They're all gone. Ron was killed by Yaxley while protecting Hermione. Hermione was wounded by Yaxley, but was killed by Dolohov. Ginny died by the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. Fred and George were killed by some unknown death eater. Mrs. Weasley was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in a duel that took both of their lives. Mr. Weasley was viciously murdered by Lucius Malfoy. They are all gone.

I am left alone again. I don't even remember crying over their dead bodies after the battle. I was numb from the moment I walked back into the great hall after the fight had started. Next thing I knew, I was being lifted and taken out of the great hall by a man. He brought me down to the dungeons, but It didn't bother me. I was still drowning in so much grief, that I couldn't question anything. I was placed on a couch and the man, who brought me down to the dungeons, took a seat on the small table in front of me. Who would that man be other than Professor Snape.

"Harry, you did it. It's all over. Voldemort is a name of the past" Snape whispered to me, trying to comfort me.

"They're all gone, sir." I told him through my tears.

"I know, Harry, and I am sorry." I looked up at him as he put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I could see the bandages on his neck, covering the snake bites that had punctured his flesh.  "You avenged their deaths. Everyone you ever loved, who was killed by Voldemort and his minions, has now been avenged."

"Even Lily?" I questioned.

Snape had given me those memories, unsure if he was going to survive.

"Yes, even Lily. She would be so proud of you, Harry. I have a feeling, however, that this next step could be even harder than the battle we just fought."

"What do you mean?"

"For awhile, people will grieve and they will expect you to be the face of the rebuilding period. They will boast about how you saved the lives that you could by taking on Voldemort willingly. When they stop grieving though, they will turn on you. They will make you pay for all of the deaths that have happened tonight. This will be a rather slow turn in public opinion, but once it starts, there is nothing that we can do to stop it."

I sat in thought, digesting the information that was given to me.

"But I am grieving just as much as they are."

"That might be true, but that isn't going to matter to them. You become the leader ever since Albus died. They will want someone to take blame for the battle.  I know that it sounds scary, Harry, but I will there for anything that you need. I will help you get through this. Right now, I need you to take this potion." Snape said as he dug into his pocket. "It's a dreamless sleep potion."

I took it from his hand and drank it down in one gulp. With the mood I was in, I just wanted to fall asleep and never wake up. The last thing that I thought about was that the idea that Snape was helping me through the next step was comforting.

I woke up in the dungeons alone.

"Professor." I called out. There was no response. "He must be helping Madame Pomfrey with the wounded." I thought.

That was okay because I needed to talk to Dumbledore's portrait. I needed to ask advice on what Snape had said last night. I made my way to Dumble- no, the headmaster's office. I didn't need a password, the eagle had let me pass through. There was Dumbledore asleep in his portrait. I felt bad for waking him up, but I needed to talk to him.

"Professor" I whispered, rousing him from sleep.

"Harry, my brave pupil. You did it. You've rid the world of evil" Dumbledore praised.

"Professor, I have a question. It's about something that Professor Snape told me last night."

"Professor Snape?" He questioned.

"Yes, he told me..." I started, but the office door exploded open.

"Harry, what are you doing up here?"

I almost couldn't believe my eyes. I ran forward, wrapping Ron and Hermione in my arms.

"What's that for mate?" Ron questioned.

"I thought..."Then I stopped speaking.

At first, I wasn't really sure that they were real. Then I touched them. They're real and alive. They weren't alive when I went to sleep, but now they are. I kept my mouth shut, just like I did when I heard the parseltounge, and no one else could during my second year. This would definitely land me in a mental ward at St. Mungo's if anyone ever found out.

"I'm just happy that you're alive." I continued.

"What are you doing up here, Harry?" Hermione questioned.

"I came to ask Dumbledore some advice on something that Snape had told me last night." "What are you talking about?" was the unspoken question on their face. "Why are you staring at me like that?" I questioned.

Harry, Professor Severus Snape died yesterday." Dumbledore's portrait replied.

What? No? He couldn't have? I had spoken to him last night before I went to sleep, that's not possible. "Harry, we watched him die in the shrieking shack. Remember, he was attacked by Nagini." Hermione informed me with a worried tone.

"Oh, did I say Snape? I meant Professor McGonagall. I got my answer though, so let's get back downstairs."

I think I calmed them slightly by playing off that I was confused. When we got down to the great hall, I set out in search of Snape's body. It was fairly to find his body. It was the only body that was covered in all black and not surrounded by people. No, this could not be happening! I was just talking to him less than twelve hours ago. Not only was Snape dead, but Ron and Hermione were alive. Not only were those two alive, so was Ginny and the entire Weasley family. No, I can't be here. I am on the verge of having a mental breakdown.

I stormed out of the Great Hall, not listening to the calls of my name. I headed straight for the boy's dormitory, where I collapsed on my bed and fell asleep.  

When I woke up, I was in my bed at Gryffindor tower. That's how I knew that what I "dreamt" last night was real. I made my way down to the Great Hall in search of Ron and Hermione. When I got in there, I was taken aback by the sight of Professor Snape helping Madame Pomfrey with the wounded. I wanted to run and tell Dumbledore about this, but I knew that I couldn't. If anyone found out about what was happening, I would be taken away by St. Mungo's for mental evaluation. I also wouldn't be able to explain what was happening. So, I would keep this to myself.

I continued like this for a long time. I continued to switch between my two lives. In one life, Snape was alive. In the other life, Snape was dead and all of my friends were alive. As this kept going, it became easier to hide this from others. Funerals for the dead began about two weeks after the final battle and I attended every single one of them. By doing so, I was hoping to stay in the good graces of the public for as long as possible.

There was only one funeral that I didn't want to attend and that was for the Weasley family and Hermione. Just as I had with every other funeral, I spoke at this one. When I had finished speaking, Neville and Luna spoke. Even though they spoke, I heard nothing of what they were saying. I was still wallowing in my grief for their passing.

I didn't have much time to grieve though. They came for me a month later. By that time, I had been so use to my alternating universes that it became second nature. Snape had allowed me to stay with him since the battle ended. This caused one slight change in my alternating universe. I would fall asleep in Snape's house and change worlds, but when I woke up again in Snape's world, I would wake up in the same room that I had fallen asleep in while at Professor Snape's house.

They came for me about a month after the funerals had finished. Just before lunch, we had heard a loud banging on the door. Snape ordered me to stay in the kitchen while he went to check to door. I heard the door open and a man began talking to him.

"You can't do this. He's done nothing wrong!" I heard Snape pleading as footsteps walked toward the back of the house.

We had been expecting this for some time. We've read the Daily Prophet articles. We heard the outrage of the people who had lost loved ones. We expected this to happen.

The men entered the kitchen with Snape following them.

"Harry Potter, you are under arrest." The Auror stated

"What are the charges?" I questioned.

"You are being charged with the murders of three-hundred and forty-six people as a result of the second wizarding war and, more specifically, the battle at Hogwarts."

As the auror explained this to me, I could hear Snape shouting over him.

"Harry, don't say a word! Don't do anything! I will get this sorted out!"

I didn't listen to Snape or anyone in the room. I pulled out my wand and punched the first man closest to me. I was easily overtaken by the other Aurors

"Harry, stop fighting! I will figure this out." Snape called out as they dragged me out of the house.

