The weekend following Valentine's day was a busy one in Hogsmeade; the weekend closest to Valentine's day usually was. Harry and Hermione had ignored the holiday itself but were eager to get out of the castle and spend a few hours just being together. Luna had her date with Jimmy Peakes and seemed to be looking forward to it. Harry and Hermione had agreed that they wouldn't hover over Luna's first date and simply let her get on with it. This meant that for the first time in a long time the three friends were eating separate breakfasts at Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione did wave at their friend as they left for the carriages.
Since neither of them really needed to buy anything, Harry and Hermione had agreed to go exploring away from the town centre. They discovered that only three streets away from the central shopping area there were no students left. Both teenagers enjoyed their walk immensely. It was rare for the two of them not to be surrounded by others clamouring for their attention and the couple was enjoying the rare peace and quiet to the fullest.
"Oh, Harry, look! There's a park over there." Hermione exclaimed as she pointed to what Harry would have described as a glorified garden. "Can we stay here for a moment? Please?" Hermione's eyes were wide with hope and excitement and Harry could only chuckle and nod before he was dragged off. As soon as they passed the boundary to the park Harry could feel that there must be some kind of climate controlling ward around the place. The temperature seemed more fitting to a spring afternoon all of a sudden and the air was heavy with the scent of flowers that had no business blooming in February. He heard a happy gasp from Hermione who immediately shucked her coat.
"This place is marvellous. We need to remember it for the next time we're here, Harry." She was walking around the edge of the small park happily inspecting the flower beds. Harry took the time to remove his own coat and spread it on the grass before plopping down on it to watch Hermione's progress. When she had made a full circuit she practically skipped over to him and sank down next to him before cuddling into his side. She heaved a contented sigh. "This is just what I needed. I could stay here all day."
Harry didn't know about 'all day' but he wasn't averse to sitting here with his girlfriend pressed against him for a while. The peace of the setting was certainly relaxing him and after how busy he had been lately he could really use that. For just that moment there was no need to teach children how to survive a war, no need to learn every curse breaking technique he could to get the ring and no need to think of ways to break into one of the most secure banks in the world. In that moment there was only a normal teenage couple. Neither of them was sure how long they had been sitting there but they both noticed when the temperature started dropping at an alarming, familiar rate. They shot up and looked around for the threat they knew must be present, but they couldn't see anything. Harry wasn't willing to take a chance though and flicked his wand into his hand.
"Expecto Patronum." Prongs appeared and didn't hesitate as it raced away towards the shopping district.
"They're after the students!" Harry and Hermione realised at the same time. They scrambled up, barely remembering to grab their coats and started running back to the town centre. As they threw their coats back on Harry was already working out a plan.
"Mi, find the prefects and get everyone headed back to the school. Youngest ones go in the carriages first. I'll make sure you have some room to work in." Hermione drew her wand and gasping for breath cast her own Patronus. A silvery otter raced off in the opposite direction of the one the stag had already gone in.
"I can help." she told Harry.
"I know that." Harry shot back "I also know that without one of us kicking their arses into gear most of the prefects are useless. We have to split up and, of the two of us, I have the better chances against Riddle and his band of inbreeds." Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to a halt. He looked at her in confusion that was soon lifted as she claimed his mouth in a demanding kiss.
"Don't you dare die out there, Harry James Potter. You are coming back to me, understand?" Harry could hear how much it was costing her to let him go.
"I promise, my Lady." He told her with a grim smile before he gave her one last kiss and headed towards where he thought the attack was happening. It was an easy choice of direction as he just followed the screams and explosions. The first thing he saw of the battle was a cloud of black cloaks fleeing into the sky, chased by a glowing woodland creature. Unfortunately there were still two dozen black cloaks standing around looking up in surprise at the sight through bone-white masks. Harry could see the smouldering wreckage of several buildings surrounding the raiding party and even two small bodies lying half buried under the debris. Letting his rage flare his magic Harry took aim and cast the Siege Engine Curse.
