Keeping a Promise

Chapter 35

My brother and I ran around the debris that was falling from the school. Hogwarts was falling to the ground, and all because of a greedy bastard who wanted to live forever. A sick, twisted bastard who wanted nothing more than to torture everyone, including those that had vowed to follow him. I hoped that Harry could put a stop to him tonight. There was no need for this meaningless bloodshed anymore. 

A glimpse of my mother crept into my mind as I ran. Tears were still pouring from my eyes. The light leaving Jade's eyes flashed in front of me. I let out a war cry; there was no way that I was going to let anyone else close to me die. I was going to protect them. I needed this to stop. I was currently an orphan; I didn't need to loose anyone else. 

As we entered the Great Hall, we ran into someone. I looked up to see that it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione. We didn't get a chance to exchange greetings. There was an explosion that collapsed half the Great Hall. Rumble had landed on top of the five of us, bringing about a world of pain and semidarkness. I pushed off what debris I could of myself before being pulled out of the pile and into someone's arms. I was nose to nose with Ron, who was staring into my eyes like he had in the summer. 

"Ron-" Hermione started but was interrupted by someone screaming. 

"No - no - no!" 

Ron had then let go of me and had moved over to the person who had been screaming, which was Percy. He had a tousle of red hair in his arms and was crying into their forehead.   My heart skipped a beat. A Weasley was hurt? 

"No! Fred! No!" 

I moved closer to get a good look at what was happening. Percy was shaking the person, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and that's when I saw who it was. Fred'seyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face. 

I automatically covered my face with my hands. Marcus put his hand on my shoulder as I softly cried for my friend, my first love. The battle was taking too many people away from us. Looking around the room, I couldn't keep count of how many motionless bodies I could see. 

"Ron-" I heard Hermione say. 

When I looked back, I saw that Ron had pushed her away and was clinging to Fred's body. My heart reached out to him. I had felt the exact same way not too long before that. A glimpse of my mum's limp body in my arms flashed before my eyes. My silent crying had then turned into sobbing as I continued to dwell on how many people we had lost already. 

"Courtney," Ron's voice came as he sat up and pulled me into his arms. "I know he was your first love, but we are going to pull through this. We are going to kill Voldemort. There's no if's about it. He will pay!" 

I nodded. "He's taken way too many people from us," I said into his chest. "Fred, my mum, Jade." 

He pulled away and looked down at me. "Who is Jade?" 

"Helena Burke," I swallowed. "Her real name is Jade Smith; she's my sister." 

He pulled me back into his chest. "Harry, Hermione. You two go on without me. I have to stay here and protect my family." 

"Ron," Harry said and then looked down at his brother, "Percy, there is nothing we can do for him. We have to keep going. Ron, mate, you're coming with me." 

"Mate-" Ron said before screaming. 

I let go of him and turned to see that a spider the size of a small car was trying to come in through the gaping hole in the wall. Harry and Ron both yelled a spell and knocked it back outside.