As they entered the dilapidated entrance hall, Ginny looked around at all the damage. It was most definitely the most badly damaged area of the school she'd seen so far. The staircase was falling to pieces, and there was plenty of scorched areas of the wall which were evidence that the fight had taken place. Actual areas of the staircase had been imploded so that there were big gaps in the staircase. The same could be said for the ceiling and the wall. The four of them stood in silence as they observed the damage. That's when Ginny realized that there were several others mingling around too. She spotted Neville and SLuna chatting in the distance. She whispered to Harry, "I'm just going to say hi to them." Harry nodded agreeably, "I'll come and join you."

They went up to Luna and Neville. Luna was still looking pretty thin from her ordeal and Neville looked tired and wary. Ginny smiled at them nervously, "Hey guys." They stopped their conversation as her, Harry, Ron and Hermione approached. Luna smiled kindly at them, "Hello there. How've you all been?" Ginny tried to answer her without looking at Neville, "I've been fine, thanks. Holding in there. And you?" Luna shrugged and grimaced, "Been ok thank. The castle was worse than I expected."

They all nodded in agreement and slowly more and more people filed into the room. Eventually, Professor McGonagall and Kingsley came down the stairs slowly, trying to avoid the gaps as best they could. When they reached the bottom, the hall hushed into silence. McGonagall cleared her throat and said seriously, "Thank you all for joining us on this morbid occasion. I know that a lot of you are still grieving friends and family at this difficult time, and yet have shown up to help try and rebuild a place where you spent a great deal of your time investing in your education. We are eternally grateful to you for your time and help in this matter." She stared down at the floor and then Kingsley took over the announcements, "I'd like to echo what the headmistress has just said so perfectly. But I would also like to say a great thanks to those of you who risked your lives to protect this institution. It means a great deal to the Ministry of Magic." There was some nodding from the crowd and then Kingsley said, "Lunch will be served in the Dining Hall at one o clock. You may choose to help on any area of school where you see damage. However, first we are going to be taught some simple spells to help repair this kind of damage. I will be teaching them to you in the next few minutes."
They learned Oculus Reparo, the Fixing Charm, and the Permanent Sticking Charm. All of these were necessary to help rebuild the castle. Once they had learnt several others too, Kingsley decided it would be best to allocate areas for people to help. He told Ginny, Harry, Luna and Neville to head to the area surrounding the bridge.

They walked there and Luna mused, "Remember when Neville was really brave and volunteered to taunt the Death Eaters towards us?" Ginny nodded and murmured, "Yeah. I was worried sick he wouldn't make it back. I mean…you nearly didn't." She paused and glanced up at Neville. He shrugged his shoulders and grumbled, "Yeah a fat lot of good that did. Voldemort still managed to disintegrate the shield even with my taunting." Ginny snapped, "Don't speak about yourself so negatively! I honestly thought that the bridge was going to make you collapse with it."

Neville glanced at her as they reached the bridge and whispered, "Well it certainly caused a lot of damage." She swallowed now, unsure if he was still talking about the bridge or if he was talking about her damaging and hurting him. Harry interrupted the horrible silence that had just ensued, "Well, I guess we better get crack. Ginny, I think you better come with me. We'll start sticking and levitating parts of the bridge back together and then you guys can stick them back in place once they've been levitated, alright?" Luna and Neville nodded, and Ginny and Harry backtracked so that they could get onto the ground level. Harry asked her curiously, "So what exactly happened that caused Neville to make this sacrifice?" He said it in such a way that made Ginny feel like he was jealous, "Neville came up with the idea that we needed to get rid of as many snatchers as we could in one go. He suggested luring them onto the bridge so that we can destroy the bridge and all of them in one go. It worked wonderfully. But at the last minute he fell because the bridge was catching up to him. I screamed because I felt worried sick that he wouldn't make it. He did though. He was clinging onto the edge of the bridge and I was terrified he was going to fall…"

Ginny was so caught up in speaking about this memory that she realized maybe she had been a little too worried for Harry's liking. He had paused in walking with her and she turned to find him staring at her fixedly. She sighed and walked up to him and then asked, "You're not jealous of Neville, are you?" Harry blinked and then asked quietly, "Do I have a reason to be?" Ginny forced a smile and whispered, "No Harry. There's no reason to be jealous." He nodded in contemplation and then an unbidden image of Draco Malfoy popped into her minds eye. She forced the thought of him out of her brain. Harry smiled and nodded in satisfaction, "Good!" before he kissed her quickly and passionately on the lips. Ginny laughed and then pulled away, "Don't let the little things get to you, Harry!"

