Disclaimer: I don't own anything HP! I am not making profit, yadda yadda! U know the drill.
A/N: This is a oneshot. Direct Quotes from the book are in bold and at the end of the book I give details on what page they are found on. All the quotes are taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows written by J.K. Rowling, all credit is given to her. So without further adieu...
War POV's
Ron and Hermione's POV (They were together almost the whole time so I just grouped them together.)
Fred…he can't be, how could this happen? He and George were always together, the one time they're apart and this happens? How could the world be so…cruel? How could Fred, who was so fun loving, mischievous, and…and, one of the greatest big brothers ever be…gone?
Forever.
I'll never hear his laughter, bear the brunt of a joke or prank, I'll never get to tell him that I…love him. I've never said it to him…and now, I'll never get to.
Why has this happened? Why him?
Why Fred?
All of this was going through Ron's head as he walked towards the circle of his family, grouped around a figure lying still. He was aware of someone, a friend, walking silently behind him, but he had only eyes for his family.
Hermione was walking behind him already crying softly, looking anywhere but at Fred's broken body. She took in all the surrounding families and friends gathering around the deceased, their loved one's who would never hear their cries again.
She walked slowly, slower than Ron at least, towards the group of grief stricken Weasleys. As she neared she heard Mrs. Weasley sobbing on the chest of her dead son, and finally she looked upon the lifeless body of Fred. She saw his twin sitting at his head with one hand resting on in his hair and the other lying open in his lap facing the ceiling.
She sat down next to Ginny and took the younger girl into her arms and hugged her. She let the girl sob onto her shoulder for a while, before Ginny pulled away.
Hermione turned to Ron, who looked over at her through his shinning eyes and they fell into each others arms sobbing and comforting each other. Neither had noticed the missing third of their trio.
Nearly an hour went buy before either spoke.
"Where's Harry?" Ron said thickly.
"I'm not sure, I thought he was right behind me when we came in," Hermione replied densely. She looked around the great room, filled to maximum capacity with injured, dead, and the mourning.
"Maybe he…went to Dumbledore's office, to use the pensive. You know, because of Snape's memories?" she whispered. Ron nodded and stood up. He reached down and took hold of Hermione's hand and pulled her to a standing position.
"Where are you going? You can't leave again! I can't lose another child! Don't leave Ron, please!" Mrs. Weasley had reached over and taken Ron's hand into hers, her pleading voices raised. People glanced her way, some with sympathetic looks, some with annoyance. Ron knelt down next to his mother.
"Mum, you won't lose me, I'm not leaving. Hermione and I are just going to go look for Harry. We haven't seen him for nearly an hour. We'll be back with him quickly, alright? Don't worry. I'll be right back." He hugged her and stood up when she let go of his wrist and turned to walk away with Hermione.
They quickly walked to the door, scanning the room briefly to make sure Harry wasn't just in a different area. When they made it to the seventh floor, they sped up. The fear of not knowing where Harry was, was urging them to hurry before something bad happened. They both felt strange, as if something horrible would befall their friend if they didn't find him fast.
They reached the office and found the punch-drunk looking gargoyle lying on the ground half crumbled to smaller chunks.
"May we go up?" Hermione asked it politely.
"As if I could stop you. Go ahead," it snapped at her from the ground. She mumbled thanks as she followed Ron up the steps. As soon as he'd heard the go-ahead from the gargoyle he ran up the steps two at a time. She rushed after him, going a little slower.
When she reached the top, she nearly ran into him because he had stopped abruptly just inside the door. She looked in around him and saw what had made him stop. A large stone basin sitting on the desk, and empty flask laying next to it.
Silvery light emitted a faint glow on the ceiling. Harry was nowhere to be found. Hermione pushed past Ron to move towards the basin. She stepped up to the desk and glanced into it just in time to see an image re-play itself; Snape and Dumbledore sitting in this very office, Snape yelling something standing up and pulling his wand out shouting an incantation. Ron came up next to her in time to see Snape shout out something and an image of a Silver Doe erupting from his wand. The two glanced up at each other, surprise etched onto their faces.
"He was on our side the whole time!" whispered Hermione. Ron just stared dumbfounded.
"You think we should…watch the rest of these? Just in case?" she asked him. He nodded and she reached her wand up to touch the surface. Just as her wand was about to break the face of the silvery memories, a voice broke through around them loud and clear as if it's person was right behind them.
"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," (1) said the voice of Lord Voldemort.
