A/N-
I've been writing this while listening to the Deathly Hallows Part 2 soundtrack and I am having a really emotional time...
Chapter 31 (Ava)
Everyone in the Room of Requirement cheered and rushed towards the bottom of the stairs. People were already pulling their wands out of their pockets and preparing for a fight. I didn't move though, as I watched Mrs. Weasley catch Ginny's wrist and pull her back from the door. I rushed forwards with Fred to see what was going on. Only a few of us were left remaining in the Room, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry rush forwards to see the commotion.
"You're under-age!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, "I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!"
"I won't!" Ginny yelled back at her mum, her eyes blazing with anger, "I'm in Dumbledore's Army!"
"A teenagers' gang!" Mrs. Weasley shot back.
Fred stepped forwards, "A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!"
"She's sixteen! She's not old enough! What you two were thinking, bringing her with you-"
Fred seemed to shrink back slightly, shame colouring his cheeks. I looked between Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, my chest tightening.
"Mrs. Weasley," I spoke up, "Ginny has done as much to fight for this cause as the rest of us. And I know she's underage, but she's worked so hard for Dumbledore's Army."
Mrs. Weasley's face softened slightly, but Bill shook his head at me.
"Mum's right, Ginny. You can't do this. Everyone under-age will have to leave, it's only right."
Ginny exploded, "I can't go home! My whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and-" She trailed off as she looked at Harry. After a moment, she sighed, "Fine. I'll say goodbye now, then and-"
A banging noise cut her off and someone stumbled out of the tunnel. I turned around and my mouth fell open as I realised who it was.
"Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I- I-"
Percy stopped speaking when he realised that his whole family was standing there. Without realising, I wrapped my hand around Fred's wrist and pulled him back beside me. The room was silent. Fleur turned to Remus.
"So – 'ow eez leetle Teddy?"
Remus' eyes widened in surprise, "I – oh yes- he's fine! Yes, Tonks is with him – at her mother's. Here! I've got a picture!"
He showed the picture to Harry and Fleur. I watched as Harry's expression softened, the hint of a smile at the edge of his lips.
"I was a fool!" Percy yelled, "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a – a -"
Fred sneered, "Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron."
"Yes, I was!" Percy sounded quite defeated.
"Well," Fred held out his free hand, "You can't say fairer than that."
Mrs. Weasley began to cry and she rushed forwards to hug Percy. "I'm sorry, Dad," He murmured. A second later, Mr. Weasley followed to hug him.
"What made you see sense, Perce?" George asked.
"It's been coming on for a while. But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time. I managed to make contact with Aberforth and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it, so here I am."
"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these," George declared in a posh voice, "Now, let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death Eaters'll be taken."
Fred caught onto my hand and we started to move up the stairs.
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley yelled as she tried to follow me up the stairs. We all froze.
"Molly, how about this," Remus suggested, "Why doesn't Ginny stay here, then at least she'll be on the scene and know what's going on, but she won't be in the middle of fighting?"
"That's a good idea," Mr. Weasley nodded, "Ginny, you stay in this Room, you hear me?"
Remus caught my eye and I turned to face him.
"Remus, if you dare tell me I have to stay in here as well-"
He smiled sadly, "I think we're past that, aren't we?"
"Good," I grinned, "Then let's go."
Fred tugged on my hand and we moved out of the Room of Requirement into the corridor.
"This feels weird," I told him as we made our way to the Great Hall, "Just leaving the Room and not worrying about getting caught."
"How does it taste?" Fred asked with a grin, "The sweet release of freedom?"
"Wonderful," I beamed.
The Great Hall was packed with students and Order of the Phoenix members. We made our way to the front where McGonagall was standing, addressing various groups of students.
"Miss. Potter!" She exclaimed when she saw me, "How fantastic to see you!"
"You too, Professor," I smiled at her. She winked at me.
"Although, I hear that you were here all along?"
My eyes widened in surprise, "How did you know?"
"Professor Lupin made me aware," Her eyes sparkled, "You clearly have an aptitude for healing, Miss. Potter. The Carrows didn't quite understand how their students managed to mend so quickly."
My cheeks flushed, "Thank you, Professor."
She turned back to the students to continue addressing them, "We have already placed protection around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your prefects-"
I didn't hear the rest of her words as another, familiar voice filled the Great Hall. I stumbled back slightly as the cold voice pierced my thoughts. Fred's arm slipped around my waist to hold me upright. Several students had begun to scream loudly, but it didn't stop the clear voice from drowning them out.
