Review Response:
Hm910ya- I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! School just got back in- my cousin- who is coincidentally my Pre-Cal & Foundations teacher is bearing down on me. The little shit. So I haven't been able to write!
And sweet maple syrup... Daniel Sharman is HOT! But he's not exactly what I've pictured for Drew- Drew is a little nerdier, I think. But the slight face matches up really well.
Also, bagged milk is a real pain in the ass- you have to buy an entire new jug for it- but I think I prefer it than the stuff in a carton.
I understand what you mean with school- I almost threw my hands up and quit last week. Tomorrow is Monday, and I have school which I'm honestly not looking forward to. Monday is also my birthday- so... fuck..
I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised with this chapter. Enjoy :D!
Chapter Fourteen
Briar gazed around, seemingly full bodied in her stupor. Four blank white walls surrounded her- trapping her in an empty room. Her lips quirked to the side, analyzing each wall individually- two doors opposite each other suddenly opened- a dim, yellow illumination, much like a candle would provide, streamed from the right- while the other shone with a silvery radiance- bright enough to cause Briar to squint her eyes.
She couldn't see beyond either of the doors- and the only means of escaping the barren room was to leave through one. But… which one?
Did it really matter? The significance of the empty, white-walled room, and two opposing doorways thought so.
Curious, Briar started towards the left, her eyes slowly adjusting to the bright light. Nearing the door, Briar heard a woman humming. She drew forward, yearning to hear more- the tune was faintly familiar and as Briar was a mere step away she recognised the hum.
She drew back sharply- tripping over her own feet and sending herself sprawling backwards. She scrambled away from the door, her breathing erratic.
Briar turned to the door on the right, feeling much safer with this option. And hesitantly, she plunged forward, through the candle-lit doorway.
Briar peeled her eyes open, blinking upwards at a concerned face. Slowly, Briar slid her hand up the man's face, blinking in confusion. "Georgie… your ear is back."
Suddenly, the worried expression eased, and he was grinning.
Briar furrowed her brows, unable to string to thoughts together at the moment. "What the hell is going on..?
A woman, Madam Pomfrey, as Briar foggily remembered, shoved the grinning man to the side and stuck a tiny brown bottle into her mouth, and forced Briar to swallow it.
Briar gagged, nearly throwing up the vile concoction. She wiped her mouth, turning to look back at the chortling man.
"Wha- you're not George." Briar sputtered, "Damn it Fred, this is no time to be cheerful!"
Fred wiped away his smile, looking around at the gathered people, injured and the deceased. Briar sat up, rubbing her bruising face. Whatever had been in that brown bottle had cleared her mind, bringing forth the reality of the situation.
"I'm glad you thought of that cushioning charm," Fred told her, helping Briar stand as her bad leg was aching. "Really saved our necks- I think I took most of the burn though."
Indeed, the left side of Fred's body had been scorched, leaving the left half with ashen clothes and bright, pink blisters.
Fred helped Briar over to where the Weasley family, and Hermione were crouched over Remus and Tonks' bodies. Briar bit back a sob, for she could see the edge of Teddy's photo peeking out of Remus' front pocket.
George curled an arm around Briar's middle, pulling her into his much larger form. Briar leaned her head against his chest, blinking rapidly to stop any more droplets from falling from her eyes.
"I need a moment," Briar murmured to no one in particular, extracting herself from George and leaving the Great Hall without a second word.
Briar moved a large piece of rubble to the side, gasping and cringing as a limp arm emerged from beneath it. A hand touched her shoulder; Briar turned, gazing tearfully upwards at Neville Longbottom. His gaze flickered to the limb, grimacing and tugging her away from the mess, "I'll clean that one up- hey have you seen Harry come back?"
Briar blinked, furrowing her brows, "No I haven't seen Harry since everything started- did he say where he headed off to?"
Neville frowned as well, "No, now that you mention it-"
"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay own your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."
A strangled sound escaped from her throat- Briar and Neville hurried out past the rubble- following the magically magnified voice.
"The battle is won. You've lost half your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who resists, 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!"
Briar gave a strangled scream as reached the front doors, meeting the army of Death Eaters and Voldemort. Hagrid, bound and restrained, held the limp and pale body of Harry Potter. Briar leaned heavily against Neville as the Entrance Hall door was pushed open, yellow light streamed from the door as the survivors strode from the castle.
