Harry Potter: Another Chance

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 445: Departure

D-Day, Ministry of Magic

In the deepest parts of the Department of Mysteries, there lies an extensive chamber containing nothing but a single stone arch, situated at its center.

This stone structure is ancient...predating even the construction of the Ministry itself.

No one knows who built it or for what purpose.

A gray mist covers the interior of the arch, making it impossible to see what lies on the other side.

Any living being who gets too close risks having their soul sucked out of their body and dragged into the mist.

The Unspeakables have named this mysterious artifact "The Veil".

This room is rarely visited. Of course, everyone working here is well aware of the dangers posed by the Veil. They know they'll be safe as long as they don't venture too close. But the Veil has become closely associated with the physical representation of Death itself. That thought makes people uneasy...after all, no one likes to think about death.

Today, however, this room was crowded.

They weren't here to observe the Veil but to bid farewell to two young individuals.

Harry and Daphne stood surrounded by their loved ones.

The soul-bonding ritual had been a success, and now it was time for them to leave.

This was their last day in this world.

Lily Potter was crying, held tightly by her husband.

No matter how much they understood the necessity of this event, losing their son was still an incredibly painful experience.

Lyra and Holly had been left at home. Though their eldest daughter had a basic understanding of what was happening and the reasons for it, Lily and James had decided she was too young to witness this moment. Holly, being even younger, wouldn't understand at all. They'd explain it to her later... and that was not a conversation they were looking for.

Dobby was also present, as Harry's personal house elf.

Daphne's parents stood stoically, visibly affected but trying to remain composed.

Albus Dumbledore was at the head of the group, alongside Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had granted them access to the room.

The Minister had been given a summary of the dimensional anomalies, though he could comprehend only a small part of it. Still, his faith in Harry and Dumbledore was absolute. When told this was necessary, he did not hesitate to offer his full support.

The final person in the chamber was Professor Silverbell. As the foremost expert on space-time anomalies, his presence was crucial to confirm that Harry's sacrifice would achieve the intended effect.

While Daphne exchanged goodbyes with her family, Harry did the same.

"Is there really n—"

"Please, stop asking that…" Harry interrupted his father, cutting off the same question for the hundredth time.

"It's not fair…" Lily said through her tears. "You've already sacrificed so much to save the world from that monster… Why must you do it again?"

"All my efforts will be for nothing if this world collapses and you all die. I won't let that happen." Harry's tone was firm.

"It should be the parents' job to sacrifice themselves for their children," James said bitterly.

Harry stared at them for a moment. "But you already did. I wouldn't be here if not for your sacrifice. I got to live this long because there was a time and place when you gave up your lives to protect me."

"But that wasn't us… It was…" Lily began.

"They were still you. Different versions, yes, but I know you would've made the same choice they did. That's all that matters," Harry explained.

"Master Harry Potter," came a small voice.

Harry turned to see Dobby, who looked hesitant.

"You got my name right," Harry said with a small smile, kneeling to the elf's level. He pulled a piece of fabric from his pocket.

"No…" Dobby's eyes widened in panic.

"I'm sorry, Dobby. I can't take you with me. I know being free can be scary, but remember...the Potters will always be your family."

"Can Dobby stay?" the elf asked hopefully.

"Of course you can stay, Dobby," James reassured him.

"You're part of the family, after all," Lily added.

Harry placed the handkerchief into Dobby's hands, breaking their bond.

"You can make your own decisions now. That's what being free is all about."

Harry then stood and hugged his parents tightly.

"I love you," Lily said softly.

"We'll never forget you, son," James added.

When the embrace ended, Harry turned to face the others.

"Minister Shacklebolt," he said, "just promise me you'll take good care of magical Britain. There are still issues buried deep beneath the surface. Voldemort was just a symptom… Don't let another rise."

"I'll do my best," the Minister promised.

Finally, Harry faced Dumbledore.

"I guess this is it, Professor," Harry said.

"I don't recall teaching you enough to deserve that title," Dumbledore replied, a twinkle of sadness in his eyes.

"Perhaps it was in another life," Harry said. "But you earned it."

" That may be so, but I believe it would be adequate for you to address me by name now. That was a lifetime away, after all." Dumbledore reasoned.

Harry nodded. "Goodbye, Albus."

"Goodbye, Harry. And who knows… we may meet again, soon enough."

Harry walked further toward the Veil and stopped before the steps that led to the stone arch.

He then felt a hand grabbing onto his own.

"Afraid?" Harry asked, looking at her.

Daphne shook her head. " I thought I would be but…Im not. The ritual was a success, and our souls were bonded together. Whenever this takes us, we will be together."

" That's right." Harry said. "and who knows?, this may just be the beginning of our next grand adventure."

" That would be nice." The force of her grip became firmer.

" Ready?" Harry asked her.

She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. " Ready."

Harry's black robes seemed to react to their words and it began to grow in size.

In an instant, it became large enough to envelop both their bodies in its protective embrace.

Their hands were now connected by the robes as if they were one.

Like this, they walked the steps towards the Veil, under the watchful eyes of everyone present.

Normally, when a person got this close to the Veil, their souls wouls be pulled out, killing them instantly.

But Harry and Daphne were allowed to walk all the way until they reached the grey fog, and then...they moved inside and disapeared into the unknown.

" They are gone?!" Shackebolt exclaimed. There are no records of any living being able to completely venture inside the gate with their physical bodies.

Even someone like Dumbledore, who understood the nature of Harry's robes, could not know for sure if this anomaly was caused by the protection of the robes or by Harry's status as Master of Death.

It was also unknown how much of that protection has extended to Daphne.

" Harry…is he really gone?" Lily asked no one in particular.

" Personally…" Said Dumbledore. " I would like to think that they still exist somewhere else now. Magic is a wonderful thing and we still don't know what it's truly capable of." 

The group stood there, looking at the Veil for almost an hour after their departure, waiting to see if anything happened.

But nothing did. Harry and Daphne were gone forever and will never return.

Whatever their fate was beyond the Veil, will remain a mystery for those present in this chamber.