Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Who lived...who died..read on.

Chapter 38

Changing of the Guard

It was dark. Not cloudy sky at midnight dark, but wearing a blindfold in a sealed broom cupboard dark. Harry floated through it, the rest of his senses as numb and useless as his sight. The only thing that seemed to function was his mind. He could think. For an eternity though, he had no idea what to think about. The battle was over, he knew that much. Despite the onslaught of darkness Tom had unleashed, they had made it through. Ginny had survived, as had Ron. Hermione though…he didn't know. Just like he wasn't sure if he belonged in the category of living or dead.

Keystone had said he was going into shock. That was bad right? It sounded bad. He could be dead. This total nothing ness could be other side of death where the fallen went. This could be what it looked like beyond the veil. Sirius would be here somewhere as would his parents. The problem of course was how to find them should that be the case. He could see nothing; hear nothing, in the vast emptiness.

Of course…he could also be alive. But if he was…shouldn't he be feeling the pain of the near fatal wounds he had received? He tried to check his body, or even id he still had one, but either his nerves weren't working…or they didn't exist any longer. After all he had gone through for the years of his life…the nothing was oddly calming. It was a strangely welcome reprieve from the pain and anguish he had been forced to endure at the hands of first his relatives and then a maniacal dark wizard. If he stayed here, he could let that all disappear and just be.

But staying here would also mean never seeing his friends again. Never seeing…Ginny again. No. That wasn't going to happen. He needed to wake up and he needed to see her again. Harry began thrashing his nonexistent body, trying to break free of whatever bound him. As he wrested back and forth he felt a dull pain rising from where his shoulder should be. Focusing on that, he kept going. Soon the werewolf claw mark on his forearm started pulsing with pain, followed quickly by his side. Other parts of his body came back and out of the darkness he could see the faint vestiges of light.

Consciousness began to fill his body and he could feel something considerably softer than the ground against his back. He must be back in the school…the medical ward most likely. As his senses started to return, his sense of touch began to explore his surroundings. The over robe of his uniform was gone as were the guards on his arms, but most of his other cloths were still on. The bed sheet was pulled up over him and tucked under his arms. A good sized patch of his shirt was stuck to his right side with blood as the glue. Letting out a grunted breath from the pain still dully thudding through his body, he forced his eyes open.

After taking several moments to adjust to the light, they managed to focus on his surroundings. The ceiling was very familiar from all the days and nights he had spent here at various points in his education. He had indeed reached the medical ward and Madam Pomfrey's healing magic. Judging by the look of the ceiling, he was at the far end of the room just across from her office. Warmth in his hand alerted him to another's presence and he rolled his head to the right to find a red mane of hair cascading down around a bowed head.

He took a moment to observe Ginny sitting in the chair next to his bed, head rising and failing in time with her slow breathing. She had his hand clasped in both of hers and Harry could just make out some wet spots on her uniform that appeared to be tears. Her turn to wait vigil for him. Forcing his arm to move despite the pain, Harry squeezed his hand lightly a couple times and waited for her to respond. He could hear her breath catch at the sudden action and then deepen. Her head rose slowly and her eyes locked onto his. They were red and he swallowed hard thinking that he was the reason for her tears. They lit up immediately though as she realized he was awake. He raised his hand to her cheek and brushed away a fresh tear with his thumb.

"Morning love." She smiled a little as he spoke and her hand lightly held his against her face.

"Afternoon actually." Harry shrugged as much as he could while lying in a bed.

"Whatever." His hand slipped under her hair and around her neck to pull her closer. She readily obliged and braced herself with a hand on his chest as their lips met in a deep, almost desperate kiss. By the time they broke apart she had moved to half lay next to him on the bed. He wrapped an arm around her tightly, never wanting to let her go again. Smiling once more, his eyes met hers propped up next him on one elbow. "You okay?" She nodded slowly.

"Are you?" Pain was coursing through his body, he was still slightly disorientated and images of the battle were floating in the back of his mind, threatening to overwhelm him at any moment.

"I am now." He glanced around and noticed his bed was cut off from the rest of the ward by a number of standing curtained walls boxing it into the corner and, unless he was much mistaken, a silencing charm. A dull light came from the few windows, casting the occasional shadow on the white curtain barriers. "How…how long was I out?" She rose a bit and turned back, glancing over the curtain to the wall clock he realized, before turning back to him.

