Ancient Help (A Harry Potter and Merlin Crossover)

Chapter Fifty-One: For the Love of Merlin

Light finally befell upon Hogwarts and the aftermath of the Second War was visibly seen. Broken and bloodied bodies were scattered everywhere, amidst a mixture of debris, dirt, and scorched grasses. The ominous ambiance of death still hung heavily in the atmosphere, but there were rays of sunlight bursting from the sky that brought a promise to the survivors of the Second War.

Multiple pops resounded in the battlefield as more and more Aurors and Ministry officials arrived. The remaining Death Eaters were collected and arrested, ready to be put under the scrutiny of the Wizengamot for the verdict of their future. Many thought it was merely for show, for formality's sake, because in the end, all the surviving Death Eaters were to be sentenced either a lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban or, if they were quite notorious, an instant death bestowed by the Dementor's Kiss.

The Death Eaters seemed to understand this for some fled in fear to hide while others, right there and then, took away their own life. There were those who strongly struggled, but due to their overwhelming despair for the death of their Dark Lord, all of their lives seemed to drain away, and the Aurors were able to capture them immediately.

Cries of relief mingled together with the angry shouts of those who were defeated. Students, strangers even, all scrambled up to embrace their neighbours, shouting joyously of the good fortune that had befallen upon them. The Second War was finally done, and although the next step of recuperating seemed to be daunting, just the fact that they were still alive and breathing was enough for now.

Amidst the victory, Hermione meandered through the battlefield, her eyes blurry with tears. They had won, finally, and her emotions almost overwhelmed her to the point of suffocation. Harry had survived, most of her friends survived, and all the hardships and sufferings they all had to undergo in the past few years had finally paid off.

They won.

As Hermione surveyed the battlefield, looking at the faces of the fallen, she mourned for those who met their untimely death. Some faces she immediately recognized, dirtied by blood and dirt, but there were those whose faces were either blasted off or scorched deeply beyond recognition. There were even bodies that were torn openly, their innards spilling off everywhere.

Hermione felt nauseous and she almost swayed on the spot. Blinking rapidly, she tried to calm herself so as not to faint. She was so tired and relieved and anxious and happy and everything at the same time. She wanted to rest, but the adrenaline of fighting still surged inside her blood system. The horrors of yesterday's battle still flashed in her eyes and as she drew into a halt, tears were now spilling down from her eyes.

Her eyes briefly landed on the lifeless body stretched beside her and for a moment, a familiar face, one that didn't belong here, flashed before her eyes. A gasp tore from her mouth, swearing she had just seen King Arthur's lifeless form. She averted her gaze, reassuring herself that she was merely seeing things due to her tiredness. But then, more familiar faces greeted her eyes and everywhere she looked, she could see them.

Guinevere. Gwaine. Leon. Percival. Elyan.

Horrified, she shakily placed a hand against her mouth and tried to shake off their faces from her mind. Hermione was reminded with the fact that she left Camelot when the fateful battle between Arthur and Mordred had not happened yet. With Excalibur in her possession, what would happen to Camelot?

Her sobs turned guttural as she imagined Merlin, lifeless on the ground, helpless against the powerful Morgana and Mordred.

'No,' she internally moaned, closing her eyes mournfully. 'No.'

A hand suddenly enclosed around her free hand, startling her. The-Boy-Who-Lived, battered and tired from the battle, appeared before her, his eyes shining with concern. Judging from his expression, Hermione knew that Harry knew her tears weren't of either relief or happiness.