Chapter Four: One Final Journey and Loss
Disclaimer: I own nothing apart from the plot and any characters I invent. Everything else belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.
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'Is he dead?' said one of the Death Eaters as they slowly shuffled towards Harry Potter's motionless body.
From his hiding place, Draco looked on in shock that Potter had just thrown his life away. He felt like he was viewing one of those Muggle movies where the hero feigned death until the very last minute. Come on Potter, you can't be dead, Draco thought, shaking his head. Of course, he would never declare to anyone he actually preferred Potter to live.
Bellatrix pushed past the Death Eaters, sauntering up to Potter. She looked down at him gleefully, a nervous giggle escaping her lips.
Snape frowned as he moved closer, while still trying to remain out of sight. Albus, surely this wasn't what you intended? he questioned, dreading the ramifications Potter's death would have.
Bellatrix leaned down, reaching out to press her fingers to Potter's neck with a repulsed sneer on her lips. Just as her fingers touched his skin, the Boy Who Lived… vanished.
Draco stood up in disbelief while Snape's eyes widened.
Chaos erupted in the clearing as Voldemort pushed his followers aside and stared at the vacant space Potter's body had been only moments before. Voldemort screamed in rage. 'Where did he go!?' he roared while the Death Eaters scurried away from him to avoid being in his line of sight in case he turned on them.
Voldemort's eyes blazed red in his fury, and he turned his wand on the nearest tree, blasting it into pieces. After a moment of everyone holding their breaths and praying they would make it out alive, Voldemort tilted his head, scrutinising the ground. He started to laugh hysterically, and the Death Eaters glanced at each other in alarm.
'Have I been deceived?' Voldemort whispered, his eyes gleaming intensely. 'Did they manage to play an elaborate hoax on me?' he fumed, his rage returning. Voldemort yelled furiously, blasting a hole into the ground where Potter's body was.
'Leave… now…' a voice whispered to him and, after a few moments of silence, Voldemort nodded slowly.
'My friends, for now, we will leave. I will exterminate Harry Potter and every one of those wretched blood-traitors, but it can wait… for now,' Voldemort told them, and his followers ogled at him in disbelief.
Snape watched this with interest before turning his gaze to the crater Voldemort blasted into the ground. What is going on, Albus? he asked into his mind, knowing his mentor would never be able to reply.
Voldemort strode purposefully towards the trees, but he halted and glanced back. 'Ah, I almost forgot…' he trailed off, aiming his wand at Hagrid who was weeping.
''arry,' the half-giant whimpered desolately, closing his eyes.
'Avada Kedavra!' Voldemort barked, and the green light engulfed Hagrid making him plummet to the ground.
Snape looked away forlornly and exhaled. He had never liked Hagrid, but he would never have wished him dead. After the Death Eaters left the clearing, Snape moved towards Hagrid and picked up a leaf, transfiguring it into a blanket which he lay across the half-giant. 'I'll be back, Rubeus,' Snape promised, glaring at the withdrawing Death Eaters.
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Snape trailed after the Death Eaters at a slower pace, flitting from tree to tree to keep hidden. As they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he listened as Voldemort instructed several of his Death Eaters, including Bellatrix and Lucius, to stay behind and eliminate any who left the castle.
Snape watched the exchange and cursed his luck. He doubted Granger and Weasley would be able to make it to the Forbidden Forest without running into them. The group of Death Eaters split up into pairs and left to patrol the grounds in all directions; some towards the castle, others towards the lake, and two even moved back towards the forest, disappearing inside.
Snape turned into a bat and soared towards the castle. Looking around, he managed to make out Weasley and Granger darting towards the collapsed bridge. Damn, Snape thought, flying towards them. He turned back into himself as he touched ground in front of them. Granger and Weasley came to an abrupt halt next to Snape, and he held out his arm to prevent them from going any further.
'Snape!' Weasley exclaimed in surprise. 'What the hell-'
'Shut up, Weasley!' Snape fumed, pointing down the slope leading to Hagrid's Hut. 'Look,' he hissed, and they followed his line of sight. The group of Death Eaters were cackling, and one of them aimed their wand at Hagrid's Hut, setting it ablaze.
Ron and Hermione watched, tears filling their eyes, as the hut was overwhelmed in seconds. Snape grimaced but didn't comment as he waited for the Death Eaters to move on and find something else to destroy.
After a few moments, they started drifting away from the area, and Snape scanned the expanse of ground from where they were to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He had intended to lead them to Hagrid's Hut where they could navigate the massive pumpkins and scarce trees there for cover, but it was too dangerous. Death Eaters littered the entire area, and he knew it would be challenging to traverse past them all without being spotted.
