Soul Pieces

SOUL PIECES

Chapter 18: Blood and Tears

Ginevra Weasley knew that something was going on.

Her life in Hogwarts wasn't so pleasurable anymore. She missed Ron (please, don't tell anyone!), Hermione and...and Harry. Oh, Harry! Why Dumbledore have to die?

Ginevra Potter

Ginny Potter...

Doesn't it sound beautiful?

Bloody Hero complex! But I will be with him again. I know he loves me. Like at Christmas, he was so shy around me! I could see the sadness in his eyes. Yes, he wants to be with me again.

That year Ginny began hanging out with Luna Lovegood more and more. She liked the blonde girl. However, Ginny began to notice that something was happening... Something wasn't right with the Ravenclaw.

Okay, Luna was a prefect and had many duties and other things to attend to, but that wasn't the problem.

Luna didn't have that usual dreamy look anymore-her eyes were full of sadness, and she always seemed to disappear every night and even a few afternoons. Ginny knew these 'disappearances' had nothing to do with 'Madam Pomfrey's training.'

It was April when Ginny overheard a conversation between Luna and the Headmistress. They were talking about Hogsmeade.

Wait! Today isn't a "Hogsmeade day". Ah, Luna Lovegood, I will find out your little secret!

So, Ginny decided to follow Luna. Yes, she was going to Hogsmeade! (She would use Tunnel from Hogwarts that came out in Honeydukes backroom).

When Ginny arrived in Hogsmeade, there weren't too many people on the streets or inside the shops.

The redhead girl walked around, trying to find where Luna was.

Then she saw her.

Luna was leaving Hogshead (What the hell she was doing THERE?) with another person whom Ginny couldn't see.

Who was that person? Ginny knew that the mysterious person was a girl because she was pregnant.

"Luna! What are you doing here?" Ginny asked.

Luna closed her eyes. Oh, Merlin.

"Gi-Gi-Ginny?"

However, Ginny didn't answer. She had discovered who the mysterious girl was. It was Hermione!

"Hermione?" Ginny asked uncertainly, gazing incredulously at the bushy haired witch.

"Ginny," Hermione said quietly, almost in shock.

Ginny came near Hermione and then hugged her.

"My god, Hermione! How did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, looking at Hermione's belly. "And you miss Lovegood! Training with Madam Pomfrey, huh?"

Luna gave her a small and nervous smile.

"Now, tell me, how did this happen?" she demanded curiously. "Oh, boy, mum will kill Ron!"

"Ro-Ron?" asked Hermione, eyes wide.

"Yes- Ron- my brother!" Ginny replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Mum won't be happy when she finds out he got you pregnant!"

Hermione and Luna exchanged nervous glances.

"Er," Hermione didn't know what to say.

"Bah! I want to know-," Ginny was saying when she stopped and realized that something was wrong. "Something is wrong here." Ginny looked confusedly between Luna and Hermione.

"Ginny, here isn't the best place-," Luna began but was cut off by the Weasley girl.

"Luna, no. Hermione?"

Hermione took a long and slow breath.

"Ginny, I don't know how to say this. I am really sorry. I will understand if you-" Hermione began in a trembling voice, not looking the redhead in the eyes.

"Wait a minute! What are you talking about?"

"Gin, Ron isn't the-"

Ginny held up a hand making Hermione stop. "Sorry, but I am a little confused here. Are you going to say that Ron isn't the father of your child? But, if he isn't ..."

Hermione looked at the girl in silence, her eyes tearing.

"No," Ginny said in disbelief, shaking her head. "No."

"I am sorry." Hermione was crying. "I didn't mean for it to happen. Things got out of control and-"

"- and you had sex with Harry!" Ginny cried. "I thought you were my friend! I can't believe you! You really are a filthy Mudblood! A slut! It was a plan, wasn't it? I know your parents kicked you out and now you are pregnant and can steal Harry's money!"

Hermione and Luna knew that Ginny wouldn't take the news very well but that ... Hermione just looked at Ginny, the redhead's words echoing in her head. She just wanted to go home, to return to the Castle.

"Ginny, I know you are upset. I understand you but this doesn't give you the right to say these words to Hermione," Luna tried to justify.

