Alice Nyte – I still like Ron although many people have voted to kill him off. Just for a warning (in case you didn't see the note at the bottom of last chapter) I probably will bring him back to life because I hate killing people but I have a plan for his death so we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter.
JinxKatKazama – Thanks for the review. I may bring Ron back to life (if the majority vote is for him) because I don't really like killing people. For example, I've brought Hermione back even though she died, and Dumbledore just didn't die anyway. I hope you like this chapter. Please read and review. Thanks.
GAL39 – I'm sorry about there not being much action, but the chapter before the actual fight there usually isn't much action because they're all practicing or something. This chapter will have more action, I promise. The Gladium Aureum sword isn't actually made of metal. Although this may be slightly hard to believe, it is actually made of the essence of magic in the wizards and witches. That is why it makes them tired and, if used too much, will eventually cause them to black out or die. Sorry if that is confusing. They will definitely be using demigod weapons in the upcoming battle (Jason's Imperial Gold coin, Percy's sword, Riptide, and Hermione's dagger, Katoptris, which hasn't been in this story much but will be coming in soon). Thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter.
Battle
Luke:
Lucius knocked impatiently on the door and at the cold 'enter' he gently pushed it open, his grey eyes radiating nervousness and reverence to the barely-human thing that was sitting in a large, hard-backed chair at one end of the dark room. The rest of the room was plain with a simple, black roof and no windows, giving it an eerie and slightly out-of-this-world effect. In the center was a single, hard-backed chair with chains for me to be tied to.
"You may leave us," came the harsh voice from the chair and Lucius bowed low before taking his leave, the plain door slamming shut behind him and locking me in the room with a murderer. Not exactly my idea of a good time.
It was only then that I noticed that many of the other chairs were filled with Death Eaters or Voldemort supporters. I could see Dolores Umbridge, who was, supposedly, a teacher at Hogwarts at one point in time. From Hermione's stories, I wasn't really surprised to see her there.
Voldemort left the room soon after, but his chair remained empty, probably because the others were all too scared to sit in it. I made my lonely way to the chair in the center of the room, not failing to notice how everyone gripped their wands tightly. That caused me to roll my eyes, seriously, even though they hadn't taken my wand from me, I still doubted I'd be able to do magic in this house. And even if I could, they outnumbered me.
"Is your name Luke Castellan?" Umbridge asked once I was seated and settled. The chains surrounding the chair had come up of their own accord and wrapped themselves around my arms and legs, effectively tying me down.
"Yes, it is," was my quiet reply although I saw the question as being pointless. Wasn't it obvious who I was? Why all the questions, anyway? They would probably send me to Azkaban or some such place as soon as the questioning was done anyway.
"And are you a Demigod?"
What was the point in lying? So I told the truth, my voice quiet and commanding, though what I was commanding I wasn't quiet sure.
"Yes."
"Whom did you steal your magic from because everyone knows that Demigods don't have magical powers?"
"That's stupid," was my only reply, "I didn't steal my magic from anyone; my wand chose me."
"That is stupid," Umbridge told me, leaning forward slightly so that a sliver of light fell on her toad-like features. "Only Witches and Wizards can do magic and, as you are neither, you must have stolen your powers from another Witch or Wizard. So, tell me, who did you steal your magic from?"
"No one," I replied, equally as forceful, glowering up at her, but I decided to say no more. She just wanted any excuse to throw me in Azkaban, so there wasn't much I could do to stop it.
"You are a liar, and a thief," she shrieked, sounding suspiciously like a harpy rather than the toad she resembled. "You will pay for your sins, I shall see to it."
"You do that," I snapped sarcastically, giving her a false smile as the chains were drawn back and I was dragged from the room.
