With both of us hidden beneath the cloak, Harry cast a shield charm between Neville and Voldemort before Hagrid began yelling.
"HARRY! RORY!" Hagrid yelled. "WHERE ARE THEY?"
Chaos reigned swarmed around us like a neverending hum of wasps. Centaurs were scattering the death eaters, but giants kept charging at everybody, screams and snapping bones playing as the soundtrack. Winged creatures soared through the air towards the giants—I caught sight of Buckbeak scratching their eyes.
Harry and I set up a secret offensive beneath the cloak, shooting spells upon spells at the death eaters who kept charging at our friends.
I caught sight of Gennie; blood streaked and scarred battling between Arthur and Nate, all battling death eaters, her eyes a fire that wouldn't be put out.
We cast more and more shield charms between Voldemort's would-be victims, helping Luna and Neville avoid several killing curses.
The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleaver, and at their head, the locker of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, his bullfrog's voice audible even above this din:
"Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"
They were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shim of Death Eaters their tiny faces alive with malice, Hermione was spotted leading them shooting paralysing spells at ankles.
"The hall—we can corner him there!" Harry shouted, and we darted into the main fray of the battle to try and find Voldemort, to try and end this for good.
But then I heard somebody's name being called, again and again: "Hollie! Hollie! Hollie!"
Whipping around, dropping Harry's hand, I caught sight of Camille sprinting through the hall after the small hurricane that was my little sister.
Without thinking of the consequences, or the fact revealing myself could have rippling effects I ran out from under the cloak ignoring Harry's screams. Pulling my hood up and securing it with a sticking spell I darted through the crowd, shooting and tearing and pushing.
On my cloaked encounters I caught sight of Lacey and George battling against Rookwood with joined hands, Lacey firing bullet after bullet striking death eaters in the ankles and shins.
"THAT'S FOR FRED YOU BASTARD!" Lacey screamed as Rookwood fell to the floor, clutching his ankle in agony.
The battle was eerily quiet over this end of the castle, rubble and debris whirling up a misty storm that made my eyes stream and ears ache with the vibrations of continually collapsing buildings.
And there she was, Hollie—her face with claw marks streaking down them, staring right at me—mouthing my name.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" a voice shouted from behind.
Whipping behind me I saw a death eater shooting the killing curse directly at my sister's heart.
They say everything speeds up in traumatic events, but they're wrong. Everything slows down even though time is speeding around you in whirls and flurries. I saw Hollie's eyes widen and her scream echoing in the swirling mist.
I dove towards her, grabbing her around her waist and tackling her to the ground. And then my wand was in my hand and I was calling back: "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The world exploded and I was holding my sister through it. The killing curse intended for her shot rippling waves through the wall behind us and bricks were tumbling, tumbling down onto us and I held my wand high with a protection spell, praying it would hold up.
And then there was silence.
"Rory?" Hollie's voice was a scared squeak. I dared open my eyes to see her teary face. Blood was streaking down her forehead and her eyes droopy, but she was okay.
She was okay.
"Shh, baby, I'm here," I whispered like I did when she was a little girl, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I'm here now. Everything is going to be okay now."
"They said you were dead," she sobbed, clutching onto my shirt. "They said you died—you—you look so different."
"I did come back from the dead," I joked. Hollie sobbed on. "Hey—I didn't come back ugly, did I?"
"You're covered in blood—all your head is bleeding," she cried, tugging at my hair which had been dark red since...... Last summer....
"Hollie..." I whispered, I felt sick, no, no, no...."What year is it?"
"1997," she yelped. "We were at Aunty Molly's, I was playing Quidditch with Fred...."
No, no, no, no.....
"Shit, are you two okay?" Camille had appeared, panting and clutching her side. "That death eater—Mulciber is dead out there."
I'd killed somebody......Hollie had lost a year of her life...... The wheel turning, turning.....
"She can't remember anything from this year, Camille, I don't know what's happening, I don't understand." I stammered, lifting Hollie up, as she carried on sniffing.
"I wiped her memories in the forest," Camille said, not looking at all fazed that I was alive now. "You saw me, right?"
"But I don't—"
"Look she was under Cameron's control, and the memory wipe got her out of that without us killing Cameron."
"But—"
"He might have destroyed my family, but he's still my brother, I can't kill him." Camille said solemly. "Now come on—give her to me. You need to save the world."
Before I could respond, Camille reached across and lifted Hollie up, cradling her against her chest. Hollie clutched onto Camille like an achor, whimpering.
"It's okay, Holl, I've got you." Camille said gently. "GO, RORY!"
I got to my feet and quickly kissed Hollie on the head. Seeing the burning determination in Camille's face and the softness in which she touched Hollie, I knew she was safe with her. Taking one last look, I dove back into the fray.
Leaping over Mulciber's corpse, I tried to get his staring cold eyes from my mind to re-enter the main battle which was in full fiery forced. I caught sight of Ron, Neville and Gennie taking down Greyback. I even caught sight of Lucius and Narcissa running through the crowd without attempt to fight, screaming for their son.
Whipping around I looked for Harry, determined to find him in order to end this. And I could see Voldemort at the head of the fray battling McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley all at once weaving them like wool.
Bellatrix wasn't too far away from her master, and Luna, Hermione and Ginny were duelling her. And as I watched the killing curse Miss Ginny by an inch I knew Harry had to be around close-by.
