A/N: So. I haven't been on in a while, and I'll definitely start to update Learning to Love and the Ron/Hermione drabbles ASAP, but high school is really taking its toll on me and I've gone insane with schoolwork and stuff. So bear with me, people :) Read and review! As always, thanks to my awesome beta cryingcloud15 :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All quotes copyright J.K. Rowling.
"It's all right. It's okay. We're going to get you inside."
A surge of anger flooded me as a looked at the girl's face, wet with tears, all traces of hope long gone. "But I want to go home; I don't want to fight anymore!"
My seemingly calm façade faded and my voice broke. "I know. It's going to be all right." I knew that these words that left my mouth would do no good; how many times had everyone been told that things were going to be okay, when they knew that things would never be the same? I kneeled and grasped the girl's hand, squeezing it, hoping, praying, that some unsaid message of understanding and reassurance would calm her down.
A sudden whoosh of air made me whip my head around, looking, scrutinizing the darkness, for any sign of danger. I had sensed someone, or something, I knew it, and my mind immediately flashed to Harry, his grinning face, shrouded in that damned Invisibility Cloak of his. But even he wouldn't be that stupid, to hand himself over.
But he would, the great, stupid, noble prat. My great, stupid, noble prat.
I pulled the girl along with me inside the Great Hall, where the tables had been pushed aside and broken families were scattered across the floor. My steps became heavy and weak as I saw my family crouching around the dead bodies of Tonks, Lupin, and Fred. Tears that had been threatening to fall all evening spiked the corners of my eyes, and a sob wracked my body as Ron wrapped his arms around me protectively, tear tracks glistening on his face as well.
It seemed like ages since we had been a happy family, watching Bill getting married, celebrating, rejoicing that something so joyous as a wedding could still be held in the dark times that loomed in out future.
After what seemed like hours, a cold, snakelike voice pierced the room, delivering the news that everyone had feared for so long.
"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away…"
My eyes blurred and my heart shattered into a million different pieces, as I glanced at Ron and Hermione, both their faces frozen into equal masks of shock. I was speechless, incapable of saying, doing, feeling anything.
I heard him murmur something to those vile Death Eaters of his, something that made them all stop in their tracks and line up at the entrance of the school. Slowly, Hagrid, shaking with sobs, lay the limp, lifeless body of The Boy Who Lived, at Voldemort's feet.
"NO!" An inhumane shriek from Professor McGonagall brought me to my senses, and I refused to believe it, I couldn't believe it, it didn't happen-
"No!"
"No!"
"Harry! HARRY!"
My cries, joined with those of Ron and Hermione, those who had stood by Harry through everything, created a chain reaction, and within seconds, the school was shouting, screaming, refusing to believe that it was true…
"SILENCE!"
A flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon all of us, our lips screaming silent words of agony.
"You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"
Ron was so furious that an angry glow seemed to emit from him, and in a moment, his voice was restored, and he roared, "He beat you!" Once again, people started to retaliate, to yell obscenities at this so called Dark Lord, paying no attention to what he was saying-
"…killed while trying to save himself - "
Suddenly, someone burst out from the crowd and ran at Voldemort, ready to kill. Neville crumpled as Voldemort disarmed him, but he rose almost instantly, defiant and ready to fight to his death.
I was too dazed to pay attention, but my attention was caught when I heard Neville yell, "Dumbledore's Army!" The Silencing Charm placed on the crowd ceased to exist as we all started to cheer for him.
With a motion like a whip, Voldemort summoned something from a tower, and the Sorting Hat came soaring into view.
"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me." With a flick of his wand, Voldemort set the Sorting Hat on fire, it burst into flames.
All of a sudden, many people roared in fury and the remaining warriors moved as one, intent upon destroying Voldemort once and for all.
As if a play button had suddenly been pushed, the school revved into action. Neville shook his head free of the flaming hat, and pulled out of it a giant, ruby encrusted sword, and beheading Voldemort's giant snake. Grawp suddenly appeared, yelling for Hagrid, and getting charged by the other giants in the school. Hagrid suddenly shouted "HARRY! HARRY – WHERE'S HARRY?"
My eyes swiveled to the point where Harry had lay just seconds ago, and an invisible hand clenched my heart and held it tight, until I was sure that I would never breathe again.
I regained my senses when a badly aimed jinx missed me by an inch, and I darted into action, firing spells at Death Eaters, furious at the ones who had killed him, my fury flooding every inch of me.
A bright flash of green barely missed me, and I turned around, hastily aiming my wand at the caster. But that was unnecessary.
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
My mother sprinted towards Bellatrix Lestrange, Her face red, her wand drawn. Lestrange shrieked with laughter at the sight of her, but the grin dropped from her face when she realized my mother was serious, and started to duel violently, taunting Mum, making references to Fred.
I knew what was going to happen before it did; my mother's curse hit Lestrange unexpectedly, and her face was still frozen into that expression of cocky indifference when she fell.
A loud explosion caused me to whirl around and I saw the wall explode, fueled with the anger of Voldemort, anger at losing his most loyal supporter. Before he had a chance to say anything, though, a voice roared "PROTEGO!" causing nearly everyone in the hall to turn.
Yells of shock and happiness flooded the hall and elation filled my body as Harry pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, his Shield Charm expanding in the middle of the Hall.
The sound that had erupted died down just as quietly, and Harry and Voldemort began to circle each other noiselessly. But I couldn't watch, couldn't pay attention, I couldn't, wouldn't, do anything. One thing and one thing only filled my mind.
He's alive.
A/N: Read and review, people!
