Chapter 66: The Last Spell(Finale)
I ran through the halls, my mind focused only on my revenge on Sirius and Harry, defending and firing off spells at death eaters as I went. I found them battling several people, my father was fighting 3 members of the order and Bellatrix was battling against Ginny, Luna, and Hermione. The girls were powerful, but stood no chance, I sped up, shoving passed the battling. "Ahh! Just wonderful! You've come to join me finally!" I heard his voice as I pushed passed the last few people and was staring at him as he smiled and blocked the spells fired at him. "Beautiful Phoebe! My sweet Daughter! Come to my aid!" his voice rang out over everyone's noise, making sure my true family was known as I went wide eyed and felt eyes on me from everywhere.
"She's not worthy my lord! She doesn't care for you as I do!" "Shut up Bella, she is my blood. She will rule beside me. No one will do!" he said, easily disarming one of the members fighting him. The girls were still firing their own spells, but Bellatrix seemed to be playing with them only. Her eyes were glaring at me, her teeth bared like she wanted to rip my throat out with them. "I may be your daughter, but I am not like you. I hate you and everything you stand for. You are pure evil and I will gladly enjoy murdering you!" I shouted and turned toward Bellatrix, "But first, you are mine. Move you three." I told them, blasting them gently out of range as I faced her sneering.
"Ahh, this is because of Black isn't it? Your husband?" my father voice flowed over, making me grit my teeth. Bellatrix seemed to understand and laughed, "Oh right…how good it felt to watch him fall…to feel his life leave his body at my hands gave me such joy. I will feel the same as I murder your children as well." that sent me over and I shot a curse at her, singeing her hair a bit as she ducked. "You bitch!" she cried and a green flash came my way but I blocked it with ease, it was as if she was moving slow in my eyes. I could see everything she was doing.
I smirked as I blocked another, feeling joy at her frustration. "Oh come on, you can do better than that, Bellatrix. You'll never earn his love and trust while I'm alive. Give me your best shot." I told her, ducking with a laugh from her curse again, her face twisted with rage as she fired spell after spell. "Guess that is your best. Oh well, not good enough." I pulled the image of Sirius into my mind, feeling his love, his touch, his smell, everything about him. I pushed it through my whole body, building the power and then aimed my hand at her, blocking another spell with my wand as the power burst from my hand.
It was a mixture of wind, fire, water and earth as it slammed into her chest, I twisted it and separated the elements, all at once, the water slammed into her mouth, while the air was pulling her breath out and the earth sliced into her skin all over and the fire seeped into it, searing her flesh as she drown and couldn't get air into her lungs. Everyone had stopped to watch as she crumpled into a heap on the ground, dead as could be. I felt so strong in that moment, knowing she suffered with everything I could give her, the most painful death. I then turned and faced my father, shock on his face as he saw what I could do.
"Well, that was truly amazing. You are so powerful!" he laughed and opened his arms, beckoning me to come to him. I raised my wand and fired a spell at him, the green flash hurling toward him and he blocked it with effort and he narrowed his eyes. "You dare try to curse me with the killing curse?" "You will die for the lives you have ended. People I loved and meant so much to me. Lily and James Potter, their son Harry, countless lives taken at your whim. No more. This will end now." he raised his wand, sending a blast to knock everyone back and I held my ground barely, sliding several feet back though. He screamed the Killing curse toward me and I dove to block it, hearing a voice cry out my name.
I rolled and recovered, seeing someone standing between my father and me. I was stunned as I saw Harry's body between us, protecting me. Joy flooded my body, he was alive! I stood and went to his side, my eyes looking him up and down. "I'm alright, Phoebe. Just stand back and let me handle this." he didn't sound like a child again, he sounded like a man, just like his father. I wanted to protect them all, this was my fight, but something in Harry's tone made me want to let him do this. Dumbledore trusted him with this mission, not me…I would allow it for a moment, if my father seemed to be winning, I would assist. I took a step back, but didn't join the crowd as Harry and Voldemort spoke about everything that had led up to this moment. Telling him that he was willing to give his life to protect everyone, telling my father that he would cause no harm because Harry would give the same protection that Lily had given him as a baby.
