Disclaimer: Not mine, J.K Rowling's. Scowls
Edit- I got a review saying that all the punctuation was gone and there was weird symbols, so i clicked on the live preview and was shocked. I have no idea how that happened! Anyways, i've fixed it now and apologise for it.
PLEASE review! Thank you!
The Great Hall was packed, the air tingling with distress, desperation and determination. A palpable tension froze the heart of every living and breathing being in the vicinity.
Four long house tables were lined with shivering students most in their nightwear. Neville Longbottom sat tall and proud on the Gryffindor table. He had an air of dignity surrounding him and he looked proud and deliberate. Unlike the majority of his house, he was dressed in his black, billowing robes and had his wand out ready.
Seamus Finnigan sat to his right and Dean Thomas to the left. He seemed to stand out, far from his usual self, building up his self-esteem with every act of rebellion, every attempt of defiance.
Professor McGonagall coughed to gain everyone's attention,
"Evacuation will be overseen by Mr Filch and Madame Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organise your house and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."
Neville looked alarmed; surely, she did not mean everyone. He, after all, was of age and a member of the DA. Finally deciding he would stay not matter what the Professor said, even if it meant hiding until everyone else had left.
Neville tuned out for the remainder of the speeches thinking of the drama to come.
Death, he knew that some of his friends might fall at the Death Eaters.
Murder, he had also come to terms with the fact that he might have to kill someone, to take their life and spirit and to have to live with the memories and haunting for the rest of his own delicate, fragile life. Well, that is if he lives until the morning.
Regret, little things to regret, as if if he had gone left instead of right he could have saved someone's life.
Pride, he would be part of the most stupendous and monumental battle of good and evil, dark and light in the history of wizarding kind.
Suddenly Dean shaking his shoulder jerked him out of his trance.
"Wake up mate, we're off!" he sounded excited and happy. Maybe he had not realised the seriousness of the situation. Nevertheless, Neville took a deep breath and stood to follow his friends.
He met up with Professor Sprout in the Entrance Hall; already there was distant explosions and shouting: the battle had begun.
A group of about six, including Neville, followed the bumbling Professor Sprout down to the damp and deserted greenhouses, her hands shook considerably as she tried to unlock the glass door with her wand.
Once they had entered, everyone spread out collecting items of use, things that can injure, hold back or disable the enemy. The Professor called them all to gather around her.
"Right then, I guess this is it," she broke off as a high-pitched scream reverberated off the walls. "I wish you all the luck in the world and pray that you all and everyone else come out safely from this. Come on then, let's get this over with!"
And with that they all sprinted out towards the Entrance Hall again, shoving earmuffs on as they went. Neville had sped ahead and was at the destination within mere minutes. He caught sight of Harry and called out to him.
"Harry! Over here" Harry turned around and looked at him, "Mandrakes! Going to lob over the walls - they won't like this!" he bellowed over his shoulder as he ran out of the gigantic wooden doors and into the fight.
He split up from the rest of the group as they entered into the throng of duelling witches and wizards. He panicked and shot a randomly aimed Blasting Curse towards a group of Death Eaters.
"Confringo!" he screamed, causing a massive amount of fire, shrieking and the disgusting smell of burnt flesh. This was the first time Neville had used his magic to hurt someone and something felt different, like a tiny bit of his soul had broken off.
He stopped still in the middle of all the fighting and just stared at the small pile of singed bodies of the three dead Death Eaters. Shaking his head and blinking rather more than usual he carried on his own personal battle to get to the other side of the fight and towards the walls where many more Death Eaters were trying to gain entry.
After several Stunning Spells and a couple Body-Binding Curses, he finally emerged at the Boundary walls, where he met the rest of his group.
He pulled out one of the Mandrakes from his robes pocket and chucked it unceremoniously. He was just aiming the second when Professor Sprout pulled him to the side.
"Neville? Are you crying?" she whispered. Neville hastily wiped his eyes and put on a brave face.
"What? No. Just smoke and stuff." he lied averting his face from his mentors gaze.
