Thanks for the reviews! Means a lot!

SOOOOOO sorry for the delay. I'm lazy. I'm not gonna lie.

To the Guest who told me to listen to "Demons" by Imagine Dragons: dude! That's one of my favorite songs! And you're right. It really does help.

Looking back over the story, omg. I did want to let Fred live. Crap. Damn it. I just forget and then I don't go over the story before I write another chapter after a while. *headdesk* I'm so sorry about that, everyone. Truly. Very sorry.

oh, and hey, if anyone has a tumblr, I'm on there under drewhhr. Same name.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does.

Harry panted but smiled. Tired. He had done it. He felt his body ache. His muscles groan. He needed sleep. He had saved the world. He had done his part.

"Harry!" he heard Hermione's voice behind him. But it sounded like an echo. Her voice getting farther and farther away. His eyes became blurry. His body tingled. He hit his knees hard. But he felt no pain. He slumped over onto his right side.

The last thing he saw was chocolate brown eyes.

Chapter Twelve

Aftermath

He squinted as he opened his eyes. A bright light blinding him. His muscles ached. Where was he? He groaned in pain as he tried to move his legs. His knees felt like they had been hit by a freight train. Fuck his knees. His whole body felt like that. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he realized he still could not see. His glasses were off. The whole world was blurry. Where was he? Was this heaven? Had his body finally given up?

"Harry?" he heard a familiar female voice. "Harry, are you awake?"

"Hermione?" he called, almost nervously. Did she die, too? No! "Where-where am I?"

"Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Where do you think?" she asked with a bit of a chuckle. It was a running joke that Harry Potter had visited Hogwarts' Hospital Wing more times than any other student that had went to Hogwarts.

"I'm alive?"

"Of course."

Harry felt his glasses being slid onto his face and the world became clear again. He looked up at the grungy, yet still smiling face of Hermione Granger, who immediately leaned down to wrap him in a gentle hug, not wanting to hurt him. "I was so worried. Madam Pomfrey said you had fainted because you were tired. Your body gave out. It must have been an intense fight." She sat down on the edge of his bed.

He nodded. "Yeah, bastard tired me out." Hermione let out a light chuckle. "How long have I been asleep?"

Hermione looked at the clock above the double doors of the Hospital Wing. "Nine hours, twenty-six minutes, and thirty-four seconds." Harry was taken aback. To the second? "I've been counting," she continued with a blush and a smile.

He gave her one back. The moment ended when Madam Pomfrey walked over to his bed with a vial of green liquid in her hand, remarking, "I knew I heard your voice, Mr. Potter. You've been asleep for quite some time. It's nearly dinnertime." She uncorked the vial and held it out for him to take. "Here, drink this."

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"It helps with the sores. Bit of a painkiller. You'll feel better in no time," she answered.

Harry reached his hand out, grimacing as his arm muscles protested this action. Hermione noticed this and took the vial from Madam Pomfrey. "Here, lift your head." She cupped the back of his head and tipped the vial against his lips as Harry drank the potion down to the last drop. She gave the empty vial back to the Hogwarts matron. The potion tasted sweet, not like some of the other disgusting potions he had taken over the years. It took a few seconds until he began to feel better. The soreness was gone and he felt almost new.

"Whoa..." he whispered in amazement as he stood up.

"Feel better, Mr. Potter?"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. A lot better. Thank you."

Madam Pomfrey gave him a look. A look Harry had never seen before. "No, Mr. Potter...thank you."

He knew what she was thanking him for. Freeing Hogwarts and the entire Wizarding World. He nodded to her and she left, tending to a few of her other patients that Harry could now see since he was standing up. They were mostly students and looked like they were getting better. Harry plastered a small, sad smile to his face, glad they were okay.

He looked at Hermione. "Where is everyone?"

"Everywhere. The Great Hall. The Courtyards. Common rooms. The Grounds. Who knows?" she replied.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out. He asked her the question he had been wanting to ask for a while now. "How many?"

