─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
There was chaos everywhere.
Sara's hand hurt from how much she had used her wand that night. She felt blood running down her forehead as she sent yet another Stupefy at one of the attackers.
She had no idea where Nico disappeared but last time she had seen him fighting alongside his brother Bill.
More students showed up to the scene and Sara had to yell at them to get away or start fighting since the professors couldn't protect everyone. Professor McGonagall was fighting like a true hero somewhere around her, sending hexes at the Carrows who just popped out of nowhere. Sara thought she caught Tonks hair appearing before her from time to time but then Lupin got in front of her.
Then there was Malfoy sprinting out of the castle, followed by Snape and some other Death Eaters.
He had betrayed them, just as she thought.
"Harry," the redhead cried when her brother ran past her, but he didn't turn around, he didn't yell anything back, leaving her fighting.
She had reunited with Nico, Ron and Ginny a while after she finally got out of the claws of an unknown Death Eater; they all looked exhausted but relieved to see her.
"Is everyone okay? Hermione, Luna, Neville?" she asked as Nico caught her in his arms and held her tight.
"They're with Lupin," Ginny breathed, sending another hex out.
The noise had started to quiet down a little and Tonks found her some minutes after.
"We need to go to the infirmary," she mumbled, getting a hold of Ron.
"We need to find Harry first!" Sara yelled.
Tonks shook her head and led the four of them to the infirmary where some people were already gathered.
Neville, professor Flitwick and Bill were all on beds but the one who looked the worst was indeed Bill.
"What happened?" Ron's voice was shaky; Nico put a hand on his twin's shoulder.
Lupin got up from the chair next to his bed, leaving Madam Pomfrey to quietly tend to him. Bill's face was unrecognizable.
"This is Greyback's fault," Lupin mumbled, embracing his goddaughter and holding her tight to his chest; they were both bloody and tired.
Hermione and Luna showed up a bit later.
"I'm going to go and find Harry," Ginny muttered as she got up from her chair.
Everyone looked up at them. Sara felt exhausted so she let herself fall on the floor and lean against the wall, but in that moment she tried to get up, she wanted to go find her brother.
Nico, who was next to her, kept her in place.
"It might still be dangerous, Ginny," Hermione's voice was shaky as she spoke, her eyes filled with tears. Ron was slowly massaging her back, not feeling at his best either.
"It doesn't matter, I'm going after him. If mom and dad show up before I get back, come and find me," and with that, the ginger sprinted out of the Hospital Wing.
"They'll be okay," Nico whispered into her ear and Sara fell into his embrace.
"Look at you, you're all bloody and your brother is in the worst condition possible and you're still worried about how I'm feeling," Sara mumbled, putting a hand on his cheek; Nico melted into her hand.
"We're in this together, my love, if I don't stay optimistic and believe that we will be okay, who will?"
"I love you so much," she whispered, pushing herself up so she could give him a kiss on the lips.
"I love you too, warrior," he muttered, giving her the best smile he could muster in those circumstances.
When Ginny came back, followed by Harry, the atmosphere seemed to change. With the little energy she had left, Sara launched herself at her brother, taking in his messy appearance.
"You idiot, Harry James Potter!" she cried into his shoulder.
Harry put his arms around her, burying her nose into her neck. "I'm glad you're safe too, Sara."
Sara let Hermione hug him second as she fell back to Nico's side. Lupin moved forward, looking anxious.
"Are you all right, Harry?"
"I'm fine...how's Bill?"
Nobody answered.
"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" he asked the matron.
"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites. "
"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a-a real-?"
He looked uncertainly at Lupin.
"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and--and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."
"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Nico said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state-"
"Ron-Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny.
"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry, as though hoping the latter might contradict her, but when Harry did nor, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face. Sara had never seen Lupin lose control before; a tear fell down her cheek at the news and Nico caught her in a big hug.
"How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"
"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was...Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak--and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him-"
More tears fell down Sara's cheeks. Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled.
"-more Death Eaters arrived-and then Snape-and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra. " Harry couldn't go on.
Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Ginny, who whispered, "Shh! Listen!"
Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, her eyes wide. Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way Sara had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. And Sara felt, as she had felt about phoenix song before, that the music was inside her, not without: it was her own grief turned magically to song that echoed across the grounds and through the castle windows.
How long they all stood there, listening, she did not know, nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospital door opened again and Professor McGonagall entered the ward. Like all the rest, she bore marks of the recent battle: there were grazes on her face and her robes were ripped.
"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell of the music was broken: everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances, turning again to look at Bill, or else to rub their own eyes, shake their heads. "Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he-when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some-"
"Snape killed Dumbledore," said Harry.
She stared at him for a moment, then swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ran forward, conjuring a chair from thin air, which she pushed under McGonagall.
"Snape," repeated McGonagall faintly, falling into the chair. "We all wondered...but he trusted...always...Snape...I can't believe it..."
"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Lupin, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that. "
Sara burst into even more silent tears and Nico walked her towards the back of the room where Bill's bed was, keeping her close and letting her to weep in his arms.
The redhead tuned everything out until the doors of the hospital wing burst open, making them all jump: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified.
"Molly-Arthur-" said Professor McGonagall, jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry-"
"Bill," whispered Mrs. Weasley, darting past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill!"
Lupin and Tonks had got up hastily and retreated so that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could get nearer to the bed. Mrs. Weasley bent over her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead.
"You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr. Weasley asked Professor McGonagall distractedly. "But he hadn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"
"We don't yet know," said Professor McGonagall, looking helplessly at Lupin.
"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," said Lupin. "It is an odd case, possibly unique...we don't know what his behavior might be like when he awakens..."
Mrs. Weasley took the nasty-smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey and began dabbing at Bill's wounds.
"And Dumbledore..." said Mr. Weasley. "Minerva, is it true...is he really...?"
As Professor McGonagall nodded, Sara noticed Fleur, who was gazing down at Bill with a frozen expression on her face.
"Dumbledore gone," whispered Mr. Weasley, but Mrs. Weasley had eyes only for her eldest son; she began to sob, tears falling onto Bill's mutilated face.
"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks...it's not r-really important...but he was a very handsome little b-bo...always very handsome...and he was g-going to be married!"
"And what do you mean by zat?" said Fleur suddenly and loudly. "What do you mean, 'he was going to be married?'"
Mrs. Weasley raised her tear-stained face, looking startled. "Well-only that-"
"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" demanded Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"
"No, that's not what I--"
"Because 'e will!" said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"
"Well, yes, I'm sure," said Mrs. Weasley, "but I thought perhaps-given how-how he-"
"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.
Mrs. Weasley fell back against her husband and watched Fleur mopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon her face. Nobody said anything; Sara did not dare move. Like everybody else, she was waiting for the explosion.
"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Mrs. Weasley after a long pause, "has a very beautiful tiara-goblin-made-which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair. "
"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely. "
And then, Sara did not quite see how it happened, both women were crying and hugging each other. She started laughing softly, everyone turning to look at her.
"You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"
"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely-"
"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times..."
"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor...too dangerous..."
"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back.
"I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole. "
"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so. "
He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them.
"This is...not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead..."
"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly.
"And without this love we won't be able to win this war," Sara whispered. "And besides, you have to live your life now as best as you can before everything goes in ruins."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───