Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Final Fantasy games or movies.

I'm starting this new story on request though with the way life has been treating me lately my updates will probably suffer a bit, I apologize. I will try to update all of my stories the moment that I get enough typed out.

I thought that after I defeated Voldemort that everything would be right in my life and I would finally be able to relax and live my life the way that I wanted to without everyone telling me how it should be. I can freely admit that that was one of the most foolish ideas that I have ever harbored. I should have known that the wizarding world would never be able to let me free from the leash that they had spent so much time winding around my neck.

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I lost everything that I loved in their war against the megalomaniac that they created with their prejudices. I found an older brother in Cedric only to lose him at the end of that pointless tournament. I lost the closest thing I had to a father in Sirius that horrible night at the Ministry and lost Remus to his grief shortly there after. You would think that that would be more then enough pain for any one person but no, I just had to be special even in that regard.

I had taken to walking around the castle at night after the nightmares that plagued me ruined any chance of getting back to sleep and one night I ran across one of the unused classrooms that was filled with voices that I could identify from a mile away. I huddled under my cloak near the door and listened as the last shred of faith that I had in the wizarding world was ripped from me.

"I don't know why Dumbledore is still making us be that little attention seeking brat's friends. He should just throw the idiot at Voldemort and be done with it; then all his money will be ours and we'll be the famous ones." Ron's voice stopped my heart in my chest with the sheer venom it contained. "The only thing that he does anymore is whine about that disgusting godfather and the werewolf."

Hermione's voice was filled with just as much venom with a good dose of disgust. "I know, but we have to keep stringing him along until he defeats He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Hopefully he'll die in the battle and even if he doesn't Dumbledore already has plans to make sure that he ends up that way. If I had known what a brat he was I wouldn't have agreed to this whole thing before first year though. He gets us into trouble every year and he almost got us killed but it shouldn't be much longer before all of his money and power belongs to us."

I could almost literally feel my heart shatter as I listened to the people that I thought of as family talk about me like I was some kind of disgusting task that they were forced to deal with. I buried my pain as deeply as I could and acted like nothing was wrong the next day as I planned my 'escape'. It took very little effort on my part to act like the depressed teen that I was and gradually drift away from them while taking secret pleasure in the disappointment in Dumbledore's eyes as he looked at the two little traitors. Without them around to either distract me or to do the work for me I found that I enjoyed curling up in the corner with a good book and I devoured any and every book that I could get my hands on, even the ones in the Restricted Section of the library. Eventually I ended up relying on the Room of Requirement to provide new material.

The final battle was sudden and completely unexpected, even Dumbledore was surprised when one day Voldemort and his entire army of Death Eaters showed up at the castle without the slightest bit of warning and started cursing anything in sight. Unfortunately Hagrid had been teaching his class which was a second year one and he was taken down as he defended the children who barely managed to make it back to the castle in their panic.

What ensued was one of the longest and bloodiest battles in the history of wizarding kind, though I'm sure that goblins would be unimpressed. Many students lost their lives to the Death Eaters as they valiantly tried to defend those younger then themselves although I noticed that two students were mysteriously absent from the struggle entirely. Many young witches and wizards along with the teachers and staff members lost their lives that day. Trelawney turned out to be an excellent dueler as she took several members of Voldemort's inner circle down with her before she threw herself in front of a killing curse that had been aimed at Lavender that the girl hadn't even seen coming. McGonagall was in rare form as she spun and twirled leaving many of the combatants on both sides in awe before Voldemort himself overcame her defenses though she managed to take out over a dozen Death Eaters before he did so. Even Snape fought tooth and nail to protect the students that he sneered at on a daily bases and turned his wand on those he had probably considered friends at one point or another. It was Lucius that took his down right before he turned his wand on himself and took his own life without the slightest of hesitation.

The one death that I could honestly say that I was not at all upset about was when Dumbledore decided that as one of the greatest wizards of all time he would be more then a match for an old student. Perhaps he wished to gain the fame associated with defeating a Dark Lord once more or perhaps he was seeking absolution for his mistakes in leaving young Tom Riddle in that orphanage so long ago, I do not know nor will I ever know. The duel became the center focus of the battle and many stopped mid curse to watch the proceedings. It was awe inspiring to see two of the greatest wizards battle each other with such fire, though it was a foregone conclusion as to who would come out victorious for all those with enough sense to watch carefully. Dumbledore was certainly no longer of the proper age to engage in such a heated duel with someone half his age and it showed in his slightly slower reaction time and his breathing which became heavy far quicker then his opponent. His true downfall was the fact that he would not resort to the Dark Arts while Voldemort held back nothing from his arsenal. The curse that brought the great Albus Dumbledore down was the one that still woke me up at night, the killing curse. The cry that left the defenders of the castle was one that spoke of defeat as the battle immediately turned sharply in the Dark's favor.

