Chapter 53:

Alicia stayed staring at the man, her mouth open. She had hoped, that she'd be able to clear his name, and he could see the looks on everyone's faces, that he could see that no one hated him anymore, that he could be there when people gave him that look that said he had done the impossible and they understood.

But he couldn't now. He couldn't see what everyone would say when they learned the truth.

Say hi to her for me. she whispered as she moved her hand and she closed the lids over the Prince's eyes, causing the empty darkness to vanish beneath them.

Then, quite suddenly, a high, cold voice spoke so close to them that Harry jumped to his feet, the flask gripped tightly in his hands, thinking that Voldemort had reentered the room.

Voldemort's voice reverberated from the walls and floor, as he was talking to Hogwarts and to all the surrounding area, that the residents of Hogsmeade and all those still fighting in the castle would hear him as clearly as if he stood beside them, his breath on the back of their necks, a deathblow away.

"You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately.

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. I will seek out your last family member, and only sister, and make her suffer. One hour."

And Alicia closed her eyes. She wouldn't have to suffer, Voldemort wouldn't need to seek out Harry. She knew what was going to happen. Harry would go to the pensieve, he'd watch the memory and he'd learn. He'd learn of Dumbledore's plan for Snape, how he'd asked him to kill him to save Draco, he would learn of Dumbledore's true intentions of telling them of the Horcruxes. Harry would learn of him being a horcrux. He would go to the forest, he would face what he had to. And after that…

As Alicia sat beside the old Potions master, both Ron and Hermione were shaking their heads frantically, looking at Harry.

"Don't listen to him," said Ron.

"It'll be all right," said Hermione wildly. "Let's — let's get back to the castle, if he's gone to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan —"

She glanced at Snape's body, then hurried back to the tunnel entrance. Ron followed her. Harry gathered up the Invisibility Cloak, then looked down at Snape. He then tapped Alicia's shoulder and she turned to him.

"What were you talking about?" he asked her lowly, curiously. She looked at the flask in his hand.

"I'm sure you'll find out." she whispered before she, agonisingly, got to her feet. Harry took her elbow and helped hoist her up.

"Harry, I'm really sorry." and he looked confused. "I've kept a lot of things from you this year, a lot of things I knew about and I didn't tell you because… I wasn't supposed to, for even more reasons." he looked at her with no idea what she was going on about, but glanced at the flask. "But I'm sure you're going to find it all out now." she said and more tears poured down her cheeks.

"I d-don't w-want you to w-worry about me o-okay." her voice broke several times as she said it. She tried to hold her tears back but she couldn't. It was too late. "You have to make the right decision. Y-You have to d-do… what's right… w-what he wanted you do to… I know what's going to happen… and I've… I've had time to—" she didn't finish as he stared at her and she shook her head.

"I-I'll understand if you're m-mad at me for not t-telling you when you find out." she said.

He didn't ask her what she was going on about but she pulled him into a hug and he was still, confused before he rubbed her back, at least believing she needed the comfort.

"I b-believe in you. And… I k-knew… you'll do… w-what's right." she cried, her eyes scrunching up as she sobbed slightly.

She pulled back and looked at him, full in the face, managing a very small, water, sad smile, before she turned and followed Hermione and Ron back down the tunnel.

Harry followed her and none of them spoke as they moved through the darkness, emerging to find Hermione and Ron waiting for them.

Small bundles seemed to litter the lawn at the front of the castle. It could only be an hour or so from dawn, yet it was pitch-black. The four of them hurried toward the stone steps, Alicia lagging slightly, but none of them forced her along. A lone clog, the size of a small boat, lay abandoned in front of them. There was no other sign of Grawp or of his attacker.

The castle was unnaturally silent. There were no flashes of light now, no bangs or screams or shouts. The flagstones of the deserted entrance hall were stained with blood. Emeralds were still scattered all over the floor, along with pieces of marble and splintered wood. Part of the banisters had been blown away.

"Where is everyone?" whispered Hermione.

"They were told to tend to the dead…" Alicia whispered when she reached them. "The biggest place for that would be…"

Ron led the way to the Great Hall. Harry stopped in the doorway and Alicia paused beside him. She glanced at him and they shared a look before she dropped her gaze sadly and moved in after the two.

