Chapter 54: Sacrifice

Emily couldn't breath. Her heart seized as the figure from the smoke slowly formed. She had not a moment more to process why she and Harry were still alive, the kiss surely should have taken its effect by now, for the time had come, this was the moment that would define the lives of all those who stood around her paralyzed in fear.

"How…disappointing." His slithering voice spoke as his figure finally formed through the dark mist.

The crowds around her exclaimed in terror as Emily met his red-eyed gaze. She felt her heart drop as Harry's grasp on her back intensified. Yet, his touch gave her a new strength. She had to stall Voldemort as long as she could. She had to keep him distracted, give everyone the time to form some kind of plan. She took a step forward leaving the protection of Harry's arms.

"You turned out to be just like her, like all the others." He spat. He clenched his ivory wand at his side. "The same weakness. Just look at you, at what you've let yourself become." His eyes traveled from her to Harry, a wicked smile formed as the red of his eyes darkened.

"I've become what I should have been. If you hadn't destroyed it all." Emily spoke confidently. Her eyes scanned the crowd, everyone had doubled backwards as if to get as far away as possible, their shocked expression plainly writtend on their faces as they watched the way she interacted with him.

"My, my, aren't you forgetting something. It was not my doing. It was yours." Voldemort sneered, his eyes focused back on hers.

Emily took a step back as she noticed his followers, the Death Eaters, had formed a line all around the ballroom.

"The time has come my dear for another to fall." Voldemort's eyes glistened as he gazed intently at Harry, his wand raised.

Without a moment of hesitation Emily turned back towards Harry and in one swift movement sent him hurtling backwards with a wave of her hand. He flew back at least ten feet landing with a large thud onto the hard stone floor. Emily upon seeing he was safely out of reach turned back to the cloaked Dark Lord. She knew what had to be done.


Harry shouted her name as he forced himself up. He had not expected her to push him out of the way. A fear surged through him as he saw her. Yet, Harry had no time to try and help her for in the next moment the ballroom had broken into chaos. The Death Eaters had begun their attack. Harry gave a silent plea for her safety as he grabbed his wand from inside his cloak. He knew what he had to do.


"Sheltertalaris" Emily focused as she muttered the spell. A large canopy hung around her and Voldemort. Upon her action, Voldemort shot a green light from his wand towards her, yet she was able to block it.

"Clever." He sneered as he glanced around the clear canopy that surrounded them. "Think of this all by yourself."

Emily knew that the shelter couldn't hold him forever, but it was better than nothing. She only needed to give the Order an edge.

"Maybe." She replied as her fingers grasped her wand, which had been hidden underneath the folds of her scarlet gown. She had to do anything to keep him from being able to use his weapon against everyone. "You would know all about my spells, wouldn't you?"

"Ah, you always were more clever than the others, weren't you?" Voldemort smile only widened when he saw her tip her head towards him. "Our journal, I must say that I was impressed by your scribbled notes. It was however a shame that you had no intention to use them for their full potential." Voldemort sent a hurling force towards her. Emily barely had enough time to get out of its path. "I on the other hand, will use them well. I assure you."

"I won't let you hurt them." Emily's voice rose as she tried to catch her breath. "I won't let you hurt him."

"There is nothing you can do, my dear, but surrender or die." Voldemort extended his hands as if once again offering silas within his embrace. "You are no longer immune. The curse is broken."

"I should have been dead twice now, yet here I am." Emily took a step closer her hand firmly gripping her wand. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Actually, it's only once to be factual." Voldemort circled around her, his face twisted into a smile. "I should have understood the deeper magic when I bound you to me, your inability to die by my hand was indeed a surprise but Potter seemed to have solved that problem for me."

"It doesn't make sense, I am not seventeen, the curse should have killed us both." Emily mind had yet to find a solution to why she and Harry were still alive. She wanted to look at him, to find his eyes amongst those in the crowd, but she knew Voldemort would take the advantage.

"Quite a mystery isn't it, my dear." Voldemort whispered.

