As she walked onto the grounds, Ginny’s heart was still throbbing from what she had just seen. Fred, her brother Fred, was dead. It was no longer ‘Fred and George’ “ now there was only George. It seemed unreal that one could exist without the other, though George seemed to be taking it almost harder than her mum was. And Remus and Tonks were gone too, leaving behind their newborn son. She could no longer stand there, staring at her brother and her friend’s lifeless figures. She needed to do something “ anything “ just to keep out reality. There were still dozens of others, injured or dead, scattered across the grounds. Neville, Luna and some others had already left to go move more bodies. Ginny now crossed the grounds until she came to a still figure she vaguely recognized as a girl in the year below her. Kneeling down beside her, the girl stirred and opened her eyes. Tears were streaming down the sides of her face, and she whispered in a clearly terrified voice, “I want to go home, I want my mother… I shouldn’t have stayed…”
Ginny swallowed hard before responding. She had to pull herself together; she had to be strong for those who were losing faith. Frankly, it would have been easier if she knew where Harry was. Ron and Hermione had noticed his absence shortly before she exited the Great Hall. They were, undoubtedly, now searching for him, fearing the same thing she did… He had disappeared, after Voldemort had made that terrible announcement. She knew Harry, and so did, apparently, Voldemort. If there was one thing that would break him, it was that his friends and people he loved were going to die to save him. Harry’s absence increased her fear that he might have listened to Voldemort; that he might, at this very moment, be walking toward the Forbidden Forest to stop the fighting, to try and duel the Dark Lord himself rather than let more of his friends perish in a fight…
But she couldn’t think about that now. There were people here who needed help; Harry could take care of himself. He always had… “It’s alright,” she soothed, trying to calm the girl, “Its okay. We’re going to get you inside.”
“But I want to go home,” whispered the girl. “I don’t want to fight anymore!”
Ginny’s insides churned. “I know,” she replied, failing to keep her voice steady. In truth, there was a small part of her that felt exactly like this girl. She wanted to go back to her parents, to have her mother hold her. Maybe apparate back to the Burrow and find it had all just been a dream. “It’s going to be alright,” she repeated, trying with all her heart to believe what she had said. She took the girls hand, gripping it reassuringly. Then, maybe she had imagined it, but she swore there were footsteps fading away from her. Her head shot up, her brown eyes piercing the darkness that had not yet succumbed to dawn. Her heart sped up, her thoughts flying back to Harry. What if it was him, underneath that cloak of his, leaving them forever…? But before she could do anything, Oliver Wood appeared at her side.
She relaxed. It must have been him she had heard, she was worrying too much. Harry wouldn’t give Voldemort what he wanted; he wouldn’t just leave them all after this…
Together she and Oliver carefully helped to girl back to the castle. Then they went back for more, as did several others. Neville was helping her carry a moaning Terry Boot back to the Great Hall when she noticed he seemed to be lost in thought. “Neville?” she asked, “Are you alright?” He seemed to snap out of revere as he replied hastily, “What? Oh, yeah I’m fine… just thinking…”
They were silent as they delivered Terry to Madam Pomfrey, who was practically running between patients. As they headed back to the grounds, Ginny spoke again. “I just wish I knew where he’s gone,” she muttered, unable to keep her mind off Harry. Neville looked up.
“Who, Harry?” he asked, looking anxious.
“Yes, I haven’t seen him since the fighting stopped. I’m worried.”
“Oh, well I just ran into him a few minutes ago, he said he had to do something.”
Ginny froze, turning abruptly to face Neville. “What?” she said sharply, her eyes widening in alarm, “What do you mean; what did he say? He’s not handing himself over to Voldemort!”
Neville shook his head, but Ginny was not convinced. “I asked him if that what he was planning to do and he said no, it was something else,” Neville said slowly, “I told him we were all going to keep fighting… but I think he was headed toward the forest.” Ginny looked alarmed. “But don’t worry!” he added hastily, “Ginny, I don’t think Harry was going to give in to Voldemort, there must have been something else he had to do…” he trailed off, choosing not to mention the job Harry had entrusted him with.
