Harry jumped on the slide to get down from rampart and then he ran at top speed screaming some kind of war cry. Somewhere inside his head there was image of lanky red haired figure falling down from the tree. It was there and he could not stop it, however he could run and destroy that hated enemy, who did this. His body was moving, leading him forward to save that loved blured shape which only a moment ago flew above his head to attack Voldemort. Harry knew he cannot be quick enough but he was running, trying, wishing for the broom in his hand, knowing he cannot win this run.
Earth trembled by many feet running and air rang with many voices yelling as defenders followed his lead in leaving relative safety of castle and attacking their enemies. There were several "swish" sounds over his head as another broom riders followed Ginny into the center of emerging battle. He had to admire their courage to go there and get slaughtered and in same instance he wanted to sit on his Firebolt and ride with them. Brooms were there and first hexes from Death Eaters were coming in Ginny's way. She made changed her course little and easily dodged them. Few initial spells then turned into dense rain of curses. Her movements became blurred as she tried to do acrobatics for a moment and then dived headlong into the wall of spells as if she could get through to the murderer of her brother.
Harry gritted his teeth as he thought that it was her end, however it was not. Wood and his team catch up with her, extended their wands and cast shielding spells together. And unbelievably like heroine in a fairy tale, she got through to the other side of spells wall. She was now near her target, dodged green burst of light from Elder wand by using sloth grip Quidditch movement and took out her wand. Spells were coming from every side and she was already partially hit by several of them. Bloody in face she flied at Voldemort and cast her best Bat-Bogey hex diving at him.
Other broom riders were no longer covering her, as they needed to take care of themselves, Death Eaters were hurling curses not only on Ginny now. One of the riders was already down and others were furiously trying to get away from all those spells. Pressure on them weakened few moments later as running wizards got in range using advantage of not being targeted. Battle cries from the border of the forest told that Neville's group of anti Voldemort movement was real and that they joined in their attack. And also there were Centaur arrows swishing through air and hitting Voldemort's legion. Harry furiously engaged first masked Death Eater, sending spells in quick succession while dodging enemy spells and trying to run forward. He lost view of Ginny but fought for her with all his might and courage. It was dangerous, death could come from every side, but they were progressing quickly, because suddenly there were more wizards on their side and he was usually attacking Death Eater who was trying to attack someone else or someone was helping him attack Death Eater who he was fighting with. Feeling of desperation was getting larger inside his head as he wanted to move forward faster when one of the Giants fell to ground. He attacked another dark figure fighting with someone from order and it didn't dodge his binding spell, body crumbling to the ground. He heard Arthur's Weasley voice: "Good hit, Harry!" He didn't care or wait and moved, along someone else lying in the growing pool of his own blood, forward to encounter another enemy. It seemed almost forever, but Harry was getting to the center of battlefield, where Voldemort was. He ducked some purple spell and then he saw it. Behind dead body of the Giant. Voldemort was lying there on the grass, not moving. And there was Ginny's body too not very far away. Bloody and broken. He was too late. Adrenaline rush, which he was riding on, was suddenly dripping away as he was staring at her body. World stopped turning. Heart stopped beating. Then big Hagrid's arm hit him to save him from green burst of light and Harry's face hit the ground. He got to his knees, looking around wildly like in some kind of dream - everyone was fighting and she was lying in the middle as some defeated goddess of battle. Her head in wrong angle, face bloody with non moving eyes. He wanted to stop it, he could not let them do so much noise around, when she was dead. Slowly anger burst into his mind. Why they should fight, when they were dead?
"Sonorus," heard Harry himself cast in strangled voice while getting to his feet.
"Voldemort is dead!" He yelled. "We won! Surrender!" His voice was booming through the battlefield.
Then he put his wand away from his throat and looked around to see if they will really stop. Some of enemy wizards started to surrender, others tried to escape and some of them tried to attack Harry. Boy-who-lived instinctively dived and returned fire simultaneously, furious that they do not understand and then again dived. For a moment he was trying the impossible, survive the rain of spells from all sides which was considerably weaker than attack on Ginny, but still deadly. Hagrid punched one of the Death Eaters into the face and moved to another, which was soon flying trough air like ball towards his third comrade. It was hot with spells all around, but also it was over soon. Harry was lying on the floor, breathing quickly. His heart was beating like it was going to jump out of his chest and run somewhere away. Slowly he turned over and tried to get on the knees and then stand up. Everything was aching. There were many small injuries all around his body, cuts, burns, bruises, he didn't know, how he survived. Also bursts of pain were coming from one of his ribs with each movement, it was probably broken. Around him there were many lying bodies. High figure with pointed hat was casting "Incarcerous" on a Death Eater to tie him, it was Professor McGonnagal by stern voice.
