Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:34:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Journeyman Harper <journeymanharper@yahoo.com>
Subject: All The Magical Worlds

All The Magical Worlds
By Journeyman Harper (JourneymanHarper@yahoo.com)

Note: All characters are property of J.K. Rowling, her
publisher, Warner Brothers, and their respective
holders, etc, etc. This work is pure, original fiction.

---------------------------------------------------------

The moon shone through the window next to his bed. It had
slowly followed its ordained path through the night sky,
casting the white glow throughout the castle and its
grounds. At one position, and only for a short moment, the
rays focused and streamed through the colored glass,
staining his bed red in a sea of spilt blood. The blood of
those who had died, while he waited in uncertain guilt and
despair on not knowing how to act.

The moon continued its destined route, and the bed shortly
was bathed in emerald green. Avada Kedavra immediately came
to mind, the green being the last color anything living saw
before the spell ripped life from the victim. The blood and
the means. Together, they had symbolized what Death Eaters
had been. So many had died or suffered, muggles and wizards
alike. In the last few years, he had felt each one go, and
the vicious pleasure it caused the killer. For their minds
were linked in such a way that neither could truly control
it.

One more color to go. As the moon eased into blue, a
sparkling clear blue that had been just like Albus
Dumbledore's eyes. He was gone now. By design, circumstance,
or other reason Dumbledore had finally been overcome under
the most bizarre circumstances. He had been there, helpless
to change it. But he saw it. And could not stop seeing it.

This was his seventh year at Hogwarts. Seven years of
friendship, seven years of labor and work and Quidditch and
so many things they had all done. Even the fight with
Voldemort, his friends had been with him through it. Love
had been more powerful than the Dark Lord. But it had been a
fierce love, an infinite resolve, that had done it.

The Dark Lord was gone; did anyone remember? It had been
three months ago. The wizarding world had cheered on for
less than a week. Then the nitpicking had started. Why did
he wait so long? Why this, why that. Why, why, why. They had
questioned him and harassed him like an adult on trial, not
a seventeen year old who had known about the wizarding world
and his destiny for six short years. He had finally stopped
trying to answer, and in fact stopped talking at all.

But the debate raged. Ungrateful wretches. The Ministry
received and gave its share of criticism. It seemed like
now, everybody knew of a better way to finish off Voldemort.
Why didn't they act? Where was everyone else when Harry had
needed them?

He knew the answer, of course. Comfortable in their way of
life, they were unwilling to take a risk knowing that
someone else was going to be responsible. He just wanted to
get on with life, whatever that was going to be. But the
wizarding world wouldn't let him.

He and Ginny hadn't worked out. She had no patience for all
the nay-saying and eventually they had broken up. It had not
been a violent breakup; more that she had realized that he
would never be left alone and she couldn't take that. He
understood, but didn't say that he had hoped that they could
get past that. It was just as well, as he had realized that
there was a part of him that he could not deny. When she
would find out about it, it would hurt her terribly if they
were still together.

Blue passed to clear. The moonlight bathed him in its pure
white light, changing blue to alabaster. Blood washed away;
death spells quieted, and Dumbledore's accusing crystal blue
laid to rest. Usually, either he could sleep or not after
the moon had passed its ritual. Tonight, he would not sleep.

He sighed, got up, dressed in some old faded robes, and went
down to the common room. The fire had been banked; the house
elves had been through settling the furniture and pillows
where they belonged. He cast an invisibility spell on
himself, not needing the cloak anymore, and went out into
the castle. The stairs had stopped moving, and the castle
was at peace in its quiet echo-filled silence. Tomorrow the
horde of students would flow through its veins in their
chaotic way, but at night it was gently at rest.

He slid through one of the side doors out onto the grounds,
and went down to the lake. There were no Dementors now. The
moon cast a silvery line through the still water as he
crouched alone, on a rock near its edge. Quiet surrounded
him carefully. The noises of the night continued as his
haunted eyes scanned the water, his mind far, far away in a
tenuous zone of protectiveness. He willed himself to see
hope, far out on the lake, a tiny flicker of hope. But it
wasn't there.

