Chapter 33
The Dark Lord Loses
I cradled my best friend's corpse, sobbing and screaming her name.
"She-Cat! She-Cat!" I said, shaking her. Because Ramona Capodebt couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. Not after all we had been through!
Book fights, her setting fire to Draco's robes, ripping some of Glimmer's hair out, running around my dormitory, how we had met with her jumping onto my head in her cat form, meowing at the top of her lungs. That song that she had written in her third year about us. The Golden Quartet wasn't the same without her. I wasn't the same without her. She was the comic relief, but in that comic relief, she was a good friend.
She was the one that first told me to take a shot with Draco, she was the one that comforted me when Draco and I broke up fifth year, she was always there. She was my best friend! My contagiously insane best friend, but still my best friend! I loved her like a sister…and now…she was dead!
I couldn't look into her violet eyes anymore. Not the way they were open and glassy, looking up at me devoid of the energy she had.
I took two fingers and closed her eyes for her, trying to regain composure to choke out a farewell.
"Goodnight, She-Cat. You served this world well, my friend." I sobbed, laying her down.
At this, I heard a slow round of applause. "And the Academy Award for most dramatic farewell goes to…Hannah Potter for Bug's Best Friend!" Zimmerman laughed. "Guess she's gone to that big chrysalis in the sky."
"YOU!" I snarled, drawing my wand and pointing it at her. "YOU MURDERED HER!" I said, tears still cascading down my cheeks.
"Oh, is ickle Hannah crying?" Zimmerman laughed. "Oh, no need to cry, love, you'll be with your dear buggy best friend in a few moments." she said, drawing her wand and pointing it at me.
I snarled, wiping my eyes and focusing. I was going to avenge She-Cat if it killed me! And it most likely would. She was a Dark witch, but I was Harley Quinn!
"Expelliarmous!" I shouted, flicking my wand.
Zimmerman blocked it, laughing. "Foolish start to our little duel, Potter. A very foolish start. How you're still alive, nobody will ever know. Avada Kedavra!"
I jumped and dodged out of the way, tucking and rolling under a desk and crawling out as Zimmerman advanced on me. "IMPENDIMENTA!" I screamed.
Zimmerman was blown back to the opposing wall. She stood up shakily, laughing. "You've got moxie, Potter, I like that." she praised, grabbing her wand. "But sadly, spirit won't keep you from the body bag long." she pointed her wand at me. "CRUCIO!"
Before I had time to react, I was knocked off my feet, screaming.
Zimmerman lifted the curse. "Now, Potter, you can die the easy way, or the hard way."
I got to my feet shakily, Zimmerman throwing me back against a wall, cracking a few bones and smacking my head into a wall. I slid down with a groan. Where was backup when you needed it?
"Potter, Potter, Potter," Zimmerman sighed, shaking her head and patting my shoulder in a mockingly soothing way. "there isn't anything wrong with dying the easy way. It's quick, it's painless. Two words and you're done, you won't feel a thing."
I snarled, struggling back to my feet. Fuck backup, I was doing this myself. "Your way is the weakling's way out." I said, drawing my wand and hanging it limp at my side. "I'd rather go down fighting over dying quickly and being known for eternity as a coward. If I go down, I'm taking you with me, Zimmerman." I said, pointing my wand at her.
Zimmerman smirked. "The hard way it is, then." she said, pointing her wand at me. "Crucio!"
I was knocked to my knees, screaming again, but I continued to fight. I pointed my wand at her. "AVIS OPPUGNO!" I screamed.
Zimmerman paled as a flock of birds burst from the tip of my wand and started attacking her, giving me time to catch my breath as she killed them all.
"C-Confringo!" Zimmerman screamed as she fought off the birds.
The birds in the way of her wand burned to a crisp as a rush of flame sped towards me.
I cast a quick Flame Freezing Charm, the fire unable to harm me after I cast it over myself. History of Magic had come in handy. Thank you, witch burnings! "Deprimo!" I screamed.
A jet of wind burst from the tip of my wand, knocking Zimmerman to the other side of the room with a scream of "EXPULSO!"
I jumped out of the way, a cluster of desks blowing up behind me.
"Luck and agility will only get you so far, Potter!" Zimmerman screamed. "FURNUCULUS!"