Ginny tried to calm herself. He, Hermione and Ron had been up to something all year, Harry was just continuing to do so… he must have had something else to finish, that he wanted to do before the battle began again. Yes, that had to be it; it just had to be…
The minutes passed in agonizing slowness as the dark masses on the lawns became less, until at last only the Death Eaters they had not bothered to commemorate lay on the grounds. Back in the Great Hall, she spotted Hermione and Ron. Her stomach plummeted. Why weren’t they with him? What was so important Harry had left behind his two best friends, whom had been with him all year…
She hurried over to them, looking anxious. Neither of them had seen him, either. She almost told them what Neville had said, about how he had last been seen headed toward the forest under the pretense that he was not actually going to Voldemort. But her voice failed as she looked at their faces, pale and scared as she was. At that moment, a loud, cold voice made them all jump once again.
“Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.”
Numbness as Ginny had never felt coursed over her. “No…” she whispered, as everyone around her looked at one another, not daring to believe what they had just heard. Professor McGonagall stepped forward, pale faced, and said audibly enough for the room to hear, “Wait here,” She strode from the room, and everyone remained still and silent, hardly daring to breathe as they waited for confirmation of their worst nightmare. There was a pause, and then a terrible scream like Ginny had never heard echoed across the ground. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione acted like bullets, flying from the room with terror in their hearts. They reached McGonagall and the sight that had caused her to scream.
The Death Eaters, with Voldemort in the center, had lined up in front of the school. Next to Voldemort was the largest man there, Hagrid, whom held a limp figure in his arms. By the barely-there light of dawn, a pair of glasses gleamed from the half-giant’s arms.
“No!”
“No!”
“Harry! HARRY!” Ginny screamed louder than McGonagall, and just as loud as Ron and Hermione beside her. Her anguish was shown in her voice; it could not be true, it wasn’t possible, after everything that had happened…
Grief hit her like a tidal wave over her numb shock as she stared at Harry’s body, limp in Hagrid’s arms. “HARRY!” she screamed again, but her cries were drowned in the massive uproar that had unleashed behind her. The rest of the Great Hall seemed to have followed them, and were now yelling and jeering at the Death Eaters. Ginny could do nothing to stop the tears falling hard and fast down her front. She was shaking violently, unable to bear what she was seeing as Voldemort forced silence on the crowd. She tried to scream Harry’s name again but she could only open her mouth, no sound emitted. Beside her, Hermione was clinging to Ron so tightly it was amazing he hadn’t suffocated “ but Ron not longer seemed to need to breathe.
They watched in silent horror as Voldemort ordered Hagrid to lay Harry’s body at his feet. Anger boiled over in Ginny and she tried to scream at Voldemort again, but her voice was held. Voldemort looked triumphant, and it only raged them more as he spoke.
“You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!” Voldemort jeered, but his words brought such a fury that Ron broke the spell holding them speechless.
“He beat you!” her brother yelled, and as soon as he did so the crowd’s voice returned as they screamed at him again, enraged, unbelieving, terrified… until Voldemort silenced them again. Ginny could not take her eyes off the body at the Dark Lords feet, willing him to move, jump up at any second and kill the man standing over him with a flash from his wand “ but it did not come. Harry, the only boy she had ever loved, whom she had loved since she was barely nine years old, was dead. This isn’t how it was supposed to end, Ginny found herself thinking wildly. He left me to protect me, to make sure nothing happened to me so we could be together once this was all over. But it wasn’t me who needed protecting… I should have gone after him; I should have known he would do something stupid, the noble git! Her tears only fell faster.
Suddenly someone near her flew from the crowd, and Ginny saw, for one heart stopping moment, Neville flying toward Voldemort, his wand aloft, fury such as she had never seen embedded on his face. Neville raised his wand but Voldemort was faster “ there was a bang and Neville was thrown to the ground, his wand flying into Voldemort’s spider-like hand.
Voldemort laughed. “And who is this?” he hissed, making Ginny’s skin crawl, “Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?”
