Warnings: Character death, violence, and language.

Beyond
Never Alone, Book III

Chapter Thirty-six – Forgiveness at Last Breath

In repeated flashes of light, more and more members of the Order stood, casting their eyes about, fleeing off to a member of the Defense Association to liberate them from their deathly bonds. Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin shone first, racing off in opposite directions to save the two sets of twins. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dawlish casting themselves in the direction of Libra and Gabrielle respectively. Alice Longbottom racing toward her son, and Frank toward Luna and Hermione.

A jet of green light shot out from Bellatrix's wand as Alice neared, ducking it and sending her own bright red spell in the Death Eater's direction, she quickly grasped her son from the wench's grasp and threw him his wand.

Before Lucius could rise again, Sirius yanked Harry off to the side and spoke firmly and concernedly,

"Now, listen to me, I want you to take the others and get yourselves out of here."

"No, I'm staying with you." said Harry breathlessly, breaking free of Sirius' loose grasp and standing to his full height.

"You've done beautifully." said Sirius, patting him on the shoulder, "Now let us take it from here."

Sirius knocked them both downward as another bright green curse narrowly missed the pair. Sirius stood to full height and shot his own spell at the curse's caster, a bleeding but fully active Lucius Malfoy.

Harry began throwing his own spells at Lucius behind Sirius as the three fought it out in front of the Veil. Lucius sending his bright green killing curses as Harry and Sirius took turns sending their own spells, a mix of jinxes and stuns.

In the background Harry could hear the maniacal cackle of Bellatrix Lestrange, internally he was hoping that she hadn't just had her sick way with any of his friends.

There was another flash of white light as Alastor Moody stood, looking rather pissed as he stormed off after Rodolphus Lestrange, his wand pointing directly at the man's throat as he began to throw Cruciatus Curses at Libra.

Whipping his wand upward, Moody sent the man flying into the wall where his head smashed, painting the wall the same color as Hermione's blushes.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, Lucius' wand flew from his hand, landing with a clank, clank on the marble floor below.

"Nice one, James!" Sirius shouted, forgetting just who he was talking to. For a moment, Harry felt enthralled by this slip of the tongue, but was quickly snapped back into the grim present as he heard Bellatrix's shrill voice come from up higher in the room, leaning on a handrail,

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry swallowed, his eyes widened, he screamed internally and then externally as he saw the bright green light headed straight for his godfather. A voice came from behind him,

"LEDO PERIVICIUM!" It was Libra's. A violet blast of light hit her father, causing him to stumble before Harry and Sirius.

And take the blast of the killing curse.

"And the reason I didn't kill him... something inside me told me he's needed for later."

Harry's emerald green eyes met Libra's ocean blue as he granted her a little nonverbal thanks, tears of appreciation streaming from his eyes as he spun back round to once again join the fray.

Libra had just sacrificed her father, however cruel he may have been to her, for Harry's happiness, for Harry's godfather. He could never repay her.

There was a desperate shriek as Harry watched Gabrielle Delacour fly across the room and crash into the wall, her silverly hair slipped against it as she slid down, knocked unconscious from the impact.

In a small fit of fury, Nick whipped his wand toward a shelf of small necklaces, all appearing to have a small hourglass filled with white sand. As they crashed to the floor at the feet of several Death Eaters, something most extraordinary occurred. The Death Eaters began to rapidly decrease in age before them, slipping backward to young adulthood, then into teenage, then to pre-puberty, till they became newborns. This got a small chuckle out of Harry, only to have it ripped off his face when he saw what was happening only ten feet from him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" the streak of green light shot right over the head of Nick Granger, through a small gap in several duelists, it headed straight for him, until a small body cast itself in its path, the spell hitting, crashing elegantly into the chest of...

"Ginny!" Harry screamed, scrambling toward her. Tears poured down his eyes as he watched her fall to the floor in slow motion, her red hair lit against the bright colors of the spells still continuing to fly past them.

Crashing his thoughts into hers, he threw his arms around her to catch her before she hit the ground,

"I love you, Harry." was her final thought as her eyelids slid closed and her breathing stopped. The warmth in her body faded away gradually as Harry's tears danced on the surface of her robes.