The Siege Engine Curse was designed in the Middle Ages to do enough physical damage to bring a six-foot thick castle wall crumbling down. When applied to human targets the results tended to be messy as the Death Eaters had learned in the graveyard. This time Harry could aim. Half a dozen Death Eaters were torn apart by the curse's impact and the rest of the party were splattered by the fine red mist they turned into. Harry used the screams and cursing of the Death Eaters to cover his apparition. This was a piece of magic he had yet to use since he didn't want Riddle catching on to his ability to use it yet. The amount of dust in the air made any kind of invisibility useless though. That meant that apparition based guerrilla tactics were his best bet against, frankly, overwhelming odds. Harry was just going to have to hope that Riddle wasn't here today. When he reappeared a third of the way around the group Harry fired of a brace of Reductor Curses. He didn't wait to see if he had hit something but apparated to a rooftop on the other side of the group.
"Shields!" shouted one of the Death Eaters as four of their number died gruesome deaths. One was missing his head the others were missing significant parts of their torsos. The Death Eater who had yelled out the command was instantly obeyed, but with the logic Harry might have come to expect from pure-blood wizards they all shielded only in the direction the last attacks had come from, leaving themselves completely open on the side he was standing on. Harry knew he couldn't afford to waste this opportunity now that the Death Eaters had recovered from their surprise at his first attacks.
"Coracis. Coracis." Once again the Siege Engine curse tore into the ranks of the Death Eaters. They had spread out slightly and his two curses turned a total of nine Death Eaters to mush. Harry could feel his stomach clench in protest of what he was doing. Don't think about it. Keep going, keep moving. You have to protect the students. You have to protect Hermione Harry thought to himself, forcing his emotions down before he apparated to a spot directly across from where he had fired his first spell. Unfortunately for Harry his hesitation would cost him.
"Fuck the shields! Attack!" A different Death Eater screamed. This time the curses flew in all directions. Firing deadly curses at anything in sight was a Death Eater specialty after all. Harry appeared just in time to see a frighteningly familiar purple flame coming towards him. He dived out of the way but felt a burning sensation across his right thigh that quickly became an excruciating pain. He couldn't suppress a tormented cry that attracted a hail of other curses in his direction.
Harry forced himself to apparate out before the curses could reach him and landed in the area where the dust was thickest. He managed to grit his teeth and keep from making a noise as his injured leg collapsed under him and he fell to the ground. Quickly, before he could be rediscovered Harry placed his wand to the ground.
"Terra Forma." he growled out the incantation to Gaia's Embrace. He might not be able to form elegant structures with this spell yet, but after a year of working on it he could certainly move the earth he focused on. Loud yells sounded from closer by than he had expected as Harry made the earth roll and buck like the sea during a fierce storm.
"Ventus!" Harry's wind spell tore the obscuring dust away from the site of the battle revealing his enemies. As he had hoped all the Death Eaters had lost their footing. Gathering his magic he pushed it into what he hoped would be one final curse.
"Coracis." Harry's final Siege Engine Curse gouged through the earth and the five remaining Death Eaters struggling to get up. Enough of its power was drained by the ground it passed through that the Death Eaters were not turned into a red mist, but torn apart. Harry shielded his face with his arms as blood, guts and limbs rained down on him.
I just killed twenty-four people. Twenty-four men and women who might have had families at home waiting for them. Harry rolled over and heaved his upper body off the ground before he emptied his stomach. He told himself that they were murderers and torturers and rapists who preyed on the innocent. He reminded himself of how many students would have died today had he not fought; how many men, women and children would have died if he had let the bastards get away. None of it helped though. He had had enough time to know what he was doing and had chosen to do it anyway.
By now Harry was choking up bile as he had already thrown up everything he could even if his body was not done yet. Coughing and spitting he finally got himself under control again. He rolled himself away from the puddle of sick that he had just deposited on the ground and in doing so got a good look at the gore-spattered crater he had created in Hogsmeade. Get up, Potter! There might still be people you can help. Don't think, just do.
