Chapter Thirty Two – Friendships Unknown

Darren saw the werewolf, who he instinctively knew was indeed Professor Lupin spinning around quickly in a circle and realized he was taking in his enemies and their strength and numbers. Meanwhile, Darren heard a great bang and then a crash that sounded like the front doors had been blasted off their hinges. Voldemort turned his attention to the noise, completely ignoring Lupin, who finally locked eyes on Wormtail. Wormtail gave a terrified shout and tried to run for the door but Lupin made straight for him, dodging curses and hexes with unbelievable speed agility. Every muscle in his massive hairy body was rippling with every stride as he crossed the room in what seemed to be slow motion, suddenly the curses stopped and everyone watched poor Wormtail as he tried vainly to escape the room and his former friend. Lupin caught him five feet from the doorway and bounded on his back as Wormtail let out another scream, this time for help.

"Master, HELP ME……..AAARRRGGGHHHH!" he screamed as Lupin bit him savagely just above his silver hand. The Death Eaters were entranced by the happenings, and Voldemort was almost smiling as he watched as Wormtail began to scream louder than before, but this was not a scream of terror, but of pain.

His skin began to contract tightly and then it looked as if boiling water was between his skin and muscles. He rolled around and grabbed his arm as if it was on fire and then his skin seemed to tear itself from his body. Blood began to erupt from him and his eyes went wide in fear as he gave a last violent shudder and went limp on the floor as the blood began to pool under his lifeless body. Lupin let out a roar that sounded like satisfaction to Darren and turned back to face the other Death Eaters as the noises from the other parts of the house got closer to the sitting room.

"You and your friends should not have come here tonight Lupin," Voldemort said but Lupin's only response was another deep roar before he launched himself out of the way of a green bolt of light that destroyed the wall behind him. His speed was incredible as a huge Death Eater fell to him and then he faced three more that were now attempting to force him into a corner. All three had their wands raised and Darren realized that the people in the room were not paying any attention to him and that Ellie was only a few feet away from him. He slid across the wood floor as quickly and quietly as he could and wrapped his arms around his terrified sister and concentrated on his destination, but nothing happened. He could not Apparate out of the house.

'Dis-Apparation jinx,' was all he could think before forcing himself weakly to his feet and staggering towards the door with Ellie still in his arms.

He did not know who else was in the house, but whoever they were they were fighting the Death Eaters, so he knew they had to be able to help him. He turned up the stairs and took them two at a time while his legs burned from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. Ellie's head was limp on his arm and facing behind them, and then she screamed "DARREN!"

He didn't know who was behind him, but a jet of green light hit the ancient suit of armor on the landing of the stairs and it exploded into thousands of pieces. Shrapnel hit his back and shredded his robes and skin as he turned to shield Ellie from the shards of metal flying through the air. In the mirror on the wall at the top of the stairs he saw Voldemort and Malfoy running hell bent up the stairs to catch him. Now they were halfway up the stairs and Darren crashed his shoulder into the door that led to the room his grandfather had always called his museum. It held ancient Muggle weapons, things his grandfather and his grandfather's ancestors had collected over the centuries. There were swords, axes, pikes and all sorts of military items from the Middle Ages.

"Damn it," he said to himself when he realized what room he had thrown himself and Ellie into. This was not the room he wanted to face the most powerful dark wizard to ever live and his most loyal supporter in, especially alone, but his heart was lifted when he heard a shout from the landing and an explosion that seemed to blast a hole through the wall of the house.

"Dumbledore and Potter; how pleasant to see you both again. I see you have brought several of your followers with you this time Dumbledore. Which one of them will die tonight I wonder?" Darren heard Voldemort ask.

"There has already been two deaths here tonight Tom. It would be a shame to see any others, even if it is another of your followers," Dumbledore said from what sounded like the bottom of the stairs.

"It would be unwise and foolish to try to attack me now Dumbledore, I hold the high ground here. You cannot get up the steps to me, and I can block any spell you cast, so I have the advantage."

"Ah yes Tom, you always assume you are going to win, another of your weaknesses you know. Never underestimate your enemy Tom."

Darren heard a loud POP and then Harry apparated right next to him.

"Come on Darren, lets get out of here," he said as he tried to pull Darren along with him.