I took down any Death Eater that was foolish enough to get in my way as I made my way slowly but surely through the crowd toward my ultimate goal. I was not concerned about the state of the wizarding world or even the defense of the castle as I struggled to reach the man that took so much from me, the only thought on my mind was the fact that I wanted him to pay for everything he had done, for all of the pain that he cause me.

When I finally managed to reach him the battlefield quieted once more as every combatant watched as the sadistic smile crossed his serpentine features. "Ah, if it isn't the famous Boy-Who-Lived, what can I do for you?"

"Well Tommy, to be perfectly blunt the only thing you could do that would bring me joy is drop dead, but since I doubt that you will be so kind I'll take some time out of my intensely busy schedule to help you along." The look on the man's face could have melted the paint off of a car as he shot a curse at me that was designed to turn the victim's blood into acid, definitely not the way that I wanted to go. I had more then enough knowledge, almost certain death is a good motivator, to stand on almost even ground but I certainly didn't have the same amount of experience. I ended up having to rely on the reflexes I gained from Quidditch as well as the fact that Voldemort's body was not exactly physically fit. I could hardly get a curse in edgewise as I spent most of my time dodging the rapidly fired curses from Voldemort. Luckily Voldemort was arrogant enough to order his Death Eaters to stay out of our duel so he was the only one that I had to deal with.

Sweat poured down my face as I barely dodged another killing curse and managed to fire off a barely legal cutting curse of my own. I almost dropped my wand in shock when my curse actually struck his directly in the chest, but I did drop it when my head split open in blinding pain as it felt like something foul was trying to force its way into my head.

It didn't take me long to realize that the horrible presence was Voldemort trying to jump from his own body into my own. The pain was worse then anything that I had ever experienced and I couldn't hold back the screams that ripped through my throat as I tried to implement everything I had learned about mind magic to force him out. Unfortunately mind magic is something that is very hard to learn without the proper instruction so I only had what I had learned in books to go off of; that and the intense urge to get him out.

As I struggled to push him out my mind brought forth images of all of the people that he had had a hand in taking from me as well as what my life would have been like if he had never been born and as I thought about what it would have been like to grow up with a loving family I felt Voldemort's presence weaken in my mind. I began to throw every happy memory I had, not that there were very many, and every dream that I had about a happy family at the presence and felt it retreat with a scream that was both in my mind and outside of it. My body sagged as the last of my energy failed me and I vaguely heard the sound of dozens of bodies dropping to the ground as I fell into the welcoming darkness.

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I easily recognized the white ceiling of the hospital wing as my eyes opened and I could barely hold in the groan of annoyance as the first person that I saw was Granger of all people as she practically threw herself at me. Apparently she thought that I would suddenly decide to go back the way it was before despite ignoring she and Ron for all that time. Of course it might also be the fact that her plans of having my money and power were useless without either Dumbledore to carry them out or my friendship to make it happen. "Oh Harry, when you collapsed on the field we thought you were dead. We're so glad that you're alright."

I pushed her off of me with a grimace as the blood started to flow through my body again. "Really, you mean that you were watching the battle from one of the windows?" The look on her face as the other people in the room that I didn't recognize looked at her with disgust. "Even the older Slytherins were out there fighting to protect the wizarding world and the younger students while you waited for the dust to settle in the castle. Do you actually believe for even one moment that I would want anything to do with either of you when the only thing you care about is your own wellbeing?" I barely restrained the snarl as Granger fled the room with a glaring Weasley following after her.

"That was very well put Mr. Potter." One of the men that I did not recognize stepped forward with a grim smile on his face. "My name is Rufus and I am now the acting Minister. Due to your excellent service toward the wizarding world we are willing to ignore the murder of the entire Dark Faction by your hand if you agree to become the leader of the Ministry's new protection force which will almost solely deal with the rooting out of Dark Wizards and creatures before they become a problem."

I could almost feel my stomach trying to claw its way out of my body. "I would rather not have to fight anymore. The only thing that I want to do is find somewhere nice and quiet to settle down for the rest of my life."

I could tell from the look on Rufus' face that that was the wrong thing to say as far as he was concerned. "Unfortunately Mr. Potter, you are currently charged with mass murder and while the Ministry is willing to let these charges fade away if you agree to our small demands there will be no leniency if you refuse. The Ministry is being infinitely merciful in this matter and we expect you to realize this and respond favorably. We know that you are currently somewhat out of sorts with the battle fresh on your mind so we will return tomorrow for you answer. We know that you will make the right decision." They all swept out of the room with a flourish leaving me staring after them as I felt my world crumble around my ears.

