A/N - There are character deaths in this chapter.
Hope and Sacrifice
Arthur Weasley, with a band of Guardians and members of the Order of the Phoenix were running up towards Gryffindor Tower with haste. He was so worried about Ginny, George, Ron, and especially Harry. He knew Charlie and Bill could take care of themselves, but the others had never been in this sort of situation. Death Eaters were hot on their trail as they ran up the stairs, and the Order members were trying to cover the Guardians running towards the open portrait of the Fat Lady.
'Stupefy!' Arthur yelled as he took cover behind a corner. There were dozens of Death Eaters storming up the stairwells, coming at the group from various angles. Mad-Eye, who they had run into on the way up, was trying to keep everyone knowing who was coming up where with his eye.
'Arthur! On your right!' he yelled. Arthur quickly turned just as he saw the shadows coming around the wall, and he stunned the first Death Eater, with a Hufflepuff Guardian stunning the second, but not the third.
'Avada Kedavra!' the third one yelled, the green light flying past Arthur and killing the young Hufflepuff on the steps where he stood. His body fell to the stairs, and rolled down several of them before coming to a sickening halt next to a wall, his wand clinking to a stop a few stairs higher.
'Aflatus!' Professor McGonagall yelled out behind Arthur, throwing the Death Eater down the stairs.
'Move Arthur!' she shouted. Mr. Weasley got up and ran as fast as he could, but stopped short to go back and help Mad-Eye.
'Go Arthur! I'm fine, go!' Mad-Eye yelled out. Just as Arthur turned, Mad-Eye looked with his electric-blue eye behind him, and quickly pushed Arthur down to avoid a Killing Curse.
Both men fell over, and Arthur scrambled up the steps, pushing several Guardians higher, and turned around to see Mad-Eye trying to reach for his walking stick. He quickly turned over on the stairs, but a Death Eater saw his move, and aimed.
'No!' Arthur yelled in vein.
'Avada Kedavra!' the Death Eater cursed. With a painful lunge to cover a young Slytherin Guardian, Mad-Eye was hit in the chest with the Killing Curse, and he fell heavily onto the stairs dead. Arthur was routed in place for moment, but was grabbed by Snape and other Order members, and brought back to the present.
'Move Arthur, he's dead!' Snape yelled. He took one more glance at Mad-Eye's body, ducking as a curse blasted the stone next to him, and ran up with the others. Two more Guardians were killed, and one Order member before they reached the Fat Lady's portrait, and got it closed. Arthur was even more concerned now with George, Ron, Ginny, and Harry now.
Turning around, Arthur and the others found the Gryffindor Common Room in chaos. Patients from the Hospital Wing were strune about, and the paintings on the walls were ripped and thrashed. Those who were not injured were panicking, knowing full well that there was no escape from the Common Room.
'Why are the paintings gashed so? What happened?' Professor McGonagall questioned several of the students, all of whom looked close to fainting. One particularly scared second year Ravenclaw boy tried to explain, but it was hard to say even one word.
'Were- . . . werew- . . .'
'Werewolves?' Professor McGonagall finished, the boy nodding and breaking down into tears. A fifth year Hufflepuff girl took hold of the boy as he continued to cry.
'His sister was killed by a Werewolf. We came up here because we were told the Hospital Wing was full, and when we got here, the- . . . the Werewolves were all around us' the girl explained, tears forming in her eyes. 'We fought as best as we could Professor, but—'
'It's alright dear, you did your best. We will be safe in the Common Room now' Professor McGonagall assured. She gave both the boy and girl a comforting pat on the shoulder, taking a moment to realize that her students were dying. Hogwarts' students—her students--were dying inside the castle. Just the notion of how many could be dead made her weak in the knees, and she grasped the back of a chair to steady herself.
The Headmistress calmed herself by looking about at the students that were still alive. She and the others had to protect who they could. There could be other groups—like this one—dozens of them, fighting off the evil vermin that infested the castle. She had to keep hope that somehow things would work out. That Harry would succeed, and the Guardians would hold.
Wiping away her watery eyes, she looked up, and walked determinately to a group of Order members, who were discussing what was to be done.
'Are the Werewolves-'
'There are no more left in the Common Room Professor. Alive, that is' Snape informed.
'I am afraid we are cornered' Aberforth expressed grievously to her and some of the others.
'It seems the Death Eaters have us trapped in here. The Floo isn't working, and the only way in or out is past the Fat Lady' Mr. Weasley stated.
And sure enough, as if on cue, Blasting Curses began to pound against the other side of the portrait. The Fat Lady herself ran from her portrait once it was closed behind Mr. Weasley; however that did not mean the Death Eaters couldn't find other ways to get through.
With each consecutive blast, the Guardians and everyone else shivered knowing there was no escape from it. Death Eaters had made it this far into the castle, it was doubtful one door would stop them now.
'We have no choice, we must defend this room. The portrait hole provides a bottleneck, we can defend it well' Aberforth insisted.
'What about the wounded?' Arthur questioned.
'They will have to fight, or stay back, that's it. There is no other place for them to go' Snape deduced. Madam Pomfrey moved those on stretchers to the back, and was sure to check them. Hermione was very weak, but she was still with them. At odd moments she would whisper things, or thrash violently, but no one could hear her mumblings. It was clear however, that she was in a dark place.
They pushed the injured farther back into the Common Room, some going into the dormitories, and those able to fight got into positions that would give them the best cover. Of course, there could be no cover from a Killing Curse, but they crossed their fingers anyways.
While they moved everyone around, and the blasting on the door became more rampant, Sir Nick came swooping in quickly, and went straight to Professor McGonagall.
'Sir Nick! What is—'
'I am sorry Headmistress to interrupt, but time is of course short. There are many groups, like yours, keeping safe in the towers. Yours seems to be the biggest, but there are other groups in the dungeons we're unsure about.'
'What of the Death Eaters?' Arthur questioned fervently. Sir Nick looked to the door, and sighed.
'At least twice as many as in here I'm afraid, but many are standing and waiting. The portrait hole is not so wide.'
'What of Harry? Is there any news of Harry?' Professor McGonagall asked quickly.
'None that we know of. Myrtle mentioned Harry in the Second Floor Toilet with a rat of a man-'
'Pettigrew?' Snape suggested to the others.
'But I wouldn't have the foggiest notion as to why he was there. We checked there many times; if he was there, the boy isn't anymore.'
'Very well, go ahead and let the other groups know what's going on. Tell them to keep fighting' Professor McGonagall told the ghost. Sir Nick nodded, and quickly flew through the wall of the Common Room.
'If Pettigrew captured Harry-' Arthur proposed.
'We don't have the time. Little can be done about Potter's fate now, we must worry about ourselves' Snape pointed out.
Everyone began to take their places, and with the departure of Sir Nick, Professor McGonagall felt slightly elated to know there were many students still alive.
The pounding on the doorway increased, to the point where it became a never ending rumble of thunder. Professor McGonagall was farther back near the furniture, while Arthur and Aberforth were with a group behind one of the staircases. In total, there were about thirty Guardians and Order members that were fighting off who knew how many Death Eaters, with at least the same number of injured or student healers.
'Blast them, don't stun them!' Snape ordered to the group.
'Aim at the ones outside the room!' Aberforth advised.
'Keep behind your cover!' Arthur yelled.
Quietness hovered over the Common Room as the rumble of the Blasting Curses continued, and cracks in the wooden frame began to be heard. Just as the wood began to snap and break apart, Denis Creevey turned to help out a two shivering students: a first year, and second year.
