A Second Chance

by Breanie

Part 2 Kismet Trilogy: What if Sirius didn't spend twelve years in prison but was given a trial after 4 years? Follow the story of Sirius Black as he learns what it means to be a father/brother/guardian & the story of Harry Potter, a young boy with a loving home who learns about the Marauders from the two men who should have raised him. Slow-burn Hinny. M for sex & violence.

320. The One With the Attack on Hogsmeade

Author's Note:

DISCLAIMER: This is from Seriously Sam who insists I have to say this in warning. "You should be within an 8km radius of a hospital while reading because you may suffer a heart attack."

You're welcome. I hope you enjoy this.

To those of you who write reviews as anonymous GUESTs or leave Tumblr asks as Anonymous — I have no problem with you wanting to be anonymous, but maybe you could sign it as something you'd like so I know who you are? Anything you want. Peanut Butter and Jelly OR Amy OR Bob OR Guest #312. Just something would be really helpful in helping me knowing who is asking these questions or I'm assuming it's all the same person! Thank you in advance!

Reviews and Comments: To notthatchhavi: Yes, Theo and Sebastian are spending as much time together as they can! Of course Oliver loves Theo! Everyone loves Theo! Ron is proud of his arse and wants to know who wrote the article so he can make them set it right. Is that too much to ask? Yes, Ron and Harry cuddling! They love each other and are not ashamed to admit their bromance. Yes, it was Seamus and Dean! Well, Seamus, Dean was more just along for the ride. Yes, Remus was a true Marauder in talking to Ginny. Thank you! To anjagpotter: I love that you laughed out loud at the nap scene. I thought we needed some Ron and Harry time. Thank you! To Yusraa Ifthikar: Thank you! Theobas are goals! Glad you enjoyed Ron and Harry's nap and yes, I promise Harry doesn't die. To Chiku11: LOL! Honestly, I've never imagined Harry with anyone other than Ginny, but if Harry decided he liked men, Ron would be his only choice. Hands down. Thank you! To anamigeller: I shall take your "holy shit" and I present you with "hold my beer." To Srishti: Sorry, no early post. Thank you!

To gemini614: Best friend male napping should definitely be a thing! There's nothing wrong with it and Harry and Ron do need some quality time together! Happy to make you smile. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you. And no worries. To Griffind00r: The cliffhanger won't kill you — but this one might ;) Thanks for loving the napping scene. It was needed. Bas is definitely such a softie and they are learning more about each other every passing day. Thank you! To She Who Must Not Be Named: Thank you so much for leaving your review here instead of in an ask on Tumblr! I really appreciate it! Yes, Theobas are official! We will see some of Sebastian's POV of their relationship, yes, but it will mostly be Theo's. I am excited for you to read the actual smut scenes of Theobas, because if the snogging ones make you fluster… just you wait. I love that you loved the nap moment aka Joey and Ross inspired moment. The boys needed that. Bas replying 'Theo's' to Daphne definitely made Theo's heart swell. Thank you so much!

To Sara: Thank you! I'm glad that everyone loved Bas claiming that he was 'Theo's' in response to Daphne's flirting. Yes, Seamus wrote the list. We won't see more about it for a bit because there's an attack going on, but soon. Harry and Ron's bromance is adorable and I needed to show more of it. Harry is always adorably worried with Ginny, even when it's Ron. Thank you! To wolfjinx15475: I know, I missed some bestie time between Ron and Harry so, it was much needed! Yes, Theo and Bas can get hotter, trust me. You think Daphne is giving off some bad vibes? Interesting. Yes, Harry is in trouble and so is everyone. To alix33: I'm glad you liked Sebastian's flat. Thank you! To darkhk: *Cooly blows on my nails.* Thank you. To Person: Yes, it was a cliffhanger, but just wait! Thank you! To Steelcode: Bas already knows Theo is amazing, he doesn't need to listen to Oliver. Yes, the darkness has begun. Thank you! To Nightwing2013: SeBas makes me laugh. I'm sticking with Theobas. But yes, they are getting hot and heavy. Harry and Ron are already completely in love with each other, that's an accepted rule. No, I have up to chapter 336 completed, but that's not where the story ends. Thank you.

To Mutt N. Feathers: Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Ron would definitely disagree and want all of the highlights of the match, even if none of them involved his team making a win. Ha, yes Remus was definitely a Marauder. Thank you! To the Mandalorian terminator: Yes, stuff is getting real. I love Ron complaining about Goldstein to Harry. They are besties. I'm glad you think Daphne is an interesting character. Thank you. To pix25: Cliffhangers are fun — for the authors. To ellyann13: Harry and Ron were very much tangled together. Daphne was coming on to Bas, but she also didn't know he was gay or dating Theo. Sebastian will interview her and make sure she is who she says she is and not under any curses or jinxes before he will take her to Wiltshire Manor. We will learn more about Seamus later on. Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Thank you! I love giving Harry sass and you know he feels stronger and braver with Ginny standing next to him. Romione are precious, I agree. Thank you!

To JamesTKent: Voldemort does like to ruin people's dates, doesn't he? Thank you! To GodMIsha: Thanks for finding the nap scene so hilarious! Hmm, I don't know what's different about my writing since my break. I hope it's a good different. To EnigmaticEmperor: Thanks for loving my sass in this chapter! It was so fun to write! To Shouldna: Thank you! Yes, Pansy will be excited to see Daphne again. To Guest: It's true, there really never is enough Hinny scenes. I love Harry and Ron's bromance. Someone needs to set Voldemort and Bellatrix on fire? I mean, you're not wrong… No, I will not be writing a POV from Oliver, LOL. Sorry. Thank you! To Shivani: You can wait until Saturday, I promise! Theobas are official and they definitely love making out. Ron is very comfy and Harry enjoyed his nap immensely. I love that everyone loved Bas responding that he was Theo's to Daphne. This makes me very happy. It is only you, Gin, and she knows it. Thank you!

To amelialanders: Thank you! Yes, Harry and Ron napping was inspired by Ross and Joey from Friends. To akshutalankar: Thank you! I hope you think it is when you read it! To BrookGuitar: Thank you. There will be an update when there''s supposed to be LOL. To the frozen flame: Thank you! OMG, homeysexuality had me dying! Thank you so much for that laugh! I really do hope straight men "treasure the unclose and personal time with the bros." Thank you! Something off with Daphne, yes, but it's not a trap. Thank you! To puttyman24: Thank you! I think there are a few surprises coming your way. To Derpdude32: They definitely would like to take out Voldemort's fortress, but it's under warding and Fidelius and no one knows the exact location, so that is not possible. Thank you! To Potterhead155: Harry really did just want a nice date. Thank you! To Keephidden1998: Thank you for coming back to ASC! I am honoured that "it has brought you laughs and tears." I am proud of what I have accomplished and I really hope the people will here will be see it through to the end. Thank you!

To Cath: Yes, a cliffhanger! I'm glad you loved the Harry and Ron bit, me too! Thank you! To Mackie919: I wasn't kidding and this one is an even bigger cliffhanger. Just saying. Theo is very happy! Ron and Harry are the best and yes, Ginny's roommates suck (at least Romilda). Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: No, they haven't killed the snake yet, so this is definitely not the end. I love Ron and Harry cuddling! I'm glad you think Seamus makes sense. Thank you! To AQuickRead91: Sorry, cuddling time is over. Now they must fight. Happy it gave you a laugh. My favourite HP book has always been Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-Blood Prince. I can't choose. To katelyn453: Thank you! I don't plan on Harry losing control of his magic again, no. He is older now and has control over it. The bit in 283 was a fluke because of the thought of losing Ginny. To free_bee: Thank you! To briana_t: Thank you! Ha, you think Theo should give Harry and Ron a ship name? I'm glad you enjoyed Harry's taunting to Bellatrix. Thank you! To HarryGinnyLove88: Thank you! It's going to get more interesting (I think).

To ravenclaw_rockchick: I love that you read the last part twice! Thank you! Thanks for loving Harry and Ron and Theo and Bas. To Sovereign Wolf: Thank you! Yes, it was a reference to Joey and Ross. I needed some Harry and Ron time before shit hits the fan. To shuweet: Thank you! To TatiRena: I love that you figured out the author was Seamus thirty seconds before I revealed it! Thank you! To authorwwx: Glad I can keep you on your toes! I love that you guessed Seamus. I was hoping it would be a surprise, but it seems like a lot of people thought it was him. Thank you! To wildstyle_101: Yes, I can leave you hanging like that. If you thought 319 was bad, you're really not going to like 320. Thank you! To LadyRava: Thank you! To skyreader_183: Thank you! Harry and Ginny… well, there's a lot to happen. To BadWolfKris: Thank you! To CorbanD17: Thanks for liking Ginny and Hermione teasing Harry and Ron. To Fanfis01: Thank you!

To Joyce Foesenek: Thank you for thinking Seamus making the list is really funny, I agree! I also think Theo and Bas are really cute. As to the cliffhanger, *blows on nails*, just wait. To AnaGPotter: Yes, tension, action, cliffhanger. You're welcome! Thank you! To AmericanDesi: Thank you! I think you'll like how it plays out. To BleedRedandGold: Seamus writing the list is definitely up his alley! Remus was awkward, but he is trying to be the dad for sure and he definitely talked to Tonks first. To bruh99: Thanks for loving the ending. Theo does need to get Bas a mirror so they can talk more. Thanks for loving the naps! To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To pottermum: I knew you would love the nap scene! Thank you! Lucky for you, it's only a half a week of a wait. To Bellmel: Sebastian definitely likes to put on a show that he's a tough, unemotional guy. With his job, he sees it as mandatory, but with Theo, he wants to let his guard down. I love that he can't keep his hands off of Theo. Yes, Harry met him, but very briefly. Harry definitely told Ginny immediately about Sebastian telling Daphne he was "Theo's." I loved giving Harry and Ron some brotp moments, they deserve it! They definitely were like yeah, we're going to do this again. Remus is a wonderful man and he definitely is a Marauder, giving her hints on how to get away with it. I love him calling Harry his son. Thank you! And you should be terrified and excited for 320. Trust me, this cliffhanger is worse! Thank you!

