A/N: Written for IWSC Writing School, Round 1 (A/N with sentences to be judged at the end)

School: Hogwarts

Year: 1

Topics: Gripping Opening Sentence & Special Punctuation

WC: 774

Additional Information/Triggers: This is a "what if" take on the Battle of Hogwarts. Mentions of death, destruction, and war.

The final conflict has arrived, and Ron Weasley doesn't think twice before surrendering himself to war.

It's a massive attack on Hogwarts—doomed to be larger than the First Wizarding War—and he refuses to think about the possibility of casualties. A typical night sky appears dark gray, but it's pure black on the evening of the battle. The absence of light deprives Ron of the proper use of his senses.

His pounding heart is at the forefront of his mind as he narrowly misses a Stunning Spell. The large protective sphere around the school has been damaged enough to allow masked and unmasked enemies to fly through the barrier. Shattered castle walls, flattened tapestries, staircases disintegrated into dust; pieces of history crumble bit by bit.

Voldemort's voice rings through Ron's ears, and it's a voice that sends shivers down his spine. I do not want to spill magical blood.

As he fires spell after spell, remaining careful to step over the wounded, a breathing terror looms over the young man. His gaze darts around the castle grounds, catching fleeting visions of slashing wands, hexes, and jinxes flying in every which direction. The spellwork combination ignites hues of red and green, flashing in and out of his eyesight in a vivid array.

"Ron!"

He registers a voice—Hermione's voice—shouting at him through the masses as she presses her palm into his. She tugs on his hand to catch his attention. The action propels him into motion, and he yanks their bodies to the ground to dodge the onslaught of curses hurling at them.

The next moment passes in a hazy blur before Ron can fully process what's happening. A hooded Death Eater raises his wand at Fred, who is too preoccupied with dueling another enemy by Percy's side to spot the danger ahead.

Ron wills his feet to move; Hermione is faster.

"WATCH OUT!"

She launches her body against Fred's, and the pair tumble into a pile of rubble. A streak of green flies over their heads before colliding with the concrete wall, blowing a hole straight through the side of the castle in a massive explosion.

Ron loses track of his own two hands, and he grunts from the glass shards penetrating his skull. He blinks his eyes several times to see through the smoke. The putrid smell of burning flesh fills his nostrils. It's not enough to deter his focus; he has to find Hermione and Fred again.

Ron's eyes lock with Hermione's through the crossfire for a fraction of a second, but it's long enough to make his heart soar. The moment seizes all the time Ron would have had to cast any defensive charms or for Hermione to regain her footing. A charge of red light jolts from an attacker's wand and strikes Hermione's back. He watches in horror as her body crumples to the ground.

"No. NO!"

A voice Ron barely recognizes as his own roars through the commotion. It takes several attempts to evade curses and bewitched suits of armor before he can reach Hermione's lifeless body. He slides to a stop on his knees and lifts her head to cradle her body towards him. Her eyes are closed, and she remains non-responsive even after he gives her a gentle shake.

"No. No no no no no."

Over and over again he wails, hugging her face close to his chest and burying his nose into her frizzy curls. The ground rumbles beneath them, signaling the creation of a protective enchantment to save the pair from further harm (though Ron isn't quite sure who cast the spell). The vibration only spurs him to cling to Hermione tighter, not willing to let her go.

A heavy hand falls on Ron's shoulder and Fred crouches next to him, his voice thick with panic. "Is she…"

Bile rises up Ron's throat, but he swallows it down. Although Hermione's hands are cold and clammy, and her face is paler than it was moments ago, it doesn't mean—no, it can't mean that she's gone.

His fingers find the slender column of her neck, and he breathes out a cry of relief once he feels a slight pulse.

"She's alive… she's alive."

"Ron! I don't know how much longer I can hold this protective shield."

Percy's shouting at him as the barrier's resistance weakens, but he ignores his brother. He's not able to focus on much else beyond the sight of the girl he loves hanging on the edge of death.

"Ron, we have to move!"

It isn't supposed to end this way. She's supposed to survive.

He doesn't want this to be Hermione's last brave act.

A/N: For the punctuation challenge, I'd like the following sentences judged please:

Semicolons:

1) Ron wills his feet to move; Hermione is faster.

2) Shattered castle walls, flattened tapestries, staircases disintegrated into dust; pieces of history crumble bit by bit.

Dashes:

1) He registers a voice—Hermione's voice—shouting at him through the masses as she presses her palm into his.

2) Although Hermione's hands are cold and clammy, and her face is paler than it was moments ago, it doesn't mean—no, it can't mean that she's gone.

Brackets:

1) The ground rumbles beneath them, signaling the creation of a protective enchantment to save the pair from further harm (though Ron isn't quite sure who cast the spell).