and I stand with you

twenty-nine

Augustus Rockwood, the man who had just killed Fred, slumped over in a pile next to him. Rage burned through my veins, I didn't even care I had just killed a man in cold blood. I screamed once more, shooting green light at everyone who was hurting the people I grew up with. Just as a spell was shot at Ginny once more, I threw myself in front of her, and to my surprise, Draco did as well. I wrapped my arms around her and he was flinging defensive spells left and right at the people who would kill us for this.
"Go!" I shoved Ginny at Molly, who was crying hysterically. I found Dracos hand once more as we rushed through the school, only to see a wave of people coming at us. Lucius and Narcissa stood in the front, looking at us both with sad eyes. Hagrid stumbled forward, carrying a boy in his arms.
"Harry Potter-" started Voldemort, smiling wickedly amongst those of us who had formed a crowd outside, "is dead!" His lips formed a straight line, until he went back to smiling.

Harry Potter is dead.

The words rung through my ears, now suddenly aware that our one chance at freedom had slipped away.
"Draco- come." Narcissa pleaded, and he looked at me with nothing but fear in his eyes.

I'll never forget the look on his face.

"Draco. Don't." I whispered, gripping his hand as tightly as I could. Suddenly, Harry fell out of Hagrids arms and was suddenly alive.
"Potter!" Draco let go of me and shoved through the crowd, throwing his wand to Harry.

The fight began again as quickly as it ended, and I was separated from Draco. Stone exploded around my head, and I ducked behind a wall to avoid being hit. My mind swirled with the possibility that Draco could be hurt, or dead, somewhere on the other side of the battle. The electricity shot through my body again, and I stood in confidence, shooting spells at all the death eaters rushing at me for being a traitor. For just a second, when they were all on the ground, I thought I had finally done it. I was finished. But then my body was sent flying sideways, smashing into a wall.
"Thought you could just do whatever you want, without the dark lords permission?" A dark figure stood over me, kneeling down to my body. He yanked my arm out, pressing a knee to my shoulder so I couldn't move.
"Get off of me!" I yelled, but he only laughed as he cut into my arm with his wand. I tried to hold it in, to not give him the satisfaction, but screams ripped through my throat out of pain and exhaustion.

Suddenly, I felt dark. I felt evil. I felt every ounce of my body want to kill this man, to torture him. I reached with my fingertips to my wand by my side, barely grasping it before it slipped out of my fingers. When I realized I couldn't grab it, I shut my eyes as tightly as possible, focusing on my surroundings. The man started to loosen his grip, and that gave just enough time to scramble for my wand.
"Crucio!" He fell to his knees, screaming out in agony. I walked towards him, blood dripping slowly from my arm, and grabbed both sides of his head. With a swift movement, I twisted and snapped his neck, and he slumped over without a sound.

When Draco came running towards me, he saw the blood dripping off of me and grabbed me hastily. As I touched his face, blood smeared off on to his cheek, and for a split second, I forgot where we were.
"You need to come with me." He stuttered, pulling me back to reality. A shot of red flung into the ground beside us, barely giving us enough time to get away. We ran back into the castle, and the sight of everyone hurt or dead sent shockwaves through me. I saw a death eater barreling for Draco, and this time, I didn't even have to speak as the green erupted from the tip of my wand, sending the death eater barreling backwards and onto his face. Blood pooled around his body, and this time, I couldn't force myself to look away.

I took it all in.

The air was frosty, when it happened. That much I remember.

The sky was dark. I remember that too.

It's funny how memory works, how you can only grasp at bits and pieces at different times. Sometimes, it all comes flooding back to you.

And other times, there are things you never quite get correct when you think about them again.

Some things, you think about every day and you never forget.

Suddenly, I was staring up at the ceiling. Cracked stone and blood spatters stared back at me. It felt like my lungs had no air, like every time I took a breath in, it disappeared before getting there. People kneeled beside me, taking my hand, telling me to breath. When I blinked away the blurriness, it was Ginny and Luna. Ginnys face was stained with tears, her puffy red cheeks inflating with every breath she tried to help me take. Her resemblance to Fred was uncanny. Lunas hair dangled onto my arm, soaking itself in dark red blood, and I wasn't sure if it would ever wash out. Cuts and scrapes lined their features, and it was if neither of them had slept in months, just like me.
"Ginny.." I began to choke out, my stomach getting warm.
"Shh, it's okay." Tears dropped onto my hand as she held it, soothing me with her voice.
"Octavia, no.." Draco dropped to his knees beside me, pushing the girls away.
"Draco, let them stay." I smiled, my eyes beginning to feel heavy.
"Don't do this to me!" He cried, holding his hands over the blood that was dripping out of my stomach.
"Malfoy-" I grabbed his arm with whatever strength I had left.
"No." His face was stern, tears slid forcefully out of his eyes, and he looked utterly defeated.

Not all stories have happy endings.

Loads of great wizards and witches died, so in turn a simple boy could save the world.

A task so hard, he bared the weight of a thousand mountains on his shoulders.

Though even as heartbreakingly sad it may be, not all of us were going to see the finale of his story. Some of us would never know how it would come to end.

I was never the main character, I'm too rough around the edges for that.

All along, it was Harry.

The boy who lived, helped by the girl who would never see the end.