They made their way to the damage on the ground, and saw that it stretched far and wide. They stared in shock and Harry muttered, "I think we're gonna need more help on this end." Piles upon piles upon piles of destruction littered the ground in every corner. Ginny gaped at all the dead snatcher bodies that lay around them. She felt a cold eeriness make her shiver and she turned to Harry and hid her view of the bloody mess. She cried into her chest and even though she knew these people were against them, she still didn't like to see how much destruction this war had caused.

Harry pulled her away from the grounds and back up to the bridge. He turned to Neville as Ginny sobbed into his jacket. He held her tightly and said, "Neville, I think we're going to need McGonagall and Kingsley to sort this out before we start trying to rebuild. Ginny's face was buried in Harry's chest, his arms clenched protectively around her but she felt a hand on her back, "You ok, Gin?" Neville asked quietly. She glanced up from Harry and whispered, "I will be. Thanks Nev." He nodded and then hurried off to fetch McGonagall and Kingsley.

XXX

Ginny felt a little shaken after seeing so many dead bodies in one area. It was like a mass graveyard, without the tombstones. She had been escorted inside by Harry and McGonagall had offered her a Hot Chocolate, which she had gratefully accepted. Harry sat with her and had an arm around her in the Dining Hall, keeping her calm. Kingsley and a bunch of Auror officers came and were going to sort out the bodies. Ginny couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so shaken!
Hermione was on her other side, and after learning about the ordeal, they had come to find Ginny. She said comfortingly, "It's alright, Gin. You won't have to see that again." Luna nodded swiftly, "They'll be gone in a jiffy." Ginny glanced up at Luna and Neville, "How come you two aren't as upset as I am about this? It was…horrifying." Neville shrugged and wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulder as she said, "I've seen death before." She smiled serenely up at Neville and Ginny suddenly had sneaky suspicion that she liked Neville. Ginny had never seen Luna look at anyone with such a doey-eyed expression on her face! She smiled hopefully at the idea that Neville might like Luna too and then she shook herself from her thoughts, "Of course! I'm sorry Luna." Luna nodded and leant a head on Neville's shoulder, which she found even more endearing.
Kingsley approached them then and said swiftly, "I'm sorry you had to see that you four. But we are going to relocate you to the entrance hall. All of the bodies have been moved from there so you have nothing to worry about." Ginny nodded and smiled weakly, "Thanks Kingsley. I appreciate it." He nodded and then Hermione approached him, "I'm sorry Sir, may I please have a moment of your time?" He nodded encouragingly, "Of course, Hermione, whatever you need!" They went off and spoke about Hermione's parents.
Ginny sighed and finished the last of her hot chocolate, "I guess we better get on with it then." Harry took her hand in his, "Only if you're up to it, Gin." She nodded and smiled agreeably, "Let's go then," as they hopped up and then began the rebuild back in the Entrance Hall. Ginny wasn't sure why she was shaken by seeing so many dead people. She'd nearly been dead herself after all back in the Chamber of Secrets. And those were all men that had tried to kill her and her friends. She thought about what it was that bothered her so much over the next few hours of rebuilding and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

XXX

As the end of the day approached, they all decided to go and grab dinner at The Three Broomsticks. Ron was tired and grumpy and said he needed a Butterbeer. Ginny felt like she needed maybe more than one. She was still unnerved by what she had seen. Harry slid into the booth beside her, and Luna sat beside him, with Neville on the other end.