From beside him, Bellatrix Lestrange laughed. Ginny remembered it from two years ago, when they had encountered her in the Department of Mysteries…
“It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord,” she said, delight etched in her face. “The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?”
Ginny watched, terrified, her eyes having finally moved off Harry’s body and onto Neville, as Voldemort spoke to him. Ginny watched as Voldemort said the Neville was a pure blood, and that he would be a valuable Death Eater. With a surge of pride for her fellow DA member, Ginny heard him say firmly, “I’ll join you when hell freezes over,” before shouting, “Dumbledore’s Army!”
Ginny, along with the rest of the crowd, cheered at this, momentarily gaining hope from Neville’s bravery. Ginny could not hear Voldemort’s words over the jeering of the crowd. Suddenly there was a crash from behind them, and the Sorting Hat flew from the castle and into Voldemort’s waiting hand. And a sudden memory overtook Ginny “ the sight of the old hat gave her a surge of hope. The last time the hat had come for reasons other than sorting, it had produced a sword with which Harry had slain a basilisk. He had rescued her then, he would rescue them all now, she knew it! Her eyes flew to Harry’s body again, but the realization swept over her like a bucket of ice. Harry could not save her this time, for now he had been the one who had been slain. Her throat constricted as she forced her eyes back to Neville as Voldemort stuffed the Sorting Hat onto his head.
As Voldemort raised his wand, so did the crowd of onlookers. Ginny ripped her wand from her robes, holding it aloft. He would not take Neville too, not another life to be washed away before her eyes… But the Death Eaters too raised their wands, and the fighters of Hogwarts did not dare to advance. Without warning the hat upon Neville’s head burst into flame and Neville screamed. It was the final straw.
Ginny roared with anger and sprinted forward, but she was not alone. The entire crowd had erupted at the sight of Neville’s head aflame, and at the same time, Grawp came lumbering out of the distance. Voldemort’s two giants ran at him, and centaurs, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, joined the fray. Arrows showered the air and the ground shook with the giant’s footfalls, and the Death Eater’s cries gave Ginny strength. In the commotion, her eyes found Neville as the hat fell off him, and a moment later, he had swung a silver sword through the air. The snakes head flew through the air but Ginny had no time to watch it. She dove to the ground, as close to the Death Eaters as she dared, searching...
And at that moment she heard Hagrid bellow her exact thoughts. “HARRY!” he yelled over the commotion, “HARRY “ WHERE’S HARRY?” Ginny wanted to tear through the grass until she found him, she would not let his body be trampled “ but she was forced to abandon her search as a Death Eater flew at her. “STUPEFY!” she bellowed over the noise, and a jet of red light from her wand hit her attacker square in the face. But it was no longer safe on the grounds “ the giants, centaurs, and thestrals battled, and she and the other witches and wizards fled into the castle. Ahead of her, Ginny spotted a mass of black hair. She tore after Bellatrix, seething for some form of revenge. Masses of people flooded the Great Hall, but Ginny saw only one. She could not find Voldemort, but she had spotted the next best thing. They would pay; she would not let them get away with this. Fire blazed in her eyes and her heart as she caught up with Bellatrix. At the same time, Hermione came flying out of nowhere, her target the same as Ginny’s. Together the brandished their wands at the witch, but she was fast “ far faster than Ginny had anticipated.
But Ginny had nothing to lose and fought as such “ unresting, unrelenting. Within seconds Luna was at her side, and the four witches threw and dodged curses with increasing intensity. But Bellatrix was skilled, fast, and just as relentless as Ginny, Hermione and Luna. For a moment Ginny stumbled, and a jet of bright green missed her shoulder by less than an inch. But before she could retaliate, her mother came flying from behind her, enraged as Ginny had never seen her.
“NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!”