"How did you get in here?" Darren asked incredulously.

"Dumbledore lifted the Dis-Apparation jinx while we were downstairs, let's go!"

But, before he could do the complex bit of magic that would send him and his sister away from Mortice Manor, Voldemort burst through the room and shouted "HAUD DEFLUO!"

Darren had felt his body about to apparate, and then with Voldemort's spell, he felt himself locked to the spot on the floor he had been about to leave. Harry was still standing over him with his wand drawn and pointed at Voldemort.

"So Potter, you have come to make sure I do not hear the prophecy," Voldemort said with a cruel smile of satisfaction on his face. "Do you really think you can stop me from getting what I truly want?"

Darren felt Voldemort penetrating into his mind again and then the pain associated with it. He let out a yell and through the pain he could feel Ellie sobbing against him. He knew it was over. He could not hope to keep Voldemort out, not this time. He was too weak from the assault just minutes ago, and Voldemort would indeed get what we wanted.

"PROTEGO!" Harry's voice shouted and the pain ended as suddenly as it had started.

"Get up Darren, get up!" Harry yelled at him, and Darren instinctively felt his body rising from the floor. He set Ellie down and pushed her behind him as Voldemort and Malfoy stared daggers at them. On the landing outside the noise of battle had started again and the two students could hear Lupin's howls and the sounds of hexes and jinxes being hurled like confetti. The Death Eaters must have taken up station at the bottom of the stairs in an attempt to protect their master, and it was holding up Dumbledore and whoever else was with him from entering the room and helping Harry and Darren.

Voldemort smiled slightly at them and then looked at the door behind him. "You cannot apparate out of this house. Obviously Dumbledore lifted the spell he cast before his assault in order that Potter could get into this room, but I have put my own spell on this room to keep you in. Therefore, the only way the two of you will leave this room is after you are both dead. First I will subdue Potter, and after Lucius subdues you Darren, I will hear the prophecy, and this war within the wizarding world will finally come to its unavoidable end. Now children," he said with an evil glare in his glowing red eyes "we duel."

Darren rose slowly and weakly to his feet, Ellie behind him, hoping she would stay there and not get in the way, hoping beyond hope that she at least would somehow survive this. He looked across the room at Lucius Malfoy, his father and mother's murderer, and saw Malfoy smile evilly at him as he bowed his head slightly. Darren stood stock still, his hands twitching with fury and barely held back violence as he did not bow to this hated man, but rather waited for him to make the first move.

"He is waiting for you to attack him Lucius," Voldemort said without taking his eyes off of Harry, "just as Potter is waiting for me to attack him first. Let us not disappoint them now," and together they both hurled curses at the two boys, who dodged them at the last moment. Harry dodged a green light that rumbled through the air and smashed a large case on the wall behind him, sending a large sword crashing on its point and sticking up from the floor. Darren jumped backward while tossing Ellie aside as Malfoy's Cruciatus Curse hit the floor where he had been standing just an instant before. The floor shook and smoke rose up from the burned wood but Darren scrambled to his feet.

"Run Harry, get out of here!" Darren yelled before he was hit by a hex that sent him sprawling into the wall with a loud thud. His head hit the wall and his vision went blurry. As he fought to regain his sight he saw feet walking up to him through his hazy eyesight and knew it was Lucius Malfoy standing over him. Malfoy reached down and picked up Darren's wand and then grabbed him by his robe's collar and yanked him to his feet. Behind Malfoy Darren could see Harry and Voldemort locked in battle with each, not seeing or sensing what was happening just feet away from them.

"This will give me great pleasure boy, do you know that?" Malfoy said while sneering at him. "I hated your father from the first day I ever met him and now I not only get to be the one that rids the earth of his worthless existence, but I also get to send the last members of his unworthy family to their deaths as well."

Darren spit a mouthful of blood in his face when he finished and Malfoy flinched in revulsion. Darren smiled at him, trying to egg him on, trying to get him to end it before Voldemort could come after him again.

"No, I don't think so Clarkson. Killing you would be very bad for me because the Dark Lord wants you to himself, after he has defeated Potter that is."

