Because I am too obsessed with AUs.
...
To clarify, it is 2008.
Meaning Lily Luna is not yet born.
And as I said, some pairings changed. So enjoy.
Without wands, their only defense was simply running and avoiding the curses however they could. It was dark, cold and the only light came from the green spells. Harry felt someone tackle him, and rolled over, planning to fight but discovered it was Dean- and they were now hidden from sight behind a thick tree.
A woman's scream pierced the air, and Harry tried to shove Dean. "Tonks-"
"She's with Seamus, that wasn't her." Dean said, keeping Harry pinned to the ground.
"Dean-"
"Shh!" Dean demanded, as a branch snapped somewhere near them.
"Dean?" A whispered voice demanded.
"Seamus." Dean said with relief, finally getting off of Harry and helping the other man to his feet. They walked away from the tree, towards Seamus' voice. Harry could barely see properly, but when he spotted Tonks and Seamus, he paused. He could see well enough to see Seamus was being supported by Tonks, his side bleeding heavily.
"Slicing Hex." Tonks said before they asked. "It's not deep, just messy."
A green light illuminated them briefly, before smashing into a tree barely an inch away from Tonks' shoulder. Dean moved first, grabbing Seamus' arm and practically hoisting the shorter man over his shoulder as the group moved through the trees.
At some point, and Harry didn't know when, Dean and Seamus became separated from them. Tonks kept Harry in her sight, it was all she could now. At one point, she grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him to the side, both barely missing the edge of a cliff- how far of a fall, she had no idea.
A spell barely missed Harry's arm, but struck her shoulder, sending her forward. Harry's grip on her tightened as she swung her other arm to try to keep herself from falling. He grabbed the back of her robes, as she raised her other arm to grab his shoulder- and a bright blue light flashed towards them.
Harry yelled as it singed his shoulder, sending the pair over the edge.
The impact of the water was cold and painful. Harry's hand disappeared from hers as they disappeared beneath the surface. She felt desperately for his hand again, but she was beginning to also feel the desperate need to breathe.
She kicked upwards, finally breaking the surface as she heard another splash, followed by another. Someone's arm closed around her waist, pulling her away from where she had landed. She was dragged out of the river, onto the bank, dropped unceremoniously on the ground. Whoever had dragged her fell next to her, panting. She brushed her hair out of her face, wiping water from her eyes. She pushed herself to a sitting position, coughing as she took grateful breaths, her hand travelling to a deep gash on her leg below her knee. Seamus was sprawled next to her, and she heard splashing, and could see two more figures emerging from the water.
But Dean was carrying Harry. Dean dropped Harry, falling to his knees, feeling the man's chest and neck, pressing his ear to his chest. Tonks crawled towards the pair on her hands and knees, ignoring her bleeding and aching leg.
From the look on Dean's face, clearly illuminated in the moonlight, Harry wasn't breathing.
"Fuck." She heard Seamus say, and she couldn't have summed her thoughts any better.
Ginny let out a strangled cry, smacking her hand against Remus'. "It's cold, Remus! Please tell me it's just me-" She begged.
Remus was about to say her hand was very cold until he realised that yes, the ring on her finger was also cold. Shit.
"Ginny, I'm sure he's fine. It'll come back. I promise, Harry's alright." Remus said, although he knew they were empty words.
Ginny simply began to sob harder, and Remus didn't know what to do.
The ring was cold, it was as simple as that. Unless Harry had removed it again, Harry was no longer alive.