tainted transparency || a harry potter story

Chapter Thirty-Seven- Another

The minute I found Harry is the minute my heart stopped. He and Draco are dueling. And both of them look very angry. So I drew my wand and ran between the two of them, facing Harry.

"Harry, don't. I don't know what had gotten into your head that made you think I was cheating on you but I'm not. So leave him alone."

"You're defending him?!" Harry's eyes widened. "You're defending him! He's the enemy, Hazel!"

"He's the entire reason why I'm alive today!!" I fired back. "He's kept me safe up until now!! Hell, he lost his mother saving my life!"

Harry was silent, yet he looked so conflicted.

"Harry," I softened my tone and looked into his emerald green eyes. "Please. Don't make this worse."

Harry suddenly shot a curse towards Malfoy, but the blonde unnecessarily dodged it because Harry had meant it for the Death Eater coming up behind Draco. It was then that between the two boys, there was an alliance.

"Ahh! There she is!!" I heard multiple male voices cry out the second they saw me. I turned around to the sight of a group of Death Eaters running at me. So, instinctually, I turned tail and ran for a safer spot to fight them off from.

"Why am I the target?!" I yelled, feeling a sudden rush of emotion rise up inside of me. It's likely the desperation of the situation that I'm in.

Spells shot left and right of me, but one specific one hit me in the back, which was the fire spell. 'Incendio'. I felt the intense heat from the flames, so I did what anyone would do and instantly shed my jacket. I left it to burn on the ground as I managed to escape into the confines of what was left of the castle.

I reached a high point on the stairs and was just high enough to see a giant acromantula stalk in on it's massive legs. An army of much smaller acromantulas, probably it's young, scurried in before it. They covered the stone ground like a blanket.

"We meet again!" A shrill female voice exclaimed from behind me. The realization of who she was sent a chill up my spine. "Maybe this time I'll get to kill you! Avada kedavra!"

"Protego!"

My eyes filled with tears when my father, Remus, jumped in front of me and warded off Bellatrix' killing spell. I hadn't reacted quick enough, if Remus hadn't stepped in, that would have been the end of me.

"Oh, always the hero, aren't you, Moony!" Bellatrix' tone picked up a higher, whinier pitch. Like a child that's just been reprimanded by a parent. "This is family business!"

"She is family," Remus snarled. "Stupefy!"

Bellatrix was flung to the other side of the room, then she dropped to the bottom staircase and seemed unconscious. Remus turned and hugged me. A sob escaped my lips, though it sounded more like an exhausted cough than a cry.

"Thank you."

"Can't have you joining your parents just yet," Remus replied cheekily, then released the hug to look into my eyes. "They're all hunting you. It's best that you find someplace safe."

"I can't. I have to fight. If I'm the target, they're going to kill everyone in their paths to get to me and Harry."

Remus sighed in defeat, but nodded. "Brave girl. Just like your parents. Come on, then. Together."

Shortly after Remus and I jumped back into the fight, flinging members of the tiny spider army into walls, there was a grace period given by the Dark Lord himself. He muttered something about Harry and I surrendering in order to save everyone else.