x-o-o-x
Chapter 22
Destiny
x-o-o-x
"I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride,
even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most."
- May Parker in Spiderman
x-o-o-x
Ron Weasley was getting impatient. Under lockdown in the Great Hall with other Sixth- and Seventh-years, they endured the sounds of distant bangs, thumps and shudders that would excite his older twin brothers. Instead, they were making him impatient. On his right, his sister edged along the wall nervous, her wand tapping thoughtfully against her chin. Neville and Seamus kept a wide berth as her wand emitted a few red sparks. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were sitting on top of the Ravenclaw table, the only table they had left up and not stacked against the wall, staring at the large doors and occasionally glancing up at the enchanted ceiling. For twenty minutes about a half hour before, the ceiling had been dark save a small outline of light from a dark object floating slowly over their heads. Without hundreds of usual candles that hovered mid-air, the Great Hall was dark and foreboding.
Ginny sighed and kicked at one of the benches, the loud sound echoing through the Great Hall. All eight other occupants gasped and turned to her, but she just shrugged and continued her endless pacing.
Ron grumbled under his breath, his hand raking through his hair, making it stand on end more than it already was. He was still trying to find the logic in Hermione's plan, the logic that had her tell them to sit inside the Great Hall while the rest of the battle erupted all around them. He half-wondered why she wasn't in there with him, rehearsing spells under her breath and telling others what to do. He'd give anything for one of her know-it-all routines. It was so much more comfort than watching Ginny kick the walls and scare the bonkers out of everyone standing in the room, just waiting, impatiently.
x-o-x
Harry could hardly breathe. The figure that loomed before him was the man of his nightmares, the one that had caused him so much pain, grief, anguish… and yet, Harry felt his senses return as the fear abated. He slowly lifted his wand to defend himself.
"Harry, there's something wrong up here, there's—"
Harry half-turned to see Faith running up behind him. Her words trailed off as she saw Voldemort standing at the opposite end of the narrow corridor on the steps leading up to the top of the Astronomy Tower. "Harry?" she asked softly.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Voldemort asked in that cold, sinister voice, sending shivers down Harry's spine. "Delita Black, how wonderful of you to join us."
Harry's arm shot out before he realized what he was doing, pushing Faith behind him. He had to give her credit that she didn't throw his arm aside and attack the Dark Wizard head on. Instead, he felt her small hands on his back as though trying to hide from something.
"Hmm… some great protector," Voldemort sneered, his eyes darkening as he took a step forward. "I guess underneath it all, a Slayer is only ever really a coward."
"She is not the one you need to face," Harry snapped. "I'm the one you came here to kill."
"Indeed."
"Harry, don't do this," Faith whispered behind him. "Don't throw your life away like this."
"I'm not," he growled back. "I just want him to see who he came for and not get distracted by… less important matters."
That did it. Faith straightened and gave him a hearty shove forward. "Less important matters?" she asked, her voice indicating that she was hurt. She was doing the blinking thing she did when she was feeling pain which must have been extraordinary because even Voldemort showed interest in Faith's rather fascinating facial features.
"Faith…"
"No!" she shouted, turning to Harry, her hands flying to her hips. "What the hell do you think I am?"
"Right now? You're starting to act like a migraine!" Harry shouted back, feeling the tension in his shoulders. This was the last thing he needed – a domestic dispute in front of his mortal enemy. If he died here today, the Death Eaters would still be laughing hysterically at this fifty years from now.
"And do you know what you are?" Faith replied back haughtily. "You're a… a…" Her hands reached up to grab her neck. She started making gagging noises as her body lifted into the air, suspended just inches above the ground. Harry gaped and turned to Voldemort, whose eyes had lost their rather amused luster.
"You should let the boy get in a word," he said coldly, staring at Faith as she clawed at her throat, her eyes going from defiant to helpless in seconds. "He is, after all, a tragic hero." His voice grew soft and sad, though his eyes lost none of their callousness. "Oh, my dear, I'm afraid that when you finally come to your senses and realize what has happened, the world will be in my most capable hands, even with your friends' futile attempt to defy me. You should have seen what my sentries did to the other one."
"No," Faith gasped, still tearing at her throat. "No…"
Harry felt his breath hitch in his chest. Now would be the time to use Legilimency… if only he knew how. The thought of Buffy's death sent a new fire into him. He turned to Faith and lashed out at her, using one of the techniques she had taught him and kicking her against the wall. Faith gasped as the hold Voldemort had on her ceased and she turned gratefully to Harry who once again stepped forward, his wand raised and poised to attack.
"Now…" Harry said quietly after flipping his wand to his forehead and down to his side again, a proper gesture amongst duelists. "Why don't we settle this like real men?"
x-o-x
Cordelia nudged a branch aside with her hand and climbed out of, of all things, a tree. She stared at the massive branches of the Whomping Willow over her head and drew in a sharp breath, glancing down in the hole where Xander was standing, waiting for her to clear. A hand was shoved under her face; Cordelia took the hand and climbed out, clinging to Remus as he pulled her away. Xander followed with a grunt, landing on his hands and knees, groaning.
"Never again," he moaned, bringing his hands to his head. "Never, ever again."
"How about we stop with the dramatics and do something positive?" Cordelia challenged him as she dragged Xander to his feet. Her gaze followed a steep hill to where she saw two women in the distance, on top of the hill near the castle. With a set mind, she started out from underneath the protective branches of the tree.
"What are you doing?" Xander asked as Remus and Sirius helped the others out from the tunnel. In the distance, they could still hear the crashes, bangs and general sounds of things being destroyed as the giants continued to fight one another over what remained of Hogsmeade.
"I'm going to help them," Cordelia replied. "And you're going to go back into the castle and—"
"Die?" Xander offered humorlessly. "How about we think of something that leads to me not dying?"
Cordelia shot him a dark look, sniffed and then ran out from under the tree, dashing up the hill and out of sight.
"That's my girl," Xander deadpanned, feeling utterly hopeless as the rest of the survivors from Hogsmeade gathered around him, "always doing the stupid thing."
x-o-x
Flashes of light danced in the shadows as two men continued to duel, traveling backwards down one of the corridors leading to the library. As Severus held the upper hand, he saw shadows moving along the wall and heard distant shouts that danger was approaching. He only hoped those foolish students would get out of the way. Quentin let out a sharp yell and darted to the side, his eyes glistening malevolently as Severus ducked a curse that flew gracefully over his head, smashing through the windows and sending a sheet of stained glass shattering to the courtyards below.
"I cannot let you get away with this," Quentin rasped as a flash of violet light narrowly missed him. "You have betrayed the one you had sworn your life to serve."
"That is beyond old news," Snape countered, his lip curling as he quickly raised a nonverbal shield charm to prevent his hair from starting on fire. Honestly, the man had spent way too much time around teenage girls. "Perhaps you should come up with something new… such as those of us who have supposedly remained loyal are no longer loyal."
"You mean your lackluster students?" Quentin panted, grinning triumphantly as one of the darts of light broke through Snape's defenses, hitting the taller man on the chest. Snape began convulsing and collapsed against the wall, groaning despite his best efforts. "Like students, like professor, I'm afraid." Quentin's lips curved coldly as he approached the downed Potions professor with his wand aimed directly at Snape's forehead. "Now… do you wish to rethink your status?"
"I think not." Snape gave a tremendous bit of effort and kicked the older man away before getting to his feet, recovering his lost ground with another swift kick to the man's midsection. Quentin doubled over, nearly dropping his wand as he backed away, those cold eyes on Snape's. Before he could land a third blow, he heard the distant sounds of screaming and what sounded like thousands of fingernails scratching the walls.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Quentin asked softly from beneath him, slowly straightening as he saw Snape's fearful expression. "That is the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way. All of those poor students would never have stood a chance…"
"They may yet surprise you," Snape said, seemingly coming to a decision as he turned back to face Quentin. "And your little pets…of course, you would have brought them along."
