Life After Death

"Ron, we must go get Harry!" Hermione whispered.

"We can't just get up and leave. I'm sure he's okay." Ron replied reassuringly, but deep down he knew that something was wrong and that Harry was not okay.

They sat there in silence for a moment, and then they both realized that they needed to find Harry. They stood up and walked out of the castle.

"Where do you think he went to?" Ron asked.

"Look at the ground, I think those are his footprints, they lead into the Dark Forest." Hermione implied.

They began to walk slowly towards the forest, following the footprints. Ron began to grow very scared after the incident with the spiders in their past visit to the forest.

"Hermione, are you sure we should go in there, these could be someone else's footprints." Ron stated, worriedly.

"Ron, you know these are Harry's. Now stop being a baby and hurry up with me."

Ron and Hermione walked in silence towards the forest, before they even got there, they could hear Harry's voice. It had sounded as though he were talking to someone.

"Ron, do you hear that?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, it sounds like Harry."

"C'mon, we have to hurry." Hermione demanded.

They were too late, when they entered the forest; they saw Harry lying on the ground, pale and breathless.

"Oh my gosh, Ron. This can't be happening." Hermione cried. She threw herself onto the ground beside Harry, crying in the night. She heard someone running, she turned around and she saw Ron leaving the forest.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Hermione screamed.

"I'm going to get help. We can't just leave him here dead." Ron cried back.

About ten minutes later, Ron was running back to the forest with Professor McGonagall.

"Oh dear. How did this happen?" She asked, frightened.

"We came out in the forest and he was lying here dead." Hermione said. "After Ron left, I started to look around, and I saw some footsteps leading over somewhere in the distance, but I didn't want to see where they lead all by myself. Will someone please go with me?"

"Here, I'll go with you. Ron you stay here with Harry." Professor McGonagall stated.

"I'm supposed to stay here alone? I can't do that." Ron cried.

"Yes, you must Ron; we need to see where the footprints lead." Hermione demanded.

Before Ron could answer, Hermione and Professor McGonagall started following the footprints into the darkness of the forest. Hermione was walking ahead; she could see the prints well.

"Look, I think they lead to that cave over there." Hermione pointed.

They walked over towards the cave and entered. It was very dark and gloomy. Hermione could hear someone stir deep within the depths of the cave.

"Be careful Hermione!" Professor McGonagall whispered.

"I know!" Hermione demanded.

Hermione inched forward; she was beginning to grow scared. She was still crying and she could barely see ahead of her in the cave. She heard a scratchy voice in the distance.

"Did you kill him, James?" Said the voice.

"Yes, it was quite easy." The other man replied. She could see the man's shadow move about.

"Do you hear that, James?" The other man asked.

"Yes, it sounds as though we have a visitor."

Hermione moved forward into the light.

"Well, look who we have here, Harry's girlfriend. You're too late my dear, he's gone." One of the men said.

"Yes, I already saw him." She said through a quivering voice. "You're….Voldemort, aren't you?" She implied.

Hermione turned around to see Professor McGonagall, but she was no longer there.

"Yes, I'm glad you noticed." He smirked. "It's too bad you have to die, you were so pretty, but we couldn't have you go running your mouth now could we!"

"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled. Hermione turned around; Ron was running into the cave towards her.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay back there." Hermione said.

"I figured you might need help." He offered.

"Oh, how sad. Now I guess we're going to have to kill off both of you." Voldemort laughed.

"Oh my God, You're Voldemort. And aren't you Harry's father, I thought you were dead." Ron pointed out.

"Yes, I was supposed to be dead, but I lied, I killed Harry and his mother to be with Voldemort." James said.

"Ron, let's run away right now!" Hermione whispered to Ron.

Hermione swung around and began to run, but immediately, Voldemort was after her. Ron began to chase after both of them, but James grabbed him by his robe.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled.

It was too late though because suddenly, James' wand was in his face.

"You're too late, you can't save her. Any last wishes Ron?" James said, laughing.

"No!" Ron gasped, he was having trouble breathing, and James had a tight grip around his collar on his robe.

Hermione kept running, she knew she couldn't stop while Voldemort was right behind her, suddenly she tripped over a log. She fell to the ground. In the depths of the cave; she could hear Ron give his last attempt to live and a long screeching scream.

"There goes your friend." Voldemort said, looking down at Hermione on the ground.

"I'm going to give you an offer Hermione, you can either take it or die, and it's up to you. Now, if you would like, I'm going to offer you to join me and my loyal band of followers, we need a smart addition like you. What do you say?" He asked.

Hermione couldn't believe he was actually asking her this. She knew she would rather die than have to be with them her whole life.

"Fine just kill me now!" She yelled.

"NO!" Said a voice off in the distance. They both turned. Hermione smiled, to her bewilderment, Dumbledore was standing at the entrance of the cave.

"Dumbledore!" Hermione and Voldemort both said simultaneously.

Before Dumbledore could respond, Voldemort was gone in the blink of an eye.

"I thought you were dead." Hermione stated. And he was gone too, for it was only the ghost of Dumbledore.

Hermione ran to the end of the cave to see if Ron was still alive, but he wasn't. It was just her now, no friend to join her on her way back or in her stay at Hogwarts; she was all alone in the frightening world. On her way back, she felt as though the ghosts of her friends were with her in every step, she knew she wouldn't see them again, but she was okay. She would be fine, she hoped.