Chapter Forty-Five: Emily: The Redemption
I should've listened to Al.
It's not that I wanted to go home – well, I did, but I didn't want to ditch my friends. The only way I could go back is if everything went back to normal. But I couldn't leave, not after what Al did for me. The boy saved my life in more ways than one. I loved him, and I wasn't about to ditch and not be there for him.
I mean, he may not have even needed me, but I wanted to be there. Maybe it was selfish, but I couldn't just go home and wait for news, not knowing my friends were dead or alive. This wasn't just anyone… it was Al.
But I soon realized that he was right – I should've gone home. He wasn't trying to control me – he knew he couldn't – but he knew I wasn't up for this. I hadn't mentioned to the others how sore I was from all torture, how I was so sleep deprived that if I sat down, I was definitely going to pass out, and how hungry and thirsty I was. I definitely wasn't up for a fight.
But there was no way I was leaving.
I was still barefoot – I'd been wearing flats the night I was captured, and they were still in Al's room – so he had to carry me through a room with shattered glass all over the floor. That's when I fell asleep, and the bastard didn't wake me up until we were near the minister's office.
Ever wanted to strangle someone for being so sweet yet so infuriating?
Al set me down on a chair and I rubbed my eyes. Dom handed me water; both of them were very distracted, and were the only other ones in the room. We seemed to be in some sort of small office.
"Where are we?" I asked sleepily.
"We're on the floor of the minister's office," he told me as I took a sip of water. "James has my invisibility cloak, and he's taking a look around."
My jaw dropped. "You have an invisibility cloak?"
"Yup. Malfoy went for backup," he continued, not noticing my awe, "and Adam's keeping lookout right now." I looked around Al and saw Adam peeking out the door. "We're just in an empty office. Looks pretty safe and deserted."
I blinked, trying to wrap my head around it all. I remembered what happened when I was last on this floor. I'd woken up in Mr. Potter's cell – he'd woken me. Then he warned me to keep my mouth shut so I wouldn't get hurt. I remembered that the cell was only half of the room, and the trap was activated by stepping in the other half. I also remembered that the door was open, and that the guards around the room were young. My classmates.
Were Scorpius and I the only Slytherins who didn't become Death Eaters?
"Guys, what would happen if we just stunned all the guards?" Dom asked, gnawing on her bottom lip.
"What, like they all dropped dead?" Al asked skeptically.
"Sort of."
"I bet we'd only have a few minutes," I told them. "The older Death Eaters aren't here, but I'm sure they'd notice soon and come over. Something would tip them off."
Al turned to me, eyebrows furrowed. "How does the trap work?"
"Erm, like any trap. Step into the room, bars slide over the door."
Al yanked Adam from the door and brought him into our circle. "I think Dom's right, we should split up, surround them, and stun the guards. James will get rid of the bars. You two –" he nodded at Adam and Dom "– will keep a lookout. We –" he gestured to himself and I "– will have to help James levitate my dad out of the room."
"Splendid idea!" James said brightly, appearing out of nowhere. We all jumped.
"Don't do that!" Dom cried, smacking him in the arm. He grinned sheepishly at her and slung what I presumed to be the invisibility clock over his arm.
"So, what do we do after we get Dad out?" he asked.
"Well, hopefully Scorpius comes back with backup by then," Al replied. I smiled – this was the first time Al had used my best friend's first name.
"And if not?"
"Then we run like hell," Al admitted, and we laughed. He looked back to me and took my hand comfortingly. "Ready?"
I nodded.
I think he needed more reassurance than I did.
Surprisingly enough, stunning them was the easy part.
But it wasn't easy.
Level two was shaped in a square, hallways lining the perimeter. We were near the office closest to the entrance elevator, and there were two ways of getting to the minister's office on the other side: left or right.
That didn't exactly give us clear visibility.
James snuck out first, using the invisibility cloak. We pressed our ears to the door, listening for any indication that he'd taken down any guards. Our hallway – parallel to the minister's office hallway – was clear, but the left and right hallways were guarded by two pacing guards.
James appeared only a couple of minutes later.
"Piece of cake," he said calmly to our anxious expressions. "Only one guard on the left and right hallways. It's the hall on the other side that is the most guarded."
"How many?"
"Ten, but they're not guarding." James rolled his eyes. "Overconfident no one would get in the ministry, they're off their game. They're just sitting around, we can take 'em." With that, he dumped the cloak in my hands.
