"Dennis," Harry said, startled. "You shouldn't be here." Dennis scoffed, rolling his eyes. The war was over, Death Eaters had scattered and were being hunted down; they weren't going to stay and fight when the numbers were against them. They were cowards and didn't know friendship or teamwork.

"Harry, I'm not in any danger. Not really. Not anymore."

He made to move around him but Harry stopped him with a hand to the chest.

"You really shouldn't be here."

Dennis looked at the older boy, someone his brother considered a role model and saw all the terror and worry and pain in his eyes. War did that to people but it was still startling for him to see it from the country's hero.

"Is it that bad?"

Harry inhaled, tears filling his eyes and Dennis shivered with the intensity of pain that had suddenly filled it. He nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.

"Well, I'm sorry that you had to experience that but I need to see that my brother is okay."

He ducked around Harry before he could be stopped and followed the stream of people that were entering and leaving the Great Hall. Upon entering the room, and ignoring Harry's cries of his name, he was suddenly hit with the smells of blood, death, sweat and tears and he could almost taste the devastation.

One side of the hall was where all the dead bodies were lined up and Dennis was slightly overwhelmed with the sheer amount of people. He could see the bundle of redheads at the end and it hurt his chest to see the grief on their faces at losing a family member.

His eyes travelled to the other side of the hall, where all the injured and survivors were. His eyes roamed all the faces and took note of everyone that was there. Colin wasn't amongst them and he turned to leave and hunt him down when he was met with a familiar face.

No.

Oh Merlin no.

His Colin, his older brother, was laying on the floor, unmoving and pale. He was resting on the side of the dead.

"Dennis," a female voice said, almost whispered, the grief tangible. "I'm sorry." He looked over his shoulder, meeting the brown eyes of Hermione Granger before stumbling to his brother's side, dropping onto his knees before collapsing over his chest with a loud wail.

This was never supposed to have happened. He should never have been there. He should have been with all the other students who weren't meant to fight.

Then again, Dennis should've been fighting by his brother. He shouldn't have been hidden away like a coward.

"I know what you're thinking," Hermione said, speaking quietly. "But don't think like that. You're brother wouldn't have wanted you in danger."

"I should've been here to protect him."

"Honestly, Dennis, it's bad enough that you're going to live the rest of your life with this destruction in your mind. Actually being a participant would've been even worse. I don't want that for you and neither would he. You know that. I know that."

The two sat quietly beside Colin, Dennis' sobs the only sounds between the two. The noises from the rest of the room weren't heard.

"Did it hurt?" he asked quietly. He sensed Hermione's eyes on him but he didn't look away from his brother's peaceful face.

"No," she answered eventually. "A painless death so he didn't suffer."

Dennis nodded.

At least he had that.

Because he didn't have his brother anymore.

Word Count: 588

Chocolate Frog Card: (Gold) Erkling: Challenge: Write about an unsettling childhood trauma or experience.