Battle of Hogwarts pt. 2
"We have to warn him!" Theo insisted, determination flaring in his eyes.
But before they could move, Harry's shouts reached them, mingled with the crack of spells colliding. Hermione hesitated, torn between running to help Harry and the urgent need to find the snake.
"Let's go!" she urged, grabbing Theo's arm and pulling him toward the source of the noise.
As they raced through the halls, the realization weighed heavily on Hermione's mind. They were up against Voldemort, and now they had a new threat looming over them: Harry's fate.
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Outside, Harry was fully engaged in his duel with Voldemort, dodging spells as he fought for his life. Every movement was calculated, but Voldemort was relentless, the power emanating from him palpable and terrifying.
"You're merely a child playing at being a hero," Voldemort sneered, sending another curse Harry's way.
Harry countered, shooting off a spell that momentarily staggered the Dark Lord. "I won't let you win!" he yelled, fury driving him forward.
Voldemort's laughter echoed across the battlefield, sending chills through Harry. "You are a fool, Harry Potter. You'll never be able to defeat me. You'll always be tied to me, just as I am to you."
The weight of Voldemort's words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the bond they shared.
But Harry wouldn't back down. He felt the support of his friends and allies around him, their spirits fueling his resolve. "I have everything to fight for," he declared, determination steeling his heart.
The duel intensified, and spells whizzed by them like shooting stars. But amidst the chaos, Harry's thoughts remained fixed on Hermione, Theo, and the battle they were all fighting together.
They were running out of time.
As Hermione sprinted through the corridors of Hogwarts, her heart pounded in her chest. The urgency to find Harry weighed heavily on her mind, but something deep within her urged her to pause. She had to warn him about the potential horrors awaiting them: that Harry might be a Horcrux.
However, as she rounded a corner, she skidded to a stop, her breath hitching in her throat. The scene unfolding before her was heart-stopping.
Draco stood facing off against his father, Lucius Malfoy, in the flickering light of the torches that lined the corridor. The air between them crackled with tension, and Hermione felt as though she were intruding on a moment that was both deeply personal and painfully public.
"You're making a mistake, Draco," Lucius sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "You were born to be a Death Eater. It's time you accepted your true heritage. You're an embarrassment to our family—especially with that Mudblood at your side."
Hermione felt a cold chill wash over her at the mention of her status. Her fists clenched, but she held herself back, knowing that intervening now would only complicate matters further.
Lucius continued, his tone mocking. "Did you even care about your mother? You failed her when she needed you the most. Do you think she would be proud of this pathetic relationship? She's dead because of you. You killed her yourself."
Hermione's heart broke as she saw Draco's expression contort into something desperately broken.
Hermione desperately wanted to help, but Harry needed her more than Draco did at this moment so she bolted away hoping that Draco would stay alive just a little longer.
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The air crackled with tension as Harry faced Voldemort in the heart of the chaos. The Death Eaters had begun to scatter as the battle raged around them, but the two most powerful wizards remained locked in a deadly dance, wands raised, eyes blazing with determination.
"You think you can defeat me, Potter?" Voldemort sneered, his voice a chilling whisper laced with venom. "You've always been a thorn in my side, and tonight, I will finally rid myself of you."
Harry's heart raced, not just from fear, but from the unyielding resolve that pulsed through his veins. He knew what was at stake. The lives of his friends, the future of the wizarding world—it all hinged on this moment.
"You'll never win, Tom!" Harry shouted, his voice steady despite the dread clawing at his insides. "You'll never understand the power of love."
With that, they unleashed their spells simultaneously, a brilliant flash of light erupting between them. Harry dodged, weaving through the hail of curses and hexes, his instincts kicking in. He had faced Voldemort before; he knew the stakes. But tonight felt different—more desperate, more urgent.
"Crucio!" Voldemort roared, his wand slicing through the air. The spell whizzed past Harry's ear, narrowly missing him.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry retaliated, the force of his charm pushing against Voldemort's dark magic.
But then, in a split second that felt like an eternity, Voldemort's eyes narrowed, a cunning gleam in them. "You're not as clever as you think, Harry. You're nothing without your friends."
"I'm not alone!" Harry shouted defiantly, but just as he said it, he felt a surge of darkness enveloping him. Voldemort was drawing on something deeper, something sinister. The power radiating from the Dark Lord was palpable, and it sent shivers down Harry's spine.
In a moment of reckless desperation, Harry launched himself forward, determined to disarm Voldemort once and for all. He aimed his wand with precision, fueled by the memories of those he had lost. But as he pressed forward, he was met with a counterattack of pure hatred.
Voldemort shouted out a curse and purple light burst forth like a comet.
"No!" Harry cried, but it was too late.
The curse struck him in the chest. The force of it knocked him backward. Harry started reaching for his clothes as perspiration appeared on his face, dripping down his neck. Harry was looking around, eyes wide. He started to stare into space, crying out for his parents - and then the relief started to come, he started to run towards absolutely nothing, shouting Ron's name happily. Ginny was running towards Harry now; concern etched on her face.
"Harry please stop Ron's not here" she begged.
"Mum look I found Ron," Harry said smiling and pointing to where the illusion of Ron was in his head.
The figures on the field watched mouths agape in horror as they watched their symbol of hope run frantically across the grounds shouting and giggling, believing to be surrounded by all of his deceased loved ones.
Ginny clutched Harry's hands and placed her palm on his forehead gasping audibly,
"He burning up, PLEASE SOMEONE HELP HIS SKIN FEELS LIKE FIRE" Ginny screamed.
Order Members made to move but Voldemort and his defenses had their wands up stopping anyone from moving forward. Voldemort was watching intently waiting for the moment when the light would leave Harry Potter's eyes.
Harry was now seemingly unconscious in Ginny's arms, her embrace tight around him as she sobbed her eyes out. He was throwing up, choking on the bloody bile while he convulsed.
Hermione had figured out what the spell was doing, a different level of torture. Voldemort had given him all of the effects of heatstroke. From the looks of it, he was hitting the spike of 110 to 113 Degrees. Hermione ran through all of the things happening inside of him thinking back to the biology and healing books she felt obligated to read in the safehouses. "Mitochondria and cellular proteins dissolve. Heart and lungs start to hemorrhage. Blood coagulates in the veins. Heat damages the liver, kidneys, and brain and perforates your intestinal wall. Toxins emitted by spent digestive bacteria now escape into your bloodstream, perhaps triggering septic shock." pain was almost certainly radiating through his body as each of his organs shut down. Screams and shouts of the Order took over the field, but they were definitely distant, muffled by the fog creeping into Harry's consciousness.
As darkness enveloped him, Hermione's eyes wide with disbelief and despair. She watched as the world faded away from him, leaving nothing but silence. Harry's heart had stopped. The chosen one was dead.