"What do I need this for?" I asked, flabbergasted.
"No wand, right?" he reminded me, giving me a reassuring smile before turning away. "C'mon, let's move."
"Meet me at the minister's door when we get it open," Al muttered to me. I nodded and put on the cloak, leaving the office last.
Al and James tiptoed into the left hallway, Dom and Adam taking the right. I followed Al, hurrying in front of them; it was so strange being invisible, seeing everyone's blank looks as they stared right at me.
As I turned the corner, I saw James was very right. Ten barely-of-age Slytherins guarding a door without supervisors? They were bored as hell. Some were talking, gossiping. Some were playing cards. Some were eating. Some were even napping.
I saw Al and Adam peek behind their corners, meeting each other's gaze. As Al held up three fingers, I quickly hurried back into the side hallway.
Three.
Two.
One.
Two of the napping guards had been hit by Dom and Adam. James got a burly-looking kid who'd had his back turned, and Al got one of the gossiping girls. The other six guards sprung into action, but other two were taken down by Stunners.
One blonde-haired girl got Adam with a Stinging Hex, and Dom yelled, "Petrificus totalus!" The girl fell the floor with a thud as two boys aimed at Al, both yelling, Crucio!" – a spell I knew very well.
James yanked him out of the way and ducked as a couple of Stunners were sent their way, and Adam and Dom stunned the two boys. The fourth and last boy had been hiding behind the two boys, standing in fear – he was younger, no older than sixteen. James quickly Stunned him as the other raised his wand.
I hurried over to Al and helped him up. He grabbed the invisibility cloak off of me and stuffed it in his bag, grinning at me. "That was easier than I thought."
"Two Cruciatus curses at once isn't fun," I said in a voice so small, I wasn't sure Al could hear – but he did. His smile faltered.
"Guys, let's hurry," he said, pulling me to the door. Adam and Dom had separated to the side hallways to keep a lookout, and James was already unlocking the door. When it was open after a couple of spells, he paled.
Al had to pull on the back of James' shirt to keep him from running inside. Then he froze. I rose on my toes, touching Al's shoulders lightly and peeking into the room – and cringed.
It seemed like they had just about given up on keeping Mr. Potter alive. He was sitting on a bed, eyes closed, slumped over and still. The pitcher beside his bed as empty, and there was no food in sight. He looked weak, thin.
"Dad," Al croaked, and I slid my arms around him from behind. James quickly shook his head and concentrated on the cell bars fixated in the middle of the office. They dissolved into thin air.
Mr. Potter didn't move.
"Be careful," I whispered, stepping back as Al and James shakily raised their wands. I was right: magic didn't work inside the room, but only if you cast it from inside. Working together, they levitated Mr. Potter up a few inches. Then a few more. He floated across the room like a rag doll until he was out. Right in front of me. Eyes still closed.
But he was still breathing.
"Ennervate," Al whispered, and Mr. Potter opened his eyes. I saw James and Al's eyes fill with relief, and the next thing I knew, they'd thrown their arms around him, muttering softly to him.
Even I felt like I could breathe again.
"Let's go," I whispered, tugging on Al's sleeve. He nodded and let James lead Mr. Potter out arm around him. I turned to follow.
But I couldn't.
"Emily?" Al asked gently, worried. "What's wrong?"
I couldn't speak.
But then I began to scream.
It was as though a few hundred knives had surrounded me and plunged through my skin, tearing me open by every tissue, every vein, every bone. My vision went red, I couldn't see, think, hear – only feel the unbearable pain. I was begging, somewhere in my mind, but it didn't stop.
And then it was over, and I was breathing hard, blinking up at a terrified Al. His hands were around my jaw, and I didn't understand, I wasn't in the black hole anymore. Why had that happened?
"Emily," he breathed, over and over. He sighed in relief when he saw me back. "Did it stop? Are you okay?"
I nodded, trying to breathe properly. He pulled me up and into his arms, pressing a light kiss to my neck. "I'm sorry, we have to move. Can I carry you again?"
"Oh, no need," sneered a voice from behind him.
I felt goose bumps rise on my arms, hairs standing up on end. I knew that voice. I knew that voice. Shit, I knew that person Dom had immobilized, and the spell had worn off. I knew that blonde hair.
It was Amy.
"You know, I don't think it's fair that I'm chained up and she's not."
"I have a good reason."
"You took my wand!"
