Sally Anne Perks is dying and all she wants her mother.
It's such a simple request, really, dying little girl would like her mother and to please, please go home. But it's more than Ginny Weasely has the power to give.
All she can do is sit in the dark, in the grass with Sally's head cradled in her lap and tears running down her face and wait for the girl to die.
"It's alright." Ginny says, stroking Sally's hair like her mother used to stroke hers when she was sick, "It's okay. We're going to get you inside."
It's a lie, and Ginny tries not to notice how labored Sally's breathes are becoming.
"But I want to go home," Sally protests, struggling weakly to sit up, "I don't want to fight anymore!"
Ginny shutters, trying to hold back the sobs that threaten to overwhelm her. She wishes suddenly, wildly, for someone, her mother, Harry, Bill, to come help her, to take this task away from her.
"I know," Ginny whispers. Her voice broke a little and she struggled to control herself, "It's going to be all right."
"It hurts." Sally whimpers, her tears running out of her eyes and into her bloody blonde hair, "Mummy! It hurts, it hurts!"
"Please!" Ginny grabs the girl's wrists and tries to stop her from moving, "You're going to be fine."
"I want my mummy." Sally sobs, staring up at Ginny, imploring her to help her, "I want to go home!"
"I know," and Ginny can't help the tears that start flowing from her eyes, "I want to go home too."
"Mummy…." Sally sobs, and then she shutters one final, terrible shutter and her blue eyes glaze over. Ginny is left cradling a corpse.