I walked back into the central room with hot tears spilling from my eyes. I was petrified for Draco's safety for so, so many reasons. The idea that I would never see him again completely shrouded my mind, pushing all other thoughts to the side. I had witnessed the nature of both his father and the dark lord, and either could be the result of his demise if he were caught fighting for the Order.
As I swept away tears with my sleeve Hermione grabbed my elbow hard and I was forced to face her, Ron, and his entire family all huddled in a tight circle I had just tried to bypass. Hermione searched my eyes knowingly, and I mentally focused on the freckles dotting the bridge of her nose, "Draco - he's gone, isn't he?"
I looked at the floor pathetically and nodded, releasing shuddering breaths that were out of my control. She pressed her lips firmly together, "Madeleine, it's time to concentrate. You need to focus on the type of energy that will enrage the Veela powers. If we don't break those wards, I would say it's a good chance Draco won't survive either." Her fingers transformed into claws on my arm, digging into my skin, and I had no choice but to look up with burning eyes.
Fred and George Weasley gave me surprisingly kind expressions of sympathy, whereas Ginny just shot daggers at me. I inhaled sharply and cleared my nose, "I can do dat." They all seemed to relax only in the slightest degree with the confirmation that I was on the correct track.
I decided to isolate myself in the corner and focus on shuffling every angering thought and memory I had ever had to the forefront of my thoughts. After hours of what could only be described as meditative rage, and trying to ignore the endless shuffling of wizards and witches of all ages gearing up around me, Mad-Eye slammed his cane into the linoleum floor in a similar fashion to Lucius and zeroed in on me. "Malfoy - it's time. Let's go."
By this point I was already consumed in a dangerous, flaming column of black magic. I stood with cancerous, darkened eyes and several of the youngest members of the Order shrunk away from me. Ron appeared aghast at my unrecognizable appearance and Hermione's mouth dropped open. I smiled wickedly, stopping mere feet from the crowd. The action was so instinctual and bizarre, and I felt my eyes flaring at them in an atypical show of power. Mad-Eye didn't flinch as though he was well-versed with villainous behavior.
Without a word I lifted my hand and snapped a finger, disapparating far across the ocean in a singular leap to the meeting point. I crouched and shut my eyes for at least ten minutes in further concentration as I waited for the rest of the Order to make their way in multiple jumps from Hesselø to the woods surrounding Hogwarts. It would take them time to climb through the trees up to the bridge point in order to mask their arrival. In that time as I waited within the surrounding riparian border, I worked to balance my anger precariously on the knife's edge that was pointed between losing myself to the lethal magic and retaining my humanity.
Finally I was roused from my stupor by the gentle rustling of vegetation behind me. In the shadows of the dark woods I could make out approaching figures with their wands raised defensively. One by one they knelt next to me in a line formation, making sure to remain partially concealed behind the bushes.
As Order members collected on the brink of the castle viaduct I squinted into the distance at the massive stake. Several hundred sinister looking beings, both Death Eaters and entirely auspicious species including trolls and hags, were collected below it. In the rainy sky above lightning ensured that the maleficent skull forming in the clouds was well enhanced. Dozens of dementors floated around in the air above the castle turrets like rotating toys above a child's crib. We were easily outnumbered and our chances at winning were pathetic at best.
In lieu of the current circumstances the castle no longer sat on the rocky shores of the Black Lake like a wondrous, magnificent piece of architecture. A sickening vibe emanated from the ancient superstructure like a foul odor that could be accidentally inhaled. The exterior was noticeably damaged by massive holes. Several sections and towers had collapsed entirely. Fires were simply raging at odd locations with no explanation and as though a battle had already begun. Smoke rose high into the air only to be gathered up by the ominous skull above, crying a menacing shriek that never seemed to stop.
The entire Order breathed heavily and with horror on their faces as we waited for Draco to send me the signal. I trembled from the blaze of the black fire licking off of me, concentrating with every part of my being not to light anything on fire in my vicinity and to maintain the flow of the magical electricity.