'Don't worry guys, we'll be alright.'
The two nodded after moment, and the second year whispered 'for Hogwarts.' The first year looked at the second year, and nodded intently, both looking back at Denis. He got the idea, and looked back at the other Guardians.
'For Hogwarts!'
'For Hogwarts!' everyone yelled out, raising their wands up. In that instant, the door finally gave way, and blasted across the room and smashed into one of the windows of the Common Room.
Spells engulfed the Common Room as the Guardians and members of the Order of the Phoenix stood their ground, while Death Eaters spread into the Common Room, and gained ground.
Just a few moments into the attack, a wisp of black smoke ran through all the Death Eaters, and they suddenly screamed in pain, dropping their wands and grasping their forearms. Almost all of them instantly fell over yelling out, and the Guardians did not waste time in stunning them. Arthur and the others quickly ran out from their cover to get the last few that were still yelling out. The Guardians and Order members were all in shock over what occurred. It took a few moments to realize that Snape too was holding onto his forearm.
'Madam Pomfrey! Come over here!' Professor McGonagall called, coming over to Snape. No reply came, and she turned quickly to see what was happening.
Madam Pomfrey was scurrying about over one patient, with three student healers nearby running around getting potions and performing spells on the patient.
'The Dark Lord-' Snape whispered, as he winced in more pain.
'The Dark Lord is dead' he whispered again, reeling in pain. Professor McGonagall's mouth literally fell, and she stared at Snape. He was still hurting terribly, and Professor McGonagall again called for Madam Pomfrey. She finally closed her mouth, and turned to see what was happening.
Madam Pomfrey was still scurrying over the one patient, and as she turned around the bed, Professor McGonagall realized who the patient was that Madam Pomfrey was tending to.
She left Snape, as he motioned he would be alright, and ran over to Madam Pomfrey and Hermione.
'I'm loosing her' Madam Pomfrey told the Headmistress, trying desperately to bring Hermione back. Professor McGonagall took a sad look at Hermione's face, and realized what had happened.
'Poppy' McGonagall tried to console, placing her hand on the nurse's arm.
'No! I won't loose her!' Poppy insisted, shrugging off the Headmistress' hand. Professor McGonagall waited a moment, then took hold of the woman's shoulders, and finally got her attention. Poppy was crying as she breathed deeply, shakily holding onto a beaker of some substance in one hand, and her trembling wand in the other. Looking at the Headmistress only made her weep harder. Her student healers were crying as well, and supporting the school nurse.
'She's gone Poppy' McGonagall breathed.
Ron ran forward behind the next wall, and called Luna and George towards him. Death Eaters were running all over the place and their brilliant idea of letting the Werewolves in ahead of them was now backfiring on them. They had to fight them off themselves.
Running down another flight of stairs, they had to walk around a giant hole on the left side. They reached the next floor down, and just as they were coming out to get to the next stairwell, they saw a body on the floor. They had checked several of the bodies along the way to make sure it wasn't any of their friends, and coming up to this body, Ron and George were checking the area when Luna screeched.
'Luna! What is i—Ginny? GINNY!' Ron yelled out, realizing the body they had found was in fact his little sister's.
'Ginny? Ginny wake up!' Ron said to her body, Luna already erupting into tears, and collapsing onto Ginny's left arm, clutching it dearly. George came over and tears began to shed, but he somehow wiped his eyes and grabbed hold of Ron.
'Ron- . . . we have to- . . . we have to find Harry, Ron. We can't bring Ginny back. Harry needs us' George insisted, his voice full of sadness, looking at his sister. Luna was inconsolable, and after a few moments, Ron's grief turned into determination and anger, and both he and George continued on, leaving Luna to bring Ginny up to Gryffindor Tower. Ron started off, but his mind was totally lost with the sudden realization about his sister.
'We . . . we have to- . . . we have to go-'
'Ron' George stopped him in the hall. Ron was hyperventilating, and his sense of direction was totally lost as his mind was still on the floor with his sister's body. 'Ron, where are we going? We need to find Harry, Ginny would have wanted us to find him.'
Ron glanced down the hallway, regaining his composure, and was trying to breathe normally. George looked at him closely, and realized there could be nothing better done that giving his brother a hug.
George moved his arms around Ron, and Ron collapsed into his old brother, his eyes flowing like a rushing river. In his mind, memories of Ginny smiling brightly at The Burrow while frolicking about in the garden ran through. Times when he saw her smile, cry, cheer, rant, and laugh; they all somehow found their places in Ron's head at that moment, and the impact of Ginny's death began to take Ron's mind into overdrive.
'Alright Ron, we have to find Harry' George reiterated. He knew Ron was drenched in sorrow for Ginny, and he was too, but Harry needed their help. Right at that moment, George was keeping himself in shock in order to be there for Harry. He promised Harry he would help him in anyway possible, and if that meant keeping Ron on track, so be it.
'Harry' Ron whispered.
'Yes Ron' George stated, backing up and holding Ron by the shoulders. 'We have to find Harry. Where is he?'
Ron looked about for a bit, and started to come back to where he was. 'Harry.'
George let go of him slowly. Looking about quickly, Ron remembered what about his best friend.
'Harry. This way' Ron suddenly spoke, and ran down the nearby staircase, and down a hallway. George quickly caught up to him as he slowed near a corner, and they both peered around to see one Werewolf standing near the doorway to Myrtle's Washroom.
'Hopefully there is only one of them' George spoke. Ron gulped, and George moved slightly over.
'We'll run on three' George advised his wand ready. Ron moved his wand up, and nodded. George counted to three, and they both stormed around the corner.
The Werewolf heard them, and began hurdling towards them; its barks and growls loud, and its blood-drenched teeth menacing.
'Argenventus!' the brothers yelled together, and hundreds of silver darts shot out of their wands at the creature. Running into the silver rain full bore, the Werewolf yelped as the silver daggers dug in, and killed it before it fell to the ground.
Ron and George slowed, and carefully walked past the beast, not knowing for sure it was dead or not, and looked around the corner with wands raised to find no other guards.
Not wasting time, Ron bolted through the door, and George followed. Sealing it shut, George turned to hear a hideous scream echoing in the washroom.
'AHH—Oh, it's only you' Moaning Myrtle whimpered.
'Bloody Hell! Now every Death Eater in the castle knows we're here!' George complained.
'Well, it's not nice to run into someone's home uninvited' Myrtle responded. Ron was not in the mood for conversation however.
'Did Harry go into the Chamber?' Ron asked, in a very demanding tone.
'Oh Harry, I wish he was a ghost. Why I would-'
'MYRTLE!' Ron yelled.
'Oh yes, he went in there, with the fat man. I told him the fat man was evil, but did he listen, NO!' Myrtle erupted. Ron did not bother to care about Myrtle's emotional outbursts, and instead turned towards the tapestry that Harry had touched before. The tapestry was sealed however, and it needed the sound of a snake to open it.
'Blast! You need to speak Parseltongue in order to open it!' Ron explained angrily. That was the way Harry was able to get in, but how were they to get inside.
'I know someone who speaks the snakey-talk' came a voice from the far stall. Both George and Ron turned, and frowned as Myrtle poked her head out and giggled.
'What?' Ron questioned straightforwardly.
'The Bloody Baron can do the whole snakey-talk. I've only heard him do it once, and it's a terrible sound.'
George approached quickly, and Ron examined the tapestry to see if he could get it open himself. 'Myrtle, find the Bloody Baron and get him down here, now!'
'I don't take orders!' Myrtle argued.
