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Hermione couldn’t remember anything before she was struck down by Antonin Dolohov, but she definitely can remember everything that happened afterwards before she lost consciousness.
Her head hurt a little from hitting it on the ground but not as much as her total front side. She could hear Luna and Neville crying out for her getting the attention from the others that were in their vicinity. Her breathing was heavy and tears were falling down blurring her vision but she could hear multiple heavy steps running towards her. Neville started to slither on her knees like a celebrating football player as soon as he was near enough her.
„Oh Merlin Hermione! Don’t worry luv, you’re going to be okay.“
She tried to laugh at her his sudden assertiveness but all that came out was an ugly sound of hiccups and wailing. Luna kneeled next to Neville and took her hand.
„Hermione, it’s okay, you can squeeze.“
Neville, meanwhile, slid his hands underneath her head and laid it on top of his thighs while shushing her gently. Tonks had arrived, told them that she had contacted St.Mungos and that they had to get her out of the department as soon as possible, but spells kept flying around and she was busy protecting the three.
„Nev…“ She choked out and let out another hiccup.
„Shhhhh, Herms you need to rest. Keep your strength.“
Luna was conjuring towels to put pressure on the large wound to stop the blood flow. Being a pureblood, she had not much experience about the muggle world, but she remembered her mother teaching her muggle first aid with the reason that some spells might make some curse wounds worse. And since she didn’t know what her friend had been hit with and she didn’t want to loose another person due to magic, so she pulled herself together and tried to remember everything what her mother had taught her.
„Neville….“ Luna stuttered. „I can’t stop the bleeding!“
Tonks and Neville tensed at the news, causing the young Auror to fight more viciously and Neville throwing caution to the wind and picked up his very first friend.
„Luna, help Tonks and cover us. We’re flooing to St.Mungos.“
However, Voldemort and Dumbledore were duelling and they had no way of getting to the floo connections safely.
„Fuck!“
Tonks cursed and Neville’s grip on Hermione’s body tightened so much he feared he hurt her. She was still. No reaction whatsoever making Neville panic.
„Hermione?“ He whispered and shook her a little.
When there still was no response, he put her back on the ground and shook her again. „Hermione, wake up!“
It got the attention of the others who had been busy standing in the door watching Harry fighting Voldemort’s possession. Remus and Kingsley joined Tonks, Luna and Neville while the rest stood somewhat uncertain behind.
„What’s going on?“
Kingsley asked while Remus searched for a pulse. „Dolohov hit her with some curse. Luna tried stopping the bleeding with muggle methods while I was protecting them. When we finally had a chance to leave the chamber and floo to St.Mungos, we stumbled on Dumbledore and you-know-who.“
She reported quickly and crying lightly. She had liked Hermione. They turned their attention to Remus who had started chanting diagnostic spells to find out what state the young witch was in. But then he suddenly stopped and turned to them, shaking his head with a solemn expression.
„What, what is it?“ Neville asked panicked and afraid of the answer.
„Nev…she’s gone.“ Luna whispered, crying.
He shook his head frantically, hugging her body tightly
„N-no! It can’t be. She-she was just alive Luna! She was still breathing when we left, she-…Hermione!“
He almost screamed. Luna and Tonks were trying to comfort him by putting their hands on his back while Remus tried to make him let go of her body.
„Neville….you need to let go.“ „No!“
He cried out loudly, finally getting all the attention of everyone standing in the atrium.
„No don’t touch her! Hermione!“
He started wailing and screaming rocking himself with her body pressed against his chest like a weeping child. His head was lying on top of hers trying to breathe in her scent and kissing the crown of her forehead. His screams and cries made Luna and Tonks cry harder too, while Remus and Kingsley bowed their heads in sorrow.
„What’s going on? Who is that? Neville, Luna?!“
It was Ginny. She had just arrived with Ron from the room where the living brains were at.
„Oh my god…“ She whispered when she saw Hermione between Kings and Remus. „Hermione!“ She screamed and pushed Ron onto Moody to make a run for her friend but Kingsley and Remus stopped her.
„No! No, Hermione! Are you okay? Why isn’t she moving?! Professor Lupin, why isn’t she moving? Please, Hermione!“ Her wails joined Neville’s the moment Remus told her softly that her friend was gone.
That she hadn’t survived the curse.
When Fudge finally arrived with some aurors and healers from St.Mungos the atrium a solemn silence filled the rooms apart from the sobs and loud crying.
Voldemort had just made a run for it when the troops arrived, making the minister acknowledge the return of the dark lord, but it had been too late then.
