Ron and Hermione walked into St. Mungo's intensive care and saw Draco in one of the cots with Scorpius sitting by his side. Draco's hollow and sunken face was the only visable part as the cot's blanket covered the rest.
"Weasley, Granger," said Draco coughing slightly.
"Draco," said Hermione gently.
"Scorpius, find me a Healer, please?" asked Draco as he struggled to hold his head. Although slightly hesitant, Scorpius got up from the chair and walked out of the room. Once he was out of the room, Draco cleared his throat to get Ron and Hermione's attention.
"How are you doing, Granger?" asked Draco with his gravelly voice.
"Fine, thank you," said Hermione, softly.
"And the baby?" asked Draco. "Where is she?"
"She's in good hands," said Ron. "My mum's with her."
"Scorpius said her name was Ruby," said Draco.
"Yes, Ruby Weasley," said Hermione.
"Very good," hummed Draco, nodding his head in approval and softly smiling. Then, Draco's content expression changed as he began to cough.
"Hang in there, mate," said Ron. "You'll get through this…."
"Weasley, lift up the covers" said Draco hoarsely. Hermione hesitantly nodded her head to Ron, so Ron gently lifted the heavy linen blanket.
"Bloody hell," said Ron looking at the dark veins around Draco's forearms and sternum.
"No!" gasped Hermione as her eyes widen with fear. "It can't be!"
"What?" asked Ron.
"The Naqualm curse," said Hermione. "It's a blood curse. It causes your veins to go black because the iron in your blood..."
"My blood is poisoned," coughed Draco. "At this point, it's incurable."
"Those spells that Charmer used..." said Ron.
"He wanted me dead," said Draco with his chest heaving. "Looks like he's getting his wish."
Just then, Hermione collapsed into the wicker chair next to Draco as her knees shook from both exhaustion from labour and the gravity of Draco's fate.
"I have lots of regrets in my life…" said Draco, with each breathe softer and hoarser than the last. "I'm sorry...for what I did...to you two...in school…"
"Draco, please!" insisted Hermione. "We don't need to bring that up now - that's all in the past! We...we forgive you, don't we Ron?"
"Can we get a Healer, please!" called Ron out of desperation.
"You, forgive me?" asked Draco with tears in his eyes.
"Yeah," said Ron genuinely. "We forgive you."
"I need you two...to please," wheezed Draco. "I don't know where Astoria is…I don't have much family left…" As Draco struggled to speak and keep his gaze focused, Ron knew that Draco was dying, but Draco was trying to hold on to whatever life he had left to talk to them.
"Please...swear to me that you'll take care of Scorpius…" said Draco. "Please."
"Of course," said Hermione.
"We swear," said Ron as a team of Healers rushed over to tend to Draco..
"Father?" cried a frightened Scorpius who ran to his father's side. "What's happening? Father!"
"Scorpius," said Draco softly smiling and reaching one of his arms out to touch his son's face.
"Father," cried Scorpius as he grabbed his father's almost blackened arm. "No, please...you can fight this!"
"I love you," said Draco.
"I love you, too," sobbed Scorpius. "Please...don't go...not yet…"
"Be brave," said Draco. "...and be kind..." And with that, Draco took his last breath and his life left his eyes. Scorpius stopped crying for a second as he stood up from leaning over his father's cot, before letting out a gut-wrenching cry that echoed through the halls.
"NO!" wailed Scorpius. Without thinking, Ron grabbed the boy and pulled him in for an embrace.
"Hey," said Ron as Scorpius sobbed into Ron's shoulder. "I've got you."
"Bloody hell," whispered Hugo as he surveyed the castle.
Albus and Rose could hardly recognized the castle after the attack left it mostly destroyed. There were large holes, blasted walls, and broken glass around the grounds. When the three teenagers reached the Great Hall, stretchers and cots for the injured replaced the tables and benches reserved for meals and study halls.
"Albus!" called out Ginny as she ran towards him and hugged him.
"Mum!" cried Albus as he tried to hold back his tears.
"Where's your mum and dad?" asked Ginny to Rose and Hugo. "And Scorpius?"
"At the hospital with Mr. Malfoy," said Rose with a trembling voice. "Something wrong with him, Aunt Ginny."
"Where's Dad?" asked Albus. Ginny's soft smile dropped as she turned her head towards her husband. Al and Rose looked over and saw Harry with his arm around Neville who was kneeling over a long, white shape.
The figure was Hannah Abbott, the next matron of the hospital. As Al and Rose walked towards the corner where Hannah laid, they noticed other covered bodies of students who had been in the hospital wing at the time of the explosion as well as students and adults that had been killed in action.
Rose felt tears coming down her face as she saw Neville crying into the palms of his hand. Even Hugo was numb with grief at the sight, not even noticing that Ginny had put her hand behind his back to comfort Hugo. Just as Al pulled Rose into his shoulder, his heart sunk as he noticed Evie Longbottom sprinting down the Great Hall with Iris trailing behind her.
"Mum!" cried Evie, collapsing on top of her mother. "Mummy!" Upon hearing his daughter's cries, Neville immediately embraced Evie while Ginny put her right arm around Iris as she sobbed into Ginny's sleeve.
Al finally broke when he saw Harry's face covered in dust, defeat, exhaustion, and grief. After almost a year of fighting the enemy, all Harry had to show for it was destruction and death. Once that realization hit Al, he buried his face in Rose's hair so no one could see him crying.