Disclaimer- All the characters you recognize are Miss Rowling's. (Who else could invent such beautiful and lively characters?)
Author's Note: There is a mild rape scene in this chapter. I have put up this Author's Note because the story carries a PG-13 rating. It is nothing serious. It is nothing graphic, but rape is mentioned.
CLOSE TO MY HEART
CHAPTER 6
THE WAR
"I DECLARE THE WAR!"
Dumbledore's words rang like bells in Harry's ears. They echoed in the empty graveyard. McGonagall, Snape, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley and all the other members of the Order were there.
As soon as Dumbledore saw the Weasley parents, he went to them and hung his head. He addressed Molly saying, "I'm really sorry Molly, I hate to inform you this." He took a deep breath and continued, "Ginny is no more."
Hearing these words, Arthur and Molly did not respond. They stood like statues-shocked and unmoving. At last Molly broke down altogether crying, screaming in the pain of losing a child. She ran to where Ginny's body was and caught hold of her hands, pulling her towards herself, trying to pull her back to life.
In between sobs she said, "More than half the family in the Order, and that too in these dangerous times. Why didn't I see this coming? Oh Ginny, come back. Come back please."
Dumbledore quietly went to her and put his hand on her shoulder, "Molly, please. She is gone, never to come back. She has left this world and started her journey to the unknown. She has started her journey to a world whose secrets are unknown to us."
The rock-still form of Arthur Weasley yelled, "Voldemort will not live. I will avenge her death. VOLDEMORT! COME AHEAD AND FIGHT! I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ALIVE! VOLDEMORT!"
Suddenly, a part of the graveyard started emitting light. People stared apparating there. A magically magnified voice said, "DUMBLEDORE! IF THIS IS THE WAR, SO BE IT!"
Voldemort had just finished his announcement when the high voice of Bellatrix screamed, "Crucio!"
The spell hit Emmeline Vance, who dropped to the ground twitching in pain. Tonks rushed to her side with her wand out, pointing at the Death Eaters, and shouted, "Stupefy!"
Flashes of red and green and every imaginable colour were flying everywhere. The air was filled with high-pitched screams. There was death and destruction everywhere.
Suddenly, Lucious shouted the fatal curse. There was a blinding flash of green light, which was aimed straight for Dumbledore. But Snape ran to take it. It hit him squarely in the chest, and he dropped down. But it did not kill him instantly. Dumbledore bent down and tried to rest Snape's head on his lap. He pointed his wand at Snape and tried to revive him, but he put up his hand in order to stop him.
Breathing hard, he spoke, "Headmaster, please do not attempt to save me…no counter-curse. However, take care of Harry. All these years…mistreated him. Only he can kill…V…Voldemort. The secret…not told you for so many years…my house…study…old leather-bound diary. My end has come. I have to go.
These were his last words. With them he closed his eyes, for eternity. He was a very powerful wizard. The Avada Kedavra curse did not kill him immediately, as it had killed thousands of other victims.
For the first time in his life, tears welled up in Dumbledore's eyes. He felt responsible for Snape's death. Harry, who had been busy defending Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, as they were in no position to fight, saw Dumbledore's grief. He asked Hermione to take over for him and carefully made his way to Dumbledore.
"Sir…Professor?" He started.
But before Harry could speak anything further, Dumbledore said, "It's your job Harry, Remember what I told you about you being the chosen one? Many lives will be lost in this war, but they should not be looked upon as sad moments, but remembered as fond memories. I know this is hard for you, but you need to know. Don't remember Ginny as someone who is dead. When you think of her, think of all those happy moments you shared with her. Smile when you think of her. I know this is very, very difficult, but there are things worth dying for…"
MEANWHILE, the muggle world too was brimming with extraordinary events. It was somewhere between late December and early January, but the weather was harsh, stormy and rainy.
Mrs. Granger quickly shut the windows.
"Funny, isn't it? Storm in this part of the year!"
Mr. Granger told her, "Jane, you know the weather of England. It's so unpredictable. One moment it is raining and at the other bright sunshine."
But she was very serious and contradicted again, "All these things are making more scared than ever. There is lightning in the sky and thunder in the air."
"Yeah. Inside and out. Now that you mention it, I'm getting scared for Hermione. She told us about the war, and about its only result-loss and destruction everywhere. She even cautioned us that the Death Eaters could attack us as we are her parents."
"I know, Michael. And we are here in these trying times all alone. We don't even know how to protect ourselves."
With this Dr. Michael Granger went to his wife Jane and put his arm around her shoulder trying to comfort her.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise and people started screaming.
Jane ran to the window and looked out. The sight she saw before her was horrifying. The street had been blown up and several muggles killed.
As soon as she saw all this, he whispered in a low tone, "They have come…They are after us." Then she burst into tears and said, "Mike, they will kill us. We have to escape."
Together, they saw the scene at the window. Their normally picturesque surroundings had turned into a living hell. Muggles were being tortured by men in black cloaks and masks on their faces. Tears were now freely rolling down Jane's cheeks as she saw a muggle woman being levitated from the ground and her clothing strip away. Hell broke loose. The men put her on the ground and advanced towards her. People were yelling everywhere. Six men went straight to her and started doing unspeakable things. After they finished, the man with long brown hair casually picked up his wand and muttered the killing curse. After a blinding flash of green light, there was nothing more to be seen on the road.
The Grangers could not take any more of this. Jane was screaming and Michael had a look of horror on his face.
The same brown-haired man saw Jane at the window, screaming for the life of that woman, but the damage was done. He looked at the beautiful dentist and his lips curved up in a smile. Not taking his eyes off Jane, he walked over to his comrades and said, "The Grangers are here. The silly woman showed herself."
With this, around a dozen Death Eaters walked towards the Granger-Villa. The brown-haired one, with his wand out, cautioned the others, "Be careful. Dumbledore might be having this house under surveillance." The others just nodded and proceeded forward.
However, they entered the house with ease. It seemed as if there were no protective wards around the house. They went straight upstairs, to the room where Jane and Michael were. As soon as they entered the room, all the electric lights and bulbs flicked out, the entire room was engulfed by an eerie glow.
"Granger." His voice was no more than a whisper, yet so clear, so cold.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Michael said, comforting his cowering wife. Actually, he was also very scared, maybe not for himself, but surely for his family.
"Ah! Granger, you are talking as if you have never heard of us. I presume you mudblood of a daughter told you about us, the Death Eaters; and as to what we are doing here-" He looked at the others and a smile twitched near his lips, and continued, "we are here to kill you."
He slowly moved forward and pointed his wand at them. Michael thought that his best bet right now would be to buy a little more time. Timidly, he went to the man and said, "Wait! Why are you doing this to us? We haven't done anything to you."
The man laughed cruelly and hissed, "Your daughter attends Hogwarts. She is a mudblood. She is Potter's best friend. Isn't this enough reason?" Taking a harsh overtone, the man continued, "Don't think that we are fools. We know about the little conversation that you had with Dumbledore, agreeing to work for the Order of the Phoenix. But now your time is over."
With this, he lifted his wand and said, "Avada Kedavra."
After a blinding flash of green light, there was nothing more seen, nor heard.
TWO hundred kilometers away Hermione dropped to the ground unconscious.
Author's Note: Well? How was it? Please review and tell me. Many many thanks to sdonnelly for her review.
sdonnelly: this is relly sad. but i hope u update soon.
Author: I know this is a very sad story, but it does have a happy ending. I will try to update sooner now. Thank you once again.