Raven (Fred x oc)

112. Pain

Silence fell over the Room of Requirement as Draco and I stepped through the portrait hole. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked surprised as well and Neville raised his wand. Rolling my eyes, I said, "Stand down, Longbottom. He's on our side." A collective murmur filled the room at that. 

Harry stepped forward and shook hands with Draco. After that, no one said anything. I quickly embraced Hermione, Ron, and Harry as the others came through. Lee, Fred, George among them. Talking quiet enough so only Hermione could hear me, I asked, "You find them all yet?" 

"All but one," she replied. "And then we need to kill the snake." I nodded, pursing my lips. 

"Well, if this is to be a battle, I need to get somewhere I can do the most damage," I said. Moving over to Draco, I said, "I'm going up to get a good vantage point. You stay here and help however you can. Give it your all." 

"I will," he promised with a genuine smile. "Thank you, Valerie." 

"Anytime," I replied, heading for the door. The moment I was outside it, I gasped. Before me was the silvery form of Dumbledore. 

"You need to go to the Headmaster's office," he said. 

"What?" I retorted in a harsh whisper. "Snape is there!" 

"Do you trust me?" he asked. I hesitated before nodding. "Then go." Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded and headed towards it. I stood before the gargoyle statue and glanced at Dumbledore for the password. "Pureblood." I rolled my eyes before repeating it. My heart hammered in my chest as I came up the stairs, stopping at the top. Without bothering to knock, I opened the door. Inside, Snape sat at Dumble- his desk. 

He stared at me, unable to mask the surprise on his face. "Snape," I said. 

"Black," he replied. His lips curling, he corrected, "Or I suppose it is Black-Weasley, now." 

"So it is," I said, moving further into the room. My heart was still pounding in my chest. It suddenly quickened as he raised his wand, pointing it at my chest. "You won't kill me," I said with a confidence I didn't feel. 

"Won't I?" he drawled. 

"Repeat what I say to you," Dumbledore said. "I know who you really are." 

"I know who you really are, Snape," I said. 

"You're a double agent and always have been." 

"You're a double agent and always have been." 

"Ever since he threatened Lily Potter's life." I repeated this too. "And I also know that you killed Dumbledore because he told you to and that Harry must die because he is a Horcrux." 

My voice caught in my throat as I said those last words. Rounding on Dumbledore, I said, "What?! He has to die?! Then what was the point of these last seventeen years? What has been the point!" 

"He's there, isn't he?" Snape asked, looking at, what appeared, to him, to be empty air. I nodded. 

"And Harry is here," I said. "There's going to be a battle." 

"I know," he said. "I felt the mark burn. Someone called for him." 

"Another thing," I said. "Draco is on our side now. He's fighting against Voldemort." 

"I suppose there is little reason to not say the name now," Snape said. 

"You should go out into the corridors," I said. "I think Harry is looking for something. You need to play your part." He nodded. 

"And you?" 

"Me? I fight," I replied. 

After leaving Snape, I rushed back to the Room of Requirment and stumbled to a stop. Percy Weasley was standing in the center of all of them. "Hi," I said awkwardly. 

"Valerie," Remus said. I smiled, having forgotten he was there. "I meant to ask you earlier, would you be my son's godmother?" 

"Of course," I said. "Wait, you have a son?!" Before he could answer, there was a harsh banging outside the room. Suddenly my eyes widened and I asked, "Where's Draco?" No one answered. Turning, I rushed back into the hallway, calling, "DRACO!" 

I spotted him about to enter the Room of Requirment. He turned, putting a finger to his mouth. I silence, stopping by his side. He opened the door and we walked in together. We wandered through until we came across Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise Zabani facing Harry. "That's Malfoy's wand your holding, Potter," Zabani snapped. 

"Not anymore," Harry said. "So how come you three aren't with Voldemort?" The three boys flinched. 

"What?" Draco said, moving around them to stand with Harry. "Scared to hear your master's name?" If I could have had a camera with me, I would have to snap a picture of the shock on their faces. 

"Guess you thought you'd bring Harry in to Voldemort?" I remarked with a laugh. Draco and I were blocking Harry from them, wands raised. "Good luck with that." 

"Move it, Black," Zabani snarled. "You Malfoy. I'd have expected better from you." 

I smirked. "I have been expecting better of myself my entire life," Draco retorted. "Finally, I think I'm living up to my own expectation." 

"Then prepare to die," Goyle snapped. 

"If it means defeating...Voldemort, then gladly," Draco countered. My smile grew. Spells shot back and forth, but soon piles of objects were crashing everywhere and then a loud crash came from somewhere. I turned, spotting a large fire. 

"GUYS, RUN!" I ordered. 

As we ran, Harry shouted, "It's cursed fire, Harry! Leave the Horcrux, it'll be destroyed in the fire!" 

"How'd you-" he began, but he broke off as Ron and Hermione joined us. The fire was going too fast. I tripped just before the fire would've overtaken us. I held up my hands in a vague attempt to protect myself before realizing that it wasn't reaching me. The other had run on, not noticing me. I stood up, leaving the force field around me as I walked through the fire. I stepped out into the corridor where they were all standing and let it go before shutting the doors. 

Everyone was gasping, taking in painful breaths from the smoke. "Everyone okay?" I asked, taking in a painful breath. They all nodded, Draco staring at the door. I swallowed, remembering that the only friends he had ever had just died in the fire. Suddenly I became aware of the duels going on around us. Fred was dueling with Percy at his side. 

I ran forward, shooting a spell at the two they were dueling. Percy's competitor's mask slipped, revealing the Minister of Magic. "Hello, Minister!" Percy cried. "Did I mention I'm resigning?" 

"You're joking Perce!" Fred shouted with a smile, taking out his competitor. "You're actually joking, Perce. I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-" Before he could finish, there was a loud explosion. 

"FRED!" I shouted, rushing towards him. I managed to grab onto him as we crashed back into the wall, rubble crashing down over us. "FRED!" I shouted, seeing that he wasn't moving. I looked around us and saw that a protective bubble surrounded us on every side, but the force seemed to have done something to him. 

"FRED!" I screamed, shaking him. Percy and Ron had gotten the rubble away from us and crouched down beside us as soon as the force field burst. 

"No, Fred, no!" Percy cried. He wasn't moving. 

I screamed again, this time a screaming sob of agony. Tears drenched my face as I yelled and hyperventallated. Percy grabbed onto me and Fred and dragged us out of the way. I got up, rushing to find who had killed my husband. Letting out a bird-like cry, I sent several small force fields at every death eater in sight. They cried out, falling to the ground as their competitors finished them off. 

I was such a rage of anger and grief, I managed to take out every Death Eater in the corridor. I let out a cry of pain, sending out a wave of power, hitting everyone wearing one of the cursed masks before I collapsed in tears. "Valerie," Draco said, grabbing onto me. He moved me out of the way as I sobbed, in more pain than I had been since my father died. 

How long I sat there in tears, I did not know, but eventually I was helped into the Great Hall only to collapse by Fred's side, laying my head on his chest, sobbing bitterly. George, Ginny, Arthur, Molly, and Percy were at my side crying with me. As I lay there, I grabbed onto his hand, gently kissing it as I continued to cry.