Notes: Getting this up in advance because 1) it's the corrupted quiet one's birthday tomorrow 2) I'm not going to be on Friday or Saturday and 3) I felt like it. Besides, I'm sick. So yeah. I don't know what that signifies, but yeah.

Also, in case you've been living under a rock, the collection of BHL/ND drabbles are now up. I'm surprised that many of you want to read my stuff, lol. It's called The Little Things, and there's no chronological order to the drabbles. Feel free to prompt me with drabbles because I'm basically writing these as I go along. The drabble winner guys back in BHL (I KNOW I'VE BEEN HORRIBLE ABOUT THESE), I'm thinking of sticking your drabbles into that compilation because it just works better for me to have one frame of mind for these things. And it's not too far from what I'd write otherwise, so yeaaaaah~

Part XV

"We've only got half an hour until midnight," Kingsley Shacklebolt announced gravely at the High Table, "so we need to act fast. A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix."

Arthur found himself leading several Gryffindors out into the grounds. Kiku, Francis, and Alfred were with him, their wands drawn. They squeezed their way through the crowd in the Entrance Hall, out the oak doors, and onto the lawn. A little ways away, Remus Lupin was marshalling Hufflepuffs.

"Right, the half-hour before the battle begins is dwindling," Arthur said as Alfred and Kiku arranged the Gryffindors into a small battalion. "You all know your basic duelling spells, correct?"

There were nods. "Awesome!" Alfred exclaimed. "We'll definitely kick their asses; we're heroes!"

Arthur rolled his eyes, but he smiled slightly. Kiku took his arm, looking out towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Where do you think they are?" he asked.

Arthur was about to reply, but he was drowned out by a loud keening scream in the distance.

Midnight had arrived.

Nataliya shot curses left, right, and centre with the rest of the Death Eaters as they advanced towards the castle. Next to her, Yekaterina had tears in her eyes as she aimed a Killing Curse at a little Gryffindor.

The Gryffindor keeled over, looking tiny in death. His body was quickly obscured as the battle begun in earnest, as more skilled wizards came out and engaged them in combat.

There was Francis; he was all but a streak of golden hair and coloured sparks as he duelled with Hue Nguyen. Nataliya dodged spells and curses from defenders on the castle battlements, looking for familiar faces. Where were her friends? Where were her foes?

"Impedimenta!" someone yelled, and Nataliya's heart nearly stopped. That voice was familiar.

"Alfred?" she called, but the commotion around them drowned out her voice.

Alfred looked on, horrified, as Hue slashed at Francis's chest with something that looked like black fire. The Frenchman fell to his knees, face contorted in agony.

"Stupefy!" Alfred cried, but Hue dodged him, sending a curse his way. Alfred blocked it, summoning up a fiery lasso and whirling it back at her.

The lasso wrapped around her, but she extinguished it with her wand. Her ponytail whipped the air as she sent daggers flying his way; he Vanished them. Their spells grew more and more potent as the two duellers danced a dangerous tarantella around the other, coloured light flying every which way.

The castle shook behind them like a leviathan awakening from its slumber. Startled by the noise, Alfred faltered slightly.

Hue slashed at him with black fire.

Alfred couldn't get out of its way in time.

"I, like, totally don't want to fight," Feliks Łukasiewcz muttered, twirling his wand idly.

"Come on, Feliks, the Dark Lord told us to," Toris Lorinatis pleaded, tugging at him. "We've got to fight. I don't want to do this any more than you do, but we've been ordered to do this."

"Like, totally screw that," Feliks replied.

"Disobeying orders?" a third voice interjected. It was Ivan. Toris paled.

"N-no, Ivan! W-we were going to go fight!"

"I'm totally sitting this one out. I'll, like, break a nail otherwise," Feliks cut in. Toris bit his lip, his eyes wide and worried.

Ivan smiled disturbingly. "Feliks, you know I'll have to kill you for that, right?" he asked cheerily. The purple aura surrounded him; Toris and Feliks backed away.

"Ivan, please don't," Toris said quietly.

"Avada Kedavra," Ivan replied.

Feliks fell to the ground.

Arthur screamed in anger as he slashed at Fenrir Greyback, hatred colouring his face as he sent curses at the werewolf.

"That's for separating Kiku and me," he snapped, as a ball of purple fire engulfed Greyback; he howled and tried to extinguish it. "And that's for attacking Kiku at Godric's Hollow," he added as silvery ropes bound Greyback from head to foot. "And that –" Greyback whined as silver daggers flew at him "– is for threatening Hermione!"

