CHAPTER TWENTYFOUR- This is why, we fight.
It was silent, as they waited. Even if it wasn't said, Evangeline was sure that everyone knew where Harry was, and what he was doing. What he was doing for them. The only people that seemed to be blissfully unaware were the dead and the families that still grieved. Ginny being among them. Evangeline gave the girl a sympathetic look as she held Draco's hand.
Her right leg had indeed been shattered, but a dose of Skele-grow later and a makeshift cast, and she was about ready to beg for painkillers. Her head had been wrapped, making her look like some dirt covered hippie in ripped up clothing and spattered with blood. She was sure that much of her hair was singed badly from the Fiendfyre, and she looked like crap.
Actually she knew, she looked like crap. Draco kept telling her.
But he didn't look so hot himself. His platinum blond hair was nearly gray from the ash of the fire, his suit was tattered, holes littering his jacket, his pants ripped. His white shirt was a mix of sweat, dirt and dried blood.
His face was scratched up too, his nose, once broken now fixed. But he was not nearly as battered as she was, or felt.
Her brothers sat next to her, heads bowed over their hands, waiting. The end was coming, she could feel it. Whether it was a good or bad end, she did not know. And she dreaded finding the answer. Draco squeezed her hand again, as if reassuring himself from some dark thought in his head. She was well aware of the heated stares of the other students.
"Ev," he whispered suddenly, "what happens if I have to face my parents?"
He sounded like a child, his voice small, eyes wary-
"You do what you think is right, stick by what you believe," she told him seriously. "And if you do have to fight them, I'll be right there."
"But what if, I don't want to fight them?" he asked her challengingly.
"Then you don't," she replied looking down at their hands, "but I will never join Voldemort. Not for you, not for my family, not even to live. I won't watch as heburns the world."
"You would rather die?"
"I'd die for something I believed in."
"What do you believe in?"
"Freedom. The right to practice magic, no matter where you come from. No matter your birth, or lineage. Freedom to choose. Freedom to make my own choices," she told him, a fire burning in her eyes. "What do you believe in?"
"I-" he looked troubled. "I don't know what to believe in. But I know that I want to be with you, and if that means to give up everything- I believe in what you believe in."
She snorted, somewhat unimpressed.
"How original," she said dryly. "But it's good enough for me." Evangeline rested her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes, feeling sleep coming.
She was jerked awake, some time later by Draco jumping to his feet at the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice.
"NO!"
Draco helped her to her feet, as they rushed towards the doors. They were surrounded by the survivors of the school, and Voldemort stood before them. His great snake, Nagini, coiled around his feet as he stroked its head with one long white finger.
And then Evangeline saw what she dreaded to see most. The one thing that had kept her up at night. Hagrid stood, a rope around his neck, crying openly with great heaving sobs, as he cradled Harry's unmoving body in his arms.
"No!"
"No!"
"Harry! HARRY!"
Ginny's wailing and frantic attempts to run to Harry, were hindered by her father and Ron as she screamed him name. Evangeline let tears roll down her face in silence. She knew that Harry had to die. It still hurt more than she had imagined it would. Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulder as the crowd erupted in screams and insults until Voldemort raised his hands into the air.
"Silence!" he cried and with a bang and flash of light, the air stilled. His thin lips spread into a sneering smile as he addressed them, arrogance laced within his voice. "It is over! Harry Potter is dead!" He laughed and his Death Eaters joined in, although somewhat uncertainly. "Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet where he belongs!"
She watched as Hagrid sobbed harder, laying Harry on the ground before Voldemort with care, before being yanked back by the rope around his neck.
"You see?" Voldemort hissed. "Do you see now, deluded ones. He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"
"Liar!" Evangeline snarled, breaking through whatever enchantment Voldemort had placed on them with her shaking rage. "He. Beat. You!"
Voldemort's eyes found her in the crowd, and they narrowed dangerously. The spell seemed to have broke as the others raised their voices. A louder bang filled the air and they went silent.
"Little Fallon," he sneered, "still alive. My dear Bellatrix was telling me about your father, how he begged her to spare him, how he cowered before her-"
Nathan and Jason began to struggle against the spell, their mouths moving wordlessly as their bodies remained rigid. Voldemort gave them a pleased smile. "And Draco. You're here too," he said acting surprise. "Lucius."
Draco's father stepped forward from the line of Death Eaters and looked at Draco with pleading. He looked haggard, aged and worn.
"Draco," he said. "Come here."
Draco's grip on her hand became iron tight. He trembled and didn't move. Then his mother came forward.
