Chapter 75: The Return
-Draco-
Despite the Camp next to the lake, the cloudy skies, the blackened grass, and the people hunching their shoulders as they walked through the cold, sending cautious glances over their shoulders, I couldn't help but think that the castle was beautiful.
I'd seen the castle thousands of times, and had almost forgotten what it was, but as I stood outside, looking up at it, I realised it was a painting. There was so much meaning, hidden and obvious. What did this school mean to thousands of people?
I couldn't begin to imagine even half of the stories which'd taken place inside, but just knowing that there were countless stories about the castle, and everything which happened inside, filled me with a warm feeling: hope.
When the war was over, I longed to open the door to the classroom, hold my own lesson. It felt just right, like returning home after being away for a long time.
Teaching was something I couldn't describe. It was like I stopped being myself, my name and what I had done before stopped mattering. It was like I took on other clothes. And when someone I taught achieved something, I was filled with this overwhelming desire to jump and do backflips, pop a bottle of champagne.
It was strange, yet so indescribably satisfying.
The sun was slowly getting closer to the horizon.
"Hey Draco!" a voice said from behind me. "Why aren't you at dinner?"
I smiled. Lucas was clad in a thick fur coat, the wind tore at his figure, like it was trying to tug him away.
"I wasn't hungry," I said. "My guard duty starts soon."
"Aha," he said. "Do you have any news?"
"When it will be over? No." I rubbed my hands together to generate some heat. "But soon, I think."
"You said 'soon' two months ago too," Lucas said. "It hasn't got any closer."
"It has, Lucas," I said. "I can feel it, can't you?"
"I don't know," he said. "I just want it to be over."
"So do I," I responded. "I'm so tired of this, Lucas. Every day, I feel like falling asleep. Every second on guard duty, I want to walk back into the warmth of the castle."
"Then do it!" Lucas said. "The Order doesn't care if you're on duty or not, they're just putting you on it so you won't have time to do anything else."
"I asked to be on guard duty," I said.
"Because you're too nice," Lucas said. "Draco, for fuck's sake, what have these people done to deserve your work?"
"It's not a question of what they've done, Lucas," I said. "I'm not a nice person, as you say. I've been responsible for a lot of people suffering."
Lucas shook his head. "Draco," he said. "I see everyone else in the Order and in classes have bounds of freetime, how come you're the only one who doesn't get one afternoon off?"
"Because I don't want to," I said. "I told you–"
Lucas shrugged. "Okay, Draco," he said. "If it is important to you."
"It is," I said. "I just wish—" I swallowed. "I just wish that there would be someone to talk to."
"They still don't like you?" Lucas said.
"I just want something to occupy my mind," I said. "All that time on the wall, in silence, I can't do shit but think. And when I do that, I think of them."
"I'm sorry about your parents, Draco," Lucas said. "But I'm sure they'd be proud of you."
"No," I said. "I betrayed their lord and killed them. And if that wasn't—"
A jet of red light shot through the air from the gates, and exploded in the air like fireworks. I felt my hairs stand on end. I had the sensation of falling and falling, forever.
"Get inside Lucas!" I said. "Get inside!"
Jets of light shot up from all around the wall, the air crackling with red sparks. The sky was dark grey, soon to be black. Not a trace of sun anywhere.
The entrance to the castle slammed open, and the Order walked outside. "I don't like this," Kingsley said, looking up at the sky. "It's only twelve o'clock."
"He's here now," Moody said. "This is where we make our stand."
People continued piling out of the castle, gathering in the designated groups. I didn't want to count them, but felt myself subconsciously doing so.
"Everyone knows where they're supposed to be," Moody said. "Good luck."
The silence was heavy as a mountain, and together we made our way towards the gates, for the final stand. It was silent. The grass was black as ash and each face looked like a ghost.
This was it, I realised.
-()-
-Tracey-
"Can you pass me the carrots, Pansy?" I said.
I put a couple of the steamed vegetables on my plate with a sour look. The Slytherins were gathered in the Great Hall for their usual meal, with each pot needing to be scraped to the bottom for a proper portion.
Pansy held her fork up as if it was a dead rat. "If I have to eat this—"
The door to the Great Hall burst open. McGonagall stood in the doorframe, her face white as a sheet. "All students are to return to their designated safety rooms!" she said with a sonorous charm. "Now!"
There was complete silence in the Great Hall, I felt a shiver running down my spine.
I stood up, urging the others to do the same. "Let's go! Let's go!" I said, trying to push the younger girls along. Some of them were eleven, twelve, thirteen, and about to hide inside a school as a war was being fought outside.
"He's here," Blaise said, his eyes wide. "He's actually here." He didn't sound as if he understood what that meant.
The entrance hall was bedlam, the Order members were rushing down the stairs and out onto the lawn. As they rushed towards death, the Order seemed much braver to me.
I saw a couple of classmates go outside too. Granger, Corner, Bones. . . and Neville.
I wanted to shout at him not to, but I couldn't. I knew he would never listen. He was going to fight the fight no matter what I told him.
The safety rooms were on the two highest floors, furthest away from the fighting. The only protection we had was Professor Trelawney and Vector, together with the children who were ready to fight.
But everyone knew that if –or when– the Death Eaters came up there, there was no point fighting.
I got an idea, and sprinted towards the astronomy section. I could hear Blaise's and Pansy's footsteps behind. "Tracey!" they shouted. "Where are you going?"
I climbed to the top of the astronomy tower, and looked down at the grounds below. I felt my breath catch in my throat. The land outside the gates was transformed; trees were burning, and it was like an army of ants were down there.
"Are those—"
"Giants," Pansy whispered. "They're giants."
I swallowed, and felt my knees go weak. The feeble forces gathered by the gate looked like a small speck of ants, at most two hundred.
There were thousands of ants outside the gates. "Is this it?" I whispered. "Is it over?"
"Draco is down there," Blaise said. "They'll be slaughtered."
As if on cue, thousands of lights erupted from the army outside and started to strike an invisible shield around the castle.
"We're doomed," Blaise said. "Draco was wrong. . . they won't be able to defend the castle."
Looking down on the grounds below, I couldn't help but agree. "I have an idea," I said.
"I'm not going down there," Blaise said.
"No," I said. "But. . . there's someone else who needs help."
"Who?" Blaise said. "There's no way we'll convince Draco not to fight."
"I know," Tracey said. "But the Order is down there, they're no longer guarding the castle anymore."
Pansy's face lit up. "Astoria," she whispered. "You mean to rescue them."
"Daphne is still my friend," I said. "And what was done to her family was horrible."
The three of us looked at each other, wondering if we were really about to do it.
"Let's go then," Blaise said. "Down to the dungeons."
-()-
-Conor-
Montague was –once again– a saviour. The hole opened again in the fence, and I was able to slip through to see my parents. This time, the Camp was bustling with life, people were sitting outside their tents, chatting; the occasional child ran past, often pursued by their mates, or a frustrated parent.
I returned to my family's tent easily enough, I'd walked the path many times by that point. Both my parents enveloped me in a hug, like it was the last time they would see me.
"You ain't goin' to get in trouble for this?" my father asked, as he usually said when I got inside the tent.
"No, father, I'll be fine," I answered. "I can't stay too long though, they've been tightening–"
My parents would never find out what was being tightened, because in that moment, a metallic whining broke out in the camp, like an enormous cat was dying. Then, it stopped, and repeated.
"That's the alarm," my mother said. "He's here." She said it without emotion, as if she had been kissed by a dementor.
I felt cold as ice. I looked up in the sky, the clouds were dark grey, like there would be a storm in any moment.
"Take your sister," my mother said. "You need to get back to the castle!"
"I can't," I said. "They'll have closed the doors, I won't get in."
My parents exchanged a look, and I could see their eyes shatter like porcelain dropped against concrete. I stepped outside the tent, where it was deadly silent, like a funeral.
Everyone looked at each other, as if waiting for someone else to go first. It all erupted in an instant, and people ran for the exit. The exit away from the gates, where the fighting would take place.
"Take your sister!" my mother said. "All the children have their own emergency protection."
She pointed towards the lake, though I couldn't see it because of the crowd of people running.
"Inside the boathouse! The Order said they'd protect the children!"
"What about you?" I said.
"We're expected to fight," my mother said. "Though–" we looked at the crowd running away from the impending battle "–it doesn't seem like most people will."
I nodded. "I'll get her there," I said. "I'll protect her."
I started elbowing my way through the crowd, clutching my little sister's arm like my life depended on it. I heard children crying inside their tents, I saw parents hugging their kids for the last time.
I also saw the occasional person heading in the opposite direction of the crowd, no doubt intent on helping the Order, but there were so few. One in a hundred, if even that.
We reached the boathouse, and the crowd was swarming outside. Adults were trying to get inside –together with their children– and the two Order members guarding the door had to conjure shields to protect themselves.
The adults who couldn't fight were supposed to gather on the other side of Hogwarts, away from the gates. That would put the castle between the battles, and no doubt protect them somewhat, if not as much as the people in the castle and the children in the boathouse.
I could feel the magical protection humming in the air as we got inside.
My sister was crying, and I hugged her tightly. "I'll be alright," I said. "The Order will do their job, I know they will."
My sister rubbed her eyes, leaving them puffy and her cheeks streaked with tears. "What about Harry Potter?" she said. "Will he save us?"
I wanted to say 'yes', because I'd been so sure of it. Tracey had promised, and Potter was a hero, saving people was what he did.
But I knew it was a lie. He wouldn't come. He was most likely lying dead in a ditch somewhere, his bones being gnawed on by wolves or wild dogs.
"He will," I said to my sister. "Harry Potter will save us."
-()-
-Hermione-
"Master!" I said. "What do we do?"
We were standing inside a hidden classroom. I had to leave at any moment, the alarm had gone off, he was there. Evil was on the threshold of Hogwarts. Evil was trying to break down the walls.
Helena hovered in front of me. "You've failed," she said. "You haven't prepared for this even remotely enough."
"But what do we do now?" I shouted. "He's here! He's fucking here! We'll all die!"
"I know," Helena said. "Switch sides, girl. Join the other side, and you'll live, no doubt."
I stared at her. "Are you crazy? I'm not going to join those murderers and thieves and rapists!"
"Think rationally," Helana said coldly. "I don't particularly like it either, but you can't do anything if you're dead."
"I'm fucking muggleborn!" I screamed. "They'll torture me, rape me and flay me alive!"
"It's not my fault you find yourself in this situation," Helena said. "That is your own fault."
I shook my head. "You're useless," I said. "You don't help me at all, do you? I'll have to do it myself."
Helena sneered at me. "It's not too late to run," she said. "There's no shame in a tactical retreat."
I scoffed. "There is, if all of my friends are going to get slaughtered because of it."
"They will either way," Helena said. "Don't join them in death needlessly. Death isn't nice, girl, I can promise you that."
"Rather be dead than knowing that everyone else died so that I could live," I said. "I'm fighting, if you don't want to help me– then fuck you!"
I slammed the door behind me, and left the castle, joining the group about to defend the castle.
People were standing rigidly, like trees about to brace a storm. We could see the constant barrage slam against the invisible dome defending the castle, all of us wondering how long it would hold. The gates stood tall and intimidating in front of us, I wondered what they hid on the other side.
"Okay people," Moody said. "Get behind your covers, when those gates open, we must keep them at bay!"