"You attacked me!"
"I was only trying to get it back!"
I woke to those whispers, shifting a little a body. I realized I was against Al, by the feel of it. He smelled good, like soap, sweat and sea. Everything smelled like sea, actually – and I realized that's where we must've been. I felt the rocking and waves splashing against the edge of what must've been our boat. Why were we on a boat?
I didn't open my eyes, I was still too groggy. I snuggled back into his shoulder and curled myself into him. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
"Prisoners can't have wands," the other voice said. I recognized it as Amy's, despite the fact that she sounded incredibly miserable – something I wasn't used to. She was always very good at hiding it.
Why were we on a boat with Amy? Why was Al chained up?
Wait, prisoners?
"There was no need to take my wand and knock us out," Al grumbled.
"Shut up, you wouldn't have followed quietly," she snapped. "Besides, I didn't knock Emily out, she fainted. You were the one who freaked out and let your guard down long enough for me to take your wand."
"Are you saying I let myself get caught?"
"I'm saying your stupidity let yourself get caught."
"Effing Slytherins," Al muttered under his breath, and I tried not to smile. "All right, so are you saying your stupidity told you to chain me to this boat, but not Emily? She'd never join you Death Eaters."
"I know that," she said wearily.
"So you trust her." She stayed quiet. "Why are you arresting us, anyway?"
"Have to," she said shortly. "Death Eater's headquarters are in Azkaban."
Oh.
Probably should've guessed that.
"Great, and now they're going to kill us," he said dryly. "Why not kill us now? Get it over with, you know?"
Amy paused. For some reason, this had caught her off guard. I knew the feeling, Al was pretty good at that.
"I am not a violent person," she said finally.
"You don't have to be violent to kill," Al told her. I didn't know why he was pushing this. Did he want to die, or what? "We're in the middle of the sea, throw us off the boat or something. Killing curse is painless, apparently. Take your pick."
"I'm not going to kill you," she said, keeping her voice reserved.
"Because you're not a violent person," he repeated. Al's chin rested on my head for a moment; I couldn't tell if he knew I was awake or not, but I don't think he did, based on what he said next. "Amy, you're dating David, right?"
"What?" she spluttered, definitely caught off guard this time. "No. Was."
"Did he hit you?"
I could tell he'd completely taken her by surprise. Even I wasn't really expecting it; I never thought David would hit Amy, because he never hated her. Not like he hated me. I never knew if Amy found out that David had hit me – I'd never told her. A part of me knew that she was the one who started it, and told him to hurt me.
But another part of me believed she never specified how.
"How do you know that?" she asked, her voice carefully controlled devoid of emotion. But I knew better. I was a Slytherin too, after all. Funny how people can change.
Al shrugged, but I could feel his shoulders tense. "You were pretty adamant about not being violent. Pretty strange."
"You're lying," she said, her voice beginning to shake. "Who told you? David never told anyone –"
"No one told me," he said firmly.
"You didn't guess." Her breathing had become laboured, like she was panicking. "You couldn't have guessed – no." Her voice was now entirely desperate and broken. "No, he didn't – he didn't love her, David never cared about her, he told me."
I could tell the way Al tensed that this pissed him off. "Yeah, that's why did he did it, don't you think?"
"No," she said in a small voice. Her demeanour was breaking entirely, like puzzle pieces that had never quite fit together anyway. "Did he – did he really hit her?"
Al didn't answer, but seemed to be enough. She began to cry.
He sighed and pressed his lips against my hair. "Did he hit you in the beginning?"
Amy took a deep breath. "No, only after a few months. After he broke up with Emily. After he told me loved me…" She broke down, sobbing hard. Merlin, I wasn't used to her crying. She never did. Made me want to hug her, even after all we went through.
For a moment, Al was silent, letting Amy cry. She had these short, silent sort of sobs, ones were you weren't even sure if they were silent laughter or crying. But it was pretty clear, in this case. It was as though her sobs were blending with the waves, and it wasn't long before she calmed down.
"Potter?"
"Yeah?"
"Is Em okay?" she asked in a small voice. I nearly opened my eyes at the use of my nickname. Usually it was a vicious 'Goyle' directed at me.
"Of course she is." He paused. "Sometimes I can tell she misses you, though. Or misses her best friend."
