Chapter 29
I was lying on the grassy earth again.
I expected to hear cheers of triumph and victory, but instead, I only heard soft, worried murmurings. I dared not open my eyes for fear of being exposed of being alive. I used my other senses to discover what was going on.
I was on my back, my limbs sprawled, again. My right arm was extended partway, my left lying limply over my stomach. My head was turned to the right a tiny bit. My mouth was open just a bit. I could feel my wand still stuffed in my robes on my chest. I could feel Harry's foot near mine.
Every inch of my chest, torso, and head was severely sore—I guessed that was where the Killing Curse hit me.
I could hear one voice clearer than the others.
"My Lord…my Lord…" It was my mother, speaking as if to a lover. Wow. And she was married, too. That's adultery…Ew. Bad mental images. Ew, ew, ew. NASTY!
Here's a tip: never hear your mother talk like that to your worst enemy…or anyone at all. Ever.
"That will do." Voldemort said, suddenly.
I heard more footsteps: people were backing away from one spot.
Desperate to know what had happened, I cracked my eyelids open a bit and looked through my eyelashes.
Voldemort was getting to his feet.
Had he fallen unconscious, too?
Several Death Eaters were scurrying away from him, back to their places in line. Bellatrix remained, alone, at his side, kneeling
Harry discretely nudged my foot gently, as if checking I was alive. It was hardly a twitch. No one noticed or saw it. I returned it.
Something happened when he hit us with the Killing Curse. Had Voldemort, too, collapsed? It appeared so. Odd.
"My Lord, let me—" My mother began.
"I do not require assistance," Voldemort said coldly. He paused then said. "The boy and girl…are they dead?"
Silence fell. No one dared move. I could feel their stares boring holes into me. I was terrified to breath, afraid that a finger or eyelid would twitch.
"You," Voldemort said. "Examine them. Tell me whether they are dead."
I didn't dare peek to see who'd been chosen to check.
My heart continued to beat traitorously in my chest. But, as scared as I was, I got a small comfort: the fact that Voldemort sent someone else to examine us told me that he was wary to approach us. He was afraid of death. Him, of all people. Wow…irony.
Hands, gentler than I expected, touched my face, pulled back an eyelid, and put a hand over my chest, feeling my heart beat. I could hear the woman's quick breathing, her long hair tickling my face. I knew she could feel the fast, frightened, irregular pulse on my neck.
"Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?"
I could hardly hear my aunt, Narcissa Malfoy's whisper.
Carefully, quietly as possible, I breathed, "Yes. He is safe…"
Her hand feeling the pulse on my neck squeezed my neck tightly for a moment, her manicured nails piercing the skin. But then she examined Harry quicker. She didn't bother ask him what she knew the answer to.
"They are dead!" she called out, falsified victory in her tone.
Now, the shouts, cheers, and yells erupted. Many stomped their feet.
I cracked my eyes open. A great many were shooting red and silver sparks into the air triumphantly. My mother came over, I closed my eyes first of all, and felt her kick me in the side. "Not so high and mighty now, are you, blood traitor wretch? I've waited for that for years. Finally."
The kick jostled my ribs, right where I'd been hit with the Killing Curse. I, thankfully, remained still.
I suddenly understood why her sister, my aunt—Narcissa Malfoy—had betrayed them all. She no longer cared whether Voldemort was victorious or not. She knew the only way she'd be able to return to the school to find her son, my cousin, was for them to think Harry and I were dead.
I was so happy I could have kissed someone! Well…anyone other than my parents. Or Voldemort. Or any of the Death Eaters.
I saw Snape behind everyone, paler than normal, looking horrified. Quickly, he donned the calm, indifferent mask he always wore.
"You see?" I saw Voldemort yelled over the din. "Harry James Potter and Isabella Marie Lestrange are dead at my hands, and no man alive can threaten me now!—" Wanna bet? I thought, smirking internally. "—Watch! Crucio!"
His wand was pointed at me, I saw.
I braced myself for the pain, but it did not come. I was lifted into the air, and it was all I could do to remain limp. I was thrown thrice into the air; I could feel my wand slip a little, but it remained generally in place. When I hit the ground the last time, jeers rang out again, mingled with laughter.
"Now, we go to the castle and show them what has become of their great heroes. Who shall drag the bodies? No—wait—" Voldemort said, humor in his tone. "—You carry them. They will be nice and visible in your arms, will they not? Pick up your friends, Hagrid. And his glasses—put on his glasses—he must be recognizable—"
I saw them free Hagrid from his bindings and someone slam Harry's glasses on his face roughly, laughing, before Hagrid picked up Harry. Then, he lifted me up gently. He held me in his left arm, Harry in his right. His body trembled with the force of his sobs. Large tears fell on me and Harry.
As much as I wanted to comfort him, I couldn't risk revealing myself not yet. Not yet. Too soon.