I was taken to Azkaban, the guards leading me down the halls. The death eaters that had survived and were captured, were plastered to the bars of their cells. They were clapping their hands at my entrance.

"You're no worse than us!" One of them shouted.

"How does it feel to be the villain now!" Another called.

I knew when they took me to my cell that I was screwed. My cell was guarded by three dementors and I had no wand to protect myself. They fed off of me almost instantly. Anyone who ever died for me I watched die again. My parents, dead. Cedric, dead. Sirius, dead. Dumbledore, dead. Hermione, dead. The Weasley family, dead. Moody, dead. Remus and Tonks, dead. Dobby, dead. I watched all of them die again. 

I didn't have to relive anything for long because, at some point, I collapsed to me knees and fell unconscious.

I woke up in the Boy's Dormitory, being shaken awake by Ron.

"The first funerals are starting today." He whispered to me.

"So soon after the battle?" I questioned. It had been two weeks since the war had been won.

"They want to put it all behind them." Was the only answer that Ron could give me.

I got up, showered, and changed into funeral appropriate clothes. Most of the funerals were held today and one of those funerals were for Professor Snape. People didn't really understand why we were burying Snape. "He's a death eater, why should we give him the same rights as those who fought on the good side?" Apparently, McGonagall pushed to have him buried, on account of "Dumbledore's orders."

As I did at all other funerals, I spoke at Snape's. I talked about how he had given his life for the good fight. I know that no one listened to me. They would all rather believe the well fabricated lie than to agree that they were wrong. The funerals had finished that day at twilight. I was pulled aside by Mrs. Weasley when they were finished.

"Harry, come to The Burrow with us." She said.

"No, I don't want to impose."

"Oh, nonsense. Where are you planning on staying anyways?" She questioned.

I really hadn't thought about that answer. As of that morning, I had been staying at Hogwarts. I was no longer allowed to though because they were beginning to repair the castle.

"I was going to stay at Grimmauld Place." I lied.

"Harry, that's no place for a boy of your age to be living right now. Come home with us."

Behind her, I could see Ron giving me a look that said "Don't argue with her. It will be better for everyone if you just agree with her."

"Are you sure?" I inquired.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Harry. Yes, I am sure. You are part of the family now."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Weasley."

I only agreed to go because I really had no place to go. I really wasn't planning on going back to Grimmauld place. I don't think I could handle being there by myself and I had no other options. So I went to the Burrow to stay with the Weasley Family. All of my belongings (which wasn't much) was in the room that I shared with Ron. We both went up to his room after dinner and laid down in our beds. Within seconds, I was asleep.

Snape had come to visit me two days after my arrest in Azkaban. Normally, Azkaban inmates aren't allowed visitors, but since I was going on trial, the Minister allowed it. I was taken to a room where Snape had been waiting patiently. We stayed silent until the door was slammed shut.

"Harry, how are you holding up?" He questioned quickly, grabbing my wrist.

I had only been here for two days, but the dementors were effecting me a lot. I had seen my own reflection in my glasses this morning, so I knew that I looked horrible. There were bags under my eyes, which began to look glazed and crazed.  My cheeks were beginning to sink in. I understood why Professor Snape would be worried.

"I'm alright." I lied.

"It's the dementors, isn't it?" He questioned. All I could do was nod my head in response. "I will talk to the warden before I leave. I'm sorry that this has happened to you."

"Why is this happening to me?" I inquired.

"Well, The Prophet that was released the night you were arrested tells a lot. It talks about how you are a very dark wizard. They argue how are you not a dark wizard when even Albus Dumbledore, himself being one of the most powerful wizards of all time, could not defeat Voldemort."

"I'm not a dark wizard." I argued, interrupting Snape

"I know that. Many other people don't believe that is so. The Prophet also exaggerated the event of your arrest, saying that you attempted to kill many of the Aurors." He continued.

"I wasn't....I didn't attempt...." I sputtered in anger.

"I know. I must ask, though, why did you try to fight them off?"

"I have been fighting my entire life, why should I stop now?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear because that is going to be type of attitude we are going to need for the trial. "

"Why can't the Minister control The Prophet? That's exactly what Fudge did before he was kicked out."

"That's exactly why he can't control the Prophet. Minister Shacklebolt would have had that power, but, once everyone knew what Fudge had been doing, he doesn't. The Prophet pulled away from the Ministry a little. Shacklebolt has no control over it anymore."

"That's rubbish."

"I understand that is rubbish, but I did bring good news. I got your trial moved up to the end of the week. I am working to get people together to prove your innocence."

"Anyone who can vouch for me is dead." I said dejectedly.

"I can vouch for you Harry, but I will do my best to find more people. Don't worry about it." Snape stared at me for a moment. "Harry, what's wrong? You look like you want to say something."

I just sat there, look at him, not really wanting to tell him.

"What is the matter, Potter?" Snape asked again, bringing on that slightly terrifying potions master demeanor.

"You can't tell anyone."

"I won't." He promised.

I took a breath before speaking.

"I think something is wrong with me." I blurted out quickly, like I would stop speaking if I were to speak slowly.

"Are you sick?" Snape questioned, a quizzical look on his face.

"No, at least I don't think so. It's hard to explain, but I'll try. I'm living two different lives."

The quizzical look on Snape's face changed to an expression I have never seen on anyone before. I waited for him to respond, but he motioned for me to go on.

"In one life, I'm with you. In the other life, I'm with everyone who died. It's like I'm switching between lives with dead people. They're dead here and you're dead there."

"How do you change between these lives?" Snape probed, suddenly curious.

"Sleep. I'll fall asleep here, wake up there and vice versa."

"Correct me if I get anything wrong. When you wake up here, I'm alive. When you wake up in the other world, I'm dead? And this all happens when you sleep?"

"It's caused by my sleep, but it's real. "

"I'm not saying that it isn't real, Harry. When did this all start happening?"

"I think it was right after the battle. I'm sure it started when you gave me the dreamless sleep potion in your private room. That's how I knew it wasn't a dream."

"Really, you went there even after ingesting dreamless sleep?"

"Yes."

"Well, that is rather interesting. How are you not getting confused by the two worlds?"

"Easy. I'm not in Azkaban in the other world. I'm staying at the Burrow with the Weasley family."

"Have you told anyone else about this?"

"You are the only one. I almost accidently tipped Ron and Hermione off the first time I switched worlds. In the other world, Dumbledore definitely knows that something is up. I went to talk to him about something that you had said the night before, still thinking I was in the same world. When Ron and Hermione told me that you had died, I acted confused and said that I had spoken to Professor McGonagall, not you. They seemed to take the story."

"How did I die in the other world?"

"You didn't survive Nagini's attack." I stated matter of factly.

Snape subconsciously rubbed at his neck, which bore permanent scars from that attack.

"That's amazing." He commented.

"What, the fact that I am insane?" I questioned.

"By far, the last thing to describe you as is insane. No, it is amazing that the human brain can handle two totally different realities. You right now have no idea whether you are awake at this moment. I will go ahead and look into this for you, Harry. I'm glad that you told me about this."

