-Chapter Twenty-five-

Search for Survivors

A dark corridor stood in front of Harry. It was familiar. He had seen it in his dreams. A loud hum echoed through the corridor. Harry spun around. Where was it coming from?

It was coming from a door. Harry walked towards it. What was that hum? He held out his hand at the doorknob. There wasn't one. Harry realised where he was the Department of Mysteries. The door suddenly, swung open and a bright light hit Harry.

Harry eyes flicked open. They were weak, his glasses pressed against his head. He lifted himself up fixing his glasses. He lifted his arm, a searing pain shot through his ribs. Harry held his side limping towards the tree trunk in front of him collapsing down on the floor.

Harry took his robes off ripping them until they were just a thin streak of fabric. He lifted up his shirt taking a twig from the ground and biting down on it as he wrapped the bits of robes around his waist. Sweat dripped down his face and he pressed down hard on the stick to stop the pain.

Harry looked over at the castle in ruins. Smoke sizzled into sky from the ruins dissipating as reached the bleak and turbulent clouds. Harry could see what once was white, snowy landscape to find a large battlefield filled with craters in a sea of smoke. Shapes moved through the smoke. Some where still alive. But, which ones?

How had Harry survived? He had been hit directly and all he had was a broken rib. Where was Charlie? Harry looked around he couldn't find Charlie anywhere. Harry closed his eyes, but the searing pain was clouding his attempts at Legilmency.

Harry felt around for his wand. Where was it? He needed it if he ever was going to find Charlie. Harry held out his hand attempting wandless magic. He had only used it once it worked then, but, last time he didn't have an excruciating pain distracting him. But, he had to try. "Accio Wand!" Harry shouted through the pain, which was more of a grumble than a shout, but it worked none the less, because within a second of waiting a small thin black stick flew towards Harry. Harry caught it in his hand groaning as he strained a little feeling as if a knife had twisted in his side.

A moment of rest that was all he needed. He lent there for a minute breathing slowly. He pointed his wand at the floor flicking it to find a smooth maple cane inflating in front of him. He reminded himself to thank McGonagall for teaching him no matter how trivial he thought it was; it served its purpose.

He rested on it letting all his weight lean against the cane. He hobbled towards the bank looking out into the distant. Harry thought of Charlie. Crack, Harry stood still. He was still where he was Charlie being nowhere to be found. Harry tired again and again still looking around to find the same large trees and muddy ground before him. Strange how Voldemort was able to Apparate out of the grounds? Harry thought. Why couldn't he?

Harry needed to find Charlie fast. What if he was dead? How could he face Ron or Mrs Weasley again? Or Ginny?

"FAWKES!" Harry grumbled still feeling the pain stinging at his side. A flame engulfed in front of Harry not burning his face as he thought it might more cool and peaceful as if it wasn't a flame at all. Fawkes appeared in front of Harry perching down on the ground. The obedient soldier. "Find Charlie and bring him to the others. Hurry. He been hurt," Harry said, closing his eyes a second flame burst in front of him.

Harry looked over at the battlefield; he hobbled towards it fearing the worse. He tired not to rush himself in case of increasing the injury severely.

He reached the battlefield to find a sea of crudely made headstones stood across the grounds all made of bits of debris from the trees that lay pulled from the roots. Harry looked around hoping.

Aurors lifted bodies from the ground straightening them from their sprawled bloodied position some gave a moment of grief bowing their heads as thy said goodbye to colleagues, family members or friends.

Harry bowed his head. So this was war? Harry thought, I can't do this anymore? I can't keep watching people I know or don't know die because he keeps living.

Harry walked through the smoke manoeuvring through the craters that burnt deep into the earth, sizzling, as bodies lay sprawled across them. A perfect resting-place. To die with no one there for you. Their last thoughts probably for their families. For their friends. They didn't deserve this.

How can I defeat a man who can cause this much chaos? This much destruction? This much pain? Harry thought. I can't. It's impossible.

Harry turned and walked to the bank wondering if Charlie was a live. Was Moody? Tonks? What about Bill?

An what of Lupin? Ron and Hermione? And Fleur? Would either Bill or Fleur have to come to realisation that person they were spending the rest of their lives with was dead.

Harry sat at the bank looking out on the peaceful lake that seemed almost strange considering the events of that day. It had been a strange Christmas.

A palm rested on Harry shoulder. A familiar light, thin hand that was soothing in away. If it was even her real hand. "First time is always difficult," Tonks said solemnly reminding Harry of the way she was last year. "But, you just have to carry on."

"Even if its your fault," Harry said blankly.

"This isn't your fault, Harry," Tonks snapped. "You couldn't have stopped this. This is war."

Harry chuckled. "That's what I was thinking before."

"Then, you must be psychic," Tonks joked. "Come on."

Harry stood up. Tonks looked at him smiling.

"Going for the Scrimogeur look now?" she joked.

"No," Harry snapped defensively, "I'll have Fawkes heal me when he finds Charlie."

"Did you get hit by one of those spells by any chance," Tonks breathed looking at Harry's wound.

"Yeah, it hit me when I knocked Charlie away," Harry said confused, "why?"

"Because no one that got hit has survived," Tonks said with note of terror in her face. Harry looked at her shocked. "You must have done quite a strong shield charm?" Tonks said impressed.

"Yeah, must have," Harry said blankly. But, he hadn't. How could survive that spell that no one could survive from? He had done it once, but, that was different he had protection. He didn't have that anymore not since that night.

Harry walked with Tonks to find Moody banging down on a plank of wood making a grave. "That's the seventh one of our men now," Moody grunted. "I swear, this is going to get worse. We loosing so many men already."

"Where's Bill?" Harry asked hobbling over to the grave hoping it wasn't Bill inside.

"He's gone with the Aurors to check the rubble. We don't know how many people are inside when You-Know-Who attacked," Moody grunted. "He killed a lot of his own men though. We've got hundreds near the gates the ones that didn't get out in time."

"How did he disapparate out of the grounds?" Harry asked.

"Because he wasn't on the ground," Bill said coming over with a woman hunched over his shoulder. He lay her down on the floor closing her stunned eyes.

"He was over the Anti-Apparation Barrier Harry," Tonks said, "must have used a levitation charm on himself to keep himself up there."

"Where's Charlie?" Bill demanded almost at once.

"I don't know," Harry said bowing his head. "We got separated when I lost consciousness. I've sent Fawkes to find him."

Bill didn't say a thing. He just stood there. Bottling his worry into a disgruntled face that made him look as if the sun was in his eyes, that reminded Harry of Ron. A feeling of hope filled Harry as he thought of Ron and Hermione.

A blast of fire appeared above them and Fawkes descended with Charlie gripped in his long talons. He landed placing Charlie down. "Charlie?" Bill yelped grabbing hold of Charlie and checking his pulse. Harry could feel Fawkes' warm tears dripping on his ribs. A cool sensation filling them

Moody took out his wand and scanned it over Charlie. "He's got internal bleeding we need to get him to a hospital. Harry have Fawkes take him and report to the Order at Hogwarts," Moody ordered.

Harry nodded grabbing hold of Charlie and grabbing Fawkes' leg. He became engulfed in a red flame disappearing from view a cool flame surrounding him. He liked it. The search was over. But, what of Ron and Hermione?