Quentin's eyes narrowed. "Surely whatever magicks that foolish old coot put up are repelling my… pets, as you so properly called them."
Snape was somewhat relieved that the Inferi had yet to burrow their way into the school. They likely had caused enough destruction in Hogsmeade as was evident by the wounded Slayer. But he also knew that the fates of those inside rested on two Muggle women who used earthly magic – Wicca – or some such nonsense. He normally would protest that, but all who had the power to stop it on their own were otherwise occupied. In a way, he was glad for Potter's connections. They freed up others to do what they had to do. After a moment of both men staring in the opposite direction, Severus spun around and deflected a hex aimed at his head. He continued to push the older man further back, but it was ground that he dearly fought for.
x-o-x
With a gasp, Buffy sat up. Her head ached and there was a near metallic taste in her mouth as she climbed her way up the wall and collapsed into it. "Oh, crap," she muttered, lifting her narrowed eyes up to the ceiling. Everything was still blurry. Her chest felt as though something had smashed through it. Her hands felt her tender ribs, wincing as she came across a few broken ones.
And then she remembered.
"Son of a… stupid bastard put me down!" she snapped angrily to herself, retrieving the wand she'd somehow dropped and climbing up the wall until she was unsteadily on her feet. She staggered to the doorway, her eyes taking in the gouges in the floor and ceiling and the burst-open doors. Obviously Quentin had been sent packing by whoever had attacked her. Swearing under her breath, she propelled herself into the hall, smashing painfully into the opposite corridor, a smaller statue wedged under her hip. She winced as she pulled back, groaning as she nearly tipped forward just walking down the hallway – a hallway that had seen recent damage. Nearly every window looking out over the lake had been smashed and even the great archways were scorched.
Buffy made her way down to the main level, limping along as the feeling returned to her feet. She could now go at a half-run and still be faster than any human. She kept her wand alert, but her dazed eyes looked left to right as her headache deepened, showing signs of a concussion. At least she felt somewhat well-rested after being knocked unconscious.
She found herself near the end of the building where the courtyards were, on the backside of the great staircase. As she headed towards the main entrance, her Slayer-enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of distant screams. She turned towards them, figuring that her help would be needed when suddenly she heard a deep, guttural growling noise and a nearby shriek. Buffy ran along the corridor, kicking in a classroom door and lifting her wand, quickly surveying the room but finding nothing.
"Come on, make a sound," she whispered, backing out of the room. She saw a faint shadow disappear out of the far corridor to the staircases. Taking a deep breath, she ran towards the end of the hallway when suddenly a figure darted out, nearly colliding with her.
"Luna?" Buffy gasped, seeing the pale girl with those clear eyes staring up at her. Normally with a dazed look, Luna appeared no different other than the blood smudged on the front of her Ravenclaw robes. "What happened?"
Luna lifted a hand and pointed inside the classroom, seemingly unable to speak. Buffy put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder and tucked inside the classroom, sighing when she saw the badly-mauled boy lying on the marble. "Do you know what did this?"
Luna nodded and pointed to the staircase.
"That's what I thought." Buffy got to her feet and ran back into the hallway, turning to the other girl. "Stay here. If it comes back down, barricade the door and lock yourself inside. Do whatever magic you have to. It's the first rule – don't die. You got me?" The other girl nodded, staring at her with those tragic eyes.
Turning back to the staircase, Buffy ran forward. Her gaze swept upwards. Dozens of staircases were on the move, shifting walkways clicking out of place. She looked for one of the staircases going down to the main level, but they were all in motion. With a burst of Slayer speed, she leapt in the air and caught the railing of the nearest staircase with her hand and quickly flipped herself onto the level. She ran up the steps two at a time. When she reached the next stationary level, she quickly looked around. Something was growling about two levels up, quite angry at being locked into the staircase level. Pulling her wand into her stronger hand, Buffy waited until the next staircase clicked into place on her stationary level before she began the next painful climb up to the third floor.
As she did, she was aware of someone leaping down to the fourth story steps. She heard a growl and saw a furry creature scuttling about a level up. Great, Buffy thought to herself. Werewolf.
She didn't wrap her mind across the reason why a werewolf would suddenly appear all furry except that it had something to do with the supernatural charge in the castle, not to mention the eclipse. All she knew was that a werewolf in the castle was not a good thing. The fact it had probably feasted on that poor boy was a testament to that. Buffy paused as the staircase she was started moving again, putting her in the middle of the lands and right in the line of fire.
She heard the sound of something heavy landing on the upper end of her staircase. Buffy turned, aiming her wand, but the wolf was faster. It knocked her through the railing on the third-story staircase down to the second-story stationary landing. Buffy groaned as the stone creaked beneath her body but quickly got back to her feet. She ran forward, leaping through the air to catch the next staircase before she was trapped. A moment later, the werewolf was a dozen steps above her, rearing with its front paws extended. Buffy took a deep breath. As it came at her again, she shouted out the spell to stupefy it. The spell seemed to glance right off the fur and it sidestepped her, instead leaping onto the railing and then over her head towards the stationary landing, baring its teeth at her.
Buffy took up the lull to run to the third-story landing and then run up the steps towards the fourth story. The wolf recovered quickly enough, climbing up the walls. Shrieking figures in photographs fled for their picturesque lives as claws shredded through their portraits. With a deep growl, the wolf leapt onto the fourth-story landing. Before Buffy could turn around, it slashed out, three claws swiping through her corset and leaving deep, bloody gouges in her chest.
Buffy scoffed as she looked down at her shiny corset. She actually liked this top and the wolf had the audacity to tear it? "You are so going to pay for ruining my shirt!" Buffy hissed, lashing out at the wolf with a swift kick. She smiled in satisfaction as it began losing ground with every pummel she dealt it. At last it tried to tackle her again, but she merely rolled along her back, kicking it over the edge. The creature bellowed as it fell, but soon she heard snarling and footsteps as it began to track upwards. Buffy chose that moment to leap from the edge to another moving staircase between the second and third levels. Her eyes saw that the creature was two levels up on her now. Frustrated at its prey moving around, it bared its teeth at her before leaping again. Buffy chose to jump to a stationary level and made to jump back to the third floor when she saw something falling from the upper-most levels.
"Buffy!"
She couldn't tell if the voice was male or female, nor could she identify who the voice belonged to. She reached out, snatching the object from midair. It was a sword, long and silver, with rubies in the hilt. She twirled the sword once in her hand and turned to the werewolf now six stairs away and crawling along as quietly as it could. With a triumphant roar, Buffy dashed downwards. The wolf threw up a leg and knocked her aside, its hot breath scraping against her neck as it dove for her nervous system. Buffy kicked out at the creature and smashed her head into his, nearly reeling from the contact. The wolf growled and reached for her again, but Buffy was ready. As it charged, she planted the sword into its chest, stopping the animal cold. It blinked twice at her before giving a tragic growl. With an angry snarl, she kicked the creature through the railing, listening as it fell three stories and landed with a thud. For a moment, the only sound in the stairwell was her harsh breathing and the singing metal in her hand. She gave the sword a happy smile before jumping through the broken railing to the first story staircase and running back down to the doors she had just come through minutes before.
Luna tucked her head around the corner of the classroom door, her eyes widening at Buffy's bloodied injuries and the sword in her hand. "Is it dead?"
"Yes, he's dead," Buffy said, offering her hand to the startled sixth-year Ravenclaw. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
x-o-x
Hermione was well aware that the doors she was guarding were not as safely protected as she had hoped. She longed for Professor McGonagall to get back from wherever she had gone to. Instead, she stood alone, her wand in her hand. She pressed her hand to the door, feeling the heat from the other side. Someone was trying to get in, but was having a difficult time doing so.
