(words in italics are the unspoken thoughts of the character closest to them)
Hermione had never believed things that weren't possible. They'd sent someone from Hogwarts to her, when she got her letter, and that person had needed to break protocol and visit three separate times. She was more or less kind to Luna, directly, but everyone knew exactly where she stood on Wrackspurts and Nargles and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. It had taken her longer than either Ron or Harry knew, to really believe that they could be her friends.
But there had still been a part of her that had believed it was possible for this not to happen. Harry's body laying limp in Hagrid's great arms, set gently on the ground but then not getting up from it. Eyes closed, largely unmarked. Unmistakably dead.
She remembered his last quiet words to her. Let me go.
He'd gone. Questions tumbled together and asked themselves in the wrong order. What could be done now? Had it hurt? Was he scared? Was it right to let him go?
The snake. She looked at Ron, to begin to make a plan with him, but then stopped that part of herself when her eyes really saw his. Ron.
Ron hadn't cried out. He'd believed it immediately. She'd seen it once, the previous night, but her heart still broke open as he searched Harry's body with the eyes that had seen Fred's. They hollowed with grief, beyond the point of tears, and then he looked up, not at her, first, but at Voldemort.
The monster was savoring each word that rang out. 'Killed while trying to save himself.' That's a lie, thought Hermione. Ron yelled. 'He beat you!'
Did he? Did he really? Hermione looked one last time to the body, its edges blurred by the tears in her eyes. If Ron needs to believe that…we have to make it true. The snake, goddamit. The snake. She wiped her face fiercely and set her slender jaw.
Neville got it done before her plan could even finalize. The next time she looked to the body, it was gone.
When she saw Harry, a few minutes later, standing upright with two wands in his bruised hand…that was another thing that she did believe was possible.
