Categories > Books > Harry Potter > The Rebirth of Hope
The Death of a Hero
15 hours earlier
Harry lay on his bed in Ron's room at the Burrow, his hands behind his head. He, Ron and Hermione had destroyed the last of Voldemort's horcruxes just two days ago. That had been surprisingly easy. They were trying to figure out how to lure Nagini away from Voldemort when Ron had jokingly suggested that Harry just use Parseltongue to ask her if she was interested in switching sides... which she had been, and willingly released the Horcrux she had been fed for Harry to destroy.
They had not all been that easy. The past year had been hard on all three of them. Constantly on the run, trap after trap they had sprung and narrowly escaped. But they had done it. They had found and destroyed all of Voldemort's horcruxes. Harry knew that they would have to move against Voldemort soon. Nagini could only be missing so long before Voldemort became suspicious. They must act before then. Harry was ready. He wanted that bastard dead, and 'before the week's end, he will be' he vowed silently.
He was pulled out of his reverie by a knock on the door. "Yeah?" Ginny slowly pushed open the door. He smiled when he saw her, laughing silently to himself. He'd barely held out in his resolve to keep her safe by staying away from her until Bill and Fleur's wedding, but when he had seen her there his fragile resolve crumbled to pieces. "Hey you, come here." He said holding his arm out to her. She complied, climbing onto the bed and snuggling in beside him with a mischievous smile in her eyes. She nipped at his ear playfully, tracing the edges of it slowly with her tongue and laughing as he shivered beside her.
"You're trying to get me in trouble aren't you?" he asked her.
"Me? Never. Anyway no one else is here but Ron and Hermione, and I guarantee they wont say a word. Besides, they kicked me out of my room so I thought I'd come here."
As she spoke, the mischievous gleam leapt into Harry's eyes as well. Merlin he'd missed her. "Where's your mum and dad?"
"Dad left for work and mum had to go to the butchers. She said something about three extra mouths to feed. Oh..."
He'd pulled his glasses off, propped himself up on an elbow and leaned over her, running his hand across her stomach as she spoke. He leaned down to kiss her, his lips feather light against hers. "I love you, Gin. I can't tell you how much I've missed you, missed this." He buried his face in her neck as she wrapped her arms around his.
They had barely gotten beyond kissing when a cacophony erupted outside the house "What the bloody hell?" he asked sitting up, as Ginny pulled her shirt back down. Ginny's face was pale and her eyes were wide.
"The perimeter alarms. Someone's breached the wards."
"Damn." He said sliding his glasses back on his face.
They grabbed their wands and headed down the stairs. One floor down they ran into Ron and Hermione. Both looked at him with terror in their eyes.
"Stay behind me," Harry told them. "all of you."
Wands at the ready they headed down the stairs to see who had broken the wards. They knew before they reached the bottom because they could hear voices. Death Eaters. Lots of them. They could hear Malfoy issuing orders. Harry stopped them and pointed up, signaling to head back up stairs. They retraced their steps and went in to Ginny's room and began casting every locking and silencing ward they knew. Ginny was beyond terrified. The trio had been getting into and out of this type of predicament all year, but she was scared senseless.
"We have to run. Get outside the apparition wards and get help. No way in hell we survive facing that many alone. At least Voldemort isn't with them." Harry told them. "Gin, how high up are we? Can we go out the window?"
"Yes, but Harry I can't apparate!"
"You can side-along with me, but first we have to get out of here!"
The moment Ginny had answered Harry in the affirmative Ron had opened the window and began helping Hermione out of it. He could see about a dozen Order members coming over the hill in the distance at an all-out run. He said as much to Harry who nodded and replied, "Meet up with them. I think then we'll out number the Death Eaters below."
