Higher Than Hope

A little piece set just after Harry comes out of the forest and everyone see him "dead". I've read few of these and thought I'd give it a go.

Disclaimer -Alas, these wonderful people are not mine. I will be forever grateful that JK Rowling lets us play in her sand box, no matter how messy we make it.

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Hermione's heart ached with the wretched sobs of loss.

Her family mourned openly for their loss, and she would never be able to express how much it meant for her to be included. The Weasleys were a part of her family now. They had welcomed her into their home, offered food, shelter and love during the summers gone by. Now she clung to Ron's arm and just cried, the last few hours finally catching up with her tired and battered body.

Fred was gone.

And there was nothing she could do.

Being the smartest witch of her age was frustrating when no book or tome could tell you how to deal with this situation and the raw, burning aching pain.

Ron shifted to her right, his face ashen under the dirt and blood stains. They would wash away, this moment never will. He scrubbed his face with the singed collar of his sleeve, smearing the grime that marred his face. He took in a deep ragged breath, suppressing the tears on the cusp of falling down his cheeks. Hermione prayed he wouldn't bottle up this hurt, shut her out when she was about to be let in.

"It's not over yet", he said softly, almost so he could not be heard, "He's still out there".

"Yes he is", she replies simply. She knew what else he was thinking. They still had to fight, but what if more of his family were hurt, killed. She shuddered involuntarily at the thought. They needed a plan. Her brain started clicking over, working out options, the dull oblivion of the last half hour replaced with a resilient focus. Her mind was focused on the task at hand, but who she really needed to talk to was "Harry?" she said, spinning around, dropping her grip on Ron's sleeve. He wasn't there. She hadn't even realised he had disappeared. Her heart constricted in her chest, pounding wildly. What if he was hit by a fleeing Death Eater? Maybe he just wanted to be alone.

What if he went in to the forest on his own?

"Ron, where's Harry?" she tried to keep the panic out of her voice but his brow creased in to a concerned frown upon looking at her face.

"He probably just wants to be alone for a minute", he said calmly "I know I would". He dropped his gaze to his feet scuffing his holey trainers across the dirt ridden floor.

"What if he went to the forest?"

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, do I?" her voice was rising as she was quickly losing patience with Ron's unhelpful attitude "Please, just help me find him"

"Hermione, he'll be fine. He probably just..."he trailed off as Neville wandered over to them, defiance shining in his eyes above the fatigued hue of his face.

"Neville, have you seen Harry?" Hermione blasted the question at him loudly earning her daggers of indignation from the rest of the mourning families and gaining looks of intrigue from the Weasleys.

"Erm, I", he stammered, startled momentarily by her demand "He spoke to me on the steps about forty minutes ago. Said we need to get rid of the snake"

Hermione's heart fell, he had gone out there alone, and she knew it.

"What's going on, what are you all talking about?" Ginny Weasley approached them. She was shaking slightly and her eyes were red from the crying, her fiery red hair dishevelled.

"We don't know where Harry is", Hermione stated

"Then why aren't we looking for him?" Ginny replied. Hermione admired Ginny's strength and courage at times like these. She should be with her family but instead she is trying to take care of a boy who left her behind for her own protection. She gave a small smile in reply and said "Come on". Turning around she raced out of the Great Hall, Ginny close behind her. In reality he could be anywhere. Hermione silently cursed the Marauders Map for teaching Harry all the secret passageways around the castle. She ran down the corridor to the left of the Great Hall around the corner and into a rather harassed looking Professor McGonagall her bun loose and untidy, her normally pristine robes dusty from the fallen debris.

"Miss Granger, what on earth are you doing barrelling around the corridors?"She admonished "Shouldn't you be inside with the others?"

"Yes, sorry Professor" she said. Even after almost a years absence, her Head of House could still command respect. "It's just that we can't find Harry"

"How long ago was he last seen?" McGonagall questioned

"Neville spoke to him about forty minutes ago on the steps to the entrance"

"Hermione" Ron bellowed as he caught up to her, "what the bloody hell do you think you're doing, charging off like that?"

"Trying to find Harry if you didn't notice" she shot back.

His heated reply was drowned out by Ginny shouting "Will you two just snog and get on with it!" She threw her arms up in the air, obvious frustration at years of watching her best friend and her brother dance around their little predicament "then we can just get on and save the..., wait" she caught the guilty looks and snatched glances between the two, and before she could launch into a hundred question Professor McGonagall interrupted.

"Miss Weasley there will be time for this later, I hope. But our first priority is to find Mr Potter, and hope he hasn't done anything rash"

But as she finished the sentence their worst fears were realised as the voice of Lord Voldemort echoed through the castle, his high and unnatural voice rattling through their heads. "Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself, while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof your hero is gone".The rest of Voldemorts words were lost in the numb shock that racked her brain. Her body swayed as if hit with a knockout blow. It can't be true, it can't just be over like this, and he has to be lying there can be no other explanation. People appeared in the entrance hall, faces full of shock and disbelief. Professor McGonagall strode forward, her cloak billowing behind her as she headed for the exit. Hermione felt Rons hand slip into her own and pull her forward, following McGonagall out of the castle, her scream carried through the sudden and unnatural silence.

And there it was, proof that he wasn't lying.

There was Harrys limp and lifeless body laying in Hagrids sobbing arms.

No...

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It occurred to me as I finished this that it is very difficult to write missing moments because they vary hugely in content and style but are all essentially the same.

So let me know what you think, should I do another chapter for the rest of the scene?

Tauri888