Harry summoned a nearby tree branch and transfigured it into a crutch. Using his new walking aide he hauled himself up into a standing position and started hobbling off. As he passed the various piles of rubble he cast Revealing Charms, looking for any survivors. The only one he found was what looked like a third year. He hobbled over to try and help but knew he was too late when he saw the young girl's eyes. Clearly he hadn't been fast enough with his Patronus and the poor kid was only technically alive. Despondently he raised red sparks over her position and moved on. He was nearly to the Three Broomsticks when a wave of pressure hit him and nearly knocked him over. With a sound like a repeating cannon what looked like half the auror department apparated in.
"Aurors! Drop your wand and keep your hands where we can see them!" one of the aurors screamed. Harry shot the man a mocking look.
"Professor Moody would kill me if I gave up my wand." he called back. This unexpected response seemed to take the auror who had been yelling off guard and he blinked in confusion. Several of his colleagues were staring in horror at the blood-spattered apparition in front of them. There was one though who barked out a laugh.
"If ye're a hobblin' around here, I take it we're late, Potter?" Harry looked at the man and it only took him seconds to place that grizzled face.
"The fighting's done if that's what you mean, Auror Montrose. You'll find the remains of the Death Eater raiding party over by the smoke and the ruins. I counted at least two students dead and one Kissed. You'll find her by the red sparks. No idea how many bodies you'll find in the ruins." Many of the aurors looked horrified or disbelieving at the grim recital. "I'm headed up to the castle. The prefects should have evacuated as many of the students as they could find so if one or two of you want to come along you'll probably be able to get the names of the ones we're still missing." With that Harry turned around and started limping off again. He hadn't gotten far when he heard hurried footsteps catching up to him. Soon he saw Aurors Montrose and Shacklebolt drawing level with him. They had been walking for a while when Shacklebolt wondered aloud where the carriages were.
"Hermione will have put the youngest students in the carriages first and sent them back up to the castle. I imagine that someone with half a brain will have realized that sending them back would just provide an easy way up to the castle for the attackers." Harry answered dully. It was taking a lot of concentration to ignore the pain in his leg and keep moving.
"I knew I liked that lass o' yourn. Cool head in a hot situation is worth more 'n I can say." Montrose said as he nodded. "An' unless I miss my guess, that means you was givin' the bastards what for. How many of 'm did ye manage to curse afore they ran?" Judging by Montrose's tone he was giving a compliment.
"Twenty-four. None of them managed to get away." Harry reported grimly. Both of the aurors forgot to keep walking as they tried to process that statement. They were soon hurrying to once again catch up to the still limping Harry.
"That sounds like the kind of story ye need a few drams in ye t' tell it proper-like." Montrose said quietly. "I'll have t' find a way tae sneak ye awa frae Minnie." Once again Harry took the older man's words as a bracing compliment. Shacklebolt had other ideas though.
"We'll need to get you up to see the Headmaster. He should know what's going on." he said in his deep voice. Harry wasn't having it though.
"Does that mean I get to give your name to Pomfrey and Hermione when they ask why I wasn't in the Hospital Wing right away?" He asked the usually unflappable auror who started looking uncomfortable. "If Dumbledore wants to know what's happening he can get off his arse and help. One look out his window should've told him that his students were in danger and I haven't seen so much as twinkly eye or a white beard hair down there." The discomfort on Shacklebolt's face grew more pronounced at Harry's damning tone. Montrose adding his opinion reassured Harry that he had at least some back up.
"I agree with the lad, Shack. 'Sides, it's no like he donna hae you reportin' t' him." Montrose's tone was easy but Harry could see the warning on the man's face from the corner of his eye. The walk after that was made in silence. When they came up to the gates they found them closed and locked. Harry was surprised to find he was merely relieved that someone had taken some kind of precautions in response to what was happening. He flicked his wand into his hand and cast his Patronus before putting the tip of his wand to his throat.
"Hagrid, I'm at the gates with two aurors. Let us in?" he said before dismissing the stag with a flick of his wand. With a groan he sagged against the bars of the gates to take some of the weight off of his legs. He was grateful that the two aurors were kind enough to pretend that they couldn't see his weakness. His leg was throbbing now, with spikes of pain thrown in for good measure. It took ten long minutes for Hagrid to appear. He was carrying his crossbow and accompanied by Professor McGonagall.
