Chapter 10 – Hermione's worst nightmare
Hermione and Ron raced down the rubble strewn corridors in a bid to find Harry and their friends, dodging spells and curses as they went. Students dressed in pyjamas or school uniforms were dueling with death eaters twice their age but putting up a bloody good fight.

"We need to find Harry and tell him it's just the snake we need to find now." Ron stated.
"You don't think he's gave himself in do you?" Hermione asked.

Just as Ron was about to reply, two red heads came into view as Percy and Fred were dueling two hooded death eaters. Hermione and Ron raced over to them to give them a helping hand, shooting spells at the death eaters. Fred spotted Hermine, rushing to her side in a bid to protect her from them but Hermione was quite capable of holding her own. As soon as she saw Fred, guilt hit her worse than being hit with the cruiciatus curse repeatedly over her heat of the moment kiss with Ron. Now, however was not the time to worry about some silly kiss. One of the hoods then fell from one of the death eater's faces to reveal Percy's boss Thicknesse.

"Hello Minister!" Percy spat, anger filling up inside him.
Thicknesse seemed shocked at Percy's attitude.
"Did I mention, that as of now, I'm resigning from my post at the Ministry?" Percy questioned.
"You're joking, Perce!" Shouted Fred, shooting another spell towards the other death eater he was dueling.

The death eater went flying into the air then plumtited to the ground with a merciful thud. Fred shot another spell at the death eater just to be on safe side. Percy shot a curse at his now ex boss which stunned him instantly. Fred stood in his tracks, looking shocked at Percy. He had never seen Percy act like this before, ever!

"You are actuallty joking Perce? I don't think I've heard you joke since..."

There was a massive bang and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Ron went flying through the air as the wall that they had been standing near had been blown into pieces by another death eater who had been lurking near by. Hermione too had been flown into the air, landing feet away from Ron. Both of them came around quickly and got to their feet to see what had happened, checking to see if each other were alright.

They found a massive pile of rubble from the wall that had been blown apart, but it wasn't just a wall, it looked like the whole side of the castle had been blown away. A trickle of blood ran down the side of Hermione's face and an ache appeared in her leg. She followed Ron over to see where Fred and Percy was, limping then a high pitched scream filled their ears. The type of agonising scream that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, the type of scream you didn't want to hear as you knew it meant something bad had happened. A lump formed in Hermione's throat and fear filled every inch of her body.

"NO! NO! NO!" Percy was screaming, leaning over someone's limp body.

Hermione mustered all the energy she could find to rush to Percy's side where the sight that met her, made her collapse to the ground, letting out her own agonising scream.

"HERMIONE!" Ron called before realising who Percy was standing over.
"Fred please don't be dead!" Percy cried.

Ron jumped to his feet and over to his older brother who was shaking Fred's limp body, pleading with him to wake.

"Is...is...dead?" Ron stuttered, taking in the appearance of his pale, dust covered brother.
"I...I...think so...I can't...I can't find...a...pulse." Percy wailed, pressing two fingers to the side of Fred's neck.
"We need to do something...something fast...a spell or something..." Ron begged, not giving up hope. "Hermione...please."

Hermione attempted to get up onto her feet, but staggered, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to see him, she didn't want to believe that Fred, her Fred, could be dead, gone forever, leaving her behind. Percy was still shaking Fred, begging him to wake while Ron helped Hermione to her feet. Hermione felt like her world was crumbling down around her like the school she once called 'home'.

"Please do something Hermione!" Ron begged.

Hermione took one look at Fred and dissolved into tears again while Ron tried to consol her, putting her before himself. Percy began muttering incantations under his breath, waving his wand over Fred's body in a bid to revive his brother but it didn't seem to be working.

"He can't be gone, he can't be gone!" Hermione sobbed in Ron's arms.

She pulled herself together then pushed Ron and Percy out of the way, falling down beside Fred who had his trademark smile etched on his face. Hermione grabbed Fred's dust covered jacket, burrying her head in his chest while she sobbed.

"Fred please...please...please...don't be dead...I...I...need you!" She pleaded, soaking Fred's jacket with her tears.

Ron and Percy's hearts, already shattered at the loss of their brother, shattered even more when they watched Hermione. Neither of them had ever seen her act like this before. To them Hermione had always been so strong. She moved from his chest and kissed his neck where his pulse should have been beating but it was still, just like Fred's body.

"Please Fred!" She begged again. "Please come back. I need you! We all need you Fred!"
"George!" Percy cried. "This will kill him!"

This caused Hermione to sob even harder.

"George needs you too but I need you Fred."
"He's gone Hermione!" Percy cried, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"NO HE'S NOT! HE'LL COME BACK!" Hermione sobbed, pusing Percy away.
"Look Hermione, we need to move him from here and take his body to safety!" Percy said after calming himself down.

Just as Percy had said this Lupin, Sirius and George appeared.

"What's wrong?" Lupin asked.
"What's happened?" Sirius questioned.
"Who's...who's that?" George asked.

Hermione jumped to her feet and ran straight to George, hugging him as tightly as she could as she sobbed harder than ever before.

"NO! NO! NO! It can't be! Please no!" George gasped.
"Fred's...Fred's...gone." Hermione sobbed.

George overcome with shock and grief at the loss of his best friend, collapsed to his knees, Hermione falling too, letting out a high pitched agonising cry.

"NOOOOO!" He cried, felling like his world had collapsed around him, like part of him had died.
"We need to move Fred to somewhere safe." Lupin spoke through the shock.

Both men managed to keep calm despite the fact that inside both were crumbling at the thought of Fred Weasley being dead but they had to stay strong for the Weasley kids and Hermione. Lupin and Sirius tried to cast some spells on Fred but nothing worked. Sirius then conjured a stretcher with his wand while Lupin levitated Fred's body onto it.

The two of them then took Fred to the Great Hall where all the injured were gathered, being attended too by Madame Pompfrey and her hosptial workers and some healers from St Mongos. There was no sign of any of the other Weasley family members or Harry. A healer was straight over to Lupin, Sirius and Fred.

"We...we think he's dead but please do what you can!" Lupin pleaded with the healer.
"I'll do what I can." She answered.

George and Hermione were frozen to the spot at the entrance to the Great hall, in each other's arms sobbing. Both of them too scared to enter the Great Hall or to be with Fred even though they knew he needed both of them.

Im sorry. Please don't reading this story because of what I done. I might have a bit of a surprise for you all in later chapters.