Too High A Cost

Chapter 1

Authors Note: It should be noted that this story is massively AU post HBP. This version of DH is much darker, much bloodier, and much harsher. Expect a ruthless, pragmatic Harry. Rated "M" for Violence, some vulgar language, and the possibility of mature content later in the story.

As always, I own nothing.

Harry Potter limped his way across the broken, charred stone. Blackened bones dotted the courtyard, memoirs of the souls who had fallen here ten years ago. A decade ago, fiendfyre had swept through these halls, consuming all in its path. The battle which was meant to end the war had simply become the beginning. He looked up to the shattered remains of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers. The students there, most still asleep, hadn't stood a chance the evil flames had swept over them without remorse, slaying all. At the time, Harry had wept for the children who died that day. Now he was glad that they were spared the horrors that were too come later. Today, it had all ended. Tom Riddle was dead, for good this time. Ten years of guerrilla warfare, and an ever growing list of dead had finally ended today. The cost had been too high.

The First Battle of Hogwarts had claimed the lives of over two hundred students, as well as those of Minerva McGonagall, Pamona Sprout, Sybill Trelawney, Rubeus Hagrid, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. The attacks afterwards had been worse. Three-fourths of the order of the phoenix were killed in a single night. Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Lupin, and their infant son were tortured and then killed by Bellatrix LeStrange. The Burrow was attacked, With Molly and Arthur Weasley laying down their lives in order to save their children. Voldemort himself led the assault on Grimauld Place, smashing through the fidaleus and crushing the remains of the order and the ministry.

The survivors of the so called "night of tears" had engaged in a costly guerrilla war against the death eaters, making the dark wizards pay dearly for each meter of ground they took. It wasn't long before the war spilled across Britan's barriers to the continent. When the wizards from the continent joined the fray, hope had momentarily become visible, as Voldemort was temporarily pushed back. It didn't last, and soon Beauxbatons met the same fate as Hogwarts. Madame Maxine had made the death eaters pay dearly by succeeding in killing Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange before she was felled. Fleur and Charlie Weasley died in a valiant attempt to rescue Gabriella and the other student.

All seemed lost, with the Bulgarian Ministry, and Durmstrang joining Voldemort's banner. With the Americans refusing to lend aid defeat seemed inevitable. What turned the tide of the war was the betrayal of Riddle by Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy that resulted in the death of Voldemort's entire inner circle, as well as the destruction of Nagini, the final Horcrux. While Snape's heroism cost him his life, Draco escaped to give intel to the remnants. That led directly to tonight, the Second Battle of Hogwarts. The final battle had taken a terrible cost. Of the surviving Weasley's only Ron had survived the night.

Tears threatened to spill down Harry's cheeks as he remembered the emptiness in Ginny's eyes after Voldemort's Avarda Kedarva had struck her. Time had seemed to stop as his she had fallen, the life leaving her in an instant as the green light washed over her. Fred and George had fallen soon after, but not before exacting revenge on Fenrier Greyback for Charlie. Percy had landed the first hit on Riddle before falling, a blasting curse that had almost destroyed the dark wizard's wand arm, and had left Riddle to duel with his off hand. Percy had died with a smile on his lips.

In the end, it had come down to Tom Riddle and Harry Potter. The two had stood just outside the ruined castle, atop the corpses of both their dead, each bloodied and nearly beaten. The battle had ended rather anticlimactically with Tom being a second too slow to dodge a Sectumsempra that separated his head from his body.

Harry held the elder wand loosely in his right hand, in his left, he carried the grisly trophy of the dark lord's head. As he limped into what had once been the great hall, the battered survivors of the order rose to greet him.

Ron stood closest to the door, a bloody rag across his now absent left eye. "It's done? It's over?" His voice was raspy and strained.

Harry tossed Riddle's severed head into the middle of the hall. "It's over."

Draco gave out a long sigh, and collapsed against the wall where he lay. His once silver blonde hair was now an unnamed shade of brown, caked with blood and dirt. "Finally."

Luna swayed on her feet, looking about to collapse. Her elfin face had long since lost any spark of joy. "Was it worth it?"

Neville quietly shook his head.

"The cost was too high." Hermione leaned on her improvised crutch, a blasting curse had removed her left leg below the knee.

"Far too high." Harry collapsed to the ground. "I don't think there are enough witches and wizards left in Britain, or Europe for that matter, to maintain a stable population. Magic might die in Europe."

"If only there were a way. A way to make this have happened differently." Ron collapsed beside his best mate. "To change everything."

Draco tried to laugh. It came out as more of a cough. "Yeah, a chance to begin again, with a clean slate." He rubbed his left arm, where the dark mark lay. "Merlin knows if I could do it again, I'd want to do it different."

"Maybe we can." Hermione's voice was quiet.

"What do you mean, even if the department of mysteries, and the whole ministry of magic wasn't destroyed, time turners can't go back that far in time." Neville shifted on the hard ground.

"There are other ways to go back in time. The Turners are just the most reliable and the safest. Normally it would be insanity to attempt any of the other methods, however, with the outcome of today…the worst that can happen is that we all die." She chuckled darkly. "And to be honest, I couldn't care less if I die right now. I mean, the only thing we have left to lose is each other."

Silence swept across the six. Hermione was right. Britain itself was just a cratered smoking ruin of its former self. London was a burned out ruin. Muggles had been rounded up by the millions and placed in concentration camps to be slaughtered like animals. Europe had lost almost five sixths of its former population. It had been genocide on an unprecedented scale. There was nothing left for any of them here. Aside from the six inside the room, everyone that any of them had loved was dead.

"I'm in." Harry rose to his feet.

"Heh. Why not. We are probably just going to die anyways." Draco struggled to stand.

"Me too." Ron gave a small determined smile, as he stood.

Neville rose. "Honestly, death doesn't even sound half bad."

A small glint of insanity had returned to Luna's once dreamy eyes. "We survive." She stood. "A nargle says so."

Her very Luna'ish words brought a small smile to everyone's lips.

"So, we are going to go back in time." Hermione drew her lips into a small frown. "I wish there was still the Hogwarts Library."

….

Six Months later, the six stood in a loose circle around the veil of death. The once deeply buried room was now exposed to the open air. This was of muggle doing, a devastating missile strike that had occurred when the statute of secrecy was destroyed.

Hundreds of complex runes, and delicate warding circles were drawn across the stone amphitheater.

"So, let me get this right." Draco drawled, "If ONE of these runes is even slightly miss-drawn, we all die horribly. If not, we go back in time to the day of the train ride to Hogwarts on our first year."

"I'm pretty sure I got them all right." Hermione frowned "I hope so anyway."

"What have we got to lose?" Ron gave Hermione a small kiss on the cheek. "I trust you, I know you got it right." He turned to the other six. "See you on the other side." A small grin, and he let himself fall through the veil.

Neville stepped forward next. "If this is the end…" He smiled grimly. "I just want to say…it was an honor." He too fell through the veil.

Luna calmly stepped through the veil without a word, just giving a small sad smile before she disappeared.

Draco turned to Harry. "Sorry it took me so long to see what side I should have fought for." He looked at Hermione. "Granger, thank you for a second chance." He vanished a second later.

Hermione looked at Harry. Tears welled in her brown eyes. "This is it." She gave him a hug. "Goodbye" she fell.

Harry took a deep breath to compose himself and then stepped forward.

Darkness consumed all.