"Bittersweet"
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. No loyal fan is stalking me, no reporters are clamoring to get my picture, no copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: Is anyone out there? If you read this, review this please! I depend on reviews! They are my happiness! I don't care if you type, "Whatever Rubs Your Buddha!" Just review! Please?
Chapter 9: What's Happening?
"People dying, people crying, Lord help us."
-'What's Goin' On?' by Various Artists
Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that Harry met when he stepped out onto the grounds. Nothing.
Death Eaters flowed onto the ground in an almost graceful dance. There weren't as many as in Voldemort's day, but enough, perhaps fifty, more than the whole of Hogwarts's staff. One man walked in front of them all, smirking. His white hair glinted in the sun, and his cold blue eyes glared at everything they swept over. Lucius Malfoy.
Harry swallowed very hard. Pushing all the doubts that formed in his head aside, he stepped off the steps, and walked towards the Death Eaters, and more importantly, Lucius, Voldemort's one true heir, the one whose blood now ran green through the heritage of Slytherin.
Holding up a hand, Lucius stopped the walk. Harry was so intent on the battle about to be relized that he didn't even notice the people behind him, his teachers, friends, supporters, and strength to go on. What he fought for.
Lucius smirked. "Why, it's the young Mr. Potter. What a surprise."
Harry rolled his eyes. Why did they always have to go through the corny "I'm-the-big-evil-bad-guy" thing?
Lucius smirk widened. "You do not wish to chat?" He snapped his fingers.
The Death Eaters behind him flowed forward, as did Harry's allies behind him. Harry took a fighting stance, reading to protect everyone, but found himself being lifted. He stood on a cloud, as did Lucius, facing him.
Harry looked down in absolute horror. Below, a raging battle was going on. He watched as a Death Eater abandoned his wand a shoved a dagger into a third year's shoulder. He watched Dumbledore fight off the worst, getting cursed constantly. Harry saw red light slam into Dumbledore repeatedly. He watched as Sirius, somewhat humorously, turned into Padfoot and bit many Death Eaters, growling menacingly. He saw flashes of red and blue, and, to his horror, bright green. He watched Hagrid slam a Death Eaters into a tree.
Tearing his eyes away from what he couldn't prevent, Harry took a step forward. The cloud moved with him. Making a decision, he ran towards Lucius, wand arm outstretched. Lucius smirked as he ran towards him.
Below, the battle raged worse than ever. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time. Wands, snapped and broken, had been abandoned for all out brawls. Countless on both sides lay unconscious or dead. Few were still upright, fighting. War was so horrible. Lives were lost within minutes, those minutes seeming interminable. Nothing is more horrible than having to fight, to take another's life. No mere mortal has that choice.
Perhaps what needs to be done is done, and we have no control over it.
~*~
Harry ran faster and faster towards Malfoy. Time seemed to slow down. He took one more step, and was barely three inches away from Malfoy, who smirked.
"Do it now!" Harry's head yelled. His wand was directly pointing at Lucius's heart. But he couldn't. The words were on his lips, and he couldn't.
Lucius smirked. "Can't do it, Harry?"
The words echoed over the field. Those below just stopped fighting, and dragged themselves off to the side, more worried about dead then the battle.
It was just down to Lucius and Harry at this moment.
After all, why should blood be shed if it isn't necessary?
~*~
Harry swallowed hard.
Before he knew what was happening, he was standing on the ground again, as was Malfoy.
"Confused, Harry?"
Harry didn't answer. He still hadn't moved his wand, was still fighting his internal struggle.
~*~
Ginny struggled to move. Her vision was clouded and blurry. Her back hurt so badly. She blinked a few times, and swallowed.
Mrs. McKinnon lay a few feet away from her, her former battle opponent. She was shaking her husband over and over again, but he wouldn't and couldn't wake up.
Ginny felt her arm, feeling a dagger slash on it. Shaking, tears threatening to fall, Ginny focused on the scene in the small clearing.
~*~
Such pain.
Glancing around, the youngest Weasley boy took in his surroundings.
Pain, so awful.
His arm. He couldn't move his arm. His leg- why was his leg bended like that? Tears of frustration clouded his vision. He had taken many curses, throwing himself in front of an attack meant for Hermione.
Fighting to stay conscious, Ron watched his best friend's battle, unable to help him at all.
~*~
Hermione groaned, and managed to roll over on her back, clutching the remains of her broken wand. Her leg was twisted at an abnormal angle, and she could feel blood dripping down the side of her face. She struggled, fighting sleep, as she watched in horror.
~*~
"Harry, I floated us up to avoid bloodshed from either of us."
Harry shrugged. "Blood is blood. No human has the right to decide who does and doesn't shed it."
Lucius laughed. "You must really follow that saying, Harry. You are truly mature for your age. A split second can mean the difference between life and death. What will you chose?" As he spoke, he drew a shining metal object out of his pocket.
"There are some muggle objects that I'm quite fond of."
It was a gun. He pointed it at Dumbledore's bloody but still breathing figure, and took a shot.
Without thinking, Harry jumped, and took the bullet.
~*~
Sirius, still as Padfoot, watched in slow motion as Harry jumped in front of the bullet. His last conscious thought before he passed out was a prayer, a prayer of hope for Harry.
~*~
Author's Note: Decided to copy Ruskbyte and be totally evil. He's right, evil cliffhangers are so much fun! I know I promised some action, but since I decided to split it up, here is a lot less in this chapter. Wait for the next one!
