Chapter 23 - Out of the rubble
Harry felt himself being flung backwards as the force of the explosion knocked him clean off his feet, and back down the path behind him. He landed a few metres from the top of the platform, which had started to crumble downwards into the chasm. Harry watched as they fell into the maelstrom, but he never heard them land.
The hurricane had become totally erratic in its movements, and was now not spinning as a normal one would, but as if it had flipped onto its side. Harry could see down the length of it as it crashed into the walls, rocks started to fall downwards into the chasm, and Harry jumped just in time to avoid a large boulder which had managed to be thrown onto the path. Harry turned around, and ran into the chamber behind him.
Rocks were falling freely from the roof, and Harry had to pirouette in mid air to avoid one particularly jagged rock as it threatened to pierce his shoulder. Harry leapt over the boulder, which had blocked the exit, grabbed Ginny and ran.
His arm helping Ginny ahead of him the whole time, Harry ran as fast as he could up the tunnel. His legs were starting to feel dead, but they both knew that if they stopped, the tunnel that was collapsing behind them would crush them.
"Ginny, look out!" Harry yelled, as ahead of them a stray rock had knocked off a torch bracket. It fell with a shower of sparks at Harry's feet; he let out a cry of pain but he kept running. He leapt on to catch up with Ginny, who had got away from him by a few metres, and managed to just push her out of the way of a falling beam.
Harry shot a glance behind him and quickly put on an extra burst of speed and edged Ginny into the chamber with photos. The end nearly in sight, Harry pushed her out of the door, and they both ran up, up and away from what was left of the chasm of life.
The rocks continued to fall behind them, and finally, up ahead, Harry could see daylight. He picked Ginny up, and held her tightly as he dived out of the front of the tunnel, as behind them the roof of the tunnel fell inwards. Harry span around in mid air and they landed sprawled on the floor. Upon realising they were safe, Ginny climbed off Harry and flopped down next to him on the dew-covered Valentines day grass. Harry sat upright.
The carnage that had been the Chasm of Life was huge in the garden, but seemed to disappear somewhere. It appeared that the Chasm must have actually been below the mountain in which Sirius had hidden in Harry's fourth year, and although the explosion had been ear splitting, it had not been large enough to shake the mountain.
The garden itself however, was a total shambles. A deep rift now ran into the ground, and several trees had fallen down. Luckily for Harry, none had fallen near the house, and there seemed to be nothing that wasn't fixable in the garden. Ginny made a small noise of pain, and Harry turned his head slightly to look at her.
"Are you all right?" he said breathlessly, finally being able to relax on the floor. She nodded equally breathlessly, rubbing her head with one hand.
"Just a small knock I think," she replied, wincing slightly. Harry crawled around behind her, and put his hands gently through her hair.
"There's no bleeding," he said, running his hands through her shimmering red hair. Harry had never truly noticed before that Ginny's hair was a slightly lighter colour then her brothers, or maybe it was just the sunlight. He asked her about it, as he sat down beside her again, and she let out a satisfied gasp.
"No ones ever noticed that before!" she murmured, in a slightly excited voice.
"Oh..." Harry muttered, blushing and looking away, "I expect its just because I spend so much time with Ron that I can tell the difference when I look up close."
Silence fell for a moment, which Ginny broke. "Thanks Harry," she said.
"What for?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"For saving my life," Ginny answered simply, "again." She looked at him and blushed, before looking down at the floor. "That was really brave, what you just did. You took on a Chimaera, for... for..."
Harry looked at her for a second, and in that eternal moment, he knew exactly what he felt for the girl next to him, and he knew how to finish that sentence for her.
"For you," he said simply. His arms were hanging limply by his sides, not quite sure whether to reach out or not, but his bright green eyes met hers as she looked up. They stared at each other for a moment.
"Harry..." Ginny started softly, "I... I love you!" Harry felt his face broaden into a smile and he somehow knew what to do. He put his arms around her and pulled her into the most wonderful embrace he had ever shared, and he felt something he knew was different from how he felt about Cho. But Cho didn't matter anymore...
They sat like that for many minutes, just – just together. The sun was getting lower in the sky and the remaining trees were casting longer and longer shadows. The two of them sat to watch the sunset behind the mountain.
"Ginny," Harry started curiously, "where's Ron?"
Ginny smiled teasingly. "I don't know, but I came here with Hermione, and I can see no sign of her either..." she laughed slightly, and Harry thought he had never appreciated what a lovely sound that was. "She still loves Ron, I think." Ginny said quietly.
Harry nodded. "He hasn't moved on either," he said matter-of-factly, "d'you reckon they'll get back together?"
"Oh I'm sure of it," Ginny replied in no uncertain terms, "But I do wonder what Ron will think about us..." she trailed off and leaned back against Harry's shoulder. Harry put an arm around her waist to support her.
"I don't know," said Harry, "but he never seemed to mind when you were... err..."
"A bit nervous around you?" Ginny asked, mockingly. Harry nodded, blushing, and then laughed along with Ginny. He then eased to his feet, pulling Ginny gently up with him.
"I think we better head back," he said quietly, his arms around her waist. She nodded, but she made no move to leave. She leaned upwards slightly, and kissed him softly.
"What was that for?" Harry asked, pleasantly surprised to find that, unlike the last person who had kissed him, she wasn't crying.
"For being Harry Potter," she said mockingly. "I wonder what Ron would say at seeing that?"
"Let's go and find out shall we?" Harry asked. They turned and walked hand in hand down the empty Hogsmeade street, the sun sending a cascade of subtle colours shooting across the sky above. Harry looked up at it, smiling. It had been an interesting day.