"I really screwed up." She sniffed loudly. "Potter, if you hit her, I swear, I will –"
"Don't finish that sentence," he snapped, so forcefully that I nearly opened my eyes. His body curved into mine, despite his wrists still chained behind him. "Just… don't."
Silence fell again. More waves crushing against the boat, small sniffling from Amy. I couldn't help remembering how David was – sweet and caring one second, and the next, it was though something ugly was releasing from inside of him.
Maybe it was his eyes that scared me the most. They were alluring, bright blue. Almost frightening. I think they may have hurt me more than his abuse. Just the way he looked at me, like I was lucky to be in his presence. When we were alone, and I would want to stop, and as he hurt me, he would look at me like I was nothing. Worthless. Like I deserved everything he was doing to me. And I couldn't imagine Amy going through that for more than two years.
But she did.
"Shit, are you awake?" Al asked in disbelief. I hadn't realized it, but I'd begun to cry. "Shit, Emily, don't cry, I didn't mean to – can you unchain me?" he asked Amy, struggling within his confines. "Please?"
"You can't escape," she said, almost fearfully. "Your wand is in London and you're in the middle of the sea –"
"I'm not going to try, I swear –"
"They'll kill me if you leave," she blurted out. Al stopped struggling, and I knew what he was thinking.
"Just one hand, then," he bargained. Next thing I knew, there was a small click and he was sliding his hand around my waist and pulling me tightly into him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered in my ear.
"It wasn't you," I said quietly, wiping my eyes. I looked around; we were in the middle of the sea, but I could see a large island in the distance. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, of course," I said, nodding. "It's okay. Just remembering."
"Did he really hit you?" Amy asked tentatively from behind me. I turned around; her eyes were red, and still wet. "All that time, he was hitting you?" I nodded. "And he told you he loved you? That's why he did it?"
I nodded again, unable to meet her eyes this time.
Then she was hugging me, squeezing me so tightly I could barely breathe. I put my arms around my former best friend, my heart filling with something I wasn't quite used to just yet.
Forgiveness.
"You're so lucky," she whispered, pulling away. "You're so lucky you got away from him. Even if you found a Gryffindor." Al scowled at her tone, and she chuckled. "He's not so bad, admittedly."
"You broke up with him a month ago, right?" I asked, remembering the party.
"I came to my senses a month ago," she corrected, shaking her head. "I broke up with him for the wrong reasons, but he didn't care at that point. I'm not sure he ever cared about me. Used me, I guess."
I gave her a sad smile. "You seemed pretty torn up at the party."
"Definitely got smashed," she said, snorting. "Most of us did, actually. Death Eaters our age were sent there to that party. Poor choice on their part, we hadn't been out in ages."
"Wait, they sent you there?" Al interrupted, stunned. "Why?"
"For the plan," she said, as though it was obvious. "These guys had been trying to get Mr. Potter in on their plans for a while, but he wasn't responding to bribes or death threats, and he kept throwing off the Imperius curse." Al smiled at that. "So they sent David, hoping you'd go through the route, but that didn't work. That's why they sent us to the party – to spy on you guys."
"But why did you want me?" Al asked, confused.
"We needed anyone from the Potter family," she said, shrugging. "We hoped you or your siblings attended the party, so we could see your vulnerable spot. Lure you into the ministry, blackmail Mr. Potter. Simple."
"And you picked me," I realized, blushing a little. "But we've been together all summer, you couldn't just guess?"
"We all knew it used to be fake," she told me.
"So you took Emily to get me into the ministry," Al said slowly, thinking hard. "To bring us to Azkaban?"
"Here's where they failed," she said, sighing. "You were supposed to be bait, remember? We just wanted Mr. Potter to agree to the plan, but he got away."
A smile slowly spread across his face. "He did?"
"He did."
"He did," Al repeated, looking at me excitedly. "Emily, he's out."
"And we're in," I joked, and he pulled me against him and kissed me. I smiled and leaned onto his shoulder, speaking quietly into his ear so Amy wouldn't hear. "Love you."
He kissed me again. Amy snorted.
"So are they going to kill us?" Al asked casually, wrapping an arm around me.
"Most likely."
"So that's a yes."
"That's a mostly likely." I looked behind Amy; we were approaching the island, the tall prison stirring a horribly familiar feeling of dread in my gut – and we weren't visiting this time. Al laced his fingers through mine.
"Listen, guys," Amy said suddenly, leaning forward. She looked frightened, but determined. "If all goes according to plan, you won't even see them."
