Chapter 57. Battlegrounds
Astrid watched as Harry patted Neville on the shoulder, leaving the Great Hall in search for something. Everly cried into her mother's shoulder, holding fistfuls of blonde hair as chaos ensued around them, students and staff scurrying everywhere. Astrid rubbed Everly's back and hushed the child as best she could.
"Astrid!" A voice called over the crowd of students frantically leaving the Great Hall. Astrids head looked about for the voice, eventually finding a friendly face in the crowd.
"Molly!" Astrid breathed, pushing her way to the woman and embracing her.
"Oh, I'm so glad you found her," Molly sighed, stroking the back of Everly's sniffling head softly. "We searched for you, after the wedding, we feared the worst… but Minerva got word to us, that you were here… with Snape." Astrid detected the uneasiness in Molly's eyes, did she really doubt her loyalty too?
"The Dar- Voldemort," Astrid corrected, straightening her shoulders and taking a deep breath, "he gifted me to Severus, as… a prize, I've been captive here as much as the students, I promise you Molly."
Molly looked deep into Astrid's eyes, though she felt the young woman wasn't telling the whole truth, she could tell there was a lot of honesty in her words. Molly nodded and patted Astrid's cheek lovingly.
"I need your help in that case dear, your father taught you protective enchantments?" Molly asked. Astrid nodded hesitantly, her free hand pressing against the wand in her pocket. Would she remember how to cast them?
"Then you must come with me," Molly said, pulling on Astrid's sleeve.
"I'm not taking Everly into a battle Molly!" Astrid's voice cracked as she pulled away. She pulled Everly tight to her chest. "I won't put her in harms way, I'm sorry."
"I'll take her." A familiar voice chirped up from besides the blonde woman. Astrid turned to see the red and white matron dress of Poppy Pomfrey; her white hat slightly wonky from the rush around them. "You know I will protect this little girl with my life Astrid,"
Astrid stared at the older woman a moment as she thought, so many thoughts flew threw her head, and in the end, she went with her gut. Astrid nodded, and passed her child over to the matron. Everly yelled, screamed, arms and legs flailing as she was separated from her mother.
"No! no!" The toddler cried, her face turning red. Poppy wrapped her arms around the child protectively.
"I love you." Astrid choked, taking her daughters tiny hand in hers and planting a kiss upon the girls' little fingers. "Please, keep her safe." Astrid's eyes pleaded with Madam Pomfrey's.
"You have my word; I will take her down to the dungeons with the students who cannot fight." Poppy told Astrid.
"I will see you both there when all this is done." Astrid nodded, and with that she watched Madam Pomfrey lead a group of underage students out of the Great Hall, Everly squirming and fighting on her hip.
"You are a good mother Astrid." Molly told Astrid as she squeezed the young woman's shoulder. "Now, we must be going."
Molly led Astrid out of the Great Hall and into the courtyard where Minerva McGonagall was instructing Mr Longbottom and Mr Finnigan.
"That's the spirit, off you go." Minerva waved the two boys away as Astrid and Mrs Weasley approached.
"You do realise, of course, that we can't keep out-you-know-who indefinitely." Professor Flitwick told the three women, his voice had a slight tremble to it.
"That doesn't mean we can't delay him… and his name is Voldemort Fillius, you may as well use it, he's going to try to kill you either way!" Minerva pursed her lips and spinning around, pulling out her wand. "Piertotum Locomotor!" She cast.
Astrid had only ever read about this in a book about the history of the castle, her eyes opened wide as she witnessed it happening for the first time in hundreds if not thousands of years. The stone knights that guarded the entrance to the castle, lining the walls up and down the entryway animated and came to life. Jumping down from their perches and landing with a giant thud. Their stone bodies stood, and marched down the steps passed the group of women. Astrid's mouth hung open in awe as she watched them march towards the bridge, weapons in hand.
"Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries! Protect us! Do your duty to our school!" Minerva shouted.
"Wow." Astrid breathed under her breath.
"I always wanted to use that spell." Minerva giggled to herself. Flitwick stepped down into the courtyard and raising his wand to the sky began to cast a multitude of protective charms. Molly elbowed Astrid lightly and smiled to her as she also stepped into the courtyard, wand drawn and raised to the sky.
Astrid put her hand into her knitted cardigan pocket, and felt the handle of her wand, it felt into her palm with a rigid familiarity and she grasped her fingers around it and pulled it out. She stared at it for a moment, uneasy.
