Will You Ever Return to Me?

Chapter 8.

The only good thing that could be said of the attempt to cross the Strip amidst the violence was that, thanks to the fact that they were a mixed group of wizards and Muggles, and clearly so, their colleagues didn't mistake them for the rioters. That didn't mean they had an easy time avoiding stray curses, bullets, and grenades. Twice they were attacked by enchanted cars and had to fight them.

"Hurry!" Hemmings shouted, already at the street entrance to the MGM.

"Everyone, watch out!" Ron yelled from the roadway. "Run!"

One glance upwards was enough to make most people obey. Padma, Lydia, Sergeant Anderson, and Hemmings barely got of the way as the huge mass crashed down, sending blood and guts splattering everywhere. "My god," Hermione whispered. "You don't think--"

"What other reason for an elephant to be at the top of the hotel. It must be..."

"They did it?"

"They did it!"

"Noooooo!" a shriek came from a cross the street. It was followed by a roar of a powerful car engine.

"Hermione, move!" Ron yelled and pushed her out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. Hermione received a glancing blow while Ron was hit head-on and run over. The white limo's sunroof was open, and Helen Gertrude leaned out of it, throwing curses from her deadly platform.

"NO--" Padma shouted. Hemmings tossed an anti-magic grenade, which hit Gertrude and fell inside before going off. The car immediately skidded to a halt. Gertrude did not lose balance, though. She leaped out, landed on her feet, and with one Banishing Charm, tossed Sergeant Anderson and Padma aside. Before Hemmings could fire her rifle, she aimed her wand at her. "Crucio!"

Hemmings fell. "Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!" with each curse, Hemmings wriggled in yet more pain.

"The only reason you're not dead," Gertrude snarled at her, "is that Alan was your father. Though, if I had a daughter like you, I'd kill you myself." She kicked Hemmings in the stomach. "Army scum."

"Stupe--" Padma attempted to attack her from behind.

"Reducto!" Gertrude fired it without looking and then dropped and rolled towards her. She came up with a knife in her left hand, and Padma, despite leaping backwards, found herself with a bleeding gash across her stomach. But she hadn't lost herself.

"Expelliarmus!" Gertrude lost the knife but managed to hold on to her wand, she leaped at Padma and grabbed her, knocking her down and attempting to reach into her belt.

"You killed my friends," Padma said.

"You killed the man I loved," Gertrude retorted. "A man with a vision, a man who'd save our world. You doomed us."

She head-butted Padma, knocking her against the pavement. Padma was nearly knocked out by this. Exhausted, she knew she couldn't hold on to Gertrude much longer. But then, Sergeant Anderson stood up behind Gertrude, pistol in hand. Padma nodded. Anderson raised the gun and fired.

But a moment earlier, Gertrude found what she was looking for in Padma's belt--her emergency Portkey. She vanished out of Padma's arms, and the bullet hit Padma.

"My god, no!" Anderson shouted, reaching down to help Padma. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Padma, don't--"

"It... was... not... your..." Padma collapsed.

"No... just..."

"Sergeant," Hemmings came up from behind him, "do you still have your Portkey?"

"What?" he yelled. "Our comrades are--"

"Do you? We've got to get them to Fifty-One and give them medical attention. Our Portkeys," --she pointed to herself and Lydia-- "got caught in one of the anti-magic blasts. Do you still have yours?"

Belatedly, Anderson nodded and took it out. "Come on, get their bodies." They all got together around the still forms of Ron, Padma, and Hermione, and then, Sergeant Anderson activated his Portkey. They vanished.

XXX

July 2003, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Harry still couldn't believe what happened. Only a week ago, they arrived in Las Vegas full of cheerful news about the defeat of Voldemort and Bellatrix. Only a week ago, Harry was ecstatic about being with Ginny again... it all seemed like it came from another era.

RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY, the tombstone read. 1980--2003. Harry stared at that four hours, as if trying, by sheer willpower, to change it something else. It was the same.

Hermione had, technically, survived. But Harry didn't think she could be considered lucky for it. She was lying in a coma in Area 51's medical section, and neither magical nor Muggle medical experts could tell if she would ever wake up. Harry wished it had been him in either--or even in both--positions. It was he who led them into this, after all.

Padma had more of her body covered in bandages than not. Sergeant Anderson constantly hovered about her. Harry had heard that he had shot Padma by accident when attempting to kill Gertrude. He's the lucky one, Harry thought. I probably feel like he would if Padma had died.

Bill and Fleur, having arrived from France to the funeral, stood in silence, holding each other. They hadn't talked to him, and he had a suspicion that they blamed him for what happened. Since Harry thought they were right, it didn't bother him as much as it would have otherwise.

Catherine Hemmings and Lydia Jones openly cried--which Harry wouldn't expect of either of them. He couldn't bear to talk to Hemmings after she told him she thought it was her fault. He simply told her it was his, and strode off. He knew Hemmings was Hund's daughter, and that, despite it, she had done everything to stop both Hund and Gertrude. He, on the other hand... he should have done more to stop both Voldemort and Hund. If he had...

Ginny stood quietly, holding Caroline in her arms. She had told Harry that Caroline was constantly asking for her parents, and that she simply couldn't bear to tell the truth--maybe because she feared the toddler wouldn't understand, or because she would. Harry strode over to her.

Ginny pierced him with a sharp gaze. "What are you going to do, Harry?" she asked.

Harry was surprised at the question. To him, the answer was so obvious it didn't even require thinking. "I'm going to find Helen Gertrude," he said. "And I'm going to kill her."

"Harry, don't."

"What?!"
"Don't go off. She's not worth it."

"Ginny--your brother--"

"Will killing her bring Ron back? No."

"But it--"

"Just... let it go, Harry. I'll have to raise Caroline now. I'd like your help. Give her a family. Don't you think Ron and Hermione would have thought that was more important?"

"She's a menace--"

"She's no Voldemort, she's no Hund. She's an obsessed witch with delusions of grandeur exceeding her means to achieve. She was a dangerous underling of Hund, but on her own? If she surfaces, the MLEA can handle her."

"And if she doesn't? Where's the justice in her walking free while Ron and Hermione--"

"Harry, you've wasted enough of your life. Stay with me. Help me raise Caroline. Just... don't..."

"I--"

"If you're not going to do for Caroline," Ginny whispered, "then do it for me. I love you, Harry. Don't go away. Please."

"I love you too, Ginny."

"Then stay with me. Let me help you. Don't throw that away for revenge."

"Ginny, I--"

"Don't."

Harry embraced Ginny, careful not to hurt Caroline and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered.

Ginny's eyes filled with tears. "Harry..."

He pulled back and looked at her. "Goodbye, Ginny."

And he Disapparated.