My father asked if no one stepped in to protect Harry, what was stopping him from dying when he struck? "I will give him my protection! I am his second Mother! You will do no harm to him!" I shouted, keeping my wand at the ready as they circled each other. He laughed and kept his eyes on Harry, telling me that he would take this child down and then take me down and raise my children in his ways and they would rule the future. It almost made me rush forward but the sun appeared and they shot their spells. It happened so quick, a flash of red and green hitting in the middle, a wand flying through the air and Harry caught it with ease.
My father fell back onto the hall floor, it was so quick, it wasn't that easy was it? Harry turned and hugged me tight as I stared at his body, it was going to jump up and come after us, he couldn't be gone that easily. "Phoebe!" I returned the hug, feeling something inside of me like I was lighter…free or something. The crowd surrounded us, although I heard whispering and felt them trying to get Harry away from me so they could actually touch him. "I was the master of the Elder wand, it wouldn't kill me. His curse rebounded…just as it did when he tried to kill me after killing my mom." he was saying, I let him go, letting the crowd pull him away and it was like I was just as bad as my father.
I walked over to his body, ignoring the mutterings of the people around me, no one would trust me anymore, they would only see him when they looked at me. I would be welcome no where…my children would be cursed for being his blood…just like me. I stood over him, he was dead for sure, his face wide with shock and I bent down, brushing my fingers across his white skin. The last of my family…this evil bastard was finally gone from this world, no way of ever returning… I thought I would feel better knowing he was gone…knowing he would never come after me or my children again, knowing that all the people he killed were avenged…but I just felt empty. Looking at his face, seeing that he was truly gone…I didn't feel different, nothing changed.
Having him dead didn't change a fucking thing. Lily and James weren't back, Remus and Tonks weren't with their son, my mother wasn't alive, Sirius, my love, wasn't back by my side, with our children and happy. I sat beside him, not bothering to hear anyone speaking to me as I watched his face, trying to feel better that he was dead, trying to feel like I was going to be better now. "Mama!" I snapped my head up, turning to see Caelum running toward me, Kreacher and Livy right behind him, Siryia in her arms as tears were running down her face. He leapt into my arms, laughing as he hugged me tight. I quickly moved away from my father's body and met the elves in the middle of the room.
"What are you doing here? It's still dangerous to have them here." "Caelum was crying for you. We couldn't get him to stop. Siryia started as well, they felt something was wrong. I'm sorry Miss Phoebe." I shook her apology away, feeling eyes on me as I took my daughter from her. I couldn't see Harry anymore, I found McGonagall and she seemed happy that I was alright, happy to greet my children and happy that the battle was finally over. "We will need a lot of help here at Hogwarts…I will be counting on you." I blinked, why would anyone want me back here, around students, knowing who my father was?
She told me that I was going to be her Deputy, second in command, as she was going to be the new Headmistress. "I don't think it will work." "I believe it is perfect, Phoebe, you are a talented witch and you will protect the future generations well. These two will be great students as well, when they come of age." she refused to let me disagree or say no, getting the hall back in order as everyone sat and recovered. "Phoebe, that was amazing!" Molly said as she sat beside me, tears falling from her eyes as she told me about Fred's passing. She took Siryia from my arm as I turned to face Kreacher, "Harry is not dead, you still serve him." "I serve you both." he said simply, giving me a bow as he patted Caelum on the head.
I couldn't stand the eyes on me anymore, I left the halls, knowing my kids were safe with Molly and Kreacher and Livy. I took a deep breath of fresh air, and let out a scream from my soul, all the emotions I had been feeling escaped my body as I screamed, all my grief at everyone I loved being gone, it was overwhelming as I let it all out. I sank to my knees, my throat raw as the last of it left, leaving me feeling cold and empty. "Phoebe?" I turned and saw Harry standing in front of me, his face filled with the same sadness I had just let out. "Sorry…" I croaked and he came over, helping me to my feet and shaking his head. "I wanted to tell you something."
