Aurora | Harry Potter

chapter eighty-five

As soon as we've pushed the doors open to the Study Hall, I feel my heart sink in my stomach. Bleachers pushed to the sides of the room have students and staff dotted on them in distanced places, there is a large heap of rubble just pushed to the side and right at the back of the Hall - where most people are gathered - are stretchers and blankets, supporting those who have died. I'm the first one out of the four of us to move into the room, passing by those sat on the bleachers.

I pass by Professor Slughorn, who is holding a small vial of Dittany above Filch's arm, healing a large open wound that extends from his shoulder to his elbow. Professor Trawlaney cries over presumably a student, whom I cannot see due to the grey blanket covering their face and body, a young Ravenclaw sat by her side who is also crying. The last person I pass is Professor McGonagall, who I can see is trying to stay as strong as she possibly can, but the distant cloudy tears in her eyes give away her true emotions.

Then, I reach the area where all the stretchers carrying those who have been killed are located.

My eyes fall to the floor.

I stop in my place.

My heart sinks to my stomach.

My throat releases a choked gasp.

I feel like I could throw up.

My legs wobble.

My hands shake.

And the tears start to fall.

"Aurora!"

My eyes look up to Fred and George, and I sprint into the two of them, their arms instantly wrapping around me as the tears start to fall from all our eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I sob into their embrace, which just makes them cry even harder, their arms shaking terribly. I feel someone else run into the embrace, and from the sound of their sobs, I know that it's Ron. We all stand there for a moment before both the twins let us go, and my eyes fall back down at the horrific sight before me.

Arthur.

Ginny.

Both of them lying on stretchers, completely lifeless.

I walk up to Ginny's body, slowly, and when I feel Molly lightly press her hand on my back, I lower myself down onto my knees. "Ginny... Arthur..." I hear leave my lips, as my hand reaches up to Ginny's forehead and when it falls, her skin is stone cold. "Oh my god," I gasp, realisation truly settling in, "oh my God... I am so sorry." Ron falls down beside me, equally bawling his eyes out as much as I am and when I turn to make eye contact with him, I pull him as close as I possibly can. His hands clutch my clothes, his fingers slightly digging into my skin as a result, as are mine in his back.

"She's dead, she's dead!" He bawls, which just makes me cry even harder too, "And Dad's dead too, they're dead, they're dead..." We cry together and I feel more arms wrap around us, followed by more gut-wrenching cries from Fred, George, Percy, Molly, Charlie and Bill; all of us mourning the devastating losses, two that should have survived through this battle. As I look over Ron's shoulder and through the arms of the other Weasley's, I see more familiar faces around the room lying lifeless on stretchers.

Lavender Brown.

Vincent Crabbe.

Eloise Midgen.

Parvati Patil.

Susan Bones.

Hannah Abbott.

Colin Creevey - who should have been as far away from this battle as possible.

The several familiar faces are surrounded by dozens of deceased younger students, whom I did not personally know but often saw around the castle. And I can clearly tell that there is a handful of first and second years, who should have been protected and kept away from all of this...

I shift and pull myself out of the brace, as I cannot bear to hear the broken cries around me for a moment more, so I turn back around to see Harry looking down at two bodies. When I reach him, I feel more tears start to fall at the sight of Lupin and Tonks on stretchers; their hands outstretched, as if their last moments were spent reaching for one another. I don't say anything to him, but when I walk away, I feel his fingers wrap around my wrist tightly. "Snape's memories," he whispers, to which I nod and give him a small weak smile, the best I can do right now as tears continue to pour from my eyes.

Harry leads me towards Dumbledore's office, and I can practically feel shame radiating off of him. "Harry," I whisper, cutting through the silence with my shattered voice, "I... what's going through your head?" He stammers a little for a moment, but then he reveals his feelings and thoughts. "I just couldn't bear being in there, seeing all of them on the floor like that... and I feel... I feel ashamed that I've caused all this damage."

I stop in my tracks, pulling Harry to a stop too and when I ask him to face me, I see tears trickling down his cheeks. "Harry," I sigh as I raise my hand to his cheek, trying to wipe his tears away, "you have not caused this damage, none of it. This is all down to You-Know-Who, none of this is your fault, okay? None of it." He nods his head and sniffles, but I know that he doesn't believe me. I'm not sure, at this moment, if I would believe me either.

"Will you just... stay with me?" He asks, trying to cover up the cries in his voice. "Of course, I'm with you always," I respond, as I desperately try to wipe away the tears that never seem to stop cascading down my face. Harry gently wipes some away with his sleeve, whilst I do the same to the few tears that are tricking down his own cheeks. "It's okay, you're okay," I say, trying to comfort both Harry and myself, "we're going to be okay." He slowly nods his head and the two of us walk back off again, until we find ourselves in front of the Griffin gargoyle that leads to Dumbledore's office.

"Sherbet lemon."