"Where's everybody?" I asked when we made back to the courtyard. It was completely deserted. Rubble was everywhere, but somewhere deep in my gut; I had a bad feeling. Without warning, I began to sprint, my mind racing, my vision blurred, only following where my feet would take me.
Frantically, I pushed open the doors through the castle and to the Great Hall. I looked around. Amongst the piles of rubble, were injured and dead. My breathing became erratic, my head pulsing. I ran down the aisle of those on the floor when I saw my dad hovering over my brother. I gasped in a shriek and dropped to my knees with such force, causing pain to shoot up my thigh; but that wasn't important.
James laid on a simple white sheet, his breathing was slow and struggling. He turned to look at me with a dazed face. He managed the smallest smile.
"Hey, Hazie."
Tears were streaming down my face before I could even notice. James was as pale as the sheet beneath him, and I could tell he lost a lot of blood. I cupped his scarred and bloody face gently.
"James, no, you can't do this. You have so much to live for."
"I love you, Hazel. You're the best sister a guy could ask for. Don't let this keep you from living a happy life."
With one last deep breath, James' life was stolen from him. I sobbed loudly, so loudly it echoed through the hall. I wailed and balled into my dead brother's chest, my father's arms around me tightly. We stayed there for a few minutes until my sobs died down.
I lifted my head. Behind me, I noticed the Weasley family. However, they weren't looking at me, they were looking down at a body. I stood up, tears still streaming down my face, and looked down at the ci. It was Fred, eyes closed without a heaving chest. I gasped and covered my mouth. Looking around, I saw George standing behind me with his arms around his body. He was looking at my brother. Suddenly he turned to me, and we both stood looking at each other in a moment of silence before we crashed into each other in a hug.
Sobs racked our bodies again as we crumpled to the floor. I might not have lost a twin, but I lost a brother, and I could connect with George only on a particular emotional level. But either way, the pain was still there, and it would take a long time to mend. We pulled away, and I gave him the smallest smile through my tears. Cupping his face gently, I wiped away the tears from his face and pulled his head down for a kiss on the forehead.
I walked away to look at the other bodies, but one certainly hit the spot. It was Lupin and Tonks right next to each other, hands so close it might have looked like they were holding them. No. No, no, no, no, no. Not right after Teddy was born. I made a mental promise that I would do my best to care for that baby whether or not Voldemort was defeated
I returned to my father and brother and got down onto the floor. I kissed James' head then got up to hug my dad, and we stayed there for a long time.
. . .
Later on, I found Hermione and Ron sitting next to each other, holding hands and heads resting against the other. I sat down a few steps down from them. Harry was nowhere in sight. He must've gone to the Forbidden Forest.
I rested my head in my hands until I heard footsteps behind me. It was Harry. He seemed shocked and dazed. I stood up to address him.
"Where've you been? I thought you went to the forest," I said.
"I'm going there now," he stated calmly, walking past all of us.
"Are you mad? No, you can't give yourself up to him," said Ron. Harry paused in his tracks.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked. "What is it you know?"
Harry turned around to face us. "There's a reason I can hear them. The Horcruxes. I think I've known for a while. And I think you have, too."
Everything in my brain fit together like puzzle pieces. Harry can hear Horcruxes, he can look into Voldemort's mind, he can speak Parseltongue. A part of Voldemort is inside of him like the Horcruxes. He has to kill himself to get rid of it.
My eyes began to water.
"I'll go with you," Hermione offered, tears rolling down her face. Clearly, she knew too.
"No, kill the snake. Kill the snake, and it's just him."
Hermione ran up to hug him. I rushed up too, and when she pulled away, I wrapped him in my arms. Hermione and Ron stood next to me as we watched our friend walk away to sacrifice himself.
. . .
Everything became too much for me. I wandered around the castle, looking at the horrible destruction everywhere. As I turned a corner, I bumped into someone.
"Sorry," I murmured looking up at the person I ran into. It was Draco. His hair was disheveled, and he had dirt all over his face, as well as many cuts and bruises. His eyes widened at the sight of me.
"Hazel!" he exclaimed, pulling me into his arms. "Merlin, Hazel, you're alive!"
