The Depth of Deception // H. Potter

viii. the beginning of the end

Harry was enraged. Amara held Harry in her arms, hoping that would calm him. It did not.

"Harry-" Amara spoke as he pulled away from her. He drew his wand and headed down the staircase. Amara was quick to do the same, and decided to follow him. 

Harry sprinted down the stairs and through the castle, in an attempt to chase the perpetrators. Amara knew she couldn't let the death eaters see her. She's have to find a way out of this, but she needed to know that Harry was safe. So, the young Malfoy girl decided to risk it all.

They ran through the castle, seeing the destroyed state of the Great Hall. Amara gasped, and looked at Harry with saddened eyes. Their home had been utterly destroyed. Out of everything, seeing Hogwarts like this broke Amara's heart. Hogwarts was her true home.

"Harry..." Amara spoke, tears blurring her vision. Harry wiped her tears with his thumb. He put his forehead against hers and calmed her down.

"It'll be okay," Harry spoke, brushing her hair behind her ear, "Some day and some how, I'll make sure everything will be okay." Amara smiled, her eyes meeting his. Harry leaned in to kiss her, and she complied.

"Come on," Harry spoke softly, "we have to catch up with them!" Amara took a deep breath, and took ahold of Harry's hand.

~X~

"Snape!" Harry shouted, as Bellatrix lit Hagrid's hut on fire, "He trusted you!" Harry continued to run, one hand holding his wand and the other gripped tightly by Amara Malfoy. Amara stopped running, as Snape began to speak again.

"Go on." Snape told the death eaters. They left, leaving the field for Snape, Harry, and Amara. Amara took a deep breath, as she looked at Snape with helplessness in her eyes. Harry casted spell after spell, but Snape did not fight back, he only defended himself.

"Fight back! You coward, fight back!" Harry shouted, mentally and emotionally exhausted from the all the trauma he had just witnessed. He truly had nobody left. 

Amara watched as Bellatrix casted a spell his way, knocking him to the ground. Amara fell with him, and made sure he was okay.

"No! He belongs to the Dark Lord." Snape spoke to Bellatrix, as she rolled her eyes and walked down the hill. Snape made his way over to Harry and Amara. Harry casted another spell that Amara had never heard of before, but Snape defended himself.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? Yes, I'm the half-blood prince." Snape spoke, and then quickly caught up with the other death eaters.

"Harry, are you alright?" Amara asked, looking at him to make sure nothing was broken or bleeding. Harry looked at Hagrid's burning hut and then looked at the castle, revealing the Dark Mark in the clouds.

"It's happening, Amara," Harry spoke, out of breath, "The end is coming."

~X~

It was chilly outside that night. 

Amara and Harry watched as people gathered beneath the astronomy tower. The two wandered towards the commotion, finding Dumbledore's dead body lying on the concrete pavement. Though they had witnessed the moment he died, they still were just as shocked as everyone else to have found his body.

As Harry sat next to Dumbledore, he paid his dues and hugged the man one last time.

Everyone raised their wands, in honor of the late and the great Albus Dumbledore. Several people were crying, some were silent, some were walking away, but Amara and Harry were doing nothing. Amara's face showed no emotion. Instead, she only felt numb.

Amara sat next to Harry, and held him in her eyes. Harry sobbed, letting out everything he had been holding in. Amara let a tear slip, as she held him tighter.

How many people would have to die before all of this was over?