Chapter 28.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips as Draco's dark mark faded. He murmured to himself subconsciously and under his breath so no one else could hear.

"Well that wasn't supposed to happen."

He sighed and cast a silencing spell over everyone again and they all turned back to face him. He started laughing once more as he motioned to the lifeless corpse of the girl on the ground.

Alex had been momentary forgotten but Harry once again felt the pain that surged up through his chest as he stared at her.

Voldemort laughed seeing the tears seeping out of some people's eyes. He of course, knew something only a few others knew and he would boast about it now.

"I'm surprised you're not crying Draco." Everyone stopped and stared at Draco and he shot Voldemort a confused look.

Draco wasn't sure why Voldemort had singled out a connection between him and Alex, they were just friends, well if you could call them that. He presumed they would have been had she not have been lying a mere few metres away, dead, on the cold ground.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Draco spoke, his voice being able to break the sound barrier, due to the confusion and emotion contained in his statement.

Voldemort laughed. "So your parents and the Russo's never told you or Alex. Well isn't this a twist." Everyone was now shooting Draco accusing glances, they thought maybe this was a trick and that Draco had betrayed them.

Voldemort walked forward so he was within touching distance of Draco. Draco wasn't scared even though he might have been a mere week ago. He had grown since them, not physically but mentally. Voldemort didn't scare him anymore, he was just a wizard who was hunting for power.

Voldemort leaned forward and Harry tensed as Voldemort whispered into Draco's ear. No-one heard what he told Draco but they all saw the reaction it had on him.

Draco had turned more pale than usual, he stumbled backwards before his mouth dropped open slightly. Harry placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder however Draco remained in his daze.

Voldemort cackled and walked back over to Alex's dead body. He nudged her with his foot and was pleased when he felt the coldness of her blood. She truly had died this time.

"ALEX RUSSO IS DEAD." A few shouts rang out again, but this time they were silenced easier.

Neville stepped forward and everyone sighed. He was giving up, something he promised never to do. Someone called out and told Neville to stop being a coward but he cut them off.

"Alex didn't die in vain. Or Fred or any of the others. But you will." He turned to Voldemort and started to yell.

"ALEX'S HEART DID BEAT FOR US. FOR ALL OF US." He reached into the hat and pulled out the sword of Gryffindor before running forward and slicing the head off Nagini.

All hell broke loose. Battles quickly raged on as Voldemort fired Neville into a wall, he was still alive but barely breathing.

Alex's body had been forgotten. So of course no-one noticed when it was quickly dragged away by a person and taken into the cover of the trees.

They only had a minute to make this work and in their hand, they held the letter that explained what they had to do to Alex's body.

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron and Hermione were battling Bellatrix and Greyback. Ginny rushed over to help when a killing curse just missed her shoulder. Mrs Weasley had looked over at that exact moment.

Everything moved like slow motion from this point to the kids. They were shoved against the side of the hall, as Molly freed herself from her cloak and shot curse after curse at Bellatrix while Greyback lay unconscious on the ground, a stray curse of Molly's having hit him.

On the other side of the hall, Voldemort was with Kingsley. They were neck on neck but it was clear that Voldemort was winning their battle, however Molly was beating Bellatrix.

Bellatrix laughed out loud. "How will the rest of your blood traitors cope without you, Freddie and little Alex?" Molly let out a scream and her curse smacked Bellatrix in the chest.

Her eyes bulged for a second as she realised what she had just done. Bellatrix fell to the ground, her eyes rolling back into her head and her smirk disappearing.

Kingsley was flown into the wall by a new wave of anger from Voldemort. He spun around and lifted his wand before aiming for Molly. His curse missed however as the target was shoved out if the way.

Harry stood facing his life long enemy, their backs straight and staring into each others eyes like equals.

They circled and everyone watched. Hermione was clinging on to Ron for emotional support. Although he didn't have any to offer.

"Little Alex Russo is gone. How many more shall die for this pathetic attempt of love?" Harry glared at him and raised his wand.

"You."

They yelled their spells at the same time.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"EXPELIARMUS!"

The lights collided and the casters struggled against each other for control. The red light had a sudden surge of energy and everyone froze as the green curse rebounded and struck the caster in the chest.

Voldemort and Harry both fell backwards on to their backs, one being alive and the other being dead.