The Book of Morgan Le Fey

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Battle and Aftermath

'Dear god,' Hermione whispered. 'Harry, we have to get you upstairs.'

'No,' said Harry. 'We should be outside, helping Bill--'

'Are you mad?' Ron asked. 'Look at you, you can hardly stand up.'

'We have to!' Harry snapped.

'We'll go back down and help them as soon as you're settled in the common room,' Ron snapped.

'What? No! You're not leaving me--OW!'

Ron nodded to Neville, and they seized Harry by the arms and half-dragged him up the stairs, Harry screeching furiously all the way.

Ron and Neville forced Harry onto the sofa.

'Dammit, I'm fine!' Harry growled, trying to stand up and swaying as he did.

'Merlin's beard, Harry, would you SIT DOWN and SHUT UP!' Ron barked, shoving Harry back onto the sofa. 'You're no good to anybody if you can't even stand.'

'Eat dung, Ron!' Harry yelled, and he began to stand up again, but this time Susan intervened.

'Harry!' she snapped. 'Ron's right. You have to calm down! You're not helping!'

'Damn right, I'm not helping,' said Harry bitterly. 'You lot won't LET me help and--ow...' He clapped a hand over his scar and sat back woozily on the sofa. Susan sat next to him, and he collapsed against her.

'It hurts,' he moaned, and he bit his lip.

'I know,' said Susan, her eyes filling with tears as she held onto him. 'I'm sorry.'

'I'll get him some water,' Neville said nervously, and he started up the stairs to the boys' bathrooms.

Harry moaned softly again, and Susan stroked his messy hair, and he seemed to calm down a bit.

Ron swallowed. He hadn't meant to be rough with Harry, but the stupid git could be so stubborn sometimes.

He could hear more sounds coming from outside, more screams and crashes, and a part of him knew he should go back out and help; he might not be a fully qualified wizard but he was of age now, and he was pretty good at defensive stuff, and he could lend a hand. But he didn't want to leave Harry until he was sure Harry was okay.

'Feeling, uh, better, Harry?' he asked uncertainly.

'Didn't see it,' Harry mumbled. 'Didn't see it coming.'

'You didn't?' said Ginny. 'But...we saw you holding your scar.'

'I knew something was wrong,' said Harry, now sounding exhausted. 'But I didn't know...he was happy about something and I tried to see what it was but then...then it was too late. And then the Dementors came and I couldn't think...I should have seen it coming...'

'Stop it, Harry,' said Hermione at once. 'Stop thinking this is your fault. It happened so fast! One minute everything was normal and...and the next Dementors were everywhere.'

'Hermione's right, Harry,' said Susan. 'You...you know how you get when Dementors are close by. You're good at fighting them off now but...but there were so many.'

'We have to help them,' said Harry, lifting his head from Susan's shoulder. 'We have to.'

'We will,' said Hermione. 'But you should stay here.'

'I'm not staying here!' Harry snapped. 'I have to be out there, too.'

'Harry, come on, mate,' said Ron. 'Just...let us do this for once, okay? You don't have to fight every single battle!'

'Harry, please, listen to Ron,' Susan begged.

'You're taking his side?' said Harry incredulously.

'Oh, for heaven's sake, Harry, that has nothing to do with it!' Hermione said sharply. 'Ron's right. You're no good to anyone in a fight, not like this.'

'Oh, and I suppose you lot are experts at dueling with Death Eaters now?' Harry retorted.

'Nobody said that,' said Ron, groaning. Merlin, but he hated when Harry got like this.

'I'm telling you, if you lot are going back down there to fight I'm going with you,' said Harry.

'No, you're not,' said Ginny quietly. She was standing at the far window, looking out onto the grounds, and her voice was odd.

'What?' said Harry angrily, and he stood up, still a bit wobbly. 'Look here, Ginny, you can't tell me--'

'None of us is going back down there,' she interrupted. 'It's over. The battle's over. The Death Eaters are gone.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Gone?' Harry repeated. 'What do you mean, gone?' He, Ron and the others all headed to the windows near Ginny and stared out onto the grounds.

'Blimey,' Ron breathed, and he heard Hermione give a small whimper. Automatically, his arm went round her shoulder and drew her close.

