“Harry Potter is dead.” Ginny looked up from Fred’s awful dead face as the high pitched emotionless voice echoed menacingly out of the walls. “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.” She felt her heart thud to a stop and her eyelids flutter. She swayed on the spot but there was no one to take any notice of her dizzy spell, they were all staring at the door.
“The battle is won.” She tried to clear her head with a shake but it just made it spin more. “You have lost half of your fighters.” She tried to breathe and managed a single deep breath, blinked and managed to bring the great hall back into focus, all she could see was Fred’s face and she wished she were dizzy again. Beside her Hermione was shaking and across Fred’s body she met Ron’s eyes wide and full of shock and a reserved look she had not seen there before. “My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished.” His voice continued, “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.”

As the voice died a whisper brushed the room, barely noticeable, but with that whisper came movement. Feet, getting up from the sides of deceased loved ones, the sombre and quietly weeping crowd surged in a silent wave towards the doors. Ginny moved as if in a trance or a sleep, paying no attention to her forgotten wand or her mother who tried to pull her back only to the stupid ridiculous idea of Harry being dead...especially after what they had all been put through. She had seen him only hours ago. He had been with her, near the room of requirement. He had definitely not been thinking about handing himself over. Her head span again and she wobbled slightly as she moved with the crowd. Her heart had been broken enough times in one night for anything else to happen to it and Harry’s death would come under that ‘fatal’ category her heart had never travelled to. He would never do that to her, he knew how much she cared about him didn’t he? Didn’t he? Her head throbbed as her heart panged with that horrible thought- but he wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be, he wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t give up. He had to be the one to finish Voldemort, he wouldn’t leave it for someone else to do, he had told her! He had told her he had to do it! Voldemort was still outside and Harry supposedly dead. He would never do that to the ones he loved, he wasn’t selfish enough to die hoping someone else would do his job for him nor did he have the heart to abandon everyone like that. Ginny stumbled as someone’s arm caught on her foot. She looked blindly down to see Sarah Clearwater lying unconscious on the floor blood oozing from her mouth. Ginny looked quickly away focusing on walking in a straight line. So many people had died though, Colin, Remus – her hands started shaking, Tonks – her eyes began to sting and…Fred – she clamped her eyes shut and jaws together. Her eyes remained dry though, she had no more tears left to shed and – she bit her tongue as happy memories began to flood her mind, she couldn’t bear thinking about Fred at the moment. She forced the image of her laughing and joking older brother from her mind along with the stabbing pain that accompanied it. If she had to go through that again, if Harry was dead…

She wouldn’t be able to do it. That was why he couldn’t be, wouldn’t be, because he wouldn’t let his friends and family go through that…go through what they had been through with Fred- Or would he? Harry had blamed himself for so much, he had taken a definite downward spiral after Sirius’s death…could he possibly even consider thinking any of this, Fred, Lupin, Tonk’s…he would never think it was his fault would he? He didn’t think all this would stop just because he was no longer fighting would he? No…he wouldn’t. She felt her heart beat faster and faster as the thought took root in her churned up mind. No…

She hurried faster through the crowd suddenly pushing at people as she fought towards the front. Ron was pulling Hermione through the crowd just in front of her and the front doors were just being opened by McGonagall. As the starry night’s sky became visible and light leaked out onto the grounds a strange noise greeted Ginny’s ears. It sounded like a wounded animal, like a bear with its foot trapped in a snare but as she drew closer she realised it was weeping. Heavy, uncontrolled weeping and it scared her…it scared her more than anything else. She moved faster, like water through fingers, as she slipped through the few people and hurried after Ron and Hermione.

