned the map. The third floor was deserted, apart from himself. He tapped the door with his wand and muttered; 'Alohamora!', and the door sprang open. He stepped insdie and used his wand to lock the door behind him. 'Lumos!', he muttered, and the store-cupboard was lit with a faint glow. Searching amongst the shelves he soon found what he was looking for. A box was labeled: TIME TURNERS - YEARS. Harry opened the box and pulled out one of the gold hourglass-shaped time turners. It was about six centimeteres long, bigger than the one he and Hermione had used in their third year to rescue Harry's godfather from the clutches of the Dementors. But now Harry must work alone. If Ron and Hermione didn't know what he was doing (Harry thought as he turned the time-turner over fourteen times) then it couldn't hurt them. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him as he was whisked away. Harry didn't know that he wasn't the only one who had been doing a lot of thinking. Hermione had also been thinking about what Harry had told them he was going to do. She had been thinking too, about how, after she and Ron had talked to him and how Harry had promised that he wouldn't do it. But Hermione knew Harry better than that. She understood what was going on in Harry's head. She knew that once Harry decided he was going to do something, there was nothing and nobody that was going to stand in his way. So when Hermione crept into the boys' dormatory and found Harry's bed empty, she knew that he had set off. She quickly woke Ron. "Ron!" she whispered urgently. "Ron -- Harry's gone, he's going to do it!" "W-w-what?" said Ron sleepily. "Harry, he's going to do it, remember, last night?" "What!" said Ron, suddenly wide awake. "Don't be stupid, Harry wouldn't really do that. He might have just been being really missing his parents, I mean look what he went through last year with You-Know-Who. He saw his parents. He's just going through a rough time, he doesn't mean it." "Oh yeah?" said Hermione coldly. "Then I suggest you take a look to your left. I think you'll find that his bed is well and truly Harry-less!" Ron looked. Hermione was quite right, Harry's bed was empty. Ron swore. "We've got to go after him," said Hermione at once. "If he's going to do what he said he was then unless we catch him in time, he'll be killed one way or another. "Right," said Ron, who had gone very white. He pulled on his dressing-gown. "Let's go." Harry hit solid ground again. He was in a small clearing. It was half past seven, June the 17th, 1986. It was still light, and the sun was shining down on the back of Harry's head. He only had a few hours. He had to find the place. He set off through the trees. He seemed to be in a very large forest. He wandered around for a while until he got lost. However, he suddenly had an idea. He took out his wand, laid it flat on his palm and muttered, "point me!" The wand swung around in the oposite direction that Harry had been going in, and he set off again through the dense undergrowth. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione had reached the cupboard. They hadn't met anyone on the way which was lucky as they would need all the time they could get. Hermione opened the door with her wand and they hurried inside. They lit their wands and saw that a box was open. The box said: TIME TURNERS-YEARS. They looked at each other and nodded. Hermione lifted one of the time turners out of the box. She pulled the cahin over both of their heads and turned it over fourteen times. Soon they were speeding through time. They landed in a clearing. "Where's Harry?" said Ron nervously. "I don't know," said Hermione thoughtfully. "He must have gone looking for the cottage. We have to find him." She checked her watch, but it had stopped working. It was a Muggle watch that her father had given her for her twelth birthday. No Muggle watch would withstand time-traveling. "Which way?" said Ron, looking around. "I don't know," said Hermione, looking around too, as if hoping for some sort of sign. Then Ron had an idea. "I know!" he said suddenly, making Hermione jump. "Sorry," he added. "I've just thought of something. Remember last year when you showed Harry that pointing spell when he went into that maze at the Triwizard Cup? Well Harry must have used that spell to find the cottage. All we have to do is use the same spell. He must have used it because he doesn't know the way either." "Brilliant, Ron!" said Hermione, and she took her wand out again, placed it on her hand and muttered, "point us!" This time, the wand point swung to their left, and they set off in the same direction that Harry had ten minutes before. Harry had now been walking for quite a while. But he knew what he must do. He soon came to a clearing. Through the thinner tree branches, he could see a small cluster of cottages. As he got nearer, he wondered how he was going to find the right one. He hurried towards the edge of the clearing and he soon saw what he was looking for. Hidden in the trees, Harry looked on the sight that met him. There was a medium sized cottage, about twenty meters in front of him. It was the most beautiful cottage he had ever seen. The garden was filled with roses and the sun made the flowers give off the smell of spring. The cottage had a thatched roof, and the little kitchen windows had plants in little