Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Sith

Chapter 43.

Hermione took her X-wing out of hyperspace, and saw the Rebel fleet ahead.

"X-wing, identify yourself."

"Captain Hermione Granger, Rogue Squadron. ID Z6843107-gamma," she reported in. "Requesting docking aboard Home One."

"Identity confirmed. Proceed, Captain Granger." Hermione acknowledged and headed towards the flagship. Luke probably didn't get here yet, she thought, regrettably. She wanted to discuss the lightsaber-wielding woman with him. But Han and Leia would be here. And so will Wedge.

She landed her X-wing in the hangar bay, waited for the air to come back, and popped the cockpit open. "Come on, CueSeven," she called the droid.

The exit door opened, revealing Wedge. He pulled her into a tight hug, and kissed her. "Hermione..." he whispered.

She was ready to pull herself at him, but he stepped back. "I'm sorry, Hermione. But..." he stammered.

"Wedge, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure yet. Let's go to the next hangar." Confused, Hermione followed him. Sitting in the middle was the oddest looking spacecraft she had ever seen. It looked like it was about to fall apart. If Wedge hadn't held her up, she would have laughed.

One of the hatches opened, and a short woman with messy brown hair stepped out, looking distressed. Hermione recognized her. "Jan!" she yelled.

"Hermione?" Jan said. "Oh..."

"What's wrong?"

The second hatch popped open, and revealed... Ron. He was carrying a body. A body with messy black hair...

"No..." Hermione stepped ahead and was shaken as any doubts flew away. She would have fallen if Wedge didn't steady her.

Despite having lost Harry, she never believed he was dead. Not until I have proof, she would always think. Well, you have it now. Maybe such hope was a mistake. Maybe it would be easier to take it if she thought he was dead from the start. Am I that cold?

"How..."

"We were on Coruscant," Jan said. "We were already on our way into orbit when we spotted someone falling." She pointed to Ron. "He flew out on that broomstick of his to try to save the person. But... he was already dead."

"Ron," Hermione said. No response. "Ron!" He continued walking, carrying Harry, as if not looking where he was going.

They entered a living quarters. Blank walls indicated that this place was unoccupied for some time. Ron laid Harry on the bed and turned around.

Hermione glanced down, not knowing what she could say or do. We never thought that we might die, she thought. That always happened to the other people. Close friends, family members, teachers... but not us. Until now.

"Ron..." she said.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry for everything." He drew his wand and pointed it at his head. "Avada..."

Hermione gasped in shock, but Ron didn't finish the spell because of a punch that landed in his face. Ron appeared as surprised as everyone else, since the fist was Jan's.

"Snap out of it!" she yelled, taking away his wand. "I thought you weren't one to give up. Was I wrong?"

"What do I have to hope for?" Ron demanded. "Who needs someone who wasn't there for his best friend, huh? Who needs me?"

"I do," Jan whispered.

"You? Why?!" Then his eyes flared. "Oh, I get it... Well, at least I see why he hated it..." He approached Jan, fists clenched in anger. "I. DONT. WANT. YOUR. PITY." He bolted for the door.

"Stupefy!" Ron dropped.

"Sorry," Hermione said to Jan. She helped Wedge lift Ron and get him into a chair. "But I was afraid he'd find another way to commit suicide if we let him out of sight." Inside, Hermione shuddered at what she just witnessed. She never heard about any witch or wizard using Avada Kedavra on themselves.

"No, it's all right. I'm sorry... I just don't know... I've been stuck in hyperspace for three days alone with him. He ignored me if I sat quiet and pushed away when I tried to talk."

Hermione wanted to cry... but she wouldn't let herself. Instead, she looked at Jan. "You love him," she said.

The other woman raised her eyebrows. "What are you--" Hermione realized she made a mistake.

"Oh, Jan, I'm so sorry--"

"Right now, you shouldn't be sorry about anything. No, you're right. I do love him." She stared at the ceiling for a while. "You know, right before--before it happened, we were talking about hope, and what we might do once we win this war... That's what I liked about him. All the time we worked together, he never gave up. Even after he returned with--" Jan said quietly, "he still managed to get us away from the Imperials. And then... he just snapped. I would be dead ten times over if it wasn't for him... And I can't do anything to help him."

"You can be there."

The words came not from Hermione, but from Wedge. Jan seemed to contemplate.

"He's right," Hermione told Jan. She turned to the pilot. "Wedge, you--you always were there for me. I couldn't have gotten through--"

"I still am here for you. And I always will be."