The only thing the healers could do when they reached Neville and Hermione, was pronounce her dead officially and bag her up in a bodybag for safe transport to the hospital, where they would contact her parents then and conduct an autopsy.
The aurors talked to the order members to get the story straight while Dumbledore, after a short conversation with Fudge, gathering the children to bring them back to Hogwarts.
„No, I want to go with her. I can’t leave her alone Professor!“
Neville begged while watching the Healers zipping the bodybag closed.
„Are you sure Mister Longbottom?“ „Please…“
He cried as he looked at his headmaster with despair and hopelessness.
„I’ll contact your grandmother to meet you there and tell Professor McGonagall of your whereabouts.“
The headmaster sighed and squeezed his students shoulder in silent support.
„Thank you.“ Neville whispered. Tonks joined him and together they followed the healers responsible for Hermione back to the hospital while the other healers followed the headmaster to assist Madame Pomfrey.
Tonks and Neville weren’t allowed to join the healers as they processed her but a nurse told them that they would be able to see her body soon. 10 minutes later, Neville’s grandmother Madame Augusta Longbottom walked down the floor with a worried but clearly relieved expression when she found her grandson alive and well and in the presence of an auror.
„Neville…“ She called and her heart broke when he turned to face her and she could track the tear stains and trembling.
„Oh, son…“ She hugged him tightly - a rare occasion. „I am glad you are alright. What happened?“
„Gran…“ he sniffed. „Hermione…she…“ He broke down again and hugged his grandmother fiercely.
Tonks took over the explanation while Madame Longbottom held her grandson with a somewhat confused expression that quickly turned to understanding and sympathy.
„Auror Tonks?“ The nurse from before approached them and nodded. „You can go see her now.“
The three of them followed her to an elevator that lead to the basement of the hospital which was bathed in a gloomy light. Along the floor where multiple sliver doors that had to be moved to the side in order to gain entry. Hermione was put in the third room and the only light shining was the lamp above the table her body was lying on. She was covered with a sheet, only her head and arms uncovered to look at. Underneath, all of them knew that she was naked due to the autopsy. She had been cleaned and her things were lying on a small table next to her. She almost looked like she was sleeping, but when Neville took her hand in his he almost drew back in shock because of the cold. She was freezing.
„She is a beautiful girl.“ Augusta noted and Neville could only nod in affirmation.
Before he could say something, a healer, one of the ones who had picked her up, entered followed by her parents. „Ah…“ The healer just said and offered a sad smile.
„Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I am Auror Tonks. This is Madame Longbottom and her grandson Neville Longbottom. I am so sorry for your loss.“
Missus Granger had moved onto Hermione’s other side, staring her the still body of her little girl while Hermione’s father answered Tonks quietly. Neville could hear from the cracks in the man’s voice that he had been crying.
„Oh baby…What have you gotten yourself into now hmm? Always looking for trouble, my sweet, sweet girl.“
Missus Granger said quietly while caressing her face and hair. Then she looked at Neville, who hadn’t moved an inch, while his grandmother and Tonks stepped out to talk to the healer. Mister Granger still stood at the door staring at Hermione almost as if he couldn’t believe it.
„You’re Neville?“ Hermione’s mother asked softly taking him back to reality.
„Yes ma’m. I…I’m so sorry! She…“ He bowed his head in shame and noticed that his shirt and hands and almost his entire upper body plus thighs were covered in blood. Hermione’s blood. „She died in my arms.“ He then said and forced himself to look up again and face her mother. „I…we tried everything…“ A sob shook his body violently and his knees buckled so that his forehead was leaning against the table, arms around his head and holding onto Hermione’s hand tightly.
He almost jerked away from the heavy hand that took he hold of his shoulder making him look up. It was her father.
His eyes were shimmering with tears, but he was smiling. He helped Neville up and hugged him.
„I’m sure you did everything you could to save her.“
Neville nodded once the embrace ended. „She loved you very much you know.“ Her mother continued, chuckling a little.
„Always wrote about you in her letters and then couldn’t stop talking about you in the holidays either. She was so sad when she had to reject your invitation to the yule ball. She had given up on hoping that you shared her interest and was so mad at herself when literally a day after Viktor Krum had asked her, you came along.“
They shared sad laughter. „I love her too.“ Neville finally said it out loud.
„I wish it would have been me…She didn’t deserve it.“ „Oh Neville…“ The way Missus Granger said it reminded him an awful lot of Hermione and he had to fight back the tears again.
„Yes, she didn’t deserve to die before us and to leave life so early. But you don’t deserve it either. None of you do. Hermione wouldn’t want you talking about taking her place…“ Neville just nodded, not quite believing it. But he would try. Because that is the only thing you can ever do right in life. Try…