Briar's heart had broken at the sight before her. She felt like her world had ended. What reminded her that it hadn't, was a streak of red being sent in their direction
"Come on!" she shouted "We can't do anything more now, we have to move!"
The ceiling behind them fell unexpectedly and Draco pulled her out of the way. She looked over his shoulder at her friends still gathered around Fred's body and her heart broke
"Come on!" Draco shouted and sent a curse at an approaching Death Eater before pulling Briar along behind him. Jets of light were flying above their heads, but Briar had no time to stop or check her surroundings. If she did, she could be killed. So they ran through the chaos, until they reached the third floor staircase and Bellatrix was stood waiting at the bottom
"Lupin" She sneered and raised her wand, but Draco took a step further down, placing himself in front of her "Well done, Draco, now move out of the way and let me finish off the filthy half-breed"
"No" Draco said and raised his own wand
"How dare you!" Bellatrix shrieked "You stupid child! You would protect them?! A filthy half-breed!"
"Shut up about her," Draco said coldly, and Briar was surprised to hear the venom in his voice "I've been forced to follow my family's path my whole life. I'm done with that"
Bellatrix's upper lip curled "Well then. I guess the Dark Lord will gain two victims tonight" And on cue they both raised their wands, and sent curses at each other. Their spells met in the middle and Draco glanced over his shoulder
"RUN!" He shouted at Briar and she did not have to think twice before breaking into a sprint and running back up the stairs. She knew Hogwarts like the back of her hand, so she ducked behind one of the tapestries, and ran down the stairs behind it, to take her down to the second floor
She emerged in a corridor of duellers, and her eyes immediately landed on Cormac locked in a fierce battle with Travers
Briar pointed her wand up at the ceiling above him "Bombarda!" The stone crumbled and began to fall, but Travers dove out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed.
But it was enough time for Cormac to shout "Immobulus!" And Travers was frozen in motion on the floor
"Wheeeeeee!" Came a voice from above and Briar looked up in shock to see that Peeves was zoomingover them, dropping Snargaluff pods down onto the Death Eaters,whose heads were suddenly engulfed in wriggling green tubers likefat worms.
She took off in a run again, desperate to find more of the Order, or her friends, but as she rounded a corner she collided head-first into a hard body. Her hands went out behind her to stop her head hitting the floor, and she looked up to see none other than Theodore Nott
He looked worse for wear, but the cruel sneer on his face still scared her "I should have killed you years ago," He hissed "I always told Draco you would have been great as one of us. If only he had listened. Maybe then you wouldn't both have to die tonight"
"Well," she huffed, trying not to wince as pain shot up her ribs "I would rather die than be one of you"
"That can be arranged" He smirked and raised his wand. Briar raised her leg and kicked him hard in the knee, causing him to double over in pain "You, bitch!" He hissed and she scrambled to her feet. But Theo's stunning spell came before she could run and her body was sent flying into the wall behind her, sinking down it with a groan
Theo, ignoring the pain in his knee, stalked over to her and grabbed her by the throat to pull her up and pin her against it. His other hand pressed his wand harshly against her neck
However, before he could utter a spell, another voice shouted "Stupefy!" And he flew across the room, dropping Briar to the floor in a heap. She could feel the stickiness of blood trickle down the left side of her face.
"You okay?" Fleur asked as she ran over and pulled Briar to her feet
"Yeah," she panted "Thanks,"
It appeared her respite wasn't going to last long as another Death Eater had finished off one of the students, and had spotted them. She raised her wand at the pair, but what she did not anticipate was both veela women sending flames at her
One of the flames caught on her long, black coat, and she shrieked, stamping her feet to try put it out "Incarcerous!" Briar cried and thick ropes bound themselves around the woman tightly, causing her to fall to the floor, trapped
She bid Fleur thanks again before heading off once more, sending curses at any Death Eaters she could. There were duels everywhere.
Yaxley, close to the front doors,in combat with Flitwick, a masked Death Eater dueling Kingsleyright beside them. Students ran in every direction, some carrying ordragging injured friends. A Death Eater wiggling on the floor in agony, covered in venomous Tentacula, which Briar guessed Neville had supplied
She ran through the fight and from the top of the stairs, she watched as two bodies fell from the balcony overhead. And then Fernir Greyback pounced and sank his teeth into one of the fallen, Lavender Brown
Briar had never felt as much hatred as she did right then. Greyback had caused her family so much pain. He attacked her father and turned him into a werewolf. He killed her mother. He attacked her. He attacked Bill. He brought her and the others to Malfoy Manor, where they nearly died.