Seriously, that questioning was utterly pointless because it got us nowhere and she didn't even try to torture the 'truthful' reply out of me, which was what any self-respecting Death Eater would have done. She had wasted some of my perfectly good time, which would otherwise have been spent staring blankly at a cell wall and pretending to listen to my friends talk. That may not have been the most productive plan, but it was much better than being interrogated by someone who, by some reports (namely the Weasley twins after they had set fireworks off in Hogwarts and she couldn't get rid of them) was little better than a Squib.
XxX
Hermione:
"Are you ready to fight?" Draco asked as soon as we had made our way back to the Head Dorms, where we were to stay until they called for us to fight. Well, that wasn't the entire truth. Some of the others had gone to inform the Vampires and the Vampyres, as well as the Centaurs, to congregate (what a wonderful word) at Malfoy Manor, where Narcissa (who had been on our side for a while now but neglected to tell anyone) would get some of us inside so that we could trap them between us.
"I've always been ready," I told him before pulling him into my room, not missing the glances Ginny and Blaise gave us, but I ignored them for the moment and focused on the long-overdue conversation we were about to have. I had something of lesser importance to talk to him about, but that could be put to one side for the moment.
"I wondered when we'd need to talk," he mused as he sat on my bed, beckoning for me to sit next to him. Once I had done so, he continued, "I know we…kissed, but that doesn't mean that I feel anything more than friendship for you."
"Me too," I replied, glad for that fact. If he had thought of me as anything more than a friend, it would have been harder to not become anything more, even if I didn't want it. That being said, I still had to tell Luke. And I said as much.
"I know, but I don't think I should be there when you do. I actually like living, thanks."
That made me giggle, but once I'd calmed down, I agreed wholeheartedly. Knowing Luke as I did, he would be extremely angry when he found out, and he would probably lash out at Draco. I didn't want me to break up the friendship the two of them had. It was unique.
"Now, onto the second thing I wanted to talk to you about. Do you remember when we…kissed? You were playing a guitar?"
He nodded to say he understood. I quickly whispered my idea to him, leaving nothing out. He disappeared for a few minutes to retrieve the Muggle instrument, before reappearing once more as we decided on a song.
The plan was set.
"It's a very good idea," Draco agreed, giving me a satisfied smile as we left my room. I noticed Blaise taking Draco to one side as Gin did the same to me, demanding for me to tell her what had happened. I did so, but only after making her promise not to tell anyone. From Blaise's self-satisfied grin, I could tell that my once-nemesis had also told him of our plan to raise our troops moral.
It was foolproof.
"Alright everyone," I shouted once we were all congregated once more. According to Pansy, the Vampires, Vampyres and Centaurs were already on their way to Malfoy Manor, which was our next destination. "Let's go."
I exchanged glances with Ginny, Blaise and Draco as the latter made his guitar pocket-sized before putting it away so that no one else could see it.
"Ready?" he asked, joining me as we made our way out of the room that had housed us for the better part of this year.
"Always," I replied, pointing my wand at my throat to make my voice louder. Now I couldn't speak until we arrived or it might give the plan away.
I grabbed Ginny's arm to dissaparate as she was under aged, and we were one of the first to actually arrive at the Manor. Draco and Blaise arrived moments later with two sixth years I wasn't familiar with. I nodded to Draco, who, in turn, turned and disappeared inside his house. I followed, making sure to keep quiet.
This was it.
XxX
Ginny:
Ginny was left outside as her best girlfriend disappeared inside a place that could mean nothing but evil for her. The young redhead shuddered slightly, feeling the evil of the place seeping into her bones.
"Hey, Gin," Harry said, coming up to her. It was at times like this that Ginny was glad that she had gotten over her crush on Harry, because now she could talk to him properly. "Do you know where Hermione and Draco are?"
"Yes," Ginny replied, rehearsing what she was to say to the brunette's best friend. "They said they'll meet us inside, they just had to do something first."
"But what?" Harry had a slightly suspicious look in his eyes that made the beautiful auburn-haired girl gasp in shock.
"You can't actually think that she is betraying you."
