Chapter 2
“Ginny!”
Ginny glanced behind her but continued to sprint across the grounds of Hogwarts. She heard her mother scream her name again, but this time, she didn’t heed her. She could already see the bursts of light from the lake; the muffled sounds of shouts and wails soon reached her ears as well.
Soon, she reached the lakeside, but she didn’t feel the fatigue in her legs. Rather, she was spurred by the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She dodged a rogue Stunning Spell and took aim at a nearby Death Eater.
“Ginny, what are you doing here!” Ron had spotted her in the battle and had rushed over to protect his underage sister. He shot a curse at an unseen Death Eater behind Ginny.
Before she could answer, a bellow that sent her whole body shivering erupted from somewhere closer to the lake. Amidst the chaos that surrounded her, she saw a small clearing in the fighting where a tall, pale figure shot a green jet of light at a small huddle opposite him.
“NO!”
She couldn’t see if Harry was hurt, not from where she was now, on the outskirts of the battle. She flung a Body-Bind Curse at a masked Death Eater advancing on Tonks and ducked as a stream of purple light narrowly missed the top of her head. She dueled her way closer and closer to the wide berth given to the Dark Lord and his victim.
A voice became clearer as she approached, “You’re the weak one, Voldemort! You, who thought himself a god, are a mere mortal!” Harry sounded strained, yet he spat out with such venom, Ginny swelled, relieved he was still alive.
Voldemort let out another ear-splitting shriek, so powerful, the buzz of war died out almost immediately. Death Eater and Order members alike froze, their individual duels forgotten. All eyes were on the cloaked figure that started to rise several feet above their heads. The crumpled body of Harry Potter floated up as well. As if he felt the will of his loved ones, Harry began to struggle to stand on the invisible ground beneath his feet.
She heard someone near her gasp as Harry faltered. A few Death Eaters nearby aimed their wands at Harry, but Voldemort screeched, “No! He’s mine!”
“All your “ “ Harry seemed out of breath, his chest heaving deeply. “All your Horcruxes are gone, Voldemort! You’re less than human now. You’re just a small sliver of a soul!” He lifted his wand with difficulty and used his other arm to wipe a trickle of blood that had escaped from the corner of his mouth.
The red slits that were Voldemort’s eyes narrowed. “How dare you!” he roared. “Avada Kedavra!”
“Expelliarmus!”
The jet of green light clashed with the red from Harry’s wand in an explosive collision. However, the stalemate was fleeting; Ginny watched wide-eyed as Harry’s spell slowly but surely began to overcome the curse cast by Voldemort. Harry’s eyes were tightly shut, as if “ Ginny’s awestruck smile slid off her face “ he were pouring his very soul into the Disarming Spell. The look illuminated on Ron’s face by the light above them confirmed her thoughts.
Rise high out of this whole scene
Look down and separate yourself
From your worst dream
She saw Voldemort’s shock and Harry’s grim determination, etched in their respective faces, as the red light advanced even closer upon Voldemort’s wand. At the last second, Voldemort’s eyes widened with horror as finally his wand flew out of his hand and clattered noisily to the ground below. Harry didn’t seem at all affected by his success.
“Avada Kedavra,” he whispered through clenched teeth.
The crowd seemed Petrified; all eyes were on the figure that was now falling so slowly to the ground, his cloak billowing gently around him. A dull thud shattered the fragile silence, and after a heartbeat, wails and moans erupted amongst the Death Eaters. Their cries were pierced by the roar of victory let out by the surviving Order members and students.
Only Hermione, Ron, and Ginny mourned among the victorious as they each began picking their way to the body that had inconspicuously fallen shortly after Voldemort’s. Ginny dared to let herself believe that he had survived, that he had not been hit by any curse that could kill him.
Broken, bloody, and glistening with sweat, Harry Potter laid on the ground, untouched and unaffected by the cheers around him. Splinters of wood from his own wand lay by his side, his glasses, broken beyond repair, further away. His eyes were closed as if in peaceful slumber. His lips were not set in a severe line; rather, a small smile tugged upward at the edges.
Ginny could hear the sob that escaped from Hermione. Ron mumbled something in response, perhaps to comfort both of them, but she couldn’t make it out. Suddenly the raucous celebrations and bereavements faded into the background. All that remained were her and Harry’s body.
Then fly far and then stay, stay, stay
Out of the way until the coast
Is clear and safe
She felt one foot place itself in front of the other, but she didn’t seem to have any control over where they went. Soon, she was half a step away from Harry, who still slept. She wanted to shake him, tell him that he didn’t need to pretend anymore; Voldemort was gone. They were safe now. They could live together in a small cottage in the mountains, just the two of them.
The ovation nearest to them began to transform into screams of horror and shock; Ginny, without looking up, guessed some began to realize their hero wasn’t breathing. She reached out tentatively to touch his skin one last time. Her defense against the sorrow around her began to crumble, and grief started to sneak into her tear ducts.
He was still soft, life-like, as if his eyelids would flutter at any moment. His flesh was still warm, not the ice-cold velvet the dead might have. Her heart jolted with hope only to plunge yet again when she noticed his lips were going blue.
Tears rolled down her cheeks quickly, but she still stared numbly at his body. The celebrations had ceased, and all eyes were now on the fallen hero. No one spoke. No one needed to.
Far from here, and we are happy
Far from here, we are all right
Far from here, things are peaceful
Far from here, we have insight
Far from here, we are laughing
Far from here, we are thankful
Far from here, we're forgiven
And for that we are grateful
Far from here, we've detangled
Our strangled hold
And I hope to see you there.