He grunted loudly, and got behind his provisional cover. The gates were shaking in front of us, like a battle ram was being used on the other side. As I sat crouched next to Neville and Susan, it felt like winter crept upon us. The sky was dark as ink, like it was the middle of the night. It was as if the sun was gone, dead.
"Demontors," Neville whispered. "Shit."
"We can deal with them," Susan said, though her voice betrayed her. She sounded broken, hopeless.
But she was right, we could. Even if she didn't believe it.
An enormous roar broke out from behind the wall, making my hairs stand on end. I could see the other members exchanging nervous glances. Another great thud struck against the gates, making them whine and buckle.
"Any second now!" Moody screamed. "Hold them off!"
The spells rained in the sky, disappearing against an invincible shield. The protections of Hogwarts were too strong, they would have to break the gates. That was the only way.
The roar erupted like a volcano on the other side of the gates again, followed by a huge bang. The doors of the gates flew off their hinges, and struck an unfortunate pair of Order members, crushing them like ants.
There was silence for a moment, before the crowd outside started cheering and they rushed inside. At the forefront was a giant, thirty feet tall, and swinging a huge metal club.
"The giant!" Moody screamed. "Kill the giant!"
The giant braced spell after spell, as we shot at it; he swayed at the spot, before falling down with an ear-shattering thud. But the damage was done, the Death Eaters had managed to get inside, and was piling through the gates like a horde of ants.
"Concentrate your fire!" Moody screamed, but his commando was drowned by the bedlam of the battle.
I found myself on the backfoot right away, trying to fend off three people at once. "Hermione!" Susan shouted. "Help!"
I bought myself a second of time by sending a wave of flames at my opponent, just to see Susan being struck by five spells at once. I felt myself stop breathing as Susan was flung into the air, landing on the ground with a sickening twitch.
"Susan. . ." I whispered.
I was a moment from being struck in the head, but Neville got a shield up in time. "We need to retreat, Hermione!" he shouted, at the same time he was fighting a hooded figure.
As if on cue, Moody shouted, "fall back everyone!" Fall back!"
Together, the Order retreated back towards the castle, each of us seeing the Death Eaters pouring inside the grounds, but helpless to do anything.
"Fall back! Fall back!" Moody shouted.
We were halfway back towards the castle, and no matter how many figures I took down, I always felt myself being on the brink of being struck. We were slowly backing off, the Order retreating together.
That is, until a pink spell slipped through my defences and struck me in the abdomen. I bent over double, and wheezed in pain. It felt like I'd been stung by a thousand bees.
I looked up again to see five spells sizzle towards me. At that moment, I realised it was over.
Until it wasn't, a rock was conjured out of nowhere, absorbing the spells.
"Are you alright?" Malfoy said; he was extending his arm to me, and I took it, allowing me to be dragged to my feet again.
Malfoy's blonde hair was almost grey from dirt and blood was running down his cheek. "We need to retreat," he said.
As a group, the Order backed away from the endless horde of Death Eaters. We had each other's back, shielded another and attacked as someone else distracted one, but it made no difference, for every kill, every stun, every injury caused, someone else came and took their place.
"We can't win," I heard someone whisper next to me, just a moment before he was struck by a spear in the head, pinning him against the ground and shattering his skull.
The grass was red everywhere.
I swallowed as I felt the rock beneath my feet again, we were pressed up against the castle.
"Inside the castle! Inside the castle everyone!" Moody shouted. The entrance doors opened, and we slipped in as quickly as we could, those of us safe trying to shield the others.
When the doors slid shut again, and the protective enchantments were in place, there was dead silence inside, and outside.
The battle couldn't have lasted longer than five minutes, but we had already lost. People had blood on their faces, or were limping along. Was this it?
-()-
-Conor-
I stared out the window in horror, and saw the Order's forces being swept away like they were mere leaves in a storm.
The children inside the hut sat in silence, one or two sobbing. The parents were outside the house, no doubt ready to defend the house should it come to it, but no more people ran towards the battle.
It didn't take any expert in warfare to see what was happening.
I walked to the other side of the boathouse, and put my hand against my mouth. On the other side of the grounds, a giant was in force trying to break the wall down, allowing the Death Eaters to get in another way too. I could see the adults outside gathering in that direction, some of them conjuring defences and preparing spike and spear to fling at them.
The Death Eaters were trying to attack from two sides. . .
The giant swung his giant club against the wall once, twice and thrice. And the bricks flew off the wall. Once the opening was large enough, the people started running inside, immediately being met by an onslaught of fire, but slowly, more Death Eaters got inside safely and sent attacks back. I saw people fall right and left, and more people spilling inside.
I saw spells fly back and forth like arrows, with people falling on each side with showers of red. I could see their mouths open in agonised screams, but thankfully, I couldn't see them.
"Conor," my sister said. "Where are mummy and daddy?"
I hugged my sister, my eyes fixed outside.
Dead. That was where my parents may be. And every second, I saw more and more people go to that place. Every second, the Death Eaters came closer to the boathouse.
-()-
-Draco-
It was silent as the grave inside the entrance hall. Where there had been cacophony seconds before. Outside the castle, there was complete silence, like there wasn't a soul outside. Like everyone had died in an instant.
People's heads were hanging. Moody, the leader, was lying on a bench, blood gushing out of his abdomen, despite a healer's best efforts.
"Rebels!" came a thundering voice through the door, one cold as ice and dark as the night.
"It's him," I heard Granger whisper next to me. "We're doomed."
"You have fought well," he said. "You have fought valiantly, but this is where your struggle ends. Enough magical blood has been spilt today, and every second you remain with your wand in hand, more blood will be spilt."
I saw people shudder in the hall, some of the people were shaking, with sweat pouring over their dirty and bloody faces.
"I give you a choice," Voldemort said, the voice making the doors tremble. "Lay down your wands, and everyone who hasn't fought will be spared. Your families will live, and the thousands of students you have trapped will be set free. Don't allow your stubbornness to kill more magical blood. . ."
Kingsley Shacklebolt spat towards the door, he was one of the few standing tall, with his chin raised.
"We should do it," Granger whispered next to me. I jerked my head to look at her. She was staring at her feet, her hands trembling. "We should do what he says, that's the right decision," she said, this time louder, so everyone heard.
Murmurs broke out.
"Open the gates!" Voldemort said. "Open the gates and your families will live. . . if you don't, I will break it down myself and slaughter every single person inside; no matter if they are young or old, mudblood or pureblood, man or woman. Everyone will die!"
"We must do it," Granger said. "We'll sacrifice ourselves so they can live."
Kingsley shook his head, but didn't say anything.
"Shall I open them?" McGonagall said. She held her head high, wanting to keep her pride all the way into death.
No one answered.
"Do it," Granger said. "It's the only way."
McGonagall sighed, but no one spoke a word. I felt heavy like a stone. Was this it?
No. It couldn't be.
"We can't open them." I said. I didn't say it loudly, nor did I say it with much conviction, but everyone heard me, and every pair of eyes were turned at me. "We can't open them!" I said again, this time with more conviction.
"Open the gates now!" Voldemort said. "I won't give you another chance!"
"No!" I shouted, and walked to stand in front of the gates. "We can't give up now!" I said. I looked around the group, it must have been half of everyone who walked down to the gates. "No!" I said, clearly, my voice echoing in the hall. "What about everyone who has already died? Are we going to betray them now, when it matters the most?" I met the eyes of the people gathered inside, saw smothered embers and decaying life. "How can we trust him?" I said. "When we open that door, he'll slaughter us like sheep and then, he will do the same to everyone inside."
People nodded.
"We need to fight!" I shouted. "This is where we need to fight. I don't know how many there are outside, there may be thousands, tens of thousands, but we are the only thing standing between them and thousands others dying. This is the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's order, would he ever let that happen?"
I could see people reigniting, the shaking stopping and some squaring their jaws in determination.
"Think about your families! Think about your friends! Think about every single person in this castle! All of them will dieif we give up. . . we can't let that happen."
"This is your last chance," Voldemort said. "Open the gates now, or face your doom."
"Let's face it," I said. "For everyone inside this castle, for everyone in the wizarding world, and for everyone who will be. Do we want our children and grandchildren in a world ruled by him?" I pointed towards the door.
"No," Kingsley said. "Let's fight!" he screamed.
"This is where we make our stand!" I shouted. I held my wand in the air, like it was a sword of old. "For Hogwarts!"
"For Hogwarts!" the Order screamed back.
The gates shook on their hinges, and I turned around, facing the inevitable.
-()-
-Hermione-
Draco Malfoy was standing in front of the door, the Order gathered behind him, their wands in their grasp, their eyes burning like bonfires.
The wooden doors started to blacken, and I could see Malfoy swallowing where he stood, but he kept his head held high, and his wand at the ready.
The wood started to collapse, the entire door disintegrating in front of our eyes.
The sky was black as coal outside. Outside the castle stood the man with the cold, red eyes. Clad in black robes, and behind him was a crowd of people, more than I could possibly count. The crowd stretched as far as I could see.
"Fool," Voldemort said. "Is this truly what you want?"
"Yes," Malfoy said, looking the Dark Lord straight in the eye. "We won't ever give in to you, for Hogwarts!"
The Dark Lord sneered at Malfoy. "I will kill you, boy! Just like I did your mother, you will squirm on the ground until your heart gives up."
"Then I will avenge her," Malfoy said.
Voldemort laughed. "You stand no chance against me, boy!"
Malfoy stood tall, the Order almost shrinking behind him. "I know," he said. "But I will try."
The Dark Lord's eyes screamed fury. Fury at the defiance. "Fine," he said.
He sent a bolt of lightning at Malfoy, who shielded it with no margin, Malfoy shielded one, two, three spells, an inch away from death several times. Then he got an attack off, one Voldemort stepped to the side of like it was nothing.
The duel trailed off. At first, I did not know why, but then I felt it. There was a warm humming in the air, like the whole world was vibrating. I could see Malfoy ignoring it, his eyes focused on the Dark Lord.
Voldemort's red eyes were darting around, searching for something. A wind started to blow from inside the castle, swooshing outside, staggering Voldemort who had to take a step back.
What was happening?
The humming intensified, until I shook to my very core, like magic itself was vibrating with excitement. The torches flared up on the walls, burning ten feet tall, then they died.
The entrance hall was dark as the night. I could barely see ten metres in front of me.
The torches sprang to life again on the walls, but this time, they were purple. I felt a shiver pass down my spine, the torches burned brighter and brighter, until I almost had to shield my eyes.
It sounded like there was a song in the hall, the humming and the warmth made me feel full of energy, like I could run a marathon.
In the silence, there was the sound of footsteps coming down the staircase.
I didn't see anyone, but Voldemort sneered. "You will all die!" he screamed, and sent a jet of flames towards Malfoy, who stood without chance.
But the flames stopped. A golden shield appeared in front of Malfoy, shielding him and everyone else. A person appeared from behind me, a young woman, clad entirely in purple.
She ignored the Order and walked up to stand next to Malfoy. The woman flicked her wand, and Voldemort's flames died.
He stared at the woman for a second. "You!" he said.
But he wouldn't get further, the woman acted faster than lighting, sending a bolt which sent Voldemort flying back hundreds of metres. He flew through the air like a cannonball, away from view.