When the Boy-Who-Lived only looked down in slight guilt, Ginny sniffed anxiously, raising her head slightly.
"Harry James Potter, you listen to me. Hermione loves you like a brother, she would never, and I repeat never, betray you. How could you even think that?"
"Okay," Harry finally conceded, "You're right. But what about Draco?"
Ginny only glared.
"Okay, so he didn't betray us either."
Slightly humbled, Harry turned on his heel and walked away to check on some of the other troops, only glancing back at Ginny twice.
Blaise approached just as Harry turned away for the second time, and Ginny gave him a slightly nervous glance. She had never really spoken to the quiet Italian before, and so now she was nervous. It also didn't help that he was extremely handsome. Of course, Ginny didn't really notice this as she already had a boyfriend who, she realized with a delicate gasp, she was in love with.
"What?" the dark-skinned Slytherin asked, following the auburn-haired Gryffindor's eyes to the curly-haired former Slytherin standing talking to Harry. "That's Hermione's brother, right?"
"Yeah," Ginny replied, hating how breathless she sounded, "He's also my boyfriend."
Turning, Ginny noticed that Blaise wasn't really listening to her. Instead, his eyes were fixed on someone on the other side of the temporary camp they had made up. Ginny's eyes widened slightly as she realized whom he was staring at. Wow, there really were some odd couples springing up. Hermione and Luke. Her and Jason. Harry and Luna. Not to mention some she probably didn't know about.
"Talk to her," Ginny encouraged, slightly shocked at the fact that she, the girl who had chased after Harry Potter for a good portion of her life, was giving one of the most popular boys in Slytherin relationship advice.
"I've never spoken to her before," the good-looking boy replied, sighing in disappointment. "She would probably never even look at me anyway."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Gin replied, laughing as she grabbed Blaise's hand and began to pull his across the camp, ignoring his weak struggles and protests. He stilled as they reached the girl, gazing at her with something akin to wonder in his eyes.
The pretty girl turned away from talking to Ernie MacMillan and Susan Bones and grinned at them. Ginny didn't miss the dusting of a blush that appeared on her cheeks.
"Hannah," the redhead said loudly, grinning at Hannah Abbott, Hufflepuff. "Blaise wanted to ask you something."
Hannah waited patiently, almost stuttering under Blaise's scrutiny as he took one of her hands and brought it to his mouth. Giving the back of it a chaste kiss, he asked, "After the fight, would you do me the great honor of going on a date with me."
"Yes," Hannah breathed almost immediately.
Ginny turned away, smiling widely. Her work here was done.
Her eyes turned to Harry, who had begun to give orders. Well, really it was only one order. "Go."
With one loud battle cry, the members of the Order, students and magical creatures alike swarmed the Manor, searching for one man. Lord Voldemort.
XxX
Hermione:
Draco and I ran through the house that had once been a home, his home, but now it was little more than a shell of its former glory. It had been tainted by the utter evil that had resided here for so long. Although the physical aspects of the house hadn't changed since I'd last been here, it seemed even darker somehow, with everything in shadow and the fear of being caught at any second.
"Ready?" Draco asked from next to me, breaking me from my thoughts. I nodded; this was probably one of the safest things I was going to do today.
Draco enlarged his guitar and placed a spell on it to make it play louder as we heard the sounds of fighting and the screams of men and beasts alike coming from the room beyond. No one noticed as I flung open the door, gasping at what I saw.
It was obvious from first glance that our side was losing. We were outnumbered largely. I could see Dumbledore fighting Voldemort, but he seemed to be weakening horribly.
