Unexpected Gifts

Chapter XLIV

The werewolves numbered nearly seven hundred divided into four packs and were now a single pack of less than fifty. Most of their numbers were within the Forbidden Forest as bodies.

The army of six hundred witches and wizards was only two-thirds the size now. The Auror forces had taken the least amount of losses, having only lost Kingsley, Alastor, Nymphadora, and a man named Robards.

Harry looked around to see the faces of those he knew. He saw Theodore Nott in the arms of a crying Pancy Parkinson. Padma Patil was crying over the bodies of Parvati and Ron. Angelina was laying beside Fred, and George and Alicia were comforting each other.

"Gather those hit with the killer together," Harry's voice carried around the battlefield.

His order was followed soberly. He noticed that Arthur was weeping silently as he cradled the mauled form of Molly Weasley. Cassandra was holding the hand of her brother. Arcturus had met his end at the hands of several Vampires. Fifteen of the bloody creatures attacked his sister and only one was able to escape the wrath of the man.

Harry turned to the now gathered rows of bodies that had their souls severed. He looked upon the faces of his year mates and some of the year above him. He saw the forms of Professors Grubbly-Plank and Sinistra. He watched as Padma kissed Ron's still warm lips. As Andromeda cried near the body of her daughter. Amelia and Minerva were holding Augusta up near Arcturus. She was missing much of her left leg.

Harry turned to see his family supporting each other. Draco was holding Hermione once more. Neville, Luna, Blaise, and Susan were leaning on each other. Ginny was crying into Astoria as she was being held by Seamus, Flora, and Hestia. Bellatrix and Narcissa had taken their sister into their arms. Rosie was standing with Cassie over Arcturus.

Daphne grabbed his attention as she took hold of his arm, hugging it. She looked up at him strongly before letting him go and walking to her parents, who were walking to her sister.

Harry's stave was his hands. He uses it to draw several matrix circles of runes as he walked around the gathered bodies. They were Norse, Greek, Egyptian, and Gaelic. They were overlapping and intersecting in several places. It took him nearly half an hour before he was finished.

He had been given a wide amount of room to work so he didn't have to ask people to step back. He stood in an incredibly intricate runic matrix before he let his magic leak out of him. His voice was a low chant of incantations that none could understand. The language was foreign and unknown. The longer he chanted, the runes began to glow an eerie green. The glowing only got brighter as his stave was tapped strongly.

"Beatha Aliquine Habigate Vitum!!" His voice called out loudly.

The glowing rune schemes lifted from the scarred earth. They formed a glowing dome around the mass of forms. It took several long minutes until the glow disappeared into the bodies. Harry sighed in relief as he knew that the connection to their souls was restored.

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It took almost two months for the property and grounds of Hogwarts to be restored. Hermione had taken four days to wake up, and a week more to be well enough to leave her hospital bed.

Draco was holding her hand as he sat next to her. He hadn't left her side. No one had placed wards back up yet, so her parents were on the other side of them. He was playing with a small velvet box in his offhand. It held the engagement ring of Melania Black, wife to Arcturus.

"Hermione?" He asked in a cracked voice as her hand twitched in his. His voice caught the attention of her parents. A grumble was on her tongue as her eyes flickered open slowly.