My mouth fell open, and I heard an eagle screech behind me. The woman was assailed by thousands of spells from the Death Eaters, but she shielded them head on, and shot a wave of purple flames across the crowd that turned the people into nothing but ash, with only short screams to show for it.
There was a battlecry emerging behind me, and I almost had to jump out of the way from an army of statues running to assist the woman, and in the air, flew dozens of eagles, their beaks sharp as swords.
Malfoy held his arm up and followed the woman. "For Hogwarts!" he screamed, and ran against the attackers. The statues with their swords, the eagles, and the Order ran after him and the woman.
"For Hogwarts!" echoed across the grounds, an eternal cry, right before the forces of Hogwarts slammed against the army of darkness.
-()-
-Conor-
The people trying to defend the boathouse were falling back, pushed further and further by the invading figures clad in black. It looked like it was night, the sky black like ink.
More people fell to the ground every moment. I heard someone gasp behind me, but paid it no mind.
I could barely see outside, it was as if light itself was disappearing from the world.
But then, against the swarm of invaders, a lonely figure appeared. The battle stopped, and I could see the attacks staring at the figure in horror.
"It's him," my sister whispered. "He's back."
I could see the people outside watching the exchange, I could see them gripping their wands, standing up, fire burning inside them.
Suddenly, a streak of sunlight burst through the cloud, sprawling the grounds in light.
Harry Potter raised his wand, and the people gathered around him, against the army.
Harry Potter conjured a huge spear he hurled towards a giant, striking it in the chest. The giant fell to the ground, and people cheered. But Harry Potter moved on, he was fighting a hundred people at once, making them back way, before he was joined by the people, who pushed the evil away with everything they could.
My sister was looking at me with wide eyes. "He's back, Conor! He's back!"
I smiled at her, and saw Potter create a wave of purple flames.
I was wrong.
Harry Potter returned.
-()-
-Hermione-
The woman was fantastic. Her purple eyes were burning with flames, something she handed out to her enemies just as much.
The Death Eaters were being forced back, many of them turned into oblivion due to the purple inferno raging from her wand. The statues that charged fourth had attacked the giants, but they were like ants around them, and were being flung around like chess pieces. The eagles fared a little better, but they were being picked out of the sky by conjured spears and flashes of green light.
Despite everything, the woman in the middle of it all looked like was taking a sunday walk. She wielded the flames like it was part of her body, the few times people got an attack of towards her, she danced out of the way, graceful as an eagle.
Because I knew who that was, it could only be one person.
A green light flashed towards Rowena Ravelclaw, and she teleported away with a simple spell.
I stood like dumbstruck inside, watching the terrible, beautiful chaos. "What?" I heard someone whisper.
Malfoy and some of the Order were defending Ravenclaw's flank.
Voldemort appeared in a cloud of black smoke, his red eyes visibly shaking with unrepressed fury.
The Dark Lord didn't scream, he didn't even raise his voice, but I was sure every single person on the battlefield heard him. "I will fucking kill you."
If you can, I added in my own head. And it struck me: we could win.
I gripped my wand tight and ran outside, joining the battle. Some others joined me, covering the other flank.
Rowena Ravenclaw got occupied by Voldemort, the two of the exchanging spells quicker than the eye could catch. They were mere flashes on the field; the spells they fired struck the crowd around them, killing people in droves. A group of ten Death Eaters were turned into sand, Sturgis Podmore's head was smashed in like it was a cabbage.
A large circle formed around the two titans, no one dared go near, and everyone who did met their demise in fire and blood.
I found myself next to Neville and Michael, trying to fend off a group of werewolves who were attempting to get inside the castle. Lightings shot through the sky, striking the ground where Ravenclaw stood a moment ago. The air smelled like electricity and the ground shook. I thought the castle itself would topple over.
But Rowena absorbed the lighting like it was nothing, and unleashed it towards the Dark Lord in a torrent of purple energy. The Dark Lord had to throw himself out of the way, but the torrent of energy tore a huge gap in his army.
I swallowed, realising that hundreds had just died, and was nearly slammed in the head by a werewolf. Michael cut the arm off with a cutting curse, and engaged the next opponent, not sparing me another look.
Focus Hermione!
We found ourselves in a stalemate, we held our ground, taking cover and sending the retaliations back, the Death Eaters on the other side sent flashes of green light, forcing us to conjure shields and duck behind covers. Most commonly, those covers were piles of dead bodies.
The battlefield smelt like smoke and sugar. I wanted to puke and breathe it all in at the same time.
Focus Hermione!
A huge orb of green flames appeared above the battlefield, and slammed into the ground. I thought the flames would turn everyone to ash, but a shield appeared around the orb, containing a huge explosion which almost shattered my eardrums.
Kingsley and Remus were engaging Rabastan Lestrange in a duel a couple of metres to my right. They were moving fast, like arrows, but they looked like little children next to the invincibles in the middle of the battle.
Rabastan sent a flash of green light, which Remus dodged with ease, but he tripped on a corpse with pink hair, making him stumble. Another green light flashed from Rabastan's wand and. . .
I closed my eyes as it struck, I had no time to feel.
Kingsley didn't waste a second, every move was violent and volatile, but Rabastan avoided his attacks with ease. The infamous Death Eaters toyed with the renowned auror, making Kinglsey jump around like a lost rabbit.
Then I saw it, Rabastan overcommitted, and his back was exposed.
"Hermione!"
I blocked a spell and turned around in a whirl. Micheal was being assailed by three werewolves who were getting closer each second.
"Hermione!" he screamed, his voice shaking. "Help me!"
The decision didn't even take a second.
I turned towards Rabastan, and sent a deep, red light at his back. It struck him in the shoulder, making blood flood out like a river. The Death Eaters tried to get back behind cover, but Kingsley struck him with a spell, sending him flying.
The spear of gold I conjured pinned Rabastans abdomen to the ground like a paper to a noticeboard.
When I turned back to Michael, two of the werewolves lay dead on the ground, missing limbs, but the third one was standing over a corpse.
The werewolves skull exploded by a spell coming from behind me. Neville appeared out of nowhere. He screamed and tried to hold the other enemies back, but the damage was done.
Michael's face looked like minced meat, his left arm was resting five metres away from him.
The battle faded from around me, I expected to fall to my knees or tears pouring down my cheeks, but neither happened. I just stood there.
Until I felt a shivering cold creep up on me.
The hooded dementors were flying from the gates in the hundreds. People's breath condensed as they breathed. The Order started to back away, eyes wide in terror.
I could hear screams and saw Michael's face in my mind.
The woman and Voldemort were standing frozen in the middle of the field, the pair of them staring each other dead in the eye. The occasional spell flying towards them bounced off an invisible shield, striking someone else, who died choking on their own blood.
"Retreat! Retreat!" a voice shouted. "Retreat!"
It was a sound decision, the Order members were being overrun. The statues were all but gone, even if the giants lay dead. I didn't see any eagles.
"Retreat!" the voice shouted again, a voice I didn't put into place at first. Before I saw the blonde person shouting, his face covered in dirt and his robes burnt. Draco Malfoy.
I scoffed. What right did he have to give commands?
But we retreated and retreated more, we were back at the entrance, and the dementors were almost upon us.
"Everyone!" Malfoy shouted. "Patronus on three!" People gathered themselves, exhausted. The black figures flying us at inhuman speed spread their awful cold. "One! Two! Three!"
"Expecto Patronum!" echoed throughout the grounds, but only a few appeared. My own –a panther– was looking pale as a ghost. I glanced to the side and saw many of them do the same.
The dementors continued their approach, albeit at a slower rate.
One after one, the patronus went out like candles.
I heard the dementors whispers, and saw Michael's mutilated body.
Then came a lone cry, "expecto patronum!"
A vivid blue alligator sprang onto the ground, emanating warmth like it was a little sun. The dementors wailed and wailed, reversing their travels and speeding away from us with piercing shrieks.
The Order stood panting, some of them limping badly.
Neville stood with his head held high, the alligator directed by him charging after the dementors.
I looked out over the grounds. Voldemort and Ravenclaw were still in their motionless stalemate, standing like they were statues.
Blood and corpses were everywhere, some of them were even alright, the orange flames making the stench of rotten flesh pervade the grounds.
"We've got no time to lose," Malfoy said. "We've got to keep fighting and hope that the woman can kill him!"
He charged back towards the enemy, no regard for what happened with the others.
I was about to say that we should defend the entrance, not do anything rash, when the remains of the Order charged after the Malfoy, their wands flashing and whirling.
Okay then, I thought to myself. Let's fight.
-()-
-Draco-
"Stupefy!" I shouted, striking another Death Eater in the chest. I conjured ropes and bound him up, making sure he wouldn't rejoin the fray.
"Draco!" Shacklebolt shouted. "Behind you!"
I threw myself out of the way, my breath catching in my throat as the green light missed me by mere inches. Shacklebolt dispatched the sender easily enough.
He extended his hand to me. I took it without a word. Together, the two of us advanced towards the enemy. The Death Eaters were standing downhill, and we fired our spells like arrows, tearing a hole in their flank.
Shacklebolt and I moved forwards together, like we'd fought every day of our life together. Shielding, dodging and retaliating.
I danced out of the way from a pink flash and conjured a wolf that bit the Death Eater in the thigh.
To my right, I saw a group of Death Eaters break off from the assault, and run around the black lake, towards the Camp. Towards the exposed boathouse. The people defending the Camp were busy with defending a hole in the wall.
Kingsley saw what I saw. "Stop them!" he said. "I'll cover you!"
He conjured a wide, golden shield. And I ran. I ran like the wind, like my life depended on it. It wasn't far, I was closer to the boathouse, I could get there before them.
The Death Eaters saw me running there too, but they didn't fire at me, they simply slowed their steps down, until they were standing still.
I stopped too, standing between the boathouse and the Death Eaters. Inside the house, I could see countless eyes staring back at me, wide and shaking with fear.
"You won't kill them," I said to the masked figures. "I won't allow it."
The group was silent, until one of them took the mask off his face. Long, blonde hair fell out of the hood. His face was grey as stone and his eyes bloodshot, but it was my father all the same.
"Draco," he whispered. "Step aside."
He breathed heavily. "You're alive?" I said. "He didn't kill you?"
Father shook his head. "No," he said. "But your mother. . ."
I fought back the tears, clenched my fists.
"Draco," he said again. "Step aside."
"No!" I screamed. "They're only children."
Lucius Malfoy swallowed. "He'll kill us both if I fail Draco, we don't have a choice."
I looked my father in the eye, his grey eyes were shattered like a stone broken in two.
"No," I said. "I won't allow it."
"Draco," my father begged. "Please don't force me to fight you."
The other Death Eaters, five of them, took a step forward, but Lucius gestured for them to back off.
"Draco," he begged. "I love–"
"No!" I spat out. "I won't let you kill them."
My father sighed, his whole body shaking. He fired a spell at me, a feeble stupefy that died out before it reached me.
He fell to his knees. "I can't," he said. "You've killed us, Draco."
The other Death Eaters wasted no time, they sprinted forwards and buried me in flashes of colour. My vision blurred, but my shield held. I tried to fight back, but was overwhelmed, close to being struck several times.
Our duel was paused for a moment, as huge boulders of stone were flung across the ground. One of the Death Eaters was buried under one. I stared at it, it was easily ten metres in diameter.
