-Chapter 13-
The darkness started to clear as the group stumbled to a stand.
"Death Eaters, how could they know we would be here?" Neville squeaked.
"Brooke has been having dreams." Hermione muttered, dusting herself off.
"Voldemort clearly sent me that vision for a reason," she explained as she dusted herself off, "Obviously this one he sent me so I could retrieve the prophecy myself. "
Ron grunted as he looked around, "Don't see why the idiot didn't just come get it himself!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly Ronald it is not as though he can just come waltzing into the Ministry, remember most people still don't think he has risen!"
"Shhh!" Brooke hissed, "Do you hear that?" she asked as she crept up the hill towards an odd frosted looking mirror.
"Hear what?" Hermione questioned.
"The voices in that mirror!" she muttered as she crept closer.
"I don't hear any voices Brooke!" she stated matter a factly, "We need to be looking for a way out of here and quick!"
"SHHH!" Brooke turned sharply, "They're coming!"
The group looked up as dark circles started to swarm around them and descend from the sky.
"It's them!" Luna muttered.
The blackness surrounded them again, but this time it was as though a wind had swept around them all, dragging them into different directions.
Brooke could hear the yelling of her friends beside her as she threw up her arms to swat the air away, unsure of exactly what was going on. And just like that as soon as it was there it was gone.
She rushed to stand, keeping the Prophecy tight in her hand, looking around wildly. Her heart was thumping painfully in her chest, reminding her that this wasn't a terrible dream, this was real life. Each of her friends were being held captive by a Death Eater, forming a large circle around her. Her breath was coming out in huffs as she tried to control her emotions, and figure out just what to do.
"Did you actually believe?" Malfoy's voice sounded as he walked up the hill towards her, "Or are you just that naïve, that you truly thought you could stand a chance against us?!" he taunted, thrusting his hand forward. "I will make this simple for you Potter," he leered at her, "Give me the Prophecy now, or…watch all your friends die!"
Brooke looked around at her friends, clear defeat written across her features. The choice was simple, her friends meant more to her than some stupid prophecy. She peered at it in her hand, it was just some dumb crystal ball saying words she was sure Dumbledore and Voldemort had heard before. She reached out and placed it in his hand, giving him a final glare.
"Good Girl Potter." He taunted again, gazing at it in triumph.
He was too preoccupied gloating that he hadn't heard the pop of apparition. Brooke watched but she couldn't believe as Sirius stomped forward determinedly.
Malfoy, obviously sensing someone coming up turned sharply.
"Get the fuck away from my Goddaughter," Sirius growled calmly, before swinging his fist back and decking him square in the face.
Brooke's face split into a grin.
Sirius grabbed her carefully around the shoulder and brought her over towards a rock as all hell broke loose. Brooke could see the swirls of black and blue as the Order arrived, freeing her friends, and bringing them to safety as the battle raged on.
Brooke was brought out of her amazement as Sirius blocked a nasty spell form hitting them.
"Come on Brooke!" He yelled as he grabbed her again, shooting off defensive spells and blocking the ones that were coming after them. He led her to where a rock lay that would make it so no one could attack them from the back.
She whipped her arm out as more spells came their way, she could hear the yelling and screaming of spells all around her as the battle took place. She could see out of her peripheral vision as Tonks grabbed her friends and took them to safety.
"You need to go with Tonks Brooke!" Sirius said as he looked over her for any harm, before pulling her into a fierce hug. "I need you out of harm's way!"
"No!" she whined, "I want to stay with you Sirius!"
"You've done wonderful Brooke," Sirius said gently, cupping her cheek, "But now it's time for us to take it from here-" a strong spell smashed into Sirius shield.
Malfoy and another Death Easter stood grinning at the two.
"Ready to play?" Mafloy taunted.
Brooke glared, whipping her wand out as she stood beside Sirius and started to duel.
"CONFRINGO!" Brooke bellowed out as she and Sirius fought side by side.
"CRUCIO"
"INCARCEROUS"
"FURNUNCULUS!"
"EXPULSO"
"REDUCTO"
Brooke's heart was pounding heavily in her chest as she fought back, both she and Sirius shooting off spells and sending up protective spells.
"Nice block James!"
Brooke stopped for a moment in shock to stare at him, had he just called her James?
Sirius quickly threw Malfoy a few feet away in a heap as he turned to look at Brooke.
"DENSAUGEO!"