"Just over twenty hours. It's half past five right now. Dinner's starting downstairs for those who can make it. Which reminds me…just a moment." Rising, she pulled free of his grasp and walked unsteadily to the corner of the makeshift walls. Poking her head out for a moment and through the ward, she spoke to someone he couldn't hear through the charm. He could see the shadow nod though and move away. She returned to his side and lay back down. "Dean's going to get us something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry and I…haven't really wanted anything." Harry nodded slowly.

"Thanks. So…Dean's okay?"

"Yeah. He, Seamus, Terry and Neville have been keeping watch just outside since Professor Keystone carried you in. Two at a time so they could get some sleep. Neville just came back so Dean could go to bed." Harry nodded slowly as she continued to talk. "Dennis is fine too; he's been up for hours helping Madam Pomfrey with injuries. She keeps going on and on about he only needs to see a healing spell once and he can almost master it. If he's not careful she'll have him for an apprentice." Harry kept nodding. Ginny was rambling now and not really looking at him.

"Ginny?"

"Did you see Neville out there? He was incredible! Saved nearly everyone at least once. I had no idea he had it in him. He even took over the clean up once I found you…" He turned a little to face her, trying to catch her eyes with his own. They were flitting around the small space, never resting as she spoke.

"Ginny."

"Lot's to do out there. They're still collecting people, centaurs mostly, and trying to figure out who everyone is. It's a real mess-"

"Ginny!" She stopped suddenly and stared at him, her eyes widening in surprise. When he was sure he had her attention, he spoke again in a softer tone. "It's okay to let it go." She stared at him for a moment, tears welling up again in her eyes. He could see it in those moist spheres; she had seen everything he had seen, possibly more and different horrors of battle as well. Though she had fought before, this was beyond what she had ever done. It was beyond his experience as well, but he had seen pointless death like this, every year since the Tournament. She had been trying to stay strong, for him or for herself; something he knew from experience wouldn't work in the long run. He could see the release as well as she finally let out the emotions she had been holding back, trying to be strong incase he wasn't as strong as he seemed.

He held her tightly, silent tears running from his eyes as she collapsed against his chest, wracked with light sobs. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, comforting each other. It could have been five minutes, an hour or the whole course of history. But he also didn't care. He had her and she had him. No matter what else happened, they would get through somehow. At some point it occurred to him that her sorrow might be for more than just what she had seen and could just as well be for someone lost. With a start he realized he still had no idea who had survived and who…hadn't.

"Ginny? Ginny?" At his light questions she slowly raised her head and found his eyes. "Ron is…all right?" She nodded slowly in confirmation before turning her head and letting it fall to rest her cheek against his chest. He breathed a sigh of relief that his best mate was still in the land of the living.

"He's fine. Everyone in my family is. Charlie took a bad step and messed up his ankle but, that's been dealt with. Mum still has no idea how we got through it all. She dropped by to check on you a while ago." Another sigh of relief came at the knowledge his surrogate family had made it through, virtually unscathed. Despite all the stuff that had happened to the Weasley's over the years, they still seemed to live something of a charmed existence that protected them from the worst. His breath caught again as his thoughts switched from his adopted family to his nearly adopted sister. Ginny felt the catch and glanced up a little. "Hermione's okay as well. She was just stunned when you saw her. Ron's just a couple beds over keeping an eye on her. Want me to get him?" Harry shook his head a little.

"Maybe in a few minutes. I'm kind of enjoying this right now."

"Okay." He would have been happy to keep lying there for a good long time, but it was not to be. A moment later Neville's head appeared through the break in the curtain wall and he coughed for attention. Ginny tried to squirm up but Harry held her firmly in place. At seeing they had both noticed him, Neville spoke.

"Madam Pomfrey's here."

"Okay…let her in."

"Yes Ma'am." His head disappeared and Ginny did break free to sit next to him on the bed as Pomfrey entered. She looked rather surprised to see Harry awake. After throwing an annoyed glance to the door guards she stepped forward to the opposite side of his bed, wand drawn. She looked fatigued but was still managing that air of calm serenity that seemed so reassuring on his previous visits here.

"Mr. Potter…you're awake."

"Surprised?"

"Uh…yes actually. I gave you a sleeping draught that should have kept you under until tomorrow morning. You time to rest and recuperate."

"Sorry. Someone I had to see." He jerked his head toward Ginny, causing her to color just a little. "Anyway…how am I doing? That fact I'm still alive is encouraging. Right?" She nodded in confirmation of what he had just said.

