Empty souls

12. The death sentence.

Harry was distracted. Dobby was at his side one minute and the other, he wasn’t. He was going to call to Tonks but... she wasn’t either... and he panicked. ‘¿What this means?’ thought Harry, but that musement had to stop because a new death-eater was aiming at his temple almost touching it.

“Well, well, well” said the luring voice of the masked bloke. “¿Isn’t the famous Harry Potter himself? A chance like this only every century... to have your enemy in your clutches.” This last word came out choked as he began to laugh.

Harry was still. Didn’t move, didn’t breath. He thought in knock the bastard with a discretly punch, but didn’t. Not for fear, but rather because suddenly, the death-eater fell like a big potatoes’ bag. Harry coulnd’t believe it, he was a heartbeat to be cursed and next thing he knew, the bloody bastard fell bonelessly. When he turned to see who his savior was. Could apreaciate first a wand, then a hand, and behind that hand was the dampened face of Neville, panting like he ran a marathon.

“¡Damn, Harry!” snorted Neville “¿What the hell were you thinking letting your guard down like that?”

For all replay, Harry extended his wand-arm and seemed to be pointing directly at Neville’s forehead. His friend frightened on the spot at seeing Harry aiming at him, but then, understood when his green eyes moved, indicating to dove aside. And he did instantly. As soon as Neville cleared, Harry shoot a silent stunner and two bodies flung meters away. Then, he extended a hand to Neville’s body that was half laying on the floor.

“Thanks” said Neville letting being help by Harry.

“Any time... I must say that it should be me to say thank you.”

But the room for words was over when beams of multicoloured light passed them by inches of their heads and immediatly lifted barriers around them.

“¿May I ask what are you doing here?”

“The fight outside was unbelivable, fortunately we got some help.”

“¿What do you mean?” asked Harry gripping Neville’s arm and dragging him behind a wall.

“Hagrid’s here” panted Neville and Harry’s eyes widened. “ and not only him... Scrimgeour is right outside. Seagam sent me here because it seems that the other mirrors aren’t working. ¿Where’s Tonks?”

“¡¿What?! ¡¿Scrimgeour?! ¡Damn it!” Harry peered a glance at the place but didn’t see anyone retracted to his previous post. “I would like to know where Tonks is, or Bill for that matter. No idea where_”

At that moment, Harry stopped to talk because a silver arrow crossed Neville’s stomach and he fell on his knees. Then Neville pushed Harry so hard that the green-eyed fell away from his friend just in the same moment a green light was through the place where his head was an instant before. When he landed, Harry’s right elbow produced a loud crack against the marbel floor, signaling that the bone broke and making his wand flew off his grip. The next thing he saw was a red light in front of his very eyes.

Neville saw when the death-eater shout a stunning at Harry’s forehead, the bloke still pointing his wand at the form of his friend and tried to stand up to help him.

The death-eater was smirking and Neville’s mind could appreciate the next action and ordered his body to stand on his feet, even if his stomach hurted him this much and was bleeding. Then, he heard the death-eater saying the beginning of the killing curse.

With a loud roar, Neville flung his own body against the masked foe before the killing curse left his mouth and both men landed on the floor, sliped from the blood that was already pooling from the corpses scattered, until the death-eater smashed his head HARD with a wall, immediatly leaving him unconcious or dead, didn’t mattered for Neville if his friend was alive, which he was.

A set of footsteps running catched Neville’s atention and saw that it was Remus whom crouched beside Harry and checking his pulse let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Suddenly, a voice boomed in the manor like a thunder.

“¡Surrender now!” the booming voice exclaimed. “¡You’re surrounded by ministry aurors inforcement!”

Remus turned to the place the voice came and saw non other than Scrimgeour in his black and red cloak. At his side the auror’s head leader, both men, with the rest of the ministry back-up. The death-eaters that were still on the fight, tried in vain to apparate. They didn’t know yet that Lucius was dead which means that the wards of the manor were non-existent. But even that, they tried and had no results at all, because the new comers build an anti-apparition ward.

“¡Drop your wands!” ordered Scrimgeour. Few of the presents did, but others didn’t. Those who were on the stairs or upstairs, ran for the upper floor but instantly were knocked out with stunners. The light side only lowered their wands but nonthing else. Then, a group of ten people, wands at the ready, began to ascend the stairs to check the rest of the manor. Shacklebolt and Moody approached where Remus, Harry and Neville were.

