Breaking Ties
The Great Hall at Hogwarts was filled with the sounds of clinking plates and chatter. Despite the tensions and the aftermath of the war, the students had slowly returned to their routines. But Harry Potter barely noticed. He sat at the end of the long Gryffindor table, staring down at his plate, his mind elsewhere. Next to him, Ron was laughing, shoving spoonfuls of mashed potatoes into his mouth, as if nothing in the world had changed.
"Mate, you've barely touched your food," Ron said, looking at Harry with a raised brow. "You alright?"
Harry's fingers twitched toward the Elder Wand hidden under his robes. Ron's carefree attitude was irritating, a stark reminder of just how blind his old friend was to what was really going on. How could Ron sit there, laughing, when the world was still falling apart?
"I'm fine," Harry muttered, his jaw clenched. His mind was elsewhere, thinking about his conversation with Luna the night before. The path ahead was clear now, but there were obstacles—obstacles he would have to deal with.
Hermione, sitting across from them, glanced up from her stack of books. "You've been distracted for weeks, Harry. I've noticed it too. Is something going on?"
Harry didn't answer right away. He knew what was coming. Hermione had always been perceptive, and it wouldn't take much for her to start digging into his plans. But that was exactly the problem—Hermione would never understand what he was trying to do. She was too stuck in her ways, too obsessed with rules and laws.
"You wouldn't get it," Harry finally said, his tone clipped.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, and Hermione set her book down. "Try me. We're your friends, Harry. We've been through everything together."
"Friends?" Harry echoed, a bitter laugh escaping him. "Is that what we are? Friends who constantly second-guess me? Friends who have no idea what the real problem is?"
Ron frowned, his mouth still half-full of food. "What are you on about, mate?"
Harry slammed his hand down on the table, silencing the chatter around them. Heads turned in their direction, but Harry didn't care. His eyes were cold, glaring at the two people who had been by his side for years, but now felt like strangers.
"The world's falling apart, and you two sit here like nothing's wrong!" Harry hissed, his voice low but filled with fury. "We fought a war, and what did we win? Nothing. The Ministry is still corrupt. Blood prejudice is still alive and well. Muggles are still at each other's throats. And what are you doing about it?"
Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "Harry, that's not fair. We're rebuilding. It takes time—"
"Time?" Harry cut her off, his voice rising. "We don't have time, Hermione! You think a few new laws are going to change anything? The system is broken, and you're too blind to see it!"
Ron stood up, his face red with confusion and frustration. "What's gotten into you, Harry? We won! We're supposed to be fixing things, not tearing into each other!"
Harry's hands clenched into fists under the table. He could feel the magic surging through him, the Elder Wand almost humming with power. "You don't get it, do you? You've never understood. You think we won because Voldemort's gone? The real fight is still ahead of us. And if you're not willing to see that, then you're part of the problem."
Hermione looked like she was about to say something, but Harry's cold stare stopped her. She had always been the one to reason things out, the one to argue for diplomacy, but that time was over. The world didn't need more compromises—it needed a leader who wasn't afraid to make the hard choices.
"You're talking about control, Harry," Hermione said, her voice shaking slightly. "That's not who you are. We fought for freedom, for a world where people could make their own choices—"
"They can't make the right choices," Harry snapped. "They never do. That's why the world keeps falling apart. It's weak, and it needs someone strong enough to fix it."
Ron blinked, his confusion turning to anger. "So what, you think you're the one to fix it? You want to run everything yourself, like some bloody king?"
"Not a king," Harry said, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Something more. Something greater."
The words hung in the air like a storm cloud. Hermione looked horrified, her hands trembling as she clutched her books to her chest. "Harry, you sound like Voldemort."
At that, Harry laughed—a cold, bitter laugh that echoed through the hall. "No, Hermione. Voldemort wanted power for himself, to control people through fear. I'm not talking about fear. I'm talking about real order. The kind of order that will finally stop the chaos."
Ron shook his head, his face pale with disbelief. "You've lost it, mate. You've completely lost it."
But Harry didn't care what Ron thought anymore. Ron had always been short-sighted, content with whatever small comforts life threw his way. He would never understand the bigger picture. Harry could feel the power surging through him, the Elder Wand whispering in his mind, telling him that this was the only way.
"I don't need your approval," Harry said coldly. "If you can't see what needs to be done, then you're in the way."
Hermione's voice broke as she pleaded, "Harry, please—this isn't you. You're better than this."
Harry stood up, his decision final. "I'm not the same boy you knew. I've grown beyond that. And if you're not with me, then stay out of my way."
The hall was silent as Harry turned and strode out, leaving Ron and Hermione frozen in shock. As he passed through the great doors of the castle, he felt a strange sense of relief. The ties that had once bound him to his past were unraveling, and he could see the path forward with perfect clarity.
Outside, Luna was waiting for him, her eyes soft but full of understanding. She gave him a gentle smile. "You did what needed to be done, Harry."
"They'll never understand," Harry said quietly, glancing back toward the castle.
"No, they won't," Luna agreed. "But that's why you're going to lead. The Crumple-Horned Snorkacks never stay with the herd. They go their own way."
Harry looked at her, feeling the weight of his decision, but also a sense of freedom he hadn't felt in years. Ron and Hermione had been his friends, but they were stuck in the past, clinging to ideals that no longer mattered. The world needed a new order, and if they couldn't accept that, then they weren't part of the future.
"They're in the way, Luna," Harry said, his voice cold and sure. "And nothing will stand in my way now."
Luna nodded, her expression serene. "Nothing at all."