Harry slowly moved forward to the bodies of red heads. They were not moving. He didn't know what to do, he didn't what to think, he didn't know how it even got to this? Why was Voldemort doing this? Why was Voldemort doing this to him? Pain in his throat was getting worse as he slowly moved close to them. Boy-who-lived fell to his knees beside Ginny's body and his wand fell to the ground, his hand brushing her long hair. He started to move hair away from her face and he also wanted to remove blood, but didn't know how to start. It was hard to accept, she could not be dead. She could not! She was Harry's future, she was waiting to be with him after battle with Voldemort. She was his hope. And she was gone. Gone as Sirius was. Gone as Hedwig was. Gone as Dobby was. As many others was.
This was that terrible power of Voldemort, this was what gave him power over others. He could take away lives of loved ones and he was doing it. He was doing it to others and to Harry because of some stupid prophecy. Harry wanted to be angry, he wanted to destroy something, to storm at someone and shout at him. He wanted to do anything else, but to look at Ginny and acknowledge, that she was gone. She was staring upwards to whitening sky, not able to see beautiful sunrise. First sun beams have started to reflect on her hair, giving them their true red color. Great shadow took her flame from her hair away for a moment and Harry looked up to see Hagrid putting body of his best mate beside Ginny's. Hagrid's face was full of tears and Harry knew that his own face was wet with tears too. Hagrid come to his side and put his hand on Harry's shoulder sobbing loudly: "I'm so sorry."
There he was. Ron. his best mate. Ever. They eat together, fought together, laughed together. Ron was with him in this from the start in the train, through all those years at school, to the end and now... He was gone too. Someone put heavy hand on his shoulder and it felt as if someone else put hand on shoulder of some other Harry living in other world, where those really bad things happened. Slowly he looked up to see Arthur Weasley behind him, with white, strained face, red eyes looking somewhere to the ground. He didn't have to say anything. He didn't want to. Molly Weasley came to sit to Ron's body, then covered him entirely, she cried: "Ronald! How dare you to do this to me!" There was no real anger in her voice.
Harry could not move. Of course this was his fault. He should have go to the forest and meet Voldemort, then Ron and Ginny would live, laugh again and be happy. Voldemort was defeated, however it didn't feel as a victory. Harry felt defeated. Harry closed his eyes as he could not look anymore at mourning Weasleys and he felt again as if he don't belong here. It was all his fault.
He heard voice cry: "How I hate you!" And a thud. It was Fred kicking into the stomach of Vodlemort's body. One, two, three times. Then Snake man's hand moved and in next moment, he opened his red eyes. Boy who lived stood up and tried to curse his eternal enemy, but his wand was in the grass. He leaped for it, ready to curse, however it was too late. Fred kicked Voldemort again and this time to the head. And one more time. Red eyes closed again, snake face bloody and body unmoving. There was Arthur holding his wand ready, also Molly wand ready with curse on her lips, Percy with Bill and Fleur, all of them ready sooner than Harry was.
Moment of mourning have quickly changed to moment of danger, Harry felt his heart thumping in his ears again and all his instincts were to attack his eternal enemy. Kill him. Everyone was waiting for one more movement, ready and it surprised them to hear deep voice of leader of the Order of Phoenix: "He can't die, unless Harry dies. Fred, take away his wand. Then all stand back and on three cast Stupefy."
For a moment it was not clear what will Fred do. There were emotions fighting in his face. His anger was clearly visible and his hand was trembling. Then he shot quick glance at Harry and nodded. He took Voldemort's wand and was about to put it in his jacket, then he frowned and pointed Elder wand at Voldemort and murmured something. There was a flash and bang and snakelike face has changed. Now Tom Riddle had long nose and ears. Fred slowly took two steps back, evil grin on his face and with others, he cast Stupefy on Voldemort. Red light joined on one target. Then... then they slowly lowered their wands. Shacklebolt conjured magical ropes which tied their lying enemy.