"Oh, Wedge." She squeezed herself tightly against the pilot. "What do I do? I've lost Harry, I've lost Ron--I don't want to lose you too. I won't be able to stand it."

"You won't."

"How can you promise something like that?" she demanded. "On the eve of a big battle, no less?"

"I'll be okay," Wedge assured her. Hermione pulled him closer, sobbing. Wedge carefully kissed her forehead.

A chirp interrupted them. Jan picked up a comlink. "Major Ors here."

"Major Ors," a voice said from the communicator, "there is someone here insisting on seeing Ronald Weasley."

"Lieutenant Weasley is... incapacitated," Jan said. There was a pause. "What about Hermione Granger?" Hermione blinked. Who would ask specifically for her or Ron? She nodded at Jan.

"Captain Granger is on her way."

"Wedge," Hermione said, "can you come with me?"

"Sure," he said.

As they left her quarters, Wedge asked Hermione, "Do you have any idea what this is about."

"No clue."

XXX

They entered the brig. The guard on duty approached them.

"Colonel Antilles. Captain Granger."

"What happened?" Wedge asked.

"She just... appeared in the cell. The forcefield activated automatically. She wouldn't explain anything, just insisted on seeing Lieutenant Weasley."

"She?"

"Take a look." He pointed to the cell.

"Ginny!"

"Hermione! Where am I?"

"Open the cell," Hermione told the guard.

The man hesitated. "That was an order," Wedge said.

"Yes, sir." The forcefield dropped and Ginny rushed to hug Hermione.

"Oh, Hermione, we were all so worried. Are Harry and Ron all right?" Hermione dropped back. She hoped to keep the bad news from Ginny as long as she could. "Harry..." she whispered.

"Dead?!" Ginny yelled.

Hermione nodded, and immediately had to rush in to catch Ginny from falling. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"And Ron..."

"Ron's alive--he brought Harry's body back. He blames himself for not being able to save him."

"Can I see..."

"Do you really want to?"

"Yes..."

Ginny stood up, still leaning on Hermione. She looked at Wedge.

"Oh. Ginny, this is Wedge Antilles. Wedge, this is Ginny Weasley. Ron's sister."

"I saw the resemblance," Wedge said.

Ginny was still shaking. "Hello," she managed.

XXX

Jan was still in Ron's quarters. Ron showed no indication of waking up.

"Ron!" Ginny said as she stepped into the room.

"He's stunned," Hermione explained. "We had to do it." But then, Ginny saw the body lying on the bed.

"Oh, Harry..." she whispered, as she brushed away his dark hair, lifted his arm, trying to feel for signs of life. "No..."

"Ginny?"

"Harry..." Ginny whispered again. She turned to Hermione. "How..."

"I don't know," Jan told her. "I have some medical training, but I haven't seen anything like this before. There is no bodily decay... and no signs of physical harm. His body... just shut down."

"Avada Kedavra," Hermione whispered.

"You-Know-Who."

"What?"

"He's here."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Fred and George saw him... vanish."

"Like we did."

"Yes."

"And how did you..."

"It's a long story. I'm not supposed to be here, actually. We were all supposed to transfer together. But I felt that I was needed before that."

"That sounds like something he'd say."

"What?"

"Harry. That's what he was like. Always doing what he felt needed to be done--no matter how crazy it sounded."

"I know."

Silence descended, and none of them dared break it. Wedge tightly held Hermione's hand. Ginny sat down on the bed, staring at Harry's body. Tears welled up in her eyes.

A bell rang out on the ship's intercom. It was time for the briefing. That no longer seemed important to Hermione, but she would attend. If only to occupy her mind with something--they way she had always buried herself in schoolwork and books whenever she couldn't let her emotions out properly.

Ginny looked at her and Wedge. "I'd like to be alone with him... for a while."

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione sobbed. "Of course. Jan?"

The woman picked up Ron's slumped body, and, with the help of Wedge, dragged it out. "I'll keep him from doing anything," she said. She looked back at Ginny, then shut the door. "She loved him. Didn't she?"

"She still does," Hermione said.

"It's not easy, is it?"

"Should it be?" Wedge asked.

Hermione pondered that. Wedge was right.

Jan apparently came to the same conclusion. But she said nothing, only nodding as they headed their separate ways.

On her way to the briefing, Hermione suddenly filled with dread. She felt she had no right to refuse Ginny's request. But... what if Ginny kills herself right there? She dared not voice that thought to Wedge.