"PROTEGO!" I screamed, blocking the jinx. "Childhood jinxes, really, Zimmerman?" I taunted "A childish jinx for a childish mind, I reckon."
Zimmerman snarled, obviously angry with my outburst. "CRUCIO!"
That did it, I was thrown onto my back for the final time, screaming in unbearable pain as Zimmerman towered over me, taking my dagger out of its holster.
"You know, I've always liked this dagger of yours, Potter." Zimmerman said as I struggled back to my feet. "But I've always wanted to know what it looked like say…here!?" Zimmerman stabbed me in the shoulder.
I grunted, but kept to my feet, gripping a desk to stay upright.
"Oh, no, that doesn't look becoming on you, dear." Zimmerman teased. "How about here!?" she asked, stabbing me in the side.
I ground my teeth together, fighting not to scream as I reached for my wand.
Zimmerman slapped it away, knocking it to the other side of the room. "Too late for ickle Potter, I reckon." Zimmerman said, stabbing me again in the stomach.
I cracked, screaming as loud as I could as I dropped to my knees, Zimmerman taking the dagger out.
"So ends the famous Hannah Potter. Such a shame you won't be able to die in your precious Dragon's arms…but he may just carry you to your casket at your funeral!" Zimmerman cackled. "Care to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?"
I coughed, feeling blood pour down my chin as I struggled to get up. All these years Harry had been telling me to stay down. But this time, his advice could go, to use Drosie's term, fuck a duck.
"I had said that if I was going down, I was taking you with me." I said with a weak laugh, coughing up a little more blood. "This one's for She-Cat."
"You wouldn't dare. You're nothing without your precious wand. You couldn't defeat me if you tried!" Zimmerman started laughing maniacally.
I growled. "Just watch me." I said, lunging for her throat.
Zimmerman grabbed me and threw me down, getting on top of me.
I curled my knees into my chest, kicking her in the stomach and forcing her off me as I lunged for her again.
Zimmerman grabbed my upper arms as she fought for control. It was easy for her to overtake me. I was only five foot three and ninety pounds, she was taller and heavier. And on top of it all, I was getting weak from blood loss.
"Weakening already, eh, Potter?" Zimmerman taunted. "Tell your Mudblood Mummy hi for me." She said, making for my dagger.
I screamed, rolling on top of her as I stretched, trying to make it to my knife first. I pulled her hair as I reached for it.
"You fight like a girl!" Zimmerman said. "Why not take me like a woman!?" she asked, grabbing my hair and pulling.
I screamed, wrapping my leg over her back and forcing her down.
"Idiot Death Eater." I said with a laugh, coughing up a little blood. "You honestly thought that I didn't know how to fight? I was raised in a male dominant house!" I got up and put her in a full nelson. "Harry taught me a little bit…and my cousin used some of his Interschool Boxing Championship of the Southeast winning moves on me! You pick some stuff up, Zimmerman. Sucks to be you, doesn't it?"
Zimmerman twisted my arm, making me release her as she crawled for my dagger.
I jumped on her, reaching, reaching for it as she got closer.
When we were a breath away from it, our fingers interlaced and the battle was on again. Slapping, punching and biting, I was determined to win this for She-Cat. But I was already so weak from the blood loss…I couldn't fight anymore.
Zimmerman won the fight, grabbing my dagger and making to stab me.
I used my last ounce of physical strength to make a dive for my wand, grabbing it and pointing it to her, struggling to my feet and holding myself up.
"I'll see you in hell, bitch." I said. "Avada Kedavra!"
A blinding flash of green light overwhelmed me. The last expression I saw on Scarlett Zimmerman's face was angered surprise.
As quickly as I heard her body collapse with one final scream, there was a blinding pain in my chest.
I looked down, and saw the dagger of Salazar Slytherin, my dagger, deep in my chest, barely missing my heart.
I collapsed to the floor, coughing up even more blood than before, moaning.
Zimmerman was right about one thing. This was how it was going to end for me. Lying solo among the dead. Without anyone to console me before I faded to black.
I spoke too soon about no one to console me. Just as I closed my eyes to wait for death, I heard the door burst open and an unfamiliar, alarmed scream.
"No…NO!" If I hadn't heard him whisper "No." I would have never known that Draco Malfoy could make that sort of sound.
I heard him sprint to where I was and he gently took the dagger out of my chest, placing my head in his lap, him whispering "No…" the entire time.
