DISCLAIMER FOR WHOLE STORY: I own nothing but my own imagination.
HP and all characters pertaining to that are the sole property of Warner Brothers and Miss JKR.
FOUGHT IN A WAR
by Sa1boy
Additional material and beta work: Evil Auntie Snape
Dumbledore has been detained by one of Voldemort spies at the Ministry, leaving Harry and his friends to face the threat that has just arrived at the gates of the school. Voldemort has taken the War to the front doors of Hogwarts; and along with Bellatrix and Lucius, has arrived with his Death Eaters, hell bent on the destruction of the Potter Boy. Unlikely allies are found and bonds forged on this day. But ultimately, who was the spy who sold our hero's down the river?
I fought in a war and I left my friends behind me.
To go looking for the enemy and it wasn't very long.
Before I would stand with another boy in front of me.
And a corpse that just fell into me, with the curses flying round.
And I reminded myself of all the words you said when we were getting on.
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady boy to wear.
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you, as if you're waiting for.
This letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while. /I>
b>on the field of battle /b>
"You see to the wounded quickly, Ron. I'll be fine," Harry commanded, as he returned to the fight.
"Crucio!" Harry fired a curse at the advancing Death Eaters.
"Ron, promise me that you will tell him! Now go, GET OUT OF HERE!"
Ron took off from the battle, pulling a wounded student along with him. The nod he gave Harry was enough so that Harry knew his best friend wouldn't let him down. What he asked Ron to do for him was the single most important thing in Harry's possibly short life.
"If I fall in battle today, please let Draco know. Tell him that he was the only person I have ever loved."
Harry did not think he would win today's battle. By forcing his friend out of the line of fire, there was hope that Ron would eventually let Draco know, once and for all, Harry's true feelings.
Ron ran away from the heat of battle, managing to pull one student after another to safety. Tears of fear running down his bloodied face, he was too scared to turn and see the state of play on the battlefield.
Harry, using wandless magic, was duelling with four Death Eaters at once. Spells, counter spells, and curses were flying back and forth. Even with his increased power, four were still a handful. Bellatrix Lestrange fired Crucio after Crucio at him, all of them bouncing off his inner shield. She could tell, however, that he was weakening.
Lucius Malfoy came into view and fired unforgivable curses in all directions. Molly Weasley was hit square in the face, and went down. Blaise Zabini, who had defected to the side of light, was hit by the Avada Kedavra; all life leaving his body in a puff of green smoke.
A centaur fired poisonous arrows indiscriminately. It had been hit in the face by a blinding spell cast by Voldemort himself as he entered the battle. One arrow penetrated Harry's shield, hitting him in the back. Pain writhed through every vein in his body. He continued to counter each curse thrown at him.
"HERMIONE, I'M HIT! TAKE OUT THAT CENTAUR!" Harry ordered.
The familiar green smoke of the Avada Kedavra hit her at that precise moment. Lucius Malfoy, with a grin a shark would be proud of any day, claimed the kill.
"NO!" Seeing his other best friend die, Harry screamed with all the pain that was building within him.
Harry had seen too many friends die this day. Lucius Malfoy, Lestrange, and Voldemort descended on Harry and the few wizards of light that were left. Severus had fallen, and Ron had taken him to the hospital wing. A person or persons unknown, clearly the traitor, had detained Dumbledore at the Ministry of Magic.
Behind Harry, Draco was coming out from under a stunning spell cast on him by his father at the start of the battle.
Voldemort spat, punctuating each word with a menacing step forward and a spell shooting from the tip of his wand. "NOW YOU…WILL…DIE…POTTER!"
"Not at your hand, FUCKWIT!" Harry sneered resolutely at his darkest of enemies.
Draco appeared by his side, his wand outstretched. He was prepared to die beside his new friend.
"Draco, clear out," Harry commanded. He took a deep breath and screamed at the other wizards battling along side him, not daring to take his eyes off of Voldemort.
"ALL OF YOU CLEAR OUT NOW, RETREAT! THAT IS AN ORDER!" He noticed the blonde standing resolutely by his side. "Draco please, do this for me! I don't want to see you hurt! FUCKING GO!"
"Harry, they will kill you! You can't hold that shield for much longer." Draco yelled back. "You saved my life as well! I'll never understand you, but let me repay the favour! Let me fight with you!"
"Draco, I'm not going to die this day, NOW RUN! GO!" Harry yelled in a voice that accepted no refusal.
