A/N: The third part.. Finally!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from this story or any or story like it hereafter.
~*~
Ron awoke the next morning with a smile on his face, and last night's events replaying in his head. He pushed back the covers and set his feet on the floor. At that moment his entire mood changed. As soon as his feet hit the floor, every happy feeling he had been radiating two seconds ago was gone. It was all replaced with a cold dread that had come up out of no where. He looked out his window and saw that the world seemed to be reflecting his feelings as well, the sky was so dark it was almost black and a howling wind rustled the trees, making them shiver and moan. Ron dressed quickly, wanting nothing more than to leave the empty dorm room. As he opened the door to the boy's staircase a loud yell reached his ears, "HARRY! OH HARRY ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING -QUICK!" Ron went running down the stairs, his heart pounding and his mind racing. What had happened to Harry? Who was yelling? What was going on?
His questions were answered as he flew into the Common Room a second later. He surveyed the scene at first like a man watching a dream unfold. Harry lay on the ground, on his side clutching his forehead; his face screwed up in pain. Hermione knelt beside him, saying something, though Ron didn't know what. Ginny was standing to the left, screaming at anybody to get help. It had been her voice that he had heard. Some people scrambled off, he saw Dean and Seamus go yelling that they were going to get Dumbledore. Other students, presumably the first years, were standing, all off to the right in a large group, identical looks of shock on their faces. Then Ron came to and rushed to Harry's side as well. Hermione locked her eyes with his for a brief second, and the look in them told Ron that this was bad - much worse than any of the other times. Harry was as pale as a ghost and sweating and shivering all at the same time.
Hermione cried, "Harry? Harry it's me, Hermione. Ron is here too. Can you tell me what's wrong?"
Harry stuttered, "H-h-h-e's coming."
"Who?" Ron asked, though he was pretty sure he knew.
"V- oldemort".
Hermione's hands flew to her mouth as Harry went limp. Ron caught him and sat back, laying Harry down gently, but keeping his head elevated slightly by placing it in his lap.
Ginny had sunk down beside them with a whispered, "Oh my God."
Harry just lay there, his eyes open and unblinking. He had stopped shaking, though he was still pale, "Ron?"
Ron looked down at him in surprise, he didn't know that Harry was conscious, "Yeah?"
"Go get Dumbledore."
"I'm right here Harry." Dumbledore knelt down beside Harry with Seamus and Dean at his heels, panting heavily. Dumbledore, however, did not seem to be winded at all.
Harry started talking at once, "Professor, I tried to block it really, I've been good with the Occlumency but it came without warning. And he wasn't laughing or anything this time. It was the old pain, that stabbing feeling -it was so intense at one point that it felt like he was standing right next to me. I just think it means that he's on his way here -but I could be wrong Professor, couldn't I?"
"You could, yes. But unfortunately Harry you're not. We have been preparing for this day a long time now, and I think it has come. I believe that in the matter of hours Voldemort and his followers will be at our gates." Dumbledore stood up, "Hermione?"
"Yes Sir?"
"I need you to assemble everyone into the Great Hall please, go inform all the Prefects .I must speak quickly with the teachers. Ron? Please get Harry down to the hospital wing. Madam Promfey will want to keep him there but she cannot, tell her the situation Ron, as calmly as you can. She'll understand."
"Yes Sir." The two replied together. Hermione went dashing out of the portrait hole with Ginny right behind, since she was a Prefect as well. With the help of Neville, Ron eased Harry to his feet and they too left the Common Room.
~*~
Less than half an hour later the entire school was assembled in the Great Hall, silently waiting for Dumbledore to speak. It was as if they were all holding one collective breath. Slowly Dumbledore rose to his feet, "Students, please -I have an important and dire announcement. I have reason to believe that Voldemort will soon be here, along with his followers," a loud series of gasps and 'Oh no's' were heard, "and therefore I believe he will be looking for a battle. ONE that we are prepared for - thanks to our D.A." Dumbledore beamed out at the students then still so touched that they had called themselves Dumbledore's Army. "I think we can handle this my students, though it may be extremely difficult. I want you all to know that you do not have to do this if you don't want to. There is a safe haven where you can be sent if you wish. By doing this you are all risking your lives - when you don't have to. Now, those who are absolutely sure that you want to do this; are sure that you wish to fight and possible loose your lives in the process - I want you to stand up now."
Not a single chair remained occupied.
Dumbledore smiled out at them again, the emotion in his voice detectable, "Well then, I suggest we all get ready. You will need your wands in top condition - and anything else you think will help you, take it - but be sure not to weigh yourselves down. "
~*~
Harry flung on his warmest cloak and polished his wand quickly. He adjusted his glasses and put a spell on them that Professor McGongall had taught him, one that would make them stay on his face, no matter what. He jammed Sirius' gift into his pocket, the one that could undo any knot and unlock any lock. He wadded up his invisibility cloak and charmed it to make it even smaller and lighter, then placed it in the other pocket. He closed his trunk with a bang, and after saying goodbye to Hedwig he took a deep breath. He felt much better now, after Madam Promfrey had given him that special draught. The pain in his scar was gone -for now - and he was no longer dizzy or pale. The time had come, and he was ready.
Ron stood waiting in the doorway, his hands clenched tightly on his wand. His cloak was open and Harry noticed that he had put on his latest Weasley sweater, which was still maroon. Ron's eyes blazed though his face was pale. Harry noticed that Ron's pockets were empty.
"Ready?" Ron asked him, his voice steady.