"Draco, come here, sweetheart," she said softly. Evangeline anxiously glanced at Draco. Now was his time to choose. She knew she wouldn't stop him if he went. His mother beckoned, and the students around them stared. Finally Draco, looking distressed, shook his head. Evangeline's eyes widened. His parents looked shocked, and Voldemort looked somewhere between half furious and half pleased. As if Draco's choice now gave him a right to kill him. With a disdainful look he returned to the main topic at hand, his eyes flickering to Evangeline every now and then as he spoke. She noticed that Bellatrix openly glared at her. Draco's parents vanished in the crowd.
"Harry Potter was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," relish in his voice, "killed while trying to save himself-"
Neville ran forward, wand in the air yelling with anger. But Voldemort raised his wand and Neville was jerked towards the ground, his face dragged along the stone as his wand landed in Voldemort's outstretched hand. Luna took a step forward and then stopped herself, her mouth open as if she wanted to say something. The wand in her hand trembled.
"And who is this?" Voldemort hissed softly. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"
Bellatrix laughed with delight.
"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?" she said.
"Ay, yes, I remember," said Voldemort looking down at Neville, who was struggling to get to his feet. Evangeline felt sick, he was unarmed. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?"
"So what if I am?" Neville said bravely, his hands curling into fists as he finally stood facing Voldemort.
"You show spirit, and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."
Draco squeezed her hand, his face devoid of color. She glanced at him, as he seemed to be silently begging Neville to take the offer. She could tell Draco was terrified. She was too.
"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted and the spell lifted from the crowd, and he was answered with cheers. Voldemort's face twisted with rage and he raised his wand into the air.
Then from one of the shattered windows of Hogwarts towers an object flew out and down into his hands. Evangeline gasped as Voldemort shook out the sorting hat.
"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts school," said Voldemort. "There will be no more houses. Them emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone, won't they, Neville Longbottom?"
Neville went rigid as Voldemort floated the hair over his head and shoved it over his eyes. Then lit the hat on fire. Evangeline lurched forward, wand in the air.
Then Harry stood.
He was alive!
Voldemort gave a yell of surprise, as Harry then disappeared. In that same moment Neville broke the body bind curse and ripped the hat from his head. The air filled with bangs, and flashes of light as the battle began again.
Evangeline took off in the direction of Neville, as the half burned boy chased after the retreating snake. They had to kill the snake, to kill Voldemort now. Draco followed after her, throwing jinxes at anyone who got too close. She caught up to Neville, breathing heavily and Draco with her. Around the corner it seemed that Hermione and Ron were egging on the snake as it tried going after Harry.
"How are we going to kill it?" she panted, ducking as a spell hit the stone above her head. She flinched sending a curse in the same direction, looking at Neville for instruction. He lifted up what he was holding, and she gave a gasp of surprise.
"The sword of Godric Gryffindor!"
"But Bellatrix had it-" Draco began, stopping to pull Evangeline out of the way of a curse. Neville nodded.
"I pulled it out of the hat," he breathed with an amazed look.
"Like a rabbit," she said. He gave her a puzzled look. "Never mind."
"We need to get close, at least I do," said Neville, watching as Nagini began to follow Hermione and Ron as they ran past them down the stairs. Evangeline handed Draco her crutches that she didn't really need.
"I got it."
Without waiting for their answers she left them and half ran half limped after the great snake. Ducking flashes of light she stopped at the bottom and right as Nagini was about to strike her friends opened her mouth.
"Nagini, stop," she said in Parseltongue. The snake froze, whipping its head around so suddenly that she stumbled and fell, landing on her back. She stared up at its massive head, feeling more afraid of snakes than she had her entire life.
"Who are you?" the snake hissed, "Why do you speak like my master?"
She began to crawl backwards up the steps, hoping to bring Nagini closer to Neville.
"You ate my brother," she replied, as Nagini began to follow. "Remember?"
"Yesss, the man with pure blood was . . . delicious," Nagini replied. She glanced over her shoulder. A few more feet . . .
"Yeah, I'm his little sister. Your master doesn't like me very much-"
"Master despises you, wants to make you ssssssuffer," Nagini said, rising into the air. Evangeline knew that Nagini was about to strike. "You are the woman-child that stole his child."
Evangeline nodded, "Yep, can't deny it. I took her."
"And I will give you to my massster, and he will let me feast upon your flesh," Nagini said, rising and then coming down at her with bared fangs. She screamed.
Neville's yell filled the air as he leaped from behind the wall and brought the sword down on Nagini's neck, severing it. The head fell to Evangeline's right, as the body twitched and fell at her feet.
Draco was at her side, helping her to her feet as Neville gazed wide eyed at the snake's head.
"I'd never thought I'd say this, but, thanks Longbottom," Draco said. Neville looked up surprised.
"Uh, no problem, Malfoy."
Draco turned to her, stern and half crazed looking with his hair everywhere.
"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again."