"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
My heart dropped to my stomach as my gaze fell on Harry. Everyone else had turned to face them, all with varying expressions.
Suddenly, Pansy Parkinson stood up and pointed at Harry, "But he's there! Potter's there! Someone grab him!"
I rushed forwards, shaking free from Fred in one swift movement and pulling my wand out of my pocket. Several other students seemed to have done the same thing, but Pansy's eyes fell on me. They widened slightly in surprise.
"You filthy, traitorous, cow!" I spat, "If you so dare as make a move towards my brother, I will hex you to hell and back before shoving my wand up your-"
"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," Professor McGonagall spoke quickly, "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your house could follow."
I made a rude hand gesture at Pansy as she started to leave the Hall, and she turned away from me, her head held high. Soon enough, most of the students had left the Hall.
"Blimey, Ava," George grinned at me, "That's quite a temper you've got there."
I flicked my hair over my shoulder, "I had to deal with Pansy Parkinson for two years straight, and I thought it was time I finally told her what I thought of her."
Fred raised his palm and I gave him a high-five. Meanwhile, Kingsley stepped up onto the raised platform.
"We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest Towers – Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor – where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, Arthur and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organise defence of the entrances of the passageways into the school-"
"Sounds like a job for us!" Fred called out, pointing to him and George. Kingsley nodded in agreement.
"All right, leaders up here and we'll divide the troops!"
"Potter!" McGonagall rushed over to Harry, "Aren't you supposed to be looking for something?"
Harry blinked, "What? Oh. Oh yeah!"
McGonagall shook her head quickly, "Then go, Potter, go!"
"Right – yeah-"
He started to move towards the door, but I ran after him, my hand catching his wrist, "Harry."
"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes meeting mine.
"Be careful," I told him, and he nodded once.
"You too." With that, he ran out of the Great Hall and into the corridor. I watched him for a moment before returning to the group.
"You coming, Ava?" Fred called, and I nodded, quickly darting towards him. Remus was delegating students into various groups. A few students came our way. Lee Jordan threw his arms around a couple of them.
"You ready? This is going to be a tough one."
Hannah Abbot smiled, "Sure. We're a team, we've got this."
Remus started to lead a group of students out of the Hall. I caught sight of Neville with them, and shouted across the Hall.
"Oi! Longbottom!"
He turned around with a smirk, "Yes, Potter?"
"Don't do anything stupid!" I yelled, "That Gryffindor bravery has gotten to you, I'm sure of it! It's a disease!"
Fred shoved me, and I elbowed him back. Neville gave me a thumbs up.
"You too!"
Kingsley gave us a thumbs up, and our group moved out of the Great Hall. "Harry's got the Map, hasn't he? How will we know where the passageways are?" I asked Fred and George. They both looked at me, their eyes laughing.
"Ava," Fred slipped his arm around my shoulders, "Ava dearest. My one and true love, Ava. Do you know me at all? Or has our love died while we've been parted?"
"You know what?" I sighed, rolling my eyes, "I just realised while I was gone that I've loved Percy all this time. He is the Weasley I want. I have no interest in you."
Fred clutched his heart. I punched his arm, "But really."
"Surely you must know that George and I know all of the passages off by heart." He was beaming, his brown eyes twinkling. I reached up and tapped his nose.
"Fantastic. Less of the sarcasm, now. We're only fighting in a war, you know."
Fred sighed dramatically, "How will I survive the war without you by my side, making sarcastic comments, Ava?"
"Will you two stop flirting?" Lee murmured, "We need to split up. George, you take one group. I'll take another."
I gave a wave to the other groups as we split up. Fred held my hand and led us through the castle to a plinth, where a statue of a knight stood.
"Right," Fred turned to everyone else, "This passageway opens from the inside and the outside. Anyone could come in. We'll be able to hear them, though. Open it by tapping your wand three times on the back of the knight's shield, but don't do that unless completely necessary. I wouldn't advise going into the passageway from here- if you get trapped in there with a Death Eater, you're done for. Got it?"
Everyone nodded. We all moved towards the statue, our ears pressed against the surrounding wall and our wands drawn.
We'd been there for perhaps five minutes when we heard the first explosion- not from within the passage but outside on the grounds. I stood up sharply, looking out of the window. A group of Death Eaters has started to infiltrate the protection wards set up by McGonagall and the other Professors.
