A/N: sorry this took long but someone reported me for making an author's note a chapter which I didn't know you weren't allowed to do so I wasn't allowed to update… but anyway its done! Thanks so much for reading!!!
Chapter 22- Final battle part 2 of 2
Hermione looked at Ron on the forest floor stunned. "Why is he lying down? What's wrong with Harry? Why haven't they moved?" a million thoughts raced through her numb mind.
"Hermione…" She felt someone gently tug at her arm. "Hermione come on, we can't help them." Hermione snapped her head only to find herself face to face with Draco.
"Listen, I don't know what game your playing at but stop. They're fine I just need to help them up," her eyes searching for reassurance in Draco's eyes. Draco was spared answering by the apparation of Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"STUPIFY!" Snape roared from somewhere behind them, his wand pointed to the remaining Death Eaters surrounding them as he stepped from the shadows. McGonagall rushed over to the two fallen boys.
"How could this happen, Professor?" McGonagall asked, horrified. Dumbledore peered at them in deep thought as Harry began to stir. Snape looked on as Harry suddenly revived in amazement while continuing to bind the Death Eaters.
"I think Mr. Weasely has just saved Mr. Potter's life." Dumbledore answered calmly.
"See!" Hermione unexpectedly cried out, her voice ringing in the silent woods. "See Draco, I told you they're not dead, they're just pretending, although I can't understand why. Everything's fin-" Dumbledore looked meaningfully at Draco while pressing a pre-arranged porkey into his hands.
"I beg of you, take this portkey back to the school immediately. I trust you will escort Miss Granger to the hospital wing the moment you arrive. Stay there until I return." Draco nodded.
"Hermione," he said softly. "We need to get back to school now, just keep hold of this…" Draco pressed the tree branch into Hermione's hands.
"How will Harry and Ron get back?" Hermione whispered. Her eyes were tear-stained.
"They're coming later." Draco whispered reassuringly as the forest around them disappeared in a blur of colors.
~
"Ron? Ron- what's going on?" Harry demanded. Sitting up Harry found himself in the middle of the forest surrounded by his professors and beside the motionless body of his best friend. "How-"
"Harry," Dumbledore placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You must return to school with Professor McGonagall-" Dumbledore was interrupted by the arrival of twenty Healers and Ministry of Magic officials.
"We came as soon as we got your memo Professor- oh my god." Said a dark haired wizard, whose face was full of surprise. Dumbledore's eyes stayed on Harry.
"What's wrong with Ron?" Harry whispered, terrified.
"Ron saved your life, at the price of his own. It is my assumption that Mr. Weasley has planned this for a while for he used Vivafertum, which as you know, not easily assessable." Dumbledore looked away somberly.
"Here, drink this." a plump witch with auburn hair wearing a white robe pressed a vial to Harry's lips before he could protest. Instantly Harry was unconscious. "Sorry Professor, but we needed to give him that- he's been through a traumatizing event." Dumbledore nodded.
~
"What is going on here?" Madame Pomfrey demanded as Draco and Hermione appeared in the Hogwarts infirmitory.
"Professor Dumbledore asked us to wait here for him until he returns." Draco replied coldly, he and Madame Pomfrey had a mutual dislike for each other after the incident with Buckbeak in third year. Hermione looked at Draco with confused innocence in her eyes.
"Draco, I don't know what happened, its all muddled together-" tears welled in her eyes and Draco quickly pulled her into his embrace as Harry and a strange witch arrived, followed shortly by Dumbledore.
"You follow me please." Dumbledore said wearily. Draco led Hermione down the hall, his hand locked with hers. The walk to Dumbledore's office seemed to take forever. Only when Professor Dumbledore mumbled the password to the stone Gargoyle was Hermione and Draco pulled from their stupor. "Please, take a seat." Dumbledore ushered them to the two plush seats in front of his desk while he settled in behind it.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione started at once. "What happened to Harry? And where's Ron why wasn't he taken to the hospital wing? Is Voldemort defeated? Did we win?" Dumbledore raised a hand to silence Hermione.
"We have won at a great price, Miss Granger. Harry is fine he merely needs some rest. Voldemort is defeated. Miss Granger do you remember the components of the potion Voldemort used to resurrect himself in your forth year?" Hermione nodded to allow Dumbledore to continue. "Voldemort needed that link to life, which is blood. Harry's blood, specifically. So when Voldemort succeeded in killing Harry-" at this point he again raised his hand to silence Hermione, "when Voldemort succeeded in killing Harry he also destroyed the life link he created in his resurrection. Resulting in his absolute and total destruction." Professor Dumbledore paused, to let this sink in. The room seemed unnaturally quiet.
