Hi, so here is another chapter and we are now only two more chapters away from this story. This one breaks a little with point of view but I have grown quite fond of my little first year ducklings and so I wanted to give them a bit of a chance to shine.

Disclaimer-Nothing here is mine,

And especially I hope you like a specific scene that I know a lot of you wanted to see-I certainly enjoyed writing it.

Again this is a long one so please read and review if you've got time and let me know what you think.

Beat Your Heart Out

Chapter 25-Everything We Did Was For Nothing.

The storm before the calm, the battle for Hogwarts part two. The battle continues as a new day is born. Harry makes a sacrifice, Ginny avoids death by the skin of her teeth, the first years make themselves useful and Molly Weasley utters her most infamous line. And Ron learns something rather…surprising. Some changing Point of View (briefly).

Ginny somehow had forced herself to stand and stagger into the grounds despite the fact that every bone in her body was aching against such a decision.

She did not know what she was doing, but she knew that she had to do something.

After all, there were a lot of bodies out there in the grounds scattered somewhere amongst the darkness some of them injured, some of them dying and some of them dead. She took a deep breath and bent over the body of someone on the ground their face half burnt. Death Eater. She moved on.

She carried on like that for a short period of time watching and seeing the dead. Amongst them was Eloise Midgen, Fay Dunbar, Sally Ann Perks, Lily Moon, Callum McDonald whose sister Morag had been in Harry's year who was a year younger than Ginny, a Ravenclaw she knew from her relationship with Michael was called Arthur Thorne. More Death Eaters scattered amongst the dead, the owner of Zonko's, the owner of Madam Puddyfoots…and then she heard someone whimpering.

It was a girl a year below Ginny who she knew by name being a Gryffindor. Her name was Emma Morgan. Her blonde hair was staining the ground red, her stomach had been slashed with Sectumspempra. Ginny didn't know much about healing but she knew enough to know that she was too late to do anything here.

"Hey Emma" she said. Emma cracked on eye open and Ginny sat down pulling the girl into a sitting position so that when she died she wasn't lying on a cold, hard, wet patch of mud.

"Ginny…I think I got Theo Nott's dad" she hiccupped blood spattering at the corner of her mouth. Ginny blotted it away feeling tears come to her eyes. She looked up to see the man crumpled a way away breathing heavily. Half his hand was red and shiny and burnt and his legs were twitching. Ginny grinned.

"Yeah it looks like you did" she said. "You did good Emma"

"I didn't want to come back but Colin asked me to" Emma said finally. "He, Jimmy, Jack, Demelza, Ritchie, they all came back too and I couldn't say know but I want to go home Ginny, I want my Mum"

Ginny closed her eyes against the wave of tears. The reality was that Emma was not going to see her mother in this life.

"I know" she said finally. "It's alright, I promise you, I'm gonna stay right with you until she arrives ok?"

Emma nodded though her face was whiter and the blood that was steadily leaking out of her had slowed as if there was nothing left to come out and that told Ginny in a way that she had never known before that the end was near.

She had never seen anyone die, not really. Sirius had gone through the veil and she had been slowly waking in another room at the time. Cedric had already been dead when he had come back to Hogwarts, Mad-Eye had never been given the dignity of a funeral so there had been no body and while she had seen Dumbledore all she had really seen was something crumpled in Hagrid's arms. Even when she had come for Harry that night she had not looked at the body, she had instead focused on the man that she loved and getting him out of the crowd that had gathered and back to the Hospital Wing where everyone had been waiting.

She had never held someone in their arms as they died and Ginny hugged Emma a bit closer as the girl once again asked for her Mother.

She thought she heard someone behind her walking and she turned to look scrambling for her wand as it slid through her dirt encrusted hands. But there was nobody behind her. Still she looked as if she could see beyond trees and wind and the oppressive night sky, as if she could see someone there watching under his invisibility cloak.

Finally after what felt like an age but was really five minutes she turned away and looked at Emma, her eyes were closed, her breathing fluttering and Ginny knew that for this silly little fifteen year old girl life was over before it had even begun.