Darren saw Harry dodge a spell and hit Voldemort with a powerful Incarcerous spell that Voldemort defeated with a twist of his wrist, but Harry was ready for him as he threw a Reductor curse that Voldemort barely dodged but that bored a hole through the Dark Lord's his robes anyway. Malfoy was diverted by his Master's shout of rage as he was almost hit by the curse and turned his head just enough to allow Darren to use something Malfoy probably didn't know he knew.

Darren's father had always believed that his son should learn to not only defend himself magically, but in the Muggle fashion as well. That is why he had sent him to classes at the gymnasium since he was the age of six. Darren raised his arm, a fist balled at the end and with his fist and forearm in perfect alignment he smashed Malfoy directly in the temple. Malfoy staggered backwards, his hand over the side of his head and Darren struck again. This time a punch to his side and when he connected, Darren felt the rib break under the blow. Malfoy let out a howl of pain and doubled over, but Darren did not have mercy tonight, not for this man. His fists pummeled Malfoy, who had spent his entire life learning how to bully and terrorize with a wand, never to defend himself if he did not have it in his possession, as he did not now since he had dropped it the moment his rib had broken. His face was a target, his chest a target, his legs buckled as Darren kicked his knees out and sent him sprawling to the floor. Malfoy was covering up, cowering on the floor like a dog, and that only infuriated Darren more.

"YOU KILL MY MOTHER AND FATHER AND THEN YOU COWER LIKE A DOG?" he screamed at Malfoy as he lashed out with his foot and hit Malfoy squarely under the chin. Teeth shattered from Darren's kick and Malfoy lay prostrate on the floor. Next to him was the sword, its point still embedded in the floor. Darren took the hilt in his hands because he couldn't see where his wand had gone and did not realize that Malfoy was lying on it. He stood over Malfoy, looking at the pathetic murderer below him and as he raised the sword to plunge it into the Death Eater, a powerful curse hit him in the back.

He had forgotten all about Voldemort and the Dark Lord's curse sent him sprawling over Malfoy's body and the sword clattering across the floor. He could not feel anything, but he knew he was alive, and therefore alright, at least for the moment. Harry came running over to him and tried to help him as he also fended off Voldemort, but suddenly the giant snake, Voldemort's pet slithered through the smashed exterior wall and lunged for Ellie, who had taken refuge in a corner. Nagini raised her head to strike, her fangs bared and dripping venom, and Darren knew he could not stop it. She was going to die, and he was going to fail his attempt to save her, but just as the snake's head reached its zenith and started to move forward to make the killing blow, the already damaged wall exploded. Brogan had joined the fray and his front talons grasped the snake by the body as his massive jaws clamped down viscously on her throat and with a great pull of his neck muscles, Nagini's head was ripped from her body and the snake died on the spot.

No one said anything, nor moved for what seemed like minutes, but then Voldemort let out a yell of rage and threw a killing curse at Brogan who somehow managed to dive out of the hole he had made in the wall to avoid the curse. Darren and Harry watched as the snake's headless body writhed on the ground and then it seemed to split open and a shadowy mist that looked almost human rose up from it and then disappeared into the air.

"Get up Darren, get out to the hallway!" he yelled. "Go, Dumbledore and the Order are out there! They can help you!"

"No, I can fight. I can help yo..." but his words were shut out as Harry cast a protective spell in front of them both to deflect Voldemort's last hex. A ringing sound that exploded in the room deafened Darren as the curse was reflected away and he stumbled backward towards the door. He saw Ellie huddling in the far corner and turned and ran to her to get her to safety.

"Come on Ellie, come with me, GET UP!" he yelled, but she was cowering in fear as Darren tried to pull her to her feet. He was too weak to carry her, his strength almost gone now from the fighting and attacks on his mind, but when Ellie let out a scream he knew that someone was behind him. She had looked over his shoulder again and her eyes had gone wide in terror. Darren turned quickly, but not quickly enough for Malfoy who had the advantage due to Darren having is back turned towards to him. The sword sank to its hilt as Darren looked into Malfoy's cold gray eyes. The hilt was touching Darren's chest as he looked at Malfoy and he felt the blade burning hot in his chest. Darren pushed Malfoy away and the sword was still in Darren as he fell to his knees and then his eyes went blank and he fell to the side, his limp body crashing to the floor with a thud.

