PROLOGUE

HARRY'S P.O.V

*Flashback*

I stood in the clearing surrounded by three partially transparent ghosts. All familiar faces. James Potter, Lily Potter, and Remus Lupin. I stared in confusion. Where was Sirius Black? Shouldn't he be beside my parents and Remus?

"Where is Sirius?" I asked in a hoarse voice.

"Oh hunny," my mother said as she stepped a little closer. "He is still alive. You will find him at Spinner's End."

"Snape's place?" I choked out in confusion.

"Yes," Remus said sadly, staying where he was.

I stood in silence for a few seconds. I couldn't look any of them in the eyes as a tear ran down my cheek.

"I'm sorry Remus," I whispered.

"It's okay Harry," he whispered back. "It's not your fault. I did this to make sure Teddy has a better life."

"I wish I could be here to see him die," I whispered, so quietly, but nonetheless they all heard me. "I've done so much for everyone, yet I won't get to see the bane of my existence brought down."

"You never know my dear," Lily said as she came to stand directly in front of me. "We will be right here beside you."

"I believe in you son," my father finally spoke up, tears running down his face. He came and stood beside Lily. "You make me so proud. Make us so proud. Nothing you do will ever stop that. Just keep your head up, breathe and you can achieve anything. You are a Potter after all."

I nodded my head, a determined look set on my face. I looked at each of them slowly. A smile spreading as I wiped away my tears.

"Look after my boy," Remus whispered from where he stood.

"Please stay with me," I said to the three ghosts in front of me.

"Always Harry, darling," my mother whispered back.

"We have never left you," James whispered with a wink as he wiped his tears. "Go get him."

I gave them one last smile before I dropped the third Deathly Hallows into my pocket for safe keeping. They faded away and I walked on – with renewed courage now. I heard voices over the hill and walked a bit faster, ready to face whatever came my way. I was no longer afraid. It was my destiny after all. Planned from before I was even born. When I got there, Voldemort turned to face me with an evil grin on his face.

"Harry Potter," he said softly but with venom laced through his voice. He raised his wand and took a few steps forward. "The Boy-Who-Lived," Voldemort raised his voice, arm fully outstretched and pointing at my heart. "Come to die."

We were staring into each other's eyes – green met red.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort shouted into the silent midnight air.

As a green beam of light was seemingly coming towards me in slow motion, out of the corner of my eye I saw a Death Eater point his wand at me and whispered something. I saw a small invisible blast come out of the tip of his wand before I knew it too, was slowly coming towards me. I screamed in pain as both of the curses hit me simultaneously. Then there was an excruciating pain going through my forehead, chest and left leg. Then the blackness consumed me as I fell towards the leaf covered ground, my hearing slowly fading.

*ANOTHER FLASHBACK*

After I saw Dumbledore in my head, I knew I wasn't dead. I had survived. Once again I lived up to the name 'The Boy Who Lived'. As I slowly faded back into semi-consciousness, I realised I was still on the ground. But so was Voldemort. After he got to his feet, he demanded someone check me over. Luckily Narcissa came forward. She felt my rapid heartbeat, lent down and asked in the quietest whisper if Draco was still alive. After telling her yes, she lied to Voldemort that I was indeed dead.

As I was being carried by Hagrid, I came up with a plan to stay as still as possible until the right moment. I could somehow still feel that not all the Horcruxes had been dealt with. That must only mean one thing... Hermione and Ron failed at killing Nagini. Damn them. If they had just done it, then maybe I could have sprung my surprise attack on Voldemort sooner. Maybe even prevent any more deaths from happening while he was no where near Hogwarts. But luck never overly seems to be on my side, right?

What I was expecting to do was somehow kill Nagini and then kill him. What I wasn't expecting was for Neville to pull out the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and destroying the last Horcrux. As soon as I felt a wave of peacefulness wash over me, I knew it was time. I made my move. I duelled with the Dark Lord and with every last ounce of energy and will I struggled to try and win.