"Yes…it is. I'll try to make this as quick as possible so you can rest." Harry nodded and, with a little help from both, managed to push himself to a sitting position against the headboard. That little bit of exertion had taxed his already sore muscles, but it was worth not feeling like everyone was towering over him. She stepped back and started. "As far as I can tell…you should be dead." Ginny cut her a less than pleasant look, but Harry was silently thankful that at least one person in his life could always be counted on to give it to him straight. As his gesture, she continued. "You've lost a lot blood, for which you'll need to take a replenishing potion for a couple days, and your entire body has been beaten and battered to point of failure. Despite that…you will recover.

"Now…your two worst wounds were to your side and shoulder. You arm was superficial and has been healed; a task at which Mr. Creevey has proven remarkably apt." Harry noticed for the first time his left forearm was lightly wrapped in gauze and also noticed his hand still had the death grip on his wand. Forcibly prying his fingers off of the handle, he set it in his lap and flexed his hand. He nearly had to push them against the bed to get his fingers to straighten out. "Your side I've managed to repair thanks to the timely assistance of Mr. Malfoy." He could tell she was a little annoyed that Draco had known the counter spell to the attack that had slashed his side open. "He said it was the least he could do after hitting you with whatever it was." Harry's mind did a flip. He had not only helped save him, but he had also protected Ginny?

"Now…your shoulder. I'm afraid I was unable to heal it more than to stop the bleeding. Perchance do you remember what…"

"Snakebite. Big snakebite. Big, venom filled snake bite." She nodded again, this apparently confirming what she had thought. "You could call St. Mungo's and ask what they did for Arthur Weasley. The same snake bit him a couple years back. They had to let it heal on its own." She looked shocked that he would know that, but nodded after a moment as continued.

"I will. Unfortunately, it's unlikely anything has changed so you will probably have to live with it until it heals as well. It should take a couple weeks to go away." Harry nodded in acceptance. He had half expected that would be the case. "Now…I understand Mr. Thomas is bringing you something to eat? Very well. Eat as much as you can handle, drink that potion," she pointer to a green bottle on the stand next to him, "and try to get some sleep. Both of you." They both nodded slowly as she headed back to the door to check on her other patients. Just before leaving, she turned back, the cool serenity gone, replaced by…awe? "Mr. Potter…thank you for stopping V…V…You-Know-Who."

For years Harry had been receiving thanks for stopping the man despite the fact it had been his mother's work. Another time he would have said nothing. Another time he would have said it was a group effort. Another time he would have been annoyed she couldn't say Voldemort. This time he said, "You're welcome." With a nod, she passed through the curtains and back to her office. Ginny took immediate advantage of the fact they were once again alone to sit gently across Harry's lap and lean into him. He raised his still stiff fingers to wrap around her shoulders and hold her close.

A few moments later Dean appeared at the door, head first to check he could come in, carrying a large tray of food he had gathered from the Hall. On seeing Harry awake he smiled and nodded firmly, a gesture Harry returned. With a flick of his wand, a jack stand appeared out of thin air to receive the tray which also held a couple small plates. Harry stared at the array of food so hard it took him a moment to notice there was someone else in the room. Ron waited patiently at the door until Harry noticed him.

"Hey. Mind if I come in?"

"Get your arse in here!" Ron smiled and entered at Harry's comment, apparently deciding his mate was all right. Dean left a moment later leaving the three alone. Harry noticed Ron glace at them for a second, but for a wonder he didn't look the least bit annoyed that his little sister was sitting on his best friend's lap and apparently had been for a while. They just stared at each other for a moment until Harry continued. "So…how's Hermione?" Ron's eyes did a strange little thing where they looked both lost and happy at the same time. It was just a bit disconcerting.

"She's fine, resting now. Took a stunning spell for me right at the end. I was so mad…" Harry could see the scene playing itself back in the reflection of Ron's eyes. "…right after that I took out a whole pack of Death Eaters in like three seconds. I'm still not sure what I did…" His eyes came back up and shone clearly again. "But you should have seen the way she was fighting! There were spells she was using I've never even heard of before. Everything that got near us she seemed to know how to counter. It was…incredible…" The pride and awe was clear in his voice and Harry left him alone in his memories for a few moments before snapping him back.

"Call me crazy Ron, but I'd almost say you're in love." Instead of one of his half thought through comebacks, Ron merely blushed a deep red. Another time Harry would have pushed the matter further, but right now…he was hungry. With Ginny's help he managed to get a day's worth of food packed into himself in the next few minutes. Ron even risked her swatting hands to grab himself a bit to eat as well. It was just as well he did since the pair couldn't have finished the tray themselves.