'If you don't get him, we can't go and save Harry. Imagine what Harry will think when he realizes you saved him!' George put forward. Myrtle's face began to awe, and Ron cursed loudly in the background at failing to charm the tapestry open.
'Ooo! Harry will kiss me! I'll be a moment' Myrtle announced, racing through the ceiling.
George walked back to see Ron fiddling with the pipes, but just as George was about to tell him to stop, Myrtle came flying back, and with her came the Bloody Baron, as evil and hauntingly bloody as ever.
'Baron, can you—'
'Bloody Baron!' Ron corrected his brother.
'Bloody Baron, can you speak Parseltongue?' George asked. The Baron waited a moment, but nodded. He was not one for many words.
'Can you please just say "open up" towards this tapestry, please sir? It is extremely important' Ron asked. The Baron was not looking pleased with the request, but hovered closer, and whispered something so quietly, no one understood if it was English or Parseltongue.
But only a moment later, the sink gave a rumble, and descended to reveal a pipe. George and Ron wasted no time, thanked the Bloody Baron, and threw themselves into the pipe—down into the depths of the Chamber of Secrets.
Reaching the bottom of the slimy tube, the two brothers fell onto hundreds of tiny skeletons and grime. Ron had been here before, but for George, he was a new comer for this part of the castle.
'This way' Ron insisted, leading the way into the darkness.
'H-a-r-r-y?' a voice called distantly.
'Harry?' it called again, pounding into his head.
Harry heard the voice faintly. It sounded familiar, and although the desire to slip back into the darkness was strong, Harry had to wake up to see who spoke the words. He had to see the face that belonged to the voice.
He could hear the voice again, and this time it was not alone.
'Is he alive?' another voice asked.
'He's breathing-' the voice said, the rest of the sentence too soft to hear except the ending. 'It's not safe' the first voice whispered.
Harry could hear them faintly, but opening his eyes proved almost impossible. He could not feel anything around him, or his body itself. He could not tell if he was in water, on the floor, on grass; anywhere. Only the sound reached his thoughts, and even then much of what the voices were saying made no sense to him.
The two voices conversed for a moment in inaudible tones, then a resonating crack rang out, and penetrated Harry's mind like an arrow. The sound was immensely painful, like someone had taken a hammer and rapped it on his skull.
Harry tried to calm the pain, but it pushed past and now he could hear nothing but a ringing in his ears.
Time passed, and suddenly Harry felt someone touch him—grab hold of his arm. It felt like a vice-grip taking hold of a heavy metal beam, and Harry heard the voice again.
'Harry? What did you say?' the voice asked.
Harry was trying to speak, but nothing was coming out. He was trying, but the energy was not there. He tried lifting his head, but the muscles gave out, and with that, Harry fell back into the darkness.
'Hermione . . .'
'He said something' George whispered.
'Harry? What did you say?' Ron asked closely, holding onto his arm. He thought he saw Harry's head lift, but Harry did not move.
Harry's breathing was shallow and his body was strewn with cuts and gashes; one of his arms looking terribly injured. His hair was matted with blood and his face covered in ash. When Ron first found him, he honestly thought Harry was dead.
'Madam Pomfrey needs to see him' George insisted urgently, looking about the large chamber. 'Dobby, can you take him?'
They had called Dobby to them, and the moment he saw Harry, he began balling intensely. George shushed him well enough so his cries became quiet whimpers, but he was still very affected by seeing Harry in such a state.
Rubbing his nose and face, Dobby sniffed and looked at Ron, who looked at him.
'Dobby, take Harry up to Madam Pomfrey right away. He's alive, don't worry, but he needs your help.'
Dobby did not even reply. He ran forward, took hold of Harry's arm, and immediately vanished away. Ron and George were left in the Chamber alone, and it was after Harry left that they noticed the broken wands, the broken bracelet, and the black cloak.
Ron walked over, and examined the wands, George warning him.
'Don't touch those!'
Ron stopped, and looked over with an annoyed expression. 'I know that!'
He turned back, and hunched down close to see the fragments. The wands were broken, one into a lot of pieces. The cores, phoenix feathers, were gone. Looking back, he noticed bracelet that was on Harry's arm, now was lying cleaved in half on the floor where Harry was. Both parts were completely black now.
'George, come here' he said to his brother.
'What is it?' George asked as he approached, still looking about, worried of entities in the shadows. The Chamber had a knack for making odd and creepy sounds at random intervals, in various directions and volumes.
Seeing the wands, without the cores in them, Ron looked at George, only to receive a hunch of his shoulders.
'I don't know why they're like that, but never mind. We need to see how Harry is.' George got up, and began to walk in the direction he was sure they came from.
'What are we going to do with these? Ron asked as he too stood up.
'Leave them Ron, we don't have the time, and we don't know what'll happen if we touch them' George said, turning back around and walking farther.
'That's the wrong way' he called to his brother, George turning around, and starting towards him.
Ron shrugged, and looked back at the wands. He knew they were too important to leave down here. He pointed his wand down at that, and was about to shrink all the objects and put them in his pocket, when a loud crack rang in the Chamber. The two Weasleys took out their wands and pointed it at the new addition to the Chamber.
'Pleases sirs! It is only Dobby!'
Both brothers lowered their wands, and walked forward.
'Why did you come back?' Ron asked.
'To help Harry Potter's friends get back to the Common Room!' Dobby said hurriedly, hoping over and taking hold of Ron's arm before he could respond. Dobby was dragging him over to George when Ron looked back at the items on the ground.
'What about those?' he asked Dobby. The House Elf stopped for a second, snapped his fingers, and the objects vanished away. He then continued over to George, and the moment he took his hand, all three left the Chamber, and appeared in the Gryffindor Common Room.
'This way!' Professor Fourmove called to several of her Guardians as they exited Ravenclaw Tower.
For some reason, all the Death Eaters that stormed Ravenclaw Tower became suddenly injured. The young professor could not explain it, but every one of them fell to the floor screaming, holding their arms like they were being burned. She let no moment be wasted, and had all the Death Eaters stunned and locked away safely before any could recover.
At the moment, she was running through the halls, hoping to find injured people, or Death Eaters that were still kicking around. She brought a good number of Guardians with her, along with a few Beauxbaton's students that were part of her original group.
'Eet is so froid!' said one of the Beauxbaton's girls as they went through a hallway with windows on the side. Professor Fourmove did not hear—or was paying attention for that matter—to the girl's comment. Her eyes were fixed on what was happening outside the castle.
The Guardians all noticed, and looked out the windows in awe as the giant beast rained another heavy ball of fire onto its prey as they fled into the Forbidden Forest and into the Commons.
'Come, we must hasten our pace' Professor Fourmove stated assertively. She tore her eyes from the sight, and continued on down the hallway, her party following after a moment, and a second glance at the scene.
'I owe Hagrid more credit' Ernie Macmillan commented to himself as they ran up to Professor Fourmove.
Coming up to a corner, the black-haired professor halted her group as she peered around the side. Ernie, being the oldest Guardian there, came up to the front, and took a quick glance as the professor was figuring what to do.
Down the hall, standing amidst several bodies, were two Mountain Trolls. Both seemed to be preoccupied with some of the statues, but the two of them in a tight space like that would cause significant damage to the Guardians should they try to pass.
Turning back, Ernie saw Fourmove with a calculating expression, and tried to offer an option.
'We could make a diversion, and get the Guardians around.' At this, the professor looked up.
'We need to incapacitate them though Mr. Macmillan. If we leave them here, the next group would run into them. No, we need to stun them, and get them out of the castle.'
