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Chapter Four: A Hole in My Heart
"You fill my beating heart. Your absence burns a hole in it."
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The next day was a cold one in the North American country. Ron and Harry were wearing layers of jackets and coats along with the other aurors. They were having breakfast when one of the delegates of the Ministry came to them with a letter. Harry opened the letter and Ron saw his eyes scan through the writing. He then handed the letter to Ron and got up.
"I hope it is some good news, sir. Thank you for coming till here. Headmistress McGonagall expresses her gratitude as well," the delegate said. Harry nodded his thanks as Ron read the letter.
Dear Mr Harry Potter and Mr Ronald Weasley,
The ministry is aware of sending a team of aurors to Mexico, North America in order to protect the headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, your presence is required at The Burrow.
Your position will be filled in by John Dawlish.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Lauren McCabe,
Department of Foreign Affairs,
British Ministry of Magic
Ron wondered what the circumstances were. He hoped they were good news as he and Harry bid their fellow aurors farewell and walked to the new flying Ford Angelia. Ron turned the car into a portkey and they along with the vehicle, portkeyed back to The Burrow.
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The sight that they met was not what they expected. Fleur was standing there, waiting for them, with tears in her eyes. Her face was pale and showed dried tear tracks and she was wearing her nightgown. Not the sight that he wanted to see.
"Oh, 'Arry! Ron! Pleaze come in!" She said in her French accent. She led them in after Ron parked the car off to the side. He saw Ginny looking at him but he ignored her, thinking he was hallucinating.
Ron was utterly confused when they saw the scene at the sitting room. Every single person, besides Mrs Weasley were there, tears in their eyes.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"G-Gi-" was all Audrey, Percy's wife could get out of her mouth.
"Ginny? What happened to Ginny?!" Harry screeched. Audrey shook her head. Hermione collapsed to the ground in tears. Ron rushed to her side and held her as she cried.
"Hermione? Dad! What happened? Tell me! Speak something!!" Ron asked his silent father. He did not receive any reply.
"WHAT ON RUDDY HELL HAPPENED TO GINNY?!" Harry demanded, sounding harsh but they could sense the worry.
"She was. . .murdered last night, Harry. I am sorry," Bill, the bravest of all the Weasley sons said. For a moment, there was silence. Then Harry started laughing. Ron joined in as well.
"You are joking, Bill!" Ron said.
"No, he isn't! It is true! Some murderers got into Potter Manor last night and k-killed her!" Hermione shouted. Harry sank down to the ground, the tears of laughter which was previously there in his green eyes replaced that of sadness.
"I-It can't be true. . ."
"Sorry, son," Mr Weasley spoke up for the first time since they arrived. He too had unshed tears in his eyes.
"Your sons are with Luna, now. She will bring them soon," Angelina said, looking as sombre as everyone else. George was leaning on her, his face a mask.
The ear piercing, heart wrecking scream that emerged from Harry's throat was the next thing they heard that would forever be etched in their minds. It was filled with agony, melancholy and all the other indescribable negative emotions. Bill tightly held onto Harry as he sank to the ground in a blur of tears. Ron too was crying for his sister but he knew that his pain was nothing compared to what Harry was feeling. Losing the love of their life was not the easiest thing and Ron would have reacted the very same way if the shoe was swapped. Mrs Weasley arrived downstairs, her eyes red, when she heard Harry's heartbroken scream. She hugged him tightly and stayed the same way for several minutes. Harry did not make the effort to hug back as he sobbed against the only person close to a maternal figure in his life. Ron was reminded of the previous conversation that they had.
"Mate, you seem happy," Ron said as they walked to the parking lot of the hotel to portkey back to The Burrow with the flying Ford Angelia. Harry nodded.
"I am excited to leave this damned auror mission and spend time with Ginny."
"You must be really happy, what with the new child!" Ron said, looking happy. Harry nodded enthusiastically.
"She is the most wonderful person I have ever met. . . She has given me a family, Ron. A family which I so desired from childhood and now she is going to make me a father again. How wonderful your sister is, mate. . ." Harry said, smiling dreamily.
