He Didn't Want You to See

Ginny stood, wand clutched in her hand and her eyes darting. Where was he? she thought, fear rising in her. She could see wizards dueling in the distance, some falling from their fight.

"Please," she pleaded, pushing hair the wind and pulled into her face away. It was stiff and caked with sweat and blood, though she didn't take the time to notice.

Finally, she spotted them. Harry was leaning on a large stone, his wand hand outstretched before him. On the ground a few feet from him, a figure in black robes was struggling to stand.

Without thinking, Ginny tried to run towards them. Her first step saw her tumble to the ground. It was then she realized the large gash that reached from her knee nearly to her ankle.

"Harry!" she called, seeing Harry push away from the rock. She pointed her wand at her leg, conjuring a splint to cover the gash, and shakily stood. She ran as quickly as possible, mere yards from the two when green jets erupted from Harry's wand, hitting the dark figure in the chest. The figure flew backwards, landing stiffly and remaining motionless.

Ginny stood in amazement, only reacting when Harry crumbled to the ground.

"Harry!" she said, arriving at his side. "You did it, Harry! You did it!"

Harry looked down at the ground, his wand held loosely in his fingers. His free hand ran through his hair, clutching the strands and releasing them.

"Did you hear me, Harry?" asked Ginny, kneeling beside him and putting an arm around him. "Harry, you've done it! It's all over."

"No...no," mumbled Harry, taking his hand from his hair and clasping hers on his shoulder. "It's not, Ginny. It's not done yet."

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, putting her other arm around him. "Voldemort's dead! You've destroyed all the Horcruxes. It's all done!"

"No, Gin," said Harry, turning. Their faces were mere inches apart. "Listen to me, all right? No doubt the rest of the Death Eaters are fleeing, they'll know Voldemort's gone. I want you to go find Hermione and Ron, make sure they're all right. Tell them everything. Get everyone out and back to Hogwarts."

Ginny didn't understand. "But, why can't you come with me, Harry? Everyone'll want to see that you've done it and you're all right. Come on, we'll tell them together."
She tried to stand, but Harry held her firmly.

"I have more to do, and I don't want you here when I do it," said Harry, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Please, Ginny. Just go."

"What are you up to, Harry? What have you left to do?"

Before Harry could answer, a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Harry! Hey Harry!"

The two turned to see Ron running towards them, wand in hand and face dirty and red. He ran with a slight limp, though it didn't seem to slow him.

"Gone," he said and Ginny and Harry both stood. "They're all gone. All the Death Eaters."

Ginny looked at Harry, who avoided her gaze.

"So...you've done it, then?" asked Ron, softly.

"Yeah," said Harry.

Ron looked around, finally spotting the black robes. Ginny watched her brother, surprised at his expression when he came back to Harry. It was not of happiness or pride, but of sadness.

"So, that's it, then?" said Ron, his voice cracking softly.

Harry nodded, his hand squeezing Ginny's. "Take Ginny and go on, Ron. I have to do it soon."

"Do what?" asked Ginny, looking from one boy to the other. Both were avoiding eachother's gazes. "You two had better start explaining or..."

Before she could continue, Harry was kissing her. Her surprise evaporated as she focused on enjoying the kiss. This was the response she had expected after the defeat, this was what she had wanted above all else.

It was over far too soon, and when she looked at Harry, he seemed calmer than she had ever seen him.

"Ginny," he said, both her hands in his. "I've loved you forever. And I would do anything to be with you forever, but you have to go with Ron now. Please, do this for me."

Ginny didn't know what to say, only stared into his intense green eyes.

Harry took his eyes from hers, looked at Ron. "Take her, Ron. Please."

"Come on, Gin," said Ron, his arm coming around his sister and pulling her from Harry's touch. "Follow me, now. That's good."

Ginny allowed herself to be led, confused by Harry's words. She was pulled out of her stupor by the shaking if her brother's shoulders.

"Ron," she said, looking up at him. "What's the matter? What's Harry got to do?" She tried to look behind her, but Ron prevented her.

"He's got to, Gin, and you've got to understand."

"What on Earth is going on here?" she asked refusing to take another step. "Tell me now, Ron..."

Ginny fought to pull herself from Ron's glance, finally able to see behind them.

Harry lay motionless on the ground.

"Harry!" she screamed, struggling to reach him. Though his leg nearly buckled, Ron's grip on his sister was firm.

"Don't, Gin. He didn't want you to..."

"What's wrong with him?" asked Ginny, though she knew the answer. "Why won't you help him?"

"He didn't want you to see...he didn't have a choice..."

"No choice?" screamed Ginny, still fighting. The both of them toppled to the ground, Ginny still held firmly beneath her brother. "He'd won! What'd choice didn't he..."

"He's a Horcrux, Gin," whispered Ron. "Harry is." Ginny went still at the words, her arms still reaching for Harry from her struggle.

"He had to do it, to save us all...again." Ron pulled himself to his feet, tried to help Ginny stand. The girl remained still on the ground, only pulled to her feet with all Ron's strength.

"When could he..."

"The night he killed Harry's parents. We don't think he meant to, but..."

Ginny remained still, still reaching for Harry.

"He didn't want you to know...or see," said Ron, leading Ginny away from the scene. "We destroyed all the Horcruxes we knew of, but we couldn't find the last one. All our research pointed to... Hermione put it all together..."

"What if she's wrong?" asked Ginny, tears streaming down her face. "What if it was a trick to get Harry to...?"

"She's not, Gin," said Ron, holding her close to him.

Ginny said nothing more, felt herself being lifted into Ron's arms without protest. She tried to make sense of the scene, of anything in her mind. Harry was gone, but not by the Dark Lord...by his own wand.

I can't make sense of it, she thought as Hermione and the remains of the Order greeted them at the gates of Hogwarts. Hermione was the only one to know of Harry's plan, and her tears of sorrow seemed awkward to the others present. She sat to the side, holding Ginny, while Ron explained to the others what had happened. Before he was through, though, Lupin had sprinted back towards the battlefield. Arthur Weasley ran after him, while Molly hurried to her daughter and Hermione.

Ginny looked over her mother's shoulder and they both cried, seeing Ron standing alone. He was staring at his hands. Ginny felt more anger for him than any other, but when they're eyes met she seemed to truly understand.

She didn't like the understanding, though. It made everything too hard to take in. She resorted to sobbing into her mothers shoulder.

She couldn't see herself beyond this moment, and she didn't want to.