She stood thinking for a moment longer, then got up, and looked around again. She seemed to be counting something, and then turned back to her Guardians.
'Alright. The Trolls will be preoccupied with the statues, and I need this half to stun the Troll on the left, and this half the Troll on the right. Do it all together, so Macmillan, you lead the left half, Parkinson, the right. I will go ahead and animate the statues.'
Ernie and Pansy both nodded, and told their halves what they would do. Ernie had a question, but when he turned, Professor Fourmove was already gone down the hall. He looked around the corner—most of the Guardians trying to as well—and saw her craftily walking down the hall.
Whispering charms, the statues changed into different objects. A gryphon statue turned into a tiger and began slashing at the right Troll, while another statue—of a lion—turned into a flock of gulls, and began pecking at the left Troll.
A flock of gulls, a tiger, a swarm of locusts, two rhinoceroses, and what looked like a heard of elk swarmed around the Trolls by time the Professor was done. Ernie and Pansy called their halves forward, and the group ran around the corner.
'NOW!' Ernie yelled, both halves stopping in the hall about ten feet from Trolls wand raising their wands.
'STUPEFY!' came from all the voices. The Trolls looked over for a moment, but with all the combined spells, they suddenly became limp, and fell over with a thunderous clatter. Professor Fourmove, who was off to the side when the group ran up, waved her wand, and all the animals and insects returned to their stone precursors.
Getting up to the trolls, Professor Fourmove thought for a moment, then waved her wand—making one of the trolls disappear, then the other.
'Where did they go?' a second year asked, looking at the Professor.
'They're out of the castle, and that is good enough. Keep moving' she ordered. Several members of the group checked the bodies, but sadly none were alive. A few students broke into tears and sorrow, knowing some of the victims.
Iona was just glad that Topher taught her that Banishing Spell. She hoped he was alright. There was something in the way he said good-bye in the middle of the battle that was disconcerting to her.
'Professor! Down here!' someone yelled ahead of the group. Fourmove quickened her pace, and came around the corner to find two bodies on the floor. There was a heap of stones—which appeared to come from the collapsed ceiling above them—and the group moved around them.
Ernie Macmillan was standing over one of the bodies, Pansy Parkinson crying over the other.
'Oh Draco! Professor, come help!' she called. The group rushed to the two bodies, and some stepped away with shock.
Lying on the ground, were Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom. Draco's head was covered in blood, and his robes were ripped and cuts were strewn all over his body. Neville was much worse however, with large gashes striking across his face and his torso. One of his legs was set at a disturbing angle, and the sight of him and Draco made a few younger Guardians turn and vomit.
'Don't touch them!' the professor shouted loudly, as Pansy moved closer to Draco. 'It looks like they were attacked by a Werewolf. They could still transform. We need to—'
Suddenly, shuffles were heard from around the corner, and the group quickly took to the sides of the hall. The shuffles slowed, and a head appeared around the corner.
'Oh no, Neville!' a woman's voice sounded, and the owner of the voice came around the corner and knelt down by the body.
'Tonks!' Professor Fourmove expounded, the pale-pink haired woman looking up quickly with her wand ready.
'Iona! Oh thank Merlin! Are you alright?' Tonks asked as she stood up, and the group moved away from the walls. Nymphadora's group then made their way around the corner. It was a very small group—only six Guardians and two Durmstrang boys—but they were there.
'We're fine, but they aren't. I think they've been bitten by a Werewolf.'
'We have to get them to the dungeons then, and lock them up just in case' Tonks suggested, Iona agreeing.
A loud roar came from the outside of the castle, and everyone looked at each other.
'Can you take them down there? We need to get to the Ground Floor, and then outside to see what is going on.'
'There was a dragon' Jimmy Peakes mentioned quickly.
'A dragon? Oh my, this is so bizarre! All the Death Eaters fall over like that, and now a dragon!' Tonks said in disbelief. 'Alright, we'll take them down to the dungeons, and meet you in the grounds. Be careful.'
Tonks' Guardians levitated Draco and Neville, and began moving them down the hall, while Tonks hung back for a moment.
'Any news on Harry?' she asked, worry present in her voice.
'No. We were all up in Ravenclaw Tower when the Death Eaters fell. Sir Nick came and told us Professor McGonagall had a large group in Gryffindor Tower, but no word if Harry was with them' Fourmove explained.
Tonks looked off for a moment, then nodded, and left with her group to the dungeons.
Getting to the Ground Floor was a very hard journey. Most of the stairwells were battered and destroyed, and the number of dead bodies—of Death Eaters, Guardians, members of the Order, and Ministry members—increased dramatically. Many of the older Guardians had to help the younger ones through, and when they reached the Ground Floor, they found it in total disarray.
Charred remains of paintings and drapes were all over the floors, while burnt doors were thrown across hallways and lay on the ground. The bodies on this floor were all moved to the sides—probably by Death Eaters to get through quickly. All the Guardians were scanning the bodies, some screaming out when they found a family member, running over and holding on to them as tears poured from their weary eyes.
Loud bangs and roars were still coming from the outside however, and Professor Fourmove needed to get there and find out what was going on. She moved quickly through the halls, turning the corner and getting a horrified look at the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was in shambles. The House Tables were broken into pieces, and thrown about the room. Almost all the windows were blown out and destroyed, and the ceiling was sprayed with holes and broken wood.
Looking away quickly to focus on the present, she turned towards the front doors—which were gone, and walked outside with her group close behind. They lost a few along the way as they broke down and wept over the bodies of their family members.
Reaching to doorway, she peered outside and her mouth opened in awe, along with many of the Guardians.
'Go Norbert! That's ma boy!'
A massive fireball flew across the ripped and torn grass, and erupted into flame against the trees as roars and howls filled the air.
The Guardians were pushing to see what was going on, but everyone backed away when the loud pounds of feet shook the ground.
'Hagrid!' Professor Fourmove called.
'Oi! Professor, look a' Norbert! Such a good little boy!' Hagrid called from across the field.
The massive black dragon was stomping across the grounds, shooting out fire at the giants as they fled into the forest. Many of the students turned and cringed as the dragon lunged at a nearby giant—which was trying to beat the dragon with a club—and began ripping into it. Several of the students also pointed out all the arrows flying in the forest at the giants running in away from the fire.
'Little! Hagrid, get out of there!' Professor Fourmove called again, taking a few steps out and telling the others to stay inside.
'Oh, it's alrigh' Professor, Norbert 'members his mommy!' Hagrid answered happily, looking at the vicious dragon snacking on some of the dead bodies.
'It'll kill you! For Merlin's sake, get inside!' Professor Fourmove screeched, Hagrid waving his hand at the woman and taking a few steps forward. He was still a good three hundred feet from her, the dragon very close to him.
'Oh never you min—Hey! Norby, no biting! Ow! I said no—' he ordered to the dragon, getting pushed down by a large claw. Hagrid was a big man, but a dragon was much too massive and dangerous.
Tonks just then arrived with her group, and came out to see Professor Fourmove running towards Hagrid, trying to help him into the castle. She ran out as well, and some of the Guardians closely followed.
'Go for the eyes!' Tonks shouted to the group. All of them began spraying spells on to the dragon, and before it could take a bite of Hagrid, who was still yelling "no Norbert! Mommy says no," the spells hit the beast. Many had no effect, but a few hit the dragon's eyes, and the beast released Hagrid. It let out a massive bellow, turning upwards and flapping its massive wings out and taking flight. The group held back for a moment, before running over and helping Hagrid up.