He told me about the stone Dumbledore left him in the snitch, telling me that he brought back Remus, Lily, James and Sirius for a short time before he went to be killed by Voldemort. I froze, he had seen Sirius…questions flooded my mind, did he ask about me, he did know about the kids? Harry didn't give me a chance to ask anything before he opened his hand and a small black stone was lying in his palm. "Is this?" he nodded and placed it in my hand, "Just be careful, I know having him back in any way may seem good, but it isn't the same, it doesn't bring him back." I nodded, understanding what he was saying.
"I'll go sit with Siryia and Caelum. Did you want me to bring them back home?" I nodded, telling him to take Kreacher and Livy with him, that I would be along shortly. I walked along the path, down to the lake and sat on the pier. I turned the stone over in my hand three times, and waited. Nothing happened at first, then I heard his chuckle. "I should have known you couldn't go long without me." I turned and saw him smiling, plopping down beside me on the edge of the water. I couldn't stop the tears from falling, it was so nice to see him, to hear him…
"Come now Phoebe, don't cry. It's alright. You did so well." I lifted my gaze to his, he looked so care free and happy. "I named her Siryia. And Caelum is so big now." he nodded, placing his ghost of a hand over mine as I held the stone tight, knowing that if I dropped it he would disappear. "Harry told me. She is beautiful and I see how big he has gotten. They are both perfectly wonderful, you are doing so well. I couldn't be happier if I tried." "I would be happier if you were here with us…you should be here with us. It's not fair." I admitted, wanting to feel his touch again.
"Alas, life changes. I would give anything to be here with you, to feel your touch, hold my son and daughter. You have no idea how hard it was to know I had broken my promise to never leave you or our family. I failed you and I am so sorry about it. But my love, you must go forward, your father is gone, your life is what you make it, create a beautiful future for our children and the children of our friends. I will always be watching over you and our babies. You have to let me go, I can not remain here, it's not the same and it's not good for you." I sighed, I understood it, but having him here, even like this was better than never hearing or seeing him again. I didn't want to give that up.
I stood up and he joined me, facing and smiling at me. "Phoebe Black, I will love you forever and always, you are my one true love, from the moment I met you. I was so lucky to have you in my life, from the moment you put me in my place to the moment you kissed me goodbye. You taught me how happy my life could be and gave me two of the most beautiful children, filling me with pride and joy in my last moments. I have no doubt that you will raise them to be strong protective people, caring and loving, sharing their love with everyone. Seeing the best in people and giving their all to make sure the people that need protecting are safe. You will give them everything they could ever need in life and I will be watching, smiling and laughing as they drive you up the walls, if they are truly my children." I laughed, feeling it was getting to be time to let go…no matter how much I didn't want to.
"Sirius Black, I swore to love you until I was gone from this world, I swear it again now, you are the only man I have ever loved and will ever love. Our children will be safe and protected always until I have no more breath in me. The Black family will live on through them, carrying your family in their hearts. They will know everything that you did in your life, everything you gave so that they could live and have a safe world. They will hold you in their hearts as I do. You will never be far from us, we will join you when our times are up. We will be together in the end. I love you so much my darling, I miss you and will see you again."
He leaned in as if to kiss me and I wished it was real, I wished I could feel it. It was soft and I actually felt it as his lips pressed against mine, for a moment, he was truly back in my arms. I wasn't sure what magic was causing this to happen, but it was fine, I pulled him into my arms and held him a final time. I felt my grip loosen on the stone, his touch was gone, I stepped back and smiled at him one last time before I lifted my hand and let the stone slip through my fingers, dropping into the water. He lingered for a moment, his eyes twinkling as he faded away, his last words whispering in the wind around me, "Phoebe, I love you…"