Ron dropped out the window, and he and Hermione took off towards the coming Order members. Ginny was half way out the window when the door to her room was blown off its hinges. She barely managed to keep herself from falling head first toward the ground when Harry turned and accidentally bumped into her trying to hide her from the intruders. Ginny hung on to the window ledge for all she was worth as her room erupted with spells and shouts. She managed to pull herself up enough to regain her footing on the lattice. As she did she looked into her room in time to see Lucius Malfoy point his wand at Harry and yell "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry fell backwards and lay still on the floor next to her bed. Ginny ended up falling to the ground after all.
Ron and Hermione stopped running towards the advancing Order members when they heard Ginny scream as she fell. Tonks broke away form the rest of the group and headed for the teens. She, Ron and Hermione headed for Ginny who was limping toward them in a near hysterical state.
"He's...he...I saw...fell...NO. Hhhheee caaaaan't leeeave meeeee. NO nonononono" Ron reached her first and she collapsed in his arms wailing.
"Gin-gin? Talk to me. Are you OK? Are you hurt? You fell. What happened?"
Hermione and Tonks hit their knees beside them as Ron was speaking. Ginny had a death grip on Ron's neck and was weeping horribly repeating "No, no, no, no"
"Ginny?"
"He's dead...God no...I saw...Malfoy he...and he fell, Ron, he just fell. I saw..."
Hermione gasped "No." Just as the same word rose in a heart rending howl form the house.
**
As soon as the perimeter alarms at the Burrow went off Order member raced to get there as quickly as they could. Moody, Remus, and Arthur were all at Grimmauld place when the signal alerted them to the problem. Kingsley and Tonks rushed there from Auror headquarters, Molly and Fleur from the market, and Bill, Charlie, Fred and George from their store in Diagon Alley. They all arrived at the edge of the property just outside the apparition wards at about the same time.
"Molly?! Why aren't you at home? Merlin, no never mind!" Arthur cried as he threw his arms around her. "The kids! If you're here then they're alone!" he started to run towards the house, but Moody grabbed his arm.
"Think Arthur!" he scolded. "lets find out what we're up against first."
"8 Death Eaters" bellowed Remus, already barreling down the hill.
"Merlin no, and I left the kids alone!" Molly cried as the rest of the group broke into a run after Remus.
About half way down Tonks shouted "Look!" and pointed towards the house where Ron was leaning out the window helping Hermione down. "I'm gonna go to them. We'll met you" she yelled, breaking away from the group.
As she started towards the teens Ginny came out the window, slipped, caught herself, then fell. "GINNY!!" screamed Molly as they streamed towards the house.
"Tonks'll handle it. Come on." Bill told his mother as they rounded the corner before the door.
All of them pulled up to a stop as they came face to face with 6 Death Eaters "Grab on" one bellowed, "tell me blood-traitors, how does it feel to have no hope?" as he said this all 6 touched a broken baseball bat and disappeared before a single spell was fired.
"Be careful, the wards indicated there were 8 and only 6 left." Remus said as they carefully entered the kitchen.
The group slowly moved through the house finding nothing. They started up the stairs Arthur and Remus leading the way, and Kingsley and Moody bring up the rear. In the doorway of Ginny's room half in the hallway lay Antonin Dolohov and at the foot of the bed, Bellatrix, both dead. The men were brought up short when they say the two bodies, blocking to rest of the group from entering the room.
"Did you know Harry could use that spell?" Arthur asked Remus quietly.
"I know he is powerful enough, but I didn't know he had it in him." he replied
"It might have been stray spells for the other Death Eaters, there were a bunch of them and spells had to be flying everywhere. Harry might not have done this." Bill stated from behind the two men. He too was trying to block the women from seeing into the room.
"NOOOOOOO" Remus screamed and lunged over the bed. He had recognized those shoes showing around the side of the bed as Bill was speaking. Fear had paralyzed him for a moment before grief propelled him forward. As he cleared the bed his worst fear, what had gripped his heart since he saw that it was Death Eaters that had triggered the perimeter alarms, was realized. Harry lay on the floor, eyes wide with shock, very much dead. Remus grabbed the boy to him, tears rolling unheeded down his face and looked back at Arthur and Bill. "Don't... let them in...don't let...them see him...like...like... this."
