Ron's POV

We appeared at the foot of what remained of the Grand Staircase. All around us their lay broken statues, destroyed walls, the remains of several staircases that had, in the middle of the battle, been obliterated. The air was thick with dust. The scent of magic lingered in the air, not magic like I had previously known it but a darker, violent magic. The after-thought of death. My hand found Hermione's and together we walked through the ruins of the school, heading towards the Great Hall.

I didn't say anything at first. My mind was still on the telepathic message Voldemort had just sent out where he basically told Harry to hand himself over and no one else would have to die. Of course, Hermione and I had hurried to get out of the Chamber a soon as possible. Harry would want to go turn himself in and we couldn't allow it. We wouldn't allow it.

"He's going to do it, isn't he?" Hermione asked me as we walked. It seemed she was thinking the same thing.

"Yeah." I mumbled, not sure that if I started talking about it that I wouldn't start to cry. It was rare I cried, often preferred to do it alone too. When you grow in a household with five other boys you have to learn to be tough, or at least act it until you were alone. I had to do that now but not to impress others, to show off that I didn't care they teased me or picked on me. No, this time I had to act tough because people needed me to. Hermione needed me to. I squeezed her hand and I felt her squeeze back.

We ran into McGonagall outside of the great hall and it hurt to see what had become of her. Her cloak and under dress was torn, covered in dark patches that shone red in the torch-light. Blood. Dirt smudged across her fragile, pale skin. Her shaky hand came up to brush along the side of her bruised cheek, then to wipe the blood from her lip.

"Professor!" Hermione cried, leaving my side to take hold of McGonagall's hand. She smiled at Hermione but it was clearly forced, she was clearly tired and in pain.

"Miss. Granger! You must take Mr. Weasley to the great hall. I'm afraid-" McGonagall was cut short when one of the nurses cried out and we all spun to see a man dressed in black robes spring to his feet. It looked as if the nurse had been checking to ensure he was dead- he wasn't. Although Voldemort had called off his forces and demanded no more bloodshed until Harry's deadline was up, the man still lifted his wand and pointed the tip at the nurse.

I bolted for the man at the same time Hermione did but neither one of us got there in time. Instead a younger girl with hair the colour of straw appeared in a gust of white smoke and barged the nurse to the ground with her shoulder. The man yelled a spell I didn't catch but the next thing I knew the girl was blasted in the chest with a pulse of harsh red light. The sheer force of his spell sent the girl spinning above our heads and I watched, my stomach tightened, as she bounced off the wall and slumped to the ground.

"Expelliarmus!" Professor McGonagall screeched, the power beyond her voice sent a blast of almost golden energy straight into his chest and he too was sent flying into the corner of the room. I couldn't help but wince at the sound his head made as it slammed against the wall. The crack and the squelch of his blood. He was not getting up.

Hermione spun and threw herself to the ground beside the girl, rolling her over to examine the wound. The professor and I reached her side just as Hermione tore at the girls white shirt to get a closer look. I gasped and my eyes widened when I saw several deep slashes across the girls chest. So deep the wound looked black, but brilliant red blood pulsed from each slice, staining her pale skin, her golden locks and pooling beneath her.

"Please-" The girl coughed on her own blood.

"Sectumsempra." Was Hermione's explanation. She reached for her bag, for something that would help but McGonagall laid a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Miss. Granger. Miss Granger! There is no way-" She chocked on her own words. Hermione shook her head, scowled at the professor and turned back to the girl. The girl had died.

"You must find Mr. Potter. He mustn't go to him." McGonagall said a few moments later. The same nurse that had been saved by the girl sobbed as she cleaned the girls face and then helped to move her to the great hall where they lay a blanket over her. I couldn't help but shed a tear for the girl.

"We're looking for him now." Hermione said. She cried openly, without a care in the world what others thought. I wished I could've done that.

"Before you do...I suggest you find your mother." McGonagall spoke only to me. It made me look at Hermione and back at McGonagall. She...she shed a tear, kissed my cheek then turned to help the others. Hermione frowned at me, the same mutual expression. She grabbed my hand and together we stepped into the great hall.

The battle had come to a pause but the horror hadn't stopped. The great hall had been a transformed into a kind of infirmary: people used old cloaks and torn blankets as makeshift beds with folded jackets acting as dust-coated pillows. In these makeshift beds, dozens of people were laid. Some of them were moaning in pain, clutching to injured limbs and pressing bandages and potion-soaked clothes to their wounds. Others around the room were not so lucky to be in as much pain. They lay in their beds, pale and cold. Their eyes open but unblinking. They felt no pain, yes, but they felt nothing.

I glanced at Hermione who was biting her lip to stop it trembling but tears kept pouring.

"Ron?" It was Ginny's voice. I glanced up to see her at the back of the hall; she was rising to her feet. My family all stood together; Bill and Fleur on the right, embracing one another and crying. My father stood still with his head hanging low, shaking it slightly. He was look down at George on the floor, knelt besides mum. They were looking at―No

No...

Fred?

Fred lay on the ground, a blanket beneath him as if it could provide some kind of comfort to him. It couldn't. He was still. His skin was pale, but it was hard to tell beneath a coat of dirt and dust and ash. His eyes were open but he saw nothing.

Empty. Gone. DEAD.

"No..." The word broke through my lips as I moved forward, leaving Hermione and the world behind. Ginny held my hand but I fell by her and collapsed by my mother, my brother. Fred was cold, so cold already. I grabbed his shirt with both hands, tearing the material but I didn't care. I didn't care and he didn't care and nothing mattered anymore...

My mother tried to smile at me but it was mangled and broken, the hurt in her features broke me down even further. I lay there, resting my forehead on Fred's still chest while my mother ran her fingers through my hair. She didn't say anything, or try to console me. She knew she couldn't. No one could. My brother was dead.

Suddenly I couldn't breathe. It was like my entire body retracted, shrinking. My lungs burned and my eyes stung with tears. My head ached and my fingers shook. My legs were gone beneath me. I was so small yet at the same time, I felt so...open. I felt nothing inside, nothing but pure and agonizing pain. A black depth that consumed me whole. An endless abyss of pain and sorrow. I realized this feeling would never go. It would haunt me from that moment on.

My mind was numb but at the same time, filling with questions.

This can't be real. Is this real? How did this happen? How did I let this happen? Who did this? WHO DID THIS?

I was alive, suffering the consequences of Fred's merciless death. I was alive on the outside but inside? Inside was I was dying a long and painful death.

FanWriter's Note:

Hello Everyone. I apologise profoundly for my lack of updates on this story. I have been working a lot lately and I'm still getting used to my new life. I know this is no excuse, because I also haven't had any inspiration to continue this story. Not because I'm uninterested, but that every time I have sat to write it...I could not. Although after a recent, very much needed HP Marathon, It gave me inspiration to continue and try finishing this story. There aren't too many chapters either so I very much want to finish. Apologises again. I hope you enjoy.

Responding to your reviews:

Heronlove: Thank you. I am sorry I kept you waiting for an update.

ScarletProphecy14: Here is the update, I apologise for the wait.

~FanWriter Asher~