Harry stepped up on the cold wet stone. He dared a glance over the edge. He couldn't see far into the darkness. He just stood there with the rain gently pouring around him. He couldn't shake the memories of the terrible events of day before. They were so clear, but in his shock it all seemed like a dream.
He and Hermione had only started being a couple a few short weeks ago, having finally confessed their longtime feelings for each other. It seemed like a waste now, all the time he held back his feelings when he could have been holding her instead. Then just like the rest of his life, when he finally got a glimmer of happiness, it was taken away from him.
It was to be their first real date as a couple, a visit to Hogsmeade on Valentine's weekend. They had planned to spend a quiet afternoon, just the two of them away from the bustle and crowds of the other students. They had settled for a light lunch in a cafe attached to a cozy bookstore out of the way. None of the students went there, it was perfect. But his perfect little reality was shattered into a million pieces when the Death Eaters arrived.
Harry stepped away from the counter with two cups of tea and some biscuits. Just as he was turning around to head back outside to enjoy what little sun with his love, he heard her screaming his name. His blood went cold. He dropped what he was carrying, not caring as the cups shattered when they hit the floor. Pulling his wand from under his cloak, he bolted for the front door. He heard the screams before he even reached the entrance.
The sounds of battle met his ears when he emerged from the door. A multitude of spells where whizzing through the air. A dozen or so men in black robes where stalking through the street, blasting everything in their way. Death Eaters. Younger students were diving for cover behind anything they could find. The group was heading straight for them. Hermione looked at them, then Harry. She charged at them, whipping out her wand and screaming "Go Harry!" He watched frozen, as she threw spell after spell at them, each deflected. A figure emerged from the middle of the bunch, pointed its wand held in long pale fingers at her and shouted "CRUCIO!" Hermione screamed in pain as she collapsed to her knees in front of Lord Voldermort.
Harry screamed but couldn't hear it. He ran towards Hermione, his love. He felt a rage swelling inside of him as she writhed in pain. He felt a spell hit him in the back, and instantly wipe his mind of cares. He threw off the Imperius Curse just to be hit by it again from two Death Eaters. He fell to his knees as commanded. Voldermort raised his wand again. Harry knew what was coming and couldn't close his eyes, they were going to force him to watch. Green light shot from the wand and surrounded Hermione. She fell limp to the ground, her head rolled toward Harry. Her eyes were wide and empty.
Suddenly there were popping sounds all around them. Dumbledore appeared between Harry and Voldermort, but the Death Eaters disapparated just as quickly with Voldermorts laugh echoing through the street. Harry ran to her, collapsing by her side. He stared into her eyes. They stared back with the unique emptiness that has only one cause. He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew it was Dumbldore, but neither said anything. Her gently picked her body up. He slowly carried her body all the way back to castle, not caring about the silent stares from the students around him.
The Grangers would be arriving today to claim Hermione's body. He couldn't bear to face them. It was once again his fault that someone he loved had died. He didn't sleep at all, refusing a sleeping draught from Madam Pomfrey, tossing and turning with Voldermort's laugh echoing in his head. Now he found himself up at the top of the Astronomy tower.
'A world without Hermione Granger is not one I want to live in,' he thought as he stepped off the ledge and let gravity pull him downward.