"Stupefy!" She cried and Greyback was sent rolling off Lavender, and into a wall. But he got to his feet quickly and looked around, spotting her with her wand raised, and he snarled like an animal. She sent another stunning spell at him, but he rolled out of the way, and sped four-legged towards her
She dived out of the way in time to avoid him, but then the fight quickly resumed. Greyback lunged at her again but Briar kicked him in the chin, causing him to howl in pain and roll off of her. He hissed and swiped at her, his sharp claw-like nails caught her jacket and tore through it to scratch her upper arm, but she didn't even flinch
Instead she kneed him in the stomach and used his groan to push him off her and onto the ground, so she could kneel over him. She had a wand in her hand. She could have easily stunned him or ended his life right then. But she was angry and she wanted to hurt him. So she raised her wand-free hand and brought her fist down onto his face, again, and again, and again.
His mouth was full of blood, and his nose broken. But her eyes were so full of hate that she wasn't seeing clearly anymore, so she didn't see his other hand reached up to grab her neck. His nails dug into her skin harshly and he shoved her off of him
Briar's back hit the floor, her wand rolled out of her hand, and Greyback was quick to loom over her.
"Time to die, Lupin" he hissed and bared his sharp teeth. Briar stretched her hand out, desperate to grab her wand, but it was too far, and instead she felt something hard, and dusty. A stone from the ceiling. She gripped it tightly and when Greyback leaned down close enough, she raised the stone and smashed it against the side of his head
Greyback went limp and she rolled out of the way in time to avoid him falling on top of her. She held the stone anxiously, waiting for him to pounce, but he did not move again. Briar snatched her wand up from the floor and ran out into the courtyard. The sight in front of her was horrific. Students and Death Eaters locked in combat. Giants, spiders, centaurs, and all sorts of magical creatures fighting too.
She spotted Seamus in a fight against two Death Eaters, so she was quick to run to hid aid. And together they managed to stun both of them, sending them flying out of the courtyard and down the steep cliff behind it
The air around them suddenly changed, as if it had frozen. They looked towards the bridge from the forest and shapes moved out in the darkness, swirlingfigures of concentrated blackness, moving in a great wave towardthe castle, their faces hooded and their breath rattling.
"Come on!" she shouted. Them, and Luna sprinted towards the bridge, where they found Harry, Ron and Hermione. They raised their wands, and Briar forced herself to dig deep. She thought of Teddy, her little brother, and his charming little smile, and big eyes. And from the tip of her wand emerged a great wolf, joining Ron's terrier, Hermione's otter, Luna's hare, Seamus's fox, and Harry's stag.
The dementors fell back before the creatures' approach, and scattered in earnest.
With a roar and an earth-quaking tremor, another giant camelurching out of the darkness from the direction of the forest, brandishing a club taller than any of them.
"RUN!" Harry shouted again, but the others needed no telling:They all scattered, and not a second too soon, for next moment thecreature's vast foot had fallen exactly where they had been standing
The giant was wreaking destruction everywhere, and they had to work hard to focus on defeating the Death Eaters, whilst also avoiding it. So their best option was to duck back inside, and at the very top of the marble staircase, several floors up, she could see McGonagall locked in fight with Amycus Carrow. So Briar ignored the pain everywhere in her body, and ran as fast as she could all the way up the stairs, and immediately jumped to Professor McGonagall's aid in her fight
McGonagall always felt like a maternal-figure towards Briar, but watching the teenager jump to her defence was a surprise. Briar duelled like a skilled professional, and together they were overpowering Amycus Carrow. Carrow was not backing down, and she continued to send unforgivable curses at them. But when both women sent a stunning spell at her, the impact of it was too great and she was sent flying across the room
"Well done, Lupin," McGonagall nodded
"Thank you, Minnie" she grinned
But then something unexpected happened. As if on cue, all the Death Eaters, and dark creatures on their side stopped. They froze, and then disappeared. And the remaining fighters looked at each other in confusion.
Voldemort's voice reverberated from the walls and floor. "You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me,you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every dropof magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreatimmediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treatyour injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permittedyour friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall waitfor one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour,you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battlerecommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter,and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, andchild who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."
The voice then faded, and Briar did not know if they should be relieved or scared. Together, both women slowly began to walk down the dusty, and partly-destroyed stairs. They helped levitate and carry bodies along the way, and brought them to the Great Hall, where all the others were placed
The House tables were gone and the room was crowded. Thesurvivors stood in groups, their arms around each other's necks.The injured were being treated upon the raised platform by MadamPomfrey and a group of helpers. The dead lay in a row in the middle of the Hall. Briar could notsee Fred's body, because his family surrounded him. George waskneeling at his head; Mrs. Weasley was lying across Fred's chest, herbody shaking, Mr. Weasley stroking her hair while tears cascadeddown his cheeks. She felt her heart clench and she walked towards the Weasleys, but as she moved closer, she got a clear view of the bodies laying next to Fred's.
