Harry Potter skipped a stone across the lake. It bounced off the surface of the water twice before landing with a satisfying plunk, sinking into depths. Harry sat beneath a familiar beech tree that grew right beside the lake on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He gazed up at the school. It was now in shambles: towers crumbling down, walls in ruins, Dumbledore's tomb split in half.

Harry suddenly thought back to when he first met Hagrid. The Dursley's had taken him to a little shack on an island in an attempt to escape the owls that kept delivering Harry's letter for Hogwarts. Hagrid broke down the door and in that moment, Harry's life was changed forever. He could not look back.

Now Hogwarts was falling apart before his eyes. The first place he had ever truly called home was nearly leveled to the ground because of him. If only Harry had figured out that Dumbledore had the Elder Wand, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Hogwarts would still be full of students preparing for final exams and packing for summer vacation. Instead it was filled with the injured and the dead. Funerals were being planned as he sat beside the lake. Everything was wrong. Harry felt the tears welling up in his eyes, clouding his vision.

"Harry?" said a soft voice. He had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts, he did not even hear Ginny Weasley approach him, "You're still weak, you shouldn't be out here alone."

Harry did not respond. The war had only ended the night before, but his physical wounds were all ready healing nicely. He did not look up at Ginny, but kept his gaze straight ahead at the dilapidated castle. She crouched down beside him.

"Harry, we can help rebuild Hogwarts," Ginny said reassuringly, "We can make things right again."

"Ginny," Harry began slowly, "I can't go back."

"Back to what?"

"Back to the way I used to be," he replied, "I'm not the same person I was yesterday." He stared at the ground between his feet; for some reason, it did not feel stable enough. He fought the urge to cry.

"Harry, in time-"

"Ginny," Harry interjected angrily, "Not everything can be healed with time!"

She opened her mouth in protest, but stopped herself. She could not argue with Harry, not at a time like this. Ginny wrapped her arm around him and gently pulled him close. He buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed in complete silence. She, in turn, rested her head on his, feeling his messy, jet-black hair tickle her face.

Harry began to sob uncontrollably. The tears flowed freely as he sharply inhaled for air that his body desperately needed. He grieved for many in those few moments: Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Colin Creevy, Dobby, Mad-Eye, Hedwig, Dumbledore, Sirius, his parents, and he even shed a tear for Snape, whom he despised wholeheartedly.

Ginny just sat there and held him, under the beech tree, down by the lake. Harry needed her right now; a small smile crept onto her face as she realized she was the only one who could help Harry right now. He would not cry like this in front of anyone else, not even Ron or Hermoine. He had needed this moment for a long time.

Harry dried his eyes with the sleeve of his robe and looked up at her, his brilliant green eyes shining. She blushed at being stared at so intently. In one sudden movement, Harry reached out and grabbed Ginny's hand, holding it tightly. With their fingers intertwined, he held their hands up at eye level.

He finally felt something solid within his reach.