"Yup." Harry locked eyes with his best friend, wanting to say something, but he didn't know what.
Ron, however, solved the problem by suddenly grabbing Harry and pulling him into a tight embrace, "Take care of yourself, you hear?" He said as he let him go. Harry managed a small smile, and the two walked down to meet the rest of their classmates. ~*~
Hermione was still up in the girls' dorm, making sure she had everything she needed. The tears rolled freely down her face as she went from place to place grabbing anything she thought useful. Lastly, she tied her hair back tightly and then charmed it so that it would be immovable. With a tearful sigh she kissed a sleeping Crookshanks, who purred softly from his dreamworld, and then ran down the stairs without looking back. She ended up crashing right into Ron, who, on impact caught her shoulders to steady her. She looked up into his face, shocked still from the blow.
Ron noticed the tear stains on her cheeks, and the fresh tears still in her eyes. He was sure what he felt for her at that moment had to be noticeable - he could certainly sense it. Without hesitation he brushed away the tears that had spilled over and said softly, "You don't have to do this Hermione. You don't."
"Yes I do." And with that she flung her arms around him and clung to him tightly, the tiniest of sobs escaping her, "I'm so scared." She mumbled from somewhere near his neck.
"Me too." Ron told her - though he wanted to tell her more than that. He wanted to tell her everything right then - how he felt about her, how much she really meant to him - but he couldn't. It just wouldn't be right. He felt her mouth press lightly against his cheek, and the spot tingled long after she had pulled away and gone to Harry.
Harry walked over to Ron then, with Hermione on the other side, "Let's do this." He said. And with that the three walked out together, Hermione on one side, her tears a mark of courage rather than fear; Harry in the middle with his face encased in stone, and Ron on the other end, looking more determined than ever, his eyes ablaze.
They reached the Common Room and then, as one, the entire student body stepped outside to face the enemy, waiting in the chilly morn for something, anything to happen. Their futures were at present uncertain, though each one of them knew how it could end.
Ginny stood shivering with the cold, her mouth set and her mind ready, "Where are they? Harry said -" But before she could even finish the sentence a blast from far off shot above her head and hit the castle wall, causing part of it to collapse while Ginny ran away to avoid being crushed. Then it happened. Spells came from every direction, multitudes of colors flying all around them. Ginny didn't know where to strike back first - she couldn't see any Death Eaters. Everyone was spinning around trying to find a definite target, but it was no use. Then, from the right, Ginny heard Dumbledore's voice as he clearly called out a spell - and then everyone followed suit. Eventually, Ginny was able to see the enemy, they sprang from the trees, from behind them - from practically out of thin air. Ginny didn't know how many she wounded - or killed - all she knew was that she had to keep going - stopping was not an option.
~*~
Hermione and Ron stood together - though they had lost Harry. At the sound of Dumbledore's voice he had gone running forward, and due to the labyrinth of spells then being fired, Hermione and Ron couldn't follow. Then shot out whatever harmful things they could think of at the seemingly blank space. Then out of no where, Hermione felt Ron's presence leave her side. She heard him gasp like he had been punched in the stomach and she spun around to see what had happened. She found him flung up against the wall, his feet about four feet from the ground. He was struggling with an unseen foe - and it looked to her like he couldn't breathe - like whatever that thing was, it was crushing his lungs and suffocating him. He was pushing at it, but it didn't seem to be moving. Hermione ran towards it with her hands outstretched, hoping to knock it away, but her hands just banged off it. She yelled in pain, it felt like she had just run headlong into the Castle wall. She tried firing banishing hexes at it, but they just came shooting back at her, forcing her to duck. Ron's face was now tinged with blue, and there was nothing Hermione could do.
"Ron! Ron, you can't die -you can't. Not like this. Oh, damn it!" she cried, banging on the invisible wall again with her fists, "MOVE!" she screamed at it.
And then she felt someone touch her shoulder, the hand was icy cold and Hermione jumped. She turned around and came face to face with none other than Lucius Malfoy.
"Hello Hermione." He said, calmly, "Enjoying my little show." His grin was twisted with evil and it repulsed her.
"You? But - I thought - you're supposed to be in jail!"
"Me? In jail, NEVER! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH POWER I HOLD? How could silly little muggle -loving wizards keep me in jail - me! Now, if you don't mind -I was quite enjoying watching him die. However - I will spare him, if you do something for me that is."
"What?" Hermione hissed at him, secretly terrified of what he was going to ask.
"Tell me how I can kill Potter. I know you know. I know you're his Secret Keeper - who else would it be?"
Hermione was shocked. She had no idea how Harry could be killed - except in the same way that anyone could be, and she was not his secret keeper, in fact she didn't even think he had one. Yet, she had to get Ron down from there, he couldn't possibly hold out much longer - THINK YOU IDIOT- she thought to herself, "Ah - well -"
And then just as she was about to spill her lie, Lucius crumpled into a little ball and fell at her feet. Behind him stood Neville, his wand out.
"Is he dead?" was all she could ask.
"No - I just put a combination stun hex on him that's all."
"Oh my God - I can't believe - Neville, you're a genius!" she cried.
"Ron!" Neville yelled as Ron slid to the floor, still blue in the face.
"Oh Ron!" Hermione cried as well, as she ran and fell to her knees beside him. She explained to Neville what had happened, "Will he be all right?"
"I think so - he just needs to get to Madam Promfrey - she was a tent set up you know, invisible - you can enter only be password, its house of healing by the way." Neville picked Ron up with ease, "I'll take him Hermione, don't worry."