"NO!" Professor McGonagall's scream echoed- and Briar clenched her eyes to stop the dampness in her eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange gave a cackle of joy at the Professor's despair.
"No!"
"No!"
"Harry! HARRY!"
Ginny, Ron and Hermione burst past the crowd- Ginny and Hermione were openly sobbing, while Ron looked lost for words as he saw his best friend hang limply.
"SILENCE!"
Voldemort's magnified voice cried out above all the voices, and while a jerk of his hand and light illuminated the crowd, and everyone fell silent unable to speak-
Briar murmured the counter-charm in her head, breaking free of the spell, "WE WILL NEVER BE SILENT!"
Briar shot a spell into the mix of Death Eater's striking one who crumpled under the weight of the spell. The crowd gave a tremendous roar- Voldemort's spell could no longer hold, and spells were cast forward as the remaining survivors charged forwards- in the mix of the oncoming crowd and Death Eaters, Briar saw Neville draw a gleaming silver sword and slice the head clean from Voldemort's snake.
Briar gave a cry of integrity and plunged into the chaos- narrowing instantly in on Antonio Dolohov, who was ruffled, but uninjured, for now.
Briar struck him with a levitating charm- her face alight with a sheer grin of malice. Dolohov gave a shout, shooting an emerald spell downwards. Briar just barely side-stepped it- losing concentration of the spell and dropping Dolohov.
"Harry- HAS ANYONE SEEN HARRY!" Hagrid bellowed from far off. Briar cringed at the thought of Harry's trampled body, but progressed, striking Dolohov with a spell that made keel over, clutching the front of his pants with a pained look.
Briar gave a sickening, mad smile and stood over Dolohov, kicking him to the ground. She pointed her wand downwards at him, scowling at his vicious look of hatred- Briar returned it tenfold, slashing her wand across his torso- hardly blinking as his blood splattered across her cheek.
Her wand arm fell limp, and she gazed at her surroundings, ducking her head as a spell grazed her ear. A distant clopping sounded- and from afar Briar could see centaurs driving forwards, bearing down on the Death Eaters- overhead Thestrals dived at the giants- who swept their great limbs around- making it difficult to maneuver.
With arrows flying- spells and Thestrals swooping from above, everyone was drawn back into the Entrance, and into the Great Hall.
Voldemort swept into battle- fighting alongside Bellatrix Lestrange. Both fought with equal strength against three opponents each. Voldemort duelling Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, and Professor Slughorn, while Bellatrix fought Hermione, Ginny and Luna- Briar streaked forwards, lashing her wand towards Bellatrix in a sly attempt- but missed.
Bellatrix turned her livid gaze momentarily to Briar and struck Briar with a spell. Briar shot backwards- colliding with a wall.
Briar slid down to the floor, groaning and clutching her head. A house elf from the Hogwarts' kitchens, brandishing a cleaver, gripped Briar's shoulder, muttering odd words that made little connection in her head. Briar squeezed her eyes shut for a second before succumbing to the elf's pushing, and stood. She tossed a glance downwards at the elf, and limped off, tossing a spell toward Yaxley who crumpled under the weight of George's, Lee Jordan's and her own spell.
George turned, catching Briar's hand with a look of relief.
"Harry! HE'S ALIVE!" The roars of chaos fell at once, and fear mingled the room as Voldemort and Harry had begun to circle each other.
"I don't want anybody to help!" Harry yelled- his voice echoed in the silence. Immediately, Briar clutched George's sleeve and drew back. She understood- Dolohov had been her revenge for Remus- she knew Harry had to end this.
"You won't be killing anyone else tonight, Tom." Harry spoke, his voice loud and directed entirely at Voldemort. Voldemort hissed, his red eyes narrowing, "I won't be so sure, Potter. There will be at least one- yours."
"It all comes down to this," Harry whispered, "doesn't it?"
And, as though synchronised both shouts filled the hall- red and emerald light jets of light illuminated the walls-
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
There was a sound like the blast of the canon- and a white ring of fire engulfed the pair. Briar hid her face from the embers drawing back at the white-hot fire dimmed.
There was a moment of silence, and one stood above the other's cloaked figure. A roar of cheers lit up the Great Hall- shouts and tears. Briar drew back from the crowd- escaping the tremendous cluster.
Disbelieving that Voldemort really lay there, dead at Harry's feet. Briar shook her head, slapping her cheeks.
