Harry Potter's Broomstick Sacrifice

Kafli 16

Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand back toward the castle as other students who had been run inside by the storm began to filter back out onto the grounds. Harry noticed that Parvati was standing on the steps to the castle along with a group of girls acting very much like they were gossiping. What concerned Harry was that they seemed to be doing so while gesturing in his direction. As he got nearer to them he heard one of them say "but he does have his broom."

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't have my broom with me," Harry asked Parvati as he passed.

"I know that you think Professor Trelawney is a fraud, Harry," Parvati said, making Harry stop and turn to listen to what she had to say, "but I feel like I should tell you anyway."

"Not another death omen I hope," Harry said with a smile, his earlier depression forgotten.

"No," Parvati said. "It was really weird. We went up to see Professor Trelawney to ask her a question, and in the middle of answering it..."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Well," Parvati continued nervously, "her eyes seemed to roll back into her head a little and then she started speaking in a strange voice."

Seeming all too familiar, Harry said seriously, "Tell me what she said exactly."

"Well," Parvati said a little taken aback that Harry seemed anxious to hear what she said, "she said 'Though a heavy price he will pay, Harry Potter must have his broom, a life is in his hands this day'.

"You're sure that's exactly what she said?" Harry pressed.

"Yes," Pavarti said quickly, "yes, exactly that. Then she went on with the answer to our question as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you," Harry said to her. He turned to look at Ginny and said, "We had better change and then tell Dumbledore."

With that Harry and Ginny turned to go inside and began the climb that would take them first to their dormitories to change out of their wet clothes, and then to see Dumbledore about the prophecy.

Meanwhile Hermione was heading back to the common room after a trip to the library when, after reaching the next to last landing before she would reach the right floor in Gryffindor tower, a prickling sensation ran up her back that made her instinctively reach for her wand and begin a shield charm. As she turned to look down the passage behind her a green shaft of light jumped out and hit her in the middle of her chest. Her shield charm had come up in time to deflect a good portion of the spell, but enough of it got through to cause Hermione to lose consciousness and propel her backwards over the railing. There was nothing below but open space until the ground floor as she plummeted downwards.

Harry and Ginny had climbed about halfway up Gryffindor tower when they heard several screams above them. They looked up just in time to see Hermione fall past their level. Ginny screamed and Harry knew what he had to do.

Harry jumped over the railing and mounted his broom in one swift motion, willing all the speed he could get out of it as he raced to reach Hermione. The gap closed quickly, but so did their distance from the ground. He reached Hermione and held her tight to him, but his vast experience with it told him that this was one dive even he couldn't pull out of. So, making a quick decision, he pulled his broom up to a hover position even as his built up momentum carried him still downward. At the last moment, slowed but still carrying far too much speed, Harry twisted his body around so that he was effectively laying with his back on his broomstick and pulled Hermione on top of him. Seconds later they hit the ground with a great crash that echoed throughout the tower as the wood splintered, bones smashed, and blood began oozing out in sickening pools.

Screams rang out as a crowd of people rushed to encircle the gruesome scene. There was every possible reaction to what they saw. Some people cried, some fainted, and some became ill. Professor Flitwick pushed his way through the crowd, and upon seeing the situation immediately put his wand to his throat and said, "Medical emergency at the base of Gryffindor tower."

Immediately, a dozen house elves seemed to apparate to the spot, see the situation, place their hands on Harry and Hermione and then they all disappeared leaving only the pools of blood and the remnants of what was once Harry's broom.

Other teachers began to arrive on the scene and began to attend to those who had fainted and trying to calm and reassure those who were distraught. Everyone in the hall, even those sobbing uncontrollably, stopped what they were doing and looked to the stairs and prayed that someone would stop her before she saw it.

Ginny's pained voice rang out through the halls at the base of the tower as she screamed, "Harry!" over and over as she descended, her voice growing more desperate for an answer. Those nearest to her when she reached the bottom of the stairs stood shocked by the near mad look in her eyes, and did nothing to impede her progress toward the horrific center. Those toward the inside finally snapped to realize what was about to happen and tried to stand in her way, but she knocked through them with the ferocity of someone twice her size. She burst through to the center as she was falling and came face to face with the broken twisted remains of Harry's glasses. She raised her head just as Professor McGonagal reached her and wrapped her in her arms, but not before she saw the large pools of blood mixed with splinters of wood.

"HAAARRRRRYYYYY, NOOOOOO!" Ginny screamed just before she fell limp in McGonagal's arms.

Kafli 17
Ginny found herself standing in the all too familiar reception room of St. Mungo's, having no clear memory of how she got there. Another thing that struck her as strange was the fact that she felt as if she were floating above the floor and looking at the reception area through someone else's eyes. She found herself moving toward the fountain without any of her own will taking her in that direction. She came to a halt and looked down into the pool of water, and gasped silently at what she saw.