The House tables were gone and the room was crowded. The survivors stood in groups, their arms around each other's necks. The injured were being treated upon the raised platform by Madam Pomfrey and a group of helpers. Firenze was amongst the injured; his flank poured blood and he shook where he lay, unable to stand.

The dead lay in a row in the middle of the Hall. You could not see Percy's body, because his family surrounded him. George and Fred stood by his head; Mrs. Weasley was lying across Percy's chest, her body shaking, Mr. Weasley stroking her hair while tears cascaded down his cheeks.

Alicia moved first, slowly that Hermione and Ron passed her, Hermione approached Ginny, whose face was swollen and blotchy, and hugged her. Ron joined Bill and Fleur. As Ginny and Hermione moved closer to the rest of the family, Alicia, who was moving slowly and looking around, had a clear view of the bodies lying next to Percy: Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling.

Alicia stopped and stared at them. It was as if she'd known, she'd told Tonks! Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at Remus, the last close connection to either of her parents she'd had left. And now, Teddy, poor Teddy, he was an orphan just as Alicia had been.

Alicia felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Fred had joined her. His face was streaked with tears just as her's was. She immediately held onto him, pulling herself close and he held her tightly. She ignored the pain his tight embrace caused, but also noticed it wasn't as bad as usual. She figured she should go to Madam Pomfrey, but healing herself seemed such an unnecessary idea, so many more would need the attention before her.

Fred lead her away from Tonks and Remus and over to his family. It seemed Alicia was unable to stand anymore and Fred allowed her to sit, she was bloody, bruised, and still had few remains from marks of the burns from Gringotts. Her body had been beaten more than she even knew.

"She needs Madam Pomfrey." she heard Hermione's voice, but it sounded distant.

She didn't know how she knew it, but the twins both helped her up, which she had no strength left to help with, and began to move her over to the matron. It seemed Madam Pomfrey was on her in a moments time, and she was having her cuts and scrapes healed and soon the physical pain seemed to almost be gone.

It only made room for the mental pain. Everything was only to get worse for her. She was all there was left. Hermione and Ron, finally, were where they had been heading the last seven years, she didn't want them hurt or to loose one another. Alicia herself would take on the duty of Nagini, for Harry soon may not be around to do anything.

She knew there was a possibility Harry would survive, that the curse would only effect Voldemort's soul and leave Harry's intact, but if she let herself hope for that outcome, she was scared of the devastation she'd received if it didn't work. What was more, she'd fear the anger at Dumbledore, who would have given her that hope. She found it best, not matter how hurtful, to just fear the worst from the beginning.

She didn't notice Madam Pomfrey finish with her but was aware when Fred hoisted her into his arms and held onto her. She gripped at his clothes, he was all she had left, all that would be left soon. She was scared of that fact, she was scared of being alone, of having no one.

But it wasn't true, she had Fred, and she had his family… though it wasn't the same.

Fred held her as she sobbed, he didn't say anything but she could feel George pat her hair and his voice asking if she was okay. Fred didn't know but he just comforted her anyway.

Over her sobs Alicia could hear Mrs Weasley doing the same. She felt the compulsion to apologise, apologise for saving Fred, but not being able to do the same for Percy, and so she moved from Fred, who reached for her hand instantly, as though he never wanted to part from her and she moved to Mrs Weasley, kneeling beside her.

Mr Weasley looked at her and she noticed, as Mrs Weasley cried over her son's chest, that talking to her directly, would not work, so she turned to the thin, balding red-headed man.

"I'm so sorry." she said and he looked at her surprised and confused. "I… I was there… and I tried… I protected…" she looked at Fred who kneeled beside her and shook his head.

"Alicia, you put yourself in the way to protect me, you broke how many bones and got how many injuries?" he asked. He smirked slightly. "I'm supposed to look after you." he brushed her hair.

"But I couldn't even protect Percy." she said as her eyes welled up again. "He only just came back, everything was suppose to be fine." she whispered.

Mrs Weasley had straightened up and turned to Alicia to engulf her in a hug. She cried into Alicia's shoulder and Alicia only cried back.

