Unofficial Portkey Archive

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 1

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It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of Harry's 7th and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry so Ron, Harry and Hermione had decided to make the most of it by having a relaxing day together. So much had happened to the trio lately since Voldemort seemed to make them his primary targets in the middle of their 6th year. It felt as though the sane world had ended and they only had each other to rely on for support and protection.

The Order of the Phoenix was still active and working but no one seemed to be able to stop the relentless attacks on Harry and his friends. For some reason, that seemed to be the one bit of intelligence that no one was able to obtain. It was frustrating and frightening but Harry knew he'd never have been able to get this far if Ron and Hermione had not been the people fighting just as bravely as he right at his side.

"Harry, are you okay, mate?" Ron's voice shook him from his thoughts and he forced a grin to his red-haired best friend.

"Fine. Just thinking is all."

"Harry, stop." Hermione leveled her eyes at him with an almost Professor McGonagall type scowl. "Today is our day for fun and relaxation. We are not going to worry about anything, okay?!"

"Besides Harry, the Order promised to take a close watch over Hogsmeade today, remember." Ron said with a big smile that Harry was not completely sure that he believed.

He couldn't help but laugh as Hermiones serious face broke into a grin but he did finally nod his agreement. "I'm sorry. You're right. Today is stress-free."

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the day buying and eating snacks, drinking Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks and generally tried to act like carefree children. Every once in a while one of the three would turn serious for a moment or look around suspiciously but everytime, the other two would be able to pull that person back into their fun.

Hermione looked down at her watch with a sigh when she saw a large group of students leave the Three Broomsticks with depressed expressions on their faces."It's already time."

Ron cursed under his breath but Harry as well as the others, climbed to their feets and stepped out into the streets without a second thought. Harry was surprised to see very few students left in the shopping areas and realized that the sun was beginning to set. Knowing well that they'd be better off at the castle before sunset, Harry quickened his pace and the others must have felt the same way because they too sped up. The events that happened next were so quick that it would take Harry several days before he remember the order in which it all occured.

A scream rang out in the nearly deserted courtyard of Hogsmeade before Harry heard a loud voice call out one of the unforgiveable curses.

"Imperio!"

Harry braced himself for the hit but it wasn't until he spun around a split second later that he realized the target had not been him. Hermione turned towards the area where the spell had come from and moved about halfway to the shadows. Harry knew she had no control over what her body was doing but had no clue how they ultimately planned to use her. Without a second thought, Ron and Harry both reached for their wands but just as they had pulled them out more spells from the shadows rang out.

"Expelliarmus!"

The wands that Ron and Harry had just pulled out were ripped from their grasps and floated in the air 20 feet above their reach. The two boys looked at each other in horror before rushing in front of Hermione to at least guard her body the best they could knowing all too well that without their wands they were defenseless.

"Oh look, Potter and Weasley think they are heros even without their precious little wands."

Harry knew the voice immediately as Lucius Malfoy and to his horror, watched as six Death Eaters stepped out from the shadows with wands pointed directly at Ron and Harry's chests. Harry waited for the attack to come from the front but it was the female voice from behind him that sent the excrusiating pain though his body.

"Crucio!"

Harry fell to the ground, writhing in pain. It felt like all the nerve endings in his body were on fire. He heard Ron yelling to him but couldn't see him. His eyes were glued shut as the pain continued to cycle through his body like electricity through a power line. When it finally ended, Harry could barely move. It took him nearly 30 seconds before he could open his eyes and see Hermione standing over him, wand pointed directly at his chest.

"HARRY! HARRY!" Ron's voice was frantic and Harry could hear him fighting with somebody, obviously trying to get away from someone. "Are you alright?!"

Several of the Death Eaters laughed at the question before Mr. Malfoy's voice spoke out to them again. "Well Potter, we aren't here to kill you. The Dark Lord wants that pleasure for himself."

Again he heard laughter in the ranks before the voice continued as Harry tried to climb to his feet. "Instead, we are here to show you exactly how weak you are and how powerful the Dark Lord is."

"What are you talking about?!" Harry's words had barely escaped his mouth when Hermione shot another Curciatus Curse at him and once again her was laying on the ground trying in vain to fight on the attack.

When the curse ended, Harry was able to open his eyes just enough to see Ron fighting a masked Death Eater but, in the end, two Death Eaters held him tight.

"What do I mean? Well Potter let me show you." Harry watched as Lucius turned his wand towards Ron and saw that Hermione two had been forced to turn and watch as Ron struggled against the restraints of his captures. Harry lunged up, trying to reach Ron but it was over all to soon.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The men holding Ron suddenly let go but in the moment that it took Harry to register the spell, his best friend was already laying on the ground unmoving.

"RON!"

He heard several large popping sounds and knew the dead eaters had all disapperated leaving the echos of their laughter ringing out through the street for what seemed like an eternity. The world seemed to stop. Ron lay dead on the ground. Harry knew it without even checking. He'd seen the curse before and knew that even now their was no hope. Harry felt a sudden cold rush over him and he momentarily forgot the pain that shot through his body. He had just sat there and watched his best friend be murdered in front of his face and he had done nothing to stop it. NOTHING.

Hermione suddenly collasped where she had stood. He eyes still focused on Rons unmoving body. Tears streamed down her face but no sound came out. Harry wasn't even sure that she ws breathing. The look of horror and disbelief on her face was almost worse then the scene he had just witnessed. She just watched him as if hoping he'd move or breath or say something to let them know that it was all an act and none of the things they'd seen were real. It was nearly a minute before reality seemed to set in and her eyes blinked for the first time. Harry watched as Hermione finally found her voice and said two words in a heart-wrenching cry that broke his heart more then he'd ever imagined possible.

"RON! NO!"

Harry saw her begin to try to climb to her feet to get to Rons side but Harry reached out, fighting off the pain and pulled her back down. She fought him but he held her tightly to his chest with tears streaming down his face. She swore and kicked but after a moment her fight ended and she leaned into Harry and broke down in sobs. She too seemed to realize that they'd never again see that smiling face that Ron so eagerly gave.

Neither of them noticed when people who had watched the scene in horror came forward to try to help or when members of the order and the teachers at Hogwarts came on the scene and tried to make sense of the sitsuation. Harry barely remembered being moved from the street.

Somehow he and Hermione had ended up in the hospital ward. The only thing he could remember where Hermiones screams when they tried to seperate them to be examined for injuries. Apparently Madam Pomfrey must have given in because when the world became clear again, Hermione was curled up on his bed with him asleep but he hands held tightly to his robes as if she feared that he too might leave her forever.

Harry didn't know what to do. Ron was the person he had always depended on. Now he was gone. He tried to wish for a moment that it had all been a dream but nothing could wash away the cold, dead feeling that seemed to feel his veins and his heart. He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt something damp on his chest and he looked down to see that even in her sleep, Hermione was still crying.

She began to murmur in her sleep and move slightly but it wasn't until her made out her words that he realized exactly how much Hermione was hurting.

"I'm so sorry Ron. It's all my fault. IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"