Towers - Fred Weasley

93

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"NO!"

The scream was loud and terrible and Ebony had not expectede professor McGonagall to be able to make that sound at all. Bellatrix laughed at McGonagall's despair. Ebony looked at the amount of Death Eaters in front of them while Hagrid -- crying as he did -- carried the lifeless body of Harry Potter in his arms.

"No!"

"No!"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron's, Hermione's, and Ginny's voices were worse than McGonagall's; It was getting out of hand, Ginny wanted to run towards Harry but was held back by her father. Ebony held Fred's hand as it was the one thing she could reach and hold onto not to go crazy.

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

"You see?" said Voldemort, as Harry was laid down on the grass. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more.

Ebony looked aside as some Death Eaters began to call over their children. She watched as they were about to fold, about to give in and walk down. Draco moved at his mother's call but Ebony took his hand and held him back. He looked at her.

"We can be our own person." She told him softly to which he nodded and looked towards the others next to him. They all stayed, all remained in their spots and successfully pissed off their parents a little.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was relish in his voice for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself—"

But Voldemort broke off: Someone else shouted followed by another bang, a flash of light, and a grunt of pain. Someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort: The figure hit the ground, Disarmed, Voldemort throwing the challenger's wand aside and laughing.

"And who is this?" he said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected, standing in the no-man's-land between the survivors and the Death Eaters. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled in fists.

"So what if I am?" said Neville loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.

"Very well," said Voldemort, venom in his voice. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it."