"But, but I-"
"You have to stay here and keep fighting, they need you. Besides, Ron will be back out here soon, you know Madam Promfrey can cure anything in minutes."
"Not anything! Remember last year - Ron and I were both in the hospital wing for days!"
Neville sighed, "Hermione -he will be fine. Trust me - now go!"
"But -"
"GO!"
Realizing it would be futile to stand here and argue - keeping Ron from treatment - and the fact that Neville did have a point she consented. She turned on her heel and ran in the direction of the major fighting, throwing herself into it heart and soul.
"Good girl." Neville commented, "Go get them."
~*~
The fighting went on for hours, and many people on both sides were killed, or horribly wounded. The worst thing though was to be there to watch the death happen. Ginny was a witness to such - the death of Seamus. He was blasted back about ten feet with the killing curse, right into the Castle wall - his head making a sickeningly loud banging sound. Ginny rushed to his side, seeing him lying there, calling, "Seamus! Seamus!" She wasn't all too sure what had happened, she knew however that Seamus was not breathing, and seconds before there had been that unmistakable green light - as realization dawned on her Ginny began cry. And then the wall began to rumble - it was coming down -right on top of them. She screamed and shut her eyes, crouching closer to Seamus. The wall crumbled around them, yet it left them untouched. It was as if a large hand had placed itself directly above their heads to capture any stones that might have otherwise hit them. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, and then with a jolt of panic she realized she and Seamus were trapped! How would anyone find them here?
~*~
As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, Voldemort's forces seemed to be dwindling out, only a handful remained and their shots were wildly erratic and all together hopeless in the effect that they would do any serious damage to anyone or anything. Therefore, Voldemort decided to "take a small break to refresh his side of the war - and let the others sit in fear". So, calling them all back with the Dark Mark, he retreated calling out to Dumbledore, "ANOTHER DAY SOON - YOU WILL FALL!"
With the enemy gone, everyone stared around in shock, as if seeing the world for the first time. Bodies of friends and fellow students lay at their feet, and parts of the castle lay in heaps of stone. The sky was quickly turning black; it looked as though a storm was on its way. Dumbledore sighed sadly and then announced with the aide of the sonorous spell, "Everyone on the Quidditch Pitch -we must do a head count."
Hermione stood among the mass of people at the Pitch, looking anxiously for Ron or Harry or Ginny, none of whom she saw. "They have to be here!" She told herself, "they just have to!"
"Hermione!"
She spun around at the sound of her name, at that voice that had sounded so much like Harry's. It was Harry's. She embraced him tightly as soon as she could reach him, crying, "Oh I knew you were alive! I knew it!"
"Thank god you're all right." he said, "Have you seen Ron or Ginny?"
She pulled away slightly; her voice quivered a bit, "No - I thought they might be with you."
The light in Harry's eyes died at her words, he said, "They never were. I haven't seen either of them this whole time."
At his words Hermione thought her heart would break. She had never felt so much pain from spoken words before. As if the heavens felt it too, they suddenly opened up and showered them with rain. It was as if the sky was crying for them too, howling with her sadness. Hermione didn't even feel the drenching, freezing wetness. All she could focus on was Harry's quiet, " They never were." Oh it couldn't be true, it just couldn't!
They stood hand in hand as Dumbledore read off the names of the students. If they were there they would say here, if not they were either put down as missing, or someone would call out dead. The first time it was said, for someone Hermione didn't know, she jumped at the word. It had come out so easily from the person, so smoothly - it was scary.
Neville's name was called out, and he was claimed as missing, so was Seamus, Ginny and Ron. No one else from Gyrffindor was proclaimed as such, and no one had been pronounced dead -yet. The sixth years, as a total had not lost anybody yet, and only the four were missing. The other grades had a total of 30 dead among all of them-none missing. Still the numbers seemed staggering. Hermione just couldn't get her head around it. Dumbledore then advised them to search for any others, the missing and others who may have just been thought dead. At his signal to go, Hermione and Harry sprinted from the field.
"Split up!" Harry called, and they went separate ways.
"RON? RON!" Hermione screamed through the rain. Fearing her voice would be taken away by the wind, she used sonorous and yelled again, " RON! GINNY! NEVILLE! SEAMUS! PLEASE IF YOU CAN HEAR US -GIVE A SIGN! PLEASE!"
Suddenly, away off where Harry had run a shot of red sparks went up. Hermione's heart leaped as she went running towards them. She past Harry on the way, who followed close behind. They were led to the very beginning of the Forbidden Forest, and there in a clearing the found Neville and Ron. Ron was perfectly fine, but Neville was in bad shape. His leg seemed to be broken and he was bleeding badly from his arms.
"Ron!" Hermione and Harry had cried upon seeing him, and then, "NEVILLE! What happened?"
Ron explained quickly about the ambush, and how Neville's back had been turned. Ron shuddered as he recalled the details. In his heart he had thought that Neville was going to die, right there in his arms. He hadn't though, and that was something Ron could only attribute to Neville's personal inner strength. He was as tough as nails, and Ron was awed by it.
"He needs to get to Madam Promfrey -NOW." Ron said.
"I'll do it!" Harry said, "I've got my broom to carry him, and besides we still need to find Seamus and Ginny."
"WHAT?" Ron cried, "Ginny's missing!"
