The Ministry Has Fallen

Chapter 1

“Escape? Why would we need to escape?” All three of the students whirled around at the sound of his rasping voice.

“Harry?” whispered Hermione. Her eyes were wide, and beginning to glisten. “Please tell me I’m not imagining this…”

Harry sat up, his muscles protesting. “Why would you be imagining this?” The air was driven from him as Hermione launched herself at him in a tight embrace, her hair filling his face. “Hermione?”

“I thought you were dead,” she all but whimpered, releasing him to look at his face.

“When Hagrid brought you back in his arms…we…we thought the worst had happened,” she said softly. “You were so pale, so cold…and you had no pulse. Neville was the one who brought you here.” She waved a hand at the prone figure. “But he passed out within moments of carrying you through the door. This was the safest place we could think of, what with Grimmauld Place being compromised and all…”

Harry looked around, confused. “Why are we in Bill and Fleur’s cottage?” he asked, bewildered. “Shouldn’t we be out fighting? Voldemort is still out there!”

“Oh, Harry…” Hermione looked down. “People lost the will to fight when they saw you lying there. There was a battle, but it only lasted for an hour before people began to surrender. Most were students trying to save their skins and hoping that Voldemort would be merciful. Only the purebloods and halfbloods survived though.” She squeezed her eyes shut, looking sickened. Luna touched her shoulder sympathetically.

“All of the muggleborns were lined up and slaughtered,” Seamus continued for Hermione. His blue eyes darkened. “A few managed to escape, but the known muggleborns were called out by some of the others in an effort to please You-Know-Who. We lost a few members of the D.A.”

Harry’s mouth was dry, and licking his lips didn’t help. “Who?” he asked, dreading the answers.

“We won’t know for a while yet. But I know Justin Finch-Fletchley was a victim. I saw him get his throat cut.” Seamus’ eyes shut, mirroring Hermione’s horror-stricken expression.

“Colin Creevey is dead too,” Hermione whispered. “But it wasn’t during the ‘purging’ of the muggleborns. He went down during the battle.” Harry’s stomach clenched, and his fists curled into white-knuckled balls.

“I’ll kill him,” he said between gritted teeth. “I swear I’m going back there, and I’m going to kill him.”

“It’s too late to go back now,” Hermione insisted. “It was all we could do to get out of there with you. The Order is doing their best to rescue the surviving muggleborns and those targeted by the Death Eaters. Voldemort apparated away as soon as he’d ordered the muggleborns to be killed.”

“Why didn’t anybody go after him? It isn’t as though he has any horcruxes left!”

With a sideways glance to Seamus and Luna, who were a bit confused by the term, Hermione reluctantly responded. “Neville did manage to kill Nagini,” she said slowly. “But Voldemort had numerous wards surrounding him. He knew what we were doing with his horcruxes. He had protective measures in place. By the time we were able to even organize our thoughts enough to attack him, the battle was over. There was nothing we could do. Not if we wanted to survive to fight another day.”

Harry buried his face in his hands. “Slaughtered,” he murmured. “Turned in by their friends and slaughtered like animals…”

“Some survived,” Hermione reminded him gently. He looked up at her, his  eyes blazing with hidden fire.

“I’m glad some survived. Really, Hermione, I am. But I will never forgive what Voldemort and his followers have done. Never.” He drew in a shuddering breath. “Where is everyone else then? You said this was the safest place?”