Light of the Blood-Red Sun

I had just arrived at work on the day we received word that Harry died. I had expected nothing out of the ordinary--perhaps the usual one or two memos concerning attacks by Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, and the usual copious amounts of paperwork. But, apparently, that was not to be.

"Hermione!" a voice blared from my fireplace. "Where are you? Come quick!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I responded, hurrying forth out of the small cloakroom in my office.

Diane Duane, head of the Accidental Magical Reversal squad, was in my fire. Or, at least, part of her was. Her head sat among the flames. I was concerned. The fireplaces were only used for major events when the office memos couldn't make it quick enough.

"Ah, there you are!" Diane said, a note of relief in her voice. "I wasn't sure you'd arrived yet."

"I just got here," I said, kneeling on the hearthrug and doing my best not to get my robes covered in soot. "What's the problem?"

I was beginning to feel extremely anxious. For one to use the fireplace to contact a department such as mine--the Department of Magical Catastrophes--there had to be something serious unfolding. I had just been appointed head of this department the year before, and rarely did I get involved in matters of Diane's (who was head of the Accidental Magic Reversal department).

"You-Know-Who," she hissed, her eyes shifting as though the Dark Lord might pop out of my cloakroom at any moment.

"Another attack?" I asked, alarmed. The attacks hardly ever ceased. The war had been continuing for years and years now, and showed no signs of ending. The Dark Side and the Ministry were in a constant power struggle; one day the Ministry would be on top, yet the next Voldemort would bring it all crashing down.

"Yes, but worse this time. Muggles! Killed a whole slew of 'em, right in the middle of a...a...shopping mall, I think they called it. Muggle law enforcers everywhere! We need to send some personnel down there immediately. The Minister said to send a few from your Department, too. Tom Callahan already sent trained Hit Wizards in case there were any Death Eaters still on the scene, and I've got Memory modifiers-"

I cut her off. "I understand. You go, take care of the situation and I'll be down there to fill out the report in a minute." Diane gave a nod of comprehension, and with a small pop her head disappeared from my fire.

"Damn!" I cursed under my breath, dashing back for my cloak and snatching my wand up from the desktop. I took a pinch of glittering powder from a small jar on my desk and tossed it into the flames. "Larson!" I called. "I have a task for you."

The body of my junior department head, Larson Foxworth,appeared swirling in the flames a second later. He stepped out and dusted off his robes, smiling amusedly. The smile, however, was wiped off his face when he saw my expression. "Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Another attack," I said shortly, "at a Muggle shopping mall. Hundreds killed and injured. I need you to take a few officials to the area, and I'll be following you shortly."

Larson merely nodded and Apparated from my office a moment later.

Making sure everything in my office was in working order, I held my wand above my head and with a crack like a gunshot disappeared from the Ministry.

***

It was complete and utter chaos when I arrived at the destroyed shopping mall. There were people everywhere. Muggles were in a state of total confusion, running and screaming and crying for loved ones. The Obliviators were having a field day--jets of light from Memory Charms shooting everywhere, Hit Wizards running past and other Ministry officials trying to restore calm.

"Hermione, we need your help! The extra squad of Obliviators hasn't arrived yet," yelled Diane, jogging after a Muggle trying to flee the scene. I pushed up my sleeves and began shooting Memory Charms at everything in sight.

After about an hour and half or so, calm was finally beginning to restore itself and most of the Muggles that witnessed the account had had their memories modified. The bodies of the one hundred and fifty or so dead were carted away, and the Obliviators and Hit Wizards had gone back to the Ministry. Slowly, members of the Order had begun showing up and giving their accounts of what had unfolded.

"...Tonks nearly caught one, but he shot back a Stunning spell, she was out cold when Arthur found her..."

"...Bill was dueling with a Death Eater--Rodolphus--he only just got away..."

"...We don't know where Snape is, he hasn't returned yet but we think he's getting more information about You-Know-Who's whereabouts for the Order..."

I paced back and forth, a few feet away from the rest. I was waiting for Harry to show up as he always did to give his full explanation of the situation. Harry pretty much was the best Auror the Order had these days. Mad-Eye Moody had become too old to be of much use and spent most of his time jinxing people that came within a five-foot radius. Tonks was high up there on the list, as were Lupin and Mr. Weasley, although none of them had performed to the standard of Harry. He'd become so different since we left Hogwarts--more ruthless and determined to finish off Voldemort for good.

