Medici the Magnificent meets Hogwarts. Maria Fiore, adopted friend and sister of the Medicis, must overcome her draw to the enigmatic Francesco Pazzi. Or give in.
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The explosion of the bridge rocked the very foundation of the castle. A messenger reported that the bridge had been destroyed, and it thwarted the Death Eaters trying to get in there. For now, the shield continued to hold, and statue sentinels guarded the main bridge. Beyond that, a dark mass of bodies stood waiting up on the hill. Bright sparks shot out from hundreds of wands then rained down upon the shield.
And then the shield finally gave out. Just as Lorenzo said it would.
The statues raised their stone weapons and readied themselves.
I stumbled back a few steps into the courtyard. Why I had come to the frontlines in the first place was beyond me now. I had been curious to see, but as the black mass of Death Eaters plowed down the hillside, barreling right for us, I felt incredibly stupid.
A sturdy hand locked on my arm. I ceased my retreat and looked up into the warm eyes of Lorenzo.
"We'll fight together," he said stoically.
I nodded, though I didn't feel a drop of courage. Any will I had to stay put came from his steadying presence. In the end--and this felt very much like the end of something--I stood side-by-side with my brother. I was just a mudblood to some, but to Lorenzo, I had always been a cherished sister.
There was so much I wanted to say to him but no time to do it. I wanted to tell him I loved him, and that I would always think highly of him and his family. I was proud to stand with him now. Even prouder of him for all he had done to save us from the Dark Lord. He risked his life daily to oppose the Death Eaters, and he stood up for the muggle-borns like it was his sworn duty to do so.
I also wanted to tell him about Francesco. There was so much I learned on that front. So much Lorenzo needed to hear so he wouldn't hate the man so ferociously. Lorenzo would never be able to move on from his brother's death if he harbored hatred for Francesco. I also felt strongly now that Francesco was not wholly to blame.
My thoughts drifted to Francesco, and this time I didn't stop them. The mass of Death Eaters drew closer and closer. They now battled it out with the statues, mere moments away from the castle entrance. I hoped against hope that Francesco wasn't amongst them. I had told him when it mattered that he had to forget my safety. Well, now it mattered, and I hoped he had fled.
At last, the Death Eaters were upon us.
A black form shot over our heads to wreak havoc in the courtyard, but Lorenzo struck it down. Dueling began on the bridge between professors, Death Eaters, and braver students than I. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing.
When a group of three or four Death Eaters broke through the front defenses, they headed right for the courtyard where the second line of defense awaited.
Lorenzo squared his shoulders and took a wide, preparatory stance. I weakly followed suit and raised my wand, but the moment the fighting began in our section, I had to forget what I was feeling and simply react.
