Disclaimer: I own nothing apart from the plot and any characters I invent. Everything else belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Hello! Here’s the next reworked chapter! I really hope it has been to your liking so far! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!
A Death Eater edged forward, his voice thin as mist in the suffocating hush of the forest. ‘Is he dead?’ The question caught between the trees and lingered over the trampled leaves as the circle closed around Harry Potter’s motionless body. No one hurried. Even the boldest stepped as though the ground itself might betray them, the clearing thick with disbelief, expectation, and a terrible kind of awe.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nFTf3qpDT
From his hidden vantage point among the twisted shadows at the edge of the clearing, Draco watched in shock as the scene unfolded before him. The cold night air pressed against his face, but he barely felt it; all his attention was fixed on Potter lying still on the ground. He could hardly believe that Potter had willingly sacrificed himself, seemingly in a desperate move that no sane person should have chosen. The situation unnervingly reminded Draco of one of those Muggle movies he had secretly seen, where the hero fakes death only to return at the crucial moment. Despite everything, Draco refused to accept that Potter was truly gone. Come on, Potter, you can’t be dead, he thought, shaking his head silently in denial while his fingers clenched around the rough bark beside him. Not that he would ever admit, even to himself, that he preferred Potter to survive.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfoY4Nc9bl
Bellatrix weaved through the Death Eaters with confident, unhurried steps until she stood over Potter’s still body. Delight sharpened her face, though a nervous giggle slipped from her lips, betraying the strange excitement trembling beneath her triumph.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaRdTXBz8v
Snape’s frown deepened as he edged closer without leaving the shelter of the shadows. Unease coiled through him, sharp and unwelcome. Surely this was not what you envisioned, Albus? His mind raced through all the consequences of Potter’s supposed death, each one darker than the last.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA6WTN8o1S
Bellatrix leaned in, a sneer twisting her face as she pressed two fingers to Harry Potter’s throat. The instant she touched his skin, the Boy Who Lived vanished. One moment he lay before them; the next there was only trampled grass, scattered leaves, and Bellatrix’s hand hovering over empty air.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4O4UOnWzV
Draco rose before he realised he had moved. His mouth parted as he stared at the place where Potter had been, disbelief hollowing his chest. Not dead, then. Missing. Somehow, impossibly, missing.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOz1XgUSVk0
Nearby, Snape’s eyes widened. For one rare second his careful mask slipped, leaving naked surprise in its place. Then thought returned, cold and swift, and he forced himself to watch rather than react.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTLInQvvos
Chaos erupted in the clearing as Voldemort, overcome by rage, shoved through his followers and fixed his red eyes on the empty patch of ground where Harry Potter’s body had been. The surrounding trees seemed to recoil from him, their branches shivering as though struck by a sudden wind. Voldemort’s scream tore through the silence, sharp and inhuman. ‘Where is he!?’ he hissed, then thundered, ‘Where did he go!?’ The Death Eaters recoiled at once, robes whispering over the leaves, each one desperate to vanish from his sight before his fury chose a new target.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEaIcrvkPR
Voldemort’s fury needed somewhere to land. His wand slashed toward the nearest tree, and a violent blast tore it apart, showering the clearing with splinters. The Death Eaters froze, every one of them suddenly desperate not to become the next object of his wrath.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡga5gVdPp7I
For a moment, Voldemort stared at the ruined tree in silence. Then a low laugh escaped him, thin and terrible, rising until it became something closer to madness. Around him, his followers exchanged fearful glances, unable to tell whether amusement or murder would come next. After a tense moment, Voldemort tilted his head, staring intently at the ground where Potter disappeared. A low, eerie laugh escaped him, escalating into uncontrollable laughter. The Death Eaters, unsettled by their Master’s unpredictable reaction, exchanged worried glances, their faces showing confusion and fear as they tried to decipher the reason for his manic amusement.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3aP84kRrs
