Disclaimer: Harry Potter is from the creative genius that is J.K. Rowling.
I am not her. This is merely a fan fiction to tide us over until Book 6.
A/N: I know this isn't the happiest of stories, but it will get slightly happier in the next three chapters and Harry will finally get a clue. I must warn you though, this chapter requires a box of facial tissues to be nearby.
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Harry stormed back to the hospital wing. He wasn't even sure how he got there when he flung the doors open. He was just so angry at Ginny. Flopping down on his bed, he covered his head with a pillow and cursed Ginny and his life with everything he had. Unfortunately, some of the words made it through the feather pillow barrier.
"Oy Harry!" George yelled out from his bed beside Fred. "I didn't think you had that in you."
"BUGGER OFF!"
"Hey now is that anyway to treat the brother of the woman who saved your life?"
'I SAID BUGGER THE HELL OFF!"
"Fine," George said harshly. "I wonder who shoved something up your –"
"George Weasley!" Angelina scolded him, before she peeked in on Harry. "Harry? Are you all right?"
Harry bound up in bed, fuming.
"Am I all right! Peachy! Both my best friends are dead. Some insane woman cast some sort of love charm to get me to stay alive when I should be dead! Now I have to sit here and listen to this! Now bugger off everyone!"
"What in Merlin's name are you talking about Harry?" snapped Angelina. "Who put a love potion on you?"
"Ginny Weasley that's who!" he yelled. "And I told her just what she could do with it to and how selfish that slag is!"
"Harry, tell me I miss heard what you just called my little sister," George said in a dangerously low tone. Then Harry heard a thump and someone yell 'hey.' "Wake up Fred. This is important. We may have to do something drastic."
"I told you all to shut up!" Harry snapped.
"You're just lucky Bill and Charlie are visiting Fleur, Tonks and the others at St. Mungo's right now," George hissed.
"All of you just calm down!" Angelina said loudly. "Harry, please just tell me what in the blazes you are talking about."
Harry pointed at the necklace around Angelina's neck. "That's what I'm talking about! That bloody love potion you gave Fred and George and Ginny gave me to keep us alive! She should have used it on Ron or Hermione instead!"
"The potion wouldn't have worked if she gave hers to Ron or Hermione! " exclaimed Angelina. "There is nothing in that potion near the ingredients of a love potion either. In fact, the potion wouldn't have worked if a love potion was involved!"
"Right," Harry said sarcastically. "And I suppose it just happens to be a coincidence that Fred probably just saw visions of you when he was dying."
"She wasn't the only thing I saw Harry," Fred said struggling to sit up. "I saw lots of things – every prank George and I played, our first Quidditch match, the time we snuck over to the girls locker room after a scrimmage –"
"Fred Weasley!" Angelina exclaimed shooting him a glare.
"Well, why do you think I kept staring at you after third year!" he tried to explain. "That's one of my favorite images of you, though I couldn't really see too much with the steam. Do you have to take such hot showers?"
"That's none of your business," she said then turned toward Harry. "I don't know what you saw when everything was going on, but I just want you to think about something. I want you to think about the fact that Ginny couldn't control your thoughts with a potion or by a curse. We all know you can break that curse. Even if that was possible with a potion, it would have just been after you took that potion."
"I didn't asked for your opinion on the matter, Angelina," Harry said sternly, though he did listen to her words. He just didn't want to deal with them at the moment.
"Yeah, well you better take my advice," George said harshly. "You better go downstairs before Bill and Charlie get back. If either of them find out what you said, they might forget your life and Ginny's are connected and kill you."
"Fine!" Harry shouted, climbing out of the bed and storming out the door.
"Bloody bonkers," Fred said after Harry left. "I think he's finally lost it."
"Almost," Angelina sighed. "He's on emotional overload. He's dealing with grief, fear, denial, depression and whatever emotion he's felt, but never admitted about your sister."
"Yeah, well if Charlie or Bill find out what he said to or about Ginny, he'll be feeling a few punches too," George spat, before turning and smirking. "But I do agree with you Fred. Those girls out third year needed to take colder showers. Merlin knows I needed one after that."
