Chapter 29

Ginny found herself against her brother as they strained to see Harry. He was lying so still on the makeshift hospital bed, down in the bedlam of the Great Hall. Hermione had managed to heal her broken arm, but Ron had to be tended to by Professor Snape. He'd been hit with something that wouldn't let him stop bleeding. Now he had a long, angry scar that ran down the side of his face and would never fade. She didn't think he cared, much, though, considering he was still holding her tightly, back against him to keep her away from where Pomphrey was working over Harry.

"Why is his hair turning white?" Ginny whispered, still fearful all the way to her bones that she was going to loose him. Not yet, not yet, she raged silently. It had taken her so long to get him, she couldn't loose him now.

Hermione was white as a sheet as she sat next to them, hands tightly clasped together. She'd been helping with the healing, the minor stuff, until Snape had roughly ordered her to sit down and drink a rather nasty green potion. Apparently that Death Eater, Dolohov, had found her again. Hermione was lucky she was alive, Snape had snapped, and that she shouldn't waste her chance to stay that way. So now the Head Girl was tense and stiff on the chair, unable to anything but wait.

"He's using all his magic," Hermione said quietly. "Draining it all, down to the core of him. And it's pulling life from every place he can get it."

Ginny couldn't keep back the whimper. "Come on, mate," her brother muttered, his arm tightening.

Cara was sitting on another bed nearby, Draco lying next to her. He'd gotten hit with something that had screwed up the healing job Hermione had done on his left hand, apparently. Professor Snape had been crying when she'd healed him, and had told Cara that he'd be fine, but his hand would be useless. It was shriveled and limp-looking as it laid on the bed.

Seamus had been found face down, and had bled to death before anyone had realized. The Patil sisters had stood shoulder to shoulder and suffered burns on their faces that could not be erased. The two school beauties were still holding each other, tears of relief trickling down their faces. And Neville… His body was lying still and alone, unmarked and next to Harry's bed. He'd saved Harry, Dumbledore had said, looking so old and frail.

On the other side of Harry, being watched carefully by Dumbledore himself, lay the white and twisted body that belonged to the Dark Lord. He was not dead, either. Ginny could barely look that direction, knowing the evilness that had filled that ugly face.

McGonagall was limping about, speaking to members of the Order who'd come straggling in from Hogsmead. They'd all gone to try and help the Aurors, and so many had been hurt or killed… She'd seen Bill, briefly, and had been swept into her big brother's arms for a tight hug before he'd kissed her and gone to find their parents and siblings. Merlin knew if they'd all made it.

So here it was, herself and Ron and Hermione, watching and waiting and not hearing anything else behind them. Harry's black hair, mussed and dirty and bloody from the cut that had been on his temple, was slowly turning white, strand by strand. He wasn't moving, he was barely breathing.

"Please," Ginny whispered, eyes on him.

And then the air seemed to still. Ginny jerked, eyes widening a bit. Ron's arm tightened again. And then a breeze, soft and sweet and warm and totally unsuited to the winter weather that was happening outside blew through the Great Hall, ruffling hair and robes and sheets.

And Ginny saw Harry's chest rise and then fall. And then again. She started to cry.

"Oh, praise Merlin," Madam Pomphrey said, her own voice choked up. "We've got him back." Hermione gave a gasping shudder and like Ginny, began to cry hot tears of relief. She felt Ron shudder behind her, and through the tears saw Dumbledore bow his head. Then the Headmaster reached out and drew the sheet over the face of what used to be the Dark Lord.

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It was quite an effort for Harry to open his eyes. He hurt, in nearly every finger and toe. And he felt like he didn't have the strength to even get his eyes all the way open.

He managed, however, and slowly looked around him. He was in the hospital ward, he realized. The sun was shining weakly in through the windows, and there was snow on the windowsill.

He slowly turned his head, and gazed over the other beds. Empty. He was the only one here. Except for one asleep red-head next to him, curled rather uncomfortably into a small armchair. It looked like she'd been here quite a while, too, if the state of her clothes was anything to go by.

Ginny. Her name echoed through his head as his eyes feasted on her pale face, the firery tumble of hair that tangled over her shoulders. His Ginny.

It took some work and gritting of teeth, but he managed to get one hand to move and reach for her. His fingers touched hers, laying limply on the edge of the chair.

She jerked awake, eyes suddenly wide and wild. And then she stared at him, those brown eyes huge and gorgeous just like he knew they would be. "Harry," she whispered. Then she promptly burst into tears and threw herself at him, and Harry couldn't feel the pain anymore because her arms were around him and his face buried in her hair.

