Author's Note:
Well, this officially starts the final part of ASC — part ten! The sections are as follows:
Part I: Chapters 1-49 — Harry's first year with his dads. (1985-1986)
Part II: Chapters 50-61 — Harry ages 7-11. (1987-1991)
Part III: Chapters 62-73 — Harry's first year at Hogwarts. (1991-1992)
Part IV: Chapters 74-105 — Harry's second year at Hogwarts. (1992-1993)
Part V: Chapters 106-143 — Harry's third year at Hogwarts. (1993-1994)
Part VI: Chapters 144-179 — Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. (1994-1995)
Part VII: Chapters 180-222 — Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. (1995-1996)
Part VIII: Chapters 223-276 — Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. (1996-1997)
Part IX: Chapters 277-348 — Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts. (1997-1998)
Part X: Chapters 349-360 — After the war. (1998)
The next 11 chapters will be tying up loose ends on certain storylines and settling into Ginny's seventh year as Harry starts up at the Aurors, but I hope to still have a few surprises your way.
The story will continue with The Third Time's the Charm in 2023.
Yes, I will be writing the story (the first two chapters are officially done), but I haven't been feeling very motivated to write lately and that made me worried about when I will be posting it. I will never post a story if I don't plan to finish it. But this one is definitely happening. Thank you!
Reviews and Comments: To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To briana_t: Yes, it's finally over! Sorry for making you cry so much! Yes, I made Dobby explode and yes, Lady Godiva is sad too. You will have to wait to find out about the others! Thank you! To AQuickRead91: LOL, so "Bas' death wasn't emotional damage… you just exploded Dobby." Well, I have to keep you on your toes. And sorry, no list of the dead just yet. Thank you! To Hellpony: This is true, only confirmed deaths have been Lady G, Dobby, and Voldemort. More to come though, promise 😉. Thank you! To CorbanD17: If Fred is dead, you revolt? Interesting. Thank you. To Stormchaser20: Sorry you felt Harry not snapping Voldemort's wand was disappointing, but when the lightning struck him, his wand was broken as well, splintered and cracked from the lightning. Thank you. To : Sorry for making you sob at work, but thank you so much for saying it was beautifully done! I loved writing everyone's viewpoints during the battle, we will see more of them soon. Yes, I think Draco realizing he made the right choice was a good decision. Sorry for giving you anxiety on who's dead and who's alive, but thanks for reading and reviewing! Thank you! To shuweet: Thank you for saying this was everything! I hope you like the final dozen chapters. Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: I'm glad to hear that you handled it better than predicted. As to Remus, Tonks, Bas, and Fred, you will have to wait and see. I really wanted Harry to taunt Voldemort about the Horcruxes, it was important and having Voldemort try to flee was just as important in my eyes. I wanted to show him have true fear. Thank you so much!
To FighterPilot92: Sorry for the emotional pain about Dobby, but thanks for loving the battle! Thank you! To Khanate: Thank you for saying I did an amazing job. I'm disappointed you felt Harry, Ron, and Ginny were too invincible, I disagree and don't feel they were invincible at all. Thank you. To Goodygurl: Thank you for calling this both heartbreaking and beautiful! Thank you! To pottermum: Thank you and thank you again for the feedback in the summer when I sent the chapter to you! To LadyRava: I did promise Dobby would die and yes, I obliterated him. Did I kill the love of Theo's life again and Zee? You will have to wait and see, thank you! To Favestories: Thank you very much! To AnaGPotter: Thank you for saying I did an excellent job, that means a lot to me. You being speechless is a lovely compliment! Thank you! To wildstyle_101: Yes, Crouch wasn't captured. LOL, the way I killed Dobby was fucking diabolical (I did read that in Butcher's voice so thank you!) Lady G died saving Harry, it was a noble death. As to Remus and Tonks, wait and see. Thank you! To Monica: I was so excited to see you leave me a review — thank you! Thank you so much for saying it was fucking perfect. Sassy Harry was a must in the final battle. I'm sorry I hurt you over Dobby and Lady G. You're not optimistic about Remus and Tonks? I thought lightning was so poetic! You don't cry but I had you close over Zee? Big compliment, thank you! Cloaks are hot. Wow, thank you! To Masonjar191: You will have to wait and see. Thank you! To PeterAtHome: I love that your heart was pounding while you were reading, that tells me you were definitely very into the story, so thank you! There is still hope for the not confirmed deaths so you will have to see. Thank you so much for saying that you love my "version of the characters and the events" and that this was the first fanfiction you've ever decided to read and therefore I have "singlehandedly messed up your expectations for any other fanfic." Wow! Thank you! There are a lot of talented authors though so go out and explore! My personal favourites are pottermum, SeriouslySam, TheDistantDusk, celtics534, Velvethope, deadwoodpecker and many more! Go check them out! Sorry for making you cry even more over Sirius than you did in the original books though (I cried killing him, too). Thank you!
To EhSohMaria: LOL. Thank you! To AmericanDesi: Thank you! I'm sorry that you're shaking but thank you so much. I love the "Fucking damn. Holy fucking shit. Just, wow." Thank you! To flowermage: Chef's kiss? Thank you! Yes, hold out hope until deaths are confirmed. Ron does know that Harry needs Zee. Yes, the prophecy was about Zee and I threw in a little Buffy the Vampire Slayer magic there where she did die therefore the prophecy came true, however, Ron brought her back to life with CPR. I loved having the Thestral's powerful wings just beating back Voldemort. Yes, Crouch, Bellatrix, and Belladonna all escaped. We will see more of what becomes of them and of what Belladonna took later. Thank you so much! To BadWolfKris: LOL, holy Hannah Montana made me laugh. Thank you! To PotterFran17: Yup, that was the final battle and thank you very much! To bandhoez9194: It is rather unfortunate you came back to this chapter, but still, welcome back. You will have to wait to find out if Theo loses Bas and if Fred is going to meet his twins. Thank you so much! I'm honoured that you want to re-read from the beginning when it's completed. Thank you! To Potterm1997: Thank you very much! To kyciona: Because Lady G was a hero, that's why. Thank you and yes, you had to wait! To reginaphalange: Thank you for saying it was an emotional rollercoaster. As to Crouch, he is still alive at the moment. Thank you! To SweetPhrogJezus: Thank you! To Mackie919: Don't worry, I have plans for Bellatrix and Crouch, yes. Thank you for loving the battle and yes, I decided to make Dobby explode. The kill Dobby cookies were too good to pass up! Thank you! To katelyn453: I can't believe it's over either, but yes, it's done. Yes, Harry's reaction to the other deaths will have to wait. Thank you! To Ladylucens: Thank you. To Amber: Thanks for saying the chapter had your heart pounding so hard and that you read it twice! Wow! I'm sorry that Lady Godiva's death broke your heart! Thanks for loving my fight between Harry and Voldemort. Thank you very much!
To TatiRena: Thank you! To Shivamrai2001: I'm sorry about Lady Godiva, but I'm glad you loved her! Thanks for loving how Harry broke through the runes. Thank you! To Ellieoryan7447: Eee! I loved seeing your name in my reviews again! Thank you so much for saying I did it perfectly and went beyond your expectations. That means so much to me! Yes, Misha and Zee's reaction to Harry's Patronus being all of those things was so important. Thanks for loving my Theo line to Selwyn, I agree, it was so perfect! Yes, war does tear relationships and friendships apart and having Crabbe and Goyle come face to face was important for that. Bellarosa does love her son and having her reunited with Blaise was important to me. I love sassy Harry. LOL, can Bellatrix and her husband stop existing? Well, not right now lol. Thank you for saying that Harry's escape from the runes shows his growth "in not only his magic but his character as well. He's able to push down the fear and the pain and focus on what he's learned. He doesn't let himself panic." Exactly, he's learned how to be the power that he has in more ways than one. Haha, Snowman 2, Voldemort, 0. Very accurate. It wasn't the worst way I could have killed Dobby, it was quick and painless. Yes, Lady Godiva is dead, I'm sorry. I really wanted the resurrection stone to show Voldemort the pain he's caused and Harry to tell him that he's mortal now. Yes, Harry does look hot as fuck while battling Voldemort lol. Yes, having Crouch be the one to torture Voldemort was rather poetic I thought. Thank you so much for saying that having Harry take him out "with lightning was the most awesome, legendary, symbolic way… it's powerful, it's brutal, it's poetic. 10,000 out of 10!" Wow! Thank you! I'm sorry I made you cry. Yes, Ginny definitely had to call him the Chosen One there. Thank you very much! You are the best!