"What is it like outside these walls?"

"People are anxious. They want to get your trial started because they are afraid that you are a dark wizard. I know that you are not, though and I will prove that. The rebuilding of Hogwarts is going slow, but it has started. They hope to have it open by the beginning of next term, but that doesn't seem like it will happen. The board of governors appointed Professor McGonagall as Headmistress."

"Good for her." I stated.

"She is the first headmistress in the history of the school. As you know, Kingsley Shacklebolt is the new Minister of Magic so he will be overseeing your trial, I believe."

"What are we going to do about this?"

"YOU, are going to do nothing. All I want you to do is to keep fighting. I will arrange everything. It's a good thing that we have a friend with a lot of power in the deciding party. You don't have to worry about anything. I will talk to the warden."

Snape stood up and began walking out of the room.

"Professor." I called.

"Yes, Harry." He questioned.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome." He replied with a nod before leaving the room.

I sat in the room for a little while, then was taken to a new cell. The door was metal, but it was see through. There were no dementors in sight. Snape had done it once again. I wasn't haunted by the faces of my friends for the first time in nights. I fell asleep peacefully.

I woke up at the Burrow feeling great. That feeling quickly changed as the day progressed. My mood had changed because of everyone else's mood. They were all too happy. Of course, they were happy. The Weasley's were probably the only wizarding family not to lose a loved one during the battle. It was almost as if I were the only one grieving for someone.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione questioned in a whisper at dinner.

"Later." I replied softly to her.

When we were finished with dinner, Hermione pulled me into her and Ginny's bedroom. Hermione was staying with the Weasley's as well because she also, technically, didn't have parents around anymore.

"Harry, what's wrong?" She asked again after making the room sound proof. "You've been very recluse. What is going on?"

"I don't know. They're just so happy and it doesn't feel right. I mean, they have a right to be happy because they didn't lose anyone during the battle. I just feel like that I'm the only one grieving here."

"What do you mean?"

"Snape's gone and I feel like I'm the only one who is effected by it."

"Harry, I think you're effected by his passing because he's helped you. He's saved your life more time that you can count. He was also really the last connection to your mother. Professor Lupin may still be alive, but he knew your dad better. No one else has that similarity with Snape as you do. That's why you are hurting, because he was the only person who could tell you about your mother."

I sat there, nodding my head, taking in what she was saying.

"But that's not what is really bothering you, is it?" She questioned.

"If I tell you, I need you to promise that you will keep it a secret."

"Harry, I would never..."

"Promise me." I repeated, cutting her off.

"I promise Harry."

"Okay. My situation is hard to explain, but here's what I have figure out so far. I'm living two different lives. It's controlled by my sleep. In this world, Snape is dead. In the other life, everyone but me in this house is dead and Snape is alive."

Hermione looked at me in pure horror.

"Harry, that's not normal in the slightest."

"You don't think I know that!" I shouted. "Why do you think I haven't told anyone?"

"Harry, I'm not saying it's wrong." She explained, calming me down before asking "What is it like in your other life?"

"I'm in Azkaban, awaiting trial to answer for the deaths that resulted from the battle." Hermione once again looked horrified. "I shouldn't have told you that. I'm sorry." I said as I made a move to leave the room.

"No, Harry." She said, grabbing me by the wrist. I took a seat next to her at her insistence. "It's fine that you told me this. How long has this been happening?"

"Since I killed Voldemort."

"Harry, I think that you should talk to Mr. Weasley. He might know more about this."

"Do you know where he is?" I inquired as I stood up

I wasn't asking because I wanted to talk to Mr. Weasley, I asked because I didn't want to be in that room with Hermione any more.

"I don't know. Mrs. Weasley might know."

"Thanks Hermione." I said before leaving the room.

I went down the stairs, thinking about what had happened. I knew that I had to talk to Mr. Weasley because Hermione would ask about our conversation. I knew that I couldn't lie to her about it, she would see right through it. I took a deep breath before walking into the kitchen.

"Mrs. Weasley." I called.

"Yes, Harry dear." She replied, turning around to face me.

"Do you know where Mr. Weasley is?"

"Arthur is in the garage, dear. Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Thank you." I replied as I walked out of the door.

The cool night air felt good against my face. I stood outside for a few moments, just glad to be alone for once. I was lost in the many stars that filled the sky. This was one of the best things about being at the Burrow. The night sky, the fresh air. For a few minutes, I was a small child lost in the wonder of the night sky.

"Harry, how are you doing?" Mr. Weasley asked as he approached me.

"I'm okay, sir. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

"Why don't we go in the garage, bit warmer in there than standing out here." He directed.

I followed along side Mr. Weasley, talking about Quidditch scores and work as we approached the garage. Once we had entered, he locked the garage door and turned the light on. Then, he led me to the back of the garage where we knew we couldn't be seen or heard. I took a seat across from Mr. Weasley.

"Remember last time we were here. I asked about vanishing cabinets." I commented. "Merlin, that seems like a life time ago."

"It was almost a different life, Harry. So much has changed since then that it is almost unbelievable. What is it that you wish to talk about?"

"I have this friend of mine who is having a problem. It's a strange problem, but I just want to know if I need to worry about him."

"Continue." Mr. Weasley said, nodding his head.

"He came to me and said that he had been living two different lives. He lost someone in the final battle."

"When you say that he is 'living two different lives', do you mean that he is cheating on his girlfriend or something?"

"No, he's not. It's confusing. He doesn't really understand what is going on himself. In one of his lives, he's lost this person who was similar to his protector. In the other life, his protector is alive but all of his friends are dead. He tells me that it is controlled by his sleep. Every time he falls asleep here, he wakes up in the other life. The days don't pass each other either. If it is today here, then it will be the same date in the other life."

"Are these lives the same?"

"No, he has a fairly normal life in this world. In the other, he has managed to land himself in Azkaban. That's about all that he has told me." I finished.

Mr. Weasley sat in silence, attempting to comprehend what I had just told him.

"And how long has this been going on for?" Mr. Weasley finally spoke.

"Since the end of the battle."

I saw Mr. Weasley nod his head.

"Was he fairly close to this 'protector' that died?"

"Not really. They didn't really get along, but the learned that this person had kept him safe and alive."

"How would you say that your friend is reacting to this loss?"

"I don't really understand the question, Mr. Weasley."

"Muggles have this theory. They believe that everybody goes through what they call "the stages of grief". Many wizards know about this but not many people believe that this happens. I; however, am not one of those people. The stages of grief are..."

"Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The five stages of grief." I finished.

Well it seems that going to muggle elementary school helped a little.

"That is right. Where do you think your friend is at right now?"

"He's so confused because he still sees this person in his second life. I don't think I could tell you where he is at."

"That's alright. This isn't a normal thing, so I would expect him to be confused" Mr. Weasley said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

I did the same thing too because the temperature had been dropping steadily for the extent of the conversation.

"It sounds to me that your friend doesn't know if he is awake or asleep all of the time."

"That is the same thing that Snape told me when we met." I thought before tuning back into what Mr. Weasley was saying.

"I do agree that this is peculiar; however, I don't think that this is a serious problem. I do believe that this can turn into a serious problem quickly, though. I would suggest that you keep an eye on him, either through letter or in person."

