we careen down the staircase, buffeted by the chaos that surrounds us, swept forward by the tide of people and shouting as they deploy to different parts of the castle. its pure madness.
Harry staggers, roaring in agony, his irises blooming red in the reflected glow of the guttering torches on the wall, he steadies himself again.
and then an eruptions of sound and fury rolls over the grounds.
the shield around Hogwarts shatters.
sizzling plumes strafe the night sky, raining down on the knights arrayed along the bridge and onto the castle itself. the plumes ricochet madly, shattering the tracery as the knights struggle to defend the castle. windows shatter, pierced by plumes, which materialize into Death Eaters. instantly, students and staff engage the dark wizards, standing shoulder to shoulder as they defend the school against the onslaught.
Harry, still feeling the effects of Voldemort's shield shattering, stumbles forward as spells fly and bodies fall. like a man possessed he veers on, fighting his way toward the archway opposite when we see a Death Eater drawing a bead on us.
"Harry!" i yell against the explosions "we have to get to the Room of Requirement NOW!"
Harry nods and we sprint off down the corridor, an explosion detonates and the windows running the length of the corridor explode--one after another--showering us with glass. then the wall itself falls away, rubble falling into the night and below. we never break stride.
we enter the Room of Requirement.
we continue on, almost jogging now, Harry winces, faltering as he's struck by a spike of pain, his fingers tracing as he resumes his pace, knowing he's getting closer, feeling it.
"we have to split up!" Harry says "we'll never find it if we stick together in this place."
"okay!" i yell and turn down an aisle
but suddenly, i couldn't hear the explosions outside or Harry's running footsteps. it all went dead silent. my heart begins pounding in my chest as my jogging steps turn into a walk. i turn a corner when i come face to face with..
Draco.
"Draco?" i ask my eyes widening, he had his wand pointed at me
his eyes widen "Vanessa?" he asks lowering his wand
a tear prickles down my face and i nod, running to him and engulfing him in a hug. i nuzzle my face into his neck, breathing in his scent
"i can't believe its you." i cry
"i know." Draco whisper
i feel something wet drip down my neck and i know Draco's crying too.
i open my eyes and look past Draco's shoulder to see Ron, Harry and Hermione sprinting towards me.
"no." i say
"what?" Draco asks lifting his head from neck
"no!" i say
but its too late. Ron grabs me hand and drags me with them. suddenly I'm being dragged through the aisle's of the Room of Requirement.
"what the hell?" i yell
"Goyle! he's set the place on fire!" Ron yells back
my eyes widen and i find my feet, running with them. i see the diadem twinkling from Harry's fingertips.
as one, we dash through the remaining aisles as the towers of junk turn to ashes all around us. the flames draw closer, mutating into a pack of fiery beasts; serpents, chimaeras, dragons-all nipping at our heels. no matter which way we turn, the flames follow us.
"split up!" Harry yells grabbing my hand as Ron takes Hermiones
me and Harry go a separate way than Ron and Hermione, but its no use. the fire simply divides, the serpent slithering after Harry and i. i glance up and see a familiar head of white hair and Blaise scaling a mountain of burning junk, doomed. i can't stop running. we take one turn after the other until we come to a clearing and nearly run into Ron and Hermione, as they arrive from a separate path. we glance around frantically. no free paths exist. the flames roar, racing towards us.
"do we climb?" Hermione yells
"no, it'll just follow us!" Harry answers
i glance around once more and see them; ancient broomsticks
"here! take one!" i toss one to Ron and Hermione and another to Harry as i take on myself. Hermione takes the diadem from Harry's hands and slips it on her head. the flames explode into the clearing engulfing us as we fly free, just barely eluding the snap of the dragon's fiery jaws. as we race away, a horrible scream pierces the clamor and we look below, seeing the flames devour Goyle.
"i have to go back!" i yell
"no! you'll kill yourself!" Ron says
"i'd rather die saving the love of my life than live knowing i didn't do anything." i say turning my broom and racing back to where i had seen Draco and Blaise
Harry immidietly follows me, Ron sighs and he and Hermione follow as well.
then i see them, perched atop a fragile, crumbling tower.
i sweep down, grip Draco's hand while Harry takes Blaise's. the instant Draco's foot leaves the mountain of junk, it collapses into a great billowing cloud of ash, mushrooming upward and blinding us. unable to get our bearings we swerve dangerously, squinting and choking when a giant beam of light shimmers in the distance. its Hermione, hovering on her broom, wand raised. then, as one, we fly pell-mell toward Hermione's beacon. as we draw closer the light burns so bright all goes white and we burst through the wall, tumbling into the corridor. i land on my side as Draco lands on his back right next to me. our brooms flying and crashing against the wall. as Hermione rolls over the diadem spins madly on the ground. Harry snatches it quickly, as if it might run away and Hermione tosses him the Basilisk Fang. then, without hesitation, Harry drives the fang into the blackened crown and Ron kicks the crown into the Room of Requirement where it explodes in a Vortex of flames and the room re-seals itself.
YOU ARE READING
True Love Conquers All (sequel to Loving You)
Fanfictionsequel to Loving You the last installment of the Draco Malfoy Love Story Series the one thing that i will always remember about my father is the story he would tell me every night before bed of a forbidden love between two people. a man and a woman...