Arthur was fixed to the spot, not breathing, not thinking and certainly not accepting what he saw before him. Bill however turned at Remus' words and left he room shutting the door behind him leaving Arthur and Remus alone in that horrible death filled room. His face shock white as he turned to face the other adults.
"What is it, Bill?" Charlie asked his older brother.
"D-d-down s-stairs, go downstairs." he replied.
The group turned slowly and apprehensively and did as they were told. When they had reached the living room, Moody put a hand on Bill's shoulder and ask "What is it son?" But Bill never got the chance to answer. At that moment Ron burst through he outside door in a panic.
"HARRY?! Harry! Dammit, Harry, answer me! HARRY!" he seemed not to see the group in the living room as he ran towards the stairs.
"No, Ron. Don't..." Bill began. He reached to stop his youngest brother from going up the stairs. As his hand touched Ron's arm Ron swung to face him fist flying. He caught Bill square in the jaw and made the older man stumble backward. The look on Ron's face a mix of fear, doubt, rage and shock. The whole room was stunned, Bill most of all.
"Get your fucking hands off me! HARRY, this is not sodding well happening." Ron had turned back towards the stairs then paused, he turned back around and faced Bill again. Their eyes connected for a split second and all the rage and doubt drained from Ron's face. He staggered into the wall as tears began pouring from his eyes. "NO...no...he can't...no." Ron turned again and ran up the stairs.
"What the hell happened up there Bill?"
"It's Harry...he's um...he's..."
"How bad is he hurt, Bill? Just tell us?" Molly pleaded.
"No...mum..."
A loud sob came from the door cutting Bill off again. The adults turned en masse to see Hermione and Tonks practically carrying a devastated Ginny through the door.
"Bill?" Molly said again, this time her voice was small, almost inaudible.
"He's not hurt, mum... he's dead. Harry's dead."
**
Ron ran up the stairs and burst into Ginny's room to see his father standing like a statue where Bill had left him, and Remus sitting on the floor holding Harry's lifeless body rocking back and forth. Neither man noticed he had entered. Ron stood staring at his best friend. He couldn't believe this was happening. Not now. Not like this. They all knew that death was a possibility but...
"NO!" Ron ran to Remus' side. His sudden shout and motion stirring the other men. Arthur seemed to wake up and moved towards the others. He knelt next to his son looking at the boy who had been like one of his own from the day he and Ron had become friends.
Tears ran freely down the faces of all three men. "We...we can't stay here, it's not...not safe... anymore."
Remus looked toward Arthur as if he'd only just realized he was there. When he spoke his voice was ragged and forced, "What about H-Harry? We can't... can't leave him here. We can't...can't let the rest...Arthur, they'll be chaos if the wizarding world finds out he's... what are we going to do now?"
Arthur reached behind him and grabbed a pillow off of Ginny's bed. "Portus. Th-this goes t-to headquarters. Take him to one of the empty upstairs rooms...we don't have much time and we have many hard decisions to make. The rest of us will meet you there." He handed the portkey to Remus and the pair of them vanished. He and Ron sat staring at the empty floor for a moment and an eternity. "Come on Ron, it's not safe."
**
"DEAD?? No, not Harry. Not possible. Bill, tell me this is some kind of sick joke." Molly wailed at her eldest son.
Bill wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried. He looked around the room to see the shock and disbelief on every face present. He only let go and turned around when he heard someone coming down the stairs behind him. Arthur, half-carrying Ron, entered the room.
"Dad?" Charlie asked as they entered.
"We have to leave, it's not safe here. Stay together, wands at the ready. Back to headquarters." The room just stared at him dumbfounded. ""GET UP! Get moving, we're still at war and we're still in danger. Now MOVE."
"We can't just leave him here, Arthur." Molly sobbed
"He's gone. Remus took him," His voice shook as he continued to speak. "We have people to notify, plans to make. We have to move, now." With that the grieving group stumbled toward the door.