“NO!” Came the sudden yell. Ginny staggered as her heart slipped down into her gut. Professor McGonagall was sagging against the doorframe looking out into the grounds her face contorted. Ginny couldn’t keep the urgency out of her steps now as she drew nearer to the doors still pushing through people who were gathering and swarming like upset ants.
“No!” She heard Ron cry, and that, more than anything else drove that steak back into her chest, cracking it wide open after Fred’s death had left it so loose. She sucked in a breath waiting for the pain to come flowing out of it and into her limbs.
“No!” Hermione screamed.
“Harry!” Ginny shouted suddenly possessed by the urge to see him, worry controlling her movements. She forced her way between her mother and father into the light of the moon and saw before her the line of Death Eaters behind Voldemort, his great snake draped around his neck and Hagrid, standing behind them emitting that dreadful hair raising cry with something limp and floppy in his arms. Her eyes fell limp and dead on the dark smudge Hagrid was cradling as if it were a delicate baby. She recognised the messy hair in less than an instant and suddenly her world imploded blotting out everything else. “HARRY!” She screamed sinking to the ground beside Hermione who was drawing huge rattling sobs whilst Ron stood beside her, holding her in his shaking arms. Suddenly everyone was shouting and screaming at the Death eaters. Ginny was oblivious to it. Her eyes were fixed on the pale face, eyes closed and peaceful. She would never see the sunlight glitter off his emerald eyes again, never feel the warm touch of his hand or hear his gentle chuckle or smell that vague but pleasant smell of pine sap and quidditch changing rooms ever again. It was just like with Fred only a hundred times worse. Her raw wound which had not even begun to heal felt as if it had been branded with a white hot iron eradicating all her memories of Harry with pure, heart-stopping pain. She gasped but her eyes would not close as tear gushed down her face. Not Harry…anyone but him. Not him a swell…Why had he done it? Did he not know how much everyone cared about him? How much she cared about him? He must have… mustn’t he?
“SILENCE!” Voldemort’s voice boomed out over the crowd and silence instantly fell.
Ginny felt an absolute cold suddenly steal over her and she thought that the world was being kind at last and was taking her to what she wanted. To see Harry, alive and laughing like he always did, to Fred, cracking jokes and messing around and to Lupin and Tonk’s who had only just had their tiny son…
“It is over!” Ginny felt herself convulse as she heard that horrible voice again for in death there would be no Voldemort and with that thought she began to shake, her fist’s balled.
“Set him down Hagrid,” that voice said, “at my feet where he belongs.”
Ginny managed to rip her eyes off Harry as he was lowered to the grass and refocus on Voldemort, this new emotion blotting out the pain and acting as the perfect antidote filling her with something new. She was aware of Ron slowly releasing Hermione from his arms to let her slide to the floor still shaking beside Ginny. His eyes were also locked on Voldemort, their deep blue burning with the sudden fury of an inferno.
“You see?” Voldemort said as he began to pace dragging Ginny’s narrowed eyes with him. “Harry Potter is dead!” His words pierced her like a knife but it was as if someone else was being pierced because she paid no attention to it. Her body was numb with what she now recognised to be cold hard fury. “Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!”
Ginny opened her mouth enraged but Ron beat her to it striding away from Hermione’s reach and yelling at the mob of death eaters, wand drawn,
“He beat you!” He yelled his entire form rattling with rage and sobs.
Suddenly everyone was screaming again, as well as Ginny who launched herself off the steps to fly down towards Voldemort. He had no right, he had taken her friends he had taken her brother and now he had taken Harry, the one thing in her life she had thought would always be there. She was going to kill him.

Suddenly she was being thrown back against the steps as another bang silenced the crowd and everyone was dumb once more.
“He was killed whilst trying to sneak out of the castle grounds,” Voldemort said and Ginny couldn’t believe he thought anyone would ever believe him. Anyone who knew Harry knew he would rather die than leave his friends to save himself. “Killed whilst trying to save himself – ”

Someone pushed passed Ginny who was still lying on the steps and ran towards the Death Eaters but with a bang and a flash of light Neville was lying motionless on the floor his wand soaring away from him.

“And who is this?” Voldemort hissed, making Ginny’s skin crawl. “Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?”
One of the Death Eaters laughed and edged forwards.
“It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?” Bellatrix sounded delighted.
“Ah yes, I remember.” He said condescendingly, “But you are a pure-blood aren’t you, my brave boy?”
“So what if I am?” Neville said his voice full of the shivering rage Ginny felt brimming near the surface ready to spill over…
“You show spirit, and bravery, and you come from noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater.” He said silkily, “We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.”
“I’ll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore’s Army!” He shouted and Ginny felt the air vibrate as the DA members surrounding her and Hermione screamed and cheered breaking the silencing charm again.

“Very well,” Voldemort said in his most soft and deadly voice. “If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head be it.” With that, a strange object flew through the night to Voldemort’s waiting hand. The Sorting hat?
“There will be no more Sorting a Hogwarts School. There will be no more houses.” He said. “The emblem, shield and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone, won’t they, Neville Longbottom?” He said pointing his wand at Neville who went rigid as a board as Voldemort forced the hat onto his head and over his eyes. Ginny went to get up so she was ready to help, her panic rising again. If she was forced to watch anything more happen to her friends…but Bellatrix was watching her, an evil smile on her face, her wand drawn and pointing directly at her. Ginny scowled at the witch and looked from her to Neville her heart pounding.
“Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me.” Voldemort said and with a flick of his wand the hat burst into flames. Ginny who had been waiting with baited breath let out a scream as Hermione scrabbled to get up beside her and everyone surged forwards but once again were stopped….this time by the shaking ground. There was a roar from the distance and Ginny’s head flicked to the stampede of sudden people as they surged up the lawn towards them. Before she knew it Ginny was lying in the middle of a giant wrestling match, Death Eaters were scattering everywhere and Hagrid was yelling setting everyone off. People screamed and charged around her as the fight resumed even more fierce and deadly that before. Ginny flicked her eyes to Neville and leapt up to help him but he had already pulled the hat off his head and in one fluid motion that seemed to hold everyone’s chaotic attention he drew the sword and sliced off the great snake’s head and Ginny could not have felt anything more satisfying than watching that head spin through the air and Voldemort’s face crumple into a soundless scream. His rage was her joy and she allowed herself a small smile before leaping back into the fray being swept inside dodging curses and hexes making for her wand lost in the hall somewhere.