Brooke could hear the spell leave Bellatrix's mouth, but her focus was on Sirius, who seemed to be falling back into the foggy looking mirror. She wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she knew she needed to move and fast. Her feet stumbled slightly as she charged forward, her arm reaching out to make sure she could grab a hold of Sirius.
"SIRIUS NO!" she bellowed out, her fingers managing to grasp onto his arm as she was slammed onto the ground, holding as tight as she could. She could feel herself falling into the mirror too, an odd cold feeling surrounded her, but she was sure of one thing, Sirius' rough arm was still attached to her. It felt like minutes, hours, years maybe even, but soon she felt the grasp of a firm hand around her leg, yanking herself and Sirius backwards back into the battle.
Her body slammed painfully against the rock she had only just moments ago been hiding next too, and she looked around confused for a moment. Shaking her head her vision cleared and she saw Sirius sitting up, looking confused too, but alive. Next to him was Remus who looked as though he was about to suffer a heart attack.
"ALMOST HAD YOUR BLACK!" Bellatrix taunted.
Brooke didn't know what came over her, but pure rage filled her, so she stood chasing after her.
"BITCH!" Brooke growled out taking off.
"BROOKE NO!" Sirius and Remus bellowed.
They couldn't stop her, not in a million years, because Brooke was filled with the pure kind of hatred that she never had possessed before. She almost killed Sirius, who was the only parent figure besides Remus that she had, and the thought of that happing filled her with such a rage that it radiated out of her wand.
"ALMOST POTTY!" she taunted as she ran through the halls of the Ministry.
"CRUCIO!" Brooke yelled out, satisfied as it threw her to the ground.
Bellatrix looked startled at the spell, but grinned as Brooke stopped beside her. "Perfect Potter, doesn't even hate me enough to throw a real spell my way!" she leered, "Don't you know you have to mean it Potter, mean it with everything in you for it to work!"
She stared down at her in anger, when a cold chill swept up her spine.
A Voice sounded around the room, "You know the spell Brooke…she almost killed your beloved Godfather….make her feel that pain…..you know the spell….now use it!"
She could feel the coldness at his arrival, the dull ache in her head as he appeared, Bellatrix's laugh just made her more aware.
Her insides felt frozen at the thought of him being here. She turned trying to throw a spell at him, but he easily disarmed her.
"SO WEAK POTTER!" he growled, staring at her small form.
And she felt weak, she felt exhausted, and broken, and she just wanted to be back at Hogwarts, safe and sound in the comfort of the Gryffindor Common Room.
A flash of green and Dumbledore was suddenly there, and Brooke didn't think she had ever in her life been so happy to see him. It also pleased her to know that Voldemort looked clearly frightened by his sudden appearance.
"It was a mistake to come here tonight Tom." Dumbledore stated, "The Ministry is on their way now."
Voldemort sneered, "At which time I will be long gone, and you….you will be dead!"
Dumbledore pushed Brooke aside, sending her into a wall as they dueled. Lights flashed before her very eyes, and the power that radiated from the two was almost suffocating. A wind howled around them as they continued to duel, spells that Brooke herself had not even heard of before.
She gasped loudly as Voldemort cast a fire in the shape of a snake and sent it in their direction, and she sighed in relief as Dumbledore destroyed it with a single swish of his wand and sent it in the direction of Voldemort.
The battle continued, as the two fiercely fought, and Brooke was reminded why the two were such strong wizards.
A loud growl emerged as Voldemort thrust his wand forward, it was as though and invisible force of power swept Dumbledore off his feet, but it also send the two sprawling backwards as glass shattered all around them.
Brooke looked up in horror as Voldemort swished his wand again, controlling the glass and sending it hurtling at the two.
Dumbledore stood, waving his wand and a burst of water surrounded them, soaking them from head to two.
When Brooke finally got her bearings, she stood on shaky legs, eyes Voldemort as he looked completely defeated over his spell failing.
With that he vanished, and Brooke thought they might at least be safe. Then the cold feeling returned, it swept up her spine in an eerie way, as though a snake were crawling up her spine.
Flashes of memories flashed before her eyes as she fell to the ground, his voice sounding all around her, she vaguely heard Dumbledore telling her to put her shields up. The horror of those memories, but that was what made her strong, and she tried with all of her might to think of the good times with Ron, Hermione, the Weasley's, Sirius, Remus, and her other friends. It helped, the memories were flashing before her eyes quickly, and suddenly her only thoughts were of her friends, and the love she felt for them.