To minerdude: Thank you! To Tmrpotterhead250: Yes, four years in the making! Thank you for saying the final battle did not disappoint and was "heart pounding, heart breaking, and satisfying." I'm so glad you wanted to hug Ron when he said Zee was breathing! Thank you! To darkhk: Thank you! To AngelOfHisLove: Sorry to make you cry over Lady Godiva. As to Remus, Dora, and Bas, we will see. Thank you! To Katie2001: Sorry about Lady Godiva. Thank you! To Bhelliom: Yes, you have to wait lol, but thank you! To apham: Thanks for reading the chapter twice! To Stilly24: You knew I was going to kill Lady Godiva as soon as you saw her name, eh? Thank you! To Bluerain22: Theo definitely kicked ass! Thanks for loving his line about the sword and homophobic dickwad (it's one of my favourites). Yes, Ron killed Nagini and brought back Zee. Thank you for loving the lightning. Thank you! To riddermark: I doubt it's the most stressed you've ever been lol, but that you! To Padfoot777: Thank you for saying it was such a beautifully written emotional rollercoaster that kept you on the edge of your seat. To Roselin24: Thank you for taking the time to review and for saying that "this is one of the best well written final battles" you've ever come across, thank you! To Emma Janet: No, it was Zee in the prophecy, she did die, but Ron saved her. You think if Tonks dies, Remus and Zee should fall in love? Interesting. Thank you! To Spike's Number One Pet: Thank you very much! To Ehsomaria: Thank you very much and your English is lovely. To jennyalexa.1995alex: Thank you! To ahlem stelena: I'm sorry you never saw Lady G's death coming, but I'm glad it was surprise. Thank you! To Read and Fly: I love that you screamed! Ha, I'm glad you found Crabbe's line so funny. Thank you for saying "it was awesome Harry all mighty, powerful, just summoning lightning and killing the dark lord was fantastic." Thank you! To Jellybean: Thank you so much! Don't worry, ASC will continue with another story to keep you going. Thanks for loving the geese. Thank you!
To Nightwing2013: Thanks for loving Theo's line. Daphne is more badass than we know. Thank you for loving how Voldemort's eyes changed colour and yes, Operation KSB is complete. Thank you! To GreyGrass: I'm sorry you're not a fan of Hinny, Romione, or Dumbledore and found the music during the final battle cringey but still enjoyed this story so thanks, I think. To zorica: Thank you! To DeadFish37: I'm sorry you felt Harry wasn't as powerful in the final battle as he was in Hogsmeade. I think he was more powerful here and more in control. The Canadian geese in the UK don't show their true colours there, I guess. Cobra chickens suits them. Trust me. Thank you! To Miriel: Thank you! I'm sorry the reducto on Dobby was such a shock. Thanks for saying the final battle was amazing. You will have to wait to find out about Bas. Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you for saying the chapter was great. I felt that Harry showing Voldemort all of the Horcruxes before killing him was so important. Thank you very much! To scrappy8: Thank you! Yes, Zee, K, Remus, and Tonks, we will see! To GODMISHA: Thank you! To harstonks: Yes, Dobby and Lady G are dead. Thanks for saying the battle was intense. Please don't murder anyone. Thank you! To Mutt N Feathers: Thank you for saying the battle was amazing and the lightning was an inspired choice. Thank you. To supwood: Thank you very much! I'm glad you've enjoyed it and as fore Remus, Tonks, and Fred, we will see. Merci beaucoup. To TripleTheCheese: Thank you for saying Voldemort's death was in a stunning fashion. I know, I can't believe there are only 11 chapters left either. I hope I keep writing the next story too, as I am excited for it, I just need to motivate myself. Thank you very much!
To ascfan: Thank you so much! To Anduriel Black: I love that I made you both laugh and cry. Thank you! To CampDBow: Thank you so much for saying this is "an incredible and beautifully-told story. Simply phenomenal… narrative has been enthralling." Thanks for wanting to go back and reread. I'm honoured that I've inspired you to go back to writing your own stuff. Thank you so much! To The Booknerds: Yes, I know Dobby going out that way was a shock as was Lady G, sorry about that. Thanks for liking the touch with the Quaffle. Yes, Harry did a glimpse of his parents. Yes, I felt it was so fitting for him to be killed by the very image he marked Harry with. Sorry to make you cry and yes, Harry and Ron's friendship for the win. Thank you! To Sets: I'm sorry to make you cry. Was Molly kneeling over Fred though? 😉 I loved Luna using such a logical argument on Harry when he needed it most. Thank you! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you for saying it was an "absolutely perfect ending, completing fitting and just stunning." Thank you! I loved using the stone in that way and yes, we will have to see who survived and who did not. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you very much! To the frozen flame: I'm sorry that your brain can't function, but thank you lol. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter, but sorry for almost making you cry. To Undead Gothic Princess: Thank you so much for saying this was worth the wait. I think Harry killing Voldemort with lightning was very poetic. I do respond well to bribery (chocolate chip cookies). Thank you very much! To pix25: Thank you! To Hanacide: Thank you for saying "this chapter had everything you'd wand and expect from a Breanie battle, humorous quips, actions, blood, heart-stopping cliffies and heartbreak." hank you so much for saying you never leave disappointed! To nesciamema: Sorry for killing Lady Godiva, thank you!
To A Huge Fan: Yes, a few little revenge snippets. Thank you for loving the symbolism of the lightning and how Harry escaped from the runes. Thank you very much! To Miss Lorraine Black: Thank you for admiring how much work I've put into the story! It's been a lot! Thank you for saying how well I've "depicted the true brutality of war." Thank you! To Cath: Sorry for the tears, thank you! To NixGray: Thank you! To ellyann13: Happy Belated Birthday. Thank you very much for saying the battle was epic! It was a mix of knowledge from Murray and from his childhood. I think growing up close to a pond, all of the Weasley kids were taught to save someone if necessary since they couldn't use magic. Thank you. To KingRajesh: Thank you and yes, Harry used the coin at the beginning of 346, it's how they coordinate everyone to come to the castle. Thank you! To Sirenstrong0617: Thank you very much for saying that my "characters are actually funny, relatable, and human." Thanks for loving my soundtrack and for loving how Rossi was "laying it down for his wife." Thank you so much! To Guest: Thank you! To Avagrace: Thank you for taking the time to leave me a review! Thanks for loving seeing Theo stand up for himself and Draco and Goyle fighting on the right side. I loved Harry breaking out of the runes and yes, Lady G is dead. Thanks for thinking lightning was such a symbolic way to kill Tom, I quite agree (obviously). I didn't want Harry to use the killing curse. Thank you so much! To AnonymousHufflepuffWriter: Thank you so much for saying it was "so well crafted and thorough." Thank you! To Abby Hunt: Thank you very much! As to Bas, I love that he and Theo are you favourite couple, we will have to wait and see. Thank you! To yunkol76: Thanks for coming back and thank you!