The lake would offer him an end, though. Harry was not
afraid of death. Those who feared death had something
positive to live for. He could not put a name to anything
right now. He could not sleep, could not do school without
the continuous commentary, even from Ron and Hermione. Bill
Weasley's injury had soured Ron, and Hermione had become so
critical that he hadn't seen or spoken to them in days,
maybe even weeks. They also had become more concerned about
each other. He didn't hold that against them, but even
Hagrid had become chill and critical before his departure.
Maybe the only peace he could achieve was through the
ultimate end.

He started to consider that, again, as he had each night he
made it to the lake for the past month. He never had
succumbed yet. But the additional burden of the direction
his interest had taken was just overwhelming. He longed for
peace, and he longed for someone to love him. Both were
denied him in this life.

He had just made up his mind, and was gathering courage when
the water rippled in front of him. His eyes opened wide as
one of the mer-people arose partway out of the water. Harry
had seen them during the Triwizard Tournament; but he had
never had the opportunity to see one up close. He wondered
if they could speak.

Harry bowed his head slightly. "Hello."

The merman cocked his head slightly, and then whispered,
"Hello, young earth-man. What brings you to our lake,
tonight?"

One word arose from Harry. "Death."

The whisper contained a boundless stream of music in it.
"Ahhh. Your own?"

Harry could not speak. The hurt, the turmoil, the pain all
rose in his eyes. His silence answered the question.

"I see. So brave, three short years ago, so noble. So
different you are now. All the worlds rejoice in your deed,
Harry Potter. Are you not satisfied?"

Vibrant words rebounded inside Harry. Ready to let loose
with his frustration on this numb-nut of a creature, he
caught himself just in time. All the worlds?

"What do you mean, all the worlds?"

"Harry Potter, you saved more than humans with your end of
the Dark Lord." Harry spun around to this new voice, deep
and resonant. A centaur stood there, listening until it had
spoken. "Centaurs, giants, house elves, mer-people, and even
muggles have had a great fear lifted. We have all known loss
from the Dark Lord in many ways. You have ended it for us.
We did not have the power to fight back."

"He is right, great Harry Potter." Dobby had joined them.
Nodding quickly, he continued, "Great evil is now gone and
is no more. All the magical worlds feel it."

The centaur spoke. "It would be a great sadness for the one
whom we are so grateful to and hold in such high regard to
be lost."

Harry was quiet, stunned. "I had no idea that Voldemort was
so far-reaching in his corruption. I am sorry I could not
have done it sooner."

Dobby spoke next. "You, sir could not have done it any
sooner."

"You were just learning. Even afterwards, you are still
learning. It happened faster than we had hoped." The centaur
pawed the earth. "Why are you down here with Death on your
mind?"

And so he told them about his humans, the ones who could not
help but question his actions. He told them about their
opinions, their need to blame, explain, and the resulting
distain and criticism. They listened impassively, until he
got near the end when he had stated that he just wanted
peace, and death seemed the only escape.

The centaur regarded him thoughtfully. "There is something
more, something more fundamental that you are not telling
us. Can you trust us, please?"

Why not? "Dobby, you interact more than they do. You may not
tell anyone." Dobby nodded, and Harry continued, "I also
want to find someone who will love me, and whom I can love
in return. I can not see how it can happen."

"Why not? It seems fairly routine to humans."

Deep breath, then, "Because I am looking for a boy to love,
not a girl."

"Harry Potter is gay?" This was from the merman.

"Yes. I am gay." There, he had said it.

The centaur seemed puzzled. "That is not uncommon in
humans."

The merman had it right, though. "It would give his own
another reason to criticize and be accusatory."

All three understood. "Harry Potter, the night is almost
over. We will find a way to help as a small token of our
gratitude for what you have done for us. You will promise
not to end your life until we have spoken again?"

Harry nodded. "I promise." And the others melted into the
background.

Harry made his way slowly back to the castle. He used a
cleansing spell on himself so he would not have to go back
to the dormitory. He would be first for breakfast as usual.
He had eaten and was done before any other Gryffindor had
come down. But he was alive. That gave him a little flicker
of hope, and of gratitude to all the other magical worlds.

