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Harry Potter
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"And here it is, our final night alive
And as the earth burns to the ground
Oh girl it's you that I lie with
As the atom bomb locks in
Oh it's you I watch TV with
As the world, as the world caves in"
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Nerezza and I entered the dark, foreboding woods.
A layer of mist covered the tree line, barely visible was dementors ghosting through the trees. Twigs and leaves snapped underneath of our feet as we both blindly stumbled through the forest, unprepared for what we were about to face.
Nerezza's eyes were dead set ahead, shadowed with tears stains. I stopped us from walking another step, breathing in whilst Nerezza didn't even look at me-she simply stood-accepting and numb. I brought her into my chest, keeping her close to me for what would be my final minutes alive and her final minutes as herself.
I rubbed her back, bringing the snitch Dumbledore had given to me, to my lips. I kissed the cold, gold metal and heard the clicking of it opening, the metal fell to the forest floor, alerting Nerezza's attention. She shuffled backwards to inspect the small, black, glassy stone in my hand.
The resurrection stone.
Nerezza placed her hand over mine and I rolled the stone in my hand three times.
When we reopened our eyes, Nerezza let out a gasp.
In a semi circle stood...everyone we'd lost.
There was Draco standing in a knitted green sweater with a small smile, Sirius with a proud look, my parents standing hand in hand and Cedric giving us a toothy, golden-boy smile.
"Dad" Nerezza clapped her hand over her mouth as we both moved closer into the centre of them all.
"Hello, pup" Sirius greeted her, "how I've missed you" he smiled.
"Draco!" We both said at the same time, happy to see him looking so...like him.
"Looks like I chose the right side" he commented, slipping his hands in his pockets with a crooked smile as Nerezza exhaled an unsteady breath.
"Hi Cedric" I nodded to the hufflepuff boy Nerezza and I had grown so attached to, "glad to see you" I smiled.
The boy nodded to Nerezza and I with glinting eyes.
"You've come a long way from the tournament" Cedric chuckled, memories of the maze and Cedric's happy smile as we reached the cup.
"Mum, Dad" I turned to them, their eyes looking down at Nerezza and I with such longing and pride.
"You've been so brave, sweethearts" my mum told us lovingly, with the voice of what sounded to me like an angel. "We've never left you both, we've always been watching over you two. We're so proud of you both!" Mum gushed.
"Does it hurt?" I asked them all. Nerezza's moment of happiness dimmed once she was pulled back to reality by my words. "Dying" I clarified.
"Quicker than falling asleep" Sirius answered, reaching out to touch his daughters hair before remembering he couldn't.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want any of you to die for me" I apologised, feeling that pit of guilt in my stomach.
"Technically, I died for Nerezza" Draco corrected with a cheeky smile, trying to lighten my mood.
Nerezza put her hand back in mine and we shared a look with one another for a moment. That's when a thought occurred to me, Nerezza wasn't going to get an easy fate like me. She'd be forced to do Voldemort's bidding; she'd have to slaughter who he please-even Fred if he asked.
She'd be trapped.
Forever.
"Nerezza..." I shook my head slowly in realisation.
"Shhh" she hushed me with an accepting smile, "I'll be okay" she smiled unconvincingly, "in the however many years you've known me, have you ever been able to tell me what to do?" She giggled tearily. I shook my head no, fondly, "then Voldemort's gonna struggle too" she laughed.
"Little Fox" Sirius called for her, "Voldemort will use a spell to bewitch you. You won't feel or know the things you do. You'll be at peace" he said to her.
Nerezza smiled to herself and closed her eyes.
Sirius's eyes flickered to mine with sadness and I knew then he was lying. People always know what they're doing when they're bewitched...they just can't stop it. He was lying to her so she could go happily.
I understood that.
"How do you feel?" Dad asked us both.
"It feels like the end" I scoffed and swallowed my emotion.
"You'll stay with us? All of you?" Nerezza asked hopefully.
"We'll never leave your side" Dad promised.
"Stay close to me?" Nerezza asked her father, it was so rare to see her so scared and vulnerable but I hated it.
"Always. Little Fox" Sirius vowed.
