For the rest of the night Ginny could not get the image of his eyes out her head. She kept thinking of the phrase 'window to the soul' and envisioning different ways to manipulate it. Finally giving in to her intrigue, she whipped out a sketch pad and pencil. Then, she began to draw, wondering if she would ever stare into those green eyes again.

Ginny stopped walking and looked back at them. It was appealing. She wanted nothing more than this war to stop because all it had done was brought nothing but heartache to her life.

Ginny’s brother wasn’t just dead; he had been killed, intentionally taken from this world. Hermione through her arms around Ginny’s neck and her friend accepted the hug, wrapping her arms around Hermione’s back. She sobbed into Hermione’s shoulder, her heart weakened. She had lost yet another family member; another person she loved was dead.

Is it ever going to end? she thought bitterly. Then, she resolved herself. Yes, it will. And I’m going to make sure of it!

Bill’s eyes went red and his grip tightened even more. His entire body seemed to come alive and the numerous werewolf bites, cuts and teeth marks began to bleed, crimson liquid oozing from them as if they were fresh wounds. Ginny tried to recoil but couldn’t move. He was far too strong for her to fight and she couldn’t reach her wand. She felt her own skin start to tear at the spot where Bill was holding her and watched frantically as blood escaped and began to slide down her arm. She pulled against his hold but he only laughed and gripped tighter.

Harry began stroking her hair as she continued to flip through the album. Nothing more was said for a while but the silence was comfortable. She passed over a dozen photographs and, after she had felt as if she was strong enough, Ginny began explaining them to Harry.

His heart hammered heavily in his chest and his ears rang in pain. He was slowing down and he couldn’t make his legs move any faster, no matter how much he pleaded. He had no control over his body anymore. His muscles tightened and his legs gave away. He fell to the ground and, finally, felt his heart-beat slow down. His body continued to shut down and his eyes closed, succumbing to whatever pain had been inflicted upon him.

He touched his lips and focused on the last-minute kiss he had given Ginny. He couldn’t remember why he had done it, or if he even had a reason at the time. He had just wanted to. It was officially their first kiss, seeing as how Ron had stopped them that day before they had gotten into it, and Merlin did it feel right. He didn’t care how illogical it seemed to anyone else, he just knew what he felt.

Harry, pooling all his strength, closed his eyes and Apparated with everyone alongside him to his house. He was slightly fearful of what would happen next, now that they had been discovered and had taken someone from inside along with them. He knew it wouldn’t sit well with whoever was behind this and already begun to brace himself for an all-out warfare that was undoubtedly about to begin.

“Who did this?” Harry asked, letting go of his mother’s hand and turning to face his father.

“You can pretty much guess who,” James said bitterly. “Only Arthur Weasley could be so cruel as to do something like this.”

Harry froze when he heard the name. Arthur Weasley. Harry exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He didn’t know what to think or say; he could only feel and anger was the only emotion he was registering. Pure and unadulterated anger.

The ceremony continued with more moving eulogies and Harry broke down more times than he had thought he would. When it came time to bury the coffin, a few wizards from the back stood up and made their way towards the coffin. After a few more words, they levitated the coffin before descending it into the ground. When they started putting the dirt to cover it, Ginny felt Harry’s hand slip from her grip and looked up only to see him retreating down the aisle.

“I know that, Neville,” Harry said exasperatedly. “But how would it look if I go after my own girlfriend’s father? Downright criminal, that’s how.”

“You’re right, it is,” Neville said calmly.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the morale boost, Nev.”

Suddenly, the box began to vibrate and she dropped it onto the table with a loud ‘thud’. Everyone looked at her as she shot up quickly, knocking her chair to the ground. The box continued to vibrate and everyone else stood up, looking at the shaking container apprehensively. The quivering intensified until almost the entire table was shaking. The five of them stepped back a few steps as a light began to glow from beneath the box and a beam shot up, stopping just a few inches short of the ceiling. 

“Ok, fair enough,” Harry said with a sigh. “So, what is this next step you think we should take?”

“Getting our father’s together and on one side,” she said simply, looking straight into Harry’s eyes, which widened at her words.

“That’s going to prove as difficult as getting Lucius,” he said. “There has to be something else.”

She shook her head. “There isn’t time for anything else.”

The ground beneath her was soft, almost as if she had landed on a sheaf of pillows or mattresses and she could feel the cool, crisp wind brush against her cheek and arms. The scent in the air was calming and rather pleasant - one of morning rain mixed with ripe fruits and roses. She could hear a continuous creaking somewhere in the distance but the source of the sound was indistinguishable. And, strangely enough, she could slightly taste the morning dew on the tip of her tongue.

‘Is this what death feels like?’ she found herself thinking over and over.

He was tired of being the bad guy and felt that rescuing Luna was his only hope of helping to bring Percy down. If push came to shove, he would fight alongside her and her team but for right now, he had to keep a low profile. Percy still trusted him and he had to keep the ruse going for as long as he possibly could. Then, when the shit hit the fan, he would really show the vile, red-haired man where his loyalties lay, and that was with his sister.

“Ready to go, I see,” Arthur said, walking over to his son.

Ron looked up at his father. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Then the two slipped into silence. Truth was that Ron was eagerly waiting to see Hermione. Ever since the comment she had made, he had started to wonder if she truly wanted to be with him and he didn’t know if he could face the truth if she didn’t. He wanted her in his life and was not about to let her push him away. If he had to prove that he was not like his father in any way, then so be it.

“All these years, it’s been someone else.”

Arthur nodded but then quickly looked up at Harry. “But who was it?”

Charlie was the one who answered. “Albus Dumbledore.”

“Dumbledore?!” James, Arthur, and Harry exclaimed simultaneously.

“Un-be-frickin-lievable,” Ron shouted, flinging his hands in the air.

Then James added a quick, “I think he’s the one who needs some Veritaserum now"

He turned his gaze back just as Percy stood up. The red-haired man stepped forward, gazing around slowly and meticulously. It was as if he was watching each and every man individually, surveying them to see who among them would be quick to turn. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he stripped off his cloak and took another step forward.

“It is time.”

“I think it’s best if you have a seat. Stay calm.”

Ginny shook her head stubbornly at her brother’s request and crossed her arms, pacing back and forth. It had been over an hour since Harry and the first group of men had disappeared into the Mansion. From where they camped, she could hear faint cries from the fight that had developed. Those cries made her nerves wrangled and her heart anxious.

Minutes ticked past and no one said anything. They just continued to watch as the smoke cleared, revealing nothing but a ruin of something that once was. Even the surrounding fence was no more; broken iron lying in straight heaps. Slowly, they all slipped out of their reverie. The remaining men from the army began to jump and shout. Although they had lost so much of their number, their goal had been reached. The enemy was abated; the madman finally stopped.