Voldemort’s eyes sharpened with suspicion as he stared at the ruined earth. His voice sank to a venomous whisper. ‘A trick,’ he breathed. ‘Someone dares play tricks with me?’ The thought seemed to feed the fire in him, turning shock into colder, more dangerous rage. With a snarl, Voldemort drove another curse into the ground. Earth exploded outward, leaving a jagged crater where Harry Potter’s body had been. The clearing shook with the force of it, and no one dared breathe until the last clod of soil fell.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpsQsfiqGL
Out of the tense silence, a faint, almost imperceptible voice seemed to whisper into Voldemort’s ear: ‘Leave… now…’ 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SoxX1temI
He remained still for a moment, the command ringing in his mind. Gradually, Voldemort’s expression of anger hardened into cold calculation. At last he gave a clipped nod, as though granting mercy to the night itself. ‘My friends,’ he said softly, and the softness was worse than shouting, ‘we withdraw—for now. Harry Potter will be found. The blood-traitors will be punished. But patience, properly used, is a blade.’ His followers stared at him in uneasy silence.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKO8mdktdVH
Snape watched Voldemort’s sudden restraint with narrowed eyes before his gaze returned to the crater. What is going on, Albus? he asked silently, though the dead could offer him no answer.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloaACzjD8f
Voldemort walked purposefully toward the trees, but then stopped and looked back. ‘Ah, I almost forgot…’ he muttered, his anger rising as he focused on Hagrid.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHH6HtuwX1
‘‘arry,’ Hagrid whimpered, the name breaking apart in his throat as tears ran down his face.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNHnf700TU
Without hesitation, Voldemort lifted his wand and spoke the deadly spell, ‘Avada Kedavra!’ A stream of green light erupted from the wand’s tip, harsh and blinding against the darkness, striking Hagrid directly. For a heartbeat the clearing seemed to freeze. Then the half-giant fell abruptly, his large body hitting the ground with a heavy, final thump that made leaves jump, and nearby Death Eaters flinch despite themselves. Silence followed, awful and complete. The Death Eaters remained still in shock as Voldemort’s ruthless action confirmed his reputation for cruelty, making his intentions unmistakable.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHH57pqTkRb
Snape looked away, a rare sorrow tightening his face. He had never truly liked Hagrid, but he would not have wished this fate on him. When the last Death Eater disappeared into the trees, Snape crossed to the half-giant’s still body, transformed a fallen leaf into a blanket, and covered him with as much care as time allowed. ‘I’ll be back, Rubeus,’ he whispered, anger sharpening his gaze as he looked after the retreating Death Eaters.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxgUMpRBD1
Snape moved cautiously behind the departing Death Eaters, staying concealed by silently flitting from tree to tree. The forest around him was a maze of black branches and silver moonlight, every snapped twig or rustling leaf threatening to betray his presence. He kept a deliberate distance to avoid attracting attention as the group headed toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest, their dark robes shifting like scraps of shadow between the trunks. Upon reaching the forest’s boundary, Snape paused in the deepest pocket of darkness and listened carefully. From his concealed position, he overheard Voldemort giving instructions to some of his most trusted followers. Bellatrix and Lucius were among those told to stay behind, assigned the grim task of eliminating anyone trying to escape the castle. Snape noted these orders carefully, recognising the increased risk for anyone attempting to leave the grounds.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUaCaI79Wy
Snape muttered a curse under his breath, realising just how unfavourable their situation had become. He doubted Hermione and Ron could reach the safety of the Forbidden Forest unnoticed. The Death Eaters, no longer gathered in one group, had split into pairs, each heading in different directions across the grounds. Some moved toward the castle, others toward the lake, and two doubled back into the forest’s depths. This extensive dispersal meant all escape routes were now monitored, making a stealthy escape seem even more unlikely.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXS0Xwkfa3