'Hagrid, are you alright?' Tonks asked hastily as they reached the man. He held out his arms for help, and it took three Guardians on each arm to raise him up. It took another four to hold him up, as he realized the sting in his lower half was in fact a broken leg.
'Are you alright?' Ernie asked again worriedly, seeing the pain on Hagrid's face.
'I'm alrigh'. I need ta get to the Hospital Wing.'
Holding him up, a rumble of thunder spread through the ground, and the group raised their wands in all directions, many looking to the sky for the dragon. A large shadow emerged from the forest and spread towards them. As it moved closer, the group began to hear a clatter of hooves that shook the ground.
'If the sky could be seen, Mars would be shining brightly' one of the centaurs commented as a herd of about ten of them came up to the group, and halted suddenly, throwing dust into the air.
'Brightly indeed. Mars has been shining fiercely these nights of late' another, brown haired centaur added.
'Are—are you—going to attack us?' a Ravenclaw boy asked, all the centaurs taking an intimidating look at him.
'Mind your tongue human. We are not wild animals that attack anything, like these giants who invaded our forest as the scarlet moon told us' a dark haired centaur asserted firmly.
'You knew they were going to attack?' Iona asked incredulously.
'You humans never could read the stars and planets as we have. The blood moon has been looming above our forest, telling us death would come this night' a shady white centaur explained rather arrogantly.
'So you're not going to attack us?' the same Ravenclaw boy asked, his wand still half raised. The centaurs were agitated with the question.
'Try to use your magic human, and see what becomes of you. Many of our kin have been killed tonight because of your war' the brown haired centaur challenged.
'Don' be takin' it personal Bane, these young'uns have been through a lot tonight' Hagrid told Bane, the Guardians turning him around slowly to see the centaurs.
'You humans, always trying to justify your hate. And you have much to answer to as well Hagrid, sending the Outcast into our forest.'
'I only sent 'im in ta warn yeh about—'
'Enough!' a red-haired centaur interrupted, taking steps forward and turning to Bane. 'Even after all we have fought against, you still bicker. Mercury told us a messenger would arrive soon, and so he did in the Outcast.'
'He should have been arrowed the moment his foot stepped into our forest' Bane commented.
'As the stars told us, the messenger would reclaim his place amongst us, and the Outcast did so in death. Many of our brothers and sisters perished this night protecting our forest' the red-haired centaur voiced solemnly.
'The blood moon told us of death' one of the centaurs commented.
'Firenze is dead?' Hagrid asked gravely.
'The Outcast is dead, as are many others. Mars is shining brightly' another centaur expressed straightforwardly.
'And with Venus rising in the East, a time of rebirth is near. The forest is free from its trespassers, none of whom escaped our steady arrows. The forest shall again be at peace.'
Several of the centaurs looked to the sky, as did some of the Guardians. A small part in the black clouds let sparkling stars peak through, as well as the dim full moon, indeed coloured blood red. It was a lunar eclipse.
The Guardians were astonished at the centaurs prediction. They pointed up, and as they gazed, the centaurs turned and walked back into the forest. The red-haired centaur stayed in place for a moment, and Hagrid looked at him.
'Thank yeh Ronan. Best be wit' yeh' Hagrid professed tiredly.
Ronan bowed his head quietly, and walked off with the others, and into the forest. The group turned, and began towards the castle.
'Where's your group?' Professor Fourmove asked, looking about at the destroyed grounds. Massive holes and gouges were engraved into the landscape, while trees in the Forbidden Forest burned, the thick black smoke burning into the sinister night sky.
Moving towards the castle with a quick pace, Hagrid answered between the grunts of pain while about a dozen Guardians helped him.
'Took cover in the Greenhouses they did.'
'I'll go' Tonks declared, turning and running along the side of the castle towards the Greenhouses with three Guardians.
Reaching the Entrance Hall, the group began to hobble towards the stairwell, when Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick came down at a very quick pace, followed by several Guardians, all of whom were glancing at the walls, debris, and dead bodies with horrified expressions.
'Oh my! Hagrid, what has happened!' Professor McGonagall sounded, coming down and looking at him, after the shock of seeing the devastation of their surroundings. The Guardians lowered him to the stairs, and he laid down as he explained. Professor Fourmove was just as eager to hear about the others.
'What of Harry? And the Hospital Wing? And Topher—is Topher alright?' she asked rapidly, walking up to Professor Flitwick.
Everyone seemed to have the same questions, and turned towards the tiny professor—who had a harsh cut across his cheek.
'You must ask Professor McGonagall of those. My group was cornered by the Headmistress' Office for most of the night.'
All the eyes now turned to Professor McGonagall. She stood, and took a deep breath.
'Is he alive Minerva?' Hagrid asked from the stairs.
'Harry is alive. He's badly injured, but is being treated in the Gryffindor Common Room.'
To this, many of the Guardians cheered and breathed some relief. They all knew that meant that Voldemort was defeated, and Harry won.
'The Hospital Wing was over-run. We were able to get almost everyone out, but some did not make it.' At this, Professor McGonagall turned to Iona. The Transfiguration professor was already in tears as the Headmistress approached.
'Professor Terrwynebas protected the students until his last breath' she told Professor Fourmove. Iona looked at her for a moment—a single tear running down her cheek—then fell into the Headmistress sobbing uncontrollably. Professor McGonagall hugged her warmly, and held on to her while the others looked on sadly.
'Come, Iona. We can grieve in time, we must see that everyone is found, and the injured helped' Professor McGonagall said quietly, trying to give the woman some strength. There were many people—including Hagrid—who needed a Healer, and they needed to move quickly.
Professor Fourmove stepped away, and nodded slowly, wiping her cheeks. Professor McGonagall motioned to Ernie Macmillan and Denis Creevy, and they helped Professor Fourmove take a seat for a moment to collect herself.
'What 'bout Hermione? Did she get out of teh Hospital Wing?' Hagrid asked, looking up at the Headmistress. Professor Fourmove looked up as well, and Professor McGonagall turned and took a breath.
'Miss Granger did get out of the Hospital Wing, but during the attack . . . ' she said, turning and looking off at the ceiling and rubbing her forehead.
'No. No- . . . she- . . . can't be' Hagrid stuttered.
Professor McGonagall stared at him for a moment. She could see the hurt in his eyes from already seeing students perish. The same look must have been in her eyes as well.
She continued to stare, and as his large questioning eyes continued to look at her, a single tear from her eye told enough. She took a step forward, and kneeling down, embraced the man as his shoulders began to shudder, and he started to cry uncontrollably on the steps next to the ruined Great Hall.
'When the world is lost, and the snake is broken'
Harry suddenly opened his eyes. He heard several voices speaking, most of them far away. With his blurred vision, could distinguish a single person sitting nearby, and before he could guess who it was, they spoke.
'Harry! Harry, thank Merlin, you're awake!'
Harry tried to reach for his glasses with his one free arm—the other in a sling of some sorts—and luckily they were placed in his hand by his bedside friend. Once the glasses were on his face, he smiled, and tried to sit up a little better. His friend helped him up, and with one glance, the two shared an aching hug that Harry had been desperately needing.
'Oh Ron, I'm so happy to see you' Harry spoke, his voice raspy from the long sleep that he just woke from.
Harry pressed into Ron, and felt a pinch in his arm when it was pushed next to Ron's chest. He closed his eyes and smiled through the pain—something that hurt his face, which was still recovering from the cuts. The moment his eyes opened however, just as he backed away from Ron, his mind turned to deep worry about everyone else.