"When did he give you that?" Minerva asked over Astrids shoulder, as she looked down at the wand in her hand. Everyone at Hogwarts knew the History of Magic professor didn't have the privilege of using a wand.
"Lucius brought me it yesterday… said I might need it soon." Astrid breathed as she looked upon a small mark where the two halves had been joined. Minerva disapproved at first, but her hard face softened, and she lay a delicate hand on the girls arm.
"At least, above everything else, he loves and protects you." Minerva sighed as she stepped down the stone stairs. Astrid's stomach flipped as she nodded in agreement, guilt wracking her entire body.
"Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri, Repello Inimigotum…" Molly began chanting.
"Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri. Repello Inimigotum…" Minerva joined in.
With shaky hands Astrid raised her wand to the sky, her arm trembling. Closing her eyes she allowed the feeling of magic to fill her once again, pushing that tingling feeling towards her wand hand she too began to chant the words.
"P-protego Maxima…. Fianto Duri…. Repello Inimigotum!"
Silver streams shot from the end of her wand, firing up into the starry night sky, and soon a silver barrier of light began to crawl over the school, building a protective dome around the castle.
Astrid made her way up the stairs of the tower, passing by Dean Thomas as she walked along the hanging walkway. She spied Remus Lupin ahead, speaking with Kingsley Shacklebolt. Astrid's heart dipped in her chest; out of everyone she expected the most animosity from Remus. Anxiously stepping forward she took deep breaths.
"Hey Dean!" Shacklebolt called over his shoulder, his eyes briefly passed over the young woman a few feet away before settling onto the Thomas boy. "With second thoughts, tell Professor McGonagall we might need one or two more wands this side."
Remus looked over his shoulder to smile at Dean Thomas as the boy took his leave, but the smile dropped from his face when he saw Astrid Moody stood not so far away, wand in her hand.
"Do you plan on cursing us in the back Astrid? That's very much your boyfriend's style isn't it." Remus' lip curled as he narrowed his eyes on Astrid. Kinglsey pressed a hand to Remus' arm firmly.
"She's here to help, that's Alastor's daughter… she's not going to turn on us Remus, and we can't say no to an extra wand." Kingsley told him. Remus sighed, nodding in agreement.
"Fine, but I want you in front where I can keep an eye on you Astrid." Remus told her firmly, Astrid simply nodded, manoeuvring around the werewolf she now saw for the first time the scale of the battle. Hundreds of white flashes crashed against the silver protective dome, they exploded like beautiful white fireworks, lighting up the sky.
"Oh my god." Astrid breathed.
"Are you still content with your choice? You wouldn't rather be on the other side?" Remus asked. Astrid scoffed, shaking her head.
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
"See, her fathers' daughter." Kingsley smiled.
"There's so many of them…" Astrid breathed as she watched the spells hit the barrier in droves.
"It is the quality of one's convictions that determines one's success… not the number of followers." Remus said, his chin held high.
"Who said that?" Kingsley wondered aloud, he almost wondered if they were Albus Dumbledores words.
"Me." Remus smirked.
"Astrid?" A voice called out from behind them. The three of them turned and Remus' face lit up with a genuine smile. Astrid's lips too curled up into a grin as she was practically tackled to the floor by a pink haired woman.
"Tonks!" Astrid cried, embracing the woman tightly.
"Oh my god, I thought I'd never see you again, oh look at you, where's Everly? Did you get her back?" Tonks asked, her words practically vomiting out of her mouth at great speed as she held Astrid at an arm's length and took a good look at the young woman.
"I did, she's safe, with Madam Pomfrey." Astrid nodded.
"You won't guess… I'm a mummy too now," Tonks smirked. Astrids mouth fell open, and her eyes flashed to Remus for a second. "We have a son! Little Teddy!"
"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Astrid smiled, pulling the woman into another tight embrace.
"We are going to get through this, for our babies." Tonks whispered into Astrids hair. Astrid nodded into Tonks shoulder, and the two women finally pulled apart.
Sometime later, after standing guard for only a short period of time. Astrid watched with the others, wands drawn, as the silver dome began to crack under the weight of the spells, one large stream of white light hit its crumbling shell and the protective barrier began to fall away in orange flames.
Astrid watched as Tonks and Remus reached out for each other. Astrid smiled sadly, and in that moment her mind flashed to Lucius, who she knew who would be out there somewhere, with Lord Voldemort. She hoped he was safe, that he would stay safe.
"This is it." Kingsley Shacklebolt warned Astrid from her side. She nodded, and tightened the grip on her wand.