"Potter! Ambrose! Kingsley! Are you all alright? We're missing six more students, have you seen them at all?" The professor was wringing her hands in distress but Harry didn't really want to talk about what had happened in the town again so soon.
"Yer lad's banged his leg up, Minnie but he took care o' all the fightin' afore we even got here. There's the better part o' three dozen aurors combing through the town right now but if Potter's report was right we can't be expecting all the bairns back." The old auror's voice was oddly gentle but Harry could see the way his words impacted Professor McGonagall. She swayed as if the news had been a physical blow and her hand flew up to cover her mouth. She had to swallow twice before she could speak.
"Open the gates, Hagrid. We'd best get Mr. Potter over to Poppy right away. It looks like he'll need more than a calming draught and some chocolate." McGonagall said and Harry could have sworn he heard a tremor in her voice. Hagrid hurried to comply and barely gave Harry enough time to put his weight back on his crutch and his good leg. He refused the half-giant's offer of carrying him up to the Hospital Wing. He could hear the murmurs of conversation behind him but couldn't make out the individual words. McGonagall's loud gasp at one point made him think that the aurors were filling her in as best they could on what they had seen. She and Auror Montrose left the group at the first floor presumably to talk in her office.
When they made it up to the Hospital Wing Harry wasn't surprised to see it packed with students eating chocolate and looking extremely anxious. Harry hobbled in alone, as Hagrid and Shacklebolt would have unduly crowded the room. Somehow in the middle of that press of humanity Madam Pomfrey managed to sniff him out like a bloodhound.
"Get in here, Mr. Potter. Ms. Granger warned me you'd be coming to visit." She said sounding resigned. As soon as he had awkwardly hopped onto a bed Madam Pomfrey's wand was performing it's familiar dance. She didn't react to any of the readings until she got to his leg when a loud gasp escaped her and she started summoning potions.
"Do I want to know how you got hit in the leg with and Organ Crusher Curse, Mr. Potter?" She demanded as she started shoving potions into his hands.
"I dodged." Harry gritted out before he started downing the potions she had given him. Madam Pomfrey blanched for a moment as she imagined the damage that she might have had to deal with before she Vanished his trouser leg and stared pouring a potion over the wound that was revealed. Harry could perfectly understand his Healer's reaction given what he had seen of Hermione's injury from the Department of Mysteries. He thought he might even be making his Healer suspicious with how accepting he was being of the treatment she was giving him. Harry only had to down five different potions, as opposed to the ten per day he remembered Hermione having to take, but given that Madam Pomfrey had referred to the curse as the Organ Crusher Curse Harry supposed the damage would be less if there weren't any organs to crush. It still felt like the curse had given it one hell of a go though. Madam Pomfrey wrapped a potion-soaked bandage around the wound and told her patient that he needed to rest and let the potions do their work. Harry was lying down as he had been ordered to by Madam Pomfrey and trying to look around for someone who might know where Hermione was. At this rate he was going have to let her know that he had survived by post owl or Patronus.
Harry was just about ready to grab his wand and enact his slightly ridiculous plan of sending Hermione a Patronus Charm when the doors to the Hospital Wing banged open. In strode Albus Dumbledore looking eye-watering in his neon pink and yellow robes and accompanied by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Severus Snape. The trio marched right up to Harry's bed.
"Mr. Potter I have heard some disturbing news today." Dumbledore began looking grave which, in Harry's opinion, came of as slightly ridiculous from a man dressed so garishly. It also managed to annoy him.
"Congratulations, Headmaster. Looking out your window and coming down to help us out would have probably gotten you that information more quickly though." Harry retorted.
"I am not referring to what others may or may not have done. I am referring to the fact that you murdered twenty-four people today." Harry briefly wondered what Dumbledore was trying to achieve here. Was he hoping that the students would shun him if they learnt that he had killed? That would just mean that the old man would actually have to put some effort into securing a teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"I fought and killed twenty-four terrorists, Snape's little friends, who were hell-bent on killing children, Headmaster. Children you are supposed to be protecting." Harry no longer had to try as hard as he once used to, to imitate Riddle's cold sibilant way of speaking. The effect it was having on the Potions Master was almost entertaining as the man seemed caught between outrage, anger and fear. "That will be my burden to live with for the rest of my life. Yours will be that you sat in your tower and did nothing while your students were in mortal danger, again." Suddenly Harry's hand flashed out and grabbed his wand. He threw up a Silencing Charm while Dumbledore and Snape drew their wands and pointed them at their student.