He found he was in the Hospital Wing, or what was left of it. The walls were covered in blast marks, and most of the windows were blown out. The doorway had been smashed to pieces, and many of the large stone blocks laid across the floor, with several of the beds near the entrance flipped over and mangled.
'How's everyone else? Where's Ginny, and George, and Mum, and Dad, and . . . Hermione?' he asked in succession. Ron's face—which bore a number of nasty untreated cuts—became grave, and he turned away from Harry for a moment.
'Ron' he murmured, his curiosity over powering his anxiety of facing reality. 'Ron, tell me.'
Ron looked up to the ceiling, tears now engulfing his eyes, and he sniffed as he looked at Harry's blanket in front of him. Harry reached out and held Ron's hand to give support, but his mind was already formulating what happened. In the seemingly perpetual wait, Harry kept telling himself the same thing over and over again in his head.
All of them couldn't be dead. They couldn't. Please let most of them survive.
Ron wiped his nose, and gave Harry's face a glance before slowly answering.
'Mum and Dad are alright' he sniffed, Harry breathing some relief. He could still get fussed over by Mrs. Weasley, and still laugh at Mr. Weasleys' fascination with Muggle items.
'George was with me when we found you . . . in the Chamber and all' he continued, wiping his nose again. 'He's up in Gryffindor Tower helping Mum with the injured.'
Ron then took a deep breath, as more tears spilled from his eyes, dropping in pats on the blanket.
'Gi—Ginny—' he stuttered, breaking into more tears, his head falling. Harry could feel his shoulders shuddering and his eyes tearing themselves, seeing Ron in such a state, and knowing what he was trying to say.
'Gi—Ginny is . . . is g-g-gone' Ron uttered, looking up, and totally breaking down. Harry was in same state, hearing the words voiced, and for a moment could not breathe.
Ginny was . . . gone. Harry's mind reeled with memories of her: sitting in the Common Room and playing with her long red hair, playing Quidditch and watching her fly about beautifully, seeing her face that first time at the Burrow when she ran back upstairs; the wonderful memories piled over each other in a seeming mountain of emotions and good times. All of it was crashing down in an avalanche of sorrow now, realizing he would never see her face light up again, never hear her laugh or watch that amazing red hair flow behind her.
The two best friends—deep in their sadness—embraced each other and wept. Harry did not, and could not, feel the pain in his arm from holding on to Ron so hard. The pain in his soul, in his heart, was overwhelming. He would never see Ginny again.
They sat there for a long time, trying both to comfort each other, and help with the pain of it all. This battle would have much of that, playing out with many friends and families, lasting many years.
Harry very slowly pulled away from Ron after awhile, his eyes dry of tears because they had none left. There were still many people's fates he had to know of, and as much as Ginny's passing was painful, there could still be others.
'What about Hermione and the others? Please tell me Ron, I need to know. Is Hermione safe?' Harry asked, sniffing here and there.
Ron wiped his face again, reaching for a cloth on a table nearby. He mumbled some things to himself, and Harry again held on to him and asked once more. It only came to Harry later on that it was a hard burden to put on Ron, making him tell the fates of everyone. As much as Harry wanted to know, in retrospect, he should have not pushed Ron so hard at a time that was so devastating to everyone.
'Well—there—there's so many people to tell. Professor McGonagall and most of the staff are alright—'
'What about Hermione?' Harry interrupted. His thoughts were teetering on this information, and Ron's reluctance to answer made Harry think the worst.
'—and Hagrid is alive, though he has a really bad break in his leg—'
'Ron!' Harry shouted, his voice trembling knowing that Ron would not be answering because of one reason. Harry's eyes were wide, and tunnel vision on Ron's face.
Harry's shout got the attention of many people who did not notice his waking state earlier. Madam Pomfrey being one of them, she started to walk over, and Harry took Ron—as he was still looking down—and shook him.
'Tell me Ron! Is Hermione alive!'
Just as Madam Pomfrey came within feet of Harry's bed, Ron made a slow and almost non-existent shake of his head, still pointed down at Harry's blanket.
The shakes of his red-haired head played in slow motion. With such a small motion, Harry's body hollowed to a point where he thought he left it. His chest ached so terribly, he actually clutched it with his slinged arm, and lost the energy he had to stay sitting up.
Madam Pomfrey came up quickly, and began shooing Ron away. Harry was still holding onto Ron's hand, visions of Hermione playing in front of his eyes. So many memories, smiles, kisses, and adventures; they pushed Harry into a world so entrenched and revolving around Hermione, he thought he would never again see the normal world.
As Ron's hand moved away slowly, Harry grasped it tighter, and with a resolute determination, he pulled himself up.
'Please Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter needs his sleep' Madam Pomfrey said.
'No!' Harry shouted, 'I need to see Hermione! Take me to Hermione!'
'Just relax Mr. Potter. Take this, and you'll feel better' she offered, holding a beaker full of a green liquid.
'"Feel better?!" I am seeing Hermione, now! Take me to Hermione now Ron!' he demanded. In one swift motion, he ripped the blanket off his bed, and swung his legs around. He stood up—almost falling over—but Ron steadied him. With one determined glance, Ron looked at him, and nodded.
'Mr. Potter, get back here! You're in no condition—'
'I'll show you what condition I'm in if you keep up!' Harry threatened, reaching over with his hand towards the bed stand. His reach was too short, however the wand quickly zoomed into his hand, and he pointed it threateningly at Madam Pomfrey. The Hospital Nurse backed down instantly, seeing the look in Harry's eyes, and the two shattered friends limped out of the Hospital Wing. They were about to start up towards Gryffindor Tower, when Dobby—covered in many hats and various other pieces of clothing—walked around the corner, and stopped in front of them. He bowed, thinking they were normal students leaving the Hospital Wing, and continued on, only to stop again, and take a second glance.
'Harry Potter! Oh, Dobby can not explain how—'
'Can you take us to Gryffindor Tower?' Ron questioned roughly. He did not want Dobby going off on how happy he was to see Harry.
'Of course! Dobby will do anything for Harry Potter and his Weezy!'
Dobby walked forward quickly, and with a snap of his fingers, the three of them landed in Gryffindor Tower. The resulting crack frightened several people, but their fright turned to surprise when they saw Harry.
'Harry! Harry, you're awake!' Denis Creevey so astutely pointed out, running through several people trying to come up and shake Harry's hand. Ron pushed forward, and neglected Denis entirely.
'Out of my way! Oh Harry, thank Merlin!' Mrs. Weasley admitted joyfully, having to walk through the crowd in the Common Room to get to him. Harry took the hug without objection, getting a faint whiff of Mrs. Weasley's characteristic smell—which consisted of flowers, newly baked tarts, and a stuffy old sofa—but his heart sunk deeply when he looked in the direction he saw Mrs. Weasley came from, and could see Hermione.
Harry became limp, and Mrs. Weasley knew exactly why. She turned, still holding on to him, and both she and Ron helped him across the room. Everyone made space, and as the last student moved, she came into full view, and Harry felt a pang in his body he had never felt before, nor would never be without.
She looked absolutely beautiful. So much so, it made Harry feel like the world had been lost to the darkness. Her face was pallid and smooth, and her expression was calm and almost enchanting—the same she had when reading a great book. Her wonderfully frizzled and slightly rippled hair cascaded around her shoulders, and framed her face elegantly. The robes she was wearing where her normal Hogwarts ones, fixed no doubt by Mrs. Weasley to look perfectly in place, with every button done up, and not a speck of dust on it.