"There's too many dementors," Fred whispered to George a few feet down and several people glanced over at the comment nervously.
"Remember what Draco taught you," Hermione whispered back without an invitation. She looked to me with teary eyes, "Has he sent anything yet? What could be taking so long?" I shook my head to dismiss her. The hour was creeping up on eleven. She had the sleeve of her jumper pulled far over her hand and she brought it up to her mouth as tears slid down her face. She was obviously gravely concerned for Harry, but there was nothing I nor anyone could do to comfort her.
My heart never stopped pounding relentlessly in my chest as we continued to wait ardently. Every single member was soaked to the bone from the torrential downpour being released from the heavens above. As time crept by my anxiety reached a similar level to Hermione's. My mind took off like a race horse with nervous internal questions. What could be taking Draco so long? Had he failed to free Harry or at least slip him a wand? Had he been caught and reprimanded? Was he even alive? I wished more than ever that the bequeathment mark had a two way function so that I could search for him in return.
Ginny cried out suddenly when the time had reached a quarter to twelve, and then had to clap a hand roughly over her mouth as she whined in terror. In the distance a young boy was being dragged to the base of the stake. Harry's head hung limply from the exhaustion of whatever he had been through in the castle for three days. His arms were tied behind his back as they lifted him upwards and secured him to the top. "It's Harry! It's Harry! We have to do something!" She harshly hissed under her breath, bouncing on her ankles like she was about to stand up at any moment. Her eyes darted back and forth from the scene in the courtyard to me pleadingly.
I shook my head in shock and confusion. Why hadn't Draco searched for me yet? "Draco 'as not sent me any signal," I explained with a flat expression directed to all of the horrified gazes landing on me.
"Moody, we must act," Minerva warned Mad-Eye, "We cannot idly stand by and wait for a signal. Potter is now in grave danger." She nodded towards me.
Moddy pursed his lips in consideration, his magical eye glued to the top of the stake likely in a binocular method. "Right. That's as good a cue as any, Malfoy. Eliminate the ward."
I stood breathing deeply and slowly, extending both of my arms at my sides. My eyes glazed over with darkness and my vision drastically waned with the evil pumping through my circulatory system, as though it had rapidly become nightfall. My hair floated high off of my head in a white swirl of waves. The stake had been lit, garnishing a growing wall of golden flames at the base. Ginny was now screaming as I approached the viaduct, and I could hear Ron fighting to hold her back where he had ensnared her protectively in his arms.
I didn't know if I could destroy the powerful wards, but I would try. Time seemed to freeze as I crossed my arms high above my head. I looked up to booming sounds of explosions above, where dozens of magical spells were now being casted at the ward by the Order members in aid. White sparkly balls of magic where dissipating and skittering down along the exterior of the shimmering ward. I rapidly split my arms apart and released an ear-piercing scream. My entire body shook violently as a cataclysmic sphere of black flames exploded from where I stood.
The flames collided with the ward and clung to it like glue, seeping slowly inwards and creating small gooey pockets. I continued to blast away at the defensive surface before me with tears of agony escaping my eyes. My entire body felt like it was being shredded apart and my heart was shrinking away in my chest - the sensation was similar to that of a painful heart attack. I was weakened quickly and pulling on every single fiber of my being to maintain the monstrously lethal level of magic.
Above me, more blasts echoed as rounds and rounds of offensive spells were cast to assist me. Large cracks began to split down the dome of the ward, large enough for a body to squeeze in. Ginny escaped from Ron's arms and belted through the disappearing wards and he followed closely on her tail. The ward seemed to glitch and falter altogether and I collapsed to my knees inhaling so fast that my breath burned my lungs. Order members ran past me down the viaduct in a complete mass without wasting a moment, only to be met with equal argument from dozens of enemies that were now running from the opposite end.
I swayed on my hands and knees, choking on air and left behind by the resistance. Rocks dug into my palms on the soaking wet stones below my fingers. I blinked to see through extremely watery vision at the huge conical stake ahead that was ignited. The guttural boom of drums derived from the courtyard where a rainbow of spells were now being cast between the two sides in an immediate stand off.