After the filling meal and setting the stray aside, Ron took the seat Ginny had vacated. Harry glanced back and forth between the siblings who both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. He knew the next question he had to ask would be one they would prefer to put off, but it had to asked soon. "So…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "Who…didn't make it?" Ron and Ginny glanced at each other, not sure whether or not to answer. "Come on you two. You have to tell me sometime. I know Grawp is…dead. Who else?" After a moment Ginny pushed away a little and turned to him, trying to figure out where to begin. Being in command, the DA was first on her mind.

"Colin is dead. Hannah too. Their whole squad was crushed to death by a giant's club. They got surrounded by Inferi and…had nowhere to run…" Harry winced at the information. It had been foolish to hope everyone might survive as they had at the Ministry, but it was a hope had maintained none the less.

"Does Dennis know?"

"Yeah. I don't think he's accepted it though. I think he's trying to work himself to death here so he doesn't have to think about it." Her eyes rose to the curtains as if she could see him moving through it. "Professor McGonagall is going to knock him out soon. Speaking of the Headmistress…most of the teachers are okay as well though Professor Sprout looks to be permanently injured. I don't know how." Ron was nodding slowly as well, thinking over each of the names as she said him. "We lost a couple other students as well…including one of Hermione's old roommates. You know…the quiet one with the hair?" She made a gesture to indicate the style.

"Yeah. I remember."

"All told…we actually got off rather lightly. Half the Aurors here and a third of those who came, sixteen total, are dead, the rest injured except for Tonks and Savage. Did you see Fudge showed up?" Harry nodded slowly at the question, his mind reeling at the level of casualties. And there were still more he was sure. Ginny though seemed to falter in her recitation. Ron noticed it and smoothly took over for his sister.

"Pettigrew caught Remus with his last attack, but he's changed back now and looks like he'll recover. The rest of the Order though…" Ron trailed off not able to finish the sentence.

"Ron…? What? Who?" The young wizard bit he lip for a moment before whispering the name.

"Moody." Harry was stunned again at the name. No way does a man like Alastor Moody get killed like that. "He…was cut down after avenging Hesta Jones. Got too slow after all these years I guess. Rest of the Order didn't fair much better. Sixteen more dead there and nine injured including Podmore and Doge. Kingsley and my family seemed to be the only ones that came through unscathed. Speaking of my brothers…Fred and George are fine. But the others they led in…" He took a breath as he remembered exactly what had happened. "Four of the Beuxbaton students were drowned when their horses were knocked out and landed in the Lake. The merpeople brought them to the shore after the battle but…it was too late to help them. Krum made it through, as did most of his friends. A few were killed though, surprised from behind when that last group of Eaters arrived with…Voldemort." He trailed off as well and Harry could see the battle relaying in his friends eyes as it had been in his mind.

All three were silent for several minutes, content to let time slip away in this one quiet corner of the ward. The death toll was terrible, but it was over. And the cost would have been infinitely higher if they had failed. Harry now knew roughly who among their allies would live to see the peace after the fight…but who still remained that might fight that peace?

"Ron…what about the other side?" Ron's head came up again and this time rattled off the figures with a cold efficiency.

"They came off much worse. Seventy-three Death Eaters dead. Twenty-two injured and captured. They're being held here, guarded by Aurors and Order members. Somewhere between twenty-five and thirty escaped, fled for their lives. Twenty-eight dead werewolves, two captured, 4 escaped. All the giants are dead. The centaurs hunted down those who fled and finished them off. There are also the charred bodies of some eight-hundred Inferi that need to be dealt with." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "And one ex-potions master."

"Snape? How? When?" Harry had thought he was stunned before, but the idea that Snape had also been taken out…

"You…should ask Keystone. He says he saw him die."

"Okay…" Harry considered the even larger death toll the other side had endured for a moment before raising his eyes to Ron. "Say…you forgot one." Ron and Ginny both turned to him, confused.

"Who?" Harry actually managed a weak smile.

"You can scratch one Dark Wizard." The others managed a small smile as well.

"Well…Fudge'll be happy to hear that. He's been waiting on your word to make the announcement. Fred and George have already headed back to their shop to stock up. They figure it'll be one hell of a party this time around."

"Well…why don't you go tell him I said Voldemort's gone for good?" With a new mission, Ron rose and nodded.

"Will do. Take care."

"You too." After a moment and a nod to his sister, Ron ducked out to find the Minister. Neville's head popped back in after he passed through.