I groaned when the dagger finally came out of my chest. The removal of the dagger didn't seem to help, if anything, it only made me bleed more.
I gave another groan, forcing my eyes open to see Draco crying, wrapping my hand in his and squeezing it.
I found a sudden burst of energy to reach up and touch his face, wiping his tears.
"Don't." I whispered.
Draco took a deep shaky breath, sobbing out Safe and Sound as I found myself slipping away.
They say that as you're about to die, or dying, you see your life flash before your eyes. I was certainly no exception.
My years of Hogwarts flashed slowly before my eyes. Some things were quick, like my Sorting, all the fights and the Triwizard Tournament. But some things went slower than others. The things I knew I wanted to take my time to remember. Things like my first kiss, the Yule Ball, Draco saving my ass all those times…yeah, and the sex.
Safe and Sound was the soundtrack to these memories…and as Draco got to the part where I normally fell asleep, I felt my hand on his face slip. I squeezed his hand, looking into his eyes.
Here is where Voldemort lost. His main goal was to make sure I suffered as much as possible and met a painful death. But at that moment, as I felt myself slipping away, I felt safe, at peace almost. The pain from the stab wounds had diminished. Draco had me, I was safe and content. I didn't want to die. But I was ready for it. As long as Draco was with me, I wasn't scared and Voldemort's plan was defeated. The Light side's weapon was being used that night on the cold, bloody floor of the Transfiguration classroom amongst the screaming of the battle.
Voldemort was cold and unfeeling. The one thing he didn't have was what powered me up until this. Love had gotten me this far, and love would carry me on.
"I love you." I whispered before my hand fell from his face, falling limp at my side. My eyes closed.
…
Draco's POV
"No…no!" I sobbed as her eyes shut. I kissed her forehead, crying into her hair.
She couldn't be dead…it was impossible. She had to live. No one deserved to die this young! Especially not her! Not after what I had planned!
I wanted to marry her one day and settle down. I wanted her to belong to me and no one else. She was not supposed to die this young! She wasn't supposed to go this way. She didn't deserve to die on a cold floor in a pool of her own blood.
"Stay with me, please." I sobbed, stroking her hair. "I love you so much, Hannah Potter. Don't leave me!" I pleaded.
Her heart was weakening, the beat almost inexistent. She was losing too much blood.
"No…no!" I said, cupping her chin. "Hannah, no, don't do this to me!" I pleaded, tears stinging the corners of my eyes and falling down my face, taking in her body as someone opened the door.
I drew my wand, sending a Stunner towards the door.
"No…" I heard a Russian accented woman say, rushing over. It was one of the Erofeevs. Ekaterina Erofeeva to be exact, the most regal Russian pure bloods in the world. Pretty much the Malfoys of Russia.
I locked eyes with her violet ones as her brother Michael came in to grab Zimmerman's and Capodebt's bodies
"What happened?" she asked, handing me a handkerchief from her handbag and setting it aside.
"S-She got stabbed." I said with a sob, wiping my eyes.
"It looks bad." Ekaterina said calmly.
"It looks bad?" I asked. "She's dead!" I sobbed.
"Actually, no, you idiot Brit." Ekaterina said, shaking her head. "She will die in a few moments. Her heart's still beating, but very weakly. I can keep her alive long enough for you to get her to the Great Hall, the rest will be up to Madam Pomfrey." she grabbed her handbag and started digging through it. "I might have something in here somewhere…"
I looked up and saw her applying lipstick.
"Are you serious!?" I asked.
"Sorry, you look good, you Heal well." Ekaterina said, stowing her lipstick away and grabbed a bottle and her wand.
She poured the contents of the bottle down Hannah's throat, forcing her to swallow as she scraped the dried blood from Hannah's chin and muttered an incantation in a sweeter voice than when she first arrived with.
"Punctured stomach and collapsed lung." Ekaterina muttered. "But it could've been worse. Zimmerman's main target was the heart. Hannah must have killed her as she threw the dagger."
I sighed in relief.
"She's not in the clear yet, Malfoy. She's severed a couple arteries, get her to the Great Hall fast! She can still bleed to death. The rest is up to Pomfrey, she's more experienced than I am."
I nodded, grabbing Hannah and sprinting as fast as I could through the flashes of light and screams to the sanctuary of the Great Hall.