He stood back, looking smug as the spells started to overwhelm the werewolf. But suddenly he doubled over; the liquid fire of pain filled his chest. Arthur gave a cry, falling to the ground. The spells vanished and Greyback sprang on him, all sweat and stench and blood –

"Petrificus totalus!" someone shouted. Greyback froze in place; Arthur shoved him off to see Kiku, very white-faced and nervous. "A-Arthur, a-are you a-all right?"

Arthur clambered to his feet. The castle shook as if it was caught in an earthquake. A giant thundered by, squishing Death Eaters.

"Th-that's G-Grawp," Kiku said worriedly. "Hagrid's half-brother."

There were screams as more giants appeared.

"And those are Voldemort's giants," Arthur added. "We need help."

Nataliya found Alfred next to Francis; she gave a cry and knelt down next to him. "A-Alfred!" she breathed in horror, scrabbling to feel for a pulse.

The American stirred slightly as she touched him. "N-Nat?" he asked, opening an eye.

She nodded. "I'm here, Alfred…" she whispered. "Are you all right?"

Alfred shook his head. "H-hurts… my chest hurts," he whimpered, squeezing his eyes closed. "H-Hue's black fire spell… she got Francis with it as well…"

Nataliya kissed his forehead. "I'm not supposed to do this to you," she said quietly before kissing him on the lips.

Alfred smiled against her lips anyways.

Ludwig shot a curse at an advancing Death Eater; he keeled over and fell to the ground, Stunned.

"What's that?" Feliciano screamed as he deflected curses with his white flag. Ludwig followed his gaze; his heart jumped into his throat.

"Acromantulas," the German hissed, his face pale. "Giant spiders. They're… they're probably on You-Know-Who's side."

Feliciano whimpered. "Save me!" he wailed.

"Take that, bastard spiders!" Lovino hollered at the same time, shooting curses at the Acromantulas. They glanced off of the spiders; Lovino screeched and ran off.

"Lovi, where are you going?" Antonio Carriedo called after Lovino, hurling another tomato at an oncoming Death Eater.

Gigantic spiders filled the Entrance Hall. Madeline screamed, aiming Impediment Jinxes at the spiders as they advanced towards the fighters inside the rumbling castle.

She took refuge behind a suit of armour and then dived out of a broken window. Where was Francis? Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and her palms were slick with sweat.

Racing through the battlefield in front of the castle, Madeline looked desperately for Francis. She saw Nataliya and Alfred; the Belarusian was helping the American to his feet. Next to them was someone familiar.

"Francis!" The Frenchman opened an eye and smiled wanly at her.

"Madeline," he whispered, and Madeline thought she felt her heart break at his voice.

Arthur watched, horrified, as two giants met in combat up near the castle doors.

"We need to get you to safety," Kiku whispered. "This is getting too intense for you, Arthur-san. You need to rest."

"Kiku, I can't," Arthur cried. "We need to help them! Hogwarts is falling. If only…"

He looked towards the forest. "There are unicorns in the forest," he said quietly. "And with the unicorns live the faeries…"

"You're thinking of bringing faeries into the fight?" Kiku asked. "Arthur, please, that's preposterous…"

"If they won't fight, I'll at least ask them if they can tell us how to win the battle," Arthur replied gravely, leaning his head on Kiku's shoulder. "Maybe they can convince the centaurs to fight as well…"

Kiku shook his head. "Arthur, please. We've lost. It takes bravery to stand up, but it also takes bravery to fall and submit. I wish you knew that."

"This isn't the time to fall and submit," Arthur said quietly. "People are dying for Harry, dying for me…" Even as he said that, he felt another stab of pain in his side. "Their deaths should not be in vain."

"You have fought valiantly," Lord Voldemort's voice rang through the air. "Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery."

Alfred frowned as he recognised the voice. Next to him, Nataliya tensed.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one."

Lovino and Antonio dodged a giant's punch as they ran down the seventh-floor corridor, seeking refuge.

"I do not wish for this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."

In the calmer, shadowy side of Ravenclaw tower, Ludwig held Feliciano close. The Italian sobbed into Ludwig's chest.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

Madeline stroked Francis's hair; Francis's eyes filled with tears.

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

Kiku squeezed Arthur's hand reassuringly, his eyes sorrowful.

"He's not going to turn himself in," Kiku assured. Arthur shook his head.

"He will," Arthur replied, looking back at the castle. "I've seen him put his own life on the line so that others can be safe. Dying to save his friends sounds like something he'd do." He kissed away Kiku's tears. "I admire his bravery…"

"Arthur, are you seriously going to go find the faeries?" the Japanese said after a moment.

Arthur nodded. "It's worth a shot," he said. "Dumbledore had a faerie friend. Her name was Erised… she had a magic mirror and I think she made his glasses. I need to find her."

Kiku shook his head. "What if you can't find her?"

"Then I'll return." Arthur took a package out from the folds of his robes. "I need answers and I think she has them."