He was cut off by a well-aimed pillow by the former Gryffindor chaser.
All the adrenaline and anger that had kept Harry moving gave out someone in the dungeons. Looking around, he could tell it was near where Nick had his Deathday Party. Tired and stressed, Harry slid down the wall. Putting his head in his hands, he began to sob. It was all just too much.
A while later, when he finally calmed down, he was surprised to hear the voice of Arthur Weasley softly speaking somewhere down the hall. Using the wall to brace himself, Harry made his way down to where the voice was coming from.
Near the end of the hall, a chamber door was open. Harry was shocked at what he saw inside. It looked like at least 100 bodies were there, covered with white sheets and lying on old hospital beds. It was the fatalities from the battle. The people's faces were exposed. A few torches lit up the area. At the far end of the room, he saw Arthur Weasley sitting speaking to one of the bodies.
Harry closed his eyes and summoned the courage to walk into the room. He tried not to look down at the faces of the people as he passed. It didn't work though. He saw quite a few people he knew as he passed – Colin, Dean and Remus.
Pausing by Lupin's body, Harry looked down at his professor, friend and the last of the Marauders.
"Goodbye Moony," he said patting the older man's hand. It seemed so odd for it to be cold. No matter what happened Remus Lupin always was a warm person. "At least you're with Sirus and my dad now."
A tear rolled down Harry's cheek. He didn't bother to wipe it off. He knew it wasn't something to be ashamed of, and he knew it wasn't the last one to be spilled. Somewhere in this room was Ron and Hermione.
Harry found them a few beds down from where Arthur Weasley sat. His two best friends lie side by side. Harry stood between them; unable to truly say everything he was feeling and wanted to tell them. It was too late really for that.
Looking down at them, he saw that someone had placed two chess figures in Ron's hands. Opening Ron's hands a bit, Harry saw that it was a knight and a king. A small grin crossed Harry's face. It was the perfect thing for Ron to be buried with.
"Ron," Harry said looking down at his best friend. "You were the best friend a guy could ever ask for. I would have never made it past first year without you. The best moments and adventures of my life, you were with me. I wish I was lying there instead of you. I'd give anything to turn it around. Where's a time turner when you need one huh? Ministry won't permit its use now I bet. Probably think it'll screw things up. Things are screwed up all ready. I'll miss you."
Tears rolled down Harry's face as he leaned over and gave his friend one big hug. Taking off his glasses, he wiped his eyes so he could see. He turned and looked down at Hermione.
Part of him, wanted to tell himself she wasn't dead. She was just petrified like before, but he knew better. Her bushy hair lay around her like a halo, and her eyes were closed. She looked peaceful, like when she was reading a good book.
Harry reached down to take her hand and noticed that someone had placed a chess piece in her hand too. It was a queen.
Harry bit back a chuckle. Ron's queen was in Hermione's hand, and the king was in Ron's. Hermione always was the queen of Ron's heart. Sighing, Harry lowered his head. As Harry did so the flicker of the torches caused a flash of gold to cross his sight, he looked up to see its source. There was a gold chain around Hermione's neck.
Could it be? Maybe Hermione had a time turner on her, he thought excitedly. He could fix this. Quickly and gently, he lifted on the chain, but instead of time turner, he found a vial full of purple liquid.
"What in the world?" he whispered to himself looking at the vial. It was the same kind Angelina had on, wasn't it. Quickly he unplugged the vial, lifted up Hermione's head, and tried to pour some of the potion into her mouth. Then he went over and poured some into Ron's mouth.
His heart beat in his chest as he waited for some sign of life from the two, but nothing was to come. He wanted to scream "Why isn't it working?" In his mind, he knew why. He had still been alive when it was given to him. Ron and Hermione weren't.
Growling, he fell to his knees. It just wasn't fair. How could he go on? It was just then he heard the shuffling of feet. Looking down the line of beds, he saw Mr. Weasley had risen and was leaning over his wife. He didn't look well. Mr. Weasley was pale and there was no light in his eyes at all. It was almost like he was dead inside, just like Harry felt.
