A/N Hi everyone, this is one of the longest things I've written here- basically it's just the moments leading up to and after Harry's "death" from different character points of view. Please read and review – I've spent a lot of time on it and really want to know if it's any good. Anyway, thanks for reading this and ENJOY!
Always a Hero: Hermione Part 1
Eventually the tears stopped falling but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes again; to see the corpses surrounding her, corpses of people she had known, talked to, and been friends with…
Colin Creevey- his body mangled and bruised.
Her head was resting on Ron's shoulder and as he nudged her ever so slightly she knew she had to leave the confinement of her mind to face the reality; they were, after all, in a war.
Tonks- pink hair, pale, for once silent- unmoving.
Remus Lupin- a father to a new born son- aged but for once looking at peace.
She looked up into his blue eyes and her heart ached for him. She had seen that look, that grief in Harry's eyes but never, not once in his. She wanted to make a joke, or shake him, or grab a time turner…anything to take away the pain he had at losing a brother but she knew no matter what she did or said it would stay. And not just till the end of the night, the grief and loss would always stay with him-change him, just as it had changed Harry. Harry, who had lost so much, who meant so much to her…
Tears filled her eyes again and she looked towards the Weasleys; Mrs Weasley crying uncontrollably- the loss of a son making her ancient in pain, Ginny staring defiantly away from her brothers body, George who looked…well…as though he had died too... A statue, a ghost: pale and transparent in emotion.
She felt for them, for all of them but ( and she was ashamed to admit it ) she felt a small relief that the bodies and bodies lined in the great hall did not include Harry or Ron – yes, it was selfish but without Ron she would …die… melodramatic for a girl who lived in a world of logic but it was, quite simply, true… she had never been the kind of girl who dreamt endlessly of that white wedding, rather she lived in a world of books and yet with Ron, things were… different. She remembered watching him walk out the tent, how pain had pierced her heart, how it had been hard to go on—yes Hermione thought, without Ron she had no… anything …she was no one but a girl with bushy hair and too much intellect. Ron brought out the other sides to her; humour she never knew she had, he could make her scream with anger, make her laugh until she couldn't breathe…
As for Harry, he was more than just the best friend that she sometimes understood better than herself; he was her family, her brother and in all truth without him, her and Ron were lost- who else could unite them like he did, who else would tolerate their bickering and help them see sense… without him they felt utterly alone…
Like now.
"Where's Harry?" Suddenly broken from her reverie Hermione felt her heart pick up pace- Ginny was staring at her and Ron demanding an answer – they were, after all, supposed to be a trio- always together-always.
She turned to Ron, her worry mirrored on his face "he should have been back by now shouldn't he?" they silently communicated their fears – Harry wouldn't give himself in would he? He has more sense than that she told herself and yet a small voice in the back of her mind couldn't help but point out that he was Harry, Harry Potter-forever the hero.
And suddenly her mind blanks out again, her thoughts reeling her in so that she doesn't hear Ginny scream at Ron, at her, she doesn't hear Mrs Weasley crying out for Ginny as she runs out …
Her mind is flying back down memory lane, looking for the clues to tell her that Harry, no matter what, wouldn't leave them and hand himself in…
First year and she remembers him tell Neville he's worth so much more, he helps her see there's more to life than books and good grades, he opens her eyes to a world of friendship and self-sacrifice and already at the age of 11 decides to fight on the side of the light.
Second year and he risks his life for Ginny, for everyone and once again saves the day, third year and she watches him conquer his fears and meet his past.
It's ten minutes to the hour now but he should be here. He should be here.
Fourth year, now and her mind travels to the second task – he could have come up first but no, he stayed to rescue the young Gabrielle.
Harry. Always the hero.
Hermione's hearts starts to pound.
Fifth year and he suffers in silence before defying all logic and risking his life to save another, now rewinding a little she suddenly sees him alone in the attic of Grimmauld Place.
He could never take the guilt even if it wasn't his to bear. Her heart seems to be playing a death march. She was never one that paid much mind to intuition- she didn't make decisions based on what her gut told her- it was always fact, fact, fact. So it didn't matter if her gut and heart were screaming in fear- he wouldn't go. There was five minutes left to the hour. He wouldn't go.
He wouldn't.
Sixth year and he knows he's the chosen one- she remembers admiring his bravery as he tells them about it without a flinch, a tear- he's ready to fight for what's right.
There's two minutes to the hour.
She'll see him soon, right?
Her breath becomes ragged- her mind begins to spin- memories fly everywhere, each blending in with the next- "I want to go with" he says after hearing of Mad Eye's death, "follow me" he calls out to the Muggleborns in the ministry, "go then!" he shouts at Ron.
There's one minute to the hour. And she remembers hearing the pain and fear in his voice that maybe he's failing Dumbledore and none of this will end…And then clock strikes. The time has gone and passed and the whole world seems to spin but Voldermort is yet to speak.
Broken images- his wand- his hope- broken- it's getting harder to breath- break out from Gringotts- he sees that Voldermort knows- no plan- she can't hear anything over the blood rushing in her ears, her heart beats faster- he wants to end it all – no- Harry, her heart cries out, no- the pictures in her mind become more blurred and blurred as Harry's words ring through her ears: "because, sometimes you've got to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you've got to think about the greater good! This is war!" she can feel it in her heart, and for once she believes it, she knows where he is and her heart breaks - something's gone wrong, she knows, she knows it- only for once Hermione Granger doesn't want to be right…
If you got this far then…Please, Please review!
Next chapter is the rest of Hermione's reaction then I'll do other characters.