Hermione and Ron gasped and turned and ran from the room towards the Main Entrance. The barreled from the office and bolted for the staircases. They ran so fast they nearly flew down through the many floors.
They arrived outside the Great hall as the crowd surged from the Hall into the entrance and out the doors. They fought their way to the front where the rest of the Weasley's, minus Fred, stood. They saw a group standing at the foot of the steps, with a large someone holding the body of a scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled young man.
Draco's POV
A young man with a shock of bright white-blonde hair stood just inside the border of the forest. He was scared. More scared than he had ever been in his life. He had been feeling strange for several hours now. His life was turned topsy-turvy when Harry Potter saved his sorry arse from the cursed fire. He crouched down into a squat and rested his head in his hands and thought.
Crabbe is dead, Goyle left for the forest long ago. Why am I just standing here where someone could find me. I should be hiding, waiting for Saint Potter to win this damn war so everyone could go home and live their lives.
But wait, Father is a convicted Death Eater, if Potter wins, Father will go back to Azkaban, I could end up in Azkaban! I know that the whole world will believe Potter and his stupid friends if they say that I'm a Death Eater…not that I had much choice, with the Dark Lord living at my house practically.
Merlin! What should I do? Mum and Father are still in the forest, I know they are. If I abandon them, will they ever forgive me? Will I ever see them again if I leave now? I can't go to prison, I can't. Who would take care of mum if both Father and I are in prison? Aunt Bella sure as bloody hell won't take care of her sister, especially if she's in Azkaban also, Aunt Andromeda probably never wants to see either of her sister's ever again, so she's out.
What am I supposed to do?
God, ever since I could remember Father has been going on and on about the purity of blood and it's importance. But who says he's right? Some whacked out snake-man with a bunch of followers? Who says that they're even right? They say that Mudblood's are lower than they are and not deserving of their magic, but that Granger, she's a better witch than most pure-bloods I know.
Who am I supposed to believe? Who's right and who's wrong?
Potter has fought all his life against everything I believe, more like I was told to believe, but…why would he even have to fight, what's making him fight? Why doesn't he just run away and hide? But then again, why is the Dark Lord even trying to kill Potter? What exactly did a baby do to him? Besides vaporizing him anyways? And how could a baby do that anyways?
I just don't understand anymore. Good or Evil…
Dumbledore gave me a choice, before Snape killed him. He told me I could hide, and he'd even make sure Mum was taken care of, Father, too even. Why would he make me an offer like that and lie about it? What reason did he have to lie? Besides, when has anyone heard of Dumbledore lying. Maybe…he was telling the truth. Maybe I should have listened to him.
Maybe I chose the wrong side…
But what can I do about it now? Potter saved my life, and for no reason. We were going to bring him to the Dark Lord and he knew we were. But he saved my life anyways.
Why?
I'm so confused.
The young man was so deeply in thought that he barely heard the caravan of people leaving the forest a mere 20 yards away from him. He looked up when he heard people walking. He noticed a very large person at the front of the group carrying a body towards the school. The half giant was obviously sobbing, he was shaking so badly. Then Draco saw a flash of white-blonde hair near the edge of the group, then a second flash near the first. He sprang up and began to run towards his family. But before he had gone even three steps he stopped, and knew he had to make a choice. Which side would he choose? Good or Evil? Order of the Phoenix or Death Eaters? Potter or family?
Draco jumped when he heard the voice of the master he feared.
"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." (1)
Draco suddenly knew which side he needed to be on; which side he wanted to win.
Ginny's POV
"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest…One hour."(2)
Ginny heard the voice echo through the air and she fumed.
How can that rat bastard say Harry let his friends die rather than face him? How? He's the coward, hiding his ugly snake face in the forest!
Oh, God! What if Harry believes him? What if Harry surrenders? I really hope Ron and Hermione are with him right now. I've already lost a brother, I can't lose Harry and Fred in the same night!
Oh, Fred. How could you die? Why would you leave us like this? How can you leave George? He's breaking Fred. You've only been gone less than an hour and I can already see he's breaking. He can't last without you. Oh, god, I wish this were one of your elaborate pranks gone too far. But I know it's not. Even you wouldn't be able to lie so still, while we all cried for you.
If you could hear Mum right now, it would break your heart. I don't know how she'll live through this. Or George. It was always you and him, Fred and George. Gred and Forge. Now its just George.
Why did you have to leave us, Fred? Why?
