Chapter 2
Ron didn’t know when he’d last passed a night so long. Jittery and on alert for danger he’d jumped at every sound. In the distance the flashes of light and explosive noise gave witness to the battle of good and evil that was playing out. Beneath Ron the ground shivered and trembled, wreaking havoc with his already shot nerves. Every now and then he’d wonder how Harry was doing.
The sky was lightening almost imperceptibly when there was a sudden, deafening, silence. Ron jumped to his feet, on the lookout for danger. On the ground beside him Ginny didn’t move. In the back of his mind Ron heard her continued whispers imploring her boyfriend to wake up.
The longer the silence continued the more anxious Ron became. What was happening? Was it over? Had Harry beaten Voldemort and killed him or had Harry himself been killed? In which way had the prophecy been fulfilled?
The minutes stretched until sun was over the horizon. Still, Ron remained where he was. When the light finally crossed over the clearing, Ron felt his gaze drawn to the two bodies it was illuminating. Both, like Neville, had been dead for hours, their faces frozen with the expressions they’d been wearing at the moment of their death. Surprise on the face of Bellatrix Lestrange; eagerness on the face of her companion.
It was midmorning when Ron finally saw movement. His wand at the ready, he whirled to face whoever it might be.
“Ron?” There was a moment of tension before Ron recognized the voice of his brother Charlie.
Ron opened his mouth to reply but only a strangled croaking sound emerged as he tried to say, “over here.” He waved at the same time and Charlie waved back before starting toward them.
Closing his eyes, Ron allowed himself a brief moment of relief. He opened them again when he heard Charlie’s cry of surprise.
“Merlin’s Beard!” Ron looked at Charlie who’d taken a glance at the bodies of the Death Eaters and stopped. Charlie looked at Ron. “What happened here?”
Ron’s face was white with fatigue and not a smattering of guilt. Things always became more blindingly obvious in the light of day. Shaking his head Ron said, “not now, Charlie. Ginny needs help.” His words galvanized Charlie back into action. With one last, long look at the Death Eaters Charlie made his way to Ron and Ginny.
“Is it over, Charlie?” When his brother nodded Ron continued. “And who won?” He was really asking if Harry was still alive.
Charlie understood. “There’s a lot of cleaning up to do,” said Charlie referring, in his way, to the attending of funerals and seeing to the injured. “But good prevailed. And,” he added, “survived.”
Ron sighed. Harry was okay. Well, at least alive, anyway. He hoped the same held true for Hermione or he might well be reduced to the state his sister was in.
Ginny. Ron turned to Charlie. “We have to get her out of here,” he said indicating their sister. “But every time I try to pull her away from Neville she starts screaming. I didn’t know what was going on or who might hear her so I let her be and stayed here.”
Charlie nodded his understanding before giving Ron a sharp look. “You stayed here all night? Did you know”?“ he broke off and looked back toward the Death Eaters’ bodies.
Wearily Ron replied, “Yeah, I knew.” He wasn’t yet ready to admit to anyone let alone his brother that he’d been the one to do it.
“Well,” Charlie started, clearly at a loss for words. Then, “let’s help Ginny.”
By now Ginny’s gaze had become somewhat unfocused. She had stopped whispering though her hand was still caressing Neville’s face. Charlie squatted down next to her and said quietly, “Ginny?” When there was no response he continued. “Ginny, we need to leave Neville for a little while. Can you come with me and Ron?” There was still no response and Charlie looked at Ron who shrugged.
Together the brothers each gently took one of Ginny’s elbows and carefully eased her up from the ground. Ginny did not protest and Ron reached out to lower Neville’s head gently to the ground. Once standing Ginny simply walked where Ron and Charlie guided her. She made no effort on her own behalf and was rather like someone under the influence of the Imperious curse. She simply started into space. Ron and Charlie exchanged worried looks. Ginny this quiet and yielding wasn’t really Ginny.