Nerezza and I began walking again, until a crack of light broke through the trees. Dementors seemed to guide us to a clearing where a group of Death Eaters sat wearily.
Narcissa Malfoy sat looking distraught, her husband and son were dead-her sister muttering madly over by the side of her.
When Narcissa saw Nerezza she didn't look at her with hatred...instead she teared up and nodded a thank you. Maybe it was a thank you for freeing her son. Maybe Narcissa wanted to be free too? None of that mattered anymore.
This was the end.
I let the stone clatter to the floor, sounding our presence.
The images of our lost family members faded yet I didn't feel alone. I knew they were there, besides, how could I ever feel lonely with my sister beside me?
I thought about everything I'd done and achieved. I'd fought my entire life to protect the people I'd loved and this was my final act of doing so.
All eyes snapped up to us.
Voldemort laid his beading eyes on us with Nagini laid in a heavy coil at his feet, his hands crossed over the elder wand.
Hagrid stool in chains. When he saw us he trembled with sadness, his knees shaking with the emotion.
"Harry? Nezza? No! What are ya doing here!" He protested loudly.
Hagrid is trussed to a tree by several death eaters, the trunk shook as he tried to break free to save us. Voldemort hushed him with an irritated look twisting his expression.
"Harry Potter...the boy who lived. Come to die" Voldemort said profoundly. "And Nerezza Black, the last existing Kenesis Witch...finally joins our forces" he smiled with such excitement it made me sick to see his rotting teeth glimmering in the morning light.
"I won't stop fighting, you know" Nerezza spoke up, her voice was barely audible but it was heard by Voldemort. "You can bewitch me, coerce me, break me. But no matter what you do I will NEVER STOP FIGHTING YOU!" Nerezza boomed defiantly.
Her eyes were glowing red with anger. Voldemort smiled grimly at her disobedience before her aimed his wand at me.
"I love you, sister"
The last thing I thought of before the green consumed me, was Ginny's smiling face, radiating in the light casted by the Quidditch pitch as we sat on the bleachers. Her musical laughter filling my ears.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
I awoke on the grassy, forest floor.
Careful not to move or breathe. I heard the ground shift beside me as someone crouched beside me, probably checking if I was dead or not. I felt locks of hair graze my shoulder.
"Thank you for giving Draco another life" Narcissa's thankful voice sounded next to my ear. I paused, deciding whether to reveal my true status. I nodded just barely and she sighed in relief. I heard her stand up and say in a dark voice, "dead."
I felt someone scoop me in their arms-huge arms. It must've been Hagrid because I could feel his beard tickling the top of my nose. I cracked open my eyes-careful not to make any movements; I could see Nerezza! She walked beside Voldemort, her eyes a permanent shade of red.
She stared forward emotionlessly. Death eaters moved around her cautiously, fearful it seemed of her abilities. Voldemort would look over at her every now and then, pleased with his new asset.
So I'd been too late. Nerezza was under his control now...I didn't even know what spell he used? Maybe it was one that you couldn't break even with death-would she be this way forever? Had I lost her? Fred would be devastated.
As we continued to move through the woods, I realised we were now in Hogwarts courtyard...it was grey and completely trashed. Rubble lay scattered everywhere-trails of blood spattered across stone. Bodies of Death Eaters still littering the grounds.
The school-my home was desecrated.
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Fred Weasley
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•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Everyone had emerged from the great hall.
What was left of the Death Eater army had arrived. Voldemort stood at the front of them, like a grand entertainer with a wide grin on his sickly looking face.
That's when I spotted her-she was almost unrecognisable to me. My Nezz, my love. Her eyes were a permanent shade of red, dark shadows hung underneath them like she hadn't slept in years, her expression was dark and she looked about ready to kill anyone who got in her way. She stood with her feet slightly apart, her hands by her sides-ready to be used.
She didn't look or act like the Nezz I knew.
Because the Nezz I knew was gone.
Then, at Ginny's grief-stricken scream, I saw Harry being carried in Hagrid's arms.
The strong man I'd seen once crying over his lost arachnid was now crying as he had the boy in his arms.
I lowered myself to the floor and sat on the wet, dirty ground.
I'd lost Nezz.