"Do you know what may be causing it?" I questioned, slightly relieved that this, at the current time, was not problematic.

"I don't know what is causing this. My guess, is that  he is trying to comprehend this death. It may even be compensating for the death by putting him in regular contact with the deceased. If that's the case, then it could possibly be entirely normal but I do not know if that is true." Mr. Weasley explained. "He is at all confused by which life is the real life?"

"Maybe. He seems to think that both of them are real. He can interact with people, they acknowledge his existence, and he can feel pain in both worlds."

All Mr. Weasley could do was to shake his head. He was now at a loss of words.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about, Harry?"

"Yes, thank you for your help, Mr. Weasley."

"You're very welcome. Now, why don't we go back inside before we freeze." He suggested.

We left the garage and I could see my breath in the air as we walked back to the house. When we got back into the warm Burrow, I wished everyone goodnight. I was going to go to bed early because I was tired. At least, that's what I told them. Really, I was curious to see what sort of defense Snape was going to give me at the trial. It was that sense of curiosity that sent me off to sleep.

I was woken up by the sounds of the guards unlocking my cell door. The sun had yet to rise.

"Let's go, Potter." A guard growled and lifted me out of the bed.

I was dragged down the halls and out of the prison. The cold morning air had just barely hit my skin when I felt bands tighten around my chest. I fought to breathe as darkness enveloped me. Then, just as suddenly as it began,  it ended. We were standing in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. There were people who lined the sides of the atrium, so it must have been four or five in the morning. The guard behind me shoved, signaling for me to walk. I obeyed the order, my footsteps making the only noise in the atrium.

The weight of the crowd's stares were almost enough to make me want to collapse. I could feel every eye on me. I got about halfway toward the fountain when the shouting started.

"Murderer!" I could hear someone shout behind me.

"You got my boy killed, Potter!" Someone else shouted off to my left.

"I hope they give you the dementors kiss!" Someone yelled in front of me.

I passed The Prophet stand and read the sign

                                "THE TRIAL OF HARRY POTTER: THE BOY WHO KILLED"

I was forced into the lift as people continued to shout at me. We shot down toward the department of mysteries. A guard blindfolded me and directed me into some room that was unknown to me. I heard the door slam shut, the guard not speaking to me. I sat there for some time. I couldn't really tell you how long I had been sitting there for, but eventually someone walked into the room. He grabbed me forcefully by the arm, lifting me out of the chair.

"Where are we going?" I questioned, my voice giving the slightest quiver of fear.

"It's time for your trial." The man said, as I heard a door squeak shut.

I could feel someone take the blindfold off of me as the first person let go of my arm. When the blindfold was released, I still could not see a thing. It was unnaturally dark. I could feel something lifting me up. Light blinded me as I came out of the darkness. When my eyes adjusted, I looked around, There were bars encompassing my body, but I could easily see through them. I didn't recognize the courtroom that I was in, or did I?

In the back of my mind, I knew I had seen this courtroom before. The only question was where had I seen this courtroom? Of course, this was the courtroom that I saw in Dumbledore's memory during my fourth year. I was being tried in the courtrooms where the original death eater trials of the first wizarding war had taken place. I had been where I had seen Karkaroff that night.

"Sir, I implore you. Allow the boy to be released from this cage. He's obviously scared and he has no way of attacking anyone. He has no wand and his magical core is fairly depleted by stress. We both know that this is going to be a very long day. So please, release the boy." I heard Snape's voice echo through the courtroom.

"Very well then. GUARDS!" someone called.

The cage in front of me swung open. Snape was standing in front of me, holding his hand up.

"Come on, Harry." He whispered. I took his hand and he helped me to a chair. I looked behind him as I sat down to see that Kingsley was not sitting in the head seat. Actually, I didn't see him anywhere among the Wizengamot.

"Where is Kingsley?" I asked Snape.

"The public asked for him to be removed on the account that he knew you and fought alongside you. 'A conflict of interest', they said. They wanted to make sure that your trail wasn't biased."

"NOT BIASED!" I shouted in a whisper. "I'm fairly sure that everyone of them had lost someone in the battle or has hated me at some point." I argued.

"I know." Snape agreed. "That just means that we will have to work harder to convince them. It will just be a harder fight."

"Are there any people who support me anywhere in this courtroom?" I questioned as Snape knelt down in front of me.

"I am. Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Lovegood are here in your defense. The rest of the crowd are people who lost someone in the battle."

"Can we get on with it?" The head of Wizengamot shouted.

"You are the one who would not allow me to meet with him, so you will have to wait until I am done speaking with him." Snape growled before turning back to me.

I had recognized the voice of the man who had spoken to Snape. The last time I had heard that voice, though, he was wailing over his son's dead body.

"Is that Amos Diggory?" I inquired.

"It is. He may be of some help. Kingsley appointed him to lead the Wizengamot as a condition of him stepping back from this trial. Some people are furious at the appointment while more people think its a good decision. Many people don't know that he supported you after Voldemort returned. The people who don't know this fact think that he will take revenge on you for Cedric's death in the tournament. Amos is a man that we can reason with. Now, you will speak only when spoken to. I will lead you through the questioning. Remember, keep that fighting passion alive that we talked about the other day. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor." I responded.

"Good." Then Snape stood up and turned to face the Wizengamot. "We are ready to proceed. What are the charges?" Snape spoke boisterously.

"Harry Potter is charged with the deaths of the 346 people who were killed in the Battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If found guilty, the penalty would be death by dementors kiss." Amos Diggory announced. "How does the accused plead?"

"Not guilty." Snape replied.

"Am I correct in suspecting that you are representing him?"

"Yes. I, Severus Snape, have built a defense for Harry Potter. Which means that I will be deciding what questions can and can't be answered."

I could slowly feel the power being taken away from the Wizengamot by Snape's controlling statement.

"Before you begin your questioning, I have a few opening remarks." He cleared his throat before beginning again. "The Battle at Hogwarts...The climax and ending of the war against Lord Voldemort which led to many deaths. That's why you're all here, isn't it?" Snape asked, turning toward the crowd. "You are here to see someone answer for all the deaths that were caused by the battle. Well, I applaud you because you now have your scapegoat. Harry Potter, the Gryffindor who defeated Voldemort twice. The boy who lost his parents and all of those he loved because of Lord Voldemort and his death eaters. The child who put his life on the line multiple time to help take down Voldemort. The one person who has faced off against Voldemort multiple times, in different versions of himself. Harry Potter has lived to tell the tale, with no marks left on him except for his famous lighting scar."

"Why are we making the hero of the story pay for all of those deaths? But why not stop there? Records show that only 315 people died in that battle, so how is it that he is taking blame for 346 people?" Snape reached down and pulled a piece of parchment out of his cloak. "Cedric Diggory, Amelia Bones, Charity Burbage, Bathilda Bagshot, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, and the list keeps going on with the names of 25 others who have been added to the charges. So are we really making him pay for the battle, or the entire war? To me, it seems like we are making him pay for entire war? Why didn't this happen after the first war? You could have tried Albus Dumbledore for all the deaths and disappearances during the first Wizarding war."