"Yeah," Harry said as his broom came over and he and Hermione got Neville carefully situated. Once they flew off Hermione flung herself at Ron and hugged him tight. His return was so fierce Hermione thought her ribs would break but she didn't care. She was so happy that he was alive and well, that she could break every bone in her body right now and not feel an ounce of pain.
"You're alive. You're really alive." She said over and over.
"Miracle I'm sure." Ron said letting her go a bit, "I'm so glad you're OK." He said taking her face in his hands, "God Hermione today has been awful."
"I know - but you're alive." She said again, and he laughed.
"Well, you know for a second or two there I wasn't all too sure about it." He shuddered, "I woke up in the hospital tent and panicked because you were gone - everything was white, I thought I was in Heaven -it was scary." As he told this, he realized then that he had to tell her absolutely everything NOW because he didn't know if later he would have the chance.
"Hermione?"
She said nothing, but grasped the hands he held out to her; "I have to tell you something -important. See I - well I think, I think that I just might be, might be - falling for you -hard." There, he'd said it, and worded it quiet nicely at that. For some reason he had thought that love was too strong.
She stared up at him, in shock. He was admitting this NOW, HERE of all places! But he'd said it, and then she smiled so wide that her cheeks hurt and then she answered him back as if it was the most natural thing to say, "Oh Ron, I feel the same way." She paused and then rushed on, "I can't believe you - I - WE -just said that. After all these years -" she then stopped her rambling, looked up into his eyes and after a moment said, "Did I ever tell you have beautiful eyes?"
During that whole ramble Ron hadn't heard a word of it, he was too happy. The fact that they were alive, together, and that they felt the same way about each other, it was too good to be true. He smiled down at her when she said that line about his eyes, and then without warning to her or to himself, he leaned down and kissed her.
Hermione reacted automatically, although she had no experience in what to do next. Somehow, her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, and her body shifted closer to his. Then, they were torn apart by screams from somewhere - screams of, " HE'S NOT DEAD! DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM! HE - IS - NOT - DEAD!"
~*~
Ron was rudely jolted back to earth upon those screams, and he jumped away from Hermione as though he were on fire. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her face was white, "What -who was that?" she whispered to him.
"I don't know - but it sounds pretty bad. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as he broke into a run towards the yells.
They rounded the lake and came out by the side of the castle wall; half of which had been blown into bits of stone scattered everywhere. They picked their way through and pushed to the front of the crowd, as they did, Hermione's hand flew to her mouth.
Seamus lay on the grass, sprawled in such a position that seemed he had been dragged from somewhere. He was white, deathly white, and unmoving. Ron wasn't certain, but he was pretty sure he wasn't breathing -
Lavendar knelt beside him, sobbing hard and warding off anyone who came too close. It had been her who had screamed not to touch him. A student Hermione didn't know came close and put a hand out towards Seamus, put Lavendar slapped it away crying, "DON'T YOU DARE -NO ONE IS TO TOUCH HIM UNTIL DUMBLEDORE COMES HERE!"
Someone in the crowd asked if he was dead, causing Lavendar to cry out again, "ARE YOU BLIND -NO HE ISN'T DEAD!"
And then another voice rang out, almost as loudly as Lavendar, yet this voice wasn't as hysteric -yet, "YES HE IS!"
"WHAT? WHO -WHO SAID THAT?"
"I DID!" Heads swung around to face Ginny Weasley, standing at the back of the crowd, her fists clenched, and her chin up. She walked towards Lavendar, people parting to let her though. Ron made a movement to go to her for she looked a mess, but Hermione held him back, "Wait," she said, "Let's see what she says."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Lavendar screamed at her, making no move to get up from Seamus' side.
Ginny said calmly and quietly to her, "He's dead Lavendar."
"YOU'RE LYING - YOU -YOU-"
"I'm not lying!" Ginny said, anger taking hold of her, "Were -were you there when it happened? NO! So how do you know!"
"You- you were there?" Lavendar whispered all rage depleted at her words.
Ginny sighed heavily and rubbed her hands over her face, "Yes. I was."
"How- how did it happen?"
"Avada Kevada."
Lavendar began to sob again, her head down on Seamus' chest now.
"He didn't feel a thing Lavendar, it was instant. He was all ready gone when he hit the wall."
Lavendar gasped, "Oh my God Ginny!"
"Yeah.it - he-" she began to cry. Then she swayed slightly, and began to fall. Ron tried to get through to her but it was useless he was too far. Praying someone would catch her, he watched her descend limply to the ground. At the last second Harry appeared and he caught her, swinging her into his arms.
"Oh!" Hermione cried and pushed her way through, "Oh! Harry - is she all right?"
"She's fainted."
"Gin?" Ron touched her face, "Gin?"
No answer.
"She's was exhausted - and she had been under that rock pile for hours, Dean found them, he got Ginny to the hospital tent right away- he couldn't take them both."
"SO HE LEFT SEAMUS HERE TO DIE?" Lavendar was beyond all reasoning now.
"No! He was all ready dead!" Dean came flying up, "Ginny told you that Lavendar! What's the matter with you?"
"DEAN!" Hermione hollered at him, "Don't yell at her! Can't you see she's upset?"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Ron yelled at everyone, "STOP ARGUING! Do you know what we've all just been through? HELL! And more people than just Seamus are dead! More are wounded.. We can't stand here and fight with each other - how does that look? We have to stand together! Help each other now - if I were dead RIGHT NOW I'd be DISGUSTED with all of your actions!"
"Well said Mr. Weasley, now if you don't mind I will take over from here." And Ron stepped back to let Dumbledore work.