Snape smoothly shifted into a bat, swiftly darting through the night sky towards the castle. His keen eyes immediately spotted Ron and Hermione rushing toward the remains of the fallen bridge. Muttering a curse about their recklessness, Snape adjusted his course, swooping down to intercept them before they progressed further.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0TxDc9rJ0
As Snape landed, he transformed back into his human form, with his robes settling quietly around him. He appeared directly in front of Ron and Hermione, making them stop suddenly. Snape held out his arm, silently signalling them not to go further. Breathing heavily from their quick dash across the grounds, Hermione and Ron instinctively followed the warning, their eyes nervously shifting between each other and Snape’s stern face.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1TmeY5Xox
‘Snape! What the bloody hell—’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gpNhH4fP5
‘Silence, Weasley!’ Snape hissed, his patience gone as he jabbed a finger toward Hagrid’s Hut. ‘Use your eyes.’ Ron and Hermione followed his gesture, peering through the darkness with wide, frightened eyes. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhQWHylbDX
Below them, a group of Death Eaters had gathered near the familiar hut, their laughter carrying across the grounds in ugly bursts. Suddenly, one of them raised their wand and cast a jet of fire at Hagrid’s Hut. The flames caught at once, crawling greedily up the walls before leaping to the roof, turning the cosy place of warm tea, rock cakes, and booming laughter into a blazing ruin. Within seconds, the hut was ablaze, sparks swirling into the night while the Death Eaters stepped back and celebrated their destructive act. Snape watched the scene with a grimace, showing his discomfort at the pointless destruction. He stayed silent, not commenting, while keeping a close eye on the Death Eaters.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRxtQcMJIO
Once the Death Eaters began to drift away from the hut, Snape assessed the ground between their hiding place and the forest. The pumpkins and scattered trees might offer cover, but the patrols had spread too widely. A direct crossing would be suicide unless he made a path for them first.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJzIJ5mQA2
Snape exhaled through his nose, drawing Hermione and Ron’s attention without raising his voice. ‘Constant vigilance,’ he muttered, with the sour expression of a man quoting someone he loathed. His gaze snapped to the greenhouses. ‘Keep low. Move only when it is safe. If either of you decides heroism requires noise, I shall leave you to regret it.’ Ron and Hermione nodded, shaken but ready. ‘I will meet you there,’ Snape added, already turning away.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6zCJMo3lg
Ron glanced from the patrolling Death Eaters to Snape, his grip tight on his wand. ‘What about you?’ he whispered, suspicion and worry tangled together.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEDdxtW528
Snape gave him a look of thin impatience. ‘I shall do what I usually do, Mr Weasley—handle the situation while everyone else insists on making it worse.’ Without hesitation, he folded into the shape of a bat, the change quick and silent. His small, dark form rose into the cool night sky, wings beating rapidly as he flew ahead towards the greenhouses. Flying low over the grass, Snape moved through the shadows, focused on making sure the route was safe for Ron and Hermione to follow undetected.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaH0GcRzCAy
Ron and Hermione watched Snape vanish into the dark, hesitant but determined to follow his instructions. Hermione squeezed Ron’s arm once, hard enough to steady them both. ‘He’s awful,’ she whispered, ‘but he’s right. We do exactly what he said.’ Together, they cautiously descended the slope, watching each step as they aimed for cover behind a cluster of large boulders near the ruined bridge. The rocks provided temporary shelter, hiding them from view. From their vantage point, the route to the greenhouses seemed simple, but the path was actually risky; several Death Eaters blocked their way, making the idea of a quick escape seem even more daunting.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiet5X8Mu1
Ron held his wand firmly, controlling his breath as he cautiously peeked around the boulder. Hermione did the same, her face tense as she looked out from their hiding spot. Only a few metres away, two Death Eaters stood with their backs to them, unaware of the young Gryffindors hidden nearby.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ821otyCMdd
Ron shared a determined glance with Hermione, inhaled deeply, and nodded, signalling readiness. Quietly, they separated, each moving around the boulder from opposite sides in perfect harmony. They stealthily approached their unaware enemies. At the same time, Ron and Hermione raised their wands and whispered, ‘Stupefy.’ Twin streams of red light erupted, hitting the Death Eaters directly. The dark-robed figures collapsed to the ground, knocked out before they could do anything.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZjc0ljs78
