Disclaimer: Not mine.

The Brotherhood

A/N - I have three more days of Driver's Ed, then on Friday, I'm heading over to Western Washington to visit Seattle and Forks and spend a few days on the beach. After I get back on the next Friday, I have three days to prepare, and then school starts. After that, life will become frantic for a few weeks while I get used to the school schedule again. Thus, I will have very little time to write for a while, just to warn you. Luckily, my mom left early and my sister decided to sleep in so I did get some quiet time to write today. As for when the next chapter will come out...I can't say. Hopefully it will be before school starts, but I give no promises.

~~~ Chapter Forty Four ~~~

"Miss Granger," greeted Remus, his mouth turning down into a frown.

Hermione's eyes scanned the room, searching for someone. She looked disappointed to find that whoever she was looking for wasn't there. Instead, her eyes fell on Remus. "Is it true then?" she asked.

Remus suspected that he knew what she was asking, but he had to confirm it. "Is what true?"

Hermione swallowed. "Is Harry…dead?"

Dora looked away from the pair. Remus sighed. "Yes," he murmured.

Ginny let out another sob and fled from the room. Hermione watched her go, sadness filling her eyes.

"I didn't…..I," Hermione couldn't say what she was trying to say and sat down heavily on a nearby chair.

Remus and Dora just watched her, waiting for her to speak.

"He was innocent, wasn't he?" she asked, her voice weak.

Remus nodded. "The entire time," he told her.

Hermione pursed her lips, as if silently berating herself that she could have thought anything different.

"I suspected it, when I met him that time at Hogwarts," Hermione said. "Only, it went against everything that was logical. I just….I wish I could've told him that I believed him before it was too late."

Remus didn't comment, even as tears began to fall down the girl's face.

~~~TB~~~

Ginny didn't stop running until she had reached the gates of Hogwarts. Even then, she continued walking, just wanting to get away. She knew that everyone who knew her wouldn't be happy about her leaving the school grounds. Still, she couldn't find it in herself to care.

The village of Hogsmeade was dark, as most of the town was asleep. Ginny realised that it was quite late at night.

Ginny ignored the darkness and kept walking, until she was outside the village. She stopped in one of the meadows that bordered Hogsmeade and found a place to sit on a rock.

She stared at the bleary ground. The grass was mostly dead.

A bird's call, from above, startled Ginny, and she looked up to see a large eagle circling above her. She watched it in surprise, barely able to see it in the darkness.

The bird came closer and Ginny stared at it as it landed nearby. This wasn't normal for a bird, was it?

The bird seemed to stare at her for a few moments, then it began to shift forms. Ginny stood, preparing to run if need be.

She stilled as the bird kept morphing and she recognised the form it changed into.

"Harry?" she asked, unbelieving. She lifted a hand out to him, as if she could touch him.

Harry smiled softly and took a few steps forward, allowing her to touch to face.

"Harry!" she cried, and rushed into his arms. She was enfolded in a hug and she started sobbing again.

"We thought you were dead," she sobbed to him.

Harry frowned, holding her close. "How did you hear?" he asked.

Ginny pulled away from him, but held his hand to keep close.

"Dora told us. Voldemort died after you fell and she escaped and came to us," Ginny informed him.

Harry stared at her, bewildered. "He's dead?"

Ginny frowned, taking in his absent expression. "What's wrong?" she questioned.

Harry's eyes focused on her, and he smiled again. "Nothing. I just...wasn't expecting him to be dead. He's gone though. I don't ever have to worry about him again," Harry said excitedly.

Ginny smiled at him. "You're safe," she murmured.

~~~TB~~~

Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand through Hogsmeade, heading back up to the castle. They figured that Sirius, Remus, and Dora all deserved to know that he was still alive and kicking.

Their path was blocked however, by the sudden appearance of a man, holding his wand pointed straight at Harry's heart. "Put your hands up, Potter. You are under arrest!" the man declared.

As he said it, other men came out from surrounding buildings, all dressed in the same dark blue robes. Ginny recognised the Auror symbol embroidered on them.

"You can't arrest him," Ginny protested. "He's innocent!"

"Stay out of this, Miss Weasley," another Auror stated.

Harry let go of Ginny's hand and raised his hands into the air, letting the Aurors know he wasn't going to attempt to fight them.

"Go find Sirius and the others, Ginny," Harry murmured to her. "They'll be able to help."

"No, wait!" Ginny fought as a pair of Aurors came forward and started to handcuff Harry's arms behind his back.

Another Auror grabbed her arm and held her back so she couldn't rush forward to help Harry.

"Go," Harry urged, his eyes only on Ginny.

Ginny wrenched her arm from the Auror's grasp and rushed back towards Hogwarts. Nobody tried to stop her, but Harry's eyes followed her all the way out of sight.

"Let's go, Potter. Nice and easy," an Auror murmured, leading Harry forward to an apparation point.

~~~TB~~~

Sirius had just returned to the hospital wing and was taking a seat next to Remus when Ginny burst into the room.

"He's been arrested!" she cried.

"Ginny? What?" Remus asked, standing.

Hermione looked up from where she was sitting and Sirius raised an eyebrow at the frantic girl.

"Harry! They arrested Harry!" Ginny explained.

"Ginny...Harry's not," Sirius started, although his heart ached to say it. He was glad to be interrupted.

"No. Harry's alive! I ran into him in Hogsmeade. He came out of the sky as a bird! When we were walking back here, Aurors surrounded us and arrested him," Ginny clarified herself.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance.

"He's alive," Ginny murmured again, willing them to believe her.

A/N - Please review.