It felt like an eternity, but then her body was warm again, and she was flat on her back at the Ministry. Her breath was coming out in giant huffs, but that was okay, she was in control of her body again.
A shadow fell over her, and she opened her eyes to see Voldemort standing above her.
"You are a fool Brooke Potter…." He leered over her, watching her closely, "And you will lose…..everything…"
The sounds of swooshes signaled the arrival of the Ministry, and just like that Voldemort went away in a swoosh.
Brooke vaguely heard the shouts of dismay of the Ministry officials, at Voldemort's departure, many of them now truly believing that he was back.
Fudge seemed to be the most surprised, continuously repeating and stuttering that Voldemort was back.
Dumbledore helped Brooke to her feet, placing a protective arm around her as he guided her to the exit.
Bright flashes were going off every second, blinding her partially as she threw her hand up to protect herself from the light. The only thing she was sure of was that she wanted to go back to the safety of Hogwarts, forget that this day every happened. She felt stupid and dumb that she brought her friends somewhere without any though of their safety. She could have gotten them killed, after all Sirius almost died because of her stupid stunt. She let everyone down, her friends, her family, her teachers, the Order, and most of all herself.
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The week after the fight at the Ministry brought everyone safely back to Hogwarts. School was ending, the chatter of excitement that swept through the halls of summer plans, no school, and the thought of no homework for the next 2 months had everyone ecstatic.
Brooke found herself in the empty Gryffindor common room, she didn't want to be at the closing feast. The thought of what she had put her friends threw still weighed heavy on her mind. The sight of everyone in the Hospital Wing still gave her nightmares. Even though they had won that fight, it wasn't a win in Brooke's view, it was a reminder, a reminder of what exactly it was they were fighting for, and how much they had to lose.
Dumbledore had spoken to her of course, on many occasions that week about what happened.
"It was his fault," he kept saying, "I knew that Voldemort would try to get to you, I was trying to protect you, and that is why I have kept you so in the dark." He had paced them, rubbing his fingers through his beard like he did so many other times when deep on thought.
"The prophecy says neither can live while the other survives…" Brooke had said to him, trying to ignore the way that he paused in stride, "It means….the one of us has to the other in the end…"
He nodded, looking her straight in the eye, "Yes it does."
"Why didn't me?" she had asked him, her heart thumping painfully in her chest.
He had looked at her with a look of pure regret. "The same reason I helped Severus leave the Death Eaters…The same reason your friends went with you the other night…All of these years you have suffered, and I didn't want to cause you anymore pain…I care to much about you."
Brooke knew what he meant, the people you care about you want to protect, and you do stupid, awful, and unimaginable things for those people, because you don't want them to be in pain. It was the same reason she dove after Sirius in the mirror, the reason she was yelled at and hugged at the same time by both Remus and Sirius when they greeted her after the battle. The same reason Ron and Hermione cried as they were reunited with her again. Love made you do things that you should never do.
As Brooke walked through the halls that night, headed towards the feast she so desperately did not want to take part of, the portraits bellowed hello out to her, friends from other houses waved goodbyes, other stared at her in shock, after all the battle had been highly publicized in the news paper the past couple of weeks. She remembered why her friends were so important to her; they made her a better person. And as she finally sat beside Hermione and Ron at the leaving feast, the smiles that greeted her from her closest friends had her feeling a bit better.
"Good to be going home isn't it?" Neville asked her.
She nodded, "That it is."
"I'm not sure though, I will miss having the library to do my research during the summer, and once I have completed my homework, I will need to get my books for next year and get started on my reading…Hopefully they have everything I need in stock in the next few weeks." Hermione rattled on.
Ron looped an arm around Brooke's shoulder, squeezing her tightly, causing her to smile brightly at him.
The walk to the Hogwarts Express the next day was heaven sent, the sun was out the birds were chirping, and for once Brooke was excited to be going home, to she, Remus, and Sirius' home. She was surrounded by her closet friends; Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Neville, Luna, Seamus, and Dean, which gave her a good reminder of how lucky she truly was.
"You know I've been thinking about something Dumbledore said to me…" Brooke said loudly to them as they trekked down the hillside towards the train.
"Yeah," Hermione muttered, casting her a smile, "What is that?"
Brooke looked beside her at all of her friends, "That even though we have a fight ahead of us….We've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have…."
"Yeah?" Ron asked her, bumping into her shoulder for her to continue.
Brooke grinned over at him, "Something worth fighting for."
Hermione smiled at her brightly, bighting her lip as she nudged her forward on her way back home where she belonged.