window boxes. There was decking outside the cottage and in the chairs on the decking sat his mother and father. Alive and well. His mother and father on the last night of their lives. Lily Potter was wearing a beautiful summer dress her red hair flowing gently down her back. James was in his shorts and a T-shirt. Harry's mother was holding her child tight to her, rocking him and singing the three little pigs while baby Harry laughed. They were there. So perfect. A ready made family. Harry's family. Harry felt a strong ache in his chest. His mother and father were so near but so far. He just wanted to run to them and hold them. He had never been embraced by his parents, not that he could remember. He wanted to save them, he wanted to say goodbye, he wanted to tell them to go, that Voldemort was coming, that if they didn't go they would be killed. But how could he? Now he saw his parents so happy he didn't want to ruin it all. But he had missed them for so long. If he didn't, they would die. Now was his chance. He took a step forward, but suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "No, Harry," someone whispered. He looked aroudn at Hermione, staring at his parents, her eyes bright, shining with tears. "Please," she said. Harry stared at her. Ron was standing a little way away looking aprehensive. Harry opened his mouth, closed it again and gulped. Tears fell down his face. "Look at them," said Harry looking over to where his parents were sitting. "They were so happy. Right up until..." he broke off. Then he said, "Why?" Hermione found herself unable to answer, so she just shook her head. "Hermione, I've got to warn them, got to do something." "Harry," Hermione said cautiously. "You know you can't." "Why?" Harry shouted, unable to stop himself, even though his parents were sitting just a few meters away. "What have they ever done to anyone? Who have they ever hurt? Why should Voldemort have the right to do this to people, to hurt people like this? I don't care if he is the most powerful wizard in the world, he can't do this to my mum and dad!" "Harry," said Ron quietly, speaking at last. "I know this is hard for you to take but --" "Don't even try to say you understand, Ron!" Harry yelled, now losing control. "You're not standing here, watching your parents that you've never known, on the last night of their lives! In a few hours, they'll be dead, O.K. How can you know how that feels? You've always wanted to be me, haven't you Ron? Never thought about this though, did you? It's all right for you, having all your family around you, enjoying every bloody minute of it. 'Dad had to do this,' 'mum had to do that.' You haven't the faintest idea how it feels, have you, to have your life wrecked before it's even started. Just shut up, Ron, you know nothing!" Ron had his mouth open in horror. Then he closed his mouth and started forwards, looking deeply hurt. Hermione glanced towards Ron and gave him a look that said, 'he didn't mean it.' Harry couldn't believe what he had said. He didn't know where all that had come from. It hadn't really ever bothered him about his friends having a family. Harry looked sadly at the expression on Ron's face. "Ron," Harry said, in almost a whisper. "Ron, I-I didn't mean....I shouldn't have...it's not your fault, Ron," he said finally. "I'm sorry." Ron stood for a moment not saying anything. Then he said, "it's OK, Harry. It's hard for you right now." He glanced over to where Lily was singing to baby Harry. "But Harry, we don't want you to get hurt. You know you can't change time. Who knows what'll happen if you do. We can't let you do it, Harry. Can't you see that even by just warning your parents, you're killing yourself." "How?" said Harry looking scared now. "Because...because..." Hermione started. "Because your mother died to save you. If you warn your parents to go then he'll just come after them again. And this time your mother might not be there to die. I know it's hard but if you save your parents, there's nothing to protect you. When Voldemort tries to kill you this time, he'll most likely succeed. If you save your parents, Voldemort will still have full power, so when he tries to kill you in the future it'll be much easier for him. Number 1: you haven't got your mother's protection, and number 2: he will have full power. Mix those together and you won't be standing here now." Hermione trailed off. She looked up at him, tearfully, pleading with her eyes for him to see sense. The ache inside Harry's chest felt as if it was killing him. "There has to be a way!" he said finally. "I don't want to hurt you, Hermione," he said, reaching up to touch her cheek. "Or Ron. But you don't understand," he said, even though deep down, he knew that she did. He and Hermione had always been closer to each other than they had to Ron. And although they loved him very much, he didn't quite understand them like they understood each other. There was something between them, a bond that they alone knew was there, something that they didn't need to put into words. It was something that no one else could see. "Please tell me there's a way, Hermione," Harry whispered. He looked at her pleadingly, looking into her eyes for a cure for the pain that was tearing him apart. 'If she understands so much, why is she telling me this?' Harry thought. 