"We need to move him to some secured location, where he can't escape and his followers can't free him. Anyone knows where McGonnagal is?" Asked Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"I saw her just a moment ago," said Harry in alien voice surprising himself and pointed to the direction where her pointed hat was before.
"Can you bring her here, Harry?" Asked leader of the Order.
Harry glanced to Ginny and Ron and then nodded. He wanted to be here with them, but felt he caused this, he also knew that they needed to take care of Voldemort. He turned and walked away quickly, nearly running, looking for his transfiguration teacher. However she was not there. Instead Harry saw Luna and Neville levitating masked figure of Death Eater somewhere, so he quickly called for them "Luna! Neville!" They stopped and looked at him, they waited until he was near enough.
"Are you all right, Harry?" Asked Luna staring at Harry's face.
"What do you think?" Blurted unhappily Boy-Who-Lived, severely hurt from outside and more from inside, before he could stop himself. He was feeling mix of anger and sadness, he wanted to cry and shout at the same time. He wanted some more Death Eaters to fight. He so much wanted anything else than this.
"Is..." started Neville to ask and then he stopped and looked to the ground: "Is... really Ron... dead?" He managed in the end to finish that question.
Harry felt it was hard to talk, his throat was clenched and eyes wet again. He took his time and swallowed before he answered the question. It was hard to believe that, however he had to say it: "Yes, he is."
It was out there and Harry was looking to the ground too, not able to look at his friends.
He heard her quick movement and then he was embraced by Luna who whispered: "I'm sorry to hear that Harry. He was really funny person and good friend. I will miss him."
Neville joined their embrace and managed to say: "I'm sorry."
Harry was still looking to the ground and through his teeth he said: "Ginny is dead too." He felt his friends grip to change for a moment and for that moment he feared they will leave him for what he have done. However they did not, they were still standing with him. Not running away from him, because he was so dangerous to those around him.
"Oh, ... it is really no surprise, it is very hard to survive what she did." Luna spoke again first, her voice was heavy with sadness, "I suppose it was too much for her. I stood there on rampart and I felt too, that I can't stand it anymore. She was only first and quickest."
"I too had enough," added slowly Neville, "I can't stand it, when someone is using his power in such way, to attack others. If he used Crutiatus curse, I would be first to attack, not she."
"But he is not dead yet," said Harry slowly suddenly aware, why he was here and broke their embrace. "I need to find McGonnagal and bring her to Kingsley."
"Who is not dead?" Asked Neville.
"Voldemort!" replied suddenly angry Harry.
"What happened?" Asked Neville for more information.
"We stunned him, he is alive and we need to move him to secure place." Harry still felt angry somehow and was again impatient to do something.
"Well, professor McGonnagal should be in Great Hall."
"Great," said Harry, turned and make few steps forward to be stopped by Luna's hushed voice: "Wait Harry, ..."
Boy-who-lived stopped and looked back at Luna's unhappy face and red eyes as she asked: "What... about Hermione? Is she..."
"No!" He shouted angrily and felt torn again.
"I don't know where she is, ... she was there with Ron but haven't revealed herself, I need to find her... perhaps she needs help." Harry thought about person in pool of blood he missed during battle.
"We can get McGonnagal and you can go search for Hermione," suggested Neville.
"There is no need! I'm here." Said scottish accented voice of transfiguration professor. She was walking to them making long strides. "Kingsley send me Patronus, lead the way, Harry."
Boy-who-lived nodded to his friends and left with his teacher after quick: "Take care."

When they got back to the Kingsley, they decided to move Voldemort to Hogwarts staff room and assign two guards there. They could not spare many wizards however it was of utmost importance to have him guarded. They agreed to say that Snake-man is dead, however they thought Death Eaters can try to recover his body anyway. So it would be good to have trap for them, so they transfigured one dead Dead Eater to look like Voldemort and brought his body to the Great Hall. Harry was mostly looking at Weasleys during all of this, dead and alive and then turned away to start search for Hermione.
"Hey Hagrid," Harry found his friend walking sadly around the corpse of giant in the middle of battlefield and big man hugged him immediately.
"It's a pity 'nother of 'hem have died, even if he was with You-Know-Who. I'm glad you're alive, Harry."
When he let Harry go and he could breath again, he asked wet from Hagrid's tears: "Have you seen Hermione?"
"No," said Hagrid looking around and not into Harry's face.
