⫶⫶⫶ ᴇ ᴅ ᴇ ʟ y ɴ ⫶⫶⫶
― Edelyn Aurélia Black learned
from a young age that h e r o e s
aren't always the ones who win.
They're the ones who fight. And
so, Edelyn fights, until the green
lying dormant beh...
❝THE TRUE SOLDIER FIGHTS NOT BECAUSE HE HATES WHAT IS IN FRONT OF HIM, BUT BECAUSE HE LOVES WHAT IS BEHIND HIM.❞ —g.k. chesterton
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TO THE RHYTHM OF RACING HEARTS, the seconds ticked away, and before long, their hour had come to an end.The survivors of Hogwarts walked out the open front doors of the school to see a line of Death Eaters facing them, Voldemort standing triumphantly in the middle. Beside him was Hagrid, quietly weeping, and held in his arms was the limp body of the Boy Who Lived. Before Voldemort could address them, screams rented the still air; McGonagall, Hermione, and Ron's echoed loudest in the grounds.
"NO!"
"Harry! HARRY!"
But only a whisper escaped Edelyn's lips, barely audible over the uproar. The world had already been ripped at the seams with Fred Weasley's death, and now, the rubble shook and quaked once more. Shook and quaked until every bone rattled and muscle ached. She had known this was going to happen. Known that he was going to walk into Death's arms. Yet, somehow, seeing his body now was like hearing him say the words again. "I'm going to the forest tonight," he had muttered, and now, the reality of it all clamped over her heart until it shattered, broken shards cutting her skin from the inside.
Everything burned.
"Harry," she croaked, and then her feet moved on their own accord. Was she running to him? She didn't know. But before she could so much as make two shaky steps, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and held her back.
"Don't be stupid," a voice sneered into her ear from behind.
She looked down: their arms were pale and foreign. Then, just as quickly as they had wrapped around her, they fell away, and Edelyn caught glimpse of a familiar twig of ash held in their hand.
"SILENCE!" Voldemort cried, and with a bang and a flash of bright light, silence was forced upon them all. "Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!" he ordered. "You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"
"He beat you!" Ron yelled, and the silencing charm broke. Shouts and screams were heard again, but with another powerful bang, their voices extinguished once more.
"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," Voldemort said. "Killed while trying to save himself. From this day forth, you will put your faith in me. And now, it's time to declare yourself. Come forward and join us."
Voldemort raised his arms in welcome, but was met with complete stillness; not a soul moved. Then, a sudden voice was heard.
"Draco!" Lucius Malfoy urged from the line of Death Eaters. His cold grey eyes met those of his son's, but Draco's feet remained planted.
"Draco." It was Narcissa Malfoy's turn now. "Come, Draco."
There was a moment's hesitation, then the young Death Eater took one step forward. He was prevented from taking a second, however, when someone caught his wrist and yanked him back.