"It's ok Emma" she said into the dirt and blood encrusted hair rocking her back and forth a little as she had seen her mother do many times when they were little and had nightmares that sent them running to their parents rooms for comfort. "You can go now, You've been so brave, but you can go…you can go, and I'll tell your Mum for you how brave you were"

Emma gave one little shallow breath and then her hand dropped into the mud and her head rolled backwards and Ginny knew she was dead.

She placed her back on the ground and stared wondering how she was going to find it in her to tell a mother that her baby was dead and that she had died not in the comfort of her own bed after a long life but in the arms of a girl she barely knew, bleeding out and crying for her mum as everyone around her was helpless.

There were footsteps behind her and she whirled around again but it was McGonagall. Her hair was half down from it's tight bun and her robes were ripped and she looked older than Ginny had ever seen her. It was odd really; she had never considered Minerva McGonagall as old. She had been as Dumbledore had always seemed to be, indestructible, inflexible, solid and dependable. Now she looked a decade older and Ginny felt the same somehow.

"I couldn't do anything" she said finally. "I tried but I don't know the spells and she had lost so much blood already"

"I know Ginny" McGonagall said bending down and waving her wand so that Emma's robes which had ripped when she had been blasted by the curse were repaired therefore covering her up. Her voice was oddly gentle. "I know, but we must go inside, soon enough the battle will be starting and we do not want to be found out here"

She waved her wand and Emma rose her blonde hair flying out from under her and began a slow pace to the castle. Ginny followed as her knee screamed in protest.

"We do not have favourites you know" McGonagall said suddenly. "As teachers you know, or I do not at any rate, it wouldn't be proper. But…" and here her voice trembled a little in a way that Ginny had never heard it before. "But I was very fond of Fred. Very fond."

Ginny felt another wave of pain grip her as she thought of her brother. "Thank you." she said simply. "I know you were very fond of Lupin too—"

"He is with his friends now" McGonagall said simply. "He…well I don't think he ever recovered from James and Lily. And then just as he got Sirius back he lost him. But he got some happiness in the end, not as much as he deserved but some"

"You believe that?"

"Yes. And Fred no doubt is with them, probably being initiated into the Marauder's gang. No doubt wherever they are they are causing chaos already"

Ginny laughed, it was strange to do that as she had thought that she would never do that again. What was wrong with her? She watched as McGonagall placed Emma down on a stretcher and the sheet rose to cover her. Already there were bodies scattered across the hall and students were beginning to move them in preparation for the coming battle.

"I think Fred would like that" she said simply.

"Hmm…Weasley am I right in thinking—" Ginny noticed the return of her surname and couldn't stop herself from grinning again. Why oh why was that?

"That those first years were taught by you how to do Patronus's?"

"Oh yeah. I guess so…"

McGonagall looked at her considering something clearly.

"You might want to think about teaching Weasley. You've got a knack for it"

She moved to sweep past Ginny into the Great Hall when Ginny got her voice back.

"Wait your not mad at them for coming back?"

McGonagall turned. "Oh am I furious" she said smiling a smile that Ginny knew from experience promised a thousand and one detentions. "But I learnt from teaching all the Potters, all the Weasley's, Miss Granger, Mr Black, Lupin, Pettigrew and many other's over the course of my long career that if I show my anger I may as well dig my own grave. Besides…somehow I think whatever I do to them will be nothing when their own parents get their hands on them"

And with that she swept off.

Ginny smiled despite everything and followed limping slightly. Minerva McGonagall was a legend in her own right and to quote a muggle saying used once by Dean Thomas, when shit hit the fan Ginny pitted the poor Death Eater that ended up duelling her.

She turned to see her family sat in one corner of the hall. They had moved Fred's body which was good because Ginny didn't want to look at him. Her heart was breaking as she thought about who she had lost, who James had lost but she didn't want to think of his body, see the look on his face. She wanted to close her eyes at night and remember her brother as he had lived and laughed and loved.

She wanted to remember him that way not just for herself but for her son.