"Move." Voldemort ordered.
Hesitantly, Hagrid walked forward, through the woods. Branches snatched at my hair and robes along the way. I cracked my eyes, again.
While all the Death Eaters were crowing, jubilant, all around us while Hagrid was sobbing, no one bothered to check whether a pulse beat in the exposed necks of Harry or I. None of them would dream Narcissa Malfoy would betray them. At all.
I could tell, by the light coming from through my now closed eyes, that the trees were thinning—
But the thought was interrupted by Hagrid.
"BANE!" he bellowed. His unexpected shout caused me to jump. Thankfully, no one noticed.
I looked through narrowed eyes.
"Happy now, are yeh, that yeh didn't fight, yeh cowardly bunch o' nags? Are yeh happy Harry Potter and Bella Swan're d-dead…?"
Hagrid didn't continue, as he was sobbing again.
As the victory procession moved forward, I saw many centaurs lined up, just out of the way, watching. Most looked fearful upon seeing Harry and I lying 'dead'. I recognized several. Bane, who Hagrid had bellowed at, and Magorian looked as if thinking, Oh no. This isn't good. Not because the two humans got killed, but because You-Know-Who is winning. After all, we don't care about two dead humans. Ronan, who had spoken up against killing Hermione, Harry, and I once, looked saddened when he saw us as we passed.
A bit later, we reached the clearing around the school.
"Stop."
Hagrid was forced to obey Voldemort's command. He lurched to a stop.
I felt and saw Dementors float by, but their chilling feelings did not affect me. The fact of my and Harry's survival was like a talisman in my heart, keeping the Dementors' chilling aura from affecting me, like my sleek, translucent feline Patronus was invisible, keeping me safe.
I froze as Voldemort walked by and he spoke with a magnified voice for all of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade to hear.
"Harry Potter and Isabella Swan are dead. They were killed as they ran away, trying to save themselves while you lay down your lives for them. We bring you their bodies as proof that your so-called 'heroes' are gone.
"The battle is won.—" Riiiiiiiight, I thought, wanting to smirk tauntingly, although I remained limp. "—You have lost half your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy and Girl Who Lived are finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, 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." I'm so sure, I thought as he continued to speak, "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.
"Come."
Voldemort walked so close by, I didn't dare open my eyes a fraction.
Before I closed my eyes, however, I did see that Nagini was free of her magical cage and was upon Voldemort's shoulders. I had no chance of possibly getting my wand out and killing Nagini.
Hagrid was still sobbing.
We were moving forward again, towards the castle.
"Stop."
The Death Eaters complied, spreading out in a long line facing the open front doors of the school. I risked a peak.
I opened my eyes just in time to see a figure peak out of the front doors.
"NO!"
I hardly kept myself from flinching at my mentor's pain. The scream was more terrible because I never expected or thought that Minerva McGonagall could ever produce. The pain in her voice was tangible, and it added to the pain in my heart for hurting my friends and family. I braced myself. This would be the worst part, for my heart, at least: letting them discover that Harry and I had sacrificed ourselves, and letting them presume us dead.
Mother dearest was laughing maniacally at McGonagall's pain nearby.
Voldemort was off to the side in front of me stroking Nagini on her narrow head.
More people came to the doorway.
"No!"
"No!"
"Harry! Bella! No!"
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's screams of horror stabbed at my heart.
Then I heard the Cullens' screams. I forced myself not to listen, knowing they would only hurt worse.
I peaked again and saw every survivor flood out of the Great Hall, forming a line of their own.
Each scream of horror and pain pierced my chest more and more. I wanted nothing more than to call back and comfort them, but I forced myself to stay slack.
The survivors were all yelling abuse at the Death Eaters, and I felt a swell of pride in me for their bravery and loyalty.
"SILENCE!" Voldemort bellowed, followed by a bang, which extinguished their yells instantly. "It is over! Set them down, Hagrid, at my feet, where they belong!"
I felt myself lowered onto the grass, gently. Harry was set down at my side.
"You see!" he said, his voice amplified. "Your so-called 'heroes' are dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? They were nothing, ever, but two children who relied upon others to sacrifice themselves for them!"
"They beat you!" Ron yelled, breaking the spell. The Hogwartians were yelling and shouting again, but their voices were extinguished once again with a bang.
"They were killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," Voldemort lied, relish in is voice for the lie. "killed while trying to save themselves—"
But he broke off. I heard a scuffle, a shout, then a bang, accompanied by a flash of light. Someone grunted in pain…but…it sounded…off. False.
I looked infinitesimally through my lashes.
Someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort. I saw them hit the ground, Disarmed, Voldemort tossing the challenger's wand aside and laughing.
"And who is this?" he asked softly. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"
"Rosalie Hale," My mother cackled. "One of the American exchange students, you remember?"
Shit.
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