Survivors - 8

She waved her wand over him the same way she had done to Ron, only this time the results made her frown.

"Is everything all right?" her mother asked, voicing Ginny's concern.

"Your son is mending nicely, Mrs. Weasley," the Healer replied. "There's still no change in Mr. Potter, although it is time for another Restorative Potion."

She slid her sturdy arm beneath Harry's shoulders and lifted him slightly. His head lolled to the side, but with a practiced hand, the Healer took a phial from her tray and poured it down his throat. He made choking sounds and some of the thick purple fluid dribbled down his chin, but she quickly uttered an Anti-Gagging Spell, and the rest of the potion slid down Harry's throat.

Ginny waited for the Healer to leave, keeping a close watch on Harry and barely daring to breathe. She'd give anything to see his bright green eyes looking back at her at the moment, but he remained still.

"What happened at Hogwarts, Mum?" she asked, sighing. "Why won't you tell me?"

"I'm not hiding anything from you, Ginny," her mother said, pulling her tight. "I simply don't know much myself, and I'm trying not to think about it."

Breathing very hard, her mother ran her hand on Ginny's hair, patting her with a shaky hand. "Hermione's message reached us in the common room at about the same time we heard the wards come down. Most everyone went outside, but I went up to the hospital wing with Poppy to prepare to treat the injuries."

Ginny sniffled, searching her mother's face.

"After it was all over, I left Poppy back at Hogwarts and came here with George," her mother said, her lower lip trembling.

"George?" Ginny asked, rasping, a leaden feeling consuming her stomach.

Her mother swiped a tear from her eye. "Both he and Shannon were badly Cursed. George was the worst, so Poppy sent him ahead while she tried to tend Shannon," she said.

"Why didn't she just send both of them?" Ginny asked, finding it hard to take a breath.

"The hospital still isn't running at full strength, Ginny, and there are a lot of injuries. I know a large number of the Aurors were also hurt, not to mention the townspeople in Hogsmeade," her mother said, sighing.

"What about Dad?" Ginny asked, biting her lip.

"I don't know. I couldn't find him, so I know he never came up to the hospital wing, but–" her mum broke off with a sniffle, burying her face in her hands.

"He's all right, Mum," Ginny said, wrapping her arm around her mother's back and patting it gently. She felt slightly disconcerted by this sudden role reversal.

"What's wrong with George?" she asked, trying to distract both herself and her mother from dark thoughts about her dad.

"The Healers are working on him now. They said they'd come and get me here when I could see him," her mum said, wiping her nose. Her eyes were very red, and Ginny could see the effort it took to pull herself together. "Anastasia Parkinson saved both George and Shannon."

"Mrs. Parkinson?" Ginny asked, nonplussed.

"She was frantic when Dudley told us that Harry and Pansy were missing. Do you know what happened to Pansy?" her mum asked.

"She's dead," Ginny replied flatly.

"Oh!" her mother gasped, putting her hand on her chest. "Poor Anastasia."

"Pansy betrayed Harry and gave him to Voldemort," Ginny said, gritting her teeth. No matter the circumstances, she could find no compassion for Pansy Parkinson at the moment.

"She what?" her mother asked, stunned. Two high points of color rose on her cheeks.