Ron had his head on her Hermione's shoulder her hand on her knee rubbing it softly. Her mother and father were in an embrace so tight Ginny couldn't look at them without feeling her own desire for Harry, for her baby bring her to tears again. Percy was sat next to Ron and Bill and Fleur were together, Fleur it appeared had cut herself on the cheek and thought the wound was barely a scratch Bill was fussing over it his hands shaking. Fleur said nothing but was watching him her blue eyes wide with concern. George was not there and Ginny wondered if he had gone to where Fred's body was. Angelina was not their either and she hoped that she had gone with George so that he was not alone as the reality that he had lost his other half had begun to sink in.

"Who the fuck is James?"

That was Ron. Ginny turned to him her eyes wide. His tone was not what you would call polite. She was aware that Percy too was watching her.

"What's it to you?" she asked playing for time.

"Harry is my best mate, as much as a brother as all of the people that I sat around a dinner table with, and he loves you. I know that you were really cut up when he ended it and but he's been cut up over you too, I just…didn't expect you to throw yourself at the first bloke who offered"

Ginny stared at him. There were a million and one reasons not to tell him, after all they could still loose but emotionally tonight she had been raked over the coals. She had gained a brother thought lost and lost a brother she had thought gained, she had seen Harry and then lost sight of Harry, she had fought her way through more dangers than she had ever imagined. She had been responsible for four incredibly brave and amazingly stupid kids, she had held a girl as she had died in her arms. And throughout this year she had battled loss and pain, morning sickness (which deserved it's own mention) fear, living with Muriel and then childbirth (which again deserved it's own mention) and she was just not in the fucking mood right now!

So she said the truth.

"James is my son you stupid twat"

Admittedly she might have added some embellishments. She had grown up with six brothers after all. She'd had a vocabulary that would have made even the most hardened witch or wizard blush at the age of ten.

Ron fell of the bench he was sitting on.

Hermione scrambled down to help him back to his feet. Ginny turned to see Percy looking at her as if she had confessed to a secret life as a Voldemort groupie.

"How?" Percy stuttered.

"Percy if you need me to tell you how then you've been alone for a very long time"

"I mean I know how!" Percy snapped his ears going red and sounding more like himself than Ginny had heard over the course of the last three years. "I mean…whose the…oh" his eyes widened and Ginny knew that Percy at least got it. She turned and saw Hermione's eyes widen and knew that she too had calculated backwards.

"Harry's the father" she said. "The wedding?"

Ginny nodded.

"Wait" Ron said looking up at Hermione, "Harry's the—what? I mean—you knew about this?"

"I knew that Ginny had done it, I had thought you'd used protection?"

"Turns out Mad-Eye never checked the expiration dates on his Boomslang skin"

"Huh" Hermione said shaking her head. "You'd have thought that was something he'd have checked"

"Tell me about it" Ginny muttered.

"Wait…wait…" Ron said with the air of a man desperate to get the conversation back onto a playing field he understood.

"So you and Harry—" he made a flapping gesture with his hand and pulled a face at the thought and then rapidly continued. "And you got—pregnant and then you what—"

"Long story short, I didn't find out until I was at Hogwarts and I kept it under wraps until Easter. Didn't make much difference me not going back after that anyway because you got spotted at Malfoy Manner. James was born sometime after that."

"Where is he?" Ron asked eyeing Ginny suddenly as if trying to see if she was carrying James under her shirt. Ginny rolled her eyes, battered, bruised, torn and grieving and Ron was still Ron.

"Muriel's she's watching him"

"Poor kid" Percy muttered.

Hermione snorted.

"Does Harry know?" Ron asked still looking stunned.

"Of course Harry doesn't know Ron" Hermione snapped rolling her eyes heavenwards though weather or not that was at the stupidity of Ron or the stupidity of the male race Ginny did not know. With Hermione sometimes it was hard to tell.

"Do you honestly believe that Harry would keep that from us?"