The scene was ghastly. The grounds were littered with bodies. Some Death Eaters, some Aurors, and a few students.

'What's going on--oh, my god,' Neville gasped, as he took up the space next to Ginny, holding a water glass. 'Are they...dead?'

'Dunno,' Harry said dully. 'Probably. At least some.'

They watched as several remaining Aurors and teachers, and a few students, began to lift the limp forms of other students and Aurors and carry them toward the castle. They left the Death Eaters where they lay. Ron's eyes scanned the grounds for a sign of Bill. Please, Merlin, not Bill, he thought. But there was no sign of Bill that Ron could see. At least, no sign of bright red Weasley hair.

'We have to go down there,' said Ginny, her voice hollow. She turned to face Ron, and there were silent tears spilling down her cheeks. 'We have to help.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scene that greeted them at the entrance of the castle was one that Ron knew he would never forget. Wounded Aurors, some who could hardly walk, were carrying the limp forms of their colleagues. Ron glanced to his left and saw Professor Vector helping a small second year girl toward the hospital wing. The girl--a Ravenclaw--was sobbing and Professor Vector was speaking to her softly. All round them were sounds of crying, moans of pain. And the smell. Blood, sweat, death. Ron swallowed bile in his throat and willed himself not to be sick, willed the fury building like acid in his stomach to keep from exploding.

'Where's Bill?' Ginny asked.

'Dunno,' said Ron. 'But...but he's got to be okay. I didn't see anyone who...who looked like him. And he's tough. He would have--'

'He's got to be okay,' said Ginny, her eyes shiny and red. 'He has to.'

'Ron! Ginny!'

He and Ginny turned and saw Bill hurrying toward them. He was limping slightly, and bleeding from a gash in his shoulder. His face was bruised and lacerated. He looked horrible, and haunted.

'Bill!' Ginny cried, and she burst into tears and ran into his arms. Bill held her and stroked her tangled hair.

'It's okay, Gin,' he murmured. 'It's over.'

Ron, Hermione, Harry, Susan and Neville hurried over to Bill as he gently extricated himself from Ginny's embrace.

'You all okay?' he said, brushing his hair from his face.

'Fine,' said Ron dully.

'We...we didn't find Luna,' said Bill slowly. 'She might have gone into the Forest, or--'

'They got Luna,' said Harry. 'And the book.'

Bill swore vociferously for a long moment and kicked the wall viciously with his dragon hide boot, marring the surface. He didn't seem to care.

'I'd better tell the Aurors,' he said. 'The ones who're left anyway. We have to get a message to the Ministry, to Dad. And I'd better gather the rest of the faculty.'

'Can't McGonagall do that?' said Ron.

Bill looked up and his eyes became red. 'McGonagall...was hit in the attack.'

A gasp went up from all of them. Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth.

'Is she...is she--' Harry tried, but he couldn't say it. Ron could hardly bear to think of it.

'She's alive,' said Bill. 'But barely. I don't know what they did to her but it's bad, and she's not young anymore, either. We're going to set up an emergency Portkey and transfer her to St. Mungo's. Sprout's volunteered to take her. In the meantime...I guess I've been put in charge.'

Nobody said anything for a moment. Ron wondered at the cruel irony that had certain members of his family assuming positions of authority because somebody else had gotten badly injured.

'What can we do, Bill?' said Hermione anxiously, casting a glance at everyone in their small circle. 'We want to help.'

'Get to the hospital wing,' said Bill at once. 'Pomfrey's swamped with wounded. Anything you can do.'

'Bill, we have to figure out how to get the book back,' said Harry desperately.

'We're working on it, Harry,' said Bill, through gritted teeth. 'Listen to me. There's nothing you can do about that now, okay?'

'But--'

'Voldemort isn't going to finish this in the next twenty-four hours, Harry,' said Bill, with a note of finality in his voice. 'Right now we have to focus on the people here. Getting them on their feet again, and restoring some...some semblance of order. I want all of you to go to the hospital wing and help, okay? Please. Just do that for me.'

'Of course,' Ron heard himself say. His brain was humming with the horror of it all, with the need to DO something. Harry, for his part, looked down at his shoes, a guilty expression on his face.

