THE KNIVES EDGE | M R ✔︎

TWENTY ONE ⁂ RIDDLE

It's been eight months now.

Dumbledore is dead. Hogwarts is being patrolled by my father's goons.

Novaline has disappeared with Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Hayden.

The last time I'd seen her was four months ago at a Slytherin party, sucking face with Adrian Pucey. She walked right past me as she left his room the next morning.

Regulus and Tom had to pull me off of him after that.

Pucey was in the hospital wing for a week.

I'm eighteen now. Novaline's almost there.

The war has come. My father stands before us, his army behind him and a dead Harry Potter in the arms of Hagrid. His head dangles out of the giant's arms and Hagrid weeps.

My brother and I stand beside our friends, looking out over the army my father has risen. Some of them are our family, others friends.

"Your savior has fallen." My father says, putting his arms out in both directions. "Harry Potter... is dead."

The silence in the air is eerie.

Until a scream breaks through. Chills shoot down my spine as I recognize the yell.

It's that of a person who's just had everything ripped from them.

Hayden Potter nearly collapses, Enzo being the one to catch her arms. She doesn't stop screaming, fighting Enzo's grip. Fighting to get to her brother.

Draco is looking in between Hayden and his parents and I know instantly who he's choosing.

He moves around me towards Enzo, holding Hayden together in his arms. He's struggling to keep her from falling apart more than she already has.

I can see the internal battle he already has. A type of guilt I know all too well.

I flick my eyes to Tom who stands there with a clenched jaw, watching as our father whips around and pulls someone from the crowd behind him. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head.

Tom sucks in a sharp breath, his knuckles turning white at the sheer force he uses to curl his hands into fists. His anger crackles through the air in a way that reminds me of Novaline.

Spencer and Nathan are standing side by side, wands in hand in preparation. Just behind them, stands Gracie. Her sights are set on my father and I fear what's to come.

Yet, there's no sight of Novaline.

At once, our father tosses Kaeda Wyatt onto the cobblestone in front of my brother and I. Tom's breathing is harsh, his eyes set on the love of his life.

"Choose a side, my son." My father taunts, gesturing to Kaeda. "The mudblood or your family."

Tom's lip curls at my fathers words and my father grins, clearly misreading the situation. "I'm sorry, Kade."

My heart drops, and for a split second, I'd been convinced he was going to pick our father.

Until he's sending a knockback jinx in his direction, diving for Kaeda. The cruciatus curse hits him in the back and he falls to the ground, pained screams leaving his lips. I whip my wand at my father, beginning my curse when the Potter boy pushes himself out of Hagrid's arms, disarming my father.

"Protego!" I shout, casting a quick charm over my brother and his lover, the greenish shield acting as a hue over the two of them.

The death eaters begin attacking and so do the students, blocking hexes and curses as they're sent in our direction.