That night he slept. He missed the moon in the clouds, and
without its steady path across the window he was able to
achieve a tenuous sleep. The centaur, the merman, and the
house elf teased his mind. No accusations, no nitpicking,
just honest gratitude that he had done what he did. The
nightmares of that event still haunted him. His friends,
sleeping nearby had known that he had nightmares his entire
school experience, but there was nothing they could do about
it, and so they stopped trying. One more step towards
isolation.

Morning came, and he was gone. When he did sleep, he had
taken to running in the morning. He usually ran down to the
lake and partway around it. No matter what the weather. As
this morning, he was feeling a little refreshed as he turned
around for the return trip, when suddenly he found a centaur
running with him. An easy gait for the centaur, it just
smiled at him and ran along side. Harry smiled slightly,
nodded in greeting, and continued his run. They ran together
until the turn back to the castle, at which point the
centaur stopped him.

"Harry Potter, it was enjoyable to run this morning with
you. Since Hagrid left, we are not as well tended, and we
miss him."

Harry bowed slightly. "Sir, I run most days in the morning.
If you or the others need something, let me know and I will
get it for you as best as I can."

The centaur bowed as well. "That is a most generous offer
that we will accept." He looked carefully at Harry. "Will
you come down to the lake tonight?"

"If you would like me to come, I shall."

"Please do. We have something for you." And then the centaur
ran off.

Puzzled, curious, Harry ran back to the castle. Gryffindor
was at breakfast, and Harry went to shower and dress for the
day. The water ran over him, and as he washed he regarded
himself. He looked good. Muscles, good shoulders, trim, and
filled out only just enough so as to add definition and
strength. He was not all that muscular, which was fine.
Lightweight. Bright green eyes, shiny for a moment. Hair had
grown much longer, down to his shoulders. He turned
slightly, and that gorgeous butt of his was brought into
prominent view. He had the perfect form for a young man. He
posed for a moment, and then heard a gasp.

"Hi ... uh, Harry."

This was Colin Creevey, one of the sixth years. He was one
of the nicer ones. He was never without his camera.
Instinctively, Harry held the pose for a moment longer.

"Where is your camera when you need it, huh?"

Colin gulped, and Harry laughed shortly. "I am done here;
see you later." And he took his towel and went back to
dress. Colin didn't move for a few moments, and then he ran
to a toilet and proceeded to wank furiously for almost an
hour. He came four times and was late to class, but the
sight of the person he had always idolized, posing nude just
for him ... maybe he needed a fifth time.

Harry's day continued until a skirmish started out in the
game pens. Professor Grubbly-Plank had apparently fallen and
injured herself, and the animals, still restless without
Hagrid, were escalating the unrest. As he ran down to the
site, he passed a crowd of second year students running the
other way, with the professor. Damn. Who would calm down the
animals? Well, he would if no one else would.

He got to the pens and began shuffling them back to their
places, finding the kinds of food and treats each species
liked. Hagrid had taught him well, and the animals all
seemed to take comfort in his presence. After all, he and
Hagrid had been very close during the other years. He got
the hippogriffs back into their pasture, the Skrewts back to
their pens, and the various other magical animals home to
their own places.

Last, he found the threstrals scattered about. They were
very friendly though, and when he whistled they all came to
him. He could see them in their odd beauty, invisible to the
innocent. Harry was anything but innocent. He was a creature
created as a weapon against the Dark, and that doesn't mean
he was infused by Light. Harry had learned more about the
Dark than many did, but he did it the hard way: in the
field. But he was so gentle with the animals, and their
innocence pulled him out of his miserable existence. He
found that he really needed them, almost as much as they
needed Hagrid back.

That had been a surprise. Rubeus Hagrid, who had been open,
honest, and introduced Harry to the wizarding world; he had
been so damaged by the death of Dumbledore that he never
recovered. After the death of Voldemort, the giants had had
many casualties, including the king and heir. Hagrid was the
next in line by his half-giant blood link, and so they had
crowned him in desperation and off he went. Professor
Grubbly-Plank was too old to handle the brood except under
the best of circumstances, apparently. Harry quietly
resolved that if nothing else, he would see to it that the
animals were kept well. Their worlds should not be deprived
of peace.