The words of my father, mother, and Remus playing through my mind in the last moments before I won. I needed to do it for them. For Teddy. For everyone who lost someone because of this battle. For my friends. And most importantly, I needed to do it for myself.

I pushed all my energy through my wand with a scream, determination within the fire of my eyes. I felt it disarm the Elder Wand before Voldemort's Killing curse rebounded and hit him. I watched in satisfaction as all life drained from his eyes. His wide eyes stared into mine as I caught the Elder Wand.

I couldn't move anymore. My mind, my body, everything hurt. I collapsed on to my side as silence engulfed the area. No one truly knew how to act. Do they celebrate for the win? But what about the injured and the dead? Confliction ran through them as half clapped and the rest solemnly looked around at the true aftermath of damage and loss.

No one came near me as the rest of the Death Eaters were either arrested or killed. I lay on the ground by myself for hours as the injured were collected for treatment and the dead bodies lain in lines waiting to be identified. I was waiting for Hermione or Ron to come up to me. To give me a comforting hug. To celebrate for our hard work. But they didn't come. No one did.

I finally had the energy to push myself off the hard, cold stone floor. I stumbled towards the Great Hall, standing in the destroyed, half-crumbled doorway just watching the sombre mass of people huddling with their families and friends. I let a tear fall as I observed the large number of bodies on the floor. I started to walk along the isle of bodies, taking time too appreciate each person no longer with them and thank them for their contribution. I saw familiar faces, well known faces and unrecognisable faces.

I had just finished looking at the very last person when I heard some loud sobbing to my right. I looked up to find a bunch of red heads and a fuzzy haired girl hugging in a circle. I started to take a step towards them when a tightening in my chest and a voice in the back of my head told me not to. I cast a notice-me-not charm before taking a few quiet steps towards the group.

I looked closer and identified the voice to belong to Ginny Weasley. I frowned as I continued to listen.

"If only we hadn't taken those damn payments from the old man," Mrs. Weasley sobbed this time, shaking her head. "Maybe Fred would still be alive."

"I wish I could say to his face how much of a fucking wit he is," another sad voice said, Ron Weasley. "All the money in the world can't bring back my brother. He think he is so high and mighty, privileged little brat. He won't understand."

I frowned as I hid behind a broken table, taking away the charm as I hugged my knees to my chest. I continued to listen in on the conversation between the Weasley Clan and Hermione. I still didn't know who they were talking about. At first it sounded like Voldemort but as soon as payment was mentioned, that through me off.

"I want to break off our friendship," Hermione said, trying to stay calm and collected but her voice wavered a little. "I only stayed his friend because I was being payed. If I had never accepted the deal, I would still have my parents. It's only because I was his associate that put them at risk."

"I bet the lazy shit is still laying on the ground outside," Ron breathed out in anger. "Probably welling in his own self-pity while the rest of us pick up the destruction he helped make. I just want to smack some sense in to him."

"Ron, as much as I would appreciate you smacking some sense in to Harry, I don't think the rest of the Wizarding World would. I think they would hate you for damaging their precious little hero," Ginny hissed with disgust in her voice.

I gasped so quietly, even I could barely hear it. A tear ran down my face as the words truly registered. Me? They were being paid to be my friends? They wanted to stop being friends? I felt the tightness in my chest become more suffocating. I knew I couldn't handle listening to much more.

"Do you think now that the war has stopped, so will the payments?" Hermione asked, a quiver in her voice.

"That's what Dumbledore said," Mrs. Weasley said in between sobs.

"At least I have enough money to comfortably live on my own for a year or two," Hermione continued. "I can't believe how well it worked out. We've been getting his money without him knowing."

I couldn't handle it. Dumbledore had something to do with all this. And by the sounds of it he was paying them with my own money! There's just absolutely no way this could be happening. All I ever knew in life is a lie. I no longer have an adoptive family, best friends, anything.

I closed my eyes and used the last of my magic to push through the wards of Hogwarts to apparate away. I opened my eyes and I was sitting on the ground of my almost empty room at Privet Drive.