Harry Potter and the Final Sacrifice

Part 1: Survival

Chapter 1: Silent Night
Word Count: 1,097

"Survival can be summed up in three words - never give up. That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying."

~ Bear Grylls

Silent night, Holy night,

Hermione sung mentally, watching the snow fall around her.

All is calm, all is bright….

The small Muggle town was gearing up for Christmas at the end of 1998. But no matter what the song lyrics said, nothing was calm in the Wizarding World. Not since the Battle of Hogwarts had been lost, the old school being razed to the ground by those bearing the Dark Mark.

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild.

Hermione pulled her coat tighter around her stomach, conscious of the fact that her lack of food had made her all skin and bone

Sleep in heavenly peace, she sang in her head as she closed her eyes. Sleep in heavenly pe-

"Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione frowned, her eyes remaining closed. Those weren't the lyrics.

Ronald Weasley had always been one for chess. It was one of his talents, his strengths, but it didn't help him now. No use for changing strategy when there's no going back. After all, when you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, you're utterly doomed. Especially if that rock is the edge of a cliff and the hard place is the end of a certain wand belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange.

~HP~

Ron winced as her psychopathic laugh echoed through air, her crazy hair being blown into her equally manic face.

"Come come, little Weasley, I want to tell you all about how I killed your mother..." Ron's face was quickly becoming as red as his hair, the many freckles splattering his nose quickly becoming visible.

There was nothing he could do. His wand had been taken from him, his stubble-covered chin sporting a large, fist shaped bruise.

He glanced over his shoulder, watching the white water hit against the base of the cliff with a fierce anger, before turning back to the Death Eater before him.

"No thanks," he smirked, and let himself fall backwards.

~HP~

His green eyes were filled with pain while dark, uncontrollable hair fell messily over his head. Harry Potter's hands were clasped over his left shoulder, trying to stem the flow of blood originating from the wound.

When had the Death Eaters started using Muggle guns? He wasn't too sure. But being hit with a bullet wasn't a sensation Harry ever wanted to feel again. He had no choice, however, but to soldier on and not let Voldemort find him. Contrary to popular opinion, he wasn't that reckless.

Okay, maybe he was, but he'd always relied on Hermione and Ron for the plans. He frowned, thinking of his lost friends. He'd gone into the Forbidden Forest to face the Dark Lord, and Voldemort had never turned up. The brain rattling sound of Hogwarts exploding still haunted him. As far as he was aware, he was the only survivor of the Battle of Hogwarts.

~HP~

This was it. The chance for her to prove herself, prove she isn't a little girl who deserved to be babied. But there was no one left for Ginny to prove herself to.

The road she had chosen to take after the Battle of Hogwarts was a long one, cold and hard, filled with mourning for the friends and family she'd lost, for the rest of the Wizarding World since Harry was no longer around to save them.

She brushed her long, matted red hair away from her eyes, scanning the trees around her. The Forbidden Forest was seemingly lifeless, the centaurs long hunted to extinction.

Looking up through the trees, she saw the ruins of an old castle, still smoking from whatever spell had levelled it to the ground. Hagrid's old hut had been one if the first things set alight, and the half giant himself was one of the first to fall.

Ginny let a small smile grace her face. Hogwarts. Her second home.

~HP~

Diagon Alley was crawling with Death Eaters, their swirling black cloaks flying out behind them. George Weasley hid in the remnants of Weasely Wizard Wheezes, stuffing the last few his supplies into a backpack.

Screams echoed from Knockturn Alley, and George frowned, yet he didn't stop moving. He barely paused when they were abruptly cut off.

He was used to death.

Slinging the backpack onto his back, he placed a hat on his head as his entire body disappeared under the Disillusionment charm.

~HP~

The Ministry was infiltrated by You-Know-Who. It was a hard fact for Percy Weasley, the most driven of his red haired family, to get his head round.

He'd always believed that the Ministry was right, that you always had to follow the correct procedures. But, as far as Percy was aware, there were no procedures for when the Ministry was infiltrated, and the third oldest Weasley child knew all the procedures.

He kept his head down as he hurried through the lobby, dark robed Snatchers watching everyone who went by, looking for half-bloods and Muggleborns alike. The only reason he'd been able to stay around was because he was pureblooded, but he knew he'd be next. Through him, they could find Ron and Ginny, and by extension, Harry.

That is, if they hadn't died in the Battle of Hogwarts.

When he'd received news his mother had been killed, he'd instantly went to go comfort his father, as the rest of the Weasley family would be otherwise occupied. He even stood beside his younger brothers and his only sister as they fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. He had been the one that pulled George aside as Fred was crushed by the wall.

George had hated him for that, saving him and not his brother. He'd pushed Percy to the ground and run back inside, taking out Death Eaters, spiders and even sending a cutting curse at Snape, missing him by a hair's breath as their old Potions professor Apparated away.

And yet he was still alive, here, in the Ministry. The only people who knew he had fought were his family and those he had fought beside.

He stepped into one of the many fireplaces, Flooing into his apartment's sitting room. It was close to the Ministry, and that was helpful, and close enough to the supermarkets that it was easy enough to get food and other necessities. It was small, yet practical, which was exactly what he needed.

He neatly laid his books on his coffee table, before going in search of the caffeinated drink. He would need the drink, if he wanted to get through his meeting with a certain Lucius Malfoy in a few hours.

Maybe something stronger would work better, though.

~HP~

I don't own Harry Potter. Please note, this is CANON DIVERGENCE MID BATTLE OF HOGWARTS (rather obviously so). The first six and a half books are the same. I do love reviews, and they're also very useful if you wish to ask a question (or just drop me a PM or message me on tumblr). Also, thanks to my amazing beta, DiAnna44! We persevere through time zones!
Edited 2nd May 2015