Katie broke up with Malcolm as they were leaving the wedding. It seemed to take him by surprise. She felt bad about the way his face crinkled up, and as she had liked him quite a bit, she was sad to see him go. But she knew that this was what was best, this was what was needed.
However, she didn't have too much time to feel bad about it as things moved quickly. Over the next several months, the wizarding world was turned upside-down. Muggle-borns were being hunted down. Witches and wizards were disappearing off the streets, either from going into hiding or from being taken by the snatchers. Katie's own family stayed as quiet as possible, until they too were forced to go on the run to protect Katie's muggle-born father. Katie went with them, travelled with them until her DA coin was calling out too loudly for her to ignore.
Katie returned to Hogwarts.
There, students were hiding out in the room of requirement, which had been fashioned into quite a nice place to spend one's time, complete with girls' bathroom and a secret tunnel to the Hog's Head. There, Katie reunited with Angelina, Alicia, and Leanne. She was pleased to see them all. She also ran into the twins – and many, many other former classmates, including Oliver, whose greeting was awkward, but who seemed pleased to see her. There wasn't much time to chat, as Harry and Luna came bursting in with news.
Soon, the underage students were being evacuated, and the rest were readying for battle. Voldemort offered them an ultimatum, to turn in Harry for the safety of the rest. While Pansy Parkinson seemed all for it, the other students screamed their opposition, and Slytherin house was ejected from the battle. Harry set off to find Ron and Hermione, and then the battle began.
It was utter chaos, spells and screams of agony where everywhere. Witches and wizards ran about the school in a blur, there were giants, and death eaters, and portraits running amuck.
It was too much to focus on, too much to remember. Katie ran about, shooting off spells and avoiding other the best she could. She tried to keep track of her group but there was too much going on. Leanne was with her, but she tried not to think about her friends, about Oliver.
Occasionally she crashed into a wall, or into another witch or wizard. At one point she was dealt a rather heavy blow to the head, at another, a rather nasty spell tore up her arm. Katie knew she was lucky it had not been her wand arm, or surely she would be dead now.
She tried to ignore the bodies falling around her, tried not to notice which were which, and who was who.
And suddenly it had stopped.
As the ringing in Katie's ears began to die, and her muscles began to relax ever so slightly, she heard Voldemort's magically amplified voice resounding across the grounds. He offered them a chance to move their deceased, and Harry a chance to turn himself in.
Katie thought about Harry, she thought about the battle, and with the fight at a sudden pause, she suddenly thought about all of her friends. She fought between running towards the great hall, to running away from it.
Who had died? She needed to know, dreaded to know, and knew, above all else, that she could not avoid the next few hours, and the truth of what had occurred. After a slow, daunting march towards the great hall, she stood outside the doors, willing herself to enter. When she finally did, she could not hold back her emotions.
Bodies lined the great hall, many she did not know, some she did. As she walked passed, her tears fell more heavily. Though she did not sob, she merely cried silently. She did not mourn for one, but for the great loss that had occurred, and the many more that would surely follow. She passed Lavender Brown, and felt a fresh pang in her chest.
It was only when she came upon Lupin and his wife that she let out an awful, high-pitched sob. She covered her mouth with her hand and quickly looked away. She wanted to run, but knew she had to check all the bodies, to look for her friends. That was when she came upon a huddle of red-headed people. Katie's breath stopped, she was walking towards them, ever quickly now, counting them, looking over each of their dirty faces until she came upon the one lying on the ground.
"Fred, oh Fred." His mother sobbed into his chest. Katie stared, too shocked even to cry. She stared at his blank face, it looked unnatural this way. She tried to picture George, alone, without his brother attached to his side and found that she could not. This was when she turned away. Sobbing hysterically, and unable to see through her tears, Katie stumbled through the great hall, trying desperately to avoid the other mourners, the other bodies.
Finally she crashed into someone. Gripping their robes for balance, Katie looked up at them to apologize, if she could even possibly manage to do so. The equally tear-stained face of Angelina greeted her, and Katie knew that she had seen. The two collapsed into one another, sobbing into the shoulder of one another's robes. A few people came to them, led them away to the edge of the hall. As they moved farther away, Katie felt her cries beginning to reside. She didn't feel better, only numb.
She stood there beside Angelina for some time, but probably not as long as it felt. When Alicia came over and sat beside Angelina, Katie walked away. This time, she walked amongst the living. She observed their still breathing faces, and found comfort in their life. She also felt a resolve strengthening inside of her, a kind of power and determination which let her know that she could not stand for this. Just when she was beginning to feel ready, ready for battle, ready to build herself up for whatever may come, if only it could break her down again, she realized that she didn't know where Oliver was.