"Ginny," Harry choked, "I forgive you."

Harry ran his hand along her soft cheek, crying bitterly as he bent over, kissed her forehead, and laid her down to peace.

Anger surged through Harry, fueling his adrenaline further, Harry raced off in the direction of the curse's caster, knocking Order member, DA member, and Death Eater alike over as he raced toward Yaxley, his palms ready for a spell at a second's notice, his knuckles popping of their own accord as his palmed stretched so completely in his anger that it looked strained.

Harry saw Ron's burly form race behind him, fiery orbs already shaping themselves within his hands as he barreled straight into the Death Eater, knocking the man to the ground and searing a large chunk of flesh as the Melting Charms collided with his face.

Harry's own fiery orbs crashed into the man, lighting his robes on fire, which he extinguished with a casual wave of his wand. Ron rose quickly, pulling is wand from his pocket. As Yaxley caught sight of Harry, he grinned and cackled,

"Killed your little girlfriend, didn't I, Potter?" he cackled once again, throwing his head back in demented laughter.

Ron whipped his wand at the man and shouted the only thing that could come to his mind,

"CRUCIO!"

"You've got to mean it." Yaxley jeered without even crying or showing any sign of pain, he just laughed again.

Harry was shoved to the side a foot as he pulled his wand from his robes, the furious form of Hermione Granger brandishing her wand at the Death Eater, her once gloriously chocolaty brown eyes filled with hate,

"Oh, fuck you!" she spat, whipping her wand at him, "You bastard!" if her irregularly colorful words weren't enough, what she did next shocked even several Death Eaters as people on both sides of the fight stopped momentarily to catch just what she was doing, "You don't kill my best female friend and get away with it... CRUCIO!"

Yaxley gave a pained screech only for a moment as Hermione's spell faded. Seeing that was clearly the best she could do, he proded at the Trio once again, not even bothering to defend himself as he knew the most they would do to him right now would be to cause him pain,

"You've got to mean it." he repeated. A spiraling purple jinx caught Hermione's side and she flew into Ron, landing roughly on the cold tile of the Ministry floor. Harry's already burning desire to cause this man pain only furthered as he raised his wand,

"I do. CRUCIO!"

The man shrieked and shrieked, writhing in pain as Harry caught the memories of Ginny's dead body, of Hermione's unconscious form, and of Gabrielle.

A familiar voice filled Harry's ears as he was brought shot out of his memories.

"You.. killed... Ginny." the voice was angry, furious. Its owner raised his wand at the Death Eater,

"Blaise?" was all Harry managed to say before Blaise muttered his curse,

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The Death Eater became still, but the little satisfaction his death brought still could not bring back Ginny. The thought continued to tear at Harry as he threw the occasional stunner and curse, listening to the screeches of various duelists.

"You really are the worst of the bunch." came Bellatrix's voice as she shot a curse that was quickly deflected by Nick at Libra. "Lucius should have killed you while he had the chance." she laughed, "But no matter, I'll handle it for him since he can't tend to you himself."

Nick just shook his head and shot a spell in her direction,

"Die, you bitch."

As Harry caught the last word, Nicki flew in front of him, flopping unceremoniously on the floor as she, too, lost consciousness. Almost immediately afterward, she was followed by Pansy, who crashed into Luna Lovegood.

"Merlin, not her, too." Harry panted, running to Pansy. Racing to her, he saw that she was unconscious, but still breathing. Pulling her off of Luna, he quickly mended several of each of their ribs.

The second Harry healed Luna, another green spell came jetting out from no where and hit Luna from behind.

Seeing green, and certainly not envy, Neville when into a rage induced fury, sending spells at anything and everything that was not friendly. Whipping his wand sideways, he threw Bellatrix against the wall and proceeded to hex her into oblivion as her wand fell from her grasp.

Harry heard himself scream as his scar ripped open in searing pain, his eyes tearing from the agony. Harry could see the fuzzy form of Lord Voldemort appear in the room, his magic-warped face smiling in demented bliss.

Harry felt Pansy stir beside him as she sent a curse at him immediately, which he deflected, then rose his wand to cast a spell of his own.

"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom."

A/N: (Silent sobbing) ...

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