𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 // 𝕙. 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣

chapter 12: hagrid

your pov

Harry limps past the Basilisk's corpse, and, dropping the sword and falling to his knees, he crawls towards Ginny once more as Riddle walks toward them. i run over to him.

"harry!" i exclaim as i kneel by his side. he looks up, collapsing into me. i take his face into my hands. "harry, can you hear me?!" but he's going in and out of consciousness.

"Remarkable, isn't it? How quickly the venom of the Basilisk penetrates the body. I guess he has a little more than a minute to live," riddle says, walking over to us. "You'll be with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry." he says. i could strangle him right now. i look over to ginny, hoping she's still alright..

"Funny, the damage a silly little book can do. especially in the hands," he looks at me. "of a silly little girl." i look to the diary in Ginny's arm and carefully pulls it out, placing it on the floor between her and the Basilisk fang. if the diary is what is keeping riddle here.. and basilisk fangs are poisonous..

"What are you doing?" riddle asks me. i pick up the Basilisk fang and hold it up while staring at Riddle, who immediately realizes what i'm about to do. "Stop. No!" i stab one of the diary's pages with the fang as Riddle steps forward to try and stop me, his body crumbles and gives a discharge of yellow light; ink starts to ooze from the diary, Riddle recoils and growls with rage; i pry the fang out of the diary. Riddle attempts to attack, but i stab the other page, crippling Riddle, and causing him to crumble further; i close the diary and stabs the cover with the Basilisk fang; Riddle screams in agony and disintegrates into yellow particles; shortly after his demise, Ginny awakens, hyperventilating, and sits up.

"Ginny." i say, relieved. she turns to face me.

"(y/n), it was me. But, I swear, I didn't mean to... Riddle made me. And.." she sees harry, laying in my arms. "harry..." she exclaims. he wakes up.

"Ginny, (y/n) you need to get yourselves out." he says.

"we aren't leaving you," i tell him, trying to keep the tears out of my eyes. "this can't be how it ends.." suddenly, Fawkes emits his song again; we all look down the corridor to see him flying towards us. he swoops around the Basilisk's body, and lands in between us, then steps over to Harry.

"You were brilliant, Fawkes. I just wasn't quick enough." harry says. Fawkes emits a soft grunt, then lowers his head to Harry's wound, and cries on it; the wound miraculously disappears; i stare in amazement.

"Of course!" harry says, lifting his healed arm. "Phoenix tears have healing powers," Fawkes grunts affirmatively as Harry glances at him. "Thanks." harry looks at me, smiling, then sits up. i smile back at him, wrapping him in a hug.

"i'm so glad your ok." i says to him. harry looks at me as he finally pulls away. then he looks at ginny.

"it's all right, Ginny. It's over. It's just a memory." he says to her. then, Fawkes flies us out of the chamber, then lockhart and ron.

"Amazing! This is just like magic!" lockhart exclaims as Fawkes carries the five of us up towards the opening of a cave as the moon can be seen above us. i'm holding onto harry, and he looks down at me, laughing. i smile at him as the wind whips my hair around. it's over.

~time skip~

"Harry, Ron and i stand before Professor Dumbledore in his office, with Fawkes on his perch, and the sword and Sorting Hat resting on the desk.

"You three realize, of course, that in the past few hours, you have broken, perhaps, a dozen school rules." dumbledore says.

"Yes, sir." we say.

"And there is sufficient evidence to have you both expelled." dumbdore adds.

"Yes, sir." we reply.

Therefore, it is only fitting.. that you three receive special awards for services to the school." no way! Harry, Ron and i look at each other with smiles, then back at Dumbledore again.

"Thanks, sir." ron says. Professor Dumbledore smiles as us, then stands up while handing some papers to Ron and i. And now, Mr. Weasley, ms. (l/n), if you would, have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban. I believe we... we want our gamekeeper back." ron and i thank him one last time before running off the the owlry.

"so what actually happened?" ron asks me. i tell him the whole story on the way. i finish once we arrive. ron stops and stares at me in disbelief.

"wow.. that's.. insane. but i'm glad you're ok.. i mean, all of you!" he says, his ears a little bit pink. i smile and nod.

"does it matter which owl we send?" i ask him.

"i don't think so," he answers. "we could just send my owl." he says walking over to errol's perch.

"are you sure? i mean, errol did crash in the great hall." i remind him.

"he'll be fine!" ron assures me.

"whatever you say.." i say, turning to look out of a window, my eyes sweeping across all of hogwarts, and i finally relax.

that night, i'm sitting in the great hall with harry and ron. i'm excited, because the mandrake juice is finally ready, and hermione will be back to her old self soon.

"Harry- it's Hermione!" neville says. we turn and see hermione standing in the entrance to the great hall. we all smile brightly, and stand to greet her. hermione sees us and runs over. she reaches me first, and she gives me a big hug.

"i missed you so much 'mione." i say.

"i missed you too, (y/n)." she smiles and pulls away, going to hug harry. then she turns to ron, and they just awkwardly shake hands. harry and i exchange an amused glance.

"Uhh-um... Welcome back, Hermione." he says.

"It's good to be back! Congratulations! I can't believe you solved it!" she replies.

"Well, we had loads of help from you. We couldn't have done it without you." harry says.

"Thanks." hermione says with a smile.

"Could I have your attention, please?" professor mcgonagall shouts from the front of the great hall. it goes silent, and dumbledore steps forward.

"Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been Petrified. Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been canceled." dumbledore says, and everyone cheers except for hermione.

"Oh, no!" she says. harry, ron and i laugh. then the doors burst open, and hagrid walks in.

"Sorry I'm late! The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol." hagrid says. i turn to ron, who looks red.

"what did i tell you?" i whisper to him. hagrid stops walking when he reaches us. 

"I'd just like to say that aif it hadn't been for you, Harry, Ron, (y/n), and Hermione, o' course, I woulduh- I'd still be you-know-where, so I- I'd just like to say Thanks." he says.

"Well, there's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid." harry says, giving him a hug. i hug him as well, and so do ron and hermione. the gryffindor table starts clapping and cheering, and the other houses follow. hagrid wipes a tear from his eye as everyone cheers for him. i exchange looks with harry, ron and hermione. it's good to have hagrid back. i think i've realized by now that there's no such thing as a 'normal' year at hogwarts, but i wouldn't want it any other way.

~END OF YEAR TWO~