A/N: My first Harry Potter attempt is also my first one-shot. Hope you like it. Shoutout to Anna B. the Greek to correcting this for me. It helped me so much! :)~ Izzi
Disclaimer: All rights to J.K. Rowling. I own none of these characters, places or actions. I don't even own the dialogue, it's straight out of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. All I've got is Ginny's interior monologue.
Fear, Death, and Harry Potter
May 2nd, 1998
Ginny Weasley was no stranger to fear. In her second year of Hogwarts, she had been possessed by the most powerful dark wizard in existence and made to control a basilisk. In her fifth year, her brother had been attacked by a werewolf. For the majority of her sixth year, the ministry and school had been controlled by the same Dark wizard that had possessed her years earlier. That year, her brother, Ron, and his friend (and her ex) had been on the run from the Ministry. So, Ginny Weasley was no stranger to fear.
Ginny Weasley was no stranger to death. She'd long ago run out of fingers and toes with which to count loved ones who had passed. Unforgettable faces flitted across her memory. Cedric Diggory in her third year, for one. Professor Dumbledore at the end of fifth year was another. Mad-Eye Moody that past summer. And most devastating of all, her brother Fred, just minutes earlier. So ,Ginny Weasley was no stranger to death.
Ginny Weasley knew about fear and death. But for all that knowledge, nothing could have prepared her for this moment.
"Harry Potter is dead! " Voldemort cried, bringing up a cheer from his followers. How she longed to rip his throat out.
Harry Potter was no stranger to Ginny Weasley. Harry Potter, who had loved her. Harry Potter, who she loved. She still remembered the day he'd approached her mother on the platform. She remembered the day he saved her from Tom Riddle in the Chamber. She remembered his return at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, holding Cedric's dead body. She remembered her heartache when Harry pined for Cho, and how she'd dated Michael to get over him. She remembered the fight in the Department of Mysteries, when he'd protected her. She remembered when she and Harry were finally together, for a few sweet, blissful months. Harry Potter couldn't be dead.
Harry Potter, who was no stranger to Ginny Weasley. Harry Potter, who loved her. Harry Potter, who she loved. She remembered every kiss and hug and touch. She remembered the sound of his voice and the feel of his hair and the smell of him. She remembered his pain and his humility and his love. She remembered his words and his laugh and his breath. She remembered Harry Potter. Harry Potter couldn't be dead.
"No!" screamed Professor McGonagall, so loud and terrible it was indescribable.
"No!" shouted Ron, ignoring the unmoving body in Hagrid's arms and the cackle of the Dark Lord.
"No!" sobbed Hermione, her arms locked around Ron, trying to restrain him from getting killed himself.
"Harry! HARRY!" the words ripped out of Ginny unbidden, she could no more stop them than she could stop her heart.
"SILENCE!" Voldemort was angry, now. They weren't letting him celebrate his victory. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs. You see?" Voldemort was taunting them now, thrusting their pain into their hearts like a knife, ripping them open.
"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!"
He was wrong, the Dark Lord. Harry had sacrificed himself for all of them. Harry was not selfish, he was selfless. And that was why she hadn't stopped him when he left for the forest. Ginny thought Harry could have won, which is why she let him go.
"He beat you!" yelled Ron, breaking the charm that had kept them silent during the Dark Lord's tirade. The screaming started up again, and curses flew as Neville attacked Voldemort. Ginny was numb, casting shield charms and stunning curses.
'Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry. I love you. Harry. Harry.' she thought over and over, his name a mantra she used to ignore the pain.
Neville killed the snake. Neville who had led them when Harry couldn't. It would have seemed fitting, but Ginny couldn't bring herself to care, until she heard Hagrid's voice above the mayhem.
"HARRY! HARRY- WHERE'S HARRY?!"
Ginny looked up distracted, and stood on a table in the Hall, searching for Harry's tell-tale mop of hair. A green light flashed by her ear, barely missing her. Bellatrix.
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" cried Mrs. Weasley rushing towards the Death Eater. "OUT OF MY WAY! No! Get back! Get back! She is mine."
The chaos froze, people watching Bellatrix and Molly. The other battle in the Hall was Voldemort's, he was dueling McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley at once. Ginny's eyes followed the volleys between Bella and her mother, but it was with numb interest. Certainly she cared in about the outcome, but the mantra in her head was keeping her focused and unfeeling.
'Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry. I love you. Harry. Harry.'
"What will happen to your children when I'm gone?" Bella taunted, "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"
The pain at that statement almost broke through, and Ginny firmed up her defenses.
"Harry. Fred. Harry. Harry. I love you. Fred. Harry. Harry. Harry."
"You-will-never-touch-our-children-again!" screamed Molly, casting the Unforgivable that ended the fight.
A fiery blast of fury threw Voldemort's opponents away from him. Perhaps he had emotions after all. Perhaps he had cared for Bella. The Dark Lord spun, and pointed his wand at Mrs. Weasley. Fear thrummed through Ginny's chest.
"Protego!"
The shield charm came out of nowhere, but it was that voice that broke through the oblivion that Ginny was spiralling into. The Cloak came off and he was visible.
Harry Potter was alive. There was hope.
A/N: Another thousand thanks to Anna B. the Greek. Your corrections made this better for me, thank you so much. :)~Izzi