I wrapped my arms around him as he put his head on my neck and began to cry. I stroked his head gently as he let out quiet sobs.
"Shhh, shhhh. It's alright, I'm here. I'm here."
His crying came to a stop and I we stayed together in the silence of the castle.
. . .
It was early morning when we heard that Death Eaters were approaching. We walked out of the castle and saw Hagrid in chains carrying something in his arms. As he got closer, the more the thing looked like a body.
"Who is that? Hagrid's carrying? Neville, who is it?" Ginny asked frantically.
"Harry Potter... is dead!" Voldemort screamed.
"No!" Ginny shrieked and began to run towards him. "No!"
"Silence!" Voldemort commanded, waving his wand to create an invisible barrier. Mr. Weasley caught Ginny and held her back. "Stupid girl! Harry Potter is dead. From this day forth you'll put your faith in me."
Voldemort turned around and opened his arms to his Death Eaters. "Harry Potter is dead!" They began to laugh. He turned back around and let out a disgusting laugh. "And now it's the time to declare yourself," Voldemort's eyes scanned through the crowd while there was a smile plastered on his face, "Come forward and join us; or die!"
My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. I glanced at Ron and Hermione; they looked just as scared as I was. The wind blew some hairs in my face, but I didn't dare to move a finger.
A short silence fell as we waited for someone to speak up.
"Draco!" I looked over and saw that Lucius was the one that called out Draco's name. "Draco!"
I started breathing heavier, and my heart still pounded like crazy. I turned around slightly to look at Draco, just like everyone else. The way his eyes looked around nervously, I knew he was having an inner battle with himself, and only for one moment, I wished his eyes would've met mine. I wanted to run up to him, hug him, kiss him, and tell him that everything will be okay, but I knew I couldn't.
"Draco," my eyes moved from Draco to his mom when I heard her talking in a soft tone, "Come."
We all watched as Draco walked towards his parents; towards Voldemort. I fought back the tears that were welling up in my eyes.
"Well done, Draco. Well done." Voldemort spoke up as he engulfed Draco in an awkward hug. Once he was released, Draco walked towards his mother with his head hung low.
A single tear ran down my face as Neville stumbled to Voldemort.
"Well I must say I'd hoped for better," Voldemort said as he eyed Neville up and down and yet again the Death Eaters erupted into laughter. I felt the anger boil up inside me and I clenched my fist. "And who might you be, young man?"
"Neville Longbottom," Neville said.
The Death Eaters laughed once again.
"Well, Neville, I'm sure we can find a place for you in our rank."
"I'd like to say something."
"Well, Neville, I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say."
"It doesn't matter that Harry is gone," he began.
"Stand down, Neville!" Seamus cut in.
"People die every day!
Friends, family...
Yeah, we still lost Harry tonight.
He's still with us, in here." Neville put a hand on his heart.
"So's Fred, Remus, Tonks. All of them.
They didn't die in vain.
But YOU will.
'Cause you're wrong!
Harry's heart did beat for us. For all of us! It's not over!" All of a sudden, from the Sorting Hat he was holding, Neville pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor.
And from Hagrid's arms, Harry fell to the ground. Alive.
"Confringo!" he shouted as he pointed his wand at Nagini. The spell slid off the snake and into the Death Eaters behind it. Harry began to sprint behind the outer part of the courtyard. Voldemort sent explosions after him.
The rest of us ran into the castle while my dad and Kingsley shot at the approaching Death Eaters.
"I'll lure him to the castle," Harry instructed. "We have to kill the snake."
"You'll need this!" Hermione screamed handing Neville the Sword. He began to charge.
"Neville!" I screamed as a spell sent him flying back.
In the Great Hall, there was chaos. I used my magic to throw people into walls and send fireballs into groups of Death Eaters. Spells were shot everywhere. A Death Eater raced up to me, a deadly look in his eyes. We began to fight, but he was getting the upper hand.
"STUPIFY!" I yelled. It came to the Death Eater as a surprise, and he went flying back into the wall, knocked unconscious.
