Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or any of the other characters or places mentioned. No money is being made off of this nor is there any intent on infringement. I am just playing in the world that J.K. Rowling created. Likewise I do not own “Wind Beneath My Wings” and do respect goes to whoever first penned the lyrics.

 

 

Harry stood by the stone marker in the graveyard. It had started raining, but he didn’t notice. Everyone else had left, however, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away yet. He just couldn’t believe that he had to say good-bye. He didn’t want to say good-bye.

 

“I’m sure you wouldn’t have wanted anything too elaborate, so I hope you liked the service. I hope that wherever you are you can still see us. They asked me to speak during it, but I just didn’t think I could. But I wanted to give you something, well, read you something actually. I don’t know if you’ll know this, it’s a Muggle song that I found. But it sounded like you so I wanted to share it.

 

It must have been cold there in my shadow,

To never have sunlight on your face.

You were content to let me shine.

You always walked the step behind.

 

It was the middle of the night  when all the noise started. Many of the students were still awake, too excited to sleep their last night at Hogwarts. All the Gryffindor seventh years and many of the sixth years were still in the Common Room. At first they thought it was just thunder; after all, the sky had been overcast all day. But when the floor, indeed the whole tower, began to shake beneath their feet they knew something was not right. Grabbing their wands they ran down to the entrance hall to see what was happening.

 

So I was the one with all the glory,

While you were the one with all the strength.

A beautiful face without a name,

A beautiful smile to hide the pain.

 

By the time they got out the front doors the fighting was already at a high pitch. The echoes of war were all around them. There were flashes of light of all colors in the sky, some of them hitting their target, some going off course. There were so many people around sometimes it was hard to tell if you were aiming for friend or foe. The grounds of Hogwarts looked so strange littered with bodies. Part of the castle lay in ruins and another part was smoldering from a fire.

 

Did you ever know that you’re my hero?

And everything I would like to be?

I can fly higher than an eagle,

’Cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

 

They stood with their backs to the castle with some of the members from the Order. Though they were missing Dumbledore, he had gone out into the battle. Prior to leaving he had given orders that Harry was to stay guarded, not so closely that he couldn’t help fight, but they didn’t need him to be captured or hit. Before they knew it they were surrounded by a group of black-robed figures. All of a sudden Harry fell to his knees with a hand over his forehead; the sound of cold mirthless laughter came at them from the center of the advancing line.

 

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,

But I’ve got it all here in my heart.

I want you to know I know the truth,

I would be nothing without you.

 

Harry managed to struggle back to his feet, he was determined to stand and fight like a man. Everyone around him knew of the Prophecy even if they didn’t know what it said, so they moved to the sides so that Harry and Voldemort were facing each other. Harry knew what he had to do and was ready. Dumbledore had given him a spell equally as powerful as the Killing Curse, but older; it didn’t require the use of Dark magic. The two of them faced off in the space created by the others.

 

“Are you here to play some more, Harry Potter?”

 

“No. I never had any intention of humoring you. I am here to finish what you started.”

 

“Then let us end this.”

 

Harry had been ready and before Voldemort could raise his wand Harry got his spell out. “Eternus Relegare.” He felt something brush against his feet as he cast the spell but managed to stand strong. His spell hit its mark and Voldemort seemed to shrink and vanish before their very eyes.

 

The Death Eaters were in a panic and started to flee, but the Order members and Aurors caught them easily. Harry looked down to see what had hit him and went white. Lying on the ground with eyes staring at nothing was Harry’s best friend, Ron Weasley. Sitting next to him was Hermione Granger, though she was more lying on him crying and trying to revive him. Ginny was also sitting on the ground cradling Ron’s head in her lap with tears running down her face.

 

Harry sank to the ground, too numb to do anything else. Neville came over to him and, even though Harry looked unresponsive, attempted to tell him what happened.  “One of the Death Eaters cast Avada Kedavra just as you stepped forward. Ron jumped over to intercept it. I never thought he’d do something like that.”

 

All around them the battle was coming to an end, but they were unaware of it. No one had come over to them not yet fully realizing what had happened. The four of them sat there numb to everything else that was happening until Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw that it was Dumbledore.

 

The rest of the Weasleys had gathered around now, though not as many as there should have been. They’d lost Charlie during an attack a little over a year ago and Fred when Diagon Alley was besieged seven months ago and the joke shop was caught in a blast.

 

Molly came over and gathered Ginny and Hermione in her arms. Arthur was too shocked to do anything so Bill conjured a stretcher and levitated Ron onto it. They all filed into the castle, all except Harry. He remained on the ground where he was, not even aware that they had all left him. Still too shocked to grieve, he just sat there.

 

“He did what he thought was right,” Dumbledore said from behind him. “He knew that you were the one who had to finish it, Harry. Go ahead and cry, mourn his death. You don’t have to be ashamed. He did it because he loved you, do not blame yourself.”

 

Did you ever know that you’re my hero?

And everything I would like to be?

I can fly higher than an eagle,

’Cause you are the wind beneath my wings.”

 

By the time he got done reading, tears ran unchecked down Harry’s face. He only knew he was crying because he could no longer read what was written on the stone. He had memorized the words written on the parchment so it didn’t matter that they had started to bleed and run from the rain and his tears.

 

“Why, Ron? Why did you do it? My spell had been cast, he would have been gone. You didn’t have to make the sacrifice. Your family has suffered enough, you should still be here. You should be the one standing in the rain; I should be in the ground. Why did you do it? You were my best friend! What will I do without you here? I may have been the one it was all about, but without you, I never would have gotten as far as I did. Why did you do it?”

 

Harry was yelling, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t like there was anyone around to hear him, at least not the person he wanted to hear him. Harry stood in the rain just staring at the stone that was the only testimony to Ron’s deeds. He wasn’t aware of how long he stood there or that it was almost dark out until a voice spoke behind him.

 

“He did it out of love, Harry. He knew you had suffered so much already and wanted you to have a chance to live. He knew what it was like to be surrounded and supported by those you love and he wanted you to have that. It is all right to feel angry and upset, and if it helps, yell all you want.

 

“You are welcome to remain here as long as you like. Molly and Arthur are expecting you at some point though, when you are ready. They do not blame you, Harry, and neither does Hermione. You will find that you need them as much as they need you; don’t shut them out the way you did after Sirius died. You need to mourn, but you also need to keep living. Remember, it was his choice and he did it for you.”

 

Harry heard the pop of Disapparation behind him and knew that Dumbledore had gone to the Burrow to be with the others. It was almost fully dark now but still he couldn’t tear himself away from the stone.

 

“Good-bye, Ron. Say hello to Sirius for me? And Charlie and Fred? We all miss you so much. You were the best friend I ever had, did I ever tell you that? Probably not. I’m glad you joined me on the train that first year. You didn’t act like everyone else when they first met me. For that I was always grateful.

 

“Dumbledore said I could stay here, but your Mum is probably worried about me. I wish you were still here. It won’t be as much fun to play for the Cannons without you cheering in the stands. Did I ever tell you that’s what I’m going to do? I’m tired of fighting and being a hero, I’m going to do what everyone wants me to. I’m going to have fun doing what I enjoy. I miss you Ron, I wish you didn’t have to go.”

 

With tears still flowing down his face, Harry Apparated out of the graveyard.

 

 

 

 

Author’s Note: Thank you to Lady Narcissa, my wonderful beta who always makes my stories flow better and stay in the proper tense. This story is in no way a reflection on what I believe will happen, it is just something I thought up one day while listening to the song. Hope you enjoyed it.