Manacled by Senlinyu

Chapter 63: Flashback 38

The sound struck her like a wall, and her bones vibrated. The wards over Sussex rippled into view as rapid series of blasts zipped down the side of the lab. The air shattered in a deafening explosion. The blast slammed into the wards and then ricocheted back into the base of the Sussex Lab. A cloud of dust and deadly poison filled the air, and the entire east side of the building wobbled and then fell, toppling back and crashing into the west side of the building.

The ground shook so powerfully Hermione was thrown off her feet. Her head struck the ground, and pain caused her occlumency walls to waver. The dazed, drugged sensation seeped into her consciousness as she pushed herself to her feet. She shook her head, blinking and trying to clear her mind. There was a sharp, painful ringing in her ears that muted all other sound. She glanced back at the lab before bolting towards the anti-apparition point.

She had made it fifty feet when a freezing despair came over her.

She stumbled and faltered.

Harry had died.

All the grief abruptly struck her like a tidal wave.

Harry. Padma. Dobby. Everyone.

Everyone.

Everything she'd done. None of it mattered.

It had all been pointless.

Harry's blank eyes as he was struck with Killing Curse after Killing Curse.

Ron screaming. Throwing himself towards his best friend desperately.

"Is Parv—?"

Colin's screaming as he was flayed on the hospital bed.

There was no point.

"We had a good run, Granger, but we were never meant to last."

She stood in the heath and shook.

A tidal wave of death washed over her.

They were all going to die.

She sank to the ground. She was so cold, and everything hurt.

She pressed her hand against her chest and tried to breathe.

"You must know, you're reaching the point where the damage is becoming irreversible."

All the memories she tried to hide from. All the screaming and dying. The putrid, tongue-curdling smell of gangrene and rot. Burning flesh. Bowels and insects and poisoned blood. Clawed hands gripping blindly towards her— "Help." "Kill me." "Please." "Make it stop."

Her whole body ached with cold, as though there was frost spreading across her fingers.

She wanted to die.

Draco.

"You're mine. I'll always come for you."

She stilled. She'd told him she'd be waiting for him.

If she didn't go back, he'd return to find a mess of hastily assembled explosives and her scrawled note on the table. I love you. I love you. I love you.

She forced her head up and realised there were Dementors, filling the sky and closing in on her.

She gripped her wand and tried to stand. She couldn't cast a patronus. She had to run.

She stumbled to her feet and then collapsed again, shivering violently.

The descending Dementors were gathered so closely around her they blocked out all light.