𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫 | n. tonks

xxxviii

The sun had started to rise. Voldemort and his troops were on their way back to the castle. The D.A., Order, staff, and students had come outside.

Hadley stood quietly with her family. Tonks had an arm around her, and the younger woman's head was resting on her shoulder. Her eyes were red, puffy, and burned from all the crying. She had no more tears left to shed. She just felt numb.

"Who is that?" Ginny asked as the Death Eaters approached. "Hagrid's carrying? Neville, who is it?"

"Harry Potter...is dead!" Voldemort cried out victoriously.

"No!" Ginny yelled, rushing forward, only to be pulled back by Arthur. "No!"

"Silence!" Voldemort shouted, waving his wand. "Stupid girl. Harry Potter is dead. From this day forth, you put your faith...in me."

"I'd rather put my faith in a toothbrush," Hadley muttered.

Voldemort turned around to address his followers. "Harry Potter is dead!" The Death Eaters all laughed and cackled at their victory. Voldemort chuckled smugly. "And now is the time to declare yourself. Come forward and join us...Or die."

There was silence. Tonks tightened her protective hold on Hadley, who was glaring across the courtyard at Voldemort.

"Draco," Lucius Malfoy called out harshly to his son. Hadley turned her head a little and spotted the boy standing off to the side. He looked terrified, and for the first time since she's known him, Hadley felt sorry for him.

"Draco..." Narcissa said, more gently, "come."

Draco hesitated for a moment, almost like he was waiting for someone to do something to stop him. When no one did, he made his way across to the Death Eater side.

"Ah." Voldemort held his arms out. "Well done, Draco."

Hadley's brows pulled together as she watched the Dark Lord hug Draco. She couldn't see his face, but she had a feeling that the poor boy was uncomfortable.

Neville slowly hobbled forward, limping a little.

"Well, I must say I'd hoped for better," Voldemort said. The Death Eaters laughed. "And who might you be, young man?"

"Neville Longbottom."

More laughter from the Death Eaters. Hadley saw Bellatrix with a smug smile on her face.

"Well, Neville, I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks."

"Don't do it, Neville!" Hadley cried.

"Don't worry, Hadley. I'll join them when hell freezes over. Dumbledore's Army!" Neville reassured her before looking back to Voldemort, fury in his eyes. "I'd like to say something."

Voldemort's mouth opened and then closed. "Well, Neville, I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say," he eventually said.

"It doesn't matter that Harry's gone," Neville said.

"Stand down, Neville!" Seamus spoke up.

"People die every day!" Neville raised his voice. "Friends...Family...Yeah. We lost Harry tonight...But he's still with us...in here." He placed a hand on his heart. He looked at Hadley and George. "So's Fred...And Remus...All of them. They didn't die in vain." He turned back to Voldemort, who had started to laugh. "But you will! Because you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us! For all of us! This is not over!"

Neville reached into the Sorting Hat, which he had been carrying, and pulled out a sword. Harry rolled out of Hagrid's arms and fired a spell at Voldemort's snake. Hadley gasped and exchanged a look with George, both of them turning to tell Fred, only to remember that he was gone now.

Hadley didn't have long to start mourning again. Death Eaters started Disapparating, and those that didn't charged at them.

"Stay close to me!" Hadley shouted to Ginny as Ron ran off with Harry and Hermione. She cast a shield charm to block them from a spell before running inside with George and Tonks, Ginny following close behind.

They ran into the Great Hall, where another fight had broken out. A bolt of green light missed Tonks by mere inches. When they looked to see who it was, they saw Bellatrix standing a few feet away from them.

Just as Hadley was raising her wand to shoot a spell back at her, Molly pushed her and Tonks behind her, raising her own wand.

"Not my daughter-in-law, you bitch!" she shouted at Bellatrix as before firing a spell at her.

It all seemed to happen so fast. One minute they were firing spells back and forth at each other, the next, Bellatrix's body froze, and she exploded into pieces as Molly shot one final spell at her.