"The Battle of Hogwarts"
Diana's airways seem to tighten. Her knees weakens as the fire on the ground kiss her skin, tears about to roll down her cheeks. Her eyes wavering as it gaze fearfully around the Viaduct.
The courtyard was a battlefield covered in blood and ruins. Body after body layed lifelessly on the ground, bodies of students wearing their own uniform houses. She search for the faces of her friends, she eyed Pansy ― her face shows terror, Blaise, his eyes was quivering with fear, Theo, he looks traumatized. They were just kids, no one can tell how they're going to survive this.
She was frightened, her cheeks hollowed as chills soar everywhere her body. They were just students ― the brutality of the killings made her want to go and seek protection, her bravery withering, but, she persisted.
Broken walls shattered everywhere and loud explosions was heard. Spells and hexes whizz in the air, showing a variety of bright yet deadly colours.
Pansy, Blaise, Theo and Even Diana stood completely frozen as if they were petrified, one of the gatehouse was demolished and the towers were set on fire. Giants with such humongous clubs swayed it back and forth against the teachers ― almost knocking them dead if it they hadn't fire spells after spells.
Suit of Armors that were frozen across the school walls were now battling deatheaters, Acromantula, and every forces of dark magic as if they have life.
Even worse, they had brought such dark magical creatures. Voldemort really did gather thousands of followers. It was defeaning.
Diana's eyes Immediately caught sight of a number of dementors winging towards Pansy's direction.
Her heart took a leap yet she manage to whip her wand and point it at the them before they could reach “Expecto Patronum!” but the charm wasn't big enough to defend them.
Her happy memory wasn't strong given the current circumstances and now the dementors advance towards them.
“Run! NOW I SAID RUN!” Theodore yelled and pushed Pansy and Diana to sprint off. Diana look over her shoulder while she dash behind Blaise, the dementors were about inches away from her that if she slowered her pace down ― she will be suck to death.
Whilst Running, Diana felt like she was going to puke from panic.
“DEAD END!” Blaise suddenly groaned out of trepidation, they all stopped in their tracks, chest heaving and hair skin rising. The Gate house was locked, and there was no place to escape. They were trapped on a dead end.
“Fuck―” Blaise grunted then tried kicking the oak doors open but no, it was chanted. And the charm was an advance one as well.
Diana tried to use a counter- spell but when she turned around, the dementor hovered above her and start sucking the life out of her.
Unconsciously, she felt her wand slip out of her fingers and her oxygen being pulled, in addition to that, through haze vision ― she can see her friends being kissed by the dementors, her chest tightened and her sight started to blur, she knew that any second now ― they will be dead.
She tried reaching for her wand that fell down the cracked ground, however as the time pass, she was slowly losing both happiness and life.
All sadness seemed to appear, it was depressing and the feeling of the dementor's kiss was painful and gut-wrenching.
She glanced sideways and Blaise was desperately trying to reach for her but two dementors were above him sucking every ounce of his life, then she saw his eyes closing. She screamed internally, she wasn't ready for him to die.
“EXPECTO PATRONUM” loud manly voices errupted.
The dementors flew away as a pair of very white, strong vivid patronuses ― a stallion and an albatross shielded Diana and the other three slytherins. Before she could even see who had saved them, she fell down the ground, knees scratching some rocks, hands muddy as it greeted the earth.
The kiss of the dementors had them coughing and gasping for air.
“Diana! Merlin Diana!” She felt two strongs hands grip each of her arm and she was lifted onto the ground with ease, her feet finally touching the surface.
She tilted her head up and saw the person she hadn't expected to see ― Zach, his hands were wrapped around her right arm, and the one holding her left was Axel.
She sigh in relief and immediately hugged the both of them.
“Are you alright? You were almost dead, they were about to suck your life out of yo―”
“I'm fine, Zach. Thank you, How are you here? I mean, why are you here?“ her voice risened, brows furrowing
“You're not suppose to be here!” She pulled away, glaring at her older brother, he had a busted lip with a few cuts on his face. “This is war, Go back home!”
“You didn't actually think I'd leave my sister in the War? Are you daft? Even Mom and Dad are here! They formed a group with Flitwick to take down deatheates and giants from entering the castle”
She doesn't care about her parents but she hope they'll be fine. Her main worry was her bestfriends who as of now, are still out of sight, Her brother, Axel, the three slythrins next to her and Draco.
She heard movements and twigs crushing, signalling that her friends had stood up and gained conscious of their surroundings.
“And besides, home isn't safe either. None of the place here is safe, I might as well risk my life saving my sister than be at home hiding like a coward dog” Zach seethed, then wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, the one holding his wand.