To Gigi87: Thanks for the long and amazing review! Ha, yes, Voldemort is such a cockblocker! LOL He should know not to mess with a hungry Weasley. Thank you! I like how the fight with Harry turns out so I hope you will as well! Harry did well in his training with Misha, Moody, Kingsley, and Higgins. He held his own, but he also didn't win against all of them. Thanks for loving the nap scene and ha, I think Harry would definitely be the big spoon, but in this instance, he was snuggled into Ron on the sofa. Yes, Harry is definitely a snuggler like Sirius was! Daphne definitely has a secret, but there was nothing off about her. She definitely did expect to charm Bas. She's beautiful and she knows it. I have unfortunately never been to BC, but I have had so many of their delicious wines. One day, I will get out to the west coast! Thank you!

My posting schedule: Weekly.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!

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CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY:

The One With the Attack on Hogsmeade

Pansy hadn't realized how much she'd missed her best friend until Daphne showed up at Wiltshire Manor. Between her and Astoria, she wasn't sure which one of them had screamed louder in excitement. It had been almost five days since Daphne had shown up and yet Pansy still didn't know what had happened to her friend after she went home for the holidays in mid December. She looked over at her friend, watching her carefully.

Daphne hadn't said much. In fact, she's said frighteningly little. All she claimed was that she hadn't married Atticus Macnair and that their father, Octavius Greengrass, had been both furious and indifferent to Astoria disappearing. But he had been furious enough to demand that Daphne make it worth his while to marry her off. Her friend had been quite tight-lipped on the subject otherwise, and Pansy had a feeling that there was something Daphne didn't want her sister to know.

Today was Saturday, the last day in January, and Pansy couldn't believe that she'd already been at Wiltshire Manor for over a month. She was almost three months pregnant and the nausea had mostly subsided. Draco and Blaise helped make the place entertaining and Pansy spent her free time designing and making lingerie for the shop that she desperately hoped to get back to one day. Having Daphne show up had been a blessing and the relief she'd needed.

But she'd arrived on Tuesday and Pansy still didn't know anything about what she had been up to in her absence.

"Will you tell me what happened yet? Now that Astoria isn't here?"

Daphne hesitated. She was holding Grayson, pressing kisses to his cheeks before she finally turned to look at her friend. "What do you want me to say, Pansy? I chose to go instead of coming here."

"Why?" Pansy asked. "Why wouldn't you get yourself somewhere safe as well?"

"I didn't want you to be alone," Daphne said.

Pansy's eyes softened. "Daph… I had Greg. I was… you're not supposed to be selfless, that's a bloody Gryffindor trait."

Daphne laughed. "Sorry. I'll try not to care so much next time."

Pansy took her son from her when he reached out. "You didn't marry?"

Daphne shook her head. "No, but my father was furious. He sold me to Macnair, told him to bid on me."

Pansy lifted an eyebrow. "How much?"

"Does it matter?" Daphne demanded. "The fact that he bought and paid for me like I was an object said enough."

Pansy didn't know what to say to that. Her father had demanded she marry, but he hadn't demanded money from the Goyles to buy her. Had he? Greg had never said anything and she thought he would tell her if he had. He'd been nothing but honest with her.

Daphne tucked her long blonde hair behind her ear. "Atticus was… kind. I admit, it surprised me. After he bought me, he told me to pack up the things I wanted and he took me to his house. He owns a fairly large home in London. He showed me to my own little wing and said that I was to make myself at home."

"Wing?"

Daphne nodded. "I had my own room and sitting room, a massive closet, a mini library. It was lovely. Then he said that he would see me for dinner. I was annoyed and I refused to go down. He was kind about it, but told me that if I didn't sit with him for meals, I wouldn't eat at all."

Pansy bit her lip. "Daph… you said that he was kind?"

"He was," Daphne assured her. "Once I got off my high horse and went down to have a meal with him, he was nice. We talked and he apologized for purchasing me. He said that he just wanted some companionship and didn't think that I would agree to marry him otherwise. He said that the other options my father had lined up for me were not options he would wish upon anyone and that someone as beautiful as me didn't deserve to be treated the way he knew I would be if I had gone off with them. Then he talked about his wife. A lot. He really loved her and he's been widowed for ten years and… I think he was lonely. He told me that he didn't want to force me to marry him and that he would give me some time to consider his offer and if I still really didn't want to, he would let me go free."

Pansy frowned. "Is he a Death Eater?"

Daphne shook her head. "I don't think so. He didn't have the Mark on his arm and he didn't really seem interested in anything that was going on or anything that the Dark Lord was doing. His son was more invested in it. He asked about Gareth."

"Your brother?"

"Yes," Daphne said. "He said that he went to school with my grandfather of the same name, the one who works in the Department of Mysteries, and he wanted to know if my brother was following in my grandfather's footsteps."

"Did Gareth ever take the Mark?" Pansy asked.

Daphne shook his head. "I don't know. He married Giselle and they took off to Italy. Preston was born in August in London and then Father said that they settled in France. I haven't heard anything about whether or not he's following the Dark Lord, but I can't imagine that Father would let him go far, not when he's fixated on me and Tori being married."

Pansy frowned. "Did your brother say anything about Astoria disappearing and you being sold to Macnair?"

"I haven't spoken to him," Daphne admitted. "But he's always idolized Grandfather so I imagine that he didn't oppose me being sold. His wife is a pureblood after all. Pansy, you know that Tori is the only one I trust in my family."

Pansy did know that. Ever since Daphne's mother Laelia had passed away nine years ago from breast cancer, her father had grown colder and colder. Daphne, who had been ten when her mother passed, basically raised her sister. When she'd gone to Hogwarts, Astoria had raised herself, spending all of her time in the library and hiding from a father who generally ignored her. She knew that her friend's grandparents were strong supporters of Voldemort and of the pureblood ideology.

"So, what happened with Macnair?" Pansy asked. "Did he let you go free?"

Daphne hesitated. "I've been living with him since the day after I returned home. We spent Christmas together. He… spent a fortune on a new wardrobe for me. I told him it wasn't necessary and he said that no matter what I chose, it was a gift from him. He bought me gorgeous gowns and dresses, lingerie from Paris, shoes from Italy, the highest fashions in London… he must have spent thousands of Galleons. I took it a lot of it with me when I left."

Pansy stared. "Daphne, did he set you free?"

"Yes. Sort of. I told him that I didn't want to marry someone so much older. I told him that one day I wanted to start a family and that I wasn't ready for that yet and he told me that he accepted it all. But… I did let him…" She blushed. "I let him go down on me."

"Daphne!"

Daphne shrugged. "He wanted to and fuck, Pansy, he was damn good at it. Told me it was his favourite thing to do with his wife and he asked me if he could and well… why not?"

Pansy goggled at her. "I can't believe that you got a sugar daddy who not only spent thousands of Galleons on you, but expected nothing from you except the pleasure of giving you pleasure! I swear that you're the luckiest bloody bitch on the planet."

"I wouldn't say he expected nothing," Daphne protested. "I had to have every meal with him and… okay, yeah, I was pretty lucky."

Pansy scoffed. "What did he say when you told him that you wanted to leave?"

"He was kind," Daphne said. "He told me that he understood and wouldn't stop me. He insisted that I take all of my new things with me, even the jewellery, and told me if I ever needed anything, he would be happy to help me, but I… have to come back to him."

Pansy couldn't stop her mouth from dropping open. "Seriously, Daphne! You should have just married him! You'd be set for life!"

Daphne shook her head. "I didn't just take advantage of him entirely… I sucked him off as a thank you. It wasn't so bad. Look, I just… I didn't want to marry him, Pansy. He was kind, but old enough to be my grandfather and I deserve someone better."

"You do," Pansy agreed. "But he was old and he wouldn't have lived forever."

At Daphne's look, she shrugged.

"I just can't believe that's how you've spent the last month and a half."

"Well… when this is over, I have to go back to him."

"But you said he set you free?" Pansy asked, her brow rising.

"Yes and no," Daphne said. "He's giving me time to be safe and free, but I signed a contract. I have to return to him by this time next year and marry him."

"Or…"

"Or nothing," Daphne said. "I signed a contract. He bought and paid for me. And as you said, he won't live forever."

Pansy stared at her friend. "So, you're still going to marry him?"

"Yes," Daphne whispered. "In a year."

"But he's kind to you?"

Daphne nodded. "He is. But until then… he's letting me be free away from the danger of his son and he Dark Lord. As I said, he was kind. But you've been here with Draco and Blaise and everyone! I can't believe so many people escaped and… Salazar, I can't believe how many of you have babies."

"With another on the way," Pansy said, placing a hand over her flat stomach. "Greg doesn't know."

"He doesn't?" Daphne asked. "He's in the Azkaban Crypt, right? Can't you write to him?"

Pansy shook her head. "I asked Auror Kane when he came, but he told me that Greg doesn't want me to. He's worried that someone will find out where I am. I hate that he worries so much. I love him, Daphne. I didn't expect to, but I love him and I hate the thought of him sitting in prison and not even knowing that we're going to have another baby."

"How long is he going to be in prison?"

"I don't know," Pansy admitted. "He's being charged with a few things. The trial is still ongoing, but Auror Kane assured me that the good outweighs the bad. He was denied bail because he was at Hogwarts last year during the attack. They said it was too serious of an offence. Whatever that means."

"I'm sure that he's okay, Pansy. Auror K would tell you otherwise, right?"

Pansy nodded. "I think so."

"Speaking of Auror K, he is so yummy!" Daphne exclaimed. "That's the kind of man you fantasize about."

Pansy chuckled. "Tell me about it. Once I got over the panic of being in the interrogation room and coming to terms with what I had done… yeah, he's gorgeous. Those blue eyes of his are incredible and that jawline!"

"He's built too, I can tell. Some things robes don't hide."

"Did he flirt back?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "He's bloody gay! Not only did he barely acknowledge my presence, but I was showcasing some great tits the day I met him and he didn't even look! He's dating Theo."

"Well, Theo's gorgeous too," Pansy admitted.

"Theo's gorgeous in that adorable way, Kane is peng in that Zabini way," Daphne corrected. "He kissed Theo right there in front of me. Lucky bastard."

Pansy's lips twitched. "I'm sure he agrees."