“¿How’s him?” asked Kingsley.

“Was stunned, but I think he’s ok... wait.” Said Remus when he saw Harry’s right arm in an odd angle, then looked Neville’s body crumpled on the floor unconcious.

Kingsley understood and making a signal, a woman walked rapidly and kneeled to inspect Neville’s body. It was Hestia Jones; she was dirty and had stains of blood in her but much in the work at hand. With a few flicks of her wand, the wound in Neville’s stomach fixed itself.

“He lost a lot of blood” said Hestia while her wand wavered over him, then turned to see Remus. “He need to be checked and replinish his blood, or any other inner damage could be fatal.” Crawling, approached to Harry’s body and did the same, wavering her wand above him, “His elbow is broken and he’s internaly bleeding.”

By then, Scrimgeour was walking among bodies on the floor, wandering between the people that was still unconcious, looking for the responsible of this ruckus.

“Mad-eye and I will go with Screimgeour, while you and Hestia go to the hospital wing at Hogwarts.” Addresed Kingsley lookiing strigh at Remus’ eyes. Hestia and him nodded and with a flick of Remus’ wand, Neville’s body got to them floating.

When Harry was tightly gripped by The marauder’s hand and with his other clutching Neville’s, Hestia pulled out an orb, activated the temporary portkey, and the four left in a rush of colours, but not before Remus said to Mad-eye:

“Don’t say anything about Hermione.”

+ + + + + + + + + + +


TWO HOURS EARLIER...


“When was your last appointment with a healer?”

“A year and a half ago.”

“¿That long? Mmmmhh... ¿Since when are you vomiting?”

“Few days ago... but today was with blood.”

Healer Jacobson was called by his niece Angelina. She had to say it was an emergency because Ginny was worse. Her breaths were swallow and in a harsh gasps of pain, sweating profusely by a fever unknown.

Molly was crying her eyes out, and Fleur trying to calm her down, gave her a tea with a bit of firewhisky. Luna and Kate were beside Angelina in Ginny’s room.

Since Healer Jacobson couldn’t check her properly in St.Mungo’s, didn’t say if Ginny was pregnant or not... the Healer confirm that she wasn’t and Molly cried even harder.

“It may be for a curse” intervened Luna without a bit of dreamness in her voice and all the presents turned to see her.

“¿What do you mean exactly?” asked Kate that was at Luna’s side.

“She was in the battle, along with us... but she was struck by a ray of orange light with little sparks of blue... I don’t know.” Replied lowering her eyes to inspect her shoes, unable to look directly at anyone’s eyes.

“It can’t be...” whispered Molly sternely and glanced at Ginny’s face. “You didn’t say that. ¿Why?”

“I don’t remember” Ginny coughed deeply and when it subside, continued “I didn’t see it coming, just... I was blasted to the ground close to where Ron was... and he helped me but...” she coughed again and Healer Jacobson had to make her sit to cough properly but the hand that was covering Ginny’s mouth was splitted with blood.

“I don’t know a curse that actually can do this, unless...” the Healer stopped in his tracks, afraid to say out loud what was through his mind.

When the Healer didn’t finish, Molly stopped her cry and reached for the Healer’s arms, shaking him off his reviere.

“¡What!” yelled Molly and Fleur ran to them to try and stop her mother-in-law. “¿What were you going to say ? ¡Tell us!”

“Calm down, Molly.” Said Fleur soothingly, gripping Molly’s shoulders. “Vlease.”

“¡No! ¡Don’t tell me to calm down because is MY daughter who’s in this state!”

The healer that was avoiding Molly’s eyes at all costs, rose again to see her blue orbs, swollen and full of new tears. Healer Jacobson sighed deeply and gripped Molly’s wrist. The woman made silence and glared at the Healer and then, she knew.

“This kind of curse” began the Healer, his voice full of concern and seriousness, and his eyes flooded with sadness and resignation. “wasn’t used since Grindelwald. The warlocks used it to execut traitors. The performer need to be trained in his or her skills to do it properly... few, very few could succed. It can cause internal damage... severely wounded in few and strategical places for it not to be found... until the decease.”

“Then... she-she’s going... to die?” came in gasps the voice of Molly whose eyes were wide in fear.