"Be careful, Arthur," Kiku whispered, kissing him gently. Arthur nodded, putting the package back and concentrating on his transformation.

A lop-eared, thick-browed rabbit ran into the Forbidden Forest; Kiku watched it with tears in his eyes.

The defenders of Hogwarts used Voldemort's respite down to the last second.

"Aren't you a Death Eater?" someone asked Nataliya as she supported Alfred into the Great Hall, where the wounded were being tended to. Following her were Francis and Madeline, Francis looking shaken.

Nataliya said nothing as Alfred took a seat at the table that had been designated as a field hospital. Madam Pomfrey bustled over, administering potions and spells to the numerous wounded people.

"What's the death toll?" she asked Hermione Granger, who had walked by hand-in-hand with Ron Weasley.

The girl looked at her sorrowfully. "I don't know." Her eyes flickered to the side of the Great Hall where people were congregating around bodies.

Nataliya stood up, patting Alfred on the arm as she walked over to the bodies. She looked at each of the faces of the dead, wondering if she could name them all. She couldn't, and for that she was glad.

A tall, dark-skinned girl sobbed next to her. She was looking at the body of Fred Weasley, smiling peacefully up at the ceiling. Next to him lay Remus Lupin, looking so young and relaxed that she almost didn't recognise him. Next to him was Tonks, her hair bright pink even as death claimed the colour in her cheeks.

Nataliya felt the sting of tears. They trickled down her cheeks as she saw a tall young man bring in the body of the Gryffindor Yekaterina had regretfully killed. Sobbing, Nataliya hid her face in her hands.

"I don't want to fight anymore," the little girl cried. Ginny Weasley took her hand, running soothing circles around the back.

"It's going to be all right," she said, her voice breaking in the process. "It'll… it'll be okay… don't cry." Looking around, she could have sworn she heard someone walk by, but she shrugged it off. Ginny dared not to hope that it had been Harry, that Harry had been there.

Kiku Honda came walking towards them, his face shining with tears. "Where's Arthur?" Ginny asked him, looking at him sympathetically.

"Forbidden Forest," Kiku said quietly. "He's going to get help."

"Is there help?" Ginny asked, her voice despairing. "Who will be there to help us now?"

Kiku knelt down and patted the sobbing girl on the shoulder. "I don't know," he admitted.

The rabbit tore through the Forbidden Forest, not knowing where to go but just hoping he'd get somewhere. The scents of the forest threatened to overwhelm him, but he kept to his path.

The forest was starting to look familiar. He passed by part of the lake, the spot where Dementors had gathered four years ago to attack Harry and Sirius Black. Arthur paused to sniff at the ground. There was a scent. There was the scent he had been hoping to find.

Arthur followed the scent, diving off the path and racing through trees in a mad scramble to get to the source. He came across a clearing – the very same clearing he had found four years ago.

The very same unicorn was standing there, looking at him almost expectantly. Déjà-vu overwhelmed Arthur, but he bounded up to the unicorn, nuzzling it. The unicorn whinnied and tossed its tail. It began to walk out of the clearing, pausing at the edge as if expecting Arthur to follow it.

Arthur did. They wandered through the forest, the unicorn lighting an unknown path with a faint silvery glow. Darkened trees towered overhead, but Arthur didn't falter. As long as he was near the unicorn, he would be fine.

They wandered deep into the forest, approaching a speck of light in the distance. The speck grew bigger and bigger until it lit up the trees around it. It was a fire, and what seemed to be millions of little lights were dancing around it in a ring.

A faerie ring.

Arthur stepped into the clearing with the unicorn. Several specks of light flew towards him, cooing.

"Who are you, little rabbit?" one asked.

"You are so adorable!"

"We'll have to keep you as our pet, you know."

The unicorn snorted. Arthur glared at it.

"Don't harass the poor rabbit," a fourth voice piped up, and suddenly the faeries all became quiet. Arthur blinked as a royal blue speck flew towards him. Little feet landed on his head. "I have been expecting this rabbit for quite a while."

"Erised, is it him?" several others cried.

Arthur tensed. Erised, the speck on his head, walked towards his ear. "Show yourself," she whispered.

But at that moment, a flood of agony overwhelmed Arthur and he found himself involuntarily transforming back into human form, gasping in horror.

Harry had sacrificed himself.

Notes: NUUUUU HARRY. ;A;

Anyways, I've incorporated elements from the Cold War into these last few chapters. There was the suppression of a Polish rebellion - branch-off of the Hungarian revolt in 1956... and the Vietnam War... hmmmmm and also Marshall Aid granted to Great Britain (and the other European nations, but I focused it on Artie)...

Yeah, this chapter's a bit surreal at the end. Just bear with me. Anything with Arthur in it is bound to include faeries. XD;;