Daphne tossed her hair over her shoulder. "What's it been like here? With Draco and Blaise being in charge of everything?"

Pansy shrugged. "Strange. I mean, we all usually have dinner together, but for the most part everyone does their own thing. Your sister spends most of her time in her suite, studying. She's asked about going down into the library, but I don't think she's gone yet."

Daphne frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't know. She doesn't really know any of us outside of me and she's a bit shy, isn't she?"

"She is," Daphne agreed. "I was terribly worried that Blaise would try something with her."

"He hasn't from what I can tell," Pansy assured her. "Besides, I think he may be shagging Aeliana."

"Really?" Daphne asked, her eyes widening.

Pansy nodded. "I think so. She married Holden Ledbury and had a daughter named Evelyn. From what I understand, Holden is in the Azkaban Crypt. He was injured in the attack on Hogwarts last June. She gave their daughter up for adoption just before Christmas."

"Can she do that without her husband's permission?" Daphne asked.

Pansy shrugged. "I'm assuming she must have gotten his consent. It's not exactly a love marriage, is it?"

"I suppose not," Daphne said. "Blaise must be happy someone is paying attention to him."

Pansy snorted. "He's made at least five inappropriate comments about my tits."

"Well, they have doubled in size," Daphne pointed out making her friend shoot her a rude hand gesture. "Besides, Blaise is sexy and definitely the kind of bloke you want playing with your tits and… everything else."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "You're going to sleep with him again, aren't you?"

Daphne shrugged, a coy smile on her face. "We'll see."

The knock on the door had Pansy calling out for them to enter and Draco stuck his head in.

"Hey, we're all down in the parlour if you want to join us. Millie had the wireless on and apparently Hogsmeade is under attack."

"What?" Daphne exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Draco shook his head. "Honeydukes is on fire and last I heard they're evacuating The Three Broomsticks. I don't know much else."

Pansy stood up, holding Grayson on her shoulder. "Is the Dark Lord there or is it like Christmas Eve?"

"He's there," Draco said. "And according to the wireless, he's fighting Potter."

Daphne paled. "Oh, Merlin, he's going to kill him!"

Pansy bit her lip. "I don't know, Potter's been bloody lucky in the past."

"True," Daphne agreed. "But at some point, luck runs out."

Pansy thought her friend had a point and wasn't sure that she liked the sound of that.

If Potter lost, what did it mean for them?

What did it mean for the war?

She had a feeling that no matter what happened today it wasn't going to be good and she had a terrible feeling that something more was going to happen, but she couldn't explain what it was. All she knew was that Potter had been lucky in the past and for the first time that she could remember, she hoped that he was bloody lucky today.

For all their sakes.

~ ASC ~

Seamus watched in amusement as Dean took his time with the chocolate lolly, trailing his tongue over it and savouring every bit. He knew his boyfriend had no idea what he was doing. Dean was oddly innocent with stuff like that, but right now watching him enjoy his candy was enough to drive Seamus completely mad.

They were standing by the back wall in Honeydukes, making up a bag of goodies. Dean had already purchased the chocolate lolly, wanting to enjoy it while they shopped. Mr Flume was always really great about letting students eat in his shop. He claimed that candy was meant to be enjoyed by all for every occasion.

The two of them had spent a rather lazy morning together just walking through the village, stopping in the shops to window shop and chat. They were planning to have lunch at The Three Broomsticks and had been contemplating going back to the castle early. Seamus definitely wanted to go back early. With the way his boyfriend's tongue was gliding along the lolly, he knew that he wanted to jump him as soon as possible. He wanted him naked and under him. Or on top of him.

At this moment, he didn't care. He just wanted him.

He moved over to where Dean was examining a bouquet of Sugar Quills and placed his hand on Dean's bony hip as he leaned in. "Want to get out of here?"

"I'm still looking at sweets," Dean said, licking chocolate from his bottom lip.

"So am I," Seamus said, sliding his hand down to squeeze his boyfriend's flat arse. "There's something very sweet that I'd rather be sucking on."

Dean rolled his eyes. "You have to be the randiest bugger in the history of the world."

"Noted," Seamus said, kissing his boyfriend's arm. "Now let's head back to the castle and do naughty things to each other."

"After," Dean said. "I want to look around some more. And you promised that we could go to that art store."

Seamus sighed dramatically. "It's not my fault that you're so fucking sexy. You just had to suck on that lolly, didn't you?"

Dean gave him a puzzled look before his eyes widened. "Everything becomes dirty with you."

"I'd like it to be," Seamus teased. "That tongue of yours is very wicked."

Dean bent his head to peck Seamus on the lips. "Well, take me to the art store and I'll put it to good use when we get back to the castle."

Seamus grinned. "I'll hold you to that."

Dean winked at him before he turned to head over to the Glacial Snowflakes. Seamus kept his eyes on his boyfriend's tall frame and broad shoulders, admiring him. Sometimes it still surprised him that Dean was his boyfriend and when he looked at him, he couldn't help but smile. He loved him something fierce. He was the first person he thought of when he woke up in the morning and the last person on his mind when he went to bed. He was his best friend and the man he loved and he wouldn't change anything about him for the world.

Except maybe ushering him along back to the castle.

Seamus turned, thinking of how to get him to the art store a bit faster just as something crashed through the roof. Someone screamed and then before Seamus could even make sense of what had just happened, flames erupted in the middle of the shop.

Suddenly Dean had vanished from his sight and all he could see was red and gold flames through a haze of thick black smoke that seemed to be advancing at an alarming rate. The fire seemed to spread quicker than Seamus had ever imagined. It moved up the walls, melting candy and chocolate as people were coughing and choking around him.

"Dean!" he yelled, but between the sounds of the flames and the sounds of others screaming, he heard no response back.

He reached around to grab the person running past him and recognized Anthony Goldstein. He could barely make him out as thick black smoke seemed to permeate through the room.

"Tony! We have to keep people low to the ground," Seamus called out, choking on the smoke. "Get everyone down on their hands and knees. Smoke rises, so we have to stay low and get bubblehead charms on people as fast as you can!"

Anthony nodded, coughing as he fell to his hands and knees on Seamus' orders. They both quickly performed the charm on themselves as Seamus followed Anthony on his knees, doing his best to keep his eyes peeled in the darkness. His eyes burned as he attempted to help move people away from the centre of the shop where the flames were starting to spread more rapidly. He performed bubblehead charms as quickly as he could, helping those who couldn't. He moved towards the door to the back alley, carefully using his hand to test if the door was hot. He slowly pried it open and when he saw that there were no flames, he shouted for people to come forward.

People began to crawl towards him, coughing and choking on the smoke. Not everyone had been able to get a bubblehead charm into place. Seamus could hear some people crying as he guided them through the door. He used his wand to strengthen the charm on himself before he shouted.

"Go! Go on! Keep going! Don't stop," he urged.

With every person that passed through, his heart became more and more worried when he didn't see his boyfriend. He could hear the alarms going outside, letting him know that the Official Fire Broomgade were close by and when Anthony held out his hand to pull Seamus from the building, he shook his head.

He needed to find Dean.

"Seamus!" Anthony shouted, coughing as he did. "Finnigan!"

Seamus ignored him and turned back into the fire. He slid on his stomach, dragging himself as low to the ground as he could. His eyes burned from the smoke and when he reached the wall, he took a moment to cough a bit. He needed to stay close to the wall, he remembered, if he stayed close to the wall, it would reduce his chance of getting lost in the smoke.

He felt something before he saw it, crashing headfirst into a sharp elbow. He carefully rolled the body over, recognizing Ambrosius Flume in the low light of the spreading flames. Seamus knew that he was unconscious and he coughed hard, losing himself for a moment. Despite the charm, the smoke was still penetrating. He conjured a rope and tied it around himself before carefully tying it around Flume. He moved up to his knees and pulled on the rope, working to keep himself low to the ground as he slowly dragged the man through the shop to the exit. He left him by the open door before he turned back towards the smoke.

He needed to find Dean.

It felt like hours, but he knew that it was only moments as he crawled across the floor. It was so dark, he felt like he'd lost all track of space and time. He didn't remember where the exit was or which way was the right way to get out. He fell onto something, someone, and when he slid his hand over them, he realized that he'd found him. His heart leapt into his throat as he touched Dean's leg. He slid himself over his boyfriend's body to put a bubble head charm on his face before he pressed his ear over his chest. The feel of a heartbeat almost made him want to cry.

"Come on, Dean. Come on, love," he begged, trying not to cry as he used the rope again to tie it around Dean as well as himself.

He knew better than to Apparate. With the crackling flames and the smoke, the magic would be unstable. He could barely keep himself conscious and if he attempted to Apparate and to take Dean with him… Seamus knew how badly he could splinch both of them if he tried. He started crawling again, pulling Dean along with him as his muscles strained from the extra weight. It felt like days as he dragged himself through the thick smoke, hoping that he was going in the right direction. Flames shot out from the right, engulfing an entire wall. Seamus threw himself over Dean as the wall went down.

"Come on," he said, more to himself than anyone. "Come on."

He started to crawl again, dragging Dean with him. The muscles in his arms ached. He could feel himself losing strength as his eyes burned.

"Fire broomgade, shout out!" a voice called in the distance.

"Here!" he croaked. "We're over here!"

He kept moving towards the light ahead, pulling Dean with him.

"Fire broomgade, shout out!"

"Here!" he croaked again. "Here!"

It was only a moment before two wizards in OFB uniforms appeared before him. They ordered him to hold on and soon he was being dragged from the fire, coughing as he did. Healers rushed forward to check on them and Seamus' eyes sought Dean's.

"Dean! Dean, please! Is he okay?"

The wizard who had pulled them out put his hand on Seamus' shoulder. "He will be. You saved his life in there. And by the rope around you, I'm assuming it was also you who pulled Ambrosius Flume from the fire as well."

Seamus coughed in response.

"That was incredibly brave," the wizard declared. "I'm LFF Grant. How did you know to do that?"

Seamus coughed again. "It's what I want to do. I… applied," he finished, coughing more violently this time.

The lead fire flyer smiled. "You've got the heart for it."

