CHAPTER ELEVEN

NEW FRIENDS AND OLD ENEMIES

Harry was standing there, frozen, still unable to believe what he had done. The previously bewitched corpses were now spawled on the floor, motionless. Dobby was standing in between them, his giant eyes sparkling with tears.

"Harry Potter!" he squealed. "You killed him!"

A screech split the silence.

"NO!"

Lucius Malfoy was staggering towards Dobby, his wand raised.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Dobby vanished in a puff of smoke. The jet of green light struck the wall directly behind where he had been.

"YOU COWARDLY ELF!" bellowed Lucius. "COME BACK AND FACE YOUR MASTER!

"SHUT UP, FATHER!" shouted Draco. "YOU'RE NOT HIS MASTER ANYMORE!"

Lucius looked at Draco, his eyes full of rage.

"YOU… FOOLISH… LITTLE… BLOOD-TRAITOR!"

Draco took a step backwards, but Lucius had seen it.

"Don't even try to escape your father's discipline!" he roared, kicking Draco in the chest as hard as he could. Draco fell to the ground in a heap, the wind knocked out of him.

"What are you thinking!" he screeched, every word he shouted serving as a beat to kicking Draco. "YOUR MOTHER WOULD BE"
"MY MOTHER'S DEAD!" cried Draco, tears spilling from his eyes, as he shielded his face from his father's kicks.

"STOP!" cried Harry. "Expelliarmus!"

Lucius flew backwards, landing flat on his back.

Harry ran forwards. Lupin, McGonagall, Draco and Ginny followed. Malfoy saw them coming, and tried to get to his feet, but tripped over his velvet robe and fell to the ground again.

"You should have known, Lucius" said McGonagall, "That if he didn't kill you, then Potter would."

"He would never have killed me" said Lucius defiantly.

"He killed your wife!" shouted Harry. "Didn't you see her! Look, right at the end of the hall!"

Lucius looked. There, sure enough, was Narcissa's body. She was stiff and pale; her hazel eyes were wide open, staring down the corridor sadly.

"NO!" cried Lucius. "YOU FOOL!" he cried, turning his eyes to Harry. "YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HER!"
"VOLDEMORT KILLED HER!"
"DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME!"

Harry knew it was no use. He looked at Lupin, who nodded his approval. He turned to Draco, but didn't need approval. Draco had already raised his wand.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" shouted Harry and Draco.

Lucius opened his eyes wide as the curses blasted him backwards. He slammed against the wall hard, from which point he fell to the ground.

Draco was shaking worse than ever.

"I… I just… I just killed my father." He said.

"Draco" began Harry. "You've shown more courage than I ever"

"Harry!" cried Ginny, running forward. "You did it!"

She threw her arms around his neck, and Harry returned the embrace. He wasn't really thinking of Voldemort right now. His eyes began to sting as Ginny spoke.

"Harry, thank you" she said, tears spilling from her deep brown eyes, and falling on Harry's shoulder. "Thank you for loving our family so much. You've given us all hope. Ron might not have survived at school had it not been for you."

A tear spilled from Harry's eye and fell on Ginny's fiery red hair.

"I'm stupid" he croaked, trying not to sound hysterical.

"No you're not, Harry" said Ginny sternly, as Neville and Luna walked over, supporting Hermione, whose leg was bleeding freely.

"Does it hurt, Hermione?" asked Tonks, looking at it.

"Yes" said Hermione. "Thank God it wasn't a poisonous snake."

"Nevertheless" said Lupin, "We ought to bandage it up for the time being." Lupin raised his wand and muttered "Ferula!" Thick bandages wound themselves around Hermione's leg, which, though not relieving the pain, definitely stopped the flow of blood.

"Thanks, Professor" grimaced Hermione. "I think I can walk on it." Neville and Luna cautiously released her. She couldn't walk normally, but she was able to limp. Ginny released Harry as Hermione was coming, as though she knew what was coming. And sure enough, Hermione had thrown her arms around Harry, her eyes sparkling with tears.