"It's not like I try to strike up conversations with mega-snakes all the time, Draco," she said sarcastically. Draco growled and covered her mouth with his. Despite the fact that there were spells being fired around them, screams in the air, and a rather green looking Neville watching, she found that it was a very good kiss. He held her face with both his hands as she all but melted. Even though he was covered in dirt and blood he still tasted like . . . mint. Her hands found their way into his hair, and his tongue-
A loud cough brought her back and she looked at Neville curiously.
"Yes?" she asked all too innocently.
"I don't think I'm ever going to recover," Neville said. "And this isn't exactly the time."
As if on cue, the wall near them exploded and Hermione dashed by them, Ron at her heels. As Ron passed he yelled over his shoulder: "I don't know why Ev, but I still think it's bloody disgusting!"
"You're just jealous!" she yelled after him.
Draco grabbed her hand as Death Eater's began running up the stairs after them.
"When you put it like that-" he said between breaths. He shot a spell over his shoulder. "-it really doesn't sound right."
"Really?- Expelliarmus!-I didn't think about- Reducto!-it that way!" she said with a cheeky grin. They entered the Great Hall where the brunt of the battle was taking place. Harry was dueling Voldemort at its very center. Evangeline's eyes locked on Greyback and she ran at him.
Now was her chance.
A chance to get back at him.
To prove that she wasn't just some little piece of meat that he could hurt and get away with. Draco yelled her name but she lost him in the crowd of fighting witches and wizards.
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
Greyback flew through the air, hitting the stone wall and falling to the floor as she came upon him. He picked himself up, glaring at her through his ratty matted hair. When he saw it was her, he rolled his shoulders, a grin spreading on his face.
"Good. I wanted to see you again," he leered. "Wanted to taste your blood-"
She shot a curse at him. Then another. He blocked them with increasing exhaustion, as she screamed away, waving her wand like a mad woman. But he put up a good fight. He shot a curse at her, and she ducked, jumping as he shot another one. Quickly she stood and-
"Petrificus totalus!" her mind screamed, her lips unmoving. The force of her spell blasted from the end of her 'borrowed' wand, blowing her hair back and hitting Greyback. He froze with a sneer on his face, unmoving.
She grinned, chest rising up and down rapidly. She was almost done. Almost there-
"Angel," Draco said from behind her. She turned, and in the mass of duelers Draco took his wand and pointed it at Greyback. He stood next to her, "you should let him live. Killing isn't you, show mercy."
She frowned. Mercy?
But he was right. She couldn't kill Greyback. She had always known that in the back of her mind, despite her frequent curses.
"But that doesn't mean I have to," Draco said, eyes hard and unforgiving. The curse left the tip of his wand and hit Greyback right in-between his eyes. Evangeline's eyes widened. Greyback toppled over, still unmoving, but dead.
Voldemort's scream filled the air, and they both turned. Watching as Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix. The woman's body fell to the floor as Voldemort turned on Harry, eyes full of rage.
"It's just you and me now," Harry said. "Nobody help. This is between me, and him."
Evangeline, who had been marching forward, stopped in her tracks as Harry leveled a stern stare on her. She bit the inside of her cheek, tasting the iron of her blood, before Draco grabbed her hand and pulled back into the crowd. All she could do was watch.
A small part of her hoped that someone would jump in, in case Harry lost ground and Voldemort got the upper hand. But everyone stood with wide eyes at the edges, wands held at their sides as the rest of Voldemort's Death Eaters ran from the room, those that were alive.
Draco squeezed her hand, pulling her next to him as tightly as possible. This was it.
"There's no more Horcrux's. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good . . ."
"One of us?" spat Voldemort. His face curled up in anger, her body taut as he glared at Harry. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"
"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"
Voldemort snarled at Harry. "You can't touch them, Riddle, you won't be able to kill any of them again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people-"
"But you did not!"
" - I meant to. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, do you, Riddle?"
"You dare-"
Harry smirked at Voldemort in such a way that it reminded her of the boy standing next to her. Voldemort bristled
"Is it love?" he sneered.
"Yes. The most powerful form of magic there is."
"Did love save Dumbledore? Did it save your pathetic friends? When I now have the most powerful weapon in the world?" he asked.
"Your weapon? It was never yours," Harry said.
"What is this?"
"Think, Riddle, think. Dumbledore owned the Elder wand, and then he was disarmed by Malfoy, then Snape killed him-"
"Severus was the owner of the wand, I killed him, now it is mine," Voldemort snapped.
"Snape killed Dumbledore, because he asked him to," Harry said.
"Lies! He was loyal to me."
"Not after you killed my mother, he was never yours," Harry said. "Aren't you listening? Malfoy was the one who disarmed Dumbledore that night." Voldemort was glaring at Harry, his chest rising up and down.
"It was never yours, Riddle. The true master of the Elder wand was Draco Malfoy." Blank shock showed on Voldemort's face, and his snake eyes found Draco in the crowd. They narrowed. Gasps had filled the air and Draco gripped her hand with more force. He seemed to shrink in the spotlight for once. Voldemort looked as if he was considering killing Draco right then and there but Harry kept talking.
