A/N: wow! I actually managed two updates in a week! So, without further ado, enjoy!
And, as always, READ, REVIEW, and ENJOY, and standard disclaimers apply!
Chapter Six: Love Conquers
"Harry!" Ginny felt her knees buckle and her head start to spin, only to be held up right by Ron. He also had his arm around Hermione who swaying slightly, and one look at his face told Ginny that he was feeling the same shock and disbelief that she felt.
As she felt her head clear, she brushed Ron's arm off of her shoulder. In her new found clarity, she now felt all of her grief replaced by anger. How could he do that? Why would he have done it? Did Harry have any idea how many people had grieved, felt their hope die along with their savior? Did he realize how it must've been for her mother, her father, her brother, Ron, Hermione, for her? For all of the professors, the students, the citizens of Hogsmede? For her? Didn't he realize how that must have felt? There he was, the love of her life, whom she had not seen nor heard from in almost a year, lying dead on the ground. Why would he have done it?
He had a reason. That sensible voice in the back of her head stated. We already know that he had a mission from Dumbledore, for all we know; this all could have been a part of it.The voice was right, as much as Ginny hated to admit it in her current emotional state. And besides,the voice continued on, isn't the important thing that he is alive? Does it matter how he got there. The voice took a moment to gloat while she pondered and conceded that that was the truth. He was alive. And nothing else really mattered right now, as long as he was alive. For now,added the little voice ominously. With an involuntary shudder she put a mental block around the voice and turned her focus to the world around her.
She watched breathlessly as Harry and Voldemort began to circle each other. She couldn't look away. She felt that if… that if she looked away, Harry might disappear, this, him still living, could all be a dream, one from which she never wanted to wake up from. So she watched. She watched and listened.
She learned. As she listened to the dialogue running between Harry and Voldemort, she learned of what they had been doing for the past year, which felt like a lifetime. She gasped along with the rest of the crowd as in a split second; Harry and Voldemort brought back their arms, raised their wands, and cast their spells.
But no spell that Harry could possibly cast could compare to the one that he had her under. As Ginny watched Voldemort's sinister green light fly to meet Harry's red one, she prayed. She promised whatever divine powers there may be in this world that if Harry survived this, if by some miracle the light were to extinguish the darkness forever tonight, she would forget. She would forget and forgive. She would forgive the trio for whatever they may have done, and she would release all of the resentment she was clinging to if Harry survived.
If her sun, moon, and stars all returned to her sky, she would forgive. With baited breath, she watched, waited, and prayed. Ginny watched in amazement as the Elder Wand (1) flew out of Voldemort's pale hand and the green jet swerved in mid-air, and instead turned towards its caster. She saw his red, slit-like eyes widen in surprise, and the green glare on his face before the light congealed to his chest, and Lord Voldemort was destroyed forever.
As the crowd cheered, Ginny ran to Harry. When she reached him, she threw her arms around him. She felt his strong arms encircle her, and all of the warmth of their love engulfed her in a pleasant fire.
Everything was okay, everything was fine.
A/N: well, one chapter to go. sob the next chap will be a little harry/ginny fluff / epilogue.
Also; (1) I had someone comment on Ginny's recognition of the elder wand. Yes, I know she would not have known about it regularly, but if you recall, before Harry and Tom cast their spells, Harry talks to Tom and the crowd, ad he definitely mentions the elder wand. So while the crowd as a whole may not know what it is, they do know that that is the name for the wand that Harry is the true master of.