~*~
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from this story or any or story like it hereafter.
~*~
Ron awoke the next morning with a smile on his face, and last night's events replaying in his head. He pushed back the covers and set his feet on the floor. At that moment his entire mood changed. As soon as his feet hit the floor, every happy feeling he had been radiating two seconds ago was gone. It was all replaced with a cold dread that had come up out of no where. He looked out his window and saw that the world seemed to be reflecting his feelings as well, the sky was so dark it was almost black and a howling wind rustled the trees, making them shiver and moan. Ron dressed quickly, wanting nothing more than to leave the empty dorm room. As he opened the door to the boy's staircase a loud yell reached his ears, "HARRY! OH HARRY ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING -QUICK!" Ron went running down the stairs, his heart pounding and his mind racing. What had happened to Harry? Who was yelling? What was going on?
His questions were answered as he flew into the Common Room a second later. He surveyed the scene at first like a man watching a dream unfold. Harry lay on the ground, on his side clutching his forehead; his face screwed up in pain. Hermione knelt beside him, saying something, though Ron didn't know what. Ginny was standing to the left, screaming at anybody to get help. It had been her voice that he had heard. Some people scrambled off, he saw Dean and Seamus go yelling that they were going to get Dumbledore. Other students, presumably the first years, were standing, all off to the right in a large group, identical looks of shock on their faces. Then Ron came to and rushed to Harry's side as well. Hermione locked her eyes with his for a brief second, and the look in them told Ron that this was bad - much worse than any of the other times. Harry was as pale as a ghost and sweating and shivering all at the same time.
Hermione cried, "Harry? Harry it's me, Hermione. Ron is here too. Can you tell me what's wrong?"
Harry stuttered, "H-h-h-e's coming."
"Who?" Ron asked, though he was pretty sure he knew.
"V- oldemort".
Hermione's hands flew to her mouth as Harry went limp. Ron caught him and sat back, laying Harry down gently, but keeping his head elevated slightly by placing it in his lap.
Ginny had sunk down beside them with a whispered, "Oh my God."
Harry just lay there, his eyes open and unblinking. He had stopped shaking, though he was still pale, "Ron?"
Ron looked down at him in surprise, he didn't know that Harry was conscious, "Yeah?"
"Go get Dumbledore."
"I'm right here Harry." Dumbledore knelt down beside Harry with Seamus and Dean at his heels, panting heavily. Dumbledore, however, did not seem to be winded at all.
Harry started talking at once, "Professor, I tried to block it really, I've been good with the Occlumency but it came without warning. And he wasn't laughing or anything this time. It was the old pain, that stabbing feeling -it was so intense at one point that it felt like he was standing right next to me. I just think it means that he's on his way here -but I could be wrong Professor, couldn't I?"
"You could, yes. But unfortunately Harry you're not. We have been preparing for this day a long time now, and I think it has come. I believe that in the matter of hours Voldemort and his followers will be at our gates." Dumbledore stood up, "Hermione?"
"Yes Sir?"
"I need you to assemble everyone into the Great Hall please, go inform all the Prefects .I must speak quickly with the teachers. Ron? Please get Harry down to the hospital wing. Madam Promfey will want to keep him there but she cannot, tell her the situation Ron, as calmly as you can. She'll understand."
"Yes Sir." The two replied together. Hermione went dashing out of the portrait hole with Ginny right behind, since she was a Prefect as well. With the help of Neville, Ron eased Harry to his feet and they too left the Common Room.
~*~
Less than half an hour later the entire school was assembled in the Great Hall, silently waiting for Dumbledore to speak. It was as if they were all holding one collective breath. Slowly Dumbledore rose to his feet, "Students, please -I have an important and dire announcement. I have reason to believe that Voldemort will soon be here, along with his followers," a loud series of gasps and 'Oh no's' were heard, "and therefore I believe he will be looking for a battle. ONE that we are prepared for - thanks to our D.A." Dumbledore beamed out at the students then still so touched that they had called themselves Dumbledore's Army. "I think we can handle this my students, though it may be extremely difficult. I want you all to know that you do not have to do this if you don't want to. There is a safe haven where you can be sent if you wish. By doing this you are all risking your lives - when you don't have to. Now, those who are absolutely sure that you want to do this; are sure that you wish to fight and possible loose your lives in the process - I want you to stand up now."
Not a single chair remained occupied.
Dumbledore smiled out at them again, the emotion in his voice detectable, "Well then, I suggest we all get ready. You will need your wands in top condition - and anything else you think will help you, take it - but be sure not to weigh yourselves down. "
~*~
Harry flung on his warmest cloak and polished his wand quickly. He adjusted his glasses and put a spell on them that Professor McGongall had taught him, one that would make them stay on his face, no matter what. He jammed Sirius' gift into his pocket, the one that could undo any knot and unlock any lock. He wadded up his invisibility cloak and charmed it to make it even smaller and lighter, then placed it in the other pocket. He closed his trunk with a bang, and after saying goodbye to Hedwig he took a deep breath. He felt much better now, after Madam Promfrey had given him that special draught. The pain in his scar was gone -for now - and he was no longer dizzy or pale. The time had come, and he was ready.
Ron stood waiting in the doorway, his hands clenched tightly on his wand. His cloak was open and Harry noticed that he had put on his latest Weasley sweater, which was still maroon. Ron's eyes blazed though his face was pale. Harry noticed that Ron's pockets were empty.
"Ready?" Ron asked him, his voice steady.
