This is it—the end is here. The final battle between good and evil, between Harry Potter, and my master, Lord Voldemort.
My master, I, and the other Death Eaters were getting ready to attack Hogwarts School. Lord Voldemort has been working to kill the Potter boy for many years, but because of the many people foolishly willing to risk or give up their lives for him, we have failed every time. Today will be different, though. Today, Potter stands no chance.
The teachers and students at Hogwarts have put up a barrier and many other careful precautions up around the school to prevent us from getting in, but naturally, it is no match.
"Begin." My master says, and we begin shooting spells towards the invisible barrier in the sky. The world is dark, but soon lit up by our wands. Before long, I could see the barrier breaking; giving way to our force. My master smiles, I smile, and we begin to barricade into Hogwarts. We were immediately greeted by an army of Hogwarts students, teachers, and beasts. My master, with a mere flick of his wand, knocks down the first couple rows, and everyone immediately engages in violent conflict. The war had begun.
I found myself fighting face-to-face with Professor Minerva McGonagall. She was a strong fighter, as I found out, but I was stronger. We dueled for quite some time, McGonagall shooting Stunning Spells and Disarming Spells left and right, and I, was likewise sending Cruciatus Curses and Killing Curses her way. A few Cruciatus Curses hit the woman; she fell. I laughed at her pain, and she stared at me as I towered over her. She lifted her wand and shot a spell at me, a Cruciatus of her own, and I flicked my wand and shot it aside with great ease. I brandished my wand and prepared to finish her off, but as I pointed my wand and the struggling teacher, I was blasted off my feet by an unknown person. I fell to the rough ground, and recognized my attacker as Horace Slughorn. I had no energy left to repay him, and the weight of my head fell to the ground.
I awoke quickly and jumped back on my feet. There was a war to fight and I need to back my master. I reached for my wand, getting ready to fight again, but suddenly, I heard a loud noise, a voice that rang through the whole castle, indoors and out. It was high, clear, and cold. It was the Dark Lord, speaking to the people that were preparing to fight us.
"I KNOW THAT YOU ARE PREPARING TO FIGHT. YOUR EFFORTS ARE FUTILE. YOU CANNOT FIGHT ME. I DO NOT WANT TO KILL YOU. I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE TEACHERS OF HOGWARTS. I DO NOT WANT TO SPILL MAGICAL BLOOD."
I breathed, and took advantage of the pause from my masters blaring voice, screaming at the world from who-knows-where.
"GIVE ME HARRY POTTER, AND NONE SHALL BE HARMED. GIVE ME HARRY POTTER, AND I SHALL LEAVE THE SCHOOL UNTOUCHED. GIVE ME HARRY POTTER, AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED."
"YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT."
I sighed, wondering whether or not we would have to continue fighting. I knew what my master meant—any drop of magical blood spilt is a waste.
'Any drop of magical blood…' I thought again. It reminded me of weeks earlier. Narcissa, Lucius and I had been humiliated at the Dark Lord's liability, because of our niece, Nymphadora Tonks's marriage to a werewolf. We been told to keep our family trees healthy, and prune them when at all necessary. It was necessary, now. We need the Dark Lord's trust once more, and that can be gained by our once more pureblood family. I must find Nymphadora Tonks.
The battle had become quite tense, it was getting very violent. I spotted many bodies lying in bloody masses on the ground, both Death Eaters and students alike. I pushed through the fighters; I had to find my niece! I saw her alleged husband, Remus Lupin, the werewolf, fighting Antonin Dolohov. Remus's face was a bloody mess, the shadow of a wolf played across his face as he fought. As I was running, blasting away anyone in my path, I saw Remus Lupin go down out of the corner of my eye, and Dolohov, victorious, turning to another opponent. A Weasley, I am unsure of which one, runs frightened to Remus's assistance. I grin, knowing that if I can only get to Nymphadora without getting killed or injured myself, all would be forgiven. As if by magic, as if my thoughts had been read, I see my niece, in combat with Alecto Carrow. It was all too perfect. I run towards the dueling pair, and shove Alecto aside. My wand held tightly, I begin to duel with the young girl.
"Good to see you again," she snapped, aiming spells at my heart. I laugh, remembering the chase forever ago, Death Eaters against Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I had chased Nymphadora, who was protecting Ronald Weasley. Nymphadora's life had been in my hands. She had almost died that night. I worked hard.
"Came back to finish what I started." I said, dancing around her spells in an almost careless, graceful fashion. I shot Unforgivable Curses at her, and she responded with the same.
"You've been such a great aunt," said the girl, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"I try," I answered. "I suffered from the Dark Lord because of you."
"Serves you right."
"It was because you married the werewolf." I said.
"I love him!" Nymphadora said.
"Loved. You loved him." I told her.
"What?"
"Past tense. Your werewolf husband is dead," I said.
