Chapter 7: Home At Last
Hermione looked between the two, reached out and took Ron's hand. As she did so, she felt a wave of heat flood through her entire body. She remembered holding a baby, a baby she felt was her own, and she remembered kissing a dark-haired boy. She looked into Ron's eyes, and felt a flicker of remembrance. Escaping from a dungeon… a campfire…
Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew. Let's go. Let's go, Herm."
Hermione turned back to Krum. "I'm sorry," she said. "I have to go. Thank you for everything."
He didn't say anything to her, just scowled as she climbed on behind Ron. In an instant, they were flying through the air.
Harry heard chaos outside of the house.
"Harry?" Lavender asked, burping Rachel. "What's going on?"
"Shh," he whispered to her, getting up from his bed and walking to the window. He had Sirius in charge of everything while they searched for Hermione. The streets were in total dissaray. A cloaked figure stood in the town square, pointing his wand at different witches and wizards, and killing them. The Death Eaters were running around the town, doing the same.
Harry swore loudly. "It's Voldemort."
"What?!" she screamed.
Before they had a chance to react, the windows of the house had been blown out. Harry dived on top of Lavender and Rachel. A loud cracking noise was heard overhead, and he knew the roof was next to go.
They had to get out of there.
"Dissaparate!" Harry yelled, helping her to her feet. Rachel was screaming. "Take Rachel, and Dissaparate! Now!"
"What about you?" Lavender asked.
"I'm staying."
"No!" Lavender yelled. "Don't play the hero, Harry!"
"There's no time to argue, just go!!!"
Lavender gave a small nod, and she vanished.
Harry ran out of the house just as it collapsed. He heard Lavender's voice in his mind. 'Don't play the hero, Harry.' But if he didn't, who would? It was his him that took him of his power ages ago, and it would have to be him to take him down for good. "VOLDEMORT!" he yelled. "Voldemort, it's me you want! Leave these people alone!"
Voldemort turned and grinned at the boy who defeated him so long ago. "Potter… we meet once again."
Two guards appeared on either side of Harry. "Sir! We have to get you out of here, sir!"
"No," Harry spat. "Voldemort, you call off your followers and you'll get a clean shot this time. My mother isn't here to protect me anymore because you killed her, remember?" he clutched his hands into fists at his sides.
Voldemort rasped, in what could have been a laugh. "Very well. I'll call them off, but only until the time of your death." He rasped again.
"Sir," the guards said nervously. "Master Sirius has given strict orders…"
"Tell him I'm fighting my last battle," Harry said. And he didn't mean he would lose, it meant he would no longer have to battle evil. "He'll understand."
The guards gave a reluctant nod and vanished.
"So," Voldemort snapped his fingers, and he and Harry had been teleported to a different area.
Harry felt a nervous lurch in his stomach, he had forgotten how powerful Voldemort was.
"Famous last words from the famous Potter?" Voldemort asked.
"You took Hermione, didn't you?" Harry asked.
Voldemort laughed. "My followers detest Mud-bloods. Fitting end to her, don't you think?"
Harry growled, and leapt at Voldemort.
Ron couldn't believe his eyes. Wizard London was in ruins. People lay dead everywhere, houses destroyed… including his own.
"No…" he moaned, hopping off of his broom and racing toward the rubble.
"Ron?" Hermione asked. (She had remembered his name during the flight back). "What happened here?"
"You-Know-Who," Ron gritted his teeth. "Help… help me move this," he said sadly, looking down at the debris which was once his home. Lavender can't be dead under here, he thought. She can't be… she just can't…
He heard a sob, and his heart seemed to remember how to beat again as Lavender apparated in front of him.
Ron couldn't believe his eyes! Lavender was there with Rachel, and she was okay! Lavender turned to Hermione, and nearly collapsed. "Hermione!"
Hermione looked at the sight, and clutched her head. She took a deep breath, and reached for the baby. Lavender handed Hermione the small sleeping baby and looped her arms around Ron's neck.
Ron hugged Lavender deeply, and kept one eye on Hermione. She stared down at the small sleeping bundle for a few minutes, and then nestled her face against her daughter's. "Oh, Rachel," she cooed, and hugged her. Ron breathed in a great sigh of relief. Hermione looked up, and looked around. "Where's Harry?"
Ron looked around too. "Yeah, where is he?"
Lavender let out another sob.
"Lavender," Ron said. "Where's Harry?"
"He's gone!" she wailed.
"Gone where?" Ron demanded.
Lavender wiped tears out of her eyes. "He's gone to fight You-Know-Who… I couldn't stop him. I tried… I wanted him to stay…" she buried her face in Ron's shoulder.
Ron turned to Hermione with the deepest sorrow in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Hermione cuddled Rachel closer to her body. Tears leaked out of her eyes. After everything that happened… now this….
As soon as she set her eyes on Rachel, it was like someone was rewriting her missing memories. And now she remembered everything.
She just wanted Harry home.
End of Chapter 4!! Heehee, thanks to all my reviewers! Love you guys!!