She beat everyone into the hall as they charged away from the Death Eaters who were running from the giants who were crushing walls and trees and the reinforcements which had arrived just on time. She dived for it and snatching it up span around to face the Death Eaters, her blood pounding with unsuppressed rage and her eyes raging with bloodlust as she whipped her head around looking for a target to unleash her anger and sorrow and hatred and loss upon. Bellatrix leapt out of the crowd as if on cue and Ginny shot at her curse after curse forcing her to take a few steps back towards the surging masses of people who now surrounded them. For a few second it was just the two of them, Ginny blocking and dodging and Bellatrix swiping away Ginny’s curses with a sweep of her arm.
“Heeeeere girly, girly, girly, girly!” Bella cackled madly as she threw curse after curse at her. “Mummy’s not here to save you now is she? Wonder where Daddy is? Or Freddie?”
Ginny shot a curse such a powerful curse at her that once deflected Bella lost her footing and stumbled several paces backwards. Another jinx soared over Ginny’s shoulder and missed Bella by inches as Luna stepped out of the crowd with Hermione and without a word the three of them were battling Bella who was no longer smiling. Ginny barely noticed as house elves came storming out of the kitchens or Voldemort surge into the room being forced back by McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn. It was only when Bella’s killing curse flew centimetres past her ear that Ginny lost her concentration.
“NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU ****!” Her mother’s voice boomed out as she was roughly thrown aside. “OUT OF MY WAY!” She screamed and with a swipe of her wand she was duelling as Ginny had never seen her before. No longer was she the kind hearted woman who had read to her every night whilst she had been three, no longer the witch who baked her cookies and cleaned her scrapes. She was wild and deranged with murder set deep into her scarred eyes. Bella’s laughter turned into a renewed snarl as she fought back with even more ferocity. Ginny had never seen anything quite like it.

Ginny took a hesitant step forwards,
“No! Get back, get back! She is mine!”
Ginny felt the same thirst her mother had claw at her mind. She needed to fight, to kill, to make them pay.
“What will happen to your children when I’ve killed you?” Bella asked making Ginny tense up and tighten her grip on her wand. “When Mummy’s gone the same way as Freddie?”
“You – will – never – touch – our – children – again!” She screamed as Bella laughed but suddenly the strangled insane cackle was choked. Ginny’s eyes widened as the curse hit her squarely in the chest.

Several things then happened at once; she watched as Bellatrix toppled to the floor with a sick twisted elation, she heard Voldemort let out a scream of fury whilst she felt that same elation and someone yelled ‘protego!’ and shot a shield charm at her which expanded forcing herself and her mother, Luna and Hermione away from Voldemort. Ginny did a double take, she knew that voice. Looking up from her mother who was looking around confused as well she searched the crowd with desperation until her eyes fell upon the mop of black hair suddenly appearing from beneath the Invisibility Cloak. The glimmering green eyes behind the glasses set on Voldemort.
“Harry!” Hermione shouted running forwards just to be stopped by the shield charm as everyone burst into happy shouting and cheering. Ginny just stared at him completely lost for words. Her heart was still broken but as she looked at him she could feel it rearranging the pieces into their positions so it could mend itself. She felt him filling her up like a warm drink and even though he was not looking at her she felt connected again, like hope had been breathed back into her, like she was no longer an anger filled shell. Her limbs had stopped shaking but her head was spinning again. She was going to be able to talk to him again, to laugh with him again. A spasm twitched her shocked face as her brain told her to smile but her heart couldn’t quite manage it. He was alive. Her excitement stuttered slightly as she followed his gaze to Voldemort who was looking at him with equal calculating venom and worry began to nibble at her again. She watched with wide eyes as they looked each other up and down and silently began to pace…

****

There ya go. I haven't done a one-shot in ages...Hopefully not too overdramatic if it was please tell me because it is something I have been trying to improve on. Feedback here please.