As they hid in the shadows, Ron and Hermione’s eyes caught flashes of light ahead—rapid bursts of spells lighting up the darkness. Though the source of the magic was unseen, its impact was clear; Death Eaters near the greenhouses suddenly collapsed, struck down by skilfully cast spells from an unknown origin. Seeing their enemies fall, Ron and Hermione shared a relieved glance, silently recognising how lucky they were to have Snape protecting them during this dangerous moment.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURMQTf7rXx
They quickly looked around to make sure the way was clear before proceeding. Staying low, they hurried up the trail toward the greenhouses, using the bushes, broken stone, and leaning trees along the path as cover. Damp grass brushed against their legs, and the smell of smoke from Hagrid’s Hut drifted after them, bitter and choking in the cold air. Every few steps, they paused to scan for any sign of the Death Eaters, their hearts pounding so loudly it felt impossible that no one else could hear. As they reached the greenhouses, Ron and Hermione pressed against the back wall, hidden by shadows and thick foliage. The glass panes above them reflected faint flashes of distant spells, making the whole structure look fragile and haunted. They remained silent, waiting for Snape to catch up, staying as concealed as possible until he joined them.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphFjEpcw6L
From his hidden perch above, Snape watched Ron and Hermione with the faintest curl of approval. Without delay, he shifted into his bat form, gliding silently to their side. When he returned to human form, Ron lurched back, and Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth. ‘Try not to announce me to the county,’ Snape whispered. ‘We are nearly there.’ The two nodded, nerves stretched tight. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG80PEl50Q
Snape cautiously looked around the edge of the greenhouse, searching for any movement. His face darkened as he saw figures approaching. ‘Company,’ he whispered. ‘Inside. Now.’ They slipped in just as shouts erupted outside; the noise indicated that the unconscious Death Eaters had been found. Snape’s mouth thinned. ‘I had hoped they would remain unconscious and incompetent a little longer.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBepQ4x3UY
Hermione crouched between a large plant pot and the worktop, her face pale in the dim, greenish light filtering through the greenhouse panes. The air smelled sharply of damp soil, crushed leaves, and potion ingredients left abandoned in the chaos of battle. Somewhere above her, vines tapped softly against the glass as the wind moved them, each small sound making her flinch. She took a shaky breath and looked at Ron with wide eyes. ‘Ron,’ she breathed, forcing the panic down by sheer will, ‘we need a plan. Any plan.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaizph2wMr8
Snape slipped from their hiding place to scout the far door, easing aside the loose plastic sheet just enough to peer through without exposing himself. Outside, Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy were moving up the hill with several others, drawn by the disturbance near the greenhouses. Their attention had shifted, and for one narrow moment the path behind them lay open. Snape returned quickly, robes whispering around his ankles. ‘This is the opening,’ he said, voice low and clipped. ‘It will not remain open because you two are fond of staring at danger.’ He led them back toward the entrance they had used, pausing at each gap in the foliage to listen before motioning them onward. At the threshold, Snape checked the grounds once more. When no robed figures crossed the path, he gave Ron and Hermione a sharp gesture to move quickly and silently.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorvFYgqoWy
They hesitated only a second before obeying. Snape tapped each of their heads with his wand, and a cold ripple washed over them as the Disillusionment Charm settled into place. He cast it on himself last, until all three of them shimmered uneasily against the darkness. ‘That will buy us moments, not safety,’ Snape murmured, glancing around the corner once more. ‘Do not waste them.’ His eyes swept the path, looking for any movement or signs of danger nearby. Convinced that the immediate area was clear, he turned back to Ron and Hermione, his face severe. ‘Run when I run,’ Snape said, barely moving his lips. ‘If you fall behind, make less noise than your usual standard.’ Without waiting for an answer, he sprinted down the hill with practised, soundless speed, each step deliberate as he slipped through the shadows.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQl8NNflGP9
