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July 16th
Harry Potter sat alone in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, lost in misery. Despite the idea of something as normal and happy as a wedding at the Burrow coming up, depression and anxiety clawed at Harry. The events of That Night all refused to leave him, of Dumbledore screaming from the Nightmare Potion in the cave, of the Dark Mark over the castle, and worst of all, the fake locket, Dumbledore’s slow-motion fall off the tower from Snape’s Killing Curse. But the worst of all was what he felt he had to do just hours ago, which was breaking up with Ginny. It broke his heart, he loved her that much. He felt like a huge part of him was missing.
Hermione and Ron were elsewhere, doing their prefect duties, and Neville and Luna had decided it was best to let Harry have some space, but the absence of his friends did nothing to improve his mood; in fact, it made it worse. He felt…abandoned. Again.
The locket was a heavy lump in his pocket, reminding him constantly of the events of that dreadful night. He fought back tears again. He knew deep down that Dumbledore had chosen Harry over himself that night, but yet he still did not understand why. He stifled a sob and buried his face in his hands.
I can’t take this anymore! Why me? Why couldn’t I have been a normal kid?
* * *
Outside the compartment, a red-haired girl was returning to her own compartment from the bathroom, lost in her own misery and rage. She heard the sob, and turned to look through the compartment window, and saw Harry sitting alone, back to the locked door, sobbing into his own hands.
It broke her heart. She still didn’t quite understand why he had broken up with her, and at first she had accepted it, but as the train left Hogsmeade she wanted nothing more to go to him and alternatively hex some sense into him one moment and snog him senseless the next. Her own temper, famous among her family, was at the boiling point. She was ready to unload on somebody, and she knew it. She entered her own compartment and slammed the door in anger. The glass shattered on impact, and she quickly flicked her wand and repaired the damage.
Damn this war! Why can’t life be normal? Why can’t the man I love have had a normal life, free of this burden? He’s lost everything that ever meant something to him, and what he hasn’t had taken from him, he’s pushed away on his own in some insane idea of protection! What keeps him going despite all of that?
He needs to know he’s not alone. He needs to know he is loved, by Ron and Hermione, and especially by me!
She tried to distract herself with the Daily Prophet, but even that was difficult. The headline was all about Dumbledore’s funeral, but below that, almost as an afterthought, was a short piece about the resignation of Rufus Scrigemour as Minister of Magic and his replacement being the returning Cornelius Fudge, apparently over the Ministry failing to provide better security at Hogwarts. Ginny sighed and threw down the paper in frustration.
“Ginny?” Ron poked his head in. “Are you OK? I heard the door slam and glass breaking.”
She looked up at him and sighed. “No, Ron, I’m not. I’m ready to rip someone’s head off right now. Do me a favor, though: you and Hermione try to talk some sense into Harry. He’s badly unhappy right now. He needs his friends whether he knows it or not.”
“Can do, sis. I’ll talk to Hermione. Let us know if you need anything.” Ron left.
He needs to know that he’s not getting rid of me that easily!
She got down her trunk and rummaged through it, and found a parchment and a quill and some ink. Closing the trunk, she sat down on the floor, spread the parchment and ink bottle on top of the trunk, and began to write…