One of the boulders struck a tower of Hogwarts, but it bounced off, the castle was left without a scratch.
It looked as if the woman's and Voldemort's duel was back on.
The Death Eaters restarted the duel, one man down, but I felt myself being pressed backwards. Until I felt the wall of the boathouse against my back.
I conjured a desperate shield and took a few steps away in an attempt to gain some ground.
The three Death Eaters were standing only a couple of metres away, their faces concealed behind a mask. "Give up boy!" one of them said. "You stand no chance!"
"Never," I said.
"You can't win," another said. "And your dear father wants us to spare you, so we'll give you one more chance to step aside."
"Never," I repeated. The trio sent a spell each at me, and I, unable to escape all three, was struck.
My wand sailed out of my grasp. I threw myself after it. When my fingers grasped it again, and I turned around, the Death Eaters were standing right outside the boathouse.
"Fiendfyre!" one of them shouted.
I looked on in horror as a stream of fire erupted, and flew towards the house. As if one instinct, I pointed Dumbledore's old wand at the shed, which threw a shield up. The flames slammed into the shield, but I put all my power into the spell, feeling my knees go weak and blood pouring out of my mouth.
NEVER!
Never would that fire reach the house, no matter the consequences.
The fire bounced against the shield and encompassed its creator, reducing them to ash in an instant. The fire died out as I swayed on the spot, feeling something warm pour down my head.
I fell to my knees. And vomited blood. I met a pair of grey eyes inside the house, they were wide with awe and innocence. In those few moments, it felt like an eternity passed in just a second.
I smiled at the child, and fell.
-()-
-Daphne-
We stood outside the door to the Dark Lord's room.
Bellatrix held her hand out, stopping me from going further. "Be careful, there are no doubt protections around this place."
The witch got to work, waving her wand around like a painter, but –at least to me– nothing was revealed or changed at all.
"He's good," Bellatrix muttered. She folded her hands neatly behind her back.
"Can we get inside?" I wondered.
"Just give me a second," she said. "I'll have to think."
"We can't just blow it open?" I said.
"Unless we want to be turned into two piles of ash, no." I noticed a thin layer of sweat on Bellatrix's forehead, and the whites of her eyes were riddled with red. Whatever had happened to her wasn't doing her any good.
Bellatrix took a step back. "Alright," she said. "I think I can do it, but there is a little issue, or rather, a potential one."
I remained silent.
Bellatrix wiped the sweat off her forehead. "As you can see, I'm a bit tired at the moment, and this spell will be exhausting." The witch reached inside her robes. "When we get inside, the snake will try to kill us, we don't have any choice but to fight it. . . I'll do my best to restrain it and stab it, but. . ."
"I might have to help you," I inferred. "That's why you wanted me along."
"Indeed," Bellatrix said. "Remember our deal." She took a pair of fangs out of her robes, handing one of them to me. "The snake needs to be killed with this," Bellatrix said. "If these two get destroyed, use fiendfyre."
"But we'll die, too, then," I said.
"Which is why I brought these two," Bellatrix said. "They've been used before, so we know they work, as long as you stab the snake, we're done."
"They've been used to kill other snakes?" I wondered.
"Not exactly," Bellatrix said. "A diadem and a crystal, respectively," I believe.
My subsequent question was cut off as Bellatrix waved her wand and shot a golden spell at the door.
Over the next few minutes, Bellatrix muttered phrases in a language I didn't understand, and the spell turned from a vibrant gold to a tired beige.
Bellatrix was pale as a ghost when the spell broke free, her wet hair was plastered to her forehead.
"Be careful," she reminded me.
The door swung open, revealing the interior of the room.
"The snake isn't–"
The snake threw itself out of the shadows, lunging for Bellatrix's neck. The witch managed to block the assault, but the snake went for another attack again, this time aiming for Bellatrix's abdomen.
I stood frozen in the doorframe, watching the two of them fight. The snake was resistant to magic, every spell Bellatrix struck it with was absorbed like it was nothing.
Bellatrix wobbled on the spot, and conjured her shield a second too late. The snake sunk its teeth into Bellatrix's calf, but at a heavy price.
The witch had managed to conjure a chain which was bound around the snake's head. The chain levitated into the air, and writhed inside the chain, typing to break free.
Bellatrix shot a spell at her knee, and squealed like a pig when her leg was cut off from the knee down. She didn't want the venom to reach the rest of her body.
"Kill the snake!" Bellatrix bit out as the blood poured out.
The femur was poking out of her thigh, and the blood kept rushing and rushing.
"KILL THE SNAKE!"
The snake writhed in the air, I lifted the fang, intent on stabbing it.
And this time I didn't spend a single second thinking about which side I should choose. It was an obvious one, in retrospect.
The snake screamed as I struck it in the head, and shook like possessed, until it went limp.
It fell to the ground with a loud thud, and Bellatrix got to work closing her 'wound'.
"Well done, Daphne," she said. "I promise I'll hold up my end."
"I–" I swallowed. "Good."
There was no point telling her I would have stabbed the snake either way.
-()-
-Astoria-
The ceiling shook again, making dust and dirt fall from the ceiling. My mother hugged me even closer, and swayed on the spot.
It sounded as if the gods themselves were throwing everything they had at each other above us.
My father shook the bars again, but it was no use. It hadn't been any use for months.
"Who do you think is winning?" I whispered.
My father slumped against the wall. "I don't know," he said. "And truly, I don't think it matters much to us who does."
It felt like my insides were being gnawed at with worry. Was Daphne up there? I swallowed. Had she been up there?
I thought about all the others, the people I'd called friends, but who I hadn't seen in months. Not once since the Order came stomping inside my dormitory and tore me from my bed, literally.
I remembered the face of every person in the common room, everyone was awake, staring at me with horror. Everyone knew about the battle, but then, no one knew the role my sister had played in it. A role I still didn't fully understand, nor did my parents.
My parents told me that Daphne was on Voldemort's side, but tricked him, got them to safety, and switched to Potter's side.
But clearly, something had happened, and she switched back. What reason that could possibly be for, I didn't know. Nor did my parents.
We'd only been told three things since our imprisonment.
Dumbledore was dead, Potter was gone, and we were to be used as bait, if my sister ever showed her face.
But the battle above pointed towards the fact that–
Steps echoed faintly down the corridor, my parents got to their feets, standing in front of me. The dungeons of Hogwarts were dark, with not even a single torch as light, only one small candle which had burned without fail for the last few months.
The steps came closer and closer, and I, too, realised that it wasn't just one person, but several.
Three silhouettes emerged at the end of the corridor, creeping towards us slowly.
I had to strain my eyes to see their faces, but the person in the middle was clear as day.
It was Tracey Davis, Daphne's best friend.
"Astoria," she said. "Jonathan, Isabella, we've come to get you out," she whispered.
"Daphne!" my mother said. "Is she safe? Is she alive?"
Tracey opened the door to our prison. "I don't know," she said, not wanting to look us in the eye. "It's chaos up there. We won't know who's dead and who's alive after it's over."
"Have you seen her?" Jonathan said. "Have you seen her at all since–"
"No," Tracey said, and led us along the corridor. "No one has, I think. There was–" Tracey glanced at us. "There was a rumour that Potter found her and–"
"No," Blaise Zabini cut in. "Daphne isn't dead, and Potter sure didn't kill her."
"What even happened between them?" I said. "My sister and Potter?"
Blaise, Tracey, and the third girl –Pansy Parkinson– exchanged a glance. "No one quite knows," she said. "Ask Draco, he knows everything. . . or if Voldemort wins, ask Daphne."
Blaise hushed us. "Be quiet," he said. "We're soon at the entrance."
Which also meant: we're soon in the warzone.
-()-
-Rowena-
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and raised my wand anew. Voldemort, too, was breathing heavily, his red eyes burning like a pair of volcanoes in his sockets.
It felt like we'd been fighting since the dawn of time. I vaguely noticed the movements around me, but I had to admit, Voldemort was good, really good.
It felt like I was fighting him after not having slept for a month. My joints were stiff and my magic volatile, but we held each other at bay.
I wasn't supposed to defeat him, I realised. I was trying to do what Harry was supposed to do.
Voldemort sneered at me in our pause. "I will kill you," he said. "And when I'm done with you, I'll find that apprentice of yours and flay him alive, piece by piece."
I shook my head, and we started our dance anew. It was almost enjoyable. After a thousand years of doing, feeling and being nothing –literally– I was back doing what I did best, and I wanted to flex my wings and soar through the sky.
But war unfortunately had the tendency to disrupt the things one wanted to do, and replace them with death.
Voldemort turned into his trademark cloud of black smoke and flew through my flames. I grunted and tried to predict where he would land, my spell was inches from blasting his head to pieces, but a shield appeared, making the spell ricochet onto an unfortunate masked figure.
Voldemort flicked his wand to attack, but in the middle of his movement, his knees collapsed from under him, and he clutched his chest, as if struggling to breathe.
I pounced like a panther, but Voldemort managed to to protect himself as he was stumbling backwards.
He made for the gates, making the Death Eaters around him turn around and paused their struggles.
I conjured my patronus –a warm, blue eagle– and spoke.
"Harry," I said. "Voldemort is weakened, Nagini must be dead. He is heading for Hogsmeade. Go after him, Harry, and finish this once and for all. I know you can do it."
The eagle flew towards the other side of the castle, where I knew Harry was helping the refugees repel the invaders.
With Voldemort gone, I turned to his followers, who were backing away, their eyes wide with fear.
I could have burned them all down in an instant, it would have won us the battle quickly. It was the rational way, but looking around, I saw corpses stacked on corpses. Huge piles were aflame, pervading the air with the smell of burning flesh and sweet blood.
No, I decided. Enough blood was spilled, enough death was caused by me already.
"Stupefy!" I shouted, and people started to fall. But they didn't give up. When people weren't dying, the fight roused in them once again.
It was a price to pay, victory's price, but then, I felt that it was worth paying.
-()-
-Daphne-
Once we got outside the base, Bellatrix stumbling along with me as support, Bellatrix asked me to apparate her to Hogwarts.
"They're fighting there," she said. "And we can still help."
"You can't even stand," I said. "And. . . And didn't you say that Ha– I mean Potter had to kill Voldemort?"
"Indeed," Bellatrix said and winced. The bandages she'd bound around the stump of her leg were soaked with red. "But Daphne, I'll be able to make a difference, just trust me."
"Okay," I said. "But are you sure you can be apparated?"
"I'll survive," I said. "That's all that is important."
"It is," I responded. "You've still got a promise to fulfil."
Bellatrix chuckled. "Oh don't you worry Daphne, the promise will be kept."
"I sure hope so," I said, and grabbed Bellatrix's arm. "You ready?"
"Do it," she said, her face not betraying an ounce of emotion, or pain.
We appeared in the ruins of what had once been Hogsmeade, where only charred houses and piles of burnt rock remained.
Bellatrix spat blood out of her mouth. "The gates!" she said. "Get to the gates!"
The gates were slammed open, and beyond them, was pandemonium. I wanted to puke. The ground was littered with bodies, and the ones not moving were shooting spells at each other.
Except one person, who was stumbling towards the gates. His red eyes looked at the two of us.
"You!" Voldemort screamed, his voice shaking. "You abandoned your force!"