There was a gasp that echoed throughout the courtroom followed by a still silence. The only sound that I could hear was the sound of a quill scratching away on paper and it was enough to make me turn around.  There was Rita Skeeter, scribbling on a pad of parchment with a quick notes quill taking notes in the air next to her head. So it looks like the witch had survived the battle. That would have been one person I would not have missed if they died. I turned back to Snape as he continued.

"See, it just as insane to try Albus Dumbledore as it is to try Harry Potter. It's the same number of people who died or went missing in the first war as in the second war. Why are we trying the boy who defeated Voldemort once and for all, when we did not try Albus Dumbledore almost 20 years prior? It's absurd and I will shot that this boy, who lost 12 loved ones in the battle, is innocent of these outlandish charges that you are trying him for."

With those opening statements, the trial began. For the next couple of hours, Snape and the Wizengamot questioned Neville and Luna. The Wizengamot kept trying to get Neville and Luna to throw blame on me. Neither of the did that though. They kept saying things like "Why should I blame the man who got rid of the darkest wizard in our history?" Or "The deaths would have happened anyways. Why should I blame him for something that would have happened no matter what?"

Snape questioned them about how I had acted during the battle.

"He fought brave. He showed a lot of courage because he had to go to Voldemort willingly and allow the man to attempt to murder him without raising his wand. How do you think he acted during the battle?"

He also questioned them about how I acted during the funerals.

 "He does truly feel for those who have lost loved ones. He himself lost two of his best friends and a family that he felt loved by, even if they weren't his biological family. He knows how it feels to lose someone and he was empathic towards people who survived."

After Luna was questioned, we broke for lunch. Normally, I would be eating by myself but Snape demanded that he be allowed to eat with him. When we got our food, I nearly inhaled my food because I never realized how hungry I was. I waited until Snape was done eating before I spoke to him.

"How do you think it is going?" I asked.

"It's progressing slow, but it is progressing. Amos seems to be on your side, as does Mafalda Hopkirk. I can also see a few of the Gryffindors turning in your favor. I also see people who are dead set against you. They don't want you to see the light of day ever again. Many members came in with an open mind and are still on the fence. I think that after they question me, many of those people will turn in your favor."

"Why? What are you planning?" I questioned.

"All I can tell you is that I am planning to show them a memory. I can't tell you anymore because they need to see your expression. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I think I am going to go crazy with those stupid quills that Skeeter has going."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. I tried to get this to be a press free trial, but they wouldn't allow it. I told them that they would only have one reporter as a compromise. Apparently, they chose their most annoying reporter."

I went to say something but a guard interrupted us. He told us that lunch was over and the trial was going to start again. The second half of the trial was when things got interesting. It was Snape's turned to be questioned, but he first gave his evidence.

"I have evidence to present before I allow you to question me." Snape put his wand to his temple and pulled out a memory strand. "This is a conversation between myself and Albus Dumbledore." He continued as he dropped the strand in the pensive.

This pensive showed the memory in the air, allowing everyone to see and hear what was going on.

"When it comes time for Harry to finish Voldemort, it will be bloody."

"What do you mean?"

"There will be many deaths. Not only just death eaters and members of the order, but also regular civilians and students who decide to fight."

"How many are we talking about, Albus?"

"Hundreds. As of now, the numbers can not be predicted. There is nothing that we can do about it though. A lot of people are going to die, and after the dead have been buried, people will be angry."

"You're tell me that hundreds will die and there is nothing that anyone can do about it?"

"That is correct, Severus."

"As you can obviously see, even Albus Dumbledore knew that hundreds were going to die. It was something inevitable." Snape added as the memory ended.

I was astounded. How had I not known this discussion had taken place? Why didn't Dumbledore tell me about this? The Wizengamot questioned Snape for about half an hour before it was my turn. Before the Wizengamot questioned me, Snape went and examined me.

"Harry, can you please name all of those friends, family, and mentors you lost in the second wizarding war?"

"Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Alastor Moody, Dobby the house elf, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger."

"So that is people that you lost, not including your parents."

"Yes, sir."

"Can you please explain to me how Cedric Diggory died?"

I looked up at Snape like he had gone mad. The look on his face told me to trust him and answer the question.

"Cedric was the first person killed by Voldemort after his return." I replied.

I looked up at Amos Diggory, wanting to apologize for having to dredge up bad memories. I was unable to apologize because Snape kept asking me questions.

"Can you go into more detail about that night?"

"He was killed in a graveyard during the third task of the Triwizard tournament. The triwizard cup was a portkey that transported Cedric and I to the graveyard. When I recognized the graveyard and knew something bad was going to happen, I told Cedric to get back to the portkey. I was too late in recognizing the graveyard. A few seconds after my warning, Voldemort murdered Cedric."

"Can you please explain your relationship with Sirius Black?"

"Sirius was my godfather. He was also my dad's best friend."

"Can you tell me about the crime that he was imprisoned for?"

"He never committed that crime. Peter Pettigrew killed those muggles, chopped off his own finger and turned himself into a rat. Sirius was wrongly accused of the crime."

In my mind, I went back to the Shrieking Shack on that day. I remembered how I felt when I realized that Sirius was innocent. I also remembered attacking Snape on that day.

"How did Sirius Black die? Please, go into as much detail as possible."

"I was fooled into coming into the department of mysteries on the false pretense that Lord Voldemort was torturing Sirius. He had been looking for a prophecy that was created about the two of us and he sent me the vision that Sirius was being tortured for those whereabouts. Six students from Hogwarts, three of whom are here today, along with members of the Order of the Phoenix took part in a duel with Voldemort's death eaters."

Tears were coming to my eyes as I recounted this memory. I could feel that sense of the dread and that sense of blame coming back to me.

"Please continue." Snape nudged.

"Sirius was killed by his deranged death eater cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange." I mumbled as more tears came spilling out of my eyes.

Snape said something to the Wizengamot before kneeling down in front of me.

"Are you alright, Harry?" He questioned while handing me a cloth to wipe my eyes with.

All I could do was nod my head.

"I didn't mean for you to have this emotional of a reaction."

"It's fine, Professor."

"Would you like to continue? If not, I can attempt to get the trial adjourned for the day."

"No, it's fine. Let's keep going." I said, giving the cloth back to Snape.

"Very well, Harry."

Snape stood up and began to question me again.

"Can you please tell me how Albus Dumbledore died?" He questioned me.

I looked up to Snape, my eyes asking if I was to tell the complete truth. His answer was very clear.

"Albus Dumbledore was killed by a death eater on the Astronomy tower at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I did not get a look at this death eater and he is, supposedly, still at large. Dumbledore had petrified me momentarily so that I could do nothing rash. The death eaters didn't know that I was there because I was hidden from sight."

"So a friend, a family member, and a mentor of yours were killed within three years of each other?"

"Correct"

"Do you believe that you could have done anything to save any one of those three lives?"

"At the time, I thought I could have done something to save each person. In hindsight, I realize that I could do no such thing to save anyone of them. All of those people would have died eventually in the war had I been able to save them."

"So you could do nothing to save anyone?"

"Yes."

"During the final battle, how did you save the lives of people who fought on that night?"