Remus and Tonks. Her parents. Both pale and lifeless on the floor, their hands outstretched towards each other. Briar felt like her whole world was crashing down, and she dropped to her knees before them. Never-ending tears cascaded down her face. She knew she was hyperventilating, but she did not care.
When she had lost Sirius years ago, she never thought her life would get worse. But now she had lost everything. She had no family and no one left. Vague words of comfort from Mrs Weasley, and Bill, and Ginny came, but she could not hear any of them through the sound of her own sobs.
The only voice she could eventually register, was that of Draco Malfoy, and it was only then that she realised how panicked she had been he was dead. But even the small comfort she got from knowing he was okay, was not enough to stifle the pain of having her heart ripped from her chest
His arms wrapped around her, and she could feel his chest against her back, so she wrapped her arms around him and let her tears fall onto his shirt. Draco's own heart was aching for her. Her sobs echoed across the hall, and he wished there was some way to take away the pain. But she had just lost her whole family, so there was nothing he could say to make it better. So instead he settled for rubbing her back gently, and letting her cry to her heart's content
It was only when Briar felt like she had run out of tears that she finally stopped crying. But that did not mean the pain was any less.
"Can we leave?" she whispered throatily and Draco nodded. He slowly pulled her to her feet and led her out of the hall, and up onto the marble stairs outside, keeping his arm around her tightly. They sat in silence for a while, with only the occasional sniff from Briar. It was only when she finally looked up at him that she spoke. His face was blotchy, with tiny specks of blood on his right cheek, and his hair was in disarray "What happened to you?" she asked
"Aunt Bella," he sighed "She got away. Then I was caught by one Death Eater after another" he gently touched her bloody, ripped jacket sleeve, and the dried blood on the side of her head "You?"
"Greyback," she answered "He's gone"
That should have been a moment of relief or pride for her. But now it felt empty. When she finished him, she thought she had avenged her friends and her family. But now they were gone and the win felt empty.
They heard footsteps descending the stairs behind them, so they turned around and saw Harry approaching. When he looked at Briar, he could see the redness in her eyes and his heart broke.
"Briar," he said softly, but his voice caught in his throat. The thought of uttering Remus's name was enough to make him choke up. And as if Briar knew what he was going to say, she nodded. "You should go to Dumbledore's office" he said unexpectedly "There's something you need to see,"
Briar swallowed and squeezed Draco's knee before she got to her shaky feet, and headed up the stairs. When she arrived at Dumbledore's office the gargoyle moved already, as if expecting her, and brought her to the door
Inside, the portraits that hung all around the walls were empty. Not a singleheadmaster or headmistress remained to see him; all, it seemed, hadflitted away, charging through the paintings that lined the castle, sothat they could have a clear view of what was going on. And on the desk lay a stone pensieve, something glimmering inside it. She guessed this was what Harry meant. So she took a deep breath and leaned down into it.
She fell headlong into sunlight, and her feet found warm ground. She looked around and saw that she was standing on Platform 9 3/4. "What if I'm not sorted into Slytherin?" a dark-haired girl was saying in front of her
"We will be," Replied a taller boy with the same long dark hair. Given the greasiness of it, Briar guessed this was a young Professor Snape.
The scene changed and now she was standing in the Great Hall, watching the first years be sorted
"Lupin, Remus!" Shouted Professor McGonagall and a scruffy-haired, brunette boy nervously approached the sorting hat stool. He sat down and the hat was placed on his head. Briar felt like he was staring at her, and it was like seeing her own eyes stare back at her
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted and the red table erupted in cheers and a beaming Remus ran over to join them, and Briar immediately spotted a boy already there with messy, curly, brown hair and a familiar smirk. Sirius.
"Lyman, Kendall!" This time the one approaching the hat, was the dark-haired girl from the platform. Her mother. Briar had never seen her this clearly, and she could see the veela charm of her mother, which she now had.
"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted this time and although the blue table cheered, Briar could see the crestfallen look on her mother's face
"Snape, Severus!" She called and the greasy-haired boy approached the stool.
The hat had not been on his head for more than a few moments before it made its decision: "SLYTHERIN!"