“I don’t know... if it was performed in the proper way, she’ll be dead in a few days... if not, we can find a solution.”

“¿How do we know?”

“Unfortunately, that is something that I can’t say. The curse already was activated in her system... is hard to say if I’ll find a cure.”

“¡There has to be! ¡There has!” yelled Molly and ran to Ginny’s trembling form.

“It’s ok, mum.” Whispered Ginny hugging her mother. “It’s ok... I’m sure there is a way.” Ginny was trying to be brave, but her eyes were dark, thinking the worst.

Angelina, Luna and Kate dragged the Healer out of the room, closing the door behind them and cornered him.

“Uncle... ¿Are you sure that you can find a cure?”

“I’ll do a research and talk with my colleages in St.Mungo’s but... if we do, I just hope that it can be on time. If the girl had been checked before the damage, she could had been saved, but now... I’m afraid that in three or four days...” Healer Jacobson left suspended the end of the sentence, and the girls’ eyes flooded with tears of what was about to come.

+ + + + + + + + + + +

When Hermione and Tonks arrived at the hospital wing in Hogwarts, the pregnant girl almost lost her balance, but the auror held her tight and called for Madame Pomfrey. The nurse came running from her offince with an obvious annoyed face, but then she paled at the sight before her and ran to them.

“¡Merlin, child!” exclaimed the nurse in her gown robe helping Tonks to support a weak Hermione that could barely stand on her feet. “¿What’d happened? Here, here... to the bed.” Said Pomfrey grunting while she and Tonks pulled Hermione to a nearby bed that fortunately, was a few steps.

Once the girl was lying, Pomfrey worriedly asked while wavering her wand over Hermione’s body.

“¿What happened to her, Tonks? ¿Is she hurt?”

“Remus tried to heal her wounds, but...”

“¡She’s pregnant!” exclaimed the nurse interrupting Tonks explanation and the young auror just frowned and nodded.

“Please... let me go” said Hermione between a whisper and a moan.

“¡Of course not!” said Pomfrey shocked while her wand made more movements. “You need to be healed, girl.”

“Remus already did it.” Pleaded Hermione and tried to sit but Tonks held her firmly against the bed.

“He just did it superficial... and lost a good amount of blood for a pregnant woman... you would lose your baby if you aren’t healed correctly.” Pomfrey glared at Hermione’s paled face. “¿Do you want to lose it?”

“No” whispered Hermione, tears cascading from her eyes.

“Then, shut up and stand still while I’m going to collect the potions for your body. Tonks, don’t let her move.” And Tonks surely won’t let Hermone move. The pregnant girl was crying silently and her muffled sobs moved her body a little, making Tonks turn around to see the face of the wailing girl. She seemed to be tortured by thoughts that Tonks didn’t even want to know... or imagine for that matter. The nurse left the ward and only the auror and the girl were there.

“¿Where were you? We’ve been looking for you everywhere... afraid that you were captured and killed... ¿Why Hermione?” but the girl remained silent. “¿Is it because you’re pregnant?”

Hermione avoid Tonks’ gaze in attempt of not get weaker at the auror’s plead. She knew that it would be better if she said everything she has on her mind, but the thought and image of Ron’s dead body... and what everyone could think of her... so coward... so afraid... so alone... ‘so selfish’ she thought. Sighing, Hermione relate to Tonks why she left and whom the baby is but never mentioned where she was all this time... she was planning to escape once the healing was done. She even confess how she found out about the attack in St.Mungo’s and the whole ordeal in Malfoy Manor.

“I understand, Hermione.” Said Tonks with tears in her eyes. “But at the same time, I don’t” she sighed “No one hate you, I’m sure of that. Harry even had a hard time with Ginny because you ran away so... so... carelessly... irresponsibly... ¡Damn it, girl! ¡You should at least send an owl!” now Tonks was really pissed off.

“He... he hasn’t... he mustn’... he should had stood aside... it’s not his problem, it doesn’t concern him.”

