Taking a firm hold of the tiny stone Aerrow, remembering the story, he closed his eyes as he thought of who he wanted. As he opened his eyes again, he saw in front of him was his parents, looking exactly as they had been before they'd died. Lily, wearing the clothes she's died in, held out a hand to her son as Lance, wearing his Storm Hawks uniform, stood near her. Walking forward a little more quickly than normal Aerrow tried to take hold of it, but his hand simply travelled through it, as if she was a ghost.
"You've been so brave sweetheart" She told him softly with a smile.
"Why are you here?" Aerrow asked quietly, wondering how the stone could possibly work.
"We never left" Lily replied gently as she lowered her arm. Aerrow took a breath before turning to his father who looked at him proudly. "Look at you, all grown up, spitting image" He said quietly.
"So I've been told" Aerrow replied before dropping his gaze a little. "Does it, hurt, dying?" He asked. The childish question coming out before he could stop it.
"Not in the slightest, quicker and easier than falling asleep" Lance told him as he smiled. "Your nearly there son" He encouraged. Aerrow nodded slightly.
"You'll stay with me?" He asked, knowing he had to go soon.
"Always" His mother reassured.
"Until the end" His father also told him with a nod.
"And she won't be able to see you?" Aerrow asked.
"No, were part of you, invisible to anyone else" Lance reassured. Aerrow nodded again before turning back to his mother.
"Stay close" He asked quietly.
"Always" She reassured again, their identical green eyes meeting, as Aerrow allowed the tiny black stone to fall from his hand and onto the forest floor.
In a dark and misty forest clearing Cyclonis was stood with her eyes shut holding the elder wand whilst her forces, including Bellatrix, Lucius and his wife, stood a short distance behind her.
"No sign of him my master" A death eater, who'd been out on patrol, reported as he stood in front of her. Cyclonis seemed surprised by this as she opened her eyes and paced a little as Bellatrix walked up to her as the other death eater rejoined the group.
"I though he would come" Cyclonis said quietly as she turned to Bellatrix, who looked sympathetic and equally disappointed as she bowed her head when Cyclonis walked past her and back towards her other followers. Then she heard the snap of a twig behind him, as if someone was approaching. Turning she saw something that made the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile as she watched Aerrow walking into the clearing. As he came to a stop it seemed to Aerrow that no one else existed apart from himself and her as they locked gazes. He felt more than ever the weight of his blades as they rested in their shoulder guards, but he had to resist grabbing them as he knew there would be no fight with her.
"Aerrow, you came?" Cyclonis inquired with a slight smile. Aerrow said nothing, wanting this to be over quickly for fear that he wouldn't be able to stay still for long, as he kept eye contact.
"Of course, I expected you too, with all those people dying for you" She continued to taunt as the death eaters watched with glee and triumph.
"Your wrong, they didn't die for me, they died in order to stop you, and believe me they won't have died in vain" Aerrow told her determinedly, noticing Nagini slithering nearby but knew there was nothing he could do as twenty curses would hit before he'd drawn a blade.
"You think so, but look, your surrendering for their safety" Cyclonis pointed out with curiosity. To her surprise she saw Aerrow grin a little as he scoffed.
"You think they're going to stop after I'm dead, see that's the difference, your followers are here through greed or fear and once your gone, they won't have a reason to fight anymore, but all those in the castle, they won't stop, they won't quit, and you will never win, because there is always going to be someone who'll say no" He spat out with such determination and fire in his eyes that some death eaters smiles dropped, perhaps in fear as even Cyclonis herself looked a little taken aback.
"I once told you that you are a fool and you will lose everything, and so you have" She said quietly as Aerrow's mind wandered back to the castle and to all those he'd left, his team, the order, Starling, his mind rested on her the most, wondering whether she was aright, if she knew, what would happen to her, but Aerrow reassured himself, she was strong, tough, determined and not one to give in. As he saw Cyclonis lift the elder wand and pointed it at him, he focused solely on Starling's calming eyes and the feel of her lips against his as he saw Cyclonis utter a few words. There was bright flash of green light. Then everything was gone.