"I would not let anyone fight Voldemort. I made a scene about it, causing people to stop fighting and watch us duel. I also went willingly to Voldemort, thinking that he would kill me and there, save lives in the battle."

"Many believe that you could have fought Voldemort sooner, which would cause the battle to never have happened. Do you believe, in hindsight, that you may have had an opportunity to face him any sooner?"

"No. There were things that I needed to learn and certain events that needed to unfold before I could face him. There was no way that I could have possibly faced him sooner."

"You may now question him." Snape gave way to the Wizengamot, stepping next to my chair.

"Harry James Potter." Amos Diggory began.

"Yes, sir."

"Can you please explain to us what you said 'needed to unfold before you could face off against Voldemort'?"

Snape made no protest, so I answered.

"During my sixth year, Dumbledore taught me about Horocruxes. Voldemort had created, what I thought, were six of these. It turns out that he actually made seven of them and I didn't learn that until I was ready to willingly go to Voldemort. Up until the battle, I had been searching for these. We have to thank Neville Longbottom because he was the person who destroyed the final horocrux."

"Can you explain how you acted at the funerals?"

"I acted respectfully. I may not have known the person who died, but  I was empathic toward their surviving family members. I made myself available to anyone who wanted to talk." I explained as I searched the Wizengamot for the person who asked the question.

"He will not be answering that question." Snape interjected.

"I do not think that the question is an outlandish one, Severus." Amos commented.

"He will not be answering that question, or any form of that question." Snape repeated.

"How would you, by fighting Voldemort by yourself, have saved lives when all of the people had died before you fought him?" A women questioned

"He will not be answering." Snape interrupted again.

"No, he says that he saved lives but no one died after Mr. Potter fought him." Someone argued.

"Exactly, had I not done that, the death toll would have been much higher." I shouted over Snape.

"Harry, not another word." He admonished.

"How else did you save lives?!" A member of the Wizengamot shouted.

"He will not be answering that question!" Snape shouted.

Then mass chaos erupted. To being with, Snape had been arguing with the Wizengamot. Soon after the crowd began shouting at me, frustrated that I was not allowed to answer. I could see Amos Diggory attempting to calm the court, but he was not successful. I knew exactly what was going to calm the court down.

"Everyone needs to be quiet right now, so I can explain myself!" I shouted, getting the court to quiet almost immediately

"Harry..." Snape began

"No." I sternly said. "You are going to let me speak." I ordered before turning to address the Wizengamot. "It was war. People die in war because that is what people do. The students and civilians understood that when they decided to fight against Voldemort and his army. There are some people who willingly put their lives on the line to take down Voldemort. Now those people are dead. That's what the order of the phoenix stood fore, fighting for good no matter the personal cost. The people who fought alongside me understood that people would die. They understood that they would die to save the Wizarding world. I did what I needed to do to save the greater wizarding world. I did what I needed to do because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

I quickly shut my mouth when I understood what I had said. I could tell by the now white face of Severus Snape that I had done irreversible damage. I knew by his face that those who were on the fence, and ever some of the few who were on my side, were now against me. I had pretty much told the Wizengamot that the deaths that had happened meant nothing to me because I had saved the wizarding world.

"Does anyone else have anymore questions?" Amos Diggory asked. No one spoke, signaling that they were done. "Very well, any closing statement?" He questioned Snape.

Snape shook out of his surprise and began to speak.

"So...uh, now you have heard all of the evidence." He began weakly. I could see his mind working to get out of this mess that I had placed myself in. I had never seen this man speak so unconfidently. Snape coughed then continued with more confidence. "I beg you to find him not guilty. He's just a boy and he has been put in charge to take care of a child. Yes, that is correct. Remus Lupin and his wife died in the final battle, which means that Harry is now tasked to raise his godson. I beg you to find Harry Potter not guilty so that he can tell his godson how his parents died bravely and heroically for what they believed in. How they died so that Teddy's childhood was better than the one of his parents. If you believe, after all the evidence you have seen, that they boy is guilty, I ask you only one thing..."

What's Snape doing?

"I ask you to lessen his sentence to a life time confinement to the mental ward at St. Mungos on the account that Harry Potter is mentally insane." There was an audible gasp in the courtroom. My own gasp added to the collective gasps. What the bloody hell was Snape doing?

"I am not insane!" I shouted.

"Why do you believe that Mr. Potter is mentally insane?" Amos Diggory asked as many of the people in the courtroom leaned forward.

"You just head the statement that he said "The need of the many outweigh the few" That is an absolutely outrageous statement."

"I think that hardly constitutes someone as being mentally insane." Someone from Wizengamot said.

"Yes, but he is mentally and emotionally unstable. He's suffered so much loss that it has twisted his mind. He's suffered so much loss that his mind has created another world to compensate for it." M

My mind went blank except for one thing, anger.

 "What do you mean another world?"

"He's gone a created another world where those who died, that he loves, has come back to life. He's gone insane and his mind doesn't understand how to handle the grief. He's not suited for a cell in Azkaban. He needs a room in the mental ward of St. Mungos."

Then Snape took a step back, signaling that he was done. I couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Did he really tell them I was insane? Did he really go back on his word to keep my dual worlds a secret?

"All of those in favor of clearing the accused of charges?" Amos Diggory announced.

A few hands went up, including Amos Diggory and Mafalda Hopkirk's. I knew that I was done for. There were not enough hands to set me free. I'm not really sure what happened next. I do remember seeing more hands in favor of finding me guilty, but they had to vote again to determine my punishment. After a few moments, I was asked to stand. No one would remember me now as the person who killed the darkest wizard of all time, they would only see me as the person who was responsible for 346 deaths at the battle of Hogwarts.

"Harry Potter, you have been found guilty of the deaths of the 346 people who died at the battle of Hogwarts. The Wizengamot has made their decision on your punishment. In an overwhelming vote of 75 to 15, you have been sentenced to death by the way of dementors kiss."

Cheers erupted from the crowd, but that was the perfect distraction. Anger coursed through my body as I seized Snape's wand from his cloak. There was a clamor of people reaching for their wands as I pointed the one in my hand at Snape.

"NO, STOP!" Snape shouted to those who had their wands out, mostly guards and Aurors. "Don't shoot. I can handle this." Snape shouted again, his hands up in the air. He looked at me before speaking to me. "What are you doing, Harry?"

"I'm insane now, am I?" I questioned.

"No you're not, Harry." He responded.

"You just explained to them that I had gone insane. You promised not to tell anyone about it. You promised."

"Harry, I was trying to save your life. Obviously, they saw through my words."

"Yeah, and now I'm going to die with people only remembering that the wars made me go mad. Even you were enthralled with my two different worlds."

"Yes because that had never happened before. I even went to the records to see if it had happened. You're the first case that 's been seen."

Angry tears came to my eyes.

"Why do you think I was so wary of telling you about it. If it were normal, I'd have no problem with what you did. It was like when I heard the basilisk my second year. I can't believe that you betrayed me."

"Harry, I was trying to help you." Snape tried to reason with me.

"You told them." I repeated. "You said that you were with me, but really you're against me." I said as I lifted my wand. "Av-" I began to say.

There were flashes of red and green, then I saw black.