"But, Professor." Hermione persisted. "Harry's not dead. And what about Ron?" Dumbledore's eyes clouded over, so very different from their usual good-humored twinkle.
"Harry's not dead because Mr. Weasley used Vivafertum which ultimately switched the result of Voldemort's curse from Harry to himself. Ron died to save Harry Miss Granger." Hermione was silent. "I'm going to take both of you back to the Infirmitory and issue you dreamless sleep potions. You have been through a horrible ordeal." Draco looked at his girlfriend's pained face, finally understanding how deep the bond was that linked the Golden Trio together. He led Hermione out of Dumbledore's office, choosing to ignore the silent tears streaming down her face.
~
Their graduation was unusually somber. Hermione, Harry, Ginny and surprisingly Draco sat together at the Gryffindor table. The decorations were black, honoring Ron Weasley just as three years ago they had honored Cedric Diggory. Hermione thought back to the day she, Harry and Ginny attended Ron's funeral. It was the hardest day of Hermione's life. Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them.
"Shh, it's okay Hermione." Harry whispered to Hermione hearing a small sob escape Hermione's lips. "It's going to be okay." Hermione looked up at her best friend and saw the tears in his eyes as well. Neither paid much attention to Dumbledore's speech.
"Hermione, you have to go up and make your speech." Draco said softly while squeezing Hermione's hand reassuringly under the table. Hermione looked at him with pleading eyes. You're going to be fine. Draco whispered across her mind placing a small kiss on her forehead. Go on. Hermione stumbled up from the table, making her way unsteadily to the podium. "Sonorus." Hermione whispered, her wand pointed to her throat. When she opened her mouth her voice echoed in all corners of the Great Hall as she started her speech.
"I doubt there has ever been a class that has passed their time at Hogwarts without some interesting experiences. Our class has been through so much together… not only hard times, death, pain, and sadness, but also friendships, love, and acceptance. We have survived the second war, but we have lost a member of our class and a friend because of it. Ron Weasley should be here today. But he is not. We have all made sacrifices, and have had many different experiences. No matter where we end up later on in life, even if some of us never see each other again, we will always be linked to this bond of where we grew up, the bond of Hogwarts. Let us raise our glasses now to Ron Weasley, and then to each other."
~
Harry came up to Hermione after the Graduation, enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug. Hermione returned it full force.
"I can't believe we're sharing our Graduation without Ron." Hermione said, softly. Harry studied her face, quietly wiping away her tears.
"Ron wouldn't have wanted you to cry over him, Hermione." Harry said softly. "He loved you so much and would have hated to see you in pain."
"I know Harry. It's just so different you know?"
"I know," Harry said pulling Hermione to him. "Everything's going to be alright Hermione. We both know it should have been me who died in the forest, but since it wasn't we just have to honor Ron the best we can." Hermione nodded as Lavender approached Harry.
"Harry, I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me after Ron's death and everything. I miss him so much and but I know it must have been so much more harder for you, and, well I just wanted to thank you for everything." Harry nodded solemnly pulling Lavender into a hug as she started to sob on his shoulder.
"I'll be back Harry." Hermione said softly.
~
Draco saw Hermione walk away from Potter and quickly approached her. "Hey," he said, hugging her tightly.
"I was just looking for you." Hermione murmured against Draco's chest.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Draco suggested sympathetically. Hermione nodded. Draco took her hand and led her outside.
"What do you plan on doing now?" Draco asked Hermione, trying to take her mind off the absence of one of her best friends. Hermione took a moment to answer.
"I'm not sure. Maybe return home for a bit and start looking for jobs as a Healer." Draco took Hermione's hands in his.
"I was hoping that you might like to return to Malfoy Manor with me." he said, seriously. Hermione looked at him in amazement.
"Do you mean-"
"Yes." Draco smiled at Hermione as her face turned from miserable to ecstatic.
"Of course Dragon! Oh my gosh!" Draco smirked, sweeping down for their last kiss at Hogwarts.
*
A/N: THANK YOU ALL OF MY REVIEWERS!!!!!
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