"You invited Hestia?" Daphne hissed into my ear.

We were sat atop the hill in the dark, covered only by the thicket of bushes and shadows of the trees. Ginny had a kettle on a small open fire, making cups of tea for everybody. We could see the entire town of Little Hangleton from where we were, aided by the Omnioculars night-vision mode.

"It only seemed fair," I shrugged in return. "Me and Ginny are here, Hermione's coming. Zabini's in there, too. She has every right to know."

"I don't think they're even still together!" Daphne screeched. "And she's brought her bloody sister too, look."

Ginny also looked dubious as the Slytherin twins arrived. But it wouldn't have felt right to leave Hestia out of this. Though, that didn't make it any less awkward as we exchanged hellos and Ginny helped bring her up to speed. I fought the stupid pangs of jealousy as Flora asked about Draco. He wasn't mine anymore.

"Sorry I'm late," said a breathless Hermione, arriving with a bulky satchel full of parchment and books. "Odd things have been happening at work. I could barely get away."

Ginny quickly introduced us, and Hermione shook my hand. "Ginny's told me lots about you." She pursed her lips, looked me up and down. Clearly, she hadn't made her mind up yet.

"The important thing is we're here in case anything goes wrong," I said to everyone. "Hopefully, we won't need to intervene. But…"

That last but hung in the silence that followed. We all sat directly on the grass, looking at the town through the gaps in the brush.

"How will we know which house it is?" Daphne asked.

"That one." Hermione pointed to an isolated manor further up a hill. "How long ago did they leave?"

"Harry said they would enter at midnight," said Ginny.

"That gives us thirty minutes."

My stomach prickled uncomfortably in anticipation. Hestia and Flora sat whispering amongst themselves. Luna was reading one of Hermione's books upside down. Ginny kept her hands busy, making tea and sorting her bag and clearing twigs from the ground.

"Astoria?" My head snapped up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. It was Flora, wringing her hands uncomfortably. "Can I speak with you?"

I glanced at Daphne, who quickly left and made herself busy helping Ginny stoke the small fire. Flora sat beside me in her place. The glint of moonlight reflected off her bare arms. I found myself wondering if she was cold.

"I know we've never properly met," Flora began. "But I've heard a bit about you."

"Likewise," I said politely.

An unspoken tension simmered in the air between us. Thankfully, she addressed it first.

"You're with Draco Malfoy, right?"

I sighed. "Not really. Not anymore."

"Oh," she said. Then, "so why are you here?"

She was not unkind, I realised. Just blunt.

"I still care about him," I told her. "We have a history."

She nodded.

"Are you here for him too?" I asked, half-joking.

Flora gave a small smile. "No. I'm here for my sister. She's been through a lot."

We sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm really sorry to hear it didn't work out between you and Draco," she said. "He seemed like he cared about you a lot."

It stung to hear those words after what Draco did to me. The pain threatened to return and rip me apart once more. Tears welled in my eyes and I allowed them to fall as my love for him rose up once more.

"I don't know what to do, now," I confessed in a whisper. "All the feelings and memories… I don't know where to put them anymore."

She didn't try to placate me with useless words, as Daphne might have. She simply wrapped her arms around me in a hug, and held me as I tried not to fall apart. I allowed myself a few moments in this state, letting some of the pain out, before recomposing myself.

Just in time.

"Something's happening," Ginny announced, her voice strained.

We all snapped our heads to the house, where flashes of green and red were lighting the windows of the top floor.

"Let's go," I said, jumping to my feet.

"No," Hermione snapped. "We don't know what's going on. We could be more hinderance than help."

"Why are you here again?" I asked.

Daphne snickered. I hadn't meant to lash out, but my pain was turning to anger fast. And with the adrenaline soaring through my body, it had to come out somehow.

"Because Ron is in there," Hermione replied, her cheeks turning pink. "Facing Voldemort."

"Exactly. We need to go and help."

"I just don't think we should go rushing in!"

"And what if Ron dies?" I asked, seething. "Will you be glad we didn't go rushing in then?"

"Stop it!" Ginny shouted, before Hermione could reply. "Let's put it to a vote. Who wants to go now?"

I raised my hand, as did Daphne and Hestia.

"And who wants to wait?"

Hermione, Ginny and Flora raised their hands. A smug smile broke out on Hermione's face.

"Her vote shouldn't even count!" Daphne insisted, gesturing to Flora.

"By that logic, neither should yours," Flora said.

"Enough," I decided. "I'm going. Daphne, Hestia?"

They both nodded and stood to join me.

"Keep a lookout," I said to Hermione and Ginny. "Or don't. Either way, we'll be in there."

They both shifted uncomfortably. I took Daphne and Hestia's hands, and prepared to disapparate.

"I'm coming too," Ginny said quickly. She got up to join us. We made a bizarre circle of hand-holding, like a cult. Ginny glanced back at Hermione. "Are you sure you're staying here?"

"Oh, fine," she snapped, getting up to join us as well.

"Well I'm not staying here alone," Flora murmured.

"Wait," Hermione said, before we turned. "What's the plan?"

"The plan is we get to that room of the house," I said.

"What about-

"Oh, come on!" I roared, impatient. "Let's just fucking go."

I held my breath during the apparition, concentrating with all my might so I wouldn't get splinched. I had my potion in my pocket, but even so, we didn't have time to tend to me bleeding to death. Thankfully, I arrived all in once piece.

We crept in through the door to the house, almost clumsy with so many of us. We each held our wands aloft, lit with lumos. There was an eerie feeling to the house, despite the absolute silence from the moment we arrived. I'd been expecting to enter a battleground. But this was more like a wasteland.

We crept up the stairs and along the landing. Just as we reached the room at the end, a loud crack ripped through the air. I broke into a sprint, reaching the door first and pushing it open, ready to take down a whole army of death eaters.

Instead, there was only Harry, breathing heavily and sporting a bloodied head wound.

"Harry!"

Ginny came into the room next, launching herself at him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He barely seemed to notice her as he took in the sight of us all.

"He's… he's back," he gasped. "Voldemort."

We all stared in shock.

"He took the others… the bodies… I'm the only one who made it out."

He kept talking, outlining a battle that had taken place in the room, but I glared at him skeptically. While he was still distracted talking to the others, I crept forward, and lunged at him mid-sentence.

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, catching his wand in one hand and restraining him against the fireplace.

"Astoria, what are you doing?" Ginny growled, moving to take me down.

"He's not Harry!" I shouted quickly. I stared at him in the face. Hermione gasped behind me. "Voldemort would never leave without the real Harry Potter. He'd want revenge at any cost. So, who are you?"

"Astoria," he said slowly, "I barely managed to escape. I bet he doesn't even know yet."

"What were the last words you said to Ginny?" I asked, fighting to keep a tight hold of him.
"This is unnecessary-

"Go on," Ginny said, eyeing him warily. "What were they?"

Harry paused, his lips pressed together in concentration. "I love you."

Ginny's eyes flickered to mine. "It's not him."

Fake Harry gave up the pretence at that moment, with six wands pointing at him. He rolled his eyes and laughed. "Sorry to disappoint," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm afraid the truth is… Potter's dead."

Ginny blanched. The fake Harry laughed once more.

"Weasley's dead. Zabini's dead."

I stared at him in horror.

"Draco's dead. He surrendered. He was ready to join the Dark Lord, but Voldemort tricked him. He had his revenge in the end."

His chest puffed in pride, and the words escaped his lips just before the stunning spells all caught him in the chest.

"They're all fucking dead."