Before Seamus could respond, it felt like a wall smacked against them. People screamed as some kind of energy knocked them back. Windows shattered and the ground cracked. Seamus reached his hand out into the air only to feel a solid wall out of nothing.

Seamus' eyes fell on Dean's unconscious form as a healer removed his bubblehead charm to examine him. He had a feeling that this fire wasn't the real problem and he had no idea what that meant.

~ ASC ~

Theo had been disappointed to get an owl from Sebastian that morning, cancelling their date. Apparently something came up and he'd been assigned to report to the Magical Intelligence Agency for eight that morning. He understood that dating someone with such a high-pressure job meant cancelling a date here or there was bound to happen, but he was still a bit disappointed at not being able to see him today.

Ginny had spoken to Fred about getting him a communication mirror and he'd mailed off his own last night, using Hedwig as Harry claimed that she could use a fly. Fred had assured him that it wouldn't take more than a few days as he was positive they had a box of VainMuch mirrors somewhere in the house. Theo was anxious for it as it meant that he would be able to talk to Sebastian more. Maybe even on days like today when their plans were cancelled.

He decided to make the most of his day alone and enjoy himself in Hogsmeade. He knew that Harry and Ginny were going to have a date in that Italian restaurant and he figured Ron and Hermione would be nearby. He caught sight of Seamus and Dean laughing as they window shopped and couldn't help but smile at the completely besotted look on Neville's face as he walked with Hannah through the snowy village.

Luna and Channing were sitting in the tea room and he noted that Anthony Goldstein and Mandy Brocklehurst were a table over from them. He purchased his cappuccino with cinnamon on the top to go and nodded at Colin who was sitting with Freya by the window. It seemed that everywhere he looked he could find couples in love. He knew that Harry and Ginny wouldn't mind he if invited himself to join them, but he also knew how much they'd been looking forward to their day. He didn't want to intrude. He sipped his cappuccino as he walked through the snow, debating whether he might as well just go back to Hogwarts and work on his homework when someone called his name.

He turned to see Ciara waving at him and he waved back, making his way down the street to where she was with her friends, Mila and Julian.

"You three staying out of trouble?"

Julian shook his head. "Nah."

"We tried to go into the bookstore, but the owner wouldn't let us in," Mila said. "Apparently a half-vampire and a half-fae are bad for business."

Julian's cheeks reddened. "And I'm working for the enemy."

Theo put his hand on Julian's shoulder. The poor kid had definitely been given the short end of the stick. His mother had been under the Imperius Curse and while cursed had isolated him out and claimed that he needed to change who he hung around with and basically change his whole perspective on the world. She wanted him to ditch his friends and to start working towards better goals. When Theo had gone to lecture him on hurting Ciara, the poor kid had actually burst into tears. Now that Norton was known to have been under the Imperius, he knew the whole family was facing scrutiny. She was still in the Azkaban Crypt being kept there until she was fully healed and no longer under any magical strain from the Unforgivable Curse.

"You're not working for the enemy, Julian. People are struggling with who to trust and right now, you're part of the not trusting group. It's not against you personally and people will get over it."

"And what about me?" Mila demanded. "Just because my dad's a vampire doesn't mean that I'm going to go around and start attacking people! Do you know how many people see me and immediately cover their neck?"

Theo sighed. He did know how mad people could be. It only took a little bit of panic and people overreacted to things that they couldn't control. It made him sad to think that it was being taken out on young kids like this. Mila definitely didn't deserve that kind of punishment just because she had a parent who was a vampire.

"I know. I can't imagine how hard it's been for you three, but all I can say is that in time, it will get better. Sticking together is always a good thing."

Mila scoffed. "Besides, as if the neck is the only place to even drink blood from. Dad always says that he prefers to take it from the thigh anyway."

"Not the point, Mila," Ciara said, rolling her eyes. "Uncle Theo, want to come back to Hogwarts with us? There's nothing in Hogsmeade that we think is fun anymore."

Theo wrapped his arm around her when she leaned into his side. "I get it, little duck. All right, well, how do you three feel about sneaking into the kitchens and having some ice cream?"

Julian grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah, sounds good to me."

"Don't you have your own friends?" Mila asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Don't you have manners?" Theo shot back.

Mila's lips curved. "You really want to hang out with us?"

"Well, my plans were cancelled last minute and all of my friends are out on dates. I know that I would be welcome to join any of them, but I don't want to impose. So, I think that ice cream sounds pretty great. Don't you?"

Mila shrugged. "Sure. I mean, it's no blood sundae, but I suppose it will do."

"You don't even drink blood, Mila," Julian said, rolling his eyes.

Mila shrugged. "I'm just trying to prove a point, Julian!"

Theo gave them an amused glance as he led them away from the Shrieking Shack and back through the village to head back towards the castle. He noticed that as Mila ranted, Julian fell back a step to walk next to Ciara. Theo bit his lip to stop himself from grinning when he watched the boy's arm ever casually brush against hers. He'd suspected that Ciara might have fancied her friend, but he hadn't realized that Julian felt the same. He had a feeling neither of them had figured it out yet, but they were young and he knew that it would take time.

They turned the corner towards the shoe shop that Theo loved, The Glass Slipper, just as Death Eaters appeared in front of them. Theo had his sword in his hand in seconds, urging the three third years to stay behind him.

"Ah, look at Nott, trying to protect the young-ins," a familiar voice said from under the mask. "If only his father could see him now."

"He'd be turning his grave," Woodrow Selwyn's voice spat.

"Ah, trust me, Woodrow, if my father is turning in his grave over anything I've done, this is last on the list," Theo said. "I've done a lot of things that he would be ashamed of."

Theo could hear the sneer in Selwyn's voice. "Always did think you were better than us. Nothing but a filthy faggot slag. Real men know it's all about the fanny, Nott. If you're going to be buggered, you have to at least shag a bird in between."

Theo snorted. "Why? So I can tell myself that I'm not gay because I've been with a witch? No thanks. I like cock too much to lie to myself."

"Deprimo!"

Theo knocked the spell back with his sword, recognizing the first voice now as belonging to Antonin Dolohov. "Your fight is with me. Not with them."

Dolohov merely flicked his wand and blasted the four of them back.

Theo felt the wind get knocked out of him as the blast hit him, but he only took a second to catch his breath before he scrambled to his feet, sword in hand, and urged the third years to stay behind him. He raised his sword, marching towards the Death Eaters.

"Does it make you feel like real men to pick on kids? Why don't you try fighting someone who can give you an actual challenge?" Theo demanded.

"Deprimo!" Dolohov said again and this time the spell went through. Theo felt the pressure hit him, attempting to rip through the muscle in his leg before he countered it.

"Everte Statum!"

Dolohov flew backwards, crashing into the brick of the building behind him as Selwyn advanced on Theo, his wand out. "Finestra!"

Glass from the windows around them shattered as Selwyn dragged the pieces from their frames and sent them flying towards them.

Theo waved his sword and shouted, "Protego Specula!"

The shield charm erupted around him like a giant mirror, sending every piece of glass sailing back towards Selwyn. The Death Eater on his right countered the glass, turning it into water right before it hit them. Selwyn let his mask hit the floor.

"Amycus, you deal with the freaks. Nott is mine."

Amycus Carrow, the last of the three Death Eaters, moved towards them with his wand out. Theo increased the power of his shield, sealing Ciara, Julian, and Mila in with him. Carrow didn't look concerned. Theo kept his eyes on Selwyn and Dolohov who were circling them, eyes narrowed. Selwyn exchanged a look with Dolohov before he waved his wand, creating a wave of dark red light that shaped itself into a sword. He tightened the grip on his wand and smirked.

"Not so brave now, are we, Nott?"

Theo held his own sword out and when Selwyn swung, the metal of his sword rang out when it hit the solid red light. "You think that you can best me with the sword, Woodrow?"

Selywin's eyes narrowed before he swung again only for Theo to meet him. His sword moved like lightning, dancing against the red light and beating back every thrust and dive. Theo's sword sliced through Selwyn's cloak and the wizard swore, jumping back before blood could be drawn. He flicked his wand and a second red light sword appeared.

Theo gripped his sword tighter and fought back.

Selwyn had talent, Theo would give him that, but he wasn't a swordsman. Theo, on the other hand, knew that he had skill. He practiced two to three times a week with the Dara Knot that Finn had given him. He learned how to dance, how to move, and how to sword fight against more than one opponent. His sword was his wand, his wand was his sword. Fighting one opponent with two swords was nothing in comparison.

He dodged and danced, thrusting forward and back as his sword hit the red magic that Selwyn was using to fight with again and again. His sword rang out, the sounds of the weapons becoming louder and louder. Theo pivoted and turned, swinging his broadsword in one broad stroke and shattered the red light. It hit the magic so hard, it sounded like glass shattering and Selwyn fell on his back, his grip loosening on the second sword he'd conjured out of magical light.

Theo thrust forward, cutting Selwyn's leg and the wizard hissed as he scrambled back up to his feet, grabbing his leg.

"You'll pay for that," Selwyn panted.

Theo turned just as Dolohov ran at him, his own conjured sword in his hand. He knocked the sword from his grip and with the hilt of his own, thumped Dolohov in the chin. The wizard went down and Theo increased his shield charm.

Carrow growled. "You think that you're a big man now, don't you?"

Theo chose not to answer and instead sent Carrow blasting back into the wall a second before he pivoted to meet Selwyn's sword. He jumped and dodged, his sword moving like lightning as he fought back, daring Selwyn to try harder.

"THEO!" Mila screamed half a second before something sliced into his thigh.

He went down as the blade was pulled out and turned to see Dolohov holding a bloody blade. Theo gripped his own sword, pointed it at his leg and muttered a quick tourniquet charm before he crawled back to his feet, his sword out.

Dolohov sent a nasty curse his way and he hit it back like a well-aimed Bludger, the muscles in his arms quivering from the impact. Dolohov dodged it a second before huge golden wings erupted from behind him. Someone gasped and when Theo turned he saw Ciara, glowing in power. Bright golden wings had sprung out around her and she'd floated three centimetres off the ground, shooting a bolt of magic from her fingertips. It hit Dolohov dead on and he went down like a sack of potatoes half a second before Carrow sent a slicing curse through her wing. She cried out and Mila screamed.