15 hours earlier
Harry lay on his bed in Ron's room at the Burrow, his hands behind his head. He, Ron and Hermione had destroyed the last of Voldemort's horcruxes just two days ago. That had been surprisingly easy. They were trying to figure out how to lure Nagini away from Voldemort when Ron had jokingly suggested that Harry just use Parseltongue to ask her if she was interested in switching sides... which she had been, and willingly released the Horcrux she had been fed for Harry to destroy.
They had not all been that easy. The past year had been hard on all three of them. Constantly on the run, trap after trap they had sprung and narrowly escaped. But they had done it. They had found and destroyed all of Voldemort's horcruxes. Harry knew that they would have to move against Voldemort soon. Nagini could only be missing so long before Voldemort became suspicious. They must act before then. Harry was ready. He wanted that bastard dead, and 'before the week's end, he will be' he vowed silently.
He was pulled out of his reverie by a knock on the door. "Yeah?" Ginny slowly pushed open the door. He smiled when he saw her, laughing silently to himself. He'd barely held out in his resolve to keep her safe by staying away from her until Bill and Fleur's wedding, but when he had seen her there his fragile resolve crumbled to pieces. "Hey you, come here." He said holding his arm out to her. She complied, climbing onto the bed and snuggling in beside him with a mischievous smile in her eyes. She nipped at his ear playfully, tracing the edges of it slowly with her tongue and laughing as he shivered beside her.
"You're trying to get me in trouble aren't you?" he asked her.
"Me? Never. Anyway no one else is here but Ron and Hermione, and I guarantee they wont say a word. Besides, they kicked me out of my room so I thought I'd come here."
As she spoke, the mischievous gleam leapt into Harry's eyes as well. Merlin he'd missed her. "Where's your mum and dad?"
"Dad left for work and mum had to go to the butchers. She said something about three extra mouths to feed. Oh..."
He'd pulled his glasses off, propped himself up on an elbow and leaned over her, running his hand across her stomach as she spoke. He leaned down to kiss her, his lips feather light against hers. "I love you, Gin. I can't tell you how much I've missed you, missed this." He buried his face in her neck as she wrapped her arms around his.
They had barely gotten beyond kissing when a cacophony erupted outside the house "What the bloody hell?" he asked sitting up, as Ginny pulled her shirt back down. Ginny's face was pale and her eyes were wide.
"The perimeter alarms. Someone's breached the wards."
"Damn." He said sliding his glasses back on his face.
They grabbed their wands and headed down the stairs. One floor down they ran into Ron and Hermione. Both looked at him with terror in their eyes.
"Stay behind me," Harry told them. "all of you."
Wands at the ready they headed down the stairs to see who had broken the wards. They knew before they reached the bottom because they could hear voices. Death Eaters. Lots of them. They could hear Malfoy issuing orders. Harry stopped them and pointed up, signaling to head back up stairs. They retraced their steps and went in to Ginny's room and began casting every locking and silencing ward they knew. Ginny was beyond terrified. The trio had been getting into and out of this type of predicament all year, but she was scared senseless.
"We have to run. Get outside the apparition wards and get help. No way in hell we survive facing that many alone. At least Voldemort isn't with them." Harry told them. "Gin, how high up are we? Can we go out the window?"
"Yes, but Harry I can't apparate!"
"You can side-along with me, but first we have to get out of here!"
The moment Ginny had answered Harry in the affirmative Ron had opened the window and began helping Hermione out of it. He could see about a dozen Order members coming over the hill in the distance at an all-out run. He said as much to Harry who nodded and replied, "Meet up with them. I think then we'll out number the Death Eaters below."