I spent hours staring at the door that they had gone through as my mind swirled deeper and deeper into the darkness. I thought that I would only have to defeat Voldemort to be free; that after he fell I would be able to settle down and spend the rest of my days at a boring job just like everyone else. What more would they ask of me? I gave them my childhood without so much as a how do you do and now they wanted me to devote the rest of my life killing people or get sentenced to either the Kiss or a life sentence in Azkaban.

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I don't know when I finally managed to fall unconscious, one moment I was still staring at the closed door and the next I was standing in the middle of a field of flowers that rustled with a wind that I could almost swear I could feel. It was such a peaceful meadow that I could feel the tension that I had carried my entire life just fall off of my shoulders as if it had never been there in the first place and I hardly noticed as the smile stretched across my face.

I spent what felt like hours just wandering around the meadow, not really looking for anything but just enjoying the rare moment of freedom before it was taken from me like everything else. The moment that this thought crossed my mind I felt a surge of power from what felt like everywhere surround me before a bell like voice seemed to seep into my mind. "Why do you think that everything is going to be taken from you, my child?"

"Everything that I enjoy or love is taken away from me. My family was taken from me when I was a baby and now they want to take away the very last bit of my freedom and there's nothing that I can do about it." I could feel the tears cascading down my face but I didn't have the strength to wipe them away. "I'm just so very tired of always giving everything I have to other people without ever getting anything back in return. I just want to have a life of my own and they won't let me; they always want more."

"My poor, poor child, it seems as if my other children have taken advantage of my wonderful gift. Perhaps it is time for them to realize that the world does not revolve around them but for now I believe that it is time for you to get the chance at the life that you so desperately crave." The voice was soothing as it drifted across my mind. "This world does not deserve you and so I will grant another world with the gift of your presence. I cannot guarantee that you will not suffer any strife in this new world but I can guarantee you the chance to live by your own choices and not the will of others."

I felt the drowsiness take over, hardly thinking about how strange it was to get tired in a dream.

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The Boy-Who-Lived found dead!

After the battle of Hogwarts the savior was cloistered away within the Hogwarts infirmary under the watchful eye of the best healers that the Ministry had to offer, with a heavy case of exhaustion. We were assured that he was going to b fine and that there was going to be an awards ceremony held to celebrate the victory over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

This reporter was able to get a pass into the castle to interview Mr. Potter by several of the surviving members of the staff. When I first arrived at the infirmary it was to find that Mr. Potter was just waking up while surrounded by Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, and several members of the Ministry, including the acting Minister.

Well I knew that they would not allow me to be present at such a meeting but I managed to conceal myself well enough to slip into the room unnoticed and I am most certainly happy that I did.

Upon waking Mr. Potter revealed that both Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley were not participants in the final battle and had in fact waited within the safety of the castle itself while their year mates defended it with their lives. My dear readers I can assure you that I was every bit as shocked as you no doubt are that the two students who claimed to be on the front lines were not even in the battle but shortly after they left and before I had even recovered from the shock the Minister shocked me once more.

He first congratulated Mr. Potter on the words that he had spoken to Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley before he told Mr. Potter that he was going to lead a group of wizards and witches solely dedicated to the destruction of Dark wizards and creatures. He offered Mr. Potter this position with the threat that if he did not choose to lead this force that he would be charged with the murder of every member of the Dark Lord's faction. He made it plain that he was not going to let our savior enjoy the rest of his life after giving his childhood to us.

After the Minister left a stunned Mr. Potter in the room I could not tear myself away from the sight of our broken savior, how could we ask anything more of the one that did so much without asking anything of us? He stared at the door that the Minister had passed through until he body seemed to drift off into the unknown. I was entranced as I watched the tension that our hero carries with him every waking hour vanish in an instant. He spent over an hour in this peaceful slumber before his body glowed with a light so intense that it took almost fifteen minutes for my eyes to readjust to find that our savior now laid quiet on the bed. He escaped the chains of the Ministry in the only way that he knew, our savior has now passed into the next great adventure and this reporter can only ask one thing of the Ministry. Are you satisfied with the death of the one person who gave everything he was to save you from Voldemort while you insisted that he was merely a child that wanted fame, when you called him a liar, and when you tried to charge him for defending himself?

I will admit that at the time I followed with the Ministry, but that is a time long past and I regret it with every breath. Hopefully the spirit of our savior will be allowed the peace that he was not allowed in this life in the next.

Rita Skeeter

For the life of Harry James Potter - Page 6

For profiles of Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley - Page 7

For interviews with members of the Ministry - Page 8

For information about the Tribute to our Heroes - Page 12

I know that the article is a bit short but its only to show what the wizarding world sees in Harry's apparent 'death'.

Review and let me know what you think of this new story of mine.