Getting up, Harry made his way down to him to see if he could get Mr. Weasley anything to eat or something. As he got closer, he could hear what the elder Weasley was saying.
"I want you to know Molly, that I'll do my best," Arthur Weasley choked out as tears ran down his face. "I never dreamt I'd have to take care of the kids without you love. I'll try my best. No one can do it as well as you did. I want you to take care of Ron, Hermione and Percy until I get there. I know Percy lost his way, but if anyone can help him, it's you. Merlin, I miss you so much. I love you Molly."
Harry watched as Mr. Weasley gently laid a kiss on his wife's lips as a tear fell from his eyes. Harry backed up slowly, not wanting to disturb the scene before him. Unfortunately, he tripped on something causing a loud bang and echo to fill the room. Arthur Weasley looked up from where he was to see the young man so very much like one of his sons.
"Harry," he said softly.
"Sorry Mr. Weasley," Harry said ashamed. "I was just –"
"It's all right Harry. Me too," he said motioning toward Molly's body with one hand as he wiped a tear from his eyes with his other. "Just saying goodbye. Burial's tomorrow at dusk. Molly always did like the sunset – brought out the gold in her hair."
A sudden image crossed Harry's mind. Ginny was sitting beneath the oak tree by the lake at sunset. Her hair was radiant in red and gold in the light. Harry lightly shook the image from his head, wondering why exactly that popped into his mind.
"Harry, son, can I ask you a question?" Mr. Weasley's voice broke through Harry's thoughts.
"Uh, sure Mr. Weasley."
"What did you see when you were dying? Was it just a light or something more?"
Harry fidgeted a bit. He really didn't want to tell Mr. Weasley what he saw. Maybe he could just generalize and say he saw a light and some images. "Well –"
But Mr. Weasley wasn't listening. Instead he placed his hand on top of Molly's and looked down. "They say your life flashes in front of your eyes. . .," he said softly to her. "I know what I'll see at my time. I'd see the first day I saw her face, the first time we kisses, the first dance, our wedding, the birth of every child. I'd see my love, Molly."
A/N: I know this isn't the happiest of stories, but it will get slightly happier in the next three chapters and Harry will finally get a clue. I must warn you though, this chapter requires a box of facial tissues to be nearby.
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Harry stormed back to the hospital wing. He wasn't even sure how he got there when he flung the doors open. He was just so angry at Ginny. Flopping down on his bed, he covered his head with a pillow and cursed Ginny and his life with everything he had. Unfortunately, some of the words made it through the feather pillow barrier.
"Oy Harry!" George yelled out from his bed beside Fred. "I didn't think you had that in you."
"BUGGER OFF!"
"Hey now is that anyway to treat the brother of the woman who saved your life?"
'I SAID BUGGER THE HELL OFF!"
"Fine," George said harshly. "I wonder who shoved something up your –"
"George Weasley!" Angelina scolded him, before she peeked in on Harry. "Harry? Are you all right?"
Harry bound up in bed, fuming.
"Am I all right! Peachy! Both my best friends are dead. Some insane woman cast some sort of love charm to get me to stay alive when I should be dead! Now I have to sit here and listen to this! Now bugger off everyone!"
"What in Merlin's name are you talking about Harry?" snapped Angelina. "Who put a love potion on you?"
"Ginny Weasley that's who!" he yelled. "And I told her just what she could do with it to and how selfish that slag is!"
"Harry, tell me I miss heard what you just called my little sister," George said in a dangerously low tone. Then Harry heard a thump and someone yell 'hey.' "Wake up Fred. This is important. We may have to do something drastic."
"I told you all to shut up!" Harry snapped.
"You're just lucky Bill and Charlie are visiting Fleur, Tonks and the others at St. Mungo's right now," George hissed.
"All of you just calm down!" Angelina said loudly. "Harry, please just tell me what in the blazes you are talking about."
Harry pointed at the necklace around Angelina's neck. "That's what I'm talking about! That bloody love potion you gave Fred and George and Ginny gave me to keep us alive! She should have used it on Ron or Hermione instead!"