She could not help herself “ Ginny’s mouth dropped open slightly and she froze at the sight of her mother; her loving, kind, over-protective mother, advancing on a laughing Bellatrix. Ginny leapt up to help her mother, not having time to admire her mother’s actions to her life being threatened, but Molly yelled at her, Hermione and Luna, “OUT OF MY WAY!” Ginny had never seen her mother duel so aggressively. Ginny wanted to watch the duel but realized Hermione had been attacked by a Death Eater, so she ran forward to help. “Stupefy!” she yelled again, and the Death Eater collapsed beside Hermione. “Thanks!” she called over to Ginny, but her attention was already back to her mother and Bellatrix. Bellatrix was taunting her now.
“When Mummy’s gone the same way as Freddie?” Ginny heard her say while sending more green jets at Molly. Ginny felt another surge of affection for her mum as she shouted, “You “ will “ never “ touch “ our “ children “ again!” At that moment, a flash of green light was emitted from Molly’s wand, flew right as Bellatrix as she laughed, and hit her square in the chest. Voldemort screamed and Ginny cheered, stunned at what she had just witnessed her mother do. But then Voldemort rounded on Molly, having gotten rid of whomever he had been dueling…
And before Ginny could do anything, another voice had roared, “Protego!” as a shield charm appeared between Voldemort and Molly. Ginny’s heart leapt into her throat as she spun around, not daring to believe what she had heard, for she was so certain she would never hear that voice again “ and then she saw him.
“HARRY!” she screamed, as dozens around her did the same. Ron, only feet from her, had roared in shock, “HE’S ALIVE!” Ginny couldn’t breathe, it was too good to be true; but there was no mistaking that mess of black hair and those piercing green eyes that were now fixed, quite alive, on Voldemort. She had been about to run forward, to seize Harry and never let go, for surely his miraculous return from the dead meant that it was over, that they had won “ but Voldemort was still standing in their midst. Complete silence fell upon the hall. Though his Death Eaters had fallen, though Harry was alive and well before them, Voldemort was still standing. Harry and Voldemort circled each other, and Harry shouted to the onlookers. “I don’t want anyone else to try and help. It’s got to be like this. It’s got to be me.” Ginny’s heart, which had burst open at the sight of Harry’s living figure, had tightened again. This was not over.
The whole time they circled each other, talking, jeering; Ginny did not move her eyes from Harry. She could only take in half of what they were saying, as her heart was hammering so loudly against her chest as she held her wand aloft, refusing to lower it. If he died now, truly, and before her eyes, Ginny did not think she would be able to bear it. At the same time, she held hope. Harry had survived the killing curse, it seemed, twice now. She held hope that if Harry could not beat Voldemort to the spell, that something would save Harry a third time. He would not die; he could not, not right after seeming to return from the dead.
They spoke, it seemed, of many things. Something about horcruxes, Snape, Dumbledore, and an Elder Wand. Harry had begun calling Voldemort ‘Riddle,’ which made Ginny’s insides squirm as she remembered her first year, and the diary in which she had confided. The ink that had spoken back “ and the man to whom she had been communicating, in a way, now stood before her. Tension mounted, almost visibly, as the continued to speak about the Elder Wand. Her mind buzzed with questions but she did not bode on any of them “ she could feel the moment when the tension would break approaching.
“So it all comes down to this, doesn’t it?” whispered Harry. “Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does… I am the true master of the Elder Wand.”
At that moment the sun broke over the horizon and the ceiling of the Great Hall mirrored it. Red light filled the room, momentarily blinding them… and then more flashes of light that had nothing to do with the sun.
“Avada Kedavra!”
“Expelliarmus!”
The two spells collided, and Voldemort’s wand flew from his hand, through the air, and Harry caught it. At the same moment, Voldemort fell backward, his eyes rolling upward, hitting the ground with a final thud. Shock ran through the crowd; and a moment later, there was an uproar of cheers. With the sudden realization that it was over, that Harry had done it, Ginny flung herself at him. Ron and Hermione beat her to him, however, and she, Neville, and Luna were the next to dog-pile into him, along with the rest of the room. Only a single thought could penetrate Ginny’s mind.
Harry was alive.
The End by x_GinnyPotter_x
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer: I own practically none of this - the plot, characters and quotes are all from JKR's magical world.
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