Little did she know that the doors behind her had opened, revealing five Death Eaters. Their faces took on triumphant expressions at the woman standing with her back to them, staring at the door. Their gazes swept to the left, the Great Hall, where they could hear anxious chatter inside.
But one of the Death Eaters made the mistake of stepping a little too loudly. The girl whipped around with her wand out and was nonverbally hexing before the Death Eaters could begin to mount a defense. Two were unconscious before the other three quickly ran for protecting, throwing hexes back out. Hermione did what she could to defend against her three attackers, but she knew that her strength would fail. Yet, after her small smile of triumph after downing a third, the other two came out from their hiding places, wicked grins on their faces. Hermione held her ground though, even as the door continued to burn behind her. Her concern immediately went to the door… there was a pale green smoke starting to filter through the hundreds of key holes…
Before she could even begin to figure out how to protect the school from whatever was on the other side, she heard an exultant squeal behind her. A second later, the door burst in with such force that the metal gouged through the floor, leaving crevices a foot deep. There was a sole scream from Hermione as she was caught in the blast, propelling her body to the ground with such force that the marble cracked beneath her form. As debris filtered over the top of her, her scream was cut off. Moments later, the rest of the Death Eaters streamed into the school, led by Lucius Malfoy. His cold, silvery eyes swept across the debris, the tip of his boot finding a small hand poking through the waste. He nudged the foot with a sneer before turning back to those coming in behind him. There were hammer-wielding goblins sweeping in behind them, smashing their hammers onto the wreckage as they trampled through.
"Spread out," Lucius suggested in his slippery tone, his eyes on the doors to the Great Hall. Whoever was inside had fallen quiet by the sound of the explosion. "We will take care of this." He watched as the hidden Death Eaters extracted themselves, leading the goblins out into the darkened corridors. Before lifting his wand to open the door, he turned to the other Death Eaters standing behind him. "Perhaps it would be prudent to find the witches that are holding back our infantry and eliminate them."
"It will be done," said one, bowing his head before disappearing out the front entrance.
"Hmm… so shall it be," Lucius murmured under his breath, turning expectantly to the door. He lifted his wand and grinned coldly at the prospect of facing the frightened students inside. "Alohamora."
x-o-x
"In here! In here!"
Laurel Wood stepped through a narrow opening and slipped into an unused classroom on the second floor, near the library. After their Potions professor had swept through, dueling with a man, the younger Gryffindors who had ventured from their Common Room found themselves trapped. Now she followed her brother around, keeping her hand on his shoulder at all times. "Spencer?" she asked in a hushed tone as her brother darted forward, turning over a table for them to hide behind. "Shouldn't we try and get back to the Common Room?"
"Ordinarily, I'd agree," Spencer said with gritted teeth. "But there was no way Mum or Dad would allow me to be out and you to be in. Wasn't that what they said, to keep my eye on you?"
"But you didn't have to," Laurel argued back as Spencer pulled her roughly behind the table.
"Will you two be quiet?" a fourth-year Gryffindor snapped, stepping behind the table as well, his dark eyes fixed on the doorway. "We're trapped in here, alright? We'll get out when we get out."
There was the sudden sound of something scraping against the walls and a voice, sickeningly sweet, called out, "Where, oh where are you little ones?" There was a sudden bang and Laurel gasped. Spencer quickly slipped his hand over her mouth as the door to the classroom they were in burst open. Through a gap between the table and the wall, Laurel saw a tall blonde Death Eater step in, his cold eyes glancing lazily around the room. He was followed by two of the ugliest creatures Laurel had ever seen. She resisted the urge to whimper and shut her mouth as Spencer pulled his hand back, reaching for his wand.
Frantically, Laurel shook her head, gesturing towards the Death Eater and the two goblins. There was no way she was going to watch her fifteen-year-old brother give up his life for this. Spencer started to get up when Laurel grabbed his wrist and jerked him back down, putting a finger to her lips. A moment later, the Death Eater had his back turned. There was one hallway that led to the next classroom. That was their only escape route.
Before she could even try to convey it to the others, the Death Eater turned and kicked at the table. The table lifted in the air towards the ceiling and came down upon the three frightened Gryffindors.
"Ah, at last!" he said, giving them all a darkly charming smile. "I have my first victims."
Laurel screamed and scampered back while Spencer and the other boy were a little slower to get up. Spencer was bleeding from where the table had struck him and it took Laurel a second to realize the table had struck him stupid. The Death Eater simply nudged aside the table with a flick of his wand before reaching out and grabbing Spencer's throat.
"No!" Laurel shrieked, pushing forward. The other Gryffindor boy grabbed her around the waist and pulled the sobbing girl away. Before the Death Eater could kill her brother, though, the goblins seemed to notice them and swung their large hammers in their direction. Laurel shrieked again and dropped to the floor. She heard the agonized mumble and the resonating clang as the hammer met its mark. She felt the boy's body lift up from where he had been standing next to her, trembling as he was smashed into the wall. Laurel chanced a look over her shoulder and immediately felt sickened. As the second hammer came down at her, she rolled aside, screaming again.
"Get out of here!" Spencer gasped as the Death Eater held him hostage, wand at his temple. "Run!"
"I'm not leaving you behind!" Laurel screamed back, kicking out at her goblin captor. The goblin dropped his hammer and the fourth-year's body crashed to the floor, looking a lot slimmer and much bloodier than it had moments before. With a sharp gasp, Laurel jumped to her feet and turned to run, only to find herself in a goblin's arms. She felt those cold hands reach towards her throat as she fought, kicked and punched her way through him, but it was not enough to gain the upper hand.
Suddenly, there was a loud crack and the goblin let go of her. Laurel and the goblin crashed to the ground. There was a roar from the Death Eater, but a shiny bit of blue light filled the air and soon the Death Eater joined the goblin on the floor. The second goblin turned to attack whoever had just rescued them, but Laurel quickly swept her foot out and the goblin, having its legs swept out from underneath them, fell with a resounding smack. Spencer was on the goblin in a second, using one of the chairs to smash it across the head before he offered a hand to his weeping sister and they turned, as one, to face their rescuer.
"Oliver!" Laurel gasped, running into her big brother's arms. He held her tightly for one second before he saw the blood splattered across her face. "It isn't mine," she assured him. He raised his eyebrows at her before turning to Spencer. Even the stoic teenager threw his arms around his brother for a moment before Oliver pulled them back into the hall.
"That Death Eater won't be down very long. Spencer… what in the blazes is your sister doing out of the Common Room? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?"
"That's what I was trying to tell him!" Laurel replied sharply, turning on her brother. "And you were the one that told me I'd be safe with you!"
Oliver left his siblings to argue for a moment as he checked on the young boy, wincing as he saw the large pools of blood. With saddened eyes, he closed the classroom door and used magic to lock it. "Right. We need to get you two someplace safe. Laurel, you're too young to be fighting. Spencer, you're hurt. We might as well—"
He was cut off just as two figures ran across a hallway perpendicular to theirs. He quickly put a finger to his lips and lifted his wand, ready to defend his family at the cost of his life if he had to. As his siblings continued at his back, he turned the corner to find another wand aimed at his head. Its bearer tipped her head and he quickly dropped his wand, relief filling every fiber of his being. "Buffy."
"What are you doing here?" she asked, aghast as he came at her. She didn't have time to chastise him further as he swept her into a hug that had her shivering before she pulled back. "I thought—"
"If you think that I'm going to watch my friends fight and do nothing to help them, you're sadly mistaken," he said, his eyes twinkling. He noticed her dark expression though as Spencer and Laurel ambled up behind him. Her eyes turned accusing and fixed onto his.
"Laurel, what are you doing out of the Common Room? Spencer, I can understand. He's in the army, anyway. But you?"