'I'll warn you,' said Bill. 'It's not pretty in there. Just...prepare yourselves, okay?'

'We...we can handle it,' said Ginny tentatively, and everyone else nodded. 'Shouldn't you go to the hospital wing, too, Bill?'

'It can wait, Gin,' said Bill. 'Plenty of people need a lot more attention than me. And I know a few healing charms. I'll be fine. Get to the hospital wing and help out there for now. You'll know more later.'

Ginny nodded, and began to head off to the hospital wing. Ron clutched Hermione's hand, and together, the rest followed Ginny toward whatever horrors were inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moment Ron entered the hospital wing, he hoped that--at the end of the night--someone would cast a Memory Charm on him, to wipe out all the images that assaulted his eyes.

He'd been a frequent enough visitor to the hospital wing himself over the years, but nothing could have prepared him for the level of...carnage he saw. Or the amount of blood. The smell was ghastly. He swallowed the urge to vomit as he, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Susan and Neville made their way into the hospital wing.

Hermione gasped when they first entered the room, but very quickly she composed herself, and it was she who flagged down Madam Pomfrey. Pomfrey--normally so in command of her domain--looked frazzled. Her dress was covered with blood, her hair was half out of its chignon, and her face was tight with stress and exhaustion.

'Yes, what is it?' she asked sharply. 'Unless any of you is bleeding internally or has something broken, you'll have to wait your turn--'

'We want to help,' Hermione said briskly. 'Tell us what we can do.'

Pomfrey's face softened at once, and she let out a sigh of relief.

'Bless you, dear,' said Madam Pomfrey. 'Of course.' Her eyes went to Neville. 'Longbottom, you're good with herbal remedies, aren't you? Pomona told me you're her best student. I've got a few who could use some help from you.'

Neville blushed and nodded. 'O-okay,' he said slowly. 'Sure.'

'Miss Granger, I understand you and Miss Bones and Miss Weasley here are all quite skilled with Healing Charms,' said Pomfrey. 'You'll come with me. You two, Potter, Weasley, we have some people in that corner over there who need cleaning up and bandaging. Minor wounds, cuts, that sort of thing. You can do that, can't you?'

'Yeah,' said Harry and Ron together. Neither of them had ever really gotten the hang of Healing Charms. At least, not to the extent that was needed here.

'Take these,' said Pomfrey, shoving rags and bottles into Ron's and Harry's arms. 'You'll need to use some Cleaning Charms first, mind. Then apply the salves and wrap in the gauze. If anyone over there starts to bleed profusely, let me know.'

'Right,' said Ron, feeling slightly sick.

He and Harry made their way to the far end of the hospital wing; Ron tried to block out the sounds of moaning and weeping coming from the beds they passed. He hoped he wouldn't pass out from seeing all the blood; he'd never had a strong stomach for such things.

All told, however, it wasn't the worst thing. The students he and Harry attended to did not have especially serious injuries; most of them were younger students who'd been caught up in the initial panic of the attack. They'd reached the castle sooner but many had tripped and been trampled on in the ensuing panic. Dennis Creevey smiled sheepishly as Ron performed a Cleaning Charm on a nasty--but shallow--slash across the younger boy's back, and didn't even wince when Ron applied Wembly Wimbledon's Wound Repair and dabbed on the gauze.

Ron looked up to see a morose looking Ernie MacMillan being attended by Harry. Harry was applying salve to a cut on Ernie's bare foot; the Hufflepuff boy, meanwhile, lifted his arm, where it dangled loosely, like a slug.

'Bloody Death Eater,' he was groaning. 'I dunno what he hit me with but my stupid arm feels like a noodle!' His arm sloshed as he swung it. Ron grimaced and looked away.

'Deboning Curse, I'm guessing,' Harry said. 'Lockhart tried to fix my arm with that once, and that's just how my arm looked afterward.'

'Are you telling me I got no bones in my bloody arm?' Ernie cried.

'Relax, Ernie,' Harry said. 'Pomfrey regrew my bones, she can regrow yours. But I'll warn you: Skele-Gro tastes disgusting and regrowing bones hurts like hell.'

'Lovely,' said Ernie, rolling his eyes. 'And just think. This morning all I cared about was your house winning the stupid Quidditch match.'