"See them?" I asked.
"Well, I'll take you to a cell," she explained, whispering now. "Check you in. But they're still dealing with the guards who let Mr. Potter get away, so I'll have some time to get the plan in motion."
"Aren't you a guard?" I asked.
"No, I was checking up on them."
"What's your plan?" Al demanded urgently. "I thought you were a Death Eater, what are you doing?"
"I was," she said bitterly, "before I realized what they really wanted. I thought it was all about creating a better society for purebloods, but it was never about that. Not really."
"What do they want?"
She exhaled loudly. "I warn you, they're not exactly the brightest. They needed Mr. Potter because they thought he'd be able to convince everyone to follow their idea of a 'perfect society'. But Mr. Potter saw through it, and that's when I finally did. They just want purebloods to take over."
"But hardly anyone is pureblood anymore," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not either, even if I'm in Slytherin."
"They just like high society ideals," she clarified, glancing behind her. We were close to the island now. The waves seemed to speed up the boat.
"So you are trying to take them down." Amy neither confirmed nor denied this, and Al let out a disgruntled breath. "Can't we help?"
"No, we have a plan."
"We? Who are you working with?"
"Minister's daughter. Birch."
My jaw dropped. Of all people.
"Holly?" Al choked out. "You're joking."
"Nope." We had approached the island, near an ordinary-looking dock. "If everything goes accordingly, you two will be out in about half an hour. And you don't need to take the boat to get back."
"But –"
"Shut up, don't talk about this in front of them," she hissed as the boat steered itself towards to wooden dock. There were tall, burly men by the entrance of the tall prison. Amy unchained Al and grabbed us both by the arms, nails digging into my skin.
She led us through the prison, nodding to the guards on her way in. Her shoes clacked on the stone floor, leading us through long, winding hallways and stairs. The place was the same as it was when my mum and I had visited my dad: dark, damp and slightly eerie.
"Amy," I began, but she shushed me.
"Not here," she hissed as she opened yet another door. "This place is pretty far from headquarters, so it may buy you some more time. We just need fifteen more minutes."
"For what?"
"I can't tell you," she said, opening another door. This one was a row of jail cells – small, dark cubicles with only a tiny, barred window in each of them. Each had a simple bed, a sink and toilet. That was it. She shoved us in the first one on the left and closed the door, lowering her voice even more. "I'm leaving this unlocked, but don't try to sneak until it's time."
"Time for what?" Al asked uncertainly.
"You'll see," she reassured us. "You can't miss it. Just keep this door closed in case a guard comes by. And Dementors, they can never tell, but you probably won't be in here long enough to see them anyway." A shiver ran down my spine as she went over to the cupboard in the entrance, taking out two prison uniforms and throwing it to us. "Change, you'll be warmer."
"Wait!"
Amy stilled, door open, ready to leave. "Yeah?"
"We can help," I said desperately, gripping the bars. "Really, just tell us what to do."
She shook her head. "Just… stay alive, okay?"
And with that, she was gone.
I didn't know how long Al and I had stood in silence, in a cell in Azkaban, staring at the door Amy just went through. It was so quiet and eerie, like a scene in a novel, and it just felt too unreal.
"Emily?" Al said quietly, breaking the silence.
I took a deep breath. "Yeah?"
"Should we trust her?"
"I…" I trailed off, looking down at the uniform. Black and white stripes. It really was unreal. "I don't know."
"She left the door unlocked."
"Yeah."
"We could leave."
"But I'm guessing it would mess up her plan."
"For their side, or ours?" he asked worriedly. I turned to wrap my arms around him, and he sighed. "I think we should go along with this for a bit. Stay. We don't even know any way to get out, and this place is lurking with Death Eaters."
"The people who Mr. Birch arrested are still here, aren't they?"
"Never heard of anyone releasing them," he said sadly, kissing my forehead. "C'mon, you should change. You're just wearing pyjamas."
"Your pyjamas."
He smirked at me, and I whacked his shoulder lightly.
We quickly slipped the uniforms on over our clothes, nerves growing in my stomach, knotting and turning over. Fifteen minutes. Maybe. We didn't know how long Amy's plan was going to take – whatever it was. And in the meantime, we were waiting on these Death Eaters who wanted to kill us.
We were just having the times of our lives, really.
Al sat on the bed and pulled me beside him. "We'll get out of this, Em. We will."
