Destiny

Chapter 65

Lillian's Perspective:

"You have fought valiantly," the high, cold voice said. "Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery."

I grabbed Fred's hand. I was slightly nervous.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses," he continued. "If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."

"He doesn't give a damn what happens to us," Fred snarled.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful," the Dark Lord said.

"Like hell he is," Fred added.

"I command my forces to retreat immediately."

"Wha—"

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you," he said, but I stopped listening, pulling Fred back into the Slytherin common room.

Lindsay and George were in the corner, and George was comforting Lindsay as she cried. Draco looked dejected, and mother was crying into Lucius, something I was never going to get used to.

"Well?" I said impatiently.

"Yes, dear?" Mother smiled sadly through her tears, as kind as ever.

"Sorry for storming out," I said, regretting that I had to apologise. "Never hold something from me again. Especially something like that."

"I'm sorry," mother said softly.

"There's nothing you can do about it now," I said. "We have one hour before the Dark Lord starts attacking again, so we'd better go find out what the rest of our side is doing."

Fred nodded to show his support, and Lindsay stopped crying, looking a bit more determined. George looked as sane as usual, so I wasn't too worried about him.

We left the Slytherin common room, leaving Lucius and Draco behind. They needed to get to Voldemort's side, otherwise they would be the next ones killed. Lindsay informed me that Voldemort was also trying to track me down, but decided to defy his orders and stick with the side she had originated from.

I entered the Great Hall with my hand in Fred's, and it was a good thing, too, because it seemed to have been transformed into an infirmary and a giant death bed. There were so many fallen wizards and witches, it was hard to grasp. Lindsay shed a few tears, but I remained impassive, as did the twins. My mother was already sensitive, and she all but burst out crying.

Mrs. Weasley spotted us and just about ran to give her sons a hug, and her future daughters-in-law. Then, when she laid eyes on my mother, they both cried and hugged as if they never had before.

I wasn't angry with my mother, but I was upset. However, I refused to let that get in the way of what we were doing on our side. Voldemort needed to be killed before mother and I could sit down, with Lindsay too, probably, and talk about everything she had told us. I wasn't exactly elated that Lindsay was my twin, mostly because of the circumstances during which we found out, but I was excited that I had a sibling. My life had been long and lonely before coming to Hogwarts, and the summers had been next to boring.

While we waited for the hour to pass, I assisted Madam Pompfrey in tending to the wounded. Fred was at my side the whole time, helping me. Lindsay and George were going around, too.

When I came to the center of the room, tending to the injured, I noticed two bodies, lifeless, and realised who they were.

"No," I whispered, for there lied Professor Lupin and his wife, Nymphadora Tonks.