To Guest: I'm glad you enjoyed the lightning as the final way to end Voldemort even if you didn't think Harry showed his power well enough. I don't plan on making him a bad Auror. I'm sorry you feel that Voldemort and Harry didn't fight like they should have. I wanted to demonstrate Harry's raw power, but it also does show his skill, however, he knows that Voldemort will always be way more skilled than him just because he's lived for decades longer to practice and hone his craft. I understand what you're saying, but realistically, Harry was never going to be more skilled than Voldemort at duelling. Thanks for the review! To puttyman24: Yes, poor Lady Godiva and Dobby. Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Yes, everyone was playing their parts as expected. Ha, yes, thank you for that amazing Princess Bride reference. Having Barty curse Tom was just too perfect to pass up in my book. I decided Thestrals are immune to the killing curse (at least their scales) because to me with the whole death omen bit, it made sense. That's my own addition to the lore. Thank you! To voxynking: Thank you very much! To Zarathos Morgenstern: Yes, it was one hell of a way to kill Dobby, thank you! To CrazyWithABook: Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Lady G was definitely a badass. Thank you for saying I gave Draco such a great arc and depth to his character. Yup, Crouch, Bellatrix, and Belladonna made it out alive. Thank you very much! To StarryNights: Thank you so much for saying the climax as ultra superb! I know, Dobby dying was very sad. As to Fred, wait and see! Glad you liked the bit with the resurrection stone. Thank you! To : Thank you! To Saz J: I would have expected the angry voice memo lol. I'm sorry I made you cry in the airport lol. Thank you so much for loving the final battle and as to Bas, wait and see. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you for saying this did not disappoint. Yes, Theo sticking his phallic shaped weapon into the homophobic dickwad was so fun to write! Crabbe is definitely not evil, just a moron. Thanks for loving Ron stealthily crawling after Nagini and then rolling into the Black Lake. I loved having Harry break out of the runes and his Patronuses coming to the rescue! I think it 100% affirms Dumbledore's believe in love being the way to defeat Voldemort. As to Remus, Tonks, Bas, and Fred, we will see. Yes, the snowman returns! Yes, the reminder of Thor and Cap makes me smile! Thank you so much for saying it was a "fantastic climax to a fantastic series." I hope you like where the aftermath takes you. Thank you!
To Nuno Neves: Thanks for loving how Voldemort was defeated and yes, of course Harry threw himself into Ron's arms. That was such an important moment! As to who survived, we will see. And we'll catch up with Neville soon too. Thank you! To one-of-a-kind-copycat: I'm sorry that I destroyed your life while you binge-read this story, but thank you so much for saying it's magnificent and "one of the best written, most unique, well thought out final battles" you've ever read. Thank you! To Tai Shiryuki: Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you've been here since the beginning. I'm sad to see it come to an end, but It's been so much fun to write! Thank you! To Stringnut: Thanks for saying it was a good way to finish off Voldemort. Yes, go big or go home on Dobby's death was how I thought it should work. Thanks for saying that it was a "spectacular ending" and yes, I did come through after my kill Dobby cookies lol. Thank you! To ThomasAvery: Wow! Thanks for reading this story over the last ten days, that's impressive! Thank you so much for saying it's your favourite fanfic. I'm so glad you love and appreciate Hinny and how I wrote them. Thanks for loving my original characters and how I expanded on characters like Theo. I hope you love my final chapters of the story! Thank you! To akshutalankar: Thank you! Keep reading to find out! To DEeverafter: Thank you!
To Gigi87: Yes, Lady Godiva definitely didn't want to deal with the Acromantulas lol. Thanks for enjoying seeing the whole magical community coming together for the final battle. Thank you for noticing how it was Harry's Patronus that pulled Zee out of the darkness of losing Sirius. She is very protective of him. Ha, the stamina thing might come up later. 😉 Theo is definitely a complete badass and when he's angry, even more so! Rabastan didn't expect Theo to fight back so good with the sword. No, not a scar for Theo. It will heal. I'm so glad you loved his line about the phallic shaped weapon. Glad you found Crabbe and Goyle's fight kind of comical. You don't think Bas is dead? Interesting. Yes, Voldemort is trying to get under Harry's skin and it's not working. Yes, I did find it a bit symbolic to leave the sword in the lake and yes, it would appear if needed. Yes, back to back deaths, and yes, Harry is covered in Dobby. It will come up how other people reacted to the face off between Harry and Voldemort. Yes, Crouch using the Cruciatus on Voldemort was total icing on the cake. Thank you so much for saying I definitely did the final battle justice and pieced together so many loose ends. It was a very hard chapter to write, but I'm very proud of it. Thank you very much! To MinervaMcGee: Thank you very much! To AnyaLilka-Torril: Sorry, Crouch and Bellatrix are still alive right now. You will have to wait and see who didn't make it. Thank you!
To Cristina: Thank you very much! You were expecting Lady Godiva to die, eh? It's true, the death of pets are just extra sad. Yes, Dobby's death was sudden. I love Dobby! But I was convinced to kill him (and bribed with cookies) so, I had to follow through. It's true, Theo won't be the same if he loses Sebastian, but he's very strong and can definitely overcome it. Theo has grown so much and this is way to show that. Thank you for loving Theo and Sebastian. I'm glad Crabbe and Goyle's fight was comical — I didn't quite intend it that way, but it's how it turned out lol. Blaise and Bellarosa are a lot alike and it's fun to write them together. Thanks for loving my version of Ron, he deserves love in my opinion. Aww, I love that you were describing my Ron, how sweet! Yes, Zee was the girl that Lily spoke about. Thank you very much! To tim2604: Theo is most definitely a beast with a sword. He knows what's going on! I did explode Dobby, but think, it was quick and painless for him. Yes, thank you for saying you got chills when Harry showed Voldemort all of the Horcruxes. As to Remus and Tonks, well, we will see. Yes, Bellatrix definitely deserves more than a broken nose, but it was still rather satisfying to see it crack. Thank you for saying the description of Harry in his determination, "his clothes torn apart, all muddy and bloody, but with a cold determination in his eyes. I pictured it so well in my mind, it was an amazing description." Thank you! Yes, I loved the irony of Crouch sending the Cruciatus at Voldemort by mistake, so satisfying on so many levels. Yes, Thor did inspire me a bit, but I knew from the beginning that's how Harry was going to kill him. Yes, lots of aftermath and a bit more on who died and who lived. Thank you so much for such a beautiful review. Thank you!
To Oktoberkatze: Thank you for binging my story and wow in a week is very impressive reading. I love that you've laughed and cried! I didn't only introduce Zee to kill Sirius, no, but I wanted Harry to have someone. Thanks for loving my final battle and no, Greg is alive and well. Thank you. To ravenclaw_rockchick: Wow, three times! Tahnk you! Sorry, I'm not accepting any bills for tissues or chocolate biscuits needed lol. As to Fred, Zee, Remus, Tonks… we'll see. But of course you're welcome to come visit Canada (just stay away from the geese). Thank you! I really hope everyone loves part three because I am getting excited about it. I think it's going to be different than people expect and it will be so fun! Thank you! To Bellmel: I know, posted and official makes it seem more real. Thank you so much for saying it was fitting for all of the build up. I'm so glad you liked the Resurrection Stone bit and yes, I wanted Ginny to have a role in the fight against Voldemort and having her be the one to torment him with the ghosts of his past was exactly that so fitting after what he did to her. Yes, I did kill the panther, sorry to disregard your orders. Yes, I killed Dobby too back-to-back with Lady G, which I know was rather awful. Remus, Tonks, Zee, Fred, Bas… so many people hanging in the balance. Ron definitely got to slice and dice lol. Yes, the prophecy wasn't about Ginny and yes, it was maternal love to come full circle. Aww, thanks for loving Zee giving him parental love. Theo was definitely cocky and pissed off about Bas. Yes, knocked out cold on the ice — I can't with that lol. Oh, yes, another dead boyfriend comment definitely fuelled Theo's fury. I'm glad you enjoyed Blaise and Bellarosa's reunion! A bouquet of kudos? You're so sweet! Thank you!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINE:
The One Where It's Finally Over
Ginny kept her hand in Harry's as they headed straight to St Mungo's to follow Zee. Her ankle was throbbing and now that she was no longer on her broom, she could feel the pain of it that much worse as she almost dragged it behind her, but she didn't want to let go of Harry's hand.