'I'm so sorry Harry' Mrs. Weasley whispered.
Harry came closer, and as he reached the couch Hermione was lying on, his mind was begging she was just taking a nap. He was trying so hard to tell himself she was not gone, but as he came ever closer, his feet began to tremble with each step, knowing he was coming closer to having to face the truth.
Taking that last step, his feet gave out—as well as Ron and Mrs. Weasley's grip with the sudden shift—and he fell in front of the couch, his hands reaching up to Hermione. Ron made to quickly pick him up, but Mrs. Weasley wisely advised against it.
Everyone watched as he slowly moved to Hermione, and began trembling uncontrollably. Tears formed again from his weary eyes, and poured like rain as he clutched her arm and side, looking at her face.
It was the first time many of the students had seen Harry cry, and it made nearly all of them to break down themselves. To see someone who had suffered through so much, and who had helped so many keeping strong all the while, in such a devastated state; it was hard for everyone.
Mrs. Weasley came over slowly, and reaching out, she placed a comforting hand on his back. Harry did not even look to see who it was, but merely reached over, and fell into her motherly shoulder.
Harry's world was gone now. Such a sudden hole was thrust into his soul, he was completely lost. He never knew something could hurt so much. So much of his being hated that he had lived and beat Voldemort. It was his fault that Hermione died, and the realization of that fact came on to Harry like a plague, making him fall even farther into the dark recesses of his mind.
Someone ran up through the throng of people, and reached Ron. It was Luna, and she gave Ron a hug, her face suddenly growing sad as she looked at Harry.
Somehow, in the midst of such sadness and overwhelming sorrow, Harry heard Luna whisper to Ron. He looked up at the two of them, his face drenched in sweat and tears. Luna dropped down, placing one of her hands on Harry's shoulder.
'It's alright Harry, we're all here for you. All your friends are here' she reassured. She moved her other hand into view, and it was this movement that caught Harry's attention for a moment.
He had seen this moment before. His tears were slowing as he tried to process everything, and his staring made Luna look at Ron worriedly.
'Harry? Harry, can you hear me?' she asked, looking at him closer. She noticed what he was looking at, and moved it forward.
'I- . . . well, Professor McGonagall asked me to bring this to—'
Harry immediately reached over and grabbed the pieces of the bracelet from her hand. They were completely black, and broken in two right down the middle. Harry glanced at his own arm, and only realized then that indeed, the bracelet had fallen off his arm.
His mind was trying desperately to remember where he saw this scene before. It seemed like something was missing, just out of reach of his dreary and sorrow-filled mind.
'When the world is lost, and the snake is broken'
With the sudden realization, Harry examined the pieces of the bracelet, and shrugged the people off of him, trying to stand up.
'Harry? Harry, what's the matter?' Mrs. Weasley asked apprehensively.
'I need to go' Harry stated aloud, mostly to himself than to anyone else.
'Harry, where do you need to go?' Luna asked, Harry now standing up, moving some of his hair out of his face to continue to look at the pieces of the bracelet. The moment he moved his hair, several nearby students whispered about his scar, but Harry did no notice.
He looked over the bracelet, and stared at Hermione for a few moments before, looking over at Ron and the others with a strong determination in his face.
'"There's only one way you can change the result" . . . change the result' Harry whispered non-coherently.
'Change what result? What are you talking about Harry?' Ron asked, giving a very nervous glance at Mrs. Weasley and some of the others. Harry quickly knelt back down next to Hermione, and leaned in closely to her ear—her gentle hair skimming over Harry's lips giving him a slight shiver.
'I'm going to save you Hermione. Stay with me' he spoke softly, reaching over and kissing her lifeless lips.
He stood, and moved people away as he bound to the portraitway. Ron, and many of the others begged him where he was going, but he kept looking forward. He was three flights down from Gryffindor Tower before Ron could catch up with him and finally get an answer.
'Harry! Where the bloody hell are you going?' he demanded as he continued to run alongside.
'I have to save her.'
'Harry, she's gone' Ron tried to assert.
'No- . . . no, I can change it' Harry responded dully. They came around the corner, and the two of them were now on the Second Floor.
'Harry, you- . . . you can't. She's dead' Ron professed. This statement did what Ron had been trying to do for the past five floors, and Harry stopped in his tracks half way to the First Floor.
'They said I could change the result Ron, I can change it!' Harry boasted, Ron becoming increasingly confused and scared. The look in Harry's eyes was almost mad.
'Who?'
'The Ka's Ron! They told me I could change what happened!'
He continued down at a hastened pace, and Ron scrambled to catch up to him again. Harry walked past the Defence classroom and found the floor speckled with apples and oranges, from Peeves' attacks earlier. This again resonated in Harry's memory from his dream, and he continued on unwaveringly.
'They never said that Harry' Ron declared. By now, they were outside in the grounds. It was sunny outside, making the mounds of dirt and broken ground contrast greatly with the spotty patches of bottle green grass and cerulean sky.
'In my dream' Harry whispered.
'What?'
'In my dream Ron, they said it in my dream!'
Ron was getting overly concerned with Harry's ramblings. He wanted Hermione back as well, but he needed to save Harry from doing something he may regret.
'Harry' Ron said forcefully, running in front of him, and grabbing his shoulders to hopefully talk some sense into him. 'She's gone, you can't bring her back. You had a dream, it doesn't make it real.'
'Yes it does Ron!' Harry argued. The light in Harry's eyes made Ron nervous. He knew when Harry believed in something like this so hardily, it was hard to convince him of anything else. It pained him beyond belief to try and bring him to the reality that Hermione was gone.
'No one can bring someone back from the dead. She's gone Harry.'
Harry sighed, and looked down for a moment, before analyzing Ron.
'Let me do this Ron, please. I know it'll work.'
Ron looked back at the broken castle, many of the towers smoking, and the grounds destroyed, and then at his best friend in front of him, equally broken and ruined. As much as he knew nothing could be done, he needed to be there for Harry. Even if it meant going with him to prove the dead could not be brought back.
'Where are we going?' Ron asked, Harry grinning. After seeing him with Hermione only a few minutes before, Ron thought he'd never be able to smile.
'Egypt, back to the tomb.'
Ron breathed for a moment, then nodded, and helped Harry out of the grounds. They had no troubles getting past the gates—the savior Harry Potter asking to get by. The problem of how to get to Egypt rose in Ron's mind, but Harry was not concerned.
'I'll get us there. You'll have to Side-Apparate, so hold on tight' Harry advised. Ron took hold of his arm carefully, and Harry pointed his wand back towards Hogwarts.
'Accio Book of Thoth!'
A whooshing sound filled the air momentarily, and Harry reached out and grabbed a scroll that had flown from the castle. He closed his eyes for a moment, before unrolling the scroll and reading it.
'Simula Apparecum!' Harry shouted, thinking hard of the Egyptian dune that they had visited before.
Giving a quick turn with Ron next to him, the two of them were squeezed from all sides, and the tube-like feeling of Apparating enveloped them. The time it took was longer than either of them had ever experienced. It was impossible to even try and open ones' eyes to see what was passing by them, and the flipping of both their stomachs continued. They tried to hold down their stomachs, but for such a long time, it was impossible.
Finally planting their feet deep in the desert sand, both fell away from each other and wrenched. They recovered themselves slowly, and helped each other up, finally glancing at their surroundings.
They arrived in the valley that they had visited before, however the scene was much different. Blast craters scorched the sand, and the few bits of vegetation near the Nile were burnt and destroyed. It looked as if no one was around anymore, and the two students decided not to try and find out.