"Shut up, Lovegood! You knew! What a frien-" Ginny was shaking, her face reddening in anger.

However, Ginny was interrupted by another female voice.

"Well, well, the rat was right. The Mudblood really is pregnant."

Ginny, Luna, and Hermione were surrounded by Death Eaters.

LUNA'S POV

If someone asked Luna what had happened that day she wouldn't know what to say.

Everything was so fast and terribly bizarre. She could hear words like Expelliarmus, Stupefy and Impedimenta while she was trying to fight one of the Death Eaters.

People were screaming and running in despair.

Ginny was fighting another Death Eater.

And Hermione...

"Crucio!" Luna heard the woman shout and then Hermione began to scream in pain.

Luna didn't know how much time had passed. She wanted to help Hermione but she was barely managing to keep herself alive.

But then, the Crucio was replaced by another curse. Luna didn't hear the spell but she saw that Hermione was twirling in the air.

It was so shocking that Luna forgot about her own fight and paid for it: the Death Eater managed to disarm her.

The blonde girl knew this was the end. She didn't have a chance. She was tired and without her wand. She was going to die. God, she was going to die.

However, to her surprise someone shouted, "Stupefy!" And the Death Eater fell to the ground.

Luna looked at her savior and couldn't see his face (he was wearing a hood which covered his entire face).

"Lovegood," the man said, "do you know how to cast a Patronus?"

"Y-Yes," Luna answered. She knew that voice! She couldn't put her finger on it

"Well, go on, girl, cast a patronus and send him to McGonagall. She will bring the Order."

"But why me? Why can't you-?"

"It's none of your business! Now do it! I need to help Weasley!"

Even Luna thought that was surreal. But she cast her patronus and sent him to the Headmistress.

She turned around and saw that Ginny wasn't fighting anymore. However, her Death Eater wasn't stupefied. Well, he wasn't there. She assumed he had Disapparated.

Hermione was still in the air, but at the moment wasn't crying. Luna didn't know if she had fainted or-

Ginny's POV

I couldn't believe what was happening! If it hadn't been for that mysterious guy I could be dead. I was tired. Exhausted. I could see that Luna was exhausted too. And Hermione-

-Hermione. I was feeling so much anger but when I heard her crying while that awful woman was torturing her and I felt tears in my eyes. And then, Hermione was in the air, like the Muggles at the World Cup. I couldn't take anymore! I couldn't let her suffer so much. Yes, she had betrayed me but I couldn't let her die. So, I cast the reverse-spell. I heard Luna cry out, "Ginny, no!"

Why not?

But then I realized my mistake- a fatal mistake. Hermione fell to the ground and I watched in horror as her body began to leak with blood. I sprinted towards her and fell down to the ground beside her. I took her head in my hands and felt the warm liquid trickle between my fingers.

I didn't see Luna coming near us or kneeling down in despair.

I barely heard the evil woman laughing,

"Thank you, Weasley! You did my job! You killed the Mudblood."

I didn't pay attention to the two pop's. Someone had Apparated or Disapparated.

My mind was empty. I couldn't think. I had killed a person. I had just killed Hermione.

Then I saw Harry. He seemed lost. He didn't seem to understand what had happened. He was with Ron, Lupin, Tonks, Professor McGonagall and Shacklebolt. I got up from the ground and walked towards him.

First he looked at my face and then- then he saw the blood on my hands.

I just looked at him and said, "I am sorry, Harry. I am sorry."

"Nooooooo!"

Harry's POV

Harry ran towards Hermione and knelt beside her, taking her in his arms without caring about the blood dirtying his clothes. He pressed her limp body against his chest in a desperate, and late, attempt to protect her. His upper body rocked back and fourth as he murmured incoherent words against her messy bushy hair.

He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. She was dead. And he was too late.

"Noooo!" he finally cried. "Oh my god, no!"

"Harry," he heard someone say.

In his own world, he began to caress her pale face with trembling fingers.

You are so beautiful.

"Oh, god. Oh, god. I love you, Hermione. Please, don't do this to me! I was lying when I said it was only sex. I was stupid! I love you! I always loved you! Oh, please, forgive me! I-"

But then he noticed something about Hermione. Something he didn't notice before. Hermione- her body- she was different. Oh Merlin, she was pregnant...