"I hope so," I said, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt like I was shrinking into myself. "I never thought David would've hurt her like that."
"Sick bastard." He paused. "I wonder what happened to him."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he dissolved into thin air," he said, shrugging. "Right after he told us how to get into the ministry. It was strange."
"Hopefully we don't run into him." I glanced out of the cell, into the empty corridor. "Do you think her plan is really going to work? It has to be pretty complicated to infiltrate Azkaban, don't you think?"
"I guess so." He fidgeted. "She's working with Holly. I can't believe it."
I stared at him, frowning, and he shifted uncomfortably. "Al, you know we're going to have to talk about her sooner or later."
"No, it's all right."
"It's not an option."
"Actually, I'd say it is."
"Not after what you told me, it's pretty obvious that you –"
"I do not still have feelings for her," he said sharply, and I faltered.
"I was going to say that you still feel guilty," I said quietly, looking away.
Al cursed under his breath.
"It's just that she was one of James' patients," he admitted in a small voice. "I mean, she definitely needed therapy. But I never expected that they'd actually fall for each other."
My eyes snapped back to him, jaw dropping. "Holly and James?"
"Yep."
"And you're…" I tried to swallow my feelings. "Jealous?"
"No, no." He gave me a small smile and put his arm around me. "I'm just weirded out, I suppose. I've been thinking that I should talk to her and work things out, once and for all, since James really seems to like her."
"So you are jealous," I concluded.
"No," he insisted irritably, turning towards me. I twisted away from him, obviously resentful. Maybe a bit jealous, even though deep down, I knew I had no reason to be. But I wasn't about to admit that. Al ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "C'mon, Emily, I lo –"
I was pretty sure I knew what he was about to say. Ninety-nine percent sure.
But the earth was suddenly shaking, a deep rumbling drumming the grounds around us, drowning out his words. Then there was a huge bang, like an eruption, and Al and I clutched each other as everything blurred around us, trembling too hard for us to see.
Was Azkaban exploding?
I struggled in Al's grip, trying to run – this is why Amy left the door unlocked – but he wouldn't move, The walls were breaking around us, the ceiling shattering into pieces and falling like rain. I screamed and closed my eyes. I couldn't help it. The mouldy bricks were tumbling down and smashed into sharp, jagged pieces.
I fell to the floor from the force of the quaking, and Al fell on top of me, clenching me tightly. Then I realized he was crouching over me, holding my arms to my sides so I wouldn't move.
He was protecting me.
"Al!" I yelled, suddenly terrified. Like I knew what was going to happen before it did. I felt him collapse against me as something hit him.
Al groaned in pain, a horrible, agonizing moan. His forehead slumped into my neck, sending fear through me as he began to pant, and I began to panic. I struggled against his fingers but they were firm.
Until the rumbling slowed and stopped, leaving ruins around us.
Al buckled beside me, face down onto the floor, shaking and shuddering. I scrambled out from underneath him – then I saw it. A cut down his back from one of the crumbling bricks, jagged and dirty and bloody.
"No," I whispered, pressing behind him, trying to stop the bleeding. "No, please..."
"It's okay, Emily -" He cut off with another loud groan, breathing harder. He was lying, it wasn't okay, I could see the pain in his eyes.
I moved away from him, my front covered in his blood. But he was still bleeding. I pressed my hands to his wound uselessly, beginning to cry. "No, no, no- dammit, stop bleeding, stop!"
"We need to get out of here," Al breathed. The rumbling had begun again, but farther away. He sat up on his knees, still hunched over, and turned around. I hastily wiped my hands on my pants.
"How?" I whispered, mind still on his back.
"You need to help me," he said breathlessly, grasping my hands. Tears of pain rolled down his cheeks. "Emily, please, help me."
"I don't know how!" I cried. So much blood, too much, it was all I could see. "Al, what do I do?"
"Find a wand," he said, swallowing thickly. "From a guard. Take it. Apparate us to St. Mungo's."
"But you're bleeding," I protested, voice breaking.
"Emily -"
"I can't leave you here!" I was shouting, but I didn't know why. I turned around. "Hold on, okay?"
"You can't carry me," he said weakly.
"So I'll drag you," I told him, wiping my eyes. "Hold onto me. I'm not leaving you here."
He was too hurt to argue. I moved underneath him and he grasped my shoulders. I didn't manage to lift him, but I dragged him out of the jail cell area, near an office where the guards usually were.