When they were all back, with calm reassurances, affection
and treats, he stopped to rest on one of the stumps, head in
his hands. Good thing he was in shape, because that took a
lot of work. A little deep breathing, his eyes closed, he
wondered how Hagrid had kept it all together. A tear ran
down his cheek, unchecked. Of all the betrayals, of all the
nitpicking little persnickety bastards in the human world,
Hagrid's loss of faith in Harry had hurt the most.

Something nuzzled his neck. He must have forgotten one. He
looked up, and there next to him was a silvery white
unicorn. Amazed, he sat very still, hoping it would not go
away. It didn't, and it just stood there and nuzzled his
neck again. He lifted his head to look at it as it stood
peacefully there. It's liquid silver eyes bore into his, and
he realized that it was looking for treats and reassurances
as well. His face cracked in a grin, and raising one hand to
stroke its neck, he offered it a carrot he had been carrying
around.

The unicorn munched happily. Harry stroked the magnificent
animal along its withers, and back. It was a beauty, and for
a few moments time stopped as Harry lost himself in the
creature. He spoke soft reassuring words, and, as Hagrid had
taught him for horses, checked each of the dainty hooves for
damage. The unicorn complied willingly, although it refused
to show him its teeth. He got over a little of his awe and
casually ruffled the hair between its ears, and the unicorn
whinnied in polite laughter. It moved away then, back to the
forest.

Harry took his eyes off the unicorn to see that every single
other creature in the game area was staring at him. Not a
sound, not a peep, not a shuffle. All were watching him. The
moment gone from Harry, he sat down and cried. Cried at the
trust and affection from the animals, brought to a height by
the unicorn, and then knowing it was still there when the
rest of humanity turned its back on him, he cried in
hopeless despair and at the same time, gratitude that
something would accept him and his care. All he wanted was
some peace and someone to love. It wasn't that he cried
loud, just a quiet, closed-in sobbing. In a way it was more
the posture that helped. Alone, outside, the grief and
sorrow spilled out in tears to be washed in sunshine.

And the animals watched him, and did not make a single
sound.

The sobbing stopped; the tears did not. Harry got up, shook
himself, wiped his face with his robe. He regarded the
animals with interest and awareness. He would be late for
his next class. Tough. He bowed briefly to them, humorously,
and their spell was broken as they began to act like normal
animals again. Another cleansing spell, and he was at least
not muddy or dirty, though somewhat rumpled. He made his way
back to Transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall watched Harry closely throughout the
double class. She was Headmistress now, and had herself been
critical of Harry. She now began to realize the kind of
impact that he had had, and how much they all had relied on
Albus's judgment. She had been unfair to him. And she had
only realized it when the unicorn had departed, and she had
seen Harry's misery. She had been amazed, though at the
animals and that Harry had been the one to go to them while
Grubbly-Plank was in the Hospital Wing. She also realized
for the first time that while most of the seventh year
students had paired up, each according to their orientation,
Harry had not found any kind of a romantic partner. She
snorted. Why would anyone? The Boy Who Lived was gone; even
The Chosen One was gone; it was now the Boy Who Could Have
Done Better in everyone's eyes.

Class ended. Dinner was approaching, and she needed to stop
off at her office on the way. As she did so, a student ran
up to her, breathless with excitement. There was a centaur
waiting for her at the main door. And so Minerva quickly
made her way down to the door to meet Firenze.

"Greetings, Firenze. To what do I owe the honor of your
presence?"

Firenze looked at her coolly, then with a touch of sincere
warmth. "Minerva, I hope you are well. I am here to deliver
a message from the entire centaur herd, the hippogriffs, and
all the other creatures that are non-human and live in the
forest."

Minerva caught her breath. This was unique. "Please go on."

"We have realized that Hagrid will not be returning to us.
Is that still the case?"

"I am afraid so."

"Then we ..." the centaur growled slightly, "request ...
that Harry Potter be made the new gamekeeper for
Hogwarts." The centaur stood proud. "We do not make this
statement lightly. We feel that, like with Hagrid, it is in
both of our best interests for Harry Potter to take that
role. Even the unicorn agreed."

"I shall be happy to discuss your offer with him."