Bellatrix propped herself up against my shoulder, and smiled widely.
She started to grow, her black hair turned grey. One of her arms disappeared, leaving her with only two limbs left. Her face became worn with wrinkles, and her eyes became a pair of purple orbs. Purple like–"
"YOU!" Voldemort shouted. "This time, I will fucking kill you," he shouted. "And you, Ms. Greengrass will die, slowly, along with your entire family."
He flicked his wand, and I was thrown backwards, landing on the ground harshly, with the wand outside my grasp, but I found that I couldn't stand up again. Four purple arms had sprung from the ground and were keeping me down.
Despite the lost support, the woman remained standing. She raised her wand, balancing on one leg.
She is screwed, I thought.
Then I noticed that Voldemort was swaying on the spot, his red eyes not glowing, but simply red. His robes were soaked in a couple of places, there was a small pool of red where he stood.
But no, the old woman couldn't move properly, just teleport around with a spell of hers; which soon led to her losing balance, and being struck in the chest by a bolt.
The woman's wand flew out of her grasp, landing in the bushes. Another flick of Voldemort's wand, and she was levitating a metre above ground.
"Finally," he said. "Now, Rowena Ravenclaw, you will die!" Voldemort smiled widely, his raised wand shaking. "Avada–"
"Excorio!"
The spell came from the gates, and struck Voldemort in the back.
Clad in purple, his green eyes alight, came Harry. His hair was messy and full of dirt, and there was splatter of blood on his face. His eyes were alight with rage. He looked as if nothing would stop him.
Voldemort wailed, and the woman –who apparently was Rowena Ravenclaw– fell to the ground.
Voldemort's scalp lost half of its skin due to the flying spell, leaving his head looking like a piece of meat.
"Potter!" he spat. "Now is the time–"
"For you to kill me?" Harry finished; his voice was solid as steel and cold as ice. "I don't think so, Tom. I think all of your horcruxes are destroyed, and you will be gone soon, too."
Voldemort sneered. "Not even your master could kill me, boy, You stand no chance."
Harry raised his wand, his green eyes narrowed in concentration. "I've fought to reach this moment for a long time, Tom, let's fight."
Just as Harry fired the first spell, the black clouds overhead parted just a little. The bright sun's beams burst through the black layer, showering the school and its surrounding in its warmth.
After months, the sun was back.
My eyes were glued at the two wizards.
Rowena was dragging herself along the ground, towards her wand, but the wizards paid her no mind.
The pair of wizards danced. They moved quicker than lighting, the rhythm faster than I was able to comprehend.
My mouth was open as I watched Harry. He was an artist in a fight. He used his wand like it was a paintbrush, or an instrument, and Voldemort, on the other side, couldn't keep up with the tune Harry played.
I felt myself swell with pride. That was Harry.
Voldemort stumbled on his own feet, and fell to the ground. Harry created a spell which appeared behind Voldemort and struck him in the head, making him tumble to the ground again.
The Dark Lord's robes were dripping with mud, blood covered his entire head. And in everything, his red eyes stood out like a pair of torches in the night.
Then, he disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. A cloud flew towards Rowena Ravenclaw and entered her. The cloud disappeared, and Rowena froze.
Harry approached her with cautious steps. "Master?" he said. "Master, are you alright?"
I could see the moment her expression shifted from one of determination into a cruel smile. She pressed herself up, and conjured a cane to lean on. All of a sudden, a metallic arm and a metallic leg appeared to support her.
She smiled. "I'll never let you kill me, boy," Rowena rasped, though I realised that it wasn't her, Voldemort had possessed her.
She was holding the Dark Lord's wand in her hand. "I'll kill you, boy, I won't allow myself to die before that."
Harry clutched his wand until his knuckles were white. "Master," he said. "Fight him. Fight him!"
Rowena laughed. "Harry Potter, you have lost. . ." She smiled widely, an expression which didn't fit her face. "Half the world wants you imprisoned, and the other half wants you dead."
Harry glared at her –or him. "Most of the world doesn't even know who I am," he said. "But it doesn't matter, because you have lost, too."
Voldemort cackled. "It does matter! You will suffer for your entire life, just as I have, and that is all that matters."
All of a sudden, Voldemort fired a spell at Harry, which he was a centimetre from being struck by. Harry blocked Voldemort's spells, but he didn't dare retaliate.
"Master!" he shouted. "Fight him! Fight!"
Voldemort paused in the middle of a spell, and grimaced.
Her expression morphed; her purple eyes gleamed much softer. "Harry," she said sternly. "Please, for the love of me, think–"
"NO!" She cut herself off. "You can't defeat me," Voldemort said. "Your master is mine."
Harry heaved breaths in and out, looking at the woman who was his master.
"Think rationally," he whispered.
Voldemort sneered at him.
"Avada–"
"Concadcryst!"
The spell sprang from Harry's wand, sailed through the air like an arrow, and struck the old woman in the chest. Just as Dumbledore had, the woman turned to crystal, a vivid purple one, the same shade as her eyes.
Harry stared at her. There was only silence. Voldemort didn't burst forth from anywhere.
It was then I noticed a dagger lodged in Harry's abdomen. One he was looking down at almost emotionlessly.
He looked at it for a long time; as if thinking about the weather. Harry could have chosen to let it remain, die a martyr and be remembered as the person who sacrificed himself to save Hogwarts.
Harry dragged the dagger out and healed the wound with a spell; he wanted to stay, he still had something to live for. . . hope.
After what felt like an eternity, Harry walked up to the statue, clutching his abdomen.
"Noconcryst," he whispered, and nothing happened.
The sky was blue, the sun standing tall, forcing me to cover my eyes. It shone warmly on us, making me want to close my eyes and bask in the heat, breathe in the fresh air.
Voldemort was dead.
-()-
-Hermione-
The woman was binding people to ropes lazily, like they weren't shooting green lights at her at every moment. She didn't kill, I had to respect that.
"Girl!"
I turned around, the battle was dying down, with most supporters of Voldemort having run away as their lord did.
Helena was hovering near me. "Girl!" she said. "Her back is turned. Do it!!
I looked at Rowena Ravenclaw, clad in purple.
"No," I said simply.
"You had a promise, girl. I swear–"
"You told me that the best way to win a fight is to allow yourself no restraints in order to do so," I said. "Breaking a promise seems like a fairly small sacrifice." I tilted my head. "And what do I need you for? I am already one of the heroes who defended Hogwarts. I'll be famous and loved by the people. I don't need you."
Helena glared at me. "I will find another apprentice," she said. "And that one won't just kill my mother, but you too!"
She flew towards the castle at inhuman speed, leaving me alone.
I smiled to myself. I stood in the sunlight.
The battle was over. The Death Eaters and their supporters were either lying dead or bound with ropes.
There was a small commotion, and people pointed towards the gates. Harry was walking through them, with a smile on his face.
Rowena Ravenclaw stopped what she was doing.
The two of them wore identical clothes. In purple.
It all clicked for me.
The two of them walked up to each other, looked each other in the eye for a few seconds, and embraced.
The master and her apprentice.
I looked around, people were looking at them with varying expressions. Some with awe, and they didn't even know who she was; some with respect; some with relief; some with sadness; and some, with fear.
I frowned. With Voldemort gone, there was no one to match either of them. I'd seen the woman, she could kill the entire Order if she wanted to. And Harry, we all knew what he was capable of.
The two of them could do whatever they wanted, and no one would be able to say a word against it.
-()-
-Conor-
I opened the door, my sister's hand grasped firmly in my hand. It was silent outside, the sun was shining.
An adult, I didn't know who it was, urged all the children to stay inside, but I paid him no mind. I started scanning the crowd, a fearful lump in my stomach. Face after face. Some of them clean, some of them bloody and dirty. Blonde hair. Brown hair. Muddy hair. Bloody hair.
I grasped my finger's hand even tighter. I could see the battlefield in the distance, where the giant's corpse was lying, along with countless bodies.
Please don't force me to go there, I thought to myself.
Harry Potter had returned. He had saved the day, but had he done so quick enough to save my parents?
"Conor! Iris!"
My eyes found the source of the voice: my mother.
My father was right behind her. The four of us hugged each other, standing embraced for what felt like an eternity in relief.
Harry Potter had saved the day.
The sun was brighter than I'd ever seen it before, I felt warm. I felt safe.
-()-
-Daphne-
Potter left me by Ravenclaw's –or Voldemort's– corpse without as much as a glance. I followed him up the castle, and tried to conceal myself with charms.
I had to get inside the castle and find my parents.
No one paid me much attention, everything was staring at Harry and another woman. I froze.
She had purple eyes, too. But that one was much younger, about Harry's age, if not a couple of years older.
I quenched my curiosity; I had to find my family. They were in the castle somewhere. If they didn't make it out alive, it would all have been for nothing.
I had one foot through the entrance door when someone grabbed my arm.
I flung myself around, my wand pointed at the face of my attacker in an instant.
Neville Longbottom was looking at me, his entire face dirty and his clothes burned, but he was alive, seemingly without major damage. "By the lake," he said. "They're there, Tracey got them out."
I narrowed my eye slits. "How do you know her?"
He blushed, telling me all I needed to know. I stormed off, leaving the Gryffindor behind me. Bless Tracey, I thought.
I could see where they were from far away. They were crouched around the same spot near the boathouse, around plenty of scorch marks.
My feet led me around the lake towards the group. It dawned on me that it was over; it was all over. There was no other place to turn to, the marriage contract remained, and would do so until me and Potter died.
It wasn't right, but a lot of things in the world weren't so.
I hung my head low, not because the thought of spending time with Potter was horrible –like I had thought for so much time– but because I knew beyond all time that it was over. We'd tried and tried again, I'd been given a second chance, perhaps even a fourth and fifth chance.
There would not be another, and though it made me sad that my life would be spent in misery, I knew that it was a good thing, because our relationship wasn't right.
I hummed to myself, resigned for the future. There was no point fighting against something inevitable. I'd planned and plotted for years to get out of the contract, and despite everything I did, and got others to do, I remained in the same place. Neither I nor Potter was particularly hurt.
I'd have to make the best out of what I got. Ravenclaw was dead and the deal was off, but I didn't mind. A fate together with someone who hated me was better than I deserved.
The sky was a vivid blue, with the sun beaming down on us with all its joy and warmth. The fields of Hogwarts were greener than ever where I walked, untouched by the war and the battle.
I looked down at the lake, and saw my own reflection, blurred and unclear.
As I got closer to the group, I noticed they stood crouched around the same spot. With my parents a few metres away. My parents rushed towards me as they saw me approaching, and embraced me tightly.
They held me like I would die the second they let go.
Both of them were pale as sheets, their eyes sunken into their skulls.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice muffled by their robes. "This is my fault, I'm sorry."
"Don't be," father whispered to me, his eyes glistening. "We're all safe, that's all that matters."
We broke apart, and I wiped a tear away from my cheek.
"Daphne. . ." my mother said, but it was too late.
Behind them, stood my friends.
Pansy was standing like a statue, her eyes looking at nothing. Astoria sat on the ground, her face in her hands.
Tracey was shaking with sobs, tears running down her cheeks. Blaise had a comforting arm around her, but I saw that he, too, had wet eyes.
On the ground, lay Draco.
His face was dirty, bloody and full of cuts. The eyes were open, staring into the sun lifelessly.
