Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : an alternate ending

Dear Charlie,

Here's an alternate ending for Harry Potter that I wrote.

***

 He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.

Chapter thirty-five

The War's End

That was it – the end. It was all over. He had felt nothing – no fear, no sadness. But he was now regaining his senses and found himself standing at a gate that he had seen before – but where?

Harry looked beyond the gate: a two-floor cottage that looked almost exactly the same as all the neighboring ones was standing with the front door open, and in front of it were his parents. He remembered now where he had seen the gate: a few months earlier, in Godric's Hollow, but now it was all rebuilt – or maybe it had never been destroyed.

He pushed the gate and walked up to them. Why was he so calm? He should be running to them, but he was not. As soon as he realized that, his pace sped up and before he knew it, he was in his parents' arms for the first time since he could remember.

“Where am I?” asked Harry.

James and Lily exchanged a look.

“In the World of the Dead,” murmured his mother.

“This is where wizards go when their lives are over,” added his father. “They can reunite with their deceased loved ones.”

Harry was remembering again. He was dead – he had been killed by Voldemort. How had it all ended in the Living World?

His body was in Hagrid's arms.

“Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.

“The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumbered you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.”

The people for whom Harry had died were coming out of the castle.

“NO!”

The cry had come from professor McGonagall.

“No!”

“No!”

“Harry! HARRY!”

The loudest and fullest of pain screams came from Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

“SILENCE!” cried Voldemort, and a charm of Silence was forced on them. “It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs.” When Harry's body had been lain on the grass, Voldemort continued. “You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!”

“He beat you!” yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more.

“He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds,” but Voldemort had to break off.

Neville had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort, but was Disarmed by the Dark Lord, who started laughing.

“And who is this? Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost ?”

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.

“It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?”

“Ah, yes, I remember. But you are a pure-blood, aren't you, my brave boy?” Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled in fists.

“So what if I am?” said Neville loudly.

“You show spirit, and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.”

“I'll join you when hell freezes over,” said Neville. “Dumbledore's Army!” he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's silencing charms seemed unable to hold.

“Very well,” said Voldemort. “If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head, be it.”

Voldemort wove his wand, and seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, the Sorting Hat flew through the air and landed in Voldemort's hand.

“There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more houses. The emblem, shield and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone, won't they, Neville Longbottom?”

Pointing his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still, he forced the Hat onto his head.

“Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me,” said Voldemort, and flicking his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames.

Screams split the dawn, and Neville was aflame, rooted to the spot, unable to move –

He appeared a few houses down the street: he was now part of the World of the Dead.

“Where am I?” asked Neville, seeing Harry.

“We are dead,” said simply Harry.

“Does anyone else want to demonstrate what happens to my opponents?” asked Voldemort, distorting his lipless mouth into a smile.

Hogwarts's defenders froze, realizing they had lost not only the battle, but the War. The Boy Who Lived, the incarnation of hope for them all, was dead. It was over not only for him, but for them all too.

Epilogue

Nineteen Years Later

It was dawning in the suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, that the survivors who had ran away from Europe called home.

“MUM! DAD! WAKE UP! HARRY IS STARTING SCHOOL TODAY!” chanted Ron and Hermione's eight-year-old daughter, Dora, while shaking them to try waking them up.

When his parents came out of their bedroom to have breakfast, Harry, who had inherited his father's freckles and his mother's big teeth, was sitting on the sofa, all ready to go.

“We're not going to miss the train, are we?” he asked anxiously.

“Don't worry, we have three hours before we have to set off,” smiled his mother.

“Be good at Roxfort,” said Hermione, hugging her son.

“Yeah, don't be in the Dingo class.”

“Ron!”

“Sorry. Don't be like your mother, have fun, Harry.”

“Send us a cockatoo as soon as you can.”

“I will, I promise,” sighed Harry, who had already heard the list of what he had to do a large number of times.

Hermione lodged herself in Ron's arms as their son boarded the wizard train that had come from Sydney and was stopping in Adelaide, so the magic community there didn't have to travel too far to take a train. They smiled and waved, watching the train with all the wizarding students aboard speed up, and their daughter Dora trying to keep up with it.

They had greatly suffered and were deeply scarred, but at least, they had all the elements for happiness.

***

Hope you enjoyed it !

Illustration from http://sffoutpost.com/harry-potter-alternative-ending/