"I'm ready."
Minutes later death eaters appeared in black smoke, smashing through windows, erupting the room in flame and shards of glass. Astrid dodged shots of green, and back-to-back with Kingsley Shacklebolt, fended off a group of unrecognisable death eaters. They fell to the wooden floor of the platform, faces frozen from her stunning spell. She didn't know them, it didn't surprise her that Voldemort would send in his lowest ranking death eaters first, to face the brunt of the battle. She hoped that Lucius had not fallen so far out of the Dark Lords graces that he would be sent in first. The onslaught carried on, death eaters appearing from everywhere in shrouds of black. Through the madness and chaos Astrid spotted something out of the corner of her eye in the distance, the familiar short blonde hair and black suit of Draco Malfoy apparating into the castle grounds. He paused for a moment, before running off in the direction of the dungeons.
Astrid pulled away from Kingsley's back. And he shot her a puzzled glance, his eyes worried that she was injured.
"I'm sorry I have to go do something! I will be back!" She shouted over the chaos as she backed towards the stairs.
"We will hold the fort until you return." Remus nodded as he stunned a death eater that appeared behind her. She gave him a curt nod, and the werewolf nodded back before returning his attention to the battle. Astrid's feet pounded down the stairs, dodging shots of green and jumping out of death eaters' way as she ran in search of the Malfoy boy.
Astrid ran through the castle, her eyes peeled for the black clad blonde-haired boy.
"Stupefy!" She yelled, her spell hitting a small female death eater in the chest and causing her to shoot back into a stone wall. Astrid carried on down the corridor, where would he have gone to? She thought to herself. She imagined he was probably not here for good reason. Sent by the Dark Lord…. Or his father, to do some bidding. As she pondered of all the places Draco could be going she rounded the corner and bumped into two bodies. Astrid screamed, startled with fright she held her wand out at the two.
"Professor Moody!" Hermione gasped; her hands held up to her face. Astrid lowered her wand with a deep breath.
"What are you two doing sneaking around, I could've hurt you!" Astrid yelled, amongst her scolding, she was dragged into a hug by the young girl. Hermione embraced the professor tightly.
"It's so good to see you! Everly?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"Safe." Astrid told her simply. "What are you doing with that?" Astrid pointed to the parchment she knew as the infamous marauders map, she'd been told about it, and it seemed everyone had use of it at some point, except for her, it was only legend to Astrid.
"Trying to find Harry!" Ron huffed, his eyes scanning the map.
"There he is!" Hermione sighed with relief. "He's just vanished… I'm sure I saw it…" A deep rumble from above stopped the three of them in their tracks as they looked up at the trembling ceiling. Astrid gulped.
"Maybe he's gone to the room of requirement? It doesn't show up on the map, does it? You said that last year." Ron said, struck by a moment of genius.
"That's right… I did." Hermione breathed.
"Oh no." Astrid sighed, snatching the map from Ron's hands. She swallowed hard. "Draco."
She spied the Malfoy boys name, along with Blaise Zabini and Gregory Goyle, heading towards the spot Hermione had just pointed to on the map.
"Please Draco, don't… I think he's going after Harry." Astrid sighed as she handed the map back to Ron.
"Let's go then!"
As Hermione, Astrid and Ron came to the room of requirement, its doors revealed themselves to the trio. As all three were about to step inside, a blood curdling scream let out from down the hallway. Astrids eyes snapped to a werewolf attacking a student.
"Go, I'll be right here when you find him!" Astrid called out as she ran towards the scream.
"Professor!" Hermione called after Astrid, but Ron dragged her into the room of requirement, and slammed the door shut behind.
Astrid fired two spells at the werewolf, which seemingly did nothing to stop the creature attacking the boy, he was a third year, Astrid recognised him from her class.
"Get off him!" Astrid yelled, firing another spell at the horrid animal, who was ripping the boys flesh apart piece by piece. He had stopped screaming now.
"Stupefy!" the spell did nothing. The werewolf raised its head finally, finished with the boy he looked at Astrid now. With trembling hands, she faced the monster and raising her wand once more she uttered a spell she didn't even know would work.
"Sectumsempra!" Astrid yelled. The spell hit the werewolf square in the chest, sending it staggering backwards onto two legs, grasping at it's wound. Deep lacerations and cuts began to open up across the werewolf's flesh, blood seeping into its dark fur. With a whine and a whimper, it dropped to the stone floor, its blood pooling under its body.
