The Last Day On Earth
June 24, 2027
Sitting in a runic circle was a man, quietly praying to any god for help. He had already lost hope of surviving the silent curse but was still trying. You see, several decades ago, the man was a hero. When he was 17, he saved his world from a dark force that destroyed everything. However, the world had turned their backs on the man. He had served his purpose. They didn't need him anymore. Despite this, the man had done all he could to help rebuild. He gave every last galleon he owned and pushed himself to exhaustion. The world took and took but never gave.
Down the hall, a grandfather clock started to chime. The man sighed and gave up. He begins to stand, groaning in pain from his joints. With a flick of his wrist, the candles surrounding the circle flickered out, and the light on the ceiling glowed brightly. Shaking his head, he walks out of the room, only slightly catching a glimpse of his dark, unruly hair, and dull green eyes in a dirty mirror on the wall. The man knew it was useless, the praying. No one was coming and there was no running, not from Death. He had already cheated Death twice, there was no 'third time's a charm' for him. Not him, never him.
When he first noticed a problem was a week after the war had ended. He was constantly tired. It was like everything was shutting down. But he ignored it, there was still so much left to do. He couldn't give up yet. That was until he passed out at work. He woke up a month later in a hospital bed at St. Mungo's due to exhaustion. He soon discovered he had been pushing himself on a destroyed magical core. His core had blocks on it since 1981 and they were never removed like they were supposed to be. Of course, he knew why they were never removed, he was hidden in the muggle world following the death of his parents. However, the healers at St. Mungo's said that there wasn't any way of reversing the damage caused due to the age of the blocks. The man has been forcing magic for 20 years. The healers recommended going to Gringotts to get the blocks removed. However, he couldn’t. The goblins that run the bank would never help him. They no longer trust him after he broke in and stole a goblet and dragon from them. Due to his so-called friends who were with him and helping him, saying that it was his fault. Even after he had paid for the damages, helping the goblins find the dragon he had lost, and rebuilding the ceiling and floors he had the dragon crash through, Harry wasn’t allowed past the front desk in the lobby due to this distrust. He completely understood their reasoning and didn’t try to fight it. He tended to be an idiot but he wasn’t stupid enough to piss off the already mad goblins. So he was stuck. He ended up working at a desk for the rest of his career to not push his already strained core.
As he walked down the halls of the cold townhouse he had inherited from his godfather, he could see glimpses of the past. The twin laughter after a prank was pulled, the banshee-like screams to try to get the pranks to stop, the barking laugh from his godfather who was just enjoying the chaos around him. Oh, to go back to when he was 15. To see his godfather smile again and properly live with him. To see the twins together at 17 popping magically in and out of rooms just to annoy their mother. To see his favorite werewolf shaking his head in faux disappointment. But now the house is deadly quiet, not even the portraits talk anymore, always in mourning. Like they knew what was to come of the last Lord Black. Going to his bedroom, he quickly changes into his work clothes. Pretending like everything was alright. He was going to go to Diagon Alley to see his best friend like he does every day. Then he was going to work at the Ministry as a sad paper pusher, and after lunch, he was done. If he was going to die, it was going to be on his terms. Just like it should have been in the Forbidden Forest.
With a deep breath and a flash of green, the man was now in the Leaky Cauldron. Nodding at the barkeep, he makes his way to the magical brick wall in the alley behind the building. With a few taps on the stones, it opens to show Diagon Alley. After all these years, the alley has lost its charm. Remembering his first time truly seeing magic here, it seemed to glow to him. But after years of nearly dying at the hand of a dark lord, the glow slowly dimmed. Sighing, he slowly walks to the end of the alley to an orange and purple building. Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. All of a sudden, a tall man with bright red hair jumps out of the front door.
“Harry!” The redhead yells out, “What a surprise seeing you here!”
Harry takes in the red-headed joker in front of him. He could see the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth from decades of laughter, but there was a hint of sadness that remained since he was 20, when he lost his twin. On the left side of the tall man’s head, Harry can see the remnants of his missing ear that a Death Eater cut off.
“George, George, George. I am always here. You know that.” Harry was always here. He didn’t have anywhere else to go.
“I know. So, what is on the docket for today,” George asks the same question every day.
“The usual. Hoping for two hours, giving up, getting dressed to come see you, then I’m off to work,” Harry responded sadly, “Nothing new, ever.”
“Harry…” George starts.
“George. I am dying. You know this. I know this. Why get my hopes up by changing my schedule if it won’t pay off,” Harry finishes, knowing he is lying. He is changing his schedule today. After lunch, there won’t be a tomorrow.
“Harry, you don’t know how long you have. It could be tomorrow or it could be two years from now. Don’t give up, I know I haven’t,” George rushes out, pleading. Sadly, Harry was afraid that he already lost hope. “Come see me during your lunch, please. I… I… I can’t lose another brother. Please?”
“I will. I promise,” Harry whispers, knowing the truth. George lets out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you!” George smiles. Then he checks his watch, “Shit, I got to open up and you got to go work. Remember, lunch here. Have fun and I love you, Harry. Always.”
“I will remember and I love you too. Have fun!” Harry says as he starts walking away.
He makes his way back to Leaky to use the Floo. With a shout and a flash, he was now in the Atrium of the Ministry Of Magic. Keeping his head low, he enters the elevator. Pressing a button, the elevator starts moving to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He used to be an Auror before his accident, but now all he did was do the paperwork and help set up missions. Sighing as he sat at his desk. Even though this was his last day on Earth, he wasn’t going to screw over his coworkers. After a few deep breaths, he begins.
After being in this chair for hours, Harry’s body was aching. The past 30 years have taken a toll on his body. Despite not being in the field anymore, being stuck in an office was killing him faster. Deciding to take his lunch now, Harry packed up his stuff and left his office. He had almost made it to the Floo station, but he was stopped.