I felt like falling, and pushed myself past my parents. I couldn't believe my own eyes, not as I felt the tears stream down my cheeks, or as I saw Draco's final expression, a small smile, like he'd died watching a beautiful sunset.
I fell to my knees and slammed the ground, again and again, until my fists were weak and lifeless.
He would have followed me into hell.
He followed me into hell without a second's doubt, but I left it, and didn't make sure he got out safe too.
All those years he helped me, and this is what I got him in return?
I sat on the ground staring at his face, numb. His smile. His small smile. I couldn't tear my eyes off it.
Not as I heard people approach. Not as I heard shouting, and not as I felt a pair of shackles being fastened around my wrists.
Draco Malfoy was dead. He had a future, a purpose.
I didn't, and I lived.
I didn't even try to fight my tears away.
All those years of stringing him along, and this was where he ended up, dying to save people who thought he was a monster.
-()-
-Rowena-
I looked at myself.
The purple statue was shining like a chandelier in the sun. Exactly the colour of my eyes.
Harry was right.
I smiled to myself. He won, after all. I didn't believe in 'deserving' things, but if I had to name one person to deserve one thing, it would be for Harry to live.
I could still feel my fingers tingling from the fight. I still felt like I'd just been roused from sleep, but that should be normal, considering I was a book for about a thousand years.
That was over now, so was the plan. With her dead, I was the only part of me left, and that part was mortal.
I felt something emerge behind me, and froze. I turned around stiffly.
Helena was floating in the air in front of me, looking identical to the statue behind me.
"Hello Helena," I whispered.
"Hello mother," she said. She floated over and looked at the statue. "How does it feel, knowing you lost, in the end?" My daughter smiled at me. "What was it you wrote to me? I won Helena. You lost. It seems you were wrong there, too, after all."
"Helena–"
"It must pain you so, no? Knowing that everything you've worked for will disappear one day. . . How will humanity cope without your knowledge? How will you kill this time to secure it?"
I looked my daughter in the eye, and saw her blue irises, the irises I'd changed the pigment of myself. "I was wrong," I said.
"I know," Helena said. "It hurts, doesn't it?"
"I'm sorry, Helena," I said. "I'm sorry for how I raised you and for how I treated you. . ." I smiled at my daughter, whose eyes were flashing at me. "I was wrong. My knowledge isn't worth what I did to you, no knowledge is."
Helena narrowed her eyes.
"I mean, look around," I said. "My knowledge hasn't been used for a thousand years, and the world has worked out alright. Yes, there are wars and poverty and famine, but that existed back then, too. I may be able to apparate to the moon or visit other dimensions, but I can't fix those things, at least not alone. . . All the trouble I went to, everyone I hurt, it wasn't worth it, in the end."
Helena scoffed. "You shot me in the back," she said. "You killed your own daughter. . ." She grimaced. "Did– Did you know about Godric?"
"You loved him," I said. "And– And he loved me, didn't he?"
"Yes," Helena spat out. "You know what? I agree with what you said now. I also wish you hadn't created me, because all I've ever felt, for over a thousand years, is disappointment."
I reached out a hand to try to cup her cheek, but it went through. My hand fell to my side. "Helena. . . There are a lot of things I regret in my life now, but creating you is not one of them. I know we ended on bad terms Helena, but I've never been happier than watching you grow up. I–"
I smiled at my daughter, despite her stern expression.
"I love you, Helena. Please know that I do love you, more than anything in the world."
Helena was staring at me. "Are you just saying that to stop me trying to kill you?" she said, her voice wavering. "That would be the rational thing to do."
I shook my head. "I know," I said. "But, you know, I was wrong about that too. Thinking rationally only gets you so far. You can think and plan however much you want Helena, but it isn't thinking or planning which will make you wake up in the morning with a smile or want to explode out of excitement. Those things will only happen when you allow yourself to feel. . . I didn't. I never admitted to myself that I loved you and– and I tortured you to prove that to myself. . ."
Helena was frowning, watching me from next to the statue.
"I hate myself, Helena," I said. "I think back to the duel between us, to everything I said, to everything I wrote in the letter, and I want to travel back in time and stop it." I took a deep breath. "I've been alive for over a thousand years, Helena, and the only time I ever felt happy was when I spent time with someone I loved. . . not when I planned to make myself immortal."
"What about the boy?" Helena said. "Do you love him too?"
I smiled. "Yes," I said, without a second of doubt. "I never expected to, but. . . You're my daughter, Helena, and Harry, he is my son, and I couldn't be prouder of both of you. You're a brilliant witch, Helena. You're not perfect, nor is Harry, but I'm proud of you, please know that." I sighed, and rubbed my eyes, before I met my daughter's gaze again. "And I, Helena?"
I chuckled to myself.
"I am not perfect."
Helena smiled, it was small and timid, but her first smile in a long, long time. "I never thought you would say that."
"It is as I said," I said. "I was wrong."
Helena nodded. "Thank you, mother," she said. "I– I think I want to leave."
I swallowed, and felt my eyes growing wet. "I won't stop you," I said. "It won't be long before I join you."
"I'm sorry, too, mother," Helena said. "About the castle, stealing your spot."
I shook my head. "You're my daughter, Helena. If I could choose any person in the world to be a part of this castle, it would be you. You're a part of me, Helena. You and I, we share a soul."
"Thank you, master," Helena said. She chuckled to herself. "Well done, you succeeded in the end." She turned around.
"With what?"
Helena looked over her shoulder, and smiled at me. "What was it you used to say? The best way to win a fight is to never start it. It looks like you succeeded." Helena shook her head with an amused smile. "Goodbye, mother."
"Goodbye, Helena," I said. "I love you."
My daughter faded away from view, joining death after a thousand years of waiting. A single tear ran down my cheek. I made no move to wipe it away.
After all, grief was nothing but proof that I'd loved.
-()-
-Harry-
The castle was a battlefield mere minutes ago, and yet, as I climbed the stairs to the castle, I found it almost peaceful. The torches were flickering on the walls as they always had, the people in the portraits were peering down at me curiously.
I ascended the castle with light steps, lighter steps than I had felt in months.
He stood where I'd left him all those months ago; Dumbledore was still eternalised in the blue crystal, with his expression of shock, mixed with horror etched into his face. He didn't deserve to be frozen in that state, no matter my misgivings about him.
I put an arm on his shoulder. "We did it, sir," I said. "We won. . . and I lived." His eyes of crystal blue seemed to be twinkling merrily in the sunlight that burst onto the balcony of the astronomy tower.
I let my hand fall to my side, and walked to the balcony to lean on the railings and look out over the grounds. The sky was a rich blue, with not a cloud in sight anywhere. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and people basked in the heat down below, but soon, that sun would pass over the horizon, and leave them.
But it wouldn't be as scary that time, because Voldemort was dead. Until the next Dark Lord came along, they would know peace. I hoped that they would, but it wasn't my mission to make it so. . . I would leave that for those who remained.
I heard the clapping of footsteps against the stone behind me, and I turned around, one hand reaching inside my pocket.
The woman who emerged was one I wanted to avoid, and had done so.
I hadn't seen her in over 2 years, but she had changed a lot in that time.
Fleur Delacour was standing frozen by the entrance, like a statue, but not an artful one. The left side of her face was red with scarring, and her once beautiful face was marred with scars and bite marks.
I felt nothing as I watched her. One of her breasts was noticeably smaller than the other, as if something had taken a large bit out of it. I couldn't see neither her legs nor her torso, but I imagined that they looked similar.
"Potter," Delacour whispered neutrally, as one might greet anyone as they passed in the hallway.
"Delacour," I said.
She licked her lips and walked over to stand next to me, watching the grounds of Hogwarts below.
"You didn't fight," I said. It wasn't a question, her blue blouse looked as good as new and her silver hair was long and smooth. It was the one thing about her left untouched, I realised.
"No," she said. She clapped her belly. "I won't risk this."
I nodded slowly, understanding. "It's Bill's?" I said.
"Do you think I'm unfaithful?" she said, still without emotion, as if she had been kissed by a dementor long ago.
I could have mentioned how she had a record of betraying people, but I didn't. It all seemed so long ago now –so insignificant. The triwizard tournament felt like nothing as I watched the carnage on the grounds below: the piles of bodies, the fires and the huge patches of ash and death. It was a wonder the green grass could be seen anywhere, but it was.
"Do you. . ." Fleur trailed off and turned her head to observe me; I remembered when she had done the same, once, and I couldn't meet her gaze. "Do you feel any regret?" she said.
"I've barely thought about you since the Triwizard Tournament," I said, honest. "But. . . but I did feel guilty back then. The thing is, now, I've done a thousand things more horrible than what I did to you." I smiled at her grimly, and could see absolutely nothing in her pale, blue eyes. "Leaving you to be devoured by a butterfly seems rather insignificant, compared to much else, Fleur."
"I saw the Death Eaters you killed after Dumbledore died," she said. "Or what was left of them. . . It's strange, for the first time since I left the maze, I felt lucky. I wondered if you would have done the same to me if I had pushed you further."
I wanted to say that I wouldn't have, but I didn't know, and I didn't want to think about what I once was and what I had then become.
"Do you feel any regret?" I asked instead.
She scoffed. "About this?" she said, gesturing to herself. "Every day. . ." She watched the grounds below with a thin smile. "You know, I used to hate it when all the boys looked at me," she said. "They'd look at me as if I was a pile of gold. . . to be bought, or stolen or earned. I hated it, because I was reduced to a mere thing, as if my appearance was where my person began and ended."
She turned her head and looked at me. Her eyes now held a little emotion in them, they were vibrating a little, like water slowly heating up.
"I went to the dance with you because I thought you were different. . . and I thought you understood. You were famous and everyone just knew Harry Potter, the legend when they saw you in the halls," she said. "I regret taking you there, because of everything that happened after, but in the moment, it felt right to me, so I don't know, should I regret it?"
I didn't answer.
"I could feel the gaze of every teenage boy on me during the whole dance," she said. "I was used to it then, of course, but I still hated it. It felt like I was choking, and every pair of eyes, glazed over, took more and more air from me. Half of me wanted to run away and hide, never come back."
Fleur clutched her belly subconsciously.
"I would do anything to have it all back," she whispered. "My sister is like me now, she gets the attention of every boy, and they look at her as if she is worth more than all the diamonds in the world combined. . . And she loves it, her eyes sparkle and she smiles back at them." Fleur clenched her hand into a fist. "I wish I was like her; I wish I enjoyed it when I had it because now it's all gone, and won't ever return."
"You can't conceal it?" I said.
"I do," Fleur said. "But my face looks distorted, and the clothes ruin whatever I do to the rest of my body. . . and it doesn't matter, everyone knows what I'm trying to conceal, I won't be fooling anyone with a couple of concealment charms."
"I guess not," I said.
"It's so frustrating," she continued. "I have a better husband than I deserve, I'm soon going to be a mother, and I have a job that pays far better than any Veela could hope to make in this country. . . and yet, I can't forget what I've lost. I can't forget what you took from me."
"It was no small part your own fault," I said. "You put me in a coma, turned the entire school against me and tried to have me killed."