Firenze looked her straight in the eye. "Make sure that he
does not decline. I do not say that for our sake alone, but
for his and for all the magical worlds that he has saved."

Before her pride could be pinged, she realized that they
knew something more than she did about Harry. They weren't
giving her an order, but they were very wise and they were
being crystal clear on what had to be done. That alone was
unusual in itself. She humphed, and said "Thank you. I shall
be most persuasive and be guided by your wisdom."

The centaur softened considerably. "Thank you, Minerva. That
way a great tragedy may be avoided."

"Have you seen it in the stars, then?"

He was quiet for a moment, then said, "No, we have seen him
each night by the lake." And with that the centaur turned
and strode back towards the forest.

Minerva had never had such an experience before. Apparently
Harry had been going to the lake at night secretively. Well,
she was still young enough to recognize her mistakes. She
set about a plan, and it started by finding Harry Potter.
But he was not to be found. All through dinner, she realized
that she hadn't seen him at dinner in at least a week. A
flash of irritation went through her at her own lack of
observation. She would have to go down to the lake tonight
to be sure to talk to him.

Harry was up in the Astronomy tower. He could see all around
Hogwarts from here, down to the lake itself, and out over
the hills and the forest. The animals had left him very
unsettled. They needed someone to watch them, to take care
of them, and to defend them. They needed Hagrid. But Hagrid
was gone. And somehow, he knew that they wanted him. He
respected them, he enjoyed them with their simple
understandings and their peculiar reactions. He still wanted
the love of one of his own kind, but at least the animals he
could love and give to. Halfway was better than nothing.

It grew late. His homework was done. His eyes traveled down
to the burned wreck of Hagrid's hut. It had been partially
repaired, but it was close to the animals, it was empty, and
it was a place for one. He wondered. With Hagrid gone, it
could become his place to hide. He had been caught now twice
on the Astronomy tower by couples looking for a nice place
to snog. Each time there had been pointed comments, and
Harry had abandoned his place. And of course, it happened
again.

This time, he did not go to bed, but went down to the
library. The library was a very public place; Harry almost
never went there anymore. But he felt the need to go this
time, if only to reaffirm his position. He pulled out
"Hogwarts, A History" and began at the beginning.

>From across the room, Ron and Hermione watched quietly.
Harry had changed considerably. They had been so involved in
each other, and truly Harry had been so unsocial recently.
They had argued and argued over the Dark Lord and what could
have been done sooner, but Harry had brushed it all off and
refused to discuss it. He had even been rude enough to tell
them that. He had become more like a Slytherin, so much so
that he didn't even play Quidditch anymore. Not that anyone
would have wanted him to. The two discussed that particular
thought in whispers, until it hit Hermione in a special way.
They never used to shun him, before the war. For just a
moment, each wondered who had really changed. Harry had
always had this destiny in front of him. She and Ron had
choices, where Harry had none. Ron shrugged. Hermione
overcame her own irritation and studied Harry once more,
like she used to do.

The Harry that Hermione saw was very physically attractive.
The raven-black hair, long in back and the casual brown
robes leant him a rough view. Strong features, not
diminished by the eyeglasses, framed by a hopelessness and
despair that every muscle in his face and his posture let
on.

Some students walked by him, and Harry didn't look up. They
made some sort of veiled comment, and Harry raised his eyes,
burning with intensity in that emerald fire. With no
inflection and no hostility, he indicated that he shared
their sorrow and then pointedly ignored them. His voice was
husky, baritone and beautiful to hear. Hermione wondered
what he was thinking, for the first time in months.

She decided to go sit with him. Telling Ron to stay out of
it, she got up and moved the couple of yards down and took a
seat next to him.

"Hello, Harry. I saw you come in."

"Thanks. How are you and Ron getting on?"

"Fairly well. He has some habits. You?"

"The usual."

"You haven't been around much."

Harry sighed. "You are surprised? I got tired of all the
complaints."

She studied him. "Harry, you aren't yourself."