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. No loyal fan is stalking me, no reporters are clamoring to get my picture, no copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: Is anyone out there? If you read this, review this please! I depend on reviews! They are my happiness! I don't care if you type, "Whatever Rubs Your Buddha!" Just review! Please?
Chapter 9: What's Happening?
"People dying, people crying, Lord help us."
-'What's Goin' On?' by Various Artists
Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that Harry met when he stepped out onto the grounds. Nothing.
Death Eaters flowed onto the ground in an almost graceful dance. There weren't as many as in Voldemort's day, but enough, perhaps fifty, more than the whole of Hogwarts's staff. One man walked in front of them all, smirking. His white hair glinted in the sun, and his cold blue eyes glared at everything they swept over. Lucius Malfoy.
Harry swallowed very hard. Pushing all the doubts that formed in his head aside, he stepped off the steps, and walked towards the Death Eaters, and more importantly, Lucius, Voldemort's one true heir, the one whose blood now ran green through the heritage of Slytherin.
Holding up a hand, Lucius stopped the walk. Harry was so intent on the battle about to be relized that he didn't even notice the people behind him, his teachers, friends, supporters, and strength to go on. What he fought for.
Lucius smirked. "Why, it's the young Mr. Potter. What a surprise."
Harry rolled his eyes. Why did they always have to go through the corny "I'm-the-big-evil-bad-guy" thing?
Lucius smirk widened. "You do not wish to chat?" He snapped his fingers.
The Death Eaters behind him flowed forward, as did Harry's allies behind him. Harry took a fighting stance, reading to protect everyone, but found himself being lifted. He stood on a cloud, as did Lucius, facing him.
Harry looked down in absolute horror. Below, a raging battle was going on. He watched as a Death Eater abandoned his wand a shoved a dagger into a third year's shoulder. He watched Dumbledore fight off the worst, getting cursed constantly. Harry saw red light slam into Dumbledore repeatedly. He watched as Sirius, somewhat humorously, turned into Padfoot and bit many Death Eaters, growling menacingly. He saw flashes of red and blue, and, to his horror, bright green. He watched Hagrid slam a Death Eaters into a tree.
Tearing his eyes away from what he couldn't prevent, Harry took a step forward. The cloud moved with him. Making a decision, he ran towards Lucius, wand arm outstretched. Lucius smirked as he ran towards him.
Below, the battle raged worse than ever. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time. Wands, snapped and broken, had been abandoned for all out brawls. Countless on both sides lay unconscious or dead. Few were still upright, fighting. War was so horrible. Lives were lost within minutes, those minutes seeming interminable. Nothing is more horrible than having to fight, to take another's life. No mere mortal has that choice.
Perhaps what needs to be done is done, and we have no control over it.
~*~
Harry ran faster and faster towards Malfoy. Time seemed to slow down. He took one more step, and was barely three inches away from Malfoy, who smirked.
"Do it now!" Harry's head yelled. His wand was directly pointing at Lucius's heart. But he couldn't. The words were on his lips, and he couldn't.
Lucius smirked. "Can't do it, Harry?"
The words echoed over the field. Those below just stopped fighting, and dragged themselves off to the side, more worried about dead then the battle.
It was just down to Lucius and Harry at this moment.
After all, why should blood be shed if it isn't necessary?
~*~
Harry swallowed hard.
Before he knew what was happening, he was standing on the ground again, as was Malfoy.
"Confused, Harry?"
Harry didn't answer. He still hadn't moved his wand, was still fighting his internal struggle.
~*~
Ginny struggled to move. Her vision was clouded and blurry. Her back hurt so badly. She blinked a few times, and swallowed.
Mrs. McKinnon lay a few feet away from her, her former battle opponent. She was shaking her husband over and over again, but he wouldn't and couldn't wake up.
Ginny felt her arm, feeling a dagger slash on it. Shaking, tears threatening to fall, Ginny focused on the scene in the small clearing.
~*~
Such pain.
Glancing around, the youngest Weasley boy took in his surroundings.
Pain, so awful.
His arm. He couldn't move his arm. His leg- why was his leg bended like that? Tears of frustration clouded his vision. He had taken many curses, throwing himself in front of an attack meant for Hermione.
Fighting to stay conscious, Ron watched his best friend's battle, unable to help him at all.
~*~
Hermione groaned, and managed to roll over on her back, clutching the remains of her broken wand. Her leg was twisted at an abnormal angle, and she could feel blood dripping down the side of her face. She struggled, fighting sleep, as she watched in horror.
~*~
"Harry, I floated us up to avoid bloodshed from either of us."
Harry shrugged. "Blood is blood. No human has the right to decide who does and doesn't shed it."
Lucius laughed. "You must really follow that saying, Harry. You are truly mature for your age. A split second can mean the difference between life and death. What will you chose?" As he spoke, he drew a shining metal object out of his pocket.
"There are some muggle objects that I'm quite fond of."
It was a gun. He pointed it at Dumbledore's bloody but still breathing figure, and took a shot.
Without thinking, Harry jumped, and took the bullet.
~*~
Sirius, still as Padfoot, watched in slow motion as Harry jumped in front of the bullet. His last conscious thought before he passed out was a prayer, a prayer of hope for Harry.
~*~
Author's Note: Decided to copy Ruskbyte and be totally evil. He's right, evil cliffhangers are so much fun! I know I promised some action, but since I decided to split it up, here is a lot less in this chapter. Wait for the next one!