"Yup." Harry locked eyes with his best friend, wanting to say something, but he didn't know what.
Ron, however, solved the problem by suddenly grabbing Harry and pulling him into a tight embrace, "Take care of yourself, you hear?" He said as he let him go. Harry managed a small smile, and the two walked down to meet the rest of their classmates. ~*~
Hermione was still up in the girls' dorm, making sure she had everything she needed. The tears rolled freely down her face as she went from place to place grabbing anything she thought useful. Lastly, she tied her hair back tightly and then charmed it so that it would be immovable. With a tearful sigh she kissed a sleeping Crookshanks, who purred softly from his dreamworld, and then ran down the stairs without looking back. She ended up crashing right into Ron, who, on impact caught her shoulders to steady her. She looked up into his face, shocked still from the blow.
Ron noticed the tear stains on her cheeks, and the fresh tears still in her eyes. He was sure what he felt for her at that moment had to be noticeable - he could certainly sense it. Without hesitation he brushed away the tears that had spilled over and said softly, "You don't have to do this Hermione. You don't."
"Yes I do." And with that she flung her arms around him and clung to him tightly, the tiniest of sobs escaping her, "I'm so scared." She mumbled from somewhere near his neck.
"Me too." Ron told her - though he wanted to tell her more than that. He wanted to tell her everything right then - how he felt about her, how much she really meant to him - but he couldn't. It just wouldn't be right. He felt her mouth press lightly against his cheek, and the spot tingled long after she had pulled away and gone to Harry.
Harry walked over to Ron then, with Hermione on the other side, "Let's do this." He said. And with that the three walked out together, Hermione on one side, her tears a mark of courage rather than fear; Harry in the middle with his face encased in stone, and Ron on the other end, looking more determined than ever, his eyes ablaze.
They reached the Common Room and then, as one, the entire student body stepped outside to face the enemy, waiting in the chilly morn for something, anything to happen. Their futures were at present uncertain, though each one of them knew how it could end.
Ginny stood shivering with the cold, her mouth set and her mind ready, "Where are they? Harry said -" But before she could even finish the sentence a blast from far off shot above her head and hit the castle wall, causing part of it to collapse while Ginny ran away to avoid being crushed. Then it happened. Spells came from every direction, multitudes of colors flying all around them. Ginny didn't know where to strike back first - she couldn't see any Death Eaters. Everyone was spinning around trying to find a definite target, but it was no use. Then, from the right, Ginny heard Dumbledore's voice as he clearly called out a spell - and then everyone followed suit. Eventually, Ginny was able to see the enemy, they sprang from the trees, from behind them - from practically out of thin air. Ginny didn't know how many she wounded - or killed - all she knew was that she had to keep going - stopping was not an option.
~*~
Hermione and Ron stood together - though they had lost Harry. At the sound of Dumbledore's voice he had gone running forward, and due to the labyrinth of spells then being fired, Hermione and Ron couldn't follow. Then shot out whatever harmful things they could think of at the seemingly blank space. Then out of no where, Hermione felt Ron's presence leave her side. She heard him gasp like he had been punched in the stomach and she spun around to see what had happened. She found him flung up against the wall, his feet about four feet from the ground. He was struggling with an unseen foe - and it looked to her like he couldn't breathe - like whatever that thing was, it was crushing his lungs and suffocating him. He was pushing at it, but it didn't seem to be moving. Hermione ran towards it with her hands outstretched, hoping to knock it away, but her hands just banged off it. She yelled in pain, it felt like she had just run headlong into the Castle wall. She tried firing banishing hexes at it, but they just came shooting back at her, forcing her to duck. Ron's face was now tinged with blue, and there was nothing Hermione could do.
"Ron! Ron, you can't die -you can't. Not like this. Oh, damn it!" she cried, banging on the invisible wall again with her fists, "MOVE!" she screamed at it.
And then she felt someone touch her shoulder, the hand was icy cold and Hermione jumped. She turned around and came face to face with none other than Lucius Malfoy.
"Hello Hermione." He said, calmly, "Enjoying my little show." His grin was twisted with evil and it repulsed her.
"You? But - I thought - you're supposed to be in jail!"
"Me? In jail, NEVER! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH POWER I HOLD? How could silly little muggle -loving wizards keep me in jail - me! Now, if you don't mind -I was quite enjoying watching him die. However - I will spare him, if you do something for me that is."
"What?" Hermione hissed at him, secretly terrified of what he was going to ask.
"Tell me how I can kill Potter. I know you know. I know you're his Secret Keeper - who else would it be?"
Hermione was shocked. She had no idea how Harry could be killed - except in the same way that anyone could be, and she was not his secret keeper, in fact she didn't even think he had one. Yet, she had to get Ron down from there, he couldn't possibly hold out much longer - THINK YOU IDIOT- she thought to herself, "Ah - well -"
And then just as she was about to spill her lie, Lucius crumpled into a little ball and fell at her feet. Behind him stood Neville, his wand out.
"Is he dead?" was all she could ask.
"No - I just put a combination stun hex on him that's all."
"Oh my God - I can't believe - Neville, you're a genius!" she cried.
"Ron!" Neville yelled as Ron slid to the floor, still blue in the face.
"Oh Ron!" Hermione cried as well, as she ran and fell to her knees beside him. She explained to Neville what had happened, "Will he be all right?"
"I think so - he just needs to get to Madam Promfrey - she was a tent set up you know, invisible - you can enter only be password, its house of healing by the way." Neville picked Ron up with ease, "I'll take him Hermione, don't worry."