"I know," Fleur said. "I probably deserve every bad thing that has happened to me, still, it doesn't change the fact that many good things have happened to me. . . and still, I can't appreciate it properly. Every time I walked down the street, or through a corridor, people would look over their shoulders to watch me, enchanted, but now, they turn their gaze away in disgust, as if I'm a monster. I don't know, do I deserve that too?"
"Does it matter?" I said. "You have a family, soon a child and a good life. Isn't that enough?"
"I had beauty, attention and the stagelight, but wanted a loving husband, who loved me for who I was a little child and a good job" she said. "Now, I have a loving husband, a little child and a good job, but want beauty, attention and stagelight."
"What are you trying to tell me?" I said.
She shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Perhaps I just wanted to make you feel guilty, or perhaps I just wanted you to know that the butterfly you left me with had consequences."
I hummed.
"Or perhaps I want you to ask yourself if what you have now is enough," she said. "You're the most powerful man on the planet, and have a beautiful girl contracted to you. Isn't that enough?"
I shook my head, and Delacour left, leaving me on the balcony.
Perhaps she was right; perhaps I should settle down and use my power for good, and wed Daphne. I would manage, I would make due, I would live.
But I didn't consider that option for a moment. I was going to take a chance, and that chance may turn out worse than what I had now, but it might also turn out better, much, much better.
Perhaps Delacour was right; perhaps I was going to miss what I had now after I went through with my plan.
But I had to try to fulfil that promise.
-()-
-Two Months Later-
I woke up feeling done. I was lying inside my own room on the fourth floor, where I'd stayed ever since the battle. It had seemed as if the endless repairs and renovations of Hogwarts never would end, but now, it was finally done. The people who lived in the refugee camp were back home, in real houses, with real food.
The government was back, if rushed together. A council was ruling the country, most of them made up from members of the Order, or those that survived.
Kingsley had died, so had Remus, Tonks, and many others. It felt like the funerals would never end, but they too, had, and in time, I was sure that people would stop thinking about their sacrifice.
The newly established government had done all they could to round up the support of Voldemort still at large. I'd heard that Hermione helped a lot with the work, but I hadn't spoken to her much since the battle.
No one had asked me to help, not that I felt particularly inclined to. My decision cemented itself more every day, as I saw people look at me with eyes wide with fear or frown as I walked past.
Now that there was no threat anymore, I wasn't seen as a saviour, but for what I really was.
I could do whatever I wanted, kill whoever I pleased, and everyone knew it. The girl I'd punched to death was right. I went too far. There were some crimes one couldn't escape.
If I hadn't killed Voldemort and brought Rowena to save the day, I was certain I would be one of the people on trial too, but I was still one of the heroes from the Battle of Hogwarts.
Ever since the Battle of Hogwarts –or as some were calling it, the Return of Ravenclaw– the trials of Voldemort's sympathisers had been going at full speed.
Those trials would end that day, with the last person: Daphne Greengrass, the murderer of Albus Dumbledore.
She'd been arrested with her family over Draco Malfoy's corpse, and as far as I'd heard, she'd pleaded guilty to every charge levelled against her. The trial was more of a formality, or a celebration. A final punishment for the person who killed Albus Dumbledore, their source of light and hope.
Her family was free, in the end. At least the Order recognised that they hadn't done anything wrong.
I sighed and got out of bed. I would have to enact my plan soon, but before that, I had to tell my master. I swallowed at the thought of how she would react.
Still, it was the only way.
The contract between me and Daphne was gone, too, now. Or rather, we had fulfilled it. Both of us had signed the papers, despite not even seeing each other. The second she went to prison, any obligation to consummate it was nullified.
I showered and dressed myself.
Before I went out, I spared myself one last look in the mirror.
My green eyes remained, so did my black hair, but somehow, my eyes looked different. Like a sky where one of the stars had gone out.
I was more ready than ever for what I was about to do.
But first, I would watch Daphne's trial, meet Hermione, Ron and everyone else for one last time, even if they wouldn't know it was that.
"You're not coming?" I said to my master, who was sitting in her armchair, reading a book, Wuthering Heights, it was called.
"No," she said. "I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity when there's so few people at Hogwarts,"
"What are you going to do?" I wondered.
"You'll see," Rowena said.
"Alright," I said. "See you later, then."
I walked through the corridors, which were abandoned. Only my master and I lived at the castle then. There would not be any school for several months, until September, when the Hogwarts Express would chug away once again.
The grounds themselves were all but fixed, with the grass green as ever and the lake clear. It was hard to believe that countless corpses had been rotting there mere weeks ago.
I apparated to the entrance of the New Ministry of Magic, and disappeared in the crowd as soon as I arrived.
People stood in long lines to get inside and watch the spectacle, like it was a circus.
Due to my help in the battle, though, I was allowed to slip through the lines, inside the building.
The room where the trial was supposed to be was massive. The stands around it were even more so, about as large as the arenas I played in during 'Duelling Days'. Thousands would fit inside.
I thought back to her demonstration in Snape's class, she too, had come a long way.
I spotted a familiar bush of brown hair and sighed. Resigned, I walked over to her, where she was talking to Neville, Ron and Dean.
We greeted each other stiffly, pretending to be friends and happy to see each other, when all of us, in fact, knew we were not.
"Hermione," I said, after finishing the pleasantries. "Could I just have a word?"
"Of course," she said. We walked away a couple of metres until we stood secluded, looking out over the entire structure as people piled inside.
"Congratulations," I said. "I hear you're getting a statue."
Hermione smiled, her eyes dancing. "Thank you."
"They're calling you the Hero of Hogwarts," I continued.
Hermione blushed, though it looked fake to me. "And I thank them."
"I'm sure," I said. "Do you know when Draco's getting his statue?"
Hermione arched her brow. "I don't mean to sound conceited, Harry, but I stopped Rabastan Lestrange, what did Malfoy do?"
"He saved the boathouse," I said. "You must have heard–"
"I've heard what Conor Tattling has claimed," she cut off, cross. "But you do know he's a friend of Tracey Davis, Malfoy's friend, right?"
I shook my head. "Whatever. But Hermione." I looked at her sternly. "Stop using legilimency, okay?"
"I haven't used it at all since the battle," she said. "Is it so hard for you to believe that people listen to me because I saved them?"
I shook my head. "And what did you sacrifice to do that?" I said. "And don't say you did it to help me."
Hermione looked at me hard for a long time. "You're right," she said. "I didn't do it for you, I did it for me." She twirled a strand of hair between her fingers. "I won, Harry. The people love me, can you say the same?"
"It doesn't matter," I said. "I didn't fight to make people love me, but I defeated Voldemort all the same."
"You did," Hermione said. "But you didn't win."
I shrugged. "If you say so. . ."
Down in the middle, I saw them leading Daphne into the room, binding her to the chair.
"Shall we sit down?" Hermione said.
I nodded.
We sat close to her, I could see her face, even though she was staring at her feet.
Her hair was in disarray.
I'd had two months to think about it, but I still couldn't quite figure it out.
Daphne had killed Nagini. My master told me that she wasn't able to kill Nagini by herself. Which meant that without Daphne. . .
But that wasn't a reason to act.
What befuddled me was why.
Daphne was like me. Both of us only did the things we thought would make us happy.
Her killing of Nagini must have been to that aim. Something made her think a life without Voldemort was better than a life with Voldemort.
I looked around the room, which was full to the brink. It boiled with shouts and noise inside. The odd person even threw a vegetable or a fruit towards Daphne, who flinched as it landed near her.
The same people hated me too.
I shrugged to myself.
The girl there wasn't happy. She'd done bad things, but they were to protect her family, after all.
I was certain that Daphne actually betrayed me to Voldemort at one point.
Daphne was like me, one searching for something she never got. All because of that damned contract.
And that was why I stood up, making everyone inside quiet.
That was why I teleported to Daphne's chair and cut her free. That was why I blocked the countless spells flying towards me. That was why I fought myself through the guards to reach the outside.
That was why I apparated away, leaving the wizarding world that was boiling with anger.
-()-
-Daphne-
"You shouldn't have done that, Harry," I said.
We had just passed through the gates of Hogwarts, and were walking back to the castle. The December wind bashed against us, but I didn't feel cold at all in my grey hoodie. It felt like we were back; back to the year before, when we walked over the grounds hand in hand, smiling coyly at each other.
"No," Harry said after a while. "The ICW are already breathing down the government's neck over my break-in at Nurmergaard, and the murders in America. They were going to go after me in the end either way."
"You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for me," I said. "I don't deserve it."
"You're right, Daphne," he said. "But I don't deserve to walk free either, do I? I deserve to be behind bars, next to you. . . but you don't get what's fair. All my life, I always felt I got less than I deserved, now, it feels like I got more –much more– than I deserve."
"Harry," I said. "You've fought to destroy Voldemort for years, you can't say you don't deserve it. . . You do deserve to live the rest of your life, and be happy doing so."
Harry chuckled to himself. "Well, that's the crux, isn't it? I've tried to be happy for years, Daphne. By myself, with Alice, with you, but none of it worked out in the end. . . I love my master, but ever since I got all this power, everything else went to shit."
"Not everything can be solved by fighting," I said. "If it was so, you'd be the king of the world."
Harry smiled. "Perhaps. . . It feels strange, you know, knowing that no one else on the planet –save my master– would be able to defeat me. . . I mean, I'm only seventeen."
I hummed. "You will do great things, Harry, I think."
The smile slid off his face. "No," he said. "I won't. . ."
We stopped, right by the entrance to the castle.
"Daphne," he said. "You won't see me after today, this–" he gestured between us "–is the last time you'll see me."
I looked into his vibrant green eyes for a long time. "What?" I said.
"I can't stay here, Daphne," he said. "You'll understand that, too, I'm sure. . . You'll have to leave as well, if you want to stay free."
"I don't know where," I said. "Where would I go? The entire world knows me as the person who killed Dumbledore." I shook my head. "No, Harry. I had my chance at life, and I blew it. . ."
He looked at me pointedly. "I broke you out of prison because you're like me, Daphne," he said. "I still –despite everything that has happened– believe I can be happy in this life, perhaps I'm a fool and should just kill myself, but I have faith in that, and that is what will make me try again, one last time. I would be quite disappointed if you gave up. . ." He chuckled. "I would be very disappointed if you gave up, because I've never seen you as someone who gives up. Umbridge, Voldemort, Bellatrix, you sure have worked hard to get rid of me."
"I did, and I regret it." I sighed. "The contract is wrong, Harry. Forcing two people together like us it's just. . . not right. Still, I remember that I was happy for a few months with you."
"And I was with you too, Daphne," Harry said kindly. "But we both know this won't work. It's like getting together with someone you know has cheated on you. No matter if the person is entirely faithful for the rest of their life, you'll always have that nagging fear in the back of your mind that they'll cheat again. . . and I don't want that. I want to live free, with someone I trust completely."
I snorted. "You're right, Harry," I said. "We are the same. I hate the contract between us, but I still feel like I failed."
"I don't know, Daphne," Harry said. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Just keep faith that someone else will appear, because quite frankly, someone will."
"How can you be sure?" I said.
He smiled at me smugly, taking me back to evenings past, to when the sun shone brightly and Rowena Ravenclaw was nothing but a legend. "I don't think I have to answer that," he said. "You're not all horrible, Daphne, just give yourself another chance, and show the person you meet the good side, okay?"
"I will," I said. "And Harry, thank you. You saved my life, in more ways than one."