"Put that away, Headmaster." Harry snapped. "I put up a Silencing Charm because children who are already upset should not have to hear this. I saw at least two students dead and one girl who had been Kissed by Dementors. Somehow though you are more concerned with the fate of their murderers than the fact that the kids around us have lost friends and classmates today." Harry took a deep breath to calm himself and cancelled the Silencing Charm. He didn't want to traumatize his schoolmates by shouting about their dead friends in an argument with the headmaster but he wasn't above letting them see and hear the real Albus Dumbledore.
"Harry, surely you can see that those men could have been redeemed; shown the light and gone on to live productive lives. At the very least they should have been allowed to stand trial and be judged by people whose wisdom has been proven. There may have even been some that were only acting under the Imperius Curse. That would mean you murdered innocent men."
"I didn't have time to sort out if some of them might be innocent while they were taking potshots at children I know to be innocent. There were too damn many of them to use non-lethal force and survive. Like I said: that will be my burden to bear. If you don't agree with the way I protect your students then get off your arse and protect them yourself. Now, if you don't mind, this is a hospital and some of us are recovering from injuries." Dumbledore didn't seem prepared to accept being dismissed by his student and Snape seemed to be considering how many curses he could get away with before somebody stopped him. Shacklebolt was looking between Harry and Dumbledore with his mouth hanging open as if he couldn't understand what was happening here.
"He's right, Headmaster. These children need rest." Harry's would-be interrogators looked behind them to see Madam Pomfrey standing with her hands on her hips. Her face was arranged in a slightly strange expression but it was clear that she was not going to be placated on this matter. As they became aware of the room around them it suddenly occurred to the three men that there were rather a lot of students in the room. Anyone with a passing familiarity with Hogwarts could predict that this confrontation would be common knowledge to the entire school within the next six hours, if it even took that long.
What really hurt Dumbledore was the amount of fear and loathing he saw in the looks directed at him. Clearly the students were choosing to believe Potter over him. They were choosing to believe that killing was acceptable. He couldn't see any way to convince these children that Potter's words were not only wrong, but dangerous. That was troubling; he might end up known for having raised a generation of dark wizards at Hogwarts. It was clear to him that pushing here would mean pushing them further into the dark; the best he could do at this point was retreat and regroup.
"One day, Harry, I fear you will see that you have made an irreparable mistake today. I hope that day comes in time to prevent further tragedy." Dumbledore gave his parting shot as he walked out the door. Harry just snorted. Jackass. As if letting children die would be less of a tragedy.
"Um, Professor Potter?" Harry was drawn out of his chuntering thoughts by a small voice and looked over to see a third year Hufflepuff girl looking at him from beside his bed.
"Yes, Stephanie?" he asked her. He watched her play with her long braid for a moment.
"I-I just wanted to say thanks. I know killing is bad, but they were already going to kill us and- and you protected us, like a real professor." Stephanie's last words came out in a rush and Harry found himself lost for words for a moment. He quickly regained his wits, though and tried to smile reassuringly at her; he suspected it looked grim, at best.
"You're very welcome. And you're right: killing is a bad thing. It just sucks when your choices are two bad things. That's when you have to make a decision that you will never like and always remember." He said as gently as he could. The young girl looked at him for a moment before slowly nodding her understanding.
"Professor Potter is right, those are the moments that will really test you and show who you are." Harry's head whipped around in surprise as he heard Madam Pomfrey speak up. He was shocked that any member of staff would join the students in using what had started out as a teasing title. There were a lot of thoughtful looks around them and a few that looked like they were just as surprised as he was. "I will thank the lot of you not to pick up his habit of getting injured though. One of you in this castle is more than enough." The last sentence was directed solely at Harry and accompanied by a pointed look.
