In a Place of Acceptance
Harry walks through the forbidden forest slowly. Each step takes him closer to what he now knows is inevitable. The ghosts of his family surround him as he looks at the trees around him. He had never gotten the opportunity to truly appreciate how beautiful the forest was in all the times he’d been there. He can see the clearing ahead of him, but he’s still hidden in the shadows. He stops walking forward, still far enough away that all he can hear is the wind through the leaves around him. He squeezes the resurrection stone harder in his hand, digging the points into his palm. A tendril of blue mist reaches out, forming a hand as it cups his own gently.
“Honey, there is no shame in self-preservation.” The ghost of Lily whispers on the breeze. “You can survive and find another way.” She begs him. Harry can only assume it is painful to watch her only son walk calmly to his death.
“I’m so tired, mom.” He sighs. “Too many have already died for me.” He glances at Remus and Sirius who have not let go of each other since they appeared with his parents. They smiled sadly at him but shook their heads gently.
“Pup, we died protecting the people we love. Protecting you. We made our choices, you have nothing to repay us for.” Sirius explained gently. Everyone around him nods along with sad smiles on their faces. “The only regret I have is that I was only able to watch you grow up from behind the veil,” James adds. The tears that had been gathering in Harry’s eyes finally spill over.
“I wish things had been different,” Harry whispers. The people around him all smile sadly and nod in agreement, before sweeping forward and enveloping him in a group hug. Despite expecting them to be cold, everywhere they touched him lit up like he was standing under the sun. He felt himself relax and smile into the hug, tears rolling steadily down his face. “I love you guys. I miss you all so much.” He chokes out.
“We love you so much, pup,” Sirius whispers.
“I'm sorry we missed so much, baby. We love you with our entire beings.” Lily says, kissing his forehead.
“I’m so proud of you and how much you’ve grown.” Remus squeezes his arms as he says it. Smile alight on his face.
“I could not have asked for a better son. I love you so much.” James ruffles his hair, a smile taking over his whole face.
Feeling better knowing that he wasn’t alone, Harry takes a deep breath. His loved ones release him and make a space for him to walk toward the clearing. Head held high he breaks the tree line and looks around.
There are several groups of death eaters scattered around the clearing. Draco’s parents are directly opposite him in the clearing. Lucius spots him before anyone else. Without taking his eyes off Harry, he discreetly places his hand on his wife’s arm, and she glances up at him. She follows his line of sight and lets out a small gasp upon seeing Harry and his ghostly escorts.
Swallowing heavily, Harry sees James nod and smile out of the corner of his eye. With a heavy heart, Harry tosses the resurrection stone backward into the trees, careful not to move his arm too much. He watches as one by one, his family flickers in and out of focus before disappearing. Remus, as the last to die, is the last to disappear. He smiles as he fades away.
Harry is left feeling cold and alone, standing surrounded by only his enemies.
“Well, Potter. It seems you made a wise choice tonight.” Voldemort steps forward from where he had been practically hidden in the dusk light. Harry only stares at him with unfeeling eyes. “Nothing to say on death's door, child?” Voldemort hisses, pulling out his wand.
“Only that I wish none of us had been made to suffer, Tom.” Harry projects across the clearing. His level and monotone voice serves to unsettle the gathered adults. “I didn’t ask for this, Tom. Why did you give me this burden to bear.” As he speaks Harry moves forward into the clearing.
Lucius tried to imagine his own son in this boy’s position. But he couldn’t do it. There was something so broken within Harry Potter that he wasn’t even comparable to children his age. The set of his shoulders and the tilt of his head, was too reminiscent of his own stance when facing opposition in the Wizengamont. No 17-year-old boy should have had to perfect the mask that Potter now wore.
“You bear only the burden the light has placed on you. Look around you. The only child baring the war here is you.” Voldemort spread his hand gesturing to those gathered around.
“No.” Harry started speaking before Voldemort finished. “The children you have dragged into this are mourning their friends in the castle. They are crying over the bodies of their parents and siblings. They are sifting through the rubble you created, searching for people unaccounted for.” With each sentence, his voice grew louder, anger tinting each word. The wind whistles louder with every passing second. “I stand here bearing this burden because you’ve dragged it down onto every single person I love and care about. Onto every child and adult that exists in Wizarding Britain.” Harry’s arms are now gesturing wildly. His hair whipping around him.
All at once the wind stops. Branches on the trees are frozen mid-swing, dust suspended where it hung in the air. Everything stands still as Harry takes a deep calming breath. On his exhale, things began to move on their normal paths again. He seems to collapse in on himself, taking on a defeated posture, shoulders slumped and head bowed.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Harry says, once again monotone. “Do what you want with me. Just let this end.” In one motion Harry lets his wand slide from its holster and into his waiting hand and lifts his arm straight out in front of him. He opens his fingers as a spell is fired from the snake man’s wand.
Harry watches as green lightning arcs across the clearing towards him. He had never thought about why his scar was lightning shaped until now. He muses that it's poetic that the spell that took everything from him is finally going to take him too.
His wand hits the ground at such an angle that it snaps in two. The two halves bounced back into the air.
He feels the air tingle as the spell approaches him. He closes his eyes against the green light.
As the two halves of the broken wand hit the ground again, bouncing back up, the body of its master goes flying back towards the tree line.
As the wand finally settles on the ground, Harry Potter’s body rolls to a stop at the base of a tree. Vacant, unseeing eyes stare up into the sky as cheers ring from the gathered death eaters.
Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy look at each other silently, both of them wondering how it all came down to killing a boy the same age as their own son.