Ciara collapsed to the ground as Mila caught her, her wing bleeding. Carrow kicked Dolohov with his boot, pivoting as he turned to send another curse towards Theo. Theo jumped over the light, surprising himself as he turned to keep them away from Ciara, Julian, and Mila.

Dolohov crawled to his feet, still looking a bit dazed, but he blocked Theo's sword just before it hit his shoulder. Theo found himself fighting with Dolohov, Carrow, and Selwyn now, trying to hold them back. His muscles were aching from the fight and his leg hurt like a bitch as he tried to stay on his feet, his sword arm moving like lightning to try to dodge the three of them with every spell. He heard Mila shouting and Julian yell a stinging hex, but he had no idea if they were okay. He had felt his shield charm go down and every time he attempted to bring it back up, he was stopped.

Swords clashed, but Theo kept moving. He knew that if he stopped, if he showed a sign of weakness — it would be over. He heard Julian shout that the Aurors had arrived, but he kept fighting.

Strike.

Slash.

Thrust.

Thrust.

Strike.

Slash.

Until finally, he saw his opening.

He pivoted and half a second before Selwyn thrusted, he ducked and swung his sword. Blood gushed from Selwyn's side as the blade struck true and the Death Eater went down. Theo stepped on his wand, breaking it in two before he turned with his sword to deal with Dolohov. Dolohov was holding Mila by the neck, his wand pointed at Julian. Carrow was holding Ciara, who had tears rolling down her face as one of her wings was bleeding.

"How are you going to choose, Nott?" Carrow taunted. "Which freak are you going to save?"

A flaming arrow flew through Carrow's left shoulder and he hissed, losing his grip on Ciara. Theo grabbed her before he swung his sword and used a blasting curse to send Dolohov flying back while shouting, "Carpe Retractum!" simultaneously. Mila and Julian were wrapped in a rope of purple light and came flying towards Theo. He caught them both as they all crashed to the ground just as Tiernan stood over them.

"Uncle Tiernan!" Ciara cried half a second before the fae's arms engulfed her.

Tiernan's eyes narrowed as he looked at her torn wing. "You have wings, Ciara. When did this happen?"

"Today," Theo said, his leg shaking when he stood on it. "They just appeared when she tried to fight back."

Tiernan kissed the top of Ciara's head. "Get them back to the castle. I'll deal with this."

Theo held his sword in his hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

Tiernan looked like he wanted to protest before he nodded. "Julian, get Ciara and Mila to the castle. If they aren't being seen by a healer in the next ten minutes, I will make you regret it."

Julian turned sheet white before he put his arm around Ciara and tucked his other arm around Mila. Theo's leg shook as he attempted to walk and Tiernan placed his hand over the tourniquet. The wound began to heal itself and Tiernan let go.

"Your Dark Lord is here. There have been two fires. I don't know much else except Death Eaters are surrounding the village and picking off stragglers," Tiernan explained.

"How many?"

"Many," Tiernan said. "Terra Troops are already raining in, along with Aurors. Keep your sword ready. Behind you!'

Theo turned, his sword swinging and with a blast of magic, sent Carrow to the ground. He pointed his sword at the wizard who's shoulder was burned from the arrow. "Stay down."

Tiernan was already dealing with Dolohov so Theo tied Carrow up, leaving him next to Selwyn who was bleeding out. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the happiest feeling that he could, and he couldn't help but smile when the macaroni penguin hopped from his wand and went flying towards help.

"Impressive," Tiernan said.

"I can't make the Patronus talk yet, but that should still lead someone back here to deal with them."

"Good," Tiernan said. "Let's go."

~ ASC ~

Hermione had no idea how she ended up in this situation. One minute she was walking with Ron through Hogsmeade and the next they were running towards an explosion as Voldemort's voice echoed around them. They'd crashed into the main street in time to see two Death Eaters kill an old man and when their wands turned on them, Hermione fell to the ground as Ron stood in front of her.

Her eyes widened in surprise and then pride as she watched Ron duel them. He was powerful, sending hexes and curses back just as fast as they could send them. She used her own wand to put a protective shield around him before she climbed to her feet. A curse went flying past her head; the shock of it made her gasp, and before she'd even realized what she'd done, she found herself sitting on the ground in her fox form.

She ran through the dancing feet of people who duelled around her, her teeth biting Death Eaters in the ankles as they tried to kick her. She jumped up, using her tail to whack someone in the face; the Death Eater swore, startled by the attack, before Hermione kept running. She turned around mid run and circled back to find Ron, but her eyes fell on a group of three third years who were crying in a corner of the alley. She changed back into herself and one of the girls screamed.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed. "Come on. We need to get you back to the school safely."

Hermione held her wand out as she led them around the back of the building and around, eyes peeled, trying to figure out if there was even a way for them to get through. Her eyes fell on where Ron was duelling two Death Eaters. She ordered the students to stay where they were and ran out to help him. Ron's gaze met hers before they began to duel back to back.

The witch fighting her was fast, but she only sent minor hexes and jinxes her way as if taunting Hermione.

"This is your fault!" the witch hissed, catching Hermione off guard. "We wouldn't be here and these people wouldn't be dying if the store owners didn't serve filth like you."

"Seems to me like you blowing them up is more the problem than me existing," Hermione shot back, knocking the witch to the ground.

Her eyes moved back behind the building to make sure that the third years were staying put before she turned her attention back. The witch's mask fell off as she stood and Hermione immediately recognized her. Alecto Carrow.

"Are you hiding something back there, you filthy little Mudblood!"

Hermione's stinging hex knocked Carrow's wand from her hand, but Carrow dived down to grab it and spun around.

"Bombarda Maxima!"

The clothing store that the students were hiding behind exploded. The windows blew out of Gladrags Wizardwear and fire erupted from the centre of the building. Hermione's eyes widened to saucers, but not before Ron's arms tackled her and she fell to the ground. His large body fell on top of hers as a second explosion shook the street, knocking them back further.

She coughed, blinking back debris out of her eyes as ash and soot seeped into her lungs. She felt Ron quaking against her as he tried to stop his own coughing as the second explosion continued to reverberate around them.

It was unlike anything Hermione had ever felt before. It was like a wall of pure energy that put pressure on them; gravitating them away from where they were. When everything stopped vibrating, she reached for her wand, intending to check on the students caught in the explosion. But as she ran, she hit a magical barrier. Ron caught her as she fell.

"Bloody hell! What the fuck was that?" Ron demanded.

Carrow was laughing as she climbed to her feet. "That's our master signalling to us that he has it covered."

"Has what covered?" Ron demanded. "He wants to torture some more kids? Real brave master you've got!"

Carrow smirked. "Maybe later. First he has someone else to take care of. Hope you said your goodbyes because Potter's about to die and I can't wait to watch it happen."

Hermione's nails dug into Ron's arm as Carrow hurried off in the opposite direction. His blue eyes were wide in horror when they met hers. "Ron…"

Ron grabbed her hand; she did her best to keep up with his long legs as they attempted to find a way around the magical force field. Hermione's heart pounded in her chest as they ran around the corner of one of the buildings. She knew that Ron was as terrified as she felt. This was unlike anything they had ever experienced before. They were in the middle of a village of innocent people who were being attacked simply to draw out Harry. She couldn't imagine how guilty that was going to make Harry feel if anyone was seriously hurt. She clutched her wand tighter and wondered how they were going to help get the students to safety. She started to turn back to ask Ron for his advice, but the sound of Ron screaming her name was the last thing she heard before everything went black around her.

~ ASC ~

Neville thought that every moment he could spend with Hannah was even more precious than the next. He knew that he was smitten. Besotted. Enamoured. Completely charmed by the witch that he walked with. Everything she did just fascinated him and he loved to hear her talk. It had been so hard to get her to talk at first and now he felt like she was finally comfortable enough with him that she did want to talk. About anything.

They walked hand in hand through Hogsmeade as she yammered on about baking, about her hopes and dreams, and he knew that he was staring at her with a goofy grin on his face. He couldn't help it.

"Why do you keep grinning at me like that?" Hannah asked, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Can't help it," Neville admitted. "I think you're amazing."

Hannah's blush deepened. "I know you like me, you don't have to keep telling me stuff like that."

"But I want to," he said, stopping their walk to kiss her. "I want to tell you every day how amazing you are and how completely in love with you I am."

Hannah stared at him. "You are a fool, Neville Longbottom."

"For you? Definitely."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

Neville kissed her once more he moved away to take hand again. "I love hearing you talk about the future. I know your bakery is going to be perfect. We'll have to start shopping around for a space soon."

"Not yet," Hannah whispered. "I'll still need to save more money to make a down payment. I think Tom will hire me again in the summer."

"You know that I can help you with that."

"I know," Hannah said, smiling up at him. "But I want to do it myself. It doesn't have to happen right away. It can be in maybe five years or so."

He knew that she was right, but he still wanted to be the one to help her get there. "I know. But we can still look at spaces. It will help give you an idea of what you're looking for."

"Sounds good," Hannah said. "What about you? Your thesis is almost finished."

"Yeah," he said, surprised to admit it to himself. "Once it's done, I can present it to Sprout and to the Herbological Association and write my PLANTS. Then I can figure out where I want to work or what I want to do."

"Are you going to travel?" she asked.

"Maybe," Neville told her. "But not for work. I know that I can do a lot of good right here. I'm interested in crossbreeding and finding new ways to use plants. I'm hoping the Herbological Association will hire me as an outside contractor. I might even be able to work from home. I don't know. I just want to work with flowers and plants."

Hannah smiled at him before biting her bottom lip. "You do create some of the most beautiful and vibrant flowers that I've ever seen. You could even create your own and sell them." At his look, she looked down at their joined hands. "It would be kind of neat if you sold flowers and I had a bakery and it could be a combination of sweets and flowers."

Neville's lips curved. "That would be kind of awesome."

"You could play with your garden all day and I could bake… it would be perfect," she said.

Neville cupped her face to kiss her. "See. Lots to think about."

He loved hearing her talk about a future. Having her come home with him for the holiday had been so much fun. He knew that she sometimes was still upset over everything that had happened with her mother, but he thought that it was good she had finally stood up for herself; that she'd finally had it out with her mother. Taking her to meet his own parents had been the most nerve wracking thing that he'd ever done.