"You may wish to brace yourself, Professor, I've just sent an elf to let Ms. Granger know where you are. That way I know someone will be enforcing the treatment I'm about to prescribe for you." Madam Pomfrey finished with a knowing smirk.
Hermione! Harry couldn't wait to see her, to make sure that she was okay and to hold her until the horrors of the day left him. Horrors that he could feel creeping up on him like a chill up his spine now that there was nothing to distract him. He grabbed his head in his hands as images flashed through his mind of the ten spells he had cast, ten spells that had led to twenty-four deaths. Over and over again they played through his mind. Soon the spells he had cast half a year ago in the graveyard started joining in. He didn't know if he had killed that day; he'd never even wondered about it. Now that he knew he was a killer the question wouldn't leave him alone. What kind of heartless bastard, what kind of freak, doesn't even think about whether he killed the people he was attacking with lethal force? Even Quirrel made a reappearance in his memories. That had been more of a freak accident than a conscious decision. In the graveyard he had been desperate and barely in control of himself because of the repeated use of the Cruciatus, but he could have chosen spells that wouldn't carry the risk of killing. Harry wasn't going to delude himself that unthinking use of lethal force was in any way more acceptable than conscious killing. His first five spells after spotting the raiding party might have been attributed to the heat of the moment, but the two Siege Engine Curses he had thrown from the rooftop had been deliberate. He had had more than enough time to select something else. He'd certainly had the time to notice his enemies' shoddy shield-work. He had chosen in near cold blood to end human lives and it was eating him up. Becoming aware that he was a killer hurt.
"Harry!" Harry's head shot up and his mind was dragged out of the spiral of self-recrimination at the sudden shout. Looking next to the bed he saw Hermione looking extremely worried and like she had been trying to get his attention for a while now. As soon as their eyes met he could see that she was having trouble with what she had seen today as well. He also knew that she would be able to see his own inner turmoil. He did the only thing he could think of and scooted over to make some room and held out his arms to her. Hermione didn't hesitate and climbed into bed with him and grabbed on for dear life. For a long time they just laid there and held each other each trying to find the comfort they each felt they couldn't give. Finally Hermione looked up and searched Harry's eyes.
"Harry, what happened out there?" she asked him. She wasn't sure whether she was asking him what he had experienced or asking him to deny the horrors that had been visited upon them. Harry picked up his wand and cast his second Silencing Charm of the day.
"You first." He said once he had placed his wand back on the bedside table. Hermione looked like she was going to argue with him about the matter until she saw the determination on his face. With a sigh she gave in.
"Most of the students were already running towards the carriages. It seemed like it was more a matter of organizing them so they didn't trample each other. When we got to the carriages the dementors were waiting for us. My Patronus was trying to hold them off but it wasn't strong enough." Hermione's recitation was broken by a sob she couldn't contain and she was thankful for the tightening of Harry's arms as he did his best offer his support. "Nancy Williams, from my Arithmancy group, she- she was Kissed. That filthy thing sucked her soul out and I couldn't do a damned thing!" Hermione had tears running down her cheeks as she screamed out her last sentence, her hands clutching fistfuls of Harry's sweater, the helplessness she had felt making a vicious return. It took her a few minutes to gather herself and continue her tale.
"I- I saw a Slytherin boy get Kissed as well and then your Patronus showed up. I don't know how you got it to follow my commands, but however you did it, it saved a lot of souls." Hermione was looking up at her boyfriend in wonder only to find him looking back in confusion.
"I didn't send my Patronus, Mi; or at least not consciously. Maybe the spell was working on its own in some way. We'll have to do some research. I've never heard of someone else being able to control a Patronus before either." He said causing Hermione to become just as confused.
"Something for later then." she decided. "Anyway, the two Patronuses together managed to drive off all the dementors. After that we loaded all the younger students in the carriages and the sixth and seventh years walked back up the path to the castle. I went with them as there wasn't room in the carriages. When we got to the castle Professor McGonagall met us at the gates. She had heard what was happening and once we were inside she put the castle on lockdown and we counted the students. We were missing nine. I- I told her about the two that had been kissed and that you were fighting the Death Eaters. I think she may be having words with you about that if the way she was cursing was any indication." Hermione's attempt at levity fell flat as neither teen was in the mood to even try and laugh. "What happened on your end, Harry?" Harry took a shuddering breath and began to talk.