Harry seemed to be in some kind of trance and she couldn't blame him. After everything that had just happened, it did seem rather surreal. She couldn't imagine what was going through his head right now. She could barely make sense of what was going through her own head.
Voldemort was really gone and Harry had done it.
It was really over.
She closed her eyes, trying to focus on squeezing Harry's hand and not on the throbbing pain that seemed to get worse the more she moved. It was only when she stumbled that Harry realized how badly she was limping and he frowned.
"That's worse than you let on."
"I'll be okay," Ginny assured him, sighing in relief when his arm came around her to help take some of her weight off of her ankle. "Not the first time I've broken an ankle."
"First time you've broken the left one," he replied.
Ginny clutched the side of his hip a bit tighter. "I'll be okay."
Harry pressed his lips to her hair, but didn't say anything.
A blonde healer in pink robes came over to them with a wheelchair. "Hi, I'm HA Helen and we're going to get you two settled in a room right next to Miss Zacarias."
"I want to see her," Harry said. "Is she all right?"
"Healer Mac and Healer Greene are working on her right now. They're two of our best and I promise that they're taking excellent care of her. She is breathing and her vital signs look good. As soon as I have an update, I'll let you know," Helen promised. "In the meantime, let's take care of your injuries."
"I'm fine," Harry said, moving Ginny in front of him. "But Ginny's ankle's broken."
"Mr Potter, you are covered in blood," Helen said, her eyes narrowing in a way that told Ginny she wasn't going to take any of Harry's stubborn bullshit.
"I'm fine. It's not all my blood. Look at her ankle first," Harry insisted.
Ginny rolled her eyes as he lowered her into the wheelchair. "He'll cooperate more if you look at my ankle while you get another healer for him at the same time. He's stubborn."
Helen looked like she wanted to protest, but she bit her lip. She waved over a tall, thin man in yellow robes. "John, can I get a second chair for Mr Potter before he passes out due to blood loss."
"I'll walk," Harry told her. "I'm not going to pass out."
Ginny reached back to take his hand. "Harry, you aren't going to do anyone any good if you bleed out in the bloody hallway. Please get in the damn chair."
Harry's lips twitched slightly, but when John appeared with a second chair, he reluctantly sat down in it. Then the two of them were wheeled down to the end of the hall and situated behind a yellow curtain with two cots. Helen helped Ginny up onto the first cot and Harry ignored John, climbing up onto his own.
"Is it just your ankle, dear?" Helen asked, using her wand to slice open her blue jeans to expose the wound.
"I think so," Ginny said. "A few cuts and abrasions, but mostly my ankle."
Helen nodded. "I'll start a head-to-toe exam and perhaps Mr Potter will let HA John do the same to him while we wait for Healer Mac?"
Harry conceded, his eyes on Ginny as the healer assistant named John began to examine his body. Ginny watched as he carefully removed his cloaked robe and leather jacket that were speckled in blood and other things that Ginny didn't want to think about. The tee shirt was torn underneath and when he pulled it over his head, his chest was dirty; there was blood in places that told her he'd been hurt more than he'd let on.
"Ginny, look at me," Helen said. "Tell me what hurts."
Ginny tore her gaze away from Harry and let out a slow breath. "My ankle."
She held her bottom lip between her teeth as Helen examined her and let out slow and steady breaths when she applied pressure where the pain was.
Harry wanted to keep his attention on Ginny as she told Helen how she fell on her ankle, but the tall, thin man in front of him had blocked her from his view. He started to protest, but the look HA John gave him made him close his mouth. He knew that he needed to be examined properly, but he just wanted to make sure that Zee was all right, that Ginny was all right.
Watching Zee go down and knowing that Ron had to perform chest compressions on her had made him want to vomit. He couldn't lose her, not after Sirius, not with Mina and Leo. He rubbed a hand over his forehead and HA John told him to relax.
"I'm going to cut open your jeans, Mr Potter. We need to give you a full exam, all right? Would you like me to close the curtain?"
"No," Harry said. "It's all right. I want Ginny to stay."
John nodded as he used his wand to slice off his jeans and left Harry down to his black boxer briefs. Harry carefully folded his hands in front of his lap, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed to be so underdressed. HA John's eyes immediately moved down to his thigh, where the makeshift tourniquet was tied. For the first time, Harry realized that it was completely soaked through.
Now that the adrenaline was starting to die down, the pain was becoming more real. As soon as John removed the makeshift tourniquet that Luna had made him, blood seeped from the wound again. He swore under his breath and the healer frowned.
"This is much more serious than you let on, Mr Potter."
The gash was much larger than Harry had realized, cutting from the top of his groin down to his knee, and almost a centimetre wide. It was bleeding, slowly, and Harry winced when John began to pack the wound.
"Healer Mac will be here in a moment to deal with this. It needs to be properly healed; in the meantime, I'm going to check out the rest of your injuries."
Harry nodded, keeping his eyes on the healer assistant as he wrapped his leg in fresh dressings and bandages to help slow the bleed until the healer arrived. John checked out the cuts and abrasions that he had on his arms and chest from flying debris and from hitting the ground. Harry had one large cut across his left shoulder that he didn't remember getting. It wasn't too deep and would heal naturally, but he still winced when John's wand disinfected it. Then the healing assistant was removing his glasses and holding his face in his hands as he examined the cut on the right side of his face under his eye.
"Look at the light on the tip of my wand," he instructed.
Harry followed the light with his eyes, up and down, side to side. Whatever the healing assistant saw made him nod and he instructed Harry to drink the potion used to help stop infections. After getting some basic information on his blood type and medical history, a tall handsome man with silver hair came out from behind the curtain.
"Good evening, I'm Healer Mac."
"Mr Potter's leg needs attention," John said as he rattled off Harry's injuries, vitals, and important information.
Healer Mac nodded and immediately put on a pair of square glasses that he wore around his neck on a blue cord before moving to examine Harry's leg.
"Cursed blade?"
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "I don't think so. It came out of the tip of his wand."
Healer Mac nodded and ordered his assistant to get him six doses of blood replenishing potion. "It nicked an artery, which is why it's been bleeding so much, but thankfully I can already see the bleeding has slowed down. Clotting on its own is a good sign, but it does look like it cut through muscle. I'll have to repair it."
"How long will that take?"
"Not long," Healer Mac assured him. "I can do it right here. We need to seal the gash closed as quite frankly, Mr Potter, it looks like someone tried to fillet you like a fish."
Harry blanched. "Will it scar?"
"Something this large? Most likely. But I'm very good and I promise to keep it minimal."
"I don't care about another scar," Harry said. "Just patch me up."
Healer Mac smiled and began to deal with the leg. Harry drank the first two cups of blood replenishing potion and one cup of a numbing agent before the healer slowly began to twirl the tip of his wand over the gash. It felt queer. He knew that his leg was numb from the potion, but it still tingled as he watched the muscles in his leg slowly pull and knit together with his skin like a puzzle. Harry couldn't tear his eyes away as the skin slowly reattached itself.
It took about ten minutes for each bit to move back into place, re-sewing itself together. When Healer Mac was done, there was an ugly, bright red, jagged line from his groin to his knee.
