Ginny saw Tom Riddle in her vision. She pictured him telling her: "Harry Potter is going to die, and it's all your fault Ginerva!" He smirked at her, then stroked her cheek rather possessively. Ginny flinched and asked in an offended stance, "My fault? How was it my fault?" Tom smirked arrogantly, his eyes glinting at her as he whispered, "You loved him from day one. He played right into the little trap I set up for him. I knew he would fall for you eventually…it was just a matter of time…and now the time has come." Ginny scowled at Riddle, his brown floppy fringe slid across his forehead and she spat, "I don't know why you think he's died. Harry isn't dead yet."
Riddle laughed at her like she was ludicrous, "But he is. Look over there…" he pointed to a corner of the forest. Only then did Ginny acknowledge her surroundings, where she was surrounded by Death Eaters. Bellatrix was just behind Riddle, sneering at her. Ginny frowned and whispered, "This can't be real. Bellatrix isn't even your follower yet." Riddle smirked and then his face transformed into the snake-like monster she knew today, "Oh but it is real, Ginerva. Look at your boyfriend over there." He pointed one pale, scrawny finger to the edge of the clearing. Ginny closed her eyes. She didn't want to look, but she couldn't help herself as she spun slowly to look in that direction…

And there at the edge of the trees, lay Harry's dead body. She felt like she had died with him. Maybe she had. She just felt completely empty and lost. Ginny turned to Voldemort again and she spat at him, "Harry isn't dead! He will never be gone!" She pulled out her wand, causing Bellatrix to step in front of her master. She aimed her wand at Ginny and yelled, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" There was a green light and then nothing more.

XXX

Ginny regained consciousness as she heard her name being spoken by her mother, "How long has she been out now?" Ron's voice said in a hushed whisper, "About seven minutes." Ginny slowly felt movement come back into her bones and she moved her fingers. Hermione's voice came next, "Look! She's conscious again!"

Slowly, Ginny opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She found her mother's worried face above her own and she groaned, "What happened?" Hermione answered immediately, "Well…you blacked out- after slapping Ron across the face I might add." Ginny rolled her eyes and then felt the dull ache in her heart once she remembered her vision, "Harry's dead…" She murmured. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look of confusion, and then Bill's voice asked her in a whisper, "How do you know Gin?" She shrugged her shoulders and eased herself up, "I just saw it happen. I just know." Ginny glanced up and saw Bill grimace. It was an "I-don't-believe-you," sort of grimace. She said adamantly, "I'm telling you, he's gone." She said it tonelessly.

The Weasley's all glanced at each other nervously…not quite believing Ginny…or at least, not wanting to. Then Ginny heard a scream like none other. It was distinctively Professor McGonagall's voice coming from the Entrance Hall. She screamed in despair, "NO!" Ginny stood up quickly and the automatically followed the sound, fear of what she might see lodged in her throat. The others followed her, and Ginny felt as if she was in a daze.

She walked through to the high-ceilinged room and she found Voldemort standing there, with a number of Death Eater's. To Ginny's dismay, Bellatrix was still alive, and not just that but she was smirking crazily too. Then she turned her head to the right and she heard another shout, "HARRY!" It was Hermione, looking crestfallen and rather broken. Ginny closed her eyes because she knew what she was about to see. She didn't know if she could bare it. When she opened them, she saw Hagrid, holding Harry's limp body in his hands.

Ginny ran forward yelling, "Noooo! HARRY! HARRY! Noooo!" There was a similar eruption of noise around them- shouts of anger and fury. Shouts of shock and disbelief. As Ginny ran half way across the Entrance Hall, Voldemort threw a defense charm at her, and she was flung backwards onto her back. As she fell, the shouting ceased.

