Chapter 25

I winced as I stood. My shoulder was coated in blood, a thick chunk of skin and muscle was gone thanks to Greyback.

Lovely, is it not?

Before I could ask my adoptive parents anything, a familiar, cold, high, chilling voice rang out.

"You have all fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses."—And he cared?—"If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful." — I scoffed weakly. Yeah, right. — "I have commanded my forces to retreat immediately." How honorable, I thought sarcastically, listening silently as I rolled my eyes.

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your wounded.

"I speak now, Isabella Lestrange—" Shit. He just had to say it. Again. "—and Harry Potter, directly to the two of you." My blood froze in my veins. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped to below freezing. No one so much as blinked. "You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourselves. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of the hour, you both have not come to me, have not given yourselves up, then battle shall recommence. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter and Isabella Lestrange, and I shall find you both, and punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you two from me.

"One hour, that is all."

I felt all the blood drain from my face. I was probably as pale as the Cullens.

"Isabella Marie Swan! Don't even think of trying to give yourself up!" Lupin exclaimed.

"I-I won't." I lied feebly. He seemed to overlook it. For now.

He helped Tonks up and said to the two of us, "We need to get to the Great Hall. Everyone should be there."

I felt Tonks and Lupin's eyes on me the entire way.

The entire walk to the Great Hall, I was cradling my wounded shoulder. I knew it was a deep wound—probably a deep muscle injury—so someone more experienced would have to heal it.

When we entered the Hall, Alice and Edward were instantly beside me.

Alice had embraced me tightly, exclaiming, "Do you know how many times I saw you dead?!?" she whisper shouted. "You don't want to know!" She shook her head, then squeezed me tight again. "You saved them."

"Who?" I asked.

"Fred, Remus, and Tonks." She said. "If you hadn't reacted so swiftly, they would be dead. I saw it. Oh, you are just too selfless and lucky!"

"Not lucky enough to avoid my ever-so-wonderful mum." I said, angrily.

When she let me go, Edward pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

"I was so worried, my Bella," he whispered into my hair. "Every time Alice saw you dead…I was so sure that you would be…" he trailed of, but held me tighter.

"But I'm not," I said. "I'm alive and well."

He pulled away, looking pointedly at my shoulder.

"Okay," I amended, "Maybe not well, but…I'm alive."

I pulled away completely. "Is anyone hurt? Is everyone here?" I asked.

"The family, you mean? I told you earlier that all spells non-fire-related don't affect us, except the Body-Bind Curse. But, we're all safe. You'd best be checking on your friends, now. I'll see you later."

I kissed him once more and told him, "I love you."

At that, I turned and went to my other friends.

The House tables were gone and the room crowded. The survivors were in groups, their arms around each other's necks. The injured were being cared for up on the platform by Madam Pomfrey, Carlisle, Esme, and a group of helpers.

The dead lay in a row in the middle of the hall. I surveyed the casualties, hardly keeping in the tears. With jolts of a grief, I recognized several friends. Daphne Greengrass lay peacefully, still stunningly pretty in death. Colin Creevey looked tiny in death, even tinier than he was in life. He wasn't even supposed to be here. Michael Corner was along the way too, the second Dumbledore's Army loss I noticed.

Then, with a jolt of horror mingled with disbelief, I saw another. His gruff face looked peaceful for the first time since I'd met him. His magical false eye was, for once, still.

Against all odds, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody was dead.

And it was all my fault. If Harry and I had sacrificed ourselves…they'd be alive. All of them.

Remus and Tonks saw me freeze and came up behind me.

"What is it?" Tonks asked. But she froze too, upon seeing her mentor's body. "No!" she exclaimed, aghast. "It's not possible! It can't be!"

Remus held her as she openly cried into a handkerchief.

I knew it was especially hard for her, seeing as Moody had been her mentor for years.

Still holding in tears, I made my way to where the Order was.

A small silence greeted me when I made my way to them.

"I take it you discovered Alastor's death?" Kingsley asked gently.

I nodded. "So many…so many died."

"Fifty-four," Hestia Jones said quietly. "But so many more could have. I saw you saved both Remus and Tonks. Quick thinking," she praised me quietly.

"It was luck, really. Nothing else." I said, looking away, thinking of my horrid 'family', if you could call them that. The only members of my 'family' that I liked was

"What happened to your shoulder?" McGonagall asked, removing my hand from it. She visibly paled upon seeing the wound.

"My mother apparently got Greyback to join her vendetta against me. Remus knocked him away before he could do any real damage."

She nodded. As she healed the gaping wound, I looked at her. She looked gaunt and haggard, as if Dumbledore's death added twenty years to her age. There was a gash on her cheek and her customary bun had come undone, but other than that, she looked generally okay. The blood from the gash had mixed with her tears.

"Thanks," I told my mentor. I looked to the other Order members and Aurors. "What do we do?"

"How about, first of all, we made one thing very clear?" McGonagall said. "You and Mister Potter will not be sacrificing yourselves." I nodded obediently, not really sure I was being truthful. She was angry, but it wasn't directed at me. "Good…very notion…ridiculous." She muttered.

"I suggest you find Harry," Kingsley told me. "while we try to make a plan."

I nodded and walked away. I got the feeling they did not want to talk with me around.

Before I got too far, someone pulled me into a tight hug.

"Mrs. Weasley?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, thank you so much, dear!" she exclaimed. "I think our entire family owes you or Harry our lives!"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"You saved Fred!" she exclaimed. "Fred and Percy were just telling me! Thank you!"

I chuckled a bit. "No problem."

When she let me go, I finally saw Harry. He was with Ginny, naturally. Wait…was she even of age? More importantly, did it even matter?

I was relieved to see that all the Weasleys were okay, as well as Harry and Hermione.

Smiling weakly to them, I asked, "Were any of you hurt?"

Everyone shook their heads. "Good," I sighed, relieved. I'd lost one good friend and two mentors in twenty four hours. I didn't need to lose anyone else.

I put my hands in my pockets as I stared out the windows. It was probably only an hour and a half until daylight, but it was still pitch black outside. Earlier, it had seemed brighter because of all the bursts of magic and spells flying through the air.

Suddenly, I recoiled as my hand touched something in my left pocket. Carefully, I pulled it out.

It was the vial of memories.

'You and Potter need to see this memory' the note had said…

"Can I borrow Harry for a minute?" I asked suddenly.

Everyone seemed surprised, but nodded.

I grabbed Harry's arm and lead him out of the Great Hall into one of the many hallways.

"Come on! To Dumbledore's office!"