Neville
All the times I'd pictured how and where the final battle of this war would take place, it had never been here, and it had never been so soon. I am still bruised and broken. Just yesterday I was fighting a battle for this school, and now I am fighting a battle for the world.
All year Harry has been off looking for Horcruxes. Ron had already destroyed one, but Hufflepuff's Cup was still in Hermione's hand and apparently there were still two more that needed to be destroyed before Harry could defeat Voldemort. Unfortunately, Voldemort has been tipped off to Harry's arrival and all around the younger students are rushing from the castle to the safety of their homes and the Order and Dumbledore's Army prepare to fight, hopefully for the last time.
"Potter needs time. Neville, I want you to take your Army and blow up the wooden bridge."
"Wait, let me get this straight," I follow beside Professor McGonagall. War or no war, this was hard to believe. "You're giving us permission to do this?"
"That is correct, Longbottom." She never stops moving.
"To blow it up? Boom?"
"BOOM!"
"Wicked. But how are we going to do that?"
"Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnegan? As I recall he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics."
"I can bring it down." Seamus looks at me with confidence, and perhaps a bit of excitement. It will probably be nice for him to finally blow something up on purpose.
"That's the spirit. On you go." McGonagall shoos us off to the bridge and we got to work. We take all of Dumbledore's Army with us, except Luna. I had seen her rushing up the stairs after Harry. Perhaps she knew how to help him find Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Seamus takes the lead and I have never seen him so confident in anything he was doing before. Beside me, Cho, Ginny, Parvati, Padma, Lavender and Ernie work to set the dynamite in place. We set up places to set it off in several areas in case I miss the first or second time. Then they wait at one end of the bridge and I set myself up, as bait, near the forest.
They come out of the forest running full speed towards me. They run like animals and I am sure they are werewolves, but they are nothing like Professor Lupin. These werewolves have given up their humanity.
The protection charm holds and the whole front line disintegrates before my eyes. The rest stop short and look on warily. My confidence surges and I yell out, I don't even know what I've said. I can only hope it wasn't stupid.
Their leader steps forward and with a wave of his wand the shield is gone. A savage yell pierces the air and they charge me. I instantly wish I was not the bait. Spells fly at me as they give chase. I have to duck and weave as I aim. I'm not even sure it hits until the small sparks and popping noises reach me.
The bridge gives way beneath them and I can tell by the surprised yells coming from behind me. I speed up, trying to outrun the collapse, but the bridge disappears under my feet too. For a second before my arm catches hold of some of the remaining wood, I think I'm going to die before this battle has even begun. Ginny calls out as the faces of my friends disappear from my view. Beneath me there is nothing and I get queasy for a moment before pulling myself up.
"That went well."
"Neville!" Ginny says again, this time relief echoes in her voice.
Seamus and Ernie rush over and help me up. We start back towards the school, but the sky turns red. We look up to see the shield around the school burning. There is a moment of shock watching it. We are frozen at the horrifying and amazing sight.
When it's gone the is a moment of complete stillness. Then a cry is heard from the forest and the Death Eaters begin moving. Giants rush the remaining bridge, fighting the stone statues and metal armor that used to sit as decoration in the castle. When I was younger I had always wondered why Hogwarts was decorated in such a manner. Now, watching them fight, I realize they were never decorations. These were our protectors, waiting to be called on in times where the school was threatened, times like tonight.
Black clouds fly deliberately through the air and everyone outside begins to rush in. Dumbledore's Army splits apart as we all start rushing to different tasks. Only Ginny runs the same direction I do. We nearly crash into Harry as we head up the stairs. Death Eaters are already crashing through windows all around us and young students scream in terror as they rush to get out of the castle.
"Ginny! Neville! Are you alright?"
"Never better. I feel like I could spit fire. You haven't seen Luna, have you?" My adrenaline is pumping wildly. I nearly died, but I'm still alive and the girl I love is somewhere is this castle. Something wet is trickling down my forehead and I'm pretty sure it's blood, but I don't feel any pain.