Ron dropped out the window, and he and Hermione took off towards the coming Order members. Ginny was half way out the window when the door to her room was blown off its hinges. She barely managed to keep herself from falling head first toward the ground when Harry turned and accidentally bumped into her trying to hide her from the intruders. Ginny hung on to the window ledge for all she was worth as her room erupted with spells and shouts. She managed to pull herself up enough to regain her footing on the lattice. As she did she looked into her room in time to see Lucius Malfoy point his wand at Harry and yell "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry fell backwards and lay still on the floor next to her bed. Ginny ended up falling to the ground after all.
Ron and Hermione stopped running towards the advancing Order members when they heard Ginny scream as she fell. Tonks broke away form the rest of the group and headed for the teens. She, Ron and Hermione headed for Ginny who was limping toward them in a near hysterical state.
"He's...he...I saw...fell...NO. Hhhheee caaaaan't leeeave meeeee. NO nonononono" Ron reached her first and she collapsed in his arms wailing.
"Gin-gin? Talk to me. Are you OK? Are you hurt? You fell. What happened?"
Hermione and Tonks hit their knees beside them as Ron was speaking. Ginny had a death grip on Ron's neck and was weeping horribly repeating "No, no, no, no"
"Ginny?"
"He's dead...God no...I saw...Malfoy he...and he fell, Ron, he just fell. I saw..."
Hermione gasped "No." Just as the same word rose in a heart rending howl form the house.
**
As soon as the perimeter alarms at the Burrow went off Order member raced to get there as quickly as they could. Moody, Remus, and Arthur were all at Grimmauld place when the signal alerted them to the problem. Kingsley and Tonks rushed there from Auror headquarters, Molly and Fleur from the market, and Bill, Charlie, Fred and George from their store in Diagon Alley. They all arrived at the edge of the property just outside the apparition wards at about the same time.
"Molly?! Why aren't you at home? Merlin, no never mind!" Arthur cried as he threw his arms around her. "The kids! If you're here then they're alone!" he started to run towards the house, but Moody grabbed his arm.
"Think Arthur!" he scolded. "lets find out what we're up against first."
"8 Death Eaters" bellowed Remus, already barreling down the hill.
"Merlin no, and I left the kids alone!" Molly cried as the rest of the group broke into a run after Remus.
About half way down Tonks shouted "Look!" and pointed towards the house where Ron was leaning out the window helping Hermione down. "I'm gonna go to them. We'll met you" she yelled, breaking away from the group.
As she started towards the teens Ginny came out the window, slipped, caught herself, then fell. "GINNY!!" screamed Molly as they streamed towards the house.
"Tonks'll handle it. Come on." Bill told his mother as they rounded the corner before the door.
All of them pulled up to a stop as they came face to face with 6 Death Eaters "Grab on" one bellowed, "tell me blood-traitors, how does it feel to have no hope?" as he said this all 6 touched a broken baseball bat and disappeared before a single spell was fired.
"Be careful, the wards indicated there were 8 and only 6 left." Remus said as they carefully entered the kitchen.
The group slowly moved through the house finding nothing. They started up the stairs Arthur and Remus leading the way, and Kingsley and Moody bring up the rear. In the doorway of Ginny's room half in the hallway lay Antonin Dolohov and at the foot of the bed, Bellatrix, both dead. The men were brought up short when they say the two bodies, blocking to rest of the group from entering the room.
"Did you know Harry could use that spell?" Arthur asked Remus quietly.
"I know he is powerful enough, but I didn't know he had it in him." he replied
"It might have been stray spells for the other Death Eaters, there were a bunch of them and spells had to be flying everywhere. Harry might not have done this." Bill stated from behind the two men. He too was trying to block the women from seeing into the room.
"NOOOOOOO" Remus screamed and lunged over the bed. He had recognized those shoes showing around the side of the bed as Bill was speaking. Fear had paralyzed him for a moment before grief propelled him forward. As he cleared the bed his worst fear, what had gripped his heart since he saw that it was Death Eaters that had triggered the perimeter alarms, was realized. Harry lay on the floor, eyes wide with shock, very much dead. Remus grabbed the boy to him, tears rolling unheeded down his face and looked back at Arthur and Bill. "Don't... let them in...don't let...them see him...like...like... this."