"NO! I know you're just saying that!" she said. "Just for me to let my guard down…" I noticed her face was red, she was fighting furiously. I sent a curse at her face, leaving a deep gash. She winced, and hit me with more. This was getting long. I had to finish it.
"It's true." I said. Her face fell blank. She knew she couldn't believe me, she knew better. But she hesitated in her fighting and I took advantage of that.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" I yelled, and the blast of green light shot at Nymphadora and hit her directly in the heart. As if in slow motion, my niece fell, and in that instant I knew that I had succeeded. My sister's, my traitor of a sister's daughter was dead.
I ran through the castle, searching for my master, to tell him the good news. But I could find him nowhere. But suddenly, the Dark Mark on my left arm began to throb. I knew someone, somewhere in this castle, someone important, had died at the hands of the Dark Lord. I did not know who it was, but I didn't care. Anything to help the Dark Lord's killing of Harry Potter. At that second, my eardrums burst again, with the agonizingly loud voice of The Dark Lord, ringing through the night.
"YOU HAVE FOUGHT VALIENTLY. LORD VOLDEMORT KNOWS HOW TO VALUE BRAVERY. YET YOU HAVE SUSTAINED HEAVY LOSSES. IF YOU CONTINUE TO RESIST ME, YOU WILL ALL DIE, ONE BY ONE. I DO NOT WISH THIS TO HAPPEN. EVERY DROP OF MAGICAL BLOOD SPILLED IS A LOSS AND A WASTE."
"LORD VOLDEMORT IS MERCIFUL. I COMMAND MY FORCES TO RETREAT IMMEDIATELY. YOU HAVE ONE HOUR. DISPOSE OF YOUR DEAD WITH DIGNITY. TREAT YOUR INJURED. I SPEAK NOW HARRY POTTER, DIRECTLY TO YOU. YOU HAVE PERMITTED YOUR FRIENDS TO DIE FOR YOU RATHER THAN FACE ME YOURSELF. I SHALL WAIT FOR ONE HOUR IN THE FORBIDDEN FOREST. IF, AT THE END OF THAT HOUR, YOU HAVE NOT COME TO ME, HAVE NOT GIVEN YOURSELF UP, THEN THE BATTLE RECOMMENCES. THIS TIME, I SHALL ENTER THE FRAY MYSELF, HARRY POTTER, AND I SHALL FIND YOU, AND I SHALL PUNISH EVERY LAST MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD WHO HAS TRIED TO CONCEAL YOU FROM ME. ONE HOUR."
I smiled in the sudden silence. We had won; Harry Potter was going to die. I noticed that the whole battle was coming to a quick halt. I spotted Lucius and walked towards him, rightly assuming that he, like I, was headed to the Forbidden Forest. As I began to walk beside him, I noticed that his face was completely blank; sullen.
"Snape." Lucius said. "It was Snape." I let out a loud laugh.
"That man got himself killed? What did he do to disappoint the Dark Lord?" I asked.
"The Dark Lord believed that Severus was the true master of the Elder Wand, since he killed Albus." Lucius said solemnly.
"So now the wand works for him? The Dark Lord is the master?" I questioned.
"Let us hope." Lucius said slowly. By then, we had reached the Forest and walked in. The spooky trees cast shadows on the earth, and the calls of the magical beasts could be heard in the distance. After mere minutes of walking, we reached almost the exact center.
"Reveal yourselves." A voice called.
"It is I, Bellatrix, and Lucius." I said to the Death Eater in the shadows. I, with a glance to Lucius, slowly lifted up my left sleeve, revealing my Dark Mark. At that, we walked into the circular grove of trees. I saw the Dark Lord, my master, waiting, in a circle of Death Eaters.
"Ahh, Bella, Lucius, how nice of you to join us." The Dark Lord said. I fell to my knees in a bow.
"My Lord…"
"Get up Bella." I obeyed. I noticed the Elder Wand in my master's long-fingered hands. The wand was truly his now.
"My Lord…Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin is dead, now. Our family tree is pruned and is pure once again." I said, proudly, staring directly at my master, though he was not returning any of my welcome feelings. I leaned forward, edging closer to my dear master.
"That is what we needed, Bella." The Dark Lord said, his eyes still on the wand in his hands.
"Thank you, thank you my Lord!" I left the middle of the circle, no matter how close I wanted to be to him, and I joined the circle of Death Eaters. The great snake, Nagini, was in her protective bubble of a cage, close to Voldemort. Voldemort stood, his head bowed, the Elder Wand in his hands. Suddenly, Dolohov and Yaxley, the guards, rejoined our circle.
"No sign of him, my Lord." They said.
"My Lord…" I started. The Dark Lord raised his hand to silence me.
"I was, it seems…mistaken."
"You weren't," said a voice. Every eye searched, and landed on the figure of a boy. The scar was still visible through his messy black hair. It was Harry Potter. A voice from yet behind us yelled a warning to the boy. It was Hagrid the half-giant, tied to a tree. A Death Eater silenced him. I leapt up, and gazed anxiously at the two: My master, and Harry Potter.
"Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived." In a flash of green light, the whole world stopped for a moment. I blanked out. As I regained sight from the flash, I saw my master, lying on the ground. I gasped and ran to him. I knelt over him. It felt like days, but in a matter of an hour or so, the Dark Lord's eyes fluttered open.
"My Lord…my Lord!" I said.
"That will do." Voldemort tried to get up. I offered my assistance, but he pushed me away.
"The boy, is he dead?" Voldemort asked. "You," he said, pointed at my sister with his wand. There was a small bang, and Narcissa gave a slight shriek. "Examine him. Tell me whether or not he is dead." My sister walked over to Harry. She felt his heart, and her hands crept up his shirt, checking for a pulse. Her head bent over his head, and quickly she stood up.
"He is dead!" The whole group erupted in cheers. I jumped, I screamed, I laughed. We had succeeded! We had won! Voldemort slowly stood up, and began to send Cruciatus Curses at Harry's still body. His body flew in the air. I laughed and laughed. It was a most blissful time. Then he thought for a while about who should carry the body, and assigned the great beast Hagrid to carry the now dead boy back to the castle to show off. Hagrid was weeping, and I laughed him. We marched back to Hogwarts, joyful in our victory. Suddenly, Voldemort stopped. In that magically magnified voice, he made another announcement.
"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD. HE WAS KILLED AS HE RAN AWAY, TRYING TO SAVE HIMSELF WHILE YOU LAY DOWN YOUR LIVES FOR HIM. WE BRING YOU HIS BODY AS PROOF THAT YOUR HERO IS GONE. THE BATTLE IS WON. YOU HAVE LOST HALF OF YOUR FIGHTERS. MY DEATH EATERS OUTNUMBER YOU, AND THE BOY WHO LIVED IS FINISHED. THERE MUST BE NO MORE WAR. ANYONE WHO CONTINUES TO RESIST, MAN, WOMAN, OR CHILD, WILL BE SLAUGHTERED, AS WILL EVERY MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY. COME OUT OF THE CASTLE NOW, KNEEL BEFORE ME, AND YOU SHALL BE SPARED. YOUR PARENTS AND CHILDREN, YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WILL LIVE AND BE FORGIVEN, AND YOU WILL JOIN ME IN THE NEW WORLD WE SHALL BUILD TOGETHER."
I silently seconded the speech, still insanely jubilant in our victory! We were now in front of the castle. People began to come out. McGonagall, the blood traitor boy and his sister, and the Mudblood screamed at the sight of Harry Potter. Voldemort began to re-explain our triumph. Voldemort had put a silencing and Immobilizing spell on the crowd, but someone had broken free. I laughed again—it was Neville Longbottom. Son of the Aurors. He yelled at the Dark Lord, he was against us, and for Dumbledore's Army. The crowd broke free of Voldemort's silencing charm and screamed along with Neville. Voldemort, obviously angry, sighed.
"On your head, be it." he said. From the castle, a hat flew out a window. Voldemort caught it. It was the Sorting Hat.
"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville?" And with that, the Dark Lord set the Sorting hat aflame and set it on the Longbottom boy's head. The Death Eaters raised their wands; I with them. My master had put a Body-Binding Curse on Neville as well, but as quickly as it had been placed on him, he broke free of it, and the hat fell of his head, and something silver fell out of it. I gasped: It was the sword of Godric Gryffindor, which was supposedly in my vault at Gringott's Wizarding Bank; the sword that I tortured the Mudblood Granger for. There it was. Neville grabbed it and spun. He sliced the great snake Nagini's head off in midair…Voldemort and I both froze—she was the last Horcrux. They all knew too. But all of a sudden, Hagrid yelled something. He yelled 'Where's Harry?' My world was still frozen. Now, Harry was gone? He wasn't truly dead? My sister lied? My heart sank. No longer was the battle won by us. It was war once more. We started engaging in the fight again. I was fighting three at once, Hermione, the Mudblood, Luna, the lunatic, and Ginny, the blood traitor. My master, as well, was fighting three: McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. I was fighting to the death, as we all were. I shot a Killing Curse; inches from the blood traitor girl's head…it was so close…but suddenly all three girls were suddenly shoved out of the way by her mother. We began to duel, more furiously than I had ever before, she really wanted me dead.
"What will happen to your children once I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddy?" I teased the woman. I knew I could beat her; I just couldn't hesitate like my dear niece.
"You—will—never—touch—our—children—again!" she yelled at me. I laughed, and Molly shot that curse straight under my arm and it hit my heart. In the tiniest space of time I had, I knew what had happened. I hesitated. And the last thing I heard before the world ended was my masters scream…
words in italics indicate quotes taken directly from the book