'If she loves me why is she hurting me like this?' But then, into his head came other thoughts, answering his question. 'Hermione didn't force you to come here. You came alone. She and Ron begged you not to come. You broke your promise. They wanted to protect you from this pain. Voldemort caused this, but you came here today. Your friends didn't want you to get hurt so stop blaming them.' Hermione, sobbing, shook her head. "There's no way, Harry," she whispered. "I'm sorry." Harry put his arms around her, held her tight and sobbed into her shoulder. He felt he could never let go. "I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "I've put everyone in danger, I've just thought about myself and I've hurt you and Ron." "No!" said Hermione grabbing his arms and shaking him roughly. "Don't you ever think that! When I first met you, I never dreamed you could be such a great wizard. And good God did you prove me wrong. At least one time while I knew you I expected you to break down over your parents. But you've held strong! You're the bravest person I've ever met! You're going to get through this. You've got me and Ron and everyone at Hogwarts around you! We'll all help you, Harry. Now you stop it with all this nonsense. Com on, Harry I know you better than this! Harry Potter never admits he's wrong," she said, smiling slightly. Harry sighed and looked back over to his parents, who were, luckily well out of hearing distance (they had been making a lot of noise). "Ron," he said, glancing back at him. Ron drew back slightly, as if afraid of him. But Harry said, "Ron, I'm really sorry about before. I love your family, you've all been so nice and..." "I told you Harry, it's OK," said Ron. They smiled. "I think it's time to go, Harry," said Hermione quietly. "Just a little longer," Harry said softly, his face still tear streaked. He sat while his friends stood and watched. After a few minutes, he stood up and said, "OK, let's go." They turned. Harry pulled the time turner out of his robes and took one last look at his parents. He knew he would never see them again. Hermione touched his arm gently and he felt braver. He forced himself to throw the thin gold chain over himself and his two best friends. Once again, he turned the time turner over fourteen times. In a mass of color, he was swept away from his parents. A cold breeze swept over the place where they had just been. Baby Harry let out a scream as if he knew what was coming. And then, there was silence. They landed again in the cupboard. Everything was dark. They all lit their wands. "You OK Harry?" Ron asked. "Fine," said Harry, who looked as if he'd been on the world's biggest rollercoaster. He reached up to the box of time turners, to put theirs away. "Come on," said Ron, once Harry had closed the box. "We'll all feel better after a good sleep." They threw the cloak over themselves and made their way slowly back to the Gryffindor tower. They were held up only briefly by Peeves, who tried to drop a chandelier on their heads. When they reached the tower they took off the cloak. Harry stood quite still, staring out of the window. "Are you sure you're OK, Harry?" said Ron again. "Yeah," said Harry. "Listen Ron, why don't you go up, I just want a word with Hermione." Ron looked curiously at the two of them before retreating up the boy's staircase. "Harry?" said Hermione once Ron was out of hearing distance. "Hermione, I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for not giving up on me." "Harry, I would never give up on you," said Hermione softly. "Hermione...I...I...I wanted to tell you that I really...that....oh, this is hard...well...we both know that here's something between us...a...and, oh Hermione, I've never felt this way about anyone before." He finished quickly. "Oh," said Hermione, taken aback. She was so pleased she could have kissed him. "And I'm sorry I broke my promise, I never wanted to hurt the person I love most in the world," he said, looking into her face. "Oh, Harry, I love you too, but really, you could never do anything to hurt me," said Hermione. "Really?"said Harry, quietly, moving closer to her. Hermione nodded. "I suppose that's why I never took any chances before now," he said, "because I never wanted to hurt anyone, especially you." "Harry, you fool," said Hermione, smiling and moving closer to him. "You could never make me stop loving you." "What happened tonight made me realize that," said Harry, putting his arms around her once more. He moved his face closer to her's and kissed her gently on the lips. Hermions wanted to never let go of him, she felt so sorry for him and she loved him so much. 'How can he ever get over what he's been through tonight,' she thought. 'I will.' They broke apart, and Harry felt as if he'd got out of a hot bath into a cold room. "I love you," he said softly into her ear. "I know," she said, "I love you too." "Goodnight," Harry said, making for the boy's staircase. "Night," Hermione whispered, making for the girl's. Once Harry was out of sight she ran up the staircase and threw herself on her bed, so happy she felt she would burst. But then, she suddenly felt guilty. Why shoudl she be so happy, when Harry felt so sad over his parents. 'Today was the first time I've seen him cry,' she realized. 'Life is so unfair,' she thought as she got into bed, 'especially if you're Harry Potter.' THE END |