Draco almost tripped over himself running from the duel that was taking place between Voldemort and Harry. Lestrange and Lucius were just bystanders now, denied the chance to kill Potter by their master.
"That's it Lord, kill the boy!" screeched Lestrange.
"The only people dying here today are you and your scum followers, TOM!"
Harry exuded a confidence never before seen by anyone. "Prepare to meet your maker!"
Harry tapped on all his powers for one last spell, clenching his fists. The air around him whirled into a mini-cyclone. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Green light shot from his outstretched hands, hitting Voldemort, Lestrange, Lucius and a few more Death Eaters close enough to feel the wave of death as the energy spanned out from the Boy Who Lived. All light wizards had thankfully managed to scramble to safety. All that the wave hit died, instantly. The only Death Eaters that did survive, apparated out of the battle immediately.
Harry Potter, Saviour of the Wizarding World, collapsed on the floor, a highly toxic arrow in his back, his magic energy all but spent. As he fell into a deep sleep, he could hear a voice speaking to him.
"Don't you die on me! Harry, please don't die on me! There is so much I have to tell you, YOU FUCKING GRYFFINDOR! Why did you have to go and save the world?"
Tears streaming down his face, Draco Malfoy cried uncontrollably as he carried Harry to the hospital wing. He felt like his heart had been ripped from his body and stamped on repeatedly.
"Stay with me, Potter, don't you dare die! GET OUT OF THE WAY! MOVE IT, YOU FUCKING ARSEHOLE," A very distraught Draco Malfoy was screaming for half dead wizards to get out of his way as he entered the Hospital Field Tent. The need to protect was paramount within him, as was the need to save the one who had saved him.
"Madame, Madame! Quick, it's Potter, he's dying! YOU'VE GOT TO SAVE HIM, PLEASE!" Draco's sobs were loud and heartfelt, "You have to save him, please!"
Draco sat by Harry's side after the medi-witch had removed the arrow and administered counter poisons. But they feared the worst. The poison had gotten into Harry's central nervous system. The witch told him that if Harry's own magic replenished itself, then he might be saved If not - well, she didn't want to think about that.
"Mr. Malfoy, you will have to leave now. He needs rest. You can come back later and see how he is then," she said, startling Draco out of his emotional thoughts.
"I'm not leaving him, Madame. He saved me today. When he tells me to go, I'll go. Until then, Merlin himself will not move me from his side!" Delivering the trademark Malfoy death glare, he made the medi-witch back down temporarily.
In the background, she noticed Professor Dumbledore had finally shown up. Severus Snape was by his side, speaking in whispered tones, but not low enough to stop Draco from hearing.
"What is the prognosis, Poppy?" asked Albus Dumbledore.
"Mr. Potter was hit by a Centaur's arrow. It delivered nerve serum into his central nervous system. If it wasn't for Mr. Malfoy Apparating nearby and fetching him to get my help…well who knows what could have happened?"
"I'm sure you did everything in your power, Madame," Snape drawled sarcastically. "Will the 'Boy Who Lived' recover from this near death experience?" This question was so unfeeling in its delivery it earned raised eyebrows from both Dumbledore and the medi witch.
"A little more compassion, Severus, if you please. Harry saved the wizarding world again today, I think we owe him our lives," the Headmaster commented.
"Yes, Albus, he will recover, of that I'm sure, but to what state is entirely another question. The poison was in his blood well before Draco brought him in. Luckily, his own increased magical power stopped the effects from setting in straight away. Any other wizard would have been dead within thirty seconds. Mr. Potter had the poisons in his system for at least five minutes. I fear that when he does regain consciousness, he may never have the use of his limbs again. Time will tell. However, he will need a constant companion until he heels properly, if he ever heals at all."
Draco could feel the tears running down his face. Not wanting to alert the three that he had heard every word they said, he kept his sobs to himself. "I won't leave you, I promise, Harry, I won't leave you," he quietly vowed.
Harry could hear voices. They sounded like they were in a swimming pool, all echoes, and shushing sounds. He could detect one voice above all others, but he could not remember whose it was. As his mind wondered about this, he heard singing in his head.
i> I fought in a war, and I didn't know where it would end.
It stretched before me infinitely, I couldn't really think.
Of the day beyond now, keep your head down pal.
There's trouble plenty in this hour, this day.
I can see hope I can see light.
And I reminded myself of the looks you gave when we were getting on.
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady man to wear.
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for.
This letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while. /i>
Then the lights went out, as Harry fell into a deep sleep.