The place was deserted.
"Al, there's no one here," I whispered, trying to keep the tears back. Only a single desk remained.
"Is there a wand around?" he asked.
He slipped off of my back and onto the desk chair as I yanked the drawers open, searching through parchment and keys and quills and badges.
But no wand.
Suddenly, the rumbling had started again, right above us. Al didn't hesitate to latch onto my shoulders and I dragged us away, trying to run as fast as I could out of the office.
The building crumbled behind us as soon as we got out, but I didn't stop moving. I needed to find someone, someone who could help Al, who could help us get out. We took a boat to get here, but we didn't have that time.
"Where are we going?" Al mumbled tiredly.
"I don't know." I took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry. "Do you think there's magic to keep us from apparating out?"
"No, the guards don't take the boat back – what's that?"
There were cries in the distance, from a seemingly deserted place. And then it hit me that the other prisoners may have gone to the courtyard in the middle of Azkaban. The guards could have gone there. Maybe there was someone good. They could help.
Feeling a burst of hope and energy. I set off towards the courtyard as fast as I could. Al was quiet, but breathing steadily in my ear. His way of telling me he was alive.
But he was losing so much blood.
The voices got louder and louder as we got closer to the courtyard. People were shouting, roaring, and I couldn't figure out why, but it became clear as I caught a glimpse of the courtyard.
They were fighting. Remains of the walls and chains were weapons against wands of the guards. Bodies were everywhere, and I couldn't tell if they were good or bad. Azkaban was full of both.
"Fuck," Al moaned, jerking my horrified thoughts back to him. "Em, we can't go in there."
"But you need help," I said desperately.
"Go over in the hole in that broken wall," he whispered. I saw what he meant; just before the courtyard, there was a small place where the walls had blasted, but it was accessible and hidden. A little hole in the wall, like a cave.
I dragged us over there, not stopping until we were well inside the hole, and hidden beside the opening. I sat him down and immediately turned to his back, ripping his bloody uniform open so I could see it.
"Emily, you need to find a wand," he gasped. "Be careful and don't get hit."
"They're fighting, they're not going to help us," I whispered helplessly. Al turned around and grasped my jaw with both hands.
"You have to stay hidden, somehow," he whispered urgently. "Don't get caught, stay along the edges. Check dead bodies."
My expression broke. "Al, I can't do that."
"It's the safest way." He clenched his eyes shut, gasping in pain. "Please, Emily, hurry."
I nodded and he kissed my forehead. Once I made sure he was concealed in the hole and he wasn't going to leave, I crept out.
The battle was raging on, more bloody than any wizard war. Killing curses were deflecting off the walls, jagged pieces of rocks being thrown everywhere. Men and women were shouting for freedom and justice, and couldn't be contained by the guard's magic. I saw children hiding in corners and holes in the walls, like Al and I had found.
I realized we had a lot in common. Al and I were still kids, even if we were of age, and we didn't belong there anymore than the other children did. We were pawns in a dead minister's battle. We were thrown in prison without reasons. That's why this battle was happening.
Suddenly, the new death eaters were arriving, flying in, apparating in out of thin air, and more spells were flying. More bodies were hitting the ground. It was chaos.
I realized what was happening – a war. What the minister was trying to prevent in the first place. But it wasn't purebloods versus everyone else, it was innocent death eaters who'd moved on from the past, versus the new ones who'd kept it alive. And the good people, like Mr. Potter, didn't belong after all.
This was a battle in between one race.
A race doesn't make you who you are.
I was frozen, standing on the outskirts, afraid to enter. I knew these people. The ones that had just apparated in were friends of my father's, my grandfather's – those men who grumbled and drank in the corner at parties. Rookwood. Jugson. Mulciber. David's father. Selwyn. Rowle. Travers. Macnair. Yaxley. A werewolf that had always scared me, named Greyback. And all their offspring, fearfully fighting alongside of them.
But I knew the people who had just escaped from their cells – everyone Mr. Birch had arrested. Everyone he had never needed to worry about were fighting against the new and old Death Eaters.
I tore my gaze from the devastating battle in front of me, glancing back where Al was. I was one of the people who unfairly treated. I was one of the innocent death eater families who hated the new death eaters. I wanted to fight this battle.
And I rightfully could. This was my battle.
But I still had to pick them.
