Disclaimer: JK is right, I am just an adapter, jada jada jada, just read it.
"Hurry!" Hermione screamed, clutching to the dark robes Harry had given her after confiscating them from a fallen deatheater. Harry was digging through the rubble as Hermione crouched close beside.
"HARRY! HERMIONE!" Harry continued to work as Hermoine turned around, her eyes wide.
"Ginny!" The frightened girl ran over, dodging curses as the war raged on. Her eyes took in Hermione's withered body.
"What happened to you?" She asked breathlessly. Hermione shut her eyes, shaking her head. She pointed to the pile.
"Ron's trapped!" Ginny's head snapped to the pile, fear written all over her face.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! CREAK! BOOM! Everyone froze, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
"THE CIELING'S GOING TO CRASH!" Someone screamed. Hermione whirled around to face Harry.
"No... We have to get Ron!" The ground began to shake, trembling under the force the hail of stone caused as it fell to the floor. Harry continued to dig until someone came lumbering up.
"Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed. The man nodded.
"We have to get out. Now!" Hermione shook her head.
"Ron's stuck!" There was a huge pause, then another shatter of rock. Hagrid looked slightly sick.
"We have to get out! It's no use! We have to get out while there's still time..." More rocks fell, making Hagrid's point more clear. Tears began to run down Hermione's face as she continued to shake her head.
"We can't leave him behind..."
BOOM! Both girls screamed when the rocks shattered close by. There were hardly people left in the arena. Harry's eyes connected with Hermione's for a moment and she knew. She knew what would have to happen. Tears fell unchecked as she stood.
BOOM! Ginny grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the corridor, which thankfully hadn't collapsed yet. Both girls were crying. Harry and Hagrid followed, stopping along the way to help a fallen comrad. They had just reached the hole to the Whomping Willow tunnel. Hermione paused as Harry helped some others through. She gazed down the broken passage, sobbing.
"I can't do it..." she murmured. She then turned to Harry. "Harry... we need to go back..." Harry shook his head, flinching as the cavern continued to collapse.
"We can't... It's to late."
BOOM! "EVERYBODY GET OUT NOW!" A man screamed as he headed out of the desolated passage. He reached the two and shoved them to the entrance. "You two need to get out now! This place is going to collapse any second!" Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her into the tunnel just as the cavern collapsed, dust clouding the tunnel. They ran, struggling to find their way out before the place was destroyed. The three emerged from the hole and found themselves in the desecrated foyer of the Shrieking Shack. The house groaned as the foundation below it disappeared. Harry ran up to the door and started to kick. The man next to them pulled out a wand.
"BOMBARDA!" The door exploded and the three tumbled out. A large crowd had formed, screaming and pointing. Hermione struggled to her feet, clinging to Harry as the two watched. The Shrieking Shack gave out one last moan, shuddering. Then it died. Falling into a cloud of dust, the shack disappeared, shattering the night sky with rubble.
All Hermione and Harry could do was stare, shock filling their faces.
"NOO!" Hermione screamed, burring her face in Harry's chest, sobbing uncontrollably as he stood there limply, oblivious to the world around him and the cries of the friend beside him. Silent tears ran down his face as he stared. Finally he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as they both cried, suffocating in grief. They collapsed to the ground, neither strong enough to support the other. Harry sat there, his face burried in Hermione's hair as they sobbed and they wept. Crying for the loss of innocence and the loss of a friend...
Harry and Hermione sat on the couch together, holding onto each other. Their eyes were haunted with the event, just hours before. Some had tried to approach them, only to recieve empty stares and silent responses. Hermione was shaking terribly with injuries uncountable, but Harry wouldn't let anyone touch her, screaming at anyone who dared. The Burrow was filled with activity, Aurors trying to get information. Ministry officials conversing quietly with Order members. Press being dealt with outside, all of them asking for the Golden Trio. None of them knew...