I raced over to a group of gingers. Next, to me, Ginny just barely deflected a spell from Bellatrix. I glanced at Mrs. Weasley. She was enraged, with an evil glare in her eyes. She got up onto the stands and raised her wand.
"Not my daughter, you bitch!" she exclaimed.
My jaw dropped. MRS. FRICKEN WEASLEY JUST CURSED. WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE WOOOORRRLLDDD. WE ARE DOOOOOMMMMMEEEDDDDDD. EVEN MORE, DOOMED THAN MOLDY VOLDY ABOUT TO KILL US ALL.
Bellatrix was too busy laughing to notice Mrs. Weasley shoot a spell until the very last second. In return, Bellatrix shot three times causing Mrs. Weasley to stumble back. But Mrs. Weasley soon got the upper hand and used powerful spells to push Bellatrix back. With one spell, Bellatrix froze up, arms in the air, and with a final blow, Bellatrix was merely dust.
I gasped and ran off, my new goal was to find Hermione and Ron. As I ran through corridors, I came across Neville. He had the Sword of Gryffindor in is hand. We nodded in acknowledgment and ran together. Soon we came across Ron and Hermione running away from Nagini and down some steps. Ron shot a spell the went right through the snake, and the two fell into a pile of rubble.
I grabbed Neville's arm and launched him to the snake. He brought the sword back and sliced right through the snake, turning it into smoke, as a part of Voldemort died. I helped Ron and Hermione up, and we slowly made our way to the Great Hall. When we made it, everyone was being cared for. The Weasley's sat together, and Ginny was dazed on her mother's shoulder. Friends were reunited, and teachers sat together talking. Poor Filch was trying to clean up. All was well. And I knew: Voldemort was dead.
I looked around me, bloodied, battered, and beaten bodies laid around the Great Hall and Madam Pomphery was completely frazzled. That was when I remembered the ashes of Fawkes Dumbledore left me in his will. I took out the pouch of ashes and poured them in the ground. Not five seconds after I placed them on the floor, a phoenix rose from the ashes. And there was Fawkes. We made eye contact and bird knew what it had to do. He flew over to those unattended and began to cry on their wounds, helping them heal. I smiled to myself. Apparently, Dumbledore's gift wasn't completely useless.
Hermione and Ron walked in hand-in-hand, grinning. I walked up to Harry, and we all smiled at each other, finally feeling a sense of freedom also acknowledging the not so secret attraction between Ron and Hermione. We made our way out of the castle and onto the broken bridge. Harry climbed onto the edge which almost gave me a heart attack. Merlin Harry, you just died and came back to life, and now you are jeopardizing your life?!
"Why didn't it work for him? The Elder Wand." Hermione asked.
"It answers to somebody else," Harry explained looking at the Elder Wand in his hand. "When he killed Snape, he thought the wand would become his. But the thing is... The wand never belonged to Snape. It was Draco who disarmed Dumbledore that night in the Astronomy tower. From that moment on, the wand answered him. Until, the other night when I disarmed Draco. At Malfoy Manor."
"So, that means..." I said as I put the pieces together.
"It's mine," Harry said fiddling with it.
"What should we do with it?" Ron asked.
"We?" Hermione questioned.
"Just saying, that's the Elder Wand. The most powerful wand in the world. With that, he'll be invincible."
Harry looked down at the wand and thought. He brought his other hand to the end of the wand and began to push until it snapped in half. My jaw dropped. Harry turned around and threw the pieces of the wand off the side of the bridge. I stood there stuck in amazement, as did Hermione and Ron.
We turned back to Harry and walked up to him. We all grabbed hands and looked into the morning sunlight.
We were safe. Nothing could harm us now.
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YOU THINK IT'S OVER BUT WAIT. I'M WRITING AN 8TH BOOK IN THE GROUP'S 8TH YEAR. NO DRAMA, JUST TWO PEOPLE FINALLY SHOWING THEIR FEELINGS AFTER A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
ALSO, I changed Hazel's name from Hazel Rebecca Louisa Alexandra Victoria Rosewood to just Hazel Rebecca Rosewood because who honestly has a name that long? Idk what I was thinking when I created this book.