" He's gone, Ron..."

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" I love you Hermione, " Harry said with a faint blush on his face…

" Hermione…" a voice whispered. " Can you stand now? "

Her eyes were open, and everything looked fuzzy. Then her vision cleared. Ron was hovering over her, and so was Ginny, looking very worried.

She looked at Ron as he helped her sit up. " He's gone, " she said flatly.

Ron nodded and tried not to let the tears fall down. Ginny had been sobbing since Hermione had fainted. Fred and George stood quietly, as the doctor who had spoken to Ron saw how she was.

" Ma'am, I'm very sorry, " he began.

Hermione stood up. " I'd like to see him, " she said quietly.

Ron's eyes widened. He didn't like the sound of her voice. The doctor looked at Ron. Ginny looked at Ron. Fred opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something. But he didn't say anything at all. The room was filled with an awful silence that was so loud it was starting to annoy Ron.

" Ma'am, I don't think you should, " the doctor began.

" I want to see him, " her voice was still flat, but louder this time.

He nodded. " Very well, Mr. Weasley? " He looked at Ron, searching for some physical sign of protest. There was none.

Ron motioned for Ron and Ginny and Fred and George followed mutely as he led them down a long corridor. He tried to stay strong, imagining how Hermione would react upon seeing Harry. He didn't know how he would react either. Something in him was gone or bursting. He couldn't understand what he felt. Was he sad? Hurt? Angry at someone? At Harry? Himself?

Hermione walked the wide, well lighted corridor. But it seemed too narrow, dark and unwelcoming to her. She walked slowly, as if she had aged 50 years overnight. Something in her was starting to hurt. Her heart, it seemed, had suddenly slowed down in accordance with her steps. She took small steps, child-like steps that didn't seem to get her anywhere. She had no idea that Ginny was guiding her hand, she had no that Ron kept looking at her. She had no idea that Fred had gone down to the station along with George to call their family to inform them that the boy-who-lived, was now gone.

Fred looked at Ron's, Ginny's and Hermione's back. He stared at Hermione most especially as he began dialing on the phone.

" How do you think she'll take it? " George asked.

Fred shrugged. " I don't know. Hermione- I've never seen her like this, in a situation like this. "

They passed by a few doors, and inside, people were moaning and groaning and screaming. Did Harry die like this? Ron shuddered at the thought of it.

Ginny eyed Ron. Ron saw the fear in Ginny's eyes. It screamed, 'how do you think she'd react?', and 'I can't stand this anymore!' But still, she said nothing.

The doctor stopped in a room. Ron saw, to his horror, blood on the floor, splattered here and there. Hermione didn't seem to have noticed it. Ginny noticed it and he saw her mouth open in shock. The doctor withdrew the white curtains.

Harry.

Hermione heard an intake of breath. It was Ginny. But she saw nothing else, no one else but Harry. He was lying there, sleeping peacefully and she stared at his face. And one couldn't tell he had died from an accident.

She moved closer to him, as Ginny stayed stationary, trembling and crying softly. Ron was hugging Ginny as he stared at his best friend inching toward his other best friend. Ginny excused herself and ran for Fred and George who had just arrived at the door.

"Oh god, " Ron murmured. How was she going to take it?

Hermione was blank for awhile as she stared at Harry's face for a long time. A white sheet was placed until his shoulder area. His pale skin gleamed under the bright lights. Her eyes showed no sign of grief. Her lips trembled though.

Was this Harry?

Was he really dead?

He would never be warm again, she thought as her fingers involuntarily reached out to touch his face. His bright green eyes would never again open and look at her and she would never see him smile again, or hear his voice, or feel his masculine arms around her. The doctor was talking to her, but she couldn't understand a word. She kept nodding and nodding until the doctor finally knew that she was in her own world now, that she had shut them off. She didn't feel Ron's hand touch her shoulder. Her hand strayed to his hair, his messy dark hair and when she withdrew it, it was slick with blood. Her eyes did not widen though. She still remained quiet as she took his cold hand and held it in her own two warm hands. The dead were not cold at all, she told herself. They're just a little chilly…Was Harry cold? She knew he was naked under those sheets of white.

This wasn't Harry. Harry was alive, and warm, somewhere. He was playing football somewhere, eating and munching on a sandwich somewhere, sipping butterbeer somewhere. But suddenly that somewhere seemed too remote to even imagine. There was no somewhere. Only here, only now, in this cold room with white tiled walls, strange equipment and annoying people who wore scrubs and gowns.

" Harry, " Hermione finally whispered.

" Ma'am, it's necessary to perform an autopsy, " the doctor began. " We have also taken the liberty to remove- "

" If you touch him again, I'll kill you, " Hermione said softly and with a smile.

Ron couldn't take the pressure. He broke down quietly.

Hermione looked at him. She frowned a little, out of concern. " Oh, Ron. Don't be sad, " she began, as she touched his shoulder gently.

Ron shook his head as another tear fell down. " Hermione, " he choked.

