Chapter 56:

Her eyes opened. Her back was on the cold floor below her. Nothing seemed to have changed since she'd closed her eyes. Fred and George were looking over her, so was Professor McGonagall. As she watched more people appeared, Bill, Fleur, Kingsley, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Luna, Seamus, Neville. There wasn't much more for more to appear in her vision.

She blinked before her hearing began to work again. People were calling her name, people were asking what happened, if she was alright. She sat up, Fred instantly helped her and she blinked slowly.

"Alicia, are you alright?" he asked her instantly

"What happened?" George questioned

"You suddenly just collapsed?" Fred nodded.

Madam Pomfrey had pushed her way through and she was examining Alicia. Alicia let her as she thought.

Harry was in the forest, by himself, having survived a killing curse a second time. Nagini was still alive, what would Harry do?

She closed her eyes and she was Harry, lying on the ground and laying unmoving. She could feel irritations in him, his body was crumbled on the ground, some limbs on odd angles.

She was in the Great Hal again.

Play dead, that seemed smart until he was out of the presence of Death Eaters. And it was obvious what Voldemort would do, he'd want to proclaim to everyone what had happened.

"I'm fine." Alicia said, almost mechanically as she began to get to her feet. Any pain her body had been in was gone. She felt the crustiness of her face where she'd been crying and she wiped it as she turned for the door.

People were watching her, scared and with worry, but she ignored them all, confused them all, as she began to walk for the door. They said nothing, did not question, but simply watched.

Harry didn't have long. Yes Voldemort would bring him, but Harry was alive. Harry had survived before, Voldemort would take no chance. They'd know he was alive the second they felt his heart… what to do about that?

She barely recognised Fred's hand in her's as he followed her, refusing to leave her, or George who was following her as well. No on else was tailing behind her, they were standing around watching confused and surprised by what had just happened as she entered the Entrance Hall and then moved for the front doors.

Alicia stopped as she felt something come over her. It was weird, she felt like she was floating and she gripped Fred beside her who instantly reached for her too as she stood, transfixed and still. She closed her eyes and saw Harry, he was being thrown into the air. He was thrown a few times into the air and his glasses came off. The Death Eaters were cheering and laughing, they believed him dead, and they were tossing about his body in glee. She opened her eyes as she stood on the front steps and she stared towards the forest.

"Alicia, what's happening?" Fred demanded, and she could hear the worry and strain in his voice. She turned to him.

"Don't despair, everything's fine." she promised as she turned back to stare at the trees. "Trust me, and don't believe anything he says."

"What?" George asked, but Alicia just stared at the trees and waited.

It was a bit before she heard the crashes, giants moving through the tall trees she suspected, of the Forbidden Forest. Birds rose in the darkness and shrieked into the sky.

She saw them first. They appeared at the edge of the forest and she moved down the front steps more, dragging Fred with George following. It seemed they had noticed the figures at the edge of the forest as well. Voldemort was at the front Nagini around his shoulders and free of her cage, moving past Hagrid, so much bigger than all the others and carrying a bundle, who Alicia knew was Harry in his arms.

Voldemort's voice sounded moments later.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."

Fred and George looked at Alicia shocked but she had smiled and started chuckling to herself. Harry run? It was as if none of them knew him at all. If anyone believed Voldemort on that, then they did not deserve to fight for him.

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

Alicia stood before the stairs waiting with the twins on either side of her. But there was silence as she knew everyone was listening and looking at one another with shock. She knew they'd be out behind her in a moment.

Voldemort began moving again and Hagrid and all his followers followed him, away from the trees and towards the front door.

Voldemort saw her first and his face broke out into a malicious smile.

"Well, well, Alicia Potter. Here to see for yourself the death of your last family member?" he taunted. A few Death Eaters laughed.

Alicia simply smiled back at him.

"Only here to see your stupidity thrown back at you." she responded and his own smile faltered as she grinned, seeming to not care about her brother, dead, in Hagrid's arms.

Someone had finally left the Great Hall and come to see who had happened.

"NO!"

The scream was the more terrible because it had never been expected or dreamed that Professor McGonagall could make such a sound. Bellatrix began to laugh, gloried in McGonagall's despair.

McGonagall ran down the steps towards Alicia but she rose her arm out beside her and the women stopped, looking surprised. The front steps began to fill with people as they filed out behind the professor and still Fred clung to Alicia's hand extra tightly and George stood on her other side. They stared, transfixed, but did not move or say anything.

