The battle for Hogwarts

Spells were going off left and right, curses, yells of triumph and groans of pain could be heard. But she was listening for one particular sound.
The cackle of glee that could only come from one person, Bellatrix Lestrange. Running through the halls of Hogwarts, only bothering to lift her wand when someone was being particularly stubborn about ending their lives. At the sound of her love's song like laughter she bolted in her direction.

As she ran out breath she spotted Bella dueling the Weasley matriarch, her stomach swam with butterflies as it has always done when watching Bella duel. Bellatrix was taunting her prey as she enjoys doing,"What will happen to your children when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?" The Weasley mother had responded but she was only focused on Bella. She began to approach them, while continuing to ignore the surrounding battles. Only to suddenly to stop in shock as she watched the Weasley brood-mother cast what could only be a unforgivable curse, the green flash of light revealing it to be the deadliest of the three.

She had not planned for the other side to take such drastic measures. But it seems one can't predict what a mother would do while grieving for their lost child, especially with their murderer right there in front of them taunting her.

Time seemed to slow as she her lifted wand to cast a spell to move Bella out of the way. Her lips had barely begun to move when Bella started her fall to the ground. A look of shock had appeared on her face a half of moment before her demise. A cackle dead on her lips as death approached.

Then the pain came, a pain like no other. Bystanders had assumed it was only the pain of a insane person losing the only thing they loved. Only Harry having the slightest hint of the ritual she had performed on Bellatrix some time ago, to ensure her safety. In the end no one would know exactly how much of either it was.

The screams of agony that came forth instead of the expected cheers of joy would never be forgotten by either side of the war. All the bystanders surrounding the duel stopped their fighting to look over at the girl writhing in agony on the ground. She screamed in pain while tears ran down her cheeks as she slowly inched towards Bella.
Her thoughts were only of Bellatrix, the pain of losing part of one's soul both romantically and "psychically" clouding everything else. She reached Bella's body in what felt like hours, not mere minutes. Slowly she rolled her over to look her love in the eyes, to see if she was truly gone. The look of peace on her face was all the more painful.
She wasn't coming back, Bella had chosen to move on from the crossroads and not return unlike Harry. She'd chosen to have peace from her all her pain and demons. She began to scream in a fresh wave of agony, as she clutched Bella's now cold hand.

Bystanders of both sides began to shift away slowly with either looks of pity or disgust on their faces, as they went to watch the final battle between Harry and the Dark Lord. Molly Weasley stared on for a few more moments, no longer looking grief stricken herself. She had lifted her wand to finish what she had started only to lower it again and leave like the rest had done. It seems even she had enough vengeance for the day.

The battle was over Harry had won. Cheers of victory could be heard.

She laid there no longer in much psychical pain, merely sobbing. With blurred vision she watched as Harry and Ron approached her and what was left of Bellatrix.
"She's off her rocker, Harry. You should just put her out of her misery. It's the right thing to do mate."

Harry looked down at his childhood friend with sadness and remorse. Tightening the grip on his wand he shook his head "No...There's been enough death today."

Harry's sad face faded away with a flash of blue.


With Azkaban being shut down she had been sentenced to life in St. Mungos' psychiatric ward for the insane. Many had argued for the dementor's kiss, but Harry had some pull all things considering and had been able to "save" his friend from such a fate.

People have been telling stories of the crazy death eater attacking the staff at St. Mungos' and attempting daring escapes. But the truth was she hadn't spoken nor really moved since the day of the Battle for Hogwarts.

Harry had visited her regularly for the first few years, she would always be laid on the floor never to turning to look at him or even get startled by the sounds of the door slamming shut as he entered. She only laid their with her knees pulled to her chest staring blankly at the opposite wall.

As the years went by his regular visits became less and less frequent. Till they seemed to stop all together.

50 years after the war

The smell of St. mungos' had always bothered Harry, the cleanliness burned his nostrils and unsettled him as it did most people. He still remembered this place like the back his hand, even after all these years. He made his way slowly to his destination nonetheless. This was the last time he planned on coming here, at least to this particular ward. With his kids all grown up with children of their own he had started thinking back on his own childhood, which lead him here. Walking past the longbottoms' room he stood in front of the door he was looking for. With a deep breath he signaled the dozing guard to unward the door and he went into the dark cell.

"Remember that time you chased Dudley up a tree with his bottle rockets?..."

Harry had been rattling on for some time now about their shared childhood, while she laid where she had been laying for...has it been years? Decades maybe? She'd lost track of time long ago.

As suddenly as Harry began talking he stopped. With a sigh he stood and moved from the wall he was sitting against to the door. Something held him back from saying goodbye for the last time as he reached for the door handle.

"You should of killed me, Harry." Her voice sounded far different than he remembered, it was hoarse and crackly from what he could only assume to be lack of use and water or maybe even sorrow. Turning around Harry saw that she was facing away from the wall and staring directly into his eyes for the first time in fifty years.
Swallowing hard Harry spoke quietly "I'm...Sorry...I just.." unable to finish what he wanted to say. The look of pain from all that time ago was still in her eyes.
It killed him on the inside to look her in the eyes, it bringing back the sounds of her anguish. Turning away he faced the door again. With one last look at her he signaled the guard to let him out. A cackle that sounded eerily like Bellatrix echoed off the walls as the door was warded and Harry left with a chill running down his spine.

Later that night

Harry lay asleep next to Ginny when a insistent pecking at the window woke him. Groggily he slipped out of bed to let the owl in. Untying the letter from the bird.
he thanked it with a pat on the head sending it on it's way.

He hadn't been sleeping well his thoughts on earlier that day. So he decided to open the letter now rather waiting till the morning.
Reading the front it was from St. Mongos. With a feeling of dread he opened the envelope.

"Dear Mr. Potter,

We regret to inform that you patient 3254 has passed away, considering she has no living relatives what happens to the remains will be left to you."

Signed

Fernelly Burgin

That had to be the least detailed and shortest death notification they had ever sent, no love lost for his friend when it comes to the general public it seems. Even after all these years.

Dropping the letter and Harry silently mourned for his friend.

Her soul would not rest because it was not whole. But she no longer felt any pain. Instead she floated about limbo for eternity searching for what was lost.

Never to be found.