"There. Now, you'll be tender for about two weeks. And you might have to take it easy on overusing it too much. No flying, of course, and nothing strenuous, including any sexual activity. I mean it, nothing for two weeks, understood?"
Harry thought two weeks seemed like a rather long time to go without sex but he nodded. "Yes, Sir."
"Good," Mac declared. "I'll give you some potions to help increase the healing process and help beat back any potential infections."
"Thank you," Harry said.
Healer Mac nodded. "No thanks is needed, Mr Potter. If the rumours circulating on the wireless right now are true, I think it is the world who should be thanking you."
The back of Harry's neck flushed at that.
"Now, let me examine this eye."
Harry followed his wand light just like with the healer assistant before. Healer Mac touched the area around his eye, prodding with his fingers. He winced a bit at the tenderness of it and the man nodded.
"Doesn't look too serious, but anything this close to the eye is cause for concern. It looks like it's just under your right eye. It will heal up easily enough and there will be no new scar to add to your collection."
"Thank you."
Healer Mac smiled. "You're welcome. Now, sit here and rest up and as soon as Miss Zacarias is finished being examined by Healer Greene, I'll find you myself."
Harry thanked him again and let the healer assistant dress him in one of the hospital robes. His eyes met Ginny's as he looked over at where she was sitting in a hospital robe in the cot next to him.
"I'm okay," he assured her.
At her look, he slowly lowered himself down from the cot.
"Harry, he just told you not to overuse that leg," Ginny began.
Harry hopped up onto the cot next to her. "I'm using it just the right amount." He put his arm around her and kissed her temple. "You all right?"
"Yes," she said. "She healed it in about a minute. I just have to take it easy for the next two weeks, keep it elevated for one to two hours every day just to make sure everything is all right. But I'll be back on a broom in no time."
"Good," he said, kissing her cheek. "I'm okay, too."
"No, you're not," she told him, kissing his brow, "but you will be. Take a breath, Harry. Tom's gone."
Harry wrapped his arms around her and Ginny leaned in to hold him close, careful so as not to disturb his leg. "He's gone," he repeated.
And he felt a lightness well up inside of him that he couldn't quite explain.
~ ASC ~
Hermione rushed through the castle, switching between her bow and her wand as needed. She felt like she was in some kind of other world where nothing made sense, but she knew that if she stopped moving, she'd be dead. She subconsciously found herself looking for Ron or the snake or anything that told her what was happening with Harry.
Until she saw the battle taking place out of the window of the castle and she froze in place. Harry was fighting Voldemort by the Black Lake and it was a battle unlike anything she'd ever seen. When Kingsley's smooth voice spoke across the castle, everyone around her turned to look over to the Black Lake, where Harry was still standing. And Hermione swore that it was the first time all day she'd truly let herself breathe.
Voldemort was dead.
It was really over.
She heard Kingsley say something about people meeting in the Great Hall and started to make her way in that direction. She was halfway there when she spotted a flash of red hair and hurried over to where Charlie was sitting. He was stroking the head of a huge dragon with green scales.
"Charlie!"
"Hermione!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet to pull her into his arms. "Are you all right?"
"I think so," she said. "You?"
"Fine," he assured her. "A few cuts. Just waiting on a magizoologist healer to take a look at Nadia's wing here. She was a champion today."
"Will she be all right?"
"Yeah, she'll be just fine. But we lost the Ridgeback, Killian."
"I'm sorry."
Charlie nodded. "Me too. Everyone is heading into the Great Hall. They've set up a triage centre there and people are bringing in the dead as well."
"The dead?"
Charlie held her tighter. "Yeah, the dead. Ron was making his way over last I saw. He was with an Auror."
Hermione let out a slow breath as relief coursed through her. She didn't want to admit that part of her was terrified when Charlie had uttered the word 'dead.' "Okay, will you come with me?"
"I have to stay with Nadia until the healer arrives, but I'll be there soon. Did you see Harry do it?"
"Yes," she whispered. "Just by the window… it was like everyone had to watch, no one could look away. It was… incredible."
"And then some," Charlie admitted. "I've never seen a display of magic like that. Go on."
Hermione left Charlie with the dragon and headed through the ruins of the castle and towards the Great Hall. She caught sight of McGonagall at the front, directing people to triage which was situated at the Slytherin table. She noticed that the Headmistress was limping and had a cut on her cheek, but otherwise seemed to be in good spirits as she ordered people about. She had a roll of parchment in her hand and Hermione headed towards her.
"How can I help, Professor?"
"Oh, Miss Granger, good! Can you go down to the Chamber and get the students out? I need to do a roll call and make sure that everyone has been accounted for."
"Of course," Hermione said.
Something to do was a good start and exactly what she needed.
~ ASC ~
Hannah was holding the hand of a Hufflepuff third year as Madam Pomfrey bandaged the wound on his shoulder. She was trying to assure him that he would be all right amidst his tears, offering comfort while healers worked around her to examine the injured. The chaos of the battle was a complete blur; after helping get the majority of the students to safety down in the Chamber of Secrets, Hannah, Mandy, Anthony, and a few others had left them below to come up and help fight.
But Hannah definitely wasn't a fighter.
She'd found herself stopping to help those who had fallen more than fighting, bandaging wounds and assisting the emergency healers when possible. When she'd found herself outside near the Black Lake, helping people escape amidst the rubble of where the one section of the castle had been destroyed by Amethyst Inferno, the battle had caught her eye.
And not just hers.
Watching Harry duel Voldemort had been unlike anything she'd ever ever witnessed before. The power exuding between them, the flashes of spells, the connecting magic… it had been absolutely incredible.
"Damn," Mandy said from next to her, reaching for Hannah's hand as Harry and Voldemort's wand connected in a flash. "Is it wrong that I'm completely turned on right now?"
Hannah chuckled, sneaking a look over at her friend. "I think it's an odd time to be, given our surroundings."
However, Hannah and Mandy were hardly the only two people who had stopped to watch the fight. It seemed that duels all around them had stopped as students, Order members, Aurors, and even Death Eaters stood frozen, watching this battle take place on the shore of the lake, and watching Harry push Voldemort back little by little.
But Hannah had to admit, Mandy wasn't wrong.
Harry looked every bit the Chosen One as he stood there on the shore. His green eyes were sharp, his angular face covered in dark stubble that made him look oddly dangerous; his usual disarray of black hair standing up everywhere added to his warrior look. Scraps of red flashed around his neck as his long black cloak billowed behind him in a combination of wind and power, flashing bold red beneath it. His jeans and shirt were torn and a black leather jacket flapped open under the cloak, splashed in blood and mud. And the power that surrounded him, that seemed to emit from him, was anything but average.
No, in that moment, Harry Potter was the Chosen One. He was the Dumbledore of their generation and Hannah could admit freely he looked sexy, confident, and downright heroic. When you added in the four huge Patronuses stationed around him, the power alone was enough to make you see his appeal. No, being turned on was a definite fair assessment.
And it wasn't just Mandy who felt that way. Edith and Colin had apparently captured photos of the battle and Hannah heard them talking about how Harry's moment was going to be shared with the world. Hannah was positive that she'd even heard Colin mutter the words "absolutely shag-able."
No, Harry had defeated Voldemort — and suddenly, it wasn't a title tossed about in jest. It was real.
And they owed him everything.
But now they had to deal with the aftermath, and the aftermath was more than just a ruined castle.
Hogwarts was in shambles.
Part of the bridge, the Astronomy Tower, and the back courtyard had been taken out by the Amethyst Inferno. The front doors of the castle was completely broken and the stone warriors that had been the first line of defence were crumbled piles of rocks and grains of sand tossed about all over the grounds. Walls were broken and destroyed. People were buried beneath rubble, some injured and some dead. Parts of the grand staircase were missing and broken. Railings and paintings had holes blown in them.
And that wasn't even including the grounds.
