Disclaimer: Not Mine.
The Brotherhood
A/N - I'm so sorry for the long wait. I had no intention of making you wait that long for an update, but life got in the way. I started driver's ed. last week, and it will continue until the end of August, and since that rids me of my morning writing time, I won't get much writing done this month at all. Plus, I had a huge youth activity Friday and Saturday where 1600 teenagers 14-17 gathered together for some fun (One game we played was 'Simon Says'. Just imagine playing that game with 1600 other teenagers! It was great!). Today's been the first day I've been able to write since I last posted. Next weekend I'll be camping, so it's unlikely that I'll get another chapter up until Sunday, again. Sorry for the wait!
~~~ Chapter Forty Two ~~~
Dora cried out as Harry fell. She stared at his body, lying there, definitely dead. All around her, deatheaters were cheering triumphantly, but she tuned it all out.
Harry was gone. He had, she admitted, been her only hope for this war. Now he was gone, and she was surrounded by the enemy.
Tears rolled down her face, and as she looked at Harry, she didn't even notice the spell that came shooting toward her. The green light hit her and she felt the impact, but instead of affecting her, it bounced off and continued back to the man who shot it.
Voldemort was hit by his own Avada Kedavra curse and fell down, dead.
Dora stared in shock. She had just survived the Avada Kedavra. Just like Harry.
She turned to look at the boy, remembering what Dumbledore had told her. Harry had survived because Lily had sacrificed her life for him. Now, Harry must have done the same thing for her.
The room was silent as everyone stared in disbelief at Dora. She looked around the room. They all looked murderous. Would Harry's sacrifice be able to protect her further?
~~~TB~~~
Ginny stared blankly down at the homework assignment that was meant to be turned in the next morning. It was incomprehensible to her, mostly because she had missed so much school. The teachers were trying to help her catch up, but it just wasn't working, especially when her mind was in a completely different place.
"Miss Weasley," a voice startled her. She looked up and stared. Dumbledore was standing in the doorway of the Gryffindor Common Room. All around her, whispers broke out. The Headmaster rarely, if ever, visited the common rooms.
"Professor," Ginny returned, standing.
Dumbledore gave Ginny a grave look. She hoped that it didn't mean what she thought it meant.
"I need to speak to you immediately," Dumbledore told her.
Ginny followed the headmaster out of the room, ignoring the other Gryffindors, whose voices rose as the portrait closed behind them.
"What is it?" she asked, begging him silently not to tell her bad news.
"We need to go to Sirius and Remus right now," Dumbledore told her.
"Why? It's about Harry, isn't it?" Ginny questioned.
Dumbledore didn't answer her, instead saying, "It is better that I inform you all at once."
Ginny frowned at him, but followed him down the corridor. "We will floo from my office," he informed her.
Ginny didn't reply, not finding a need. Her mind was elsewhere anyway. She was thinking of Harry, hoping and pleading silently that he was okay. She thought of the last time she had seen him, and the conversation they had had just before he had departed. He was very reluctant to go back, and he acted as if he would not see her again. She hoped that she had judged his actions wrongly, but she feared that she was right.
~~~TB~~~
Dora stumbled backwards, away from the group of startled deatheaters. She didn't get far before another curse flew toward her. Not really trusting that Harry's protection would again, she made sure to dodge out of the way. The curses came on heavier as she rushed to the closest door. Several hit her, but rebounded without affecting her. It seemed that Harry's protection was still in full effect.
Feeling more confident, Dora started to run outright toward the door, not even bothering to dodge the curses coming her way. She felt many of them hit her, but none of them affected her in the least bit. Dora inwardly marvelled at Harry's power to be able to protect her, even unconsciously as he was, in such a manner.
Dora made it to the door and pulled it open. The curses stopped as soon as she closed the door behind her, and Dora was free to run straight down the hallway with nothing blocking her path. Even in her weakened state, she felt strong enough to make her escape.
As she left the building, Dora looked back. She regretted leaving Harry's body behind, but she feared that if she had taken the time to get it out, then she would not have escaped. They might not have been able to hit her with spells, but she was positive that even Harry's protection wouldn't have prevented them from touching her and trapping her back in her cell.
~~~TB~~~
Ginny sat on the couch in between Remus and Sirius. Dumbledore paced in front of the trio, his expression troubled.
"What happened?" Sirius demanded.
Dumbledore sighed.
"I have this crystal which shows me the condition of various people. Harry is one of those people. Whatever condition he is in, it shows a different colour in the crystal. Early this morning, that crystal went blank," Dumbledore said.
There was a moment of silence as the three absorbed the information.
"It went blank? What does that mean?" Sirius asked.
Dumbledore closed his eyes. "I do not know, Sirius. It had never happened before. Either, somehow, the spell was taken off of Harry, which is doubtful, as nobody, besides the people in this room know that it is even there, or," Dumbledore paused.
"He's dead?" guessed Remus.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and they took that as their answer.
Ginny let out a low sob of despair and Sirius stared at Dumbledore in horror.
"No! Tell me it isn't true!" Sirius begged.
Just then, the door crashed open. Remus stood abruptly and Dumbledore turned. Sirius and Ginny didn't react, their pain too great for them to care.
"Dora!" Remus cried in astonishment.
"He's dead, dead," Dora whimpered, using the last of her strength. She collapsed onto the floor, unconscious, and Sirius wailed as his fear was confirmed.
A/N - Please review!