"The potion wouldn't have worked if she gave hers to Ron or Hermione! " exclaimed Angelina. "There is nothing in that potion near the ingredients of a love potion either. In fact, the potion wouldn't have worked if a love potion was involved!"
"Right," Harry said sarcastically. "And I suppose it just happens to be a coincidence that Fred probably just saw visions of you when he was dying."
"She wasn't the only thing I saw Harry," Fred said struggling to sit up. "I saw lots of things – every prank George and I played, our first Quidditch match, the time we snuck over to the girls locker room after a scrimmage –"
"Fred Weasley!" Angelina exclaimed shooting him a glare.
"Well, why do you think I kept staring at you after third year!" he tried to explain. "That's one of my favorite images of you, though I couldn't really see too much with the steam. Do you have to take such hot showers?"
"That's none of your business," she said then turned toward Harry. "I don't know what you saw when everything was going on, but I just want you to think about something. I want you to think about the fact that Ginny couldn't control your thoughts with a potion or by a curse. We all know you can break that curse. Even if that was possible with a potion, it would have just been after you took that potion."
"I didn't asked for your opinion on the matter, Angelina," Harry said sternly, though he did listen to her words. He just didn't want to deal with them at the moment.
"Yeah, well you better take my advice," George said harshly. "You better go downstairs before Bill and Charlie get back. If either of them find out what you said, they might forget your life and Ginny's are connected and kill you."
"Fine!" Harry shouted, climbing out of the bed and storming out the door.
"Bloody bonkers," Fred said after Harry left. "I think he's finally lost it."
"Almost," Angelina sighed. "He's on emotional overload. He's dealing with grief, fear, denial, depression and whatever emotion he's felt, but never admitted about your sister."
"Yeah, well if Charlie or Bill find out what he said to or about Ginny, he'll be feeling a few punches too," George spat, before turning and smirking. "But I do agree with you Fred. Those girls out third year needed to take colder showers. Merlin knows I needed one after that."
He was cut off by a well-aimed pillow by the former Gryffindor chaser.
All the adrenaline and anger that had kept Harry moving gave out someone in the dungeons. Looking around, he could tell it was near where Nick had his Deathday Party. Tired and stressed, Harry slid down the wall. Putting his head in his hands, he began to sob. It was all just too much.
A while later, when he finally calmed down, he was surprised to hear the voice of Arthur Weasley softly speaking somewhere down the hall. Using the wall to brace himself, Harry made his way down to where the voice was coming from.
Near the end of the hall, a chamber door was open. Harry was shocked at what he saw inside. It looked like at least 100 bodies were there, covered with white sheets and lying on old hospital beds. It was the fatalities from the battle. The people's faces were exposed. A few torches lit up the area. At the far end of the room, he saw Arthur Weasley sitting speaking to one of the bodies.
Harry closed his eyes and summoned the courage to walk into the room. He tried not to look down at the faces of the people as he passed. It didn't work though. He saw quite a few people he knew as he passed – Colin, Dean and Remus.
Pausing by Lupin's body, Harry looked down at his professor, friend and the last of the Marauders.
"Goodbye Moony," he said patting the older man's hand. It seemed so odd for it to be cold. No matter what happened Remus Lupin always was a warm person. "At least you're with Sirus and my dad now."
A tear rolled down Harry's cheek. He didn't bother to wipe it off. He knew it wasn't something to be ashamed of, and he knew it wasn't the last one to be spilled. Somewhere in this room was Ron and Hermione.
Harry found them a few beds down from where Arthur Weasley sat. His two best friends lie side by side. Harry stood between them; unable to truly say everything he was feeling and wanted to tell them. It was too late really for that.
Looking down at them, he saw that someone had placed two chess figures in Ron's hands. Opening Ron's hands a bit, Harry saw that it was a knight and a king. A small grin crossed Harry's face. It was the perfect thing for Ron to be buried with.