"I couldn't tell him and I don't want him to know until we win, it's a distraction Ron and…and we might not win"

"Oh we can win this" Ron said confidently. "There's only the snake left"

"What's his snake got to do with it?" Percy asked but then there was a scream that had ripped the air apart and shocked everyone trapped in the Great Hall into silence, the scream seemed to carry on for an eternity and Ginny only knew it was of a woman who had lost everything in that second. She reached blindly for a hand to cling to not noticing that it was Percy's.

"I think…" she turned as did everyone's head in the hall to where Tommy was stood at the table with Grace filling mugs with tea…he had gone white with shock and spoke in tone that indicated he didn't believe what he was saying.

"I think that might be Professor McGonagall. She went outside with Professor Slughorn and that man with the bald head and the earring to see if they could reinstate some protection"

There was a shivering second of pause and then everyone was on their feet pushing past each other, Ron and Hermione in the lead to see what was going on. Ginny was half being dragged by Percy and then half pushed forwards by Seamus and then ahead Ron stopped and let out a cry of such horror that Ginny's knee already pushed to the limit gave out. Seamus yanked her up by her other elbow dirt etched on his face and there was something in his eyes that told Ginny that something terrible was coming.

Hermione screamed and then her father was pushing forwards. He stopped still and Ginny pushed forwards because she knew that she had to see…

She had to see.

And then she saw.

It was Harry in Hagrid's arms.

He was dead.

She was sure that the noise that came out of her was not human. Somewhere between making it her knees went and she was aware of her father holding her up with Percy but she couldn't care less in that exact moment in time. All her focus was on the body of the man that she had loved since she was eleven. Her baby's father, the first man who had touched her and loved her and held her like she was precious but not breakable.

And James. Even through her own grief Ginny knew that James had lost just as much if not more than she had lost. Because her baby had now lost his father without ever knowing him and the fantasies that she had of Harry teaching James how to fly on a broomstick and holding his hands as he walked and hugging his son as he got his Hogwarts letter and all the moments, the little moments that she had dreamed about were gone.

They had lost.

It was quite strange really, once she had accepted that fact the clinical part of Ginny's brain cut through the grief and the pain and the anger and forced her to get to her feet. She had to find Astoria, she had to get the younger Greengrass out of Hogwarts and too her son, she had to make sure James slipped by Voldemort's reign and that he never knew that he existed. Astoria could take him overseas for a few years, Fleur's family could take them in perhaps and then once Malfoy was cemented in power…well…who knows. But she had to get her son to safety and that meant anywhere but with her, because at this moment Ginny knew she was as good as dead. She and Harry had been brazen enough with their relationship for word to spread around and she was a member of the biggest bunch of Blood Traitors going.

She was dead.

But she would be damned if she did not take out Bellatrix Lestrange before death came for her. For Tonks, for Neville's mum and dad, for her Uncle's, for all the innocent people who had come under that witches wand and who had lost their lives (or worse) and for all the ones that would the innocent children like Grace and Tommy, Alife, John and all the other members of the DA. Bellatrix Lestrange must die.

She stood up as Neville stepped forwards. Finally she had a purpose. There was not much left but that at this point anyway.

And then Neville was on fire. Ginny screamed unable to stop herself partly out of shock partly out of grief because if she lost Neville as well…

And then Neville wearing the Sorting Hat twisted breaking the body-bind curse and was pulling something silver and red that Ginny knew he had once risked all to get this year. Neville twisted again the sword of his house in his hand and the great snake that Voldemort claimed as his own was dead, her head on the floor and with a scream for the thing that was human but yet not human hit them all and Ginny knew with a feral certainty that the battle had begun again.

They were being pushed backwards and she followed into the Great Hall. She saw Hermione and Luna and then it began.

He was not sure what had happened, one moment Grace was sobbing on his shoulder. Alife and John clutching each other as they stared at Harry Potter slumped in Hagrid's arms. Tommy had felt a terrible sense of anguish. Even he could accept that this was a massive blow.

