Escaping Darkness [Book 1 of Through Darkness and Light]

Chapter 25: Helpless To Stop Insanity

~ + ~

“Only one thing left on my list, and that’s for your mom, Ron,” Harry said, looking down at his list. He snatched his bag back from Draco, who was attempting to peek. The blonde winked at him, ignoring Blaise’s snicker, before turning to Ron.

“It was nice of your mom to offer me a place to stay for the holidays,” he said with a grateful smile. Ron grinned.

“Sure. Mom’s always happy to have another ‘poor soul’ to fawn over. Plus, ‘any friend of Harry’s is a friend of mine’, as she always says.”

“I am not a poor soul,” Draco sniffed. Harry swatted him.

“Yeah you are…”

“Am not!”

“Are too!’

“Am not!”

“Death Eaters!”

Pansy’s shriek reached their ears, and their gazes snapped up to see the familiar black streaks across the sky. “Get to Hogwarts!” Harry shouted, his heart plummeting. No, no, NO! Not again! “Not this time,” he growled. “Not this time…” He grabbed onto Draco’s arm, and began dragging him towards the castle, despite Draco’s protests that he could run just fine on his own.

Behind him, he could hear his friends as they raced after him. Suddenly, he heard Ron’s voice. “Harry! Now’s our chance! Nagini is with him!”

Harry slowed a bit, looking over his shoulder. It was an eerie sight, to be sure, as he spotted the Dark lord himself flying on a streak of black smoke. But his fear and rage were tempered by his amazement. He’s stupid enough to bring a Horcrux out here?

A glint of light caught his eye, and he saw as Hermione enlarged Gryffindor’s sword. Ron tugged it from her grasp, as Voldemort gained on them. “Get Draco out of here, Harry!” Ron shouted, as he began to veer away from them. “I’ll make it up there on my own!”

“No! Ron!” Harry and Hermione shouted. But Death Eaters now blocked Ron off from the rest of the group, as they fled to safety just within the wards of the castle. The wards kept the Death Eaters out, and the group was free to watch, horrified, as Ron was quickly surrounded.

“Ron! Draco, stay here,” Harry ordered, preparing to run after his friend. A hand latched on to his shoulder, and he was surprised to see Blaise holding him back.

“No, Harry, you can’t…we need you alive…I’m sorry…”

“No!”

Harry attempted to wrench away, but he was stopped by the horror and grief written on Hermione’s face. “They’re right,” she whispered brokenly. “Ron wouldn’t want us killed trying to save him…”

As one, they all turned back, as the Dark lord strode up to a disarmed Ron, Nagini curled around his neck. Even from this distance, Harry could hear the hiss of the snake as she smelled Ron. Harry was sure Voldemort had magically magnified his voice. “Harry Potter, today you watch one of your closest friends fall…and with the knowledge that he could have lived, if only you had surrendered to me…dinnertime, Nagini.” The parseltongue caused Harry’s blood to freeze, as Nagini suddenly lunged at Ron. Pansy and Hermione shrieked, as Blaise, Draco, and Harry all flinched.

There was a flash of silver, and Voldemort let out an enraged roar. Ron stood from where he had been knocked over, leaving a headless Nagini at his feet. The body began to issue a thick, black smoke, proof of the destroyed soul within. Ron plunged the sword deep into the ground, and spat at Voldemort’s feet. “Harry would never surrender to you,” he shouted defiantly. “I am proud to have been his best friend. Harry, don’t you dare take another step!” His gaze fell on Harry, who stopped, his eyes pained. “I chose this, you understand! This was my choice! You’ve got to kill this bastard for me now!”

“You fool! You’ve killed my beloved Nagini…and you’ve gained nothing save for your own death.”

“Ron!”

“Make him leave, Draco! Make. Him. Leave! And take Hermione with you!” Ron didn’t look away from Voldemort. “I loved you, Hermione! I should have told you earlier!” Hermione let out a choked sob. “I’m sor-”

“Avada Kedavra!”

“RON!!!” Hermione and Harry shouted, their voices breaking.

“I’m going to kill him,” Harry screamed, attempting to break away from Blaise. More hands joined his, pulling Harry further into the safety of the castle.

“This isn’t over, Potter! I will not rest until every last one of your friends is dead!”

“Rot in hell!” he screamed at Voldemort, who chuckled. The last thing Harry saw before he was dragged inside was the sight of the Dark lord kicking at the lifeless body of his first and best friend.

~ + ~

“Why did you stop me? I should have killed him…I could have killed him…this is all my fault!”

Draco attempted to soothe Harry by trying to pull him into his arms. “No, it’s not your fault…”

“Yes it is! If I hadn’t been there…if I’d only been more alert…if I weren’t alive, Ron would be…I got him killed!” Harry’s sobs became heart wrenching whimpers, as he fell to his knees in the middle of the corridor.

“Harry, that’s not true! He knew he would probably die, but he had to try to kill Nagini, so that you have a chance to kill that bastard…”

“Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about…just go away!”

Draco felt hurt by his Inima’s rejection, but he stood, ready to leave. Hermione touched his shoulder, her cheeks glistening with tears. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying. He’s distraught…I’m sorry.” She moved past him, to kneel next to Harry. With a murmured word to him, she wrapped her arms around him. Harry’s hand came up to grasp at one of her arms, holding her close. The two of them found comfort in each other, as they grieved the loss of their longtime friend.

Draco could only watch helplessly as they cried.