He finally looked at her. She was irritated because he did
not fit the mold she had created for him. "No, Hermione, I
am myself. I am not, however, the self that you think I am."
He smiled sadly. "Follow your dream, Hermione. Our
friendship obviously could not survive the end of Voldemort.
In a way, even though he died, the life I knew ended. Don't
waste your time on the likes of me." As she watched, he
stood, being tall and very well shaped, he walked out with a
slightly loping walk and a slight stoop.

"Well, really!" And she returned to Ron, who shrugged. His
oldest brother was part werewolf because of Harry.

Harry had been desolate before, but now his resolve
hardened. This would be his last night. He would keep his
last promise, and then face the green fire that would set
him free. Or at least end the pain. He returned to the
Gryffindor room. No one was around. He packed his meager
trunk, sorted his books, and stood. He scanned the room, and
then went down to the common room.

So much history here. So many good times, teamwork, hard
revision and friendship. What had McGonagall said, when they
first arrived? Your house would be your family away from
home. Well, his family had shunned him. From the shadow for
a moment he watched the room's dynamics go on in animated
spirit, not noticing him, and Harry said a silent goodbye,
and left. His goal was the lake.

He only encountered one person on the way: Colin Creevey.
Colin had met Harry on the stairs, and with a quick look
around, stopped him.

"Harry, can I talk to you?"

Harry sighed. "What is it, Colin?"

Colin looked a little uncomfortable. "Not here, somewhere a
little more private."

"Not now, then." And he looked wistfully at Colin. Colin had
become also quite a nice young man and had been seeing some
Hufflepuff girl some weeks ago. Brown hair, a little short
on stature, but he was still one of those constant in-motion
people and had the build to support it. A part of Harry
ached to talk to him, the only one who sincerely seemed to
like him anymore. "How is Rebecca?"

"We broke up a while ago. Can we talk now, please?"

"I'm sorry, but not now." Harry looked back towards the
tower, and then into Colin's eyes. "Goodbye, Colin." And he
started down the stairs.

Colin spent exactly one minute thinking before he ran to
find Professor McGonagall.

Invisibility swept down on Harry as he weaved his way
through the castle, and out onto the grounds. Down through
the forest, to the shore of the lake and onto his rock. Each
step was a piece of his choice. Every other step was a
reminder that the animals needed him and had placed their
trust in him. Each wave of the water was another helpless
non-human who needed him, and would be lost without him. And
each tree was an accusatory human ready to point out the
errors in his ways.

The forest quieted, the moon rose. A full moon, its huge
vibrant light bathing the lake in tendrils of glowing white.
Pure, clean. Harry lost himself in its beauty and its simple
truth. The hours passed, and the tears flowed. So much hurt,
so much sorrow. But at his deepest core, Harry could not let
the feelings surrender to Death. He would go on, somehow.

Harry slowly realized that there were four others with him.
The merman, the centaur, the house elf, and emerging quietly
from the mists in the forest, the Headmistress. Minerva
McGonagall was humbled to see each of the representatives
from the magical worlds in one place together.

The centaur spoke. "Harry, we of the non-human magical
worlds have a gift for you." The three moved forward, and
each touching Harry's skin somewhere, breathed on him.
Suddenly, Harry's ears were alive with the language of all
living creatures. "Receive from us the gift of
understanding, that the creatures who depend upon you may
let you understand their needs and their joys, beyond those
of the humans who have damaged you so."

Minerva had tears in her eyes. Harry's eyes had opened wide
with the knowledge he was now hearing. A look of wonder
crossed his face, and the tears started down his own face.
"Thank you, thank you." He brushed the tears away. "I had
come down here to make an end. But when I saw you come, I
knew that whatever happened, I would not be able to do it. I
have to go on." He smiled up to them. "This is a marvelous
gift. I hope I can use it effectively."

"You will." Minerva came closer. "I realized you wanted to
be an Auror. You still can be, if you choose. Or, it would
be my sincere pleasure and great relief to receive you as
the new gamekeeper for Hogwarts." As Harry's eyes went wide,
she nodded. "Oh yes. I saw how you settled the animals
today. And for the first time in my long life I saw the
unicorn enjoy getting its hair ruffled." Her mouth formed a
hard line. "We all have been far too critical of you, Harry,
and have lost sight of the fact that three months ago our
very lives were threatened except for you. Now everyone is
crying over spilt milk." She snorted. "At least the other
creatures have some sense."