When Astrid was sure the werewolf was down, and not getting back up anytime soon. She dropped to her knees next to the third-year boy. His neck was torn open, ravaged by the animals' teeth, claw marks adorned his face and torso, ripping apart his Hufflepuff cloak. His green eyes stared at the professor, unblinking, unmoving.
"Alfie?" Astrid asked with a choked sob, she pressed her hand to the boy's cheek. "Alfie can you hear me?"
Astrid covered her mouth as she felt for a pulse, nothing. Pulling away she wretched violently, and emptied her stomach of bile near a pillar in the corridor. She held onto it for dear life as she threw up violently. Breathing deep and slow she eventually regained herself, and crawled back over to the boy, and with a gentle hand closed his eyes. There was commotion down the corridor, near the Room of Requirement. Astrid turned and stood to move towards the noise when a body slammed into hers, sending both individuals crashing to the floor.
"Ah!" Astrid groaned, grasping her hip, which had slammed against the stone floor with great force. Looking around she saw the toppled body of Draco Malfoy, desperately trying to crawl to his feet.
"Draco?" Astrid asked in a croaked sob. Draco's eyes turned towards the young woman before him, and he took in her image. Astrid. His mouth hung open a second, before he threw himself at the professor, burying his face in her hair as he held her close, he sobbed violently into her shoulder.
"Draco, what's happening, what are you doing here?" Astrid asked, stroking down the boy's hair. He shook his head against her, unwilling to tell her the despicable plan he had tried to carry out. Astrid pushed him away at an arms-length and looked at the distraught boy before her.
"Where's your father?" She asked shakily. He shrugged his shoulders, his face twisting. "Severus?" Astrid asked with a choke. He shrugged again. Astrid nodded. Draco's eyes settled on the body of Alfie, and they widened horrifically. He knew that boy, pushed him into a wall once or twice, tripped him in the Great Hall…
"Go, find somewhere safe." Astrid told him, but her words fell on deaf ears as he stared at the body of the third-year boy. "Draco!" Astrid yelled, shaking his shoulders. "You must go, find safety, or… help fight this battle."
Draco nodded slowly as Astrid helped pull him to his feet.
"I- I… I'm sorry." He choked, pulling himself from Astrids hold he ran off down the corridor, rounding a corner and disappearing from sight. Astrid watched in silence for a moment before remembering the commotion, and turned on her heels and headed straight for the Room of Requirement.
When she arrived, she was blessed to see Harry, Ron and Hermione, all fairly unharmed. Harry sat, his back against a stone wall, his entire body shaking and trembling.
"Harry!" Astrid exclaimed, dropping to her knees next to him, she gripped his shoulder as she stared in the boys blank eyes.
"Professor! You're okay!" Hermione gasped; she noted the maroon that now smeared the Professors white cardigan.
"It's the snake." Harry said suddenly, with great realisation in his voice. "She's the last one, it's the last Horcrux."
Hermione and Ron looked to each other with a sigh, before nodding in silent agreement.
"Look inside him, Harry." Ron told his friend. "Find out where he is, if you find him, we find the snake! We can end this!"
Harry closed his eyes, and his body squirming and lips trembling, the boy did as his friend asked, and searched for the Dark Lord.
Deep breaths.
Laboured breaths.
"I know where he is."
The four of them made their way through the castle, dodging spells, avoiding death eaters, running, hiding, crouching, sprinting. Harry pulled Hermione back by the hood of her sweatshirt, a spell hitting exactly where she almost stood.
Walls and ceilings crumbled around them as they ran through the castle, large chunks of stones falling to the castle courtyard as they passed through. Glass littered over their heads as the great big windows above them smashed dramatically. They bypassed death eaters, giants, and spiders as they tried to make their way to the Dark Lords position: the boathouse.
Dementors came towards them, flocking in the hundreds, their arms outstretched ready to take the souls of whoever they could reach. Astrid held out her trembling arm, and cast her patronus, along with Aberforth Dumbledore, sending the creatures into retreat away from the silvery light. Astrid watched for a moment as she silvery elephant charged the dementors, sending them reeling back to the hills. She smiled.
"Here down this way!" Astrid called as she headed towards the stairs that led down the cliffside, and the four of them padded quickly away from the battle field and down towards the edge of the black lake.
They all crouched as they neared the boathouse, as quietly as they could they tiptoed up to the windows, spying inside, in search of the Dark Lord. They could hear voices within, two speakers, both of whom were instantly recognisable to Astrid.
