Aspen watched as Amora knelt beside her best friend, crying profusely and giving Belle a small kiss on her forehead. Cedric had taken a seat beside Ned, looking at his friend as if he was willing him to wake up. Aaron was trying his best to hold himself together, but Aspen saw the tears.
Aspen wrapped his arms around Hazel, someone he knew he could help comfort. She buried her head into his chest, not letting herself look at the bodies.
"It's all my fault. I-I thought I was protecting us b-but..." Hazel choked out. Aspen furrowed his brows and pulled her out to arms length so he could look her in the eyes.
"Hazel, what are you talking about?" Aspen asked. She simply shook her head, and Aspen prayed she was just talking nonsense.
"Guys!" A voice called out. Everyone turned around, and saw Neville running toward them with a wide grin on his face.
"Oh no," Aspen muttered under his breath.
"I blew up the bridge! Did you see me? Wait 'til Ned gets a load of me," Neville whooped.
"Neville," Cedric started, but it was too late. Neville's eyes fell upon Ned on the floor, and then wandered over to Belle. His face turned pale and he looked over to the group around him.
"No...n-no please," Neville whimpered. He collapsed next to Ned, taking his hand.
"They fought bravely. I don't think they would have wanted to go out any other way," Amora explained.
"So we have to keep fighting. For them," Neville said firmly. He wiped the tears away and straightened his back. Aspen looked at the young boy, and remembered the scared first year he met. Aspen realized that Neville really was a Gryffindor.
"Let's go into the Great Hall, see where we can help," Aspen suggested. Amora took one last long look between Belle and Ned, and reluctantly got to her feet and trudged towards more heartbreak.
☀︎︎☀︎︎☀︎︎☀︎︎
"A bloody explosion caught him and Perce. H-he didn't make it," Ron explained. Amora looked down at Fred, and could see the ghost of the smile still on his face. His red hair was dirty with grime, but under all of that Amora still could vivdly remember the smiling trickster from Gryffindor.
"Have you seen Tonks?" Amora asked, glancing around the Great Hall. The tables had been shoved to the side, and a dim light of the sunrise revealed dying or dead people on cots, with others muttering their condolences around them.
"Her and Remus. They..." Ron trailed off, his eyes spacing out. Amora sucked in a breath, trying not to scream again. No. Tonks, Remus, Fred, Belle, and Ned. They would want her to keep going. She had the rest of her life to mourn, but now had to be the time when she fought.
"How has Harry been doing?" Amora asked, and Ron looked down at his feet.
"He disappeared. I'm worried that he gave himself up," Ron explained.
"Oi! They're back!" Seamus Finnigan shouted from the entrance of the Great Hall. Nervous chatter filled the large area, and Aspen found himself holding Hazel's hand. Hazel wouldn't stop shivering, and Aspen wasn't sure why.
A large crowd trudged outside, meeting the enemies in the courtyard. The Death Eaters had formed a large mob, with Voldemort himself at the front. The energy was low on both sides, and Amora could still hear some people in the Great Hall crying for what they had lost.
Amora couldn't believe what she saw next. Harry Potter was laying still in Hagrid's arms, and she felt the world begin to spin.
"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort announced. The Death Eaters burst into laughter, their victory radiating from their group.
"No!" Ginny cried out, running forward. To her luck, her father stopped her from running anymore forward.
"Stupid girl. Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort yelled.
Amora could sense the uneasy energy around her. For some reason her energy was heightened. Like when Sirius was killed in the Department of Mysteries, she felt...powerful.
"From this day forward, you put your faith in me," Voldemort announced, gesturing to himself with his sickly pale hand.
"Fat chance of that," Cedric muttered to Amora from her left. On her right, Draco stood beside her, and she saw him nervously looking around.
"Good to see you again, Mores," Draco whispered. Amora managed to nod her head, trying her best to keep her nerves down.
"And now it's time you declare yourself. Come forward and join us," Voldemort said, "Or die."
To everyone's credit, no one moved a muscle. An every silence filled the air, and Amora felt her face spreading into a thin smile.
"Draco!" Aunt Narcissa called out. Draco tensed, and Amora saw him shifting his weight as if he was getting ready to walk across and leave.
Amora reached her hand out and grabbed his hand. He held her hand, and firmly stayed where he was standing. Voldemort's face fell.
"Well, I still would like to thank the spy, and the names she gave us to target. Hazel, dearie?" Bellatrix cackled. Aspen stiffened and slowly turned to Hazel, who had tears in her eyes.
"You promised me you wouldn't hurt my mum! Where is she?" Hazel shouted.
"In a better place now," Bellatrix mused. Hazel clapped her hands over her mouth and screamed.
"You're horrible!" Amora screamed, raising her wand directly at her mother. Cedric grabbed her by the waist and held her back, but Amora was enraged. No wonder Hazel had been nervous.
Everyone glanced nervously at Hazel who was sobbing, even Aspen. He wasn't sure what to do. He trusted her with his whole being, but when that trust was broken, all he felt was betrayed.
"Ah, see how fast they turn. You think they'll still protect you now?" Voldemort chuckled. He pointed his wand at Hazel, and she simply sat there, staring into the emptiness.
"No."
Aspen stepped in front of Hazel. Then Amora stood next to him. Aaron and Cedric came after. Draco, George, and Ginny. Soon, the entire crowd was shielding Hazel.
"You can all die together or join me. Final chance," Voldemort sneered. Neville stepped forward, and limped over to the other side. Amora and many others looked at him, confused.
"Stand down, Neville!" Cedric shouted, but Neville ignore him.
"And who might you be, young man?" Voldemort asked, trying to suppress a smile.
"Neville Longbottom," Neville said firmly.
"Well, Neville," Voldemort smirked, "I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks."
"I'd like to say something," Neville announced.
"Well, Neville, I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say," Voldemort replied smoothly. Amora's entire body was tense, and the silence had overtaken both sides. The only thing that could be heard was Hazel's sobs.
"It doesn't matter that Harry is gone. People die everyday! Friends, family...yeah," Neville shouted, turning his body to face the Hogwarts crowd.
"We lost Harry tonight. He's still with us. In here," Neville said, gesturing to his chest. Amora nodded her head softly, urging him to go on.
"So are Ned, Belle, Fred, Tonks, Remus...all of them. They didn't die in vain," Neville shouted. He then turned to Voldemort, and she could swear that Neville looked ten times scarier than Voldemort with the deadly glare he was giving him.
"But you will. Because you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us, for all of us!" Neville yelled at the Dark Lord. Voldemrot looked dumbfounded. Maybe no one had ever spoken like that to him, but Amora was glad he did.
"It's not over!" Amora shouted. People yelled with her, and she could feel everyone's passion and determination rising.
The next few moments happened in a blur. Amora thought Hagrid dropped Harry, but Harry scampered to his feet. Draco dashed across the courtyard, scooping up Harry's wand.
"Harry!" Draco yelled. He tossed Harry his wand, and Harry caught it in mid air. Harry then turned to Voldemort, and Amora smirked. Of course Harry was alive. He was the Boy Who Lived.
"Confringo!" Harry yelled, and a burst of red energy streamed toward Voldemort.
"Together?" Amora asked Cedric as the battle around them was turning back into chaos quickly.
"Together," he told her.
☀︎︎☀︎︎☀︎︎☀︎︎
A/N: ok so should i just release the rest of this book tonight? cause like idk HAHAHA