"Luna?" Harry looks only slightly confused.
"I'm mad for her. I think it's about time I told her since, we'll probably both be dead by dawn!" I rush up the stairs where I last saw her heading. I glance back and see Ginny and Harry smiling. It pushes me forward.
I find her standing on a spiral staircase poised to attack should someone break through the window near her. She turns when she hears me rushing towards her and smiles. "I thought you might find me."
I nod and touch her cheek gently. "I love you." It's not how I wanted to say it. It's not romantic or sweet. I am just stating a fact, but she smiles anyway.
"I know." Her voice is just as angelic and carefree as it always has been, but there is more behind it now. Something heavier and wiser. She touches my hand. "I think Harry will find the diadem."
I chuckle a little. "Yeah, but if I walk down these stairs, I may never come back up again."
"You will." Her lips touch mine so softly I wonder if it ever happened at all. "And I'll find you when this is all over."
Then she's gone and I watch her go, making myself a promise. I will survive this night. I refuse to let our first kiss be our last. That is the thought that propels me down the stairs after her and to my position to fight.
As I move down to the main floor I see what looks like one of the younger students sneaking back into the castle. He looks so familiar, and I'm almost sure he is a Gryffindor. Colin, that's his name. I think for a moment that maybe I should tell him to go home, but he moves quickly and I've lost him in the crowd before I can even move in his direction.
Colin
I didn't want to leave the school at first. I had been in Dumbledore's Army and I knew I could fight You-Know-Who. Dennis was scared. He wanted to go home, to be with mum. Death Eaters were at all the exits and I couldn't let my brother get hurt. So I took his hand and led him out, him and a group of other students.
For the first time, people were looking at me to guide them. I felt like Harry must feel every day. But, like Harry, I had to leave them and return to the fight once I knew they were safe.
"Colin, don't!" Dennis grabbed my arm as I turned back toward the castle.
"Dennis, go home. Stay with mum."
"Come with me."
"No." Staring at my brother I knew I needed him safe. But I also knew I needed to fight because Harry was in there fighting and tomorrow, when he has defeated You-Know-Who, I want to be able to tell him I helped. He'll be proud of me then.
"Why not?"
"Harry is in there fighting right now. We could end this war by tomorrow. I have to go back. I have to fight too. I know I can do it."
"Then let me go with you, I can fight too."
"No! You need to get the rest of these students far enough away so their safe, and then you need to go home. Mum will be worried."
"What about you?"
"I'll see you tomorrow." I smile confidently at Dennis. I've been trained by Harry. He's the best wizard I've ever met so I'm not worried I might get hurt.
I rush back the way I came, feeling relieved as I slip back into the crowd of fighting students that I made it in time. Death Eaters are starting to make it into the castle and some of the younger students are still trying to find a way out. Any of them that I meet I direct to the place I got Dennis and the others out. A few of them are from my same year. They keep asking if I'm going with them, but I won't leave this fight.
Battle is hard to describe. All around me there are people I know and don't know dueling. Hogwarts is falling apart from all the slung magic. I lift my camera and snap a few pictures. When we've won this battle people will want documentation on what the battle was like. They'll finally be happy I had my camera with me. I won't be annoying anymore.
"Protego!" White light flashes past me as a girl I remember Harry dating back in fourth year dueling a large man with yellow teeth and a squashed nose. I snap another picture then pull out my wand just as another Death Eater tries to hit her from behind.
"Exspelliarmus!" I call. His wand flies from his hand and he turns on me with a murderous glare. But I'm not afraid of him, he's unarmed. I send a quick body bind his way and rush off.
My heart is pounding in excitement. I just took on a Death Eater and won. I knew Harry's training would get me through this battle. I had just saved a fellow DA member's life and she was probably going to go on and take out a bunch of Death Eaters as well.
