Chapter 25

Harry was standing waiting and watching in the trail leading to the school. As he watched for signs of intruders he heard a sound behind him. He looked behind him pulling his wand at the same time. Ron and Hermione walked out of the shadows towards him.

"what are you doing here? I told you to stay in the tower." Harry said angrily as others started appearing behind Ron.

"We know what you said but if you think that we are going to stand by and watch you get your self killed fighting on your own you are crazy." Hermione said.

"yeah mate your not going to die because you had some argument with my brother." Ron said.

Others started to say similar things and George and Ginny swooped down to argue their point as well. Harry soon gave up his arguing and gave everyone their orders. They all soon was in their positions waiting with Harry. It was almost midnight when the alarm went off signaling intruders. Harry stood alert with his wand at the ready as the first wave of death eaters attacked. The aerial squad led by George struck first with accuracy which surprised even Harry.

Kingsley watched the battle go on amazed at the style and strategic genius. He smiled slightly at how well the D.A worked with the Auror's at every turn. When the second really took the training seriously. He knew that Harry was an excellent fighter but he never thought that the others would be able to fight. But he was happy to see that he was wrong.

They watched in awe as Harry stood center and lead them all as the enemy funneled towards him. Edward tried not to listen to the worried thoughts that surrounded him but it seemed almost an impossible task. To say that he wasn't worried about the whole situation would be far from truth. He was incredibly worried about Harry and the others as he watched the battle rage below them. However in the noisy thoughts that surrounded him made it hard to focus on what was happening. He wished that he could be closer to Harry as he fought so he could here what he was thinking as he sent spell after spell towards his attackers. He marveled at the speed and accuracy of Harry's defensives and of those helping him. Edward nearly gasp as he saw Harry get grazed by a badly aimed spell only to look in awe as Harry stood straighter and hit the death eater with ropes entrapping him completely.

Molly gasp audibly as She watched Harry nearly fall and sighed in relief when he stood firm. She watched proudly as her son's and Husband fought valiantly at Harry's side. She smiled as George and Ginny flew above the death eaters sending spells down expertly. She tried to swallow the fear that threatened to swallow her as she watched it all enfold. For brief moments in time she could see the final battle again for herself. The only difference seemed to be that this time no one was getting to the castle. She nearly screamed at terror as another spell grazed Harry.

Poppy knew she would need to treat Harry yet again. She knew it before the battle began. She was as sure of that as she was of their victory. She kept waiting for injured people to come in and so far only three had been brought up. No need to call Molly from her post watching the rest of her family down below. Three men she could handle. What worried her was how many had they not brought up to her. She glanced down at the three nameless Auror's who laid before her in her hospital saying a small prayer of thanks that it wasn't any of the kids that were out there.

They were resting quietly so she took a chance to look out the window. Poppy was a strong woman who rarely showed emotion but as the battle raged on she found a few tears falling down her weathered cheeks. Not bothering to wipe them she turned back to her patients. The one closest to her blinked his eyes open and moved a bit calling her attention. Slowly she moved towards him. She quickly checked him over and smiled slightly.

"your going to be just fine. Just got yourself knocked out is all. But you are going to stay here and rest for the night." the healer said reassuringly.

"But I gotta go back. They need me." the man said trying to sit up.

"Now you just lay back there. You are in no condition to go anywhere. You'll be fine but in order for it to remain that way you need to rest. Everyone out there is doing fine."

"Harry's leading them real good. He shouts out orders and sends spells at the same time. I've known auror's who couldn't manage that. He's a fighter that one. And I pity anyone who stands against him. I saw him get grazed by a blasting curse and you could see that it hurt but he still fought on." the man said laying back on his pillow.

"Sounds like our Harry. Thank you for the information I needed to know so I can get things ready to treat him." she said sighing tiredly. She thought briefly about going to Molly and letting her know but decided not to tell her quite yet. Why add to her worries now. She was worried enough for both of them.

Alice grumpily watched the battle thinking about how she wished just once her family would leave her alone. Usually she enjoyed the attention but today it was suffocating. She was tired of them all asking if she had seen anything. Since the battle had started two hours ago she had only saw Malfoy decide to stop sending death eaters into the battle. But her family kept asking is she saw anything every five minutes. She growled as she heard the footsteps draw closer to her.