Tommy had come from a family where even if they didn't shout their views from the rooftop opinions were clear within the walls. They followed Dumbledore. Tommy's mother had died in childbirth and his father had worked at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Bangs and Catastrophe's. His mother had been muggle born and Tommy had heard the rumours that when his mother had been fifteen she had marched to Professor Dumbledore's office and demand to join his secret society the Order of the Flamey Bird Thingy. Which might not be the exact name but Tommy was eleven not perfect.

His Dad was so gonna kill him. Had it not been for a son at Hogwarts Tommy was sure his Dad would be here now. Actually he wouldn't put it past his Dad to arrive any second. Already he must know that Tommy was not a the place where kids were meeting their parents.

It was something he and Grace had bonded over as she too had been raised by a single father and she too was half blood. Only her mother had been a muggle who had freaked at the thought of magic and who wanted nothing to do with a child who could levitate spoons. Alfie and John came from two parent households but John's mother was muggleborn who had gone into hiding, John had three times this year hidden from The Carrows who had gone looking for him in search of his mother. The last two months he had been in that Room with Neville. Alfie had a difficult relationship with his parents on a good day and Tommy full expected to have him staying with them for the summer.

Providing his Dad let him live.

Either way one second Grace had been sobbing against his shoulder. The next Neville had been on fire and Tommy had been amongst the ones screaming as the snake (the thing of nightmares) came up and then down headless as Neville stood there gripping a sword.

"Move" Alfie said pushing them backwards and they were moving with the crowd into the castle. Alfie shoved open the door to a empty classroom and then slammed it behind them when all four of them were in rubbing his leg were Ginny's mother tears running down her face had helped to heal it fully.

"What do we do?" John asked.

"We fight" Tommy said. "But I have an idea"

"Oh fuck" Grace said grinning wiping her eyes.

"Come on"

And then they were running hurtling down corridors but it seemed that every chance they had to die missed them. A set of stairs leading to the kitchens had been turned into a slide and they slid down it landing in something that Tommy suspected had once been a spider.

"Grace" he said as he blasted something back through a window. "You know if your not grounded over the summer can I write to you?"

"Why?" Grace asked levitating a vase and throwing it towards a Death Eater.

"Well I think I quite…well.."

"Tommy" Grace said as they reached the end of the corridor. "Don't say anything to me you wouldn't say if were weren't running for our lives"

They had hit the building that they were in search for.

"Kitchens?" John said as Alfie bent over coughing slightly. "Tom I don't think now is the time for a chocolate éclair"

"No you idiot" Tommy said beaming. "House Elves!"

And with that he tickled the pear and the door swung open.

It had not taken long to find Bellatrix Lestrange, if she had not been mad after Azkaban she had clearly lost the plot now. She was cackling and cursing in equal measure and once she had seen Ginny she had leaned forwards and had smiled showing a fair cry of yellow teeth.

"Ah if it isn't Potter's little whore. How do you feel little whore knowing your man is dead"

Ginny laughed as manically as Sirius had, as manically as she could do and leaned forwards ready to duel to the death.

"Bring it you inbred bitch"

And they were off. Ginny was good but Bellatrix was a witch with as insane skill and no conscious. Hermione entered at some point followed by Luna and then the three of them were battling Bellatrix all at once.

Ginny ducked once as a jet of green light whizzed so close to her elbow she was sure she could feel the sting. She was half aware in that second of the Centaurs arriving shooting arrows and someone opening the door to the kitchens and the house elves coming through carrying knives and cleavers and somewhere she was sure she could hear Tommy shout. "Charge!" as the house elves attacked anyone they could see in a mask.

"Come on" she goaded Bellatrix as she deflected another blast. "You can do better than that. Or did you go soft in Azkaban? Did you dry up your magic like your sex appeal so even the Dark Lord doesn't want to touch you"

Bellatrix screamed and Luna was thrown backwards and Ginny ducked death again by an instant and then…

And then…

"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!"

Ginny nearly fell over. Never had she heard that language come out of that woman's voice. It was her mother, cloak aside thrusting past students (Percy, George, Ron, Charlie and Bill with gaping mouths) past their father who was watching with terror on his face and then past Ginny who was blasted backwards hitting her face and her bad knee on the floor. Her privates screamed with protest and her breasts ached with milk again and Dean was there forcing her upwards as the circle became six duellers and everyone watching.

