Past Shadow's
By Tanj
All story characters belong to J.K. Rowling, ^_^ just the idea is mine.... though if you want to be TECHNICAL about it, it also belongs to my inspiration... or at least I always thought it should... anyway, heres the beginning of my first attempt at a fanfic! ^_^ read away, and please, review, because constructive criticism is always appreciated!
Mrs. Weasley had never really recovered. It had been nearly a year ago, in Harry's seventh and final year, but the sorrow lines still hadn't faded from her eyes and brow. Harry imagined that he probably didn't look much better, considering. They had died for him, for the cause. Because of him. Ron and Ginny, both gone in one night. Her two youngest children; no wonder Mrs. Weasley couldn't let go. His thought flickered back to that night...
"Harry!" Ron's harsh whisper only just managed to reach Harry where he was crouched behind a broken wall. He turned to look his best friend in the eye. Ron was tiring, Harry could tell. His eyes were going blood-shot, and his shoulders had started to sag; not a lot, but enough that Harry knew the Death Eaters would notice and single him out. "Harry, we can go in opposite directions, and loop around."
Harry shook his head and peeked over the wall. The dusty square that had once been a thriving town, appeared empty. But appearances could be deceiving. Harry took the chance and darted across to his best friends' side.
"No," he whispered to Ron. "No, go back and take care of Hermione, make sure she gets help."
Ron looked torn. Hermione had been caught in the rubbage from a reducto curse, and been injured. They'd gotten her to shelter, a small house that was still intact, but that had been an hour ago. "No, I should stay with you, Dumbledore said--"
"Dumbledore didn't know Hermione would get hurt did he?!"Harry said, strongly, earnestly. "Some one needs to go back for her; we're in a lull in the battle now, go back for her, now, before it's too late. I'd go with you," he clenched his teeth. "But I can't leave, you know I can't, and you know why. Please, Ron, just do this for me."
Ron looked defeated. "I'll go back and check on her, then I'll come back for you."
Harry shut his eyes. It wasn't good enough, but it would have to do. "Fine, but Ron? ..." He looked at his friend. "Never mind. Just go."
Ron stared at Harry for a moment longer. They were both thinking the same thing; would these be their last words together? Neither of them thought it might be the truth-- for opposite sides. Ron nodded once and turned to go.
Harry watched Ron scrambling across the rubble for a moment, before turning back to peek over the wall. Still nothing. Waiting was the hardest part. Snape had passed them intelligence that Voldemort was going to be here; the problem was that so were all of his death eaters. Harry glanced down at the cut in his shoulder. Draco Malfoy was with them to. It looked like they had all left, but the tension was still high, Voldemort hadn't appeared. Where had they all gone?
"HARRY!" some one bellowed behind him. The sound was broke the still that had descended on the desolate square. He whipped around, wand in hand.
It was Ron. Ginny had her wand out and was facing Ron and Draco (now clad in black robes with a mask hanging over one shoulder) who had Ron from behind. Ginny had Ron's wand. Harry blinked, and started to stand.
"Harry, DON'T! Draco's controlling her, it's a trap! STAY HIDDEN!" Trembling, Harry ducked back down, teeth clenched, and eyes wide he stared at them. His best friend, and his best friends' sister, and there was nothing he could do. He had to stay in position, he had orders.
"Yes Potter," Malfoy's voice drifted across to Harry. "Hide, run, look away. Too good to watch, to much of a coward to do anything. How you got into Griffindor I have no idea, I thought their forte was based on bravery...? I guess not if you're any judge--"
"DON'T LISTEN HARRY--!"
"Shut up Weasley. I've wanted to do this for so long-- CRUCIO!"
Ron's yells filled the square. Harry clenched his fists around his wand, but didn't move. I'm sorry, Ron, I'm so sorry, I can't come to you, I CAN'T.
His voice echoed to a stop, leaving silence in it's wake.
"How about this, just to mix it up?" Draco called. "Ginny dear, you hate your brother, don't you?"
"Yes," there wasn't even a pause. "I hate him. He's a Blood traitor, they all are, disgusting mudblood lovers. Never set their sights above above living with pigs, living with their own kind. I can be so much more after I break free of their ignorant ideas."
Harry could tell that every word Ginny said was stabbing Ron like a dagger. "Ginny..." Harry saw his friends lips form the name, but no sound reached his ears.
"Ron, Ron, it's the just the curse talking, just the curse don't listen, don't listen!" Harry whispered, hoping somehow the words would make it to his best friend.
"Crucio." A firm, solid word, from a solid voice. Ginny.
The screams blended with the quiet taunting, and mental abuse. They played on Ron's insecurities, the tiny cuts from his past, and tore them open to bleed freely. It was torturing Harry to watch. Draco wasn't asking Ron questions, he wasn't looking for information. He was simply taking pleasure in giving Ron pain. Harry couldn't stand it. His resistance snapped.