Lavender, Parvati and Padma were fighting Fenrir Greyback. Or, to be more honest, Lavender was lying on her back with blood pouring out of her head while the twins attempted to protect her. Neville, Ginny and Luna were all fighting Lucius Malfoy, whose gaunt face was stretched into a grotesque sneer as he beat back the students. Pansy was lying on the floor, screaming from the pain of the cruciatus curse being cast on her by Dolohov. Blaise had a broken nose, which he was holding as he attempted to shield the still body of Hannah Abbott. I didn't even want to contemplate if she was dead. Harry and Ron were standing together, the only two who didn't seem to be in dire trouble, but the Death Eaters seemed to notice this and began to congregate towards my two best friends. The rest of the Aurors, Order, students and magical creatures were in various stages of loss.
Draco began to strum the guitar as he stepped through the door. Once they'd heard it, every eye in the room turned to face him. He gave them an uneasy grin but didn't continue to strum.
I took a deep breath as it was my turn, before I strode out of the door, mouth open to sing the words I had rehearsed.
"We could just go home right now
Or maybe we could stick around
For just one more drink, oh yeah
Get another bottle out
Lets shoot the breeze
Sit back down
For just one more drink, oh yeah."
I began to get more confident, singing louder (if that was even possible) as I was getting a happy grin from Ginny, who was swaying to herself. She stomped her foot, turning some eyes in her direction, before she clapped. She repeated the action, which caused more people on our side to do the same.
"Here's to us
Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up
Here's to you
Fill the glass
Cause the last few days
Have gone too fast
So let give em hell
Wish everybody well
Here's to us
Here's to us."
The stomping and clapping was getting louder, mixed with merry laughter, mainly from our side but also from a few of the kinder Death Eaters.
"Stuck it out this far together
Put our dreams through the shredder
Let's toast cause things got better
And everything could change like that
And all these years go by so fast
But nothing lasts forever."
I nodded once to Ginny as I began to sing the next bit, causing her to join in with me, her deep voice harmonizing nicely with my own.
"Here's to us
Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up
Here's to you
Fill the glass."
Ginny paused and didn't sing the next two lines, before joining in once more.
"Cause the last few nights
Have gone to fast."
"If they give you hell
Tell em to forget themselves
Here's to us
Here's to us."
Once they had caught on to the tune, others began to join in, singing the chorus while I sang the next bit
"Here's to all that we kissed
And to all that we missed
To the biggest mistakes
That we just wouldn't trade."
"To us breaking up
Without us breaking down
To whatever's come our way."
A happy grin came across my face as I made my way further into the room, Draco following. I made my way to Avery, who stare at me in confusion bordering on worry. Standing in front of him, I stomped and clapped, encouraging him to do the same thing. Around the room I could see others doing the same as me. It was proof to them that you didn't have to be a Death Eater; there was always a choice.
"Here's to us
Here's to us!"
I stopped singing for a moment, allowing my audience to sing by themselves.
"Here's to us
Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up."
I joined in once more to sing the next bit, laughing in a slightly drunken manner at the happiness that radiated off almost everyone in the room.
"Here's to you
Fill the glass
Cause the last few days
Have gone too fast
So let's give em hell
Wish everybody well."
"Here's to us
Here's to love."
"All the times
That we messed up
Here's to youFill the glass
Cause the last few nights
Have gone too fast
If they give you hell
Tell em forget themselves."
I sang by myself for a few beats before the others all copied my words, grinning giddily.
Me: "Here's to us."
Them: "Here's to us."
Me: "Oh here's to us."
Them: "Here's to us."
All: "Here's to us
Here's to love."
Them: "Here's to us."
Me: "Wish everybody well."
All: "Here's to us
Here's to love
Here's to us."
Me: "Here's to us."
I sang the final line before Draco brought the song to a dramatic finish, smiling all the while. Glancing around, I was extremely happy at the turnout. Death Eater and Light Fighters alike were congregated around the room and only a few looked unhappy. Voldemort watched her with something akin to pride in his snake-like face while he glowered at the rest of us, and Lucius Malfoy stood to his side, wand still in hand.
"You stupid Mudblood," Voldemort shrieked, wand pointed towards me.