"I do not think I want to hear that to my face mate," Ron joked and they shared a laugh.
When they finally reached the car, Ron saw Ginny looking at them fondly. He thought he was hallucinating but when he saw the look of forlorn she kept giving Harry, he thought perhaps Ginny was really there and Harry had some problem with his eyes and ears.
Ron was snapped out of train of memories as Harry let out another loud miserable scream of agony. He had realized why. Charlie was carrying Ginny's lifeless form. He laid her on the couch and Ron saw the coldness in her skin. Her brown eyes stared forward into nothingness. Ron could almost hear his heart break inside his ribcage. It was his sister!
Harry's PoV
Harry could not see the love of his life look so lifeless. He closed her eyes, after he had stared straight through them and seen an empty body with no soul. He would never forget the beautiful shade of brown her eyes were nor the fiery red hair which fluttered so very beautifully when the wind blew against her. Tears leaked out of his pale emerald eyes, which were now probably red, as he held her cold hand. It was as cold as it was when he was in his second year, in the Chamber of Secrets but back then she was alive and her heart was beating. Harry could feel no pulse in her hand now and he hoped against hope that some miracle would take place and she would sit up straight and ask, "What are you all looking at?" but that was not meant to be. He even begged the mysterious entity, Death to let her live but then again, that was not meant to be.
Charlie offered to carry Ginny to start with the proceedings but Harry declined, saying that he would do it. Ginny's form was portkeyed to The Potter Cottage at Godric's Hollow. Just as Hermione and Ginny's body disappeared the floo flared green and a small figure walked out, covered in ash. Another woman walked out carrying a baby. It was Luna, James Sirius and baby Albus. Luna no longer wore the dreamy stare. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and her eyes were red but she was trying to put on a brave exterior and Harry knew it was for his sons. So he wiped his tears away at the sleeve of his shirt and pulled James in a hug. James seemed to be traumatized and Harry thought it was probably because of witnessing the tragic event.
"Dadda, I want to sleep, can I sleep beside you and mumma?" James asked slowly but the room was so silent that everyone could hear him. Fresh tears were spilt by several of the collected family but Harry held his in.
"I'm sorry, son but Mumma has g-gone to-" Harry started but he couldn't complete his sentence as his already hoarse voice broke.
"Grandma Muriel's," It was Ron who said that. No one tried to contradict him. James nodded against Harry. As he pulled away from the hug and looked into the beautiful brown eyes of his wife in his son, Harry could feel it. He just knew it. He knew that James was aware Ginny would never come back. James was trying to put it away and pretend as if he did not know it. Harry had already taught James to stay away from green beams of light coming from wands. James was intelligent even for a four year old. Harry so desperately tried to not break down in front of his son as thoughts of his otherwise soon to be born child came to his foremind. Not one, but two lives were lost last night and it was all his fault. He must have stayed home when he had that negative feeling.
Time passed. Not many people were invited to Ginny's funeral. Only the immediate family were present. Teddy came as well. He was with Andromeda Tonks, his grandmother, the entire time but occasionally, he would stand next to Harry for support. Ginny was, on Harry's request, buried next to his parents in the Godric's Hollow cemetery. Harry knew that the spot next to her will be occupied by him when he were to leave the world but Harry would not do anything silly. He had to stay strong. If not for everyone, only for his two sons. They must get the childhood that they deserve.
The whole process went on with Harry speaking only when asked to. He could not get baby Albus to stop crying either. It was Luna who was carrying him the entire time. Andromeda offered to take James in for a while for Harry to recover but Harry politely declined, telling her his usual mantra of 'I'm fine' though he knew he was not. A permanent hole was marked in his heart and that will stay until the day he would leave the world but he will make sure to kill Ginny's murderers after torturing them. It would make him turn dark but he so badly wanted the murderers dead. He was a predator right now, looking for the prey. He will make them pay for breaking his heart and that was something that Harry Potter promised to himself.
There was the most emotional chapter of the story (hopefully). I'm afraid there might be another one like this further on as the story progresses. I hope you liked the chapter.
Thank you for reading!
Miyoko x