The centaur nodded approvingly. Harry stood rooted to the
spot. Gamekeeper? It answered all his recent feelings about
the wizarding world. New tears ran down his face, as he
nodded silently, and very quietly she moved to him and
enfolded him in her old but sincerely tender arms as he
shuddered. He clung to her for a moment longer, then
released her. "Headmistress, I would gratefully accept the
position of gamekeeper, effective immediately."

She nodded. "Never was there more of a right path than
that." She drew herself up again, and smiled. A weird
effect. "I would advise you also finish out your NEWT work,
as you never know when that would be useful." She looked
around, and stepped back. "I think now that others want to
congratulate you."

The centaur stepped forward, bowed and shook Harry's hand.
"We are grateful, Harry Potter, and we welcome your care
with joy, as you have now saved us twice from difficult
times."

"Dobby KNEW you would always be the great Harry Potter
sir!!"

Whispering from the merman, "We of the lake welcome you to
our haven."

Then they all looked expectantly.

A small voice echoed from behind a tree. "Harry?" Colin
Creevey emerged, nervously.

Harry smiled, a sincere smile. "Come on over, Colin. Though
I don't know how you found us here."

Colin broke into a run and flung himself onto Harry,
clinging tightly. "Oh Harry, I was so scared! When I saw you
on the stairs, you were all but dead, I could tell, and I
ran and found Professor McGonagall and told her that I
thought you were going to do something terrible, and she
brought me down here to the lake because I couldn't stop
thinking that if you weren't around I couldn't go on either,
oh Harry I love you so much and you hardly notice me but
after this morning you have to know that I don't carry my
camera around anymore and this morning you were so
incredibly sexy and hot and I couldn't help myself but stare
and you actually posed and it was all I could do not to jump
on you right there like I have wanted to for years oh my god
somehow I will make you love me I'll do anything anytime
anywhere but I love you so much and I will make you love me
somehow, I just need a chance ..." he had to stop for
breath.

Harry was amazed. He held Colin close, holding the young man
against him, and it felt very good. "Colin, you will have
your chance. I never knew, never suspected. I have been
looking for so long, and it has been so hard recently."

Colin stared into his eyes, and then impulsively stretched
himself upwards and brushed his hungry lips across Harry's.
Feelings in Harry that he hadn't felt ever awakened and
quickly caused him to deepen and continue the kiss. A wealth
of emotions spread through them; Colin relief and
incredulous joy that Harry was aware now; Harry still amazed
and gratified that one person cared enough to be afraid for
him, and who loved him. Colin felt so good against him, in
all the ways.  Neither wanted to let go.

However, a quiet ahem from someone broke the kiss, and the
two grinned a little sheepishly. The merman and the centaur
were politely smug; Dobby openly snickered (house elves have
seen everything, and then some) and Minerva was looking
satisfied but a trifle impatient.

Harry only spoke. "Thank you all. I came down here to end my
life; and I think I did. What I didn't realize was that I
would be starting such a marvelous new one, in all the
magical worlds." He and Colin and Minerva began to return to
the castle, and the others melted into the darkness.

>From that moment on, Harry Potter tended the animals and
their worlds. When the new term started, he introduced
himself to the first years as Harold, the gamekeeper, and
slowly the knowledge of Harry Potter, the notorious faded
from discussion. A few years later, wizards and witches
could not distinguish Harold from Hagrid in memory anymore,
and Harold became the fixture. As with most gamekeepers, he
had peculiar tastes, an incredible depth of knowledge and
magic, and was not particularly social. He had a wild look,
with his very long raven-black hair and a carefully trimmed
short beard, and the piercing eyes of emerald fire. He lived
in the cottage, and had regular visits from Professor
Creevey who had specialized in Charms. And some evenings, in
the very late hours, if one listened very carefully and
closely one could hear the sounds of two persons enjoying
themselves in their intimacy together, one eventually crying out
"Oh, Harry!" in joy and pleasure.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Author Note: This would be my guess as to how Book Seven,
would end. Please enjoy. I wrote this when I was very
down, and when it was done it had helped a great deal.