Hey guys! It's been forever since I've posted anything, but I want to start up again so this is just a little one-shot to remove the writers block - I wrote it literally in 15 mins so please forgive me if it's not very good. Listened to "Bottled Up Tight" by Luke Sital-Singh while writing. R&R!

The world stopped.

Time no longer seemed to exist. It had slowed down until it came to a complete standstill. There were no thoughts about a seemingly doomed future. No memories of a past filled with despair, or love, or laughter and tears. There was only now. Now surrounded by the ruins of a castle that was once a beacon of hope for magic, now only a reminder of everything he'd lost. Now where Voldemort stood victorious. Now where Harry lay dead, cradled in Hagrid's arms.

Now where his heart felt like it had been ripped from his chest and trampled on by the hundreds, thousands, of Deatheaters invading Hogwarts. Now where he was screaming at Voldemort, something he'd never thought he'd do in a million years.

"He beat you!"

Ron hadn't thought it would actually come to this. He'd had an unshakable faith that Harry would win the war, defeat Voldemort, and finally have the chance to settle down and build a family.

He should have known Harry would want the same thing for him, and everyone he cared for. He'd never been fighting this war for himself, or solely for his parents – though they had definitely been a big part of it.

Harry had fought for the people he loved. He fought to keep them safe, and happy, and to give them opportunities he'd always wanted but never believed he'd get the chance to have himself.

Harry didn't want to win a war. He wanted to give the people he cared about a happy life filled with love and laughter and above all else, family.

So while Ron had always imagined a scenario where Harry emerged, victorious in a brilliant display of magic, Harry had only dreamt of keeping his friends safe – to which end Voldemort was just an obstacle in the way of the bigger picture. An obstruction to be removed for the sake of those he cared about.

Which is why Ron should have anticipated Harry sneaking away and surrendering out of some misguided attempt to keep the rest of them safe. To make Voldemort's death final and loophole free.

Things were happening, Ron realised. Hermione was screaming and Neville's head was on fire. It should have been important enough to break through to him. Make him do something. It should have been, but it wasn't. It was all he could do to hold Hermione back, to keep her from getting herself killed. To keep him from losing any more people today.

His best friend was dead.

Dead, for Merlin's sake.

People were moving. He was moving. He was firing off hexes, he knew he was. He didn't know what they were, but it didn't matter. They kept his family and Hermione alive, so he didn't care to pay any more attention.

Finally, coherent words broke through his haze.

"HARRY! HARRY – WHERE'S HARRY?!"

Harry was missing? Some sick, sadistic Deatheater had taken his body and they'd never get the chance to finally put the body of his best friend to rest…

But then, the voice of Harry Potter rang clear across the clamouring battle.

"Protego!"

And the world span once more.