"Mum told me to keep an eye on her," Spencer mumbled, staring at his blood-spattered shoes. "I didn't think—"
Buffy wanted to tell him off, wanted to tell him how stupid he was for dragging his sister to her death. But before she could do it, she felt Luna tug on her coat and gesture down the wall. "We need to go," she said in her dreamy tone, pointedly ignoring the family concerns.
"They can't come with us," Buffy said to Oliver, drawing herself close to him so her words were for him alone. "They need to be kept safe." She turned around and looked to Luna. "But you can take them… you can keep them safe."
"Lovegood?" Oliver asked incredulously.
"Yes, Lovegood," Buffy snapped, turning to face him. She let go of his arm and turned to the smaller girl. "Luna, can you keep these Gryffindors safe?"
"Of course," she said, staring vaguely at the wall as though she expected something to jump out at them. "But they can't hold off the ghosts forever."
"Does she mean what I think she does?" Oliver asked behind them.
Buffy closed her eyes and held out her hand, offering Luna her sword. Luna stared at it before shaking her head. "I can't take that."
"Why not?"
"It's Godric Gryffindor's sword," Luna replied, looking up at Buffy with her misty eyes. "I'm in Ravenclaw."
"Well, for the time being, I'm making you an honorary House member," Buffy said, pushing the sword into Luna's hand. The other girl lifted it up slightly, as though admiring the way it shone, before turning back to the other girl. "Take these two, keep them safe. It doesn't matter where you go but out of the castle would be great."
"But there's nowhere to run to," Luna said, chewing on her lip. "The Inferi are just outside the shield. The Dark Forest probably holds the last of the vampires. Even Hogsmeade—"
"Hogsmeade is gone," Oliver said flatly. As Buffy turned back to him, he shrugged. "You were already gone when I got there. It didn't take me long to figure that you'd gotten yourself into trouble again." His eyes were on her bloodied chest and her ripped top.
There was a sudden crash and a scream from down below.
"Go," Buffy said, turning to Luna. She nodded and both Wood children ran off down the hall after her with Laurel supporting her injured brother's weight. Buffy then turned to Oliver, her eyes suddenly fearful.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"Honestly? Run and hide," Buffy replied edgily. "But I guess can't always get what I want. Just… don't die, okay? Don't follow me because I don't know if…" Her voice trailed off as a loud thudding noise sounded below them and the floor seemed to tremble. "Gryffindor Tower could probably use some extra help."
"You're not trying to keep me out of the battle, are you?"
"If I were Voldemort and I was killing houses at random, I'd be going for the red-and-gold," Buffy said honestly as she moved to his opposite side, staring down the corridor. It was filling rapidly with silvery smoke. "Stay safe."
"You, too." His fingers grasped hers for a moment before they parted. Two steps later, Buffy spun around and grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled his face to hers. The instant their lips met, she felt the fire return. Before she could pull away, his hands took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Promise me you'll—"
"I promise," she said with a soft smile before she pulled away, running down the opposite hallway. He watched her for a moment before continuing on his own way.
x-o-x
Harry lifted his head and surveyed the smoldering wreckage of the hallway he and Voldemort stood in. Faith was still seated on the floor with her eyes closed, her head resting on the one part of the wall that hadn't been damaged by flying debris. The area around where her head rested was singed with black soot.
Voldemort's victory over Harry wasn't nearly as fast or decisive as he had hoped. After only a few moments of proper dueling, the two now stood, grim-faced, across from one another. Harry attempted to keep from looking too satisfied with himself, but he was grateful he knew enough to keep himself alive for this long. Voldemort was obviously not pleased as his normally calm façade had faltered to a look of the purest loathing. It was obvious that Harry's weaknesses had faded, even though one of his greatest weaknesses was sprawled at his feet. Turning slightly, Voldemort sized up the girl. He never really got the chance to know the other Slayer for Buffy had been his biggest concern. But now… he saw what oversight he had made. He automatically assumed that the Slayers would stay clear of him, not join in during the battle. Wordlessly, he searched her mind and found what he was looking for. She attempted to fight him, but he could tell that it was the first foray into her mind. He easily overcame her defenses, surprised to find that she was a squib, born to one of the purest remaining families and yet having no power, aside from her Slayer power, as her own.
He also found the marker of her greatest weakness and gave a dark smile. Harry saw this and quickly stepped in front of Faith's struggling form.
"Get out."
Voldemort barely acknowledged him as he continued searching. Harry found his temper exploding suddenly as he realized exactly what Voldemort had found. Those memories were for the two of them alone.
"I said get out."
There was a hex and Voldemort sprang backwards, scowling. He stared down at the place where the green light had struck him, somewhere near his abdominal area in the ribs. "A weak shot," he said, sounding disappointed as he looked back up at Harry. "But not altogether unpleasant. So, Harry Potter, you have learned. You have overcome previous weaknesses. But… can you overcome this?" Before Harry had a chance to defend himself, Voldemort turned his wand on Faith. "Crucio"
Faith gasped as the spell struck her, but she seemed able to brush it off after only a few seconds. She quickly glared at Voldemort as she struggled to her feet. "Harry's not the only one who's been learning," she said sharply. "I've got skills, too."
"Do your skills include cowardice and deception?" Voldemort asked scornfully. At her defiant glare, he replied, as softly, "I thought not." He turned back to Harry. "I have seen much – most, I can never speak of – but the horrors in her life are well-matched with your own."
Why is he telling me this? Harry thought desperately, trying to figure out what the Dark Lord's intentions at that very moment were. Emotions boiled through his blood as he glanced between Faith's uncertainty and the greed easily displayed on Voldemort's face. He knew he was selfish for wanting what he so desperately wanted, but now was not the time for that. But he could see their eyes lock, watched as Faith finally broke down and it nearly destroyed him. Swaying as though on uneven ground, Harry was forced to consider what he was going to have to do if Faith chose the wrong side.
She would never betray me, even though it was written in prophecy. Because, sometimes, you have to just ignore what dead, old people said hundreds of years ago and go with your heart.
Faith seemed to understand something as she looked down, blinking away tears she refused to shed.
"Please," Faith whimpered, hugging herself as she fell back against the wall, "make it stop. Please."
Faith, begging? This was not the woman he knew, the woman he allowed himself to fall in love with. He bent down and grasped her shoulders, turning that stunned face to his. Tears sparkled like white diamonds down her cheeks as she hesitantly met his eyes. There was something deeper there, something darker. He had a feeling that he was about to face the truth of Faith's power, a power he had never really seen.
"You cannot stop destiny, Harry, no matter how hard you try," Voldemort said, shaking his long, pale arm free of its robe and bringing his opposite hand to touch the mark that dwelt there. Harry felt sickened as he realized it was the Dark Mark. Harry never knew that Voldemort carried his own mark. Granted, the serpent on his arm seemed alive, coiling and hissing, a tongue flickering in the darkness, enhanced by what remained of the sconces surrounding them.
"No," he said, realizing.
Voldemort touched the tip of his wand to the Mark, his eyes gleaming as he returned a triumphant gaze to Harry. Harry gasped as Faith suddenly fell forward, clutching her arm as though in agony. He watched as she slowly straightened up and turned to him, those dark eyes full of such loathing that he took a physical step back to get away from her.
Kill me. The voice was in her head, a seductive whisper that sent chills down her spine. She could feel Harry in front of her, his hands slowly removing her cloak from her shoulders, his eyes filled with love. Kill me so that I can be whole again.
'No,' Faith replied, hearing her voice as though she were standing outside the small bubble they were in. Even as his lips touched her neck and her body lost all sense of control, she forced her mind to stay clear. 'No.'
You deny me now? Harry sounded hurt as he pulled back to look at her.
'I made a promise. I don't mean to break it. It's not my style.'
You should have thought of that before. His voice was accusing now and she felt the sting of his hand across her cheek, though it brought her no pain. Why are you not helping me now?