Snape hadn't been able to grab Harry as he fell. When the lights had gone away, Snape knelt next to Harry, lifting the boy in his arms.

 My eyes flew open as I sat up in bed. I was gasping for breath, my throat was raw like I had been yelling. Sweat plastered my clothes to my body. My hears was racing as I slammed my glasses onto my face. Did I just die? Of course I did, but what does that mean? Does that mean that this world is the real world? Of course it is, I'm still here. What's going to happen when I go to sleep tonight? Will I see black?

I turned to the window and saw no trace of sun in the sky. I needed a place to think, sort out my thought. I got  dressed as quietly as I could and went down to the kitchen. On my way into the kitchen, I had passed the Weasley Family Clock. Bill, Charlie, Percy and Mr. Weasley were all at work. There were two new arms that had been added to the clock. One for me and one for Hermione because Mrs. Weasley insisted that we were now apart of this family.

I stared at the clock for a few seconds before leaving the house. I didn't leave a message because I was hoping to be back before anyone would notice my disappearance. When the bands had loosen across my chest, I was standing in front of a graveyard.

Off in the distance, I could see the dim outline of Hogwarts. It was still badly damaged, but progress was being made. Hopefully, repairs would be finished in time to open up for the next term. I walked through the graveyard, making my way to the only black grave stone in the entire cemetery. Walking through this graveyard reminded me of visiting my parents grave in Godric's Hallow.

I stood in front of Snape's grave for awhile before sitting in front of it. Every grave, except for Snape's was white. It was a sight that you would see at a muggle armed forces cemetery or war memorial. I couldn't help but to smile at the grave, knowing that Snape was with my mother in heaven.

"Professor, there is so much that I want to tell you right now. I don't even know why I want to tell you what is going on because I don't know how you would have acted toward me if you had lived. You probably still would have hated me. I really need someone to hate me right now because everyone is treating me like a king and I hate it. I just thought I would let you know that I'm really the only one who misses you."

"Awww.....that's cute. The boy who lives cares for misses the traitor to the dark lord." A voice called, making me just to my feet and withdraw my wand from my pocket.

"How did you escape Azkaban?" I questioned, leveling my wand at the man.

"They never captured me, you fool!" He shouted.

Yaxley had been the only death eater that the authorities couldn't captured. The spells started flying. There was a point in time when my mind was just focused on fighting Yaxley and nothing else. We had dueled for maybe five minutes before I saw desperation edge its way onto Yaxley's face.

"Why won't you die, damnit?!" Yaxley questioned as he shot spells at me with an increased frequency.

I blocked a spell and shot one back quickly, its bright green light illuminating the pre-dawn sky. Or at least, I thought it was. Something hit me and I staggered backwards. I was fighting for air. I couldn't breathe. My lungs burned with the need for air. Why couldn't I breathe? I was coughing and gasping for air when I noticed that I had been coughing up blood.

I went down onto one knee, losing strength quickly. Black started to blur the edges of my vision and it was moving fast. If I wasn't able to breathe in a few seconds, I was going to black out. I could hear my wand being kicked away by Yaxley before he kicked me in the ribs, expelling precious air out. I was forced onto my back by his kicks. He stopped, but I still couldn't breathe.

"When you see my lord, tell him that I sent you to him ."

 Ron walked down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ron. Is Harry up yet?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I thought he was down here. He's not in bed." Ron informed his mother, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Mrs. Weasley levitated the breakfast plates before walking over to the clock. There was a loud crash of plates breaking on the floor.

"Mom?" Ron questioned, standing up at the sight of his mother shaking. Those at the table went over to Mrs. Weasley and looked at the clock. Nothing look out of the ordinary when it came to the clock. It looked and worked like it normally did. Then they noticed the gears of a hand pointing at mortal peril. They all looked down simultaneously to see that hand laying on the ground, Harry's face looking up at them.

That's how they knew that Harry was dead. 

My eyes flew open and I gasped for air. How was I awake? I had died in both worlds, so where was I now? I could hear a fast pace peeing sound that matched the pounding of my heart.

"Harry!" I hear someone call my name, causing me to turn to the left.

Neville was there and so was Luna.

"Where am I?" I questioned trying to get a better idea of my surroundings.

"You're in St. Mungos, Harry." Luna answered.

"Why? What happened?"

"You and Voldemort were out under the awning. You killed him, but he exploded. It was like a fireworks explosion but worse. He caused the covering to collapse before you got out. At least, that's what people have been able to figure out. No one really saw..." Neville answered before Luna continued.

"You got Voldemort away from everybody and that was when the fighting started again. No one really knew that you were missing until the battle was won. They were surprised that you were still alive when they found you almost a day later. You've been in a coma for a year, Harry. People weren't sure that you were going to make it."

"So those worlds never existed." I thought to myself. "Where are Ron and Hermione? What about the rest of the Weasley's?"

The room was filled with a tense silence for a few seconds.

"They died in battle." Neville whispered.

"No." I gasped to myself. "How?" was the only other thing I could manage right now.

"Ron was killed by Yaxley because he took a killing curse for Hermione. Hermione got killed by Dolohov. Bellatrix killed Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, but Bellatrix died as well. I don't know how anyone else died."

"What about Snape?"

Neville's mouth was left agape, his mouth moving like he was attempting to make words.

"Professor Snape died as well, Harry. Voldemort killed him, we thing. We found him in the shrieking shack." Luna informed me.

Everyone was dead. It makes sense why Neville and Luna were the only people who were constant in the two worlds. My brain had been trying to adjust to what just happened. I couldn't remember a thing about it. I just had the information that I had from my two worlds.

"Where is Lupin's son?"

"What?" Neville questioned.

"Tonks' mother has him. She knew that you were his godfather, so she has been watching him."

"Where are you staying, Harry? Once you get out of here, that is."

Where was I going to stay? Grimmauld place didn't exist any more and I couldn't go to Privet Drive.

"I guess I don't have anywhere right now, Neville." I responded.

"My Gran said that you could come and stay with us until you get a place of your own." Neville offered.

I agreed that I would have to stay with Neville for the time being.

I was released from St. Mungos six days later. If I had to stay any longer, I would have exploded. Neville started taking me back to his Gran's house, but I stopped him.

"Neville, can you take me to Hogwarts? The cemetery is near there, isn't it?" I questioned.

"It is there."

"I want to see where it all ended. I want to visit them."

"Are you sure, Harry?" Neville questioned.

"Yes, Neville. I just want to see it. Maybe it will jog my memory."

So Neville grabbed me by the arm and we apparated into the courtyard on the grounds of Hogwarts. I stumbled, dizzied by the apparating.

"You okay?" Neville questioned as he grabbed my arm to catch me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was more disorientating than I remember." It took me a moment to collect my bearings. "Neville, how did we apparate into the grounds of Hogwarts?"

"They took the defensive charms down for the summer."

I tried really hard not to slap myself on the forehead, for that was a really stupid and common sense question.

"Where did he die?" I asked and Neville understood exactly who I was talking about.

"Over there." Neville answered, pointing to the covered walkway.

I turned back toward the doors of the school and I could see myself fighting Voldemort.