Hearts pounding, Ron and Hermione hurried after him, crouched low beneath the failing shimmer of the charm. Every footstep felt too loud; every branch seemed eager to betray them.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7U4qwVKDh
As they continued, Hermione’s foot caught on a hidden root beneath the undergrowth. The root was half-buried beneath wet leaves and invisible in the darkness until it snagged her ankle. She gasped, choking back a cry as she tumbled forward and fell hard to the ground, one hand scraping against stones and tangled bracken. Ron spun at once. ‘Hermione!’ he whispered, fear sharpening the single word as he hurried back toward the shimmer of her charm.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtNLTRk9cU
‘My ankle,’ Hermione said through clenched teeth, tears slipping down her cheeks despite her effort to stay quiet. ‘I think—I think I heard something snap.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDK0LEEOlMh
Snape, drawn by the sound, appeared beside them like a slice of shadow. ‘Report,’ he whispered, the single word colder than panic and far more useful. His eyes moved between them and the surrounding trees, searching for threats even as he stopped beside Hermione.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVO075xiwEk
‘She tripped,’ Ron said, voice rough with terror. ‘It’s her ankle. Don’t just glare at it—do something.’ His hands found Hermione through the shimmer of the Disillusionment Charm and steadied her as carefully as he could.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILqFcy4bOP
Snape swept a quick look over the undergrowth, then tapped each of their heads to cancel the charm. The shimmer faded at once, leaving them visible but free to move without the distortion blurring their footing. Snape knelt beside Hermione, aimed his wand at her injured ankle, and murmured a diagnostic spell. A subtle red light flickered around her foot. His mouth tightened. ‘Broken,’ he said. ‘A clever choice, Miss Granger, if your aim was to make escape intolerably difficult.’ The bite in his voice softened almost at once. ‘A full healing spell here would be reckless. I can stabilise it, nothing more.’ Ron shifted closer, murmuring to Hermione while she struggled to keep her pained sounds quiet.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWZbz651c1
Ron looked at Hermione’s pale face, then at the trees ahead. ‘I’ll carry her,’ he said, no hesitation in it. ‘Argue later, Hermione.’ He bent carefully and slid his arms beneath her, lifting her as gently as he could while avoiding her injured ankle. Still shaken, Hermione clutched his shoulders and nodded once.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYW5AXvTd2
Snape nodded, his dark eyes scanning the surroundings one last time. ‘Then move,’ he whispered. ‘Sentiment may limp; Death Eaters do not.’ Without delay, he slipped ahead through the undergrowth, leading them toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxeyqwFw0i
Ron adjusted Hermione carefully in his arms and pressed on, each step slow, deliberate, and tense. The uneven ground fought him, but he kept his balance, refusing to let her fall again.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmXgWkjOgH
Hermione, subdued by pain and fatigue, looked up at Ron. ‘Are you all right?’ she whispered. ‘You’re shaking.’ As she watched him, she noticed the sharp contrast between his pallid skin and the familiar spray of freckles across his face.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV73azejg5S
Ron gave her a faint, crooked smile. ‘Yeah. Well—no. But I’m still standing, and you’re not, so I reckon I’m winning.’ His voice wobbled despite the joke. He held her more securely, silently promising himself that he would not let her fall again.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTT5YNzD36y
Hermione shifted in Ron’s arms, her brow furrowed as she fought through the pain. ‘If Snape could get to us,’ she whispered, ‘do you think he got to Harry?’ A sharp pulse from her ankle made her wince.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhc3oDGO0EH
Ron swallowed hard. ‘Merlin, I hope so,’ he whispered. The hope hurt almost as much as the fear. He looked down at Hermione and tried to smile, but it came out crooked and strained. ‘Harry’s survived worse than impossible before,’ he added. ‘He’d better not stop now.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDwWGyWP1X
Hermione rested her head against Ron’s shoulder, exhaustion and pain finally dimming her resistance. Ron quickened his pace as much as the underbrush allowed, following Snape’s dark figure until the trees thickened around them and the edge of the Forbidden Forest swallowed them whole.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jKVhOwqpu