'Because I love you.'The words startled her though it was her voice that spoke it, still sounding as though it came from a netherworld beyond. Faith felt the dampness on her cheeks as she cradled her head in her hands, moaning.
Voldemort did not look amused as he released Faith from the spell, watching the smaller woman shudder.
"That is not acceptable."
Faith drew a deep breath and met Voldemort with a look of such resolve that the Dark Lord was beginning to wonder why she had been chosen for such a role in the first place.
"I suppose for one thing to be done right I shall have to do it myself. You will watch your lover die before I take your life and your power." There was no hesitation on his part. Voldemort simply lifted the wand and murmured, "Avada Kedavra."
Faith didn't hesitate. She knew what was coming before Harry did, that much was for certain. The remnants of the spell went both ways. As easily as he had broken into her mind, she had enough Slayer intuition to tell her that she had pissed him off. She broke quickly, leaping across the corridor in front of Harry with a cry. Harry gasped in response, stumbling backwards as her hard body knocked into his. He also saw the stream of green light absorbed into her chest as her cry fell silent and her body fell heavily from the air to the ground.
For a moment, neither victor nor victim moved, watching as Faith fell onto her back, her wand rolling from her open hand. Blank eyes stared lifelessly over his shoulder to the ceiling.
And then Harry felt himself breaking. With a harsh bellow, he lashed out with the first hex that came to his mind. It didn't cross it that it was one of the Unforgivable curses. He just wanted Voldemort to know how seriously he meant it. Voldemort was destroying his school with his army. He had done who-knew-what to Buffy. And he had just taken away the one person that made the sacrifice he had been willing to make worth it. Voldemort quickly overcame the curse and threw another out, but Harry caught it off with a shield charm that sent one of the pillars separating windows crashing between them. Without hesitation, Harry leapt over it, continuing his assault. His mind became foggier and foggier as he struggled to control his magic. It was becoming darker and stronger, fueled by something.
Fueled by faith, ironically.
x-o-x
Buffy knew the instant the Dark Mark had been activated. Her arm burned as though on fire and she heard a voice in the back of her head telling her to turn away and to destroy the resistance on the main level. Buffy turned, stumbling into the corridor with her wand held blindly in front of her. She half-hoped she would not run into any of her former classmates because they would never be able to stand against her. As she rounded the corner, she was greeted with a blast of fresh air. She collapsed against the window and stared out at the sharp edges of shards that still remained in the pane. The rest glowed like crystal far below.
She was caught between the window and the sword that stabbed painfully in her mind, threatening everything she fought so hard against. She had worked so hard to fight against him, so hard… all to be foiled now? With tears streaming down her cheeks, she climbed onto the rail, kicking aside the remnants of the pane and watching as they shattered four levels below. Her hair flowed around her face as she stood there, staring at the fate. The voice in her mind was screaming at her to turn around, but she knew the only way to silence the voice would be to silence herself. She rose on shaky legs, blurred vision staring below as she drew out one foot and pushed herself off from the window, feeling the rush of air hit her face.
But before she could leave the ledge, a pair of arms wound their way around her waist and pulled her down to safety. The voice in her mind was screaming in triumph and she was screaming, "No! No!" and fighting tooth and nail to get back to the ledge, scratching at her captor and kicking at him. She felt the arms push her to the floor where she landed on her hands and knees. With a shriek, she attempted to charge the person when she felt a pair of rough hands grab her face and force her to stare blearily into his face.
Her mind froze, Voldemort's incessant droning fading away. Her senses returned to her in a shining moment, allowing her to see her captor – no, her rescuer – in a clear light. Her eyes held confusion as she looked up at the bumbling face, wondering why in the hell Voldemort stopped his attack and why one of his faithful would have come to save her.
x-o-x
It didn't take long for the Great Hall, or other parts of the school for that matter, to explode into action. The Death Eaters came in the front doors and quickly shielded themselves against whatever curses, hexes or jinxes had been hurled in their direction. The students quickly ducked down behind the table for protection which allowed the Death Eaters to spread into the Great Hall.
Gryffindor Tower fared no better. Only four who had been tasked to protect it out of the original twelve were still standing. The others were lined along the back wall towards the Portrait. The Fat Lady had fled when the first curse was hurled and hadn't been seen since, effectively locking students away from attackers.
The other houses huddled inside their Common Rooms, flinching at the sounds of explosions and creaks. Ghosts fluttered through walls delivering one despairing message after another. One of the worst was that Dumbledore had disappeared. Another was that Harry had fallen and the Slayers had turned to Voldemort's side. The last was that the Slytherins had broken out of the dungeons and were milling restlessly through the castle, killing at will.
The Slytherins had recovered from the attack their Head of House had spurned on them. None were happy as they banged on the door, trying to force it open to exact their revenge. Their voices were drowned out by the chill of the Dementors milling about. Before they could begin to muster a defense, the Dementors turned on their own. Their screams were drowned out by the sounds of the battles over their heads. The doors were open at last but the horrors inside would haunt memories for months to come.
Outside, near the castle but far enough away to be safe from flying debris and the enemies that were now pouring in despite their best magical efforts, Tara and Willow finally released hands as their spell was now futile. The powers of good were vastly outnumbered by the darkness that struggled to overtake them. Willow rose and stared off into the distance, her gaze troubled. Cordelia lightly touched her arm in silent support. Tara stood behind them, staring out over the Dark Forest.
"There's nothing more we can do here," Tara said softly, startling both women who turned to look at her. "The Inferi will soon overrun the shield and the best course of action—"
"Would be to get the heck out of here," Cordelia finished for her, frowning. "But isn't there something we can do?"
"There is."
Both Tara and Cordelia turned to Willow. She wore her familiar resolve face as she turned to both of them, her lips quivering into a slight smile.
"You want to see a Witch?"
"Willow, no!"
But Willow darted out of Tara's reach and spread open her arms, allowing the powers of the earth to fill her. The powers of darkness were overruling her intentions, but she was able to channel them back through the ground as the world was filled with a flash of light. Bright sunlight seemed to explode from her, spreading through the castle, blinding all those inside. The light spread through the tunnels into the remains of Hogsmeade, over the lake and into the Dark Forest. The whooshing sound of vampires falling into dust and the wailing sounds of dark creatures reacting to the light were heard, even long after the light died out.
Willow felt her feet touch the ground and she smiled, turning to see Tara staring at her, eyes shining with pride. Cordelia gave a shriek of excitement as she threw her arms around Willow, hugging the smaller girl to her. "That was amazing!" she cried.
Their happy moment was interrupted by a sudden thud on the ground behind them. Before the three could break apart, something leapt at them. Willow shrieked as Cordelia dragged her away, her eyes frozen on the sight of hundreds of hippity, hoppity, green menaces that had scared her senseless since childhood.
With the shimmering light of the Inferi quickly approaching and the Forest coming to life, the three women glanced at one another before fleeing back to the castle.
x-o-x
Ginny Weasley ducked a second curse and spun to the side as the remnant of the table next to her caught on fire. She gasped as she rolled back towards the burning table as a hole was blasted into the floor next to her. Jumping to her feet, she shot out two quick jinxes before a hand grasped her arm and pulled her back down behind the safety of the table. She spied the others taking mercy shots while trying to protect themselves.
"This is getting us nowhere," Ginny hissed to her brother, breaking his hold on her wrist. She chanced a quick look over the edge of the table and dipped her head back down again, wincing at the blast against the stone table. "There are twelve of them now. There's no way we can last against them."
"Hermione will come for us," Ron assured her. "She has Professor McGonagall with her. You'll see. You'll see."
And yet, after another five minutes watching as more dark creatures flooded the Great Hall, Ginny rolled her eyes back towards Ron, whose face was pale beneath his freckles. "Bloody hell," he whispered.