“¿How could you said that? I can’t believe it... he’s your best friend... ¡Of course this concern him! ¡Not only him, but all of us! We love you.” Hermione shook her head as though she was cancelling that affirmation, the reality that subconciously she knew but denied because... “Harry-is-worried-for-you.” Every word left Tonks’ mouth as a matter of fact, giving her an understatement that there was something else. In tonks’ mind was like saying ‘Harry loves you’. Of course she knew, Remus told her about the talk with The-man-who-lived and this bit of information about the baby made her shudder. “You took Ginny’s place in Malfoy’s cluthces... if Remus and Mad-eye hadn’t got to you... ¿What about the baby? ¿What about Harry? ¡Didn’t you stop to think?”

“I was planning to escape.”

“¡¿How?!” yelled Tonks shocked beyond belief. “I saw that room... ¿Were they going to rape you? I know they were... just look at your wrists.” And Tonks lifted Hermione’s hands with hers, both girls crying. “Harry’s going to get mad once he knows that_”

“¡NO!” yelled Hermione pulling her hands away and trying to lift from the bed in attempt to escape, but Tonks was faster and held her with one hand while the other pointed her wand to her temple.

“Don’t” the voice of the auror was final “don’t make me, Hermione.”

Feeling helpless, obeyed leaving the weight of her body remained lying on the bed. An instant later, Pomfrey came with a trail of potions on a tray floating at her side and the three of them remained silent the whole ten minutes the nurse took to check on the pregnant one.

Suddenly, a blur of colours made a flash in the middle of the ward and, as the auror she was, Tonks pointed her wand just to lower it the instant she spotted Remus’ face... Hestia’s... and shockingly, Harry’s and Neville’s forms.

“¡God! ¡Remus!” exclaimed Tonks and Pomfrey screeched.

“¡Oh my god!” yelled Hermione once the form of Harry’s body was completely on sight.

“Pomfrey” called Hestia hurriedly making signal for the nurse to help them. Carefully, Remus and Hestia used the locomotor charm on the two bodies and let them over two beds. Pomfrey and Hestia Jones began to check the boy’s injuries and Remus ran to Tonks hugging her tightly.

“¿What happened?” asked a worried Hermione.

“They’re fine... well as fine as they can be.” Said Remus with a sigh. Though, he was terrified that Hermione’s face was pale more than ever. “¿How’re you doing?”

“I don’t know.” Replied Hermione shyly.

“She’ll be fine. Pomfrey just gave her a few potions but said she’ll be ok in two or three days.” Comented Tonks. At hearing this, Remus’ breath was from relief. He was so afraid for their sake that felt like the weight of Atlas was lifting from his shoulders.

“I wouldn’t forgive my self if...”

“Shh love, don’t say it. Don’teven think on it.” Said Tonks and Remus nodded. They turned to see Hermione.

“We need to talk, Hermione.”

“I don’t.”

“But we will... Scrimgeour is in Malfoy Manor right now.” Tonks eyes widened at hear from Remus’ mouth that piece of information. “They’re going to find Lucius’ body.”

“You won’t let that happen... will you?”

“Mad-eye is informing right now to Kingsley about your... performance. We will look for something to help you, Hermione. We’ll alegate that you did it as an attempt to save yourself. It may not be by magic... but was a murder all-the-same.” Remus reached Hermione’s left cheek and caressed with his thumb soothingly. “We aren’t going to abandon you... we’ll fight for you, so rest... you need it. Right now I’m going to McGonagall’s office to talk with her, I bet she’s awake still... I want to talk to Dumbledore’s portrait too. Everything will be fine. I promise.” With this, Remus bent down and kissed Hermione on her forehead, then turned to his wife and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Take care of her for me, would you?”

“Sure.”

Remus gave a last look to Harry and Neville, said a few words to Madame Pomfrey that, whatever he said, Pomfrey just nodded and left the hospital wingg while Hermione and Tonks watched. Then, the female auror looked at Hermione. The pregnant girl didn’t whimper or sob... but her sad eyes were leaking silent tears gazing Harry’s form lying limp on the bed, two beds at her side.

“¿Will he be ok?”

“I’m sure of that” reasured Tonks with hopefull eyes and voice. “Voldemort couldn’t kill him... ¿Why a buch of death-eaters would?” at least this bit made Hermione smile... but it was a progress. Tonks seated at the foot of her bed and both girls just watched Madame Pomfrey and Hestia Jones tending the injuries. Both women were moving here and there, wavering their wandsand applying balm on their bodies once they pulled off their clothes. When this happened, Hermione blushed furiously and turned her face to the opposite side. This action didn’t pass unnoticed by Tonks, that kept discretly glancing from the corner of her eyes with a little smile.