My everything was here in body but not in mind or heart...she'd never look at me with those loving green eyes again-or quip a sarcastic comment about something stupid Ron was doing. She'd never whisper to me that she loved me, or lay next to me in bed with her warm body.
Remus let out a god-awful, gut wrenching howl of sadness when he saw Harry and his daughter. I felt my vision be clouded with tears but I couldn't feel anything anymore. It felt like I'd died.
"SILENCE!" Voldemort bellowed. "You stupid half-breed, you cry for that?" Voldemort scoffed, pointing in the direction of Harry's body. "You cry for the gain of the most powerful weapon in wizarding history?" Voldemort smiled, turning to Nezz.
"You should be bowing" he tutted disapprovingly.
"While your hands ran dark with the blood of mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters, his were clasped in prayer-but it was a prayer for one and one only. While you battled courageously, until you could no longer will yourself to stand, he had long since fallen to his knees. While you cursed me until your voices grew ragged, he begged me for mercy in a voice as meek as a child's!" Voldemort shouted callously, parading around like a fool.
The entire time, Nezz moved to his side. Like she was his protector. It made me feel utterly sick. I knew it then that I could never live without her.
I couldn't go on after this.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed.
"So do not cry for that. He's not worthy of your tears. And do not despair of his betrayal. You were never in his heart. Not for one single solitary beat" he grimaced.
"Liar!" Ron denied.
Voldemort flicked his wand and Ron dropped to his knees, grimacing in pain. Voldemort gestured to him with a disgusted look; Hermione and I rushed to him, helping him to his feet.
"Did you not hear me! Harry Potter is dead! From this day forward, you put your faith in me or suffer the consequences. HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!" Voldemort cheered victoriously.
"And your pathetic protector is mine" he grinned, referring to Nezz.
He gestured to her stoic figure. Seemingly floating around her with such a cavalier attitude it made me want to strangle him; had he no thought or care for the lives that had been lost? For the heart he'd tainted?
"You all limited her powers to that of moving objects. Whilst she lost family members for you all, do you really think she gave a second thought about joining me!" Voldemort raised his arms and shook them madly. "There is darkness in Kenesis Witches, they do not care-they destroy" Voldemort mused.
"That's not true!" Luna dismissed in a loud voice, "different doesn't always mean dangerous!" She said, screwing up her face at him.
Before I could open my mouth to protest with her, Neville had beaten me to it. He limped forward, dragging his injured leg behind him-the side of his head drenched in blood and his face muddied.
"I'd like to say something please" Neville said. Voldemort's teeth curled impatiently but he let him speak, "it doesn't matter that Harry is gone, or that Nerezza isn't...her anymore" he said.
"Stand down Neville" Seamus scoffed angrily.
"People die everyday!" Neville started again, "friends, family. Yes, we lost Harry tonight. Yes, Nerezza heart doesn't know us anymore but they're still with us!" Neville began tapping his chest, "in here. And Draco, Tonks, Lavender, Dean...they didn't die in vain!" He chorused.
"Neville's right" I called out.
He looked back at me, thankful to have someone agreeing with him. I moved down the steps, ignoring my mothers worried mumbles.
I joined Neville's side, trying to will myself to look into Nezz's eyes.
"But you're wrong" I challenged Voldemort who took a step back in surprise, "Nezz wasn't filled with darkness. She was filled with joy and love! She loved everyone here! But you only see darkness! I didn't! My family didn't...we saw her cry over every death, fight till she couldn't anymore and then some. Nerezza Weasley was golden" I finished breathlessly.
"Nerezza and Harry's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Their losses aren't in vain" Neville said, "but yours will be. And yours, and yours!" Neville directed his jibing finger at Voldemort.
I spat at his feet in protest.
In a blind rage, Voldemort whipped up the elder wand and I reached into the sorting hat Neville was carrying. As the red curse came flying at us, I lifted the sword of gryffindor from the hat and parried it-the curse rebounded and fired into a quartet of Death Eaters.
Suddenly, Harry spilled from Hagrid's arms and ran under the archway of the courtyard connecting tunnels.
I breathed in shock and everyone let out a round of relieved cheers.
But I wasn't cheering yet, because my Nezz hadn't moved from her position.
She was gone.