Chapter 10: The Final Blow

"CORMAC!" Ron's voice reverberated throughout the warm night; he had been searching for his lover's murderer most of the day, to no avail. "COME ON, KILL ME TOO, CORMAC! I'M RIGHT HERE! I'M READY!" He paused, panting, by a corner lightpost. The memory of the game he had played with Hermione in her bed sent a whole new wave of grief crashing over him.

"Please," he wheezed, hoarse from the yelling. When he had caught his breath, he resumed. "CORMAC! CORMAC!"

A scuff on the pavement made him wheel around, ready to face death, but it was only Colin.

"Ron, what are you doing outside the pub? I thought I told you to stay there!"

"Get out of here," Ron moaned, turning away.

"You're dead if the Dementors find you. You need to hide!"

"Goddammit, Colin, I don't care anymore!" Ron seized the boy by the collar. "Leave me alone! You like cameras, right? Go play with your camera!" Colin raced away, frightened by the unhinged Ron. Ron kept up his chant, hearing from and encountering no one else. He finally found himself at the blacktop where Colin had been pummeled by the Dementors a few days earlier. "CORMAC!" he screamed one last time in frustration.

"RON!"

Ron wheeled around. There in a pool of light from a streetlamp across the blacktop was… was he seeing things? Was she a ghost? Had it come to that?

No. "Hermione?" he croaked. When the figure moved forward, he could see it was her!

"HERMIONE!" he screamed in joy now, and the two lovers ran across the blacktop, arms outstretched, ready to embrace each other.

Suddenly, another figure came wheeling out of the shadows from behind Ron. The light of the moon flashed across the silver of a barrel as it spit fire.

BANG! Ron stumbled slightly forward and into Hermione's arms. It took her a moment to realize something was wrong. Ron's face was paling, his eyes were wide. Seeing blood pouring from his back, she gently lay him down on the curb.

"I…I didn't think…it would hurt this much," Ron got out, shaking from the effects of the bullet.

Hermione stared at him, and she began to cry. She cradled him in her arms and told him she loved him. After a few moments, Ron was still. He was gone.

Hermione looked up to see Cormac standing over her, staring at what he had done. The gun clattered on the pavement as it slipped from his hand.

Suddenly, the sound of running feet could be heard as Dementors and Phoenixes alike stormed into the blacktop. They halted at the sight that lay before them. After a few seconds to sum up what had happened, the two gangs moved deliberately and furiously towards each other.

"STOP IT!" Everyone stopped and stared at Hermione. There was a long silence as she stood and picked up the gun. She studied it curiously, the way a small child would.

"How many left, Cormac?" she asked, the softness of her voice conveying her anguish. "How do fire this thing, Cormac? Do you just…pull THIS LITTLE TRIGGER!" She whirled on the two gangs and prodded the weapon at each of them in turn. "AND THERE ARE BULLETS? ONE FOR YOU, YOU? ALL OF YOU!" Her voice cracked as the tears came back with a vengeance. "YOU AND YOUR FIGHTING! YOU ALL KILLED MY LOVER! AND DRACO! AND HARRY! I'M GONNA SHOOT AS MANY OF YOU AS I CAN AND STILL HAVE ONE BULLET LEFT FOR MYSELF! I CAN KILL NOW, TOO…BECAUSE I CAN HATE NOW!" Her sights rested on Cormac, who flinched, his eyes warily on the gun. The weapon shook as Hermione tried to steel herself to off her lover's murderer first.

But she couldn't do it. She threw the gun away and collapsed on the pavement in despair. By this time, Kingsley and Diggle had arrived, the latter of whom approached Hermione.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Hermione shrieked, throwing herself over Ron. Diggle stopped dead. After a moment, Dean came forward. He tentatively reached out and helped Hermione to her feet. He turned back to Ron's body. With a jerk of his head, he motioned for help. Michael and Terry came forward. The three tried to lift Ron, staggering under his weight, until-

Goyle instinctively reached out an arm to help steady the body. Everyone froze, but after a long moment, they let him near. Crabbe joined the group, and the two gangs marched away in a make-shift funeral procession, as Cormac was arrested and Hermione was led away.