Disclaimer: Harry Potter is of property of J.K.R.

A/N: So, are you going to kill me? I think so, because it’s definitely a happy end, but it’s also pretty depressing. Anyway, I’m sorry, but I like the way this story ends, so I'm not going to change it, and no, in case anybody is wondering, I’m not going to write a sequel at all—come on, what could I write?—anyway, since this is the last chapter as always I wanted to thank all the readers that followed this story. Then, thanks to all the people that put this story in their Alerts list, in their Favourites list and in their C2s. And last, but not least, a very big thank you to all the people that reviewed my chapters, those reviews really made my day, and if you feel like leaving a review, and it’s about year 3000 and the aliens have invaded the Earth or either Voldy has won the Battle against Harry Potter, leave it anyway, I swear that I’ll find the way to read it! And I’ll also reply to them (if you want me to!)! As a last thing (then you can go on reading the chapter), I wanted to let you know that I’ve written a story, which I think it’s better than these ones I’ve uploaded on if you want to have a look at it, you’ll find it on Fiction Alley, under my usual username (Ely-Baby), it’s called ‘But Thy Eternal Summer Shall Not Fade’. I think it’s pretty nice, so if you want to have a look at it, just check it out, although forget it. Again, thanks a lot to you all.

To Lyndsie Fenele: Thanks a lot for being such a nice beta-reader. I really appreciated all your comments and your wonderful help. Again, thanks so much for everything.

No Way Out

Harry looked at the sky. It was blue, a shade of blue like he’d never seen before. ‘Maybe the sky of the future is different from the one in my time,’ he thought.

“No, I think that it’s the same sky that you know,” said a voice at his back.

Harry smiled without turning. “It looks bluer.”

“Maybe it’s because it’s been more than a week since you’ve seen it,” said Ron, approaching him. “You can’t even imagine how strange I thought it looked in your time. But really it was just the fact that it had been almost thirteen years since I’d seen it.”

Harry nodded. He glanced at Ron and saw that he was wearing a long red wizard’s robe and a pointed hat, which made him look a little bit crazy. Harry was wearing the dress robes that he’d had when Ginny ‘kidnapped’ him from the past.

“You know that I’ll miss you, don’t you?” said Ron unexpectedly.

Harry nodded awkwardly. “I’ll miss you too.”

“No you won’t. You won’t even remember me,” replied Ron.

“Right. About that Memory Charm-”

“Harry, I would be the first to save your and Hermione’s lives,” sighed Ron. “But that’s not possible. You can’t change the past - not such a distant past, at least.”

Harry nodded. Then he sighed deeply. “You know, I’m happy that it wasn’t me after all.”

Ron looked at him and smiled. “Yeah, for once it wasn’t you. It’s not always about you, Mr. Potter.”

“And you know, I’m also happy that Katie brought little Harry there just in time,” Harry added.

“Well, don’t let Ginny hear it; she already thinks that she’s the new heroine of this world,” joked Ron.

“Yeah, better if I don’t,” said Harry, laughing. “So, they made you Minister, right?”

Ron looked at him and smiled. “Minister? No, I don’t think so. There’s no such office anymore. But there’s the need for someone to guide everybody,” he said matter-of-factly.

“And they chose you? Poor things, they must be still shocked after Voldemort’s domination,” said Harry teasingly.

Ron smirked. “Actually they chose me, but I refused.”

“Why?” asked Harry, raising his eyebrows.

“I don’t feel ready for something like that, plus I think that the person that they’ve chosen instead is much better,” said Ron, blinking. “Malfoy.”

“What?” asked Harry, surprised.

Ron laughed. “Just joking, even though Malfoy threatened a couple of people to vote for him. It’s Remus.”

Harry felt reassured.

“I was thinking that I envy you, Harry,” said Ron pensively.

“Really?” asked Harry. “Because I’m going to die a painful death in a few months? Or because I-”

“Because you’ll be able to spend two more months with Hermione,” said Ron, cutting him off.

Harry lowered his eyes and blushed. He was the one that was going to die, and still he felt guilty for spending time with Hermione; how could that be?

“Ron, I-”

“Never mind,” said Ron hastily. “You know, Ginny is right.”

“Is she?” asked Harry, raising his eyebrows.

Ron nodded. “Yes, when she says that I need to forget her. But she doesn’t know how difficult it is. For her it has been easier forgetting you – not because she loved you less,” he added hastily, seeing Harry’s expression. “But because she was with you and knows that she did everything possible to make every moment she has spent with you unforgettable. But I,” he looked at his hands. “I didn’t even tell her how I felt. And the remorse is eating me alive.”

Harry patted his shoulder awkwardly. “You don’t have to forget her. You just have to live your life with her memory and know that she’ll always be there, waiting for you.”

Ron looked at him. “I didn’t remember that you were so wise,” he said teasingly.

“Much wiser than my best friend, that’s for sure,” said Harry, grinning.

They heard steps behind them and turned. Ginny was there, wearing a white summer dress, with little Harry in her arms. She smiled at them and moved to where they stood. “Are you ready, Harry?” she asked gently.