Rushing to the courtyard where all the real action was I drew my camera and snapped a few more shots of the fighting. I even managed to blind a Death Eater and make his spell go array. It smells like dust and blood out here. The courtyard is hardly recognizable anymore. All around me are bodies of fallen allies and enemies. It's hard to say who has lost more.
There are many creatures I never thought I'd see in person there was well. Werewolves are biting at necks and giants bodies taking up most of the ground and falling on columns and taking them down.
The smell is making me queasy, but I'm so prepared, so excited to finally prove myself I can ignore it. The man I blinded comes towards me and I draw my wand confidently. We don't go through the usual dueling formalities, he just throws curse after curse. I block decently enough. My time in the DA has really helped me. Everything Harry said was right, they aren't nice and they don't wait for you to get ready. But we prepared for that so it doesn't throw me like it might throw someone that wasn't trained by Harry Potter.
I finally take him down and I know I can take on anyone who comes at me. Striding towards the castle is a woman with black hair done up like an owl's nest. Her teeth look stained all sorts of colors and her eyes seem black as the sky. They are wild and cold and she does not bother to duel.
"Avada Kedavra!" Those are the last clear words I hear. The flash of green light is the last thing I see and I know I will die a hero, just like Harry.
George
Fighting a war is the least funny thing I've ever done in my life. It is the only thing I can't find a way to joke about, because all around me people are dying and I am worried for my family. But beside me is Fred and together we are protecting the same secret passages we snuck in and out of for most of our years here.
There is not much fighting going on at our end just yet. The Death Eaters were stupid, they stormed the castle straight on. Perhaps soon, a few of the smarter ones will think to use the secret passage ways. But, since they're following Moldywart, smart isn't really something I'd use to classify them.
I chuckle lightly to myself at that thought.
"What is it, Georgie?" Fred smiles knowingly at me.
"Moldywart." I receive an appreciative chuckle and nod. I knew he'd find it funny too.
"Much better than your 'holy' joke."
"I'd just been cursed!" Fred rolls his eyes. He's just messing with me so we don't worry too much about what's actually going on.
That is the last real talking we do. It all happens very quickly. First Percy comes running as he fights off someone. Then, from a different direction, Harry, Ron and Hermione come running. Their clothes are covered in soot and singed at the ends.
Before we really have time to process anything we are fighting. I fight beside my brothers and friends and it feels good. It feels good to have Percy back, despite all the crap Fred and I used to give him, it hurt when we felt like he had betrayed us in favor of the Ministry. But here he was, fighting off his former boss, side by side with Fred.
"Hello, Minister! Did I mention I'm resigning?" Percy jokes as he throws a spell right at Scrimgeour.
"You're joking, Perce!" Fred looks at him in astonishment, and had I not been in the middle of shooting a spell I would've done the same. "You're actually joking," Fred laughs. "I don't think I've heard you joke since you were – "
The explosion is loud. The force of it knocks all of us back as bits of rubble come raining down. The air leaves my lungs and I can feel the bruises even as they are beginning to form.
None of that hurts though. All I feel is the pain in my heart as I crawl to him. I knew he was gone before I even saw him laying there. I felt it the moment he left.
"No! No! No!"
"No, Fred, no!"
Neville
I smell smoke, but there is no fire anywhere near me. The Death Eaters are gone and Voldemort is requesting that we give him Harry. He is a fool if he thinks we'd actually ever do that. Oliver and I are searching the castle for injured and dead so we can bring them to the Great Hall. At least this break will offer people more time to grieve and get healed up.
To my left I hear movement. Looking around quickly I spot a very unlikely person trying to hide out the rest of the battle in an alcove. He is cowering like a child, and he seems wandless, but I know better than to underestimate him.
"Come out with your hands up, Malfoy." I order.
