The Dragon in The Ice Fortress- Draco Malfoy

46

The Order's meeting was a blur of panic and hurried whispers, the air thick with fear and esperation. The flickering candlelight cast long, eerie shadows across the faces of those gathered, and the weight of what was happening settled over all of us like a suffocating shroud.

"The Death Eaters are already inside the castle," Remus said grimly, his voice barely above a whisper. "They've taken down the wards. The students are trying to escape, but they're being picked off one by one."

A cold knot formed in my stomach. The news came too fast. Everything had escalated too quickly. The war we had feared, the war we had trained for, was now crashing down around us, and there wasn't enough time to save everyone.

Harry stood near the back of the room, his jaw clenched, his face pale and drawn. I could see the resolve in his eyes, the same resolve that had been there since the beginning, but now there was something else—a kind of finality, a resignation to the fate that was closing in around him.

"They're after me," Harry said suddenly, his voice cutting through the murmur of voices. "Voldemort... he wants me."

Everyone turned to look at him. Hermione's face paled, her hand trembling as it gripped Ron's arm. "Harry, you can't—"

"I have to," Harry interrupted, his tone firm. "This is the only way. If I don't go, he'll kill everyone. He'll destroy Hogwarts."

Ron stepped forward, his face twisted with frustration and fear. "There's got to be another way, mate. We can fight him."

"No," Harry said, his eyes locking with Ron's. "This is the only way to stop him."

I stood frozen, my mind racing as the implications of Harry's decision sank in. Voldemort wasn't just after power anymore. He was after Harry's life, and Harry knew it. There would be no victory without this final confrontation. And even then... it wouldn't be a victory. Not for us.

"We'll create a distraction," McGonagall said, her voice firm though her eyes were filled with sorrow. "We'll give you a chance, Harry. But once you go, we don't know what will happen."

Harry nodded, his gaze heavy as he glanced at each of us, lingering on Hermione and Ron. "Thank you. For everything."

The air was thick with emotion. I wanted to say something, anything to stop this. But words wouldn't change the inevitable.

Within minutes, the castle was in chaos. Students and teachers ran through the halls, spells flying in every direction, and the walls shook with the impact of curses. Screams echoed through the corridors as the Death Eaters closed in, and I could see the terror on the faces of those fleeing the castle.

"Stay close!" Remus shouted over the din, his wand flashing as he deflected a curse. "We have to get as many out as we can!"

I ran beside him, my heart pounding, every sense on high alert. But even as we fought, I knew we were losing. The Death Eaters had the upper hand, and they were relentless. The bodies of fallen students littered the floor, and each one I passed made my heart ache with guilt and anger.

Somewhere in the distance, I saw Bellatrix cackling wildly, her wand cutting through the air with deadly precision. More Death Eaters swarmed behind her, their masks gleaming in the flickering light. It felt like the end.

As I sprinted down the corridor, dodging curses and fallen debris, my heart pounded in my chest, a frantic beat that matched the chaos around me. There was no time to stop, no time to process the destruction unfolding before my eyes. I turned a corner, almost crashing into Hermione, who had been hiding behind a broken statue.

"Thalia!" she gasped, pulling me into cover beside her. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear, but there was a fierceness behind them too. "Have you seen Harry?"