As they advanced into the thick forest, Snape paused briefly and spoke in a calm, measured tone. ‘We stop once before we reach shelter,’ he said. ‘There is something I—’ His jaw tightened. ‘Something we must do.’ The sorrow in that correction sent unease through both Hermione and Ron. They exchanged anxious glances, each silently wondering what could make Severus Snape sound almost human.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE7MDhRbQj
Ron’s voice shook when he finally forced out the question. ‘Sir… Harry. What happened to him?’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXk4tcyFOrR
‘You will have answers when answers will not get us killed,’ Snape said, quickening his pace through the trees.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNEsV12HE5
Hermione’s voice was small but precise, as though naming the fear might control it. ‘Is he dead?’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIWMEwDUvy
Snape stopped. For once, no insult came. He looked tired, strained, and older than he had moments before. ‘I do not know,’ he said. The honesty was brutal. Then he turned and continued through the trees.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUnbLkMrt7
They hurried through the trees, following Snape as he led them quickly and quietly to the clearing where Voldemort and the Death Eaters had recently gathered. The deeper they went, the colder the forest seemed to become, the air heavy with the scent of disturbed earth and lingering dark magic. As the thick underbrush cleared to reveal the open space, Ron suddenly stopped, his breath hitching as he took in the scene before him. The large, jagged hole in the ground loomed ominously, its edges raw and torn as though the clearing itself had been wounded. Next to the crater, a body was covered with a cloth but was clearly identifiable, the shape beneath it far too large and familiar to mistake. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwlvE3FQC9
Ron’s steps faltered as he moved closer. ‘No,’ he breathed, before he even knew what he was refusing to believe. ‘No, don’t—who is that?’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdS3z8W06G3
Snape drew a breath and stepped to the covered body. With careful hands, he pulled back the blanket just enough to reveal Hagrid’s unmistakable face. Hermione broke at once, sobbing openly. Ron stood rigid, shock and anger warring in his expression as tears gathered in his eyes.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT04YUtjrTY
Snape shook his head and covered Hagrid again with careful hands. ‘The Dark Lord murdered him before they left the clearing,’ he said. His voice remained low, but the words cost him something. ‘I would not leave him for carrion and cheering fools.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb6PTi0UjQ
Ron nodded and knelt to lower Hermione to the ground. The instant her foot touched earth, she cried out. Ron flinched. ‘Sorry—sorry, Hermione,’ he whispered, guilt flooding his face as he looked to Snape. ‘Can you help her now?’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfPTfiahq4
Snape approached and aimed his wand at Hermione’s ankle. ‘Ferula.’ Hermione cried out as the bones shifted and the splint bound her ankle tight with bandages. He murmured another spell, dulling the pain without removing it entirely. ‘Do not mistake that for a cure,’ Snape said. ‘I am a spy, not a matron.’ He withdrew and turned toward Hagrid’s body.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxK49AUY0n
Ron carefully helped Hermione to her feet, avoiding putting too much pressure on her injured ankle. She winced but managed to stand, using Ron’s support for balance. ‘It’s better,’ she whispered, testing her weight with a grimace. ‘Not good. Better.’ After a moment, she let go of Ron and stood on her own, pale but determined.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUGpcxhKoS
Ron nodded at her before turning to approach Snape, who was gazing at the gaping hole in the ground. Hermione, still limping but determined despite her pain, made her way over to join them. Ron looked from Snape to the crater, concern clear on his face as he tried to grasp the extent of the devastation before them. ‘What did this?’ Ron asked quietly, gesturing toward the crater. His voice had gone flat with shock.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVj7HKTZGC
Snape drew a measured breath. ‘The Dark Lord killed Potter,’ he said, then hesitated, the certainty refusing to settle. ‘Or believed he did. When they went to confirm the body, Potter vanished. No spell residue I could see. No Portkey flare. Nothing.’ He grimaced. ‘It was as if the forest itself swallowed him.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaKHvkbgsF
Hermione’s composure finally broke. ‘So he’s—’ She could not finish. The word lodged in her throat, and she turned into Ron’s shoulder, sobbing as grief overtook her.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiIfSbwyMD
Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione and held her tightly, grief making them cling to the only certainty left: each other.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy59mKntlJR
Snape shook his head, troubled rather than triumphant. ‘I am not certain of anything except the Dark Lord’s fury,’ he said softly. ‘He believes he has been deceived. That makes him dangerous in a way even his followers understand.’ He looked from Ron to Hermione. ‘He has gone to regroup. When he returns, he will not come merely to kill Potter. He will come to prove he cannot be made a fool.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1hefWJb45
Ron nodded, then looked toward Hagrid’s motionless form. His mouth opened twice before words came. ‘That hole…’ His voice cracked. ‘We could use it. For Hagrid. If—if we have to leave him here, we can at least not leave him like this.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C2MmDvCVw
Snape nodded in agreement and then turned toward the half-giant. Steadying himself, he raised his wand and carefully levitated Hagrid, still covered by the blanket, into the crater. The movement was slow and respectful, the blanket shifting slightly in the night breeze as though reluctant to leave the place where it had fallen. With a subtle flick, Snape transformed three nearby sticks into durable spades. Together with Ron and Hermione, he began the sombre and challenging task of covering Hagrid’s body with earth. No one spoke for a long time. The scrape of the spades and the soft fall of soil were the only sounds, each shovelful a painful reminder of the warmth, loyalty, and kindness they were leaving beneath the ground. Slowly, the grave was filled, leaving only a gentle mound marking Hagrid’s final resting place.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlo4MW1E7Qc
Hermione leaned on her spade, overwhelmed with emotion. ‘He was always there,’ she whispered. ‘Even when he shouldn’t have been able to be. He was always there.’ Tears streamed down her face as the truth of that absence settled over her.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSt1Jjx7rl
Ron wiped at his face with the back of his hand. ‘Yeah,’ he said hoarsely. ‘And he’d hate us standing here crying when there’s still work to do.’ He swallowed hard. ‘But I’m going to miss him anyway.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyb1ZSaso9
Snape offered no easy comfort. For a long moment he looked at the improvised grave, his expression shuttered but not untouched. ‘We leave now,’ he said at last. Then, quieter, almost to the mound, ‘Forgive the haste, Rubeus.’ He turned away before either student could answer. ‘There is a small camp not far from here. Move.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4wL9AseY8
Hermione and Ron stayed by the grave a little longer, their hearts heavy with grief. Ron’s goodbye came out rough and low. ‘See you, Hagrid,’ he whispered. ‘And thanks. For everything.’425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcd5xkWhhC
Hermione brushed her fingers over the fresh earth. ‘We’ll tell Harry,’ she whispered. ‘Somehow. We’ll make sure he knows.’ Hermione bent and picked up a fallen branch. With a trembling wave of her wand, she transformed it into a small bouquet of pink, white, and yellow roses, then laid them carefully on the fresh earth.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVEuCfoEBV
Ron gently eased Hermione away from the grave, supporting her as they rejoined Snape beneath the shadowed trees. She looked back again and again, her eyes fixed on the flowers until darkness blurred them from sight. This time Snape offered no cruelty, no impatient remark. He waited. Then, together, they followed him deeper into the forest, the trees closing behind them like a curtain and leaving Hagrid’s grave in the quiet dark.
A/N: Firstly, I am really sorry for the wait in getting this chapter up. My computer broke a couple of years ago and I've only just managed to get a new one.
Secondly, I’m so sorry! Please don’t hate me! I cried so much when writing this chapter! I love Hagrid and the thought of him dying is so wrong, but it wouldn’t have made sense for them to keep him captive. As far as Voldemort would know, the Order betrayed the truce and thinks a trick has been played on him. Naturally, he would kill the first Order member he came across for revenge!
I hope you enjoyed it in any case, and please leave me a review to let me know how I’m doing with this rewrite. Any suggestions for what you might want to see is greatly welcome as well. I may not use them, but it may inspire me with other extra scenes!
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