"They're here," I murmured softly. Fred's eyes met mine. I wanted nothing more than to hug him to me and not let go, and I could tell from the expression in his eyes that he wanted the same thing. But we didn't. Instead, we just studied each other's faces in the dim light of our wands.
The explosions continued, and they were soon followed by screams. After a few more minutes, there were flashes of light coming from outside every few seconds. The castle was visibly shaking. I glanced outside the window again, and my heart twisted.
There were already bodies strewn across the grass. I couldn't tell which side they were on, but I could see that the Death Eaters were advancing. There were vast numbers of them. It appeared as though there were less students outside than Death Eaters.
"Fred," I whispered, "They need more people outside. Shall I take a couple of students to the grounds?"
I expected him to hesitate or say no, but he nodded quickly. I straightened up, and a moment later his hands seized my face as he kissed me desperately on the lips. I melted into it for only a moment before I pulled away. His hands cupped my face.
"I love you," He murmured, "Don't do your Potter thing and risk your life."
I couldn't help but smile, "Vice versa. Don't do your Weasley thing."
"Valid point. I'll see you soon."
I squeezed his hand, kissing him quickly one final time before I had to force myself to pull away. I rounded up a few students and we started to run down the corridor. As we did, the castle vibrated so much that Hannah Abbott stumbled. I reached down quickly and helped her up before we continued to run. A window nearby shattered, and someone screamed. We got to the edge of the grounds, and Hannah swore softly from beside me. The grass ahead of us was already littered with bodies and rubble. I caught sight of Remus and waved at him, pointing to the students beside me. We started to move forwards, but I spotted something out of the corner of my eye that made me stop dead. The others kept running, seemingly not noticing my absence.
Slowly, I turned to look at the figure that had stopped a few metres away from me, his eyes on my face. Draco's blonde hair stood out against the darkness around him, and his pale face was illuminated by his wand. The world around me seemed to have slowed down.
My eyes met with his dark ones, and I instantly knew why he was here. To fight alongside the Death Eaters. I couldn't stop him now. He'd made his decision.
"I'm sorry," He finally said, so quietly I almost didn't hear, and then he rushed off towards the castle.
A breath I didn't realise I'd been holding rushed out between my lips. I shook my head quickly and took off at a sprint towards the others where the Death Eaters were attacking. Remus was in a duel with Dolohov. When he caught sight of me, he grinned and winked.
I rushed on, catching up with Neville who was mid-duel with a Death Eater I didn't recognise.
"Need any help?" I asked with a grin as a jet of light exploded from the end of my wand and hit the Death Eater in the chest. He started to lose his balance.
"That would be great," Neville shouted, shooting another spell at the Death Eater which finished him off.
"Why did you leave Fred and the others?" He asked as we were both faced by another Death Eater.
"I could see from the window that we were outnumbered. You needed the extra help."
"You just like to be in on the action," Neville grinned at me as we both hit the Death Eater with the same spell.
"In on the action!" I cried in surprise, "We're fighting a bloody war, Neville!"
"Really?" He asked me sarcastically, "I didn't realise!"
I caught sight of Dean and Seamus, who both cheered when they saw me.
"Go on, Ava!" Seamus yelled, "Show 'em what you've got!"
It didn't take me long to realise that there were still not enough people on the grounds. The Death Eaters were slowly closing in on us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a few of them make their way into the Entrance Hall. I darted after them, my stomach dropping slightly. How many Death Eaters had gotten into Hogwarts at this point? Where was Harry? Where was Fred?
When I got into the Entrance Hall, I'd already lost track of the Death Eaters. I swore loudly. They could have gone anywhere.
I sprinted up the main staircase, my eyes scanning the corridors above and below. They can't have disappeared that quickly. Unless...
My eyes fell on an entrance to a passageway that led to the third floor. Perhaps they'd gone through that. I sprinted further up the stairs, shooting a spell at a Death Eater as I went. The battle was slowly becoming an indoor battle rather than an outdoor one. As I approached the third floor, I spotted three figures emerge from behind a statue. My eyes fell on one of their faces, and I instantly recognised him. He'd been present at Malfoy Manor while Bellatrix had tortured me. His name had been Rookwood, I remembered.
I darted towards them, hoping that they couldn't see me. I hoped to sneak up on them from behind.
"Blow the wall on the seventh floor," One of the others sneered to Rookwood, "We need to work our way down- drive Potter out of the castle."