But Hannah had been perfectly sweet and kind. She'd read a story to his mum, he remembered, and she'd helped his father with a puzzle with complete patience. He kept telling her that she didn't have to, but she'd only given him a sweet smile and continued to do so. His mum had hugged her when they'd left St Mungo's and when Neville had met his grandmother's eyes, Augusta had beamed at him.

After everything that had happened with Caroline Abbott, the horrible things the woman had said to her own daughter, he was glad to see Hannah smile. Her mother had continued to send her angry letters for two full weeks after Hannah had left and Neville had urged her to ignore all of them. It had taken some work on Hannah's part as her heart was too big and she didn't want to ignore them, worried it would make her mother more angry, but the letters had stopped. Her mother hadn't tried to contact her now in over a month and Neville could see the tension just draining away from Hannah. She was happy and he loved that he was a part of that happiness.

Hannah was his future and he was looking forward to building that future with her. Her lips met his again just as the sound of an explosion made them both jump. Neville's hands slid down to grip her arms, his eyes peeled for signs of where it had come from. When he saw the Dark Mark rising above the main street in the village, he squeezed her arms.

"Hannah, we have to get out of here."

She nodded and when they turned a corner it was in time to see the Three Broomsticks go up in flames.

Neville grabbed her hand. "Wand out."

Hannah's wand was already in her hand and when Bellatrix's laugh echoed in the village, Neville's eyes narrowed. He gave Hannah one more look before he began to move toward the pub and the people running from the fire as Voldemort's voice echoed over them.

"…where is your Chosen One?"

"I'm right here, you bloody coward!" Harry's voice broke out.

Neville's eyes widened and when Bellatrix laughed again, her eyes on Ginny, Neville's heart sped up. There was no way that he was going to let that bitch hurt anyone else. He made to move towards his friend, but not before thick black smoke shot out of the sky and landed in front of Harry. He'd barely managed to regain his composure before his way was blocked by people running in panic. He wasn't sure what was going on when suddenly a bolt of energy shot out, shooting out a magical wall that seemed to kick them all back. He jumped to his feet and when he tried to move forward, it was like a gravitational pull that kept him away.

"What the hell?"

Hannah reached for his hand. "Neville! What do we do?"

Neville looked around at the Aurors who were arriving along with the Terra Troops and Wing Guards. OFB officers were heading towards The Three Broomsticks to do a sweep as another unit was checking inside of Honeydukes. Then Gladrags Wizardwear exploded next. Neville had no idea what was going on, but he did know one thing with absolute certainty.

There was no snake in sight.

~ ASC ~

Ginny couldn't explain the terror that clutched her in an instant. That voice had haunted her dreams since she was eleven years old. It was just as she remembered it. Smooth, charismatic, compelling… part of her wanted to run towards it while she did everything she could to run from it. Knowing that voice was the cause of the chaos that was unfolding here in Hogsmeade only made it that much scarier.

She knew that Harry had been trying to protect her with his order for her to return to the castle. She had tried not to be annoyed with him, but that got her back up. She wasn't going anywhere — and she most certainly wasn't abandoning him here when Tom was making an appearance. The moment that Tom had arrived in front of them, her original fear tore through her. This was the boy she had trusted, the wizard who had tried to destroy her.

"But he didn't," Na'eemah's voice rang in her head. "You fought back and you won."

She had won… and one look at Harry only reminded her of everything that she did to be where she was today. Ginny wasn't going to take a step back. She was only going to go forward. And being by Harry's side was exactly where she needed to be. When Bellatrix claimed that she wanted to give her a try, she had felt Harry tense, but her own anger was narrowed on the witch before her.

Before she could even start to formulate a plan, Tom sent a powerful wave of magic skyrocketing from the Elder Wand. By the time she climbed to her feet, she realized that he'd trapped Harry inside of some kind of force field with him. Sharp nails dug into her skull, her long hair yanked back by the roots, and a wand danced along her cheek. Bellatrix's ruby red lips gleamed.

"Well, if it isn't little baby Weasley. Does the baby want to play?"

Ginny cried out as she hit the ground, her hand still wrapped around her wand. She jumped to her feet and pointed her wand at Bellatrix. "Yes, I want to play."

Bellatrix cackled before she brought her elbow up in a duelling stance. "Show me what you've got."

Ginny stared at her, unsure what to do or say. But she didn't have to think long, because red light came barrelling towards her. She ducked to avoid it while shooting a leg-locking curse at Bellatrix, who avoided it and sent a stinging hex back. It hit Ginny's arm and she winced at the pain, but she didn't lose focus with her wand.

It was almost like a staged dance that flowed seamlessly and yet Ginny didn't know the moves. She dodged and darted curses, sending what she could at the witch and trying not to be too annoyed that the witch darted just as many. When she cried, "Reducto!" and toppled the Welcome to Hogsmeade sign down on the witch, Bellatrix screamed.

Ginny kept her wand pointed at her just as Bill and Fleur appeared on either side of her. Relief tore through her at the sight of Aurors, Order members, Terra Troops, and Wing Guards joining the fray.

"Impedimenta!" Ginny cried out as Bellatrix laughed.

"Aww, the little baby wants to keep up with the grownups!"

Ginny's eyes narrowed before she flourished her wand and huge bat bogeys flew out of Bellatrix's nose. She screamed and attempted to stop them, but it only made even larger ones explode. She Disapparated with a loud crack before Ginny could hit her with another spell and Ginny expelled a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

A penguin Patronus hopped past them; gesturing for someone to follow. Ginny recognized Higgins and another Auror hurry off to follow it. A rabbit hopped up and down, its feet kicking a Death Eater in the face, before the rabbit transformed back into Luna, pulling her wand out from behind her ear. Ginny used a hex that broke the Death Eater's nose as he fell back before she ran off to get to safety.

Ginny grabbed Luna's arm and tugged her into the little alley, her breathing heavy. "You okay?"

Luna nodded. "I think so. You?"

Ginny shook her head. "Harry's in there. With Tom."

Luna's eyes widened. "Did you feel the power of that wall he threw up?" When Ginny nodded, Luna squeezed her arms in reassurance. "He won't be able to keep that up indefinitely."

Ginny knew that her friend was right, but it didn't abate her fear by any means. Aurors were duelling Death Eaters and members of the Terra Troops were trying to get the students to safety. Wing Guards were diving down on brooms and air lifting some of the younger students out of danger. Official Fire Broomgade officers were trying to get people safely out of the fires while more Aurors were dealing with the other explosions. It seemed like everything was on fire and there was smoke and snow and chaos. She almost blinked when Neville appeared in front of her, pulling Hannah into the alleyway.

"Where's Harry?" he demanded.

"In there," Ginny said. "We can't get through."

"Ginny, the snake isn't here," Neville said, his eyes wide. "No one has her."

Ginny swallowed. "Harry knows that he can't… not before we get to the snake."

Neville nodded, his eyes on the magical force field that was keeping all of them out. "Knowing is one thing, Ginny, but him standing in there, about to face off with Voldemort, is something else altogether."

Bellatrix's laughter echoed as Ginny stared at Harry through the force field. Ginny and Neville both turned, wands out, in time to see Bellatrix grab Hermione. Ron yelled, but Bellatrix pulled Hermione into a house on the left and sealed the door behind her.

"She's going to torture her," Neville whispered.

Ginny shook her head. "No, she's not. Come on, let's go!"

She didn't stop to see if Neville was behind her. She just ran towards her brother and wondered how they were going to break down the wards that Bellatrix had thrown up, and tried not to think of the damage that she could do to her friend in the meantime.

~ ASC ~

Zee was sitting in her office filling out paperwork pertaining to the newest excursions some of the magizoologists had embarked on over the last few weeks. She was still trying to comb over applications for Yaxley's old job and she really wasn't sure who was going to be best for the position. She had just stretched her arms up over her head when Rolf appeared in her doorway.

"Zee, Hogsmeade's under attack."

"What?" Zee exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"I heard Voldemort himself is there. Come on, let's go lend a hand."

"Is Harry there?"

Rolf shook his head. "I don't know."

Zee grabbed her wand and raced out after Rolf, her heart pounding in her chest. It took them almost ten minutes to get out of the Ministry and Apparate to Hogsmeade. When she arrived it was to see the Dark Mark rising over the village and black smoke choking the air. People were screaming as flashes of spells could be seen flying into the air. Kingsley was ordering troops to help get people to safety as Death Eaters were fighting in the streets.

There was an army of them.

Zee couldn't ever remember seeing so many Death Eaters in one place. It was almost as if Voldemort had recruited more people in a short amount of time as dozens of figures in Arabesque death masks marched through the streets, attacking everyone in sight. Wolves and vampires were also nearby and when she saw the army of Inferi making their way slowly down the street, her heart jumped into her throat.

The huge wave of energy vibrating from the other side of the village was blocking people from getting close.

"What's that?" Rolf asked, pointing towards it.

Kingsley came up to stand next to them. "Voldemort. He's sectioned off part of the street and blocked everyone out."

"Everyone?" Zee asked.

Kingsley's eyes met hers. "Everyone except for him and Potter."

Zee's eyes widened in horror; she ignored Rolf calling her name as she started to run towards the area. Harry had to be okay, she told herself. He had to be.

Hands grabbed her from behind. She elbowed back, breaking someone's nose, but more hands grabbed her. She attempted to yell, but when her wand fell from her hands, everything went black.

When she came to a few moments later, she found her hands shackled above her head and she looked at the tall, dark-haired man standing before her.

"Not the way a woman likes to be wooed," she said.

He snarled at her. "You have a mouth on you, don't you?"

She didn't make a sound when he slapped her.

"Brave little thing, aren't you?" he whispered. "I can see why Black found you attractive. A little top heavy for my taste, but you do have a lovely round arse for a whore."

"Fuck you," Zee spat.

"Oh, darling, I wish I could," he said. "But my bitch of a wife decided I didn't need my cock anymore."

Zee smirked. "Guess that makes you Lestrange. I heard she cut it off. Guess you're not much of a man anymore."

He slapped her again, hard enough for her head to hit the wall behind her just as Bellatrix came into the room, dragging Hermione by her bushy hair.

