(Book 7 FanFiction) Harry Potter: The Last Horcrux

Chapter 31: Survivors

Ginny stared out the window of the double room in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, watching the sun rise gloriously over the just-awakening city streets. There wasn't a single cloud marring the sky. She could see birds fluttering around the trees in a park at the corner, and even the smog from the morning rush of Muggle traffic appeared absent this day. It was as if nature itself was rejoicing over Voldemort's fall the previous evening.

The bright sunlight and vibrant colors contrasted starkly with the somber mood inside the room where Ginny sat. Throughout the rest of the hospital, Healers had been rushing to and fro nearly non-stop since she had arrived. Even with the vast number of injuries they were treating, the Healers could barely contain their jubilance. Those injured who were still conscious waited for hours, celebrating in the corridors and chatting with strangers and acquaintances alike over the defeat of the Dark Lord. From her hidden spot, Ginny overheard the story of Voldemort's defeat growing taller each time it was retold.

The only exception to this euphoria was inside the sterile, antiseptic room where Harry lay, still unconscious. A serious, nearly awed reverence fell upon anyone entering the room, and the Healers checked his vital signs with wide-eyed astonishment. If Harry were awake, Ginny was certain he'd hate every minute of it. She tried to assuage her increasing worry by telling herself that he was only staying asleep to avoid the hero-worship.

When his eyes had rolled back and he'd lost consciousness at the Ministry, Ginny had felt a brief, heart-stopping moment of panic. She'd truly thought she'd lost him. His body had gone limp, and his presence – that same powerful aura around him that had always attracted her – seemed to just fade away.

Hermione had insisted that his heart was still beating, but Ginny hadn't been convinced. When Ministry workers, led by a witch called Leticia Warbanks had stormed into the Department of Mysteries and taken control, they'd assured Ginny of the same thing. Harry's heart was, indeed, still beating. It had been Leticia Warbanks, a stern-looking witch with black hair streaked with gray and smile crinkles around her eyes, who had immediately decided to transport Harry to St. Mungo's.

Hermione and Ginny had protested, fearing the Death Eaters still in charge at the hospital might further harm him in retaliation for killing their Dark Lord. Leticia insisted that there were people at the hospital who could be trusted. She said that once the news of Voldemort's defeat began to spread, there would be a bunch of volunteers lining up to protect Harry from any wayward Death Eaters.

She'd been right, too. As the news of Voldemort's fall traveled from the bowels of the Ministry up through the building and onto the streets, the Wizarding world that had long been held oppressed began to turn on their tormenters. A mob mentality overcame them, and many of the Death Eaters who hadn't been involved in the attack on Hogwarts were hunted down and slain in the streets.

They had been executed within the Ministry, in their homes, even in the corridors of St. Mungo's by the Healers sworn to preserve life. The general consensus appeared to be that they would never allow this to happen again.

There were parties and fireworks and loud celebrations in the streets all across Britain. Harry's name was toasted in pubs and on the streets to anyone who would listen. Ginny couldn't even imagine what the Muggles must be thinking about it all.

Leticia Warbanks had been the only Ministry worker who hadn't completely panicked over the sight of Voldemort's dead body, and she simply radiated authority. She and a small handful of Ministry employees had tried to maintain order and speak reason with the rampaging mobs of celebrating people to no avail. Instead, they'd focused their energy on restoring the hospital in order to treat the wounded and to assist in the battle at Hogwarts.