She huffed before picking up her wand from the ground then shift her eyes at Axel ― he had a bruised jaw and his shirt was covered in Blood.
But before she could even say anything her focus was diverted to a figure behind the two boys, it was a man wearing a burnt sienna cloak. He was a buff man, out of nowhere, he whipped his wand towards them.
“DUCK!” Diana yelled, and instantly all of them bent down as low as they can to the ground, she rotated her wand, and did complicated swishes. Immediately a bright yellow light surge from the tip of her wand and hit the deatheater ― electrifying him until he was burnt and dead on the floor.
His screams of pain had her wanting to stop, it was weakining her but it was the enemy she's killing. She should show no mercy.
Her eyes widen in shock and her heart raced fast, hands spasming. It was her first kill, the first enemy she ever attacked.
Pansy gave her a terrified yet at the same time ― relief expression.
However, just when they thought they could get a break, they heard a loud explosion, so loud Diana thought she was going to be deaf. Flinching, she turned around and her whole body tensed up.
A number of deatheaters flew around the gatehouse and towers above them, shooting fires and explosions causing the building to blow up, sending bricks of fire around them. They kept on bulldozing it until it toppled down.
“To the Castle Inside! Hurry!” Theodore yelled, running off as fast as he can, the others sprinted alongside him.
Another explosion errupted and Diana had to cover her ears from the traumatizing booms that sounded like canonballs being fired one after another.
Pansy looked over her shoulder and saw the gatehouse crumbling down upon them ― on the other side, Theodore and Axel who were leading the others, halted in their tracks as a one eyed giant came stomping in front of them.
Twenty six feet and its body was twice the size of a normal Giant.
They were sandwhiched between the falling building and the Humongous Humanoid.
Frantic look on their faces and their bodies quake by the situation, but their minds worked in harmony.
As if they can read minds, Pansy, Diana and Blaise held out their wands in the air ― putting a strong force of shield over them to hold the Building as it completely demolished down at them.
Theo, Axel and Zach are fighting the Giant who kept on swinging his huge club over them, their backs facing each other as three of them held a shield, the other three's combating a Giant.
“HURRY!” Pansy yelled, the building was too heavy for their shield to carry, they can feel their wands wanting to split into two, as the light of shield kept on emitting from the tip of their wands.
“Kill that damn thing now!” Blaise groaned, his arm started to hurt, bricks of fire bouncing off from their force shield.
It was surprising enough that three students were able to stop a building from crushing them down with the use of a simple shield spell ― but they couldn't held it for long.
“I SWEAR TO HELENA RAVENCLAW IF YOU DON'T KILL THAT FUCKING GIANT WE WILL BE CRUSHED BY THIS TOWER” Diana condemned, she can feel the weight of the building on one arm.
Zach groaned painfully as he tripped over a rock from swiftly dodging the Giant's club which swished above his head. While it was distracted trying to kill Zach, Theodore and Axel took the chance, they stood from the side of the Giant and just as it was about to smash Zach with it's club they countered ―
“Expulso!”
“Confringo!”
The Giant flew to the side, hitting a barrack of the Courtyard. Zach automatically stood up and grabbed Diana's arm, shouting at others to speed inside the Castle.
Blaise, Pansy and Diana broke the shielding force then dashed off as fast as they can before the tower was able to smash them.
Along the way, Diana whip her head to the left and her heart stopped beating, she stopped running as tears brimmed her eyes and her mouth met the floor.
The sight before her was depressing. She shouted out of mental agony.
Wayne Hopkins layed lifeless on the ground, Blood pooling everywhere coming from his mouth, neck and chest as if he was stabbed at random places, his arm was wrapped around a small dead body and Diana realizes in terror that it was his younger sister ― one of the first year Ravenclaw who was hiding underneath the desks inside their common room.
Her chest heaved and she forced herself to limb walk towards two students, tears escaping her eyes and her heart was crushed. She felt a hand grip around her wrist, she Immediately acted agressive
“No! Let me take their bodies! No! Please!” she pleaded with all her heart but she was being dragged inside the castle. Others can say she overreacted, but it caused her great pain.
She wanted to close their eyes and burry them somewhere beautiful.
“Let go of me!” she struggled against the firm hand however she proceeded to be pulled.
When she turned her head around after they had entered the castle Blaise had seize her shoulders and shaked her violently as though he's trying to shake her off of crazy thoughts.
“Are you mental?! My Job is to protect you and you're out there mourning over two deaths, you didn't even saw the spider crawling towards you!”
Pansy and Theo held him away and Blaise huffed before yanking their hands off him “It was Hopkins ― and his sister” Diana fright.
