The battle of Hogwarts

The beginning of the end

The sound of screams pierced the cool evening air, sparks from the clashing of spells lit up the night sky like the muggles celebratory fireworks. Chaos. Kids running, some crying, others stood, frozen in fear as Voldemort's voice echoed through the air, reaching every ear within Hogwarts campus.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort began briskly. "I speak solely to you, surrender yourself, meet me in the heart of the forbidden Forrest and I shall stop the assault on Hogwarts, and no more innocent blood shall be shed. You have one hour, now I speak to all of Hogwarts, gather your dead, take this time to reflect on your foolish choices, and ask yourself this, was the life of one boy, truly worth all this death and destruction? I think not. Lay down your arms and surrender yourselves to me and you shall be rewarded. Choose to defy me and I will kill every man, woman, and child, that stands against me."

The sound of new found silence filled the air. There was a silent horror filling the air now. Students looked to one another for guidance, and seemingly at once the older students began searching the bodies of the dead for loved ones, eventually all the dead would be brought into the great hall and all the death eaters were gathered up and left in front of the gates leading off the grounds.

Harry found himself in a daze, he had lost Ron and Hermione in the battle, last he knew they had both taken off to go into the chambers for something. Harry hadn't bothered telling them they needed to speak parseltongue to make it down, he figured they would remember once they tried to get in.

He knew he was going to have to go to the Forrest but that didn't make things any easier. He wanted to find Ginny and tell her that he loved her before it was too late. 

Harry began his search for her by heading to the great hall, on his way there he couldn't help but notice the worried expressions on everyone's faces as he passed. Never in Harry's wildest dreams did he expect something like this to happen. Hogwarts was a safe place, untouchable, a fortress that was to be impenetrable. Perhaps it once was when Dumbledore was headmaster, but those were different times. So much has happened in the span of a year, it hurt his heart to think about all the loss and betrayal.

"Harry! Where have you been?! Oh it's terrible! Fred, he-he didn't make it." Ginny clung to Harry like he was the only thing keeping her grounded. She buried her tear streaked face in his chest. Her legs buckled and Harry caught her and pulled her back up. He looked to the center of the room and found the other Weasleys were gathered around Fred's body, most of them sobbing uncontrollably.

Harry felt his chest tightening as guilt flooded through every pore. This was his fault, all this death and destruction was his fault. He let everyone fight for him knowing what Voldemort was capable of. Granted he needed the help in order to find the remaining horocruxes.

"Ginny, there's  something I have to do, but I haven't seen Ron or Hermione in a while and this can't wait any longer. Please tell them I'm sorry, and that it's been a great run. I'm not sure whats going to happen, but don't give up."  Ginny stared at Harry, her face blotchy and swollen from all the tears she's shed. "Harry, you're not going to Voldemort are you?! You can't! Please I can't loose you too!"
Harry looked at Ginny, his eyes looking over every feature before finally speaking, "Ginny, this timing is terrible, but I've loved you for quite some time now, I'm just sorry I never had the courage to tell you sooner."

Ginny stared at Harry, and this time the tears that filled her eyes were ones of happiness, but they quickly gave way to frustration. "Harry, I was beginning to think you were never going to tell me this, that everything I felt between us was just my imagination." There was a brief pause where neither one said a word, then as if one being they found themselves interlocked in the most passionate of kisses. It was as though no one else existed in this moment, there was no war, no death. Only Harry and Ginny, only the blissful high that their contact was giving them.

As quickly as it came on it left the moment they separated. Then the weight of the world came crashing down on them again. "I've got to go now, stay safe. Whatever happens Ginny, stay strong and never give up." With that Harry turned and left the great hall, leaving Ginny in the hall of death and mourning.

It was hard for Harry to feel any type of happiness in light of their current predicament, but Ginny managed to give him a small ember of hope. Perhaps if everyone survived, they could get married and start a family and life would go on better than it had ever been before, but in order for this to happen he knew he would have to kill Voldemort and time was running out.