Darren could hear everything going on around him, he could feel the force of the curses sent through the air, he could feel the heat of the hexes, but he felt strange, not like he had ever felt in his life. He stood up, but saw his own body was still on the floor. The sword was sticking out of his body's chest and Darren looked down and could see his feet were not touching the floor but rather were just above it. The shock turned to anger as he realized he was a ghost. He turned towards his sister, who was screaming and crawling to his body. He felt rage and anger building in his heart and he turned to look at Malfoy. He didn't know what he could hope to do as a ghost, but he was determined to do something. Behind him he heard the door crash open and when he turned back he saw Dumbledore and several people he did not recognize with him chasing Bellatrix Lestrange into the room. He did, however recognize Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Cho and Neville who rushed into the room after Dumbledore and the other wizards and a green haired young witch.

Cho stopped short and looked down and saw Darren's body on the floor and let out a wail and fell to her knees next to him, trying to turn him over, trying to wake him up, but Neville pulled her away as a curse hit the back of Darren's body and sent it sliding across the room and into a wall. Harry and Voldemort were still fighting and the green haired witch and a tall black wizard were fighting with Bellatrix and Malfoy, who had once more taken up his wand. They were throwing hex after hex at each other with unrivaled ferocity and Darren moved instinctively towards Malfoy. His anger was greater than he had ever experienced in is short life, but when he got to the man he hated, he realized he had no way to hurt Malfoy, then he remembered the day he had learned about ghosts and what they can do in times of extreme necessity.. He had been had told then that ghosts can pick up objects in times of great anger or emotion, and he turned back to his body. Cho had his body on its side now and yelped when she saw his spirit reach down and pull the sword out his own body. He smiled at her and rose into the air, heading straight for Malfoy, who saw him coming. He threw a killing curse at Darren, but Darren screamed at him in fury as the curse only went through him and out the side of the house and into the darkness of the night.

"I'm already dead, you bastard!" he yelled as he bore down on Malfoy, who raised his wand but Darren swung the sword and the wand snapped in half just before the blade hit Malfoy's neck and sent his head rolling across the room. Darren did not stop to watch it. Instead he hurled himself straight at Voldemort, intending to at least try to end this horror that had been brought on his family. Voldemort was fighting both Harry and Dumbledore now, and he was losing. As Darren got closer to him, his eyes went wide with fear and he disappeared into thin air as the sword cut the air where his neck had been just a split second before.

Darren floated in the air for a second before he realized that another spirit was next to him. He turned to see his father's opaque form and he let out a cry and they took each other in their arms.

"Where is mother?" Darren asked. "Where is her spirit?"

"The wand was broken, and since she is not a witch, her spirit went on Darren, and I must go too, to be with her."

"You have until sunrise father, at least wait until then to decide," Darren pleaded.

"No Darren, I love her so much, and I could not bear to spend eternity away from her. You understand don't you?" he asked.

It was not really a question and Darren knew it. Darren nodded his head. He knew he could not have let his own wife, if he had ever had one, to be alone when he had the ability to be with her. If it had been Cho, he would have wanted to be with her, so he indeed did understand fully how his father felt.

"What should I do father," he asked. "Should I stay? Who will take care of Ellie if I don't?"

"When the morning comes Darren, I am certain you will know what to do. I am sure you will do the right thing. I must go now Darren, but remember, I love you, and I am more proud of you than you will ever know."

And then he closed his eyes and said "I choose to go on" and his form began to evaporat into thin air.

Darren watched as his father began to grow paler and paler until his body vanished from sight and he knew that he would never see him again, unless he chose to.

"Darren? Darren?" a voice was saying: a voice that brought warmth to his heart. He turned and saw Cho, tears running down her cheeks as she held out her hand to him and his heart filled with emotion and he could feel her skin touching him, the warmth of her hand, and he knew what he had to do when the time came, but he could not make the choice just yet.

"We must all return to Hogwarts right away," Dumbledore said.

He pointed his and at the sword on the floor and said "Portis."

"The members of the order will apparate to the outside of the Hogwarts grounds while the younger ones will use this Portkey to return to my office. I shall join you all in moment. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville all stood around the Portkey that Dumbledore had stuck in the floor once more, but Cho still stood close to Darren.

"Go with them Cho, I will see you in a few moments, I promise. Take my sister with you, use the portkey."