Between the scorched earth, the craters from the Wing Guards, and the craters from the explosions on top of the injured and dead in the Black Lake… it wasn't going to be an easy fix.
After the announcement by Kingsley Shacklebolt, the battle had almost come to a standstill. A few Death Eaters had tried to make a run for it and been stopped by Aurors on the bridge. It seemed that those who hadn't been killed were cuffed and trapped in magically spelled golden cages, waiting to be transported to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Those who were injured were being transported directly to the hospital within the Azkaban Crypt. And some of them, Hannah noted, were coming out of spells, disoriented, and not knowing where they were.
It was up to the Aurors now to determine who was legitimate and who were faking being under an Unforgivable and forced to fight. But rumours were already rampant that some of them had escaped through the Forbidden Forest. A team of MIA Aurors were being sent into the forest in an attempt to track them down.
Hannah kept her eyes peeled for Neville as she made her way towards the Great Hall, her heart in her throat. She'd seen him fighting at one point, but he was gone again before she'd been able to track his movements. She was terrified that he might be hurt somewhere or worse. But she refused to let her mind go to that.
It seemed that everywhere she turned, someone was injured. Crushed legs or broken bones. Burns and blood. And some people, beyond help entirely. It wasn't a pretty sight and one that made her all the more thankful to not be a healer. She wasn't sure that she had the fortitude to handle something of this magnitude. She knew it with absolute certainty when she stumbled across Lavender a moment later. Hannah covered her mouth with her hands to hold back the bile.
The beautiful young woman was covered in blood, her blonde curls trapped under rubble. There was so much blood, it was hard to see where her injuries were most serious, but the deep gashes across her face and abdomen were more than just disfiguring. Hannah made to step around her, but the small groan had her turning back and reaching for the witch's hand.
"Lavender? Lavender, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand."
The small squeeze had Hannah's eyes widening.
"Healer! I need a healer!"
It was half a second later before someone in healer robes appeared at her side to take over and she watched them assess her vitals and work to stop the bleeding.
No, this was definitely more than she'd expected.
~ ASC ~
Dean's hands were shaking. He kept trying to hold them, to stop the quaking in his limbs, but nothing he did would stop the tremble.
Voldemort was dead.
He looked around at the injured near him, those who had been using arrows and spells to try to protect those fighting below. He thought that they'd all done wonderfully and yet, he couldn't stop his hands from shaking.
Seamus was talking to some of the younger students who had helped with archery, assuring them and making sure that they were all right. He was leading those who were uninjured down into the Great Hall where it seemed the majority of people were gathering.
Dean watched him put his arm around a young girl and help steer her towards the hall, but still Dean stood there with shaking hands, eyes wide as he stared around him, unable to fully handle what he was seeing.
There were too many people injured, too many bodies, and too many people crying in pain and in grief around him.
It was only when Seamus stepped in front of him, wrapped his arms around him, and pressed his face against his chest that everything finally seemed to stop. The sounds around him, the shaking, the chaos… it all closed in and he was able to focus on the warm arms holding him. But before he could make sense of it all, a sob escaped him.
"Shh," Seamus whispered. "It's okay, Dean. It's okay, babe. It's over. It's all over."
But he couldn't stop crying and he couldn't explain why he was crying. Instead, he just held onto the man he loved, his best friend, and he sobbed.
~ ASC ~
Blaise stayed by his mother's side after finding her, but only when confronted did he fight back against Voldemort's army. Once they'd been sure of Potter having access to the Dark Lord's snake, the pressure of it had been off and he'd been able to focus instead on the battle around him.
Which is why the last person he expected to find cowering in the vegetable patch near Hagrid's hut had been Gilderoy Lockhart.
The whining had carried in the wind and Blaise had instantly thought a first year must have been trapped somewhere. He urged his mother to come with him, saying something about a child being hurt; his eyes had widened in surprise when the crying child he'd been convinced he'd heard was instead his old professor.
The handsome blond writer looked much worse for wear. His robes were dirty and he was lying flat on his stomach hidden between a row of cabbages and tomato plants as he whimpered in fear. Blaise had never found anything so ironic before.
Bellarosa had forced him to his feet and the two of them had dragged him towards the castle and towards the nearest Auror they could find as Lockhart tried to charm his way out of being there. Blaise didn't care what his reason was. The man was a pervert and a sociopath and whether he'd been fighting in the battle today or not, he belonged in the crypt.
Seeing Umbridge being handcuffed by Aurors had been a fun sight as well.
His mother didn't say anything as Rodolphus Lestrange was taken away, as witches and wizards she knew were handcuffed and read their rights. No, she didn't say a single word until the dark haired man with silver flecks in his goatee stood in front of her. Then her lips tightened.
"Emilio."
The man held his hand out to Blaise. "Joseph Emilio Rossi, MIA."
Blaise accepted the hand, his eyes on the man's dark eyes. "Blaise Zabini. Are you still my stepfather if you married my mother under false pretences?"
Rossi's lips curved. "Not technically, no. Bellarosa, you didn't run."
"You told me that the ring would track me and I couldn't take it off."
"She did try," Blaise told him. "To take off the ring, that is. Not run."
Rossi nodded. "I'm sure she did." He tapped his wand over her wrists, handcuffing them together. "And now we're going to talk in an official capacity."
"You're going to arrest me?" she said incredulously.
"No," Rossi said. "I'm going to bring you in and let someone else take care of that. But we are going to talk, mi amour, and if you cooperate, I'll make sure that you don't spend the rest of your life in prison."
Blaise touched his mother's arm. "Mamma, I'm coming with you. I was accepted into the Lex Schola and I know a bit about your rights."
"You don't know enough," Rossi said. "And she's going to serve time, Zabini, she knows it. Don't you, Bellarosa?"
Bellarosa licked her lips. "I want a deal."
Rossi's lips curved. "We'll talk. Let's go."
Blaise watched the man cart his mother off and wondered just what kind of deal his mother was going to finagle out of her not-real-husband.
~ ASC ~
Neville found one of the Patil twins crying in the corner, rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped around her knees. He hurried towards her, kneeling down to her level, his eyes roaming over her for injuries.
"Hey, hey, Patil… you all right?"
He was embarrassed to say that he didn't know which one of them was crying.
She buried her face in her arm as another sob escaped her before she was able to speak.
"He killed her."
"Who?" he asked, hoping his voice was gentle and calm like he wanted it to be.
"The wolf," she whispered, her dark tear-filled eyes meeting his. "Parvati's dead."
"Padma," Neville began, reaching out to touch her arm. "I'm so sorry."
She wiped uselessly at her tears as she stood up. "Where's Lavender? Have you seen her?"
Neville shook his head. He hadn't seen her since the beginning of the battle. "I don't know. Come on, everyone is gathering in the Great Hall."
Padma let Neville put his arm around her and lead her off, but he wasn't sure if he was really any help to the witch. He couldn't imagine what she was going through, losing her twin sister.
But he knew that she wasn't the only one who had suffered a loss today.
~ ASC ~
George didn't know what he was looking for. Not really.
Ever since Katie had told him Fred had fallen, he felt like part of him just froze. Or was in a petrified state of some kind. It was hard to keep a hold on the broom and he wished that he'd kept his fake leg to help him balance more, but he hadn't mastered flying with it yet. He kept his hands steady and tried to keep his eyes open for a flash of red.
When he saw him, his heart slammed into his throat.
"Fred!"
His twin turned, blood running down the side of his face. George crash landed his broom, dropping it onto the ground and ran straight at his brother, hobbling on one leg. Fred made an 'oof' sound as George collided with him.
"Miss me, already? I just saw your ugly mug like an hour ago."
"Katie said you fell and I…"
"You thought I was dead? Pfft! I'm indestructible!"
