Chocolate ♕ Ginny Weasley

twenty six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Patricia thought the battle couldn't get any worse - but she was to be proven wrong.

She sat with Ginny in the corner of the Great Hall, her arms around her girlfriend as she broke - reeling with the loss of her brother. Patricia could just make out the lifeless face of Fred Weasley from where they sat and every time she caught a glimpse of red hair, she wanted to be sick.

So many people dead - it was impossible that she wasn't one of them. The only reason she was still standing was because Ginny had been by her side, guarding her back just as Patricia had been guarding hers. 

The sight of so many dead made her heart break, and desperately wish that she could do more to help. But without knowing what else to do, she comforted her girlfriend, as they waited for Voldemort's allotted hour to finish.

Harry couldn't surrender, though. That one thought continued to circle through Patricia's mind. Harry wouldn't give himself up, he'd know they couldn't accept that, they had to work with him to fight and defeat Voldemort -

Until, Voldemort's cold voice seeped through the walls, sending shivers down Patricia's back like a light breath of cold breeze would.

"Harry Potter is dead." The blood in Patricia's veins at once turned to ice at the four words – four simple words, let so impossible to comprehend, especially when they were spoken in the voice of that monster. She and Ginny looked at each other, horror etched deep into every feature of their faces. "He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

For a horrible, never-ending second, no one moved. Patricia lost all feeling in her body. She couldn't believe it – she wouldn't. Harry Potter couldn't be dead, no, she refused to believe it. If Harry was dead...

Slowly, the witches and wizards in the room shuffled out of the door, sticking close together and speaking in hushed, panicked whispers. They looked like a crowd of vampires – no one had any blood remaining in their faces, leaving everyone pale and white-faced. Patricia drew in a shaking breath and grabbed Ginny's hand for support as they too joined the crowd as they took hesitant, fearful steps towards the courtyard. All Patricia could hear was the pounding of her heart in her chest as she spotted the black ocean of Death Eaters assembled outside, the white face of Voldemort at their head. And beside him – Patricia let out a silent scream of horror.

Hagrid, surrounded by Death Eaters with their wands trained on him, holding a broken body in his arms.

Harry.

"No," she breathed, just as Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's voices echoed across the courtyard in a heart-wrenching, broken chorus. The Death Eaters were laughing, and the crowd of Hogwarts yelled back, screaming and yelling abuse at the Death Eaters, until –

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

Hagrid's shoulders shook as he lowered Harry to the ground. Patricia clutched on to Ginny, sure that she was going to be sick at that sight – that terrible, horrible, awfully wrong sight. Words couldn't describe the revulsion she felt as seeing Harry's thin frame by Voldemort's feet. She closed her eyes and swallowed back bile. When she opened them again, she refused to let her gaze drop to the ground.

"You see?" said Voldemort, striding back and forth in front of Harry. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was a relish in his voice. Patricia's lips curled. Liar. Anyone who knew the first thing about Harry knew he would rather die than abandon his family, his friends – anyone he loved or felt the slightest loyalty to. "Killed while trying to save himself - "