The scene changed and now she was standing in the library, watching her mother and Snape talk quietly in the corner
"My parents will hate me," she was saying sadly
"Kendall, even if they do, you can always come stay with me," Snape said
"This wasn't meant to happen" Kendall whispered and Briar was confused. What did her mother have to do with Snape?
"Listen to me," he said "I'll never leave you okay? You're my cousin" At that Briar's heart stopped. She was related to Snape? But he hated her. And why did he never tell her?
Now they were standing in the potions classroom, with Professor Slughorn speaking at the front of the class. And the students now all looked older, 16 or 17. But Briar's attention was focus on Snape, whose eyes were fixed on a desk at the front of the room which had her parents sat on.
And the scenes continued to flash in front of her. Snape watching Kendall and Remus studying in the library. Snape watching Kendall and Remus sit by the Black Lake. Snape watching Kendall and Remus sitting in the Three Broomsticks.
"What are you doing with him?" Now Snape and Kendall were standing in the dungeons "Don't you know what he is? He could kill you!"
"He isn't a killer!" she exclaimed "I know he's a werewolf. But I don't care because I love him!"
"How can you love a monster?" A harsh slap echoed across the corridor as Kendall had slapped him across the face
"How dare you!" she cried "I love you, Sev, but I love him too. And I don't care if you're unhappy about that!" And with that she turned on her heel and stormed off
Now the Professor Snape she recognised was standing in Dumbledore's office
"You swore to me you would protect her!" Snape was shouting "You swore to me! Kendall was found and killed tonight while you sit here and say it was for the best!"
"Her child is safe" Dumbledore said "Briar is safe and she will be protected."
"By you?" Snape scoffed
"By Remus" He replied calmly "Briar will be safe as a child. She need not know of the tragedies of tonight."
"And what of when she comes to Hogwarts?" Snape asked
"We can protect her here." He said "She will learn her past and her abilities. And she will need you to guide her."
"So you intend to raise her as a weapon?" He asked "A tool to help you defeat the Dark Lord"
"She will be hunted. She will need our help to learn what she can do in order to defend herself. You and Remus are her only family left." Dumbledore said
Now she was watching herself on the day she was sorted in first year, and Snape was watching her with a cold glare.
Then it was Snape and Remus standing in Remus's old DADA office. "What does she know?" Snape was asking
"Nothing of you, I assure you," He replied
She saw Snape throw himself in front of her, Harry, Ron, and Hermione as her dad transitioned during her second year.
She saw Snape and Remus standing in the entrance hall "You told her of her mother's abilities?"
"Yes," Remus replied. This was her third year after the final task.
Now it was her fourth year, when she left Umbridge's class, and she was in Snape's office, conjuring her patronus. Then they were in potions class "Did you think it wise to allow a fourth year into this advanced class?" Umbridge was asking him
"Yes...as her Professor I am sure of Ms Lupin's capabilities"
Now she was watching Snape and Draco speaking in a dark corridor. This must have been after Slughorn's party in her fifth year. "You child!" Snape was saying "You do not need to do this alone! Allow me to help and-"
"I don't need your help!" Draco snapped "I have to do this alone! If anyone finds out...If anyone finds out he'll kill her. I would think you would want to protect her, given she's your family!"
The scene changed again and Draco and Snape were in this office "Is she safe?" Snape was asking
"For now," Draco nodded and Briar realised he was wearing the same clothes he had on now "If this is all to end tonight, she deserves to know the truth"
There was a final change and Briar watched as Nagini took swipe after swipe at Snape, while Voldemort watched with a smirk. Blood poured onto the floor and Snape's body fell.
"Pathetic," Voldemort sneered "I should have always known you would choose your pathetic excuse for a family over loyalty"
Briar felt the familiar coldness of Dumbledore's stone floor under her feet again and she realised she was panting. Dumbledore had known. Draco had known. Voldemort had known. Remus had known. Everyone had known except her.
Even as she walked back down the steps, her legs felt light, like they might buckle at any moment. She reached the entrance hall again and headed outside, sitting on the steps to the courtyard. As the wind blew over her, she found a strange calmness in it. She thought she would feel guilty that Snape had lost his life partly because of her. But he had done it for family. That was a sacrifice she could admire.
She had spent years despising Potions Class because of how harsh he had been on her. But now it turned out he had been protecting her this whole time. He had been looking after her for her whole life. And she felt unbelievable guilty for not recognising it sooner.
She didn't have long to ponder on Snape though. Because in the distance, a large, large group of people dressed in all-black were marching towards the castle.
"Guys!" She shouted and got to her feet as they approached the bridge. The battle was resuming.