She gave him a sad look. "I don't know. A lot." She didn't want to lie to him. He looked away sadly. She grabbed his hand, giving him comfort. He looked at her and she leaned forward and gave him a light kiss on his lips. He didn't want it to be light. He grabbed the back of her head and deepened the kiss. Needing it. After a moment, when breathing was an issue, it ended.

Hermione leaned her forehead on his. "Come on." She began to lead him out of the Hospital Wing. Before they could leave, Harry noticed the Elder Wand laying on his bedside table. He quickly grabbed it and allowed Hermione to lead him to the Great Hall.

When they arrived to the Great Hall, Harry was met with a surprise. The last time he was in here it was covered in dead bodies. Now, it was filled with the survivors of the Final Battle. Many were crying in corners, others were comforting them. Harry could see that Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall were beginning to put the four tables back in place in preparation for dinner. "Wha-? Where are-? The ones that are...gone?" he stammered, not able to say the words "dead" or "bodies".

"A few hours after you were brought to the Hospital Wing, Kingsley and a few other members of the Order came up to check on you. See how you were doing. They told me they were going to put the fallen in the Courtyard under a beautifully charmed sky," she answered with a sad look. "They are going to be prepped for their funerals soon."

Harry turned around and looked out the two giant double oak doors that led to the outside Courtyard where countless bodies were placed carefully under a charmed starry night sky. There were survivors out there, as well, looking at their fallen loved ones.

Harry had no idea when his feet began to move but he found himself standing outside looking at the fallen. The people that gave their lives up so he could live. Now he was alive while they were dead. Why did it hurt so much? He felt tears sting his eyes and roll down his cheeks. His hand tightened and he realized Hermione was squeezing it, giving him comfort. They had died because he wouldn't give himself up in time. 'It's all my fault' he thought to himself.

"Don't say it. Don't even think it. It wasn't your fault, Harry," his love told him, facing him.

He looked at her confused. "How did you-? You been practicing Legilimency?"

"No. But I don't have to read your mind to know what you're thinking. I know you, Harry. And I know that you blame yourself for this. But it's not your fault. They knew what they were doing. They knew what they were fighting for."

"For me."

"Yes...and no," she answered. "They were fighting for freedom. So that their loved ones would be free. And wouldn't be scared all the time. They fought because they wanted the darkness in this world gone. And, yes, Harry, they were fighting for you, too. Because you are the most caring and genuine man that I have ever known. You willingly gave up your life so that others could live."

He cut her off. "I just didn't want anybody hurt."

"And that's why they fought. For you. Because you inspired them to be like you. To fight so others could not be hurt," she told him.

"But a lot of people are hurt because of it. Their loved ones are dead."

Hermione turned to look back at the fallen. Harry thought she was lost for words and didn't have anything to say about what he said, but she responded, "Then we can only remember them. And their sacrifice. They're dead but they are not lost to us. And they never will be. We will forever remember them in our hearts."

Her words struck a chord inside of him. She was right. Always has been. They would remember them for their bravery and their love to defeat the darkness of the world. Harry began to walk toward them, going down the rows. Fred Weasley was among them. He had a smile on his face. Laughing at some joke probably. Harry thought he was going to live when he had saw him last but he was now lying here dead. Colin Creevey was laying next to Fred. Harry needed to tell whoever was going to be in charge of his funeral to bury him with his camera. He would like that.

Harry cried harder as he got to Tonks and Remus. Their hands were bound together. Remus had been his last connection to his parents. He had so many questions for him that would now be unanswered. He thought about the son they would leave. Teddy, who had barely began to live. Orphan, just like him.

