Bill's Story The Battle and the End of the War

by Bad Mum

The story of the Battle of Hogwarts and beyond from Bill Weasley's point of view. How the Weasleys found out about Fred's death, and what happened afterwards. Runs parallel to the last chapters of Deathly Hallows.

9. He beat you!

Bits from the book still in italics.

And a bad word in this chapter.

Chapter 9

Peering over the heads of those in front, Bill saw a line of Death Eaters spreading out facing the Castle. In the centre was Voldemort himself, and the huge figure of Hagrid, cradling Harry's body. From behind him, Bill heard George sob and his father whisper hoarsely: "Oh no!" There were cries from the front of the crowd: Minerva McGonagall's scream of "NO!" was followed by those of Ron and Hermione, and Bill gasped at the pain in his sister's voice as she cried out, "Harry! HARRY!" Then others in the crowd were yelling and screaming, until Voldemort's cry of: "SILENCE! It is over!" brought an eerie quiet.

Hagrid lay Harry's body down on the grass in front of them, and Bill thought that maybe this really was the end and that they should surrender now and prevent more senseless and wasteful deaths. He felt Fleur squeeze his hand, and he returned the pressure, but he did not look at her. He knew that if he did, he would break down, and his family needed him to stay strong. He was the oldest after all. It was his job to be strong for the others.

It was Ron who broke the silence. "He beat you!" he yelled; and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again. Bill was among them, realising his kid brother was right, that Harry had beaten Voldemort even if he had died doing it, and that even if it cost every one of the rest of them their lives they could not give up now. They could not do that to Fred. Nor to Remus or Tonks or the unknown young woman he had carried in from the grounds, or the many others who had fallen that night in their cause. Voldemort would only be victor when every drop of their blood had been shed, when there was literally no one left to fight. Which brought Bill's thoughts back to Charlie. Where the fuck was Charlie? Bill had never wanted his brother beside him more than at that moment.

Then Voldemort was speaking again, but his words were interrupted by someone stepping forward from the crowd and yelling defiance at him. Bill realised with a start that it was Ron and Harry's friend Neville Longbottom who had been leading the resistance at Hogwarts for the whole of this year. "Dumbledore's Army" shouted Neville, and Bill joined in the answering cheer. Then, somehow, the Sorting Hat was aflame on Neville's head, and he was screaming, unable to move. The crowd was pushing and shoving, all trying to see what was going on. Bill put his arm round Fleur, trying to keep her upright beside him against the buffeting of the crowd, craning to see what was happening.

Then many things happened at once. There was the noise of hundreds of people running towards the castle, their cries and war whoops louder than anything Bill had heard that night. There was a giant coming over the wide lawns yelling: "HAGGER!" and even as Voldemort's own giants turned on him, there was the sound of hooves and a flurry of arrows, and the Death Eater line was breaking down in confusion. And suddenly – God only knew from where – Neville Longbottom was wielding the sword of Godric Gryffindor, and cutting off the head of Voldemort's snake familiar. Bill heard Hagrid yell, "WHERE'S HARRY?" and he and the rest of the Hogwarts defenders together with the Death Eaters were being forced back into the castle by the sheer weight of numbers of the new arrivals.