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Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter. The characters belong to the great J.K.Rowling. If I did own Harry Potter, well, I wouldn't be typing this now, would I? Noises from the basement? Pay no attention to those…
A/N: Ok, dear readers, I am co-writing this with a friend of mine, pen name of lily-james-4ever010. We're probably going to chapter bounce, one me, one her, one me, one her… you get the idea. This one's by me.
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Looking Beyond
Chapter Three:
By: Ishkabibbles and lily-james-4ever010
Harry walked down Hermione's street, remembering the night that Ron died, and trying to understand how Hermione felt. In Ron, he'd had a best friend, almost a brother. But Hermione… she'd had something else with Ron, something that was more than just friendship. Sure, they had been dating, but Harry knew that there was more to their relationship than friendship, more than just love. It was almost as though they'd had some sort of special bond. It was how Harry had been with Ginny. He was her best friend, her boyfriend, and more. Harry sighed. He missed Ginny terribly. She may not have been dead, but having her this way was just as bad. It was as if she was dead. He wanted her back, more than anything. He would have done anything for her; he would have died for her. He wished she had let him help her that night. That night…
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It was the battle before the final one, before Ron died. Voldemort had come to Hogwarts, in another effort to kill Harry. He had brought an entire army of Death Eaters with him. The Order, and some former DA members, were there to help Harry, but he knew that he would have to face Voldemort himself.
Although Harry had wanted her to stay where it was safe, Ginny insisted upon being at the battle. It was useless to try and talk her out of it, so Harry had reluctantly let her come. Looking back on it, he wished he'd put up more of a fight.
Once in the heat of battle, spells flying everywhere, Harry found himself and Ginny facing none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' murderer. She grinned evilly.
"So, we meet again."
Harry simply glared at her, not speaking
"Won't talk to me? Poor little Harry still upset over the death of my cousin?"
Full of fury and anger, Harry finally found the words he wanted to say.
"You would know. You killed him, you cold heartless BITCH!" By the end of this, Harry was screaming.
Bellatrix just laughed. "Oooh, I'm just terrified. I would just love to kill you myself, but the Dark Lord's orders must be obeyed." Then, she saw Ginny. Bellatrix smiled nastily.
"What a pretty little thing. Your girlfriend, boy? She seems to mean a lot to you…"
"Yes, she does, and if you do anything to her, I swear that I'll kill you!" Harry realized this was a mistake the moment the words left his mouth. Now they knew what Ginny meant to him. He'd just put her in an incredible amount of danger.
Bellatrix laughed again. "Here is something that I can do myself. Crucio!" she cried, pointing her wand at Ginny. Ginny screamed, writhing on the floor in pain.
"NO!" Harry yelled, remembering that Bellatrix was the one who had tortured Neville's parents to insanity. He dove for her, forgetting his wand.
"Pertrificus Totalus!" she cried. She hit Harry square in the chest, rendering him immobile. All he could do was lay on the floor, unable to move, to help Ginny. He was forced to watch her scream in pain as Bellatrix continued to torture her.
After the battle, Ron and Harry had carried Ginny to the hospital wing, waiting for days to hear if she was going to be alright. But news did not come until after the final battle. Ginny had been moved to St. Mungo's permanently, due to her condition.
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Harry had lost a best friend and a girlfriend in the war. He hated to remember, but sometimes, he had to. When he did, a flood of different emotions hit him, all at once. Fear, anger, love, rage, hate, they were all there. He loved Ginny with all his heart, and couldn't bear to see her this way. He constantly berated himself for letting her come in the first place. But what was done was done, and nothing could be changed. Nothing would ever change.
Harry trudged down the street, alone, but not quite. Ginny was always with him, as she had always been. Always laughing, always happy. They were together, body and soul. Much as he tried, he could never forget that night. Much as he tried, he could never, would never forget Ginny Weasley.