"Oh, look, you have company," Rodolphus said.

Bellatrix chained Hermione up by one hand, her smile mad. "Let's have a little fun, shall we?"

~ ASC ~

Rolf swore under his breath before he booked it after Zee. He admired her desire to protect her son, but seeing her run straight towards Voldemort was pretty terrifying, to say the least. If he was honest, he wasn't even entirely sure what he was supposed to do. He worked with animals and here he was in the middle of a war zone. All he knew was that he definitely couldn't let Zee run off alone. He hurried after her and ran around the corner, almost colliding with a small redhead.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm to stop herself from toppling over.

"No harm," he assured her.

He turned to hurry back after Zee, but the witch had disappeared from his sight. He started to run faster to see if she'd run around the other side of the damaged building, but a streak of long blonde hair caught his eye. He turned in time to see a beautiful young woman turn into a rabbit and hop into the air. She kicked the Death Eater right in the face with her foot and swung her long ears around to slap him. The Death Eater stumbled back into the building and the witch turned back into herself before pointing her wand at the Death Eater's face.

Rolf made to intervene, but the Death Eater went down with one spell. The witch smiled.

"Come along, Ginny. We need to help Harry."

Before he could call after her, loud laughter cackled, followed by a witch's screams. He watched the blonde and the redhead run towards the screams and the blonde shot a spell at another Death Eater, knocking them back. He was impressed with her skill and made to hurry after her to see if he could help, but something hit him from behind.

The last thought he had was: Who was that talented blonde witch?

~ ASC ~

Hermione groaned as she came to a few moments later. Her head was pounding. She blinked away the black dots forming in front of her face and tried to bring her hand up to her forehead to no avail. When she tugged again, she realized that something held her in place. She struggled a third time before she realized that she was chained down.

"Aww, look at the filthy Mudblood trying to escape," Bellatrix's voice shot through the darkness.

"Let her go," Zee's voice demanded from her left.

Hermione looked over to see Zee chained next to her.

Bellatrix smiled. "Not a chance, bitch."

Zee struggled against the chains holding her. "It must make you angry to know that you have to chain us up if you want to fight us."

Bellatrix licked her lips. "That's enough from my cousin's half-breed whore. Silencio!"

Zee glared at her as Bellatrix knelt in front of Hermione. She grabbed her chin roughly and Hermione winced in pain as she pulled her face up, dark eyes staring into hers.

"I'm going to give you a present, Mudblood," Bellatrix said, digging her knee into her thigh.

Hermione's eyes widened when she recognized Rodolphus Lestrange standing behind his wife, a jagged dagger in his hand.

"Here, baby. You can do the first honours."

Zee's brown eyes stared into hers, trying to give her reassurance, but it did nothing to stop the pain as the edge of the blade cut into her arm. Hermione screamed and Bellatrix laughed.

"Scream louder, Mudblood. It gets me excited."

And when the blade began to cut again, Hermione couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks nor the screams that ripped from her throat.

~ ASC ~

Ron was ramming against the door of the house, his wand in his hand. He vaguely heard his sister call his name, but he ignored her. The sound of Hermione's screams from inside of the house made his stomach drop. Merlin, what were they doing to her in there?

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed, grabbing her brother's arm.

"No!" Ron shouted. "Hermione! Hermione, I'm coming!"

Bill and Fleur arrived behind them, wands out. "Move, Ron!'

"Alohomora!" Ron shouted desperately as he tugged on the door to no avail. Whatever warding they had thrown up was a lot harder to get through then a simple locking charm.

Bill's hand grabbed him and shoved him back, but Ron was stronger. It was only when Neville grabbed his other arm, did he find himself shoved up against the side of the house.

"She's in there, Bill! I have to get to her!" Ron shouted.

"We will," Bill assured him. "Fleur and I will get in."

Tears blurred Ron's vision as he nodded, clutching his wand tighter in his hand. His eyes fell on the panther growling as she roamed the perimeter of the house.

"They took Zee, too," he whispered.

Hermione's screams grew louder and more desperate, followed by the sound of Bellatrix laughing. Ron's hands clenched into fists at his sides. Godric, the sound of her screaming was like a knife straight to his heart. He had to get in there. He had to… bloody hell, he didn't even know what he was going to do when he got in there, but there was no way in hell that he was going to leave Hermione to that bitch's devices.

He closed his eyes, punching the wall in front of him. Fuck! She'd been right behind him and then she hadn't… he should have protected her better. Now they had her and they were doing Merlin knows what to her. He would never forgive himself for this, he thought.

"Hermione!" he screamed, banging on the door again.

"Stay back, Ron!" Bill demanded. "We'll get to her."

"They will," Luna whispered, touching his arm. "You have to be strong for her, Ron. It's what she would want."

He kept his eyes on his brother and his sister-in-law as they worked on the warding. Ginny gripped his other hand as Luna held his arm and Hermione screamed again and again.

"Come on, Bill," Ginny exclaimed. "We have to get in there!"

"I'm working on it," Bill said, gruffly. "She was clever and unless you're a bloody house elf, no one is getting in."

Ginny's eyes widened. "A house elf?"

Another boom made them all duck and Neville covered Ginny and Hannah as black smoke and ash came down. Ron coughed as he stood up, his eyes on where Neville was pulling Hannah to her feet and Ginny grabbed his arm.

"Dobby!"

Ron raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what his sister was on about. He was about to tell her as much when Hermione's screams grew louder half a second before a loud crack brought Dobby right before them.

"Dobby!" Ron exclaimed in surprise.

"Hello, Harry Potter's Wheezy. My lady," Dobby said, bowing before Ginny.

"Dobby," Ron said in astonishment before he realized what it was that Ginny had done for him. He gave her a grateful look before he turned back to the elf. "Dobby, can you get me in there?"

Dobby's ears perked up as Hermione's sobbing screams seemed to echo. Ron had a terrible feeling that Bellatrix was amplifying her pain just to fuck with him.

"Dobby can, Sir. Dobby will do anything for Harry Potter's Wheezy."

Ron held his hand out to the elf and before Bill could stop him, he vanished with a loud crack and appeared in the middle of the house. Zee was chained in the corner, struggling against her binds as Rodolphus Lestrange held her down. Bellatrix knelt in front of her, doing what, Ron didn't know, as Zee swore at her in a mix of Russian and English. His eyes found Hermione and his heart stopped.

She was chained to the wall, one arm bent at an odd angle and covered in blood with tears and blood all over her face. He ran towards her, his wand out, and quickly unlocked the shackles.

"I made her pretty for you," Bellatrix said, rising to her feet with a bloody blade in her hand.

Ron's eyes narrowed as he watched her lick the blood from the blade. "You, sick, sadistic bitch!"

"Crucio!" Rodolphus said, his wand pointed at Ron.

Ron dived over Hermione, avoiding the spell, and pointed his wand at Rodolphus. "Everte Statum!"

Rodolphus flew back into the wall so hard he tore through the drywall and Ron twisted his wand towards Bellatrix. He didn't even hesitate before he screamed, "Crucio!"

Her wand fell from her hand as she hit the ground and Ron bellowed when Rodolphus tackled him. Dobby whimpered as Ron rolled across the floor, fists hitting Rodolphus everywhere he could find. He felt the wizard's nose break; he grunted in satisfaction until the torture curse tore through him. Every nerve ending erupted in pain so white-hot and searing that he scarcely noticed biting through his own lip. He gasped for breath when the curse was finally lifted, every single bone and muscle in his body ached.

"Take her, Dobby," Ron whispered as he attempted to crawl to his feet.

Bellatrix grabbed him by the hair, pulling so hard his eyes watered. "Filthy blood traitor! You're a disgrace to wizarding kind, and then you disgrace yourself even more by playing with that disgusting thing." Her eyes fell on Dobby before he Disapparated with Hermione. "Don't worry, she'll always remember our moment together. I can promise you that."

Rodolphus was attempting to climb to his feet, but Zee's legs locked around his neck. Bellatrix turned at his shout and Ron grabbed his wand, sending her flying back into the wall. He loomed over her as Zee somehow kept Rodolphus locked between her ankles, putting pressure on his windpipe until he passed out.

Ron pointed his wand at Bellatrix. "Crucio."

Dobby appeared behind him and he gestured towards Zee.

"Get Zee out of here, Dobby!"

Dobby moved to help her, snapping her chains as he stepped over Rodolphus and held his hand out to her. Bellatrix was screaming now and Ron finally lifted the curse, anger coursing through him. He had never wanted to kill anyone more in his entire life.

"Ron," Zee said as she stood up. "Come with me."

Bellatrix panted and Ron gestured for Dobby to go. He stepped on Bellatrix's wand, breaking it in two as Dobby Disapparated with Zee.

"You feel better?" Bellatrix taunted.

Bill and Fleur crashed through the front door just long enough to take his attention away. The last thing he heard was Bill yell his name before a blade stabbed him right through the heart. His eyes were wide as he watched Bellatrix laugh. Ron stumbled as Bill reached for him. He saw her black hair disappear as she jumped out the window before he fell to the floor. His eyes fell on the black marble handle sticking out of his chest.

"Well, shit," Ron mumbled, black spots forming in front of his eyes. "It doesn't even hurt," he whispered.

"Ron!" Bill exclaimed. "Ron, stay with me!"

"Merde!" Fleur whispered, her hands covering his chest. "Bill, zere's too much blood!"

"Stay with me, Ron! Damn it, come on!" Bill urged.

But Ron was already drifting away.

"Tell Mione…" he whispered, blood bubbling from his mouth.

"Bill!" Fleur yelled and then there was nothing.

~ ASC ~

Harry wasn't sure if standing before Voldemort again was a good thing or not. His wand was tight in his hand and he realized that he was trapped here inside this force field bubble Voldemort had locked them into. He let out a slow breath, not taking his eyes off of the red ones in front of him, and loosened the grip on his wand to hold it properly.

Part of him had been waiting for this moment and another part of him knew that despite him wanting to end it all now, he couldn't. Not until he knew that the snake was gone. But defending himself against Voldemort with no intention of ending it didn't exactly bode well for him either. He thought about the coin in his pocket but shook the thought from his head. Not yet. As long as the snake was still alive, he wasn't going to call everyone here.