It was Voldemort and Slughorn, Kingsley and McGonagall and her mother and Bellatrix and Ginny was half aware that Neville was at her side and unaware his grandmother was as well until she piped up.

"Arthur, if Molly should fall I am taking the duel. I owe that bitch pain"

There was a savagery in Augusta Longbottom's face that Ginny had never seen before and for the first time she could understand what Neville's grandmother had gone through when her son and daughter in law had fallen. The look she gave to Bellatrix was so barbaric Ginny had to look away and she suspected that if Augusta got her hands on Bellatrix it would not be a clean death but a death filled with days or years of agony.

She started as next to her the first years arrived. "We got the house elves in" Grace said her face flush and a cut above her cheek and speaking very, very fast. "And then we ended up duelling and I think we got some man called Avery. Well Tommy hit him with a lower leg body bind curse it was brilliant but John wacked him over the head with a fire poker which I think did it. Everything just seemed to miss"

"Well done girl" Augusta said her eyes not off Bellatrix. "Now hush, I have been waiting for this moment for sixteen years"

Ginny pulled her head back into the game to hear the word Freddie. Like hell.

"YOU WILL NEVER TOUCH OUR CHILDREN AGAIN"

Bellatrix let out a maniacal laugh and Ginny remembered for some reason Sirius. Ginny herself had been drifting in an out of consciousness for much of that battle and she was still unsure of what she remembered but she thought on darkest nights that she remembered the laughter.

And then she knew what was going to happen.

Her mother's curse hit Bellatrix squarly in the chest. The other woman seemed to stop her face etched in surprise and Ginny knew that Bellatrix knew what had happened. And then she fell backwards and she was dead.

Neville swore. Something moved to her mother and Augusta stepped forwards. Her jet of green light hit Bellatrix's husband Rodolphus in the face and he too keeled over. Rabastian had already fallen early this night Ginny knew from when she had been with Astoria and she knew that the people who had tortured Neville's Mum and Dad were gone, Crouch Jr was dead in all forms anyway.

For Neville it was over.

"Fuck" Neville said and then he was pushing her backwards and Ginny was pushing the first years backwards as McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn were blasted backwards as Voldemort turned at the death of his best, his most loyal Death Eater and then before he could turn his wand on her mother someone else had streaked into the circle and Ginny found that she was screaming and crying and sobbing on Neville's shoulder her dignity and her pride as well as her sanity it seemed gone.

Because Harry was alive.

"Yes!" Alfie cried and Ginny turned to see the four of them in some one armed hug as they danced and jumped up and down at the return of their hero. Neville wrapped his arms around her and it was he that kept her standing even as he held his wand in one hand and the sword in another.

Harry was saying something and Ginny had to struggle to keep up because the last few hours of night as dawn was shining through the shattered windows and the ceiling setting brown, black, red and blonde hair in the hall alight had been an emotional rollercoaster.

She struggled to keep up, to keep her eyes off his form and onto the task at hand. He was talking about Snape.

She listened in mounting disbelief but then again nothing could surprise her. And things…things were making sense… Snape had loved Harry's mother and the second that Voldemort had gone after Lily Potter he had played the longest game imaginable. Ginny had never have thought Snape capable of such devotion. Of any kind of emotion really other than distain but now she was listening she found that she could see it and understand it.

And for the first time Ginny Weasley felt sympathy for her old potions master Professor Snape wherever he was, whatever had happened to him this night.

But Harry was not done, he was talking about the Elder Wand about Draco Malfoy and Ginny didn't know what was happening but she knew that she had to keep her head in the game despite how every inch of her was crying for a bath, for a piss and a warm bed, for a drink and something to eat and her baby safe and sound in her arms. It didn't feel like it had just been a night since she had handed him to Muriel. It felt so much longer. A lifetime.