Ginny turned and landed in Hermione's arms. She sobbed and sobbed on her shoulder. She didn't know how long she cried but when she finally pulled back, Hermione's shoulder was very damp. Ginny turned and pulled herself into a fetal sitting position, she rested her forehead on her knees and cried some more. After a while she felt a soft hand on her back. She looked up into the scarred face of her eldest brother. He had been crying she saw, his eyes were red rimmed and glossy. She reached over and he pulled her into a bear hug.
"It's going to be alright, Ginny-bear. I promise," he whispered to her using the childhood nickname he gave her. She looked up as Ron and Hermione stood up. Her mum, reached over and grabbed Ron's arm, and she begged him not to leave.
Ginny knew where they were going before he said it. They were going to go look for Harry. She thought that maybe she should go with them just in case. But just then, Professor McGonagall came over and asked for volunteers to help bring in the wounded and dead. Bill and Charlie agreed and stood up. Their mother gave them horrified looks but kept silent. Ginny stood as well and followed them out of the Great Hall.
She grabbed Bill's arm and asked, "How can you be so sure? He told Harry one hour, that hour is almost over, and Harry hasn't been seen since he said that. What if Harry surrenders? What if—" she broke off when he shushed her.
"You can't think that way Gin, Harry would never willingly give himself up, he knows Voldemort would never stop and spare his friends if he did. We just have to keep fighting. We can't give in, no matter what. Fred knew what he was getting into coming here tonight, he didn't want to die, no. But he also didn't want to live in a world like we've had for the last ten months.
"We need to keep fighting…for Fred, and for ourselves. We can't lay blame on anyone for these deaths except for on Voldemort. We can't let those bastards win. Harry knows this, he also knows that if he dies, we can't win. Look at me Ginny-bear, he'll be alright. And so will we." He hugged her tightly. She looked at her big brother, he looked at her. She knew then that they would eventually be alright, as long as they won this stupid war.
She was with her family for now. Shortly the fighting would probably begin again, she knew she should rest before she fought again. It was exhausting work cursing the bad guys, but now she wasn't just fighting for her future, she was fighting for her family, for their future, and for Fred.
She looked out of a window onto the battle field that was once a school courtyard and sighed, tears running down her cheeks. She felt Bill and Charlie rub her back. She sighed again and made a wish then.
Please, let us all come through this and…let us all live. Please, no more deaths. Please?
Without warning, a voice rent the air. "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." (1)
Ginny's head shot up. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no, no!" Abruptly, everyone in the room who was capable of movement was up and rushing to the door. Ginny found she was being pushed to the door with the crowd.
Minerva McGonagall's POV
She stood near where the head table usually sat, staring out to the crowds of people mourning the dead, nursing the injured. A sense of foreboding washed over the older woman, causing her to, not for the fist time, wish for her former mentor to be alive.
Oh, Albus. Why did you have to die? Look what you've left behind.
All I have seen for the last year has been death, destruction, and lives falling apart. I know you would have been able to end this. How did you expect Harry and his friends to be able to bring that monster down? They're just kids, they can't do it alone. We need you!
How am I supposed to be a leader, when all I want to do is run and hide?
I think you made a mistake I choosing me as your replacement…I'm a coward, I can't do this anymore. And now You-Know-Who has called that poor boy to him, what if he goes?
What if he gives up?
He's seen the bodies of his loved ones, what if he's given up? What will we do then? How do we go on from here? So many lives have been lost, we are outnumbered, our people are exhausted, and most have lost the will to fight still.
I'm close to losing the will to fight…I just don't know what to do anymore.
I'm just so tired.
Minerva ventured towards a young woman who was injured and need to be tended to immediately. She stopped her bleeding and found some pain potion for her to take so she wouldn't be in too much pain while she waited for Poppy to make the rounds.
When Minerva stood and turned around she saw Oliver wood bring a small body into the hall and place the tiny, toe-headed body in the area containing the deceased.
She felt compelled to go see who the small body belonged too. She wound her way through the crowds. As she approached, she realized who it was…little Colin Creevey was very small. It saddened her to think that he must have come back to help fight, and now he was gone.
She looked around her and saw so many of her former students, and friends. The one that surprised her the most was Fred Weasley. She never would have admitted it to anyone, but he and George had been some of her most favorite students, between the marauders, and Harry, Ron and Hermione.
It was going to be very hard for his twin to recover from this horrendous blow to their family. She knew the two of them were closer than two peas in a pod. Another tremendous strike to the good side was the deaths of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin. Those two were so young, just married and new parents to boot. Their deaths were horribly unnecessary and made Minerva that much sadder. She knew now that the three good marauders were finally together again.