"I told you all I haven't seen anything will you all just leave me alone!" she said angrily.

"Hey It's just me. You know Edward your brother type figure. The one who can hear your thoughts. I know you haven't. I just came over to see if you were ok. You sounded a little irritated." Edward said.

"Good because I am a bit irritated. Usually I don't mind everyone asking me if I have seen something but for some reason tonight it just bugs me." she said.

"It's okay everyone is just on edge tonight. We are just worried. And some of us mainly the brute force in our group is impatient for it to end."

"If by brute force you mean Emmett isn't he always a little impatient?"

"I guess he is." Edward said giggling a little.

"Hey I heard that" a voice from some ways away said. They turned to see Emmett scowling at them and more.

Minerva had just walked back in the tower from patrolling the hallways for the fourth time. She silently took her place between Molly and Kingsley. She could tell that everyone was getting tired but she could even from so far up could sense the resolve of her school's defenders. She could see Harry's form in the middle still standing tall trying to capture not maim as many death eaters as he could. She could see a few slipping out past the gates. She knew that it wouldn't be much longer before the end. She slowly turned to Molly.

"Molly the great hall has been transformed into a triage of sorts why don't you and a few of the teachers head on down. It won't be long now." she said. Molly nodded and headed quietly down the stairs a few teachers took notice and followed.

Minerva stepped closer to Kingsley and sighed. He turned to her and smiled sadly.

"Looks like we are going to win this one. With very little loss of life." Kingsley said.

"Yeah but I doubt it will feel like a victory to Harry. He didn't capture them all."

"No but they have captured almost have that has came in. That is an accomplishment in itself." Kingsley said. "But your right Harry won't see it as a total victory."

Harry was getting tired and the pain that radiated through his left side throbbed menacingly. He watched as the last death eater looked desperately around him as they surrounded him. He watched helplessly as the death eater looked up and with an evil grin shot the killing curse straight at Ginny. Harry didn't see whether he missed her or not. Blinded by pure rage he shot a powerful blasting curse towards the man. He had just enough time to see the man fall to the ground writhing in agony before darkness over took him.

Ron caught his best friend as he passed out and hurriedly but carefully laid him down. He rushed around shouting orders on how to gather up the captured death eaters including the injured on in the middle of the circle. Every one quickly went to work. Ron quickly after making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to hurried back to the still unconscious Harry. With out thinking he lifted Harry and started walking as fast as he could towards the castle he couldn't tell whether Harry was alive or dead but he knew that he had to have help soon.

Hermione was giving the rest the last few instructions as she watched Ron carry Harry towards the school. She sighed heavily with the fear.

"Everyone meet up in the room of requirement when you are finished we need to do a roll call to make sure we are all here. George go ahead to the great hall and warn them that Ron is bringing Harry in." she yelled before turning her wand on a tied up prisoner and leading them towards the castle and the awaiting transporting team.

George flew as fast as he could towards the school passing his labored brother on his way. He could see Harry's still form in his brothers arms and fear shot thru him like a bullet. He tried to force his broom to go faster but he had already hit maximum speed. It felt like he was moving in slow motion as he neared the castle doors. He landed swiftly and threw the doors open. He ran to the great hall praying that some one would be there.

As he entered the great hall he saw his mother working with a professor on a few extra cots. He slid to a stop in front of his mother. His look of shear panic caused her to stop short.

"Mum, Ron's bringing Harry in. He's unconscious I think. I couldn't tell when I passed them. Most of the ground forces have cuts and bruises but nothing that can't be taken care of after roll call in the room of requirement. But Harry can't wait Mum."

Molly hurried along to where the healer stood consulting with the potions professor and told her what was happening. Molly turned just in time to see Ron enter with Harry. Ron looked helplessly at his mum who quickly showed him to a bed.

"Mum I'll be back I have to go to roll call. I'll be back as soon as I can." Ron reassured his mother and quickly left. The healer quickly ran over to the bed and began checking Harry out. A pale Molly walked slowly away as if in a haze. She knew it would be bad but she never expected Ron to carry him in or for George to warn them. She busied herself getting ready for the barrage of cuts and bruises they would be getting after the roll call.

