Liberty - A Harry Potter fan fiction

Chapter 20 - Finding Draco

I could hear the voice of the Dark Lord booming around the grounds. He was speaking to those who were inside the castle.

"I know that you are preparing to fight," Screams could be heard from inside. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have a 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."

At those words, Draco and I were forced apart. I whipped around, every which way but was unable to find him. I screamed his name until my voice felt hoarse. Realizing that I was alone I panicked and ran. Whether I was headed to or from the battle I didn't know. Soon all I saw around me was trees. After minutes of aimless running, I was stopped by Fenrir.

"Little Libby is going the wrong way!" He taunted.

I decided to follow him. Joining the battle was the only way to find Draco and be sure people were safe. I ran across the lawn as fast as I could and crashed into the great hall. I deflected a spell, not sure which side it came from. I took off up the staircase, thinking of where Draco could be. I had a gut feeling that I'd find him on the seventh floor corridor and took off.

All around me, people were falling, curses were shooting. I saw a few bodies scattered around the floors. I tripped, landing face first beside a body. Screams tore through my throat as I realized that it was Colin Creevey, a Gryffindor in Ginny's year. There was a gaping wound on his right shoulder and his eyes were open, already glazed over in death.

I stumbled to my feet, sobbing in disbelief. Colin had been one of the sweetest boys I'd ever known. He'd never do anything to hurt a soul.

"Who did this to you Colin?" I whispered. "Who did this!"

"You did this to me." His vacant eyes seemed to be saying. "You could have fought with me, but instead you helped them kill me."

I tore down the corridor, tears streaming behind me. I held my wand high and stunned every death eater that crossed my path. I hated them. I hated being one of them. This had to end in the favor of Harry. 

Thundering into the seventh floor, I ran as fast as I could towards the room of requirement. Before I could pace back and forth to find him, the door appeared andn a broomstick with two people on it shot across the hall, colliding with the wall about 10 feet in front of me. Two more broomsticks burst through, this time stopping short of hitting the wall. The door vanished and an explosion could be heard from the inside.

Waving away the smoke, I inched towards the people on the ground. I could hear someone whimpering and recognized Draco's voice. Crying out in relief, I threw my arms around him.

"Crabbe," He was saying.

"He's dead," I turned to see Ginny's brother Ron behind us, along with Harry, Hermione and Goyle.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked. "She was supposed to stay in there! Did she leave?"

Draco and I stood, holding onto each other. He nodded in the direction of the trio and we headed to the left, while they went right. We had barely gone a few steps when we heard a scream, followed by a name. I turned to see Fred Weasley lying on the floor.

I could hear Draco saying my name, but couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from the lifeless body. This was the second classmate I'd seen dead in just 20 minutes. How many more would follow? He started dragging me away and I willed my feet to cooperate with him and move.

Somehow we made it back out of the castle and onto the grounds. We collapsed on the grass and just held each other.

"I don't want to go back in there," Draco whispered into my hair. "Let's go. Just run away somewhere."

As much as I wanted to hear that from him, I felt I couldn't. We were in too deep now to just run away. I shook my head and he nodded in silent understanding. We sat there together until the Dark Lord's voice came across the grounds and castle once again.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a lost and a waste.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then the battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

Draco and I sat and watched as dozens of death eaters left the castle and disappeared into the forest, wherever the Dark Lord was hiding out. Draco stood and pulled me to my feet, and began to walk towards the forest. I pulled my hand gently from his.

"I'm not going in there," I told him softly.

He looked at me as if I had three heads.

"You're not being yourself," He said and tried leading me again.

"No," I pulled from his grasp. "You go if you want but I'm going to the castle. He can kill me. I don't care anymore."

And with that I turned and ran before he could say anything else. I knew that with this action, I was throwing away whatever farce of a future we'd dreamed about. One or both of us would be dead by the time the sun rose over the trees.

The doors slammed closed behind me and I glanced into the great hall. There were many people standing or sitting, and even more lying on the ground. I didn't want to see who was dead. I saw a bloody faced Dean sitting with Seamus.

I roamed the halls and noticed Ginny. She was helping a young girl who was begging for her mother. Ginny's voice sounded thick with tears. I was at the other end of the hall standing still but she looke dup as if she heard someone or something. I heard footsteps as well but couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from.

Once the footsteps subsided, I made my way to Ginny and the girl, whose breathing was very shallow. I conjured a cot and Ginny flicked her wand to levitate the girl onto it. One last flick and the cot was floating towards the great hall where she would be treated properly.

"Hey," I said to my former friend.

She didn't reply immediately. Her eyes flashed with anger, then softened.

"I'm sorry about Dean," She said with her eyes on the floor.

"I'm sorry about everything," I replied. "I cant explain. If you want?"

We hugged and cried together. We'd both lost our innocence in this giant mess. Ginny knew I was a death eater but showed no fear. We were still the same girls who'd become friends all those years ago.