Voldemort smirked at her. It gave Ginny shivers because it was the exact same smirk that belonged to Ridlde…someone she had thought she'd once known. Voldemort announced to the waiting crowd, "Harry Potter is DEAD!" Ginny shook her head, willing it to not be true. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true, even though deep down, she knew it was. Her father was holding onto her shoulder tightly. Ginny wasn't sure if it was in a hopeless attempt to comfort her, or if it was to prevent her from doing something reckless, but either way it held her still. It grounded her.

Ginny couldn't believe it next when Voldemort said seriously to Hagrid, "Put him at my feet, Hagrid, where he belongs." She flinched as she watched Hagrid, who was bound and tied, slowly put Harry on the floor in front of Voldemort. It looked like it took everything in him to do so without a protest. Hagrid was visibly weeping for Harry, great big tears pouring down his face.

Voldemort chuckled darkly and said, "You see, you deluded ones, he was not as powerful as you'd like to think. He was not the "Chosen One". He was just a boy. A boy who let others sacrifice their lives for him. Yet, here he lies at my feet, dead."

To her surprise, Ron came and stood beside Ginny. He took her hand in his and he shouted at Voldemort, "He beat you! He's not dead!" Ginny looked at him gratefully and leaned on Ron's shoulder while everyone else around her began shouting again. She clutched her brothers' hand, as if it were her lifeline. She wanted to protest, she wanted to scream but she thought it wouldn't do any good in bringing Harry back to her. But she also came to realize that his was foolish to think so. There was another bang and then everyone became silent again.

Voldemort interrupted the shouting crowd, "Harry Potter was killed trying to sneak out of the school grounds through the forest. He knew a way and he tried…" But then, to Ginny's horror, Neville hobbled forward on his injured leg towards Voldemort and disarmed him. She shouted at him to get back, "NEVILLE! No don't!" She couldn't bare it if Neville died too. That was far too much for her already emotional state of mind to deal with.

Voldemort easily disarmed Neville, his wand flying several feet into the air. Voldemort sneered, "Who might this be?" Neville replied softly, "Neville Longbottom." Amycus approached Voldemort and said slowly, "Yes…your Lordship, between he and the Weasley girl, they have given us the most trouble this year. I think there should be a punishment befitting enough for them both." Ron tightened his hold on Ginny's hand and her father had his arm wrapped around her, holding her in place.

Neville retorted, "I would like to say something." Voldemort seemed uneasy about this, but nevertheless said sarcastically, "Go on then, Longbottom. Please do enlighten us with what you have to say." Neville glared at the snake-like face and said, "It doesn't matter that Harry's gone." Ginny felt her heart break. There, he had said it. Harry was gone. It wasn't just her vision in the forest this time. This was real. It was like she hadn't believed it until Neville had said it. She hadn't wanted to believe it!

Seamus interrupted him, "Stand down Neville!" He clearly thought Neville was walking on some dodgy territory here. Neville said back to him, "People die every day! Friends, family. Yeah, we lost Harry tonight. He's still with us. In here…" He put his hand over his chest and Ginny couldn't have been more grateful to Neville. Everything he was saying was everything she'd want Harry to hear…if only he were still here. He continued, "And so is Percy, and Remus and Tonks. They didn't die in vain."

Ginny leant on Ron's shoulder again, feeling nauseous. How could she have lost so many people she loved in such a short space of time? How was she going to get through this? She didn't have an answer, and she didn't think she would. Tears fell hot and heavy from her eyes and Ron hugged her. Ginny knew he was feeling the same pain she was about Harry- he and Hermione both. Hermione stood on the other side of him, holding his hand firmly. It still felt surreal, even though his dead body lay a few feet from them and she could see it with her own eyes.