Ron turned to see Harry gaze at Ernie sadly.

'Me, too,' said Harry.

After that, nobody said a word. Ron and Harry finished cleaning up the rest of the students. Colin Creevey stared morosely at his broken camera as Ron patched up a wound on his shoulder. A third year girl called Natalie McDonald whimpered while Harry patched up her bleeding knee. Ron cleaned and bandaged an oozing but otherwise unserious scalp wound on a young Ravenclaw boy called Stuart Ackerley.

It went on for over an hour. More and more students were being brought in for treatment of minor injuries, and Harry and Ron very quickly found themselves being swamped. Just when Ron thought he might not be able to handle it another minute, Padma Patil and Hannah Abbott joined them. Hannah looked whey-faced and was very quiet, and Padma's eyes were red and swollen.

'Pomfrey sent us over here to help,' said Hannah, her voice tired and hollow. She and Padma were both carrying piles of bandages and more wound salve. She nodded at Harry, and the two of them moved to a group of students who were crowding onto some beds nearby.

'Thanks,' said Ron, relieved. 'Uh, there's a small group over here, Padma. You and me could, uh--'

'Sure,' she said, nodding quickly, and Ron bit his lip when he saw her blink back tears.

'Are you okay?' he asked.

'Fine,' she said. 'But...Parvati. She's hurt. They hit her with something. I don't...I don't know what it was. Madam Pomfrey's working on her.'

Ron swallowed. 'I'm sorry,' he said, for lack of anything else. He put a hand awkwardly on her shoulder, and for a moment, he wished--absurdly, considering the circumstances--that he'd been a better date for her at the Yule Ball. 'Look, Padma...you don't have to do this if you don't want. Why don't you go back and sit with Parvati--'

'Can't,' she said, shaking her head. 'Pomfrey kicked me out. You know how she is. Anyway, it's better if I stay busy.' She wiped a tear away and took a deep breath, as though steadying herself.

'Right,' Ron said, nodding. 'I'll just...let's go.'

And on and on they went, for what felt like hours. More students came in, some injured, some healthy. Some of the healthy ones stayed to help, and very soon, the hospital wing was full to bursting, of students, of activity. It was alternately noisy, then quiet. Ron wasn't sure which was worse. The noises were moans and cries of pain, and of weeping, and that disturbed him. But the silence seemed so ominous, somehow. And then there were the dead...

A few times Ron's eyes strayed to the far right corner of the huge room. That area was dark, and the curtain was drawn round it, but even in the gloom Ron could see the faintest outline of shapes. Bodies. Unmoving, lifeless. He'd never seen a dead body before, and he didn't know who those dead people were. Which students had died? he wondered. He scanned the room for familiar faces, but it was pointless. The whole school couldn't fit into the hospital wing; surely some students had been sent back to their common rooms, to be guarded by the remaining Aurors. Part of Ron didn't even want to know who lay behind that curtain. It seemed callous to hope that whoever it was, he didn't know them. But he couldn't help it. Death was easier to accept, he thought, if it was anonymous.

Another hour or so passed and the sun sank below the horizon, and lamps were lit. The noises and the activity began to die down in the hospital wing and Ron gave a sigh of relief as he patched up his final student. He was exhausted; his body ached; he hadn't seen Hermione in hours and he longed for the comfort of her arms around him. He wanted to sleep for a week.

He and Harry stood, gathering up their remaining gauze and salve, when Bill's voice boomed in the hospital wing.

'Students, teachers, and Aurors please report to the Great Hall immediately,' he said. 'We have an important announcement to make.'

Ron's stomach growled and he looked at his watch; it was past dinner time, and he realized that he was starving. Despite his queasy stomach, despite the horrors of the day, his appetite--perversely, he thought--was right on schedule.

He and Harry headed toward the exit of the hospital wing. They were met by Susan, Ginny and Hermione. All three of them were carrying their robes over their arms; Hermione had also removed her jumper. Their faces were covered with a sheen of sweat; Hermione had tied her unruly hair into a careless knot at the nape of her neck. Her tie was loose. Ron bit his lip. There was blood all down the front of her shirt.