Instead of her own reflection, she was staring at a reflection of Harry's face. Instantly, the memory of what she had seen at the bottom of Gryffindor tower flooded back to her. She cried out in her own mind, but no sound emitted from the reflection. There was something else about the reflection that disturbed her, as she noticed that she could also see the reflection of things behind him, as if he was there and yet not there at the same time.

"Don't worry," she heard herself say in Harry's voice, "this is only temporary. I just wanted to tell you that I truly love you, and that I'll need you as soon as they will allow you to come to me. Please don't cry for me my love. The sacrifice was indeed great, but it was my choice. I will always be with you."

The next thing Ginny was vaguely aware of was the muffled sound of voices somewhere nearby. After a few seconds, she became aware that she was in the hospital wing and Madame Pomfree was trying to quietly explain something to someone.

"...definantly the killing curse, Headmaster," Pomfree said. "Lucky for her she managed to summon a shield charm to block most of the spells power, or it would have surely killed her on the spot. As it is, we should be able to have her up and about in a few days."

"Was there no serious injury from the fall?" Dumbledore asked.

"Just a few severe scrapes and bruises," she responded. "It would have been fatal though if it weren't for Mr. Potter, to be sure."

"What can you tell us about Harry's condition before he was sent to St. Mungo's?" Dumbledore asked.

"A natural born fighter I'll give him that," Pomfree responded. "At the time he was initially brought in by the house elves, I checked him myself and I swear as I'm standing here he died in that fall. His body was smashed and broken so badly I thought a troll had stepped him on. A lost cause if ever I had seen one. Then he suddenly took a small breath and whispered her name. Don't ask me how he was able to do it, a miracle is all I can call it."

"I never underestimate the power that love can have," Dumbledore said with a grin.

"Poor child," Professor McGonagall said. "She should never have seen what she did. It tore my heart out to hear the pain in her last scream before she passed out."

It was at that moment that Ginny rolled over and looked at the group saying, "I'll need to go to him as soon as possible, Professor Dumbledore."

"I thought you would feel that way," Dumbledore said, being the only one in the group not surprised to learn that she was awake, "but it will have to wait until the healers at St. Mungo's clear him for visitors."

"I understand," Ginny said. "Harry said I would have to wait."

"What do you mean?" McGonagall asked. "When would you have spoken to him?"

Ginny then related to them the experience she had just before waking up in every detail.

"Interesting," Dumbledore said after hearing Ginny's tale. "It would seem that Mr. Potter is still very much with us. Not that I would expect any less determination from a Gryffindor. I must say that I'm glad to see you taking all of this so much better than your brother."

"Oh my goodness," Ginny said, kicking herself for not thinking what recent events would mean to Ron, "he'll hex first and ask questions later."

"Fortunately," Dumbledore said indicating the bed across from hers, "we were able to intercept Ron after he came up here to check on you and Hermione. We thought it would be best to keep him sedated until your parents arrive."

"Do you know yet who it was that tried to kill Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Not yet," Dumbledore said. "Students are currently confined to their common rooms, and wands are being collected for testing to see if any of them dared to use that foul curse within these walls."

"Yet anyone who would use it would also know that the wands would be tested," Ginny said. "So, the person might have a second wand hidden or disposed of that will escape the testing."

"There is that possibility," Dumbledore confessed.

"I just hope Hermione got a look at whoever it was," Ginny said. "That would be a bit harder to cover up."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed, "but for right now, just let us deal with that. You should get some rest."

"Would you like a sedative to help you sleep, dear?" McGonagall asked.

"I think that would be helpful," Ginny answered. "I think we should make it one that will inhibit dreams if possible as well."
Kafli 18
Ginny stayed in the hospital wing for several days. Not that her physical condition demanded it, but psychologically she wasn't ready to face the attention she would get from the rest of the students. At least not by herself, so she remained there watching over Hermione as she recovered from her attack.

Hermione had woken up the next morning after the attack, still extremely weak, but conscious and thankful for it. Ginny sat by her side and spoke to her when she wanted, and took charge of dosing out her medicine when it was needed. Unfortunately, Hermione never got a glimpse of her attacker, just a brief memory of green light coming out of the shadows.

Ginny tried to avoid telling Hermione about what happened after she fell, but as she regained her strength, she became aware that something was being kept from her. Ginny could not control her own tears as she comforted Hermione about what had happened to Harry, which she took very hard. So hard in fact, that Ginny became worried that it may seriously delay her recovery.

Ron was eventually released from the hospital after his parents had arrived. He remained so distraught and angry that Professor Flitwick had to administer a mood altering charm to him twice a day to keep him from attacking the whole of Slytherin House, who he believed to be responsible for the attack.

The wand examination had the power of the entire Ministry of Magic behind it as high-ranking officials swept in to oversee the proceedings and search for what clues might be found. In

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THE END