I cautiously poke my head out through the door of the Room of Requirement. The corridor is abandoned. I take a few short steps and stop, cocking my head to the side as I hear the cries of battle in the distance. I hesitate briefly before making up my mind and jogging out to join the fray.
When my Dumbledore's Army coin finally lit up after so long, I had no choice but to answer the call. When I learned that Harry Potter, the greatest hero of our time, was back in Hogwarts to fight... him, again, I had to come back. I could never abandon him. I took Dennis back home, and left him saying that I'd be back soon.
I hope, I add in my head.
This is a fight that I may not survive.
But these are people that I am willing to die for.
I raise my wand and charge.
I keep running through a list of spells in my head as I attack, block and dodge. But I don't know how much longer I can keep this up.
I've just finished bringing down a wall on a group of ten Death Eaters when I hear a voice, high and clear, ring out from across the room, "Colin, duck!"
I drop to the ground and avoid a trail of green light by a hair. As I look up to retaliate, I see the man fall face down on the rubble. My eyes widen as I look past him to see Luna Lovegood standing behind him, wand raised.
"Thanks," I breathe.
"Any time." We exchange weary smiles, and then she's gone.
I whirl back around as I hear the sound of footsteps walking unsteadily towards me across the crumbling stone and rubble on the ground. Yaxley limps over, his eyes fixated on me and an insane grin twisting his bloody face. I take a deep breath.
And another.
And another.
I don't know if I can do this.
I close my eyes briefly, trying to find strength. Harry's face comes into my mind and I hold it there. Just thinking of him and his greatness, his strength, his determination slows my breath and calms me down.
I can do this.
I can.
I grab the small bag of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder from my pocket, drawing it out slowly to hold it behind my back in a tightly clenched fist. I raise my wand to cover the movements, though I'm pretty sure that the Death Eater wouldn't have noticed either way.
"Stupefy!" I cry out as a diversion; he dodges the curse easily and laughs, but before he can turn back I throw the powder.
I run.
I race through the Great Hall, its walls broken and crumbling its space filled with war.
I run.
I flee past my dying classmates.
I can't stop, because they're already gone.
I can't stop because I can't join them.
I can't go.
I can't leave Dennis behind.
Dennis…
"Avada Kedavra!" I hear the shout in the distance and throw myself to the side. I land on a jagged piece of rock and my shoulder explodes into pain.
"Crucio!"
I'm just peeling myself off the ground when I'm hit with the most unimaginable, unbearable pain I've ever felt. I'm vaguely aware of a tortured scream, an agonized wail that won't stop, and realize that it's me. Tremors rack my body as I lie on the ground, sobbing, screaming.
And then it's gone.
It takes all the effort in the world, but I finally manage to look up. Professor Flitwick stands over me, shielding me from Yaxley.
"No more," he says, quietly. "No more!" And he's fighting.
Awestruck by the spectacle before me, the slashing whirl of colors and spells, the strangely beautiful death dance, I catch myself distantly wishing that I'd brought my camera with me. I bring my arms around to push myself off the ground… and promptly collapse.
The pain of my mangled shoulder helps jolt me back to reality. I'm at Hogwarts, fighting for my life. No, I think, not my life. There is so much more at stake than that.
Gritting my teeth, I manage to bring myself to a standing position.
I flick the hair out of my eyes and wipe my forehead of sweat.
"Okay, Creevey," I mutter to myself. "Let's go fight some Death Eaters."
And I do.
I wade through the mob, sometimes alone, sometimes alongside other students, trying to avoid moving my shoulder too much. But somewhere during the battle, I forget the pain. It's just myself and my wand, which is starting to feel more and more like just an extension of my own arm.
As I'm just about to finish off another Death Eater, I feel something hit my back. A small area, but with the force of a freight train. A dull ache spreads through my body as I fall to my knees. My vision starts to blur and I attempt to blink to clear it, but each time I close my eyes it's harder to reopen them.
"No! Colin, no, please! Stupefy!" I hear the muffled voice shouting, as if in the distance, and I try to turn around and see the source. I catch a flash of long red hair and she kneels beside me, and I feel it tickling my cheek as her arms wrap around me. No, I think, that's not her hair. And it's not. It's a teardrop.
"Leave me," I try to tell her.
But I can't.
I'm too far gone.