"You saved mine too," I said. "You could have let Nagini live, Daphne, I know that, but you didn't, and I'm thankful."
I nodded. "When do you leave?" I said. "Soon?"
Harry chuckled. "The Order is already at the gates of Hogwarts, but they won't open for some time. After tonight, they won't ever see me again, I recommend the same happens to you."
"I'll try," I said. "But I'm nowhere as skilled as you."
"But you're smarter," Harry said. "You can think rationally, Daphne, that'll get you far, trust me, but allow yourself to feel, too, okay?"
"Yes," I said. I breathed out shakily. "Goodbye, Harry," I said.
Harry smiled, and held his hand out. "Goodbye Daphne," he said. "Have a good life."
I bit back my tears. "I will," I said. "And you too."
Harry smiled, and we shook hands. "I will," he said and turned around, walking inside the castle. "I think I will."
The doors to the castle closed behind him, and the tears poured from my eyes. I sat down on the staircase and cried until my eyes were red and puffy and no more tears would come.
Tracey was gone. Draco was gone. My family was gone. Harry was gone.
There was no one left. I was completely alone, with no one left to turn to.
Keep faith.
I breathed in and out, hiccuped in between.
If only I could tell my younger self –who had just gotten the letter about the marriage contract– to go on the date and give it a chance. Who knows what would have happened then?
I ruined my life because I was too focused on following a plan, I thought I knew what was good for me, and that killed me, and my future.
I looked up at the sky, the snow had started to fall, spreading itself as a white layer over the green grass.
"Hello Ms. Greengrass."
The lady in purple stood next to me, staring out over the grounds. "It's beautiful, is it not?"
"Yes," I said, swallowing. "You did a good job."
Rowena Ravenclaw smiled to herself. "It's not perfect," she said.
I remained silent. If this castle wasn't perfect, I didn't know what was.
Nothing perhaps. That was my problem. I sought something which didn't exist. If I had just taken a step back once and appreciated what I had. . . Perhaps I would be laying in bed inside now, with Harry next to me.
My heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again, but that was for the better. For me and him. Mostly him.
"You know, the other me liked you," Rowena said, breaking the silence. "I didn't speak to her much before the end, but she was impressed with you."
She turned her head, her purple eyes looking at me as if she could see my soul.
"Impressing me isn't easy," she said. "Nor is making Harry like you." She smiled. "You're a clever girl, Greengrass, you could have been brilliant, with the right teacher."
I snorted. "Could have been," I repeated bitterly. "That's the story of my life, one whole set of missed potential."
"But you've learned what not to do now, right?"
I tilted my head to look at Rowena. "I don't know, but I think so, not that it makes much difference."
Rowena smiled. "We had a deal, you and I, didn't we?"
I cleared my throat. "Well, it was the other you. . ."
"We're not the same person," Rowena said. "But I want to give you another chance, Daphne, so I will."
"How?" I whispered. "Everyone wants me dead, or imprisoned."
"Here, yes," Rowena said. "But I'm a pretty knowledgeable witch, Daphne. There's a reason I've been so determined to stay alive."
"What are you thinking of?" I said. "Can you make everyone forget about me?"
Rowena smiled sadly. "No," she said. "Not even I am that strong. But I can send you somewhere else, somewhere where no one else knows your name."
I swallowed. "Another country?"
Rowena chuckled. "In a way. It would still be Britain, but another Britain."
"A parallel universe?" I whispered. "They exist?"
"I've never been to any other, but I've communicated with myself from another one."
"And you can send me there," I said. "Is that possible?"
"I will make it possible," Rowena said. "I can send you there, Daphne, if you want. You'll never see your parents again, nor your friends."
"I wouldn't be able to either way," I said. "If I'm seen with them, they'll be sent to prison too, and I don't want that."
Rowena looked at me. "So, what do you say?"
"Do it," I said. "Let's do it. . . it's just. . . I'd like to go somewhere first, if you don't mind."
Rowena smiled. "Of course," she said. "But please don't take too long."
-()-
The graveyard after the Battle of Hogwarts was full of headstones. Some small. Some large. Some with flowers. Some without.
At the very edge of the graveyard was one small stone, with one candle burning, and flowers strewn around.
Draco Malfoy, 1981-1998
The rest was blank.
He died for them. He saved hundreds of families, and this was what he got. It made me furious.
I put my hand on the grave. "I'm sorry, Draco," I said. "I'm so sorry." My body wanted to cry, but I found that I couldn't anymore, like all my tears were used up. "I'm so sorry for using you, Draco. You don't deserve this. You deserve to live and be happy, have a family."
I stood up and looked at the gravestone. I took out my wand.
"Everyone should know your name when they grow up, Draco, everyone." I put the wand against the headstone.
Once finished, I stood up. Conjured a flower and put it on the grave. "Thank you, Draco," I said. "You were a far better friend than I deserved."
I walked away, my footsteps were quickly covered in by the snow.
The grave remained at the outskirts of the graveyard, with the single candle burning, illuminating the grave.
Draco Malfoy, 1981–1997 - Died defending the castle during the Battle of Hogwarts.
And just below, in silver letters:
Hero of Hogwarts
-()-
-Rowena-
The girl vanished in a swirl of blue and green, and just like that, the first piece of interdimensional travel was done.
I looked around at the portraits in my office, where each of the headmasters were resting, either asleep or watching me with awe, respect or both.
I stood out and stretched. My apprentice.
No.
My son was waiting in our room.
All the way down, my steps echoed against the walls, with each torch burning fervently along the walls.
It was a day I knew would come, but one I feared more than anything else.
The silver door swung open soundlessly, revealing the purple torch inside. I wondered if Harry was staring inside the fireplace, and so watching me. I smiled at the torch and walked inside.
Harry wasn't by the fire, but in his room.
His belongings were strewn out over the bed.
His father's invisibility cloak. The ring Dumbledore gave him. The Marauder's map. His second place trophy for Duelling Days.
"Hello," I said.
"Hello, master," he said. His Adam's apple bulged. "Shall we sit down?"
I followed him to the armchairs, he sat down in his, and I in mine. His hands were folded neatly in his lap.
Harry looked inside the flames. "I will leave," he said. "You know that, don't you?"
I nodded. "I thought as much."
"I've worked on the magic, and I have a plan."
He showed me a document with drawings and ingredients and arithmetic calculations.
"It's. . . wonderful work," I said. "It will work. . . but–"
"I know," Harry said. "I've worked so hard for this. . . but how will it help me now?"
"It won't, Harry," I said. "I'm just. . . I'm sorry I couldn't teach you what was most important."
"I'm not," Harry said. "You were the best teacher I could wish for, master, it's just. . . I'm done here. I want to try something new, away from all of this."
"I understand," I said. "I guess you want me to take your things."
"Yes," he said. "Give the map to the most troublesome people joining Hogwarts next year," I said. "That's what my father would have wanted."
I raised my eyebrows. "You know I'm not supposed to encourage pranking as headmaster, right?"
"But you will," he said. "Please?"
"Okay," I said. "What about the cloak and the ring? You know those are special, don't you?"
"I know," Harry said. "The wand is buried with Draco, it should be safe, but you better protect those two."
"I will," I said. "And your wand?"
"I'd like to keep it," Harry said. "As a memento, if nothing else."
"Okay," I said. "What about the trophy?"
"Give it to Alice's grandmother," he said. "It belongs to Alice, she is the reason I got as far as I did, and the reason I'm alive now."
I inclined my head. "I'd like to keep the robes though," he said. "The colour has grown on me."
I couldn't' contain my smile. "Thank you, Harry," I said.
"I'm sorry, master, but I have to," he said, his eyes glistening.
"I know," I said. "I understand Harry, and you're doing the right thing. I want you to be happy too, and if this is their way, you shouldn't hesitate for a moment."
"I don't know if it's the right way," he said. "But I have a good feeling about it. Ever since I got the idea, it has just felt right, that's gotta mean something, right?"
"It does," I said, with absolute certainty. "You will be happy in your life, Harry. I know it."
"So do I," he said. He sighed. "I don't know if I can do this," he said. "I don't want to leave you. . . you're my mother."
A tear ran down my cheek. "And you're my son," I croaked out. "But don't think about me, I'm a thousand years old, think about yourself Harry."
He smiled. "That's what Alice used to say," he said. "And I still have that promise to keep."
"Make sure you do," I said. "Then, you would have performed well."
"Not adequate?" he said.
"I think you've grown beyond that," I said. "So far beyond that."
We stood up in one motion. "I love you master," he said. "You saved my life."
"Stop calling me master," I reminded him. "Rowena, please."
He snorted. "That just feels wrong, master."
I wiped the tears away from my eyes. "I love you too, Harry."
We embraced each other tightly. I could feel him shaking with sobs against my shoulder, but I rubbed my hand against his back, saying nothing.
"I'll miss you," he said. "More than you can know."
"I'll miss you too, Harry," I said. "I don't think any master can ask for a better apprentice."
We broke apart, and we looked each other in the eye for one last time. Green against purple.
"And no apprentice could have asked for a better master," he said. "I'll remember what you taught me, master," he said. "Always."
"And I will remember what you taught me," I said. "I hope to see you again, Harry."
Harry wiped his cheeks with the hem of his robes. "You will," he said. "I know you will."
A/N: It's done, then. Sure, there is the epilogue left, but as a whole, this story is done. It feels quite surreal, I've spent so much time over this last year, and every week, I've posted a chapter, and awaited the reviews eagerly.
I can't explain to you how it feels when I see a comment where someone recognises a little detail I added, or how it tells me how excited they are for next week's chapter. It's special. It's like getting drunk, you must do it yourself to truly understand it. I'll very much miss reading the comments every week, but I also feel satisfied about finally being done with this.
I know the story is not perfect, far from it actually, but I'm satisfied about how it turned out. This is my first venture into creative writing outside of school, and I must say, it grew to be larger and more ambitious than it should have been for a first project, but I think I managed it fine, even if I feel the urge to rewrite every chapter I read again.
So what now?
I honestly don't know if I'll be posting more fanfiction here. Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't. But the first thing I'll be doing is to read the whole story myself. That was why I wrote this. I had this idea ever since I started to read fan-fiction myself, and I felt that I wanted to give it a try. So I did, and the previous 75 chapters are the results.
I have thought about doing some kind of 'remaster' or 'rewrite' of the story. When I wrote the first scene in Chapter 74 –the scene of Harry's and Rowena's meeting from Rowena's perspective– I was forced to read the first chapter again, and let's just say, I realised how far I've come as a writer. I think it's a real shame that the earlier chapters are horribly written, in my opinion, compared to what is in the later chapters, but I don't want to change it either. I like being able to trace my development through reading the story; it's like a story inside the story.
Thank you for reading this, I truly hope you enjoyed it if you came this far. Otherwise, well, I'm sorry for making you read 400k words for nothing.
And to all the people who left a review every week, I am forever grateful. I'd like all of you to know that each comment gave me the energy to keep writing it as fast as possible. Seeing you theorise about what would happen next, or call Daphne a horrible person or just say that the chapter was great, it made me want to get the next one out there so much more.
I apologise for the ludicrously long author's note, which no doubt inflated the length of the chapter, but the chapter was pretty long, so I don't think it made too much difference.
Well, until the epilogue, which should be out any day, cheers!