Rosmerta approached them all rather morbidly, nodding at them, "What can I get you all?" Hermione was watching Ron to see if he'd make an idiot of himself in front of Rosmerta. Harry glanced around, "A Butterbeer for everyone?" Ginny shook her head and intervened, "I'll have a Firewhisky, please." Harry stared at her in surprise and she shrugged her shoulders, "I am still on edge. Butterbeer isn't going to cut it." Ron nodded in agreement, "Make that two please." Hermione chimed in, "Three please."

Rosmerta walked off and went to place their order. Harry leant over and whispered in her ear, "Just one, right Gin?" Ginny smiled at him innocently, "Of course Harry! Only one. I just need to take the edge off." She nudged him playfully and he sighed, "Alright then."
One hour later after much drinking and some laughter between them, they began to head outside. Luna hadn't had anything and she was the only sober one when she said, "I better be getting back home. Dad might be worrying about me." Neville nodded earnestly, "I'll take you, you tomorrow, you lot." He offered her his hand and together they apparated.

Ginny turned to Hermione and asked curiously, "How did things go with Kingsley?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders somewhat carelessly, "No help at all!" Ginny grimaced and Ron said firmly, "That's not true, love. He said you should stop by the office tomorrow to come and see if you could find anything. There might be a detection spell he can use to track them…" Hermione interrupted rather rudely, "Honestly Ron, even if we can find them, how are we going to get their memories back! That he said he cannot help us with!" she said loudly. Hermione had had about four Firewhisky's and Ron hadn't been trying to stop her. Ginny had ordered three, but Harry had stopped her on her third, telling her that her mother would not be impressed with him if he let her get too sloshed.

Ginny hugged her friend, "I'm sorry Hermione! So are you staying here a bit?" She nodded morosely, "Yeah, I suppose I have to, don't I?" Ron was helping her walk and he turned to Harry and Ginny, "She needs some food. We haven't eaten since lunch. I'm gonna apparate us back home. I'll see you two in a bit?" They nodded and then Ron and Hermione left.
Ginny turned to Harry, "I'd never thought I'd see the day when Hermione lost control." Harry murmured under his breath, "Yeah, me neither. She's really cut up." Ginny took hold of his hand, "Do we have to go back now? I bet they're going to be all over each other…" Harry grimaced at the thought , "Yeah, it's not appealing is it? Where should we go then?"
Ginny pulled Harry by the hand and they ended up in a dark alleyway, "Why don't we stay here for a while?" Harry raised his eyebrows as she ran her fingers through his hair, "Uh...Ginny why…" and before he could finish the question, Ginny snaked her hands around his neck and kissed him feverishly. She heard him gasp in surprise, but she used it as an opportunity to get closer to him. Harry allowed her to place her hands under his shirt and push them up his back. This made her want more and so she started trying to take his shirt off.

He instantly broke off the kissing and pushed her hands away, "No Ginny. Remember what we said." She frowned and whispered, "But why? I want to…" Harry shook his head, "No. Not here and not now." Ginny felt rather hurt. Like he wouldn't let her touch him, "I just thought…" she blushed in embarrassment, "I just thought you would want this. Especially after being separated for so long."

Harry tried to take her hands in his, "I do want it Ginny but…" She looked away, a tea forming in her eyes, "It's fine. It doesn't matter." Harry shook his head furiously, "It does matter, Ginny. But there's something you don't know and I'm not ready to show you just yet." Ginny frowned and turned to face him, "What do you mean?" Harry sighed, "I'll show you one day. But I need you to trust me on that. Please?" He was staring at her with pleading green eyes and she couldn't help but give in with a sigh, "Alright then." There was an awkwardness between them that Ginny didn't like but she decided to let it go, "Lets go home then." Harry awkwardly took her hand in his and apparated them out of Hogsmeade.

Ginny went straight to her room with no explanation except that she was tired. Why was Harry so anti physical affection between them? Whenever she had advanced too much for him, he seemed to back away. She knew things weren't going to perfect between them straight away. But there was something he wasn't telling her and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

A/N: Hi All! Thanks for the mostly great reviews! I'm glad you're still following this story (for those who are) and I welcome all the newbie readers also! Please check out some of my other works too.

I hope you've all had a great weekend and