Voldemort simply standing a little in front of Hagrid and Harry, stroking Nagini's head with a single white finger. He closed his eyes again.

"No!"

"No!"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron's, Hermione's, and Ginny's voices were worse than McGonagall's. Alicia did not respond by turning to them, she was simply staring at Voldemort who seemed to relish in the despair of his enemies. The crowd of survivors began screaming and yelling abuse at the Death Eaters, until —

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

Hagrid did so and Alicia watched Harry.

Harry, you alright? she asked

Alicia?

You really think I wouldn't know if you were dead or not? she asked as the smirk stayed on her face.

"You see?" said Voldemort, and he began striding backward and forward right beside the place where Harry lay. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was relish in his voice for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself —"

Alicia however was laughing again. So many people looked at her like she was mad, Voldemort stared at her.

"Harry? Sneak away? Save himself?" she laughed some more "I must say, considering how many people said you were brilliant Tom, how you were Prefect, Head Boy, and headed for great things such as Minister of Magic, you are so stupid." she insulted and the Death Eaters began to shout at her but Voldemort silenced them with a raise of his hand.

"Just as brave as her mother. And foolish too." he said

"Say what ever you want." Alicia shrugged

"It's amazing, you seem less like Harry than I believed, here you are not caring about his death."

"And what does that tell you Tom?" He looked furious she called him that. "He's my last family member, my brother, and yet here I am, laughing in your face as you declare him dead. And stupidly more so, saying he ran. For the last year Harry Potter has been running around, breaking into the most secure facilities in the country, making it possible to kill you, and yet you say he was running away?" she asked an eyebrow raised. "You are so deluded. And so clueless! No wonder you can never succeed." he was trying to keep his cool but Alicia knew he was beginning to boil below the skin. Her scar didn't prickle, she was no longer connected to him through Harry, that connection was gone, but she'd felt it enough to know him well enough.

"I did not assume you of all people would join me." Voldemort said

"You expected anyone in this castle to do so just because you claim Harry's gone?"

"She's deluded, cannot even use her eyes." Alicia smiled again and Tom seemed to be keeping the glare form his face.

"I don't need eyes to know if my twin's alive or not." she said. Hermione and Ron, who had moved to her side looked at her. "You don't have the capacity to understand Tom, otherwise there are certain things you'd have never dared do. You've completely sealed your own demise."

"You foolish girl. You'll die for a cause that doesn't even exist anymore."

"Doesn't it?" Alicia asked and she stretched her arms out. "Harry wasn't the only one who survived your killing curse that day Tom. I'm here too, the second Potter. Harry wasn't the only one to survive you and keep you from the Philosopher's stone, or defeat your giant basilisk, or escape you in the graveyard, or in the Ministry, or even during the summer when Harry was taken from his home to a safe place. No one might call me it Tom, but I'm still The Girl Who Survived you, more times than any, just like Harry." she dropped her arms to her hips, cockily. "If people need something to believe in, here I am."

"An easy fix." Tom believed, his wand in his hand.

Alicia laughed some more.

"Ignorance. You can't touch me!" she exclaimed "That's what happens when a person sacrifices themselves for others. They become protected, its why you couldn't touch Harry or I for fourteen years! You never learn, here you are, enacting the same old magic you faced seventeen years ago and making the same mistakes."

"That barrier was overcome."

"That barrier is what's sealed your defeat Tom Riddle. And despite knowing of such a barrier, you allowed another to be put up." Alicia said "And you were foolish to let Harry face you and not defend himself. You shouldn't have come here, nor should you have brought Harry. And no matter what you say, no one here will join you!" she shouted.

Neville pushed forwards beside Alicia.

"We'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd. Alicia smirked and Voldemort stared at her, furiously.

"And who is this?" he said in his soft snake's hiss, trying to keep himself composed. "Who has volunteered beside Alicia Potter to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort, looking at Neville.

"A lost battle. A battle isn't lost as long as there's still one more person to fight for it." Alicia said and there were cheers from behind her.

"Very well," said Voldemort, and Alicia heard more danger in the silkiness of his voice than in the most powerful curse, but it did not worry her, he could not fight such ancient magic, especially with a wand that wasn't his. "If that is your choice, Alicia, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it."

Alicia stood and watched him as Voldemort waved his wand.

Seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, something that looked like a misshapen bird flew through the half light and landed in Voldemort's hand. He shook the mildewed object by its pointed end and it dangled, empty and ragged: the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Voldemort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still, was forced forwards away from Alicia and towards Voldemort, then forced to put the hat onto his own head, so that it slipped down below his eyes. There were movements from the watching crowd in front of the castle, and as one, the Death Eaters raised their wands, holding the fighters of Hogwarts at bay.

"No." Alicia said and she stopped everyone moving, her eyes fixed on Neville.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort, and with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames.

Screams split the dawn, and Neville was aflame, rooted to the spot, unable to move. Alicia moved instantly to act but she was not the only one.

They heard uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, uttering loud war cries.

At the same time, Grawp came lumbering around the side of the castle and yelled, "HAGGER!" His cry was answered by roars from Voldemort's giants: They ran at Grawp like bull elephants, making the earth quake. Then came hooves and the twangs of bows, and arrows were suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise.

If you're gonna move, move now. Alicia said.

Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak from inside his robes, swung it over himself, and sprang to his feet, as Neville moved too. Alicia shot a curse off at the Death Eaters as they were distracted and a few followed her lead.

In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle —

The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet —

Alicia moved instantly with glee and a shield charm erupted between Neville and Voldemort, but her's had not been the only one.

"Not any more Tom." Alicia said and her voice drew his attention. "You will cast no more harm!" He looked at her with absolute rage.

Then, over the screams and the roars and the thunderous stamps of the battling giants, Hagrid's yell came loudest of all.

"HARRY!" Hagrid shouted. "HARRY — WHERE'S HARRY?"

Chaos reigned. The charging centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, everyone was fleeing the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements that had come from who knew where; the great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort's giants, thestrals and Buckbeak the hippogriff scratching at their eyes while Grawp punched and pummelled them; and now the wizards, defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters alike, were being forced back into the castle.

Voldemort had turned his attention to the only Potter left and she flourished her wand as he advanced her in his anger. Death Eaters fell around them as they scampered and Alicia knew Harry was around her somewhere, buffeting his way into the hall.

Alicia continued to back up and into the Great Hall, Voldemort pursuing her. The Death Eaters were fighting again as Voldemort shouted instructions at them, but his eyes stayed on Alicia. His spells could not touch her though.

In the corner of her eye she noticed there seemed to be even more people than before, Charlie Weasley had emerged from no where and Horace Slughorn was back in his Emerald Green pyjamas still and there seemed to be so many family and friends who were now in the hall, having come to fight the last of the battle as the news had leaked out of what was happening, bring the reinforcements. There were even the shopkeepers and homeowners of Hogsmeade. Centaurs burst into the room as well. Bane, Ronan and Magorian with a clatter of hooves. A hoard of house elves sawed in next, headed by Kreacher who had his locket bouncing on his chest. They were waving carving knives and cleavers, screaming. Kreacher's voice sounded above them all. "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master and Mistress, defenders of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

They were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters, their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempting to escape, but swallowed by the oncoming horde. Yaxley was slammed to the floor by George and Lee Jordan, Dolohov fell with a scream at Flitwick's hands, Walden Macnair was thrown across the room by Hagrid, hit the stone wall opposite, and slide unconscious to the ground. Ron and Neville brought down Fenrir Greyback, Aberforth Stunned Rookwood, Arthur and Fred floored Thicknesse, and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son.

But Voldemort did not stop, was not being overcome. Alicia wasn't enough and she knew that, but she just had to be there long enough.

And then she was not alone. McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley were by her side. Voldemort's face corrupted more, cold hatred within it. But it was not enough.

Bellatrix was still fighting too, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she duelled three at once: Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, all battling their hardest, but Bellatrix was equal to them, and Alicia's attention was diverted from Voldemort as a Killing Curse shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch —

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel.

Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, as Mcgonagall had pushed Alicia back, out of harms way as though fearing she'd end up like Harry had seemed, and Bellatrix and Molly.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Percy?"

"You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and suddenly Alicia knew what was going to happen before it did.

Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.

Alicia didn't act fast enough the someone else did and the voice that sounded through the hall was one she'd never misplace.

"Protego!" roared Harry, and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last. He stood right beside Alicia who crossed her arms with a huff and smirked turning to him.

The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of "Harry!" "HE'S ALIVE!"

"Nice of you to finally show." Alicia said "Get bored of playing dead?"

"No more than you were bored of calling Tom stupid." Harry said. Alicia shrugged

"He is." she murmured and if not for the situation as the twins turned back to Voldemort, some people may have laughed.

But no, this was not the time. The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other.