Just as the Great Hall was beginning to empty after breakfast a figure appeared in the entrance hall. Her normally bushy hair was wilder than ever. The robes she wore were sagging off her fatigued form while she dragged a broomstick behind her. Everybody in the Great Hall turned and watched her make her way slowly to the head table. She didn't acknowledge the stares of the students as she approached the teacher's table.
"I must speak with Dumbledore," she said quietly to Professor McGonagall, but since the hall was silent everyone could hear the words clearly.
McGonagall quickly ushered her to the headmaster's quarters where he was resting after being released by Madam Pomfrey that morning. She didn't dare ask the young girl what had happened in the last 24 hours as the walked silently through the halls.
"Nosebleed Nougat," uttered McGonagall and the stone gargoyle slid back revealing the spiral stone steps. Hermione started climbing the steps, but McGonagall didn't follow. She knew this was something the young girl would have to face by herself.
Hermione knocked on the large wooden door and heard a quiet "Come in Ms. Granger" from the other side. She uneasily opened the door and looked inside. She felt guilty when she saw a very tired looking Dumbledore sitting at his desk, presumably finishing his breakfast from the tray in front of him.
"Sit," he said without a trace of anger in his voice, "and tell me, the best you can, about what happened. As for what you did to me, I'll only hold you to an apology." A tired smile appeared on his face. She slumped into one of the cushy chairs in front of his desk.
"I'm sorry Professor," she paused, "but at the time, I felt I had no choice. I meant to hurt all those that had hurt - Harry," she sobbed as she said his name, but forced herself to continue. "hurt him the most and destroy V-Voldermort. Actually I wanted to kill them all, but I couldn't, some...thing stopped me. Wormtail, Peter will spend the rest of his days a rat. Bellatrix Lestrange went through the veil. Dolohov and the rest of the Death Eaters are marked and powerless. I don't care that it affected Snape, he tormented Harry too much for me to care. And Voldermort is dead, for good this time. Harry did it. Harry killed Voldermort." Hermione finally broke down and began sobbing in earnest.
"And Riddle's body?"
"Just outside of Hogsmeade," she said through the tears. Dumbledore nodded in understanding.
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The next several days Hermione was like a ghost in the halls of Hogwarts. She hadn't uttered a single word to anyone after her talk with Dumbledore and nobody tried to push her. The students, Griffyndor especially, gave her a very wide berth in the castle, fearful of what she might do if provoked. She hardly ate anything during meals and hadn't been to any of her classes. She would spend most of her time either crying in her room or mopping with Myrtle, who seemed to have taken pity on her, in the bathroom.
The day of Harry's funeral, Hermione had slowly gotten ready, careful to make herself presentable and choose her best robes. She quietly, even more so if that's possible, ate her breakfast before joining the select group of students and teachers who would portkey to Godric's Hollow for Harry funeral.
As she sat staring at the coffin and half-listening to Dumbledore deliver what was no doubt a beautiful eulogy, Hermione couldn't help but feel numb. Everything she had to live for was in the box in front of her. Her soul was entwined with the one that was about to be put six foot under. She had cried so much that she had run out of tears. The supportive embraces from Ginny, Luna and even Ron stirred no emotion inside of her and she could barely feel physical sensations anymore. As Harry's coffin was lowered into the ground next to his parents, she was painfully aware of the hole in her heart and soul that would never be able to be filled by anybody other than Harry.
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Ginny was frantically running across the Great Hall towards the teacher's table with a sheaf of parchment in her hand.
"Professor, Professor!" she yelled.
Dumbledore looked up at the disturbance and saw the look of concern in Ginny's eyes. He was standing by the time she reached the table.
"I went looking for Hermione this morning - and found this!" she said, gasping for air and holding out the parchment. Dumbledore took it and quickly scanned it.
"Mr. Weasley please come with me," he said loud enough for the whole hall to hear him. "You too Ms. Weasley," he said considerably quieter to the young redhead before him. He swiftly made his way to his office with the siblings following closely behind him. Once inside, he grabbed an old teapot. He tapped it with his wand said "Portus". Ron and Ginny were touching it before the blue glow faded.
They landed with a thud on the soft ground. As one they turned and saw Hermione's bushy head leaning up against Harry's tombstone, his Firebolt, along with a silvery fabric, lying on the ground next to her.
"Hermione!" Ginny cried. They all hastily moved towards her. Dumbledore stopped after a few steps when he saw it. She had a small, empty crystal phial in her hand. His legs weakened, then buckled. He fell to his knees, the parchment falling from his hand.
Dear Friends and Family,
I've gone to be with Harry.
Hermione
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Luna sat next to Ron as he watched his second best friend being buried that week. He was in shock and needed Luna more than ever. He had leaned on her and it had only strengthened their growing relationship. She was glad she was there for him. He felt as though Harry and Hermione had abandoned him. Luna had to constantly reassure Ron that she wasn't going to leave, and that it would take Fudge's entire Heliopath army to keep her from him.
They were back at Godric's Hollow and once again Dumbledore was making an eloquent speech even as the grief shown on his face. Somehow the Grangers decided that Hermione's rightful resting place was right next to Harry's. Nobody could think of a more fitting place.
Luna looked up when the casket was being lowered. Something had caught her eye. Sitting on his headstone was a ghost like visage of Harry, seemingly sad and waiting for something. As the casket dropped below ground level, the image of Harry got off his headstone and walked over to the open grave. He reached down with his white, mist like hand through the lid of the coffin and pulled. A form similar to Harry's stepped out of the ground, holding Harry's hand, but this one was feminine. It was Hermione. They embraced each other. Luna saw the sadness mixed with the happiness in Harry's eyes. She knew why. He was happy she was with him, but sad as to why and when.
"They're together now Ronald," Luna whispered in his ear.
"I know. Everyone keeps saying that," he mumbled.
"No. Look over there," she said and pointed at the headstone. "Can't you see them?"
"I don't see anything. Have you finally gone Loony?"
Luna watched as the two forms approached Ron. Together they bent over and hugged him. She watched as a visible chill went up his spine.
"Do you believe me now?" she asked. He only replied with a nod, his eyes still wide with shock.
Luna smiled as the two looked straight at her. She could only take the look to mean 'Take care of Ron for us.' Luna nodded in acknowledgement. They walked away towards the edge of the clearing, where another ghostly couple was waiting for them. All four of them embraced, and shimmered out of sight.
Luna wrapped her arms around her Ronald and whispered, "We could never have stopped this from happening. She would never leave his side, no matter what the situation."