But before I—and Harry possibly—could reach them a scream was heard: "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms, Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of the new challenger.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a simple swipe of her wand she began to duel.
I watched from the sidelines, half-terrified and half tempted to cheer as as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twisted, and Bellatrix's confident smirk fell.
"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"
Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, and I stood on the side-line's torn between helping and fascination.
"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"
"You—will—never—touch—our—children--again!"
Bellatrix laughed the same exhilarated laugh that I heard from Sirius the last time I saw him, and I knew at once what was going to happen.
Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's arm and struck her heart.
I barely had time to react when I was tackled to the side into a side-passage. As I heard Voldemort's scream ring out from the fray, I raised my wand ready to attack my assailant to find—
Draco.
"Oh my fucking—"
I was cut off as Draco grabbed my face and crashed his lips against mine, frantically kissing my lips, my cheeks and forehead. "Don't you ever—ever scare me like that again."
"I don't intend on it," I said breathless, pulling the two of us to our feet. "I'm ending this—tonight."
"If all goes well, we'll go out for breakfast," Draco said, happy tears in his eyes. "God—I love you."
"I know."
And then before I could see his playful smirk or hear his throaty laugh Draco was lifted up through the air and sent flying down the corridor. With all my limbs frozen and stiff I turned to see Cameron Wilde, a malicious smirk on his face.
That was it. I was going to end him.
"No more!" I screamed. "No more!"
He twirled a knife around into his belt, as cool as a cucumber. "What about one more, love?"
I braced myself for the blow of a quick fire curse, and I held my wand up high, protection spells spilling out like fireworks. I would protect myself, and then make sure Draco was alive and breathing.
But Cameron didn't use his wand. He threw his dagger. And with his perfect, assassin like strike the dagger flew over the protection spells and towards Draco, who was being helped to his feet by—
"NO!" The scream wasn't from me, or even Draco—but from Cameron himself.
The dagger had struck Alia in the heart as she tried to help my boyfriend to his feet.
And then Cameron and I were both running, and then there were footsteps behind me, and Cole was screaming... Animalistic pain..... No, not Alia....
I sunk to my knees beside Draco, who was holding Alia. "She tried to help me—it came from nowhere—"Draco choked out.
The dagger was buried deep into Alia's jugular, her throat and mouth soaked in scarlet blood. Cole was there, pulling his little sister onto his lap, his face one of those glasses that had been broken so many times it crumpled with the slightest blow.
"No...." Cole whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. Alia's big beautiful violet eyes were filled with tears and with a whimper she reached for her brother's hand. "You can't leave me too...."
"Glad..." Alia whispered, her bloody lips moving slowly. "I'm g—g—glad I found you—"
She was cut off as she coughed loudly, blood spilling like tears from her mouth and throat. "I only just found you—you can't just leave like this, there has to be something—some help, a spell, a potion—"
Alia shook her head, coughing more blood onto Cole's hands. I withheld a deep screech of pain—this couldn't be happening.... Draco held onto my arms, holding me to him and then I could feel the soft pressure of Alia pulling on my pinky finger.
I promise I'll always be here.
"No, Ali-cat...." I choked out. "No...."
Alia's eyes met mine for the last time, and then the light dimmed in her eyes and her hand dropped from my grip.
The most terrible scream erupted from Cole, a mixture of raw stripped back grief, loss and exhaustion as he rocked back and forth, his lost sister silent in his arms.
"Is she—"Cameron choked out, stumbling against the wall. "I didn't mean to hit her—I wanted him!"
"And that makes it right?" Draco snapped.
"Brother, I didn't mean to—"Cameron choked, clutching at his heart. Was this real grief and regret on him, a cloak he'd yet to wear? "I'd never hurt her—look, I know dark spells, we can bring her back---"
Draco grabbed my arm and the two of us got to our feet supporting each other, facing against Cameron together even though
"You'll never touch her again," Cole hissed, and gently he laid Alia to the floor. "You'll never touch anyone again, brother."
And Cameron's eyes widened, and as quick as a flash he started off down the corridor, stumbling as fast as he could. And Cole didn't look at all fazed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun and pulled the trigger.
Cameron stumbled and fell against the wall, clutching his shoulder in agony as Cole slowly walked up to his abuser of almost a decade.
"You hated me for so long because I wasn't like you," Cole said calmly, going to his knees and sitting eye-to-eye with his brother. "I wasn't as manly, or as brave as you. And for a long time, I thought I was worthless, I deserved to die. But now, I know that no matter how many mistakes I've made—you've made worse ones. You killed our sister."
"I didn't mean to--"
"And she deserved life more than you did." Cole carried on, ignoring him. "An eye for an eye,"
He pressed his finger into the shoulder wound, and Cameron's scream vibrated through the corridor, and it was like music to my ears after the body count he'd sustained over the years.
"Hey," a voice called. Everybody turned around, in time to see a darkly cloaked figure heading towards us. "I want to cause some pain to the bastard too, you know."
It was Sam.
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A/N Ahhh I really like this chapter even though I wrote over 75% of it today :)
I hope you like this—R.I.P Alia :( I always planned her death, sorry about that. But the next chapter is the final one, and I feel emotional thinking about it.
There is a way to be featured in the epilogue—next chapter a question will be asked, and you can answer it. The answers I receive within 48 hours will be in the epilogue. Confusing, but I don't want to give it away.
I'll put out a notification on my profile when I'm posting the next chapter so you have a higher chance of getting into the epilogue.
Love you all, see you for the final chapter x