She was pregnant...

Harry began to have difficulty breathing; the air surrounding him seemed to get colder, heavy. He closed his eyes briefly to open them again and then gazed at her belly.

"Oh, god. You were pregnant. You were carrying my child. Oh, god-" His body began to shake. "Oh god...I told...I said those lies...I did...oh god! And you had my child inside of you..."

Harry was going mad. It seemed that the world was crashing around him. No, life wouldn't be so cruel with him. What the hell had he done to deserve this?!

"Hermione... I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do without you. I need you; I need you by my side. Please. I love you so much, Hermione." Harry felt something firm and warm set on his shoulder. "Don't do this to me."

"Harry, we've to get her body to Hogwarts!" Lupin said as he tried to restrain the young wizard.

Harry looked up at Lupin, his eyes blank. "No, I won't leave her."

"Harry, please," this time it was Ron was talking. His face was very pale, tears falling from his eyes.

But Harry didn't move. He held her even tighter. "I won't leave her." He shook his head. "I won't."

Suddenly, from nowhere, a woman appeared near them and said in a calm voice,

"Boy, I am a Healer from St. Mungo's. My Name is Rebecca Guérisseur. May I look over the girl?"

Harry looked at the woman, nodded his head and let go off Hermione.

Oh, please...please...please...

Not much later, the woman stood up and spoke, "Minerva, the girl is still alive and I think we can save the baby. I already cast some spells to stop the bleeding but we must be fast."

Oh, thank god! She is alive!

Minerva McGonagall nodded, took a quill and said, "Portus!"

In seconds, the Headmistress, Hermione and the Healer had disappeared.

Hogwarts

Hospital Wing

When Harry arrived with the others at the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey and the other Healer weren't there. Indeed, the only person who was there was the Headmistress. She was sitting in a chair, looking very tired.

"Where are they? Where is Hermione?" Harry demanded.

"They are in another room. They need to treat Hermione's injury before-"

"Before, what?" Harry asked.

"Before they start the caesarean."

"Oh."

"Professor?"

"Yes, Mister Weasley?"

"Why a caesarean?"

"Because she isn't awake, Mr. Weasley, and the baby can die if we don't do this."

"But, Professor, what about-" Ron didn't need to finish what he was about to say. McGonagall's face gave him the answer: No matter what, Hermione was going to die. He simply nodded at the Headmistress, no trusting his voice.

It was the end. Ron closed his eyes and the image of a little bushy haired girl came to his mind.

"Have you seen a toad?" she had asked in a bossy voice. "A boy named Neville lost his."

He smiled sadly at the memory, opening his eyes. He saw his parents entering the Infirmary and began to wipe his tears with the back of his hand, in a ridiculous attempt to not show that he was crying.

"Oh, honestly, Ron!" Hermione would have said if she had seen him He let out a sob and looked at his parents: his mum was consoling a hysterical Ginny; his father looked sadly towards him and was about to walk to him when Ron shook his head lightly. Arthur Weasley stopped and nodded in understanding.

Ron wanted- needed to be alone.

***

Harry was lost. He felt as if he was in another dimension. He heard the voices, but couldn't really focus on them.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion- out of focus.

He saw that the Weasleys, Moody and Hagrid had arrived but didn't speak to them. He saw Ron crying in silence. He felt that his redhead friend knew something more about Hermione.

He saw Ginny crying on her mother's shoulder. Ginny- now she knew about him and Hermione. But he really didn't care. To be honest, he couldn't care about anything else. Maybe, he thought, he was in some kind of crazy dream. Maybe he was still living in the cupboard under the stairs.

Looking back, he could see how much everything had changed. This year was only supposed to be about war, training, and Horcruxes. He wasn't supposed to cross the lines of friendship with Hermione; he wasn't supposed to sleep with her. Merlin, he wasn't supposed to fall in love!

Love. Harry felt an urge to groan. Heroes can't fall in love. His love had lead Hermione into this situation. Situation...strange choice of word.

He then saw Luna and watched her walking slowly towards him. She probably wanted to talk with him, but he didn't want her to, but he couldn't move.

"Harry," she murmured, "Hermione said that if the baby was a boy she would like to call him James Ronald: James, after your father and Ronald, after your best friend."

