2 | CONFESSIONS° HARRY POTTER

32 | GOODBYES

ACT FIVE, love
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO, goodbyes

       Iris stood outside, watching as people carried the bodies of fallen fighters inside. She felt an invisible hand wrap around her wrist and pull her off to the side, knowing immediately that it was Harry. He had never entered the Great Hall after Ron and Hermione, and a part of her thought that he had already left to go to Voldemort like she knew he was going to.

Harry lifted the Cloak from his head and turned to face her, keeping one hand holding hers. Iris stared at him with sad eyes.

"Remus and Tonks are dead." She said quietly.

"I know." 

"I killed Cordelia." Iris said. 

"Did it make you feel better?" Harry asked.

"For a moment, and then I remembered that Bellatrix and Rhea are still out there so . . ." Iris said. She didn't see Ron or Hermione anywhere in sight. "You're going to face him alone."

"I have to do this alone." Harry said. 

Iris nodded her head.

"I know." she said. "I wish it didn't have to be you."

"Me too." Harry placed his hand on the side of her face, his eyes searching her face as though he were memorizing every detail. He knew he'd have to leave, and soon, but he didn't know if he'd have the strength to stop looking at her face. He never wanted to stop looking at her.

"Please, come back, Harry." Iris begged him. "Please find a way to come back."

Harry didn't say anything because he didn't think he was going to come back. He was prepared to die out there in the Forest. He brought Iris forward and kissed her slowly, savoring every moment. For the first time, Iris wasn't happy to be kissing Harry. This kiss felt like a goodbye. This kiss felt like he would never be coming back to her. 

"When you go, don't look back." said Iris when she pulled away from him. She wasn't going to cry. Not anymore. She looked into Harry's green eyes; they were her favorite color. "Just keep walking and . . . and don't look back."

"Okay." Harry promised. He pulled away from her and tried to convey how much love he held for her in his expression.

"Don't say anything." Iris whispered, shaking her head slightly. Her eyes glistened but she continued to hold back her tears. "You have to go."

"Iris . . ." Harry said. There was so much that he wanted to say to her, so much that he wanted to tell her that he didn't think he'd ever be able to. Iris shook her head firmly. 

"You have to go." She repeated.

Harry nodded his head gravelly and it took everything in him to turn away from her. Iris watched as he slipped back underneath the Invisibility Cloak and disappeared from her side. She blinked her tears away. She had to stay strong.

Oliver Wood walked past her, carrying Colin Creevey's body into Hogwarts. Iris glanced a few feet away and saw Milicent Bulstrode lying lifeless on the ground. She walked over and struggled to lift her up.

"Here . . ." Her brother, Oliver said, appearing out of nowhere. He lifted Milicent up by the legs while Iris grabbed underneath her arms and, together, they carried Milicent inside to where the other bodies were in the Great Hall.

Iris sighed and stood up after she placed Milicent on the ground.

"What now?" Oliver asked her.

"Follow me," Iris and Oliver walked side by side together through the eerily quiet castle. She glanced out the windows, knowing that Harry was out there somewhere. She stopped when they were away from prying ears. "I'll have to do something . . . soon, I think. I need you to make sure you stay as far away from it as possible."

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked, frowning.

"I'm going to be the one that ends Rhea. I've known that for a while now, I think. But, I'm not exactly sure if I will be able to finish it  — her  — for good." Iris explained to him. "I have to open something that Morgan le Fay created, another world, and place her inside, but I don't know how to. I don't know what it will take for me to be able to do it."

"Will you survive?" asked Oliver.

"I don't know." Iris said. Oliver didn't look pleased with her answer. "But, that doesn't matter anymore. It never really did. There are some things that are bigger than us  — sometimes you have to sacrifice something for the greater good of everyone else."

Oliver didn't have time to respond because there was the sound of people running towards them. Iris turned her head and was surprised to see Professor Slughorn leading the Slytherins up the corridor. Iris and Oliver exchanged a look of surprise with one another as Slughorn raced into the Great Hall to find Professor McGonagall. Clara ran up to Iris.

"Clara? What are you doing here?" Iris asked her. She looked back at all the Slytherins and saw unfamiliar faces of people walking behind them and into the Great Hall. "What are you all doing here? And who are they?"

"Reinforcements!" Clara stated proudly. "We went to find more people that could help fight with us. Common sense, isn't it? To find more people, bring them to the battle, and tip the scales against the Death Eaters. We are still fighting, right? We figured that Potter wouldn't give up without a fight."

"I don't think we're planning on giving up anytime soon." Iris said with a smile on her face as she looked at her House. "Come on, let's go."

They rushed into the Great Hall where Professor McGonagall stood, rallying everyone together. Oliver stood beside Iris as she went to join Ron and Hermione.

"Harry's out there." Iris told them. 

They exchanged looks of surprise and fear. 

"He's not planning on coming back, is he?" Hermione asked. Ron wrapped an arm around her and Iris shook her head solemnly.

"I don't think so." Iris said. She looked out at everyone in the Great Hall. "But, we have to be strong until we know for sure that he's gone. This war's not over yet."

Iris looked out at the Forest, hoping that Harry wouldn't die out there.

"Do you think we can win this?" asked Oliver. 

Iris nodded her head.

"I know we can."