Suddenly she was panic-stricken. She raced around the hall as though her feet were on fire, glancing at all the bodies again, avoiding looking at Fred – but he wasn't there. She ran around the living, he was not there either. Katie stood, glued to the spot, staring at the large double-doors of the great hall, and waiting. He was not here, she was sure of it. But what did that mean? Bodies were still being brought into the great hall, he could still be out there, helping, or he could be out there, dead and waiting for someone to drag him into the great hall and place him beside everyone else. Katie almost lost her mind at the thought.
She watched the door, and each time a body came through she jumped, only to realize it was not Oliver. She watched three bodies come through, then it was too much and she had to look away. She found Leanne sitting in a corner, and rushed to hug her. The two girls embraced tightly, each one elated that the other was still there.
"Oh Katie," Leanne said with tears in her eyes as she pulled away, "I hadn't seen you anywhere in the hall yet – and I was so worried that you were – that you were . . ." her face twisted horribly at the thought. Katie nodded, near tears herself.
"I'm so glad you're alright!" Katie said, and they embraced again. When they had both calmed down, and pulled away, Katie looked at her somberly.
"What's the matter?" Leanne asked. Suddenly Katie laughed.
"What's the matter?" she repeated, smiling sadly.
"I suppose it's a ridiculous question." Leanne replied. Katie nodded slowly. They both looked out at the many bodies within the hall, then they both had to look away.
"Leanne," Katie said softly, "have you seen Oliver anywhere?" she fixed Leanne with an intense stare. Leanne looked back, and answered all too slowly, "Oh . . . Katie. No, I'm sorry I haven't."
Katie heaved a gigantic sigh. She wasn't sure if it was from relief or from disappointment, but she looked away slightly calmer all the same. This was when Leanne noticed Katie's arm.
"My goodness – Katie! Your arm!" Leanne pointed at the bloody mess that was Katie's arm.
"Oh, this? It's not so bad?" Katie shrugged. To be honest, Katie had forgotten all about it, she hadn't even been able to feel the pain for the past hour or so. Suddenly it occurred to her that this was perhaps not a good sign.
"Katie, you should talk to a healer or something. I'm sure there's someone in here who knows a thing or two about-"
"I'm really fine, Leanne." Katie assured her. But suddenly Leanne fixed her with a glare so extreme that Katie knew she could not argue.
"Katie, if you don't get that looked at you'll die."
Katie thought about her body lying in the great hall beside Lupin, Fred, and Lavender. She thought of Angelina, Alicia, and Leanne, crying over her body, and followed Leanne to find a healer.
A few minutes later, Katie sat on a stool as a wizard she did not know worked on her arm. Leanne had overseen it for a bit, to make sure Katie was getting treatment. But after a while of chatting with Katie, she went off to see if she recognized anyone in the dead. She had been too afraid to do so before now.
So Katie sat there, beginning to feel pain in her arm again and wondering vaguely if she would survive the rest of the battle, when out of the corner of her eye she saw two boys lay a body down amongst the others. Her eyes travelled first to the body, and her heart sank as she recognized Colin Creevey. He was underage, and must have snuck back in to fight. Her eyes lingered on his small form for a few moments, and then travelled up to look at the two who had carried him in. Neville Longbottom – who Katie was pleased to see alive, was already walking away. The second boy was standing at the edge of the hall, looking over each face of the deceased. It was Oliver.
Katie jumped up and hurled herself across the room, ignoring the screams from the healer that he wasn't done yet! She tried to call out for him, but found that her throat had swollen shut. Tears were blurring her vision again when she finally smashed into a very shocked Oliver Wood.
Everything she had tried to hold in came bursting out. She was hugging him as tightly as she could, afraid he might disappear if she let go. She sobbed loudly into his robes, and said many incoherent things that even she could not understand.
Oliver may have been surprised at first, but soon he was hugging her back, just as tightly if not more so. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, and he seemed unwilling to move. Katie would not have moved herself if it was not for one simple necessity.
"Oliver . . ." she sniffled, "I can't breathe."
"Oh!" Oliver quickly released her, but his hands were still gripping her shoulders, and hers were digging into the crooks of his elbows. They stared at each other, both breathing heavily. Oliver was a mess, he was covered in dirt, and blood, and had several cuts on his face. Katie supposed she looked just the same. His robes were abysmal, but other than a few scrapes and bruises he didn't seem to have any serious injuries.
His face though, he was watching her with careful, glassy eyes. He looked so crestfallen, and yet so relieved, which was exactly the way Katie felt too. So relieved that he was alive, that they had both made it this far. They didn't say anything, there didn't seem to be anything to say.
For the remainder of the hour, Oliver sat next to Katie, holding her good hand as the aggravated healer worked on her arm. Except for some brief mentions of the fallen, they were silent until an announcement rocked them from their seats.
Harry? Dead? Could it possibly be true? Everyone who still lived filed out of the great hall and out onto the ground, where death eater patrolled about. Then she saw him Harry, who looked so small cradled in Hagrid's arms, still and lifeless.