Disregarding everything, he crawled along a wall, darting from house to dead tree to rubble pile, until he was behind Malfoy. He had become so caught up in his game, that Draco didn't even see Harry coming. But Ginny did.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she lifted Ron's wand-- hers was pressed to Ron's ear. Harry dashed sideways. Draco dropped Ron (who sagged to the ground, unable to move) and spun to face Harry. Harry dodged his curse, sending one flying back. Curses and jinxes flew, until finally Draco retreated, screaming regular curses at Harry.
Harry was instantly beside his friend. His eyes were glazed over, and his mouth was ajar. He was still breathing, but it was his body working on instinct; there was nobody there anymore. Harry had been too late.
He punched the ground with all the force left in his body. "MALFOY YOU BASTARD!"
There was a whisper behind him followed simultaneously by green light flying by his shoulder-- he had ducked instinctively. Without thinking, he spun, yelling Inpedimentia!, but there was nobody there anymore. He flung up a shielding-reflecting charm just as green light would have caught him from the side. It reflected back-- to hit Ginny. It seemed to take forever for her to fall. Just before she hit the ground, Harry saw the pain come back into her face, saw Dracos Impervious curse lift. Too late for her as well. Too late. The blood was on his hands.
That had been a year ago. A year ago today. The first curse Ginny had sent had hit Ron when Harry had dodged. They hadn't even been able to bring him to St. Mungos, not that there had ever really been a hope for him. After all, Neville's parents had never recovered.
Harry and Mrs. Weasley stood over their graves. The others would stop by as they could... but now it was Harry and his best friends' mother standing there alone. Harry was still looking at Mrs. Weasley. He remembered, suddenly, how back in fifth year, she had fought the boggart. Ron dead on the ground, Ginny's lifeless body... Harry's own. How it must have hit her, that he, Harry, had come home, but her children hadn't. He would have understood if she had hated him. But she hadn't. She had clung to him, Hermione, and to her remaining children, but especially to Harry. He knew she had thought of him as a son, and now he and Hermione were the youngest.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
She looked up, but couldn't speak, only nodded.
Harry put down the flowers he'd had in his hand, and the walked back to the stand of trees nearby. He dissappearted.
Cough-sputter, TO BE CON'T!!!
~For the sake of being corny ^.~
By Tanj
All story characters belong to J.K. Rowling, ^_^ just the idea is mine.... though if you want to be TECHNICAL about it, it also belongs to my inspiration... or at least I always thought it should... anyway, heres the beginning of my first attempt at a fanfic! ^_^ read away, and please, review, because constructive criticism is always appreciated!
Mrs. Weasley had never really recovered. It had been nearly a year ago, in Harry's seventh and final year, but the sorrow lines still hadn't faded from her eyes and brow. Harry imagined that he probably didn't look much better, considering. They had died for him, for the cause. Because of him. Ron and Ginny, both gone in one night. Her two youngest children; no wonder Mrs. Weasley couldn't let go. His thought flickered back to that night...
"Harry!" Ron's harsh whisper only just managed to reach Harry where he was crouched behind a broken wall. He turned to look his best friend in the eye. Ron was tiring, Harry could tell. His eyes were going blood-shot, and his shoulders had started to sag; not a lot, but enough that Harry knew the Death Eaters would notice and single him out. "Harry, we can go in opposite directions, and loop around."
Harry shook his head and peeked over the wall. The dusty square that had once been a thriving town, appeared empty. But appearances could be deceiving. Harry took the chance and darted across to his best friends' side.
"No," he whispered to Ron. "No, go back and take care of Hermione, make sure she gets help."
Ron looked torn. Hermione had been caught in the rubbage from a reducto curse, and been injured. They'd gotten her to shelter, a small house that was still intact, but that had been an hour ago. "No, I should stay with you, Dumbledore said--"
"Dumbledore didn't know Hermione would get hurt did he?!"Harry said, strongly, earnestly. "Some one needs to go back for her; we're in a lull in the battle now, go back for her, now, before it's too late. I'd go with you," he clenched his teeth. "But I can't leave, you know I can't, and you know why. Please, Ron, just do this for me."
Ron looked defeated. "I'll go back and check on her, then I'll come back for you."
Harry shut his eyes. It wasn't good enough, but it would have to do. "Fine, but Ron? ..." He looked at his friend. "Never mind. Just go."
Ron stared at Harry for a moment longer. They were both thinking the same thing; would these be their last words together? Neither of them thought it might be the truth-- for opposite sides. Ron nodded once and turned to go.