"He's not," Fiadh said, making George turn. He hadn't even noticed the beautiful fae standing next to him.
"What happened?" George demanded. "Did you fall?"
"He did," Fiadh said. "But Donal caught him."
"Donal?" George asked, his eyes back on Fred's as he lifted a hand up to examine the cut on the right side of his head. "Who's that?"
"Me," a tall dark-haired fae said. "I'm Fiadh's brother."
"Something hit me," Fred admitted. "A spell of some kind. It knocked me right back into the wall and I slammed my head and then I was just falling. I couldn't hold onto my broom, I couldn't focus on anything and then suddenly, strong arms grabbed me and carried me bridal style to the ground. It was rather romantic to be rescued by such a tall, dark, and dashing young man."
"Fiadh… him? Really?" Donal exclaimed, wincing at Fred's description of him.
Fiadh turned to hug her brother. "Yes, really. He grows on you, Donal. Honest."
"Hey!" Fred protested, "I'm a catch!"
Donal gave him an appraising look and shook his head. "Make her happy, Weasley, or next time, I won't catch you."
When he disappeared, George turned to hug his twin again.
"Are you really all right?"
"My head's made of rocks, Georgie. I'm good as new! Right, Fiadh, darling?"
Fiadh moved towards them to examine Fred's head. "Looks like you only lost a brain cell or two. You won't even notice."
When their lips met, George rubbed a hand over his heart. He couldn't put into words how thankful he was that Katie had been wrong.
"George!" Percy shouted, making him turn.
Percy was running towards them, his side covered in bandages.
"Perce? Where's the fire?" Fred demanded.
Percy was pale when he reached them and George reached forward to grab his brother when he stumbled.
"Percy, you all right?"
Percy shook his head, his eyes wide and glassy. "It's Dad."
"What about Dad?" Fred asked.
Percy shook his head and gestured for them to follow him. The three of them hurried after Percy down the hill, George trying to keep up with his one leg. When he saw his mother cradling his father's head in her lap, he stumbled. Percy caught him, grabbing his bicep to stop him from falling, but George barely noticed.
All he felt was cold.
~ ASC ~
Theo felt like he was in a daze. He moved through the castle, his eyes falling on those who were injured and hurt, stopping to help where he could. When he found Julian crying, he ran over to him.
Then he saw the bodies of Ciara and Mila lying on the ground next to him.
"Oh, gods," he whispered.
"They're dead!" Julian exclaimed, tears raining down his cheeks. "Theo, they're dead!"
Theo grabbed the boy and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Julian. I… what happened?"
"We wanted to fight," Julian said. "We snuck out to help and we… we shouldn't have come out, but Ciara and Mila wanted to…" He fought back a sob and buried his face into Theo's chest. "I'm sorry. I should have stopped them, I'm sorry!"
Theo's eyes softened and he blinked back his own tears as he looked down at the beautiful little girl he had grown to love as if she was his own niece. "It's not your fault, Julian. It's… they were heroes. They d-d-died as heroes."
Theo let his own tears fall as he tried to imagine how Ciara's family was going to take the news of her death. He kept his arms around Julian as they both cried for their friends and as people walked past him, arms around each other in injury and in grief, he pulled back to cup Julian's cheeks.
"Come on. We have to go."
"We can't leave them," he whispered.
"We're not," Theo assured him.
Julian wiped tears from his eyes as he watched Theo levitate the two bodies, and together they walked towards the Great Hall, the bodies of Ciara and Mila floating in front of them. When they arrived in the Great Hall, Theo slowly lowered down the girls' bodies to the row of dead and tried not to look too closely at who else might be part of that row. McGonagall was at the front, instructing people on where to go and what to do as healers were patching people up in the area; some people were disappearing in medical portkeys to be sent to St Mungo's.
He caught sight of Durant when he marched over to him, clasping Theo on the shoulder.
"He's alive."
Theo's legs trembled and he would have collapsed if Durant hadn't wrapped an arm around him to pull him to his side.
"He's in a medicated coma right now so that they can properly get the dark magic out of his system, but he's alive," Durant assured him. "The healers are working hard to keep him that way, but it's touch and go right now."
"Can I see him?"
Durant nodded. "Yes. Yeona is already at St Mungo's and she added your name to the next of kin list so they shouldn't give you any trouble."
"Thank you," he whispered.
Durant squeezed him closer to his side. "You make that grumpy arse smile and honestly, he deserves that. But if he makes it through this, Nott and you break his heart, I know a thousand ways to kill and dispose of a body without ever getting caught. Are we clear?"
Theo let out a strangled laugh half-sob. "Yes."
"Good," Durant said. "See you around."
Theo left Julian with some of his friends from Slytherin and with one more sad look at Ciara's body, he let the tears fall as he hurried from the Great Hall.
There was somewhere else he needed to be.
~ ASC ~
Draco was exhausted. This battle had been… just that, a battle. It had been bigger than he'd ever imagined and it had been intense. He honestly felt like everything had been a huge blur as he did what he could to survive.
Blaise and Goyle had disappeared early on and at some point he'd caught sight of Theo being absolutely amazing with his sword. He had to give his friend props, he had a talent for it and was more than holding his own. But he hadn't been able to focus on much else before giants were breaking walls, these completely mad honking birds were dive bombing people, and he'd come face to face with a troll.
Draco still wasn't sure how he'd managed to side step the troll, but he'd left the thing roaring and come face to face with some of his grandfather's old friends. To say they were surprised to see him was an understatement and Draco was pretty sure it was the only reason he'd managed to get a drop on them.
He'd dodged and ducked, swayed and rolled, and jumped and dived as needed. His wand had been moving like lightning and he had to admit, he'd impressed himself with his duelling skills. He hadn't had a lot of time to practice and fighting Blaise and Goyle had been an interesting challenge, but this was different.
Duelling your friends was one thing. This time, if he lost, he would be dead.
It really put things into perspective.
Then there were Daphne and Astoria.
Draco had thought allowing either of them to come along was rather ridiculous. Neither of them were particularly suited to duelling in the middle of a battlefield. Though Draco had to admit, Astoria certainly knew how to hold her own. She'd put him on his arse more than once while practicing and not that he would admit it aloud, but he'd been doing his best to defeat her.
But being here, in this… it was different.
Daphne was trying to stick close to Astoria as if hoping to protect her, but Draco lost sight of them around the time that part of the castle exploded in purple flames. His eyes widened at the sight of someone coming out, burning in purple fire that licked at every inch of them, turning them into a human torch. He sidestepped to avoid getting hit by the flames and then attempted to shoot water on the person to bank the fire. The screams sent chills down his spine and by the time the fire had burned out, the screams had stopped. Draco knew that it was an image he would never get out of his head.
When the sky lit up with lightning and then snow flurries, Draco followed the crowd of people who had stopped fighting to take a look at what was happening down by the Black Lake. When he saw Potter take the Dark Lord down to his knees, he wasn't the only person unable to look away. And when Voldemort took his last breath and Potter was left standing, Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him.
It was over.
It was really, truly over.
A few more small fights broke out, but once Kingsley made his announcement, most surrendered. Some tried to run and Draco watched as Aurors picked them off one by one. He heard a few murmurings about some of them managing to escape through the Forbidden Forest, but Draco knew that they wouldn't last long without the Dark Lord's protection. No, this time it was truly over.
He heard something thud behind him and he jumped. When he spun around, a masked Death Eater was stunned at his feet and Astoria stood behind him, her wand pointed at the figure on the ground.
"You're welcome."
Draco opened his mouth to say something before he promptly closed it.
Astoria's lips curved. "Good thing I was here, right?"
He took her in her dirty clothing; the dust and blood streaked across her face from a cut near her chin.
"Thank you."
"Malfoy, did you just say thank you?"
"It's been known to happen when it's warranted. It's just rare."