He told Hermione about finding the Death Eaters standing around looking at the fleeing Dementors and his first spell. He told her about his apparition strategy and the way he had slaughtered the lot of them. Her first response surprised him though in hindsight perhaps it shouldn't have.
"You can apparate, Harry?" Hermione asked in shock. "Isn't that illegal?" Harry nodded slowly.
"Without a licence, yeah, it is." he answered her. "With all the madness that I tend to get caught up in I wanted an extra option to get the hell out of dodge though. I think I'll have to teach you too. You seem determined to get caught up in that same madness with me. At least, I think you do."
"I'm not leaving you now, Potter." Hermione said in a shaky voice. "I wish it wasn't always left up to you though. Why can't someone else fight for once?" Harry didn't answer her; he didn't have an answer even though he had asked himself that question repeatedly. The couple quieted down and didn't speak again for several long minutes.
"You did the right thing, you know?" Hermione spoke up after a while. "They came to Hogsmeade to kill us and you were simply better than they were. You still are." Harry just squeezed her in response and buried his face deeper in her hair. They staid like that until Madam Pomfrey approached them and entered the Silencing Charm.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, I need to talk to you about Mr. Potter's treatment." The elderly matron looked more tired than Harry had ever seen her. He and Hermione lifted themselves into a sitting position and gave Madam Pomfrey their full attention. "That leg needs to be kept elevated as much as possible and you'll be spending the next few days walking with a crutch or a walking stick. You need to come in here twice a day to get that bandage changed. This one will last you until the morning. You can take your showers here so you won't be without it for too long, nor have to deal with it getting wet." She waited for both teens to nod their understanding. "I think Auror Montrose and Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to you before you do anything. After you've done that you'll be free to leave."
After the Matron had left Harry expressed his surprise to Hermione that he wasn't being made to stay the night.
"She's probably a lot more concerned about the psychological harm that was done to everyone. Keeping you here might actually do more damage than good considering how few physical injuries you have. You'd just be isolated." was Hermione's opinion. Harry didn't get a chance to respond as Montrose and McGonagall wasted no time approaching his bedside.
"Mr. Potter, are you well enough to talk?" His teacher asked in a concerned tone of voice. Harry just nodded.
"I think ye likely ken what I need, lad." Auror Montrose said heavily.
"Would another memory suffice?" Harry asked. When Montrose nodded and drew his wand Harry grabbed one of the empty potion vials beside his bed and cleaned it out with a spell. He closed his eyes and when he felt the auror's wand press to his temple he started focusing on what he remembered of the battle. He felt something slip through his hair and away from his head and opened his eyes to see Montrose putting a strand of silver in to the vial. "Just make sure that Riddle's goons don't get to see that, please. I don't need the old bastard to know what I'm capable of." Harry requested in a tired voice.
"I'll make sure it's disposed of proper-like me ainself." Montrose promised. Harry nodded his thanks, but he had one more question.
"Auror Montrose, do you know how many people I killed in the graveyard?" he asked, not sure he wanted an answer. The old auror looked him over for a moment before nodding with a sigh.
"Suppose it's only right tha' ye ken. There was eight dinna make it, far as we know." The man said sounding unusually gentle. Harry closed his eyes as he absorbed that information. Thirty-three. I've killed thirty-three people. The number kept running through his brain until he felt a kiss on his cheek. Opening his eyes revealed Hermione looking at him with concern.
"I love you, Harry Potter. This doesn't change that." she said softly but firmly. Harry nodded and returned the kiss.
"I truly do like that lass o' yourn, Potter." Montrose said with his usual grin back in place. "I still need t' get ye awa frae Minnie for a bevvy and t' hear these stories o' yourn."