"I love you," he muttered painfully into that thick mass.

"I know," she said tearfully against his should. "Merlin knows, I love you." She lifted her head and cupped his face in her hands. "Welcome back," she said and kissed him. Feeling her lips against his, warm and sweet and spice just like they should be, seemed to make him forget the pain, forget the weakness and he kissed her back with everything he felt.

"Harry!" came from the doorway, a cry of joy that he knew even when he was in the middle of kissing Ginny. She lifted her head and leaned back a bit before he was hit with another hugging, crying girl. This time he buried his face in brown curls, and he was kissed on the cheek. "Oh, Harry, you're back," Hermione was weeping.

Ron's hand came down heavy on his shoulder and squeezed. "Merlin's beard, you had us worried, mate," his best friend's said hoarsely, looking rather teary himself. "We didn't know if you were going to ever wake up."

Harry met Ron's eyes over Hermione's head, Ginny still clinging close as well. His eyes took in the long, thin scar that ran down his best mate's face. "This is where I need to be," he said, voice cracked and weak. Every part of him was so weak.

Hermione finally eased up, and Ginny immediately cuddled in closer, seeming to be unable to let him go for a second. Harry didn't mind, he wanted her there. As close as possible. "What happened?" he forced himself to ask.

"It's over," Hermione said, still wiping away tears. "Voldemort's dead."

Harry closed his eyes and breathed out. Only one can survive… "And the others?" he asked, opening his eyes. This was what he did not want to hear.

Ron sighed. "We were lucky. Not many died," he said, sitting on the end of Harry's bed. "Seamus bled to death. Three fourth-year Hufflepuffs were crushed by falling stone when a Death Eater tried to blast one of the towers apart. A Ravenclaw boy, Hannah Abbot's cousin, you remember him? He took one too many cutting curses and died, too." Ron shook his head. "There were a few more, too. And Professor Sprout, she died. Hagrid tried to get to her, she was being surrounded, but he was too late. Managed to crack a few skulls afterward, though."

"And then there was Neville," Ginny said quietly, face turned against him.

Harry closed his eyes. Neville. "I know," he said quietly. His friend. He opened his eyes again, feeling the grief all the way to his gut. "He saved me, you know."

Hermione nodded, eyes welling up again. She was rather thin, he noted. Not looking too good. "Dumbledore knew what he'd done," she said, lips trembling a bit. "The ministry awarded him the Order of Merlin, First Class. He's a hero, now."

Harry gave a bit of a twisted smile. Just like he'd said. "And you, you're all alright?" he asked finally, eyes going to the scar on Ron's face, then Hermione's pale one, and finally to the weary face pressed against his shoulder.

Ron shrugged. "Nothing that won't mend," he said, hands coming to pull Hermione back against him. "Mum and Dad are ok, so're the others," he said, seeming to read Harry's mind. "George lost an eye, that's the worst of it. Fred keeps saying he's going to get an eyepatch, too, so they can still switch places on people."

"Cara broke her wrist, but that's fine now," Hermione said quietly, leaning back into her boyfriend's arms. "Draco…" she hesitated. "He lost his left hand. He was hit with a spell, and it mixed with the healing spell I'd done earlier…"

Harry watched Ron lean down and press a reassuring kiss against Hermione's head, his own feeling heavy and starting to ache again.

"You're tired," Ginny said quietly against his shoulder, where she was lying.

"Yeah," he said wearily. "How long have I been here?" He'd bet it wasn't as long as he'd be stuck in hospital, now that he was awake.

"Two weeks," Ron said. "We've been taking shifts, although it's been hell trying to pry Ginny away." That explained the rumpled clothes and weary face, he thought. "Next time, try not to kill yourself, eh, mate?"

Harry furrowed his brow at Ron, before Ginny leaned up and touched his hair. "You nearly drained your life away, Harry," she said quietly. "You were almost gone."

Hermione's lips quivered again before she set them tightly. "Now you'll be starting a fashion for white hair," she said.

"White?" Harry asked, confused but too tired to pursue it. His body was aching again, and it was hard to stay awake.

"Shh," Ginny said, stroking his hair again, before lying back down. "We're here, we're not leaving. You sleep, we'll tell you more later."

Harry sighed, and his heavy eyes lingered on her face, on Ron's, Hermione's. His family, he thought. He closed his eyes and those other face swam behind his eyelids. All his family.

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AN: And that, Dearest Reviewers, is The End!

My thanks to each and every one of you. Your feedback was what kept me writing, your comments what kept my plot from wandering off into no-man's-land. It's been quite a trip, feeding your obsession and mine. : - )