The sound of someone Apparating caught my attention. Lupin was walking swiftly toward me, shrugging off other members of the Ministry as they approached him, firing off questions. He grabbed my elbow.

"We need to talk," he said in a low voice.

"Not now," I said impatiently, trying to swat his hand away. "I'm waiting for..."

"Harry, I know. It's about Harry," he said, lowering his voice even more and trying to steer me away from the prying eyes of the others.

"What about him?" I asked. "Is he going to be late?"

Lupin looked pained, and his eyes were full of grief as he delivered the news to me. "Hermione...Harry's dead."

It felt as though a fist had driven itself straight into my abdomen. "W-what? No...it can't be...he's our best Auror, he's our only chance, he's not dead! He's not!" My voice had risen so that I shrieked these last words. Our colleagues froze and a hushed silence fell.

"Who?" rasped Johan Oosterveld, assistant to the Minister of Magic. "Who's dead?"

Remus Lupin pressed his lips together, and then sighed in a resigned tone, "Harry Potter."

Sobs tore from my throat as Lupin explained. I pressed my hands to my face, feeling the hot tears leaking through the cracks between my fingers.

"Quinn Winslow caught Augustus Rookwood. He's a Death Eater, right in Lord Voldemort's inner circle, apparently. Rookwood threatened her with the Cruciatus Curse, and she said he had better not dare, because Harry Potter would be arriving any minute. Rookwood laughed, Quinn said, and told her not to get her hopes up because he'd already done worse to Harry. 'Prove it' Quinn asked him, and Rookwood said he'd like to, only he'd destroyed the body about ten minutes before he'd been caught."

A gasp was heard from the small crowd assembled. I felt someone put their arms around my shoulders and try to lead me away, but I demanded to stay and know the rest of what had happened.

Lupin sighed heavily. "Quinn said the news hit her hard, but she tried her best not to show it. Rookwood almost got off, physically fighting Quinn and she knew she didn't have the strength to hold him down. Luckily Ron Weasley showed up in time to help. They've got Rookwood at the Ministry right now; Fudge is ready to sentence him to death."

A surge of uncontrollable anger hit me then. "I'll kill him! I'll kill the bastard, he murdered Harry, I'll do it with my bare hands and not fool around with wands and curses-" I raged.

"Miss Granger, please control yourself!" Johan countered. "The Ministry will take care of it. Please, somebody get this woman some help!"

A fresh wave of sobs poured out of me as Lupin came to my aid. "I'm taking you back to Grimmauld Place," he said. "Everyone's there, waiting for you. Ron, Ginny, the rest of the Weasleys. Let's go."

I only nod in reply, not trusting myself to say anything.

"Are you okay to Apparate? Do we need to take the Knight Bus?" Lupin asked, uncharacteristic concern apparent in his voice.

"I'll be fine," I said, sniffling, and pulled myself together enough to (hopefully) not get splinched in the process of going to Grimmauld Place.

"Take care of yourself, Hermione," Diane said softly, lightly squeezing my shoulder before stepping backwards so Lupin and I could leave. I nodded, and thanked her.

Seconds later, we appeared in the foyer of Sirius's old home and were greeted by the sound of an almighty wail. Mrs. Weasley came hurrying toward me, arms outstretched and mouth opened wide. "Hermione!" she sobbed. "Are you all right? No, of course you're not-I heard about that attack at that shopping center--and then this happening..." Mrs. Weasley's voice trailed off into an incoherent howl.

I pulled myself from her embrace and ventured into the sitting room. The sight was horrible; Fred and George were sitting forlornly side by side on the sofa, their faces in their hands. Ginny took one look at me and the tears began again. "I think I'm going to be sick," she mumbled before dashing upstairs toward the toilet.

To see Ron, however, was absolutely heartbreaking. He was sitting in a chair by the window, gazing off into space, neither crying nor looking at all attentive. Slowly he turned his head in my direction. "Hullo," he rasped, his voice coming out choked and slow. "How're you?"

I shook my head hopelessly, my face screwing itself up again as even more tears came. Ron held his arms out to me and I rushed into them, and we bawled together, my heart feeling as though it was breaking.

We had not only lost our best friend; we had also lost the only one that could save us.