"Right," Ginny replied stoically, quickly waving the others towards her. "We need to do something. If we wait any longer, we're all dead. So what we need is—"
"A last stand," Neville murmured, meeting her gaze shyly. She never quite understood the boy's feelings for her, misplaced though they may be. She nodded solemnly, holding his gaze for a moment before turning to the others.
"We have to hold out. We have to push them back and get the upper hand, try to hold them here. If we do that—"
"The rest of the school may be saved," Parvati said firmly. Ginny nodded again and pulled out her wand. She was about to bolt out when Ron took her by the arm.
"Not you," Ron said quietly, staring at her with determined eyes.
"Who else is going to do it?" Ginny snapped back.
"Then both of us," he continued. Ginny shrugged and turned back to the sound of orders being given out. She felt the chill through the floor and knew Dementors were present inside the castle, something Dumbledore would never have allowed had he been there.
Both Weasley siblings jumped to their feet, spreading in opposite directions. They were followed by other members of Dumbledore's Army. All eight members soon had the Death Eaters, a few goblins and some hooded figures with slanted eyes that they didn't really know in the middle. But it did not come without cost. Parvati had been hit in the chest with a flash of red light and had yet to wake up. Neville was limping heavily after one of the stone benches smashed into his knee, the resounding crack of breaking bone echoing through the hall. Ron sustained a small injury from a knife, a deep red line down the side of his face and his neck that would likely scar if he left it too long. But Ginny held her own, feeling that she needed to do something to help.
She turned her back, preparing to give other orders when a thick black hand wound its way around her neck and jerked upwards. Ginny let out a soft gasp of surprise, the wand wrenched from her grasp as the hand throttled her.
"Foolish, little Weasley," a voice hissed in her ear as her feet left the ground, her body lifting up as something cold and metallic slid along her throat. "Perhaps a little too foolish."
"No," Ginny gasped, trying to catch Ron's attention. But Ron was occupied with helping Lavender Brown, who had just been knocked over by one of the goblin's hammers. She watched as her brother valiantly fought the goblin, her hands clawing at the glove holding her in place. Life swam before her eyes. It was a little on the blurry side. She could taste the bile in her throat as he shook her again. Ron suddenly realized that his sister was in mortal danger as he dropped the goblin's hammer and moved backwards, his eyes wide and terrified. Lavender sat up, her bloodied shoulder barely supporting her weight as she stared at the scene unfolding before her.
"There is no place for a blood traitor like you in this world now," the voice breathed into her ear as Ginny renewed her valiant struggle. "Why do you fight? Why do you linger on like a foolish child?"
There was a sudden crash and Ginny crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath. She chanced a look over her shoulder and dove out of the way as Lucius Malfoy was driven to his knees. Standing at his back with his wand outstretched was Draco, his gaze livid.
"Let's see," Draco said sarcastically as Ginny felt a hand touch her shoulder. She spied Juliet Rosier over her shoulder and let the other girl pull her to her feet. Ron had started bashing the last of the goblins with the stolen hammer. The others were quickly gathering in the center. "I fight because I have to believe that I'm better than the Dark Lord's whipping boy. I linger like a foolish child because I went from four to twenty overnight. Oh, and yeah…" There was another thud as Draco used the edge of the three-legged stool the Sorting Hat sat upon to smash it over his father's head. "That's my blood traitor you're talking about!"
Juliet quickly handed Ginny back her wand and poised herself to duel.
"What made you change your mind?" Ginny asked her under her breath as the two prepared to face the four Death Eaters approaching them with hungry looks upon their faces.
"Unlike you, I am not my father's daughter."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Could you two argue later and help me now?" Ron gasped as he swung the hammer again, feeling the bones shatter at the blow. Both women glanced at Draco antagonizing his father before they turned back to Ron.
"You seem to have everything under control," Juliet called back.
Despite the brightness shining from the enchanted ceiling, the room seemed sucked into darkness. Turning to the doorway, Ginny saw five Dementors sweep through the double doors, their hooded faces glancing around. "You were saying?"
x-o-x
The hands on her face went from rough to angelic in the space of about two seconds. Buffy could hardly believe her eyes even after she recognized the person standing before her. "Peter?" she breathed. "What--?"
"We never spent time together," the man said in an apologetic voice, his watery eyes staring at his shoes. "That is partially my fault, I guess. But you are my godchild, that you are. I wonder if any had the courage to tell you." At Buffy's sickened look, he gave a sad sigh. "I thought so."
"The thought of finding myself linked to you disgusts me," Buffy snapped, forcing his hands from her face as she moved to her feet.
Peter fixed his eyes on a point to her right and gave a small, shaky laugh. "We all have our sins to face. Yours is no different. The matter is simple, though. I owed your brother a debt and I saved your life."
"You save—" Her voice cut off as she realized his eyes were fixed on her Dark Mark. Buffy glanced down and saw the black serpent was fading away into her skin. "How…?"
"Magic." Peter gave a sad smile. "My destiny was written long before you returned home, dearest. I knew I would die someday. But I—"
Before he could finish his little speech, Buffy spared him the sentiment with a left-hook. The man looked surprised as he stumbled back. "What…?"
"You'll thank me later," Buffy replied, adding a kick to send the man against the wall. A third blow across his head sent him unconscious to the floor. "Of course, by then he'd have killed you. But for all it's worth… thank you."
Turning on her heel, she ran down the corridor.
x-o-x
"Shit, shit, shit," Juliet cursed under her breath as the Dementors moved into the room. The Death Eaters seemed to pull back in glee. Only Draco was in the line of fire, but the Dementors paid him no heed. Their focus was on the nine students now gathered in the wrecked Great Hall.
"We have to do this."
"And we'll do it together," Neville murmured, limping forward and holding out his wand.
As one, eight voices shouted out, "Expecto patronum!" Eight bits of vapor shot out of eight wands, swooping to the Dementors. They quickly drifted aside, showing what they had been hiding behind their bulky forms. There were eight Death Eaters now, including the ones Hermione had stunned earlier, standing there with their wands out. Each student knew that to face them now would be death as they likely had the Killing Curse on their lips.
Ron was the first to lower his wand and drop the hammer in his opposite hand to the ground. He turned to Ginny, who stood to his right, who did the same. Even if they weren't fighting, their fate would be the same.
One of the Death Eaters smirked as his lip curled. "Avada—"
"No!"
There were twelve sudden flashes of color behind the Death Eaters. Ron blinked as he recognized his brother and others from the Order, including Sirius, Remus and Tonks. "Oi!" he shouted, taking the hammer back and charging forward. The other Order members were doing what they had to do to dispel the Dementors. The Death Eaters were quickly put down.
Draco stood up, finding his father's wand under his chin. "You idiot boy," Lucius hissed vehemently. "The Dark Lord offered you the world and you run from it?"
"I am not your son," Draco snapped as he spun around, his wand tipped at his father's forehead. "I am ashamed that you consider me like you."
"What do you have to offer to this filth?" Lucius spat. "These Mudbloods, muggles and traitors?"
"I offer a world where my only choice doesn't include dying," Draco continued, his voice trembling as father and son circled one another. "Tell me, Lucius…" His eyes glistened at his father's prominent scowl. "What do you fight for? A world to believe in, one with one a few dozen Wizards and way too many skeletons left? I'm willing to live with the riff, father, if it means that when the time comes, I can still have my power… and my honor."
"Honor?" Lucius scoffed. "What little honor you had in your veins has long spilled out, boy."
"You forget," Draco continued, his lips lifting into a snarl, "I'm also half Black!"
Father and son then lashed at each other, wands forgotten. Lucius had his hand around Draco's neck and was attempted to crack it when Draco felt the nerves behind his father's back and pressed hard into them. The man crumpled in his arms and Draco shoved his wounded father aside. Taking out his wand, he put it between his father's eyes.