Harry looked at her in surprised but said, "Thank you, Luna."

"You're welcome, Harry," she said and walked away.

Harry didn't know how much time had passed when a baby's cry was heard and Madam Pomfrey, followed by the Healer, and had reappeared, carrying a very small baby.

His heart instantly went out of control with such a flow of emotions invading him.

Before he could have moved, Madam Pomfrey came to him and gave him the baby.

"You are the father of a beautiful baby boy, Mr. Potter," she said with a small smile. "Would you like to hold him?"

"C-Can I?" he asked, a little shyly. "I-I don't want to hurt him-"

"Just take him carefully and watch his head."

Shaking, Harry took his son. He was tiny, so small...His hair was definitely a 'Potter's hair', I mean, it was a total mess! His face was exactly like Harry's, only the nose was different. He had Hermione's nose. Harry couldn't see the eyes because they were closed.

He couldn't believe he was a father! To tell the truth, that information hadn't gotten into his brain yet. Well, not totally anyway He knew he had grown up a lot faster than most people; he knew that he had to kill the Dark Lord but, Merlin, he was only seventeen! He could be considered a kid himself.

He was a father...his thoughts Jumbled in his mind.

He was a father. He was terrified. However that also meant that...now...he had...a family.

Harry couldn't help but smile.

"He is exactly like you when you were born, Harry," said a smiling Remus Lupin.

"He is very beautiful, Harry."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"What will be his name, Harry?" asked Mr. Weasley.

Harry looked at Luna and answered, "James Ronald- James, after my father and Ronald, after our best friend," he finished nodding in Ron's direction

Ron looked surprised but happy. He didn't know what to say, so he just said, "Thank you, mate."

"It's me who has to thank you. You took care of her, didn't you? You didn't go to Bill's house, did you? You went to Hogwarts."

"Harry-"

"No, Ron, not now. We'll talk about this later. Now, I want to see Hermione. I want to see the mother of my son."

The room went silent.

The Healer came near him and said, "Mister Potter, could you give me little James? As you can see, he is very small. You know, he needs to rest. And I think Poppy wants to talk to you."

"Oh, sure."

And he gave his son to the Healer, who took him and left.

"Mister Potter, Harry, we need to talk," Harry heard Madam Pomfrey say. "We need to talk about Miss Granger."

"What about her? She will be fine, right? May I see her? I know she's probably sleeping. She must be very tired but I really-"

"Harry, first, I need you to sit down."

"Why? Has something happened? Why is everyone looking at me like that? Ron? Remus? Professor McGonagall? Please, tell me she is okay."

Madam Pomfrey took a long breath and told Harry about Hermione's pregnancy and everything else.

"No, it's not true," he said, shaking his head. "I know she will be alright. Okay, she was attacked but that woman managed to stop the bleeding and-" This had to be some kind of sick joke. No, he couldn't go through this pain all over again.

"Harry, the attack had nothing to do with this. She was already dying before. She knew she was dying Harry."

"But why? If she knew, why didn't she stop the pregnancy? I-I- already love my baby but -but ..."

"She thought you didn't love her, Harry," said Ron.

"But I love her! You know that! She can't- no! She can't die," he cried in despair.

Please, please, god! Please, tell me this isn't happening!

"I am really sorry, Harry," said Madam Pomfrey, looking sadly at the young wizard.

"No, I don't want your sorrow. There must be a way- my mum! My mum was also a Muggleborn and-"

"Yes, Harry, Lily Potter had the same problem but at that time there was a way-"

"So, it's perfect! You can save Hermione, right? You saved my mum, right?"

"No, it wasn't me-" Then, unexpectedly, the Infirmary door flew open and a person entered.

Everybody looked at the person in shock, their wands raised.

"What the hell is he doing here?" someone yelled.

"Stupefy him!" another cried.

But Luna Lovegood vaguely recognized the clothes-his voice, and to everyone's surprise, she yelled, "No! Don't harm him!"

"Luna, he is-" Ron was saying when she interrupted him.

"No, Ronald! You don't understand! It was him! He saved us in Hogsmeade! It was him who told me to cast my Patronus!"

Severus Snape had returned to Hogwarts.

+++++++++++++++++++