"So was it all a lie?" Emily's eyes narrowed at she watched his every movement. "Was the curse a lie? You were the one who told me as a child that a kiss before I was seventeen would kill me. This was all some sort of charade to keep me under your control, wasn't it!?"

"You have always been the key, my dear, the key to finding the one whom the prophecy foretold. The curse was just a solution, a compass, to find the cure."

"To find Harry, to confirm that he was the one prophesized to kill you."

"You see that's the trouble with prophecies, my dear, they are never specific. However, you have served your purpose for now."

"The curse was never fatal?" Emily questioned her eyes never leaving his. Her mind tried to sort through all of what she had just heard.

"On the contrary, my dear, it's made you vulnerable."


Harry tasted blood from the cut on his lip. He wiped his mouth with the back of his open hand. His breath had become heavy as he fought his way through the crowd. The Order had broken off trying both to defend as well as protect. They were trying to get as many people as possible out of the ballroom. He glanced back at Emily. She was trying to get up from being hit. His heart seized upon seeing her bloodied body. His mind was torn from her battered figure as a spell slashed across his arm. He had fought of nearly seven masked Death Eaters, and yet a sea of black figures still rose throughout the ballroom. His training had served him well.

Yet, his mind was swarmed with the fear of seeing Emily's lifeless body. His mind was so clouded that his wand was forced suddenly from his hand by one of the approaching Death Eaters. Harry tried to come up with something as the cloaked figure raised his own wand to attack, but was surprised when the Death Eater himself was stunned.

"We can't have you dead yet Potter." Draco smiled as he returned Harry's wand. With that he was gone back into the sea of fighting. Harry owed his life to Draco, a notion he thought would never be possible.


"Confringo." The spell shot from her wand, yet Voldemort blocked it with nothing more than a flick of his wand.

"Is that all you have. I must say that I am disappointed. It seems that you have lost your…touch." Voldemort spoke through a laugh, his wand pointed directly towards her. With a flicker of his ivory wand, Emily felt a surging pain rush over her. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, her heart felt as if it would burst from the surging fire that had overcome her body. It was the cruciatus curse. Emily felt her body shake as the pain slowly subsided. Yet, her strength was not taken from her, her surging emotions filled her once again.

"Livitiatius!" A blue flame shot from her wand. Voldemort's held her spell with his own wand. Emily clutched her wand with both hands; she focused all her energy on the spell, clearing her mind from everything. Yet, within moments both Voldemort and her were forced to break the connection causing them to both to be projected backwards against the hard stone floor.


"Ginny, get out of here!" Draco shouted as he grabbed her arm in desperation.

"No!" Ginny retorted her mouth fixed into a stubborn grin. "When you will you stop considering me fragile." Just at that moment a red spell shot from her wand and hit an approaching Death Eater.

"Please!" His piercing blue eyes pleaded with her.

"I am not going to run, not now. We will fight this together." She smiled at him in the midst of the surrounding turmoil.

"Gin—" Draco gave a heavy and frustrated groan as he realized that she was right. "Fine! But stay beside me!"


Harry came across Hermione and Ron as he made his was to the back of the room, both were helping people escape through a blasted out hole in the thick stonewall. Harry tried to give them as much protection as he could by blocking spell after spell that hurtled their way.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted upon seeing the Death Eater that eyed him. Harry upon hearing her scream saw him too. The two sent spell after spell towards the other, yet Harry was able to finish him off with a clear binding spell.

"That was too close!" Ron stated with a look of shock.

"I need to find Dumbledore." Harry shouted. "We have to get through the spell around Emily. It's her only chance."

"Go!" Hermione encouraged. "We can handle this!" She gave him a nod.

Harry looked at both of his best friends. The three of them had been through everything together over the past six years. Every time he felt as if he was alone, there they were reminding him that they would always be right there, fighting next to him. A fear gripped him, a knowledge that if things took a toll tonight this might be the last time he ever saw them.

"You both take care of each other." Harry said his emerald eyes fierce.