"Madam Pomfrey." The medi-witch entered and glanced at them in a slightly reproving manner, but Harry kept Ginny firmly sitting on his lap.

"Mr. Potter…I'm closing the ward for the evening so all of you can get some rest. Also so you won't be mobbed by people, which is what these were for." She indicated the curtains with a wave of her hand. "So, I was wondering if you'd like me to remove them. Personally I believe it would do you good not to hide and do the other patients well to see you're okay." Harry nodded quickly.

"Quite right. Sounds good to me." She moved to slide the first curtain aside. "Let me." Extending his arm, he focused for a second and then all of the curtain panels rose a few inches and floated over to the wall, silently stacking themselves out of the way. She stared wide eyed at the display and again as he took down the silencing ward. Seamus and Neville, now with nothing to guard, looked around awkwardly. "Get some sleep you two. I'll be fine." With a grin and a nod, they headed for the door. Ginny spoke close to his ear.

"If you think you can cope…I'm going to go get some sleep in my own room. Besides…I'm still a dreadful mess."

"You look beautiful. And no, I don't think I can cope. You stay here." With a flick of his wand, the table and tray melted down and transfigured into a rather nice bed. With a grin and a kiss, she hopped off his lap and went to examine her new sleeping arrangement. Harry's eyes rose and swept the room to find at least thirty people crammed into the ward, those who were awake now staring at him. Ron, already returned and sitting on the edge of a sleeping Hermione's bed, had a cockeyed grin as he watched the display. Harry waved to them. "Uh…hi!" After a second of hesitation, a round of silent cheers rose from the patients still awake which he accepted with a nod. As it died down, his eye focused on the far side of the room and the bed closest to the door.

Professor Keystone was seated on a stool next to it, one foot propped up on the edge and his back against the wall. His head was pointed down at the bed, his empty eye sockets staring at the occupant through the black fabric tied around his head. Harry's eyes followed his nonexistent gaze to the patient. They popped a little wider when he realized it was Keystone's friend Matt. But unlike the jovial fellow he had encountered a few times before; there was no trace of life in this face. The skin was pale and cold, his chest unmoving. With fumbling hands the Defense instructor pulled the sheet the rest of the way up to cover the lifeless body completely.

As he settled back onto his stool, the door opened to admit its last person before Madam Pomfrey secured it for the night. She cast a wary glance at the pair of shaped leather cases Professor Montoya carried and they exchanged a few words as she passed. Pomfrey still looked wary but allowed the other woman to enter and continue on. After sealing the door she began making her way back down the ward, dimming lights as she went. Combined with the coming night, it cast the room in a soft twilight glow. As he slid down into his bed, he could see Montoya opening both cases and pulling out instruments he knew belonged to the pair. She nearly forced one into Keystone's hands and raised her own to her chin.

As he lay all the way down he could just make out their whispered conversation. Professor Montoya seemed to be trying to convince him of something. "You promised and now you're going to do it."

"Hey I was drunk."

"Not my fault you like Firewhiskey. Besides, you don't get drunk on it. It's a waste of good liquor. You much prefer vodka to get hammered."

"Fine I wasn't drunk. I promised because I didn't think there was any way in hell I'd outlive him. Happy?"

"No. You promised him that if he died first you'd do it. I was there, I'm a witness."

"You were physically there. Mentally…"

"Damnit Alex. Just do it."

"Okay! Okay…" He raised the violin to his chin. "You asked for it." A moment later the bow hit the strings and a single long tone came out, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. After fading away a second came from Montoya's instrument. This too was allowed to fade before both began again in a soft requiem that reminded Harry eerily of the song Fawkes had sung the previous year. It was gentle and peaceful yet seemed to speak to his very soul of loss and lament. He could feel the others in the room thinking the same thing. For the second time in two years, music filled the medical ward in the wake of horrible death.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Professor Keystone's voice sounded with the music. His low baritone fitting the piece perfectly.

"The minstrel boy to the war is gone,
In the ranks of death you'll find him;"

At this point Professor Montoya's voice joined in, her higher pitch acting as the perfect counterbalance to his.

"His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;
"Land of Song!" cried the warrior bard,
Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy right shall guard,"

Keystone dropped out, apparently unable to continue, leaving Montoya to finish the last line herself.

"One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The tune was played once again, somehow soothing the souls and mind of everyone who heard it. Harry remembered, just before he went to sleep, words Dumbledore had spoken on his first night in this castle. "Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here!" The man was wiser than any probably realized.

(A/N): The Minstrel Boy is by Thomas Moore.

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.