Living in Darkness

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Chapter 16: The Aftermath

Harry looked into the cold red slits of Lord Voldemort. He smirked, proud that he had caught him off guard.

"Surprised to see me?" Harry asked, his wand at the ready.

Voldemort stood, his wand drawn and hissed, "Why, you're late actually. I expected you shortly after I had Dumbledore murdered."

Harry's face darkened.

"Or after your precious wife went missing... You do know what happened to her, don't you?"

Harry looked ready to murder as Voldemort spoke again.

"Why, she screamed helplessly as young Malfoy stabbed her repeatedly until she bled to death..."

Harry shouted the killing curse, missing Voldemort by a thread.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" Voldemort laughed and cast a curse, which Harry easily blocked.

"Oh, I see you've been practicing since our last meeting," he said, in a normal tone, "but is it futile Potter, you can't kill me."

It was Harry's turn to laugh.

"See Tom, that's where you're wrong. Now listen carefully, because I am only going to say this once. I destroyed all of your horcruxes... and now I will destroy you."

Voldemort looked at Harry closely as the sneer slid of his face.

"You're lying," he hissed, shouting another curse at Harry.

Harry blocked it and shook his head.

"All seven of them...This is for Ginny," Harry said in a deadly tone.

"AVADA KEDAVRA," Harry shouted, striking Voldemort dead in the chest. His body made a dull thud as it hit the stone floor beneath him, his expression of disbelief clearly etched into his face.

Harry felt a strange sensation course through his veins as he looked at Voldemort's dead body. Harry felt a sudden rush of tears flood to his eyes as he fell to his knees.

It's finally all over, Harry thought, but somehow it hurts now worse than ever.

Ginny's face was all he could see ...and then Malfoy... stabbing her to death...

XXX

Hermione and Ron finally found Harry kneeling in the floor... and Voldemort's dead body lying across the room. Harry looked unscathed.

Hermione sat in the floor opposite him and looked at him.

"Harry," she whispered. He looked up sharply.

"Hermione," he said, relieved, "I'm glad you're alright.

"Harry, you did it, you killed him... what's wrong?"

Harry looked up at her.

"Hermione, it was Malfoy... he killed Ginny." Hermione felt her heart sink. He knew.

XXX

Draco walked silently down the corridor thinking about what his father had told him. He suddenly felt a strange healing sensation on his left arm and he pulled back his sleeve. Draco nearly forgot to breathe as he looked at his arm. It was healed and was suddenly unmarred. The Dark Mark was gone.


There's no way, Draco thought.

He quickened his pace, not believing that the Dark Lord had been defeated. He soon found the Dark Lord's main quarter's and pushed open the door.

The sight before him was unexpected to say the least. Potter and Granger were in the floor, her arms wrapped around him. Weasley was standing there staring at a body. Draco shifted his gaze to follow Weasley's and audibly gasped.

The Dark Lord... was ... dead...

Draco walked past Hermione who was now staring at him in horror, but he didn't even notice.

Draco stood over the Dark Lord's body staring at him. He was really dead. He had been defeated.

Draco stood there for several moments in utter shock until he heard Potter shout his name.

Harry was standing there looking at Malfoy with hatred burning in his eyes.

Draco looked up at him, still in shock... Potter looked like he could use a scotch...

"Harry, please, don't do this," Hermione begged, looking at him desperately, but he seemed to not notice.

"Malfoy. Raise your wand." Draco just looked at him in silence. He knew. He knew he killed Ginny. Draco let his wand fall out of his grasp.

"Just do it Potter, you deserve to kill me," Draco said, not looking at Hermione. She was staring at him in silent shock at what he was doing.

He only saw the slight shake of her head as Potter shouted the killing curse.

Draco barely felt it hit his chest.

XXX

The surviving Order members found the Golden Trio in a strange state when finishing off the remaining Death Eaters.

They slowly filed into the room, preparing themselves for what they may find. However, what they saw was unexpected.

Harry was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed and his wand lying at his side, unresponsive to everyone. Hermione was sobbing over Draco Malfoy's dead body and Ron was looking frantically back and forth, desperately trying to come up with a solution.

But one thing was clear... the Dark Lord had been defeated.

XXX

Three Days Later

Hermione took a deep breath. It was now or never.

She stepped up onto the stage. She knew everyone was staring at her... waiting to hear what she had to say. She looked terrible, but she hid it. She hid it for Harry's sake... so he didn't have something else to worry about. She cast the charm on her vocals. Hermione looked out into the crowd. There were so many people here... so many people here that lost someone.

She had only just recently learned of what became of Fleur and Mrs. Weasley. Harry could barley get the words out. He seemed so distant now... more so than before...

"Hello..." her voice was loud and the room was in dead silence. She paused, trying to remember why she agreed to do this.