The injured had been sent to St. Mungos and captured deatheaters were residing in Azkaban. Voldemort had managed to get away with several others, including Bellatrix. Cadin hadn't been found. The Weasley's were in the kitchen, trying to get the story out of a shell-shocked Ginny. She had remained silent ever since she had emerged from the shack. The Grangers were with them also, having been informed what had happened. No one had yet been informed about what had happened to Hermione.
"Harry..." came Hermione's small voice. His heart contracted painfully at the vuneralbility of her voice.
"What do you need?" She shifted her weight on his lap so that she could look up at him.
"He's dead..." Harry looked away from her, the truth unbearable to look at. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears from starting again. She saw what he was trying to do and started to cry again. She burried her face into the crook of his neck, her mumbling barely audible.
"He's dead..." she repeated. He shook his head.
"Stop it..." She continued to cry.
"He's dead..."
"Stop it..."
"He'd dead, Harry."
"I said stop it!" He stood up, pushing her on to the couch so he could glare at her. The fireplace burst into flames and everyone in the room stopped, captured by the scene unfolding in front of them. Hermione looked up into Harry's emrald eyes.
"Harry please!" She begged, not wanting to be alone. The anger left instantly. Fear, exhastion and pain was all that was left. He fell to his knees in front of her, gazing into her eyes. She bit her lip.
"Please Harry..." Harry finally brokedown. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head in her lap and he cried. Hermione leaned down and kissed his head, before resting her head on his, letting her tears mix with his as they fell unchecked, exposing their pain. Exposing their grief...
"We want to see the Harry, Hermione and Ron!" a reporter called from the crowd. The scene was a press briefing a day after the attack. The people on the platform were Corneilius Fugde, Albus Dumbledore, Percival Weasley, Aurthur Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody and several other Ministry officials. Strangly, Ginny Weasley was up there also. The press had been after the trio since the attack at the Shrieking Shack had become public. Dumbledore stood and approached the podium.
"I'm sorry, but they are not able to see anyone right now."
"Well, why the hell not? We've seen everyone else! Hell, we were even allowed into St. Mungos. Why can't we see the Golden Trio?" Ginny stood up, her chest rising angrily. She walked up next to Dumbledore and glared at the man who had asked the question.
"You want to know why you can't see them? Because their grieving!" Ginny screamed, angry tears stinging her eyes. "Ron's dead!" Aurthur and Percy ran up and grabbed Ginny right before she collapsed, her breathing irregular. The Minister of Magic stood up and walked up.
"No more questions."
A/N: I've got nothing to say. Most of my reviewers know me enough to expect this. Those of you who are new, well... if you read my other original stories, I'm not all about happy endings. And no, there will not be a sequel to this one.
justafishinthesea: Now you've found out...
x-Drama-Queen93-x-: Not exactly Voldemort. He never got a chance.
Ali: My meaniness just got worse.
jayne-ron-leo: no... that just shows that you're really into the story you write. If you love and hate your characters. I'm sure Rowling hates Voldemort!
Harry-Ginny Ron-Hermione: Well, first of all, Ginny can't apparate, so she had to make her way to Hogsmeade and find a fireplace. Which isn't easy seeing as deatheaters are probably lurking around. Second: Hermione's the easiest target. She's like the sister Harry never had and Ron's love. Easy target. Bellatrix is just really smart! Thrid: Hermione was already trapped before she could move to the exit, and besides. Shes a loyal friend. She'll stick beside Harry no matter what. Not saying that Ginny isn't loyal, but Harry did make a good point about the going to get help thing. thanks for the questions.
connieewing: Hey! Have you read my other story, Boogyman. I haven't heard from you. I would really like to know what you think of it!
tefy: I'm awful that way. Torturing the characters. You'll see that about me.
EmsaysGrr: Why... thank you!
Coconut Girl: Sorry about that! It was a little hard to right for me too.
KittyMojo: WOW! That was probably the most positive review I've ever gotten about a negative chapter... very interesting. (Strokes chin)
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