She walked around the room helping where she could, and tried to instill hope where she could.
She was heading towards the group of Weasleys when a loud, high-pitched voice broke the stillness of the Hall, "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." (1)
Pandemonium proceeded as Minerva turned and ran for the doors. She collided into Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger at the doors as they too ran to find out the fate of their best friend.
Ron's POV
Ron heard the screams and shouts of the crowd around him, he even recalled himself screaming his best mates name.
Shock. Terror. The loss of all hope.
Ron couldn't think straight. All he knew was Harry was dead, and there was no way he would be able to go on. Fred, then Lupin and Tonks, even little Collin, and now Harry?
Why was life taking everyone from him?
Ron was shaken out of his stupor when he saw a brown headed young man run forward towards Voldemort. He watched as this young man's wand was knocked away, and a hat was summoned, placed on his head, and set afire. But all Ron could think about was Harry, and how he would never see his best mate again.
He'll never stand with me at the alter when I get married, never be the godfather to my first child, never…marry my little sister. We'll never be official brothers. We'll would never get to go to Auror training and raise families together.
How could this have happened?
Ron knew Harry well enough to know that Harry would never have ran away, not when all the Weasley's were still there. That much he knew was a lie.
But how had Voldemort gotten Harry? Why did I leave him? Why didn't I make sure he was within sight at all times? It's all my fault, I knew Harry was thinking of sacrificing himself when that bastard made that one hour announcement.
Why didn't I stay with him? Why?
Ron was jolted out of his stupor by someone shouting, "HARRY! HARRY—WHERE'S HARRY?" (3)
Where's Harry? What is Hagrid playing at, Harry's body is right…where is Harry? What happened to Harry?
Ron ran around panicked. He ran into the school following everyone else. Looking for Harry, and suddenly found himself in a battle with Neville against the werewolf Fenrir Grayback. They fought hard and soon Grayback was down.
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" (4)
Ron turned and saw his mother running for a group of people, one of which had long bright red hair, another had bushy brown hair, and the third long blonde hair.
Two battles were being fought: one with Voldemort and the other with one of his strongest, craziest supporters. Ron was terrified for his mother who was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange. He ran towards her just as she dealt the final blow.
Ron stopped in shock as he watched the black haired witch fall to the ground with a look of shock on her face. He heard a scream of fury and a familiar shout of Protego! Ron turned to find the source of the yell, and saw Harry whip off the invisibility cloak!
How did he do that? Was the first thing that popped into Ron's head.
The second was, If he ever scares me like that again I'll kill him myself!
The third thought was, Neville killed the snake!
Ron watched as Harry and Voldemort circled each other and shouted insults. The only thing Ron could think was He's alive! He's alive! Oh thank god, he's alive! We can't lose this now!
Hermione's POV
Hermione was standing with Ron at the very front of the crowd of people. She looked out at the line of Death Eaters.
Harry? Oh NO! Not Harry! Please not Harry! she thought.
She looked at Hagrid and saw his giant tears and knew…Harry was gone! A scream of anguish left her throat that not even she thought she could make.
Her best friend, her almost brother, gone forever! What were they supposed to do now? She knew they had to keep fighting, but how could she force herself to fight when it all seemed pointless now. Their hero was gone, dead, laying at his greatest enemy's feet like a broken doll.
Lifeless, she thought. How could this happen? Harry would never run away! Never! There was no way Harry could leave his loved ones like that! That bastard is lying!
But would he sacrifice himself to save the ones he loved?
Hermione felt herself hit the ground in her sorrow. She felt wetness on her cheeks, but was so numb she didn't realize it was she who was crying. She heard shouts and screams, but it was only the shouts from Hagrid that awoke her from her daze.
The intelligent witch looked around and saw pandemonium. She also noticed her 'almost' brother's body was missing, and people were pushing her now standing body into the school back to the Great Hall.
Soon she found herself in a fight with Luna and Ginny against the one person she hated next to Voldemort himself, Bellatrix Lestrange.
She fought hard and long, until she heard, "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" (4)
Hermione was so unbelievably shocked that Mrs. Weasley cursed that she looked away from the enemy for a brief second. She was pulled back by someone, she didn't know who, as she watched the two grown women duel. The fight was one of two huge battles being fought, but Hermione couldn't tear her eyes off her friends mother for fear that if she did, it may cause a spell to reach Molly Weasley. Just as suddenly as the fight began it was over just as quick.