"I want to thank everyone for coming today... with the war still fresh in our minds. Everyone here is aware of the true horrors that were forced upon us... and that we will find a way to overcome it. Many of us have lost several friends and family members' dear to our hearts... but they did not die in vain. They died for a cause... they died so that we can be here today, to live our lives without the darkness surrounding us. They died... so that those left could move on..." Hermione felt her breath catch...

The entire room was watching her... waiting for her next words... but she couldn't speak...

The air was clean and pure... no darkness here to pollute it... but it was suffocating her. She closed her eyes.

It was all around her... She dispelled the charm and looked at Ron. He gently took her arm and led her away from the stage and let her sit down. Harry glanced at her, his eyes dark as he stood up. It had been only moments after Draco hit the floor that Hermione rushed to his side and sobbed hysterically.

Harry had watched her in horror realizing what he had done... What kind of person had he become, he wasn't even sure he had done it... just like he wasn't sure Fleur had done it... It didn't even matter if Malfoy had done it; Hermione was hurt now because of him. He faced the crowd of people, awaiting his statement. It was the official war trials, but to Harry and everyone else, it was a memorial. There were no prisoners to convict, so it was simply what had taken place. And it was a public event.

Hermione watched him sadly... this war had destroyed him. It was too much for one person to bear... it wasn't fair. She listened in silence as Harry started to speak, trying desperately to stop thinking of him... She wouldn't allow herself to blame Harry... she simply wouldn't allow it.

"I want everyone to take comfort in the fact that Lord Voldemort is dead. Take much joy in this fact, because it is the only joy that has come from this war. Thousands have died from England alone and now the world faces our crisis. As we all continue our faded paths of normalcy that we no longer recognize, do not turn your head when we are called upon from another. Lord Voldemort had several organizations set up across the world that he activated when he was attacked. Now wizarding societies face the dark arts in a very brutal attack. While our war is essentially over, we are still involved... We are involved because I didn't see this and stop it before it was too late. Now, while England is shielded from the darkness, it's shadow is cast upon us and it will soon devour the light we want so desperately to last if we ignore it," Harry suddenly looked up at the people before him.

"This was has made murder's of us all...including myself and those closest to my heart. The day I was informed that defeating the Dark Lord would be my duty... I never dreamed this could ever have happened..." Harry's eyes dropped to the floor again. He nodded his head in finality and stepped down.

XXX

Two Weeks later

Hermione was alone sitting in her apartment thinking. She let out a hollow laugh. She was hardly thinking... she was being down right pitiful.

She wiped the tears out of her eyes. Nothing had turned out right. She felt hot as she ran to the bathroom again, vomiting painfully.

She had spent the last two weeks thinking about what things could have been like... but it would never be...

Hermione glanced at the clock. She had promised Harry she would meet him soon. She hadn't seen him for two weeks. She scarcely wanted anything to do with the Ministry... they had tried to recruit her, but she declined without reason. She needed peace, but she couldn't help but feel horrible every time she read a new headline in the prophet about new deaths in this city and muggles attacked in this city...

It was like waking up from a nightmare, only to find reality is only worse and you wish you could go back to sleep...

Hermione soon found herself at Harry's door. She let herself in.

She found him lying on his back on the couch, several copies of the Daily Prophet, and other wizarding newspapers as well lie scattered about the floor.

"Harry? Are you alright?" she asked gently. Harry opened his eyes and sat up.

"Oh, hey Hermione... yeah, I'm fine," he lied. Hermione frowned. He was worse.

"Harry, have you eaten lately," she asked sitting down beside him. He looked over at her, his eyed darkened from lack of sleep and food.

He shook his head. Hermione sighed and unclasped her cloak, tossing it to the floor, she noticed the papers again.

"Harry, you've done enough, you really should let the ministry handle this," she said pointedly.

"I know Hermione, it's just I feel partly responsible (Hermione looked away), I don't know what else to do with myself... I feel like I have to be dealing with it... it's like my punishment for what I did..." Harry breathed deeply, wishing Hermione knew how to help him.

"Harry, listen, if anyone should feel responsible, it should be me... I knew about the organizations before Voldemort alerted them...There is a possibility that we could have warned the wizarding societies so the attacks weren't a total surprise..." Harry looked at her strangely.

"How did you know about them Hermione?"

She looked over at him sadly, "Malfoy showed me them. I meant to tell you, but I was preoccupied..." Harry looked to the floor, unsure what she meant.

"Hermione... can I ask you something?"

"Of course Harry, anything."

He paused for a moment, but continued, "That day... what exactly happened with you and Malfoy...when you were gone..."

Hermione closed her eyes. She knew this was going to come sooner or later. She took a deep breath, but felt no comfort in it. It wasn't going to make telling Harry any easier.

"Harry... I'm pregnant."