Harry couldn’t believe what had just happened. He stared at Mr. Weasley’s lifeless body “ he looked just as Cedric had when he died...
No, Harry thought. He’s not dead. He can’t be. No.
Harry just kept repeating it in his head; he watched Molly run over to Arthur’s body, she was screaming. Harry could see George holding Ginny back, in the same way Lupin had held Harry back when Sirius died. A few people had fell to the ground on their knees, pale with shock “ still taking in what had just happened. There was crying. Harry could hear his own thoughts, ‘No, he can’t be,” spoken by someone else. Everything was a blur. Then Harry felt someone tug him violently from the ground. It was Lucius. He dragged Harry from the clearing, away from where anyone could see them. Harry threw him off.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Do you want to have someone else killed, Potter” Lucius threatened.
Harry could barely think; he only blinked furiously at Lucius, who lifted his wand, pointing it at Harry.
“Follow me, NOW!” he ordered.
Harry’s mind felt peaceful; he realized immediately Lucius was trying to control him with the Imperius Curse; he struggled against the desire to follow him.
“No!”
Lucius looked surprised.
“No?” he asked softly. He then turned his wand towards the clearing, to point at Mrs. Weasley, who was crying over her husband’s dead body. Harry pulled out his own wand, pointing it directly at Lucius.
“Don’t even think about it,” Harry warned.
“Or what?” Lucius challenged.
“Expelliarmus!” Harry heard a voice behind them growl. Lucius’s wand was knocked from his hand; the two of them turned to see Alastor Moody approaching them menacingly, followed by Tonks. The latter sent a jet of blue light at Lucius, entrapping him inside some kind of invisible cage.
“Thought you could get away, eh, Malfoy?” Moody grunted.
Lucius just sneered at them.
“HARRY! WHERE’S HARRY?” they heard Charlie’s voice yell.
“I’m here...” said Harry as loudly as he could manage. He could still hear the thud of Mr. Weasley’s body, repeating in his mind over and over.
Charlie came running, alongside Bill. There eyes were red, faces pale. They took in the scene of Lucius standing idly, watching them all with contempt, and Moody and Tonks, still standing with their wands drawn, pointed at Lucius.
“Nothing to worry about, lads “ Malfoy will be coming back to the Ministry with us; the boy’s safe; no harm done,” growled Moody.
Harry saw Charlie swallow hard, Bill looked on the verge of tears.
“What’s happened?” asked Tonks, worriedly.
“It’s Dad...” said Charlie. “He’s...”
“He’s been...killed,” choked Bill.
There was silence, then the realization of what had just happened crept up on Moody and Tonks.
“No...Arthur “ dead?” asked Moody. Bill and Charlie nodded.
Moody and Tonks, hardly daring to believe that Mr. Weasley had been killed, ran into the clearing to see for themselves; they stopped dead at the sight of Mr. Weasley on the ground. Molly was still sitting next to him “ all around the rest of the family gathered. Some were crying; others, such as Ron, were still suffering from the shock.
“Wha- what happened?” asked Tonks, frightened.
“He tried to stop Lucius from taking me,” Harry said tonelessly.
He tried to save me, he tried to stop Malfoy, Harry thought. He’d still be alive if it wasn’t for me. Harry couldn’t bring himself to look any of them in the face as the guilt took over his mind. Then, Katie, her face streaming with tears, ran to Harry, throwing her arms around him.
“Harry...I was so worried,” she said, stifling through her tears. “Oh, God “ he’s dead. Harry “ Mr. Weasley...he's dead.”
Harry had to blink back his own tears; it was finally sinking in. Mr. Weasley was dead.
“I know Katie...I know,” the words got caught in his throat as he spoke, and he swallowed hard. He didn’t know what else to say “ he didn’t know what he could say. Arthur Weasley was gone.
Back at the Burrow, everyone gathered in the living room. Aurors and members of the Order were still darting around, closing up the scene where the Death Eater’s had intruded the Weasleys’ home. Mrs. Weasley was sitting with Lupin, who had a comforting arm around her; she was drinking a cup of tea, still crying. Ginny had her face buried against Dean. Hermione was crying too, but was doing her best to comfort Ron, who had his head rested against her shoulder, his face in his hands. Then Dumbledore arrived. He immediately went to Mrs. Weasley.
“Molly, I heard,” he said softly. “I’m sorry for your loss. Arthur was one of the finest men I’ve ever known.” Mrs. Weasley’s response was nothing more than a choked sob. Dumbledore turned to Harry.
“Harry, I need a word. If you don’t mind...”
Harry nodded tiredly and followed Dumbledore upstairs into an empty room. He sat down mindlessly; he still couldn’t think clearly.
“Harry I know you must be very upset; Arthur must have been like a father to you.”
Harry gulped hard and nodded.
“I know what you’re thinking...” Dumbledore continued.
Harry looked up into his clear blue eyes.
“It was my fault,” he said.
“Harry “ it was not your fault.”
“Why is that the first thing that popped into your head then? ‘Make sure Harry knows it’s not his fault’ “ why would you jump to that if I wasn’t to blame at all?’
Dumbledore sighed.
“You must not blame yourself, Harry.”
“Why not? Lucius came to get me, he killed Mr. Weasley when he got in the way... it seems that blaming myself is the obvious thing to do!”
“Harry “ I know you’re in a lot of pain. You feel an immense burden of guilt. You feel partly responsible for every life being taken “ you can’t bear the thought that Mr. Weasley gave his life to save you, because it kills you inside.”
Dumbledore was right. The pain was so unbearable; Harry thought he was going to collapse inside. He felt like he just couldn’t face another day
“I just don’t think I can live like this anymore,” Harry said miserably, as he struggled to fight back the tears that were welling up inside him.
“Harry, you have to keep going “ it’s the only way...”
“I don’t think I can,” Harry said.
“You just need time,” he said consolingly as he stood up and left, leaving Harry alone in the dark room.
After a few minutes, Ron and Hermione came in quietly.
“All right, mate?” Ron asked throatily.
Harry just nodded.
“You?”
Ron couldn’t bring himself to answer. He dropped leadenly onto the bed across from Harry. Hermione followed him.
“I’m sorry, Harry,” Ron said a few minutes later.
“About what?”
“Everything with Sirius “ not being sensitive, and all that. I get it now.”
‘Talk to me when you see someone you love die!’ Harry heard his own words ringing in his mind. He suddenly regretted them, wishing instantly that he could take them back.
“And I don’t blame you, mate.” Ron continued in a strangled voice. “Dumbledore said you might think it was your fault “ Dad dying. But you can’t think that way, Harry. You just can’t. You shouldn’t feel guilty. At least he died for a cause, he died a hero...”
Ron broke off into tears.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Ron cried. “He’s gone.”