"You have performed extraordinary magic with this wand, My Lord. In the last few hours alone…" The voice of Severus Snape told the Dark Lord. His deep and monotonous tones vibrated through the thick air. Astrid's heartbeat got stuck in her throat as she peered through the glass, seeing the headmaster stood, hands clasped behind his back as he addressed the Dark Lord.
"No! No… I am extraordinary… but the wand, resists me." Voldemort sighed.
"There is no wand more powerful… Olivander himself has said it." Severus told the Dark Lord firmly. "Tonight, when the boy comes… it will not fail you, I am sure. It answers to you… and you only."
Voldemort stared at his most loyal disciple; his eyes wide with doubt.
"Does it?" He asked, almost sarcastically. Severus returned the Dark Lords sarcasm with a puzzled look, a small smile on his lips.
"My Lord?"
"The wand… does it truly answer to me?" Voldemort asked as he rounded Severus, like a predator circling its prey. "You're a clever man Severus… surely you must know… where does its true loyalty lie?" Voldemort asked as he began to walk away.
"With you… of course My Lord." Severus said reassuringly.
"The elder wand cannot serve me properly… Because I am not its true master. The elder wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner…" Voldemort informed Severus. Of course, Severus knew this… it was the reason he had not allowed Draco to be the one to kill Dumbledore, knowing what might come to the person who put an end to the great wizard's life.
Astrid's heart practically stopped as she listened, her breaths were strangled in her throat. She wanted to jump up, scream out, stop what was about to happen. Harry sensed her frantic panic and gripped her wrist tightly, anchoring her to the ground below the window. Astrid's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the boy-who-lived. Harry shook his head no slowly.
"You killed Dumbledore Severus." Voldemort told Snape. "While you live… the elder wand can not truly be mine." Astrids heart tightened, tears slipped from her eyes as she swallowed hard. "You've been a good and faithful servant, Severus. But only I can live forever…."
"My Lord?" Severus asked slowly. But the Dark Lord slashed the headmasters throat with a spell, sending him toppling backwards against the glass, where he slid to the floor. Astrid jumped, covering her mouth she held back sobs as Severus' shadow pressed against the window in front of her.
"Nagini… kill!" Voldemort ordered. And then horrifying noises filled Astrids ears, the sounds of the snake attacking Severus' limp body, over and over again. With each attack, Severus' body made impact with the window, blood splattering across the diamond patterned glass. The thuds echoed through Astrids brain as tears streamed down her cheeks and over the fingers that clasped her mouth closed. Harry grimaced, what a horrific way to die. He watched as Astrid sobbed silently. He wondered why she would spare so many tears for a man like Severus Snape.
The sound of Voldemort disapperating away gave the cue it was okay to come out of hiding. Astrid was first to jump up, with no hesitation she threw open the door to the boathouse and ran to Severus' side, dropping to her knees she took his hand in hers.
"Severus?" She choked, her cheeks wet, her nose running wildly. His pained eyes looked about her face, her beautiful distraught face. It gave him comfort to know she cared so much. He tightened his fingers as best he could around her hand. His eyes spied the maroon that smeared her clothes, his pained eyes flashed with worry. Astrid looked down and choked out a sob.
"I-It's n-not mine."
A tear slipped from Severus' eye, running down his pale cheek.
Harry knelt slowly next to the two professors, watching with slight confusion the tender moment they shared. He held a hand to the headmaster's throat. Pressing on the wound with hope it might help. Severus looked to Harry now.
"Take them." Severus choked out, motioning to his tears. "Take them."
"Give me something!" Harry cried to Hermione, "Quickly, a flask, anything!" she fumbled through her bag, eventually finding a vial, she pulled it out and handed it to the boy. Harry held the vial to Severus' cheek, capturing a tear.
"T-Take them to the pensieve." Severus told Harry. His eyes flashed back to Astrid. "A-Astrid." Severus choked out, reaching out his trembling hand, he cupped her cheek. "I w-wish… in another time…"
"I know." Astrid cried, nodding, she didn't need him to explain, taking his hand from her cheek in hers she gave it a firm squeeze. "Me too."
Severus turned back to Harry, after seeing the face of his second love, he wanted to gaze upon the eyes of his first love one last time before he slipped away.
"Look at me…" Severus said to the boy. "You have your mothers' eyes."
Moments later, Severus Snape took his final breath, his head rolling back, he finally found peace as Astrid placed a sobbing kiss to his to the back of his hand before laying it softly on his knee.
"Oh Severus." Astrid sobbed, pawing at her eyes.