Suddenly, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were screaming. Horrible, strangled cries of pain, loss, and agony. Then everyone was screaming, all of Hogwarts was flooded with the sound of grief, and the loss of hope. Katie could feel herself screaming as well, could hear those around her joining in – until a bang silenced them all.
Voldemort informed them that Harry had died trying to abandon them. This triggered a scream from Ron Weasley, which sent the crowd into hysterics yet again. Another bang. More silence. Voldemort repeated his story. This was when Neville Longbottom – to everyone's shock, ran at him with a horribly twisted, and pained look on his face. Voldemort knocked him aside and laughed. He seemed pleased with Neville though, especially upon hearing that he was a pure-blood. He offered Neville a place amongst his death eaters, which caused Neville to angrily refuse and scream out, "Dumbledore's Army!"
The entire DA cheered, along with the rest of the school.
Voldemore was not pleased, he announced that there would be no more houses at Hogwarts, only Slytherin. He called the sorting hat onto the field, froze Neville, and placed the hat upon his head. Then, he and the other death eaters, taking careful aim, caused the hat to burst into flames atop Neville's head.
That was it, the battle broke out again.
Suddenly everyone was charging. Giants and house elves, teachers and students, death eaters and DA centaurs. Everyone was rushing towards the great hall, there was screaming and spells flew in every which direction. Katie lost track of Oliver, she lost track of everybody.
Suddenly they were all in the great hall, death eaters were falling one by one until finally, only Bellatrix Lestrange remained. Voldemort stood at the center of the hall, taking on Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, and Kingsley Shacklebolt all at once. And there, fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, the last great office of the dark lord, was Molly Weasley. She had pushed Herimione, Luna, and Ginny aside to take on Bellatrix herself. A look of hatred, and determination was across her usually kind features.
At one point, Katie and few other students tried to help Mrs. Weasley, but she shooed them away, wanting Bellatrix to herself. And then, suddenly, she fell. Hitting the ground with a resounding thud. She was dead.
Voldemort let out of horrid scream, and the three he had been dueling went flying backwards. Everyone watched, their mouths open in horror as Voldemort aimed his wand at Molly Weasley when all of a sudden, with the thundering roar of a spell, Harry Potter appeared, completely alive.
There was screaming, cheering, all of their voices rose together in one continuously loud noise to see Harry there, Harry Potter, the boy who had, indeed, lived.
And then, Harry and Voldemort were yelling at one another, challenging. They spoke of Harry's survival, of his family, of his friends. And Harry spat out the name "Riddle," a name so full of meaning that Voldemort fixed him with a glare of fury.
Then Harry revealed he had a secret. A secret that would save him from death. The crowd watched with bated breath as Voldemort argued with Harry, attempted to weasel he secret out of him. He guessed it was love – or some magic Harry had that he thought was more powerful than the dark lord.
They spoke of Dumbledore, of Snape, of Lily Potter. They spoke as if they were alone, they spoke a language that only they understood, and the rest could only watch as half spoken secrets unfurled before them. And then, Harry spoke a few words, a few very simple words, "try for some remorse."
Voldemort flew into a furious rage, and suddenly the conversation took a turn back to Dumbledore's death, his last great plan, and the allegiance of the elder wand. Everyone was listening to the dialogue in rapture, the back and forth, the confusing twists and turns of stories they only partly knew until a name came up that they had almost forgotten, and certainly never expected to hear, Draco Malfoy.
Harry explained how the wand had gone from Dumbledore to Draco, not to Snape. How he had disarmed Draco, and was now the true master of the elder wand. Harry gave one last declaration, one last gamble. He asked Voldemort if the wand knew its true master, how the battle would end.
With a loud bang, red and green jets of light flew towards each other, colliding in the center as Harry and Voldemort cast their spells. Then suddenly, Voldemort's wand was in the air, and like a scene reminiscent of a Gryffindor quidditch match, which seemed oh so long ago, Harry caught the wand.
As he did so, something amazing occurred, something amazing, and incredible, and so utterly anti-climactic. Voldemort fell to the ground with a small, yet ever resounding thud. Killed, by his own rebounding curse.
For some time, everyone was too shocked, to speak, too shocked to believe it. But there Voldemort, lay, dead at Harry's feet. The hall exploded with cheers.
The bodies had been moved, the house tables returned. Everyone sat jumbled together, chatting amongst themselves, relieved that the battle was over, that the battle had been won.
Katie and Leanne somehow found themselves beside Cho Chang, who Katie was actually quite pleased to see alive. It now no longer seemed to matter that she had been difficult or gossipy. She was alive, and that was wonderful. As she sat there, chatting with Leanne, Cho, and Padma as though everything in the world was normal, she spotted Oliver across the hall. He spotted her as well, and smiled. They waved at one another from across the hall.
Katie turned back to the girls she was sitting with. She felt the loss of her friends and classmates. She felt worry for the future of all who had been at the battle, and for the future of the wizarding world itself. And yet, she also felt calm. She felt that for the first time in a very long time, she had what may be a real life ahead of her.