'Are you okay, love?' he asked, taking her hand.

'It's not my blood,' she said.

'Shite,' he breathed.

She didn't even correct him. Her eyes were shiny with tears, but she didn't weep. 'I'm tired. We're all so tired.'

'Hi,' said a familiar voice behind them. They all turned to see Neville Longbottom. He, too, had taken off his robes and his jumper. His tie was loose, his shirt untucked, and his whole front was coated with blood and other stains Ron couldn't identify. Herbal remedies, he guessed.

'Bloody nightmare, this,' said another voice, and Anthony Goldstein appeared next to them.

They all trudged to the Great Hall, their feet so collectively heavy on the stone floor that Ron thought they sounded like a herd of elephants.

They reached the Great Hall and found it draped in black. Flitwick was hanging black sashes along the windows. The meaning was clear. People had died today. The school was acknowledging it.

Ron felt his eyes and his throat burn. He wanted to feel angry, but he was too tired to feel angry.

Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Susan sat down at the Gryffindor table. They were joined shortly by Seamus, Dean and Lavender, whose eyes were swollen and red and whose face was stained with tears. Seamus clutched her hand and rubbed her back as she struggled not to cry.

Other students began to file in, all of them walking as though accompanied by a dirge. Ron's eyes wandered to the staff table, and he saw Bill standing next to Dumbledore's chair. Professor Sinistra and Firenze were on his left, Professors Vector and Flitwick on his right. Several Aurors were just behind them, all standing at attention, all of them looking half-dead on their feet just the same.

'Attention, please,' Bill called, and the hall went quiet.

Ron's eyes fixed on his older brother.

Bill paused for a moment; Ron had never seen him look so exhausted. Bill took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and continued to speak.

'In meeting with the faculty and our security forces,' said Bill, 'certain facts of today's attack have come to light, that we wish to share with you all.

'First and foremost, Headmistress McGonagall has been severely injured. She has been taken to St. Mungo's for treatment. The other teachers have asked me to assume the position of Headmaster until Professor Dumbledore or McGonagall returns.'

Ron bit his lip. Bill, the Headmaster. A cruel irony, indeed. Ron wondered why Professor Flitwick or Professor Sinistra or anyone older didn't take over the job. Hell, even Professor Snape...

Ron's eyes narrowed. Where was Professor Snape?

'The Death Eaters are no longer on the grounds and several were killed in the battle. New wards have been placed round the school and it is highly unlikely that Death Eaters can penetrate them again.'

This brought a few murmurs of relief, but for Ron, this was little comfort. The wards protecting the school before had supposedly been powerful ones, but they hadn't held back the onslaught. He forgot about Professor Snape as Bill went on talking.

'Unfortunately, our security forces report that the Dementors have stayed behind, and they're currently hovering just inside the Forbidden Forest,' said Bill.

A collective gasp rose up, and people began to talk all at once.

'QUIET!' Bill bellowed, and at once the talking ceased. Ron, for his part, hadn't said a word. He simply stared at Bill and clutched Hermione's hand.

'As of now, the Dementors are not moving toward the school,' said Bill. 'But from now on, no student is allowed outdoors. We can only guarantee your safety from the Dementors if you stay inside.'

More murmuring, softer this time.

'In communicating with authorities at the Ministry of Magic, it's been determined that the Floo Network cannot be reopened at this time,' Bill went on. 'Communications via owl are also suspended, by order of the Ministry. It is believed at this time that letters could too easily go astray.'

The murmuring grew louder, and a sharp voice echoed through the hall.

'How are we supposed to contact our parents, then?' Zacharias Smith demanded. His arm was in a sling and he had a black eye. 'What if some of us want to get the hell out of here?'

'Calm down and let me finish,' said Bill firmly. 'I've posted a sign up list on my office door. The fireplace in my office is available to students who wish to communicate with their parents or guardians. Students must do so under the supervision of myself and an Auror. But the fireplace is available for communications only. No transporting. If anyone's parents wish for you to come home, we will arrange it with a Portkey. Professor Vector has been placed in charge of Portkeys. Students wishing to go home must receive permission from their parents. We'll need to monitor every coming and going in and out of this school, for security. Students who wish to stay are reminded to stay indoors at all times. As I said, we can guarantee your safety if you stay inside. The school will not be penetrated by any Death Eaters or Dementors.'