Harry mentioned Horcruxus. Ginny had no idea what that was about but Augusta next to her let out a low hiss. "Of course" she said under her breath to herself. "Of course that's how he survived"

Ginny was about to ask just what that was supposed to mean when Harry said calling Voldemort by the name that Ginny herself had once known him as, as the name back then of her dearest friend and confidant, Tom to think about what he had done over the course of a long period of time. To think of the killings, the torture, the deaths of both wizards and muggles alike that could never be solved. The pain and the misery and the fear that he had left people in and to think of some remorse.

It shocked him. Of everything he had heard tonight it was this moment here facing down a seventeen year old pleading with him to feel some remorse for his actions that shocked him. Ginny wanted to feel surprise, even disgust but instead she surprised herself by feeling incredibly sad. She felt sad that Tom Riddle, the boy, the man, the wizard, the monster and everything he had been in between couldn't muster up a slither of remorse for what he had done over the course of his long lifetime. What that said about her Ginny didn't know but she was too tired to ponder on it.

And then Harry raised his wand and Voldemort did the same and Ginny knew from this moment on the fate of the Wizarding World would never be the same. Red met green and then with a bang it was over. Dawn light blinded them for a shivering moment and then the husk that had been the most feared wizard of a generation fell back and Harry Potter with all the skill of a seeker caught the wand that had once belonged to Albus Dumbledore and stared down at the body of his enemy.

It was over.

It was over.

It was over.

For another heartbeat of shivering silence nobody moved and then the cheers and the screams and the tears hit the air. Ron and Hermione got to Harry first. Ginny got to touch an elbow and then she was pulled into Neville's arms. Seamus tears etched on his face turned and kissed Dean who pulled him into his arms and Ginny took a moment to understand her previous relationship and then she started laughing because she should have known.

Percy was hugging her and then found himself with an armful of Parvati her face etched in tears. She saw George reach for Angelina who folded into his arms. Her mother sobbing into her father's. Bill picking up Fleur and twirling her around. Neville and Hannah holding hands as his grandmother sobbed into her handkerchief. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy hugging Draco whose eyes were on Astoria who was hugging both her sister and Blaise Zabini. Charlie was hugging Kingsley, Slughorn had collapsed swigging copiously out of his hipflask, Oliver Wood hugging Katie and Alicia hugging Lee. Ron and Hermione snogging and then Hermione breaking apart to hug Luna and then to her utter surprise and then giving way to a hysterical giggle she saw Professor McGonagall sobbing holding a sobbing Professor Trelawney.

But she didn't get much time to watch that as four eleven year olds had jumped on her.

"We did, we did it!" Alife said letting go of her and then hugging John who as shouting at the top of his head. Grace had fallen to the floor and was sobbing into her hands and Tommy with a whooping noise waved his wand in the air as red sparks and a small elephant danced around his feet.

Ginny hugged them all hardly aware that she was crying herself.

"THOMAS"

"Oh hell" Tommy said from where he had been patting Grace awkwardly on the head. "Dad"

Tommy's Dad pushed through the crowd and Ginny got a sense of curly dark hair and brown eyes and a cut on the side of his face and then Tommy was being swept up into his Dad's arms and father and son were clinging to each other.

"Come on" said a voice and she turned to see her own father standing their shock, pain and grief etched on his face. "Let's go"

He held his hand out and Ginny took it as she forced herself to her feet.

Arthur Weasley then bent down and with a gentle smile found a handkerchief from somewhere and passed it to Grace who was still sobbing. "Come along" he said gently. "Were going to get the house tables back in a second and I think you all need some tea and some food and then bed"

He helped her to her feet and then patted the man still clinging to Tommy. "Rory" he muttered softly. "Let's go sit down"

"You know him?" Ginny said turning to her father.

"Yes, he's been passing information to the Order for the six months or so, his cover was blown a week ago but I think he fought himself out and came here. Your brother Charlie got him back here with everyone else he could find"

Ginny nodded feeling like she was in a daze. She got Grace into a chair and a cup of tea into her hands but before the girl could so much as drink a sip of it there was another shout as the parents of the students of Hogwarts who had stayed behind to fight came forwards determined for better or for worse to see their children.