Harry watched Ron scrambling across the rubble for a moment, before turning back to peek over the wall. Still nothing. Waiting was the hardest part. Snape had passed them intelligence that Voldemort was going to be here; the problem was that so were all of his death eaters. Harry glanced down at the cut in his shoulder. Draco Malfoy was with them to. It looked like they had all left, but the tension was still high, Voldemort hadn't appeared. Where had they all gone?
"HARRY!" some one bellowed behind him. The sound was broke the still that had descended on the desolate square. He whipped around, wand in hand.
It was Ron. Ginny had her wand out and was facing Ron and Draco (now clad in black robes with a mask hanging over one shoulder) who had Ron from behind. Ginny had Ron's wand. Harry blinked, and started to stand.
"Harry, DON'T! Draco's controlling her, it's a trap! STAY HIDDEN!" Trembling, Harry ducked back down, teeth clenched, and eyes wide he stared at them. His best friend, and his best friends' sister, and there was nothing he could do. He had to stay in position, he had orders.
"Yes Potter," Malfoy's voice drifted across to Harry. "Hide, run, look away. Too good to watch, to much of a coward to do anything. How you got into Griffindor I have no idea, I thought their forte was based on bravery...? I guess not if you're any judge--"
"DON'T LISTEN HARRY--!"
"Shut up Weasley. I've wanted to do this for so long-- CRUCIO!"
Ron's yells filled the square. Harry clenched his fists around his wand, but didn't move. I'm sorry, Ron, I'm so sorry, I can't come to you, I CAN'T.
His voice echoed to a stop, leaving silence in it's wake.
"How about this, just to mix it up?" Draco called. "Ginny dear, you hate your brother, don't you?"
"Yes," there wasn't even a pause. "I hate him. He's a Blood traitor, they all are, disgusting mudblood lovers. Never set their sights above above living with pigs, living with their own kind. I can be so much more after I break free of their ignorant ideas."
Harry could tell that every word Ginny said was stabbing Ron like a dagger. "Ginny..." Harry saw his friends lips form the name, but no sound reached his ears.
"Ron, Ron, it's the just the curse talking, just the curse don't listen, don't listen!" Harry whispered, hoping somehow the words would make it to his best friend.
"Crucio." A firm, solid word, from a solid voice. Ginny.
The screams blended with the quiet taunting, and mental abuse. They played on Ron's insecurities, the tiny cuts from his past, and tore them open to bleed freely. It was torturing Harry to watch. Draco wasn't asking Ron questions, he wasn't looking for information. He was simply taking pleasure in giving Ron pain. Harry couldn't stand it. His resistance snapped.
Disregarding everything, he crawled along a wall, darting from house to dead tree to rubble pile, until he was behind Malfoy. He had become so caught up in his game, that Draco didn't even see Harry coming. But Ginny did.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she lifted Ron's wand-- hers was pressed to Ron's ear. Harry dashed sideways. Draco dropped Ron (who sagged to the ground, unable to move) and spun to face Harry. Harry dodged his curse, sending one flying back. Curses and jinxes flew, until finally Draco retreated, screaming regular curses at Harry.
Harry was instantly beside his friend. His eyes were glazed over, and his mouth was ajar. He was still breathing, but it was his body working on instinct; there was nobody there anymore. Harry had been too late.
He punched the ground with all the force left in his body. "MALFOY YOU BASTARD!"
There was a whisper behind him followed simultaneously by green light flying by his shoulder-- he had ducked instinctively. Without thinking, he spun, yelling Inpedimentia!, but there was nobody there anymore. He flung up a shielding-reflecting charm just as green light would have caught him from the side. It reflected back-- to hit Ginny. It seemed to take forever for her to fall. Just before she hit the ground, Harry saw the pain come back into her face, saw Dracos Impervious curse lift. Too late for her as well. Too late. The blood was on his hands.
That had been a year ago. A year ago today. The first curse Ginny had sent had hit Ron when Harry had dodged. They hadn't even been able to bring him to St. Mungos, not that there had ever really been a hope for him. After all, Neville's parents had never recovered.
Harry and Mrs. Weasley stood over their graves. The others would stop by as they could... but now it was Harry and his best friends' mother standing there alone. Harry was still looking at Mrs. Weasley. He remembered, suddenly, how back in fifth year, she had fought the boggart. Ron dead on the ground, Ginny's lifeless body... Harry's own. How it must have hit her, that he, Harry, had come home, but her children hadn't. He would have understood if she had hated him. But she hadn't. She had clung to him, Hermione, and to her remaining children, but especially to Harry. He knew she had thought of him as a son, and now he and Hermione were the youngest.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
She looked up, but couldn't speak, only nodded.
Harry put down the flowers he'd had in his hand, and the walked back to the stand of trees nearby. He dissappearted.
Cough-sputter, TO BE CON'T!!!
~For the sake of being corny ^.~