An hour and a half later. Madame Pomfrey surrounded the beds with curtains and got close to Hermione to check on her once again.

“You must sleep now” said the nurse and gave her a flask “drink it all.”

“¿How’s my baby?”

“The baby’ll be fine. Just remain lying. You need to regain your strenght for the baby’s sake.”

“¿And Neville and... Harry?” Hermione asked while looking to the curtains as though she had eyes like Moody’s magical one. Pomfrey didn’r reply instantly, but thought what to say.

“Even when Neville’s condition was apparently worse, he was bleeding internaly, Harry’s body was the most affected. Shhh, child. Don’t make a ruckus.” Scolded Pomfrey because Hermione began to gasp alarmingly. “He has a bruise on the skull, severely cursees, two of them were the cruciatus curse, a broken elbow and arm which broke in six peices, and a bruise in the liver... but other than that was acceptable fine. He’ll recover in no time.”

“Thank you, Madame Pomfrey.” Said Tonks grateful to the nurse that nodded.

“It’s a pleasure and my job, though I’m thinking to ask for a rise ... including extra hours.” Pomfrey gave the girls a wink, then suddenly turned serious. “Hermione, take your potion and sleep. I’ll be back in an hour. The boys will sleep for at least eight hours. ¿Are you ok, Tonks?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I had just a few light bruises, nothig that a good sleep couldn’t heal.”

The nurse nodded and left the hospital wing in silence. Hestia approached where Tonks and Hermione were and, taking a chair, she sated beside the bed, facing both women speculatively.

“It’s amaizing” said Hestia Jones in a voice that barely held simpathy “that someone like you had risked your and your baby’s lives the way you did.”

“Hestia...” began Tonks in a warning tone.

“Don’t ‘Hestia’ me, Nymphadora.” The young auror glared at the witch but she merely noticed because Hestia turned to Hermione’s face. “I want to make sure that you were aware of the situation. I don’t bloody know what made you confront Malfoy himself. But you did wrong, child.”

“No” retort a furious Hermione. “I didn’t do wrong. It was my choice.”

“But not your baby’s choice.”

“That just concern me and no one else.”

“Well, but that just leave me wonder what kind of person you are... I mean, we all risk our lives to save you.”

“You know very well that that is not truth, Hestia.” Argued Tonks. Her face was red with anger and worry. “Sure we were there to rescue her, but to brake down death-eaters forces too. You can’t be serious, Jones.”

“Whatever” dismissed Hestia as though what Tonks said had no point. “All I want now is make this girl to see what’s on risk doing things before thinking them through.”

“Drop it, Jones. I warn you.”

“No, Tonks.” Placate Hermione, her voice full of selfassurance. “Leave her say her piece of mind. I know what I did, and know that it was the better course of action. No one else could.”

Hestia shooked her head in denial but remained silent. Hermione felt more weak than ever and began to drift off to sleep. Tonks approached to her face and before the girl closed her eyes, the young auror said.

“It’ll be fine. I’m here. I’ll protect you... all of us.”

+ + + + + + + + + + +

Two hours later, a house elf sneaked into the hospital wing and ask for Tonks presence in Headmisstress’ office, leaving Hestia watching the two boys and the girl. Once McGonagall, Tonks and Remus were there, talked about the recent events; what they saw, what they heard, who was dead or alive and what was to come because now the ministry (or rather Scrimgeour) would like an explanation.

Aside from the boredoom of the bureaucracy, which implied hundreds and hundreds of forms to fill, was more now the attention of the well being of the Order and their allies.

Tonks pointed out what would they do with the reporters of the Prophet. Suirely Rita Skeeter will be harassing the ministry incesantly for her sensacionalist and disgusting reports. McGonagall, with a scowl and a curse at the heavens (something that she never does, at least not in front of anyone), said that Rita Skeeter may as well kiss her arse (this last left Remus and Tonks eyes wide opened and Dumbledore’s portrait chuckling discretely with a glare of Minerva McGonagall).

While they were getting reports from the other portraits that visited their other frames, Phineas Nigellus appeared in his own panting, relating what was happening in Black Manor. Their hearts sunk when they found out that Ginny’s death sentence was already writed.