"GRACE ELIZABETH BRADY!"

"Dad" Grace breathed and then a man with blonde hair as bright as his daughters was shoving past Neville and Seamus and was hugging his daughter with all the strength he could muster. Grace disintegrated again into tears and her father sat down rocking her back and forth. Alfie collapsed at the house table and poured himself a glass of water drinking heavily with shaking hands. John however turned to her father.

"Mr Weasley? My Dad…my Mum went into hiding some time ago. She's muggle born you see and I don't know if he or she will know if I am safe or that she's safe to come out. Is there some way to tell them because I don't think I can hold a quill right now" he held out his hands and Ginny could see they were shaking.

"What's your name son?" her father said kindly.

"John. John Lucas Matthews. My Dad's names John too but he goes by Johnny and my mother's name is Leonie"

"Alright John, I think I can find away to let him know, come with me—" and then they were gone and Ginny was watching as Tommy's dad beckoning Alife to come and sit with them and people began to turn to food and water the house elves returning to the kitchen to serve up food.

"Ginny" it was her mother and Ginny sank into the embrace as her mother hugged her back.

"I have to go to James" she said sluggishly.

"I know darling I know but not right now. Right now you need to sit for a second and then I think there is boy somewhere in this castle that needs to know what has happened in his absence." She stroked Ginny's hair once and Ginny sitting down leaned her head on her mother's shoulder and breathed in her comforting, familiar scent.

"Ron knows" she said finally. "I told him. Ron might tell him"

"Ah Ron's smart enough to know I will end him if he tells Harry anything" her mother said with a satisfied tone in her voice. "Hermione too, besides Harry has too much explaining to do to them right now"

"Mum…" there was too much to say in one moment.

"I know baby, I know. Why don't you go and get some sleep and then when you wake you can find Harry. Your father and I are going to stay down here and deal with parents…" her voice broke for a moment. "Your brothers, all of them are finding beds and we can regroup at some point"

Ginny nodded moving sluggishly. She helped herself to a plate of chicken and rice, ravioli and bread, pizza slices and all the good stuff muggle food as well as wizarding ones as well as a flagon of pumpkin juice.

"Weasley"

She turned to see Astoria. Her hair was wild, she had a black eye and a bruised cheek and her eyes were as wild as her hair. Ginny looked past her and saw Cyrus Greengrass and his wife hugging Daphne.

"Greengrass"

Ginny dropped her plate then and the two of them were hugging each other. Astoria kissed her on the cheek before slipping something into her pocket with a wink. "See you in the morning Ginny"

"You too Astoria"

And then she was gone before Ginny could apricate the half bottle of firewhiskey she had placed in her pocket.

She ate out of necessity before she dragged herself upstairs.

Her dorm room remained the same. Four empty beds and hers slightly rumpled. She ran the bath and slipped in it aching, bleeding, her breasts sore and tender, her privates the same and her eyes heavy with sleep and grief.

She crawled into bed smelling of something other than blood and shit and death and her head hit the pillow and she forgot about Voldemort for a second, about Harry, about Fred and James and everything and anything that had happened tonight and gave herself over to the complete and utter bliss that came with sleep as the new day and the new dawn and the first morning without Voldemort began with the rising sun over what was left standing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

And there it is I hope you enjoyed it.

Augusta was an utter joy to write so I hope you enjoyed this and while I have taken some liberties with the Death Eaters as it's not known what happened to all of them I wanted to give her some revenge over the people who had taken her son from her in the cruellest way possible.

Also Seamus/Dean is a pairing I have been playing around with for a while. I know both actors have said they don't have a problem with the pairing and neither do I.

As always i will do my best to give you the penultimate chapter sooner rather than later.

Next Chapter-As we hit the penultimate chapter of this story Ginny and Harry have their first conversation in over a year and Harry gets the shock of his life. It's the first day of peace for the Wizarding World and Baby James (alongside the incomparable Muriel) makes his reappearance.

Enjoy