This wasn't how she'd wanted it to end. She wanted to go down in glory. She wanted people to know her name. She wanted people to talk about all the heroic deeds she'd done.
Instead, Annabelle Cooper was stood at the edge of one of Hogwarts many towers, wand drawn and tears streaming down her face.
As a Slytherin, she'd been ushered down into the dungeons along with the rest of her housemates. But eager to show the world she wasn't an evil Slytherin (just a great one) she'd hidden behind columns and waited for everybody to pass. Once she was sure they had, she and 5 other young witches and wizards had crept back upstairs to join the fight. Just because they were Slytherin, didn't mean they wanted Voldemort to win. In fact, quite the opposite. 4 of them were half-bloods so the takeover would affect them too. Only 1 of them was pure-blooded. Gideon Filixtrus was a very likable wizard. He was considerate, thoughtful, kind and thought very lowly of racists in wizardry. Annabelle had to admit; she had sincerely liked him and had, at one point, entertained the idea that she may have a crush on the kind-hearted boy.
He was the first to die.
The moment they stepped into the courtyard the raw terror had taken hold. Gideon had been struck just moments after pulling a small, blonde, first year Gryffindor-girl out of the way of a cruciatus curse. She didn't look behind her as he fell, and she ran back inside the castle to take cover, clutching something in her sleeve. Gideon died in agony.
As the other 4 witches and wizards who had travelled with her began throwing curses left right and centre, Annabelle froze. The only thing she could do was run. And she did.
Faster than she'd ever run before, spurred on by the pained screeches of the other students who'd followed her down to the battle. She knew, without looking back, that they were dead now.
She didn't stop until she got to the gap between the courtyard and a small tower that protruded from the side of the main building.
She knew this tower. There was gossip about it during her third year. Sirius Black, the escaped mass murderer had been held there for a few hours before he escaped again. Annabelle forced the door open at the base of the tower, ignoring thoughts that this place was for murderers. Besides, Sirius Black was declared innocent after he died. There was nothing to fear.
Bile rose in her throat as a sickly man's voice called out from about twenty feet away
"Where are you going sweetheart? You're Slytherin aren't you? We won't hurt you. Much!"
Annabelle screamed and dashed inside the tower, slamming the frail wooden door behind her. She tripped up the stone spiral stairs that hadn't been used in years.
"Alohomora!" she shout behind her was followed by the splintering of a door but not the swinging of hinges. The door had not yet opened. Annabelle heard the spell again but the door remained strong. Hogwarts was defending her.
Suddenly, the floor beneath her seemed to give way and the stone stairs fell downwards. Outside the tower, death eaters were assembling and attacking the stone bricks with great force, attempting to pursue the girl who had escaped them. Annabelle hauled herself up the stairs before they could all fall away from underneath her. Eventually she made her way to the top, slamming the wooden door at the top of the stairs behind her. She was trapped.
Behind her was the staircase she had just climbed up. To her left was a small cell, the iron barred door had been wrenched free some time ago and had rusted open, bent on its hinges.
The rest of Annabelle's view was unrestricted sky. The tower was taller than it had looked from below. She peeked over the edge.
Children were lying dead and wounded and three death eaters were still attempting to get into her tower. Hogwarts was putting up a fight for her.
And that's how Annabelle found herself where she was. Crying on top of Sirius' tower. Freezing cold and getting desperate.
She looked back down at the man who'd threatened her earlier. He'd told her she was worth more. She was a Slytherin. He must have been one too.
Annabelle looked down at herself in disgust. She ripped off her green and silver tie and all but ripped her cloak off her shoulders, pulling off her green cardigan with it. And there she stood, in a white shirt and a black skirt. Now she thought about it, her shiny leather shoes looked green in this light too. So she flung those off, aiming them over the side of the tower and managing to hit the death eater who had taunted her on the head. But he just looked angrier and flung curses at the wall harder.
Taking shelter from the cold wind, Annabelle hopped inside the tiny cell atop the tower. It wasn't much better in there. She curled up with her back against the wall, staring at the wall in front of her. Then it caught her eye.
Scratched into the dark, murky stone was a tiny message in oddly angled lettering
Tell him I tried
S.B
Annabelle ran her hands against the rougher patch of stone and sighed sadly.
"I wish I could, Mr Black" she whispered. She took slight comfort in knowing that there was a man who had stood in her exact position just a few years ago, believing that he was going to die and he had pulled through. But deeper down, Annabelle knew this was it. This was where she died. She glanced quickly down at her finger nails and on a wild whim, scratched her own message into the rock beneath the previous message, ripping away at her own hands until only hangnails were left. She sat back, admiring her work
And so did I
A.C
"You loved Harry very much, didn't you Sirius?" she smiled weakly, standing up and stepping backwards towards the shallow ledge. "I'm certain I'll be joining you soon, Sir"
Annabelle heard the base of the tower break down and heavy footsteps come clanking up the stairs. They were coming.
Annabelle dropped her wand, standing with her back to the ledge. The wooden stick broke in two as it hit the bottom of the tower, the oak splintering as it came in contact with the ground.
The Slytherin girl smiled to herself as she took her last stand on the ledge, overlooking Hogwarts. But she couldn't see the flames that engulfed her school. Her back was to the fight as she stared at the door.
She heard a voice below her. A boy's voice
"She's dropped her wand" it was a panicked tone. Desperate and so very, very lost
"Somebody do something. Help her!" It was the boy again. Nobody could help her now.
She gave a last mournful breath as the wooden door at the top of the tower was kicked down and three figures stood in the doorway
"Avada Cedavra!"
And she fell backwards, following her wand.
Before her eyes permanently closed, her blurry head picked out a large black dog, peering sadly over the edge of the tower. When her mind came back into focus, it was gone.
Then she hit the ground.
And in the air, a single solitary Slytherin house tie fluttered through the breeze, taken by the wind and flying far, far away from the battle. To meadows and streams, away from its fallen owner. The tattered piece of fabric being the only reminder.
It all ends…