"I know you Mr. Longbottom, now I order you tell me what you've seen. Is it one of your friends?" she pretended to become teacher-like again. He stood there staring at the stars for a second.
"I killed someone." he muttered, a bright green light illuminated his features, revealing the tear tracks streaking his dirt covered face. Sprout considered him for a moment.
"This is war son, casualties are bound to occur. Those people are evil, horrendous and repulsive. If you had not done away with them, they would have killed one of your peers, or took Harry Potter to You Know Who. I know it feels like your world has ended but it has not. You have to carry on, you are helping to save this world from an unspeakable evil." she patted him briskly on the shoulder then, out of nowhere, pulled him into a spine-crunching hug.
She let him go and quickly turned her back on him and continued to throw Mandrakes. Neville was gob-smacked but pulled himself together.
Soon they had run out of ammunition and decided to head back into the castle and see what else there is to do. Just as they were about halfway towards relative safety, the Death Eaters finally burst through the barrier of statues and suits of armour.
Sprout pulled them all into the safety of a nearby bush and hissed at them to wait for the most opportune moment. Neville watched with disgust as they Avada Kedrava-ed everyone within a ten feet radius.
He could not stand watching them fall, the way they arched so gracefully before hitting the ground, he tried to stand to run and fight but Sprout yanked him down.
"You're no use to anyone dead." he deliberated this sentence in his head.
If he could take down as may as possible before he eventually was killed that would be his contribution. No. He was no use to anyone dead. No use to anyone dead…no use to anyone dead. He repeated this continually in his head as he waited for the signal to go.
There was over fifty of the hooded, masked and robed nemeses. At first they marched as in formation killing remorselessly, that was until floods of student, teachers, DA members and Order members rushed them knocking them down row after row. Sprout hollered a sort of battle cry.
"Go! Go!" They tore towards the battle shooting random spells at those in masks and aiming shield charms in front of the Hogwartians.
The Dark and Light collided.
Green, red, blue, white and flame shot out of wands crashing together in the air sending sparks flying over their heads. Groups had assembled in the highest towers of the castle and they shot down from there advantage point.
The light side seemed to be winning, the Death Eaters were backing away many already fallen or captured.
That was until the Giants came. A dozen more Death Eaters charged in from the forest leading three sixteen foot giants towards the castle.
The largest giant roared and slammed his titanic fist into the second floor wall causing chunks of stone to hail down of good and bad alike. Everyone ran for cover inside the building where the fight resumed.
The groups from the towers joining them. All of the Giants seemed confused and ripped up trees, knocked more holes and tried to crush anyone still outdoors. Another Blasting Curse floored a gargoyle, that was perched on a plinth above the entranceway, landing on a small sixth year girl, who had sneaked back to help.
Gouging Spells tore clean pieces out of the marble staircase. Bodies littered the floors. A few Death Eaters pushed past to get up onto the upper levels, where more Students and Order members waited.
Neville was currently duelling with the Death Eater Avery and was marginally winning. Avery was slammed to the floor then put into a full body-bind. Remus Lupin came up to him and whispered in his ear.
"We fight to kill, Neville. That body-bind won't last forever." Lupin ran away and started a duel with Dolohov. Neville looked down at his helpless victim and aimed his wand.
He kept his wand pressed against his temple for about a minute but then he just stunned him and went to find someone else to fight. Unfortunately, Bellatrix found him.
"So here we are again Longbottom, going to avenge anyone this time?" she mocked him laughing at his horrified expression.
He felt peculiar warmth spread around his body starting from his heart and ending at his fingertips. The electricity continued to travel up to the tip of his wand, glowing slightly and pulsating.
Images flashed before his eyes: His parents. Before they were tortured to insanity and they used to lift him up, swing him around, and read him bedtime stories then after and his mother started handing his a sweet wrapper at the hospital, his father first asking who he was.
Bellatrix was staring at him looking perplexed and if possible slightly scared. Neville raised his wand, it glowed brighter, brighter, and started vibrating ferociously, and he looked Bellatrix squarely in the eyes and shouted:
"CRUCIO!" she fell to the floor and writhed and flinched, screaming. Neville's eyes were dull and hollow watching the woman cry piteously at his feet.