“Harry! Hey, Harry!” A voice shouted out. Harry recognized the voice and wanted to avoid it. So he started to walk faster, but due to the ache in his body, there wasn’t much additional speed. “Harry! I’m trying to talk to you!”
Harry continued to walk to the Floo station and he made it. Thank the gods. Harry turns around to leave and watches Hermione, an old friend, trying to get to him.
“Harry James Po…!” Hermione yells at him one more time before getting cut off by the familiar green flash.
With a sigh of relief, he goes to the wall. Walking down the stone path, he sees George walking towards him. Harry smiles, seeing the man who was a brother to him, seeing him for the last time.
“Hey Harry,” George smiles at him, “How was work so far?”
“Fine. It was the normal kind of boring. My body aches but other than that it was fine. Oh! Hermione tried to talk to me. What she wanted, I don’t know, I didn’t stop to listen to her,” Harry answered softly.
Harry and Hermione were very close when they were in Hogwarts. Trauma bonding was probably the reason for their closeness but after the war, Hermione betrayed Harry. Hermione and the younger Weasleys were working with Dumbledore, using Harry as a tool to end the war. Using his money and trust for their gain. Because of this, he cut ties with them and locked them out of his vault and house. Hell, he even replaced the Fidelius charm on number 12 Grimmauld Place when the war ended so no one knew where he lived.
“Still trying to get on your good side even 30 years later, I’m guessing,” George theorized. Then chuckled, “Mum is trying to get me to convince you to come over for dinner. I said I would try. But I think we both know that wouldn’t happen.”
“Yeah. Not going to happen. She is still pissed that I didn’t want to date Ginny. I don’t think she realized that I would rather date Charlie than Ginny,” Harry laughs.
“Charlie?!?! What about me? Am I not pretty enough for you Harry?” George asked quickly. Harry laughs. George smiled at the fact he made Harry genuinely laugh. He had rarely heard Harry laugh like that since the war.
“Oh course you’re pretty enough Georgie. It’s just that you’re a joker while Charlie is a hot dragon trainer,” Harry jokes to his best friend, “I do love you, Georgie. I Promise.”
“I love you too Harry,” George says back then sighs, “I’m losing you today, aren't I? You agreed to meet me as a goodbye. Right?”
“Yeah,” Harry answered truthfully, knowing it would hurt him more if he had lied, “I am. I…I…I’m not getting any better. If anything, I’m getting worse. I can’t keep doing this. Honestly, I was going to come see you during my lunch anyway, but since you asked, I thought it would make you feel better. I love you so much, you’re my brother and my best friend, and I know that you can’t lose another brother but I can’t hold on anymore. You know I never feared death, but I hate waiting for it. How did you figure it out?”
“I just had a feeling that something was up. You looked like you were just going through the motions. Don’t forget that I have known you since you were 11. I know when you are angry, sad, happy, and recently you have just seemed numb. Done with everything. I love you Harry and I know you. I thank you for giving me the chance to say goodbye, but I don’t know if I can let you go,” George says tearfully. Harry could feel his eyes start to sting. He hated hurting people, especially George. George was never the same since the war, losing Fred. Harry knew he was practically killing George.
“I’m sorry,” Harry whispers, tears falling down his face, “I’m so sorry.”
“I know. Trust me Harry, I know,” George says. Sadly, the alarm that George had set on his wand had gone off. It was time to truly say goodbye. For good, George sighed, got up, and walked up and hugged Harry. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
“I know. I love you too. I’m sorry,” Harry says to George, silently crying. “Goodbye, my brother.”
“Goodbye, my little brother,” George whispers, crying as well.
Unwillingly, the two men let go of each other, fully knowing what was coming next. Frowning, Harry waves at George before walking away. Turning around, pushing his shoulders back, and keeping his head held high, he taps the brick wall.
‘Goodbye Diagon Alley,’ Harry thought. And makes his way to the Floo.
The elevators in the Ministry were rather quick, as they always were. But to Harry, time seemed to slow down. Everything moved at a snail’s pace, even the conversations surrounding him had felt drawn out. Eventually, the doors open up at level nine, The Department of Mysteries. Harry hasn’t been in this part of the Ministry since Harry’s fifth year. He was determined to save his godfather so he didn’t stop to think that it might be a trap. Even though he wasn’t the one who threw the spell at him, Harry was the reason he was there. Harry still blames himself for his death every day.
Even now, the door in front of him scared him because of all the lives he had put at risk with his stupidity. Opening the door and stepping through, he was ready. The moment the door had closed, the room started spinning. After the first time he was here, he learned that you had to focus on the room you wanted, kind of like the Room of Requirement.
‘The Death Chamber. The Death Chamber. The Death Chamber.’ Harry repeated in his head. Slowly, the door he was looking for stopped in front of him. He released a breath he didn’t know he was holding and walked to the door. With a silent prayer to any god listening, he entered the room. Even now, the voices echoing from the archway were calling for him to come closer, and unlike last time, he listened. Slowly approaching the Veil with a smile.
“I’m ready to die,” he whispers to himself, mirroring what he had said when he made his way through the Forbidden Forest to face Voldemort. And with that, he fell through. Everything had faded to black as Death took him.
A bright light surrounds Harry. He was confused, was this the afterlife? Suddenly, a loud bang was heard right next to his ear. The light faded as Harry jumped. Harry had to squint because he wasn’t wearing his glasses. Wait, glasses? Harry hadn’t worn glasses since he was 20. He looked around him to try to figure out where he was. Dust falls as a thumping above him gets louder. He notices a familiar door. His cupboard? Was he 11 again? Shit.