“I know” Blaise only answered and kept his bent down. “I saw him, he was stabbed by a sword five times. His sister ― Killing curse, by Evan Rosier”
They fell in a morbid silence.
Axel and Zach looked apologetic, even though they did nothing wrong. Pansy gulped, Theo sighed, Blaise stared at Diana with sadness.
It was a brutal way of killing. She would rather be killed by the killing curse than be stabbed five times. They didn't deserve death, they were just kids.
They all took a deep breath but then they heard the glass window crash, they flick their wands out ― alarmingly waiting for someone to come out however the entrance hall was empty, and dark.
Bricks, walls have been wrecked and vandalize. In front of them, at the very center ― the Grand Staircase, was damaged, its concreate railings were trash.
It was eerie, making them alert, Diana hadn't got a single clue on what crashed the window, and by the looks on her friend's faces, she knew they don't either.
“Circle― create a circle right now” Zach ordered, and instantly everyone obeyed. Their backs faced each others back as they create a circle.
Diana is in between Pansy and Axel, their wands were in stomach level, eyeing and observing any strange sounds or movements.
Another glass window exploded and this time, it sounded far.
“What was that?” Pansy's voice breaking above a whisper, she was slightly shaking on her feet.
Diana gulped, the quieter the scarier it was. She can hardly see anything around since it was a bit dim. It was so silent that she can hear her heart beating and her friend's low yet heavy breathings.
“STUDENTS” A loud maniac voice echoed throughout the entrance hall causing them to squint their eyes through the darkness, their muscles tensing. “STUDENTS HELP ME” Diana's eyes widen as she thought it was an injured student however appear from a dark corridor were deatheaters, around seven of them.
“Did you blighters actually think we're students? How adorable”
“Brave little kids don't you think Greyback?” A rather peculiar, skinny yet menacing man tilted his head and stared at Greyback ― Diana's breath hitched and they circled narrower at the sight of them. It was him, the wanted Greyback. The werewolf.
“Scabior, I am starving for blood” He responded in the most gut wrenching voice. Diana felt Axel went rigid. “And there are Six children right here oh wait ― I recognize this boy, aren't you the famous Zachary Laurier, player of a national quidditch team?” His black deadly eyes went to Zach.
Then Scabior and the rest of the deatheaters behind him let out looming laugh. “What're you doing here boy? Showcasing your quidditch tricks?” Another fit of laughter errupted from them.
“What a great group friend I'd say let's end this boys”
And with that Scabior shooted a purple blinding spell towards Zach but he managed to dodge it, The circle fragmented and they scattered at the sides of the wall in a rush. Diana placed a hand over the cold wall as she watch the deatheaters stride.
“That Boy Laurier is mine!” The werewolf condemned.
“I wasn't satisfied enough with that blonde girl's Blood what was her name again?” Greyback questioned Scabior as they acted like it was such a normal sunny day “A- Amadora was it?”
Diana's eyes snap wide open and her breathing became ragged at the sound of her bestfriends's name. Her toes curled and her body shaked. No. Clarette, she can't die, no she can't. Diana was losing it.
She can feel herself crumbling down at the same time, raging, her nails digged in her skin.
“Too bad her fellow friend Lovegood escaped along with that Asian Ravenclaw and a bloody red head girl, But don't worry ― you have six fresh meat right here” Scabior chimed as if delighted.
That was the last straw, Diana went insanely ballistic.
“YOU FUCKING MURDERER!” She advance towards Greyback and all of a sudden a mayhem occured inside the Entrance Hall.
It was Madhouse: Blaise was combatting a deatheater dressed in mauve, Pansy and Theo was duelling Scabior, Zach had disapparated from Hogwarts with a snatcher and Axel had just petrified two deathers.
She didn't know how as she was oblivious to her surroundings, but she found herself shielding and then attacking Greyback without a break, her wrath heightened yet her heart was breaking. Her emotion was overwhelming, she was piqued.
“You killed―” she shot a another spell at him and Greyback started backing. “My ―” She shielded herself with protego from Greyback's stupefy and Immediately countering the same attack in which he dodge stiffly “Sister!” And with that Diana grinned devilishly before shooting a green flashing light at Greyback ― nonverball killing curse. She grunted so loudly that the other deatheaters fled away, into the broken glass window and disappeared from the Entrance Hall.
As the werewolf fell down completely lifeless, Diana dropped to her knees and started crying ― she was sobbing, her bestfriend died. She felt an arm wrapped around her and she turned only to see Theodore, he was sobbing.
