Harry hiked through the Forbidden Forest. His breathing was shallow and his heart hammered violently in his chest. Echoing throughout his entire body.
He could feel the Resurrection Stone practically burning a hole in his palm as he gripped it tightly; his knuckles almost turning a white colour. The seventeen year old hated to admit it but he was scared. Terrified, in fact. He knew he would have to die to give everyone else a chance at defeating Voldemort, but it was still a petrifying decision.
Stopping in the mist of the trees, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening his palm, letting the Stone fall silently onto the grass by his feet, "I'm ready to die," He whispered. For a second he just stood there. His eyes closed as the silence of the Forest overwhelmed him, was this was death would feel like?
Taking a long, shaky breath in, Harry finally re-opened his eyes, gasping quietly when he spotted everyone he had ever lost standing around him. His feet taking him over towards his mother as she smiled warmly at her only son.
"You've been so brave, sweetheart," Lily Potter said, her voice was soft but un-humanly echoey.
"Why are you here? All of you?" Harry pondered, looking between his parents with a happy but confused expression.
"We never left," James Potter explained, sending his son a reassuring smile.
Harry's eyes shifted over to the right of his father. Spotting Sirius Black standing besides an unfamiliar brunette woman.
"Does...Does it hurt?" Harry stuttered, trying to not show his fear.
Sirius gave him a kind smile, "Faster than falling asleep," He reassured. Sirius suddenly nodded his head at the beautiful woman besides him; who looked slightly familiar to Harry, "This is your Godmother, Harry."
"It's such a shame we're seeing each other like this, Harry," The brunette woman chuckled, "I'm Phoenix."
"Are you--"
"Aurora's mum?" Phoenix cut him off, her eyebrow raised.
Harry nodded but before the woman could reply a new voice appeared from behind the spectacled boy, "She is."
Harry swivelled around at the sound of the extremely familiar voice. His eyes watering as he noticed a new figure appearing besides Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, "No," He whispered, his voice sounding like a whimper, "Not you as well," His tears finally began streaming down his cheeks. His eyes lingering on the wedding band around the newcomer's finger.
"It's okay, Harry," Aurora reassured her Godbrother. A soft smile on her face. One that masked away the sadness she felt deep down inside, "Please don't cry for me. And tell Fred not to."
"But...But you're--"
"I'm always here with the both of you," The black haired woman interrupted. She nodded her head reassuringly, hoping to bring some comfort to the younger boy.
"I'm sorry," Harry suddenly apologised, his head swivelling around as he looked at each individual person, "I never wanted any of you to die for me," He cried, trudging over towards the married couple, "And, Remus, Tonks...your son?"
"Others will tell him what his mother and father died for," Remus explained, comforting the distressed seventeen year old, "One day, he'll understand."
"Harry," Aurora's soft voice brought him back to reality. He turned his attention towards the black haired woman, "You'll be okay," She smiled softly at him. It wasn't her usual cheeky smile, it was much more gentler and reassuring.
"I love you," Harry smiled sadly, his eyes wandered around everyone else, "I love you all," He sighed, "You'll stay with me?" He asked with a hopeful sounding voice.
"Until the end," Sirius nodded.
"And he won't be able to see you at all?"
Sirius Black smiled at his Godson "No," He shook his head, lifting his hand up and pointing a long finger towards Harry's heart, "We're here, you see."
Harry nodded before his eyes wandered over to the ghostly apparition of his mother, "Stay close to me."
"Always."
Closing his eyes one more time, Harry felt much more at peace than before. After several seconds he re-opened his eyes, glancing around the forest to notice that he was alone once again. Taking a deep breath he began walking further in. Hearing the snapping of the tree branches underneath his trainers as he moved through the oddly peaceful, dark forest.
Ready to face Voldemort.
Ready to face death.