"I'm sorry that it had to end like this," Draco said softly. "But, as my dearest cousin would say, tis a far better thing to off you now than to leave you to the dredges later. Good thing that I'm above doing the better thing, no?" While seeing the plea in his father's eyes, Draco sighed and lashed out with the tip of his foot, listening to the crunch between his boot and his father's skull. Lucius fell less than gracefully to the ground and moved no more. Draco just sighed and bent down, lovingly touching the back of his father's head. "Mother and I are not going to be afraid of you anymore."
That being said, he went off to continue the fight.
Ron was blinking uncertainly as Juliet leapt on top of the only standing table and ran down its length, sending out jinxes and hexes as she moved. With a graceful leap, she landed next to him before she pressed her back at his so better as to cover it. For a moment, he couldn't think of anything to say. Luckily for him, he didn't have to.
"You seem so stunned," she said as she kicked out, sending one of the goblins spinning into the array of benches the others had set up. "Did you really think me stupid enough to join him?"
"The thought crossed my mind," Ron said apologetically. "Look, Juli…"
"If we survive, you can apologize," Juliet rasped out as she jumped backwards, nearly knocking Ron to the ground. "But for now…"
"Yeah, fighting," Ron grunted, unable to look away from her. Not since he had seen Faith do battle did he ever find someone who… enjoyed… it as much as she did. Then, quietly, he added, "I owe you one for Ginny."
"No, you don't," Juliet replied, grinning as another set of figures ran into the room from the door near the faculty table. There were six in this group and they quickly sent out hexes to knock over the remaining Death Eaters. Ron was pleased to see that Percy was among them – obviously he was back on his feet enough to fight a good fight.
"Oi! You two!" a voice shouted out. They separated to turn back to Ginny, who was pointing above them. Dark shadows floated around the brilliantly-lit sky. "We've got trouble."
x-o-x
"We've got trouble," Spencer said, clutching his side as Luna stood next to him, seemingly unaffected by the sounds the Inferi made as they charged through the walls before spilling into the corridor in front of them. "Uh, Loony?"
Luna didn't say anything, but her glazed eyes stared at the four creatures that slowly bore down on them.
"Luna?" Laurel asked in a soft, breathy tone.
"In there," Luna said, tipping her head to the classroom at their left.
"And then what?" Spencer growled as he dragged Laurel into the room, Luna closing the door behind them.
"There," Laurel cried, running to a small cupboard and throwing open the door. "There're broomsticks."
"Take them," Spencer said, turning back to Luna. She was staring at the door with her wand out as though expecting the Inferi to break down the door that second. The sword was held loosely at her side in her opposite hand. "Luna, we've got broomsticks."
"The window," she said vaguely, pointing the sword behind her. "We need to leave."
Spencer held the door open as Laurel took three broomsticks. He passed one off to Luna, who blinked uncertainly at it. "I have as much chance of flying that as I do using this." She held up the sword in her hand.
"Luckily, you don't have to fly it far," Spencer replied as Laurel quickly took her broom and raced towards the window.
"But there isn't anyplace safe!" Laurel gasped. "There's nowhere to go."
"The lake should keep us safe and the mountains can hide us," Luna replied, setting the sword aside and pushing one of the large windows open. A blast of cool air hit her face, blowing her hair around. She turned to Laurel. "You first."
Laurel was the first out. She had a shaky take-off and quickly soared off. Spencer was about to follow her when the door to the classroom smashed in.
"Go!" Luna shouted, lifting her wand again. "I will hold them off."
"I won't let you do it alone," the stubborn fifth-year replied curtly. He was balancing with the broom between his legs and hopping while trying to control his wand. Luna half-turned towards him and darted to the window as the four Inferi crowded around them.
"The charm to repel them," Luna breathed to the younger boy, "is to use fire." As one, the two murmured the spell to create fire. Bright flames cast an eerie glow through the room, throwing the Inferi back a few steps. Before Spencer could argue, Luna shoved him out the window before spying the sword lying on a table near the doorway. There were two Inferi between her and that sword, but she had been entrusted with it and no Gryffindor would ever let it fall into the wrong hands. As Spencer hovered by the door, Luna suddenly flew forward as two Inferi reached for her. Spencer was ready with the curse and Luna returned to the window, her robes singed but otherwise unharmed.
Luna boarded her broom and pulled herself onto the ledge, looking down five stories to the courtyard below. Something jumped into her stomach and she hesitated, though she could clearly see two forms darting around in front of her towards the lake.
Before she could push herself off, she felt a stab of ice-cold in her shoulder. She realized then that one of the Inferi had grabbed her. She stumbled forward, her gaze blurred with pain until the broom righted itself and she went spiraling towards the ground. A moment later, she felt a hand on the front of her broomstick, guiding it back up, the angry shrieks of the Inferi still sounding in their ears.
x-o-x
Buffy closed the classroom door behind her and continued to run along the corridors. The feeling was starting to return to her back now, but it still ached. She reminded herself not to get in the way of a giant's hammer again because those things hurt.
She paused at the window to look out at a beautiful late afternoon. If she ignored the sounds of obvious war around them and stared down at the figures now pooling from the front doors, she could actually see it as a beautiful afternoon.
She let out a soft breath and turned around, preparing to assist those on the ground outside.
But as she turned, something like pool of molten lava landed on her chest. She blinked down to see an arm sticking out of her chest. She uttered a soundless cry as her chin lifted to look her foe in the eyes… or, more specifically, eye-sockets. Those cold depths just remained fixed at her as Buffy struggled against them. With a resounding crack, the hand withdrew and Buffy stumbled backwards into one of the archways. She felt the warmth of the blood coursing down her stomach, her shirt, her chest. She couldn't even cry out, couldn't even moan… the pain was so intense, like a bolt of lightning charging thousands of volts of electricity into her body. Startled, she felt the cold stone behind her and slid down painfully even as other Inferi gathered around her. She felt a brush of fire against her face. She felt something touch her thigh… She saw her wand roll away and she was powerless to stop it.
She knew then that she was going to die.
Using the last of her strength, she stared up as three faces bent to her, eyes pleading for death. She could feel her life spilling away as she saw trails of red on the tile. She just hoped it would come soon…
x-o-x
"Relashio"
The spell nearly forced Voldemort out of the door onto the Astronomy Tower. Harry charged behind him, unleashing two quick other spells. What he didn't realize was that the amulet around his neck was glowing white.
Voldemort quickly regained his footing and shielded himself from the two charms and quickly sent one of his own. Harry felt a white-hot breath of flame touch his cheek and twisted away before the curse could do further damage. Before he shouted out the next curse, he took sight of the glowing cross.
"What trinket do you need that can save you now?"
Harry frowned as he stared down at the amulet. He touched it with two fingers and blinked at the warmth. Blinking, he turned back to the Dark Lord, a small smile gracing his bruised face. "Didn't you know?" he asked softly. "Your faithful servant Faith gave it to me. You know, the one you marked and then murdered?"
There was a darkness that spread over Voldemort's face as the ugly realization came to him. "Did you love her, Potter?"
"More than I can put into words," Harry replied firmly, lifting his wand up again. With another blast, Voldemort was taken back a few steps. As he came forward, he felt rejuvenated; alive… he had never felt this way before. He stared down at the amulet, half-wondering what affect it was having on him. He wasn't going to argue with it – if there was any time he would need the power, now was it.
x-o-x
With a graceful leap, Juliet joined her fellow classmates on the grass. More than three dozen were facing off against a few dozen Inferi, a handful of Dementors, about a hundred goblins and the last five Death Eaters to remain standing. A few had elected to remain behind in the school to help hunt for the missing Inferi that had been seen last headed towards the Common Rooms. But, as of this moment, the Hogwarts students were on the offensive. And, for the first time, they had the upper hand.
x-o-x
There was a resounding crack as the chandelier fell stylishly from the high ceiling, shattering at the men's feet. Severus let out a snarl as he rounded the large object, using a quick flick of his wrist to cut down on the flames stretched for the staircases. If that fire got out of control, the library one level below would be threatened and he would not have that. And yet Quentin had finally leapt on the offensive.