Snape exhaled loudly, making Hermione and Ron look at him. 'We're going to have to be vigilant,' he whispered, scowling at the Mad-Eye Moody reference. 'I want you both to make your way towards the greenhouses cautiously and take cover. I'll join you there,' he told them, receiving nods from his two charges.
'What about you?' Ron questioned, looking down at all the Death Eaters still circling the area.
'I'll clear a path,' Snape countered, shifting into a bat and flying towards the greenhouses ahead of them.
Ron and Hermione watched curiously, before peering around themselves. 'We'll just have to do as he says,' Hermione supposed, gripping Ron's arm and the two moved down the hill, and took cover behind some large boulders near the bridge. From here, it was a straight run to the greenhouses, but there were Death Eaters in their way.
Ron took out his wand and peeked around the boulder. Hermione did the same, realising two Death Eaters were standing just on the other side. Fortunately, their backs were to them. Ron took a deep breath and nodded to Hermione. At the same time, they circled around the boulder on opposite sides, and with a whispered, 'Stupefy,' the Death Eaters crumpled to the ground.
Ahead of them, Ron and Hermione could see flashes of light from spells appearing seemingly from nowhere. The Death Eaters near to the greenhouses collapsed to the ground, and the two Gryffindors couldn't help but be grateful Snape was assisting them at that moment.
They glanced around swiftly before bolting up the path towards the greenhouses, using the bushes and trees along the trail for cover. They reached the greenhouses and hid behind them to wait for Snape.
Snape observed this from his vantage above them and smirked before changing into a bat and gliding down to land next to them, shifting back into himself. His lips twitched as they jumped. 'We're almost there,' he whispered, and they nodded. Snape peered around the greenhouse they were hiding behind and swore. 'They're coming this way,' he said, motioning for them to move into the greenhouse. They disappeared inside just as calls came from outside indicating they had found the unconscious Death Eaters. 'That could be problematic,' Snape suspected, realising their yells would alert any other Death Eaters to the area.
'What now?' Hermione solicited, her face pale with fear as they took cover in between a large plant pot and a worktop.
'I'll take a look,' Snape offered, creeping out of their hiding place towards the door on the other side of the greenhouse. He pushed the plastic sheet aside and peeked out at the congregation of Death Eaters. He could see Bellatrix and Lucius advancing up the hill towards them. Snape noted they all seemed to be accounted for in one area.
Snape moved back to Ron and Hermione hastily. 'This is our chance,' he whispered urgently, signalling for them to follow. Snape looked around as he got back to the entrance they came in before, noticing it was clear. Ron and Hermione trailed out after him and watched as he peered around the corner before gesturing it was safe. Ron and Hermione moved over to him, and he studied their fearful faces. Snape pulled out his wand and tapped them on the head. They both trembled as a cold sensation washed over them, and recognised he had disillusioned them. He did the same to himself. 'That should buy us some time,' Snape whispered and looked around the corner again.
Nothing was there, so he swiftly moved to the other end and peered around the corner. The Death Eaters were on the move, investigating the area for clues of what happened to their associates. They were alert, and Snape knew being disillusioned wouldn't throw them off entirely.
Snape gestured for Ron and Hermione to join him, and they moved quickly to his side. 'We'll need to make a run for it. Be careful, and follow my lead,' Snape told them and hurried down the hill with Ron and Hermione pursuing closely behind him.
Hermione stumbled on the root of a tree, falling over with a yelp. 'Hermione!' Ron breathed, jogging back over to where he heard her tumble.
'My ankle,' Hermione groaned, tears falling from her eyes.
'What happened?' Snape whispered urgently, joining them by following their voices.
'She fell,' Ron replied, reaching for Hermione who was still disillusioned.
Snape glanced around hurriedly before tapping their heads making them reappear. He moved to Hermione's ankle and used a spell. The red glow made Snape sigh impatiently. 'Her ankle is broken, but it's too risky to mend it here,' Snape told them, while Ron tried to shush Hermione's whimpers.
'I'll carry her,' Ron said, bending down and pulling Hermione into his arms before picking her up bridal style.
Snape nodded, taking another glimpse around the area. 'Good, come on!' he countered, darting off towards the border of the Forbidden Forest.
Ron followed at a slower pace trying not to fall over himself and remaining watchful to his environs now they could be seen. From here, he didn't think any Death Eaters would actually see them though. 'Are you okay, Ron?' Hermione queried, her voice weak, and she looked up at him. His freckles were a striking contrast to his pale face.
Ron smiled down at her. 'Yeah, just got to keep going,' he replied, but his voice was trembling.
'Do you think Snape helped Harry as well?' Hermione asked, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her ankle.
Ron took a deep breath. 'Merlin, I hope so,' he whispered, his voice almost cracking with emotion. He wanted to believe Harry had survived more than anything, but he couldn't quell the fear that it was unlikely. One look down at Hermione's face confirmed she was thinking the same thing. Ron tried to smile, but it was more like a grimace. 'We'll soon see,' he supposed, trying to keep himself together. If not for himself, Ron wanted to stay strong for Hermione.