I nearly passed out from the severe magical and physical depletion. One of my arms gave way and bent to my elbow and I sobbed and gasped, failing to stand in any way. I was a sitting duck for any lucky Death Eater that happened upon me crumpled on the ground, weakened and defenseless. It was nearly mid July but the air stung with a frigid bite from all of the dementors that were closing in on the courtyard, lifting up Order members and sucking their souls dry, then dropping their lifeless bodies to the ground. I watched as Luna fell like a rag doll and her spine snapped like a glow stick upon impact. We were losing, badly.
A massive white blast erupted from behind me, the size of an atom bomb. Dementors were flung like ants into the sky, and I blinked up to watch the ones that regained their momentum completely abandon the battle altogether and fly off. A large, tanned hand clamped down on my upper arm, and I was beckoned by a familiar gravelly voice, "Get up, my child."
Adaleus helped me to my feet and I stood quivering and wobbling before my father, who was dressed in his bright blue military uniform. His white hair was pulled taught into a long ponytail and his war medals glinted in the fiery explosions around us as hundreds of his wizarding military personnel flocked by us on either side.
"Ma pere," I choked in disbelief. For a moment I was certain that I was delusional and that he couldn't possibly be there. He paused only briefly to take in my updated physiognomy before releasing his grasp.
"Go!" he shouted at me, and I wasn't entirely sure whether he was insinuating I leave the battle or run into it. He repeated himself, "Go, and do what you must. We will delay dem!" I nodded with renewed strength, turning with my feet pounding down the viaduct. French wizarding soldiers ran parallel to me with the same bright blue uniforms and a fleur de lis plastered on their shoulders.
As I neared the courtyard a masked Death Eater landed abruptly in front of me in a smoky haze, cutting me off. His hood was pulled over his head but I could make out the platinum blond hair framing his face. My mouth hung open in shock. Draco allowed the soldiers to run past us as he pointed his wand at me. I froze in complete and utter confusion, slowly raising my wand to him as well. "What are you doing, Draco?" I muttered in a trembling voice.
He bent his head to the side and I could see the bright blue of his eyes flaring with amusement. His long fingers raised to remove the mask, revealing a perverse grin on his beautiful face. "Run. I'll give you a head start, traitor."
I did no such thing, shaking my head in rejection of what I was seeing and hearing. "Draco, what do you mean traitor?"
His lip curled up and his eyes glinted direly as he began a countdown, "Three...two..." He pointed his wand at my forehead and I shot a disarming spell which he quickly dodged, shooting a killing curse at me in return. I had to dive around him to avoid my own ill-fate as my father caught up to us.
He began fighting with Draco, and I found my environment became chaotically engulfed by magic and flying rock. I struggled to my knees and ran towards the stake which was now entirely engulfed in flames, hoping that it wasn't too late. The heat from the sadistic structure could be felt from dozens of meters away. At the top however, no body was strapped there. Harry had escaped his impending doom.
With the affirmation that Harry had indeed been released in time, I glanced behind me only to witness the gut-wrenching scene of my father's body on the ground, lifeless in the center of the viaduct. Draco stood above him with intention, then his gaze flickered up to me with the same cruel resolve.
I had to shove all thoughts of the loss of my father out of my mind as I turned and wove through the ensuing battle. Draco had taken off like lightning and I was immensely aware of his physical fitness and ability to hunt me down.
I bolted straight into multiple characters, knocking some over and tripping around pre-occupied individuals, noticing that Death Eaters were now taking casual shots at me. They had already put two and two together and figured out that it was my magic that had dilapidated the ward for the Order.
Miraculously I slammed directly into a flurry of long dark hair and Harry turned and grabbed my shoulders when he realized that it was me. "Quick - there's no time. We have to find the Horcrux!" He yanked my hand hard as Draco caught up to us, shooting the killing curse mercilessly at our feet.