Harry nodded. He looked at Ginny and smiled. “I guess I am.”

“Good, come on, there are a couple of people that want to bid farewell to you,” she said, turning.

Harry followed her to the very centre of Diagon Alley, where a sand circle lay in the middle of the street. Draco and Remus stood there, evidently waiting for him.

Remus hugged Harry, causing him to blush. “P-professor Lupin, I’m not a child anymore,” he said, while he caught sight of a smirking Draco.

“Yes, yes, of course,” said Remus, releasing him. “We’ll miss you.”

Harry nodded.

“Well, Potter, I’m happy that for once the prophecy-boy wasn’t you,” said Draco.

“You know, Malfoy? For once I agree with you,” said Harry matter-of-factly.

Unexpectedly, Draco smiled. “Have a nice trip back home,” he said, causing Ron to gape at him.

Ginny bent down and kissed him on the forehead. “Harry, I just want you to know that I’ve never stopped loving you,” she said softly.

Harry nodded, unable to reply anything comprehensible.

“Sorry we brought you here for no reason,” said Ron.

“No problem,” replied Harry. “It was fun learning all that stuff about wand-less and word-less magic.” He looked at Ron intently. “After the Memory Charm I won’t be able to do that anymore, right?” he asked, a little bit deluded.

“Yes, you will. But you won’t remember it,” answered Ron, smiling.

“Oh, blimey,” muttered Harry.

“Harry, enter the circle,” said Remus.

Harry nodded and stepped inside the circle obediently.

Remus walked in front of him and placed a finger on Harry’s forehead. “As soon as you touch the ground in your time, you’ll forget everything; all you have lived in the past ten days will be less than a dream, less than an evanescent memory, less than a sensation to you.”

As Remus pulled his finger away, Harry felt a warm sensation from the spot he had touched spreading throughout his head. His vision blurred, and he was just barely aware of Ron jumping into the circle next to him.

“Ron!” exclaimed Ginny fearfully.

“Oh, great, Weasley,” snapped Draco with a theatrical gesture. “Go and destroy the future just to stay with Granger--”

“Malfoy,” Ron cut him off. “I just need to take my stuff back from Percy’s room, and someone has to make all the other people forget me.” He looked at Remus and nodded, grabbing a small golden chain around his neck.

Remus nodded back, showing a half crystal in his hands.

Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Whatever,” he murmured. “At least have the decency to become invisible, Weasley.”

“I know that, Malfoy,” Ron hissed back. He narrowed his eyes to concentrate, and became invisible.

“Goodbye, Harry.” Harry heard someone say.

“Say hello to Mum for me.” And he knew that that was Ginny.

Harry nodded and felt a force lifting him from the ground; he closed his eyes and let his body be transported. It was a nice sensation, quite different from the other trip to the future. Maybe it was because now he was prepared. He could feel the edge of Ron’s robes brushing against his legs, but didn’t glance at him, since he knew that it was futile.

“Aaaah!”

Harry opened his eyes and found himself staring into the teary ones of Hermione.

“Harry!” she sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck. “Where is Robert?”

Harry blinked. “Who?” he asked her.

Hermione released him and looked into his eyes. “Robert, Harry. You know him, don’t you? Oh my! What happened to you, it looks like you have been away for days,” she said, looking at his hair.

Harry shrugged his shoulders without understanding.

“Harry what-” But her words died in her throat as Ron took a step towards her and placed a hand on her forehead. “I love you,” he murmured so softly that Hermione had to mistake it for the wind.

Hermione’s expression softened, as her memories of Ron were erased from her mind. “Oh my, Harry! It’s so late, the wedding is going to start and we’re still here,” she said, looking around. “Why are we here?”

“Harry! Hermione!”

All the Weasley family was running towards them.

“Are you alright?” asked the seventeen-year-old Ron, breathlessly.

Harry and Hermione nodded. “Why?” asked Harry.

“We heard Hermione screaming,” said Ginny. She looked around. “Where are Robert and that girl?”

Harry and Hermione looked at each other without understanding. “Who?” asked Hermione.

Ron raised an invisible hand and murmured, “Obliviate.” He looked as everybody’s face softened, as his family forgot him.

“Better if we move,” said Mrs. Weasley, with a big grin on her face. “The guests are going to arrive any time now.”

They started to walk towards the Burrow, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley on the front, followed by Bill and Fleur who were holding hands. Fred and George were teasing Ron, and Hermione was smiling, looking at Ron’s ears, which were turning red from anger. Harry and Ginny were a little behind.

Suddenly Harry came to a halt and seized Ginny’s arm to make her stop. He looked into her eyes and asked, “Ginny, do you fancy Professor Lupin?”

Ron smiled. He stretched his hand in front of him and murmured, “Accio!” Nobody saw as his trunk flew out of Percy’s window. He caught it with his right hand and closed his eyes. He touched the crystal that hung at his neck and thought intensely of Remus. His sister, his nephew and everybody else were waiting for him. The future was waiting for him.

“Farewell, Hermione,” he murmured before a blinding light swallowed his body and the past vanished in front of him.

- The End -