Harry stepped off of the staircase and into hell.
In the few moments that he had spent in the quiet stillness of the Headmaster's office, he had forgotten exactly what it was like to be in the middle of what was to become one of the greatest battles in wizarding history. Screams and shouts echoed throughout the stone corridors. Curses, hexes, spells and charms of both the helpful and harmful kinds bounced haphazardly from floors to ceilings and back again. Crimson splashes on the walls and floors made Harry's stomach turn in a mixture of disgust, rage and guilt, and here and there a limp form lay hunched against a wall or behind a statue, still and quiet in death. After taking a few steps down the hallway, Harry grimaced and had to look away as he caught a glimpse of Colin Creevey lying on his back in a doorway, his eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling. He looked so young, Harry thought as he turned away and quickened his pace, wanting to get away from the castle as quickly as he could. Too young for this.
Hurrying through the hallways, Harry recognized many of his friends and classmates, both dead and alive. He couldn't help but look away every time he saw a fellow Gryffindor slumped against a wall, or a member of the DA lying on the floor, arms and legs splayed as though they had merely tripped and fallen; as though they would stand up any moment, brush themselves off and walk away. It was for this reason that he never saw Neville Longbottom standing in the corridor until he ran right into him, knocking both of them to the floor. They drew their wands and turned on each other before they both recognized a familiar face.
"Merlin, Harry, watch out!" Neville exclaimed as he picked himself up from the floor and offered his hand to Harry, who took it and allowed himself to be helped up. "I could've killed you! I thought you were a Death Eater!"
"Sorry," said Harry, doing his best to pretend that everything was all right and that he hadn't run into Neville on his way to his demise. "Didn't see you there."
"It's all right," said Neville. "Where are you headed, anyway? If you're looking for Ron and Hermione, they were somewhere over that way the last time I saw them," he informed Harry, pointing down the corridor in the direction from which Harry had come.
"Thanks, Nev, but I'm not looking for them right now," said Harry.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry, then?" asked Neville. A moment later, a surprised and worried look came over his face. "You're not thinking of giving yourself up?" he asked incredulously.
"'Course I'm not," said Harry. "Would I ever do something as stupid as that?" he asked, as casually as he could.
Neville looked relieved. "Right, 'course you wouldn't," he said with a nod. "You're just acting a bit strangely, that's all."
"Don't worry about it, Nev," said Harry. "This whole mess is just kind of getting to me."
Neville nodded understandingly. "Anything I can do?"
Harry shook his head. "Just try to stay alive, OK?"
"You can count on it," said Neville, forcing a tired smile.
The two continued on their way, heading to opposite ends of the corridor, before Harry suddenly had an idea and called out to Neville, who turned around and answered, "Yeah?"
"Actually, there might be something you can do," said Harry.
"You name it," said Neville, eager to help.
"You know that snake Voldemort's got? Calls it Nagini?"
"Yeah, what about it?" asked Neville.
"Well, I've told Ron and Hermione this already, but if they- if they're busy and you get the chance-"
"Kill the snake?" Neville supplied.
"Yeah," Harry said with a nod. "Could you do that?"
"You can count on it," Neville said again.
"Thanks, Nev," said Harry.
"No problem."
The two boys turned and parted, Harry heading for the Great Hall and Neville disappearing down the corridor. A few minutes later, Harry stopped in his tracks when he turned a corner and saw Ginny kneeling on the floor, comforting a girl who looked like she could be no older than twelve or thirteen, and who was crying into Ginny's shoulder while the older girl gently patted her back.
"I want to go home," the girl whimpered. "I don't want to fight anymore…"
"I know," Ginny soothed. "I know. It's all right."
"I want my mum…"
Harry watched Ginny's eyes fill with tears before she quickly blinked them away. "Me too," she said softly. She glanced down the corridor and noticed that she and the crying girl were no longer alone.
"Harry," she said simply.
He gave a small nod and closed the few feet of distance between the three of them. He wasn't quite sure of what to say. Things were a tad awkward between him and Ginny at the moment, after their break-up and his absence from Hogwarts that year.
"You should get her out of here," he said, gesturing to the small girl, who was looking up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes.
Ginny nodded and helped the girl to her feet. She gave Harry a long look, obviously not knowing what to say either, before silently leading her crying companion away. Harry watched her go, wondering if he should have found something better to say. Some sort of goodbye, perhaps, or some sort of thanks for her loyalty to him, her willingness to fight alongside him. But the words just hadn't come, and it was too late now.
He met no one else on his way out of the castle, though he did have to dodge a few hexes and Stun a few Death Eaters to make it out safely. Once outside, Harry was able to escape a good amount of the noise and horror of the battle as he hurried toward the Forest and away from the castle. It seemed the fight hadn't extended this far, at least not yet. He was almost at the edge of the dark cluster of trees when a voice called out to him.
"Harry?"
He froze in his tracks. Oh, no. It couldn't be. Not now.
"Harry!"
He took a deep breath, trying to make himself look a whole lot calmer than he really felt, and turned towards the source of the voice.
"Hey, Hermione."