"Wand, wand, wand," I mumbled to myself, reminding myself. I slipped into the courtyard, crouching on the outskirts, just as Al had advised me to. He was bleeding – don't think about that – and I couldn't fight. Not with him like that.
But Merlin, I wanted to.
I crawled among dead bodies, blinking tears out of my eyes. Some of these people didn't look any older than I did. I saw a flash of green light and ducked instinctively, dropping face-down to the ground.
"Did you get her?" a male voice asked. I heard his footsteps near closer, and I shut my eyes, not moving a muscle.
"Think so," another man's voice answered. I let out a grunt of surprise, drowned in the noise of the battlefield, as a boot kicked me in the side, hard, flipping me over on my back. "Fuck, that's a lot of blood, she was dying anyway."
"Thought I recognized her. Goyle's daughter. Blood traitor."
"I know her," said a third voice, a horribly familiar voice that I recognized. "Dated this bitch in fifth year. Prude."
"Put her in her place, did you Nott?"
"Of course." I didn't dare to breathe, trying to keep my anger from boiling over. I was sure it was David who kicked me this time, aiming for my ribs, like he always did. "C'mon, she's gone."
I could feel rain beginning to drop down against my face as they left. I felt paralyzed, like I wanted to lie there forever. I was tired of being tortured and ridiculed. I didn't want to fight anymore. I didn't want to think anymore.
Al.
I opened my eyes cautiously. Thankfully, David and the other two men seemed to have disappeared. Using that tiny burst of energy, I crawled around some more, ignoring my aching ribs, searching for a wand. Taking a deep breath, I approached a girl my age, her dark auburn hair sprawled out on the ground, entirely motionless. Her wand was sticking out of her belt.
Shakily, I slid it out.
It was like a miracle had appeared in the middle of this chaos.
I crawled out of the courtyard and hurried back to the cave, to Al, but what I saw made me skid to a stop. He was lying down at this point, unable to keep himself up, jaw clenched tightly to keep from screaming out. The part of his uniform I'd ripped open revealed his entire back. Bloody. Bleeding as though he'd never stop.
He was dying.
Fuck, he was dying.
"Al," I whispered helplessly, falling beside him. I ripped the arm of my uniform out, using it to hold it in, wipe the wound, but it was no use - it was soaking in only a matter of seconds. I raised the wand and siphoned off some of the blood, but I couldn't do more. This wasn't my wand.
I couldn't do anything. I took too long. He was really dying.
"Emily," he breathed, voice strained. "Emily, you found a wand?"
"Yes," I said shakily. The wand dropped to the ground as he lifted himself on his knees to face me. I took his hands, helping him. "You've lost a lot of blood."
"I'm... really dizzy," he confirmed. His face was wet and sweaty and screwed up in so much pain. "We need to get to St. Mungo's."
"I can't apparate you there," I said, clenching my eyes shut in some vain attempt to stop the tears. "This isn't my wand, I might splinch you."
He squeezed my hands tightly. "You can do it, Emily. I know you can."
I shook my head, sobbing now. He was dying, why couldn't he see that? Why couldn't he understand why I was so scared? I was going to make it worse - I was going to kill him.
"Please, Em." He was begging as he held my hands to his lips. "Please, you have to try."
I took a deep breath and swallowed back tears. I tried to concentrate on St. Mungo's - I'd been there so many times - but the blood kept blurring my vision. I held the wand in one hand, Al's hand in the other, and spun around.
Nothing. Not splinched, but we hadn't moved. I tried again.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
"I can't do it," I whispered, dropping in front of him. "I can't do it, you're dying."
"I'm not dying," he croaked.
"Don't die," I choked out. My forehead fell onto his. I couldn't stop trembling and crying and everything was spinning – not him, please not him.I clutched onto Al, as if he would go if I let go. "Please, don't die."
"I'm not going to die."
"Al -"
"I'm not going to die," he repeated gently, tipping my chin up. He kissed me lightly. "I'm not finished loving you yet."
I collapsed into his touch, eyes shut tightly.
He told me he loved me. Because he needed to, before he died.
"Focus, Em, focus," he whispered urgently. "I'm not going to die if you get me there. You know that. You have to concentrate."
"What if I splinch you?" I asked fearfully.
He kissed me again. "I forgive you if you do."
I took another deep breath and nodded. This time, I closed my eyes, visualizing the hospital with all my might. Not caring about the wand. Forgetting the battle outside. Just Al, in the hospital and alive.
Crack.
