Stealing the Stars

Everything happened so fast. Spells flashing like a strobe light all around him, bodies falling heavily to the ground, screams of pain or terror, agonising and horrible as they were sharply cut off or ended in a weak gurgle, audible over the general din of the destruction of Diagon Alley.

The curse came out of nowhere. One moment, Ron was beside him, and the next a flash of green stole his best friend's life. Harry never even saw the wizard who'd cast it; if he had, the Death Eater's fate would have been much more prolonged and painful than a quick green Avada Kedavra.

Another spell rocketed past his head, and he was yanked forcefully from his reminscences about his seven-year friendship with Ron, his memories stretching back all the way to first year, and that day on the train. He didn't know where Hermione was, and spared a brief moment to be grateful that she hadn't been there to witness her boyfriend's death. Finding out afterwards was going to be hard enough on her.

He knelt down and slowly gathered Ron's limp body towards his chest, totally oblivious to the battle raging around him. He Apparated away from the mayhem seconds before a Dark curse struck the place he'd been kneeling.

He appeared right on the Weasley's doorstep, and found that the energy had simply drained out of his body. He couldn't even lift himself up off the ground to knock on the door.

"Molly!" Anguish twisted his voice. He needed to get away from there. Too many memories were crowding into his brain, and when they learned of Ron's fate, there would be too much grief. He couldn't deal with it yet. "Molly! Arthur! Somebody!"

The door opened so quickly it nearly came off it's hinges. Molly Weasley stood there, wand out, looking fit to do murder. When she saw Harry, the wand lowered. "Harry, what-" Her eyes fell on Ron's body, and he could see the shock of it go straight through her. Arthur appeared behind her as she sank to her knees and gathered Ron's body from Harry's arms.

"Harry," Arthur began. Harry shook his head.

"There was an attack on Diagon Alley," he explained, the urge to get away even stronger than before. "I never saw who cast the curse," he added, and then flung himself to his feet. Arthur's arms went around his sobbing wife as he absorbed this news. Harry half-walked, half-stumbled away from the house. He looked back once, memories flashing through his mind like the spells in the Alley, too quick to hold onto for more than a second.

"G'bye, mate," he whispered softly, and Disapparated.

-o0o-

He found himself outside Hogwarts. Hermione'll be here, he thought numbly. Gotta tell her.

Gathering his scattered thoughts, he sent a Patronus into the castle as he pushed past the gates and started across the great lawn. Hermione flew out the doors ahead of him, her feet barely touching the ground as she hurried towards him.

"Oh, Harry!" she shouted. "I just got the news - the attack on Diagon Alley - where's Ron?"

He flung his arms around her as they reached one another, and shook his head. "He didn't make it," he whispered. Her grip tightened to the point of pain, her face white. At the first sniffle from her, his control broke, and they knelt on the grass in front of Hogwarts, sobbing together.

After a while, Harry became aware that they had an audience. A quick glance up confused him, and he wiped his eyes. "Hermione, why are there students here?"

She visibly pulled herself together. "Hogwarts is the safest place for any of them to be right now," she whispered. "Less chance of an attack that way."

All those shoppers in Diagon Alley hadn't thought an attack possible, either, Harry thought bitterly, and his throat closed around the grief he could find no outlet for, despite his brief tears.

The air around them grew heated, and Harry became aware of a faint hissing sound. He could see the students could hear it, too, and they all looked around for the source. It was Hermione who looked up first, and she screamed piercingly, pulling away from Harry and racing towards the students. Harry looked up, dread settling in his stomach like an iron cannonball. A massive fireball was whistling through the sky, falling straight towards Hogwarts. His instincts kicked in belatedly, and he was on his feet and running from the oncoming fire. The smoke left a great scar across the sky, and the impact as it struck the school shook the ground.

Safe, he snorted to himself. He looked back to assess the damage. Most of Hogwarts had been instantly incinerated in the blast. He could see, almost as if in slow motion, a wave of flame originating in the school traveling outwards. The people closest to the ring of fire were knocked off their feet by its force, some rolling to put the flames out, others simply lying where they'd dropped. The people inside the castle itself hadn't even had time to scream before they'd died.

Harry took it all in with wide eyes, dropping to the ground to allow the ring to pass over him. The heat seared his back, but it was an almost welcome counterpoint to the icy agony in his chest as he realised that Voldemort's coup over the Wizarding world at large was complete. He wouldn't be surprised to learn that Ministry had also been attacked simultaneously.

He suddenly remembered Hermione. She was closer than she had been; the shockwave had thrown her backwards as she ran towards the school. Harry crawled towards her, his lungs burning with smoke and his eyes stinging painfully. "Herm-" He coughed, and tried again. "Hermione!"

Hogwarts was a burned out husk. Diagon Alley would never be the same. Ron was dead. He just couldn't lose Hermione, too, he couldn't!

Her skin was literally charred black, her hair mostly burned away with her clothes. He was afraid to touch her, to even breathe lest she turn to ash and blow away. She made a weak, wheezing noise, and he realised she was still alive. They had no warning, he thought. There were just kids in there.

A powerful hatred for Voldemort rose up in his chest, but it was drowned out by a familiar whistling noise. He could feel the blood drain out of his face as the heat returned. Another fireball appeared in the sky, veering north towards Hogsmeade.

This time, he heard the screaming as the people of the small Wizarding town tried to flee - they had had some warning, having seen the first fire fall upon Hogwarts and decimate it. Closing his eyes, Harry knelt close to Hermione and trembled at the death and destruction of everything he held dear.

He sat like that for a long time without moving. Night fell before he stirred, laying his robes down over Hermione's still - but living - body. He carefully left her face uncovered, lest someone mistake her for being dead.

Taking up his wand, Harry walked slowly, painfully off Hogwarts' grounds. This time, he didn't look back.