"She was with Ron, when..." it was hard to say it and again he felt knot rise in his throat. "... under invisibility cloak... however she did not emerge with Ron."
"Let's go to look under that tree, maybe she is under the cloak and need help." said Hagrid and they walked forward searching the ground. Sun was rising and there was enough light however grass was stomped to the ground by many feet of fighters and it was not possible to see invisible body by divided grass. Harry was looking around and thought: "She can't be dead too, she have to be alive." And he knew well that if she is under the cloak, it will be very hard to find her. What was the spell Riddle used to find them? Is there something similar he could cast? He made another step thinking about possibilities when he stumbled upon something. Something invisible. He crouched down and felt familiar touch of his cloak. Slowly he took it away fearing what he will reveal.
It was Hermione, not moving with closed eyes. Is she dead? Harry suddenly could not move to look. He did not have strength. Is she dead? Or not? He felt hot tears running down his face. Hagrid noticed he found her and came. He dropped down to one knee and put his ear to her breast, looked at Harry and gave him bearded smile: "She's 'live, Harry.
Some of the weight was lifted from shoulders of Boy-Who-Lived. She was alive. He quickly dropped on his knees too and asked looking at Hermione's face: "What is with her?"
"She's just stupefied. I don't have my wand to enervate her, sh'me they destroyed it."
Harry took out Draco's wand and cast "Enervate!" There was a flash and Hermione opened her eyes. She looked wildly around and cried: "Harry! Voldemort! He discovered us!" Then she slowed down looking at tear stained faces around her as her eyes focused. "He stupefied me!"
"Who?" Asked Harry.
"Ron!" She cried and Harry understood. He remembered well, how he felt when Dumbledore died that night falling down from the tower. He was not able to do anything just watch him die. So Ron knew they were discovered and Stupefied Hermione and got from under the cloak to save her. How noble, how Griffindor.
"What happened?" Asked Hermione and her eyes were full of panic.
"Where is Ron?" She asked again as nobody replied. Harry saw her again kissing his friend in the Room of Requirement before battle started. He saw Voldemort's vision before Ron destroyed locket of Slytherin. He saw himself embracing naked Hermione and kissing her.
Harry shaked his head, looked at Hermione and managed to say through the knot in his throat: "He..., he is dead, Hermione,... I'm sorry." She was looking at him like she did not believe him. Then she mouthed "No" and started to cry. He hugged her as he remembered how Luna and Neville did same for him. It did not make it go away, however it felt somehow little better. Hagrid hugged them too and Harry repeated: "I'm sorry."
"Liar!" Cried Hermione.
"What?" Asked Harry. Of course he knew, it was all because of him. Yes, it was. He should have gone to Voldemort and Ron would be alive for Hermione. He should die instead, but what was that about lying?
"That liar, ... Ron got me this time..." cried Hermione, "When it was clear that You-Know-Who knows, that there is someone invisible, we decided to attack and take whoever we could to hell, we just kissed goodbye... and he distracted me... and hexed me, ... then ... he was ... he is ..." She did not finish and just cried again. Harry held her and didn't know what to do next. In a way it was similar to Cho kissing and also so different. He was grieving for Cedric then and was reconciling with his death and it was much harder for Cho. Now it was too hard to believe that Ron and Ginny were dead and holding her was helping him... helping him to understand that she was there and they were not. It didn't make it right, however somehow a little more bearable. He could not do anything more, so he just held her and Hagrid for a while.
"Ginny is dead too." He told her and he was not sure if she heard him as she didn't react just cried into his shoulder. It was also different to Sirius death. He was able to get through it thanks to sharing experience with Luna. Then he had to reconcile with death of Hedwig and Dobby. And now Remus and Tonks. How could he be alive, when so many others were dead? How it was possible? He was looking at world painted trough tears and one of those flecks in his view was different. And there it was, his cloak, Deathly hallow, powerful artifact which should hide his owner from Death. And yet Ron was dead. Was artifact broken and thus it was not able to hide Ron from Death? Or was it just very powerful magical item and legend was just a legend?
Then something clicked in his mind to proper place and he said it aloud: "I open at the close,... I have the stone and we can talk to them again,... say proper goodbye." He let Hermione and looked at her tear stained, red eyed face. She was looking back at him with mix of desire and fear. Harry took out his first snitch from moleskin pouch around his neck and looked at golden ball with wings in his palm.