The minute I burst through the door, I saw Duff, Alexander and her dragon, McDougal, Blaise and Blake look up from Capodebt's body and gasp collectively at the sight of me covered in Hannah's blood.
"NO!" Ivy screamed, getting up and sprinting towards me, bawling.
Blaise got up and grabbed Ivy. "What happened?"
"Zimmerman." I said.
Ivy snarled, busting out of Blaise's arms and racing towards Zimmerman's corpse. "THE FUCKING BITCH! SHE TOOK TWO OF MY BEST FRIENDS WITH HER! BRING HER BACK SO I CAN KILL HER MYSELF!"
"Ivy, Ivy, Ivy." Blaise whispered, brushing hair from her face as he held her back
"SHE KILLED HER! SHE KILLED MY BEST FRIEND!" Duff sobbed, trying to fight her way out.
"She's not dead yet." I said.
"No?" Duff said, wiping her eyes.
"If it wasn't for Ekaterina, she'd be dead by now." I said. "But we need Pomfrey."
Just as Duff was calming down, I heard a gasp and someone scream.
"No…NO!" It was almost impossible to me that Harry Potter could make such a scream, but as Hannah was yanked from my arms, I saw Potter sobbing as he brushed hair from his sister's face.
"Mei-Mei…oh, Mei-Mei…" Potter whispered, taking a shaking breath. "What happened?" he asked.
"She was duelling Zimmerman." Duff said. "The bitch stabbed her before Hannah killed her."
"She took my two best friends with her!" Alexander said, sobbing as her dragon hovered over Hannah, eyes glistening with tears.
"She's not dead." I said for the second time. "Ekaterina stabilized her enough that I could get her here alive. Pomfrey needs to do the rest."
"Right here." Pomfrey said, coming over and placing a hand on Hannah's forehead. "Lay her down, I can handle it."
I nodded as Pomfrey made room, nodding to me to set Hannah down.
I laid her down gently, refusing to let go of her hand as Pomfrey fussed over her.
"By god, it's like she was in a Muggle automobile accident!" Pomfrey said, shaking her head. "She's very lucky to be alive, Mr Malfoy. Collapsed lung, punctured stomach, both of which critical injuries! But…they look as if they've been made non-life threatening."
"Ekaterina Erofeeva." I said.
"She's very lucky Miss Erofeeva arrived, she would surely have been dead if she didn't arrive and you didn't get here when you did."
I sighed in relief. "Will she live?"
"That, I cannot say. She may live, she may not. It's all about her strength level." Pomfrey said.
"You'd be surprised." I said, brushing hair from her face as Pomfrey dabbed Dittany over the stab wounds, stitching them together and watching them heal.
Pomfrey scrambled to get potions for her severed arteries, the collapsed lung, the punctured stomach.
…
Hannah POV
I felt someone pull me to my feet and I looked down at my clothes, they weren't bloody!
"Ok, what the hell's going on?" I said, looking around.
Everywhere I looked was white with a light, airy, glowing atmosphere.
"HOLY SKINNER, I'M DEAD!" I said panicking.
"Hellion." a familiar voice said behind me.
I whipped around to find a man with shaggy black hair, hazel eyes and wearing round glasses.
"DADDY!" I screamed, jumping into his arms.
"Hi, kiddo." Dad said, ruffling my hair. "Someone's been dying to see you."
"Mon petite!" a woman said behind dad. A woman with long straight red hair and Harry's emerald green eyes.
"MUM!" I said, sobbing and throwing my arms around her. "Mummy, am I dead?" I asked. "Did Zimmerman kill me?"
"No, Hellion." Dad said. "You're not dead. You're in limbo."
"Not dead, but barely alive." Mum said.
"Mum, I don't want to die!" I said, eyes welling with tears.
"And you aren't." Mum said, taking my shoulder and kissing my forehead. "Draco-"
"The amazing bouncing ferret." Dad added with a laugh.
"James, this isn't a time for jokes! Our daughter is scared!" Mum said angrily. "Like I was saying, Ekaterina and Draco worked to try and stabilize you before Draco ran with you to Pomfrey." Mum said. "They're working on you right now."
My eyes widened. Draco had ran through the battle to save my life? Risked his own life for mine?
"Hellion, we're so proud of you." Mum said.
