A/N: I am not J. and unfortunately I don't Harry's World so anything you recognize is hers and if you don't recognize it, it might, just possibly be mine.
This is dedicated to KatieBibby who has read and re-read almost all my work before I have the will power to type it up. Thanks Katie!
Chapter one
Harry groaned as he rolled over awaking from his fit full sleep. He sat up in bed wondering why the hell he was in the Griffindor dormitory. Then he remembered what had happened the day before, tears in his eyes he sank back into his pillows as he remembered Fred, …Remus,…Tonks, Lavenders mauled body, that final battle in the great hall. All the people he had failed to protect the countless number of people who had lost their lives or who had been harmed just because of him.
How could he face the Weasleys after Fred, what would George think of him and Ginny, Ginny…Ginny. Harry hid his face with his hands as if trying to block out the thoughts and emotions ebbing through his body. Oh God how was he going to be able to face Ron and Ginny.
As if on cue a groan materialized from Harry's right shortly followed by a loud thump. Harry winced and rolled over to see if Ron was alright.
"For the love of Merlin that bloody well hurt!"
"Good morning to you too Ron." Harry's emerald eyes glinted for a second before returning the pools of despair they were before.
"Why are we…Oh," Ron's eyes clouded over as he, like Harry remembered what had happened the previous day. With heads bowed the two young men gave their respect to those who lost their lives fighting for their own and others freedom.
It was Hermione who broke their silence, after knocking she whispered,
"Ron, Harry open the door it's me Hermione."
Ron made to open the door but Harry shook his head. His head turned towards the door Harry called,
"What did you tell me in that empty classroom after the quiditch match in sixth year?"
Hermione took a deep breath, "That I loved Ron and I knew just how you felt for Ginny."
"Alright you can come in." Harry spoke softly being gentle with his wording knowing how hard it was for her to say what she had just said.
A very red Hermione stumbled through the door, refusing to meet Ron's eyes, she limped over to Harry's bed and collapsed onto it.
Glancing between the two boys she exclaimed
"Merlin, I hope I don't look as bad as you two or I'm going to have to reconsider the shower I couldn't be bothered to have!"
Ron had been watching her closely, his head tilted on one side. Suddenly he leaned across the gap between his and Harry's beds and gently clasped Hermione's hand between the two of his.
"Do you really love me?" Ron looked hopefully at Hermione.
Hermione didn't reply, tears in her eyes she carefully placed her lips on his. Ron wrapped his arms around her rocking her back and forth before falling onto Harry's bed. Her fingers ran through Ron's long red hair.
"Guys please can you allow me to get out my own bed before you go any further."
Ron and Hermione broke apart both looking more than slightly embarrassed. Ron sat back onto his bed pulling Hermione with him. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted as Ron's stomach rumbled loudly. Both Harry and Hermione turned to look at him.
"What, I'm hungry!" Ron defended his stomach, "I don't think I've had a proper meal since we left Bill and Fleur's."
"Well, breakfast is being served in the great hall Ron. Harry, if one of us goes down there we all go. We need each other to support us, both mentally and physically. Anyway you need to go and see Madam Pomfrey, you're a mess and so are we." Hermione looked slightly apprehensively at the dishevelled, tear-stained, green eyed young man before her.
Harry sighed and put his head in his hands, "Let's go then." Resigned to his fate Harry dragged his body of the bed and trudged towards the door.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a worried glance as Harry used the stair rail as a support, his breathing ragged and uneven. They were on the last set of stairs before they reached the ground floor. They had left the Gryffindor common room more than half an hour ago, what with Hermione's injured foot, Ron's bloodied and mutilated left side, and whatever was wrong with Harry they made slow progress.
The corridors were full of rubble and remnants of the battle. Suits of armour and bits of statues lay strewn across what remained of the floor. Blood stains on the walls and floor created a surreal collage with the black singe marks and the golden sunlight filtering through the gaps in walls.
As they had stumbled down flight after flight of staircases the pain had really started to kick in not just the physical pain but mentally too. The signs of desolation and destruction were disheartening to say the least especially for Harry. Hogwarts was the place he called home, to see it in such a state of ruin was hurting more than could be put into words.
Harry breathed deeply and with a look of complete determination on his dirty scarred face he set off again. Reaching the bottom of the stairs he turned to Ron and Hermione who had been following him down.
"From here we stick to each other like spellotape, answer no questions and don't listen to anything anyone other than close friends says."
Both Ron and Hermione nodded, Ron adding, "Mate you'd better go between Hermione and me, you're gonna get the most interrogating."
And so the golden trio made their way to the big oak doors, Ron on Harry's left, Hermione on his right ignoring the steady stream of questions being screamed at them, flashes from the cameras flickering before their eyes like broken street lamps.
When the trio reached the towering oak doors of the great hall Harry shot a quick glance at Ron and then Hermione took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.
Silence fell in the great hall as the trio staggered in, heads turned to see their saviours, their beacon of Light. Suddenly the hall was filled with an ear-splitting noise. People stood and clapped, others whistled making noise to show their appreciation of the people who risked so much to help save them.
As they walked towards the Weasleys who were sitting at the far end of the Gryffindor table, Ron and Hermione moved in front of Harry clearing a path for him to walk through.
Harry scanned the benches around the Weasleys. Bill was there being comforted and caressed by a tear stained Fleur, Charlie had his arm around a pretty dark-haired young woman who was as white faced and teary as Charlie. Mr and Mrs Weasley held each other up, their shoulders shaking comforting each other in the grief that can only come from losing your own child. George was nowhere to be seen but a heavily shaking pale faced Angelina as being soothed and comforted by Ginny.
Ginny was determinedly staying strong, she had had her moment of grief and now she must be strong for her family, of course she was grieving but in her own way. Fred was now an empty hole in her heart that was slowly being filled with dark thoughts.
At the silence of the hall and the roaring of the people in it moments later she had turned her head towards Ron her brother (and secretly probably her favourite brother), Hermione who was her sister and best friend much like Hermione's relationship with Harry. Harry, just his name stirred such a mix of emotions that she felt slightly dizzy and clutched at Angelina's arm, who winced slightly at the increased pressure but took it in her stride.
They all looked so hurt, so wounded, so…broken. Ginny could see that they were heading towards her and the rest of the family resolved to showing them that she was putting others above herself she turned back to Angelina who was still shaking from what a grief-stricken George had told her. Though the conversation had been supposedly private, Ginny now knew basically what happened and was now deeply confused at where her loyalties lay for this fallout.
Ginny jumped and spun round her wand at the ready as someone gripped her shoulder. The person gently put their fingers round her wrist and murmured, "That's some reaction time Ginny." She looked up straight into the grey-blue eyes of her brother.
"Ron!" Ginny shoved her wand back in her pocket and pulled Ron into a tight embrace, over his shoulder she saw Hermione helping someone to a place on the bench , as she looked closer she saw it was Harry. Peeling herself off of Ron who she now realised smelt of blood, sweat and dirt and stared him straight in the eye.
"Once you've eaten I'll help you up to the hospital wing, don't look at me like that you need the help and know all the shortcuts to the hospital wing."
And before Ron could ask why the bloody hell she would need to know all the shortcuts to the hospital wing. A scream pierced their ears, spinning round they saw Hermione kneeling over someone, as they ran over they saw who it was.
It was Harry and he wasn't breathing.