I quickly removed the spell that enlarged my voice and turned my wand on one of the people I hated most in the world. After Sirius's death, I had harbor strong feelings of hatred towards him, even if I didn't before, because it was his fault that Sirius had died.
He cast the killing curse towards me, but I blocked it easily. It was one of the strongest curses I had ever had to withhold, but I managed to do it, casting a pleading glance in Harry's direction.
"Oi, ugly," My messy-haired friend shouted, to my utter relief.
The fight began to continue around us but only a few stood on Voldemort's side, with only a few (like Lucius and Dolohov) continuing to fight a losing battle. I stood to Harry's side, preventing curses from hitting him, while Ron took my other side. I couldn't see Draco anywhere.
"Avada Kedavra."
"Expelliarmus."
A bubble of light exploded around the two fighters, keeping the rest of us on the outside.
I closed my eyes to tap into my powers, breathing heavily. I muttered the words and felt the magnificent power from the Golden Sword. I slashed it towards Dolohov, who created a Nigrum Gladio, as I had guessed he would. Suddenly I thoughts of something. If my father was the God of the Sky, then maybe I could manipulate the air. This revelation, however, made me lose my concentration and my glowing sword disappeared just as Dolohov swung his sword down. I threw up my hands in the meager hope that it would protect me, but the next moment I felt a strong breeze whirling around me. I was standing in the middle of a twister, which began to move out, causing devastation to the opposing side but not touching my side.
XxX
Luke:
"The fights already started," said a voice at cell door and it was blasted open in the next moment. I noticed that our savior was Draco, but didn't feel that the moment was the right time to say anything so I stayed silent as I followed him and my comrades out into the melee.
I had no weapon so I quickly disappeared from the fight to try and find my sword. Draco followed me. He seemed to know what I was looking for as he cast a spell and began to follow in the direction his wand pointed.
Within a few minutes we were in Lucius's study, which was as impeccable as always. In one corner was my sword along with a few other Demigod weapons.
I took as many of them as I could, while Draco did the same. We arrived back in the fight and distributed the weapons before entering the fight ourselves. I took my Celestial Bronze sword and began to swipe at my enemies, trying to make my way to my girlfriend's side as I could see her battling Dolohov, but I wasn't making much progress.
I saw her create a twister out of the air in the room and nodded to myself. That could come in helpful. I made my way to Jason's side instead and began to speak to him quietly. A moment later two more twisters had been formed (from Jase and Thalia), and Percy was making enemies fall by manipulating some water. Jason had managed to acquire his Imperial Gold Coin, which turned into a sword, and he was using that. Percy had Riptide strapped to his hip but he wasn't using it, content to use the water instead.
XxX
Harry:
From inside the bubble Harry and Voldemort fought relentlessly. They could see outside but no one from the outside could see inside. He saw Hermione using her powers and figured that he could use that to his advantage.
He used his powers to manipulate the water inside of Lord Voldemort's body and forced him to cease the Avada Kedavra spell, causing his Expelliarmus to hit his enemy in the chest.
You-Know-Who flew unceremoniously into the side of their self-imposed cage and fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
It was as Harry saw the slight mist curling from Lord Voldemort's mouth that he had another idea. He could manipulate the water inside his nemesis' body, so maybe he could also flood his veins, arteries and capillaries, effectively drowning him from the inside out.
Harry closed his eyes, ignoring the pain that shot through his scar, and began to focus on his power. He could feel it pulsing inside of him and he slowly, carefully, pushed it out, seeing it enveloping Voldemort's body without actually opening his eyes. He heard a strangled choking noise and finally opened his eyes, seeing his enemy finally falling at his feet, blood and water flowing out of his mouth. It was a gruesome sight but Harry didn't allow it to get to him. Instead, he just watched as the man who had caused his so much pain died right before his eyes.
XxX
Hermione:
I turned to Ron to see how he was doing, only to see him fall under a jet of green light from Lucius, who, in turn, was hit with a green curse from one of the former Death Eaters.