"Don't think about us, go!" Ron said as he gave his best friend a push. Harry nodded as he turned back towards the mass chaos of those that were fighting. He searched through the crowd to find Dumbledore. His eyes found his figure towards the center of the ballroom, making his way through the battle.


Emily felt as if she had been punched in the stomach as Voldemort slowly approached her. She tried to get up but an unknown force hit her again. Yet, in one last effort she launched a spell towards Voldemort, this time it hit him causing him to fly backwards. Slowly catching her breath, she rose. A black smoke shot from Voldemort wand, a thousand pieces of glass hurtled towards her weak body. Using a shield charm she was able to keep the majority of the shards from cutting her, yet some had torn through her gown. She had felt the others, which had sliced her arms and one across her cheek. In one swift movement Voldemort was in front of her, grabbing her by her neck. Emily felt the slow steady pressure of his cold hand against her throat.

"You can't kill me, my dear. Not then and not now." His red-eyes penetrated hers. Emily could feel the hatred that radiated through him. Her hands clawed his, trying to get free from his hard grasp; her lungs were burning from the lack of air.


Hermione clutched the hands of two third year girls as she led them through the crossfire to the opening in the wall. Their frightened faces gave her strength as she blocked as many spells as she could. Ron covered her as she approached. Nearly half the younger witches and wizards had been safely found and rescued. Yet, Hermione wasn't blind. Her heart seized as she noticed the lifeless figures that lay upon the stone floor.

"Go now!" She shouted to them as they disappeared through the wall. Her voice chocked as she held back the overwhelming emotions.

"We'll get through this." Ron spoke, his eyes fixed on Hermione. "We always have."

"What about everyone else Ron. How many have already died!" Hermione's eyes scanned the large room. Once it had been a Great Hall filled with laughter and feasts, would it now always be tainted with the dark air of destruction and death?


Emily fought his grasp as hard as she could. She knew it was only minutes before she would black out. Her heart cried out in fear. Her eyes searched through the canopy for Harry. She needed to see him one last time.

"How sweet." Voldemort hissed as he noticed her gaze. With a powerful motion he threw her body to the side. "Look at what loving him has gotten you. Look at how weak you have let yourself become." Emily coughed as she tried to regain her breath.

"Weak?" Emily said as she found her wand that had been snatched from her earlier.

In a fluid movement Emily sent a blinding light towards Voldemort knocking him to the ground and forcing his wand from his hand. She approached him slowly, her wand fixed at his heart.

"Whose weak now?"

She could feel the hatred filling her body. All the bitterness from her dark childhood, the memory of her mother's death, the things that he had forced her to do, all the people she had watched him destroy. All of it came back to her. She wanted to kill him.

"Go ahead." His voice was clear and calm. Emily eyes focused on his, and then she glanced towards the scene that unfolded in front of her. "Kill me, my dear, if you can." He dared her.

Emily knew that by killing him it would mean that she was just like him. That she had become just like him. What she had been running from her entire life. The fear, that she would become him, had found her once again. She wondered at what moment had her grandfather died and Voldemort had been born. She had the same blood surging through her veins; she was still his granddaughter. Nothing could or would ever change that. Killing him now would not ride her of his memory or the pain he had caused her. Only one thing could. Only one path would heal the memories of her childhood.

"A long time ago before my mother died, back when you were nothing more than a mere muggle, I felt sorry for you. For you were alone lost in your own anger and regrets." Emily noticed that his eyes had suddenly softened. "But as I grew I gave into the hate that you hold so dear. Even now, I still feel it coursing through me. But I'm done. Done hating you. You deserve to die. But it will not be by my hands." Voldemort looked surprised at her words. Emily slowly lowered her wand, as she looked him in the eyes. "I…I forgive you." At these words she let the wand fall from her hand as she backed away from him.

"Stupid girl." Voldemort stood slowly as he regained his balance. "Weak, pathetic." With a flick of his wrist his ivory wand was back in his hand. His strong white hand sent a blinding blow across her face, knocking her to the ground.


"Draco!"