"Which wall?" Rookwood asked.
"By that Room of Requirement Malfoy told us about," The other one responded gruffly, tapping his wand against the brick wall, "I'll bet you Potter's in there."
As his wand touched the brick wall, another passageway opened up and the three slipped in before I could catch up with them. I stopped short at the wall as the bricks re-formed. When I tried to tap it with my wand, it didn't move. I groaned, realising that while we'd expected these Death Eaters to know very little about our hideaways, they were actually cleverer than we thought.
The seventh floor... Ginny was on the seventh floor in the Room of Requirement. I had to go and find her before Rookwood blew the wall to pieces.
The floor shook beneath me, and I stumbled slightly. I straightened up quickly and bolted up the stairs.
"Oi, Potter!" A Death Eater leered at me, and I shot a spell towards him, knocking him off the edge of the banister.
"Nice shot!" Professor Flitwick shouted at me, and I grinned as I darted past him.
When I finally reached the seventh floor, I saw a flash of pink hair.
"Tonks!" I shouted, "What are you doing here? Where's Teddy?"
"With my Mum!" She beamed, "He's fine! Have you seen Remus?"
"Outside on the grounds!" I shrugged my shoulders, "But that was ten minutes ago, he might have moved indoors."
She started to run down the stairs, and when I turned away from her my eyes fell on Ginny.
"Ginny!" I started to say, "You're-"
"Out of the Room of Requirement, yes I know!" She cried, "But Harry, Ron and Hermione needed to go in there to do something, so I had to leave! Don't tell me to-"
I rolled my eyes, "Like I would seriously tell you to go back in there, Ginny. Quick, follow Tonks before one of your brothers see you."
Her eyes lit up, "Thanks, Ava. I knew I could trust both Potters."
She turned around and disappeared, her bright hair almost whipping me in the face. I started to turn around, when I realised what she'd said...
Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the Room.
I broke into a run again, making my way towards the wall where the Room of Requirement was hidden. As I turned the corner, my eyes fell on Harry, Hermione and Ron, who were standing by the wall, their faces blackened with soot. I rushed towards them, and a moment later hordes of Death Eaters filled the corridor. I spotted Fred and Percy duelling two masked Death Eaters.
A masked woman approached me from behind, and a jet of light narrowly missed my arm. I spun around, sending a purple jet of light towards her. She staggered backwards and fell against the wall, panting profusely.
"Hello, Minister!" I heard Percy shout, "Did I mention I'm resigning?"
"You're joking, Perce!" Fred shouted, his eyes bright with delight. He carried on speaking, but my eyes fell on Rookwood, who was standing by the wall, his wand in his hand.
The world seemed to move in slow motion. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I sprinted forwards- possibly the fasted I'd ever sprinted in my life- and threw my wand arm out, casting a protection spell at the same time that the jet of light burst from the end of Rookwood's wand.
I'd never felt such a powerful spell emerge from my wand. The protective shield burst out all at once, and my whole body was thrumming.
A second later, the whole world exploded.
I flew backwards, the floor no longer beneath my feet. The air rushed out of my lungs as my back collided with a wall behind me. Around me, people were screaming and shouting in surprise. I tried to catch my breath, ignoring the blurring at the edge of my vision.
"Ava..." Someone called out, their voice brimming with panic, "She was right in front of the blast. Where is she?"
My whole body was humming with warmth from the magic. I blinked a few times and tried to sit up. A second later, a face was looming over me.
"I found her! She's here!"
I blinked again.
"Is everyone okay?" Another voice called. I moved my hand and pushed myself up into a sitting position and looked around. My vision was still slightly blurred, and I couldn't tell where everyone was. I didn't know who was safe and who wasn't.
"Ava Potter," A familiar voice murmured from nearby, "Didn't I tell you not to do your Potter thing and risk your life?"
A second later, a pair of hands grabbed onto my face and Fred kissed me on the lips. The tightness in my chest loosened with relief, and I leant into him. He wrapped his arms around me and held me to his chest tightly.
"I thought you were dead," He whispered, "I saw... Just as the wall was about to explode you ran up and threw up the shield and... you were the closest to the blast. I thought you were dead."
I inhaled his scent and closed my eyes, "I love you."
Everyone else circled Fred and I, their shoulders falling with relief when they realised that I was alright. I glanced over at Harry, and he smiled at me.
"You saved us, Ava."