Infiltration and Illusion pt. 3 - Harrys POV

Hermione hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded, her face set with determination. She spun on her heel, deflecting a jet of purple light from Crabbe Sr. and sprinting toward the door.

Ron followed close behind, covering her with a flurry of Stunning Spells. "Hurry, Harry!" he shouted over his shoulder. "We can't hold them off much longer!"

"Not so fast, Weasley!" Bellatrix snarled, flicking her wand.

A jet of red light shot toward Ron

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, and he turned just in time to see a a ball of green light streaking toward him.

"Protego!" Theo shouted, throwing up a shield that deflected the curse mere inches from Harry's face.

But in the split second it took for them to block the spell, he heard it—the gut-wrenching sound of flesh hitting the ground. He spun around, eyes wide—

And saw Ron crumpled on the forest floor, a Death Eater standing over him, wand raised triumphantly.

"RON!" Hermione shrieked, her voice breaking.

Everything seemed to slow down. The world blurred around the edges as Harry's gaze locked onto his best friend, lying still and silent in the dirt. Blood pooled around him from the deep lacerations on his torso, staining the ground, and his chest—oh, Merlin, his chest wasn't moving—

"No," Harry whispered, his voice hollow. "No, no, no—"

He threw himself forward, ignoring the curses that streaked past him, his wand blazing with a desperate fury. "Expelliarmus!"

The Death Eater's wand flew from his hand, and Harry didn't even pause. He slammed into the man, knocking him to the ground, his wand tip pressed against the Death Eater's throat.

"Bring him back," he snarled, his voice trembling with rage. "Bring him back!"

The Death Eater only laughed, a low, sickening sound that sent a chill down Harry's spine. "He's gone, Potter. There's no bringing him back."

"NO!" Hermione's scream cut through the air like a knife, and suddenly she was there, kneeling beside Ron, her hands shaking as she pressed them to his chest, desperately muttering incantations under her breath.

But nothing happened.

The forest seemed to hold its breath as she tried again and again, her voice growing more frantic with every word. "Rennervate!Rennervate!Please—please, Ron, wake up—"

But there was no response. No flicker of movement. No spark of life.

"No," Hermione sobbed, collapsing forward, her forehead resting against Ron's shoulder. "No, no, no…"

Harry's vision blurred with tears, his grip tightening on his wand. He barely noticed as the Death Eater beneath him struggled, thrashing against his hold. All he could see was Ron—Ron, lying still and pale and lifeless—

harry hadn't even noticed that hermione and Theo had stunned the remaining three death eaters. they were bound in the center if the floor and hermione had turned her focus to Ron

Harry fell to his knees beside Hermione, his heart breaking as he looked down at Ron's still form. Hermione was shaking, her hands buried in Ron's hair as she sobbed quietly.

"Ron," Harry whispered, his voice barely audible. "Ron, please—"

But there was no response.

And in that moment, the reality of it crashed over him like a tidal wave.

Ron was gone.

And they were alone.