Kingsley entered the room of requirement just as the roll call was near the end. He was amazed by how many of them were packed into the room. He had expected the hospital wing to be completely full. People were sitting there smiling widely as he passed them. But one person was noticeable missing. Harry wasn't there worry tugged at Kingsley as he neared Arthur Weasely who was looking near panic stricken. Hermione who was reading off the names had the same wild look on her face.

"Ginny Weasely" Hermione called out in a strained voice. "Has anyone seen Ginny?"

"Not since that last guy sent that killing curse at her." a random voice in the back of the room said.

"Did you see it hit her?" Arthur asked in a shaky voice.

"No but I did see her broom go out of control and I didn't see where she fell." Another voice called out.

Kingsley rushed to catch Arthur who's knees gave out from him Bill conjured up a chair for his father and rushed to his side. The others followed as Kingsley started barking out orders for a search party.

"Any one who is not in immediate need of medical attention gather in front of the school in fifteen minutes to begin our search." Kingsley said loudly.

Then in a much quieter voice he said "Arthur you and the boys can stay here with Molly if you need to. I understand how hard it is. Would some one like to go get Molly?"

Fleur nodded and slipped out the door. She quietly ran through the halls to the staircase to make her way down. She fought the tears that threatened to fall as she neared the great hall. Several people looked at her as she found Molly.

"Fleur where is everyone at? We were told that a lot of you had cuts and bruises." Molly asked in a strangled voice.

"Vey vill be here much later. Arthur and the boys are waiting for us in the room of requirement." Something in her voice made Molly swallow any retort she might have had.

Molly quietly followed the younger girl up the stairs. As she entered the room of requirements she notice that her family was gathered but Ginny wasn't there.

"Where's Ginny?" she asked in a voice that barely sounded like her own.

"Molly sit down please." Arthur pleaded with her.

"No where is my daughter?"

"Molly we don't know. She's missing. We are going out and go find her."

"How did this happen?"

Everyone looked at each other as Arthur spoke. "a death eater shot a killing curse towards her but we don't know if it hit her or if it missed. Some one said all they saw was her go out of control on her broom."

Molly sat there stunned for several moments before she jumped up and screamed. "WHAT ARE WE DOING JUST SITTING HERE? WE HAVE TO GO FIND HER."

"Mum we are going right now but you need to prepare yourself, we may not find…." Percy started but was interrupted by His mum.

"Don't she isn't dead. Don't tell me she is dead. She's not." Molly said angrily wiping her tears away.

"Molly I need you to do something." Arthur said calmer than he felt. " I need you to stay here with Harry and watch over him for Ginny. She would want some one there with him until she can be. Besides if someone finds her that is not us some one from the family should be here waiting. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can for my daughter. But you all hurry up back with her. Harry is going to want to see her as soon as he wakes up" Molly said rushing out of the room.

Poppy had been working on Harry for about a half hour when a pale Molly returned. She looked up at the obviously distraught woman and said kindly "Molly I'm going to be a while why don't you see if you can help Minerva." Molly nodded and walked over to Minerva.

Minerva looked up from where she was working on organization as Molly walked towards her. She gasped at her pale troubled face.

"Molly what is wrong?"

"Ginny's missing some one saw a killing curse fly towards her and then she flew out of control but no one seems to know whether it hit her or not." Molly said shakily.

"Well lets just keep working here until they find her. Besides we have to watch over Harry for her don't we?" She said showing Molly what she was doing. Putting her to work seemed the best way of keeping the mother from panicking.

The Cullen family slowly carried the portraits down to the great hall. They all seemed to want to watch everything. Edward with one portrait in one hand and Bella's hand in the other stopped short as dozen's of people passed them. He gasp as he heard a passing thought. He turned to Carlisle.

"Ginny is missing. They are organizing a search party now." He said quietly.

"then we should hurry and join them." Carlisle said.

They hurried down the rest of the stairs and into the great hall. They set up the portraits and wordlessly left to join the search. Out side the school they met the search party going over last minute instructions. Arthur looked up and saw Carlisle standing in the back with his family and nodded at them. As the meeting ended he made his way back to them.

"Thanks for coming out to help. We are splitting up and searching the grounds. Carlisle why don't you and Esme come with me and Kingsley. Edward and Bella can go with Ron and Hermione. Jasper and Alice can go with Bill and Fleur. Emmett and Rosalie can go with Charlie and George. We are all meeting in the Great Hall in two hours whether we find her or not. If we don't we will decide what to do next at that time." Arthur said.