"For people to do nice things for you? I can see why."
He scowled and her lips curved.
"And that's why."
"Tori!"
Astoria turned at her sister's voice before she turned her head to give him a wink and disappeared down the hall towards Daphne. Draco used his wand to tie up the Death Eater who had tried to attack him and bent to remove the mask. The sight of Titus Avery Senior made him pause. The man had been close with his grandfather and he wondered if he'd planned to take him out in some last ditch effort.
Thanks to Astoria Greengrass, the man had failed. Draco called forth an Auror who came to cart him away and as he shuffled down to the Great Hall to see how he could help or what to do next, he couldn't help but think that it seemed like he was living in a dream.
And for the first time in almost two years, he felt hopeful for the future and what it had to bring.
~ ASC ~
Her head was aching and there was a ringing in her ears as she slowly came to, gasping in pain. Her whole body was pulsing, and when she turned, the sight of the golden brown hair on her hip made her freeze.
"Remus? Remus!"
Her hand reached up for the heartbeat around her neck, clutching it tightly and when she felt it pulse, she let out a strangled breath.
"Remus!"
He groaned and shifted. "Ow."
"Oh, gods, Remus!" she breathed, reaching for him.
But when he started to sit up, blood soaked through his side and he paled.
"Lupin!" Higgins exclaimed, making Tonks turn in time to see her partner come running towards them. "Shit, don't move!"
"Remus needs a healer," she insisted. "He's bleeding — a lot."
"It's not mine," Remus said, reaching forward to press his hands to his wife's abdomen where his body had been holding the blood inside of her.
Tonks blinked in surprise. "Oh."
"Shit," Higgins exclaimed. "We can't move her. Let me find a healer before she bleeds out!"
"Its nothing," Tonks insisted, but her vision was already blurry and her skin pale as snow as she reached out to touch her husband's face.
And the last thing she heard was Remus calling her name.
~ ASC ~
Once Harry, Ginny, and Zee disappeared, Ron turned towards the castle to see what needed to be done. He barked out orders at those who needed instruction and helped lead everyone inside. Kingsley's voice made a second announcement that people were gathering in the Great Hall.
Ron ran a hand over his face, suddenly feeling exhausted as he tried to comprehend everything that had just happened. He caught sight of Baxter, the Auror he'd fought beside.
"Baxter!"
The dark haired man turned and offered him a small smile. "Hey, Weasley! Did you kill the snake?"
"I did," he said, his own lips curving. "And Harry defeated Lord Voldemort."
Baxter whistled. "That I witnessed. I thought that was you kicking arse with the great snake, but I couldn't be sure outside of the ginger hair. You all right?"
"I think so," Ron told him.
"Good. Come on, you can help me round people towards the Great Hall."
Ron followed, helping students towards the Great Hall and trying to assist those who were injured and mobile to follow suit. When he finally caught sight of Hermione, she had a cut on her cheek and was covered in dirt and dust as she helped McGonagall order people around. He ran towards her immediately.
The moment she saw him, her own face lit up as she began to run as well. They met halfway and their lips crushed together and for the first time since Ron left the Black Lake, he felt a flicker of real hope.
"All right, Hermione?"
"All right," she whispered. "You?"
"Fine," he said, pressing his lips to hers again.
"Come on, we can use your help," Hermione told him. "We're setting up a triage on the right side by the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables for anyone who needs medical attention. Red sparks over them means critical, blue means that they can wait, and yellow means minor. The healers are moving around to examine people. Anyone who is… dead, is being moved over by the head table."
Ron swallowed. "Is there anyone…?"
Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Moody," she whispered. "I haven't really heard of anyone else, but the battle was rather scattered and everyone is coming in from everywhere."
Ron nodded. "Did you see it?"
"The lights from a distance, yeah, and then… Harry was amazing."
"Yeah, he was," Ron admitted. "When Zee went down, I thought that he was going to crumble. I was on her in seconds and… bloody hell. I never thought that what Mum taught us when we were kids and going swimming would actually save someone, but I gave her CPR and… she was alive when they took her to St Mungo's. Harry and Ginny went with them."
"Good," Hermione said. "They'll do better there. Harry can take a minute to rest. I saw Charlie. One of the dragons was badly injured and he was staying with her."
"That's good," Ron said, kissing her brow and pulling her close into his arms. "That's good."
"There's Bill and Fleur," Hermione said, pointing to where the two of them were walking through the doors of the Great Hall with grim faces.
Ron turned to look over at his older brother and his wife. He started to move towards them when he saw that Bill and George were carrying a stretcher between them. He saw the flash of red hair and the look on his mother's face before he fell to his knees.
"No, no, no!"
Hermione's hand gripped his shoulder but it did nothing to comfort him. He knew before they even grew closer that it was too late.
Arthur Weasley was dead.
~ ASC ~
Zee felt like she was floating.
She could see the clouds, fluffy and white above her, like she was floating through them or in them in some way. Part of her realized that it wasn't making sense, but she kept trying to pick up pieces of them with her hands.
"I'd much rather you grab onto me," Sirius' voice said near her ear.
Zee turned and his lips crashed into hers for a long, deep kiss that she felt in her toes. "Sirius."
"Zahira," he whispered, brushing his lips over her eyelids. "Our boy did it."
"Voldemort's gone?"
"He's gone," Sirius said, framing her face in his hands. "He's fucking gone and it's over."
"Am I…?"
"No," Sirius insisted. "Not yet. Baby, you have to fight. Whatever hex Voldemort hit you with, it's powerful, and you have to fight. For Mina and Leo. For Harry. Please, Zee, you have to fight."
"I am," she told him. "I'm not ready to go yet but I… I miss you."
He kissed her forehead. "I miss you, too. I love you."
"As do I," a gruff voice said from behind Sirius.
The moment Zee's eyes fell on his tall frame, tears welled up in her eyes. "No! No, Papa, no!"
Misha pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "Da. It vas my time, dochka. But it is not yours. Your mama needs you to be strong. So do your children."
"Papa," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling. "Papa, please don't go!"
Misha hugged her tightly. "I vill alvays be right here, in your heart, and you vill carry my love vith you. You are my pride and my joy, Zahira. The best thing I ever did. I have lived a good life. I love you, dochka."
Tears rained down Zee's cheek as she clung to her father.
"I'll take care of him," Sirius promised. "And Lady G."
The panther rubbed her head against Zee's hip and Zee's tears flowed freely.
"No, Lady G…"
"She saved Harry's life," Sirius told her. "She's a hero. I'll take care of her, I promise."
Zee wiped at her tears, her bottom lip trembling. "Sirius… I'm not ready."
"You are," Sirius told her. "Tell Harry that I'm proud of him."
"Tell him ve all are," Misha corrected. "And tell your mama how much I love her."
A loud buzzing filled her ears followed by a flash of white and when her eyes opened again, Sirius and Misha were nowhere in sight. Instead, she recognized the walls of St Mungo's as an unfamiliar face leaned over her.
"She's back," the man declared. "Zahira, my name is Healer Greene and I've been taking care of you. You were hurt in the battle."
Zee tried to nod, but it hurt too much. "My children…"
"Mr Potter is alive and well in the other room and waiting on news. I'll send him in momentarily."
Zee blinked in response as she tried to make sense of what was going on. A moment later, Harry was gripping her hand in his.
"Zee? Hey, are you okay?"
Zee squeezed his hand and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Yes. I'm going to be okay. Papa's gone, sweetie. He's gone."
Harry's eyes widened. "What?"
Zee kissed his cheek and pulled his head down to her chest. "He's gone," she repeated and then she held Harry in her arms as they both cried, holding onto each other in their grief.
End Author's Notes:
The list of the dead will be provided, but not yet… some deaths are still being revealed.
Thanks for reading and please review!