"Ambrose! Yer nae t' be corruptin' my students, ye rascal!" McGonagall launched herself into the fray. With a wink at the couple on the bed Montrose set about riling her up by claiming that Harry had earned the right to get rat-arsed a few times after all he'd seen and did she want to come along with Hermione so they could make it a double date? The fact that McGonagall was making no effort to throw the man out of the castle but instead rather creatively upbraiding him for being a rake and a reprobate convinced Harry and Hermione that the two adults were trying to distract them. They appreciated the effort but when the professor and the auror left saying a final goodbye, the two teens felt the events of the day heavy upon their shoulders.
Hermione got out of bed and helped Harry climb out as well. As they passed Madam Pomfrey's office the matron came rushing out and pressed a dignified cane into Harry's hand reminding him to keep off his leg and keep it elevated as much as possible. Once more confirming his understanding Harry hobbled out the door using the cane and Hermione for support.
As they left the Hospital Wing Harry's stomach growled so they made their way down to the Great Hall. Arriving there they met a decidedly funerary atmosphere. Their entrance was noticed by the entire student body and after only seconds the whispering started. There was barely any effort made to disguise the topic of conversation. Only a few students actually said anything to the couple, Luna of course being the first. The moment she'd seen her friends walking into the Hall about as unhurt as she could hope for she was on her feet and racing towards them.
"Harry! Hermione told me you went off to fight the Death Eaters. I was so worried. How hurt are you?" Harry carefully hugged his younger friend.
"I'll be alright, Luna. The curse that hit me was designed to affect my organs not my leg. I'll be able to drop the cane in a few days." he tried to reassure her. She sniffled into his chest for a few moments longer, before letting go of him. The three made their way over to the Gryffindor table and sat down near a frightened looking group of first years. They loaded up their plates and tried to get some food into their stomachs while trying to reassure the younger students. At one point Harry noticed that Hermione and Luna seemed to be deep in conversation but couldn't find the energy to get too curious about the subject. Harry was eating almost mechanically trying not to remember anything about the day.
He was a little surprised when Luna stood up and told him that she was exhausted from worrying over them and was going to bed, but before he could comment she had grabbed him in a tight hug and was making her way out of the Hall. Hermione leant over and whispered that she was done for the day too and asked him if he would join her.
It was Hermione who steered them as they walked, allowing Harry to focus on getting into the rhythm of walking with a cane. He was surprised when they came to the Room of Requirements. When they entered Harry recognised the set up as the same one they had used on Halloween when Hermione had thought that her parents were dead.
The first thing Hermione did was oddly enough to grab a piece of parchment and a quill that had spontaneously appeared. She wrote out something quickly and called for Dobby and asked him to hang it on the door to the Defence classroom. Before he could leave she bent down and whispered something in the small elf's ear. Dobby's eyes went wide and he started nodding vigorously before popping out to complete whatever task she had set him. Turning around she saw Harry's surprised look and let him know "It's just a note to let the others know your class has been cancelled if they show up for it."
Hermione pulled him over to the bed and pushed him down. Climbing in after him Hermione straddled his waist, bent down and pressed a kiss to his lips. She moved down to his neck and began frantically tugging at his shirt.
"Hermione?" Harry asked, carefully grabbing her wrists and holding them still. Hermione stilled for a moment looking into his emerald green eyes with her chocolate brown ones.
"I saw two people our age get Kissed by soul sucking demons today, Harry" she began in a tremulous voice. "The only thing I could think through the horror was that it could just as easily have been one of us. I realized that there is so much I haven't done yet. I want to do well on my O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. I want to be Head Girl. I want to expand the MSPCE to the point where an elf being mistreated is the exception, not the norm." Hermione paused for moment before nearly whispering. "I want to feel you. I want you." Harry looked into her eyes, trying to see if she was sure about what she was saying. "Please, Harry, I don't want to think anymore. Make me feel. Take me away from this place, from this war." she begged him with her words and her eyes.
Seeing no doubt in her look Harry relented and started returning her kisses. It was not the pure and tender love-making either one of them had envisaged for their first time. There was the clumsiness of first time lovers mixed in with the desperate need to forget of those who have seen too much. It might not have been what they had imagined but it was what they needed as the world around them ceased to exist and was replaced only with each other.