"Yeah, a regular chip off the old block." Dad said. "Except Slytherin? Really, Hellion? Slytherin?"
"James!" Mum said, turning back to me and wiping my tears. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there while you were growing up. But you've grown into an intelligent, clever, talented-"
"Powerful." Dad said.
"That. And a beautiful young lady." Mum said, kissing my temple again. "We may have not been with you physically, but we were there in spirit. Your Sorting, all your talent shows-"
"You kicking ass in the Triwizard Tournament!" Dad chirped.
"That, and we'll be there through everything else." Mum said, glaring at Dad to keep him quiet. "I wish I could be with you at your wedding, Hannah. I really wish." Mum said, crying.
"Lily," Dad said, wrapping an arm around her. "don't talk about that, she's my little girl!" Dad said. "My little girl that I won't be able to walk down the aisle." Dad wrapped an arm around me.
"But we'll be there in spirit." my parents said, hugging me tightly.
"I love you, Mum. I love you, Daddy." I said.
"I love you, too, Hannah." Mum and Dad said together. "Our little Horcrux."
"Horcrux!?" I asked.
"Yes, Hellion, Voldemort made nine Horcruxes. You and Harry were the Horcruxes that he didn't intend to make." Dad said.
I smiled. "I'm not…I'm not dreaming, am I?" I asked.
"Of course you're dreaming, Hellion." Mum said. "But does that mean that this can't be real."
I creased my eyebrows. "That doesn't even make sense, Mum." I said, suddenly feeling Mum and Dad slackening. "What's going on!?" I asked.
"They're pulling you out of limbo." Mum whispered, kissing my forehead, Dad following suite.
"No, wait, there's still so much I want to know about the future!" I said.
"You'll find out, Hannah Bear." Dad said.
"You just need to wake up." Mum said.
In an instant all I saw was dark, hearing the screams from the battle, the shouting of curses and the anguished crying of family and friends of the dead.
But all I heard was silence, the hushed voices of my friends. I couldn't hear my brother or Draco at all.
"It's beating." Ivy whispered.
"What is?" Blaise murmured.
"Her heart. Harley lives!" Sheila sobbed happily.
"What'd I tell you lot?" Blake said. "She's a fucking warrior."
"Oh, fuck." Blaise said.
"What is it, Blaise?" Ivy said.
"Someone's gotta get Draco!" Blaise said. "He ran into the battle the minute her heart stopped beating!"
"The moment your heart stops beating, I'll be begging for them to kill me." Draco's voice rang through my head.
"No…" I whispered, willing my eyes to open. He thought I was dead! It couldn't be too late.
"Han." Ivy said, sighing in relief.
"Draco…" I whispered, looking around and sitting up. I was definitely in the Great Hall. The stab wounds that I had were scars, and they were healing over.
Everyone looked to Blaise, who had swallowed.
"Where's Draco?" I asked.
Blaise licked his lips, the instant tell that something wasn't right.
"Where's Draco?" I asked again, growing desperate for information.
"Well…" Blaise said.
"Blaise!" I said, tears in my eyes.
"Well, it started when your heart stopped beating." Blaise said.
What!? Mum had said I was in limbo, not dead! "What does that have to do with anything?" I asked.
"The minute it stopped beating, he was gone." Ivy said. "Decided to go Edward Cullen on us and turn himself in to the Volturi."
"Or in our case, the Death Eaters." Sheila said.
My eyes widened as I bolted up, grabbing my wand.
"No, Hannah, you may be too late!" Ivy said, grabbing my arm.
"Hannah, this is what the Death Eaters want!" Sheila said, grabbing my other arm.
"This is what Voldemort wants!" the girls said together.
"I don't care!" I said, trying to escape. "Let me go!"
"Hannah, it might be too little too late for this!" Ivy said.
"Ivy, let her go." Blaise said.
"Blaise, you're supposed to be on my side!" Ivy said.
"Trust me, would you be doing the same thing if the tables were reversed and I was out there?" Blaise asked.
Ivy sighed, releasing my arm. "Valid argument. But we could be too late, Blaise, Malfoy could already be dead."
My eyes welled with tears as Sheila let me go. The minute I was completely free, I started running out of the Hall.
I hadn't even gotten to the door when Voldemort's voice rang through my ears, mixed with triumphant cheering from the Death Eaters.
"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!"