"I came and brought him out here. I needed to get him away from people. We fought in the middle of the courtyard for awhile until he ran under the walkway. I followed him and we fought again. He went to cast the killing curse at the same time that I casted a stunning spell. The spells collided and we dueled like that for a few moment. I won out eventually causing both or our spells to hit him. I got his wand, which had flown through the air at the same time that he was starting to combust." I explained as I walked to where I had been standing at that moment. "He turned into a ball of light, almost like a patronus that is sending a message. He exploded after turning into that ball of light. I dropped to the ground when I saw the bright orange ring of light coming toward me. I remember hearing the sound of wood and stone collapsing, but I guess I didn't understand what was happening. That is the last thing that I remember." I told Neville.

The doors to the entrance hall opened and I thought we were in trouble. Thankfully, we were not. Headmistress McGonagall was walking out of the doors. No, walking wasn't the right word. Running seemed more appropriate. She ran up to me, her mouth open agape when she stopped.

"Did you get my owl, Headmistress?" Neville questioned.

"What owl?" She questioned.

"I sent you an owl three days ago, when Harry woke up. Just like you asked me too." Neville explained.

"I did not receive an owl from you, Mr. Longbottom." Then she turned to me. "Mr. Potter, I'm very glad to see you are well."

"The school looks great." was all I could manage to say.

"Yes, it took us a long time, something close to nine months. We finally got it rebuilt though. You are coming back this year, correct, Mr. Potter?"

"I need to better rehabilitate my magic before I can come back, Professor." He replied.

"Very well, I will hold a spot for you when you are ready. Thank you for bringing him back, Mr. Longbottom."

"You're welcome, Headmistress."

Headmistress McGonagall retreated back into the castle after saying goodbye to her former pupils.

"So that's the cemetery?" I questioned, pointing to the island on the black lake.

I could see the light reflecting off of the white tombstones. Neville grabbed my arm and we apparated to the cemetery. He led me to the row of graves where Hermione and the Weasley family had been laid to rest. Next to them, Remus and Tonks had also been laid to rest. I stood at the end of the row, reading the little placard.

"This is the row of the Order of The Phoenix. The Order of The Phoenix was an underground resistance group who fought against Lord Voldemort. There are the members of the Order of The Phoenix who died in the final battle. Around the country, other members of the Order who died during the first battle are buried, most notably, James and Lily Potter who are buried in Godric's Hallow. Their son, Harry, is the only one who has been known to survive the killing curse on numerous occasions. He led the Order of The Phoenix into the final battle, which lead to the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Many combatants from the second Wizarding war are still alive today. Very few members of the Order of The Phoenix are alive today."

I looked down the row and noticed a black grave stone, the only one of its color. I walked toward it, wondering whose it was. I stood in shock.

"Severus Snape." It read.

"How did you get him buried here?" I questioned, knowing that no one in their right mind would bury Snape with the fallen heroes of the good side.

"No one believed me at first, that Snape was on our side. It wasn't until I showed them the letter he had written to me, explaining everything, that people started to believe me. There are still a lot of people who believe that laying him to rest here is so very wrong."

"He what?" I asked, still hung up on the letter portion of his explanation.

"He sent me a letter. I got it while you were in the forest with Voldemort. It explained everything, from his role in the war to his role in my parents death. The letter was only suppose to come to me when he died, so that's how we knew that he was dead. Some threw a fit when it was proclaimed that Snape's grave was going to be white. So, to appease the public, they made it black."

"It fits him much better than white." I said, more to myself than to Neville. "Let's go home, Neville. I find that my energy levels are still rather low after coming out of a coma."

"Are you sure?" Neville inquired.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

What I had told Neville wasn't a lie, nor was it the complete truth. My energy levels had been suffering, but I was not tired. No, I needed to be alone with everyone, so I was going to come tomorrow morning.

~*~*~*~*~

I woke up early the next morning, before the sun came up. I stepped out of the house as quietly as I could before apparating to the graveyard. Even though it was early in the morning, it was starting to get warm. I slowly walked to the Order of The Phoenix row, taking a seat in between Ron and Hermione. I sat in silence, just looking up and down the row. Before me were the people that I love and they were all dead. As I looked at each grave and read the name, flashing back and remember how they died or the last time I saw them.

Arthur Weasley, I remember seeing him before Voldemort and I started fighting. He had been fighting Voldemort alongside Kingsley and McGonagall. I don't know who killed him and I may never find out.

Molly Weasley, I watched her kill Bellatrix Lestrange after Lestrange killed Ginny. Mrs. Weasley couldn't stop the killing curse that was already speeding toward her.

Fred and George Weasley, I'm not exactly sure how they died, but I do remember seeing their bodies before I went to view Snape's memories.

Ginny Weasley, my love, my girlfriend. When I watched her crumple to the floor because of the killing curse, It felt like the world was over. My heart, which had been torn in two, had been crushed into little pieces because of her death. It was like the death blow to my heart.

The reason that my heart was torn in two to begin with was because of the deaths of my two best friends. I watched, in slow motion, as Ron jumped in between Hermione and Yaxley's killing curse. I watched one of my best friends fall right then and there. I could do nothing to save Ron. I filled with Anger, just like Hermione was and we both stunned Yaxley. I wanted to kill him so badly, but I didn't. If I did, I would have been no different than Voldemort.

Stunning Yaxley had distracted both of use, so I just barely saw Dolohov. He had his wand pointed right at Hermione. I went to stun him, but I hadn't acted fast enough. He got the killing curse out before my spell hit him. His killing curse had hit Hermione. Everyone that I had ever loved from the wizarding world was dead.

Then, there was Snape. Even after everything that happened, I still don't know how I feel about the man. He hated my guts for years, but still protected me from harm. Why was it that almost every person who cared about me has ended up dead? Because they cared about me, three wizarding families have now gone extinct.

I felt tears come to my eyes as I sat there and continued to stare at Ron and Hermione's graves.

"I'm sorry." was the only thing that I could choke out.

"It's your fault that they are dead, Potter." A cruel voice spoke.

I turned my head to the source of the voice. Lucius Malfoy was standing there, his wand aimed at me.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" I questioned, turning back to the graves.

"I want you to stand up and fight me." He ordered.

I stood up and took my wand out of my pocket.

"Go ahead, attack me, Malfoy." I said meekly.

"I want you to fight me!" He shouted. "I want to show everyone that I am more powerful than the Dark Lord. I want to show everyone that I can kill the famous Harry Potter in a duel."

"Well, go ahead, but I'm not going to fight back." I replied.

"What?" Malfoy asked, his wand dropping an inch or so lower.

"I told you, I am not going to fight you. I've fought all of my life and I'm done fighting." I replied.

There was a shocked silence between us as I continued to stare at Lucius. Who knows, maybe no one else who cares about me will died.  Maybe I will see the people that I care about.

Neville had woken up to find that Harry was not in the house. His Gran and him figured that Harry had just gone for a walk. They began to worry when they did not see him for dinner, but they did not go in search for him. It was thought that Harry would need some space beacuse of the large number of people he lost in the last battle. They found out where Harry was when they opened the evening edition of the Daily Prophet

"THE BOY-WHO-LIVED FOUND DEAD IN BATTLE OF HOGWARTS CEMETERY"