Arthur was fixed to the spot, not breathing, not thinking and certainly not accepting what he saw before him. Bill however turned at Remus' words and left he room shutting the door behind him leaving Arthur and Remus alone in that horrible death filled room. His face shock white as he turned to face the other adults.
"What is it, Bill?" Charlie asked his older brother.
"D-d-down s-stairs, go downstairs." he replied.
The group turned slowly and apprehensively and did as they were told. When they had reached the living room, Moody put a hand on Bill's shoulder and ask "What is it son?" But Bill never got the chance to answer. At that moment Ron burst through he outside door in a panic.
"HARRY?! Harry! Dammit, Harry, answer me! HARRY!" he seemed not to see the group in the living room as he ran towards the stairs.
"No, Ron. Don't..." Bill began. He reached to stop his youngest brother from going up the stairs. As his hand touched Ron's arm Ron swung to face him fist flying. He caught Bill square in the jaw and made the older man stumble backward. The look on Ron's face a mix of fear, doubt, rage and shock. The whole room was stunned, Bill most of all.
"Get your fucking hands off me! HARRY, this is not sodding well happening." Ron had turned back towards the stairs then paused, he turned back around and faced Bill again. Their eyes connected for a split second and all the rage and doubt drained from Ron's face. He staggered into the wall as tears began pouring from his eyes. "NO...no...he can't...no." Ron turned again and ran up the stairs.
"What the hell happened up there Bill?"
"It's Harry...he's um...he's..."
"How bad is he hurt, Bill? Just tell us?" Molly pleaded.
"No...mum..."
A loud sob came from the door cutting Bill off again. The adults turned en masse to see Hermione and Tonks practically carrying a devastated Ginny through the door.
"Bill?" Molly said again, this time her voice was small, almost inaudible.
"He's not hurt, mum... he's dead. Harry's dead."
**
Ron ran up the stairs and burst into Ginny's room to see his father standing like a statue where Bill had left him, and Remus sitting on the floor holding Harry's lifeless body rocking back and forth. Neither man noticed he had entered. Ron stood staring at his best friend. He couldn't believe this was happening. Not now. Not like this. They all knew that death was a possibility but...
"NO!" Ron ran to Remus' side. His sudden shout and motion stirring the other men. Arthur seemed to wake up and moved towards the others. He knelt next to his son looking at the boy who had been like one of his own from the day he and Ron had become friends.
Tears ran freely down the faces of all three men. "We...we can't stay here, it's not...not safe... anymore."
Remus looked toward Arthur as if he'd only just realized he was there. When he spoke his voice was ragged and forced, "What about H-Harry? We can't... can't leave him here. We can't...can't let the rest...Arthur, they'll be chaos if the wizarding world finds out he's... what are we going to do now?"
Arthur reached behind him and grabbed a pillow off of Ginny's bed. "Portus. Th-this goes t-to headquarters. Take him to one of the empty upstairs rooms...we don't have much time and we have many hard decisions to make. The rest of us will meet you there." He handed the portkey to Remus and the pair of them vanished. He and Ron sat staring at the empty floor for a moment and an eternity. "Come on Ron, it's not safe."
**
"DEAD?? No, not Harry. Not possible. Bill, tell me this is some kind of sick joke." Molly wailed at her eldest son.
Bill wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried. He looked around the room to see the shock and disbelief on every face present. He only let go and turned around when he heard someone coming down the stairs behind him. Arthur, half-carrying Ron, entered the room.
"Dad?" Charlie asked as they entered.
"We have to leave, it's not safe here. Stay together, wands at the ready. Back to headquarters." The room just stared at him dumbfounded. ""GET UP! Get moving, we're still at war and we're still in danger. Now MOVE."
"We can't just leave him here, Arthur." Molly sobbed
"He's gone. Remus took him," His voice shook as he continued to speak. "We have people to notify, plans to make. We have to move, now." With that the grieving group stumbled toward the door.
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