Chapter 5: The End of an Era
"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you all lay down your lives for him. We bring his body as proof that you hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."
Padma felt numb as she was pushed along with the crowd outside. Harry is dead? She heard McGonagall's scream. Then Ron's. Then Hermione's. Then Ginny's. Then everyone started yelling.
"SILENCE!" Voldemort cried. With a bang and a flash, the crowd was forced into silence. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"
Hagrid stepped forward, laying Harry's body at Voldemort's feet. "You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones?" Voldemort looked positively agitated, "He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"
She heard Ron yell out "He beat you!" Everyone started shouting again.
"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, killed while trying to save himself – "
Voldemort fell silent as Neville broke through the crowd and charged at him. With a lazy flick of his wand, he deflected Neville. Padma watched the exchange between the two.
"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."
"I'll join you when hell freezes over. Dumbledore's Army!" Neville yelled. Even Padma found herself yelling back at that.
"Very well. If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head be it."
A bird appeared and landed in Voldemort's hand. It was carrying the Sorting Hat. "There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"
Voldemort raised his wand again and Neville grew stiff. Padma and several others made to move in protest. Death Eaters pointed their wands at the crowd in an attempt to keep them at bay. Voldemort shoved the hat onto Neville's head.
"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me." As the Sorting Hat bursted into flame, Padma and several others screamed.
It was at that moment that chaos entered the scene, fighting and swinging. A giant broke through the walls of Hogwarts, leading a whole horde of people into the castle. They were screaming out war cries. In that same instant, Neville broke free from the Full Body Bind. He reached into the hat and pulled out the sword of Gryffindor. Padma watched in awe as Neville, with one mighty swing, cut the head off of Voldemort's prized snake.
Then, above all the other noise, Padma heard Hagrid shout. "HARRY – WHERE'S HARRY?"
The fighting had recommenced. Padma and Parvati took on Nott. While she fought, she saw out of the corner of her eye, the Killing Curse that barely missed Ginny Weasley.
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Molly Weasley steamrolled anyone in her way of Bellatrix. "OUT OF MY WAY!" Several students rushed to her aid. "No! Get back! Get back! She is mine!"
Everything ceased as the participants watched the battle. Mrs. Weasley fought hard, enduring Bellatrix's taunting. "You – will – never – touch – our – children – again!" she screamed, as she delivered the final blow.
Voldemort let out a scream at having lost his most dedicated follower. He raised his wand at Mrs. Weasley.
"Protego!"
"Harry!" people cried, "HE'S ALIVE!"
"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry said loudly as he circled the center of the room, facing Voldemort. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."
Padma couldn't believe it was finally over. Voldemort was dead, actually dead this time. They had reached the marker of the end of an era: Voldemort was no more. But as it always does, victory came with a price. The cold reality of the situation was slowly starting to seep back in. The next day there was to be a mass memorial service for everyone that had died in the war.
Padma supposed she was luckier than many. Lydia was the only person who died that she had been close to. She had seen the bodies of the others. Her old Defense teacher Remus Lupin and his wife Nymphadora Tonks. She had heard that they had left behind a one-month-old son. She had seen Fred, one of the few she couldn't believe was gone. He and George were always the best at making people laugh. They had been the only source of comic relief in the last year or two.
There had been several close calls too. Bellatrix had almost killed Ginny. Fenrir Greyback was barely prevented from attacking Lavender.
Padma watched the Ministry officials walking around, collecting names. She realized with a pang that since Lydia had no family, she needed to report her. They listed her as missing for the time being, since there was no body.
Afterwards, she walked up to the Ravenclaw dorms. She sat on the ground between her and Lydia's old beds and pried up a loose floorboard. Inside were some old pictures, a muggle music box, and their joint journals they used to write notes to each other with during classes. It was actually a pretty ingenious bit of magic on Lydia's part, coming up with the idea of putting a spell on the journals that would allow whatever she wrote in her journal to show up in Padma's and vice versa. She smiled at the memory.
Padma picked up the music box next. It was one of the things Lydia had brought with her from home. Sweet music filled the room. She picked up the stack of photos. As she flipped through them, she reminisced back to the days before Cedric Diggory's murder, before things had become complex and sorrowful. When things were carefree and light and happy. She hoped for that to come again.
Things wouldn't ever be the same as they were before, she knew that. They'd be different, but that didn't mean they'd be bad. She loved and respected all that gave their lives for the wizarding world. They had all fought for everyone's freedom and happiness. She knew they would all be rewarded in heaven for their actions. And though tomorrow would be a sad occasion, it would also be a happy one, because Voldemort was now dead and that alone made life a lot sweeter.