They all took off quickly in their groups going in every direction possible. Molly watched them go off out the window of the great hall. Her heart ached as she thought about her precious daughter out there some where alone and hurt. She swallowed her sobs back as she went back to work healing some of the more injured of the fighters. She had to keep herself busy.

Sirius and Remus watched on as Poppy worked on Harry healing his broken bones and scratches. They thought hard about everything they had been told about the past few months and realized that this is the very thing that Harry was so scared of. With Ginny missing they knew Harry would be absolutely crazy when he finally woke up.

Poppy couldn't understand it. Harry should be waking up. But he wasn't. It was as if he was dying but none of his injuries were bad enough to kill him. She secretly wandered if it was the connection between Ginny and Him that was causing this. She grabbed a few potions from the table and began spelling them into Harry's stomach.

As the time went by Molly found herself sitting next to the bedside of the young man she always thought of as her own. Her thumb traced over his knuckles as she held his hand. She watched him sleep glad to see he was at least resting peacefully. She sighed softly and looked up at the ceiling. It was a cloudy scene in the enchanted ceiling which matched her mood perfectly. She looked back at Harry as she felt him stir slightly.

Harry could feel someone holding his hand. The silence that filled the empty spaces of the room he was in was almost deafening. He struggled to move his arm just a little bit. He slowly blinked his eyes open to find Molly staring down at him. He could tell there was something wrong just by looking at her.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked with a weak voice.

"Harry I need you to stay calm. How much do you remember about what happened at the end of the battle?" she said kindly handing him his glasses.

"Not much. I remember some one sending a curse at Ginny and losing my temper but I don't remember what happened after that." Harry replied shakily.

"Harry I don't know how to tell you this but Ginny is missing. Everyone is out looking for her but so far she hasn't been found." Molly said with a tear falling.

Harry said nothing as his brain tried to clear itself enough to think. He struggled to sit up fighting against that gentle hands that held him down. He had to go find her if it was the last thing he ever did. Finally he managed to sit up and with a grunt of pain swung his legs to the floor. He could vaguely hear Molly begging him to lay back down and let Arthur and the others find her. Soon he heard others join her in begging him back to bed. But he couldn't. It hurt to stand and walk but doing nothing would hurt a lot more.

Molly, Minerva and Poppy watched helplessly as the door of the great hall closed behind Harry. They knew nothing would stop him. They could only hope that he knew what he was doing. Molly looked back at the empty bed and froze in shock. There sitting on the bedside table was Harry's wand. She had never saw him go anywhere with out it on hand. She fought the panic as she captured the others attention.

The search had gone on for two hours as the Weasely family and friends gathered in the great hall. As they entered they noticed the nearly panicked Molly sitting by the empty bed grasping the wand to her.

"Molly" Arthur said calmly.

"He left Arthur. Harry left. Went off to go find Ginny. He's in so much pain but he went anyway, He doesn't have his wand." She said in a distant scared voice.

Ron and Hermione followed by George ran out of the Great Hall and out of the school. While everyone stood shocked Edward pulled Carlisle aside and in quiet whispered discussed something. Carlisle walked over to where Andromeda stood with Narcissa.

"Could you take me to Forks? I want to get some help." he asked quietly.

Andromeda said nothing but led him out of the room. She took him up the stairs to the headmistress' office and together they floo'd to Forks. He quickly went to the phone in Harry's house and dialed Jacob Blacks phone number. After a few minutes he hung up and began to pace. Andromeda watched nervously afraid to ask. They were both startled by a knock on the door. Edward answered it quickly and escorted Jacob and Sam into the kitchen where Andromeda sat waiting.

"What's up? It sounded serious over the phone." Sam said. Edward explained about the battle and about the after math.

"Well I don't know what we could do." Jacob said.

"you all have higher senses than I do. Maybe you could use that higher sense to find them."

"What do you take us for a bunch of bloodhounds?" Sam said slightly angry.

"Look I wouldn't ask but we are desperate. We have exhausted ourselves with this search."Edward said honestly.

"Ok We will come and try but we can't promise anything." Sam said sounding slightly less angry than before.

Andromeda helped floo them to the school. With in minutes they were in the Great Hall being filled in on everything. It was with a heavy heart and a hopeful mind that they started there search.