Harry led the way as they jogged down the path towards the cave. Ron continued to look behind them, worried about lingering foes. With the winds and dust that spun up in the air within the valley, it made it difficult to see more than a hundred yards in any direction.
Reaching the face of the tomb, they stood for a moment trying to open the doorway. Harry's mind was vague on the details of how their first visit went, but luckily Ron remembered a little better.
'How are we going to get in? Those wizards are gone' Ron observed dismally as they scanned the surface of the sandstone doorway.
The wind continued to whip around them, throwing sand and dust in their eyes as they tried to get inside. Ron suggested blasting it down, but Harry worried it would collapse the tunnel.
'Then try what opened it before! Maybe we don't need the other wizards' Ron shouted over the howling wind.
Harry wiped his face and took out Topher's wand, and placed the tip on the rock face. Bright blue markings shown along the wand, and the ground shook below them as a small portal opened.
The two of them ran into the dark tunnel, and sprinted into the depths. The crunch of scorpions and spiders beneath their feet made Ron lift his feet high and track lightly, even though it did not matter much. Harry was not even concerned with the sound, and moved faster.
Reaching a fork in the tunnel, Harry dashed to the right option, remembering to use Topher's advice of taking the most northerly tunnel.
'Expecto Patronum!' Harry shouted as he continued to run with speed into a very dark section of the tunnel. His mind full of thoughts of Hermione, a phoenix emerged from the wand, and engulfed the chamber ahead of him. Ron, in the mean time, was now about ten feet behind him, trying to catch up.
The trek to the stone chamber at the end was a blur to Harry. He could never remember himself running so fast before in his life. Hermione was the only thing in his mind, and he had to find a way to bring her back. The Ka's told him it could be done, and he would do anything.
Reaching the chamber, the three tombs, along with all the statues and pots made of clay, bronze, and other fine metals. The tiny blue-flame above the center tomb was still burning as before, and the foul stench of death and totting corpses again filled the damp and musty air.
Ron finally caught up, and bumped into Harry as he was turning around to check behind him for scorpions and other distasteful creatures chasing him.
Harry walked around several statues, and came into view of the decaying Ka's, lying across the front of the two smaller tombs. He stepped slowly ahead towards them, and took the fragments of the bracelet and the scroll out of his pocket.
'As we foretold, the wielder has returned to us' a hollow voice sounded in the chamber, Harry snapping his head up to see the two Ka's standing, their ancient rags hanging from their skeletons.
'Two less than the last, and with a different purpose in their minds' the smaller Ka spoke in a ghostly voice, still causing the hairs on Harry's back to raise.
Harry took another step forward, and closed his eyes as he saw Hermione standing in front of him, in her backyard at the beginning of Summer. Seeing her smile, and those bright brown eyes, he opened his eyes and looked determinately at the skeletal guards of the tomb.
'You know why I came' Harry spoke lowly.
'We know what you seek to save Harry Potter' the smaller Ka stated in a ghostly manner.
'And we know what must be done if you truly seek this' the other explained.
'For the love that drives the power is a strong.'
'But the power to bring forth that love from the nether regions is stronger' the child Ka informed.
'The protector of the love has allowed this power to come to light, yet sacrifice is needed' the taller Ka spoke.
'The protector of the love, who?' Harry asked.
'The one who's wand you hold now' the taller skeleton explained, pointing at Topher's wand. 'Dying so that your love may continue on, the protector of the love fulfilled their role.'
'As has the protector of the wielder' the small Ka added in with its raspy voice, gazing at Ron with its eye sockets.
Harry turned to Ron with shock in his face. 'Topher's . . dead?' Ron looked at him, and nodded solemnly. Harry had been so focused on saving Hemrione, he never even considered that Topher could be gone.
'What- . . . what do you mean "sacrifice"?' Harry asked the Ka's after a moment to let Topher's passing sink in.
'To call your love from the nether regions, one life must be sacrificed.'
'One life for another' the taller Ka stated.
'Then take mine. Bring Hermione back' Harry asserted, Ron stepping towards him.
'Harry, no! Don't do it! Hermione wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself to save hers.'
'Ron, she needs to come back. I'm the one that caused her death; it's my life to give.' Ron came closer to him, and looked at him.
'Harry, I want Hermione back as well, but not at the price of your life! Just accept that she's gone' Ron pleaded with him, as Harry glanced at the Ka's, who were waiting patiently.
Harry lowered his head, and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.
'I can't live knowing I caused her death Ron. She needs to live, and I'm willing to give my life for that.'
'Stop playing the hero Harry! You beat Voldemort and Hogwarts is saved! I know, some people died, but you knew that would happen! You can't keep thinking you can save everyone!' Ron argued. He realized this had gone too far. Yes, Harry was right about being able to save Hermione, but this sacrifice was just too far. He was not willing to let Harry be killed.
'Ron, this isn't your decision' Harry responded coldly. He turned, and took a step towards the Ka's, but Ron took hold of him and tried to keep him from doing this.
'Harry stop! Don't do this!'
Harry turned, but suddenly Ron was gone. He looked around the chamber worriedly, the amber light flickering along the walls, and came to the Ka's.
'Where is Ron?' Harry demanded.
'The protector has been returned to the broken castle' the child Ka told.
'Why?'
The tall Ka tilted its scull at Harry, and took half a step towards Harry, the bones cracking together with the motion.
'Only one life can be given to save the love of the wielder-'
'And for this, the protector of that life must be allayed of his obligation' the child Ka spoke.
Harry looked down for a moment in thought, and nodded slowly. This is what he wanted. He needed to bring Hermione back, even if it meant he had to die.
'Will you return the Book of Thoth and the Oroborus Circlet to this tomb and to whom it should be released to?' the woman Ka asked, taking rickety steps towards Harry, and holding out its hand.
Looking down at his hands, he reached into his pockets, and pulling out the circlet and the scroll. He held them together, and with each blink of his eyes, the vision of Hermione's smiling face burned itself into his mind.
He took the pieces of the bracelet and the scroll, and handed them over to the Ka. He dropped them into its hand, and the Ka gently took them, and backed away. It took the bracelet pieces, and put them around the scroll. The pieces suddenly fused together, and the colour turned back to bright and gloriously shimmering gold. Harry felt a wave of dizziness come over him, and he held on to a nearby statue to keep on his feet.
The Ka took the scroll with the bracelet holding it together, and placed it below the blue flame on the center tomb.
'Now the circle can be completed. You have returned the Book of Thoth to us, and are willing to give your life to save your love' the woman Ka said. It was not phrased as a question, though it sounded more like she was asking for reassurance from Harry.
Harry again closed his eyes, and Hermione was all that he could see in his mind. The wonderful morning of Christmas and all those walks along the halls at Hogwarts; every beautiful moment with her poured through his mind as he stood there. She had to live, there was nothing Harry was more certain of in his entire life.
'Hermione has to live. I'm willing' Harry said confidently.
The woman Ka looked back at its child, and both of them came closer to Harry. He tried not to flinch as they approached, the dark eye holes in their skulls staring at him. The woman Ka reached over, and its skeletal hand was placed on Harry's shoulder.
'Then let it be done.'
A/N - So there you go! It moves around a bit, and there's a good amount of sadness with realizing who has died and such. I know there's nothing huge that's covered in here, but I do hope it went well. The ending goes fairly quick because through Harry's eyes, it is a rather quick trip.
Again, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please review. And once again, I'm terribly sorry it took forever for this chapter.