The Goodbye.
The chill of winter was a constant presence at Hogwarts, but it was a cold that Harry welcomed as he stepped outside, the icy air biting against his skin. It was a different kind of cold, one that felt familiar and comforting. The castle seemed to whisper in the distance, its towering structure holding secrets of its own—secrets Harry didn’t need to uncover right now. His thoughts, however, were far away. He was leaving Hogwarts, and for once, he felt like he was doing the right thing.
He had said his goodbyes already, or at least, the ones that mattered.
“Harry, you don’t have to do this,” Draco had said, his voice steady but his eyes betraying a hint of concern. They stood alone on the edge of the Slytherin common room, away from the others. Draco’s gaze flickered to the darkened corridor leading out to the grounds, the place Harry was going, the place that seemed to pull at him like a magnetic force.
“I do,” Harry replied, his tone distant, detached as always. The coldness was a shield—one he wore proudly now. “I need to. I can’t stay here, Draco. Not anymore.”
Draco studied him for a long moment, but instead of pushing, he simply nodded, his voice softer now. “You’ll find what you're looking for. You always do.”
Pansy and Blaise were quieter. Pansy had given him a quick, awkward hug, her face flushed but sincere. Blaise had just clapped him on the back with a force that almost knocked him off balance, the closest thing to affection that could be expected from him.
Myrtle had cried. As usual, her tears flowed freely, her voice a broken echo as she clung to him in a way that felt more desperate than he had ever seen her.
“Why are you leaving?” Myrtle sobbed, her ghostly face distorted in sorrow. “I… I thought you were different, Harry. I thought you understood me.”
“I do,” Harry whispered, his voice soft despite the ice that encased him. He felt a strange, almost protective tenderness toward Myrtle, as if the two of them shared something deep and unspoken. “I understand more than you know. But this place… it’s not where I belong. Not anymore.”
Her tears slowed, but the sadness remained in her eyes as she whispered, “I’ll miss you.”
Medusa, the Basilisk, had been another quiet moment of solace. The massive serpent had watched Harry approach with knowing eyes, her sinuous body coiling around him with a kind of reverence.
“I’m sorry,” Harry murmured as he crouched down, his fingers gently brushing against her smooth, cool scales. “I wish I could stay with you, but I can’t. It’s not right. I don’t belong here.”
The Basilisk gave a low hiss, almost like a sigh, and Harry took comfort in the sound. He didn’t have to explain himself further; Medusa understood.
Dobby had been waiting by the gates, his ears drooping in quiet sadness. The little house elf had always been one of the few who showed Harry the kind of kindness he never knew he needed.
“Harry Potter sir, I’s not want you to go,” Dobby had said, wringing his hands anxiously. “But Dobby understands… You must follow your heart. It has led you far, Harry Potter sir, and it will guide you still.”
Harry had nodded, his gaze soft as he reached down to pat Dobby’s head gently. “Thank you, Dobby. I’ll never forget what you did for me.”
“Dobby will never forget Harry Potter!” the elf had exclaimed, his eyes shining bright with a mix of pride and sorrow.
Ron, Hermione, Neville, Fred, George, and Luna—all had their moments, their quiet words of concern.
“You sure you don’t want to stay for the holidays, mate?” Ron had asked, his voice filled with an odd mixture of worry and acceptance. “We can always figure things out here. You don’t have to leave.”
“I do,” Harry had said simply, his words firm. “You’ll be fine. I just… I can’t stay here.”
Hermione had just hugged him, tightly, without a word. She understood without him needing to say anything more. Neville had simply smiled at him, the kind of smile that always made Harry feel like maybe there was still some good in the world. Fred and George had, of course, been their usual selves, trying to distract him with a joke or two, but there was a sadness in their eyes that made it clear they knew it was goodbye.
And Luna… Luna had simply looked at him with those dreamy, faraway eyes of hers and said, “I think you’ll find what you’re looking for. The world is bigger than you think, Harry.”
---
The staff tried to stop him. Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and the others had all made their pleas.
“You don’t have to leave, Harry,” Dumbledore had said, his eyes full of wisdom, concern, and something else that Harry couldn’t quite place. “You are always welcome here.”
Snape’s voice had been quieter than usual. “You’re making a mistake,” he had warned, but Harry had seen the vulnerability beneath the harsh exterior, the concern he didn’t know how to express.
“You’re family here,” McGonagall had added, though her stern demeanor cracked with the emotion she didn’t often let slip.
But Harry couldn’t stay. The castle was too much. The people, the expectations, the constant questions—he needed space, he needed to find what had been lost.
“I’m sorry,” he had said, his voice as cold and distant as the world he had built for himself. “I can’t stay. I have to go.”
And so, he left.
The snow crunched beneath his boots as Harry disappeared into the distance, the warmth of the castle and its inhabitants fading behind him. He longed for Teeth—the only one who truly understood him. His heart ached with an emptiness he couldn’t fill, but still, he walked on.
It was time to find his place in the world.