She looked at Harry once more. Then her eyes reached his neck. She spun around, suddenly active and alive. " He's missing a few things! " she gasped.

A nurse came forward and held a metal tray, with a white sheet on top. His glasses. She held them gently. The glasses were cracked; one side of the rim had broken apart. She shook and still held onto them. " He, he can't see well without this. " She trembled.

Ron looked away. " Hermione, please- "

Ginny sobbed louder as George held her tight. " Fred, George! Do something! "

But the twins remained motionless. What were they to do? It was a strange situation, and all their humor and antics were gone. Hermione- they'd never seen her like this. It was...strange. She turned around, back again to Harry.

" Miss, there's still- " the nurse didn't continue.

Hermione spun around to face her and saw something at the corner of the tray. It was shiny and silver, with specks of blood on it. She had a sharp intake of breath. With a shaky hand, she reached for it, and held it in an even gentler manner than Harry's glasses. Her gift to Harry.

" Don't open the gift I gave you until I'm out of your sight! " she warned…

She opened it and saw the picture. They were moving. He was alive. He was kissing her. He was alive... She closed it and felt her body shudder uncontrollably. He was moving in there! And she faced Harry again and gently lifted his head to place the necklace on him. The white sheet slipped and she saw a dark line, an incision on his chest. Hermione gasped. She reeled back in horror and Ron caught her just in time. " Oh god! " she gasped again.

She trembled even more as she held Harry's hand with Ron supporting her back. " He's gone, Ron, he's gone…" she moaned as she held Harry's face.

" Shh…" Ron said trying to soothe her.

" Harry! " she said in a shaky voice. " Please? Please! "

What was she begging for? For him to come back? For him to take her away with him? She didn't know what she had been doing. But Harry was gone, she was sure of it. But then there was denial. Denial stung her, stuck to her like a giant leech, sucked out her vital humor, until she knew she felt no other feeling except pain.

And then she suddenly grew calm. " He told me he loved me before he left. "

And she walked out of the operating room and down into the hallway, seeing the space wide enough only for her to walk on. Ron stood still watching her walk away. Ginny, with red rimmed eyes looked at her brothers.

" Where is she going? " she croaked. " Ron! Fred! George! Stop her! "

Ron remained still as Fred and George bolted out of the room and ran after her.

" Hermione! " Fred yelled.

Hermione kept walking, like she had never heard him call out her name in the silence of the early morning hours.

" Please! Stop! " George said as he caught up with her. He touched her shoulder.

She turned to face him with a stare he couldn't place and didn't want to see.

" Come with us, " George began.

She shook her head and smiled genially. "No; thank you, " she replied.

" Please? " Fred said.

" No, thank you, " she answered. " I think I'll go home now. "

" Please Hermione, " Fred extended his hand to touch her shoulder. Hermione slapped it away. Their eyes widened.

" Leave me alone! " she suddenly screamed. "You leave me alone! You leave me alone! "

Ron and Ginny ran out for them as soon as they had heard her scream.

" Leave me alone! All of you! I said I wanted to go home! Not stay here! Never here! Not with you! Only with him! But he's gone! And I'm not! "

" Oh Hermione, " Ginny cried out.

" I don't need you to cry for me!" Hermione snapped. " So stop it! "

Ginny felt an arm around her, it was George's. " Hermione, " she whimpered. " It's not… you don't have to act this way, Harry's- "

" Alive? He's okay! You tell me right now if he's going to get up from that bloody surgery table and come running out to see all of us to greet us with a smile! You tell me he's going to live, to kiss me, to hug you! To play football, and… Quidditch! " she said. " You tell me if I'll ever get to marry him, you tell me that everything will be alright- "

Ron embraced her. " I'm sorry Hermione! Harry's gone! Gone, do you hear! He won't be happy to know you're this- "

She backed away from his embrace. " He's gone! I know! I know it! He'll never see us cry for him! He'll never know how painful it's been to see him gone! He'll never know! Never! "

Ron saw the doctor and a nurse come running behind her. Ron hugged Hermione again, this time, tighter. " You still have us, Mione! You still have us! "

" I still have you! But Harry! " she cried.

" It's going to hurt for awhile Hermione, but I'm telling you- You're going to be alright! " Ron told her as the doctor reached them.

" No! I'm never going to- " and she felt something prick her skin but still she cried. " Ron, I didn't- how! Why! It's never going to be the same, Ron! He's gone! I can't… He's never coming home! He's dead! He's dead! " And Hermione felt herself crumple on the floor, as Ron still held her.

She was lying in Ron's arms, sobbing as the doctor and nurse were bent over on her.

" It's alright, you're going to be okay…" Ron's fading voice told her.

And as she faded into unconsciousness, she still felt the need to doubt what Ron had said.

A/N: yes, two chapters on the death of Harry Potter. Sorry if it seemed too emotional...did it bring you to tears? i hope it did! haha. please do review, as i will see if this story actually deserves to be continued? all comments and flames and death threats are welcome. don't fail me, and i won't fail you. The next chapter proves to be very enjoyable.