Neville turned to Voldemort again and said firmly, "But you will! Because you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us! For all of us!" Ginny couldn't have been prouder of Neville. He had become a man who stood up for what he believed in. There was no doubting that, considering the sour look on Voldemort's face. Neville added as an afterthought, "I'll join you when hell freezes over!" Voldemort sneered at him, somewhat laughing and he sighed, "Fine. So it will be, on your head Longbottom."
He stroked his wand and panic flew up in Ginny's heart. She ran forward, breaking through the shield and rushed to Neville's side. She said firmly, "No. Neville you're not going to die." Voldemort laughed deeply, "Oh dear. It seems as if the Weaslette has fallen for Longbottom." Ginny stiffened. She didn't think about it before running to help him. But this menacing laughter that was coming from the Death Eater's felt like it was jeering and mocking. She said determinedly, "I won't let anymore of my friends die." Voldemort paced towards her and said slowly, 'Ginerva, you have certainly changed over the years. You're a lot prettier than you used to be too. A lot stronger mentally it seems as well. Care to join our ranks?"

Ginny spat at him with white-hot rage, "Never! Not over my dead body!" Voldemort sighed and shook his head, his eyes boring into her own, "Very well then." He took a few steps backwards and then spoke to the crowd at large, "There will be no more sorting at this school. Everyone will worship my ancestor, Salazar Slytherin. You have no choice about it." He glared at Neville and Ginny with ice-cold eyes, and then summoned an object through the broken windows of the school…the sorting hat which came to rest on the ground between them.

Voldemort walked forward, picked up the hat and pointed his wand threateningly at Neville. Ginny froze, immobile as she watched Voldemort place the hat over Neville's head. It was too big for him, so it slipped down over his face. Ginny moved to stand next to him, feeling a sudden impulse to protect him. Voldemort glared at her, for some reason warning her to not get in the way. He said bitterly, "Neville is about to demonstrate what will happen to those who disobey me."

His eyes glinted black and then suddenly Neville was on fire! Ginny screamed and shouted, "NO! Neville!" She spun around desperately and she saw Ron and Hermione shooting jets of water at him. Angry yells of hatred were echoing from the Hogwarts students. As soon as the flames died off, Ginny lifted the hat off Neville's head and as she saw the scars aligning his face, the blood pouring down from his already injured cheek. She shouted, "Professor! Professor McGonagall! Help him!" Madame Pomfrey came running at that moment and Neville was squirming in pain. Ginny couldn't bear it, but she whispered fretfully, "Neville, its ok. It's ok; Madame Pomfrey is going to help you."

The hat was lying beside them, and as Madame Pomfrey tried to tend to Neville's wounds, he seemed to be eyeing the hat. He was reaching for it somewhat blindly. There were noises echoing from the forest in the sudden chaos. Ginny grabbed the sword, and handed it to Neville. He leapt up somewhat blindly, but now he could see that the blood was cleared from his vision. He hastened forward, and Ginny watched in awe as he sliced off Nagini's head. The sound of blade going through the snake echoed around the Entrance Hall.

Billions of giants came stampeding through the courtyard and into the castle. The chaos was suddenly madness and Ginny levitated Neville so that he was in a much and quieter part of the Great Hall where Madame Pomfrey could tend to him. For some reason, it seemed as if Voldemort couldn't get to him.

Ginny then heard Hagrid shouting madly, "HARRY! WHERE'S HARRY?" Panic seeped through and everyone seemed to not know what to do! Harry had just disappeared…how was that possible?! He was…dead. The arrival of the centaurs and giants caused everyone else- Death Eater or Hogwarts defender alike- to back into the castle. Ginny searched the crowd for Harry, but she saw no sign of him. How had he just disappeared like that?
The house elves even came pummeling through the doors, Kreacher in the lead. Ginny's eyes widened in shock as they held knives and they approached the Death Eaters, Kreacher chanting about fighting for Harry=his master. She felt warm at the sight of it. It was unbelievable how much Kreacher had changed in the last little while. He was like a different person entirely.

As Ginny watched from the Entrance Hall, bodies of the main Death Eater's began falling all over. Then from behind her, she heard rather than saw Bellatrix cackle. She spun around on her feet, fast enough so that she could use Expelliarmus and disarm herself. The witch was stalking towards her, as if Ginny were her prey. Bellatrix grinned at her evilly and inquired, "Where's your boyfriend to protect you now, Weasley?"