A scream of fury tore through the air.
A shout of Protego! she vaguely recognized.
When Harry appeared out of thin air in front of his enemy surrounded by what seemed to be half the wizarding world, he had eyes only for Voldemort.
Oh, thank God! Oh thank you, he's alive! He's alive!
Ok, now I'm going to kill him myself! How dare he let us believe he was dead? How could he lay there and hear our cries of anguish, and just lay there? But still, it was great acting on his part, even McGonagall thought he was dead.
It doesn't matter that he was a good actor, he still scared the living daylights out of us!
These conflicting thoughts running through Hermione's head kept her from hearing everything Harry and Voldemort were saying to each other. Just as she started to listen, the sun rose over the window, and it was over.
Draco's POV
Draco ran as hard as he could towards the crowd outside the school, arriving just in time to see Longbottom's head erupt in flame. He ran up the hill and stood just outside the crowd, no one had seen him running, so he was able to get a good view of a body lying on the ground and Longbottom pull a sword out of the flaming hat and kill the damned serpent of his former Lord.
Mayhem ensued. People were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Draco decided to follow the crowd inside.
Potter's dead. It may have taken me a few years, but I hope he knows now, that I chose his side, where ever he is now.
Draco ran inside the Great Hall just in time to see Potter whip off his cloak and reveal himself to all.
Well, I'll be damned. Potter really does have nine lives. Maybe…maybe we all have a chance now. Maybe he'll actually kill that snake bastard.
Draco watched the conversation Potter and the Dark Lord had. He was stunned by the proclamation of he being the previous master of the fabled Elder Wand. How could that be? If the wand was Dumbledore's, the wand bearer should have been Snape, not me. Unless…all I had to do was…disarm him. But Potter disarmed me a few months ago…that means—
"I am the true master of the Elder Wand," (5) Harry Potter announced.
Wow, didn't see that one coming.
Draco thought as he watched Voldemort's body fly through the air.
I wonder where my parents are? Oh, No! They were fighting with the Death Eaters, they'll be caught!
With that last thought Draco began rushing through the crowd trying to find his parents before the Aurors did. The young man suddenly felt lighter than he had felt in months, years even. With that feeling, suddenly he thought, I'm free!
Minerva McGonagall's POV
Minerva heard someone scream.
No, she thought, I heard myself scream.
She had fallen to her knees in her despair. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder, and she looked up and saw Kingsley. He too had tears in his eyes. She turned and saw the body of one of her most favorite students lying on the ground, dead for a cause that he had been fighting for since he was one year old. Of his short seventeen years of life, he had spent nearly half fighting for his life and the lives of those around her.
That poor boy did not deserve that fate! How could someone let that poor boy, no man, die so young? He didn't deserve it, not right now, not ever!
She crouched there crying and wishing for time to reverse.
Abruptly, she was pulled to a stand and she glanced about seeing people running and fighting again.
They are fighting again? Of course they are! We can't let them win this war, we have too much to loose! And I for one am not going to go down that easily!
"FOR HARRY!" she screamed, and ran headlong into a battle, followed by Kingsley and surprisingly Horace Slughorn. The three of them unexpectedly found themselves dueling none other than Voldemort himself, three to one. They fought valiantly, but it seemed that almost none of their spells were getting through.
All of a sudden, Voldemort screamed. They, all three of them, were thrown away from the monster, and hit a wall. Seeing bright lights flash before her eyes after her head made contact with a stone wall, Minerva had to close her eyes for a moment. But when she opened them, the sight before her was one she would never forget.
Harry! How did he…where was he…how…oh, who cares! He's ALIVE! Oh thank heavens!
She knew that no one was fighting now, everyone was too busy watching the epic battle to rival Albus' and Grindelwald's.
That man there, has more courage than anyone I know. Even Albus couldn't have fought a battle this young, and survive this many times. I have no doubt in my mind that this war will finally, after nearly twenty years, be over tonight.
A/N 2: Well, I found this beast hiding in my flash drive. It's the first fic I ever posted! Once I had edited it (and it needed it badly), I decided to post it again on this site. Tell me what you think. Good? Bad? Too cliché? Love to know what you think. Reviews are awesome and inspiring.
1. Quote from pg. 728
2. Quote from pg. 660
3. Quote from pg. 733
4. Quote from pg. 736
5. Quote from pg. 743