Till The End | h.p

death is only the beginning

George is the first to notice them and he rushes over to Ron and Sam, pulling them in for a hug as his tears flow freely. His cries feel like something cracking her ribcage.

"Fred-" he whimpers out.

Sam feels like a thousand pounds of stone have landed on top of her. The world around her grows dark and everything fades but the path to the body on the floor. She pulls away from George and stares at the body, shielded by the Weasley's. Every step she takes, the stone floor beneath her cracks. The walls of the Great Hall begin to rumble as her pain radiates off her in powerful waves. Every pair of eyes in the room, turn to her. She can hear the sobs coming from Molly as she inches closer.

She doesn't even realize when she stands directly in front of Fred. His body, cold and his eyes shut. A singular tear is all that falls as she stands above him. Her knees begin to buckle and they hit the floor with such a force that the stone cracks, echoing through the hall. Her hands begin to shake as she raises one to run her fingers through his hair. Ron kneels down across from her, in shock. As he kneels, a loud sob bubbles up from his chest and the room goes silent. Harry stays back, his own pain rattling through him. The words of Voldemort echoing in his mind that this is his fault. Fred is dead because of him. Remus, Tonks, everyone is dead because of him. When his eyes land on Sam, his heart shatters. She makes no noise, no expression, except that of confusion.

Sam gently lifts Fred's head and rests it in her lap. When her fingers touch his skin, it is cold and lifeless. The walls surrounding them begin to tremble and shake violently as emotions build and rise further. Her eyes flash green and glow brighter and brighter. She gently removes his head from her lap and stands. Without a word she walks out of the castle and into the courtyard. Harry, worried of her choices, follows behind her.

He stops on the steps as she stands still. She looks out at the destruction and fires that rage across the grounds. Every memory she has with Fred, flashes through her mind. Her heart begins to crack and she inhales deeply and lets out the most painfully excruciating scream Harry has ever heard. He covers his own ears as the courtyard cracks further and her voice glides across the grounds, a warning to her enemies that this means war. He runs up behind her and wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She sobs painfully as he shields the castle and those in it from her scream. The Weasley's and Hermione stand on the steps of the castle, watching her fall apart. Hermione lets her own tears fall as she holds her mouth with one hand and Ron's hand with the other.

George is the first to step down. He gently pulls Harry away and wraps his own arms around her. His warmth, which used to be identical to Fred's, engulfing her as they cry together. Ron, Bill, Molly and Arthur wrap their arms around them as they all sob for the loss of their Fred. Harry walks back up the steps and stands by Hermione. When Ron and Sam join them, Harry looks down.

"I have to go to the forest."

"Are you mad? No," Ron says in anger, "You can't give yourself up to him."

Harry turns to face them, pain in his eyes, "There's a reason I can hear them... the Horcruxes. I think I've known for awhile. I think you have too."

Sam lets her head fall, "I'll go with you."

"No, he wants you just as much as he wants me," Harry argues, "Kill the snake. Then after that, it's just him."

She pulls him in as she wraps her arms tightly around, "Don't leave me, please."

He shuts his eyes as a tear falls onto her jacket, "The ones who love us, never really leave us. Remember?"

She pulls away and looks into his eyes, seeing his determination to save them all, she nods, "I love you."

He gives a sad smile, "Till the end?"

Her tears begin to fall more wildly, "And after that," she whispers as her voice cracks.

He looks behind her to Hermione and Ron, who have their own tears streaming down their cheeks. He nods to them before walking out of the courtyard. Sam lets her knees give in as she sits in the corridor, leaning against the wall, waiting to feel the inevitable pain of losing Harry. Ron and Hermione sit down beside her and George slides down the wall on her other side. They sit in silence for what feels like forever.

Sam hopes that there will be some sort of warning, but deep down, she knows that there's no preparing for what's to come. George grabs her hand and she grabs Hermione's. Whatever happens, they face it together. She doesn't know what to expect, but when it hits her, there is no warning. No sign or signal, only the feeling of her heart being ripped out of her chest. A part of her is gone, a part of her has been ripped away from her grasp. The light that she tried desperately to carry with her always is snuffed out by never ending darkness. Her body grows cold and every muscle aches. Her mind begins to scream and her hands shake violently.

That's when she knows Harry is dead.