It wasn't time.

"Now," Voldemort said, letting the Elder Wand glide through his fingers. "Let's see what the Chosen One really is capable of, shall we?"

The Elder Wand slashed through the air and Harry felt the wind get kicked out of him as a force hit him straight in the chest. He hit the ground, groaning at the impact, as his cheek scraped across the cobblestone. His eyes fell on the black shiny shoes of the wizard as he stepped towards him. The smooth charismatic voice made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck rise up.

"Now, stand up and take out your wand."

Harry climbed to his feet, his wand in his hand, never taking his eyes off the gleaming red ones before him. He could feel his cheek bleeding, the scrape burning from the cobblestone, but he ignored it. He needed to make a stand for himself here, he needed to show Voldemort that he wasn't a scared kid anymore. He was an opponent to be reckoned with once and for all. He wasn't going to let him hurt anyone else here in the village.

He started to make a shield charm, but Voldemort deflected it. Harry released a slow breath; he had to focus. He had to remember everything that Remus, Dumbledore, and Papa had taught him. It wasn't time to let anything else get in the way. He had to hold his own now, he had to show him that he could… at least until someone took out Nagini.

Harry attempted a shield charm again, but it was deflected. He started to turn his wand to try a third time, but changed his mind last minute and flicked his wand at the ground. The ground froze under their feet, turning to solid ice and Voldemort lost his balance, catching himself just before he fell. His eyes narrowed and the ice melted.

Harry funnelled the water up with his wand, twisting it around him and using the gust of the wind to fly towards Voldemort. The wizard deflected the storm, but not before Harry's second water twister smashed into him, causing him to rise into the air from the force of the wind. Harry twirled his wand, increasing the speed of the wind, but a force of black smoke broke free of the twister and Voldemort stood before him, snarling.

"Is that what Dumbledore taught you, Potter? Parlour tricks?"

A wall of fire erupted around them, crackling as it rose higher. Harry started to use the water at his feet again, but it turned to steam, the ground beneath him growing hotter by the moment. Sweat dripped down his forehead and the fire surrounding him began to curl and twist, turning into magical creatures. The snarling dragon made of fire on his left dived at him just as the growling lion on his right did the same. He ducked, hissing at the burn that brushed his arm as he rolled out of the way. The hot ground doing nothing to protect him.

Harry tried to focus. He needed to use his surroundings. He needed to be calm about it. He caught sight of the large icicles hanging from the roof of one of the homes nearby and he flicked his wand, making more and more icicles appear and then he flung them, all fifty flying towards Voldemort at high speed. They sailed over the fire and straight towards him and Voldemort's wand turned them into snowflakes.

Harry made the snowflakes gather before rolling them into balls and forming a massive snowman. The snowman raised one arm towards Voldemort and punched a cold fist straight into his face. Voldemort fell back onto the ground, blood spurting from his snakelike nose before he snapped his fingers and the flames surrounding Harry disappeared.

Suddenly the ground moved, rolling and breaking under his feet as he struggled to stand up straight, and then Voldemort's wand hit the ground. It shot a bolt of power into the earth and it rocked through Harry. He fell to his knees, biting his lip to stop himself from screaming as it felt like he was being torn limb from limb. When it stopped, he gasped for breath, his fingers fumbling for his wand. Whatever spell that was, it had broken at least two of his ribs.

Voldemort was twirling the Elder Wand between his fingers. "Had enough yet? How long shall we let this little charade go on? Me pretending that you stand a chance and you with your feeble attempts to fight back?"

Harry twirled his wand. "Leva in Terra!"

The ground at Voldemort's feet lifted, forcing him to rise and stumble just as Harry shouted, "Flore Rosae!"

Roses began to spring up from the earth at an alarming speed, tangling around Voldemort's limbs, thorns poking him as the earth lifted and heaved beneath his feet. Harry pointed his wand at the sky and shouted, "Tempestas!"

The storm came upon quickly, but not before Voldemort had detangled himself from the roses. Lightning lit up the now darkened street and thunder quaked as Harry kept his eyes on Voldemort. He could see the lightning getting stronger and just as he shouted, "Fulguri," did Voldemort shout, "Crucio!"

Harry fell to his knees as the curse him, but it lasted only half a second. The lightning hit Voldemort straight on and he jolted in surprise, his body shaking. The wand slipped from his fingertips before the lightning vanished and Voldemort clamped his hand back around the Elder Wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry dove out of the way, his breath coming out in sharp gasps. Roots erupted from the ground, coming up through the cobblestones and cracking the stone as they tangled around his ankles and his arms, holding him in place. He attempted to break free, but the grip tightened and he dropped his wand.

Voldemort took a step towards him, using his wand to clean the blood from his face. His robes were burned from the lightning strike and torn from the rose thorns. "You think you're clever, don't you?"

"A bit," Harry admitted.

Voldemort slid his wand down Harry's cheek. "I'll give you points for ingenuity. I can see Dumbledore's influence, but you don't have the same power as he did. That I do now."

He slid the wand down Harry's other cheek.

"Any last words, Potter?"

Harry's eyes met his and when Voldemort sneered, his lips curved. "Yeah. Flipendo Tria."

Voldemort flew back like a rocket, twirling high into the air like a tornado before dropping to the earth as Harry's wand shot off from the ground and straight into his hand. Harry broke free of the roots as Voldemort climbed to his feet.

"Expecto Patronum Familias!"

The large stag, dog, and wolf erupted from Harry's wand and circled Voldemort. The dog attacked first and Voldemort's wand disintegrated it into dust before the wolf circled him. When the wolf struck, the stag defended him and Voldemort swore before he knocked both out of the way.

"Imperio!"

"No!" Harry exclaimed, making Voldemort's eyes widen in surprise when the curse didn't even touch him. "Reducto!"

The ground at Voldemort's feet exploded and the wizard flew back as if a bomb had blown at his feet. Harry watched him bounce off of the ground, his face hitting the cobblestones.

"Petrificus Totatlus!" Harry exclaimed.

Voldemort's body froze for half a second before he burst free and slashed his wand through the air.

Harry felt his throat close up as he was lifted off of the ground by an unseen force, his windpipe being crushed. He watched Voldemort's eyes gleam before a flash of blue energy shot from his fingertips and sent both of them flying apart as if lightning struck between them. Harry coughed as he scrambled to his feet, his wand out.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled.

Harry rolled out of the way and the green light crumbled the brick behind him. One of them knocked into his shoulder and he swore.

"Enough of these games, Potter," Voldemort hissed. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry dodged again, scrambling to his feet as he felt the force field disintegrate around them. "Virga!"

The dislodged bricks flung up from the ground, shooting straight at Voldemort. He avoided all of them except one that hit his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he raised the Elder Wand again and said, "Defodio!"

Harry dove to the left and the ground where he had just been standing tore into chunks. He froze the ground again, attempting to knock Voldemort down, but not before the wizard shouted, "Deprimo!"

Harry cried out as the pressure cracked his leg and he felt his ankle break. He stumbled.

"Crucio!" Voldemort exclaimed.

Harry wasn't fast enough.

He hit the ground, his limbs bending in ways they shouldn't as pain tore through him once more. His insides twisted, a bubble rising in his throat. Blood spluttered out of his mouth and caused him to gag. Through blurry vision, he focused his attention back on Voldemort, his body convulsing. His fingers flexed on his wand, his body running on pure adrenaline as he turned it towards Voldemort and yelled the first spell that he could think of between his clenched teeth.

"Expelliarmus!"

The Elder Wand cracked down the centre and Voldemort dropped it in shock, the torture curse finally lifting from Harry.

Harry lay on the ground, chest heaving as black dots started to cloud his vision. He attempted to stand but found his limbs shaking and limp. The force field collapsed around him and he heard Bellatrix's laughter. His grip tightened on his wand and before he could do anything to stop him, Voldemort Disapparated with a loud crack.

The Elder Wand was left cracked and abandoned on the ground before Harry.

He reached out a shaky hand, his fingers trailing along the splintered wood. A drop of blood fell onto his trembling hand. Voices shouted in the distance, sounding so far away and indistinct. His fingers wrapped tightly around the broken Elder Wand and the last thing he heard before he passed out was Ginny's scared voice shouting his name.

---

End Author's Notes:

List of spells I used:

Deprimo = Spell places immense downward pressure on a target which may result in the violent fracturing of the target.

Everte Statum = Throws the victim backward like they'd been thrown.

Finestra = Spell to shatter glass.

Protego Specula = Double shield charm that mirrors the shield sending curses rebounding on the caster and hiding the shield caster from view. (original spell by me)

Carpe Retractum = Produces a rope of light from the caster's wand, which can pull something or someone towards the caster or pull the caster towards something.

Bombarda Maxima = Charm for large explosions - can remove entire walls.

Reducto = Curse to break objects and in its strongest form has the ability to disintegrate them.

Impedimenta = Causes the victim to be knocked back or to trip.

Silencio = Spell to make something silent.

Alohomora = Used to unlock and to open doors.

Crucio = Causes extreme pain - Unforgivable Curse, torture.

Leva in Terra = Spell to lift the ground up from under an opponent's feet. (original spell by me)

Flore Rosae = Causes rose vines with thick thorns to grow at alarming speed around the person or object the spell was cast at. (original spell by me)

Tempestas = Creates a storm. (original spell by me)

Fulguri = Causes a flash of lightning to strike. (original spell by me)

Avada Kedavra = The Killing Curse, causes a flash of green light and instant death.

Flipendo Tria = Such a powerful knockback jinx it resembles a tornado.

Expecto Patronum Familas = Charm that has a bunch of real animals guarding you that act and move to either shield or neutralize the threat. (original spell by me/Steelcode)

Imperio = Removes the victim's free will and ability to make decisions for himself/herself.

Petrificus Totatlus = Full-Body-Bind Curse, temporarily binds the victim's entire body and effectively immobilizing them.

Virga = Shoots objects. (incantation by me)

Defodio = Spell that allows the caster to gouge large chunks out of the target.

Expelliarmus = To disarm your opponent.

(French) Merde = shit

Hope you don't hate me too much for THAT cliffy!

Thanks for reading and please review!