At Ginny's scream, Draco's heart stopped. He saw her body go limp, slowly falling to the ground. He rushed to her side, unaware of what had happened. Draco muttered a healing charm as quickly as he could. He held her cold body, as he looked around for the person responsible, surely they had not fled, but wanted to finish what they had started. Draco's eyes were fixed upon the approaching figure. Although the figure was masked, he knew that the man behind it was his father.

"HOW COULD….WHY!" Draco's anger surged through his veins. His father expression was simply cold and blank.

"She is not of our kind. No son of mine will be associated with a mudblood lover." Lucius Malfoy then turned and walked away.

If Ginny's faint voice hadn't spoken, Draco might have killed him right then. A surge of emotion overwhelmed him as he noticed that Ginny's body had begun to heal. Yet, as his eyes traveled over her body he caught sight of the scene unfolding between Voldemort and Emily.


Hermione gasped as her eyes caught the two figures in the center of the room. Ron followed her gaze, his mouth tightened as he saw the scene that lay before them. "We have to do something!" Hermione shouted in panic as she flung herself in Emily's direction leaving Ron to run after her.


"Professor!" Harry shouted. He was no more than a few paces from Dumbledore. The Professor turned and upon seeing Harry a sense of relief flooded his face but it was only for a moment.

"Harry." Dumbledore grasped his shoulder. "Whatever happens you must stay behind me. Do you understand?!" His voice was clear and direct as his grasp on Harry's shoulder tightened.


"RON! LET ME GO!" Hermione exclaimed as Ron grabbed her arm. She fought him but he only pulled her closer.

"There is nothing we can do." Ron said as she looked at Emily's figure.

There was nothing that either one of them could do. This was what Emily had been trying to prepare them for. Hermione tried to shake his arm off, yet his firm grasp only tightened.


"Professor! We have to get that shield down! She doesn't have much time!"

Harry saw something in Dumbledore eyes then, something that sent a shiver down Harry's spine. Just then a searing pain, a feeling of dread washed over. Emily! His eyes strained to see her through the clear shield, but when he did his heart dropped.


A wicked smile crossed Voldemort's face as he pointed his wand in Emily's direction. Her hand held her burning cheek, seared by Voldemort's hand. A fear rushed through her, a notion that this was it, this was the moment her life had been destined for. She glanced through the crowd until her eyes found the emerald ones she had been searching for. Harry looked terrified, the fear he felt for her was apparent in his eyes. She could feel his fear, as if in that moment a wave crashed over her.

Even here and now her heart burned for him, she ached to feel his touch, just one last time. Despite the fear that crippled him and her, she slowly rose from the hard stone floor. With as much strength as she could muster, she stood. Standing there facing her kin, her own grandfather, a man so full of hate, she felt only love. Love for all those whose eyes now lay upon her. At that moment she let the shield that protected all those whom she had come to love fall for she knew what his next move would be.

"You seem to be growing weaker." His pure white fingers tightened around his ivory wand.

Voldemort gave a slight laugh as his mind focused on all those who stood throughout the room. His red eyes traveled among all those that she had come to love; yet they lingered on Harry. This was the moment she knew he had been waiting for, the opportune moment to test his weapon.

"You have failed." Voldemort's eyes darkened as he turned to fix his wand upon not only Harry but everyone else as well.

In that split second of time, Emily's mind flooded with memories of the past months. She pictured the first time she saw Harry, how his eyes had looked into her soul even then. When she met Hermione and Ron, seeing Draco's true heart, the look of love that radiated through Ginny when Draco asked her to dance, the time Harry had first smiled at her, that day in the rain when she realized that she loved him. The feeling of his arms around her, the touch of him, the fire she had felt when his lips had been on hers; she let all of it fill her soul.

In one swift movement she forced herself between Voldmeort's wand and the people that she loved, the man that she loved with all her heart.

I love you, she whispered to Harry in that brief moment before everything suddenly faded away.

The last thing she saw was the red blast from Voldemort's wand, yet the last thing that forced itself into her mind before death took her was Harry's whispered words.

Now and always.