Through All the Pain // N. Longbottom

Seventh Year // Chapter 18

I slowly approached the Great Hall, scanning around looking for anyone of resemblance. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Parvati sitting next to her sister who was sitting near an unconscious person, bleeding badly from her face. Upon further inspection, I realized it was Lavender Brown ... and the bleeding was a gift from Fenrir Greyback. My heart sunk for her as she would be just like Bill for the rest of her life, scarred and maybe even containing some wolfish traits/abilities. I kept looking around, hoping to see my friends or family all standing in a corner hugging each other and thanking Merlin for being alive ... that's when I saw Sirius standing over someone, obviously crying. I rushed over and saw Tonks's cold body laying on the ground. 

"No ..."

"They were only a baby, they were only 25 ... oh Tonks." Sirius hung his head. I felt bad for Andromeda, for she had to bury her only child months after apparently losing her husband, leaving her completely alone. As I continued walking through the rows of dead and injured, I finally caught a glimpse of the Weasley ginger hair in the middle of the Hall. I started running towards them, desperately wanting to hug my siblings and know that everyone was okay. However, as I got closer I realized they were all surrounding someone ... and everyone was crying. 

"No ..." Bill hears this and turns to look over at me.

"Ri Ri," his voice is defeated and full of emotion. I walk closer and see the worst thing imaginable.

"No ..." I said a bit louder. Percy patted Charlie on the shoulder as he walked past him to get to me. I frantically scanned every bit of the body laying on the floor trying to figure out which one it was, which of my older brothers had been taken by this freak. That's when I heard Bill whisper to the one who was alive. 

"George ... turn around." 

It was Fred ... Fredrick Gideon Weasley May 2nd, 1998. 

"Lori, I'm -" George said fully turning around.

"No George, No George!" I stepped back as he took a few steps forward. "If this is one of your sick pranks then -" I gasped for air, "You better tell me! You better tell me!"

"No ... I'm sorry sis," George spoke just barely above a whisper. That's when I felt like the world got pulled out from under my feet. George quickly ran forward and caught me as I sobbed openly into his shoulder. I felt a hand get placed on my back and the sound of Dad's voice from behind me. 

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. I wish it could be different," he said.

"I should have been the one that died, not him," Percy said.

"Percy let's not -" 

"Fred pushed me out of the way! If he hadn't I'd be there! Not him!" I pushed away from George and knelt down on the ground beside him, shaking my head at him. 

"Freddie? Freddie, please wake up. Please ... " I took his hand and just sobbed harder, as he was already getting cold. Meaning that this was not a prank ... my older brother really was dead. I just continued to kneel beside him, that was until I started to hear the internal voice ... 

It's your fault, Lorrinda! It's your fault your big brother is dead! It should be you laying there on the floor, not him! 

I jumped up from the floor and ran out crying. I vaguely heard Neville shouting my name as I sprinted through the maze of people and out of the Great Hall. I ran up the chipped Marbel staircase all the way up to the Astronomy Tower. The one place where all you could see was beautiful grounds were awful reminders of the first part of a neverending war. 

I walked up to the edge, the railing that once stopped people from falling off was gone, allowing me to sit down on the edge and have my feet dangling down in the open air. As my feet moved to an unknown beat. As I stared down at the unrecognizable ruins underneath me, I felt like someone was stabbing me through the heart as I suddenly started remembering all the years of laughs with Fred. I could vividly hear his voice cheering as we won a Quidditch match, hearing him and George laugh as they left Hogwarts for good, but most of all I suddenly felt like he was right beside me ...