Seeing the shadowy things moving in the background, Snape chose to change tactics. He let Quentin fight him back, let him back Snape into a wall or two. Yet the stupid man didn't seem to realize that Snape was toying with him until he let out an unholy torrent onto the portly man. Quentin struggled backwards, clutching his side as Snape lazily flicked his wand back and forth, seemingly using little effort at all.
"You do realize you do this to protect a Slayer that, until last year, you never knew existed," Travers wheezed as he bent at the knees.
"Yes," Snape murmured. "I am aware. I am also aware that you were once her mentor."
"I have never stooped that low," Travers replied coldly. "Honestly… this girl thinks she's invulnerable, just like every other bloody idiot in this school. They don't stand a chance with the Dark Lord poised to take over." He gasped again as another flesh wound appeared on his face. His hand reached up to touch the stinging tissue. "You honestly mean—"
"Oh, I believe in honesty," Snape muttered. "But I have yet to try it on those who don't deserve it." He was aware that they were being watched now, predators preparing to snoop down on prey. It was time to give them their prey. "I have standards just like you. Only I don't allow my own creations to do this."
Quentin stared at him, mortified, for only a moment before Snape whispered something and Quentin screeched in pain. He felt his Inferi draw nearer to him, feeding off of his fear.
"Goodbye, old man," Snape whispered in an eerily calm tone as he lifted his wand once again. Quentin's cries were instantly silenced as it seemed his entire outer covering had just disappeared, flying off of him to reveal little but sinew and muscle and blood beneath. The scent was rank enough, but the sight… even Snape's stoic stomach turned at observing the bloody, skin-less man quivering before him. Four Inferi dove from the shadows, instantly turning on their master as they dragged his corpse back. "What pain you inflicted on those girls has now been repaid tenfold. My promise has been fulfilled."
x-o-x
"Something's wrong," Ginny whispered. It was something in the wind, like a change. It seemed that the Inferi had suddenly lost interest in the fight and were turning on the other dark creatures. The students paused and took stock of what they were seeing. The green glow from the enormous Dark Mark was finally starting to fade, but Ginny knew that victory wasn't yet complete. She moved around the fallen figures until she saw Ron's freckled arm poking out. She grasped it and pulled as her brother dragged to his feet, groaning and clutching his bloody head. Juliet appeared next with Draco, the two supporting one another with various injuries. A quick glance exchanged between the Weasley siblings was enough to ensure that this is what they had been hiding from the other.
There was a sudden scream and Ginny spun around. There was a figure completely cut open by the Inferi on the ground. Ginny clasped a hand over her mouth and turned away, throwing herself into Ron's arms. His arm held hers, but those normally tranquil eyes held nothing but disgust as he saw his elder brothers come forward with somber faces, staring at the battlefield around them.
"It isn't over yet," Percy said quietly, supporting a badly-limping Emma.
"I should say not," said a cold voice from the doorway. Before Percy could turn towards the voice, a jet of green light hit his chest, knocking both him and Emma down. Ron spun around to fight him off but was disarmed. Ginny tried a second later and was literally thrown halfway across the lawn towards the hill.
Lucius Malfoy stepped down with a malevolently cold grin, a few Death Eaters trailing behind him. "So close and yet…" His grin widened as he saw his son nearly toss aside the young woman he held onto in order to reach for his wand. Before Lucius could hex his son, the last of the Order of the Phoenix arrived. A large metallic object smashed Lucius across the back of his head just as Draco all but shouted out a desperate curse, his eyes searching for Ginny. He saw her near the hills with a thin trail of blood seeping out from underneath her coppery hair.
There was a cry as Remus and Sirius came out to take on the Dementors. They didn't seem to take kindly to the Inferi turning on them. But the Inferi far outnumbered the Dementors and the foul, former guards of Azkaban turned to the wounded in order to suck out their happiness, likely to feed on their strength. As though communicating with the rest of the order, the large patronuses did their best to hold off the torment. But it seemed as though they all turned, as one, to stare at the tower in the distance. As one, they started floating backwards, disappearing into the afternoon shadows until they were, at last, out of sight.
And then, as though on cue, the ground began to shake. There was a tremendous rumble from the school as students, teachers and friends alike turned as one to watch in horror as the school began to sink.
x-o-x
Harry was beginning to realize that something was powering the amulet. He had a feeling that, because of the darkness he felt from it, the amulet was channeling magic from Voldemort's dark creatures. He welcomed the switch. Now, at the edge of the tower, the Dark Mark all but faded, Harry tore the amulet from his neck.
Twisting the top, he revealed a sharp point with a quivering tip. He held it in one hand and loosely grasped his wand in the other.
"I do not fear death," Voldemort said quietly, seemingly sensing that he couldn't defeat Potter. He had slowly felt his beloved followers slipping away. "But—"
"None of us really fear death anymore," Harry snapped, taking another step closer. Voldemort attempted to defend himself but Harry quickly disarmed him and held the amulet under his arm as he snapped one of the most powerful wands in the world in half. As he did, bright light suddenly flowed around him, turning the amulet from white to gold. The tip seemed to grow longer, showing off a faint, green color.
"Of course, if you had anyone left, you'd know that they'd follow you to… oh, wait, that's me," Harry said dryly.
"The power is strong, isn't it?" Voldemort asked him, a strange look on his pale face. "All of that power, channeled into one source…"
Harry knew he was weakening. The fight had lasted a good, long while and he had been injured. Even as he stumbled closer, he held the amulet for the Dark Lord to see.
And then he plunged the sharp tip into Voldemort's armor.
The poison it held easily went through whatever levels of protection Voldemort had weaved around himself. There was a blast of light and a soft ping as Harry stumbled backwards, blinded. He didn't see the look of astonishment on Voldemort's face as the Dark Wizard pulled the amulet from his chest, his face retorting.
"You think you may have changed the world, Potter, but you'll see… you'll… see…."
Harry watched, half-blinded by pain as he fell to his knees, as Voldemort toppled over the edge of the Astronomy Tower. With a loud cry, he fell backwards, through the open doorway and tumbling down the steps. His wand landed a few feet away as he landed on his back. He stared at the dark splotches of light over his head. He saw the trembles before he felt them.
And then he saw nothing at all.
x-o-x
Buffy was only acutely aware when the Inferi left her. By the time she came to her senses, one of the statues crumbled and fell, the large bronze object pinning her to the archway. Her body was cold, numb… she had never felt like closing her eyes more.
Even if it would finally set her free.
And she would be able to see her parents again.
x-o-x
Willow and Tara were running along the fourth-floor corridor when the school began to shake as though an earthquake. Willow quickly found a doorway and reached for Tara, pulling the taller girl under the safety of one of the archways as they bent down, riding out the tremble as the school slowly began to dip.
Outside on the lawn, frightened students began to spread back from the school.
Inside, students in the dungeons suddenly gasped as their fireplaces suddenly tipped forward, spreading flames greedily across the floor. Those that actually kept their heads were quick to put the flames out.
Those frightened students who actually sat in the library ran to the walls as the bookcases began collapsing, one on top of the other.
In the corridors, windows that still remained intact shattered, spilling glass outside. The walkways began to buckle, sending an explosion of rock and wood outwards. In the lower levels, lights swung precariously, a few tipping onto the ground and catching fire.
At the front entrance hall, the doors that had been smashed in sank further into the ground, taking with them a pale arm and the remnants of their first protection.
A few moments later, the quaking stopped. Frightened students came from their hiding places, looking around uncertainly.
And, as a rush of dust and hot air spilled into the air, turning it from clear to yellowish-grey, everything finally seemed to settle.
x-o-o-x