He jumps at the sound of my voice and it is a startling thing to see. He looks as though this war has broken him and I can't lie to myself, part of me is glad to see it. More of me knows he's not as bad as he seems and that makes me feel bad for him.
"Please don't kill me, Longbottom. I've got no wand." He shows his hands.
"Why shouldn't I kill you anyway? You've done horrible things. I know they were keeping Luna at your house. Did you torture her?"
"No. I fed her. I swear to Merlin, I would sneak her extra food."
"You know your word is not good enough to make me believe you." I glare at him. Then, realizing where we are, I make a decision.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"The Potions classroom isn't too far from here and not too long ago Slughorn had us make Veritaserum, remember?" I didn't need to explain further. I led him with my wand in his back to the classroom and sure enough the potion was there. Most of the vials were broken, but I did manage to find one.
He drinks without hesitation. I guess he figures it is the only way he might stand a chance of surviving this encounter. Throughout this year he's learned not to underestimate me, or what I will do to help Harry win this war.
When his eyes glaze over I ask my questions. "Did you really sneak Luna extra food?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"What my aunt was doing was wrong. Having the Dark Lord in my house was terrifying. Luna had not done anything, and I when I saw her in the dungeons…she looked so sad. She looked like what I felt like. I just wanted to make sure she lived."
"You're the reason she's still alive?"
"No, Harry Potter saved her from our dungeons. I just fed her."
"Still, if you hadn't been feeding her she might not have survived until Harry got there." I lower my wand thinking of her. "I won't kill you, Malfoy. Not this time anyway. A life for a life, my debt is now repaid. But if you try anything else, I won't hesitate next time. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"You better find a better place to hide then."
I don't see him again for the rest of this battle. Oliver and I find Fred and bring him to the Great Hall so the Weasleys can grieve. Seeing a friend lying there, dead, it hurts. Seeing other friends crying over his body, hurts too.
Fred is not the only body we carry back into the Great Hall. When they are alive, I am grateful. But few are found alive. In the courtyard I find another body, one that shakes my core. Colin Creevey, the young Gryffindor I saw sneak back into the castle, the one I almost told to go home…I'm carrying his body into the Great Hall. I should have told him to go home.
As I'm making my way back out to make sure we've found everyone still lying out on the grounds I run into Harry. He seems like something is weighing on him and there is a part of me that knows right here that he is going to go to Voldemort.
"Neville, I need you to do something." I just nod. "Kill Nagini, Voldemort's snake. He keeps it close to him, but if you get the chance, kill it. Then he'll be able to die."
My fears are confirmed. Harry is going to sacrifice himself for us. After everyone he's lost, everyone we've all lost I can't say I don't understand why he feels the need to do it. But at the same time, I feel like if he dies and we can't kill Voldemort everyone who has died will have died for nothing. I can't bring myself to say any of that to Harry though. He looks like the choice is weighing on him so much. What type of friend would I be if I put more doubt and fear in his mind? There is too much on his shoulders already. I nod again. I will kill that snake.
Lavender
This began for me months ago, back when we first got to school to find Professor Snape the Headmaster and our Defense class became a Dark Arts class. Tonight is the ending of a battle I have been fighting for months.
Neville stands in front of us, remind us why we fight. He has been our fearless leader all year, and listening to him now, standing up to You-Know-Who, it reminds me why I followed him. It reminds me why I never gave up hope that Harry would come back.
But now Harry is dead. Hagrid holds his limp body in his arms and I realize the person we waited for to come back and save can't save us anymore. We are on our own and I feel like we can't win. But every moment that Neville keeps talking, I can feel the hope build up in me. I can feel that he is right.
"Yeah, we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us, in here." Neville presses his bruised and bloody hand to his heart. "So's Fred and Remus and Tonks. All of them." My heart pounds as I listen to him speak. "They didn't die in vain." As he talks I start to believe we can do this. I start to believe that we are strong enough to keep going, even without Harry. "Harry's heart did beat for us. For all of us! It's not over!" Neville yells, pulling a sword from the Sorting Hat which he's been holding in his hand.