She silently closed the Great Hall's door behind her- surprised to see three others huddled together in the Entrance. She started towards them, tugging down the hood on her robe that had prevented her hair from being singed.- Odd to believe that only seconds before she was fighting for the life of herself and others.
The Malfoy's cowered at the sight of Briar- with Voldemort was vanquished they were no longer protected. Briar eyed each of them, sharp blue eyes dropping down to the boy, who was squished between his mother and father.
"Draco," Briar's voice was soft, and she extended her elven-sized hand. "Show me your arm."
A startled gasp fell from his lips, and he let out a loud exclamation, "Y-You! You're the one who- who-"
Whether it was from her voice or her brilliant colored eyes, Draco had recognised her. But Briar was far too determined to worry for her crimes of kidnap and murder. Instead she wriggled her fingers impatiently, "Draco, please. Your left arm."
Hesitantly, Draco drew out a shaking sleeved arm. Briar pushed back his sleeved gently- the three Malfoy's gasped at the fading Dark Mark. Briar touched her index finger to the branded mark- ignoring Draco's flinch- her finger dragged the length of the mark, fascinated to see that it was slowly fading into a scar under her touch.
"Voldemort's really gone," Briar murmured, releasing Draco's arm, and drawing up. She tossed a glance at the still closed Great Hall doors, and the cheers were still held within. Briar turned her gaze back to the Malfoy's, her eyes seemingly hardening.
"You three best go home, I'm not sure how the others will react to two Death Eaters and a supporter in their midst." Briar ignored their flinched, and focused her gaze entirely on Draco. "I'm going to have saved from Azkaban- you're too young to have made these choices-"Briar shot a nasty glare to Lucius Malfoy who Briar assumed had an influence on Draco's venality. "-I'm not sure of your family, but if they drop Voldemort's pure-blood ideals, I will try to keep them from Azkaban."
Narcissia Malfoy gripped Briar's hand suddenly, and the two women exchanged a leveled look. "Do you promise?"
Briar took a deep breath, "I promise."
Briar drew back, bowing her head in farewell, and started back towards the Great Hall- meeting Ron and Hermione as she opened the door. Her eyes scanned the area around the pair, pausing on the spot nearest Ron that had rippled upon the pair stopping.
"Thank you, Harry Potter." Briar murmured, passing by as though she hadn't said a word. Inside, everyone bundled around chairs, laughter and tears still flowing. Briar settled beside George and the rest of the Weasley family. Her eyes burned with tears- but she ignored them. She had cried far too much.
"Okay then?" George whispered, almost huskily, in her ear. Briar smiled as his breath tickled her ear, "Yeah, I'm fine- you?"
Briar's arm coiled around George's waist, seeking comfort despite her words. George grinned toothily, hugging her to his chest. "I'm just fine, love."
Briar sighed, leaning her head against George's chest and closing her eyes, "It's really over."
Fred leaned across the table, flicking Briar's nose, "So when am I going to get my niece or nephew?"
Briar's eyes snapped open and she spluttered incoherently. George gave a shout of laughter, smoothing Briar's cropped hair, "Don't worry, Briar. We'll wait until after we're married."
Briar fell abruptly silent, looking almost embarrassed, "If we're going to have children, I want to wait a while- my career is really important you know."
George leaned down, grinning devilishly, "If I have to wait, I want at least six-"
Briar groaned, clutching her head as it throbbed painfully, overwhelmed. "Not that many- we're stopping at four."
George grinned widely, "Deal.- I lobe you."
Briar gave a groan at the reused joke, but offered a tiny smile, "I lobe you too, Georgie."
Fred gave a cackle, rubbing his hands together, "I have a feeling I won't have to wait too long for my little niece or nephew now that this damn war is over."
Briar gave a little laugh, turning her gaze to the crowded Great Hall, surveying the House Elves as they downed butterbeer, most of them already sloshed- the grinning faces, and Peeve's singing. It was over… It was really over.
Here it is! Not the final chapter- as I have to write the epilogue, which I'm going to split into two parts since both are a great distance apart from each other. Part one of the epilogue will be probably a year after the war, and part two will be eighteen years after part one. Part two will take place in the Deathly Hallow's epilogue.
I apologize for not post sooner- but here's six pages on Word for you!
Question: Should I bring back Rurik York- Briar's father-?
I wasn't sure whether I should totally kill him off...
I do not own Harry Potter.
-AL