Hermione nodded against his shoulder, closing her eyes. Ron took a deep breath and tried to speed up his steps so they could catch up to Snape. After a few moments, Ron reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest where Snape was waiting, looking about for any Death Eaters nearby.
'We only need to stop once as we make our way to safety,' Snape told them as they followed him into the forest. 'There's something I… we must to do,' he told them forlornly, and an uneasiness hit Hermione and Ron as they pondered what could cause such a reaction in Snape, but they both drew the same conclusion.
'Sir, what happened to Harry?' Ron asked him, terrified of the answer.
'I will tell you everything soon enough, but I think we should get out of danger first,' Snape countered, hastening his stride through the trees.
'Is he… dead?' Hermione whispered, her voice breaking.
Snape stopped and turned to them before swallowing thickly. 'I don't know,' he replied candidly with a shrug. Snape turned away from them and continued. Ron followed, still holding Hermione.
They hurried through the trees, and Snape led them to the clearing where Voldemort and the Death Eaters had been a short while ago. Ron stopped as it came into view, taking in the vast hole in the ground and the concealed body next to it. 'Who…?' Ron trailed off, his voice fading as he ambled towards the body.
Snape sighed and moved towards the body, pulling the blanket back just enough for them to see it was Hagrid. Hermione burst into tears, while Ron stared angrily, tears filling his own eyes. Snape shook his head and covered him back up. 'The Dark Lord murdered him before they left the clearing,' he told them, shaking his own head regrettably. 'I did not want to abandon him here,' he whispered, looking over at the two stricken Gryffindors.
Ron nodded, kneeling down so he could let Hermione down. She cried out as her ankle throbbed, and he grimaced. 'Sorry, Hermione,' he muttered, glancing at Snape.
Snape moved over to them and pointed his wand at Hermione's ankle. 'Ferula,' he muttered, and Hermione cried out as her bones shifted back into place, binding it with a splint and tightly wrapped bandages. He muttered another spell and the pain eased off, but it wasn't gone. 'I am not very good at curative spells,' Snape murmured, pulling back and moving over to where Hagrid's prone body was.
Ron helped Hermione stand, her ankle was still tender, but she was able to get up now. 'I think I'll be okay,' Hermione whispered, putting her foot down gingerly to see if she could put pressure on it. Once she felt it was okay, she let go of Ron.
Ron walked over to Snape who was eyeing the hole in the ground and Hermione limped over after him. 'What happened?' Ron inquired, gesturing to the crater.
'The Dark Lord,' Snape answered, shaking his head as he tried to comprehend what happened to Potter. 'Potter… the Dark Lord killed him, but when they went to make sure, he vanished like he had never been there,' Snape replied with a grimace.
Hermione felt tears come to her eyes again. 'So, he's…' her voice cracked as she leaned on Ron, crying into his shoulder. Ron held her firmly, tears falling from his own eyes.
Snape shook his head. 'I don't know what happened. The Dark Lord believes it was a hoax. He has left to regroup before hunting for Potter,' Snape told them, and they looked over at him with hopeful expressions.
Ron turned to look at Hagrid. 'Maybe we could use this hole to bury-' he cut himself off as his voice broke.
Snape nodded in agreement and turned towards the half-giant. He levitated Hagrid, still concealed by the blanket, into the crater. Snape transfigured three sticks into spades, and they gruellingly overlaid his body with dirt until it was just an incline in the ground.
'I'll miss him,' Hermione whispered, leaning on her spade as fresh tears trickled over onto her cheeks.
Ron wiped his own tears away. 'So will I,' he murmured, his voice a little sturdier than hers.
Snape didn't comment, but he looked at the makeshift grave dejectedly. 'We should leave,' he said after a few moments of silence. 'There's a small encampment not far from here,' he said, moving away from the grave towards the trees.
Hermione and Ron looked down at the grave for a moment longer. 'Farewell, Hagrid,' Ron whispered as Hermione picked up a fallen branch and transfigured it into a bouquet of beautiful roses in pink, white and yellow. She placed them on the grave as another wave of tears choked her.
Ron pulled her away tenderly, leading her over to where Snape was waiting for them patiently. Ron appreciated that he didn't make any snarky remarks about them, and felt a little respect for the Potions Master, which was something he never thought would happen. Ron helped Hermione up the slope, and they followed Snape deeper into the forest.
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A/N: I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me! I cried so much when writing this chapter! I love Hagrid and the thought of him dying is so wrong, but it wouldn't have made sense for them to keep him captive. As far as Voldemort would know, the Order betrayed the truce and thinks a trick has been played on him. Naturally, he would kill the first Order member he came across for revenge!