"It's my fault." she said.

"Alicia, you protected Fred, you put your life on the line. And how many times have you done so for us?" Mr Weasley asked

"You did all you could." George agreed.

"You always put someone else before yourself." Fred promised her as Alicia held Mrs Weasley.

It made her swell with warmth, but it wasn't enough. She said nothing more as Mrs Weasley launched at her husband now and Alicia got to her feet. Fred placed an arm around her shoulders and lay his head on her's. George rubbed her other shoulder in comfort.

She simply watched the Weasley's. Bill was comforting Ron with Fleur, who simply stared as if he wasn't really seeing what was before him. Hermione was holding Ginny, who was leaning her head on her shoulder, still crying. Mr Weasley held Mrs Weasley, who seemed to have an endless amount of tears.

And she watched them all with pity. She looked around the hall, at all these people who had been willing to fight, willing to protect Harry, because he was The Boy Who Lived. Willing to fight for the last hope there was, for the Chosen One who was to defeat the Dark Lord. What would they all think when he turned up dead? Would they think everything over, would they think it was all a waste? Would they be filled with despair? None of them, no one but her would know that it was what was meant to happen. And when they learnt of it, she'd stand before everyone and continue to defy Voldemort. Someone had to give them hope. Maybe she'd even shout the truth, to give people hope.

She could almost imagine Harry, walking alone, to the forest, maybe even this very minute. She knew him so well that he would not stop, she'd said her goodbyes, and any more might stop him from doing what needed to be done. She wondered if he was angry with her, for not telling him, or would he understand? She could easily send the question to his mind, to ask him before it was too late, but that could stop him. If someone spoke to him, if someone said a goodbye, or said anything, he might loose the resolve he needed, the resolve she knew he had.

She wondered what Snape had showed him? His true fate would be one. Hopefully he snowed Harry how he had killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders, maybe about the doe too. She didn't know, but she hoped.

And thinking about this had her crying and sobbing so much that the Weasleys had all turned to her with no clue what was wrong with her. She covered her face in her hands and turned into Fred's chest, who looked down at her and then at his family, with no clue of what happened.

She didn't notice as the Weasleys dispensed finally, Ginny left the hall, Mrs Weasley stayed with her son, Bill and Fleur were together. Mr Weasley was talking to others, but the twins stayed with Alicia. She didn't see what happened to Ron and Hermione, she just worked on controlling herself.

It took her a few deep breaths but she managed it. As it was a habit, she looked at her watch, and noticed the hour was almost over. Where was Harry? Alicia was so connected to him she suddenly wondered what would happen when he was gone. Would she know? Would she feel it? What would she see if she reached for him? She had felt his pain, she had felt his emotions, and yet at this moment she was so wrapped in her own, she didn't know what he was doing or thinking or feeling.

She'd never considered the effect Harry's death might have on her.

She turned back to Percy before her. Would it be quick? Like Sirius' had been? She doubted Sirius had felt anything, her father either. Her mother had probably not felt anything, but the despair of before hand, her son being in danger… Had Percy felt it when the castle had collapsed? Had Lupin and Tonks? What did it even feel like?

Alicia turned to Fred, who was watching her. She looked up at him and they just held each other's eyes. He wiped a thumb over her cheek, wiping the wetness of her tears. The action made her reach up with her sleeve, dirty though it was she wiped her face of the tears there. She looked around the hall.

None of them knew.

And then, the most unexpected happened.

Alicia suddenly had her breath hitch in her throat, as if there was no more air to intake. Her entire body acted in a way that did not match the environment around her. She felt as if she had been punched, with an iron-clad fist, in the chest. Her chest moved backwards, her shoulders shot forwards with her hands and she slipped from Fred's arms, backwards, her leg's being knocked out from under her. George and Fred look at her in shocked as she fell backward towards the stone of the Great Hall floor.

She saw their mouths move but no sound reached her ears, her voice was gone, she couldn't feel her limps, she didn't feel colliding with the floor. She was staring at the roof of the Great Hall, and soon it was clouded with Fred's face, George's identical one, Professor McGonagall was there, so were several others but all the focus went from her eyes.

And then it was all gone. There was nothing.