Too Far Gone (Don't Save Me Book 4)

Chapter 87: A Fallen Horcrux

 I left Narcissa with specific instructions to return to my father and tell him that I had returned to the castle with Dolohov, who was under strict orders not to leave me alone. Little did my father know Dolohov was dead. Narcissa would tell my father I was insistent on bringing the boy to him and we hoped he would buy that story. Severus was on standby to get her out if anything went wrong and after this was all over he would get them out of town.

The Great Hall smelled of death and the sight that met me was gruesome. Several students and adults I didn't recognize lay dead... and some I did. My eyes frantically searched the bodies for familiar faces. Suddenly Sirius and Remus ran toward me and I breathed a sigh of relief as Minerva quickly followed.

"Y/n, are you alright? Who's blood is that?"

I looked down at my hands, noticing the dried blood still on them. "It's..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say. He wasn't dead but my father thought he was. That's what everyone had to believe for the time being. "It's Severus's blood... not mine."

"Oh, Y/n... I'm so sorry. I know it's complicated but I know how much he meant to you."

I shook my head, clearing it of the image of Severus's body, and quickly changed the subject.

"Did... did everyone make it out okay? The Order... are they..?"

Remus nodded. "We're alright. Tonks was nearly killed by Bellatrix but Sirius knocked her out of the way and you stopped Dolohov from getting me. We're alright, Y/n." He smiled softly before his face took on a more serious look. "Now let's talk about what you said right before they took you."

"Oh, I uh... I thought that I might not see you again and well... I needed to make sure he got the message."

"What message?" Remus asked.

Before I could say anything I heard Harry's voice from behind me.

"When were you going to tell me?"

I turned to see Harry angrily approaching, tears streaming down his face. "One of us has to kill you?"

I nodded.

"When were you going to tell me?" he repeated.

"Once you'd completed the rest of your mission... I didn't want this for you, Harry... but we both know Tom won't kill me. He knows what I am."

"I won't do it," Harry hissed. "I can do the other thing... but I won't kill you." I knew what he meant and the tears I'd been struggling to hold in finally slipped from my eyes.

"Harry-."

"No! It won't work anyway!" he shouted. "You have to mean the killing curse or it doesn't work and I won't! I can't make myself mean it! Not on you!"

"Sweetheart." I pulled him into a hug. "There are other ways of destroying a Horcrux... you know that better than anyone."

"I'm not stabbing you, either!"

I sigh. "Harry, if I could do it myself I would! But Albus was clear! It has to be you."

"We're not actually talking about this!" Sirius exclaimed.

"There's no other way!" I shouted and several eyes were now watching the scene unfold. "If we don't do this it will all be for nothing. Tom will always have a way to return."

***

The next few moments were filled with arguing before everyone finally realized there was no getting around this. Hermione found the sword in the rubble and reluctantly handed it to Harry, his eyes filled with tears.

"Not here," I muttered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's take this outside... too many people."

Harry nodded and the group of us moved outside. Harry gripped the sword tightly in his hand and looked up at me.

"I don't... I... I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, sweetheart. You're doing what needs to be done." I took his hand, which was holding the sword, and lifted it to my stomach. It would be the easiest place for him to reach and wouldn't take as much force as piercing my heart would. His lips shook as he held the sword in place.

"Aunt Y/n... I- I can't."

"You can, love. You have to."

Minerva approached me as Tonks and Remus held Sirius back, not trusting him not to do something rash.

"I'll be right here, sweetheart," Minerva said, taking my hand. I smiled before turning to Harry.

"You can do this."

A broken sob escaped his lips as he thrust the sword forward, pushing it upward into my stomach. I gasped at the pain and my knees buckled beneath me as Minerva gently lowered me to the ground and Harry pulled the sword from my stomach.

It would soon be over.