As if they could read his mind, a woman who looked to be pushing fifty stepped up next to them. She had a familiar baby in her arms. Harry recognized him to be five-month-old Teddy Lupin. His godson. The woman had dark eyes and light brown hair. He could see a few familiar features of a Black in her face. He realized that this was Andromeda Tonks (nee Black), Nymphadora's mother and Bellatrix and Narcissa's sister. Little Teddy was swaying a bit. He was still developing sitting upright by himself with someone holding him.

"They hadn't been together long. A year or so," Mrs. Tonks said sadly. "He was my favorite cousin's best friend. I was strongly concerned about Nymphadora marrying him because of his lycanthropy but she didn't care. I could see the love she had for him. It was true. I can see it in this child's face." She looked down at Teddy, smiling a bit.

"He'll live without parents," Harry said sadly, looking at his godson, who gazed back up at him with a broad, gummy grin.

"But not without love," Mrs. Tonks replied instantly. "We'll love him, Mr. Potter. We will. He will not live without it."

Harry nodded. "Can I...can I hold him?"

Mrs. Tonks nodded. "Of course." She handed her grandson over to his godfather. Hermione helped him hold the child properly. Teddy continued to grin at him. And Harry began to feel like he could no longer frown in sadness. A smile grew on his face. He wanted the best for his godson. He promised himself he would not live without love. He, Hermione, Mrs. Tonks, and the Weasleys would love him. This child was now free.

The funerals began after a short dinner. They brought bodies back to their families and homes and had a few funerals before the night ended. The rest would continue the next morning.

Harry found himself at the top of the Astronomy Tower. He was still in his black suit from the funerals. His white, oxford shirt was untucked, the top button was undid, and his tie was loosened. His hands were in his pockets as he stared down at the ground, remembering when Dumbledore had died. "We got your school back, old man," he said out loud, hoping his old headmaster could hear him. "Many died defending it. But we got it back. You'd be proud of Professor McGonagall. She protected her students until the end. Even when the school was corrupted. All we can do now is remember. Remember those that have fallen. Remember those that we defeated. Pity them because they lived without love, like you taught me. You kept things from me. But now I know that you didn't want to hurt me any more than I had already suffered. I will never forgive you for that. But now that I think about it, I didn't want to hurt anyone I cared about either.

"We'll take good care of your school. I promise. I'll make sure of it. You were an inspiration to many. Your staff. Your students. We will teach them to pity those that live without love."

He began to hear the clicking of heels on the stone floor, followed by another set of heavy footsteps. Harry turned his head and looked at the doorway. Ron and Hermione stood there, still in their funeral clothes, as well. Ron in a black suit like his. And Hermione looked very beautiful in a simple black dress that went down to her knees and matching heels.

Harry pulled out the Elder Wand from his trouser pocket and faced the balcony. "The Wand's mine apparently. It didn't work for Voldemort because Snape didn't disarm Dumbledore. Malfoy did. It was his until I took his wand from him. I'm its Master. But it's done more harm than the power it's worth." He broke it in half, much to Ron and Hermione's shock. He threw both pieces over the balcony of the Astronomy Tower. He didn't watch where they landed. He didn't want to know. He didn't care. Nothing could put the pieces back together. It was the most powerful wand in the world. And he broke it's power. No one would use it again. Not for good. And especially not for evil.

"What do we do now?" he asked the both of them, still facing the

"We go on," Hermione replied stepping up to him and grabbing his hand. Ron came up to the other side of him. He didn't grab his hand, though.

What the redhead said next made them smile and hug him congratulating him, "Speaking of which, Luna and I are engaged."

TBC...

Well, there's chapter 12. It's a little shorter than normal. Again, very sorry about the delay. I've been lazy. And then there's something called college. And tumblr. I'm not entirely sure if there is going to be another chapter or if the epilogue is next. I might have another chapter and then the epilogue. I feel weird if it's only 13 chapters. Haha.

Anyway, hope you liked it. Sorry for killing Fred, Remus, and Tonks. I don't know where I went wrong...

Pleez review!

DREWHHR