He flicked his wand and she stopped screaming and panted heavily, after a second she stood up shakily and drew her wand at Neville but he easily blocked her spells. His powers seemed to have double…tripled in strength. She finally gave up and wobbled closer to him.
"No one will ever find out about this. You hear me. Never!" she hissed and turned away to rejoin the fight. Neville felt faint, angry black spots burst in front of his pupils; stumbling backwards, he sat down on the empty plinth of a departed statue and buried his head in his hands.
I am as bad as she is. My parents would not want this, would not want their only son to lower himself to her level. I have tried my utmost to be a model pupil though failing at every corner. Failing, failing, failing.
All I have ever known is failing, pain and loss. If Harry could see me now he would be so disappointed.
I think I have always admired him, envied him, and maybe even needed him. As the long months slid by when he was gone, I kept up the fight. I waited for him to come back, reassuring everyone of his return but it did not come.
Finally, the blessed day came when I saw my best friend again. Harry had his own friends but I have always longed that I was one of them. I was, for once, the fearless hero.
Now look at me.
I feel sick, repulsed at myself. The screams; that what was the worst thing. His mother would have cried and screamed just like Bellatrix.
I wish they had died, instead of living this half-life…well if you can call it a life. They might be alive in the respect that they are breathing, but really, they are just shells of human beings.
I love my mum and my dad; I wish they loved me back. I really do feel sick now. All the dead bodies, there must be about forty. Forty dead…and I am just sitting here crying! I should be out their taking a stand again.
Neville stood up and collected his wand from the floor next to him and ran, faster than he had ever ran before, his lungs seemed to be ripping in half.
"Oi!" he shouted in the vague direction of Amycus Carrow, the man who had made his life hell recently. Amycus turned sharply at the sound of Neville and sneered at him with his lop-sided mouth.
"Ah, Mr. Longbottom. What can I do for you this pleasant evening?" he drawled.
"This is for everything you've done to me and my friends Carrow… Avis!" he yelled as a large flock of birds shot out of the end of his wand and started attacking his opponent.
A Conjunctivitis Curse followed which caused Carrow to stumble around, feeling for walls unable to see through his now crusted together eyelids.
He haphazardly whirled his wand around and sent a killing curse in Neville's direction, which he just managed to dodge. The Death Eater was no fun to duel with now, practically becoming a sitting target, so Neville stunned him and walked forwards.
He was not sure what to do now; everyone was either outside or duelling with someone, after some quite deliberation he headed to the Greenhouses again. Gathering up some Venomous Tentacular, he sprinted back and chucked them on a Death Eater who he did not recognise.
Harry appeared and aimed a Stunner at the Death Eater narrowly missing Neville. The next fifteen minute flew by, Neville weaving in and out of new targets flooring them.
Then suddenly the cold, high voice of Voldemort rang through the grounds: everybody went deathly silent.
"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will die, one by one. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour to dispose of your dead and treat the injured.
"Now Harry Potter, I speak directly to you. I shall wait one hour for you in the Forbidden Forest. It you do not come battle recommences." All the Death Eaters marched out of the doors and towards the Forest.
The students and Order members met in the Great Hall. Kingsley Shacklebolt addressed the injured and weary fighters.
"We must gather all the bodies and lay them out in here. Um, I am so sorry." his voice broke and he turned his back on them all.
If the fearless Auror Kingsley can break down what will happen to the rest of them. Work set out collecting the corpses. Neville leading the way.
The first body he saw was Remus Lupin. He looked so peacefully, all the worry lines on his forehead disappeared. Neville and Aberforth gently picked him up and transported him into the Hall placing him on the end of the morbid line of bodies.
Before turning back to collect more he slowly crouched down and closed the poor man's eyes, it almost looked like he was sleeping. The next in was Tonk's, Neville insisted he took care of her, laying her right next to her husband.
As a last mark of respect, he placed their hands together. They looked so in love.
Fin.