"But, but I-"
"You have to stay here and keep fighting, they need you. Besides, Ron will be back out here soon, you know Madam Promfrey can cure anything in minutes."
"Not anything! Remember last year - Ron and I were both in the hospital wing for days!"
Neville sighed, "Hermione -he will be fine. Trust me - now go!"
"But -"
"GO!"
Realizing it would be futile to stand here and argue - keeping Ron from treatment - and the fact that Neville did have a point she consented. She turned on her heel and ran in the direction of the major fighting, throwing herself into it heart and soul.
"Good girl." Neville commented, "Go get them."
~*~
The fighting went on for hours, and many people on both sides were killed, or horribly wounded. The worst thing though was to be there to watch the death happen. Ginny was a witness to such - the death of Seamus. He was blasted back about ten feet with the killing curse, right into the Castle wall - his head making a sickeningly loud banging sound. Ginny rushed to his side, seeing him lying there, calling, "Seamus! Seamus!" She wasn't all too sure what had happened, she knew however that Seamus was not breathing, and seconds before there had been that unmistakable green light - as realization dawned on her Ginny began cry. And then the wall began to rumble - it was coming down -right on top of them. She screamed and shut her eyes, crouching closer to Seamus. The wall crumbled around them, yet it left them untouched. It was as if a large hand had placed itself directly above their heads to capture any stones that might have otherwise hit them. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, and then with a jolt of panic she realized she and Seamus were trapped! How would anyone find them here?
~*~
As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, Voldemort's forces seemed to be dwindling out, only a handful remained and their shots were wildly erratic and all together hopeless in the effect that they would do any serious damage to anyone or anything. Therefore, Voldemort decided to "take a small break to refresh his side of the war - and let the others sit in fear". So, calling them all back with the Dark Mark, he retreated calling out to Dumbledore, "ANOTHER DAY SOON - YOU WILL FALL!"
With the enemy gone, everyone stared around in shock, as if seeing the world for the first time. Bodies of friends and fellow students lay at their feet, and parts of the castle lay in heaps of stone. The sky was quickly turning black; it looked as though a storm was on its way. Dumbledore sighed sadly and then announced with the aide of the sonorous spell, "Everyone on the Quidditch Pitch -we must do a head count."
Hermione stood among the mass of people at the Pitch, looking anxiously for Ron or Harry or Ginny, none of whom she saw. "They have to be here!" She told herself, "they just have to!"
"Hermione!"
She spun around at the sound of her name, at that voice that had sounded so much like Harry's. It was Harry's. She embraced him tightly as soon as she could reach him, crying, "Oh I knew you were alive! I knew it!"
"Thank god you're all right." he said, "Have you seen Ron or Ginny?"
She pulled away slightly; her voice quivered a bit, "No - I thought they might be with you."
The light in Harry's eyes died at her words, he said, "They never were. I haven't seen either of them this whole time."
At his words Hermione thought her heart would break. She had never felt so much pain from spoken words before. As if the heavens felt it too, they suddenly opened up and showered them with rain. It was as if the sky was crying for them too, howling with her sadness. Hermione didn't even feel the drenching, freezing wetness. All she could focus on was Harry's quiet, " They never were." Oh it couldn't be true, it just couldn't!
They stood hand in hand as Dumbledore read off the names of the students. If they were there they would say here, if not they were either put down as missing, or someone would call out dead. The first time it was said, for someone Hermione didn't know, she jumped at the word. It had come out so easily from the person, so smoothly - it was scary.
Neville's name was called out, and he was claimed as missing, so was Seamus, Ginny and Ron. No one else from Gyrffindor was proclaimed as such, and no one had been pronounced dead -yet. The sixth years, as a total had not lost anybody yet, and only the four were missing. The other grades had a total of 30 dead among all of them-none missing. Still the numbers seemed staggering. Hermione just couldn't get her head around it. Dumbledore then advised them to search for any others, the missing and others who may have just been thought dead. At his signal to go, Hermione and Harry sprinted from the field.
"Split up!" Harry called, and they went separate ways.
"RON? RON!" Hermione screamed through the rain. Fearing her voice would be taken away by the wind, she used sonorous and yelled again, " RON! GINNY! NEVILLE! SEAMUS! PLEASE IF YOU CAN HEAR US -GIVE A SIGN! PLEASE!"
Suddenly, away off where Harry had run a shot of red sparks went up. Hermione's heart leaped as she went running towards them. She past Harry on the way, who followed close behind. They were led to the very beginning of the Forbidden Forest, and there in a clearing the found Neville and Ron. Ron was perfectly fine, but Neville was in bad shape. His leg seemed to be broken and he was bleeding badly from his arms.
"Ron!" Hermione and Harry had cried upon seeing him, and then, "NEVILLE! What happened?"
Ron explained quickly about the ambush, and how Neville's back had been turned. Ron shuddered as he recalled the details. In his heart he had thought that Neville was going to die, right there in his arms. He hadn't though, and that was something Ron could only attribute to Neville's personal inner strength. He was as tough as nails, and Ron was awed by it.
"He needs to get to Madam Promfrey -NOW." Ron said.
"I'll do it!" Harry said, "I've got my broom to carry him, and besides we still need to find Seamus and Ginny."
"WHAT?" Ron cried, "Ginny's missing!"