“I'm sorry Theo, I'm sorry, I couldn't―”
“Shhh, It's all right. I love your bestfriend so much do you know that? I'm glad you're able to kill that monster” he pointed to Greyback who's dead in front of them. He masked his expression but she can clearly see the breaking in it. He sobbed again and this time, he crumbled.
His face buried in her neck as he cried, along with Diana. The others were behind them, silently grieving. “Why her? Why Can't it be me?” Theodore asked that Diana's heart broke even more
“Theo ― if I could bring her back I would, I am so sorry. I should've looked for her and saved her, How could I be so fucking stupid” Diana embraced him and he kept on crying, his wand almost snapping in half as he held it extremely tight.
But then, as sneaky as a snake, Diana saw a black figure behind Theo coming from out of a dark alcove, she stood up and whip her wand when suddenly that black hooded figure shooted a bright warm blue spell at her, and she was unable to dodge it.
“AHHH” Diana screamed as the spell hit her shoulder, she flew from her feet and winged from across the Entrance Hall, hitting the wall with the back of her head agressively then sliding down near a pile of breaks.
Then the pain spread throughout her left shoulder and to her neck then below her arm. She trembled hard, and her eyes shut as the pain now soared everywhere ― she can't hear anything other than her name being called multiple times.
She can't think, see, hear nor speak properly. The spell did something to her and she can feel her blood rushing out of her arm. It was sharp and agonizing, she cried as it spread.
“DIANA! WHAT DO WE DO?” A voice screamed, a female voice.... Pansy..
She can barely see Pansy through her blurry vision but when she tried to look around, she saw a red flashing light. The person who shot it was, tall, dark skinned ― it was Blaise.
Then she felt footsteps surrounding her. She cried again as the pain soared all over her arm and now in her neck, chest and fingers. It was unbearable, she had shut her eyes and scream.
“DO SOMETHING”
She was slightly lifted and felt them taking her coat off.
“SHIT ― I ― HELP HER”
she heard them panicking and arguing.
“Blaise try the healing charm” the low voice said, she recognize it was Axel
“No use!”
“FUCK SHE'S RUNNING OUT OF BLOOD” Theo yelled.
“We have another problem, Her brother disapparated with that deatheater”
Her heart almost stopped, remembering about Zach. She prayed to Merlin he's safe.
Diana winced but she opened her mouth slightly to speak, her vision was turning dark. “D- Dittany, M-my Reticule” She hoarsed.
“What did she say? NO MATTER, Diana don't give up, You will be fine!”
“PANSY SHUT UP SHE'S NOT DYING” bickered Theodore.
Diana groaned as the sharp agony keep on hitting her and this time she grunted “DITTANY IN MY RETICULE”
She felt hands untangling the strings of her reticule around the hoops of her pants.
“Found it!”
“This may hurt, All right? Here, bite on this” she felt a cloth placed in between her teeth, she snap her eyes open and was thankful that her vision went to normal, except for the fact that the pain was still spreading like a wildfire.
Then without warning, the pain tripled, she felt as if she was being stitched in the shoulder ― like a huge needle sewing her up. Her back arch and her loud yells of throes were muffled by the cloth, she sunk her teeth in it because of the pain.
“Almost there, bear with me Diana” Axel begged.
Their faces were planted with heartbreaking expressions.
And then it all stopped ― the pain was gone, and her body stopped shaking. She gasped for breath, her chest heaving.
She looked at them and only now did she notice that Blaise and Axel was bent down next to her, behind them was Theo and Pansy.
They all sigh in relief as Diana was cured. She saw the Essence of Dittany in Axel's hands, and it was empty. They must've used all of it on her shoulder.
She weakly took the cloth out of her mouth and propped up by her elbows. “Thank you” she muttered.
From a distance, she can see the dead deatheater who'd attacked her. She reckon Blaise ended that wizard's life.
For a brief moment Diana remembered that Zach had disapparated with that Snatcher and she hoped he will be fine, she stood from her feet and helped the sorrowful Axel and Blaise up but just as they did ― they heard a loud laugh and what seemed like victorious cheerings outside the castle.
She grabbed her coat from Pansy's grasp and slipped it on.
Diana wiped her tears away, she exchanged puzzled looks with her friends, looking at them, she realized just how messy and bloodied they look. She now have a busted lip, scratched knees, her coat covered in dirt and blood from her injury, her face had small cuts, like everyone else's.
Then they heard the synchronous cheerings again. It sounded so delighted she wondered if the battle ended.
Diana ambled towards the oak doors and flicking her wand, causing the gates to spread wide open. Once she finally stepped outside she notice Everyone stood around the castle and the battle was put to a stop, she wondered why, everyone was looking at a far distance and so she followed their gaze only to see ― Voldemort, The deatheaters and Hagrid carrying Harry.
“HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!”
A mortifying fit of laughter escaped the deatheaters lips.
Her mouth parted in shock and she slapped a hand over her mouth and cried silently. It was over, everything was over, The dark forces won. Her heart thudded fast out of trepidation, they had lost.
All the efforts and the deaths of students, all of it just for them to lose? They were losing after all the suffer? Their worlds were torn, wrecked and crippled.
Everything became hazy to her and if it hadn't for Axel who hugged her from behind she would've fallen down on her back from the anxiousness she felt.
The laughter of their enemies was blood curling and everyone looked like they were giving up. As if they hadn't expected this to turn out, because truthfully they hadn't.
Diana's eyes caught sight of a platinum blonde hair just a couple of meters below her. She gasped lightly and the words of Voldemort became inaudible to her, he was still alive, he was breathing and he was fine.
Despite the deafeating situation, a small smile curled up her lips. She was happy, because her lover was alive for all she knew he could be dead.
She shrugged Axel away and started pushing through the body of students despite Axel's retaliations, when suddenly ―
“Draco” she halted and watch as Lucius Malfoy signalled for his son to come over their side, the dark side. Her lips trembled, and she was blinking fast. No. He wouldnt. She hoped. He will not go over their side. She had faith in him.
Lucius gritted his teeth “Draco' he snarled, gesturing his son to go over them.
Draco stiffened, and Diana froze just a few metres behind hin. His mind battled, and Diana knew that as his shoulders tensed.
She saw Luna next to him, but no Clarette. Her heart tore into pieces. She lost Clarette, so she definitely wasn't going to lose Draco.
“Come, Draco” This time it was his mother, Everyone had their eyes at Malfoy ― bewildered and haunted. Voldemort was looking hopeful, as though he wanted Draco to join them also.
He was stiff and rigid, Diana knew he must be contemplating really hard.
“Draco” Narcissa smiled warmly at him, the brightest mother loving smile she had ever seen.
It was heart warming but he shouldn't be fooled by that. He can't go with them, this was the perfect time prove which side he stays.
She saw Draco glance around, looking like he was waiting for someone to stop him and tell him not to go, but no one did. Diana hoped Luna would reach out for him, tell him that not to go, because he might stay.
He shook his head and started to walk towards them ― No, Diana wasn't going to let that happen. No he won't be siding with them, no way in hell will she let him to that. He does not belong there nor will he ever be.
Before he could even walk pass the other end of the courtyard, Diana sprinted and grabbed his hand, strongly turning him around.
All eyes on them, Voldemort was saying something about her being stupid, and convincing her to go to the dark Side so she can be with Draco.
But she doesn't want that and so she ignored the Dark Lord.
“Don't” she begged in a faint voice, her chest heaving as she saw the terror in his eyes. He looked a lot older, his hair was falling from his forehead, his face was smeared with dirt and a bit of blood, he just seems ― defeated.
“Stay, please”
His silver grey eyes reminded her so much of all times they spend at Hogwarts, each and everyone of them. And it was beautiful, like him. Diana knew she looks pathetic, but she has to save him, because no else will.
“If you love me then stay” her voice broked. “Didn't you say you still need to marry me?”
He was beautifully broken, he was distraught and misunderstood but he pulled away from her grasp.
He pulled away mouthing sorry, he was siding with them. He's with them all along. That's where his loyalty lies.
“I love you, Diana” he said before looking at his mother and father then his aunt's eyes. “But we were a losing a game” He peck her forehead then gave her a saddening, apologetic and guilty face.
Then he turned his back from her and strode off next to his Mother who gave him a lingerish kiss in the cheek.
Diana took a few steps back, heart has been betrayed and her mouth ajar. She felt someone behind her, a couple of them. “I'm sorry― I'm sorry” Axel held her arms and pulled her back with Pansy, Theo and Blaise next to them.
All those promises, all those words. She was really determined to have her happy ending with him, she was ready to face all sort of challenges to be with him as long as ― he'll prove himself Good. But he sided with them. Diana doesn't know if it was out of fear or if he was now really willing.
He had read her diary, kissed her in classrooms, he said he loves her, gave her a fucking necklace and that was his words?
Then, he Didn't have a choice, now he did ― he had a choice, he had every right to prove himself to be not evil. He turned it down. He still went to their side.
She wondered if she was being selfish because of this.
Diana watched as Draco guiltily look at all of them, each and every frightened faces. Except hers, he was avoiding her gaze. Diana never considered him as a deatheater as he didn't want to be in the first place ― but now she did.
We were a losing game.
It was a goodbye.
~