Bill's voice, though tired, rang out firmly in the Great Hall, but Ron felt no comfort at all.

'The previous rules regarding curfew are still in place,' Bill continued. 'Any students who wish to venture outside their common rooms must be accompanied by either a teacher or an Auror. There will be absolutely no wandering in the corridors. You must carry your wands with you at all times, no exceptions. Lessons are cancelled for the next three days. After that, we expect all of you who choose to stay at Hogwarts to be in class.'

This announcement brought more angry protests, and once again Bill had to shout to restore quiet.

'I understand that some of you might not feel ready to return to class,' he said. 'But it is vital that all of you continue with your studies. It is vital that you all continue to live your lives and learn the skills that will protect you. Voldemort--'

Gasps as everyone heard the name, but Bill went on without stopping.

'--Voldemort wants all of us to panic, to lose hope, to live in fear,' said Bill. 'What happened today was frightening and horrible, and it is likely that there is more danger yet to come. But you will not honor the memory of those who fell today by hiding in your dorm rooms. Whether you leave Hogwarts or stay, all of you have a responsibility, to yourselves and each other, to keep living.'

At this, there was silence, but for quiet sniffling that came from those who were weeping.

Ron watched Bill for a moment, and felt his heart constrict when his older brothers shoulders sagged, just slightly. Ron's eyes then moved to Harry, who was standing stock still, clutching Susan's hand; Harry's eyes were ablaze, and Ron swallowed. There was no mistaking the silent fury on his best friend's face. That fury sometimes frightened Ron.

'At this time,' said Bill, his voice shaking just slightly, 'I want us all to take a moment and remember...the people who died today. Five Aurors, all of whom you probably did not know by name, but who gave their lives to protect all of us at this school. Eugenie Branstone, Geoffrey Greengrass, Sarah Podmore, Marcus Turpin and Richard Bell. A moment of silence.'

Ron looked down at the floor. He'd never met any of those Aurors; he wouldn't have been able to discern their faces. They were simply a presence, walking at a distance behind students on their way to lessons, posting themselves at the back of classrooms, never interacting with anyone, simply there to protect and to defend. But they all had names, and families, and lives, and futures. The Death Eaters had taken that from them. Ron clenched his fists, and saw Harry do the same. The sounds of quiet sobbing pierced the hall, and Bill's voice rang out again.

'For the students who have died today, Euan Abercrombie, Victoria Frobisher, and Malcolm Baddock, a moment of silence.'

Ron bit his lip again. Vicky Frobisher. He'd known her. He'd competed against her last year for Keeper at the Quidditch try-outs. She'd been killed. Murdered. And Euan Abercrombie. Only a second year. Ron had no idea who Malcolm Baddock was, but he felt for that student as well.

'That's it, then,' said Bill. 'Right now I'd like students to line up with their house prefects. You will all be escorted back to your common rooms by Aurors, and you will remain in your houses until tomorrow morning's breakfast. The house elves have arranged to have your supper sent to your common rooms.'

The murmuring began again, and the sobs grew louder. Ron glanced round at the Gryffindors and saw Katie Bell crying, leaning on the shoulder of Andrew Kirke.

'Richard Bell,' said Hermione sadly. 'He was Katie's older brother.'

Ron nodded, and his heart and his throat hurt.

'We have to lead them out, Ron,' Hermione said softly.

'Right,' he said, and he cleared his throat. 'Gryffindors, this way!'

The Gryffindors, quiet but for the sounds of weeping, queued up cooperatively in a single file line and started out of the Hall. Hermione lead the way, accompanied by an Auror, and Ron brought up the rear, with another Auror behind him, and Harry in front of him. Susan had made her way back to the Hufflepuffs, and Ron noticed that they both looked bereft. They would not be able to comfort one another now, not with all the security in place, unless Harry was willing to risk using his Invisibility Cloak to see her.

Which he probably would, anyway.

Ron's eyes moved round the room again, and suddenly he remembered: Snape was not there. He was conspicuously, and suspiciously, absent. Ron glanced over at the Slytherins, and felt his stomach leap. Draco Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.