ESTRANGED • The Final Installment

Twenty

3RD PERSON

Harry got the tears.

But at what cost.

Climbing the stairs back to the castle, it was silent. All of Voldemort's troops had gone. All of his followers had done what he asked. They left to let them bury their dead.

Harry's chest ached as he walked through the courtyard. It was a mess. Bodies were buried under rubble and some were being carried into the Great Hall. He couldn't think... he couldn't see straight. Nothing around him made sense anymore.

Walking into the Great Hall, Harry stopped when he saw all the bodies lined up. He followed Ron and Hermione, looking down the line to see who he recognized. Instantly, he noticed a Pavarti without her twin. But then he saw the Weasley's and they were all crying.

Ron was by their side in the blink of an eye and the closer he got, the more he couldn't breath.

Fred. They were crying over Fred.

Harry stopped in his tracks and watched as his favourite family in the world mourned because of him. Fred died because he didn't just go see Voldemort in the first place.

Something caught his eye and Harry looked down to see Tonks and Remus laying side by side, their hands right next to each other.

Their son... now an orphan just like him...

Cora.

Her name brought tears to his eyes and when he looked at Hermione, he could tell she had the same thought.

He stumbled through the great hall, looking everywhere to see if he could find that brilliant blond head anywhere. Nothing. Not even Draco was in sight. He checked everyone. He even checked those standing, crying and walking about.

Nothing.

Hermione ran outside and Harry followed. But he couldn't see anything. It was too dark and all the rubble made seeing something very hard.

"No!"

Harry followed the voice to where the columns would have been before they got destroyed. Cho was sitting with a girl in her arms. She was young. The second her arm moved away from her face, Harry recognized her. Carol. The Slytherin who stuck to Cora's side just hours before.

Then he saw Draco and he was lifting rocks and pushing, obvious sobs rocking his body. Harry ran over, Hermione following quickly.

"What happened?" Harry asked quickly.

"You..." Draco growled, getting up. Harry felt the pain before he saw it coming and Draco grabbed him by the collar, shaking him. "You were supposed to keep her safe!"

"What happened!" Harry screamed, ignoring the punch Draco just threw.

Draco shoved Harry and went back to moving rocks. He looked down at Cho and she shakily handed Harry a necklace. He didn't take it at first, refusing to believe it was hers. But that C... his very own Christmas gift from last year. The silver shone and he knew.

Draco lifted a rock and her hand was unmistakable.

Hermione jumped into action, seeing it too. The three of them pushed and moved rubble until Cora's upper body was seen. Her head and nose were bleeding. She had scratches and bruises everywhere and she was cold as ice and paler than normal.

Draco got down and pulled her out, laying her down gently.

"Cora." He smoothed her hair back and Hermione and Harry got down with him. "Cora... Cora please."