At that same moment, almost as though Neville's words and belief breathed new life into him, Harry springs from Hagrid's arms and shoots a spell at the snake beside You-Know-Who's feet. There is a moment of shock as we all register what has just happened, and suddenly the battle rages on again.
Some Death Eaters flee in fear; I can over hear a shout that sounds like "he can't be killed." There is a new fire burning in me and I am ready to fight to the death for this war to end here today. Those who didn't flee in fear surge forward and all around me others are raising their wands. I draw mine too and am instantly in a duel with an evil face I've never seen before.
Neville is flung backwards past me and hits the ground hard. My stomach drops because I can't tell if I've just lost another friend or not. Beneath my feet glass crunches and I'm pretty sure it's the remains of a crystal ball because Professor Trelawney had been throwing them at Death Eaters earlier.
Our fight moves through the courtyard back into the castle. This man is strong and I start to realize there is a very good chance I might not survive this fight. Near me Bellatrix is taunting Ginny. Hermione has joined her and they are fighting Bellatrix together.
In my own fight I am starting to struggle. Parvati jumps in and we start battling the man together. He is strong, we are barely keeping up. I begin to wish I had paid more attention in class. Witch Weekly isn't helping me win this battle and even though I am a member of Dumbledore's Army and I fought beside Neville all year, I'm not strong enough to beat this man. I don't think Parvati is strong enough either.
He shoots a killing curse our way and the only thing I can think to do is push her. She falls away as it hits me. It is surprisingly painless. Dying is so easy.
Neville
I regain consciousness in the middle of a full out battle. One I'm almost certain I had a huge part in reigniting. My head is aching and I'm sure I'm bleeding again somewhere. All around me many different things are happening in the Great Hall which suddenly feels a lot smaller than it ever has before.
"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" I turn to see Molly Weasley singlehandedly fighting Bellatrix Lestrange. Her death looks painful and I feel a weight being lifted off my shoulders. The woman who took my parents from me is dead. I'm not even sad I wasn't the one to kill her.
The Malfoys are rushing around the hall looking desperate. I'm pretty sure they are trying to find their son. I know he's safe, but I've got something important to do so I don't try to get to them.
Gryffindor's sword, something I've only ever read about is still clutched tightly in my hands. The snake Harry told me to kill is slithering through the crowd, biting unsuspecting Order and DA members. It gives the Death Eaters an unfair advantage.
When I finally manage to shake the fog completely from my mind I realize who it is heading for next. I see red. I've lost too much to this war already. I won't lose her too. Gripping the sword so tight my knuckles go white, I charge. A cry of pure rage rips through my throat and it turns to me just in time for me to strike the killing blow. The sword cuts through its flesh with little resistance.
Everything stops for a moment. Black smoke rises where the snake fell. It curls and twists itself until an image begins to take shape. It's a face. It's His face. It looks like it's screaming and instinctively I wrap her in my embrace, not sure if it will try to harm us. It doesn't. With a pained howl it disappears as though it had never been there. The only evidence left is the limp body of the snake.
I turn to see Harry looking proudly at me before turning back to Voldemort. The man I once feared so greatly is not the man I see standing opposite Harry now. This man looks pale and broken. This man looks scared.
Like the snakes he idolized, he lashes out in his fear. He is heedless of Harry's warning. The killing curse backfires, and he falls. His death is almost anticlimactic. The man who wished himself immortal died in the most mortal way possible. The irony is not lost on me.
As the inclinations of what has just happened sets in cheers ring out in the hall. The Dark Lord has fallen. We are victorious. I feel like cheering and screaming and taking on the world. More than anything I am glad Luna is in my arms, alive and smiling her usual bright smile. There are scrapes and bruises on her face, but she is still as beautiful as ever.
This is our beginning.