"Ron," Harry said looking down at his best friend. "You were the best friend a guy could ever ask for. I would have never made it past first year without you. The best moments and adventures of my life, you were with me. I wish I was lying there instead of you. I'd give anything to turn it around. Where's a time turner when you need one huh? Ministry won't permit its use now I bet. Probably think it'll screw things up. Things are screwed up all ready. I'll miss you."
Tears rolled down Harry's face as he leaned over and gave his friend one big hug. Taking off his glasses, he wiped his eyes so he could see. He turned and looked down at Hermione.
Part of him, wanted to tell himself she wasn't dead. She was just petrified like before, but he knew better. Her bushy hair lay around her like a halo, and her eyes were closed. She looked peaceful, like when she was reading a good book.
Harry reached down to take her hand and noticed that someone had placed a chess piece in her hand too. It was a queen.
Harry bit back a chuckle. Ron's queen was in Hermione's hand, and the king was in Ron's. Hermione always was the queen of Ron's heart. Sighing, Harry lowered his head. As Harry did so the flicker of the torches caused a flash of gold to cross his sight, he looked up to see its source. There was a gold chain around Hermione's neck.
Could it be? Maybe Hermione had a time turner on her, he thought excitedly. He could fix this. Quickly and gently, he lifted on the chain, but instead of time turner, he found a vial full of purple liquid.
"What in the world?" he whispered to himself looking at the vial. It was the same kind Angelina had on, wasn't it. Quickly he unplugged the vial, lifted up Hermione's head, and tried to pour some of the potion into her mouth. Then he went over and poured some into Ron's mouth.
His heart beat in his chest as he waited for some sign of life from the two, but nothing was to come. He wanted to scream "Why isn't it working?" In his mind, he knew why. He had still been alive when it was given to him. Ron and Hermione weren't.
Growling, he fell to his knees. It just wasn't fair. How could he go on? It was just then he heard the shuffling of feet. Looking down the line of beds, he saw Mr. Weasley had risen and was leaning over his wife. He didn't look well. Mr. Weasley was pale and there was no light in his eyes at all. It was almost like he was dead inside, just like Harry felt.
Getting up, Harry made his way down to him to see if he could get Mr. Weasley anything to eat or something. As he got closer, he could hear what the elder Weasley was saying.
"I want you to know Molly, that I'll do my best," Arthur Weasley choked out as tears ran down his face. "I never dreamt I'd have to take care of the kids without you love. I'll try my best. No one can do it as well as you did. I want you to take care of Ron, Hermione and Percy until I get there. I know Percy lost his way, but if anyone can help him, it's you. Merlin, I miss you so much. I love you Molly."
Harry watched as Mr. Weasley gently laid a kiss on his wife's lips as a tear fell from his eyes. Harry backed up slowly, not wanting to disturb the scene before him. Unfortunately, he tripped on something causing a loud bang and echo to fill the room. Arthur Weasley looked up from where he was to see the young man so very much like one of his sons.
"Harry," he said softly.
"Sorry Mr. Weasley," Harry said ashamed. "I was just –"
"It's all right Harry. Me too," he said motioning toward Molly's body with one hand as he wiped a tear from his eyes with his other. "Just saying goodbye. Burial's tomorrow at dusk. Molly always did like the sunset – brought out the gold in her hair."
A sudden image crossed Harry's mind. Ginny was sitting beneath the oak tree by the lake at sunset. Her hair was radiant in red and gold in the light. Harry lightly shook the image from his head, wondering why exactly that popped into his mind.
"Harry, son, can I ask you a question?" Mr. Weasley's voice broke through Harry's thoughts.
"Uh, sure Mr. Weasley."
"What did you see when you were dying? Was it just a light or something more?"
Harry fidgeted a bit. He really didn't want to tell Mr. Weasley what he saw. Maybe he could just generalize and say he saw a light and some images. "Well –"
But Mr. Weasley wasn't listening. Instead he placed his hand on top of Molly's and looked down. "They say your life flashes in front of your eyes. . .," he said softly to her. "I know what I'll see at my time. I'd see the first day I saw her face, the first time we kisses, the first dance, our wedding, the birth of every child. I'd see my love, Molly."
