Jack, not Jackson

Chapter 43: Jack's Death.

Jack's POV:

Jack was falling. Flashes of darkness and blonde hair crash like images of thunder in his head as he tries not to let his own past and fears take over.

Jack had rolled over the edge of the uppermost stair knowing his body weight would be enough to get Wendall to safety.

There was no way the poor kid could hang on much longer. They had been making progress on his phobia of heights, but that had all crumbled when he slipped on the moving staircase.

Now Jack was taking the fall. The pully system only worked when there was a weight on each end of the rope.
"It's ok. "
He thought to himself.
"From day one I said I would trade places with them if I could."

It was his last thought as his body hit the ground.

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3rd person POV:

In a wordless scramble that only a mix of horror and desperate pleading can create, the students were dashing to the ground floor of the castle. Finally, they reached the ground floor and the groups pace slowed.
Did they want to see what was ahead?

Harry pushes past the hesitating group and Ron follows without a word. Hermione stays back with Rowen and the others, tugging at her tie once, she turns around to face the other students.

"Whatever's over there guys, you don't have to look. His whole time here was spent working to fix trauma, not create it." She says, her words steady even with a watery tremble.

Each student glances at one another while the Professors do the same. The groups each having ironically different reasons. As if they have a hive mind, the students step forward to face whatever's ahead.

Hermione is the first one around the corner to see Ron a foot behind Harry with his head bowed and his hands in fists. Harry is crouched beside a crumpled black mass, speaking almost urgently to it as he pushes gently on its shoulder.

The group stumbles to a halt as classmate comforts classmate. They all slump to the ground with nothing but a sinking feeling and an emptiness they had just been learning to fill.

Hermione's first thought as she draws closer alone is that the blood makes a horrible contrast to the white of his hair. She had already known no one could survive that fall. He had fallen five stories.

Hermione is about four feet away when Harry gives up trying to rouse him. He folds in on himself like he's trying to fit back in his old cupboard and opens his mouth to scream. At first, no sound escapes. Then a gasping wail pulls itself from Harry, trying to give voice to a thing that can't be voiced, not really.

It cuts off abruptly. There are tears streaming down everyone's faces, even the Professors, who were doing their best to comfort the group of students.

It is because they are comforting each other that they don't realize that Harry's scream has cut off for a very different reason.
Frost's hand was grabbing his.

The strangled cough that followed could have been mistaken for Harry..if Harry hadn't gasped at the same time.

Frosts eyes snap open as he struggles to take in air, the pieces of his skull were melding back together like some sick picture of a teacup being broken in reverse.

When Jack fumbles for Harry's arm Harry adjusts his hold on Jack's hand, moving so his hand was at Jack's elbow and vice versa. Frost was attempting to sit up even as his collapsed chest cavity, crushed spine, and broken ribs knit themselves back together.

Too stunned to protest, Harry helps him sit up. Jack makes brief eye contact to show his thanks before he turns to the crowd of students and Professors.

He does not wince even though the pain he must be in is beyond measure. The only clue to it is the obvious effort is takes him to breathe and the thick rasp as he speaks.

"Dumbledore...To add to our.. previously interrupted conversation...
the fact that you just let.. -just let one of your Professors die... -is also slightly worrying. At least.. it wasn't a..-a student this time."

If the crowd hadn't been completely stunned to silence before they certainly were now. No one spoke to the Headmaster this way. Even more shocking? Jack wasn't done talking.

"But enough of that...I've said..my piece Dumbledore. It's up to you...what you make of it. Change..or don't. That's your choice now. Just know that...I'm inclined to make it...your last choice..if I need to..-to protect them."

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Sorry Jack's speech thing is spaced odd. I was attempting to show his struggle to breathe.