"But at Malfoy manor," he said. "I overpowered Draco, and took his wand." Harry twitched the hawthorn wand that used to be Draco' 's eyes followed the movement closely. His rapid breathing and eyes showed that at any moment he would finally snap.
His plans. All his carefully made plans were coming down around him and he just couldn't take it.
"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it," whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know that its last master was disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder wand."
At that exact moment the sun burst over the horizon, the red crimson rays of early morning light bathed the broken and shattered hall. It covered everyone, and for a fraction of a second, Evangeline thought she saw fire forming between Harry and Voldemort. The tension in the air was so palatable that everyone held their breath as two voices filled the air:
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
The spells banged through the air, the green light of Voldemort's spell meeting the red of Harry's. And then, the Elder wand was flying through the colored air towards Harry as Voldemort fell backwards. Harry lifted his hand and caught the wand. The true master of the Elder wand. He stood with two wand in his hand, over the body of Voldemort as it curled in upon itself. Shrinking with small snaps, and puffs of air until the body disintegrated into a fine white powder in a mess of tattered black robes.
Killed by his own rebounded curse.
It was silent for a moment. No one seemed to understand it. Not yet. But then, the hall filled with yells and roars of triumph. Evangeline ran at Harry and along with Ron and Hermione swept Harry into a hug. They were joined by Neville, Luna, the Weasley's, McGonagall, Hagrid. Tears ran down her face as she grinned at Harry with relief.
But they weren't the only ones that wanted to congratulate the boy that had lived . . . twice. Evangeline disentangled herself from the screaming, smiling, and laughing students. The teachers, the Aurors, the families, that had all converged on Harry. She found Draco standing off near the doors of the hall, looking uncertain. She grabbed his hand.
"Hey."
"Hey," he said in a small voice.
"What are you planning to do?"
"I- I'm not sure."
Evangeline smiled and pulled him into a hug. Embracing him, relaxing in the feel of his strong arms around her, his chin just resting on the top of her head.
"It's over," she whispered.
The day, was not though. Bodies were moved, families mourned and thanked Harry as he wandered the hall and parts of the corridor outside. Across the country the news was spreading. Jason was arranging for her to visit St. Mungos for her injuries and wouldn't hear anything against it. Nathan was taking her father home to be buried next to their mother.
She stood next to Draco staring out at the destroyed grounds of Hogwarts. The Quidditch pitch was burned to the ground, Hagrids hut was only a burnt out structure. The grass was pitted with spots of black, some still smoking. The bodies were gone, but the stains were still there.
"What now, what's next?" she asked, not particularly wanting an answer. "It feels so surreal."
"It's kind of nice, actually," Draco said from beside her. "I no longer have to worry that someone wants to kill you or take you from me."
Evangeline raised her brow, but didn't say anything. Harry had disappeared some time ago along with Hermione and Ron. She wasn't upset that they didn't come get her. They would always be friends. Jason came up behind them and put his hands on both of their shoulders. Draco tensed up, paling.
Evangeline smiled at him.
"Ready to hit the sick people place?" he asked good naturedly. She rolled her eyes.
"I don't have a choice do I, Jace?"
"Nope. Come along, children," he stepped between them and went down the crumbling steps. Draco stared after him with a look of seriousness.
"He's never going to like me, is he?"
Evangeline snorted, letting Draco help her down the steps since her leg was in bad shape. "He doesn't not like you, Draco. He likes teasing you, because you make it so easy." Draco nodded with a sigh and they stopped to look at each other for a moment.
"You want to go out on a date with me?" he asked suddenly. Evangeline blinked, momentarily shocked by the random request.
"Uh, we are dating . . ."
"No. I mean, like a real date. I haven't taken you on a real date," he said, then a smirk spread over his face. "I am, a gentleman."
"Sure."
Draco paused, looking confused. "Was that a sure to the date, or a sure to-" Evangeline leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck as she leaned into him. He readily wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss with fervor. She pulled away with a smile.
"Yes."
"How does Friday sound? I'll pick you up from St. Mungos . . ." he said, somewhat dazed. She brushed his blond hair away from his eyes, playing with the frayed edges of his battered suit.
"Hm, that sounds great, Draco," she replied. He grinned at her, and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her through the courtyard. Evangeline laughed the whole way. It felt good to finally feel peace.
A few more chapters, nothing much, stick around. I know I took some liberties on these last couple of chapters. Hopefully they weren't too terrible. Yay! Voldy is moldy!
Reviewers: WulfLuvr22, TheElegantFaerie, indigofrisbee, xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, LadyAK. Thank you sooooo much for your reviews! I'm writing the next chapter as I type to you all here, so don't worry. I'll post soon!
~Ciao