1996 - ginny weasley

chapter 34

We sat in the cells for hours well past midnight. Esmerelda took care of the first and second years, telling them stories to keep them distracted. I couldn't believe the teachers would do this to their own students. Every once in a while, loud explosions would be heard from a part of the castle. Screams and howls of agony sent shivers through my spine.

Every time I heard a loud noise I prayed to Salazar Slytherin that Ginny would be safe, that I would make it back to her alive. Eventually, the slow passing of time in the dungeons while people fought for the school became unbearable. 

"Adrianna, we need to get out of here. Merlin knows what the hell is going on outside, but we can't stay in here. We will all get killed and you know it," I said.

"There's no way out, Filch took the keys. I agree, I can't watch all these children just die here," she whispered back. 

"There has to be something in here we could use. A stick, a hairpin, anything," I said. 

"I've got a hairpin," a fourth-year said, taking it out of her shiny dark hair and handing it to me. 

I grabbed it without hesitating, running to the lock and jiggling around the pin. 

After relentless shaking, there was a click, and the cell door flew open. It had to be at least 3 in the morning. The sun would rise soon, and we had to get out of here. Esmerelda and I led the group, Pansy and Adrianna in the back. Any seventh year that hadn't escaped from Filch's grasp hours ago was in the middle for guidance. We used the same pin to help the boys escape, and began walking.

 We walked for a while and turned a hallway, just as a loud explosion rang out behind us. The walls were collapsing. 

"RUN! THE COURTYARD!" Adrianna shouted. Trying to stay with the rest of the group, students bolted forward. 

We spilled into the courtyard, which was silent. Students of all houses stood there, looking into the distance. Corpses and debris were scattered around me. 

"Violetta!" Ginny screamed, running forward. I ran right into her arms, her sweaty hand squeezing mine.

"I thought you were dead, I- I thought you were gone. I thought I'd never see you again," she whispered, her arms still wrapped tight around me.

 My arms dropped as I caught sight of what was approaching in the distance. A swarm of men and women in black cloaks, a bald man with an odd-shaped figure leading the crowd. 

Ginny broke apart, turning around to see why I had gone still in fright.

"Who is that. Who's Hagrid carrying."

Neville stepped forward, the sorting hat in his hand. He didn't answer.

"Neville who is it," Ginny persisted, not letting go of my hand.

Voldemort. His army. Hagrid. A body in Hagrid's arms. Someone important. Someone whose death would mean the end of this war. But we had not won. I put the pieces together before Ginny could, recognizing more features as they stepped up to the crowd of students.

The crowd of villains reached the entrance to the courtyard and stopped.

"Harry Potter... is dead!" Voldemort exclaimed, opening his arms. 

Ginny let go of my hand, screaming in horror running towards Hagrid. I watched her, a sting of pain in my chest. You could tell she still cared for him like they were together.

"Silencio! You stupid girl. Harry Potter is dead. And from this day forward, you put your faith in me."

I looked over at Hermione, quietly sobbing into Ron's shoulder, who looked grimmer than I had ever seen him in my life. 

Voldemort and his death eaters laughed and rejoiced. But Neville couldn't seem to stand it.

He stepped forward and began to speak out to the army of Voldemort's death eaters.

"You know, people die every day. Friends, family. We lost Harry tonight. He's still with us, in our hearts. So is Fred, Remus, Tonks."

Hearing this, I looked over at George. A pained look came upon his face at Neville's words, and I saw a small tear roll down his cheek. I wanted to hug him so badly, but I didn't dare move a muscle in the presence of Lord Voldemort.

I also realized my sister was also dead, and her husband. She had been pregnant, and my heart ached at the fact that if her baby was even still alive, it was now an orphan. I told myself I would try to find it as soon as I could, for my sister and my mother. 

"All of them, they didn't die in vain. But you will, because you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us, for all of us!" Neville proclaimed, braver than ever, pulling out the sword of Godric Gryffindor. But before anything could happen, the body that lay in Hagrid's arms leaped to the ground, running over to us and firing a curse at Voldemort.

Harry was alive. Death eaters began to vanish into thin air, as flames burst into the sky. Students ran into the castle, wands out, weak smiles on their faces at the sight of Harry running around the grounds. 

This was just the beginning. Being in the cells, we hadn't missed anything important. The war had just started. I grabbed Ginny's hand, pulling her into the ruins of the castle. A flash of green flew past my head just as I ducked to the ground quickly, firing a stunning spell.

"Ginny, run, go far away, to the back of the castle. Please. I can't let you die here."

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself, I'm staying with you. I'm not weak, Violetta. I can fight," she insisted. I wanted her to go somewhere else so badly. But she would never give in. 

So I pulled my wand out. I was ready to battle the hundreds of death eaters that still remained. I would fight for my life and give it my all. I would fight in honor of Cedric, one of my true loves. For Ted, my step-dad who taught me things in the last months of his life that I had never known before. For my mother and my sisters, even though one of them was now dead. I would fight for Ginny.

I didn't know what would happen. But I was ready. 

I sat in the great hall, a small cup of water in my hand. My shirt was torn in shreds, blood seeping slowly down my face. I wiped it away, but it just smeared into the dirt and sweat. I sat next to Ginny, whose ankle was surely broken.

I held a baby in my bruised arms. He had soft brown hair that turned bright blue every time there was a loud noise. His name was Teddy, my late sister's son. For now, I was in charge of him. My own nephew to take care of when I was only just 17. I guess I would be an adult soon. I then realized I had not graduated yet. There was still a whole year until I was meant to leave Hogwarts. But as I looked around, rocking Teddy back and forth, I realized Hogwarts was no longer the castle it was just months ago. It was in ruins, only a part of the school still standing. Would it ever be the same? Was it worth coming back to graduate?

Harry approached me. He looked down at the baby, and then up at me.

"Violetta, I want you to know how sorry I am for everything that happened these past couple of years. I want us to be friends, to be happy for each other. I'm glad you're safe after today," he said quietly, holding his hand out for me to shake. 

I hesitated. After everything that had happened, I couldn't help but feel the same. I was just glad he wasn't dead. Ginny was watching. I just wanted her to be happy, for us to be happy. So I shook his hand.

"I'm glad you're safe, too."

"Is this Tonks and Remus' son?" he asked.

"Yes, you can hold him. Just be careful, he scares easily. His name is Teddy," I said, nervously handing him over to Harry.

Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville walked over. We gathered around, taking turns holding the small child. This child represented the outcome of this war. A war we survived. I grabbed Ginny's hand. 

We survived.