Disclaimer:

The Characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fiction are
the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, and AOL Time Warner. No
copyright infringement is intented.

No profit is being made off this fiction, and is for entertainment purposes
only.

The Rise of the Light

Part 1
The End of an Era

They ran.

The smell of charred flesh, and smoke assailed their senses as they ran as swiftly as their feet would carry them. They hopped over bodies and debris as they dodged spells that came their way.

Screams of pain vibrated through the once pristine halls, now covered with scorch marks...and blood. People, students and adults, alike covered the floor like an open graveyard. Some would never see the light of day again, and some reached out to them for help as they went by, looks of pain and grief on their faces. But they couldn't help them, they had to get out. To safety. They left those people behind, but they would not be forgotten. The sacrifices would not be in vain. Their deaths would not go unpunished.

They ran out of entrance hall towards the Forbidden Forest where they stopped and turned.

Sobs came unbidden, out of one of them as soon as they had turned.

Hogwarts was burning.

Smoke could be seen coming out of the windows as fire was consuming some of the castle.

The Dark Mark could be seen, green and as malevolent as ever, but this time it meant so much more.

Voldemort came.

He killed, destroyed and he had conquered.

He had won and they had lost.

And Hogwarts was burning.

Many had died this past night and it wasn't over. It would never be over until good finally triumphs over evil.

This was an end of an era. They were no longer children and they were no longer innocent. It was time to stand up for what they wanted. It was time to fight. One of them turned hair shifting in the breeze, green eyes alighted with fire and hint of grief buried within.

"Lets go." He murmured. He took the hand of the one with long copper and red hair and squeezed it. She looked up tears welled up in her eyes and nodded her head.

There was nothing more they could do here.

They would fight another day and they would continue to fight until they won or died trying.

The others a tall, lanky red head and a short, bushy haired girl nodded their heads as well.

They took one last look at the place they had called home for the past seven years and with renewed determination they turned around and headed for the portkey that was stashed in the forest not two days ago.

The lanky red head pulled on the hand of the bushy haired girl and ran in to the forest.

The red head girl tugged on the hand of the green-eyed on and turned to follow them.

He looked at her and looked back at Hogwarts and swore that this wasn't going to be the last time he saw it. He vowed to return and finish it. It was his destiny.

He looked back to he again and nodded, she gave him a small smile, while her soulful brown eyes looked at him she said in a soft voice he had to strain to hear, "there's still hope."

He nodded and squeezed her hand.

They ran.