Grief

Chapter 2: The grief of a Sister

"Grief and sadness knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can; and common sufferings are far stronger than common joys." Alphonse de Lamartine

It was like an earthquake. Tremors impulsively ran through her insides as her eyes instinctively rolled over the destruction that had the depressing result of a war of magic. Her stomach came into her throat as she saw the lonely corpses of hundreds. Immediately she sank to her hands and knees and wretched sour stomach acid into a nearby dead bush.

Once her stomach felt settled, she slumped clumsily onto her back. Her throat was dry and every swallow was painful. A cold sweat had erupted over her body that made her tattered clothing stick to her small frame uncomfortably.

As she lay there amidst rocks and thorny bushes her mind began to wonder. Closing her eyes she traveled back to a time of joyfulness and smiles. Uncharacteristically she began to weep. As tears traveled down her dirt-smudged cheeks, she remembered how happy she had once been just last year. After her fourth year at Hogwarts her life had began a strange spiral that had led up, treacherously, to this very moment.

Suddenly she sprang up and began to look around her wildly. Somewhere, in the distance, she could hear the yells of others, just like herself, trying to gain control of their loves, and hopefully, fund there so cherished loved ones. Standing tiredly, she knew what she had to do. She gave herself the freedom of three very long, deep breaths to gather her wits. After the past tedious hors her mind was edging towards the end of the rope and was fraying at the edges.

On shaky legs, she began to walk. Her mind was now focused and clear towards her purpose. She began walking from limp body to limp body hoping that among the unmoving there were a few survivors.

"Hello?" She whispered into the ear of a body upon the hard earth. It was a woman who was extremely lovely underneath the dirt and grime of a long and tedious battle. "Hello?" She whispered again. Pointing her wand at the immobile woman she whispered a few simple incantations to counter act curses which may freeze the body or make it seem lifeless.

She sighed deeply after a few moments. Slowly the woman raised her brown eyes and looked at the witch who had awoken her.

"You're going to be all right;" the woman leaning over her laughed in joy at no longer being alone in this dark new world.

"What... How?" The poor woman on the ground asked softly as she reached her bearings.

"It's over... Everything is over. The ministry is looking for survivors. Here," the helpful woman said as she conjured a glass of water.

"My name is Ginny, Ginny Weasley," She smile quaked as she looked down at the hurt woman. Suddenly she took her wand and pointed it at the air, "Lumos!" She shouted, fiercely.

With a pop a balding, red-haired man who looked very tired appeared beside her.

"Dad!" Ginny screamed, suddenly overwhelmed.

"Ginny dear. I'm so glad you are okay." He grasped his daughter in his arms and kissed her tangled red hair. "Gin, I have..." Tears burst from Arthur's eyes as his senses got the best of him.

"Dad, I know things are not... good," she took a deep breath to steady herself. In the forefront of her mind she saw the faces of all those who she loved and pictured each as empty and soul-less as so many who surrounded her. Knowing the tars were preparing to fall, she finished the thought she was saying. "But we can't do this now." The water gates opened as she realized she was postponing any knowledge of injuries or worse.

Mr. Weasley nodded absently and laid his eyes on the unknown woman drinking water on the ground.

"Come with me, ma'am. We'll find out whom you are and what to do next." Arthur helped the woman off the ground and reached fro Ginny's arm. "You should come with me too. Now that I know you are okay, I don't want you out of my sight."

"Ginny knew her dad was relieved that she was healthy and whole, but she was needed here. Inwardly she cursed being so self righteous for really, there was nothing she would rather do than return to the Burrow, wrap herself within the many homemade quilts and pretend as though nothing had happened.

"Dad, no. I'll find my way back soon. I think I can help here, more than feeling sorry for myself." Her voice was shaky but her eyes were steady on her fathers. He knew she was right, and understood her perseverance.

Nodding his head solemnly, he said, "You can help. Just raise your wand, with a beam of light, and a ministry worker will be here immediately to assist you. We've already rounded up what's left of the death eaters, so no fear."

The unknown woman watched the father and daughter thoughtfully. As Arthur took her arm, they dissapperated.

Ginny stood alone again, feeling the chill of loneliness crawl up her back, and pull her torn t-shirt closer around her. With a quick glance around she set off again.

Bodies were sparse by this time. Witches and wizards had either awoken from the spells they were under. Or others had come and claimed the unfortunate dead bodies. Ginny pitied herself and felt more alone than ever. She knew that her father and warm familiar comfort was only a wand raise away, but she was compelled to wander only a little bit further.

She marched off into the dirty, dusty distance ahead. Ginny's mind was blank for the next few minutes, but her steps never wavered. Her body felt rough and hard, unlike her old self.

Her eyes were glazed over and she wasn't really seeing what lay ahead of her. She knew that she was, for the most part, alone. That seemed the most important part, as it seemed to consume her.

Suddenly she faltered and stepped on something beneath her small feet made her steps stop and slip from beneath her. Rubbing the sensitive part of her head where it had made contact with the hard ground. She groaned in pain. Sitting up on her bottom she looked beside her to see what had tripped her.

There lay another body. This, a frail older man, seemed unnatural and most definitely dead. Ginny sighed in disappointment. She was deadly sick of death and destruction. Frustration filled her being as desperation tumbled within her.

Just in case, Ginny thought, and she reached out to check to mans pulse. Rather to see if a pulse existed within his pale, broken body. Nothing. He was the past, she thought.

In the dead quiet she felt some ones presence behind her. She whipped her head around and saw one of the loveliest pictures she had withheld in an exhaustibly long time.

"George," Ginny mouthed wordlessly.

For Ginny Weasley, as she watched her ginger-haired brother stumble toward her, the horrifying images of the day seemed fictional. He came to her and wrapped his long arms around her. She felt momentary relief as he held her to his lanky form. But that feeling soon passed as she remembered the awful place she was now standing.

"George," Ginny whispered close to his ear. She felt his body shudder as he withheld a sigh of sudden gratitude.

"I'm so glad you are okay," George stuttered out while bringing his lovely sisters face into his large hands. "Ginny... Ginny," he said trying to find the words to ask questions that were undeniable on each of their minds.

"I don't know, George. Lets forget about this all..."

"We can't, you know that." Ginny did know. She knew all too well that the events of the past two days would forever be imprinted on her mind. The truth, she feared to say, was the reality that every time she closed her eyes she would see his face. This was the same man's face that had plagued the wizarding world for decades. It didn't matter that it was all over now, in Ginny's mind it had only begun.

"Let's go home. We can see who else is there, and maybe rest a bit." Ginny shot George a look from the side of her eyes. There would be no rest to be gotten by any within their community for a while yet.

"As George grasped Ginny's arm for side-along apparation they took one last look at the result. It was the end of Lord Voldemort.