"Yeah," Harry said as his broom came over and he and Hermione got Neville carefully situated. Once they flew off Hermione flung herself at Ron and hugged him tight. His return was so fierce Hermione thought her ribs would break but she didn't care. She was so happy that he was alive and well, that she could break every bone in her body right now and not feel an ounce of pain.
"You're alive. You're really alive." She said over and over.
"Miracle I'm sure." Ron said letting her go a bit, "I'm so glad you're OK." He said taking her face in his hands, "God Hermione today has been awful."
"I know - but you're alive." She said again, and he laughed.
"Well, you know for a second or two there I wasn't all too sure about it." He shuddered, "I woke up in the hospital tent and panicked because you were gone - everything was white, I thought I was in Heaven -it was scary." As he told this, he realized then that he had to tell her absolutely everything NOW because he didn't know if later he would have the chance.
"Hermione?"
She said nothing, but grasped the hands he held out to her; "I have to tell you something -important. See I - well I think, I think that I just might be, might be - falling for you -hard." There, he'd said it, and worded it quiet nicely at that. For some reason he had thought that love was too strong.
She stared up at him, in shock. He was admitting this NOW, HERE of all places! But he'd said it, and then she smiled so wide that her cheeks hurt and then she answered him back as if it was the most natural thing to say, "Oh Ron, I feel the same way." She paused and then rushed on, "I can't believe you - I - WE -just said that. After all these years -" she then stopped her rambling, looked up into his eyes and after a moment said, "Did I ever tell you have beautiful eyes?"
During that whole ramble Ron hadn't heard a word of it, he was too happy. The fact that they were alive, together, and that they felt the same way about each other, it was too good to be true. He smiled down at her when she said that line about his eyes, and then without warning to her or to himself, he leaned down and kissed her.
Hermione reacted automatically, although she had no experience in what to do next. Somehow, her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, and her body shifted closer to his. Then, they were torn apart by screams from somewhere - screams of, " HE'S NOT DEAD! DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM! HE - IS - NOT - DEAD!"
~*~
Ron was rudely jolted back to earth upon those screams, and he jumped away from Hermione as though he were on fire. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her face was white, "What -who was that?" she whispered to him.
"I don't know - but it sounds pretty bad. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as he broke into a run towards the yells.
They rounded the lake and came out by the side of the castle wall; half of which had been blown into bits of stone scattered everywhere. They picked their way through and pushed to the front of the crowd, as they did, Hermione's hand flew to her mouth.
Seamus lay on the grass, sprawled in such a position that seemed he had been dragged from somewhere. He was white, deathly white, and unmoving. Ron wasn't certain, but he was pretty sure he wasn't breathing -
Lavendar knelt beside him, sobbing hard and warding off anyone who came too close. It had been her who had screamed not to touch him. A student Hermione didn't know came close and put a hand out towards Seamus, put Lavendar slapped it away crying, "DON'T YOU DARE -NO ONE IS TO TOUCH HIM UNTIL DUMBLEDORE COMES HERE!"
Someone in the crowd asked if he was dead, causing Lavendar to cry out again, "ARE YOU BLIND -NO HE ISN'T DEAD!"
And then another voice rang out, almost as loudly as Lavendar, yet this voice wasn't as hysteric -yet, "YES HE IS!"
"WHAT? WHO -WHO SAID THAT?"
"I DID!" Heads swung around to face Ginny Weasley, standing at the back of the crowd, her fists clenched, and her chin up. She walked towards Lavendar, people parting to let her though. Ron made a movement to go to her for she looked a mess, but Hermione held him back, "Wait," she said, "Let's see what she says."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Lavendar screamed at her, making no move to get up from Seamus' side.
Ginny said calmly and quietly to her, "He's dead Lavendar."
"YOU'RE LYING - YOU -YOU-"
"I'm not lying!" Ginny said, anger taking hold of her, "Were -were you there when it happened? NO! So how do you know!"
"You- you were there?" Lavendar whispered all rage depleted at her words.
Ginny sighed heavily and rubbed her hands over her face, "Yes. I was."
"How- how did it happen?"
"Avada Kevada."
Lavendar began to sob again, her head down on Seamus' chest now.
"He didn't feel a thing Lavendar, it was instant. He was all ready gone when he hit the wall."
Lavendar gasped, "Oh my God Ginny!"
"Yeah.it - he-" she began to cry. Then she swayed slightly, and began to fall. Ron tried to get through to her but it was useless he was too far. Praying someone would catch her, he watched her descend limply to the ground. At the last second Harry appeared and he caught her, swinging her into his arms.
"Oh!" Hermione cried and pushed her way through, "Oh! Harry - is she all right?"
"She's fainted."
"Gin?" Ron touched her face, "Gin?"
No answer.
"She's was exhausted - and she had been under that rock pile for hours, Dean found them, he got Ginny to the hospital tent right away- he couldn't take them both."
"SO HE LEFT SEAMUS HERE TO DIE?" Lavendar was beyond all reasoning now.
"No! He was all ready dead!" Dean came flying up, "Ginny told you that Lavendar! What's the matter with you?"
"DEAN!" Hermione hollered at him, "Don't yell at her! Can't you see she's upset?"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Ron yelled at everyone, "STOP ARGUING! Do you know what we've all just been through? HELL! And more people than just Seamus are dead! More are wounded.. We can't stand here and fight with each other - how does that look? We have to stand together! Help each other now - if I were dead RIGHT NOW I'd be DISGUSTED with all of your actions!"
"Well said Mr. Weasley, now if you don't mind I will take over from here." And Ron stepped back to let Dumbledore work.
~*~