At that moment, Hermione appeared at her shoulder, as did Luna and she gritted her teeth before whispering, "We'll get her together." Ginny nodded resolutely and then Bellatrix started firing spells at them relentlessly. It was as if she didn't have to think. The order went Luna, Ginny, Hermione. Luna, Ginny, Hermione. Sometimes she even managed to break the order and fire more than one at each of them in succession. Ginny wasn't going to give in. Never. She felt a serious need to avenge Harry because of all the pain this bitch had caused him! She then realized she hadn't answered Bellatrix's question. Ginny shouted at her, "You'll pay, Bellatrix, for all of the hurt you've caused Harry and my family!" The woman rolled her eyes, as if Ginny was being nothing but trivial in her threats. This only caused Ginny to fight her harder.

Bellatrix retorted, "Oh please! You'll never defeat me. You've never killed before! And you have to really mean it." Ginny clasped her wand tightly and aimed it at Bellatrix. But just as she did, her mother appeared out of nowhere and yelled, "Not my daughter YOU BITCH!" Ginny gasped and then said firmly, "It's ok mum, I've got this." The next thing Ginny knew, her mother was battling Bellatrix like there was no tomorrow! Bellatrix was cackling away and she questioned her mother, "How's your son without the ear? Can he hear you when you talk to them?" Hermione, Luna and Ginny all made a move to help her mum, but she shouted, "NO! SHE IS MINE!" The ferocity with which both women cast their spells at each other made Ginny listen to her mother, for once, but she hoped with all her might that she would pull through, now more than ever.
Ginny reckoned the comment Bellatrix made was stupid as it only angered her mother more. It fuelled her fire and her mother just continued firing spells at the crazy witch with even more fervor than before. Her mum shouted, "You-will-never-touch-our-children-again!" between breaths. Just when she thought her mother was losing her stamina, she managed to stun Bellatrix, and then she aimed a final shattering curse at her. Bellatrix exploded into little pieces and her mother stared at the spot where Bellatrix had been mere moments ago, looking very pleased and happy with herself.

Ginny analyzed the scene before her, as if seeing it from another's eyes. Voldemort was fighting McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn in the same manner which Bellatrix had been fighting them. It was lethal. And then, as if to add to the sudden craziness and madness that happening around them, Voldemort cast a spell that sent the two professors and Kingsley flying several centimeters backwards, and landing on their backs.

Then to utter Ginny's horror and dismay, Voldemort turned to her mother, and she assumed it was because she had finished Bellatrix off, but Voldemort looked positively venomous. He had red eyes dying to kill. Ginny moved to stand in front of her, to protect her with her life, when there was a shout of "Protego!" and a protective shield charm emanated from an invisible source.

Ginny felt her heart pounding away uncontrollably in her chest. She knew that voice…but it was impossible! Harry was dead. She turned to look at Hermione, who also looked dumbstruck. She was clearly thinking the same thing as Ginny: it was Harry's voice! He wasn't dead. The next thing Ginny knew, Harry was standing there, in the centre of the room with his Invisibility Cloak draped on the floor. Everyone stopped what they were doing and all eyes turned to him. The words echoed through Ginny's mind on an endless loop of dizzying happiness: Harry's alive. Harry's alive. Harry's alive! All hope is not lost! Harry is ALIVE!

A/N: Hey all! This was a hang of a long chapter to write-nearly four Microsoft pages worth! I just wanted to proof read it to check that it was perfect before posting it. And so there might be one or two more chapters of this story left. We'll have to wait and see. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please let me know thoughts and feedback!
Also NB: thanks so much to everyone for the feedback about keeping Fred alive! I'm so glad most of you seem happy about the decision and I'm happy about that, so we're all on the same page!

Thanks to: torchy22, Azoma J, MiaPotterxox, GoGetEmGir, and AbbyD for the positive comments and feedback! Such lovely reviews made my day!