Make Me Fall

43. The Battle of Hogwarts

"Draco? Draco!" I yell, stumbling through the castle as the battle rages on around me. I rush around a corner and see two Death Eaters battling Fred and one of his older brothers. I see Fred stumble a little and my blood turns cold. I throw stunning spells at the Death Eaters from behind and his them square in the back.

"Autumn!" Fred runs forward and grasps my arms,  "are you okay?"

"Fine," I say distractedly, "have you seen Draco?"

"No, I-"

"Get down!" Fred's brother pulls us down just in time as an explosion causes rubble to erupt around us.

"I have to find him," I say, "Stay safe!"

I run downstairs, searching desperately for Draco. The Dark Lord's voice breaks through the battle, calling back the Death Eaters to him, while urging Harry to step forward. I'm just about to apparate to his side when I see Draco. He's leaning heavily against a wall, looking paler than usual. I hurry over to him.

"Draco, are you okay?" I ask him, cupping his face in my hands. He nods slowly and pulls me against him.

"I can't apparate," he mumbles, "you should... Go..."

"I'm not leaving you," I tell him firmly, "come on, we'll go downstairs."

"I don't think we're welcome," Draco says as I help him navigate the stairs.

"We'll find you somewhere to rest," I say, "maybe a broom cupboard."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Draco jokes feebly, followed by a grimace.

As we come down the marble staircase into the Entrance Hall I see people carrying the wounded and dead into the Great Hall. I move Draco in the opposite direction and we take shelter in a small alcove. Draco sits down slowly and lets out a long breath. I hover over him anxiously, unsure what to do. He pats the spot next to him and I sit down, winding my hand into his.

"Harry... Saved me," Draco says, "we were in the Room of Requirement. Crabbe... He cast a spell. There was fire everywhere..."

"Shh," I press my finger over his lips, "just rest for a bit."

Draco leans his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. I sit and listen to the quiet rumble coming from the Great Hall. Absently, I trace the mark on my forearm. I think of what the Dark Lord said. If Harry gives himself up, this will all be over. I shake my head a bit. Surely no one believes that. If Harry gives himself up, he'll die and then the Dark Lord will obliterate the school, killing everyone inside. But Harry won't give himself up.

I sit up straight, straining my ears. There's some kind of commotion going on. I poke my head out and see people running out of the school.

"Draco," I say quietly, shaking him. We creep out of our spot and join the flow out into the courtyard. There, Hagrid is in chains, holding a limp Harry. Behind them the Death Eaters have amassed.

"Oh my god," I breathe, covering my mouth.

"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort exclaims. The Death Eaters laugh and cheer. I glance around me, everyone's faces are full of devastation. Voldemort looks at the people around me.

"Now is the time to declare yourselves to me," he says, "come forward and join us! Or die."

I glance at Draco and walk forward. I can see the relief in my parents' faces. My mother holds her hand out, but as I reach the Weasleys I stop. I look up at Draco.

"Go," I whisper, nodding toward his parents who are watching expectantly. He shakes his head. I turn to the Death Eaters, to Voldemort and raise my chin.

"I'd rather die," I say, my voice ringing clearly across the courtyard, "I choose to stand with someone who would die for me. With Harry. My brother."

I see Voldemort's eyes widen and my parents shrink back.

"Draco," Lucius called, his voice urgent. Draco shakes his head and links hands with me. Fred puts his hand on my shoulder. Voldemort laughs.

"So young, so foolish," he jeers, "your time will come soon enough. Enjoy life while you can, you will not live to see another day."

As he speaks Harry suddenly rolls out of Hagrid's arms.

"Confringo!" he yells. I stumble back, shocked. The Death Eaters start fleeing, Bellatrix yelling after them. Voldemort and his remaining supports throw curses at Harry, but he gets behind a wall. The DA fall back into the castle, Draco and I among them.

"Lure him into the castle," Harry yells, "we have to kill the snake."

"Good to have you on board," George says, ruffling my hair as he runs passed.

"Come on," I call to Draco.

We run into the Great Hall and are soon flooded with Death Eaters. There seems to be a lot of them that feel the need to carry out Voldemort's threat and Draco and I are backed into a corner. If it wasn't for members of the DA we would've been killed fairly quickly. We break through the circle of Death Eaters to find Harry and Voldemort circling each other, Harry talking about something. Voldemort looks furious and, I notice, scared.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"EXPELLIARMUS"

We watch anxiously as the two spells hit and lock. Both Harry and Voldemort's faces are filled with intense concentration. Then Voldemort's spell starts moving back, I see fear flicker in his eyes again. The two spells are pushed back, back towards him. Then they break and he disappears, exploding into ashes. There is a long moment of silence, then a mighty cheer.

"It's over! It's over!" someone is yelling.

I turn to Draco, relieved. He pulls me close and kisses me hard.

"Let's find our parents," he says. We find his first. They pull him into their arms, his mother crying. I leave them to it and go searching for mine. I find them with a group of other Death Eaters in chains, surrounded by members of the DA.

"Mum, Dad!" I say, pushing past Kingsley. I stop when I see the look of utter contempt in their faces.

"I knew it was a mistake taking you," Dad spits, "traitor!"

"Traitor!" Mum yells, "TRAITOR!"

I step back, shocked.

"But, I-"

"TRAITOR!"

"Shut up," Fred says, flicking his wand at Mum. Her voice disappears. Dad tries to protest, but his is gone too. Fred puts his arm around my shoulders and guides me away.

"Sorry about that," Fred says, "you know Death Eaters, bit scummy."

I wipe my eyes and Fred hugs me tightly.

"Come on," he says, "we've got some cleaning up to do."