"Harry" she sobbed, "Thank you… I"

"Don't say anything, Hermione" said Harry, his eyes still shining and bloodshot. "I don't want to hear about Ron. He's not here. Why do we have to talk about someone who doesn't even exist?"

As he said this, he suddenly broke down, moaning convulsively on Hermione's shoulder.

"Kill me, Hermione! I've been such a horrible person. I let Ron die. His death on my conscience is more than I can bear. Please, make it end! I deserve it!"

"Harry, you are not a horrible person, and you did not let him die!" said Hermione, who neither flinched nor seemed nervous as he laid his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him more comfortingly than ever. "Didn't I tell you already, you're the best person I've ever met? God, Harry, I could never have as much love as you if I went through the things you do! You have nothing to blame on yourself. You don't deserve to die, Harry. You can still get through all of this. We'll help. All of us."

"We will, Harry" said Ginny comfortingly, putting her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it tightly.

"Harry, seriously, anything that'll help you, we'll do it" said Neville.

"I promise I'll stop being so insensitive" said Luna earnestly.

Harry managed a smile.

"You're not insensitive, Luna" he said. "You're a good person."

"But I'm really not" said Luna, irritated. "I've been such an idiot to everyone. Never being a true friend: one who's there when he needs you, one who laughs when you laugh, or cries when you cry."

"Luna, don't criticize yourself." said Tonks. "We all have something bad to say about ourselves, but what good is it to make it known to everyone? They'll know we think we are worthless. Do you really want to be known as one who thinks that?"

"No one wants to be considered insecure" said McGonagall, "especially during their teenage years."

"We love you, Luna" said Lupin. "We don't think any worse of you."

Luna smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"Luna, don't cry" said Harry, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "We do love you. You don't need to be sad."

Luna laughed and cried at the same time.

"Thank you, Harry" she said, returning the hug.

Draco suddenly stepped forward.

"I think I need to make some apologies" he began. "Herm"

"There's no need, Draco" said Lupin sharply. "We know you've changed."

"Don't worry, Draco" said Hermione kindly. "That is past."

Draco smiled nervously.

The sun was just coming behind a cloud, bathing the corridor in a warm, orange light.

"Seriously, Draco" said Ginny, her red hair even more fiery than before. "Let it go. You're our friend."

"How could you consider me your friend?" said Draco, looking at her nervously.

"Because" said Ginny irritably, "I believe you want to come clean. I'm willing to give you a chance."

"Thank… thank you" he said, stunned.

"Sure" said Ginny, smiling. "Now, I really think we should be going. I mean, after all, haven't we got a lot of arrangements to make?"

"Yeah" said Harry darkly. He didn't want to have to go to so many funerals. It seemed too depressing.

"Well, let's be off then" said McGonagall. "Should we go to your home, Ginny?"

"Yeah" said Ginny.

Harry almost didn't want to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley again. The grief and guilt would be too much.

"Well, back to my office" said McGonagall. "Shall I bring your parents' bodies, Draco?"

Draco looked for a moment as though he was going to say yes. But then he shook his head.

"I want to put it behind me" he said. Harry noticed he never looked more somber. "My mother seemed to have things set in order, but I don't want to think about her anymore. I just want to move on with life."

"Alright" said McGonagall, smiling slightly. "Well, let's go then. Harry, you may lead the way."

Harry looked at her, and saw in her eyes a sense of pride he had never seen before. She was smiling broadly at him, her eyes full of light behind her square-rimmed glasses. Smiling back, Harry turned and left the corridor, making his way back to McGonagall's office. As Harry was walking, he watched his friends walk with him: Neville and Luna were on either side of Hermione, who had her arms over both of their shoulders. Ginny was walking on the other side of Harry, walking with Draco, who, though still quite shaken by the events of a few moments ago, looked quite happy. Harry realized finally that these people were willing to do anything for him, even give their lives. Harry felt that he would do the same for them. The happiness was nearly unbearable as a tear rolled down Harry's smiling face as he lead the way to McGonagall's office.