Harry felt himself being flung backwards as the force of the explosion knocked him clean off his feet, and back down the path behind him. He landed a few metres from the top of the platform, which had started to crumble downwards into the chasm. Harry watched as they fell into the maelstrom, but he never heard them land.
The hurricane had become totally erratic in its movements, and was now not spinning as a normal one would, but as if it had flipped onto its side. Harry could see down the length of it as it crashed into the walls, rocks started to fall downwards into the chasm, and Harry jumped just in time to avoid a large boulder which had managed to be thrown onto the path. Harry turned around, and ran into the chamber behind him.
Rocks were falling freely from the roof, and Harry had to pirouette in mid air to avoid one particularly jagged rock as it threatened to pierce his shoulder. Harry leapt over the boulder, which had blocked the exit, grabbed Ginny and ran.
His arm helping Ginny ahead of him the whole time, Harry ran as fast as he could up the tunnel. His legs were starting to feel dead, but they both knew that if they stopped, the tunnel that was collapsing behind them would crush them.
"Ginny, look out!" Harry yelled, as ahead of them a stray rock had knocked off a torch bracket. It fell with a shower of sparks at Harry's feet; he let out a cry of pain but he kept running. He leapt on to catch up with Ginny, who had got away from him by a few metres, and managed to just push her out of the way of a falling beam.
Harry shot a glance behind him and quickly put on an extra burst of speed and edged Ginny into the chamber with photos. The end nearly in sight, Harry pushed her out of the door, and they both ran up, up and away from what was left of the chasm of life.
The rocks continued to fall behind them, and finally, up ahead, Harry could see daylight. He picked Ginny up, and held her tightly as he dived out of the front of the tunnel, as behind them the roof of the tunnel fell inwards. Harry span around in mid air and they landed sprawled on the floor. Upon realising they were safe, Ginny climbed off Harry and flopped down next to him on the dew-covered Valentines day grass. Harry sat upright.
The carnage that had been the Chasm of Life was huge in the garden, but seemed to disappear somewhere. It appeared that the Chasm must have actually been below the mountain in which Sirius had hidden in Harry's fourth year, and although the explosion had been ear splitting, it had not been large enough to shake the mountain.
The garden itself however, was a total shambles. A deep rift now ran into the ground, and several trees had fallen down. Luckily for Harry, none had fallen near the house, and there seemed to be nothing that wasn't fixable in the garden. Ginny made a small noise of pain, and Harry turned his head slightly to look at her.
"Are you all right?" he said breathlessly, finally being able to relax on the floor. She nodded equally breathlessly, rubbing her head with one hand.
"Just a small knock I think," she replied, wincing slightly. Harry crawled around behind her, and put his hands gently through her hair.
"There's no bleeding," he said, running his hands through her shimmering red hair. Harry had never truly noticed before that Ginny's hair was a slightly lighter colour then her brothers, or maybe it was just the sunlight. He asked her about it, as he sat down beside her again, and she let out a satisfied gasp.
"No ones ever noticed that before!" she murmured, in a slightly excited voice.
"Oh..." Harry muttered, blushing and looking away, "I expect its just because I spend so much time with Ron that I can tell the difference when I look up close."
Silence fell for a moment, which Ginny broke. "Thanks Harry," she said.
"What for?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"For saving my life," Ginny answered simply, "again." She looked at him and blushed, before looking down at the floor. "That was really brave, what you just did. You took on a Chimaera, for... for..."
Harry looked at her for a second, and in that eternal moment, he knew exactly what he felt for the girl next to him, and he knew how to finish that sentence for her.
"For you," he said simply. His arms were hanging limply by his sides, not quite sure whether to reach out or not, but his bright green eyes met hers as she looked up. They stared at each other for a moment.
"Harry..." Ginny started softly, "I... I love you!" Harry felt his face broaden into a smile and he somehow knew what to do. He put his arms around her and pulled her into the most wonderful embrace he had ever shared, and he felt something he knew was different from how he felt about Cho. But Cho didn't matter anymore...
They sat like that for many minutes, just – just together. The sun was getting lower in the sky and the remaining trees were casting longer and longer shadows. The two of them sat to watch the sunset behind the mountain.
"Ginny," Harry started curiously, "where's Ron?"
Ginny smiled teasingly. "I don't know, but I came here with Hermione, and I can see no sign of her either..." she laughed slightly, and Harry thought he had never appreciated what a lovely sound that was. "She still loves Ron, I think." Ginny said quietly.
Harry nodded. "He hasn't moved on either," he said matter-of-factly, "d'you reckon they'll get back together?"
"Oh I'm sure of it," Ginny replied in no uncertain terms, "But I do wonder what Ron will think about us..." she trailed off and leaned back against Harry's shoulder. Harry put an arm around her waist to support her.
"I don't know," said Harry, "but he never seemed to mind when you were... err..."
"A bit nervous around you?" Ginny asked, mockingly. Harry nodded, blushing, and then laughed along with Ginny. He then eased to his feet, pulling Ginny gently up with him.
"I think we better head back," he said quietly, his arms around her waist. She nodded, but she made no move to leave. She leaned upwards slightly, and kissed him softly.
"What was that for?" Harry asked, pleasantly surprised to find that, unlike the last person who had kissed him, she wasn't crying.
"For being Harry Potter," she said mockingly. "I wonder what Ron would say at seeing that?"
"Let's go and find out shall we?" Harry asked. They turned and walked hand in hand down the empty Hogsmeade street, the sun sending a cascade of subtle colours shooting across the sky above. Harry looked up at it, smiling. It had been an interesting day.
