Broken Emotions

He raised his wand in the air and Harry gasped. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"NOOOO!"

Wormtail jumped in front of Ginny taking the full blast of the curse. His body shook and he crumpled to the ground in front of her and Voldemort's feet. Harry yanked out his wand and tried to walk through the invisible barrier. He found he could and raised his wand to attack and yelled, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Voldemort hadn't time to react to Wormtail killing himself for the little girl's sake, let alone time to react to Harry's spell.

Harry was filled with such rage when he had cast the Avada Kedavra curse, but he hoped it was enough.

Surely, Voldemort crumpled to the floor by Wormtail. "You fool," he muttered to Wormtail.

Harry had a moment of silence in his time of shock. He couldn't believe he'd killed Voldemort, and only so easily. Was it a trick? Harry knew that in all good horror movies the antagonist was never dead the first time.But this was no movie.

It was the cold, hard reality.

So, keeping his wand locked on Voldemort's chest, he walked around him in a circle to his head and kicked it. It lolled to the other side and he did not move. Harry bent down and checked his pulse and to see if he was breathing. Nothing. Voldemort was dead.

"Mmmm...."

Harry's attention returned back to Ginny who seemed to be stirring (or dying) right in front of him. He fell to his knees beside her and tried to shake her awake.

"Wake up, Gin. Ginny, please, get up," he said desperately. Don't let her be dead. It's my fault if she is. I need her, don't let her be dead. "Ginny, get up!"

There was a gasp of air, and her eyes flickered open. "Harry?" she asked tiredly, reaching up and touching his sweaty, dirty face. "Are you hurt?" she asked, trying to sit up but he forced her to lay in his arms.

"No, I'm fine, you're going to be fine," he whispered, tucking a stray hair out of her face. Relief spilled over him like a cool blanket.

"Where -- is... he?" she said slowly, as if it took work to speak.

"Dead, Ginny. Voldemort is dead," he said quickly and she resolved into happy sobs.

"Harry, I'm sorry I did what I did!" she cried. "But you almost died! I'm sorry!"

"It's alright, love, don't cry. Everything is alright," Harry spoke gently. "It's over. It's all over and now we can return back safe."

Ginny threw herself onto Harry, arms around his neck, nearly knocking him over. "Harry, I'm really, really sorry! I'm a horrible person and I didn't have faith in you! I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "I -- I -- I..."

"Sshhh, Ginny. You're not a horrible person. You saved my life," he continued softly, stroking her hair.

"Harry..." she whimpered on his shoulder.

"Promise me one thing, though?"

"Yes!"

"Don't ever do that again," he said sternly. She looked up at him with teary eyes and sniffled.

She nodded. "I swear this time," she said quietly.

He gave her a grin and helped her stand up. Looking over his shoulder, she saw for the first time, Voldemort's corpse, and let out a shocked scream.

"Oh, Merlin, Harry. He's..." she trailed off, her hand over her mouth.

"Yeah," Harry said. He turned his head back from Voldemort. It was strange looking at a dead person for the millionth time.

"No, not him," Ginny said, her eyes watering again. "Oh dear, Harry, look!"

Harry spun on his heels to the direction of where Ginny pointed. For the tenth time tonight, his heart sank. There on the ground lay Lupin in his werewolf form, either dead or badly maimed.

Ginny ran passed Harry to Lupin and he didn't stop her. He hesistated before following. There was a dog's whimper and for a fleeting moment he'd thought Lupin had survived.

"Harry, come quick!" Ginny shouted.

Harry sprinted over and looked down at the badly injured wolf. It shook all over in what seemed to be pure agony. It was covered in its own blood.

"Ginny, don't touch it. He may bite you," Harry spoke. He knew that even if this was Lupin (and it was) that he was still dangerous. "Come here." He held a hand out to her and she took it, stepping away from the dying animal. Harry knew what he must do. There was no hope for Lupin.

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the werewolf.

"Harry, don't," Ginny tried to say.

"Gin, he'll die either way. I just want it to be... less painful," Harry said. The words were painful enough.

"Avada Kedavra," Harry whispered. A green light shot out from his wand and the convulsing wolf ceased shaking.

Ginny bent down to pet Lupin, stroking his mussed hair down. "He'd not want to have suffered," she sighed. "I know it was best."

"We'll take him back, Gin, and give him better barriel," he said, lifting the wolf in his arms.

"Can we just go back to Hogwarts, now?" Ginny pleaded.

"Of course, Gin," he whispered, leaning down and kissing her gently. He wrapped his free arm about her and imagined the school in his mind. With a loud crack, he, Ginny, and Lupin's animagus form were gone.