Hey guys, let me say first that I was totally blown away to see four new reviewers review my latest chapter, so thanks.

Memommy27, Emily – thanks a lot! Although I doubt my story's actually much of a substitute for the next Harry Potter story, but thanks.

Esrb99, AmandaG – Yeah, I killed Ron. The time turner's an interesting idea, and you read all 26 chapters at once? Thanks both of you.

High Serpent King – Thanks and sorry for that kind of fast review last time, I liked it a lot and felt like I should review but had to get off so just typed something really fast.

Bhekie – Thanks!

Alright, now that we're done with that I'll get to the chapter.

Chapter 27 – The Weight of Guilt

Draco Malfoy's hands were shaking with apprehension. What could Dumbledore possibly have learned that was urgent enough to come to talk to him immediately? Or was this information tip-off simply a pretext for Dumbledore to start asking him information about the Death Eaters? Draco couldn't see that as a plausible option though, as Draco had already offered his services Dumbledore wouldn't need any kind of pretext.

"Tell me what you know about the Quidditch game of Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff," Dumbledore said quietly.

"Voldemort," Draco started speaking with an audible shake in his voice, "told me I had to kill Weasley. He told me to use the bucking broom spell."

"But you failed," Dumbledore prompted.

"Yes. I intended to do it with just enough power to make it seem genuine but it went out of control, luckily Potter saved him," Draco responded, contemplating the consequences to telling this particular truth. Dumbledore would have had enough trouble trusting him after opening Hogwarts doors to Voldemort, but now when he had two pieces of incriminating testimonies on hand, Draco doubted he might ever get out of here. Still, it's all that I deserve.

"Sleep, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore swept out of the room and Draco was finally able to collapse on his bed and fall asleep.

Harry's eyes flashed open in the morning of the next day. As awareness flooded back into him, he contemplated how quiet it suddenly was in his dormitory. Dean, Neville, and Seamus were all injured and Ron...dead. The thought came suddenly to him and stayed despite Harry's persistent efforts to banish it away from his mind, before Harry finally gave up. He was going to have to live with Ron's death until he died, but the thought didn't alleviate the pain much. Sirius' death was enough of a burden on him already – how many more could he take? And what about all the nameless faces that he didn't know that had died for him? The countless Muggles and wizards, even the Aurors. The weight of Ron and Sirius' deaths suddenly multiplied into hundreds more. Harry shut his eyes, wishing that he had never woken up and could go back to sleep. No matter how he tried though, he couldn't. Harry finally succumbed and wearily arose and dressed, going down to the Common Room. The Common Room was virtually empty, but this wasn't really much of a jolt – everyone was probably already at breakfast and Ron, Harry, and Hermione had been taking to coming down separately this year anyway. Still, it seemed oddly...quiet. Harry sighed and walked briskly to the portrait hole, shutting the door behind him gently. Glancing behind him, he suddenly noticed that the Fat Lady was oddly absent from her portrait hole. She was only ever gone to see her friend Vicky, but to save the Fat Lady the trouble of looking all over the school Dumbledore had simply moved Vicky almost next to the Fat Lady so they could contact each other easily. Harry decided to ask her.

"Vicky?" The portrait glanced at Harry in pleasant surprise, bewildered at being directly addressed by a student.

"Yes?"

"Would you happen to know where the Fat Lady is?" It was odd, Harry thought calling the Fat Lady "The Fat Lady" in regular conversation. Still, she didn't have a name and that's what everyone seemed to call her.

"Is she not in her portrait hole? Oh, dear...wonder where she is."

Harry nodded and thanked her before setting off down to the Great Hall, sending one curious glance back at the empty portrait hole before stepping down. Harry froze though, in shock.

If the Gryffindor Common Room had seemed quiet then the Great Hall was decidedly tomb-like. Black drapes hung everywhere in the Great Hall. Every house had massive numbers of students missing and even the ones there were mostly the smaller students that McGonagall had managed to draw away. First through third years were almost all the students there at the Great Hall – almost everyone else had fought and been injured. Suddenly all the students noticed Harry. An uncharacteristic hush settled in the room and Harry felt everyone looking at him. Harry finally spotted one other sixth year, apparently the only one to go uninjured. While he wouldn't normally associate with Lavender, he could use some company. Besides, she's Parvati's friend. I should get to know her better. Harry settled down next to her.

"Harry!" Lavender seemed surprised to see him. "You made it through all right?"

"Yes, thanks. You?"

"Yes..." Lavender said with a shiver. The two simply ate together in companionable silence – last night was so monumental and horrifying that they couldn't talk about anything else but so morbid that they simultaneously couldn't bear to talk about it. So rather than make small talk they simply didn't talk. Still, though, the both of them thought it was better than eating alone.

Hedwig swooped down at Harry and dropped The Daily Prophet into Harry's lap. Harry allowed her a drink while he read the headline, titled simply: Weasley: The Hero of Hogwarts. Harry suddenly felt a surge of anger, remembering his thoughts last summer about how none of the newspapers ever championed Ron and focused solely on Hermione. Sure, you write about him now, Harry thought. Harry nearly threw the paper away in disgust before contemplating that it wouldn't exactly be a good image for the first and second year to see him angrily throwing away a paper that depicted his best friend as a huge hero. They would probably misinterpret it, so Harry simply slipped held the paper under the table. Lavender looked at Harry in concern, searching for something to say.

"Are you all right?" Although she felt stupid asking it, she felt that Harry might appreciate the sentiment. Harry weakly smiled back but didn't answer. Both their eyes were drawn to the table where the faculty sits abruptly, though, as Dumbledore had walked up and was standing.

"Students of Hogwarts, today, we mourn the deaths of one of our teachers and one of our students – both of whom were of incalculable value to this school and will be forever. To Severus Snape and Ronald Weasley." Dumbledore sat down quietly while there was a ripple of reaction in the Great Hall among the students. About three-quarters of the ones there hadn't known anything about anyone dying and were aghast at the thought of them dying. Still, Harry thought depressingly, it'll be worse when the older students come. The ones who knew Ron as someone. Harry bowed his head silently and finally made a vow. I'm going to be involved in this war now. It's time that I become more than a target for the Death Eaters to attack.

Well, there you go guys. See you next chapter...