However, I didn't care about that. All I cared about was that one of my best friends was now lying on the ground, his eyes glaring sightlessly at the ceiling. I dropped down to his side just as the bubble surrounding my other best friend disintegrated and Harry appeared.
"Harry," I whispered. It was all I could say as the tears choked my throat. I closed my eyes, finally allowing them to spill forth as Harry wrapped me in a hug from behind, his scalding tears flowing down my neck.
Seeing her dead son, Molly flew to our side, screaming and crying out in pain. I couldn't stay in there any longer. The family needed to grieve in peace. So I took my leave and moved out of the Manor, where I would need to have a conversation about all of this.
But, for the moment, I was so heartbroken that all I could do was relieve my happiest memories with my best friends.
XxX
I was alone in the bathroom in my first year, my eyes open and wide with fear as the Mountain Troll began to make its staggering way towards me. I was alone, only eleven years old, and friendless. No one but Lavender and Parvati knew that I was in here, and by the time they got help, if they got help, it would already be too late.
I screamed as a club came swishing down, landing where I had been just moments before. I heard someone screaming my name but I was too scared to move.
I could see two figures entering the bathroom, wands out. I peeked out to see who it was and gasped at whom I saw. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, and his faithful, redheaded sidekick, the one who'd been horrible to me.
Harry soon lost his wand but Ron raised his wand, trembling horribly.
"Swish and Flick," I screamed at him, breaking off at the end as the club came down once more.
"Wingardium Leviosar."
As the club came down once more, it was suddenly hanging in the air. Ron dropped in onto the Trolls head, and it fell like a sack of potatoes. It fell like a full sack of potatoes.
XxX
We had just gotten past Fluffy, the three-headed dog, and were now seated on some squishy plant thing, which soon began to wrap around us.
"Devils Snare," I whispered before stilling my movements and disappearing. I could hear Ron screaming my name from above before Harry joined me.
"Devils Snare," I repeated, "Deadly fun…but will sulk in the sun. Oh, if only I had some matches."
"Hermione," Harry said from my side and I turned to face him as Ron's whimpering began to lessen as the air was knocked out of him. "Are you at Witch or not?"
XxX
"Polyjuice Potion," I murmured to my two companions as I spooned the gloopy mixture into three separate cups before adding Millicent Bulstrode's hair.
Downing it, I noticed that it tasted even worse than it looked. I dropped the cup on the floor, where it smashed noisily, as I ran to a toilet cubicle.
"Hermione?" Harry asked from outside, sounding concerned, but I couldn't go out, as I was part cat. It seemed that Bulstrode had a cat. Not a good thing for me.
"Just go," I demanded, trying to hide my sob but being only partially successful.
"Hermione?" That was Ron.
"You only have an hour," I reminded them, "You should go."
XxX
We were in the Shrieking Shack, facing Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape. My wand had been blasted away as soon as we had got here but Harry still had his in his back pocket so I quickly retrieved it without anyone noticing.
"Stupefy," I shouted, pointing it at my least favorite Professor. He flew into the wall behind him and fell to the ground, unconscious.
I fell onto the bed next to Ron, glancing at him with vacant eyes. "I just cursed a teacher."
"It's okay, Mione," came his quiet voice, comforting me, as Remus, Sirius and Harry continued to talk softly.
XxX
A sob reached its way up my throat as I broke myself out of my memories. It would do no good to dwell on the past. What was past was past and I shouldn't live in it. But it was hard not to as the pain of his passing was still so raw.
I felt a hand wrap itself around my waist as Luke joined me outside. I finally allowed myself to collapse and he held me, letting me sob onto his chest, relieving all my pain and sorrow.
One thing was certain: Ron Weasley would never be forgotten.
The song that Hermione sings is Here's To Us by Glee (I'm not sure who sings it originally but I only know the Glee version, sorry to anyone who does not like Glee).
Please read and review.